ALL ABOUT THE WORLD

2019-04-09T00:12:00.002-07:00

Funny Remix Videos

2010-10-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

New Song Videos

2010-10-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

Kids Only - Cartoons

2010-10-05T02:19:00.000-07:00

Old Movie Video Songs

2010-10-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

Swine Flu

2010-09-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

Swine Flu (N1H1) Symptoms and How it Spreads :

Swine flu symptoms are similar to symptoms of other flu viruses. These include fever, cough, headaches, chills, body aches, a sore throat and fatigue. Vomiting and diarrhea have also been reported with this virus. It is important to remember that other conditions can cause these same symptoms. To determine for sure if you have swine flu versus another strain of flu or other condition, you will need to go to your doctor for a lab test. It is important to remember that flu is not a rare illness. According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control, cdc.gov, 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population suffers from a case of the flu each year.

Flu is similar to a cold virus in that it is typically spread from one person to another when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can pass through an infected person's lungs, throat or nose, sending particles into the air that can pass to anyone that person comes in close contact with. Being out in a crowd increases your chances of being infected.

The other main way the virus spreads is from touching surfaces that are contaminated with the virus and then touching your eyes, mouth or nose. An individual infected with the virus can start transmitting it up to a day before the symptoms start, and up to a week after the symptoms become noticeable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It is believed the new swine flu spreads in the same way as other types of flu.

For the sake of our own health and others, we all have a responsibility to prevent the spread of swine flu, or any other type of flu for that matter. These steps can help:

Covering your nose or mouth when you sneeze or cough, so you trap the virus particles in the tissue rather than expelling them into the air. Then make sure you dispose of the tissue so it won't spread the virus on any other surface. And then wash your hands with soap and water. Or if you are not near a sink, use an alcohol based hand cleaner. Get in the habit of carrying these hand sanitizers with you, in the car, in your pocket or in your purse.

Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes. If you have touched any object contaminated with the virus, you may end up contaminating yourself. Your eyes, nose and mouth are the easiest pathways to infection by the flu virus.

If you're sick stay home from work and from other people. If your child becomes sick keep them home from school until their symptoms have subsided.

You are here: Home » Life » What is N1H1 or Swine Flu, Symptoms Treatments

14Aug/093

What is N1H1 or Swine Flu, Symptoms Treatments

Its all over here and I feel that I should get some tips to it, the subject has nothing to do with my sites niche but as a citizen and a blogger I feel that its my duty to pen down some points about the N1H1.

Swine Flu or the N1H1 virus (swine influenza) is a disease found in pigs, its a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by one of many Influenza A viruses. Most common swine flu is of the H1N1 influenza subtype. There are other types, such as H1N2, H3N1, and H3N2. The virus that has infected humans is of N1H1 and its not as much dangerous as the other types mentioned.

I'm pointing to some of the steps that you can take if you have a doubt in having any symptoms of Swine Flu. The main symptoms are the usual things that we get in our daily life fever, sore throat, cough, running nose, cold we normally take all these stuffs lightly and would not bother too much and we get to make well with a calpol or an action 500 but as now the N1H1 virus is around it would be better to have a visit to your family doctor. If he says a doubt then you can proceed to the nearest hospital or a government testing center. If you came back after a travel be sure that you take steps quick to get to the doctor.

If you get the result with a positive result don't loose confidence you can get a mask which would help as not to spread the virus to other people at home or your area. While I write this private hospitals are not authorised to test patients for N1H1 virus. The doctor would mainly test you for pneumonia, fever, chest infection, if he makes a point that you need to be tested he would then collect your nasal and throat samples and you would be asked for a home stay for a period of seven days. If you look too serious then you would be admitted right away. The swine flu testing normally goes for about 24-48 hours. If found positive then they would check for H1 and Swine A virus. You will be given tablet for 5 days and in one day you would need to take two tablets. The persons who have been interacting with you would be called for and checked. The problem with the virus is that before you know that you are infected it gets transferred to the other person, this makes it a lot more dangerous.

