Tips:- To avoid milk pan burnt while boiling.

While boiling milk in a pan, add little water, in the pan before adding milk. it will avoid burnt

CARROT HALWA using Pressure Cooker

This method comes under cook and serve type. I prepared this recipe, without khoa, condensed milk, milk powder. The grated carrot gets caramelised in the cooking process.

CARROT HALWA 

INGREDIENTS:- ( use same cup for measuring)
Carrot grated -  4 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Milk - 1& 1/2 cup
Ghee - 5 tsp
Cardomom powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashews, Almonds, Raisins - 5 nos. each




METHOD:-
Boil Milk in a pan, till it reduces to half of its quantity. Scrap the sides while boiling. It took nearly half an hour, that is 3/4th cup of milk  is ready to prepare the halwa.
Now, in a pressure cooker (i used 3L pressure cooker), add 4 tsp ghee and melt it.
Roast the cashews, almonds and raisins, remove it and restore it in a bowl.  Add the grated carrot, milk, sugar, cardomom powder and 1 tsp of ghee to the Cooker.

Cover the cooker with lid. Place it on the burner and cook for 5 minutes in High flame, 5 minutes in Medium Flame and 10 minutes in sim flame, irrespective of whitsles. The idea of adding milk is to avoid burnt and to give the taste of khoa.
(Note:-For 4 cups of  grated carrot, 3/4th cup of milk and 3/4th cup of sugar)

Let it release the pressure on its own.

Now, place the cooker on the burner in medium flame and cook till there is no water content.

Caramalised Carrot Halwa is ready to be served. Garnish with fried dry fruits and nuts.

CABBAGE THOGAIYAL | CABBAGE CHUTNEY

This is one of the simple South Indian chutney variety which goes well with rice and tiffin items like idli, dosa etc. It might be a bit refreshing since we always prepare chutney/thogaiyal with coconut, peanut, mint, coriander etc.

INGREDIENTS:

Cabbage - 100g

Red chilly - 2 or 3

Small onion - 6 (optional)

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Channa dhal/ Bengal gram - 1 tsp 

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Tamarind - small gooseberry size

Jaggery - little 

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt

For seasoning

Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Cumin - 1/4 tsp

Urad dhal - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - a leaflet 

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1/2 tsp

METHOD:

1. In a pan, add little oil, red chilly, bengal gram, urad dhal and saute well till it turns golden brown. Keep aside.

2. Add little oil and saute onions till it turns aromatic. Add chopped cabbage, turmeric powder and cook well till the raw smell goes off.

3. After it cools well, add all the ingredients in a mixer along with tamarind, salt and jaggery and grind to paste.

4. Transfer to a bowl.

5. In a pan, add oil and all the ingredients given for seasoning one by one and pour over the chutney.

6. Tasty and delicious CABBAGE CHUTNEY is ready.

Note:

• Green chilly can be used instead of red chilly.
• Little coriander leaves can be added to enhance taste.
• Adding onions is optional.

TOMATO SOUP | SIMPLE SOUP USING TOMATO

This is one of the popular soup which we always cherish when we go to any restaurant. Consistency may vary from place to place. Adding sweetness is up to individual taste. Here, I have added rusk bits instead of roasted bread pieces. Fresh cream can be added for rich taste.

INGREDIENTS: 

Tomato - 3

Small onion - 6

Garlic cloves - 3

Ginger - small piece

Bay leaf - 1

Coriander leaves - little

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Corn flour - 1 tsp

Rusk bits - 10 to 15 

Butter - 1 tsp

Sugar/ Brown sugar - 1 tsp

Salt - as desired

METHOD:

1. Pressure cook tomato, small onion, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and bay leaf adding a cup of water.

2. After the pressure settles down, discard the bay leaf, add to a mixer and grind along with the water used for cooking. 

3. Add little water if needed and strain the tomato mixture so that the texture of the soup will remain smooth. Discard the residue.

4. In a tawa, add butter and add the tomato puree and allow to boil.

5. Mix water to corn flour and add to the tomato mixture.

6. Adjust consistency accordingly, add pepper powder, sugar, mix well and switch of the flame.

7. Transfer to the serving bowl and add rusk pieces.

8. Tasty TOMATO SOUP is ready.

Note:

• Add rusk/bread pieces only while serving.
• Tawa roast bread pieces in ghee or oil before adding.
• If the soup becomes cool, warm a while before adding rusk pieces.

RED POHA SWEET using Pressure Cooker

RED POHA SWEET

Ingredients:-
Red poha/ Red Aval/ Red Rice Flakes ( thick poha) - 1/2 cup
Jaggerry - 1/4 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 2 tsp
Cashews, Raisins - 5 nos.
Cardomom powder - a pinch

Method:-
Wash the poha 3 times to remove dust & impurities. Add all the ingredients mentioned in a bowl, gently mix, cover it with a plate and place it inside the cooker. Using double boiling method, allow 3 whistels on high flame, switch off the flame. Let the pressure release  on its own.
Delicious Poha sarkarai pongal is ready. Garnish with cashews, raisins roasted in ghee.

