Sabja seeds Drink, SUMMER SPECIAL

SABJA SEEDS / BASIL SEEDS :-
             Sabja Seeds, also known as basil seeds (not holy basil / tulsi), is widely used as ayurvedic medicine. It helps to

• reduce body heat, acts as COOLANT
• reduce body fat
• relives constipation
• relieves acidity and reduces burning sensation in stomach
• to treat digestion problems,
• to reduces white discharge

Though it has good qualities, it also has some side effects. The children and elderly people should avoid to take it as the seeds may choke due to improper imbalance of water and seeds. Pregnant mother should skip it as the seeds lower down the level of estrogen.

SABJA SEEDS DRINK:-

These seeds are widely used in most of the summer special drinks like Falooda, Jigardhanda.

INGREDIENTS:-
Sabja seeds - 2 tsp
Water - 100 ml

METHOD:-
Soak sabja seeds in water for 30 mins. Now, Sabja seeds drink is ready. Also, we can add this soaked sabja seeds in any fresh juices.

G RICE / GREEN RICE

G RICE/ Green Rice ...... its a combination of Curry - Mint - Coriander leaves and all 3 Gs (ginger, garlic and green chillies)
Its a easier version of Mint Pulav  (version 1). Click here for another Mint Pulav variety.

 G RICE / GREEN RICE

INGREDIENTS:-

Onions- Finely chopped - 100 gms
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1
Cardamon - 1
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Cooked Rice  or left over rice - as required

For Grinding:-
Coriander leaves -  4 to 5 leaflets
Curry leaves - 4 to 5 leaflets    
Mint leaves - 5 to 7 leaflets                                      

Ginger - 1/2 inch
Garlic pods- 6 nos.
Green chillies - 3 to 4 nos (depends upon the spice level)
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp

METHOD:-

Heat oil in a kadai, and add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, keep it in low flame. Then add cumin seeds, allow it to splutter. Add onions and turmeric powder and saute till onions turns glossy.

Now, Grind all the ingredients given under the section for grinding to a fine paste. (grind just before when it need to be cooked with onions).

Add the grind mixture to onions, required salt and saute well. If required clean the mixer jar with little water and add it to the cooking. Once the mix is ready, add rice. (Rice should not be hot). Mix well.

Spicy G Rice is Ready....

Side Dish :- Onion Raitha or Tomato ketchup ...

MURUNGAI KEERAI PORRIYAL/ DRUMSTICK LEAVES PORRIYAL

Murungai Keerai (or Drumstick  leaves ), a nutritious , purifies the blood and it helps to reduce anaemia. It reduces the side effects of other medicines.

MURUNGAI KEERAI PORRIYAL

Tired of chopping veggies for side dish, Try this recipe, it is easy to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:-

Murungai Keerai leaves - 2 cups (as required)
Salt to Taste
Water - as required
Roasted Ground nuts - 4 tbsp ( or 60 gms)
Red chillies - 3 to 4 (depends upon the spicy level)
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urid dal - 1/2 tsp

METHOD:-

Make a coarse powder of roasted groundnut and red chilies and set aside.

Boil water in a kadai and add salt. When the water starts boiling in rolling condition, add the cleaned Murungai keerai leaves to it. Cook until the leaves are tender. It gets cooked quickly. Drain the excess water, if any. ( Clear Keerai Soup -We can drink this water by adding little black pepper powder)

Now, add the coarse powder to the cooked leaves and mix evenly.

In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add urid dal and add to the porriyal.

Crunchy Chewy Murungai keerai Porriyal is ready to serve.

INSTANT SAMBHAR without dal

INSTANT SAMBHAR

This Instant sambhar doesn't require any cooked dal. But it tastes like regular sambhar.

