My Food Journey

A Few Pantry Staples Is All You Need And You’ve Got Yourself A Dessert In No Time And Minimal Effort. Semiya payasam also known as vermicelli Kheer is one of the easiest and delicious Payasam enjoyed during all festivals and functions. Because of its simplicity we make this vermicelli kheer very often. Its also one of the main payasam served during Onam and Vishnu Sadya. Follow the recipe exactly and I promise you will get perfect payasam, its a foolproof recipe.  So let"s see how to make this Semiya payasam.  Ingredients: Vermicelli – 2 1/2 handfull or 1 cup  Ghee-2tbsp  Sugar -according to ur taste or 14 Tbsp Cashew nuts-handful  Raisins- handful (Optional) Fresh milk-2 L(full fat)  Water-1 L Cardamom-5-6 pods powdered or crushed Method:  Heat a deep bottomed kadai or pan and add ghee. Then add vermicelli and fry it till light brown. (don't fry too much ) Once it's done, keep aside.  In another saucepan, boil 1 liter of water along with 2 liter ...

   Olan is a classic Kerala dish made with ash gourd and cowpea / black eyed pea. This simple recipe comes together in no time. With just few ingredients, this recipe is super easy and healthy as well. Diced ash gourd is simmered in coconut milk along with the curry leaves and green chillies. The flavors are extremely delicate and lite. It is best served with rice and is an integral part of the famous "Kerala Sadhya" The simplicity of this dish is what really makes it a winner. And yet the flavors are so robust. Lets see how its done. Step by step images below See Notes: ** for clearing any doubt you would have.  Ingredients:  1 small ash gourd (200 gm) 200 ml coconut milk first press 3-4 green chillies split 1/4 cup cow peas or Lobia (Black eyed bean) 1 tsp coconut oil 5 curry leaves Salt to taste Method: Boil beans till just done. You would want them cooked but not mushy. I pressure cook them for about 4 whistles. **  Once the cow peas are cooked, drain and ke...

This Erissery or Erisseri is a traditional recipe in Kerala Cuisine. This is an easy recipe to make and has a prominent place in the Sadya. The Kadala Mathanga Erissery is a delicious side dish that you can serve along with Rice. This time I have used Green gram instead of Kadala (black chana) This recipe uses yellow pumpkin along with black chickpeas and is spiced with coconut paste and topped with fried coconut tadka/tempering. This dish is quite versatile in nature and different ingredients can be used as below:  Ingredients that you can use in making Erissery:  Typically we use pumpkin, mostly red ones to make this curry. Some use Yam as well. Lentil / Pulses: Usually for a sadya, we use Kala Chana or Black chickpea/kadala. But we can use other lentils like Vanpayar or Red Cow Peas. Some replace this with regular white cowpea or black-eyed peas. This time I have used Green Gram.  Let's see how to make this simple curry with ...

Sambar is a must in most south Indian families and like others even I have grown up having dosa- sambhar and chutney's. A Sambar is a lentil based vegetable stew or curry cooked with dal/lentils along with some veggies and some tamarind pulp. There are coconut based sambar as well and each region has its own sambar variation. In my house, we all prefer quick meals, but yet tasty. My mother who was a working lady would make elaborate meals only during holidays or special occasions. Rest all the meals would be quick yet very very tasty. This is one such sambar which my mom has taught me and is super quick.  This doesn't use tamarind like in a traditional sambar and gets its tangy flavour from tomatoes. Its quick, one pot sambar recipe. Lets dive in and see how its done: Ingredients: Serves 3 1/2 to 1 cup Tur Dal/ Yellow Lentils 2-3 tomatoes chopped (depending on size) 1/2 cup Veggies each of your choice cubed Turmeric powder A pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing 1/2 tsp chilli powder Salt ...

I have grown seeing mom make moru kachiyathu almost every 2 days. The quickest of all curries/gravies to have with rice and so so comforting. Just like the name suggests, it is a mildly spiced buttermilk curry best taken with steamed rice. A simple, quick, light and extremely healthy preparation. I learnt this from my mom and perfected from my Mom in law. Both are wonderful cooks and me as an amateur cook have learnt a lot from both my mothers.  I make kachiyamoru quite often, store and use it over the week for almost every lunch. Its just so comforting and can be paired with almost any sides be it veggies or non veg. I personally like having it  with rice and chicken or fish curry.  Total time taken for this is just 15 mins. Just remember to keep stirring the curd to avoid curdling. For more tips check notes below.  Lets get to the recipe.  Ingredients:  Whisked or beaten curd - 2 cup Coconut oil- 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Fenug...

Parippu curry is yet another simple kerala dish which is quick and easy to make. This rich and creamy curry is a must have for sadhya (Feast- Lunch) and is easy to make. This instant pot curry is made with Parippu/ Moong dal/ Yellow lentils combined with coconut and spices. We love having it with Aviyal ,  thoran and rice. A must have dal or lentils curry which is flavourful and easy to make. Lets see how its done. Ingredients: Serves 4  1  cup cheruparippu / yellow moong dal ¼ tsp turmeric powder Salt to taste To grind: 1cup grated coconut 3-4 green chillies ½ tsp cumin seeds / jeera 2 pods garlic (optional) To temper: 1 tbsp Ghee(Optional) 1 tsp coconut oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 2 dry red chillies 1 sprig curry leaves 2-3 shallots, sliced Method: Dry roast the dal for 3-4 minutes or until nice aroma comes. The dal should not change color. (I usually have them roasted and store)  Once cool, wash the dal and pressure cook with 2 cup ...