Shallots Sambar Recipe / Chinna Vingaya Sambar / Table Sambar Recipe

There is something instantly comforting about onion sambar made with small shallots.

The real star is the shallot itself. Left whole, it turns sweet and tender as it simmers, lending the sambar its signature mellow sweetness that beautifully balances the tang.

Recipe Video from Vidyascooking Youtube Channel 🙂 

Onion Sambar Ingredients 

To Cook Dal:

2 Tsp Toovar Dal 

2 Tsp Masoor Dal 

2 Tsp Split Mung Dal

2 Drops Castor Oil 

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder 

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida 

1 Tsp Salt 

To Boil:

2 to 3 Slit Green Chilies 

1/2 Finely Chopped Onion 

15 Sambar Onion/ Shallots

1/2 Finely Chopped Bangalore/ Apple Tomato

1/2 Finely Chopped Natti / Farm Tomato

2 Sprigs Curry Leaves 

3 Sprigs Coriander Leaves 

5 Pods Garlic Finely Chopped 

1 Tsp Chilli Powder 

2 Tbsp Coriander Powder 

3 Tsp Tamarind Pulp 

1 Tsp Sambar Powder 

To Temper:

8 Pods Sambar Onion 

1/2 Onion Finely Chopped 

6 Pods Garlic Finely Chopped 

3 Sprigs Curry Leaves 

2 Dried Red Chilies 

1/4 Tsp Each Mustard Seeds, Cumin, Black Gram Dal 

4 Seeds Methi / Fenugreek seeds 

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida 

3 Tbsp Oil 

Prep

1. Dal - Soak & Cook

• Measure, rinse and soak the dals for 1 hour. I cook it open in a pot, no pressure cooker - slow cooked dal is tastier and creamier. 

• Drain and add dals to a pot with 1 1/2 cups water, turmeric powder, few drops of castor oil and 1/4 tsp asafoetida. 

• Cook on low flame till tender. 

2. Shallots & Onions

• Soak shallots in lukewarm water for 15 minutes to peel easily. Peel, rinse twice and reserve. 

• Peel 1 large onion, rinse well and finely chop. Divide into two equal portions and reserve. 

3. Vegetables & Aromatics

• Wash and finely chop 1 medium size tomato and reserve. 

• Peel 15 garlic pods, rinse well, finely chop and divide into two equal portions and reserve. 

• Remove stem from green chilies, slit in half and reserve.

4. Herbs for Garnish

• Sort 5 sprigs coriander leaves with stems, finely chop and reserve. 

• Sort 3 sprigs curry leaves and reserve for garnish. 

5. Tamarind

• Boil lime-sized tamarind in a pot with 1 cup water, squeeze and extract pulp.

Method

1. Cook the Dal Base

• To the cooked dal, add chopped tomato, half the reserved garlic and onion, slit green chilies, curry leaves, coriander leaves with stems, chilli powder, coriander powder, asafoetida and 1 tbsp coarse salt. 

• Cover and allow to boil and cook. 

2. Add Tamarind

• Add 2 tsp tamarind pulp, stir well. 

• Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. 

3. Prepare the Tempering

• Heat a wok with 3 tbsp oil. Add black gram dal and fry for a few seconds. 

• Next add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and dried red chilies broken in half. Fry and allow the mustard seeds to splutter. 

4. Combine & Finish

• Transfer the fried shallots and tempering to the dal base. 

• Add sambar masala, stir well and allow to boil. Add extra water if needed. 

• Boil the sambar for 10 minutes on medium flame. 

• Garnish with chopped coriander. 

Serve hot with rice, idly, dosa or chapati. Enjoy!

Murai Vasal is a small ritual of welcome — a quiet sign that the home is awake, cared for, and ready to begin the day.

This hexagon star kolam, with multiple interlocking stars, is not just a kolam, but geometry at the doorstep — precise, balanced, and auspicious.

Salted Ribbon Fish fry / Valakaruvadu Varuval Recipe

Salted Ribbon Fish Fry — Valakaruvadu Varuval 

Crispy and full of coastal flavour — salted ribbon fish fry, or vala karuvadu, is a much-loved traditional favourite.

Made with sun-dried ribbon fish, it turns golden and crunchy on the outside while staying slightly chewy inside. Chilli and asafoetida bring the heat and aroma, and slow frying in oil makes it irresistibly crisp.