INGREDIENTS :-
Onion Sliced - 150 gms
Tomato Chopped - 50 to 70 gms
Turmeric powder -  1/2 teaspoon (tsp)
Green chillies  - 4 to 6, chopped
Salt - to taste
Besan flour (Kadalai maavu ) - 2 tablespoon
Water -  2 cups or as required

For Tampering:-
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/4tsp
Urid dal - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves chopped - 1 leaflet
Coriander leaves chopped, for garnishing

METHOD:-

In a bowl, mix besan flour with little water, in pouring consistency, and set aside.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a kadai, add onions , green chillies and saute till the onions changes its colour.

Now, add the chopped tomato, turmeric powder and cook for two minutes. Add water and allow it to boil. Add salt.

Once the onions are cooked, add the besan flour mix and stir well to avoid lumps. Allow it to boil for 3 minutes.

Instant Sambhar is ready.....

VAZHAIPOO KULAMBU | Vazhaipoo Kulambu Recipe | Gravy Recipe for Rice | Banana Blossom Recipe

VAZHAIPOO KUZHAMBU

HEALTH BENEFITS OF VAZHAIPOO :-

Banana flowers have wonderful medicinal properties and we should include it as often as we can in our diet. Banana flowers are called valaipoo in Tamil, Mocha in Bengali, Kelful in Hindi. Many don't use banana flowers because of the work involved in cleaning the flower, but it is so worth the effort.


These flowers perfectly handle free radicals that cause damages to the body. It treats many health issues, such as premature aging and cancer.

Banana flowers, reduce anxiety and boosts the mood. They are natural anti-depressants without any side effects.

Banana flowers boost the supply of milk that helps the new mothers feed their young better. Also, it treats all uterus related problems.

                                  Using Vazhaipoo (Banana Flower/Banana Blossom), we make Paruppu usli, Vazhaipoo Vadai. But I tried this Vazhaipoo Kulambu. It tasted very well. It is very simple and easy to prepare. For this recipe, I didn't use any dal.

Lets see how to prepare.....

INGREDIENTS:-

Vazhaipoo - 2 handful cleaned ( no need to chop)

Small Onion - 1 handful

Big Onion chopped  - 100 gms

Tomato chopped - 200 gms

Garlic pods sliced - 10 nos.

Tamarind - 1 gooseberry (amla) size

Sambhar powder - 3 heaped tsp

Red Chilli Powder  - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Water - as required

Coconut paste - 2 tbsp

Jaggery - 1 tsp

For Seasoning:-

Oil - 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urid dal - 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 leaflet

Green chilly - 2 nos.

Red chilly - 2 nos.

METHOD:-

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and saute Vazhaipoo, till it slightly changes its colour. Remove it in a plate.

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter, and add the remaining ingredients given under seasoning one by one.

Add Garlic, small onion, big onion, and saute it till onion turns transparent. Now add tomatoes, salt and turmeric powder, and saute till tomatoes turn mushy. 

Add Sambhar powder, red chilly powder and saute for 2 minutes. 

Now add tamarind juice and requied water,  vazhaipoo to it and check for salt. Allow it to boil in sim mode for 7 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionnally.

Finally add the coconut paste and jaggery, mix well. If required add water. Let it boil for 2 minutes.

Tasty Vazhaipoo Kulamboo is ready.

Click the link for the video recipe 👉👉👉 VAZHAIPOO KUZHAMBU

APPLE - ALMOND KHEER

APPLE - ALMOND KHEER

INGREDIENTS:-

Apple - 1 and 1/2 apple

Milk  - 6 cups 

Condensed milk  - 2 tbsp 

Finely Sliced Almonds - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 3 tsp

Sugar - 3 tsp

Cardamom Powder - 2 tsp

Saffron Strings - 10 strings

METHOD:-

Set all the ingredients ready.

Boil milk in  a sauce pan. Once it is boiled, keep the flame in low/sim, and let it boil for 30 to 40 minutes. Scrap the sides of the pan. Stir frequently to avoid  burnt. After sometime, allow it to cool.

Peel the skin of the apple and grate it. (grate the apple, before starting cooking)

Heat ghee in a separate pan and add sliced almonds. Fry for a minute and add the grated apple. Saute continously till the water in the apple are absorbed completely. 

