As much as I am finding it difficult to come back to this space, at times I just want to be here and not neglect it. For the past few days, I cleaned up my bookshelf and went through a lot of my cookbooks. It gave me a wave of nostalgia. There were days when I absolutely loved cooking, clicking and posting new recipes. However, for the past few years, I have been scraping through my cooking with half a heart. It has started feeling like a chore. Once in a while, I get excited to try something new, but it kind of fizzles out in the same speed. This explains the lack of new recipes on the blog. Anyway, whenever I am able to come back with something new, I will try to do it more frequently that I have been doing last year, In Sha Allah…

Coming to today’s recipe… Non-vegetarians will never call what vegetarians make a biriyani; they would rather call it a pulao. Still, I have loved every veg “biriyani” I have made – whether it is the Malabar style or one with just potatoes in it, of course always coupled up with something to bite on, like chicken fry or a beef roast, hehe…

I saw a recipe for paneer biriyani on an Instagram page and decided to try it. Though paneer isn’t exactly a favorite of mine, I still make it once in a while, to have some variety to cook. Now this biriyani does have a few steps – like making the masala, frying the paneer, making the rice and finally putting the whole dish into “dum” so that it locks in the flavors. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It was a very mildly spiced biriyani, with chewy bites of well seasoned paneer in between. I served it with simple cucumber raita and pickle, and thankfully, everyone ate it silently without asking for any extras. I count that as a win. Off to the recipe…

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Easy Paneer Biriyani

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

FOR PANEER

• 200 gm paneer cubes thawed
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp ghee

FOR BASE

• 1 onion large, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp oil/ ghee
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chillies minced
• 1 tomato large, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• Salt to taste

FOR RICE

• 1/2 cup basmati rice washed and drained
• Whole garam masala cardamom, black pepper, cloves
• Water as needed
• Salt as needed
• A drizzle of ghee

FOR DUM

• 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
• A handful of fried onions
• A handful of cashews and raisins fried in a tsp of ghee
• 2 tbsp milk
• A pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1 tsp garam masala powder

Instructions

• Toss the paneer in the rest of the ingredients except the ghee under the "for paneer" section and set it aside to marinate as much as possible.
• In a pan, heat oil/ ghee and splutter cumin seeds. Add the onion, ginger garlic paste, crushed chilli and tomato with a little salt and saute till raw smell is gone.
• Add the turmeric and chilli powder and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Switch off and allow the mixture to cool. Blend into a smooth paste with a little water.
• To prepare rice, boil water with the whole spices, salt and ghee. Add the rice and cook till the rice is almost done. Drain and set aside.
• In a pan that is good to assemble, heat the ghee for frying the paneer. Add the marinated paneer and flip just till browned, for a couple of minutes.
• Add in the ground paste and bring to boil. Adjust seasoning.
• Add in half the coriander leaves and garam masala from the "for dum" ingredients and toss.
• Arrange the drained rice on the top. Spread the remaining of the "for dum" ingredients.
• Close the lid tight after covering with foil on top, keep a flat pan below the assembled pan and cook on slow flame for around 20 minutes.
• Switch off and allow it to rest for a few minutes. Open the lid, remove the foil, fluff up the rice and serve hot.

The post Easy Paneer Biriyani appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Ah, I didn’t realize I kept the blog empty for this whole month! It was a mix of intentional and unintentional. The world has been feeling like a very immoral and unfair place. It is like there is a lot of suffering but the ones on the top are really not bothered. It just keeps confirming the fact that humans are undependable and all that we can rely on is Allah. After all, He himself says that He created man weak and ungrateful and somehow every single day, it further reaffirms His infinite understanding of how the world works. Having said that, each day has become more about counting our own blessings and being grateful for it. It has become a time to look into us and literally remove the cobwebs of thoughts and ideologies. Alhamdulillah… It reminds me of the Covid days, when we did the same exercise, but somehow man is forgetful, and he needs bullets to dodge him from his procrastination… A couple of things have happened on the personal side, I guess which I will keep for some other day.

