Music classes have commenced.
9am to 2pm. On a Sunday.
Quick no fuss no frills lunch prep.

1. Okra kuzhambu/gravy
2. Vegan chicken white sesame chilli fry
3. Broccoli and Portobello mushrooms garlic stir fry.
4. Rice, yoghurt, chippies.
5. Husband made a divine tasting, not good looking thogayal with garlic, black sesame seeds, tamarind, chillies.

And, yes, we have kind of overdone it with the sesame seeds..

Not a #onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan except for the yoghurt #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani

Satur-day turned out to be setting up music room, hall-day, completing the thousand and one chores that pile up over the week.
Dinner or rather part of dinner was –
Salsa Spirals. From a recipe book on vegetarian appetizers.
A more apt name would have been “Trial-and-Error-Stuffed-Tortillas”.
Made a stuffing of beaten cream cheese, finely chopped spring onions, capsicum, coriander leaves, green chillies, tomatoes, spread it over a tortilla, covered it with another, rolled tightly, cut and baked.
Salsa had chopped pineapple, onions, green chillies, tomatoes and oranges.
With a generous sprinkle of black pepper, salt and lemon juice.
Looked pretty, but not enough to go round, so made do with some fridge leftovers.

#lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan sometimes #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani

Puttu or pittu (Malayalam: പുട്ട്; Sinhala: පිට්ටු: Tamil: புட்டு).
A staple dish in South India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka) and Sri Lanka.  Steamed cylinders of ground rice layered with coconut shavings.
Served piping hot with sweet side dishes such as palm sugar, mango, banana, coconut milk
or with curries.
In Malaysia, puttu piring is served as a sweet. Tiny saucer shaped puttu with coconut and brown sugar.
So too in the Phillipines.

Mum used to have thin tiny sliced fried potatoes and brinjals, and a kuzhambu/gravy.
My favourite used to be and still is fried puttu.
Mum tends to pack this (or fried string hoppers) for me to take on the long flight home, even though she knows that I will be well fed with in-flight meals.

Hubby had made Puttu for dinner a few nights ago with Salad and Okra kuzhambu/gravy.
The next evening, jumped on the chance to make My Favourite.
Fried up leftover puttu with onions, garlic, potatoes and tofu. With chilli powder.
Also made a vegan chilli/nasi lemak sambal with dried mushrooms/vegan anchovies.
Such a simple delicious piping and spicy hot TV dinner.
Not as complex, though, as that churned out by the MKR chefs we were watching.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani

My family received this thoughtful Care Pack put together by Wickedly Indulgent Gifts, during the early days of lockdown.
A box of goodies – soul food – chocolates, nuts, popcorn, sweets.

The message that came with it read,
“I solemnly swear I am up to no good..” except when practising.
Thank you for everything!!!
Signed, Mischief Makers 1 & 2

From some young Harry Potter fans. Bless their little hearts.
Thank you so much. You know who you are..

Throwback..
To a time of laughter, love, hopes, dreams.
1997? 1998?
Photo which graced the cover page of Malaysia’s National Newspaper, The New Straits Times.
For Deepavali.
Four Generations of Women who raised, will raise strong good women.
My grandmother, my mother, Anna, my daughter Anusha and me.
Thanks so much Rema Akka.

Avatars.
Of Rice Vermicelli.
My previous post featured a South Indian Sevai.
Today, the star hails from South East Asia/East Asia.
Mee Hoon.
The very same Rice Vermicelli fried with a whole different range of veges and spices.
Tofu, Portobello mushrooms, spring onions, spinach leaves, vegan anchovies/dried mushrooms. Ground chilli paste, chilli powder, light soy sauce.
Light meal bursting with flavour.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani

Monday evening, temple puja.
Simple Sevai
for Prasadam.
Rice vermicelli, added to boiling water with salt and a little oil. Drained.
Tempered in gingerly oil and some ghee, with the standard mustard seeds, cummin seeds, hing, urad and channa dhalls, green and dried red chillies, curry leaves, cashews.
Simple Sevai for Dinner.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani

Queen’s birthday Monday.
Out all morning with the family.
Got home. Had daughter’s friend visiting.
Express lunch. While husband went off to pick up some fruits and milk for a temple puja that evening.
Indo chinese fusion a la confusion.
Pulled out rice cooker, wok, raided fridge, freezer, pantry to make a

1. simple mixed veg pulau.
2. Sesame crispy kungpao Vegan chicken.
3. Vegan prawn sambal. (Yam look alike).
4. Okra hot curry for fam members who do not appreciate faux stuff.
5. Boondhi raita.

Disclaimer : Poorly shot. In my haste to get a meal up in an hour. The photos have rays of sunshine and unfocused regions. That was by no means, my attempt at artistic food presentation – Focused camera on dish #1, tapped camera button, moved phone to dish #2. Photos could be a fusion of 2 dishes?

#lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani

Sunday’s Food Therapy.
Eggless Confused Doughnuts shaped like muffins.
Sprinkled, no, smothered, no, suffocated with brown sugar and cinnamon powder.
Completed Season 2 of Money Heist while scoffing down some of these treats.

#lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan sometimes #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #foodtherapy #comfortfood #bitesbybavani

Saturday’s therapeutic dinner.
Used the kuey teow/flat rice noodles, vegan ikan bilis/dried mushrooms, soft tofu I’d bought from the Asian vegan supermarket.
Steamed, crumbled and fried the tofu with turmeric powder and salt so that it resembled scrambled eggs.
Forgot to buy chives so threw in frrsh spinach leaves.
Ground chilli paste, light soy sauce. High flame.
There you have it.
Char Kuey Teow.
Also Baked some Vegan Satay. Store bought.
Dipped in chilli peanut sauce.

#lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #foodtherapy #comfortfood #bitesbybavani