If you have a mild infection you can stay at home or get yourself admitted to the hospital, make sure that you are isolated if you prefer to stay at home make sure that you and the person who is with you for help has worn the three layer mask and be in a room only. Stay away from guest children, pregnant woman, people who have heart attack and other high risk people.If you get a note about distress with your respiration or your nails are turning blue report back to hospital. Normally after seven days you would be declared fit and discharged with no symptoms.

Wonders Of World

2010-09-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

Seven Wonder's in Modern Era

1.Great Wall of China

This newly elected world wonder was built along China's northern border over many centuries to keep out invading Mongol tribes. Constructed between the fifth century B.C. and the 16th century, the Great Wall is the world's longest human-made structure, stretching some 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers). The best known section was built around 200 B.C. by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang Di.

2. Petra, Jordan

Perched on the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to A.D. 40). Petra is famous for its many stone structures such as a 138-foot-tall (42-meter-tall) temple carved with classical facades into rose-colored rock. The ancient city also included tunnels, water chambers, and an amphitheater, which held 4,000 people. The desert site wasn't known to the West until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt came across it in 1812.

3. Christ the Redeemer

The 105-foot-tall (38-meter-tall) 'Christ the Redeemer' statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was among the "new seven wonders of the world" announced July 7, 2007 following a global poll to decide a new list of human-made marvels. The winners were voted for by Internet and phone, American Idol style. The other six new wonders are the Colosseum in Rome, India's Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, Jordan's ancient city of Petra, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, and the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza in Mexico.

4.Machu Picchu, Peru

One of three successful candidates from Latin America, Machu Picchu is a 15th-century mountain settlement in the Amazon region of Peru. The ruined city is among the best known remnants of the Inca civilization, which flourished in the Andes region of western South America. The city is thought to have been abandoned following an outbreak of deadly smallpox, a disease introduced in the 1500s by invading Spanish forces

5.Chichen Itza, Mexico

Chichen Itza is possibly the most famous temple city of the Mayas, a pre-Columbian civilization that lived in present day Central America. It was the political and religious center of Maya civilization during the period from A.D. 750 to 1200. At the city's heart lies the Temple of Kukulkan (pictured)-which rises to a height of 79 feet (24 meters). Each of its four sides has 91 steps-one step for each day of the year, with the 365th day represented by the platform on the top.

6. The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

The only finalist from Europe to make it into the top seven—the Colosseum in Rome, Italy-once held up to 50,000 spectators who came to watch gory games involving gladiators, wild animals, and prisoners. Construction began around A.D. 70 under Emperor Vespasian. Modern sports stadiums still resemble the Colosseum's famous design.

7. Taj Mahal, India

The Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, is the spectacular mausoleum built by Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to honor the memory of his beloved late wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction began in 1632 and took about 15 years to complete. The opulent, domed mausoleum, which stands in formal walled gardens, is generally regarded as finest example of Mughal art and architecture. It includes four minarets, each more than 13 stories tall. Shah Jahan was deposed and put under house arrest by one of his sons soon after the Taj Mahal's completion. It's said that he spent the rest of his days gazing at the Taj Mahal from a window

Seven Wonder's in Medieval Era

1.Leaning Tower of Pisa

This is the monument that, among the others of the "Piazza dei Miracoli", stirs the imagination of everybody, from the old to the young. Firstly we like to give you some information and events regarding its long history. The construction of this imposing mass was started in the year 1174 by Bonanno Pisano. When the tower had reached its third storey the works ceased because it had started sinking into the ground. The tower remained thus for 90 years. It was completed by Giovanni di Simone, Tommano Simone (son of Andreo Pisano), crowned the tower with the belfry at half of 14th century. The top of the Leaning Tower can be reached by mounting the 294 steps which rise in the form of a spiral on the inner side of the tower walls.

