KARPOORAVALLI RASAM

Karpooravalli herb is named as Country borage in English. It bears much aromatic semi-suuculent leaves and stem. The leaves. are fleshy, coarsely crenate to dentate margins. They are thickly studded with hairs giving a frosted apapearance. They are having the combination of the aromas of thyme, turpentine and oregano . They are edible and used for the natural treatment of cold and cough.The Karpooravalli can be cultivatedor propagated in a soil or pot according to our comfort. It is a must plant in every home garden to immediate treatment for cold and cough.

Ingredients:

Karpooravalli leaves 10

Pressure cooked dal and its contents two cups

Tamarind and tomato extract two cups

Cumin powder one spoon

Pepper powder one spoon

Asafoetida one pinch

Sesame oil one tablespoon

Mustard seeds one spoon

Salt to taste

Jaggery powder one spoon

Red chilly one 

Curry leaves 10 nos

Coriander leaves 

Garlic gratings one spoon

Procedure:

Wash and grind the karpooravalli leaves to a coarse paste.

Pressure cook the dal with turmeric and castor oil two drops with three whistles.

Set aside to cool.

Soak tamarind and cooked tomato half for ten minutes.

Take extract from tamarind pulp and tomato.

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium flame. 

Add mustard seeds to crackle.

Switch off the flame for a while to avoid burning.

Add red chilly and curry leaves. 

Saute for a while and add tamarind extract. 

Add salt and jaggery powder.

Allow boiling.

Filter the karpooravalli mixture using water directly to the boiling tamarind extract.

Allow boiling for one second.

Pour the dal contents.

Add pepper powder, cumin powder and garlic gratings.

Allow boiling for few seconds.

Remove from flame and serve.

IRRESISTIBLE CARROT MASAL STIR FRY

Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes
Serves: 2 

Ingredients:

Carrots 8nos 

Peanut oil one tablespoon

Mustard seeds one spoon

Saunf powder one spoon

Karam masal powder one spoon

Turmeric powder one spoon

Red chilly powder one spoon

Green chilly one or two

Curry leaves 10 nos

Cilantro leaves optional half cup

Bellary onion pieces one tablespoon

Ginger grates one spoon

Garlic grates one spoon

Salt to taste

Lemon half

Procedure:

Wash the carrots and peel off.

Trim both the edges.

Chop them into discs.

Heat the oil over a medium flame.

Add mustard seeds to crackle.

Add onion, curry leaves and green chilly.

Saute them until the onion turns transparent.

Add saunf powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and karam masal powder.

Add ginger and garlic gratings. Saute them over a low flame until the fine aroma emanates.

Transfer the carrot discs to the pan.

Saute them so as to stick all the ingredients over the discs.

Sprinkle salt and add required water.

Allow cooking for 6 minutes over low flame until the entire water exhausts.

Squeeze lemon over the carrot discs.

Add cilantro leaves. 

Remove from flame and transfer the cooked carrot discs to the serving bowl.

Serve hot or warm with any meal!

PODI IDLIES

For this Tiffin, fresh idlis should be prepared to get soft podi idlis. Fresh Idli podi should be prepared. Fresh cow ghee is needed. These three fresh ingredients transform the idlis into a delectable treat for your loved ones. Tossing the idli pieces with ghee and idli podi makes it spicy and delicious and ensures that it maintains softness and moisture for more than five hours. It is a perfect picnic packing.

Important note: Never heat the ghee or sesame oil to make this Tiffin. the rich taste of ghee and its nutrients destroyed while heating. Sesame oil should be consumed raw to attain its nutritional value. The fresh hot steamed idlis are tossed with fresh ghee and fresh idli podi.


Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 3 minutes
Servings: two
     

Ingredients:

Fresh Idlies 8 nos
Fresh Idli Podi 3 tablespoons
Ghee Three tablespoons

Procedure:

Cut each idli into six pieces using a knife dipped in water.
Collect them in a broad bowl.

Sprinkle the Idli podi over the idli pieces.
Pour the fresh cow ghee over the idli pieces.

Waggle the bowl so as to mix podi and ghee with idli pieces evenly.
You can substitute sesame oil instead of ghee.

Serve hot! 
This can be served during monsoon as evening tiffin.
Kids will love to eat!
It can be packed for picnics, lunch of kids.

