Monday 14 December 2015

PAAGARKAI MILAKU VARUVAL/BITTER MELON GOLD FRY


Ingredients:


Bittergourd round slices one cup tightly pack up
cooking oil to fry
salt required
pepper one spoon
chilly powder half spoon optional
Procedure:
Wash and wipe the bitter gourds and make thin slices using chips cutter.Don't remove its pulp and seeds.
Heat the cooking oil to required temperature
Add bitter melon rounds
Allow to fry to golden brown
Strain and transfer them into a dry bowl.
Make. remaining rounds to fry in several batches.
Sprinkle salt,  pepper and chilly powder and shake well to spread evenly.
Golden brown crispy bitter melon rings ready to serve.
It suits very well with any type of lunch meals. No bitterness at all. crispy and tasty..!!!!

Thursday 10 December 2015

RIDGEGOURD RIDGES THUVAIYAL

Ridge gourd is quite lower in saturated fats as well as calories.It is really abundant in dietary fiber, vitamin c, riboflavin, Thayamin,iron as well as magnesium. It is an excellent blood purifier and boosts the liver health and bile; antiinflammatory and anti biotic; It manages the impact of the working ability of the stomach. The consumption of this veggie is very natural method of eleminating intoxins from the entire body. Particularly, it has beta carotene which is recognized as an ehnhancer of eyesight. enriched with 18 % of calcium and 26 % of  phosphorous. The skin of the ridgegourd should not be removed while using to make recipe. The ridges of the ridge gourd should be trimmed off to use the entire soft pulp with seeds. Dont waste the ridges which contains the same nutrients of the pulp. You can make ymmy thuvaiyal that suits well with hot rice, idlies and dosas.

The chutney or thuvaiyal made from the skin is very tasty and highly nutritious.
Please check the preparatory steps to make this chutney:

INGREDIENTS :

Fried gram half cup
Coconut grates half cup
Red chillies two
Tamarind one small amla size
Jaggery one small piece
The ridges of ridge gourd one cup tightly packed
garlic pulses two
Salt as required

PROCEDURE:

Add cooking oil one spoon
Add ridges, fried gram, garlic pulses, tamarind, jaggery, coconut grates and saute for five minutes.
Add salt
Allow it to cool down.
Blend them into a coarse paste.
Have it with hot steamed rice or as side dish to idlies, dosas, oothappam, paniyaram and any other main dishes.










Tuesday 8 December 2015

BITTERGOURD FRIED RINGS GRAVY

Bitter gourd is known by the names  pagarkai in Tamil, Kakarakaya in Telugu, Karela in Hindi. It is a delicious gravy made with tamarind. This gravy goes well with steamed rice.
Kindly check below for the yummy gravy with procedure and step by step images and a short video.


















Ingredients:

Bitter gourd rounds two cups
coconut grates one cup
garlic pulses two
shallots half cup
Red chilly two
roasted coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red chillies five
pepper one spoon
jaggery one piece
Tamarind one amla size
cooking oil one tablespoon.
gingelly oil two tablespoons
mustard seeds
turmeric one spoon curry leaves half cup
roasted fenugreek powder half pinch
asafoetida half pinch
fried gram one full spoon
coriander leaves half cup

Procedure:

Wash the bittergourd and cut it into thin rounds with seeds using chips cutter.
Put roasted coriander, cumin seeds, pepper seeds and red chillies together in the mixie jar and grind them into fine powder.
Transfer the powder in a airtight container for the future use.
Shredded coconut, fried gram, garlic pulses, and roasted tamarind without oil with required water are to be grind together until the fine paste.
Heat the cooking oil in a dry pan.
Add mustard seeds allowed to pop up.
Add shallots red chillies and curry leaves
Add turmeric. Add coriander masala powder, asafoetida and fenugreek powder.
Let the flame be switched off to avoid burning.
Add fine tomato pieces . (optional)
Add coconut. tamarind paste already blend.
Allow it to boil.
Add salt required
Heat the gingelly oil and add bittergourd rounds and fry until the veggie turns golden brown and crispy.
Switch on the flame and allow to boil.
Transfer the bittergourd rounds into boiling mixture.
Pour the remaining gingelly oil on the boiling gravy.
Add coriander leaves chopped.