2.Hagia Sophia

Unfortunately nothing remains of the original Hagia Sophia, which was built on this site in the fourth century by Constantine the Great. Constantine was the first Christian emperor and the founder of the city of Constantinople, which he called "the New Rome." The Hagia Sophia was one of several great churches he built in important cities throughout his empire. Following the destruction of Constantine's church, a second was built by his son Constantius and the emperor Theodosius the Great. This second church was burned down during the Nika riots of 532, though fragments of it have been excavated and can be seen today. Hagia Sophia was rebuilt in her present form between 532 and 537 under the personal supervision of Emperor Justinian I. It is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture, rich with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings.

3. Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, China

The Porcelain Tower is in Nanjing, China, out on the banks of the Yangtze River. The Chinese people called it the Boa’ensi or the “Temple of Gratitude”. The base shape is octagonical. The base is about 95 feet in diameter; the tower itself is about 9 stories tall, which is about 250 feet high. When the tower was being built it was planned to be 13 stories tall and a total height of 330 feet. Every block in the tower was dried out in the blazing sun during the day and in the night there was 140 lamps to dry them out. The bricks were made of brilliant white porcelain that would shine in sunlight. As the stories went up it narrowed because if they were all the same size it would collapse on top of everything. A large spire came from the eighth story all the way up to the roof. The spiral staircase went up 130 steps. In 1801 a bolt of lightning struck and knocked of the top three stories. Soon after that the Taiping Rebels gained control of the city and destroyed the
4. Great Wall of China

This newly elected world wonder was built along China's northern border over many centuries to keep out invading Mongol tribes. Constructed between the fifth century B.C. and the 16th century, the Great Wall is the world's longest human-made structure, stretching some 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers). The best known section was built around 200 B.C. by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang Di.

5. Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa

The Catacombs (meaning underground tunnels) lie in the district of Karmouz to the east of Alexandria. The area was called Kom El-Shouqafa or a pile of shards. The cemetery dates back to the 1st century A.D and was used until the 4th century A.D. It was discovered in 1900 when by pure chance, a donkey drawn cart fell into a pit, which led to the discovery. The Catacombs in Alexandria are so called because the design was very similar to the Christian Catacombs in Rome. Most likely it was a private tomb, later converted to a public cemetery. It consists of 3 levels cut into the rock, a staircase, a rotunda, the triclinium or banquette hall, a vestibule, an antechamber and the burial chamber with three recesses in it; in each recess there is a sarcophagus. The Catacombs also contain a large number of Luculi or grooves cut in the rock.

6.The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

The only finalist from Europe to make it into the top seven—the Colosseum in Rome, Italy-once held up to 50,000 spectators who came to watch gory games involving gladiators, wild animals, and prisoners. Construction began around A.D. 70 under Emperor Vespasian. Modern sports stadiums still resemble the Colosseum's famous design.

7.Stonehenge [United Kingdom]

Stonehenge is a megalithic rock monument of 150 enormous stones set in a purposeful circular pattern, located on the Salisbury Plain of southern England, the main portion of it built about 2000 BC. The outside circle of Stonehenge includes 17 enormous upright trimmed stones of hard sandstone called sarsen; some paired with a lintel over the top. This circle is about 30 meters (100 feet) in diameter, and, stands about 5 meters (16 feet) tall. Inside the circle are five more paired-and-linteled stones of sarsen, called trilithons, each of these weighing 50-60 tons and the tallest 7 meters (23 feet) high. Inside that, a few smaller stones of bluestone, quarried 200 kilometers away in the Preseli Mountains of western Wales, are set in two horseshoe patterns. Finally, one large block of Welsh sandstone marks the center of the monument.