Since it is month end, it is time for the post for this month’s Shh Cooking Secretly challenge, the theme of which is “Soups”, suggested by Narmadha. Even though it is still warm most of the time, the craving for soup is slowly setting in because of the cool nights. Having said that, the fluctuation in the weather is becoming fodder for flu of all kinds. Anyway, I love soups and while having a discussion with my partner of the month, Seema about it, I decided to stick with an Indian themed soup with the ingredients she gave me, shallots and black pepper. Rasam is literally soup and hence I decided to share this rasam with coconut milk, which is different from how I make it, yet so soothing to the tummy and feels like a warm hug. Do check out what Seema made with her secret ingredients, onion and garlic.

I came across this interesting rasam from an Instagram page. As I then did my research as to the authentic way to make it, it looked like everyone had their style. It is said that this type of rasam has its origin from Pondichery, which is one place I really want to visit sometime when I go back home, In Sha Allah… Anyway, in this rasam, I have used very little tamarind for making it tangy and there are no tomatoes. The coconut milk is thin and added at the end. All in all, the rasam is quite watery, so either you can have it floating all over your rice with a dollop of hot ghee on top and maybe some potato fry for making it an ultimate comfort food, or you can simply chug it off a bowl on a cold evening. It is totally your choice. Whichever way it is, it is going to be delicious…

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Coconut Milk Rasam | Thenga Paal Rasam

A delicious South Indian style soup with coconut milk...

Course Soup

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 4-6 cloves garlic
• 6-8 shallots
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• A fat pinch hing powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp methi
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 small pc tamarind soaked in half cup boiling water for 10 minutes
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup thin coconut milk refer notes
• A handful coriander and mint leaves

Instructions

• Peel the garlic and shallots. In a mortar and pestle, pound them coarsely along with the cumin and pepper.
• In a chatti, heat coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds.
• Add the hing, methi, curry leaves and dry red chillies and saute for a few seconds.
• Add the pounded mixture and saute till raw smell is gone and the mixture is wilted.
• Add turmeric, salt and pepper and give a good mix.
• Squeeze the tamarind of its pulp into the soaking water and discard the waste. Pour the water into the pot, bring to boil.
• Cook for around 5 minutes, till raw smell is gone.
• Pour the coconut milk, give a good mix. Adjust the seasoning.
• Allow the rasam to just heat - do not boil. Switch off and add the coriander leaves.
• Close and allow the rasam to rest till the time of serving. Enjoy warm.

Notes

I made coconut milk with coconut milk powder - 1 cup of warm water with a heaped tbsp of coconut milk powder. 

The post Coconut Milk Rasam | Thenga Paal Rasam appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Sometimes, you stare at super simple recipes, but because you are not sure if it will be eaten up by your folks, you tend to keep it at the back of your mind. That is exactly what happened when I saw many of my fellow food bloggers trying it across various platforms. Finally, when I signed up for the theme “Don’t be Cheesy” in the Blogging Marathon #151, I decided to make it. My initial plan was something else, but as always, I end up going against my plan A.

The beauty of this dish is the ease of making it. All you need to do is bake the tomato and a block of feta cheese with some basic ingredients till done, cook the pasta till el-dente and then mix both together before you eat it. It is too simple to be true… Hehe… Just as I expected, my girls nitpicked on the tomato skin and ate the rest. I was actually surprised by how delicious it tasted. Since feta cheese is salty in itself, I didn’t add any additional salt, and it was seasoned well enough by itself. I feel it will be a lovely recipe to make as a nice side dish if you have guests for dinner, simply because it tastes different in a nice way. If you haven’t tried it yet, do give it a try… It is definitely a one-time must try, that may become a regular… And can I tell you, that this is my first recipe on the blog with feta?

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Baked Tomato Feta Cheese Pasta

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 200 gm feta cheese one block
• 350 gm cherry tomatoes 1 box
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp black pepper crushed
• 3 garlic cloves peeled
• Salt to taste
• 200 gm pasta

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
• In a baking tray, keep the feta cheese in the center. Sprinkle the tomatoes all around.
• Sprinkle ingredients from olive oil to black pepper all over.
• Bake for 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, boil the pasta in lots of water, little salt and a little olive oil, till done. Drain and set aside. Reserve the pasta water.
• Take out the tray. Using a spatula, mash the cheese and tomatoes, and give the whole mixture a good stir. Add salt if needed.
• Add the cooked pasta, give it a good toss. Add some pasta water if the mixture appears too dry.
• Serve immediately hot and enjoy.

