! Recipes @ Panchamrutham

Bitter Gourd Chutney!

2018-02-11T14:55:00.000+11:00

Bitter Gourd chutney

Here is a recipe for a tangy, sweet and spicy bitter gourd chutney with fresh bitter gourd from our garden.

Ingredients

Bitter gourd : cut into thin slices
Sesame Oil : 1 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp
Tamarind : 1 lemon size
Jaggery : 1 cube
Water : 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp
Black pepper powder : 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida : 1 tsp
Fenugreek powder : 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp

Salt : Adjust as per taste

Preparation

Wash and clean the bitter gourd , cut in half and remove the seeds from inside and then thinly slice it.
Take water in a saucepan and add tamarind. Bring this to boil and let it sit till the tamarind softens. Add Jaggery to this and keep aside.
Heat a pan and add oil to it. Once it is hot, add mustard seeds and allow them to sputter.
Add the bitter gourd slices and saute until they are soft.
Add the ingredients 7 - 12 and keep stirring for a few minutes.
Now strain the tamarind and jaggery mix and add. Keep stirring until most of the moisture has been absorbed and the chutney starts to become sticky.
It is time to switch off the flame and serve.

Enjoy the chutney !!

Crispy Kale Chips...

2017-12-01T16:30:00.001+11:00

Crispy Kale Chips

Kale chips is one of our favourite alternatives when we crave for a deep fried , crispy & salty something...

And it is even better just because it is straight from our own kitchen garden !!

Ingredients

Kale
salt
pepper
olive oil

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 180°C
Separate the leaflets of the Kale
Wash them and take in a bowl.
Season with just a pinch of salt , pepper and a little oil just enough to coat the leaves.
Arrange on a baking tray
Grill for 10-15 mins keeping on eye on it.

Crispy Kale chips is ready !!

Easier than I thought !!

Home Made Herb infused Hair Oil !!

2017-05-02T20:21:00.001+10:00

In Kerala, most families ~~do have~~ used to have a favourite recipe for hair oil depending on the herbs available and their personal choices. Today I'm sharing the recipe which I've been using after moving here and it is an adaptation of my family's recipe with the herbs that I grow in my garden now.

Ingredients

Curry leaves a bunch
Holy Basil Leaves ( Thulsi ) a bunch
Aloe Vera leaves 3 Nos
Organic Coconut Oil 400ml
A heavy bottom Pan ( Cast iron is even better )
A few Rice grains ( to check the oil readiness )

Preparation

Cut the sides of the aloe vera leaves carefully and slit them open. Then scoop out the pulp from them using a spoon.
Take the curry leaves and Thulsi leaves in a blender.
Add a little water and then lightly pulse it just to crush the leaves. This brings out the juice from the leaves.
Take the pan and add the coconut oil along with aloe vera pulp and the crushed leaves mixture and mix well.
Heat the pan on a medium flame and bring it to boil.
It takes about 40 minutes for the oil to get ready with all the water content evaporated. So keep and eye in between and stir occasionally. Meanwhile enjoy the beautiful aroma that fills in the house, which is the part that I enjoy the most.
We can see the leaves getting crisper slowly.
Once they are crispy , scoop the leaves to the side of the pan.
To check if all the water has evaporated , take a few rice grains and put in the oil. Once the oil is ready we can see them puffing up. If the rice is settling down, keep boiling for a few more minutes and try putting the rice grains again. ( Please see the video above).
Once we see the rice grains puffing up , the oil is all ready and now switch off the heat.
Let this cool down and then filter and store in a clean and dry glass jar.
It can be stored at room temperature.
Remember to use a dry spoon to take the oil when required.
This oil is great for hair scalp massage followed by shampoo.

Spicy Potato Side Dish for Indian fried bread ( Poori ) !

2017-04-02T15:59:00.002+10:00

Poori and Potato is still the favourite Sunday breakfast menu at our place and it is the only thing that brings my boys to the breakfast bench without my constant yelling !!

Please find the recipe for Poori at the my previous post here.

Recipe

Ingredients

Organic Potatoes ( I get them from here ) : 4 Nos
Onion : 2 (sliced)
Green Chillies : 3
Ginger : 1 piece (chopped).
Coconut Oil : 1 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds : 1/4 tsp
Split black Gram ( Urad Daal ) : 1 1/2 Tbsp
Curry leaves : a few
Dried red chillies : 2
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper powder : 1/2 tsp
Salt : 1 tsp ( please adjust as per taste)
Water : about 1/2 cup
Coconut milk : 1/2 cup

Preparation

Wash the potatoes and cook them in a pressure cooker.
Peel them and then mash them to the consistency that you prefer. We don't like it too mushy. So I like to keep a few chunks.
Heat a pan and add oil. Once it is hot add the ingredients 6-9.
Wait till the mustard seeds finish cracking and the daal turn light brown.
Then add curry leaves and the dried red chillies and saute for a minute.
Now add the onion along with the green chillies and ginger. Saute this until the onion turn light brownish without burning.
Now add the mashed potato and mix well.
Add the turmeric powder , pepper powder and salt and mix well.
If you want a dry version, you can stop it here after a few minutes of stirring until everything is well incorporated.
Else add some water and let it cook for another 5 minutes until all the water gets absorbed.
Again adding coconut milk is optional and keep stirring until it is all absorbed.

The Spicy Potato curry is ready to be served with Poori !!

Garden Fresh Purple Beans Stir Fry in Kerala Style !!

2017-03-27T10:02:00.001+11:00

I was so happy to get this big bunch of purple beans from my veggie garden and here is a quick stir fry with them. These purple beans turn green once cooked and taste just like the green ones.

I had posted the same with green beans long back.

Ingredients

Broad beans : it was about a kilo
Onion - 2 [ chopped ]
Green chillie - 2 [ chopped ]
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 2 pods [ chopped ]
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
coconut Oil - 1/2 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Split black gram / Urad daal - 1 Tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp

Preparation

Wash the beans and remove the ends and the side veins.
Chop them finely along with the seeds.
Heat oil in a pan and once hot, add mustard seeds and allow them to sputter.
Now add urad daal and the curry leaves.
Once the daal turn brownish , add the chopped beans along with onion and green chillie.
Saute them for a few minutes and then let them cook covered for 10 mins, stirring in between.
While this is getting ready, dry grind the ingredients 5 to 7 and keep.
Once the beans are cooked they turn greenish. Now add the ground coconut mix on top , along with salt and turmeric powder and keep covered for about 2 mins.
Now mix them all uniformly for another couple of minutes and turn off the flame.
Serve hot !!

