southindian spl Vatha kulambu

Ingredients
Tamarind           - lemon sized ball
chilly powder      - 2 tbsp
coriander powder-2 tbsp
turmeric powder -1tsp
Sundakkai vathal - 3 tbsp
manathakali vathal-3 tbsp
garlic-handful
small onion -handful
Sesame seed oil - 3 tbsp
Curry leaves
Salt as required
Mustard - 1 tsp
Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 2 (break it )
Asafoetida/Hing- 1/4 tsp


Method

1. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cups of warm water and extract thick juice and keep aside
2. Heat a pan and pour sesame oil , add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add fenugreek seeds, hing, dry red chilli , curry leaves , sundakkai vathal ,manathakali vathal saute for min.
3. Add garlic ,onions and saute for few minutes.
4. Add chilly powder,coriander powder ,turmeric ,salt and saute for one min
5. Add  tamarind extract and let it boil till the raw smell of the tamarind goes and the gravy reaches a thick consistency.

Note
We can add vegetables brinjal,ladies finger .

Health Benefits:

1. It is the best medicine for headache and skin infections.
2. Its  used  to reduce the urinary infections.
3. The plant is good in healing chronic skin diseases such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.
4. It can help you to get rid of worms in tummy.
5.  They help in destroying intestinal worms owing to their bitter taste. They cure infections in the stomach and liver. They also stimulate regular activities of the bowel.

ULUNDHU (BLACK URAD DAL) KALI

Ingredients

•  Split Black Gram               - 3/4 Cup 
•  Raw rice                            -  1 Cup 
•  Black Jaggery (karuppatti)   - 2 nos
•  sukku (dry ginger)               - 1 inch
• Gingelly ( Sesame) Oil         - 100 ml
• Water                                 -  4 cups

 METHOD:

1. Powder the rice and black urad dal using blender,it should be finely powdered.  
2. Dissolve the black jaggery into cup of hot water, once the jaggery dissolved in the water ,strain it  to remove the dust particles.
3. Mix powdered  flour along with jaggery water  and add 3 cups of  water to make a thin batter without any lumps.
4. Transfer this batter  into a  thick bottomed vessel(pressure cooker ),add oil and powdered dry ginger to this mixture.
5. cook on low flame  ,Stir it continuously until the batter becomes thick  and like halwa ,
6.  Remove from the stove and  serve hot with gingerly oil.

 Note
Adding 1 inch piece of powdered dry ginger to the recipe ( while cooking)  is optional.
This porridge can be eaten along with a teaspoon of gingerly oil or ghee (clarified butter).
Health benefits:

• Urad  dal is highly nutritious and is recommended for diabetics.
• It is treated as a traditional Indian(Ayurveda) medicine.
• Black dal is full with iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, potassium and B vitamins, that simply helps to meet the requirements of vitamins and minerals.
•  If you are looking for a protein-friendly diet, then opt for urad dal
• The benefits of jaggery include its ability to cleanse your body, act as a digestive agent, sweeten your food in a healthy manner,
• Substituting gingelly oil in place of other vegetable oils can help to lower your blood pressure. 
• Significant reduction was noted in body weight and body mass index (BMI) upon sesame oil substitution."
• Kali taken during menstrual period , strengthens the pelvic bone of young girls and generally suggested for all women for their health benefits.

Black beans bread upma

Ingredients

 

1. Whole Wheat Bread – 6 slices
2. Onion – 1
3. Tomato – 1
4. Green Chillies – 2 nos
5. Garlic- 4 pods
6. Ginger-1 inch
7. Black beans - 3 tsp
8. Red kidney beans-2 tsp
9. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
10. Red chilly powder-1tsp
11. Cumin powder-1tsp
12. Curry leaves – a sprig.
13. Green onions
14. Coriander/Cilantro – a handful,
15. Salt – to taste
16. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
17. Asafoetida – a pinch
18. Oil – 2 tsps

Method

• Soak the beans overnight ,boil soaked beans  with salt and little water  in a pressure cooker
• Crumble the bread using food processor( mixie ),just put bread slices in your mixie jar and grind for min
• Heat oil in a pan  add  mustard seeds and add the asafoetida.
• Add  finely chopped onions, green chillies ,garlic,ginger and curry leaves. Saute till onions are tender.
• Add the tomatoes, and after 2 minutes, add the turmeric powder and salt. Stir well and cook till mushy.
• Add red chilli powder,cumin powder,salt & mix.
• Add the cooked  beans  mix well ,let it boil for 10 min , water to be evaporated .
• Add the crumbled bread, stir well and cook on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes. Remove from flame.
• Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Health benefits of  beans 

