VIRUNDHOMBAL

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...