Murukku ( Rice fritters) Version 3 ....A crunchy tea time snack !!

2017-03-19T15:51:00.003+11:00

Weekends call for some snack time for kids and here is a 3rd version of murukku / chakkli / rice fritters that my kids love.

Please find the other two versions here..version 2 & version 1..!!!

Ingredients

Rice : 2 cups
Split Urad daal : 1 cup
Water : 1 cup
Carom seeds ( Ajwain ) : 3 tsp
Chillie powder : 1 tsp ( adjust as per taste)
Ghee : 1/4 cup
Salt : 1 1/2 tsp ( adjust as per taste)
Oil : enough for frying.

Preparation

Wash and soak the rice in some water and keep aside for at least 3 hours.
Meanwhile dry roast the Urad daal in a pan until it turns light brown and allow this to cool.
Next , dry roast the carom seeds without burning.
Take the roasted urad daal and carom seeds in a mixer and grind to a fine powder and keep this in a mixing bowl.
Once the rice is ready after 3 hours of soaking, take it in the mixer along with 1 cup of water and grind it to a smooth paste.
Add the rice batter to the mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients ( 5,6,7).
Mix it all together and knead with your hands to a nice dough. If required add little water / coconut milk to bring it all together.
Now it is time to shape the dough to make the murukku and we need the murukku press.
Fill in the murukku press and make murukku shapes on small sheets of paper.
Meanwhile heat a frying pan and add the oil for frying.
Once the oil is hot enough, start frying the murukku in batches.
Turn over to get both sides done without burning.
Drain on a kitchen towel and start munching !

How would you like to have Eggs today ?

2017-02-19T11:16:00.000+11:00

I have already written about the benefits of Moringa ( Drumstick ) leaves long back , so even though I'm tempted to write again, I'm holding back.

I'm so blessed with some moringa plants in my own backyard and so I find different ways to include them. Today's healthy omlet is one way to include these nutritious leaves, leaving the chance for your kids to pick and throw them away.
Here is the recipe ( 1 serving )

Ingredients

Moringa leaves : a handful
Curry leaves : a few

Egg : 1
Green chillies : 2 ( use as per your taste )
Ginger : a small piece
Onion chopped : 1/4 cup
Salt : as per taste
coconut oil : 1 tsp

Preparation

Wash and drain the moringa leaves after removing them from the stem.
Put all the ingredients from 1 - 5 in a blender and blend to a smooth paste.
Take this in a bowl and add the chopped onion and salt and mix well.
Heat an iron pan. When hot, add oil and pour the omlet mixture.
Cook until one side is done and then flip and do the other side.
A healthy and tasty omlet is ready to be served for the breakfast !

Dairy free Basil Pesto with Almonds !!

2017-02-04T15:45:00.002+11:00

Basil Pesto

Ever since I've switched to using local grown, home delivered, organic veggie box I'm blessed with a lots of greens and the one which I'm in love at the moment is the basil leaves. So today's recipe is a healthy and tasty spread / dip with basil leaves which can be used as you prefer. Since I'm dairy free , I've skipped adding any cheese to it, where as the normal Pesto recipe calls for it. So if you prefer please go ahead and add some Parmesan cheese as well.

Ingredients

Fresh bunch of basil leaves ( washed and drained )
Blanched Almonds ( Soak them overnight and then remove the skin ) : about 1/2 cup
Extra Virgin Olive Oil : 1/4 cup
Green Chillies : 4 ( adjust as per taste )
Garlic : 3 cloves
Himalayan Rock Salt : as per taste
Lemon juice (optional ) : 1 Tbsp

Preparation

Blend the ingredients 1 and 2 until the almonds are lightly crushed
Add the remaining ingredients and then blend to a smooth paste.
Store in a clean glass bottle keep refrigerated.

Enjoy !!

Honey Lemon Preserve ... Best Friend for Winter !!

2016-07-23T14:00:00.002+10:00

This natural medicine for cold has taken its place in my Kitchen and it was such a great relief during this winter.

I used lemon peels after taking juicing the lemons. But you can go for lemon slices before juicing as well for preserving them in honey.

The recipe cant be simpler than this.

Ingredients

Lemons : cut into slices / cubes.
Organic Honey : enough to fill the lemon slices.

Preparation

Wash and clean the lemons and pat them dry with kitchen towel.
Cut them into thin slices or cubes.
Take a clean and dry mason jar and fill it with the lemon pieces.
Add honey to the jar and let it seep through the lemon pieces. Add enough so that the lemon pieces get covered in honey.
Cover tightly and keep refrigerated.
The syrup is ready to use in a week's time.

A spoon full of this natural medicine is a great cure for soar throat , cold and cough. Kids love the flavour and so no more forcing to take medicine. You can enjoy a slice of the lemon peel as well and it tastes just like a candy.

Note : A few slices of Ginger also would have been a great addition. Will try out next time.

A Smoothie for Breakfast ???

2016-06-13T10:10:00.000+10:00

Smoothie

Just a Smoothie for a breakfast ??

Before trying it, I wasn't convinced about feeling full having just a smoothie for breakfast. But now , it is just the other way around. Is there anything better than a smoothie for a breakfast ?? I can't have anything more than a healthy smoothie for the breakfast and it keeps me going till noon with full energy.

There are many benefits for starting your day with a smoothie.

Easy and quick to make.
Helps to keep the blood sugar levels balanced and keeping you feel full for longer time.
Makes all vital nutrients easily absorbed to the body.
Easy to make sure that you include the daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables in you diet.
Can make different combinations depending on what is available daily.

There are many versions of smoothies around , but I've made my own rules for a family breakfast smoothie after a few months of experiments....

