Wanderberry Tales

Even the best of the hostel food seems bad when the monotony in their menu gets to you. That was the case with our hostel. We were blessed to have non vegetarian food for every dinner except on Fridays but yet after a point in time we began craving outside food.That is how food from Ande ka Funda, a small food joint near our hostel caught our attention. It was very affordable on our student days allowance and quite tasty too - Egg roll, bread omelette, aloo paratha, gobi paratha were their popular items. I took a liking for their egg rolls which came either as single egg roll or double egg roll. The double egg roll made a good meal! My paratha egg roll came into being trying to replicate theirs. Its a favorite due to the simplicity of the whole thing! You need not make paratha from scratch, you could always use the store brought ones when you are in a hurry! The same recipe goes well with chapati too! It is my go to recipe when we need a quick dinner! Ingredients Plain P...

It is strange how certain food items which did not feature in your favorite list until a few years back, crawl in to the list to remain there. Aval is one such item that made it to the list. I keep wondering why I never attempted making aval vilayichathu earlier! As the name suggests, this dish has its origin in Kerala. It is simple to make, tastes good and above all can be stored for atleast two weeks. It is sweet, leaves behind a happy tummy and all you need is a banana or two to accompany it. Absolutely perfect for the tiffin boxes - kids and adults will enjoy alike. Ingredients Brown Aval/Poha/Rice flakes – 250 gms Jaggery – 250 gms Coconut – 2 cups grated Water – 1 cup Cardamom powder – ½ tsp Dry ginger powder – ¼ tsp Channa Dal – 4 tbsp Black sesame seeds – 2 tsp Cashewnuts – 2 to 3 tbsp Ghee – 2 tbsp Method Boil water along with jaggery cubes and let it dissolve completely. Strain to remove impurities. Heat ghee in a deep bottomed pan. Fry the cashe...

Biriyani was a routine feast for weddings and other functions in my part of Kerala until some time back. That gave way to Fried Rice, Chicken Curry and cutlets eventually and now it has finally settled on Rice and host of non vegetarian and vegetarian items to feast on. Beef Roast or Chicken Roast is a prominent item on the plate without which it feels incomplete. I have a strong penchant for roasted chicken, mutton and beef prepared the Malayalee way as I call it. The roasted masala releases a strong aroma coupled with beautifully caramelised onions and the slightly charred meat makes it a heavenly combo with flatbread and even rice. The key to getting this dish right is the proper roasting of the masala as you stir along to prevent it from burning at the bottom. I have tried chicken roast several times and I have not exactly got it the way I would love to have it. Then this mutton roast came along! I usually prefer mutton with gravy but for a change decided to give it a dry...

This blog was born out of sheer boredom of relocating to a new country combined with an interest to cook.  We have come a long way since then and we just turned 3 this week! This time, we have a simple no bake chocolate tart recipe for you. Desserts are a rarity in my house but this one has made its way into our menu various times because its not complicated, uses easily available ingredients and takes very little time to make. Here you go to the recipe - Ingredients  For the tart base Marie biscuits - 40 no.s Butter - 150 gms For the chocolate filling  Semi sweet chocolate chips - 300 gms Whipping cream - 250 ml Corn starch - 1 tsp For Raspberry topping Raspberry- 1 pack  Mint Leaf - a few Method Grease a tart pan and keep aside. Powder the marie biscuits coarsely in a food processor Add butter and let it combine such that the butter soaks the biscuit crumbs and holds it together lightly. Tip this into the ...

The festival of Vishu heralds the New Year for the Hindus in the South Indian state of Kerala. Vishukkani, Vishukodi, Vishusadhya, Vishukkaineetom are the  customs and practices symbolic with the Malayalee New Year. ( Know more about these customs ) Even today all these customs are followed with the reverence and sanctity they deserve. There is no festivity without an elaborate Sadhya that serves so many dishes that you get up from the banana leaf stuffed swearing never to eat so much again. Yet if there was even one item missing out of the sadhya you would feel amiss and would call it an incomplete sadhya!  Pachadi is a very common side dish for sadhya which is quick to make and can be made using different vegetables. Simply put, it is tempering the yogurt with veggies that go along with yogurt - Cucumber, beetroot,carrot, pineapple or even bitter gourd to name a few.  Recipe Preparation Time - 30 minutes Serves - 4 Ingredients Ginger – ¼ ...

With Easter just a day away marking the culmination of the Holy week and season of lent, Christian households would be prepping up a feast to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Our celebrations often overshadow the real reason for the existence of such a day. To put it in a line - Easter Sunday celebrates resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb on the third day after crucifixion, fulfilling the prophecy that the Son of God would die for our sins and rise on the third day signifying eternal life. With a good share of Indian Christian population in the Southern state of Kerala, Easter Sunday would witness a day of festivity both at church and at homes. Here is a recipe that you can add on to the menu - Nadan Kozhi Porichathu/ Kerala Chicken Fry. Ingredients To Marinate – Chicken – 1 kg cut into medium or large pieces Ginger- garlic paste – 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder – 1 tsp Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp Turmeric powder – ½ tsp Fennel powder – 1 tsp Garam Mas...

Sundays are not a very happy day to wake up to, being the start of the week in Dubai - yet today morning I woke up refreshed and happy. Dubai has been my home for more than three years. I have got used to living here by now. Yet after packing off Shibin to office ( yeah, I mean it)  as I sat down with a cup of coffee, I felt the urge to wake up to the chatter of birds amidst luscious green trees and not to forget the occasional patter of rain drops during the monsoons. These imageries manifests my childhood! I was brought up in a village named Chanthar, 4kms from the small town of Brahmavar to the north of the temple town of Udupi. My parents moved to this place post their marriage and has since been our home. Technology and trends were slow to reach this place but education never was! Even today this place sees a plethora of educational institutions. During the late 80s and early 90s, a large part of this area was under forest cover. Things began to change with the Konkan ra...