The post Baked Tomato Feta Cheese Pasta appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

After some time, I am participating in the Shh Cooking Challenge this month. I wasn’t actually up for it, but when I saw the theme of “no-onion, no-garlic sabzi” as suggested by Priya Iyer, I decided to participate. First of all, I don’t have too many vegetarian dishes on the blog. Also, we add onion and garlic into almost everything. So this was a nice challenge to work on. My partner is Renu for this challenge, and with a little discussion, she decided to give me ginger and turmeric as my secret ingredients while I gave her turmeric and amchur powder, with which she made her delicious dish.

After a little brainstorming and literally feeling stuck, I decided to stick with the most basic yet loved vegetable called potato. Nothing goes wrong with it, isn’t it? Hehe… I had this craving for some poori and bhaji, so I found this very easy Uttar Pradesh based gravy, that is usually served with crispy pooris and kachoris. You start off with cooking the potatoes, peeling and crumbling them by hands. The ingredients used are very basic. While checking recipes online, I found out that you could either chop the tomatoes or blend them, which I preferred to use the latter, since that works with my picky eaters. Hehe… Overall, if you are looking for a different potato curry to go with your pooris, then try this one out… Off to the recipe…

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Aloo Rasedar | No-Onion No-Garlic Potato Curry

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 2-4 potatoes 350-450 gms
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp methi seeds
• A fat pinch of hing
• 1 inch ginger peeled and chopped fine
• 1 large tomato
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp fennel powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnish
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• A pinch of sugar optional

Instructions

• Cook the potatoes. I did it in the pressure cooker. Cool down, peel the potatoes and crumble them with your hands.
• In a saucepan, heat oil. Fry the cumin seeds and methi seeds along with the hing.
• Add the chopped ginger and saute for a minute.
• Blend the tomatoes and chillies till smooth. Pour into the saucepan and cook, stirring occassionally till oil floats on the top.
• Add in all the spice powders and saute till the raw smell is gone.
• Now add the crumbled potato, salt and sufficient water and bring the mixture to boil.
• Check seasoning, add the garam masala and coriander leaves. If the sauce is too sour, add a pinch of sugar.
• Switch off and serve warm with pooris.

Notes

Usually a pinch of amchur powder is added but since I didn't have it in my pantry, I didn't use it. In case you do have, you can add around 1/4 tsp along with all your spice powders. 

The post Aloo Rasedar | No-Onion No-Garlic Potato Curry appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I love how similar Sri Lankan food is to our food, after trying a few recipes like their chicken curry and the Wattalappam. So when the theme of “Gravies Side dish for Flatbreads” was declared for the Blogging Marathon #147, I wanted to try any curry from this cuisine and landed up on this delicious lentil curry with coconut milk in it.

I love anything with coconut milk and hence loved this gravy too. It was absolutely easy to make, and despite the limited ingredients used, I totally loved how it turned out. The spice came from the green chillies and despite the coconut milk added, it didn’t cut on the spice. All you need to do is to cook the lentils separately with green chillies and turmeric. Then, you just need to saute the rest of the ingredients, add the cooked lentils and finish off with the coconut milk. Of course, it tastes amazing with plain rice, but let it get thicker and enjoy it by scooping it with parathas, chapathis or just plain good – equally good! Off to this simple recipe…

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Sri Lankan Coconut Milk Lentil Curry | Pappu

An easy yet luscious lentil curry, made Sri Lankan style...

Course Main Course

Cuisine Sri Lankan

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup masoor dal
• 3 green chillies add more for spiciness
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 5-6 dried red chillies
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 onion sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• In a pressure cooker, add the washed lentils, green chillies, turmeric, some salt and a pinch of oil, with sufficient water - a cup should do.
• Pressure cook for one whistle and keep on low flame for five minutes. Switch off and allow the pressure to go on its own.
• In an earthern pot, heat the coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds. Briefly fry the cumin and fenugreek seeds.
• Fry the curry leaves, dried red chillies and garlic for a couple of minutes.
• Add the onion and saute till browned.
• Now add the cooked dal along with a little more water, if too thick. Mix it in and simmer for the flavors to mingle.
• Add the coconut milk, adjust salt and just simmer for a minute - do not boil or else the curry will split. Switch off and leave it closed for a few minutes.
• Serve warm with side of choice.

