I can hear the collective yawn already – No, not another Biryani recipe! Hasn’t she posted all the possible variations out there already? Well, no, I haven’t even scratched the surface yet. Every time I make Biryani it turns out a bit different, so you should really thank me for not posting the hundreds of variations that I could. In fact every chicken or lamb curry recipe I have can be converted into a biryani recipe. But don’t worry, I promise this one is different, it is not just a …

Another Sunday wasted away, it was gorgeous outside but I just lazed around the house with all the shades down so that the sunlight doesn’t get in the way of my TV viewing. I did have a busy Saturday with a bit too much sun, so I didn’t even feel guilty about not getting out of the house. Unlike me Siv had spent the whole Sunday outside playing golf, so he was taking his well-deserved beauty nap after coming home. He looked so peaceful sleeping, I didn’t feel like waking …

This one is a rather boring looking curry, but it was really tasty for a quick fix dish made with this and that from the pantry and refrigerator. I have never really combined chickpeas (garbanzo beans) with eggs before, I wasn’t planning on it this time either. As the chickpeas were simmering in the gravy inspiration struck me and those eggs poached in the spicy coconut gravy was just so delicious.
 
Ingredients

1 can cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) washed and drained
2 eggs
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp …

I am in the second week of my India vacation, though it feels like ages since we left Seattle! The days seem so much longer here! It’s not like I’ve been sitting at home doing nothing, we’ve already traveled to Bangalore and Chennai, finished most of the shopping too. Back in Seattle, my weekends usually go by so quickly. I remember waking up on Saturday mornings and before I blink my eyes it’s Sunday night. Laundry left undone, dirty dishes in the sink, unfinished errands; I sit and moan the …

When I started the South Beach Diet, I naturally assumed that coconut is a big no-no. Since coconut is very high in saturated fat content, nobody would consider it a diet food. As a typical true-blooded mallu, I use a lot of coconut in my cooking, especially coconut milk, so I was sad to lose one of the major ingredients from my pantry. Then a few days ago, I was browsing my South Beach Diet Quick and Easy recipe book and saw a couple of recipes using Coconut milk, that …

On my eggplant theeyal post last week, Arundati commented that all gravies were known as “curry” in her house. It was pretty much the same in my house too. Theeyal, Aviyal, Pachadi and Sambar being a few exceptions I can think of! Even Kaalan and Pulisseri were known as Moru Curry in my house. Actually it was more like “kari” than “curry“. There was really not much in common between these curries – the base could be coconut, yogurt, lentils or just ground spices. If we Indians are so confused …

Finally it is summer in Seattle! I don’t think anyone else enjoys summer as much as us Seattleites. We have learned to fully appreciate the few sunny days we get every year. The streets are so lively these days, it is so much fun to go out into the city and get lost in the crowd. A friend and I had a fabulous Parisian style Sunday today. We started with brunch at Cafe Campagne, followed by a waterfront stroll and a few hours of shopping and finished with a late …

Leavenworth – a charming town in WA where we spent a relaxing July 4th weekend. A beautiful house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by Pear orchards and the stunning Wenatchee river in the backyard; lots and lots of food, drinks and games… it was truly the perfect weekend! Inspired by the resemblance of its countryside to Bavarian Germany, Leavenworth was remodeled as a Bavarian village in the 1960s. The town center is beautiful with its quaint Bavarian architecture, but sorry, I didn’t take any pictures of the buildings on …

We just got back from an extended weekend break in Las Vegas. Yes, the 10th anniversary celebration was in our favorite city in the whole world. What, you don’t think it is a romantic city? It sure is, for us at least! As much as Siv and I love each other, we have totally different hobbies and interests, except for two major ones – food and poker. Where else can you get the best of both these?
We have been to Vegas plenty of times, in fact before 2007 we used …

We had beautiful weather in Seattle this weekend. I went hiking on Saturday with my friend M.  M is one of those exercise freaks who wears a pedometer every day and goes to the gym for fun. When it is raining outside, she sometimes goes up and down the stairs in our office building to get her exercise! M sits on the third floor and I am on the first floor, and she always offers to come down for coffee (we have coffee together at least twice a day) since …

Thanks everyone for playing the What would you pick… game. It was comforting to know that most everyone would go for comfort food, if they had to stick with eating the same meal for the rest of their life.  There were a couple of smart alecs who wanted to take a hot guy along for dessert, I have to let them, after all it is a deserted island…
Talking about my comfort food I realized that I haven’t blogged about one of my favorite dishes of all times! A simple …

Summer is almost over, but there is no law against having a sunny cocktail on a dark cold evening, right? There is nothing that fills my heart with sunshine like a fresh tropical island cocktail, bringing back some sweet vacation memories of lazing on the beach…
A Pina Colada is normally made with pineapple, coconut cream and rum. Add one more fruit and you get drinks like strawberry colada, banana colada etc. Can you think of a more tropical combination than banana, pineapple and coconut?  A banana colada is not only refreshing, it is …

Laddu or Ladoo is a beloved Indian sweet which is an integral part of most Hindu festivals and celebrations. According to WikiPedia,
Laddu is often made to celebrate festivals or household events such as weddings. It is made of flour and other ingredients formed into balls that are dipped in sugar syrup. Chubby kids in India can affectionately be called ‘Laddu’.

eHow.Com calls Rava (Semolina) laddu as “Edible Dowry”:
Some Hindu brides prepare a pastry called rawa laddu to present to the groom’s family as a gift or “edible dowry” prior to …

Ilaneer as Tender Coconut water is known in Kerala is one of the most delicious natural thirst quenchers in the world. On long road trips during the hot summers back home, the roadside Ilaneer vendors were like gods to us. At less than Rs. 10/. (less than 25¢) for a coconut, this very affordable drink is a great alternative to the expensive colas which are full of chemicals and artificial sweeteners. The refreshing tender coconut water is sweet in taste and has a lot of medicinal values. 
For those who are not familiar with coconuts, …