PISTACHIOS HALWA

Amazingly delicious pistachio nuts have been cherished as the symbol of wellness and robust health since very long period ago by our ancestors. Pistachios are excellent sources of vitamin E and these nuts are finely packed with many B complex nutrients such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6 and folates.

They are the storehouse of the minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, iron magnesium, manganese, zinc and selenium.

100 gms of nuts provide 144 % of daily recommended levels of copper that is essential mineral required in neurotransmission metabolism as well as the production of red blood cells.

The nuts are eaten as they are, by splitting them open between fingers or using a nut cracker. They can also be consumed as roasted, salted or sweetened just as almonds, cashews and peanuts. They are nutty flavored, yet pleasantly sweet in taste with a fruity aroma.

It is known as' Pista' in India.

How to make a delicious sweet pistachio halwa?

Ingredients:

Pistachios 75 gms

Sugar one cup

Milk one cup

Cardamom six powdered

Fresh cow ghee one cup

Cashews 10 nos

Procedure:

Soak the nuts in half a cup of cow milk for one hour.

Blend the nuts with milk into a smooth paste.

Fry the cashew bits in a tempering pan with ghee into crispy golden bits.

Add the remaining half a cup of milk to the paste and mix well.

Pour the pistachio mixture in a pan and allow boiling.

Once the mixture gets thickened, add sugar and give a continuous stir over a medium flame.

Add one tablespoon of ghee and stir again. 

Stir continuously adding ghee little by little.

Once it gets the non-sticky and transparent texture and oozing out the ghee all over the sides.

Sprinkle the cardamom powder and cashew bits.

Mix well in low flame.

Switch off the flame.

Grease the tray with a spoon of ghee.

Transfer the Halwa to the tray and set aside.

You may cut into even diamond shaped pieces or you may enjoy this sweet in a bowl.

A craving sweet!

Give a try!

BEANS DAL KOOTU

Kootu is often made in our homes. We cook dal with any veggie with the base of coconut or without coconut, Both are having excellent taste.

How to make?

Ingredients:

Mysore dal 50 gms
Country beans 50 gms
Cumin seeds one spoon
Mustard seeds one spoon
Raw mango half chopped
Shallots 10 nos
Curry leaves 10 nos
Green chilies two
Salt to taste
Sesame oil one tablespoon
Mustard seeds one spoon
Turmeric one spoon
Castor oil few drops

Procedure:

Cook the mysore dal with one spoon of turmeric and few drops of castor oil
Remove the fibre from the two edges and chop the beans.
Heat the frying pan with oil over a medium flame.
Add mustard seeds to splutter
Once start splutter, add shallots, curry leaves green chilies. Saute until the shallots tutn translucent.
Add cumin seeds.
Add mango pieces and beans. Sdd salt to taste.
Allow boiling for 10 minutes over a medium flame.
Check the beans cooked soft.

Switch off the flame and transfer the kootu to a serving bowl. 
Have it with hot syeamed rice topped with fresh cow ghee.

😍😊

CARROT CHUTNEY

Carrots, tamarind, red chillies, jaggery, salt combined with some spices make an ultimate chutney to serve with idlis, hot steamed rice, dosas and chapatis.

How to make this delicious chutney?

Ingredients:

Carrots fresh two nos
Shredded coconut one cup
Urad dal one tablespoon
Chana dal one tablespoon
Tamarind one piece
Jaggery one piece
Salt to taste
Asafoetida one pinch
Curry leaves seven nos
Shallots ten nos
Garlic pod three
Ginger gratings half spoon
Red chillies four nos
Sesame oil 
Water as required

Procedure:

Wash the carrots and peel off and grate using the grater.
shred the coconut.
Heat the pan with sesame oil.
Add Red chillies, then urad dal and chana dal.
Fry for few minutes until the dals turn golden brown.
Then followed by shallots, curry leaves, garlic pod and ginger.
Fry until the shallots turn translucent.
Add the coconut gratings, tamarind, jaggery and carrot gratings.
Add salt.
Saute for few minutes until the raw smell leaves from the carrot gratings.
Set aside to cool.
Then, transfer the ingredients with water required to the mixer.
Blend the ingredients to form a chutney consistency.

Transfer the chutney to a serving bowl.

yum! 

This chutney goes very well hot meal rice. It suits well with dosa, idlis and all south Indian main dishes.

😊😃😄
💐💐💐💐

GREEN GRAM PLUS IVY GOURD KOOTU

Ingredients:

Whole green gram. 100 gm
Ivy gourd 15 nos
Turmeric one spoon
Shallots half cup
Curry leaves 10 nos
Sambar powder one spoon
Cumin seeds one spoon
Sesame oil one tablespoon
Mustard seeds one spoon

Procedure:

Dry roast the whole green gram until the nice aroma out.
Set aside to cool.
Using the whisk button, blend the dry roasted whole gram to split.
Then wash the roasted half split gram two times.
Cook the gram with water, turmeric and few drops of castor oil.
Wait for half an hour until the gram cooks and becomes soft.
Add the ivy gourd pieces and sambae powder.
Add salt.
Add half cup of water.
Let it cook for few minutes.
Heat the tempering pan with oil.
Add mustard seeds.
Once it starts splutter, add shallots, curry leaves. 
Add cumin seeds.
Check the salt.
Switch off the flame.
Transfer the kootu to the servong bowl.

Serve with hot steamed rice topped with one spoon of fresh cow ghee.

RAW MANGO SWEET PICKLE

Ingredients:

Raw mango (kili mooku variety)  peeled the outer skin and shredded
Jaggery one piece
Asafoetida one pinch
Fenugreek seeds roasted powder one pinch
Curry leaves 10 nos
Sesame oil two tablespoons
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder half spoon
Turmeric half spoon
Mustard seeds half spoon

Procedure:
Add the shredded mango gratings with salt into a blender and blend into a fine paste.
Heat the wok with sesame oil over a medium flame.
Add mustard seeds to splutter.
Once they start to crackle, switch off the flame.
Add Curry leaves, turmeric, red chilly powder, 
Add asafoetida and fenugreek powder.
Observe a fine aroma of the asafoetida and fenugreek blend together.
Add the mango paste and saute well.
Add jaggery.
Switch on the flame and saute again until the oil separates from the paste
Switch off the flame and transfer the pickle to a serving bowl or small jar.

Sweet raw mango pickle is ready to have with curd rice, and with any meal you opted.
A perfect blend of all tastes.