• Black beans are high in protein, so they are an especially good choice for vegetarians and others with diets low in protein.
• Eating black beans can boost your iron intake because these legumes contain 3.6 milligrams of iron per cup.
• Black beans are high in fiber, containing 15 grams in a cup of cooked beans. 
• The level of antioxidants in black beans is about the same as the levels found in apples, grapes and cranberries
• Kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes

Home made Vanilla cake

Ingredients

1. All Purpose Flour - 1 .5 cup
2. chopped nuts        -3 tsp
3. eggs                     -4
4. sugar                   -1 cup
5. baking powder      -1 tsp
6. baking soda          -1/2 tsp
7. vegetable oil         - 3 tsp
8. melted butter       - 3/4 cup
9. Vanilla Extract      -1 tsp
10. salt                       - 1 pinch

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a  two 8 inch cake pans
• Break the all 4 eggs into the bowl and beat them for 15 min.The more u beat the egg the less the egg smell u ll get in the cake .
• Add vegetable oil,butter to eggs and Beat it again.
• Add nuts ,sugar to the mixture of eggs and vegetable oil mix them well.
• In another bowl, put baking powder, baking soda ,flour,salt and  mix them gently.
• Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and mix them gently. Make sure that there are no pockets of flour in the mixture.Batter will be thick.
• Divide the batter into two and Pour into a buttered pan, Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the center is done.Cake is done when a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean
• Remove the cake from oven and set it aside and cool it for 15 to 20 minutes. After that take the cake out and leave to cool totally
• Decorate according to your wish

*** Add mashed banana in above recipe  if u want banana bread  .

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

•  Unsalted butter       -1 cup (2 sticks or 230g) softened to room temperature
•  Powder sugar            3-4 cups (360-480g)
• Heavy cream              -1/4 cup 
•  Vanilla extract -2 tsp
• salt, as needed

Method

• To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric  mixer.
•  Beat for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream , and vanilla extract with the mixer running. 
• Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. 
•  Frost cooled cake as desired and top with sprinkles..

*** Add few drops of food colour of your choice into the frosting cream 

Homemade health mix powder

Ingredients

1. Ragi                         -1 kg
2. Wheat                      -250 g
3. Millet(kambu solam)  -200g
4. Green gram               -250 g
5. Sago(Javvarisi)          -250 g
6. Fried gram                 -200g
7. Peanuts                      -50g
8. Almonds                    -50g
9. cashews                    - 50 g
10. Elachi                           -10g
11. sukku(dry ginger)         -1 inch

Method

1. Rinse  ragi  with water thrice and let it dry .
2. Dry roast ragi,wheat ,millet,green gram,sago ,peanuts and almond one by one and let it cool .
3. Add cashew, elachi and sukku and make a fine powder .

*For kids under 1 yr do not add peanuts ,almonds,cashew .

Health drink

1.  Take 2 tsp of health mix powder and mix it with 2 tumbler of water or milk . 
2. Boil this mixture ,stir this mixture frequently for 2-3 min to make porridge(kanji)
3. Add salt or sugar for ur choice

Dosa batter

1. In a bowl take enough quantity of powder and pour enough water and stir  to make dosa batter.
2. Add chopped onions ,curry leaves,green chilly and salt

Medical benefits

Wheat is good source of calcium, iron, fiber  Wheat is relatively rich in protein, fat and several of the B vitamins. . The whole wheat provides protection against diseases such as constipation, ischemic, heart disease, disease of the colon called diverticulum, appendicitis, obesity and diabetes. 

Green Gram  is good for fevers, gives strength, excellent medicine for Cholera, measles, chicken pox, small pox, typhoid and al types of fevers. Regular use during childhood, pregnancy and lactation helps one to get the required nutrition and promote health. It can be given in a small quantity even during acute phase of appendicitis. 

Ragi is  good source of fiber and Iron, Low fat and sodium free food.  Its favoured as part of prescribed diet for diabetics. 

Millet has  lots of fiber and low simple sugars. Because of this it has a relatively low glycemic index and has been shown to produce lower blood sugar levels than wheat or rice.

Elachi,it helps improve your digestive system , helps regularise your heart rate and keeps your blood pressure under control.

