VIRUNDHOMBAL

Tapioca masala - this masala is similar to our classic potato masala with creamy texture which is perfect for poori and dosa. To make this tapioca masala you will need tapioca, onions, green chillies and ginger. Sometimes for potato masala I add gram flour to add thickness to the masala but for this tapioca masala there is no need to add other thickening ingredients as tapioca are starchy and waxy which will be perfect for masalas.  The tapioca skins must be peeled completely and then transferred it to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook the tapiocas for  6 to 10 whistles. Meanwhile, the tapiocas are cooking, cut the onions, green chillies and ginger. Usually for potato masala I prefer to add a good amount of ginger as it gives a nice flavor for the masala. Using your preferred masher, mash the cooked tapiocas without any solid pieces to your desired consistency. Today I have grated the cooked tapiocas and then mashed well. If you are cooking the masala longer in advance, cook the masala

Pineapple Rasam - sweet and tangy rasam dish.This pineapple rasam is a rasam your whole family will like it.  I have tasted this rasam twice or thrice in marriage lunches, but haven't tried this before. Due to lockdown we are in our hometown Courtallam for the past three months and we bought lots of fresh pineapples here regularly. They sit on the kitchen countertop for a few days and tried dishes with pineapples like pineapple kesari, pineapple jam, pineapple rasam and this rasam is a big hit in our family. Cutting the pineapples is a bit tough work for me but most of the time my husband helped it.  For pineapple rasam, I have used both pineapple puree and diced pineapple. The pineapple puree adds a nice flavor and colour to the rasam and the diced pineapples are added for the appearance. In addition to the pineapple puree, I have added cooked toor dal to give thickness for the rasam. As pineapple has a sour taste, no need to add tamarind extract for this rasam. Here I have inclu

Black Chana Masala - this is a low calorie side dish prepared with black chick peas, onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and masala powders.  For this masala, no need to add any special ingredients like cashewnuts, fresh cream or milk. Just a few basic simple ingredients which are easily available in your kitchen. You can prepare this masala within 15 minutes. Having a low calorie sabji or masala for dinner will help to digest faster than the gravies prepared with cashewnuts or cream. For low calorie dishes use teaspoons of oil rather than tablespoons. This masala tastes good with dosa, chapathi, idiyappam and aapam. For a balanced diet pair it with a carbs along with a cup of vegetable salad. This year prepared this side dish for 30 varieties low calorie sabji recipes for the Aval vikatan magazine. Here is a short video for low calorie black chana masala. Here is a short video for Low Calorie Black Chana Masala Side dishes for Roti Paneer Methi Masala Paneer Butter Masala Shahi Gobi Ma