VIRUNDHOMBAL

Karuppu Kavuni Rice Dosa is a unique and healthy South Indian tiffin recipe made using traditional black rice. This dosa stands out with its naturally beautiful purple color and rich flavor. When I first tried this recipe, I was amazed by how vibrant and appealing the dosa looked on the tawa. This recipe works well whether you grind the batter using a mixer or a wet grinder. For best taste and texture, thin dosas turn out better than thick (kal dosa) with this batter. Karuppu kavuni rice, also known as black rice, is highly nutritious. It is rich in antioxidants, especially anthocyanins, which give the rice its deep purple color. It is also a good source of fiber, iron, and protein, making it beneficial for digestion, heart health, and overall wellness. Compared to regular dosa rice, traditional varieties like karuppu kavuni and mappillai samba require longer soaking time, so make sure to soak for at least 7–8 hours. Since the rice and dal are soaked for a longer duration, fermentation...

Looking for a wholesome and filling tiffin option made with millets? This Jowar Flour Kozhukattai is a simple, nutritious, and delicious choice that works perfectly for both breakfast and dinner. Made with the goodness of jowar and rice rava, this recipe is light on the stomach yet keeps you satisfied for longer—making it an ideal dinner option if you prefer something light and healthy. One of the best parts about this recipe is its convenience. You can prepare the batter the previous night and refrigerate it, making your morning cooking quick and hassle-free. The batter is ground with red chillies and asafoetida, which adds a wonderful aroma and enhances the overall flavour of the kozhukattai. Unlike regular rava, this recipe uses idli rava (rice rava), which gives a soft texture and makes the dish more wholesome. The soaked rice rava is ground with chana dal, spices, and jowar flour to form a thick batter. It is then tempered with mustard seeds, urad dal, onions, green ch...

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...

Today we are going to enjoy another refreshing and colourful salad recipe. This is one of my all-time favourite salads – a simple yet flavourful Boiled Peanut Salad. Growing up, the aroma of freshly boiled street-style peanuts wrapped in newspaper pottalam still brings back warm childhood memories. Though those days are gone, this bowl of goodness always takes me back. Boiled peanuts are not only tasty but also packed with nutrition. They are rich in protein, fibre and good fats, which help keep you energetic and full for a long time. Peanuts also support heart health, improve digestion and provide essential vitamins and antioxidants. Including boiled peanuts in your diet is one of the easiest ways to add plant-based protein to your meals. To get perfectly soft-boiled peanuts, the cooking process is very important. Raw peanuts take longer to cook, so make sure to soak them for at least 8 hours. After soaking, pressure cook the peanuts with enough water and salt until they turn soft and...

If you're searching for a healthy, quick, and delicious salad recipe, this Broccoli Mushroom Salad is just what you need. Made with steamed broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and sweet corn, this vibrant salad is not only visually appealing but also loaded with nutrients. The sautéed garlic and spring onions in coconut oil add a subtle depth of flavor, making every bite refreshing and satisfying. Whether you're trying to eat clean, looking for a light lunch, or adding more vegetables to your daily meals, this salad is a great choice. It’s easy to prepare, vegan-friendly, and gluten-free — perfect for anyone looking to enjoy healthy eating without compromising on taste. Watch the Broccoli Mushroom Salad Video Recipe More Healthy Salad Recipes You’ll Love Sweet Corn Pomegranate Salad Sprouted Green Moong Salad  Black Eyed Cow Peas and Sweet Potato Salad Healthy Black Chickpeas Salad  Rajma Sweet Corn Salad with Curd Dressing Broccoli Mushroom Salad Recipe Details  Ingredients...

If you’re looking for a light, refreshing, and protein-rich salad, this Rajma Sweet Corn Salad is the perfect choice! Almost 19 years ago, when we were in California, I used to enjoy the Chipotle burrito rice bowl. It was a wholesome meal with black-eyed peas, long grain rice, sweet corn, sour cream, guacamole, and tossed capsicum onion slices(fajita). Among all the Italian, Mexican, and Chinese restaurants I tried in the US, that Chipotle burrito bowl has always been my all-time favorite. Recently, when I prepared this Rajma Sweet Corn Salad with curd dressing, the taste immediately reminded me of that burrito bowl I loved so much. The combination of rajma and sweet corn with the creamy curd dressing brought back those nostalgic flavors in a healthier, Indian-inspired way. Rajma (kidney beans) takes a little longer to cook than other legumes like chickpeas or peanuts, but the effort is worth it. With the sweetness of corn, the crunch of fresh veggies, and the tangy curd dressing, this...

