PONGAL

Pongal is a quick and tasty breakfast in our kitchen. Let us have look on this preparation of this kongu cuisine.

Ingredients:

moong dal half cup dry roasted
raw ponni rice two cups
cumin seeds one tablespoon
peper one tablespoon
green chillies four halved
curry leaves one cup
cooking oil one tablespoon
ghee one tablespoon
cashews three split into pieces

Procedure:

Soak the ponni raw rice and moong dal and wash several times and add four cups of water and keep aside.
In a 3 litre cooker, add oil and heat.
Add cumon seeds and pepper to splutter
followed by green chillies and curry leaves
Saute for two minutes.
Add half pinch asafoetida
Add rice and moong dal mixure wirh water.
Add Salt to taste.
Mix well.
Cover with lid and place the weight on it.
Keep the cooker in low flame after one whistle sounds.
Wait for two minutes.
switch off the flame and remove the pressure cooker.
After ten minutes, remove the lid.
Mash the pongal and add splitted and roasted cashews and ghee and mix well.

Pongal is ready to serve hot with Sambar and chutny. Medhu vada is also the best combination for..this white pongal.But I always go for peppersprinkled potato chips as the very best combination with this pongal..

Do try and tell me how it is turned out..

KASI HALWA /SAMBAL POOSANI HALWA

This Halwa is a popular sweet in our areas. It is served as a special sweet in wedding feasts. It is an yummy, mouthwatering sweet loved by all. simple at the same time.. grand sweet, we ever crave for

Ingredients:

sugar 3/4 cup
white pumpkin peeled and sponge portion removed with seeds and finely grated one full cup
ghee 1/4 cup
cashews broken into pieces one spoon
raisins three or four
cardamom three powdered
kesar color powder half pinch

Procedure:

Extract the pumpkin grates.
water should be removed from the grates by placing the grates into a small white towel and bundle them tightly. Almost all watery juice oozing out from the grates. u can collect one full cup of water from the grates. You consume the juice mixing with lime juice and honey, cardamom powder. This drink is of medicinal value for heat.
Heat the pan with grates.
Stir well in the medium heat,
until the grates become translucent.
Add sugar and kesar powder
Mix well.
Let the flame in medium level.
The sugar dissolves and mixes with gratings.
Stir in between.
The watery content is absorbed completely.
The mixture thickens and non-sticky.
At this stage, add ghee.
Mix well and low the flame level.
Add roasted cashew pieces, fried raisins, cardamom powder.
Mix well for a while.
Remove the Halwa from the flame.

Kasi halwa is looking glossy and translucent...melting sweet...ready to serve hot.

KASI HALWA /SAMBAL POOSANI HALWA

This Halwa is a popular sweet in our areas. It is served as a special sweet in wedding feasts. It is an yummy, mouthwatering sweet loved by all. simple at the same time.. grand sweet, we ever crave for

Ingredients:

sugar 3/4 cup
white pumpkin peeled and sponge portion removed with seeds and finely grated one full cup
ghee 1/4 cup
cashews broken into pieces one spoon
raisins three or four
cardamom three powdered
kesar color powder half pinch

Procedure:

Extract the pumpkin grates.
water should be removed from the grates by placing the grates into a small white towel and bundle them tightly. Almost all watery juice oozing out from the grates. u can collect one full cup of water from the grates. You consume the juice mixing with lime juice and honey, cardamom powder. This drink is of medicinal value for heat.
Heat the pan with grates.
Stir well in the medium heat,
until the grates become translucent.
Add sugar and kesar powder
Mix well.
Let the flame in medium level.
The sugar dissolves and mixes with gratings.
Stir in between.
The watery content is absorbed completely.
The mixture thickens and non-sticky.
At this stage, add ghee.
Mix well and low the flame level.
Add roasted cashew pieces, fried raisins, cardamom powder.
Mix well for a while.
Remove the Halwa from the flame.

Kasi halwa is looking glossy and translucent...melting sweet...ready to serve hot.

CABBAGE PORIAL

Cabbage possess the high nutrient qualities incredibly. Rich in vitamin C, certain extent of potassium, iron etc. It is an excellent source of antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin K which is essential for bone metabolism. Its chemicals helps to cure all types of cancers. It contains Vitamins B5, B6 and B1.

It cures stomach and peptic ulcers. It reduces bad cholesterol levels in the blood stream of the body. Very low in fats and calories.

Now we look at the preparation of yummy cabbage porial.

Ingredients:

cabbage chopped three cups

onions finely chopped half cup

green chillies two or three cut into halves

curry leaves two spigs

chenna dal one tablespoon

urad dal half teaspoon

cooking oil one tablespoon

coconut grates one cup

coriander leaves finely chopped

Procedure:

Heat the cooking oil in a pan

Add mustard seeds

Allow to pop up and add urad dal .

