Andhra Style Chikkudukaya Curry (Indian Broad Beans curry)

There’s something deeply comforting about the simplicity of regional Indian food, and for me, Chikkudukaya Curry (Indian broad beans curry) is one of those nostalgic recipes that instantly brings back memories.

Known as sem in Hindi, these broad, flat beans are a staple in many South Indian kitchens. But in Andhra households, chikkudukaya takes on a spiced, soulful transformation — lightly cooked with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and just enough heat to bring everything to life. It’s humble, hearty, and so satisfying.

This curry used to be a regular in my winter kitchen back in Hyderabad, India. I love how easy it is to prepare — no grinding, no fancy ingredients — just honest flavors that develop beautifully in one pan. You can make it as a dry stir-fry or as a moist, curry-style dish like I’ve shared here. I sometimes stir in a spoon of roasted peanut powder or coconut at the end for a rustic finish.

Ingredients:

• Chikkudukaya (broad beans) – 250g (washed, strings removed, cut into 1-inch pieces)
• Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped
• Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
• Green chilies – 2, slit
• Garlic – 4-5 cloves, crushed
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
• Dry red chili – 1 (optional)
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Red chili powder – 1 tsp (adjust to taste)
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Fresh coriander leaves – for garnish

Method:

• Prep the beans: Remove stringy sides of chikkudukaya and chop into 1" pieces. Rinse well.
• Boil (optional but faster): Pressure cook the chopped beans with a pinch of salt and turmeric for 1 whistle, OR cook covered in a pan with ¼ cup water until soft but not mushy.
• Tempering:
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds, cumin, dry red chili.
• Once they splutter, add crushed garlic and green chilies. Sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add onion and sauté until light golden.
• Add tomatoes, turmeric, and a pinch of salt. Cook until tomatoes are soft.
• Spice it up:
• Add red chili powder, coriander powder, and mix well.
• Add boiled chikkudukaya pieces.
• Stir well to coat beans with the masala.
• Cook on medium heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if too dry.
• Optional: Add coconut or peanut powder now for extra richness.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and turn off the heat.

Serve it with hot rice, a drizzle of ghee, and maybe some rasam on the side — and you’ve got a meal that tastes like home.

Dimer Dalna/ Boiled Egg Curry

A simple egg curry with hot rice, what more do you want on a cold weekend afternoon! This recipe is usually made with potatoes and eggs; I have avoided potatoes here as I wanted to reduce the carb content. Feel free to add in potatoes, I have included them in the recipe.

Ingredients:

For Boiled Eggs:

• Eggs – 4 (hard-boiled)

• Salt – ½ tsp

• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

For the Curry:

• Potatoes – 2 medium (peeled and cut into halves or quarters)

• Onion – 2 medium (finely sliced or grated)

• Tomato – 1 large (chopped or pureed)

• Ginger paste – 1 tsp

• Garlic paste – 1 tsp

• Green chilies – 2 (slit)

• Bay leaf – 1

• Whole cumin seeds – ½ tsp

• Cumin powder – 1 tsp

• Coriander powder – 1 tsp

• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

• Red chili powder – ½ tsp (adjust to taste)

• Garam masala powder – ½ tsp

• Sugar – ½ tsp

• Salt – to taste

• Mustard oil – 3 to 4 tbsp

• Water – 1 to 1½ cups (as needed)

• Fresh coriander – chopped (for garnish)

Method:

• Boil the eggs, peel them, and rub with a little turmeric and salt.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil and lightly fry the eggs until golden. Set aside.
• In the same oil, fry the potato pieces with a pinch of turmeric and salt till they get a light golden crust. Remove and keep aside.
• Add more oil if needed. Temper with bay leaf and cumin seeds.
• Add sliced onions and saute until golden brown.
• Add ginger and garlic paste. Saute until the raw smell disappears.
• Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies, and a pinch of sugar. Cook till oil separates.
• Now add turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, and salt. Cook the masala well.
• Add fried potatoes and mix well with the masala. Add water to form a gravy.
• Cover and simmer till potatoes are cooked (about 10–12 minutes).
• Add the fried eggs and simmer for another 3–4 minutes.
• Sprinkle garam masala and chopped coriander.
• Turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes.

Serve hot with steamed rice, basanti pulao, or luchi/paratha.

Banana Oats Raisin Muffins

I am pretty sure that every once in a while, you have overripe bananas on your kitchen counter. Hats off to you if you don't, but clearly that's not the case with me. Whenever that happens to me, I think of a few options that I can use the bananas for - banana bread, banana smoothie, sometimes I also cut and freeze the bananas for making a smoothie later. 

Last weekend when this happened, I thought of preparing banana muffins. This was to make sure we can use these masterpieces for snacking during the school holidays. My daughter is not a fan of raisins as such but does not mind having them. To make it healthy, I have added steel cut oats to the recipe. You can replace it with all-purpose flour instead if you wish to. 

Ingredients:

- Overripe Bananas - 2

- Sugar - 1/2 cup

- Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp

- Self Raising whole wheat flour - 1/2 cup

- Steel cut oats - 1 and 1/2 cups

- Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

- Milk - 1/2 cup

- Olive oil - 1/4 cup

- Eggs - 2

- Baking powder - 1 tsp

- Raisins - 1/2 cup

Method:

- Mash the bananas with a fork in a bowl.

