Cooking Is Easy

This is another of my favorite paratha which I make often......my mom-in-law taught me to make this.....I got some pinkish-reddish mooli this time though it is the white ones that is usually see here in Calicut....now what's the benefit of methi paratha, mooli paratha, aloo paratha etc...it includes roti as well as vegetables in one go. How I made them: Ingredients : Mooli red or white: 1/2 kg grated. Chilly powder: 1/2 to 1 tsp. Jeera: 1/4 tsp. Coriander leaves: A bunch chopped. Salt to taste. Whole wheat flour: 1 cup (salt and water as needed). Method: 1. Grate mooli and keep aside. 2. Heat  1 tsp oil in a pan and put in jeera, when it cracks switch off the fire and put in the red chilly powder and put in the grated mooli. Again switch on the fire, mix well add salt and let it cook till the water evaporates and when it is dry, switch off fire and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and let it cool. 3. In a bowel put in whole wheat flour, ...

I love peanut candy....and I know you also love this....it is a comfort snack for me....love to munch it while relaxing in front of TV or reading a book....this is every malayali 's favorite snack.....from time immemorial. Most of the shops be it a supermarket or the small petti kada aka local grocery shop has kappalandi mittai aka peanut candy......during one of the winter spells in Mercara, Coorg a casual chat with my friend Sheena resulted in her mentioning that she makes them at home.....Wow!!! being a novice at cooking at that time....I was surprised at the ease with which she used to make this.....and when I also tried it came out so crispy and crunchy that it was better than the store brought ones....soon it became the most wanted snack at my house.....if there is roasted and skinless peanuts ready....peanut candy can be ready in about 10 min...and that is superfast right???. After coming to Calicut, I had difficulty in getting roasted and skinless ones....so I buy 1/2...

Yesterday, I had to go to my kids school because Nidhi had fever and she had maths test (FA-4; as per new CBSC syllabus), she did not want to miss the test, since she was adamant to go, I told her that I will come and pick her up before lunch break.. .So I went before lunch break and there is a receptionist in the school....I was waiting for my chance to speak to her about Nidhi...a boy must be 14 or 15 yrs old was asking the lady whether he could use the school phone to ring up his mother very politely....now what caught my attention was the rude way the lady questioned the boy.....I felt she was questioning him rather harshly....there were other parents around....and the boy lost his cool and started stammering.....finally the receptionist allowed him to call his mom......the boy must have felt very bad in front of all the adults.....this made me observe the receptionist more closely....I found she was behaving like that to each and every child who come up to her....if it ...

Idiyappams with its snow white color garnished with grated coconut is one of the traditional healthy breakfast of Kerala .....it is healthy because it is steamed to cook....The main ingredient is rice flour....traditionally rice is washed cleaned and dried and powdered in the local mill and roasted....this can be kept for months and kozhukkatai, ada , pidi, idiyappam, pottu etc can be made with rice flour....now-a-days ready made rice flour is available at supermarkets...Asian stores..... It is one of the easiest and healthiest breakfast and best served with any spicy curry....veg or non veg.....some like it with sweetened coconut milk poured over it...my kids love it with just plain sugar. Boiling water is poured into the rice flour, salt and mixed with a spoon to make it into a dough...it is allow to cool and then it is put into the idiyappam press and pressed into greased idli mould with a tsp of grated coconut and steamed till cooked. Its a vegan breakfast...

This is one of my favorite pudding because it is easy to make and no baking or cooking is needed...I first tasted this at my brother's place...his wife ie my sis-in-law Vava (yes!!! thats her pet name...she is the smallest in her family and the name suits her too because of her petite frame) made this for an occasion some 10 years back.... ever since..it topped my pudding list. Actually the recipe was handed down from Vava's mom Leelamma. This pudding is always a huge success....and disappears...within minutes.....the best thing is no sort of cooking is required if you have pineapple preserve or tinned pineapple at hand. I always preserve pineapple so that makes it easier for me.....if fresh pineapple is available.....just take half of the fruit and chop it and throw in some sugar and put it on fire till it is nicely cooked.....that is pineapple stewed. Another thing is there is raw egg in it....I have not tried substituting the raw eggs.....because I don't wan...

Methi rice or Methi pulav, is a wonderful rice dish made with methi/fenugreek leaves. Fenugreek is very good to lower your blood sugar levels....it is very diabetic friendly...it is said in ayurveda that a few methi seeds in the morning will help in controlling diabetics. My Coorgi friend Simi Mutthappa is a wonderful cook and she makes excellent methi pulao....the first time I had this pulao at her place....it was like I thought what did she add extra to make this pulav soooo flavourful other than the methi leaves.....and as we became great friends she shared this recipe.....and whenever I make this for my family and friends.....the same question is always asked "what did u add to get this flavor??". Simi and her husband Mutthappa has a  home-stay  in Mercara near the Old Race Course Road.....the up-stair part they have converted beautifully into a home-stay....and has excellent views of Mercara...did I mention that Simi is a wonderful cook.....she...