Followed by channa dal.

Let the dals fried into golden brown.

Add onions and green chillies.

Saute a while and allow to become translucent onions.

Add curry leaves.

Saute well.

Add cabbage pieces and mix well.

Sprinkle half cup of water and add salt needed.

Cover the pan with lid.

Let the flame in medium level.

Stir in between.

Watch the water completely absorbed and cooked.

Add coconut grates and finely chopped coriander leaves.

Mix well.

Now the cabbage porial is ready to have as side dish to dal, rasam, curd or buttermilk with plain rice. It is a mandatory side dish in the special occassion lunches.

Pictorials

POTATO CHIPS

Making crispy and yummy Potato chips in this blog is a simple and an instant homestyle preparation. no hard rules...no long process....just make in minutes by this easy method; It goes well with any rice and any meals. And also it is good to have as a handful snack in the evening with tea..

Ingredients:

potato two medium size two
pepper one tablespoon coarsely ground
salt as required
Cooking oil to deep fry

Procedure:

Wash the potatos several times. Peel off the outer skin of the potato with peeler.
Make the potato slices with the help of manual potato slicer.
Heat the cooking oil to deep fry level te mperature.
Drop potato slices one by one into the oil carefully. Deepfry the potato slices in several batches.
Allow them to deep fry until the oil pubbles cease.
Take care that the chips are fried crispy and light golden brown.
Strain the oil with a laddle from the fried chips.
Sprinkle Salt and pepper and shake until the salt and pepper mixed well and applied on the chips both sides.

Yummy and crispy potato chips ready within fifteen minutes. It is ready to combine with main dish. you can have its wonderful taste with any fried rice like tomato rice, lime rice,puthina rice, tamarind rice as well.

PUTHINA RICE (MINT RICE)

Puthina rice is a delicious dish. It is an instant, easy cooking dish with few ingredients.

Ingredients :

fresh mint leaves two cups.

garlic two pulses chopped

tamarind goozeberry size

jaggery one piece 

mustard seeds one spoon

urad dal one tablespoon

curry leaves one cup

onions chopped one cup 

Red chillies seven or eight

cooking oil one tablespoon

gingelly oil one spoon

salt as needed

asafoetida two pinches

Step by step procedure:

Soak the boiled rice (ponni variety first quality) for 30 minutes.

Cook the rice in pressure cooker.

Let it cool..

Meanwhile, wash the puthina leaves three times and  blend the puthina or mint leaves, tamarind, jaggery and garlic into coarse paste .

Mix the cooled cooked rice with one spoon gingelly oil well. This helps the rice non sticky and soft.

Heat the cooking oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add mustard seeds to crackle. Then followed by urad dal.

saute a while to turn the urad dal golden brown. Then add splitted red chillies, onions followed by curry leaves. saute well until the onions become translucent. Add little turmeric and sprinkle asafoetida powder.

Add the ground mixure of puthina paste and saute for a while. Add little salt and mix well. 

Then add the rice and mix well until the paste evenly combined with rice.

Sprinkle some salt and mix well.

Let the flame in sim level.

Check the taste of salt in the rice..

Adjust the salt and spice levels according to your taste habit.

Puthina rice is ready..

Do try in your kitchen and taste..

I prepare potato chips instantly for this rice..we love it to eat the puthina rice with potati chips. It is  really the amazing and wonderful combination.

IMMUNE BOOSTING TEA

                                               

This  tea is made  with the ingredients such as coriander seeds, pepper, dry ginger, long pepper, Palm sugar or palm jaggery, cardamom, and carom seeds. Every ingredient used to prepare this decoction
has its own , unique and excellent medicinal qualities. This decoction is pleasurable to drink in all seasons . By regular use, it works wonder to soothe, tone and balance the body healthily fit. It has a peculiar and unique aroma

Nutritional and medicinal properties of the ingredients:

• Coriander is rich in dietary fiber helping to lower the cholesterol.
• excellent source of minerals i.e., iron, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium.
• controls blood pressure.
• Coriander seeds contain an ample amount of vitamin C.
• Further, the seeds are the store house of many vital  B.Complex vitamins i.e., thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.
• eases constipation due to the dietary fiber containing property.
• Pepper is an antioxidant, preventative of cold, flu,
• Pepper is an excellent approach for curing respiratory congestion.
• Pepper stimulates the digestive enzymes in the pancreas of our body and triggers digestion to fast mode.
• Dry Ginger is a stimulant in respiratory and digestive complaints
• Palm sugar is a staple sweetener without any bleach and preservatives. It contains calcium and iron considerably.
• Carom seeds are of high medicinal value in Siddha treatment.
• carom seeds cure the problems of  digestive problems and respiratory disorders.
• It is an anti-fungal and antiseptic 
• It is a good home remedy for toothaches and earaches.
• removes acidity and heartburn.
• Long pepper relieves  cough, cold, asthma hoarseness, moreover, it is a good appetizer. 