- In another bowl, beat all the wet ingredients (oil, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla essence) together.

- To this mixture, the add mashed bananas and mix well.

- Add the flour, baking powder, raisins and oats and mix well.

- Line a muffin tray with muffin cases and preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius.

- Once the oven is preheated, bake muffins for 20 mins.

- Let it cool before serving.

 

Protein Ladoos / Date and Coconut Bliss balls

It is our family ritual to go to the library and borrow books every alternate Saturday. I recently realized that it has been an amazingly long time since I have bought any books for myself. The library in my suburb is also very well stocked. You get each and every book you need and can also place a request for ones you can't find. In case you are wondering why I am writing about a library in this post. The recipe I am going to share today is from one such book that I borrowed. This now is a regular feature in my kitchen. We use it not just for school lunch but also to satiate the mid-morning sugar craving when it kicks in. 

 Ingredients:

- Pitted Mejdool Dates - 1 cup

- Desiccated coconut - 1 cup

- Chia seeds - 1/2 cup

- Sunflower seeds - 1/2 cup

- Sesame seeds - 1/2 cup

- Pumpkin seeds - 1/2 cup

- Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp

- Honey (Optional) - 1/4 cup

- Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp

Method:

- Place all ingredients in the food processor bowl.

- Whisk until smooth and dates are very finely chopped.

- Divide into equal portions.

- Roll each portion into a ball.

- Roll over extra coconut (optional).

- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pancake Balls

What is better than pancakes on a Sunday morning? Pancake balls 😇. This is easy to make and a hit amongst kids. Daughter used to love it as a kid and still does so it's basically approved for all ages. You do need a Paniyaram Pan to make this though. If you don't know what a Paniyaram pan is, then please check it here.

 Ingredients:

- All Purpose Self Raising Flour - 2 tbsp

- Sugar - 1 tbsp

- Salt - a pinch

- Jam - 1 tbsp

- Egg - 1

- Milk - 1 tbsp

- Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

- Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

- Beat the egg in a bowl.

- Add milk, sugar, salt, vanilla essence into the eggs and make a wet batter.

- To this add flour and mix well.

- When the consistency is like cake batter, put the paniyaram pan on stove for heating.

- Brush the pan with oil.

- Add a spoonful of batter onto each hole in the pan. 

- To this add a tsp of jam and cover with batter again.

- Let it cook on low flame for 2-3 mins.

- When the pancake balls brown slightly, flip it and let the other side cook too on low flame.

- Serve hot with honey or maple syrup and your choice of fruits. Sunday breakfast is sorted!!

Oats Bar (Nut Free)

We always pick up oat bars during our weekly shop at the market. It is an easy grab as a snack and seems to be healthy. It is not as healthy as you think it is, you would know if you took a peek at the ingredients. It's pretty easy to make at home though. This way its way healthier and cheaper. Give it a try and you will never go back to buying them.

Ingredients:

- Oats - 2 cups

- Pepitas - 1/2 cup

- Sunflower seeds - 1/2 cup

- Dried Cranberry - 1/2 cup

- Raisins - 1/2 cup

- Dried Figs chopped - 1/2 cup

- Honey - 1/2 cup

- Brown sugar - 1/3 cup

- Coconut Oil - 1/3 cup

- Egg lightly beaten - 1

- Plain Flour - 1/2 cup

- Shredded Coconut - 1 cup

Method:

- In a mixing bowl, add oats, pepitas, sunflower seeds, coconut, flour, cranberry, figs, and raisins. Mix this really well with a spoon.

- In a saucepan, add sugar, coconut oil and honey and heat while mixing till the sugar melts. Then let it cool slightly.

- Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, add the egg and the melted sugar, honey and oil.

- Mix well so that the mixture is coated very nicely with the liquid. 

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

- Line a rectangle tin with butter paper.

- Pour the mixture onto the tin and press very well so that it all sticks together. You can use a spoon to press it down.

- Bake it at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-25 mins.

- Let it cool and cut into rectangle pieces. You can store it outside for 4 days. In case you want to freeze it, pack each with butter paper before doing so.

This is a nut free school friendly version. Feel free to chop and add nuts if you want.

 

Wheat Rava Upma

Wheat Rava is wheat semolina and upma is a south Indian breakfast dish. It is a humble, healthy but filling dish that keeps you full for long.

 Ingredients:

- Vegetables of your choice cubed (1 cup). I have used, carrots, onion and cauliflower. 

- Oil - 1 tbsp

- Ghee - 1 tsp

- Curry Leaves - 6-7

- Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

- Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

- Peanuts - 1 tbsp

- Wheat Rava / Bulgur - 1 cup

- Water - 3 cups

- Salt/Sugar - As per taste

- Green Chili split - 1 (optional)

 Method:

- Heat oil in a wok.

- When hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, peanuts, chili and curry leaves.

- When they splutter, add the veggies and fry till half cooked.

- Add this point add the wheat rava, salt and sugar and mix well for 2 mins.

- Add water, cover with a lid and let it cook on low flame. 

- Will be cooked in 15-20 mins. Keep mixing at 2 min intervals so that it does not burn/stick to the bottom of the wok.

- Add Ghee when cooked and serve hot with Sambar.