After such a long time, I have a blog post with just one picture. It was tough capturing it and my camera, which is showing signs of wear off, was acting weird. At least, I have one… It isn’t like not having anything…

The post Sri Lankan Coconut Milk Lentil Curry | Pappu appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

We are halfway through the month of Ramadan. How fast… As always, the month feels like it is flowing between our fingers like water. So far, Alhamdulillah, things have been moving at a pace I am happy at, and I am hoping that it stays that way for the days coming, especially the last ten blessed days, InShaAllah… The only thing that is slow is me doing new recipes on the blog, and I am OK with it. I don’t want to put pressure on myself and I am not in a hurry…

I already have a Chana Chaat recipe, which is a little bit of work, to say the truth. In that post, I was concerned about downing raw spices in my chaat.  But when I tried the chana chaat from a nearby Pakistani restaurant, I was blown away. The beauty is that it is just a mixture of some cooked ingredients, a lot of raw ingredients and a few spices. Yet the final result is such a bomb in the mouth, that you can’t stop eating it with a bowl. I tried making it first time last week, and then made it again for my friends when I hosted them for Iftar early this week. Both times, it was wiped clean. The recipe is very easy to make, with pantry staples. I intend to make this at least a couple of times more during this month, InShaAllah… I used canned chickpeas to reduce the time spent on it. I cooked the potatoes in the microwave, which is actually very easy. The rest of the process comes as a breeze. You can assemble everything just five minutes before Iftar time and enjoy it immediately. It is a must try…  I will say…

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Pakistani Chana Chaat | Easy Chole Chaat with Yogurt

Course Tea Snacks

Cuisine Indian/ Pakistani

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 400 gm canned chickpeas drained
• 2 small potatoes cooked, refer notes
• 1/2 tsp roasted coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp black salt
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1 tsp chaat masala powder
• 2-3 tsp tamarind chutney store bought
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 cup thick yogurt
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• Coriander leaves chopped for garnish
• Green chilli sauce optional, use for more spice
• Chaat masala for sprinkling
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• Sev for topping optional, not used

Instructions

• In the serving dish, put the chickpeas.
• Peel the cooked potato and cube it. Mix into the chickpeas.
• Add in ingredients from coriander powder to tomatoes and toss to coat well.
• Whisk the yogurt, milk, sugar and salt together and spread on the top.
• Sprinkle the toppings and serve immediately.

Notes

You can either pressure cook your potatoes, or make them in the microwave. Keep the potatoes in a microwaveable dish with a cup of water. Microwave for 7 minutes. Flip the potatoes to the other side and microwave for another 4 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, peel and chop. 

If you don't intend to serve immediately, then top with the yogurt and the rest of ingredients at the time of serving. 

The yogurt should be cold for better taste. 

Adjust spices as per your need. 

The post Pakistani Chana Chaat | Easy Chole Chaat with Yogurt appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

This week has been difficult. I lost my ammayi – who is my uncle’s wife – in her battle of SLE on Sunday. She has been suffering this illness since long, which slowly and steadily deteriorated her health in ways that are difficult to accept. When I went home for my cousin’s wedding in end of January, she looked a reflection of herself, but little did I know that this was going to be our last meeting. One side of mine is relieved that she is finally devoid of all the pain and suffering she went through in her life. Allah has promised His Eternal Home for those who go through life’s tests with patience.

And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, who, when faced with a disaster, say, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.” (2:155-156)

“Be patient [steadfast]: God does not let the rewards of those who do good go to waste” (11:115)

Despite going through so much pain and issues, she was never without a smile. I have never heard her complain about her situation. All I can pray now is that our Lord gives her what is worth for her in her hereafter… Her death was as saddening as my elappa’s a few years ago… But the show must go on. The living must live on, praying for those who have departed for their good eternal life and with hope that we meet them in His vast paradise, InShaAllah…

