VIRUNDHOMBAL

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring, and this colourful paneer vegetable stir fry is a perfect example! Made with fresh broccoli, beans, carrot, and capsicum, along with protein-rich paneer, this dish is simple, wholesome, and full of flavour. These days, I’ve been enjoying preparing light and healthy breakfasts, and this recipe has quickly become one of my favourites—it’s filling, nutritious, and comes together in no time. What I love most about this stir fry is how vibrant and versatile it is. With minimal oil, no heavy sauces, and a touch of simple spices, the natural flavours of the vegetables and paneer really shine through. The lightly spiced, pan-roasted paneer adds a delicious texture, while the garlic and green chillies bring in that perfect hint of heat. If you’re someone who enjoys experimenting with healthy dishes like I do, this recipe is definitely worth trying. It’s quick, colourful, and easily adaptable with any vegetables you have on hand. Do watch the...

Today we are making Drumstick Mango Sambar – a quick and delicious mini version of the traditional Tirunelveli-style Idi Sambar! Unlike regular sambar recipes that require a long list of ingredients for the sambar powder, this version uses just 3 simple ingredients to create a fresh, aromatic, and flavorful spice mix. It’s perfect for busy days when you still crave that authentic homemade taste. I learned this recipe from Ganapathi Aachi during my visit to Tirunelveli last year. With her warm and loving tone, she said, “Edukku di niraiya ingredients? Indha aachi sollura madhiri idi sambar senju paaru… attagasama irukkum!” (Why so many ingredients? Try making it the way I say… it will turn out amazing!). And truly, it does! The simplicity of this recipe brings out such rich and comforting flavors that instantly remind you of traditional home cooking. This easy method keeps all the authentic Tirunelveli flavors intact while saving time in the kitchen. The addition of drumstic...

There are endless varieties of masalas and gravies in our everyday cooking. These days, I consciously try to prepare most dishes using minimal oil and without adding rich ingredients like fresh cream or cashew paste. Personally, I feel that light gravies and simple masalas are easier to digest and also give a lot of satisfaction after a meal. Rich, cream-based gravies can always be enjoyed occasionally, maybe once a month — that’s my personal choice. Today, I got fresh cauliflower and tender green peas, and I decided to make a simple homestyle masala using very little oil and no cream. By lightly roasting the vegetables and cooking them in a well-balanced onion-tomato masala, the flavour turned out so comforting and delicious. This kind of curry feels light on the stomach, yet full of taste, making it perfect for everyday meals. This Cauliflower Peas Potato Masala pairs beautifully with chapati, roti or rice and is a great example of how simple ingredients, when cooked with care, can c...

Tomato Chutney with Black Urid Dal is one of those recipes that carries both flavour and memory. I learnt this unique version from a small mess in Tirunelveli, where the cook prepared this chutney fresh every morning with simple ingredients yet unmatched taste. The roasted black urid dal adds a wonderful aroma and a lightly crunchy texture that makes the chutney stand out from regular tomato chutneys. This is a perfect side dish for idli, dosa, uthappam and paniyaram, and it brings a comforting homestyle touch to your breakfast plate.  Before jumping into the recipe, here are the important tips the cook shared with me that ensure the perfect taste every time. Always use small onions for this chutney as they give a deep, lingering flavour compared to regular onions. Choose fully ripe country tomatoes for natural tanginess and colour. Sauté each ingredient one by one and roast the black urid dal patiently until aromatic without burning it. Use only compounded asafoetida and avoid Kas...

Ginger Thokku, also known as Inji Thokku, is a traditional South Indian condiment that is loved for its bold flavour and medicinal benefits. During my childhood, my grandmother used to prepare many varieties of thokku at home. I still remember enjoying her style of cooking, especially the generous use of oil and jaggery that made every thokku taste divine and stay fresh for a long time. This Ginger Thokku is my own kitchen experiment inspired by her methods. It turned out to be a big hit at home and tasted absolutely delicious with curd rice. You can also mix it with hot rice and enjoy it as Inji Puli Sadam. Watch the video carefully and try this traditional ginger thokku at home. Important Tips for Preparing Ginger Thokku 1. Peel the ginger and rinse it well. Chop the ginger into medium-sized pieces. If chopped too finely, ginger may taste bitter. Since the ginger is sautéed and then ground, medium-sized pieces work best. 2. Instead of grinding, you may also grate the ginger using a c...

This Mushroom Kurma is a simple, flavourful one-pot recipe that can be prepared within 20 minutes. It has a light, well-balanced gravy without heavy cream or cashew paste, making it perfect for everyday cooking. During our recent Christmas long weekend trip to Ilanji, we tasted this delicious mushroom kurma in a small hotel near Virudhunagar. Because of heavy traffic in Madurai, our lunch got delayed and it was already around 4 PM. Most hotels had no meals available, so we stopped at a small roadside restaurant. There was no crowd, but the food turned out to be surprisingly good. We ordered parotta and mushroom kurma, and the gravy was incredibly tasty. I enjoyed it so much that I asked the cook about the recipe. He kindly shared the base gravy ingredients, which inspired me to recreate this kurma at home. This mushroom kurma has the perfect consistency—not too thick and not too watery—making it ideal for parotta, dosa, chapathi, and idiyappam. If you prefer light, flavourful gravies o...

Today, let’s prepare a soft, healthy, and delicious Little Millet (Samai) Idli, a perfect millet-based tiffin for breakfast or dinner. This recipe is completely rice-free, making it a great option for those looking to include more millets in their daily diet. I regularly prepare millet tiffins for dinner and have tried many millet recipes like millet khichadi, millet dosa, and millet kozhukattai. After experimenting with different methods, I understood one important rule while cooking with millets – proper soaking is the key. For easy digestion and soft texture, millets should be soaked for at least 3 hours. But for recipes like millet idli and dosa, soaking for a minimum of 5 hours gives the best results. Another important tip is to use a slightly higher quantity of urad dal compared to regular rice idli batter. This helps in achieving soft and fluffy idlis. By following these simple steps, you can easily prepare nutritious, light, and tasty millet idlis at home. This recipe has alrea...