When the gravy becomes thick, Switch off the flame and transfer the gravy into a serving bowl.

Check the salt and serve hot with steamed rice. 
No bitterness at all... so delicious.. Enjoy..!

Best food to diabetic patients. In previous post about the cooking of Bittergourd tamarind curry, we learnt about the nutrient facts of Bitter gourd. It is packed with rich calcium, iron, fibers etc. 


Monday 7 December 2015

BANANA PEPPER CHIPS

Banana pepper chips are a  tasty snack for the high tea time of any season. The recipe is very easy and instant one. Every one of the family will like these banana chips.  It goes very well with any fried rice, hot rice with sambar and rasam. 

Ingredients:

4 raw bananas peeled off
pepper coarse powder two teaspoons
salt required
cooking oil to fry
asafoetida half pinch (optional)


Procedure:

Make the thin slices of bananas with the help of chip maker.
Heat the cooking oil in a dry wok.
Let the temperature of the oil be ready to fry.
Drop the slices one by one.
Let the chips become crispy
Strain the oil with the ladle and transfer the crispy chips in a dry bowl.
Sprinkle salt needed and pepper powder and little asafoetida.
Serve with hot tea in this rainy monsoon.
Give it a try.



Monday 23 November 2015

PENNYWORT THUVAIYAL/VALLARAI THUVAIYAL










Indian pennywort is packed with high medicinal qualities and high-class nutritional benefits. In Kongu regions, the people are well aware of this wonderful green. They incorporate this into regular food menu weekly once or twice in different versions. Kongu people are learned sidda experts and they know which herb is used internally which herb is used externally. These herbs are used in cooking and made their family members to consume in the version of  regular food.

It is known by a variety of names in all over India. Goto kola, Khulakhudi, mandukparni, mandookaparni or thankuni in Bengal, Brahmi in North India, Vallarai in  Tamilnadu, Saraswathy aku in Andra.

This green is one of the gifts of our nature to maintain our health.

Indian Pennywort is most often used to treat varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency according to Siddha medicine treatment. It is strongly believed that it has some extraordinary therapeutic properties to improve memory and mental ability. It improves eye vision.
This wonder herb is used to treat venereal diseases, skin impurities, rheumatism, high blood pressure, hepatitis, varicose veins, skin ulcers, minor burns, fatigue and stress, Fresh leaves have been known to be used in treating dysentery, asthma. stomach disorders and bronchitis. Juice extracted from the leaves is highly beneficial in promoting the purification of the blood. It helps to improve blood circulation and the rebuilding of connective tissue assisting in the prevention of premature ageing. Pennywort can be used for eczema and other skin related ailments, including skin ulcers. It  is also able to lower blood sugar levels.
Nutritional values:
Pennywort contains a number of minerals and vitamins, among them vitamin K, Calcium, sodium, vitamin B complex, magnesium, zinc and manganese. It is also able to help in protecting the body from toxins, This herb is also able to give great support to the central nervous system, making it effective in the treatment of ADD, senility, epilepsy, stroke and other nervous system disorders. Those suffering from leg cramps and phlebitis can be benefitted from using this herb. It is also effective in reducing fevers to a certain extent.

How to make vallarai thuvaiyal:

Washed and cleaned Brahmi leaves/vallarai leaves/indian pennywort leaves two cups
Shredded coconut half cup 
chopped shallots half cup
curry leaves half cup
garlic pulses two
red chillies two
tamarind  a grape size
jaggery small piece
fried bengal gram half cup
salt required
cooking oil two teaspoons

Procedure with image tutorials and video for reference:

Heat the dry pan with cooking oil.
Add red chillies
followed by shallots, curry leaves, garlic pulses.
Saute for a while until the shallots become transparent. 
Then add tamarind
Add pennywort leaves and saute for two minutes until the leaves half cooked without losing its green colour. 
Add jaggery and required salt, shredded coconut, fried bengal gram.
Incorporate all the ingredients together and allow them to cool.
Blend them together with little water in order to get thick paste.
You may grind coarsely or fine paste.
Collect the thuvayal in a serving bowl.

