CUCUMBER SALAD

Cucumber is great veggie to lose weight. The high water content and low calories make it as a perfect contender on the weight loss diet work plan. The consumption of cucumber is regulating the uric acid, preventing the bladder stones, and acting as diuretic and cleaning agent removing wastes of the body.Cucumbers are well known to cure the skin disorders such as sunburns and bags under the eyes.

When combined with coconut oil, it works as an excellent cure for blackheads, acnes, and boils. Due to the presence of vitamins A, B and C regular consumption of cucumbers result in a healthy and glowing skin.

An interesting fact is cucumbers contain a high amount of vitamin K which is necessary for increasing bone mass and promoting the osteotrophic activity of the joints.

Another important matter we have to learn is this vitamin K is the best remedy for limiting neuronal damage in the brain in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

We choose the cucumbers fresh in this hot summer because these are highly sensitive to heat.

Always prefer baby cucumbers because they are more crunchy and have high water content.

Consume them fresh and eat raw cucumbers to acquire its whole benefits.

We, the kongu folks always want to eat them raw. In our regions, during the summer season, they are available lot and street vendors sell these cucumbers at the high rate. Even though its rate is high, we don't mind about the price because its benefit is high.

We wash the cucumbers in running water and make them into thick slices and sprinkle salt and pepper. Then pour the coconut oil one spoon. We shake them and serve.  

How to make the easy cucumber salad?

Ingredients:

Baby cucumbers four

Pepper one spoon

Salt to taste

Coconut oil one spoon

Procedure

Wash the cucumbers in running water.

Cut them into thick slices

Sprinkle salt and pepper

Pour little quantity of coconut oil over the slices.

Serve raw cucumber slices. 

Perfect for this hot summer.

NEEM FLOWER BUTTERMILK/VAEPPAMPOO MORE KUZHAMBU

Ingredients:

Neem flowers and buds one Spoon
Buttermilk four cups
Salt to taste
Turmeric one spoon  (small)
Coriander powder one spoon
Cumin powder one spoon
Chilly powder one spoon
Asafoetida one Pinch
Shallots one cup
Red chilies two
Curry leaves one sprig
Cilantro leaves chopped half cup
Ghee one spoon to fry
Dry ginger powder half spoon
Sesame oil one tablespoon
Mustard seeds One spoon

Procedure:

Heat the vessel or pan with sesame oil
Add mustard seeds to crackle.
Once it starts to crackle, add shallots, red chilies, curry leaves.
Switch off the flame.
Now add all powders and saute a while.
Pour the buttermilk and add salt.
Heat the tempering pan with oil over a medium flame.
Add dried neemflowers and buds and fry for a second.
Transfer the fried contents over the buttermilk.
Garnish cilantro leaves over the buttermilk.

Now the yummiest buttermilk is ready to have with hot steaned rice.

AJWAIN TAMARIND AROMATIC GRAVY

Ingredients :

Ajwain seeds one spoon
Tamarind one gooseberry size
Shallots one cup peeled off and chopped
Red chilies four split
Curry leaves one sprig
Sesame oil one tablespoon
Coriander leaves chopped half cup
Asafietida one pinch
Fenugreek seeds roasted and powdered one pinch
Garlic pods five
Turmeric one spoon
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds one spoon
Jaggery one piece
Adequate water

Procedure:

Soak tamarind in two cups of water for half an hour.
Take extract of tamarind
Heat the frying pan with sesame oil over a medium flame.
Add mustard seeds to splutter.
Add shallots, curry leaves, and red chilies.
Followed by turmeric, asafoetida and fenugreek powder.
Saute for a while until the shallots turn transparent.
Pour the tamarind extract.
Add jaggery and salt.
Pour one more cup of water.
Allow boiling and getting gravy texture.
Heat the tempering pan in another burner.
Add one teaspoon of sesame oil and add ajwain seeds.
Let them fried and turn golden brown color.
Immediately transfer the fried ajwain seeds to the boiling gravy.
Add chopped coriander leaves.
Switch off the flame.
Now the ajeain tamarind gravy is ready to eat with hot steamed rice.

BAMBOO RICE SWEET PONGAL/MOONGILARISI VELLAPONGAL

Bamboo rice is rich in high-class nutrients We are going to make Moongilarisi Vella Pongal.

Ingredients:

Bamboo rice one 50 gms
Jaggery 150 gms
Cardamom crushed six nos
Cashews 6nos
Raisins 10 nos
Cow ghee 25 ml (50 gms fresh cow butter melted and converted to ghee)

Procedure:

Clean and wash the bamboo rice.
Soak for three hours.
Add adequate water.
Pressure cook for three whistles and allow cooking for another five minutes in low flame.
Set aside to cool.
Bring to boil the jaggery and two cups of water. 
Let the jaggery dissolves and gets sticky syrup.
Pour the strained syrup over the cooked rice.
Mix well so as to incorporate rice and syrup together.
Fry the raisins and cashews in ghee and transfer the fried contents to the rice.
Add crushed cardamom and the remaining ghee and mix with light hand.
Allow setting for one hour.

