VIRUNDHOMBAL

Today we are going to see our all time favourite Chana Masala. It's a simple yet complete food that's easy to make within 30 minutes. I got this recipe from our friend's mom who is from Bodi. The flavours are just delicious. She gave me one kg of her homemade garamasala powder and it is one of our new favourites! The garamasala powder is free from the addition of preservatives, artificial colours and mono sodium glutamate. Any masalas or kurmas made with a unique blend of spices, tastes good. I have been trying to make my own garamasala powder but just keep putting it off. Now I am confident to prepare homemade garamasala powder as she clearly explained the recipe with exact ingredients and measurements. I will try posting the homemade garamasala recipe in virundhombal soon. During our visit to their house, she prepared so many dishes and all of them were lip smacking and the masalas were perfectly balanced, not overpowering the other.  This Chana masala is not the authenti...

Milk Halwa - if you want to prepare an easy and delicious dessert for Krishna Jeyanthi try this milk halwa recipe. This milk halwa includes only four ingredients which are easily available in your kitchen. It's very rich that melts in your mouth. If this is your first time to try milk halwa, I'm sure your whole family will love it.  The ingredients in this recipe are milk, sugar, rava and ghee. If you like to add any nuts, you can include it. Full fat milk is used in this recipe, as it gives more flavour. I have not tried it with low fat milk. The secret to the texture of this dessert lies in the addition of the rava. All you needed to do is to stir everything in the kadai. Stir continuously until the halwa thickens. Though it is easy to make, this halwa requires a little patience as it takes about 10 minutes of constant stirring in the final stage to prevent the halwa from forming lumps and sticking to the bottom of the kadai. This milk halwa tastes good for 3 to 4 days if sto...

This easy paneer gravy is a mouthwatering side dish made with paneer cooked in a rich gravy prepared with  onions, tomatoes and other spices. It's mild and not very spicy, which tastes so good with chapathi, nann, roti and pulao.  Paneer gravies can be made in a variety of ways. This recipe is the easy version of paneer butter masala. Most of the time we prepare paneer gravy with fresh cream, butter and cashew nuts. To make a tasty paneer masala, you do not need fresh cream. You can easily make restaurant style paneer gravy with easily available ingredients in your kitchen. I always like to add a few cashew nuts while making gravies, which gives a creamy consistency. The addition of dried kasuri methi leaves gives a unique flavour for paneer based gravies. I used homemade garamasala powder for gravies which does not include red chillies or pepper in it. Add garamasala powder to your personal taste preferences.Now let's see how to prepare this easy paneer gravy with step by ste...

Rava idlis are a popular tiffin item around South India, particularly in Karnataka cuisine. It takes just thirty minutes to prepare these instant idlies. Though there are many types of ready mix for rava idlies are available in supermarkets , these rava idlies are straightforward and can easily be made at home.  The batter for this rava idli recipe is loaded with flavours. I always recommend using coarse rava for rava idli to bring the correct texture. If using fine rava, be sure to adjust the curd for marination. And definitely go with the thick curd for marination. For making batter the ratio is 1:1. (1 cup rava and 1 cup thick curd). This is the perfect ratio for me when using coarse rava which has a higher absorbing capacity. If you are using fine rava, 1/2 cup curd is enough to achieve the same consistency. I usually mix the curd and the roasted rava along with the sauted ingredients and rest the batter for 15 minutes.  The resting process will help to release the gluten....

Paneer Biryani - a simple home style biryani recipe with paneer. There are unlimited varieties of biryani with so many different variations. Today I prepared this paneer biryani similar to Hyderabadi veg dum biryani.  I recreated this recipe with my own methods and I have used  the ingredients which are easily accessible. Making this paneer biryani needs some preparation work so we have to plan ahead. Though the recipe is very simple, we may not have all the ingredients. To get the taste and flavor, I suggest you add a drop of kewra essence and saffron milk mentioned below without exceeding the quantity. These two flavours are really needed for this paneer biryani. For this paneer biryani, the classic basmati variety has a wonderful unique flavour and texture. If it is not available you can use any other basmati rice. We have to cook the basmati rice separately until 90 percent is the key to make perfect biryani. If you are using fully cooked rice, it tends to stick to each ot...