80 % : less sugary Vegetables like Celery, Zucchini, Cucumber, Beetroot etc...carrots are bit high in sugar, but they are great too.
20% : less sugary and low GI fruits like berries , pears , avocado, kiwi fruit, apples, Indian gooseberries, guavas , papaya, cherries , apricot etc.
1-2 Tbsps of : flaxseeds (roasted) / sesame seeds(roasted) / chia seeds
a few : soaked cashews/ almonds (the protein part)
optional : Dates / Honey for sweetness.
optional : coconut milk

So there isn't a specific recipe for a great smoothie as long as you are happy with the taste of the ingredients you are putting into your blender.

Today's smoothie is having the following and it serves 2 people.

Ingredients

Granny Smith Apples ( green apples ) : 2
Pears : 2
Celery sticks : 3 stems
Blueberries : 1/4 cup
Sesame seeds : 1 Tbsp
Coconut Milk : 1/4 cup
Almond meal : 1 Tbsp

Preparation

Wash and clean the vegetables and fruits.
I prefer to peel them if they are not organic.
Cut them into small pieces.
Take all the ingredients into your blender , add some water if you prefer. And then just a matter of blending them all to your preferred consistency.
It is preferred to enjoy the smoothie as soon as you make it.

Note :

There are many benefits of adding greens in your smoothie. But I understand that having raw greens is not good for people like me suffering from under active thyroid conditions and so I avoid greens from my smoothies.
Also being dairy free myself , I don't prefer to have milk - based smoothies.

After a Long Break !!

2016-04-04T14:28:00.000+10:00

My butterfly shaped Gland is on its way to a natural cure !!

Hi everyone...

I can't believe I'm back to blogging after 4 long years .....Thanks for the friends and well wishers who kept on sending messages which was truly an inspiration to be back.

I'm so happy to share with you how food became the medicine for my long battle with hypothyroidism which was holding me back from doing many things for the last few years.

The moment I started feeling better with my thyroid condition , the first thing I wanted to do was to share a word about it. Just how I got help from Google research , I hope someone struggling like me will get a helping hand too.

So here I'm feeling tonnes better than before , to share with you my story as well as some more recipes tried and tested from my kitchen.

( It is quite a long post ....so start reading when you are free to spare a few minutes !! )

The last time I sat down and posted something was in July 2012....Yes, it is almost 4 years since I didn't feel like writing anything to post here....I was blaming my hectic routine and other commitments for my inability to maintain a blog.....But that wasn't the whole picture...It was something which was eating me from inside and that was my under active THYROID ( Hashimoto's disease to be specific) .

What is the relevance of writing about thyroid problem in a food blog , Right ?

I wanted to share my story of how I overcame my symptoms with hypothyroidism , ever since I found my way for healing it naturally with simple diet changes. Thyroid disorders are such badly diagnosed diseases and even more badly treated with the present medical system. So writing about my experience and the natural ways of curing it with simple food changes is of great relevance.

Please keep in mind that the reason for developing a thyroid problem may vary from person to person and so please don't take this as a medical advice of any type. I'm not a medically trained person.

My story begins here....

It was in 2007 that we ( me and my husband ) moved to Australia and it was such a big change in my life , even though I didn't feel it at that time.

Major changes in my life were

Full time Research Job to stay time home wife & mother
New country and new environment
New friends
Helping hand easily available to D.I.Y ( Do It Yourself)
Climate change ( Tropical to Temperate )
New food habits & New ingredients in kitchen
Dilemmas in raising the first baby away from your home country etc etc ....

I was happy with all these changes and never ever felt looking back especially when I had my first baby. Life was completely changed. I wanted to be with my son each and every moment of his childhood days.

But slowly things were changing beyond my control. I recognized my low enthusiasm in doing the daily chores along with other symptoms which I will detail below. But the reason I went to see a Dr was for my constant knee pain which started in 2009. Straight away Dr said it was the beginning of Arthritis. I believed it and started hunting for natural ways to get myself free from it. Giving up plain flour was part of my research in this front. You can have a look at my post on ditching plain flour in 2011.
I also adopted water therapy which as per my knowledge was a natural cure for arthritis.

But things didn't change much after that and there were other symptoms which came along.

Frequent attack of cold and flu
Cold intolerance
Hair loss
Dry skin
Tickling in hands ( especially in winter )
Body aches
Hoarse voice
Tiredness ( All the time )
Weight fluctuation
Sugar craving
Panic attacks
Mind fogging
Lack of concentration etc etc ....

Cant remember , how many times I had been to the Dr again and again for my problems and came home with loads of "antibiotics" which I hated to take but I was left with no other option as I needed that energy to run behind an active toddler.

The Dr kept on sending me for test after test and all of them came negative and finally after about two years of suffering I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I was prescribed thyroxine (75 u) and like an energy booster I could see the difference in me. I was back with the energy to do the daily chores but never was the really active person I was before. Though the mind fogging was feeling much better , I kept on having other symptoms even after I started the thyroxine replacement.

It was during this time that I was on holiday in India and decided to show a orthopaedic for my knee pain. That diagnosis really helped to give me a great relief that I didn't have any arthritis , but it was inflammation of the spinal nerves which caused the knee pain. That Dr prescribed Glucosamine for me which I later understood as to be good for reducing inflammation. That really worked. Also he suggested me to have my daily stretches as well.
So I restarted my old routine by doing Surya Namaskar ( Sun Salutation) in the morning followed by some breathing exercises and meditation.

That indeed was a great relief for me. I also understood the importance of a maintaining stress free lifestyle for cure from hypothyroidism.

After about a year , I started to feel tired again. This time it was the new addition of Vit D deficiency. I wasn't really sure at that time if thyroid problem was the cause for Vit D deficiency or vice versa. There were many articles online on this topic which simply made me more and more confused. So without much investigation I started my Vit D supplements. That made such a big difference after all. But being the slave of two tablets ( thyroxine and Vit D) daily was something that kept bothering me.

Left with no other option from 3 more Drs whom I consulted , I started my search for the causes of developing hypothyroidism and a solution for it. Thanks to Google that anyone can be a researcher these days. Based on many articles that I read, I decided to add some routines to my life which were

Skipped the morning Tea and replaced it with 1 litre of plain water ( as part of water therapy).
Surya Namaskars along with breathing exercises and meditation.
Going to bed early and getting up early ( this was already a part of me , but tried to stick with more seriousness ).