Enjoy with hot rice and this vallarai thuvaiyal with one teaspoonful of cow ghee.









Procedure with image tutorials and video for reference






Pennywort/Brahmi/Vallarai leaves, two red chillies, fried bengal gram, shredded coconut, jaggery, curry leaves, shallots, garlic pulses and tamarind













Thursday 19 November 2015

CRAVING FOR COCONUT LADDU/ THENGAI LADDU

Kongu people believe that the coconut is a superfood since very ancient times. They add the coconut in each and every meal they cooked daily.

Coconut is a very versatile and indispensable food item for kongu people. It is a complete food rich in calories, vitamins and minerals. A medium size coconut carries 400 gm edible kernel and some 30 to 150 ml of water may provide almost all the daily needed essential minerals energy of an average man. 100 gms of kernel consists of 354 calories. The important saturated fatty acid in the coconut is lauric acid (1:12 carbon fatty acid). Lauric acid increases good cholesterol levels in the blood. HDL is high-density lipoprotein, which has beneficial effects on the coronary arteries by preventing vessel blockage (atherosclerosis). Physicians recommend high HDK to total cholesterol levels in the blood for the same reason.

 
The kernel is an excellent source of minerals such as copper, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and zinc.

It is also a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin and pyridoxine. These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish.
Coconut water and coconut edible kernel contain a very good amount of potassium. 100 gms of fresh kernal contains 356 mg or 7.5 % of daily required levels of potassium.

source Google -nutrition and you.com

Now let us move to learn how to make coconut laddu:

This sweet is made with very few ingredients such as jaggery, coconut grates, little ghee, some cashews, melon seeds and cardamoms.

Ingredients:

coconuts two medium size
Jaggery 250 gms
cardamom ten
melon seeds 10gms
ghee one tablespoon
Cashews 15 no

Procedure:

Break the coconuts and shred the kernel of the coconuts.
Heat the jaggery with little water and allow to boil until the two string consistency.
Heat the dry pan with coconut grates with little ghee and saute until the milk thickens in the shredded coconut.
Add the sugar syrup into coconut fried with ghee.
Mix well.
Keep aside.
Dry roast the melon seeds.
Dry roast the cashews.
Allow to cool.
Blend the coconut mixed with jaggery with cardamom seeds, some melon seeds roasted, roasted cashews without adding water.
Transfer the blended ingredients into a bowl.
Make laddus of your optional size.

Now the yummy coconut laddu is ready to serve.
melon seeds, cashews, jaggery and coconut make this laddu as highly nutritional and delicious.


Yummy coconut soft laddu




Sunday 15 November 2015

POTATO CURRY KUZHAMBU

Potato curry kuzhambu is one of the best suitable side dishes to hot rice, dosai, idli, oothappam,  paniyaram, chapathi and poori etc.
 
Today we are looking forward to cook potato curry kuzhambu.
 
Ingredients:
pressure cooked potatos 6 no
shredded coconut one cup
Peeled off and chopped shallots half cup
red chillies 2 no
curry leaves half cup
curry masaal powder three teaspoons
turmeric powder half teaspoon
cooking oil one tablespoon
coriander leaves finely chopped half cup
tomato one finely chopped
cloves and chinnoman four or five each
mustard seeds one spoon
fennel seeds one spoon
fried gram one spoon
garlic grates one spoon
ginger grates one spoon
red chilly powder half spoon
salt as required
 
Procedure:
 
Pressure cook washed potatos with three whistles.
Peel off the potatos and chop into medium size pieces
Grind the shredded coconut and fried gram and garlic pulses and red chillies.
Heat the cooking oil in a dry pan.
Add mustard seeds to pop up.
Add fennel seeds to fry.
Followed by the shallots and curry leaves.
until translucent.
Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder and curry masaal powder.
Add tomato and potatos
Saute a while until the tomato pieces mushed up.
Add ground masal paste.
Saute for a while and add required water.
Add salt required.
Allow to boil for ten minutes until the gravy becomes thick.
Finally add coriander leaves.
Potato curry kuzhambu is ready to serve with steamed rice.
It combines well with any main dish like idlies, dosais etc.