A perfect side that goes so well with rasam rice, curd rice or just as a crunchy bite — the true taste of traditional karuvadu, simple and flavourful.

Recipe Video from Vidyascooking Youtube Channel 🙂 

Ingredients 

300 Grams Ribbon Fish

1 Tbsp Chillli Powder 

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder 

2 Tbsp Tamarind Pulp 

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida 

1/4 Tsp Salt if needed 

4 Tbsp Oil 

Prep:

We buy dried ribbon fish with guts in. Normally the pre-cleaned ones people don't prefer since they may be stale. This is how I clean the dry fish:

1. Trim: Using a pair of scissors, trim the head, fins and tail.

2. Clean: Slit the stomach and remove the guts. Using a sharp knife, chop into even size pieces — I prefer 2 inch pieces.

3. Soak: Soak the fish in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to remove excess salt and mud.

4. Rinse: Rinse the fish twice or thrice, specifically the stomach area, to remove any leftover guts or salt. Drain and reserve.

5. Tamarind: Boil lime-sized tamarind in a pot with a cup of water, squeeze and extract pulp.

6. Lime: Wash and chop half a lime and reserve.

Marinate 

Add the fish to a mixing bowl, add chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and tamarind pulp apply this evenly allow the fish to marinate for 10 minutes.

Method:

1. Fry: Heat a fry pan with 3 to 4 tbsp oil. Space out and place the fish in an even layer and fry on both sides till crispy. Make sure the flame is low.

2. Finish: Top with a few drops of lime juice. Serve and enjoy!

Mullai and thumbai poo kolam

Today's vasal kolam is a simple 6-petal flower design, it brings a calm and auspicious feel to the doorway without taking much time.

Instant Rasam Recipe

Instant Rasam — Simple, Tangy and Comforting

Some recipes are made for busy days, and instant rasam is one of them. It's quick, light, and bursting with flavour.

Peppery, aromatic and soothing, it works beautifully as a light soup, with steamed rice, or as a comforting bowl on its own. Ready in minutes, yet full of taste — a simple recipe that never fails.

Recipe Video from Vidyascooking Youtube Channel 🙂 

Ingredients 

To Grind:

1/2 Apple/ Hybrid/ Roma Tomato / Bangalore Tomato 

1/2 Natti/ Organic/ heirloom Farm Tomato

3 Sprigs Curry Leaves 

3 Sprigs Coriander 

5 Garlic Pods

1 Tbsp Pepper Corns 

1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds 

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida 

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder 

1 Tbsp Salt

To Boil:

4 Tbsp Tamarind Pulp 

3 Sprigs Coriander Leaves will stems

3 Sprigs Curry Leaves 

2 Garlic Pods

To Temper:

1/4 Tsp Mustard Seeds 

1/4 Tsp Cumin Seeds 

2 Dried Red Chilies 

1 Tsp Oil

Prep: 1. Tomatoes: Wash well. I am using half of each variety — hybrid and nati tomatoes — in this recipe. Chop into tiny pieces.  

2. Garlic: 7 to 8 pods Peel and wash. Crush 3 pods garlic. 

3. Herbs: Sort 5 sprigs of coriander leaves and 3 to 4 sprigs of curry leaves. Rinse twice and reserve.  

4. Tamarind: Take lime-sized tamarind, boil in 1/2 cup water and remove from flame. Squeeze, extract pulp and reserve. The extra pulp can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated.

Method:

1. Make the Puree: In a mixer jar, add chopped tomatoes, 2 sprigs coriander leaves, 2 sprigs curry leaves, 5 to 6 garlic pods, pepper, cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 1 tbsp salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Grind to a coarse puree.

2. Transfer: Transfer the rasam puree to a pot. Add 1 cup water to the mixer jar to rinse the leftover masala and transfer it back to the pot.

3. Add Tamarind: Add 2 tbsp tamarind pulp, stir and check sourness. If needed, add 2 extra tbsp tamarind pulp. Dilute the rasam with half a cup of water.

4. Simmer: Place the pot on medium flame. Crush and add 2 garlic pods, chop and add 2 to 3 sprigs coriander leaves and curry leaves. Allow the rasam to come to a froth.