Things were going fine so far and my son started his school life and I got the courage and strength to get out do something to keep myself engaged. I joined for a 1 year course at the Uni and I was really proud of myself to get over those painful days and finish the quite hectic course with 9 subjects in just 9 months.

I was always tempted to experiment myself with reducing my dosage of thyroxine and slowly getting rid of it, but didn't have the courage somehow. It was during the session break of my course at the Uni that we had our 2 weeks trip to Japan. And then I forgot to take my daily tablets with me...So that was indeed a chance for me to experiment without thyroxine. I should say that I was pretty good during and after the trip. I was amazed with the fact that I could do well without those supplements. But it didn't last long.

As part of the course at the Uni , I had to get involved in some sports activities which really did the havoc. I was feeling so bad and slowly got back to square one where I started. Wish I had known at that time that strenuous physical activities are not recommended for a hypothyroid person. Anyway, I had my next visit to my GP and checked my blood. Vit D and thyroxine levels were pretty low. Got back my support system of daily dosage of thyroxine and Vit D. Things started getting better and again I was back to normal.

Meanwhile we were expecting our second bundle of joy and I was bit cautious to do any more experiments at this stage. So stayed away from the thought of getting rid of hypothyroidism for the next 9 months until my baby arrived safely to this world. Overall I was active and healthy during pregnancy and I was able to breastfeed my baby as well. That was such a great relief for me having read that hypothyroidism can affect your ability to conceive and also breastfeed.

Once my bub was almost 5 months old, again the old thought of getting rid of thyroid problem resurfaced. And this time I had all the courage to achieve my goal. Even though I had read "N" number of times about diet restrictions for thyroid patients , I didn't dare to experiment. Not this time. So I started my "Google research" again and My question was answered at this beautiful website which was started by a person who had overcome her thyroid disease using natural methods. Her story was really inspirational for me and this time I took it really seriously. There was a 15 days free lesson which I followed strictly. Just after the first week I could feel the difference in me. I was strongly getting the feel that I'm on the way for a complete recovery and no more going to be the slave of thyroxine supplements.

There is a list of things which I changed in my diet and they really gave me "Wow"moments as I was feeling better and better with each change. It gave me confidence in the great Words "You are what you eat " and that "our body has the power to heal itself , given it the right fuels at the right time".

I also started working with my Naturopath who helped me find my mineral deficiencies and provided me with the right supplements to heal an under active thyroid. She has given me the confidence to move forward and I started to feel better with each day. Also I lost 26 Kgs which I had put on after my delivery and was not able to kick off at all.

I also understood the connection of all the varying symptoms that I was having, as if I was putting together a jigsaw puzzle. 90% of my symptoms are gone now.

Here are some of the major dietary changes that helped me feel better.

No to Gluten
No to Sugar and processed foods
No to Coffee
No to Dairy

Trust me with these simple changes only, I was able to get back half the energy that I had before being sick with my thyroid issues.

All these changes have really helped me see food not just as something to fill up when you are hungry. My relation with food itself has changed for ever.

I wrote this to be of help to any desperate thyroid patients like me, to get some cure naturally and to have the belief that it is indeed possible to cure your conditions and feel better with some diet changes.

Some of the Websites that you can find more detailed information and help !!!

Thyroid Loving Care by Jen Wittman
Thyroid Pharmacist by Dr Izabella Wentz
Thyroid Expert Andrea Beaman
Clean by Dr. Junger
Find your balance by Michelle Pfennighaus

Thanks for taking your time to read my story & see you soon with more info on thyroid friendly diets and life style changes!!

Regards

Achappam...Kerala's Rosette cookies

2012-07-25T18:57:00.002+10:00

Kerala Achappam

Glad to be back to blogging after a long break...

It is another authentic Kerala recipe to share for today...I learnt this from my mom in law...

My son was so happy to see his achamma [paternal gradma] making them during our last Kerala trip, that he has made a rhyming song with Achappam.....

"Achamma undakkiya Achappam

Achappam undakkiya Achamma"

Today Achappam was his requested snack for after school and hence I made a batch of them for him....

Here comes the recipe..

Ingredients

Rice flour ( unroasted ) - 3 cups [ made fresh from rice ]
Sugar - 1/2 cup [ can increase if you prefer sweeter ones]
Eggs - 3 Nos
Coconut Milk - 3/4 cups
Black Sesame seeds - 1 Tbsp
Oil - enough for frying

Making of Achappam

Preparation

Since the recipe calls for unroasted rice flour, I prefer to prepare it fresh each time.
To make rice flour , wash and soak 2 cups of white rice ( I used sona masuri ) for 2 to 3 hrs. Then let it drain for 1/2 hr. Now blend it to a smooth powder using a mixer. Keep this aside. It may be more than 3 cups of flour. So for step 4 measure from this and use.
Using a mixer or blender, beat the eggs along with the sugar until the sugar dissolves.
Now add sesame seeds , coconut milk and 3 cups of rice flour to this and mix well so that you end up with a smooth , lump free batter of pouring consistency. [see pic above].
We can start making the Achappams now. For this heat oil in a deep bottom pan.
While the oil is getting hot, dip the achappam mould into it and let it get heated up.
Take a little of the batter in a smaller bowl in which you can dip the mould. ( This helps to prevent the entire batter from getting hot while we dip the mould in it. )
Once the oil is hot, remove the mould from it. Now dip this hot mould into the batter taken in the smaller bowl so that it gets covered upto 3/4 th of its height. Now slowly remove the mould from the batter and immedietly dip in the hot oil. [see video]. Do remember to keep the oil on medium heat throughout the process.
The oil will start bubbling. Wait for a couple of seconds and then slowly start shaking the mould. Now the achappam will get separated from the mould.
Let it get fried in the oil until both the sides turn brownish. Turn it over to get both sides done.
Now remove the achappam and drain off the oil in a paper towel.
We can make 3 or more achappams simulataneously depending on the size of the frying pan.
Also dont forget to keep the mould dipped in hot oil between each batch of frying.
Once cooled, keep them in an air tight container and start enjoying with your evening tea.