Sago is  a good source of protein and fiber.

sukku  (dry ginger)is optional but it has great medical value .it  works better for indigestion and gastric problem

Healthy Dosa ...More lentils....less rice

Ingredients 

1. Rice                     –  1/2 cup
2. Toor dal                 – 1/4 cup  
3. Channa dal            – 1/4 cup
4. Green gram           -1 cup
5. Urad dal               - 3 tsp
6. White channa       -3 tsp
7. Red chilly            – 5 nos
8. Fennel seeds       -1 tsp
9. cashew nuts        -1 tsp
10. Ginger               – 1 inch
11. Hing                  – 1/4 tsp
12. garlic                  - 2 pods
13.  onion                   – 1
14. turmeric powder  
15. Curry leaves 
16. Salt

Method

• Wash and soak the rice and dals together for 3  hours.
• Drain the water and add red chilly,onion,garic,fennel seeds,ginger, hing,turmeric  and make a fine paste.
• Add little water batter should be like dosa batter,add chopped curry leaves into batter.
• Pour the batter into hot greased dosa tawa.
• sprinkle the oil and cook for 1 min then flip the dosa and cook for another 1 min
• Its good to go with coconut chutney.

* u can add finely chopped onion and ginger to the dosa batter for Adults
*U can add more dals ,veggies also
*Kids will avoid onion and ginger so i used to grind it with lentils

Chettinad potato roast

Ingredients 

potato                  2
 onion                    1                    

Ginger                   1 inch
cumin seeds          1 tsp
pepper                  1 tsp
coriander seeds     1 tsp
red chilli                 3 nos
urad dal                 2 tsp
mustard seed
curry leaf
salt
oil

Method

•  Dry roast cumin seeds , pepper,   red chilli ,coriander seeds  urad dal  and make a coarse powder 
• Peel  the boiled potatoes and cut   into cubes 
• Chop the onion .and chop the ginger finely 
• Heat a pan pour oil and add mustard seed ,curry leaf and onion ,shredded ginger and saute them till they turn slightly brown.
• Add potatoes stir and add salt ,add grounded powder and mix well .
• cook them over  low heat till they turned into golden brown

         

* U can use  small onion (shallots)  too,   shallots  will add the taste of recipe more  .
          shallots     -            6-8

* U can use baby potatoes also
      baby potatoes- 6
* U can use this  grounded powder for your other  gravy and fry

home made butter cookies

Ingredients
All Purpose Flour (maida )- 1 cup
egg                                     -1
sugar                                -3/4 cup
baking powder                -1 tsp
butter                             - 100 grams softened
Vanilla Extract              -1 tsp

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Wet mixture 

• Break the egg into the bowl and beat them for 15 min 
• Add butter and beat it gently 
• Add sugar and beat it again mixture should be creamy and fluffy  
• Add vanilla extract

Dry mixture
In another bowl, add baking powder, flour and mix them gently.

• Add the wet mixture into dry ingredients and mix them gently till the entire mixture s evenly blended
• Make a soft dough, roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick .
• Wrap the dough and refrigerate the dough for 3 hrs ,
• Grease the baking sheets with butter 
• Cut  the dough into  your choice of shapes and place them on large baking sheet
• Make sure cookies 1 inch apart from each other 
• Bake until the colour changes  to  golden around the edges
• Remove the cookies from oven and set it aside and cool it for 15 to 20 minutes

* butter should be soft ,if its hard do not put into microwave ,keep the butter in room temperature for 30 min
*The more u beat the egg, less you'll get the smell in your baking

Vegeterian Wrap

Ingredients

• black beans- 3 tsb
• kidney beans-3 tsp
• mushroom- 2-3 nos
• lettuce    - 1 bunch
• celari    -1
• onion -1
• tomato-1
• Sauce

Method

1. Chop all the veggies
2. Soak beans over night and cook and keep it aside
3. Toss the mushroom slightly
4. Spread the veggies on roti 
5. Add your favourite Sauce
6. Fold it ready to taste

Rava kichadi

Rava kichadi like Biryani 

Ingredients

• roasted rava- 1 cup
• carrot -2
• potato-1
• peas-1 cup
• onion -1
• green chilly -3
• tomato-1
• ginger garlic paste -1
• garam masala-1 tsb
• mustard seed
• curry leaf
• mint - 2 leaf
• coriander
• oil
• salt

Method

1. Chop all the veggies onion tomato and slit the green chilly
2. Heat a pan pour oil  then add mustard seed ,green chilly let it for2 min
3. Add chopped onion and saute ,once onions turn brown add ginger garlic paste and saute
4. Add chopped tomato saute till its get mashed
5. Add veggie and boiled green peas
6. Add garam masala,salt,turmeric saute well
7. Pour enough water for vegtables get cooked
8. Add 3 cups of water (for 1 cup rava) and mint leaf and coriander leaf let it boiled for  5 min
9. Add roasted rava  and stir till rava gets cooked 
10. Switch off the flame and cover it for 5 min