RED AVAL KESARI

Aval, also known as Poha or Flakes. Like corn flakes, Aval are called as Rice Flakes, enriched with iron, calcium, fibre etc.

RED AVAL KESARI

Ingredients:-
Red aval - 1 cup

Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 5 tsp
Water - 2&1/2 cups
Cardamom powder ..as required
Saffron strings ..3 to 4 ( optional)

Method:-
Using a sieve, remove the impurities from Aval/poha.
Dry roast the red aval ( i used the thicker variety) for 2 to 3 minutes or till the time that the flakes can be broken into two pieces. Allow it to cool. Using a mixer jar, make a coarse powder.
 Now boil water in a kadai, add 1 tsp of ghee, saffron stings and add the coarse powder. Keep it in sim flame.

Mix it well to avoid lumps. When there is no moisture content, it is said that the flakes were cooked.

Now add sugar & cardomom powder, mix well till it all binds well.
 Add ghee while mixing. Remove from the flame, when the kesari leaves the sides of the pan.
Healthy red aval kesari is ready to be served....

VENDHAYA KEERAI KARA KUZHUMBU | METHI LEAVES KARA KUZHUMBU

Vendhaya Keerai/ Methi leaves/ Fenugreek is one of the greens variety which has immense medicinal value and health benefits. It helps to lower diabetes, maintains liver health and also helps to increase good cholesterol. It is rich in iron and is a good source of fiber. Many recipes 

like poriyal, kootu can also be done using methi leaves. Tender leaves will be apt for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
Vendhaya keerai - 1 bunch
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Garlic pods - 6
Tamarind -  gooseberry size
Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 1 tsp
Jaggery - 1/4 tsp
Gingelly oil - 3 tsp
Salt

For Seasoning
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek-  1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - little

METHOD:
1. Wash and chop the methi leaves, onion and tomato.
2. Extract juice from tamarind and keep aside.
3. In a tawa, heat oil and add all the ingredients given under seasoning one by one.
4. Add garlic and onion and saute for a while.
5. Add tomato and cook until it turns soft and juicy.

6. Add methi leaves, stir for few minutes.
7. Add sambhar powder and tamarind juice, mix well and allow to boil for few minutes until raw smell goes off.
8. In a mixer, add coconut and rice flour and grind to paste by adding little water.
9. Add the paste, jaggery and required salt and boil for 2 or 3 minutes .
10. Taste for salt and spice. If needed add accordingly.
11. Tasty and aromatic Vendhaya Keerai Karakuzhumbu is ready.

Rice Pakoda

This recipe was prepared using leftover rice.

RICE PAKODA

INGREDIENTS:-

Leftover Rice - 1 cup ( approx. 250 gms)

Thinly Sliced Onion - 1

Finely chopped Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Finely chopped Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Sambhar Powder - 1 & 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Corn Flour - 2 tsp

Besan Flour - 2 tsp

Oats Powder - 2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp

Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp

Oil for deep frying

METHOD:-

Add all the ingredients given under ingredients list except oil. Smash well using hands. 

Heat oil in a Kadai. While making Pakodas, there is no definite shapes like vadai or bajji. Drop the pakoda mix little by little. Fry it in sim flame for 2 minutes and increase the flame to high. Flip it and fry the other side too. 

Crispy Crunchy Rice Pakodas are ready. It lasts the crunchiness throughout the day.

JACKFRUIT MINI PANCAKE

Seasonal fruits and vegetables retain more nutrients than their counterparts making them the better choice for the health. Seasonal fruits being, Mangoes and Jackfruits, occupies the major space in the market.

I tried this receipe using Jackfruit. (This recipe is similar to Apple-Carrot Pancake. )  Jackfruit is rich in Vitamins, Minerals, Anti-oxidants. It increases Red blood Cells, thereby preventing anemia. It also prevents Colon Cancer, protects Eyes and reduces Asthma symptoms. 

JACKFRUIT MINI PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS:-

Jackfruit edible pieces -  5 nos

Organic Sugar/brown sugar - 1tsp

Salt - a pinch

Cardamom Powder - 1/8 tsp

Oats Powder - 50 gms

Wheat flour - 50 gms

Lukewarm milk - 50 ml ( use the same cup for measuring all)

Ghee - for making pancakes.

METHOD:-

In a mixer jar, add all the ingredients except Ghee. Add required milk for grinding the mixture to a fine paste. Now transfer the contents to a bowl. Add wheat flour and oats powder to it. Mix well to avoid lumps. If needed milk/water can be added to make a pouring consistency or in dosa batter consistencey. Set aside for 15 minutes. Check the consistency.

Heat a non-stick dosa tawa, or Pancake tawa, with little ghee. Pour a small laddle full of batter and spread gently, neither thick nor thin. Cover with lid and cook in sim flame. After 5 minutes, flip the other side, allow it to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the flame, once it is done.

Now pancakes are ready to be served.