Here is a video of the making process....

Note :

I could make 36 Achappams from the above recipe.
The oil should be hot enough and at the same should not be over heated. In both cases, the batter wont be separating from the mould easily.

Achappam

Belated New Year Wishes

2012-01-16T07:28:00.000+11:00

Belated New Year Wishes to all my readers....

Will be back soon........

Uzhunnu Vada / Split Black Gram or Urad Daal Fritters

2011-11-30T15:44:00.000+11:00

Uzhunnu Vada / Split Black Gram Fritters

I was never fond of these fritters and so never bothered to make them before marriage....Only after marriage I realized that I am married to a vada loving person , who can have this any time without counting on the number of them served to him.....He will be very happy to help me out in the kitchen if I decide to make vada which is the only factor that motivates me in vada making , as I still dont like them much...

I had started making these ones under the guidance of my MIL who is an expect in making them to perfection...

First time when I saw doughnuts, these fritters were the ones that came to my mind....Later on I learned the difference between them....These are savory ones compared to the sweet doughnuts and are made from Split black gram or urad daal...

Back home , stone grinders are used to make the vada batter and they do give a better batter for a perfect vada...Here I depend on my blender to do the job and it wasn't bad either...When you want to make the batter for a few people, blender / mixer will be a better option I feel....

Here comes the recipe..

Ingredients

Urad daal / Split black gram - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1 Tbsp [ optional , if you want to add some crispiness ]
Grated carrot - 1/2 cup
Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Crushed pepper - 1/2 tsp
Oil - enough for frying

[ Sometimes I do add grated cabbage, chopped onion, green chilies , curry leaves etc....

So the ingredients is upto you....]

Preparation

Uzhunnu Vada Making

Wash and soak the daal for at least 2 hrs.
Drain the daal and blend it in a mixer / blender to a smooth paste without adding any water.
Add ingredients 2 to 6 to the batter and mix well.
Heat oil in a wide mouth pan.
Before start making the vadas, keep a bowl of cold water for wetting your palms.
Wet your hands with water and take a small lemon size of batter on your palm. Wet the other hand and flatten the ball shape with it.
Again dip your index finger in water and then punch in to the middle to make the vada shape. [ I have used the plate just for the click ].
Once the oil is hot enough, slowly add the vada into it.
Repeat the process in batches until all the batter is finished.
Keep the flame on a medium low while making vadas so that the inside gets cooked without burning the outside.
Turn over to get both sides done uniformly.
Once the vadas are lightly brown in color take them out from the oil and drain on a paper towel.

They are best served along with coconut chutney and Sambar

Note : I could make 20 vadas from the above recipe

Uzhunnu Vada / Urad Daal Fritters

Do try out these fritters for your next evening tea session and Enjoy........

Have a Great Weekend and Enjoy...

Queen of the Night...Nishagandhi

2011-11-23T10:09:00.000+11:00

Jet Lag did a good thing to me....

Just because of it I was blessed to watch these nightblooming beauties commonly known as queen of the Night.....

Wish I had some poetic language to put in words their beauty and fragrance...

Here are some snaps to share with U all...

Nishagandhi..........Ready to Bloom by evening

" Queen of the Night "

Moon was there to give company....

Drooping by Day....

Beetroot Kichadi / A tasty n colorful side dish for rice..

2011-11-19T21:53:00.000+11:00

Beetroot Kichadi

Sometime back when my son was just about to start on solid food, my friend who is basically from Maharashtra , suggested me to give him some khichadi....At first it was the picture of Kerala kichadi in my mind and I was like , what........?

Then she explained to me what is Khichadi in Maharashtra and even gave me a sample to taste...That was indeed very delicious....Now that our friendship has grown over years, I too have learnt to make khichadi from her and we love to have it whenever we want a simple and easy one pot meal....

Kerala kichadi is totally different and is an important item in the sadya menu and the one made with beetroot, especially adds that lovely color to the platter served on plantain leaf....We also make kichadi with other veggies like cucumber , okra or even with banana or pineapple...Each one will give its own unique flavor to the dish...

So it is another authentic Kerala recipe that I am sharing today...And here it is

Ingredients

Beetroot - 1 large [ grated. It was almost 1 1/2 cups]
Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1/2 [ Or 2 to 3 shallots ]
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Green chillie - 1 large
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1/4 cup
Beaten curd/ Yougurt - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Dried red chillie - 1 or 2 Nos

Preparation

Peel the beetroot and grate it.
Heat a pan and add half of the oil [ 1/2 Tbsp] to it. Now add the beetroot along with the grated ginger and keep stirring until the beetroot gets cooked. You can add little water to make the process faster. But I prefer not to add any. [ It took about 10 mins without water.]
In a mixer / blender , grind together ingredients 4 to 7 along with the water and make it a thick and smooth paste. Keep this aside.
Once the beetroot is cooked, add turmeric powder and salt and saute for a minute.
Now add the blended coconut paste to this and keep stirring until the raw smell from the onion is gone [for about 5 mins].
Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
Once cooled, add the beaten curd and mix well. Check for salt and adjust depending on how sour the curd is. Transfer this to a serving bowl.
Now heat a small pan and add the rest of the oil. Once it is hot, add mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Add the red chillies and curry leaves and saute for a minute.
Transfer this on top of the prepared kichadi and it is now ready to be served along with rice.

Dont forget to try out this lovely Kerala recipe and Enjoy.......

Note : The recipe serves about 4 people.

Spring Blooms.........

2011-11-15T10:00:00.002+11:00

Is there any better sight than this on a Spring morning ?????

Rose

I just love to enjoy waking up with this daily dose of bloom in the garden....

Rose

Wish I could upload and share their fragrance too.......

Rose

Mullu Murukku / Rice Fritters / Chakkli [ version 2 ]....With Roasted Gram

2011-11-11T12:15:00.001+11:00

Rice Fritters / Mullu Murukku with Roasted Gram

Last day I noticed an interesting thing in my blog archive...It was the pattern in which the frequency of my posts were going over the last three years , With the largest number of posts in the months of Oct - Nov and the least in Jun - July....I have found out some explanations for it too....One may because of the spirit of getting ready for our usual trip to India in the month of Dec and the other may be magic of Spring turning to summer during this time of the year....Or it may be simply the way a typical Cancerian blogs...