Veg kofta curry

veg kofta curry recipe
kofta ball:
ingredients 

Shredded Paneer - 1 cup, 
Shredded cabbage - 1 cup
Shredded half boiled potato - 1 cup
garam masala - ½ tsp
chilly powder -1 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tsp
corn flour -3 tsp
kasuri methi- ½ tsp
salt
method 
Mix all the ingredients together for kofta
Make them in round balls and coat them with corn flour
Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium  heat
Turn them occasionally and fry Koftas until golden brown all around

kofta gravy;
ingredients

cumin seeds 1 tsb

onion 2

ginger garlic paste

tomato 1

cashewnuts 6-7 nos 

butter 

oil

Method

1. add 2 tsp of oil , butter and add cumin seeds ,bayleaf
2. add finely chopped onion saute for 5 min
3. add ginger garlic paste and saute
4. add grinded tomato and saute
5.  blanch 
    onion(1/2 a cup ) and cashew nuts(6-7)) make fine paste 
6. add chilly powder ,coriander powder ,garam masala saute for 5 min 
7. add 2 cups of water and bring them to boil for 10 min
8. add fried kofta balls  simmer it for 5 min
9. garnish with kasuri methi

halwa greengram

Healthy whole green gram dessert
Ingredients
Whole green gram – 1 cup
Wheat flour-2 tsp
Ghee – 1/2 cup
sugar- 1 cup
Milk – 2 cups
Roasted nuts – 2 tbsp for garnishing

MethodSoak whole green gram overnight (possible 18 hrs ) in water.

Next day rinse the dal few times and drain the water completely and grind this into a fine paste using as little water as possible.
 

Heat 2 tsp of ghee and roast the wheat flour (it should be like wet paste)

Heat 1/4 cup of the ghee(1/2 the quantity) once it is hot and melted, simmer the stove into minimum and add the grinded dal paste little by little stirring continuously .

Add wheat flour paste and add 2 cups of milk and keep stirring till the green gram gets cooked & Add the remaining 1/4 cup of ghee and keep stirring till ghee gets separated

Add food colour if u wish

Switch off and add  a tsp of ghee and roasted nuts and serve warm.

beetroot peanut masala

Beetroot Peanut  masala
Ingredients

1. Beetroot                           -2
2. Onion                               -1
3. Green chilly                       -2
4. Mustard seed                     -1/2tsb
5.  peanuts                            - hand full
6. Pepper corns                     -10
7. Coriander seeds                 -1tsb
8. Red chillies                         -3
9. Cumin seeds                      -1tsb
10. Oil
11. Salt

To grind
 coconut                       -2tablespoons
 Roast the  below ingredients to grind
 peanuts-hand full
Pepper corns-10
Coriander seeds-1teaspoon
Red chillies-3
Cumin seeds-1teaspoon

Grind the ingredients with little water to  fine paste.

Method

• chop the beetroot and onion,green chilly.
• Heat oil in a pressure Cooker, make the tempering with mustard seeds,cumin seeds  then add the onion-green chilly. Fry till the onions become transparent.
• Now add the beetroot, sauté for a few minutes.
•  Add the masala paste,add 1cup of water and enough salt, close the cooker lid.
• Switch off the stove after one whistle.
• Stir it and garnish with coriander leaves

*  Microwave beetroot   for 2 mins by cutting  into 2 pieces ,
*Microwaved beetroot can be easily chopped

coriander chicken

Coriander chicken

Ingredients

1.       chicken                                - ½ kg
2.      Coriander leaves                  - 1 bunch
3.      curry leaves                        - 3 strings
4.     Green chilly                          - 5
5.      Oil                                        - 2 tbsp
6.     Cumin seeds                          - ½ tsp
7.   Coriander seeds  crushed            - 2 tsp
8.    Ginger garlic paste                  - 1 tbsp
9.     poppy seeds (kaskasa)         -2 tsp
10.     Grated coconut                      - 3 tbsp
11.      Turmeric pwd                        - ¼ tsp
12.        Yogurt                                - ¼ cup
13.        Salt to taste

  

 To grind 

Coriander paste: 

     add coriander leaves,curry leaves , green chilly, little water and blend it to fine paste.

 Coconut paste :

      add coconut ,poppy seeds , little water and blend it to fine paste.

Gravy:

•      Heat oil in a pan
•     Add cumin seeds. crushed coriander seeds and sauté for a minute.
•     Add ginger garlic paste and sauté further.
•     Add the coconut paste and saute for a min
•    add the coriander paste and little turmeric 
•    Cook the mixture, approx 5 mins in low medium flame or till slightly oil oozes out.
•    Add salt and chicken pieces, cook for 5 min
•      Add yoghurt, mix and close the lid and  cook for 5 min  .

*** u can add cashew nuts instead of poppy seeds