Seven Wonder's in Ancient Era
The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
The Egyptian pharaoh Khufu built the Great Pyramid in about 2560 B.C. to serve as his tomb. The pyramid is the oldest structure on the original list of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was compiled by Greek scholars about 2,200 years ago. It is also the only remaining survivor from the original list. The Great Pyramid is the largest of three Pyramids at Giza, bordering modern-day Cairo. Although weathering has caused the structure to stand a few feet shorter today, the pyramid was about 480 feet (145 meters) high when it was first built. It is thought to have been the planet's tallest human-made structure for more than four millennia

2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The hanging gardens are said to have stood on the banks of the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq, although there's some doubt as to whether they ever really existed. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II supposedly created the terraced gardens around 600 B.C. at his royal palace in the Mesopotamian desert. It is said the gardens were made to please the king's wife, who missed the lush greenery of her homeland in the Medes, in what is now northern Iran. Archaeologists have yet to agree on the likely site of the hanging gardens, but findings in the region that could be its remains include the foundations of a palace and a nearby vaulted building with an irrigation well. The most detailed descriptions of the gardens come from Greek historians. There is no mention of them in ancient Babylonian records.

3.Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The massive gold statue of the king of the Greek gods was built in honor of the original Olympic games, which began in the ancient city of Olympia. The statue, completed by the classical sculptor Phidias around 432 B.C., sat on a jewel-encrusted wooden throne inside a temple overlooking the city. The 40-foot-tall (12-meter-tall) figure held a scepter in one hand and a small statue of the goddess of victory, Nike, in the other—both made from ivory and precious metals. The temple was closed when the Olympics were banned as a pagan practice in A.D. 391, after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The statue was eventually destroyed, although historians debate whether it perished with the temple or was moved to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in Turkey and burned in a fire.

4.The Temple of Artemis, Turkey

The great marble temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis was completed around 550 B.C. at Ephesus, near the modern-day town of Selçuk in Turkey. In addition to its 120 columns, each standing 60 feet (20 meters) high, the temple was said to have held many exquisite artworks, including bronze statues of the Amazons, a mythical race of female warriors. A man named Herostratus reportedly burned down the temple in 356 B.C. in an attempt to immortalize his name. After being restored, the temple was destroyed by the Goths in A.D. 262 and again by the Christians in A.D. 401 on the orders of Saint John Chrysostom, then archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul).

5.The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Turkey

The famous tomb at Halicarnassus-now the city of Bodrum-was built between 370 and 350 B.C. for King Mausolus of Caria, a region in the southwest of modern Turkey. Legend says that the king's grieving wife Artemisia II had the tomb constructed as a memorial to their love. Mausolus was a satrap, or governor, in the Persian Empire, and his fabled tomb is the source of the word "mausoleum." The structure measured 120 feet (40 meters) long and 140 feet (45 meters) tall. The tomb was most admired for its architectural beauty and splendor. The central burial chamber was decorated in gold, while the exterior was adorned with ornate stone friezes and sculptures created by four Greek artists. The mausoleum stood intact until the early 15th century, when Christian Crusaders dismantled it for building material for a new castle. Some of the sculptures and frieze sections survived and can be seen today at the British Museum in London, England.

6. The Colossus of Rhodes, Greece

In contrast to the pyramids, the colossus was the shortest lived of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Completed in 282 B.C. after taking 12 years to build, the Colossus of Rhodes was felled by an earthquake that snapped the statue off at the knees a mere 56 years later. The towering figure-made of stone and iron with an outer skin of bronze—represented the Greek sun god Helios, the island's patron god. It looked out from Mandraki Harbor on the Mediterranean island of Rodos (Rhodes), although it is no longer believed to have straddled the harbor entrance as often shown in illustrations. The Colossus stood about 110 feet (33 meters) tall, making it the tallest known statue of the ancient world. It was erected to celebrate the unification of the island's three city-states, which successfully resisted a long siege by the Antigonids of Macedonia
7. The Lighthouse of Alexandra, Egypt

The lighthouse was the only ancient wonder that had a practical use, serving as a beacon for ships in the dangerous waters off the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, now called El Iskandariya. Constructed on the small island of Pharos between 285 and 247 B.C., the building was the world's tallest for many centuries. Its estimated height was 384 feet (117 meters) -equivalent to a modern 40-story building-though some people believe it was significantly taller. The lighthouse was operated using fire at night and polished bronze mirrors that reflected the sun during the day. It's said the light could be seen for more than 35 miles (50 kilometers) out to sea. The huge structure towered over the Mediterranean coast for more than 1,500 years before being seriously damaged by earthquakes in A.D. 1303 and 1323.

