Sambar is made many different ways. In fact, different districts within South India all seem to have their own variation. From the types of vegetable used to the spice blends, the combinations are vast.
Baked Chai Donuts with Ginger Milk Glaze
The colder months always call for something warm and cozy and that’s exactly what these Salted Chai Donuts with Spiced Coconut Cream Drizzle offer. The sweet spices of green cardamom, fennel, and ginger bring together a welcoming hug of snuggly sweetness to your tastebuds.
Kerala Red Fish Curry
With its nostalgic, bright red color, tangy tamarind flavor, and perfect level of heat, this classic Kerala Red Fish Curry recipe is truly a pot of joy.
Carrot Thoran
One of the simplest South Indian side dishes to make is a thoran, which is a vegetable-based side dish made with a few spices and fresh grated coconut.
Gulab Jamun (Soaked Indian Fried Donuts)
Often described as fried donuts soaked in a spiced sugar syrup, Gulab Jamuns are so much more than that. These plump sweets are infused with so much flavor and impossible to limit to one bite.
Everything Bagel Cheese Pasta
This easy pasta recipe only takes about 30 minutes to make and is EVERYTHING (but the bagel).
Kerala Beef Cutlets
There are several varieties of cutlets including vegetable and fish, but the one I ate most often as a kid was the beef cutlet. This crispy, flavorful, savory appetizer is something I would either dunk into a pool of Maggi’s Spicy Ketchup or eat with sarlas, a simple onion salad.
Kerala Fruitcake (Plum Cake)
This fruitcake is a classic Christmas recipe in my house. When I was younger, I’d help my mom mix giant bowls of this batter so we could make enough loaves to send to just about all of our family members. For my mom, she found so much joy and pride in making this cake – it’s like she was sharing more than a piece of cake…she was sharing a piece of her memories with everyone around her.
Rasam (a South Indian soup)
Rasam is a simple soup with very complex flavors. It’s tangy, spicy, with a touch of sweetness. It’s the perfect soup to make when you have a sore throat or just crave a warm and comforting meal.
Lemon Pound Cake
This is one of my mom’s many classic dessert recipes. Just about any time we’d have friends or family come over to our home, we’d tidy up the house and then the last thing she’d do is bake this Lemon Pound Cake so that the house would be full of its citrus-y, buttery aroma.
Spicy Chicken Vindaloo
By tradition, vindaloos are very spicy so my recipe title is redundant but figured I should include the disclaimer if you’ve never experienced a vindaloo dish. Yes, there are quite a few ingredients in this dish, but don’t let that stop you from making this highly flavorful curry.
Roasted Sweet Potato, Chicken Sausage, and Goat Cheese Frittata
Frittatas are a scrumptious way to add a good amount of your favorite things into one pan and call it breakfast or brunch (or, really, whatever meal time of the day you choose to eat this). It’s like a sophisticated omelette with it’s heavy egg base and crisped up edges.