Talking of commitments, I signed up for the Shh Cooking Secretly Challenge and for the month of February, the theme was “Protein Rich Vegetarian Breakfast”, as suggested by Renu. My partner is Aruna, who is back to blogging after a really long time and she suggested my secret ingredients to be garam masala and kasuri methi. I eat eggs for my breakfast all the time and usually don’t exercise my thought process too much in this case. For this theme, I had to think a little hard. Even though as Indians, breakfast is a staple food, it is more carb-centric than protien-centric. It is during this time my mentor asked me to try tofu as an alternate form of protein in lieu of non-veg. My instant thought was to make scramble out of it. I found that tofu had absolutely no flavor on its own, but it is good at adapting to anything you add to it. The recipe is very straight forward. I used our normal base of onion and tomato and the regular spices to go with it. The beauty of tofu is that it doesn’t need much cooking time. All you need to do is crumble, add and cook for just a couple of minutes till it mingles with the flavors. Unfortunately, as soon as I had the first bite of tofu, my mouth started itching and I realized it isn’t for me. So with this burji ends my rendezvous with tofu. However, HD loved it so much that he enjoyed it for breakfast two days in a row. Off to this simple recipe…

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Tofu Bhurji | Spicy Scrambled Tofu

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Fusion Indian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 3-4 green chillies minced
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 1/4 tsp turmeric paste
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 500 gm tofu crumbled
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp kasuri methi crushed
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

• In a saucepan, heat oil. Splutter the mustard and cumin seeds.
• Saute the ginger garlic paste till raw smell is gone.
• Add the onion and green chilies, along with some salt and saute till wilted.
• Add the tomatoes, turmeric and red chilli powders and cook till all mashed. Sprinkle a little water to avoid sticking to the bottom.
• Add in the crumbled tofu and toss. Cook for another five minutes.
• Sprinkle in the garam masala powder and kasuri methi, adjust seasoning.
• Switch off, add coriander leaves and serve hot with bread or rotis.

The post Tofu Bhurji | Spicy Scrambled Tofu appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I think it is clearly visible that I am struggling to create content for the blog. With my drafts dwindling and my cooking only for survival sake, it has been a very difficult time for me. I don’t want to let my blog be bare, however it just ends up that way. I can only say that I don’t see any improvement in the coming months, especially with Ramadan drawing very close. When many instagrammers are already up with their Ramadan series, I am nowhere in that category. Let me be, right? While I posted the Mango Bango on schedule, I went home on a very short trip to attend my cousin’s wedding. It was an amazing break from routine. Even though it was hot, it was amazing and breakneck at the same time! I have been a little more consistent with my workouts, though I can’t say the same with my eating, as such. However, all I can say is that I feel better than I have felt in a really long time as far as my physical strength is concerned. I guess that gives a little insight to how the year has been faring so far…

Having posted so many sweet recipes off late, I really want to switch to something spicy. I love rasam. For me, an afternoon meal of rice, umma style tamarind rasam, beans upperi and fish fry is a tug in my stomach. During my last proper visit back home in 2021, I saw umma adding cooked toor dal to her regular rasam. She said that it added more volume and thickness than usual to the rasam. She is right, but having said that, I am not a fan of thick rasam. I was very apprehensive when I made this rasam for the sadya I had prepared last year during the Onam time. However, my apprehensions were all put to rest. The cooked lentils did nothing much to make it that thick. In fact, it gave a nice grainy edge and made it even more tasty. I had made a huge pot of this rasam when HD had to take something along for their committee sadya, and he came back with an empty pot. Everybody commented that it was the perfect digestion drink after a heavy sadya. Hehe… Off to this super simple recipe…

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Dal Rasam | Parippu Rasam | Rasam with Lentils

Course Soup

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup toor dal
• 6-8 pearl onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 5-8 dry red chillies
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lime size pc tamarind soaked in 1 cup hot water
• Coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

• Pressure cook the toor dal with water upto its level and salt for one whistle or till done. Allow the pressure to go on its own.
• Pour the onion, garlic, cumin and pepper in a mortar and pestle roughly.
• In an earther pot, heat oil. Splutter the mustard and fry the dry chillies and curry leaves.
• Add the pounded mixture and saute with a pinch of salt till nicely wilted.
• Add the tomato and turmeric powder, sprinkle in some water - better the water wiping the mortar. Close and cook, stirring occassinally till the tomato is completely wilted.
• Squeeze the tamarind completely and discard the tamarind. Pour the water into the rasam. Bring to boil.
• Add the cooked dal along with its water, adjust seasoning and cook for another five minutes or till done.
• Add the coriander leaves and switch off. Serve with rice and ghee, or have it as a soup along with a sadya.