Festival Recipes

2010-09-25T07:19:00.001-07:00

Festival Recipes

PONGAL FESTIVAL

Pongal is a harvest festival - the Tamil equivalent of Thanksgiving. In an agriculture based civilization the harvest plays an important part. The farmer cultivating his land depends on cattle, timely rain and the Sun. Once a year, he expresses his gratitude to these during the harvest festival. With the end of the wet month of Margazhi (mid December to mid January) the new Tamil month of Thai heralds a series of festivals. The first day of this month is a festival day known as "Pongal Day". Pongal means the "boiling over" of milk and rice duringthemonthofThai.

According to the calendar based on the solar system the year is divided into two halves following the apparent movement of the Sun northwards and Southwards. The farmer is termed Uttarayanam and the latter is Dakshinayanam. On the first day of the Thai, the Sun leaves the zodiac sign of Sagittarius and enters that of capricorn, the latter is known as Makaram. The event thus is celebrated as Pongal.

The four day celebration of Pongal Marks a period of plenty, peace and happiness. There is a Tamil saying that"Thai peranthal Vali Perakum". That paraphrased means with the dawn of the month of Thai, there will be peace, happiness, prosperity, brightness and harmony in the life of everyone. It is held to honor the Sun, for a bountiful harvest. Families gather to rejoice and share their joy and their harvests with others. The Sun is offered a "Pongal" of rice and milk.

Preparations for this festival start early and the first thing that is always found in Hindu homes before the start of Pongal is the 'kolam'. This is a form of decoration for the Hindus' homes. This decorative pattern is made with rice flour & is usually drawn on the floor outside the door. The kolams serve as a symbol of welcoming guests to the entrance of the house. At the center of the Kolam is a lump of cow-dung, which holds a five-petaled pumpkin flower-a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding deity.

The houses are cleaned and decorated to prepare for Pongal. For the festival, the Hindus buy new clothes and the ladies of the households would prepare sweetmeats. There is also a belief in the Hindus that the harvest festival will bring great wealth and goodness to their homes. All the four days of Pongal have their own significance as separate deities are worshiped each day.

The first day is celebrated as the Bhogi Pongal and is usually meant for domestic activities and of being together with the family members. This first day is celebrated in honor of Lord Indra, the supreme ruler of clouds that give rains. The second day is known as 'Pongal' the most important day of the entire festival, where prayers are offered to the Sun. On this day, the Sun is given great importance and hence the day is called Surya Pongal.

The third day is known as Mattu Pongal, the day of Pongal for cows. The cattle are washed, their horns are painted and covered with shining metal caps. Kanu Pongal, which falls on the same day as Maatu Pongal, is celebrated by sisters for the welfare of their brothers. This festival is reminiscent of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj of North India

Pongal Recipes:

Venn Pongal

Ingredients
» Rice 1 Cup
» Moong Dal 1/4 Cup
» Black Pepper Powder to taste
» Zera Powder 1 Tbsp
» Ginger Paste 1 Tsp
» Dry Dinger (Sukku) 1 Tbsp
» Heeng 1 Tsp
» Cashew for garnishing
» Margaring/Ghee 2 Tbsp
» Water 6 Cups
» Salt to taste

Method
1. Wash rice and dal together and drain nicely.
2. In the Rice cooker heat 1 tbsp ghee.
3. Add rice and dal. Fry till the ghee coats the mixture.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, except Cashews.
5. Add water. Cover and cook.
6. Keep testing the water level and stir frequently as it has a tendency to stick to the bottom.
7. When rice gets fully mashed garnish with cashews.