5. Rest: Remove the rasam from flame and cover.

6. Tempering: Place a small fry pan on medium flame with 1 tsp oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin and red chilli broken in half. Fry and allow the mustard to splutter.

7. Finish: Transfer the tempering to the rasam and keep covered till use.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Jasmine flower

No colors, no fuss — just the beauty of white kolam. It welcomes positivity, marks the entrance with grace, and keeps our daily tradition alive in the simplest way.

Potato & Salted Dried Prawns Roast

Some recipes are not written down — they live in memory. This Potato & Salted Dried Prawns Roast is one such heirloom recipe, passed down through generations.

It’s a beautiful example of how our grandmothers made the most of what they had. Salted dried prawns, preserved for months, were treasured for their intense flavour. When roasted slowly with potatoes, they transform into something truly special — salty, spicy, crisp, and deeply satisfying.

There is no fancy technique here, only homestyle wisdom: crush the ginger and garlic by hand, fry the potatoes till golden, let the curry leaves crackle in hot oil, and roast everything on a low flame till the aromas fill the kitchen.

This is not restaurant food. This is heirloom food — the kind that tastes like home, and makes a simple plate of rasam rice or curd rice feel like a feast.

A humble, homestyle classic that deserves to be remembered and cooked again.

Recipe Video from Vidyascooking Youtube Channel 🙂 

Potato & Salted Dried Prawns Roast

1 Medium Potato Cubed 

200 Grams Dried Salted Prawns 

1/2 Onion Finely Chopped 

2 Inch Ginger Crushed 

8 Cloves Garlic Crushed 

3 Sprigs Curry Leaves 

1/2 Lime 

1 Tsp Chilli Powder 

1 Tsp  Aachi Kuzhambu Milagai 

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder 

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida 

4 Tbsp Oil 

Salt if needed 

3 Sprigs Coriander Leaves 

Prep:

1. Salted Prawns:

Soak the salted prawns in room temperature water for 15 minutes. Once the prawns have softened a bit, rinse twice and soak in warm water for 10 minutes. Rinse the prawns twice again, drain and reserve.

2. Potato:

Peel and wash the potato. Chop into bite-size cubes and place in water to avoid discoloration.

3. Onion, Ginger & Garlic:

Peel and rinse the onion, finely chop and reserve.

Peel 10 pods of garlic and 2 inch ginger, rinse twice. Crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar or pulse in a mixer to form a coarse paste.

4. Curry Leaves & Lime:

Wash curry leaves, separate and reserve. Wash the lime, chop in half and reserve.

5. Marination:

Place the prawns in a mixing bowl. Add half the amount of crushed garlic and ginger, chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and half lime juice. Mix well and allow the prawns to marinate for 15 minutes.

Method:

Heat a wok on medium flame with 2 to 3 tbsp oil. Add curry leaves and allow to splutter. Next, add finely chopped onion and remaining ginger and garlic paste. Fry till onion turns transparent.

Drain and add cubed potatoes. Fry on low flame for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water, stir well, cover and cook till tender.

Add the marinated prawns, stir and fry. Cover and allow most of the moisture to evaporate.

Fry the prawns till oil separates. Add salt only if needed. Add lime juice, garnish with chopped coriander and dish out to a serving plate.

Serve hot. Enjoy!

Tips to Follow:
1. Control the Salt: Salted dried prawns are already very salty. Always soak and rinse at least 3-4 times, and add extra salt only at the very end, if needed.

2. Don't Skip the Double Soak: First soak in room-temp water to soften, second soak in warm water to remove excess salt and sand.

3. Potato Trick: Keep cut potatoes soaked in water till you use them - this prevents blackening and removes extra starch, so they fry crisp.

4. Coarse Paste is Best: Don't make a fine paste of ginger-garlic. A coarse, hand-crushed paste gives a much better homestyle flavour and texture.

5. Low Flame Roast: Always fry the prawns on low to medium flame. High flame will burn the masala before the prawns get crisp and oil separates.

6. Don't Add Too Much Water: Just 1/4 cup is enough for the potatoes. This is a dry roast, not a curry - let the moisture evaporate fully.

7. Lime at Two Stages: A little lime during marination cuts the strong smell, and a final squeeze at the end brightens the whole dish.