CHAYOTE GRAVY/CHOWCHOW CURRY KUZHAMBU

A Short introduction of chayote:

Chayote, being a low-calorie and fiber rich vegetable, it is highly recommended as the vegetable which supports cholesterol controlling and weight reduction in diet programs.

They are the excellent source of vitamin C, Vitamin B complex and folates. It is a good source of potassium and contains an adequate source of manganese and copper.

How to make Chayote gravy/chowchow curry kuzhambu for hot steamed rice/chappatis?

Preparation Time 15 minutes
Serves For four
Cooking time 10minutes
Cuisine : South Indian

Ingredients: 

Chayote one medium size

Shallots or bellary onion half

Curry leaves 10 nos

Mustard seeds one tsp

Saunf one tsp

Cinnamon sticks four

Cloves four

Star anise one

Bay leaf one

Red chilly powder one tsp

Turmeric one tsp

Curry masal powder one tablespoon

Ginger and garlic gratings one tablespoon

Tomato one

Sesame oil half cup

To grind:

coconut gratings two cups

Bengal gram one tablespoon

Coriander powder one tablespoon

Water one cup

ginger and garlic gratings one tablespoon

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Grind above contents with required water to a fine paste.

Peel off the chayote and chop into cubes.

Every ingredient above mentioned should be kept ready on the cooktop. 

Heat the pressure pan with sesame oil over a medium flame.

Add mustard seeds to crackle.

Once it starts to crackle, add onion, curry leaves, ginger and garlic gratings, turmeric, Masal powder, Red chilly powder, Saunf powder, Cloves, Cinnamon, Stara anise.

Switch off the flame to avoid burning.

Add tomato, chayote cubes and saute well.

Transfer the coconut paste and saute on low flame.

Once all the ingredients incorporated together, raise the flame.

Add salt.

Adjust the consistency by adding two cups of water.and salt to taste.

Allow boiling for seven minutes.

Check the gravy reaches the thick consistency.

Add coriander leaves chopped to enrich the taste of the gravy.

Chayote curry kuzhambu is ready to have with hot steamed rice.

CHANADAL WONDERS

This is an easy and simple sweet for festivals.



Ingredients:

Chana dal 250 gms
Jaggery 200 gms
Cardamom crushed 8 nos
Fresh cow ghee 20ml
Cashews 10 nos
Water to cook chana dal two cups

Procedure:

Wash the chana dal several times.
Pressure-cook the chana dal with two cups of water for two whistles.
Set aside to cool down.
Powder the jaggery.
Crush the cardamoms into a fine powder.
Drain the excess water from cooked dal. 
Mix the cardamom powder jaggery powder with dal.
Grind the mixed ingredients to a coarsely textured mass.
Transfer the ground dal mix in a dry bowl.
Heat the ghee in a tempering pan.
Add broken cashews and fry unril golden brown.
Pour the hot ghee over the mass.
Add the remaining ghee to the mass and knead.
Make lemon sized balls.
Chana dal delight wonders are ready to enjoy!

              

VELLACHUGIUM/SWEET STUFFED FRIUMS

This is an instant sweet with nice taste.

Ingredients:

Jaggery powder 250 gms
Bengal gram 150 gms
Cardamom pods 7 nos
Pea nut oil to deep fry
Wheat flour 200 gm
Rice flour 50 gm
Cooking soda half spoon
Water to mix the flours as idli batter.
Salt half spoon

Procedure:

Pressure cook bengal gram with one cup of water for two whistles.

Drain water if excess.

Grate or break jaggery (urundai vellam)or jaggery powder 250 gms
-
Grind the cooked bengal gram, cardamom
 and jaggery powder into coarse paste.

Pour one tablespoon cow ghee and make lemon size balls.

Mix the wheat flour, raw rice flour, salt and cooking soda with required wate to make idli batter consistency.

Heat peanut oil to deepfry temperature.

Dip the bengal gram balls and drop one by one.

Dip the bengal gram balls into the batter and drop the balls one by one.

Allow deepfrying Until the balls turn golden brown.
Collect them in a tissue papee to absorb excess oil from the friums.

Serve hot!

This sweet can be offered to Lord Ganesh during shri Vinayakar Sathurthi festival.

Shri Ganesh chathurthi greetings to everyone!!!!!!!!