Sakkarai Pongal

Ingredients
» 2 litres Milk
» 1 1/2 cups Newly harvested Rice
» 1/4 cup Moong Dal
» 15 no. Cashewnuts
» 10 no. Almonds
» 30 no. Kishmis
» 1/4 level teaspoon Nutrieg Powder
» 1 1/2 cup Jaggery (grated)
» 1/4 teaspoon Saffron (crushed)
» 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
» 2 tablespoons ghee

Method
1. Chop almonds and cashewnuts.
2. Clean kishmis.
3. Pour milk in the earthen pot called 'Pongapani' and place it on fire.
4. When the milk starts boiling add rice and dal, after washing. As soon as the rice and dal are cooked to softness, add jaggery and ghee.
5. Let cook on medium fire for some time and then put in almond and cashewnut bits, saffron, nutrieg and cardamom powders.
6. Now, add the kishmis.
7. Bring to one or two good boils.

Milk Payasam

Ingredients
» 1 litre of Milk.
» 1/4 cup of raw Rice.
» 1 cup Sugar.
» 1/2 tsp powdered Cardomom.
» Some Cashewnuts.
» & Ghee.

Method
Heat one litre of milk and when it boils and starts to rise add raw rice.Keep in low heat with constant stirring until the quantity reduces to one-half.Then add sugar and powdered cardomom.Roast cashewnuts and raisins in ghee and add it to the payasam.

Ulundhu Vadai

Ingredients:
Ulundhu(Urdhal) - 1 Cup
Green Chilli - 2
Ginger - 1 teaspoon
Salt - To Taste
Rice - 2 teaspoon
Oil - for Frying
Onion - 1 full size finely chopped (optional only. Brahmins dont add onion for neyvedhyam)

Curry leaves - few

Method:

Soak the Ulundhu(Urdhal) and rice in water for 45 mins
Strain it and grind it along with green chilli, ginger and salt in a grinder without adding water. Grind it till the urdhal is smooth without any bumps
Sprinkle water only if necessary
Take it from grinder after the urdhal is ground properly
Add the finely chopped onion, ginger,curry leaves and mix well
Now Heat the oil in pan and once the oil is hot, add a little amount of flour to check for the readiness of oil. If the flour comes up right way, then the oil is ready
In a banana leaf or small plastic cover, add little amount of urdhal flour and make small hole in the middle and spread the flour and then take it from leaf using water and add it to the pan
Add 4-5 urdhal flour and add it to oil. Slowly change the vadai to other side to cook properly in both sides
Once the vadai becomes golden brown color, remove from flame

The yummy Urdhal vadai(Medhuvadai) is ready to server

Thiruvathirai (Aruthra Tharisanam)

rudra Darisanam, a festival dedicated to Lord Nataraja, is major event in the Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. This festival is observed during the full moon night in the Tamil month of Margazhi (December).

This is a grand festival in which abhisheks are offered to Lord Nataraja and Sivakami, his consort. The rituals are held in the pre-dawn hours, when the moon is still shining brightly. Various ceremonies are held amid the holy chants in Sanskrit and Tamil. A grand procession is later taken through the streets.

Thiruvathira festival is also celebrated in Kerala, but for a different reason. It is more of a women festival in Kerala with women emulating Goddes parvati, who tries to get Shiva as her husband.

Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 2 cups or ground rice powder - 1 Cup
Grated Jaggery - 2 Cups

Water - 3 Cups
Moong Dhal - 2 table spoon
Cardamom - 6
Grated Cocunut - 4 table spoon
Cashew nuts - 6
Ghee - 2 tablespoon
Salt - A Pinch

Put the Raw rice in a Kadaai and fry it until the rice becomes light red color.

Grind the Raw Rice in a mixer and the rice powder should be like Rawa. Take the contents in a bowl.
Put the moongdhal in the kadaai and fry it till it becomes light red color and pour some water to cook the dhal.

Once the dhal is almost cooked, pour the water, jaggery and a pinch of saltWhen the jaggery mixture begins to boil, add the powdered rice and stir well to avoid bumps.

Powder the cardamon and add it along with the grated cocunut.
Fry the cashews in the ghee and add to the kali. Add the remaining ghee to the kali and stir it one.
Delicious Kali is ready for Thiruvadhirai.

