Rathika's Nest

Happy Pongal!

2026-01-14T16:13:00.002+05:30

Wishing you all a very happy Bhogi and Pongal!

Thank you for your continued support to Rathika's Nest!

Energy Ladoos

2026-01-11T16:37:00.000+05:30

I have been experimenting with healthy snacks for sometime now and this recipe containing dry fruits, nuts and seeds works out great!

Ingredients: (Makes 30 ladoos of approximately 27-30 gm each)*

Rolled oats - 180 gms

Brown sugar - 3 tablespoons (optional)

Coconut oil - 2 tablespoons

Cinnamon powder - ½ teaspoon

Nuts (300 grams) in proportions given below.

Walnuts - 50 gms

Almonds - 50 gms

Peanuts - 50 gms

Hazelnuts - 50 gms

Pecan - 50 gms

Pistachio - 50 gms

Seeds (120 grams) in proportions given below.

Cucumber seeds - 20 gms

Pumpkin seeds - 20 gms

Melon seeds - 20 gms

Sunflower seeds - 20 gms

Flax seeds - 20 gms

Chia seeds - 10 gms

Sesame seeds - 10 gms

Dry fruits (300 gms) in proportions given below.

Kimia Dates - 175 gms

Golden raisins - 25 gms

Black raisins - 25 gms

Cranberry - 25 gms

Dried prunes - 50 gms

*You can add or reduce the variety of nuts, seeds or dry fruits depending on availability.

Method:

Dry roast the nuts and seeds separately till they become hot to touch. Transfer to a bowl. Keep aside.
Roast oats on medium flame till the flakes become crispy. Keep aside.
Once cooled to room temperature grind the oats to a coarse powder and break the nuts coarsely using the 'pulse' function of mixer-grinder.
De-seed the dates.
Heat oil in a kadai, add dates and prunes and sauté till they become softer. Add in brown sugar, cinnamon powder, raisins and cranberry; mix well.
Add oats powder, broken nuts and seeds. Mix well. Once blended, switch off the stove.
Once mixture is warm to touch, make 30 equal sized balls. I prefer to weigh the balls using a scale as I make them.
Line a air-tight container with parchment paper and arrange the balls in layers separated by parchment paper.
You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.

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Happy New Year!

2025-12-31T19:47:00.002+05:30

May this New Year bring Peace, Health and Prosperity to one and All!

Thank you for your continued support to Rathika's Nest!

Navarathri Greetings!

2025-10-01T20:38:00.000+05:30

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Sweet Potato Curry (சர்க்கரைவள்ளி கிழங்கு கறி)

2025-01-28T19:11:00.002+05:30

Sweet potato (சர்க்கரைவள்ளி கிழங்கு) is a tuber rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C and B6, minerals like manganese as well as antioxidants. It is roasted or boiled and eaten as a snack. It can be also prepared as thengai potta porial, ennai vathakkal or added to sambar or vathal kuzhambu. Today, I wish to share with you a new recipe made with sweet potato that can be served with chapatti or roti. Let’s check this recipe out.

Ingredients:

Sweet potato – medium, 3 no

Onion – large, 1 no, chopped

Tomato – large, 1 no, chopped

Turmeric powder - ¼ teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Curds – 100 ml or ½ teacup

Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Kashmiri chili powder - ¾ teaspoon, adjust to taste

Garam masala - ½ teaspoon

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds - ½ teaspoon

Cumin seeds - ½ teaspoon

Curry leaves – a few

Coriander leaves – chopped, 2 teaspoons

Method:

Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly, peel the skin, cut into cubes and add to a bowl of water. Keep aside.
Beat the curds well. Add in coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala. Mix well and keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadai, add in mustard and cumin seeds, and when they start to crackle, add chopped onions and curry leaves. Sauté till the onion pieces turn transparent.
Now add tomatoes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in the sweet potato pieces, required salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook on low flame till the vegetable is cooked.
Add the curd mixture and mix well. Cook for 3 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapatti, phulka or roti.

Note: While cutting vegetables, please soak cut pieces sweet potato in water immediately, lest the pieces will turn dark when left exposed to air.

Paneer Afghani

2025-01-14T19:32:00.009+05:30

Even though the ingredients used are more or less the same, there are so many variations of paneer Afghani recipe. Today, let me present my version of paneer Afghani using the same basic ingredients. Let's proceed with the recipe.

Ingredients:

Paneer preparation

Paneer or cottage cheese - 200 gm, cut into large cubes

Black pepper - ¼ teaspoon, powdered

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 teaspoons

Paste I

Onion - 3 no, large, cut into cubes

Ginger - ½" piece*

Garlic - 4 pods*

Green chilies - 1-2, adjust to taste

Cashew nuts - 50 gms

Black pepper - ½ teaspoon

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Coriander leaves - chopped, ¼ cup

Bay leaf -2 no

Cardamom - 3 no

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Paste II

Curds - ½ cup

Kasuri methi - roasted, crushed, 1 tablespoon

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Garam masala - ½ teaspoon

Gravy

Fresh cream - 2 tablespoons (optional)

Salt - to taste

Method:

Paneer preparation

Mix oil, pepper powder and salt in a bowl. Coat the paneer pieces with this mixture and marinate for 30 minutes.