Cant tell what exactly is behind it , better wait for some more years of blogging to get to the final conclusion.......

Along with the plans of India trip, comes my yearly pantry cleaning session....Which in a way is good for me as I can clear all clutter there....And start again with all fresh ingredients in the new year...

So by now you would have guessed it....Yes, Today's recipe is the outcome of such a clutter clearance in my pantry...And the ingredients were rice flour and roasted gram.....

Now what to make with them ?? It should be a family favorite, which is nothing other than murukku.....Easy to make and easy to finish too....

Here is the recipe........

Ingredients

Black sesame seeds....Best part that I love in murukku

Rice flour [ fine ] - 2 cups
Roasted Gram flour - 1 cup [ I had powdered the roasted gram / daliya / pottukadala in a mixer]
Salt - 1 1/4 tsp
Butter [ softened] - 3 Tbsp
Black Sesame seeds - 1 Tbsp
Red Chillie Powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1 1/2 cups [ adjust]
Oil - enough for frying

Preparation

Murukku Making

Mix ingredients 1 to 6 in a bowl and incorporate the butter well into the flour mixture with your hand.
Add water little by little and make a smooth and soft dough.
Heat oil in a wide mouth pan for frying the murukku.
Take a plate or even a flat spatula greased with some oil and start making the murukku on it using the murukku press. You can make them on a greased baking sheet also.
Slowly flip it into the hot oil without breaking and fry them on a medium high heat.
Turn over to get both sides done. Dont have to wait for them to be brownish in color like this variety.
Once the bubbles stop forming on the oil, they are ready and can be taken out.
Repeat the process in batches until the dough is finished.
Do drain well on a paper towel and allow them to cool before storing in an air tight container.

Mullu Murukku with roasted gram

Note : I could make about 40 to 45 fritters from the recipe

[ Couldn't really count as I am not sure how many went into my mouth while the making process was going on....]

Mullu Murukku with Roasted Gram

We love to have these ones along with a hot cup of Tea for our evenings....

BTW Have you noticed today's Date ??

It is 11/11/11.....

This may be my last post before my trip to India....

I hope I will be able to squeeze out some time to keep my little space alive during the next two months....

You all have a Great Weekend and Enjoy...

Black and White Wednesday....

2011-11-09T17:26:00.000+11:00

My companion to go oven safe........

My first entry for the Black n White Wednesday series going at The Well seasoned cook

It is time for Gardenia........

2011-11-08T06:10:00.003+11:00

Gardenia

Palak Rice / Spinach Rice

2011-10-31T13:00:00.002+11:00

Palak Rice

When rice is in the menu for lunch , as far as possible I try to go for a one pot meal, for two reasons.....

You can guess the first one....And that is my laziness to make elaborate side dishes separately....And the second one is because of my son...He likes to take rice for his preschool and if it is a one pot meal , it is easy for him to have it with spoon....

Spinach Rice is one of my options for a healthy one pot meal with rice....With this recipe, it is easy for me to make all the nutrients in these rich green leaves go into my loved ones tummies even without their consent...Here is a link which gives an insight to the reasons why we should include this nutrient rich leaves in our daily diet....

Sometimes I add other veggies like carrot, green peas etc to this to make it even more tastier and healthier...But, today I had kept it simple and plain...

Here is the super easy recipe for a tasty n colorful lunch......

Ingredients

White Rice - 1 cup [I used Sona masuri.Basmati will be a better option]
Spinach - 1 large bunch [ about 3 cups after chopping ]
Green chillie - 1 large
Ginger - 1/2" piece
Mint leaves - a handful [ optional , just to add some flavor ]
Onion - 1 large
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Ghee - 1/2 Tbsp [ Oil also can be used instead ]
Bay leaves - 2 Nos
Cardamom pods - 3 Nos
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Cloves - 3 Nos
Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - 3/4 tsp

Preparation

Wash and soak the rice for 1/2 hr.
Blend together ingredients 2 to 6 adding 1/2 cup of water and make a smooth puree.
Heat a large pan or pressure cooker pan and add ghee / oil.
Once hot, add ingredients 9 to 13. Saute for a minute until a nice aroma of the spices start coming.
Add the puree from the mixer and keep stirring till the raw smell goes away. For about 10 to 12 mins.
Now add the drained rice to this and stir for another 5 mins.
Add the rest of the water and salt and cook until the rice is done. Adjust water as per the variety of rice and the amount of puree you could get from the spinach.
If you are comfortable with the quantity of water, you can use pressure cooker to do the rice cooking to make things easier.
Once cooked, simply serve and enjoy while it is hot along with some curd / yogurt and pickle.

Wasn't that quite an easy way to enjoy the goodness of these healthy green leaves ??

Note : The recipe serves 2 people

Do try out and Enjoy.....

Kerala Boli / Obbattu / Holige / Puran Poli......And Diwali Wishes

2011-10-24T06:52:00.003+11:00

Puran Poli / Boli

Diwali is almost here and I hope everyone is busy with the preparations..........

I thought of sharing a sweet recipe for today which was there in my 'TO DO' list from quite some time......Wanted to post it with the step wise pics and that's why it took so long to get published...

This is a festive sweet favorite to Indians and is known by different names in the various parts of India....I had grown up enjoying this sweet in the name of Boli and it is quite popular in my home town where it is served along with paal payasam or semiya payasam during hindu marriages......

During my stay in Bangalore I got to taste Obbattu / Holige and came to know that it is almost the same as Boli.....And then after coming here, my friends from Maharashtra shared with me Puran Poli with which I learnt yet another name for this lovely sweet recipe....

The slight variations in its preparation are in the choice of using either sugar or jaggery for the the sweetening and plain flour or wheat flour for the outer covering....

Boli is made with sugar as the sweetener and plain flour for the outer cover.....Since my personal choices are jaggery and wheat flour, I have used them here in my recipe....