Let us see how the powder to be prepared.

Ingredients:

coriander seeds 200 gms
pepper seeds 25 gms
long pepper 10 gms
dry ginger 25 gms
palm sugar 300gms
carom seeds 20 gms
cardamom 10gms

Grind all above mentioned ingredients in a mixie jar. Store it  in a tight container.

Procedure:

Boil the two cups of water.
add four teaspoons of the powder.
Allow to boil for 5 minutes.
Extract the decoction.

Serve hot in the morning and evening with your favorite snacks..

Hope u will enjoy its unique aroma and taste feel the excellent comfort in your stomach😇😊😋

READY-MADE RASA POWDER

                                         

Rasam is served  as a side dish to rice  which has medicinal  and nutritional benefits . 
The rasam is widely popular in Tamil Nadu.. But in our Rasam, You will enjoy an exclusive taste.
Its nutritional and medicinal  benefits are remarkable.

We are going to prepare Rasa powder for this exclusive rasam.


IIngredients:

Cumin seeds 250 gms
Pepper seeds 50 gms
Asafoetida three pinches
Toor dal 50 gm

Procedure:

Dry roast cumin seeds and pepper seeds separately in a pan.
Remove the ingredients from the flame after observing the roasted aroma emanation
Add Asafoetida and mix well.
Add Toor Dal with the roasted items,
allow to cool.
Grind all the ingredients together coarsely.


Whenever you want to prepare rasam, soak tamarind small lime size. cook tomato and peel the skin.
Smash and extract the mixture of tamarind and tomato. Heat gingelly oil in a cooking vessel. Add mustard seeds to splutter. Add red chillies as required per your choice, curry leaves. Let the flame be in low .Add Turmeric powder(one pinch or two pinches). Add the extract. Now raise the flame level to high. Add salt and jaggery as per your requirement  after reaching the boiling point, add three teaspoons of rasa powder. Peel off the three pulses of garlic and grate them and add to the mixture.
Garnish coriander leaves finely chopped.

Rasam ready to serve with hot rice.

HEALTHY AND TASTY KUTHIRAIVALI/BARNYARD MILLET MEAL

Barnyard millet is called as Kuthiraivali Millet in Tamil.. It is the best

substitute for rice and it suited very well with sambar, rasam and curd.

There are lot of recipes by using

Barnyard  millet and I will write in future one by one. Before that we

have to know about the nutrient values and its benefits. Let us have a look 

at it.

Barnyard millet  is gluten-free and packed with vitamins and minerals.

High in Nutrition which is good for children.

High fiber content.

Barnyard millet helps hydrate your colon to keep your system regular and

keep you from being constipated.

Digestion friendly.

Rich in photochemical, phytic acid, which lowers cholesterol, and phytate, 

and that helps in reduction of cancer risks.

High antioxidant activity.

Barnyard millet  helps in controlling Blood sugar and Cholesterol.

Great energy source especially good for athletes.

Complete protein source when combined with legumes - ideal for a 

vegetarian diet

Barnyard millet consumption decreases Triglycerides and C-Reactive Protein.

Serotonin in the Millet calms and soothes the moods.

Barnyard millet rice acts as a Prebiotic feeding microflora in your inner

ecosystem

Millet is full of nutrients your body needs, such as:

Magnesium,Fiber,Antioxidants,Tryptophan,Phosphorus,Calcium, Vitamin B 

and Manganese.

Moreover it takes very less time to cook.

It grown as an organic millet. No pesticides or no chemicals needed for its

growth and yield.

It fights diabetes and obesity.

Source (The Hindu)

Ingredients:

Barnyard millet one cup

Water two and half cup


procedure:

Clean the barnyard millet.

Wash the Barnyard millet thrice and cook  in a mini cooker with above

measurement of water. 

One whistle is enough.

Kuthiraivali millet meal is ready to serve with sambar, rasam and curd.

You will enjoy its real taste and it goes very well with sambar, rasam, curd.

VAZHAIKKAI BAJJI

Ingredients:
Raw Banana one
Besan flour
Raw rice flour
Cooking soda
Salt as needed
water as needed
chilli powder one spoon
Cooking oil
Asafoetida one pinch

Procedure:
Cut raw banana into two halves.
Peel off the banana ridges.
Mix the besan flour, rice flour, cooking soda, salt, chilli powder, asafoetida well. Add enough water to a thick paste.
Heat the cooking oil to deep fry temperature.
Dip the banana slices on both sides and drop into the boiling oil carefully.
Allow to deep fry on both sides into golden brown.
Strain them.
Transfer the bajjies into a Bowl