The post Dal Rasam | Parippu Rasam | Rasam with Lentils appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

2023 just came in and we are almost two weeks into it. It just scares me that days are flying so fast with nothing much getting done. Or maybe it is just my feeling. The news around the world is not very encouraging either. On a brighter note, the climate has been better this year. A friend, me and the kids went for a sunrise trip on new year and had a wonderful time. I have restarted working out at the gym after almost two years and it instantly started feeling amazing. I have also started a couple of other things, that I would like to keep to myself at the moment. So far, the start has been decent, Alhamdulillah… I am hoping that things will get better with the coming days, InShaAllah…

It has taken me so long to do a post on the blog. I have been posting a lot of sweet recipes, thanks to the Bakeathon last month, that now I just want to do some savory posts for a while. Hehe… As you all may know, I love simple and quick meals, whether it be rice or curries, and usually the recipes I share take less time to cook, while keeping the flavors in tact. This dish is no different. I have a chicken version on the blog, which I have cooked a few times and really like it. Since I had fallen in love with the aloo biriyani, I have been wanting to make a potato tehari too. If you are wondering what a tehri or tehari is, it is simply a spiced rice dish similar to pulaos, found in Awadhi cuisine. So you could basically say it is the Awadhi style pulao.

It is a very simple dish, yet so filled with flavors. If you love such simple meals for lunch just like me, then this one is definitely a must try. I would equate this one to another favorite of mine, the chickpea pulao. Off to the recipe…

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Aloo Tehri | Spiced Potato Tehari

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp ghee/ oil I used 1 tbsp each
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 2-3 green chillies minced
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 potatoes peeled and sliced (approx 350-400 gm)
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 1/4 cup basmati rice washed and drained
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• Coriander leaves for garnish optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a saucepan, heat oil and ghee. Splutter cumin seeds and bay leaves.
• Fry the ginger garlic paste briefly and then add onion and green chillies. Saute till wilted.
• Add the turmeric powder and red chilli powder and saute till raw smell is gone.
• Toss in the potatoes and fry for around 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato, cook till all mashed.
• Add the drained rice, fry for five minutes until crisp.
• Add 2 cups boiled water and season. Bring to a rolling boil. Keep on the lowest flame and cook on tight lid till the rice is done.
• Add the garam masala powder and coriander leaves if using and fluff up the rice.
• Serve hot with side of choice.

The post Aloo Tehri | Spiced Potato Tehari appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I am not someone who likes to go with trends, especially when it comes to food. When I see everyone trying on Instagram, it kills the interest for me. Do you feel it? Then after a long time, when I see somebody trying, it piques my interest again. That is how I discovered smashed potatoes. And what a discovery it is! I am glad that it perfectly fits my sub-theme of “Main ingredients 5 or less” in this month’s Bakeathon posts.

All you need to do is to parboil potatoes – smaller the size, the better -, smash them, smother them with some basic condiments and bake till crisp. So easy, yet so delicious that it makes the perfect replacement for fries and wedges. And pst pst, it is so much easier that making them too – no need to slice or chop and you get some stress relief while smashing the potatoes too. Double whammy! The best part about this dish is you can do any spice mix you want with the potatoes. I have used just basic ingredients to make it, and still it is delicious. After all, it is potatoes. Off to this recipe…

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Baked Smashed Potatoes

Course Accompaniments

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 6 baby potatoes choose small size potatoes otherwise
• 4 tbsp butter melted
• 1 clove garlic minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Red chilli flakes as needed

Instructions

• Wash and scrub the potatoes clean.
• In a pan of water and salt, boil the potatoes till just cooked. Around 10 minutes. Do not overdo. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking tray with foil.
• Place the potatoes and smash using a potato masher. Make sure all potatoes are of equal thickness.
• In a bowl, whisk the butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Brush on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle red flakes on top for added spiciness.
• Bakes for 15-20 minutes till the top is crisp. Run the grill for two minutes for a more brown color.
• Serve hot as side to your choice of dinner.

Notes

You can use any spice mixture that you want. 

You can sprinkle some mozarella cheese on top for cheesy potatoes. 

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