Vinyakar Chathurti Recipes

Thiruvadurai Kali

PAAL KOLLUKATTAI

Rice flour- 2cups Sugar-1 cup( It can be reduced to 3/4 cup if one wants to reduce the sweet) Milk-3 cups( I use HALF & HALF, it can be substituted with whole milk) Water-1cup Grated coconut-1/2cup

Make a soft dough of the rice flour, grated coconut along with 1/4 cup sugar and required amount of water.Shape them out to round kollukattai's Bring the milk to boil along with water and remaining sugar.When the milk starts boiling well add the kollukattais one by one take care not to break them.Keep them in low flame till the kollukattais are cooked

1.Uluthamparuppu poorana kozhukattai is a special tasty dish and one of the neyivedhyam on Vinayaka Chaturti Festival.
Urdhal - 1/2 Cup Green Chilli – 4 Rice Flour - 1 Cup Oil - 2 tablespoon
Salt - To Taste Curry Leaves – Few Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Soak the urdhal in water for 30 mins and after that take the urdhal from water.Add green chilli and salt and grid the urdhal in a mixer one or twiceAdd chopped curry leaves in the urdhal mixture and cook it in idly plate in a pressure cooker for 10minsTake the cooked urdhal mixture from the pressure cooker and make sure the mixture is not solidHeat the pan and add mustard seeds and once the mustard starts to sputter add urdhal mixture and mix it well and keep it asideTake a pan and add 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil , add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with plateTake the rice flour mixture after some time and sprinke some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a doughTake some oil in a bowl and take little oil in a hand and then take little amount of rice flour and using the oil make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the urdhal pooranam and close the flour and keep it asideSteam cook the urdhal poorna kozhukattai in pressure cooker by placing it in a idli plate for 5 minsThe delicious urdhal poorana kozhukattai is ready for neivedhyam as well as for serving

Seesame Seeds Poorana Kozhukattai(Yellu Poorana Kozhukattai)

Black Sesame seeds - 1 Cup Chopped Cocunut - 2 tablespoon Grated Jaggery - 1/2 Cup
Ghee - 1 tablespoon Cashewnuts – few Cardamom Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Rice Flour - 1 Cup Oil - 2 tablespoon
Soak the black sesame seeds in water for 10 mins and then take it out and fry the sesame seeds in a pan and when it starts to sputter remove it from flame and then keep it asideGrind the sesame seeds in themixer and again add the jaggery and grid it for a while and then take the mixtureFry the cashew in the ghee and then add it in the sesame mixture. To this add cardamom powderMake small balls out of this mixture and keep it in a plateTake a pan and add 1/2 cup water ,1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil, add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with a plateTake the rice flour mixture and add sprinkle some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a dough.Take some oil in a bowl and take little oil in hand and then take little rice flour ball and make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the sesame seeds poorana ball and then close the flour and keep it aside. Repeat the same for rest of the flour and pooranaSteam cook all these kozhukattai in a Idli plate in the cooker for 5 minsThe mouth-watering sesame seeds poorana kozhukkati is ready for Neivedhyam on the auspicious occassion of Vinayaka Chaturti and then server it hot.

2.Kadalai Paruppu Purana Kozhukattai(Channa dhal Poorana Kozhukattai)

Channa dhal - 1/2 Cup Grated Cocunut - 3 tablespoon Grated Jaggery - 3/4 Cup
Ghee - 1 tablespoon Cashewnuts – few Cardamom Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Rice Flour - 1 Cup Oil - 2 tablespoon

Take a pan and add 1/2 cup water ,1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil, add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with a plateAdd the channa dhal in the pan and fry for sometimeCook the above fried channa dhal in the pressure cooker and allow it to cook for 3 whistles.Strain the excess water from the cooked channa dhal and then grid it lightly in a mixerAdd grated jaggery in a pan and some water to dissolve the jaggery and once the jaggery juice starts thicker then add the grated cocunut and grinded channa dhal powder and mix it well and then take it from flameFry the cashew in the ghee and then add it in the channa dhal mixture. To this add cardamom powderTake the rice flour mixture and add sprinkle some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a dough.Take some oil in a bowl and take little oil in hand and then take little rice flour ball and make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the channa dhal poorana ball and then close the flour and keep it aside. Repeat the same for rest of the flour and pooranaSteam cook all these kozhukattai in a Idli plate in the cooker for 5 mins