Paste I

Heat oil in a kadai, add in bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon; sauté for 2 minutes. Now add garlic and fry for a minute. Add in onion cubes and fry till they turn transparent. Remove from fire and allow it to cool. Remove bay leaves, and you can add them to the paste later.
Once cooled to room temperature, grind the fried ingredients except bay leaves, along with coriander, black pepper, cashew nuts, ginger and green chilies into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Paste II

Beat curds well. Add in coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. Mix well and keep aside.

Gravy

Fry marinated paneer pieces in a non-stick pan on medium heat for 3 minutes. Turn the pieces over and fry for another 3 minutes. Transfer the paneer pieces to a bowl.**
Cook the "paste I" with bay leaves in a kadai on low flame till oil separates. Add in "paste II", required salt and 1 cup of water. Mix well and cook till the gravy boils.
Add in the paneer pieces and simmer for 5 minutes. Finally add the fresh cream, mix well and simmer for a minute.
Serve paneer Afghani with roti, chapati or paratha.

Note:

* Alternatively, you may use 1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste.

** I add the marinated paneer directly to the gravy and it tastes good. If you desire, you may skip this step.

Thiruvadhirai Kali (திருவாதிரை களி)

2025-01-13T20:26:00.000+05:30

During the winter month of Margazhi (மார்கழி), on the day of thiruvadhirai star (திருவாதிரை நட்சத்திரம்), the celestial dance of Lord Nataraja (நடராஜப் பெருமான்) is celebrated in Shiva temples across Tamil Nadu. On this day devotees fast and a special preparation called "kali" (களி) is offered to the lord. Today, let me share with you the traditional recipe of "Thiruvadhirai Kali" (திருவாதிரை களி).

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup or 200 ml measure

Green gram dhal or moong dhal - 1 tablespoon

Bengal gram dhal or channa dhal - 1 tablespoon*

Jaggery - 2 cups or 400 ml measure

Cardamom - 5-6 no, powdered

Coconut - grated, 2 tablespoons

Ghee - 3 tablespoons

Cashew nuts - 12 no, broken

* In some parts of Tamil Nadu, channa dhal is used. You may omit it, if desired.

Method:

Roast raw rice and dhal/s in a kadai on medium flame till the items start to turn light brown in color. Transfer to a bowl immediately. Once the roasted items cooled down to room temperature, grind in a mixed-grinder to rava consistency. Keep aside.
Mix jaggery and 5 cups of water in a kadai. Bring it to boil. Add in 1 tablespoon of ghee and coconut gratings. Mix well. Reduce the flame. Now add the ground rice-dhal mixture slowly while stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Add in cardamom powder and 1 tablespoon of ghee. Continue to cook till the mixture thickens.
Transfer the mixture to a vessel, cover it with a lid and pressure cook for 4 minutes or 4 whistles.
Once the pressure subsides, remove from the cooker and allow it to cool.
Heat the remaining ghee in a tadka pan, add in cashew nuts and fry till they turn golden brown in color.
Add the tadka to kali and mix well. Thiruvadhirai kali is ready!

Happy Pongal!

2025-01-13T19:37:00.002+05:30

Happy Pongal! Thank you for your continued support to www.rathkasnest.com.

2024-12-31T20:08:00.004+05:30

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year 2025! Thank you for your continued support to Rathika's Nest.

Fruit Cake (Eggless)

2024-12-31T19:46:00.000+05:30

This festive season, I was tempted to bake a fruit cake to celebrate the season and welcome the New Year. Fruit cake is made using curds instead of eggs. Let's check out this easy-to-bake recipe!

Ingredients:

All purpose flour or maida - 160 ml measure

Semolina or rava - 60 ml measure

Cooking oil - 60 ml

Cinnamon and mace powder - ½ teaspoon

Brown sugar - 160 ml measure

Honey - 30 ml

Baking soda - ½ teaspoon

Baking powder - ½ teaspoon

Curds - 160 ml

Dry fruits and nuts - ½ teacup or 100 ml measure*

Orange rind - grated, 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice - 3 tablespoons

* You may use Indian raisins, black raisins, dates, tutti-fruiti, dried figs, cranberry, cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecan, pistachio etc.

Method:

Chop the nuts, dates and figs into small pieces. Add to other dried fruits and mix with lemon juice. Allow the nuts and fruits to soak for 6-8 hours.
Sieve all purpose four, baking soda and baking powder together. Add in semolina and mix well. Keep aside.
In a bowl, Mix curds, oil, honey and brown sugar. Beat very well till the mixture becomes smooth.
Add in the flour mixture, soaked fruits and nuts, orange rind and cinnamon-mace powder. Blend together.
Transfer the cake mixture to a greased baking tin. Gently shake the tin to get the mixture spread evenly.
Preheat the microwave oven in convection mode or OTG (oven-toaster-griller) at 180℃ for 3 minutes. Bake the cake mixture at 180℃ for 20 minutes. Check with a tooth pick if the cake is done. If not, bake for 5 more minutes or till the crust turns golden brown in color.
Once baked, remove from the oven, demould and allow the cake to cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.