Drumstick leaves | Moringa leaves | Murungai Keerai Drumstick leaves or moringa leaves, popularly known as murungai keerai in Tamil, are among the common greens varieties used in Tamil kitchens. Moringa (the botanical name is moringa oleifera) is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. According to science direct, moringa is said to provide seven times more vitamin C than oranges, ten times more vitamin A than carrots, 17 times more calcium than milk, nine times more protein than yogurt, 15 times more potassium than bananas, and 25 times more iron than spinach....

Disclosure: This is not a paid post. I received this product for review from Zimplistic, but the opinions and thoughts expressed here are my own. Before getting into the review, I would like to share something. I do get offers for sponsored posts and collaborations often, but I don’t accept them all. I usually do my bit of homework for any product collaboration, and if it fits into my niche, I agree....

For the final day of this month’s blogging marathon, I have a simple, every day South Indian dal. This Mysore Kuzhambu is made with toor dal and a freshly made coconut based spice paste. It is a hearty and delicious dish that tastes amazing with a generous dollop of ghee (skip it if you are vegan).Recipe for this Mysore Kuzhambu is from Chandra Padmanabhan’s ‘Dakshin’ cookbook. It is really interesting to see the different names lentil dishes are called with - kuzhambu, sambar, masiyal etc....

Theme: Regional Specials Dish: Mysore Rasam After looking at other Mysore Rasam recipes online, I’m not really sure if this is an authentic recipe because the other recipes did not have coconut milk added. But I think coconut milk adds a nice counterbalance to the tangy and spicy rasam. I have made this rasam many times and it has been liked by both kids and adults. It has become one of my favorite dish too....

I love chutneys aka thogayals or thuvaiyals. This raw mango chutney was on my todo list for quite some time. As I mentioned above, this favorite condiment is from God’s own country – Kerala. Chammanthi in Malayalam means chutney or sauce and Pacha manga means green mango. This year I didn’t post many mango recipes. I have a few lined up. So stay tuned for some fresh sweet and green mango recipes....

Buttery, Flaky, Homemade Palmiers So, on Monday I gave you a recipe for homemade puff pastry. Now I owe you a recipe worth making with it! Today we’re making Palmiers. These are fancy-looking, buttery, flaky cookies that are often also known as “Elephant Ear cookies”. The name is French (it means “palm tree”, as the cookies are supposed to look like palm leaves). They’re light, super flaky, and buttery, which won’t surprise you considering they’re primarily made out of our flaky, buttery homemade puff pastry that we learned how to make earlier this week....

Is there anything quite like homemade yeast rolls? Hot out of the oven, crisp and brown on the outside, achingly soft on the inside, they just cry out for a pat of butter, or a drizzle of honey. And the smell of homemade rolls as they bake has got to be about the best smell ever! You may be thinking that baking rolls is way above your skill level. It does take a little time to make homemade yeast breads like this but it’s not tricky and the effort is so worth it....

The blog needs no intro about my love for rasam. I love any kind of rasam and this paruppu rasam tops the list always. It’s a soul food and comfort food for me. Once you have the cooked toor dal, you can prepare the rasam in no time. It just mixing all the ingredients and simmering them together. As the kiddo loves rasam very much, I prepare rasam every alternate day and this paruppu rasam will be on my menu at least twice or thrice a week....

All About Pavlova If you can make meringue, you can make pavlova. If you can’t or haven’t made meringue before, then pavlova is one of the best, easiest places to start. A good meringue is the foundation for many recipes so it’s a good technique for any baker to have up their sleeve. Once you can master whipping egg whites to stiff peaks, you can conquer recipes like angel food cake, meringue cookies, Swiss meringue buttercream, and more (and if you’ve already made any of these, you’ll find today’s recipe surprisingly simple!...

If you’ve ever gotten a falafel pita from a Middle Eastern restaurant and wondered about the pinkish-red pickles tucked inside with the lettuce and tahini sauce, they’re pickled turnips. How long it takes: 20 minutes, plus chilling time Equipment you’ll need: saucepan, quart jar Servings: 8 (And if you’ve ever wondered how white-fleshed turnips turn pink when pickled, you’re going to want to keep reading. You might be surprised when you get to the ingredient list!...

