Idly Seekh Kebabs - A Fusion Recipe from Four Regions of India

Most of the traditional recipes from India are simple and are cooked with commonly available indigenous ingredients. These recipes can be easily adapted in any other cuisine of the world. The humble lentils or Daal, quick veggie curries, Indian flat breads are loved by one and all.

I have been cooking many fusion recipes to give a new dimension and also to add health factor to the original recipes. Some of which are on Lite Bte;

A refreshing Upma or couscous salad, 

Traditional Lapsi with a flavorful twist  

The very famous Gajar Ka Halwa in a new avatar  

A Trip to Charming Coonoor and Kotagiri in Nilgiri - II

"The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see" ~ Chesterton. And we started our five day travel trail on the same note to the majestic blue mountain range Nilgiri as a traveler, avoiding most of the popular tourist spots in Nilgiri district, treading the off beaten path. In the bargain we could connect with the nature and to those innocent people married to tough mountain life.

A Trip to Ooty through the Picturesque Blue Mountain Ranges in Nilgiri - I

We had no concrete travel plans this year as re-modelling the house, painting, developing our farm house and many such long pending activities were on the wish list.
Sweltering heat in the city, monotonous summer holidays and the travel bug in us had different plans for us. Time was the big constraint in finalizing the destination, as we had few days of holidays left. Kanha National Park, Periyar sanctuary and a few other tourist places came to mind, but they all needed prior bookings for jungle cottages and the rides.
A friend suggested to visit off beat places in Ooty, strange but its true that we never visited Ooty though staying very close to this lovely place. This mountain city is overcrowded now and has lost its charm due to too many tourists travelling and making it more of a commercial place. But the weather is perfect to beat the heat and relax, away from the sweaty Chennai in May.

Crispy Lentil Snacks - Daal Vada

Any Indian meal is incomplete without tangy pickles, crisp poppadoms and some sort of deep fried accompaniments. And when my friend Prerna, Barbara and Kathy announced 'Indian Food Palooza' at their blogs, I thought of taking these Crispy Lentil Vadas along with me to join their on going event.

A perfect tea time snack, a popular street food and a must during most of the festive meals in India, these Daal Vadas or deep fired crisp lentil cakes are a real delicacy.