It takes a bit of time and patience for making these, especially if you are making them for the first time....So make sure you are free for sometime and then start making them....But trust me, it is worth an effort...

Here is the recipe........

Ingredients

Chana Daal /Bengal gram - 1 1/2 cups
Water to cook daal - 2 cups
Jaggery powdered - 1 3/4 cups [ adjust as per taste ]
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Whole Wheat flour - 1 1/2 cups
Oil - 4 Tbsp [ I used sesame oil ]
Salt - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch [ optional , just for the color ]
Water to make the dough - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - enough for dusting while rolling out

Preparation

Filling preparation

Preparation of filling / puran

Wash and soak the channa daal for 2 to 3 hrs. This is optional but helps in cooking the daal faster.
Cook the daal in a pressure cooker with just the amount of water.
It takes about 3 to 4 whistles in the cooker. It should be just cooked and not over / under cooked.
Drain any water from the daal. Dont throw away the water. Instead use it in any your gravy dishes.
Allow the daal to cool down.
Once cooled, blend it to a smooth powder in a mixer. It may not be exactly powdery as it will be a little sticky. Make sure there are no whole grams left in it and that is what is required.
Take the daal paste in a non stick, heavy bottom pan and add jaggery to this.
Heat the pan on a medium low and keep stirring. The jaggery will start melting and together with the daal it forms a thick syrup.
Keep stirring till it starts getting separated from the sides of the pan. It may take about 15 to 20 mins of stirring on a medium low flame.
Once it is thickened, add nutmeg and cardamom powder and mix well. Now switch off the flame and allow this to cool.
When it is cooled down, take handful of the mix and make lemon size balls out of it. This is going to be the filling. I could get 16 of them. Keep them aside .

Poli making

Preparation of outer covering and poli making

Take the wheat flour in a bowl.
Add salt , turmeric powder and oil to this. Slowly add water and make a smooth and soft dough.
Let it rest for 1/2 hr before start making the polis.
Once ready to make the polis , make balls from the wheat dough, a little smaller than the filling balls which were already made.
Make sure you make the same number of covering balls [16] to match the filling ones.
Now roll it out using rice flour into a small circle.
Keep the filling ball inside this and cover completely with the rolled dough.
Close it without any hole and again roll out to a bigger circle using rice flour for dusting. Spread it on a tray.
Repeat the process until you finish rolling all of them.
Now heat a flat pan and toast the rolled out polis in it on a medium heat.
Be careful while flipping it to get the other side done as they are very delicate to handle.
Once both sides are slightly browned, they can be taken out.
Arrange them folded on a serving plate.

Puran Poli / Boli

We , from the capital city of Kerala are used to enjoying this delicacy in combination with Paal payasam.....

Other tasty choices are Poli along with warm milk and ghee....

Note: I could get 16 Polis from the above recipe of the size shown

Puran Poli / Boli

Advanced Diwali wishes to all my readers........

Have a wonderful and safe festive time with your loved ones

Enjoy........

Here it goes to be part of the following events

Serve it Festival Potluck at Krithi's Kitchen initiated by Denny

Diwali Special ..Sweets and Savories event at Tickling Palates

Kerala Kitchen at A Girl's Diary

Diwali festival of lights event at Anu's Healthy Kitchen

I am Tagged..........

2011-10-20T21:24:00.004+11:00

Thanks Anzz of Anzz cafe for tagging my space....

Plz do check out Anzz Cafe to enjoy some fresh Recipe ideas along with her stunning presentation and beautiful clicks... I just loved her fried apple pies....It is truly a very tempting dessert...

Coming to the tagging part , if I were asked to answer the below questions from another blog it would have been easier..... Isn't it hard to choose from your own blog ?.....I have tried my best and I think I have done a good job with the tagging game and hope you all will enjoy reading.....

Here are the questions......

1. My most beautiful post.

Paal Payasam / Rice Pudding

For any blogger, all the pics they take are precious and beautiful...So it is really hard to choose....My paal payasam is the one which I have chosen for this title...I was happy that I have improved a lot on my clicks when I compare my first post with the latest one...Still a long way to go for sure...

2. My most popular post.

Kozhi Varutharachathu / Spicy Chicken Curry in Roasted Coconut Gravy

This is the post for which I have received most of the traffic. It was one of those early clicks...After that I dont really know how many times I have made it.... But never bothered to click again and update the post...So that is one thing in the 'TO DO' list.

3. My most controversial post.

Whole wheat Dates Bread ...Eggless and Sugarless

I was really surprised to see one of the photos from my blog being used in some other blog without my permission...Though I was aware of plagarism , I never experienced it....My Dates bread's click was the one which was lifted from my space. It's water mark was neatly removed and it was used as the snap for a Panchamrutham recipe....What a choice of photo for Panchamrutham and to mislead people....I'm not mentioning the website here....So that is only post that I can include under the controversial title...

4. My most helpful post.

Why I said no to Maida

When I started this blog I wasn't having any particular aim other than penning down my recipes for later use and to share with you... But in this culinary journey I have always kept an open eye towards what goes into each of the recipes... So as and when I get to read something which makes me think on what we are putting on to our plates and how it affects our health, I became more cautious and whenever I get a chance, I use my blog as a medium for sharing what I have learnt over the time.

Why I said No to Madia is one such posts with which I wanted to give some insight for a healthy eating. If this post could make some change in the eating habits even for a single person I will feel greatly honored.

How to make butter from Cream was another useful post as some of my readers have pointed out

5. A post that’s success surprised me.

Rasgulla

Rasulla is basically a Bengali sweet which we all love a lot. When I made them and posted the recipe I never thought that I am going to get such good response for it. This recipe's success was truly a surprise for me.

6. A post which I feel did not get the attention it deserved.

Sticky Dates Pudding with Caramel Sauce...

I simply love this Aussie dessert for its texture and for the goodness of dates in it. Though its clicks were the outcome of my early days of blogging, I simply love them. And I was wondering why not much visitors for it yet.

7. The post of which I am most proud of.

Jilebi from Whole Wheat Flour

After my awareness about the usage of Maida, I try to substitute it with other healthier alternatives whenever and where ever possible. I never had any clue that Jilebi can be made without maida and still not losing its taste. My attempt with that substitution and the successful outome of it made me really proud with this recipe.