Did I mention it’s my also favorite season and my favorite ‘Pumpkin Pie Spice‘ flavor is everywhere and I can’t stop thinking of my favorite Pumpkin Spice Rice Pudding 🙂 I mean I’m one super with this flavor and like it in most of my winter food, especially coffee. My winter mornings start with a fresh, crisp cup of coffee flavored with pumpkin pie spice which supercharges me to proceed with rest of the day....

How long it takes: 15 minutes (plus additional time to cook quinoa) Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, griddle Servings: makes 6 large pancakes Lately, I’ve been enjoying quinoa pancakes. They’re fluffy, light, and tender, but slightly different from typical pancakes because there is a little bit of a crunch from the quinoa. Quinoa pancakes are a good way to add protein to your breakfast. Pure maple syrup sweetens the batter which gives the pancakes a really nice flavor....

Roasted Ratatouille is a very comforting and hearty dish to make during chilly seasons. It is a much easy version of the stove top recipe. Traditional ratatouille is slightly high maintenance. It should be simmered on the stove for about an hour. The vegetables need to be added at different times based on how long they take to cook. But in this oven roasted recipe, all the vegetables are mixed together and roasted all at once....

Easy Roasted Veggie Wrap Recipe I love weekly meal planning on weekends. I’ll swing by the grocery stores on Fridays and then spend parts of the weekend prepping and portioning my ingredients. Granted, it doesn’t always happen. Last weekend, we were out of town. This weekend, the car needed repairs (so, no grocery store trip for me). One thing I did get to was roasting vegetables on Sunday afternoon. I had a fridge full of vegetables: zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions....

Call it as lychee lassi or rose lassi with lychee; this Indian style yogurt smoothie is absolutely a crowd-pleaser, and it’s hard to resist with just one glass! I love fresh lychee, especially the floral flavors of it. :-) Lychee is a small round/oval fruit with pinkish/reddish edible flesh inside. Some call it as litchi or lichee, and you can find them in the Asian markets and groceries. The edible flesh contains the black seed inside....

How long it takes: 15 minutes Equipment you’ll need: large skillet Servings: 6 This recipe for sautéed mushrooms isn’t fancy or elaborate. It’s not difficult to make. It just really shines in its simplicity: mushrooms, butter, garlic. Once you learn the trick (and it’s very easy), you’ll be making these mushrooms often. These tasty mushrooms are perfect on top of a perfectly seared steak or as an easy side dish with a juicy chicken breast....

Serves: 20 Medium Pieces Tools: 1 Medium Nonstick Pan/Wok 1 Large Bowl Serving Dish / Storage Container (Preferred Glass or Steel) 1 Spatula Sesame Energy Bites Ingredients: 1.5 Cup White Sesame Seeds (Til) 1.5 Cup Jaggery (Gud / Gur) – Please make sure the jaggery(Gud) is clean or free from any dirt/other impurities. 1 Cup Mixed Dry Fruit (Crushed) – I’m using Almonds and Cashews, you may use any choice of dry fruits....

Sourdough Discard Scones So far we’ve incorporated sourdough discard into pancakes, muffins, and brownies, just to name a few. Today I’m adding another option to the mix with these gorgeous and incredibly easy sourdough scones! A fantastic way to use up sourdough discard, this recipe yields tender scones with a subtle sourdough flavor. Like many of my other discard recipes, incorporating discard into classic scones adds tons of depth. They’re similar to my sourdough biscuits, but a bit sweeter (and they’re even easier to make!...

A perfect vegan bread to bake on a summer afternoon. Flavored with both cinnamon, and cardamom, this is great to enjoy for breakfast or as an afternoon snack with tea. Slather with jam and/ or butter or eat just as is. About the recipe I have had my sourdough starter since 2011. It survived 2 moves across the country and is still very active. I am always looking for ways to use my sourdough starter and have some amazing recipes on the blog already....

Spiced Caramel Coffee Latte Recipe: easy to make barista-style caramel spiced coffee at home with a hint of spice like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove. Make the spice and drink all month long – It is everything you need this winter season. A few warm spices and our favorite Dunkin’ Donuts Caramel Cake Flavored Coffee make this Spiced Caramel Coffee Latte a perfect drink to welcome the change in season!...