This Kambi kolam is more than decoration. It’s a daily ritual of welcome, patience, and positivity — inviting prosperity and good energy into the home. The graceful loops that weave around each dot without breaking symbolize continuity and togetherness.

Radish Channa Kurma / Radish Dalcha

Radish is often overlooked for its pungent flavour after cooking, but in this recipe it takes centre stage. Cooked with simple ingredients and finished with a fragrant coconut masala, it's high in fibre, protein and homely goodness - perfect with hot rice or soft roti.

Texture tip: Don't overcook the dal and cut radish into even coins so it cooks evenly with potato.

To serve: Perfect with steamed rice, idly, dosas, or phulka. Tastes even better the next day as the masala settles.

Recipe Video from Vidyascooking Youtube Channel 🙂 

Ingredients :

250 Grams Radish Chopped Into Coins

1 Medium Size  Potato Cubed 

1 Medium Size Tomato Roughly Chopped 

3 Green Chilies Slit 

6 Sprigs Coriander Leaves Finely Chopped 

6 Sprigs Mint Leaves Finely Chopped 

3 Sprigs Curry Leaves 

1 Bayleaf 

1/4 Tsp Cumin 

1/4 Tsp Sauf / Fennel seeds 

2 Pods Cardamoms 

2 Cloves 

1 inch Stick Cinnamon 

1/2 Tbsp Chillli Powder 

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder 

 1/4 Tsp Asafoetida 

1 1/2 Tbsp Coriander Powder 

2 Tbsp Ginger and Garlic Paste 

1/2 Lime

To Cook Dal:

1/4 Cup Channa Dal 

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder 

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida 

2 Drops Castor oil 

To Grind:

3 inch Pieces  Coconut 

5 Sprigs Coriander 

1 Cinnamon 

2 Cloves

1/4 Tsp Fennel Seeds/ Sauf 

2 Tbsp Ghee

1 Tbsp Oil

1 Tbsp Salt

Prep:

Wash the channa dal thrice. Add water till the dal is covered allow it to soak for 20 minutes.

Once the dal has double in volume, drain and transfer to a heavy bottom pot place on medium flame.  Add water till dal is covered. 

Next add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, few drops castor oil cover and cook till tender. Make sure not to over cook.

Peel 10 to 15 pods garlic, 2 inch ginger wash properly, roughly chop the ginger, add it to mixerjar add grind to form smooth paste and reserve. 

Peel radish, wash and pat dry. Cut radish into coins and reserve. 

Peel potato, wash chop into cubes place in pot of water till use. 

Peel and wash onion chop finely and reserve. 

Wash tomatoe chop finely and reserve. 

Remove stem from green chilies, wash and slit in half and reserve.

Sort and rinse mint, curryleaves and coriander atleast thrice. Finely chop mint and coriander. Seperate curryleaves from stem and reserve.

Sort and rinse 5 sprigs Coriander leaves. 

Wash and Chop fresh coconut into tiny pieces.

Add chopped Coconut, 5 Sprigs Coriander ,1 Cinnamon , 2 Cloves, 1/4 Tsp Fennel Seeds/ Sauf to a mixerjar cover and grind till smooth paste. 3 to 4 tbsp water can be added. 

Method:

Heat ghee and oil in a wok on medium flame. Add cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, bayleaf and fennel seeds allow to splutter for few seconds. 

Next add finely chopped onion, tomatoes, slit green chilies, and curryleaves fry all ingredients till onion turns transparent and tomatoes have softened.

Add 2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste fry till raw flavor reduces. Add chopped radish and potato fry for few seconds. 

Add chill powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder fry all the ingredients. 

Next add 1 tbsp coarse salt and 1 1/2 cups water, stir once cover and cook till potato and radish is tender but not cooked all the way.

Add ground coconut paste and dal stir well, adjust salt and water if needed, cover and cook till veggie are soft and oil separates the curry.

Add lime juice or 2 tsp tamarind pulp allow to boil for few seconds.

Garnish with finely chopped mint and coriander remove from flame stir well and serve hot...enjoy!

A large lotus in full bloom, with delicate leaves and tiny buds. Not perfectly symmetrical, and that's what makes it beautiful - a kolam drawn at dawn to welcome the day, and Lakshmi, inside.