Side Dishes

Overhead shot of ready to be served oven roasted eggplant

Oven Roasted Eggplant

Here’s a quick and delicious oven roasted eggplant recipe for those days when you’re too lazy to make something elaborate, yet want to fill up your healthy veggie quota for the day. A generous sprinkle of easily available spices on the eggplant slices is what makes this my favorite. Toss […]

Kootu-Thiruvadhirai Ezhu Curry Kootu

Kootu – Thiruvathirai Ezhu Kari

On the day of the Thiruvathirai festival which falls on the full moon day after the winter solstice, folks in the South Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu celebrate Lord Shiva in his dance form – Nataraja. While the main offering for this occasion is Kali, a sweetened rice dish, […]

Avial

Avial

Avial is a mixed vegetable side dish made with a variety of seasonal vegetables, coconut and yogurt. It is a simple recipe that is typically part of a Sadhya (feast) during the harvest festival “Onam” in Kerala, India. Like sambar represents Tamil Nadu cuisine, Avial is the star of every […]

Vendakkai Puli Pachadi

Vendakkai Puli Pachadi

Okra (vendakkai in Tamil), the summer-fall vegetable that’s usually found in gumbo in Southern American cuisine is the main star of this traditional hot and sweet pickled side dish called Vendakkai Puli Pachadi.  It’s a must-try gem from South India (especially Palakkad, Kerala) where it’s usually a part of the […]

Roasted Sweet Potato

Roasted Sweet Potato

Roasted sweet potato is a versatile and tasty dry curry with just a couple of ingredients. It can be served on the side with any dish – rice, roti, salad or sandwiches. The dish adds rich flavor and color to the plate with a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals. […]

Mashed Potato

Mashed Potato

Mashed potato is a buttery smooth, delicately flavored, calorie rich side dish from Europe. This yummy comfort food can be put together with very few ingredients. Let’s get to mashing WHAT YOU WILL NEED Ingredients Note: 1 cup = 235 ml 2 large potatoes (russet or yukon gold), steamed  2 […]