Add the cardamom powder, saffron strings, condensed milk, sugar and mix together, for 2 minutes. Allow it to cool.

Mix  the milk and the grated apple mixture together, when both are completely cools.

Apple -Almond kheer is ready to serve.

Note:-

Use the same cup for measuring the ingredients.

The cup which I used is, 1 cup = 150 ml. 1 tbsp = 15 gms, 1 tsp = 5 gm

PHIRNI

This is a famous Punjabi dessert similar to Semiya Payasam, Sooji payasam in South India. Since Punjab is famous for Basmathi rice, this kheer/dessert is done using basmathi rice. 

INGREDIENTS:
Milk - 500 ml
Basmathi rice - 1/4 cup
Saffron/Kesar - 5 strands
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Badam - 6
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

METHOD: 
1. Soak Badam for few minutes in hot water, peel the skin and chop finely.
2. Wash Basmathi rice thoroughly, soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Drain the water completely, grind to Rava/Sooji consistency, using a mixer and keep aside.
4. In a thick bottomed tawa, add milk and allow to boil.

5. Add saffron strands and basmathi rice, chopped badam and mix well in regular intervals in low flame.
6. Keep on stirring at intervals so that no lumps are formed and the rice gets cooked well.
7. After the rice is almost cooked, add sugar and cardamom powder and cook for a while till the milk thickens.
8. Taste for sugar, if needed add a little more.
9. Tasty and delicious Punjabi Phirni is ready to be served.
10. Serve it after it cools well.
11. It tastes well if refrigerated and served.

 



   

MYSORE PAK

Regular mysore pak, consumes lots of ghee and  time. I tried preparing Mysore pak using limited amount of ghee and less time.

INGREDIENTS:-

Besan Flour / Kadalai maavu - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp



METHOD:-

Grease a tray using ghee and set aside.

Dry roast besan flour for  7 to 8 minutes in low to medium flame, till nice aroma arises. Make sure that you don't burn the flour.

Dry Roast

Add ghee and cook for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and set aside.

Ghee added

Side by side, Switch on the Electric Rice Cooker, add sugar, water, cardamom powder.

Sugar added in Electric Rice Cooker

One String Consistency is required to prepare the  mysore pak. Once it reaches One-string consistency, keep it in warm mode and immediately add the besan flour mix. 

Besan flour mix in sugar syrup

Stir continuously for 1  minute and transfer immediately to the greased tray.  

After 5 minutes, Cut into desired shapes. Allow it to cool and tap it on a plate.

Tasty mysore pak is ready.

Note:-
Instead of 1/2 cup ghee, 1/4 cup oil plus 1/4 cup ghee can be added. Adding oil, gives texture to the mysore pak.
Giving a gentle mix of the besan flour mix to the sugar syrup, and immediately pouring gives a Soft-Mysore Pak, while 2 to 3 minutes stirring gives a little Hard Mysore Pak.

LUNCH MENU

In South India, Meals Menu comprises, Sweet,  Rice, Kuzhambu/Sambhar, Kara Kuzhambu or Buttermilk Kuzhambu, Kootu, Porriyal or Usli, Curry, Pachadi, Pickle, and Payasam/Kheer with papad, Rasam, Buttermilk/Curd.

In this blog, we have most of these categories.

Kara Kuzhambu is preferred during winter or rainy seasons, whereas, Buttermilk Kuzhambu is preferred during summer seasons.

Following are the suggestions for Lunch Menu.

Lunch Menu No.1

Lunch Menu No.1

1. Dessert - Badam/Almond Halwa
2. Rice
3. Paruppu-Ghee
4. Sambhar/Kuzhambu 
5. Kara Kuzhambu - Sundaikkai Kara Kuzhumbu
6. Kootu - Plaintain Stem Kootu
7. Usli  -  Beans Paruppu Usli
8. Curry -  Lady's finger & Brinjal Curry
9. Pachadi - Mango Pachadi
10. Pickle
11. Rasam
12. Payasam/Kheer with papad - Semiya Payasam
13. Buttermilk