India trip 2022

 For most of us India trip means enjoying a lot of our childhood favorite foods in restaurants. We went there after 4 years. We were there during mid May and June. I suggest my friends not to travel there during summer as that's the hottest time in India. It's definitely not suitable for travel , if this is your first visit. But we know that and still chose that time as it was suitable for my hubby's work schedule and for me it was the perfect time as it was school holidays in India. During school holidays only Indians celebrate some family functions, tours etc also we can meet the family easily. Other times it's always busy there in my view.

 That summer felt like cool simla for us, with that much pampering and love showered by our friends and family there.  This is the first time I met my brother's son Bala and I got excited to see him. It is hard to describe my joy , when he came to me as soon as we met in the airport. He hugged me and with me and my hubby during our whole stay there, as if he knows us forever. He is such a loving cute baby and I have never seen anyone clinging to me like this after Shakthi. My sister inlaw Gowri prepared a lot of delicious Nagercoil foods for us. Some of our most favorites are her Ada payasam, paruppu sambar, okra fry and her passion to cook along with her busy schedule.  Here is a glimpse of our culinary journey in India along with some favorite clicks.

I prepared Rava laddoo for our travel and bought some pretzels, along with almost 5 lbs of chocolate as gift ☺️ 

Guava and kodukkapuli fruits

Indian mangoes are lip smacking delicious during summer. We had mangoes on all days there.

Lunch in a hotel in Puliayampatti near St.Anthony's church 

We got lot of 'Country hen eggs' as gift from my friend Sandhya amma and my chithi

I prepared a lot of omelettes there for us all.

Nattu kozhi biriyani - On most occasions, Hubby and myself bought one biriyani and 2 parottas and shared with each other.

Chennai Ashoknagar Anjappar 's Nattukoli biriyani and Nethili fish fry for lunch one day.

Poori and ghee roast in Adayar Ananda Bhavan near Guduvanchery . Breakfast along the way to Velankanni

Yummy Vegetarian meal we enjoyed in Mayiladuthurai

The rooms were really good in the 'Golden Sand hotel' in Velankanni

Golden sand hotel

Dinner in Velankanni church's restaurant. Dosa, sambar, chutney and fish fry. 

Their parking and Kerala restaurant are really good and classy.

Velankanni

Velankanni Shrine

Chicken biriyani and Fish fry in Kerala restaurant of Golden sand hotel was soooo yummy !

We had a lot of fish during this trip ☺️

salted spicy Green mango for travel

Mangosteen aand lychee on the way to Tirunelveli from Velankanni via ECR road

We tasted coconut sprouts for the first time and it was amazing. We paid Rs 200 for a sprout.

Snacks we bought : Athirasam, murukku, kaisutral murukku, mixture, butter murukku.

Manthi biriyani from 'Italian cuisine restaurant' of Tirunelveli. 

Naval palam / Jamuns we had in Tirunelveli.

Panankilangu (palmyra sprouts / tender roots) my favorite.

Myfather inlaw bought these yummy snacks as per my wish from Palayamkottai market: nungu, pathaneer, athirasam, thattai, onion vadai, paniyaram, murukku. These are all my most favorite ancient snacks of Tamilnadu. My hubby got his favorites too...mysore pak, laddu too.

We got pathaneer, panankilanku, karupatti on almost all days there ☺️

There is one tea shop near Mupanthal kavalkinaru (address). Our driver suggested it as one of the best if you are traveling from Tirunelveli to Trivandrum. They had prepared all the snacks like vadai, susiyam, tea with so much care that everything tasted like homemade. Their service was also very good. Don't miss it. 

The mutton bone kulambu and koottu I prepared in my inlaw's house.

Tirunelveli style mutton koottu

Aa fish stall near my inlaws' house in Tirunelveli, that's where we used to buy fish on alternate days.

Mari anna's daughter birthday dinner

Biriyani prepared by Mari anna's brother in law.

We went to Tiruchendur for our friend's daughter earring ceremony

Chicken biriyani, kothu parotta (also mutton sukka not in pic), we all had in hotel Prabhu in Tirunelveli Junction. That's my appa's as well as mama's favorite restaurant. Appa used to buy us parotta from there long back. 

Veg biriyani, cauliflower fry I made for my friend's gathering in Chennai.

Our vegetable shopping in chennai. Hubby bought me Vazhai thandu (banana stem) , drumstick, okra, avarakai as soon as we stepped in Chennai, as they are some of my favorite vegetables.