Wednesday 4 November 2015

BEETROOT CHUTNY WITH KUTTY OOTHAPPAM

Beetroot chutny is the most combatible side dish to any south indian breakfast. It gives fantastic touch of taste to oothappams.
Making the verysame side dishes to the main dish is such a boredom. We should try different items to make the breakfast, lunch and dinner special and to make the family members more tempting and eat well.
Today a very different and tasty beetroot chutny is for your view..
how to make?
 
Ingredients:
 
Beets grated one cup
coconut grates one spoon
bellary onion finely chopped one no.
ginger grates one spoon
salt required
tamarind a small piece
green chilly one
cooking oil one spoon
 
Procedure:
 
Heat the dry pan with oil.
Add onions and green chilly
Saute until translucent
Add ginger grates.
followed by shredded coconut, beet grates and tamarind
Add salt
Saute fora minute until the beet grates get half cooked.
Switch off the flame and allow to cool.
Blend all the ingredients with little water
to a fine pink paste.
collect in a serving bowl
Taste with your any main dish.
We enjoyed this chutny with kutty( small)
oothappams.
Why not you?  Try something different..!
:)

Sunday 1 November 2015

MURUNGAIPOO KOOTTU/MORINGA FLOWERS +DAL MIX

Health Benefits of Drumstick flowers:

Drumstick, as everyone knows is also referred to as moringa oleifera or even horseradish tree. It’s really a ‘yard stick’ for health, as it is known to be very therapeutic for the human health in one way or another. This particular veggie offers all type of nutritional advantages and in addition cures numerous health conditions.
Flower juice improves the quality and flow of mothers’ milk when breast- feeding.
Flower juice is useful for urinary problems as it encourages urination.
In Haiti, villagers boil Moringa flowers in water and drink the tea as a powerful cold remedy.
Furthermore, its greens (leaves) are one of the finest sources of minerals like calcium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, selenium, and magnesium. Iron alleviates anemia. Calcium is required for bone mineralization. Zinc plays a vital role in hair-growth, spermatogenesis, and skin health. They are packed with vitamins A, B, C and other nutrients. The flowers are  the very same qualities as the leaves do.
                                  Source -google

Our ancestors were well known about the health and medicinal properties of entire parts of the Moringa tree and habituated their generation to use in regular intake of our daily food. They taught how to cook the drumstick tastefully and feed the children and passed the traditional method of cooking veggies without wasting their nutritional contents. I always wonder about their scientific knowledge from the ancient period. How did they learn?
In this page,  we are going to use the floral part of Moringa or drumstick tree. The cooking of the leaves is more time consuming and the cooked leaves if consumed more it will discomfort the stomach and cause several disturbances to our body health. Instead,  we will cook the blossom of drumstick tree easily and substitute the nutritional benefits of leaves.  The flowers have the same nutritional qualities as the other parts like pods and leaves do.
How to make yummy simple and easy kootu?
It is so simple, an easy cooking and an instant method..

Ingredients:

Moringa flowers one cup
cooked toor dal one cup
green chilly one
shallots half cup
mustard seeds one spoon
cooking oil one spoon
cumin seeds one spoon
salt as required

Procedure:

Pressure cook the toor dal with half spoon of turmeric and few drops of castor oil.
Mash the dal and mix two cups of water.
Wash the flowers. You need not pluck any part of the flower.
Heat the dry pan with cooking oil.
Add mustard seeds to pop up
Add shallots, green chilly and turmeric
Saute a while until the translucent shallots.
Add moringa flowers and stir for a while.
Let the flame in medium level.
Saute until the flowers get shrunken.
Incorporate dal mixture and mix well.
Add required salt.
Let the mixture get boiled well.
The flowers are easily get cooked and become soft.
Rub the cumin seeds with your palm and add them.
Switch off and transfer it to a serving bowl.
Yummy moringa dal kootu is ready to enjoy with hot steamed rice with one spoon of ghee.. !
You will go crazy to take more and more.. I am sure..!😇😊 

:)

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