Today’s recipe is a simple, wholesome Bitter Gourd Fry that’s both flavorful and light, using just 2 tablespoons of oil. It’s a great way to enjoy this nutritious vegetable without overwhelming bitterness. We begin by lightly steaming the sliced bitter gourds, which helps mellow their natural bitterness while preserving their shape. Next, they’re gently tossed with a few basic spices and slow-roasted in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. The result? Crisp, golden edges with deep, earthy flavors — all achieved with minimal oil. Why cast iron? Cooking in cast iron not only enhances texture and flavor but also distributes heat evenly, making it perfect for achieving a delicious roast without soaking in oil. It’s a practical and healthy choice for everyday home cooking. A few tips to get the best results: Steam just until tender – avoid overcooking to keep the slices firm during roasting. Stir occasionally – this helps the pieces brown evenly and prevents sticking. Serve this fry as a perf...

A healthy diabetic friendly kichadi recipe made with wheat rava. You can start your breakfast with a cup of this healthy kichadi as it includes carrot, green peas and beans which blend together beautifully with wheat rava. A handful of fresh green peas gives a slightly sweet taste for the kichadi.  There are two main varieties of wheat rava - medium coarse and fine coarse. Fine coarse wheat rava is my favourite for kichadi and upma dishes. Medium coarse wheat rava is perfect for sweet pongal and payasam. Both types require more time to cook when compared to regular white rava. Fine coarse wheat rava doesn't need to be roasted for this kichadi. To cook 1 cup fine coarse wheat rava you will need 3 cups of water. After preparing the kichadi you should let it stand for 15 minutes, covered and undisturbed for a perfect fluffy texture. And once you find how to cook wheat rava perfectly, you will be making it regularly for your breakfast.  Check out my other tiffin recipes here Idli ...

Pearl millet is a perfect tiffin for relaxed weekends at home. It is a better way to introduce millet-based dishes for your kids for weekend breakfast.  I like the mild flavour in the pearl millet especially in the dosas. You can smell the mild flavour while cooking the dosas. Pearl millet is called kambu in Tamil and bajra in Hindi is a gluten free whole grain. Due to its numerous health benefits, we have to include in our diet monthly twice or thrice. Kambu flour is mostly used for making instant dosas, and roti. This is a fermented dosa batter recipe and I have used whole pearl millets, rice, black urid dal and fenugreek. I soak the pearl millets along with the rice for 4 hours. Soaking the pearl millets for a longer time helps to blend them better and have perfect soft fluffy texture. You can replace black urid dal with white urid dal. This pearl millet dosa is similar to our mulu ulundhu dosa. This dosa tastes good with small onions chutney, onion garlic onion chutney and ellu...

Raw Papaya Kichadi - quick and healthy side dish for idli and dosa with raw papaya. We use raw papaya in kootu, poriyal or sometimes we add in sambar.  Last year when I visited my hometown Ilanji, I got many fresh raw papayas from our backyard. Few months ago, I have posted semi ripe papaya stir fry in virundhombal. I recently heard about this kichadi from my Kamatchi Athai. She frequently prepares many kichadi dishes with different vegetables for idli and dosa. Different versions of kichadi recipes are there with slight variations. Some people like to add dal while some people won't prefer dals for kichadi. I have added a tbsp of moong dal which gives a slight thickness to the kichadi.  The main ingredients in this kichadi are raw papaya, green chillies, small onions and tamarind. I haven't used coconut in this kichadi, but you can add ground coconut paste in the final stage. Ensure the papayas are cooked until soft, so that it will be easy mash or grind. This raw papaya kich...

Saamai manathakkali keerai rice is a healthy one pot rice that takes just 20 minutes with easily available ingredients.  This rice consists of little millets (saamai rice), black nightshade greens (manathakkali keerai), small onions, tomato, garlic, moong dal and my secret masala powder. I use little millets in this recipe, you can also use Kodo millet or barnyard millet which also tastes good. You may also use regular ponni rice, but you need to adjust the water and cooking time. Before you start to cook this rice together, you need to prepare the masala powder for the rice. Chana dal, cumin, pepper, red chilli, curry leaves and coconut are dry roasted for a few minutes and then coarsely powdered in a mixer jar. Manthakkali leaves are easy to separate from the stem when compared to other greens. Once the chopping works and the roasting works are ready, saute everything together in a pressure cooker. To add protein, I used split moong dal as it tastes good with manathakkali leaves....