Vellore mullu kathrikai from one of our friend's farm. I cooked this red snapper Fish curry and brinjal poriyal and had it along with our friends. I cooked some dishes like 'neyar viruppam' for my whole neighborhood friends and we too got so many yummy treats from them. 

'The best gifts are always handmade with love'. My friend Jaya's talented daughter Bala painted this as gift for me.

Lunch I prepared for Anand family: Sambar, egg, avarakai poriyal, rasam,dal etc

Another party for our friends in neighborhood. I prepared chicken curry. Just like old times I . walked with my friend Jothi akka to the nearby chicken shop and bought fresh chicken and we all ate together. This is one of my most happy memories there.

Very glad to meet our friendly neighborhood butcher.

cooking with and for friends is always happy for me

Our kitchen , happy memories with lots of friends and family

Homemade foods starts getting tasty after few days of continuous hotel food. So I started preparing everything aat home. Dosai for dinner 

chithi's crispy ulunthu vadai, our favorite

Peanuts from another friend Velu sir's farm

whenever possible my hubby stopped the upcoming vegetable vendors and got me every veggie I liked. 

We visited and attended mass in the famous St.Thomas Mount church near our house

Wearing flowers everyday is my number one agenda and ranks top most in my 'India trip to do' list. Hubby will sit in the front verandah in his favorite couch and watch out for flowers, veggie, fruits along with working in his computer ☺️

I was excited to prepare some garland for our neighborhood Vinayagar along with my friend's family

 Trivandrum

My thambi and Gowri took us to some nice sightseeing in Kerala. I wanted to see a palace there...some palace....so they took us to this most amazing palace 'Kuthiramalika'

Lulu mall

Peacock in thambi's backyard . We gave her some lemon rice :)

 On the way back home.....

We had lunch in hotel Chitra in Marthandam, which is also very good. 

Snacks gifted by my thambi for us to take home to USA.

We stayed in a nice hotel in Trivandrum before departure, as it was so closer to airport.

Veg meals I had in Hotel kingsway

Chicken biriyani for my hubby dear

'Vaango restaurant' in New Delhi airport.  Ghee roast we had in the middle of the night before boarding Air India flight to USA. Don't forget to eat before boarding. That's really an useful tip if you are new to travel.

Back to everyday life in USA. Lemon rice and carrot fry  - lunch box ☺️

Things we bought / gifts for us from India.

Along with these a lot of night wear, churidar, some sarees also I got.

Hot and spicy Oats pepper Pongal

ஓட்ஸ் மிளகு பொங்கல் . Spicy oats for breakfast is always welcomed in many houses. I prepare this quick and easy breakfast for us often. I cooked the old fashioned oats and green gram in Instant pot. After releasing the pressure I would garnish it with spices as usual like how we do the ordinary ven pongal. But we can make it using any kind of oats and we can do the tempering before pressure cooking too. Anyways the pongal tastes amazing. Here is my version of the oats Pongal recipe. 

Hot and spicy Oats pepper Pongal with coconut chutney

Oats pongal made in Instant pot

Ingredients: (2 servings)
Oats - 1 1/4 cup
pink / white salt - 1/2 tsp (to taste)
(we can use rolled oats, quick or old fashioned or steel cut oats)
Moong dal - 1/4 cup
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
asafoetida (hing) - a pinch
ghee - 1 tsp (or sesame oil)
black pepper - 1 tsp
crushed black pepper - 1 tsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig
cumin - 1/2 tsp
cashew nuts -3 (break into tiny pieces)
ginger - 1 inch 

Method:

Pressure cook together green gram (moong dal), oats, 2 cups water, salt, turmeric powder, hing in instant pot (electric cooker) for 2 minutes. Or in regular pressure cooker for 2 whistles.

To temper: In a small wok, heat 1 tsp ghee. Add whole black pepper , cumin, cashew and wait till cashew turns golden. Then add minced ginger, curry leaf. Pour it over the cooked items and give it a stir.

Sprinkle crushed black pepper for taste. Enjoy piping hot pepper oats pongal with coconut chutney or sambar.

Hot and spicy pepper pongal is ready !

Serving suggestion:

Serve as breakfast or any meal.

Makes 2 generous servings.

Instant pot (electric cooker) version:

Start the recipe with tempering. Then add water and all the items mentioned for pressure cooking.

Pongal gets cooked in 2 min pressure cook setting.

Calories:

Oats (quaker old fashioned) 1/2 c - 150 cal

ghee 1 tsp - 90 cal

moong dal 1/4 c - 120 cal

1 cashew - 9 cal

total (approx) = 612 /2 = 300 to 320 cal per person approximately.