Now the yummy bamboo rice sweet Pongal is ready to have.

RAVA MILK HALWA

Ingredients:

White Rava 50gms
Sugar 100 gms
Cow ghee three tablespoon
Cow milk 200 ml
Cardamom four crushed
Edible camphor tiny piece crushed
Raisins and cashews one tablespoon
Kaesar colour powder orange and yellow kaesar powder (one pinch) Half each

Procedure:

Fry the Rava adding two spoons of ghee over a low flame.
Bring to boil the cow milk in a separate pan.
Once it gets boiled, transfer the fried rava slowly by continuous stirring.
Add kaesar powder and stir well.
Allow cooking the rava in a soft texture.
Add sugar and give a continuous stir for few minutes until the sugar and rava combined into a nonsticky mass.
Add the crushed cardamom seeds, edible camphor, fried raisins and cashews.
Switch off the flame.
Transfer the remaining ghee and mix well.

Now the glossy and rich Rava milk halwa is ready to relish!

RADISH TAMARIND CURRY

Ingredients: 

Raddish one
Sesame oil one tablespoon
Mustard seeds one spoon
Shallots 12 nos peeled off and chopped
Red chilly powder one spoon
Coriander powder one tablespoon
Tamarind gooseberry size soaked in water.
Curry leaves one sprig
Cumin powder one spoon roasted 
Toor dal roasted one spoon
Fenugreek powder one pinch
Turmeric powder one spoon
Coriander leaves chopped one tablespoon
Tomato one chopped
Jaggery one piece
Asafoetida one pinch
Salt to taste
Adequate water approximately three cups.

Procedure:

Heat the frying pan or cooking vessel with sesame oil.
Pour sesame oil.
Add mustard seeds
Once it starts to splutter, add shallots, curry leaves.
Saute until the shallots turn translucent.
Add radish and tomato.
Saute for a while.
Add turmeric, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, asafoetida and fenugreek powder.
Let the flame be in simmer level.
Pour tamarind extract and adequate water.
Add salt and jaggery
Allow to cook for fifteen minutes until radish becomes soft and gravy texture.
Add coriander leaves.

Your tempting radish tamarind curry is ready to have with ghee and hot steamed rice.

  

PACHAI PATTANI PORIAL/GREEN PEAS STIR FRY

Ingredients :

Green peas 100 gms
Shallots chopped one tablespoon
Green chilly one
Curry leaves one sprig
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves chopped one tablespoon
Shredded coconut one tablespoon
Pepper powder one spoon
Turmeric half spoon
Sesame oil cold pressed two spoons
Mustard seeds one spoon 

Procedure:

Heat the frying pan with oil
Add mustard seeds to crackle
Once seeds start crackling, add shallots, green chilies and curry leaves.
Add turmeric
Saute until tge shallots turn translucent.
Add green peas and salt.
Pour 200 ml of water and close with lid.
Let the flame be in low medium.
It takes fifteen minutes to attain the softness and well cooked.
Allow to cook until the entire water absorbed.
Sprinkle pepper powder and shredded coconut.
Switch off the flame.

Green peas stir fry is ready to have.

BAMBOO RICE IDLIES (NUTRITIONAL AND MEDICINAL)

Bamboo rice Idlis are soft and fluffy. Its taste is extremely super with chutney, sambar, idli podi, onion chutney and any other accompaniment.

How to make Bamboo rice idlis?

The method is the same as the normal idlis we make using idli rice. But these idlis are healthy and nutritional for adults who are suffering in joint pain, paralytic spasms. Hence it is used in various versions of south Indian dishes.


Ingredients:

Bamboo rice 400 gms
Kichdi chamba rice 200 gms
Idli rice 400 gms
urad dal (Jelaebi ulunthu) 200 gms
Fenugreek seeds one spoon
Castor pulses deskinned 8 nos
Adequate water
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Wash  Bamboo rice, idli rice and kichadi chamba rice and soak in water for five hours.
Soak urad dal separately with fenugreek seeds.
Grind to a coarse texture.
Collect the batter and mix the salt.
Add adequate water to make idli batter consistency.
Allow to fermenting overnight or more than seven hours.
Mix well and pour the batter over idli moulds.
Steam cook for eight minutes.
Open the lid and collect the idlis in a hot pot.

Repeat the process.

Hot, fluffy idlis are ready to relish with sambar and chutney.