Now it is time to keep the ball rolling and let me tag five of my fellow bloggers, which I had chosen randomly.

Hope you will join the link....

100 Yummy Diwali Sweet n Dessert Recipes from Indusladies ...E Book

2011-10-17T14:30:00.002+11:00

The Indusladies has done a good job by compiling 100 Yummy Diwali Sweets n Desserts Recipes in an easy to download e Book form....So no need to hunt around for sweet recipes this festival season...Make good use of it and enjoy home cooking for this Diwali...

I had sent the following recipes for the e Book.....And my Madhura Seva was the one which got into the e Book....

Rasgulla

Urad daal laddu

Jalebi with wheat flour

Madhura Seva

Rava Laddu

Instant Mixed Nuts Laddu

Rice Laddu / Ariyunda

Do check out the e Book and find all the interesting sweet recipes in it...

Here is the link to download the free e Book.

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/announcements/148569-free-download-100-yummy-diwali.html

Enjoy....

Kerala Unniyappam / Sweet Paniyaram / Dutch pancakes with rice

2011-10-14T13:00:00.003+11:00

Unniyappam / Sweet Paniyaram

What is the recipe that first comes to your mind when there are over ripen bananas at home ??

Many may say Banana bread...... I do agree with that..

But for me these sweet little treats called Unniyappams are the first ones in the list , as my little one just loves them a lot....

Kottarakkara is the place in Kerala that is linked to unniyappams , which is renowned for the Kottarakkara Ganapathi temple....And the delectable unniyappams served there as prasadam / offering is quite famous.....I had the chance of trying them a number of times...They are definitely addictive...

We happened to watch the Malayalam movie Salt n pepper recently and just loved the way Unniyappams were highlighted in it......Here is the scene if you wish to watch....

Now lets get to the recipe and do some offering for the little tummies....

Ingredients

Ingredients

Rice flour - 2 cups
Powdered Jaggery - 1 cup
Over ripe banana - 3 Nos [ Palayam thodan is the variety used traditionally]
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 2 Tbsp
Chopped coconut - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1 Tbsp
Cardamom Pods - 8 Nos

Preparation

Unniyappam preparation

Take water in a sauce pan and add jaggery to it. Bring it to boil and simmer for 10 mins. No need to wait for a thicker syrup. Turn off the flame and allow this to cool.
Meanwhile heat ghee in a small pan and roast the coconut pieces in it until they turn golden brown. Keep this aside.
Take the rice flour in a flat pan and roast on a medium heat for about 5 mins. Allow this to cool.
Peel the bananas and take them in a blender / mixer and blend to a smooth paste. Now add the cooled jaggery mix to this and blend again until all well combined.
Now take the roasted rice flour in a bowl and add the banana jaggery mix to this and combine well without any lumps. This step also can be done in the mixer / blender for a smooth batter. I had used the mixer to do the job.
Add the baking soda, roasted coconut and powdered cardamom powder to this and mix well.
Keep this aside for a minimum of 1/2 hr.
Once ready to make the unniyappams, check the consistency of batter. It should not be too thick. Add milk at this stage and mix well.
Now heat the unniyappa chatti / mini dutch pan and add oil or even ghee for a better taste. Make sure that the individual moulds are only half filled with oil.
Once the oil is hot, keep the flame on a medium low and spoon the batter to individual moulds till they are 3/4th full. Dont overfill the moulds.
Once the rims of the appams turn brownish, turn over to get the other side done.
Unniyappams can be taken out and drained on a paper towel , once both the sides are uniformly golden brown in color.
Arrange on a serving bowl and sprinkle some sugar [ optional ] and then start munching.

Unniyappam / Sweet Paniyaram

Can anyone stop with just one ??? I bet you cant....

They were crispy outside and so soft inside....

Loved those little bites of coconut pieces too....

Unniyappam

Note : I could make 30 unniyappams from the above recipe.

You can add cashew or any nuts of your choice [chopped and roasted ] to the batter if you prefer , instead of coconut.

Enjoy and have a great Weekend......

I'm sending these unniyappams to be part of the Kerala Kitchen event hosted this month by Khushi at A Girl's Diary.

They are going to be part of Healing Foods : Coconut hosted by Saffronstreaks and initiated by Siri of Cooking with Siri

! Recipes @ Panchamrutham

Bitter Gourd Chutney!

Crispy Kale Chips...

Home Made Herb infused Hair Oil !!

Spicy Potato Side Dish for Indian fried bread ( Poori ) !

Garden Fresh Purple Beans Stir Fry in Kerala Style !!

Murukku ( Rice fritters) Version 3 ....A crunchy tea time snack !!

How would you like to have Eggs today ?

Dairy free Basil Pesto with Almonds !!

Honey Lemon Preserve ... Best Friend for Winter !!

A Smoothie for Breakfast ???

Ingredients

After a Long Break !!

Thyroid Loving Care by Jen WittmanThyroid Pharmacist by Dr Izabella Wentz Thyroid Expert Andrea Beaman Clean by Dr. Junger Find your balance by Michelle Pfennighaus

Achappam...Kerala's Rosette cookies

Belated New Year Wishes

Uzhunnu Vada / Split Black Gram or Urad Daal Fritters

Queen of the Night...Nishagandhi

Beetroot Kichadi / A tasty n colorful side dish for rice..

Spring Blooms.........

Mullu Murukku / Rice Fritters / Chakkli [ version 2 ]....With Roasted Gram

Black and White Wednesday....

It is time for Gardenia........

Palak Rice / Spinach Rice

Kerala Boli / Obbattu / Holige / Puran Poli......And Diwali Wishes

I am Tagged..........

100 Yummy Diwali Sweet n Dessert Recipes from Indusladies ...E Book

Kerala Unniyappam / Sweet Paniyaram / Dutch pancakes with rice

Thyroid Loving Care by Jen Wittman
Thyroid Pharmacist by Dr Izabella Wentz
Thyroid Expert Andrea Beaman
Clean by Dr. Junger
Find your balance by Michelle Pfennighaus