Archana Pidathala is a self-taught author and cook who has put together over 100 of her grandmother’s recipes in her first book called Five Morsels of Love. “The book takes me back in time. Whether it is to the day I got married or to the ones when there was a celebration or festival in the house and ammama would spend all her time preparing some of these delicacies for us,” said Pidathala.
The book is a translation of Pidathala’s grandmother’s Telugu cookbook, Vanitha Vantakalu, which was published in 1974.
In a conversation with Outlook Traveller Eats, Pidathala spoke about how her favourite childhood memory was sitting around her grandmother with four of her other cousins and relishing the dishes made by her mother. “We would fight over grabbing an extra morsel. Our WhatsApp group is called Five Morsels now, and that gives the book its name,” reminisced Pidathala.
She shares the recipe for pulagam, a lesser-known yet more delicious Andhra variation of khichdi or Pongal. Prepared during harvest festivals like Makar Sankranti and Pongal, it is rich in proteins, easily digestible, and light on the stomach.
The pulagam from Pidathala’s cookbook is simple yet fulfilling. In the dish, green gram is slow-cooked with rice, ghee, and mild spices. It is best savoured with an indulgent dollop of ghee. If you are a khichdi enthusiast ready for a change from your staple household recipe, this is a must-try.