3.Green Gram Kozhukattai(Pachhai Payiru Kozhukattai)

Green Gram - 1/2 Cup Grated Cocunut - 3 tablespoon Grated Jaggery - 3/4 Cup
Ghee - 1 tablespoon Cashewnuts – few Cardamom Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Rice Flour - 1 Cup Oil - 2 tablespoon
Take a pan and add 1/2 cup water ,1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil, add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with a plateAdd the green gram in the pan and fry for sometimeCook the above fried gram in the pressure cooker and allow it to cook for 3 whistles.Strain the excess water from the cooked green gram and then grid it lightly in a mixerAdd grated jaggery in a pan and some water to dissolve the jaggery and once the jaggery juice starts thicker then add the grated cocunut and grinded green gram powder and mix it well and then take it from flameFry the cashew in the ghee and then add it in the green gram mixture. To this add cardamom powder.Take the rice flour mixture and add sprinkle some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a dough.Take some oil in a bowl and take little oil in hand and then take little rice flour ball and make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the pachai payiru poorana ball and then close the flour and keep it aside. Repeat the same for rest of the flour and poorana Steam cook all these kozhukattai in a Idli plate in the cooker for 5 min

4.THENGAI PURANAM KOZHUKATTAI

Grated Cocunut - 1 Cups Grated Jaggery - 1/2 Cup Cardamom Poweder - 1/4 teaspoon
Rice Flour - 1 Cup Oil - 2 tablespoon
Take a pan and add 1/2 cup water ,1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil, add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with a plateAdd grated jaggery to the pan and add some water to make stir it wellWhen the jaggery juice reaches 1 string consistency, add the grated cocunut and mix it wellAdd cardamom powder to jaggery mixture and mix it well and take it from the flame and then make small balls of the purna and keep it asideTake the flour mixture and add sprinkle some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a dough.Take some oil in a bowl and take little oil in hand and then take little rice flour ball and make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the poorana ball and then close the flour and keep it aside. Repeat the same for rest of the flour and pooranaSteam cook all these kozhukattai in a Idli plate in the cooker for 5 minsThe yummy Thengai poorana kozhukkati is ready for Neivedhyam on the auspicious occassion of Vinayaka Chaturti and then server it hot

5. AMMINI KOZHUKATTAI
Raw Rice (Pacharisi) - 1 cup Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp Asafoetida - a pinch
Gingelly Oil (Nalennai) - 2 tbsp Curry Leaves – few Salt, to taste
Soak Rice for atleast 30 minutes. Drain and grind to a smooth paste adding required water. Add salt to taste and ensure that the batter is a bit watery. Heat about 1.5 tbsp of the oil in a pan on medium heat (i used a non-stick pan). Pour the batter and keep stirring continuously until it becomes thick. This only takes a few minutes. When it is dry enough, remove from the stove and let cool slightly before lightly kneading it. Grease your palms lightly and make small, smooth balls (abt 1 cm in diameter). Put these in a greased idli pan and steam for 10 minutes (just like you would an idli). They will get a nice sheen once cooked Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan, season with mustard seeds, urad dhal, asafoetida, curry leaves. Add the chilli powder and immediately add the kozhukattai. Fry this for a few minutes, add grated coconut and switch off the stove. Yummy kozhukattais are now ready to be eaten up as a tea-time snack.

RAW RICE ILDLI

Parboiled Rice - 4 cups Urdhal - 1 Cup Salt - To taste

Soak the rice and urdhal separately in water for 2 hour Grind the urdhal first in grinder by adding water little by little and grind it atleast for 20 minsThen take the urdhal batter in a separate vessel and add the drained rice to the grinder and grind it till it comes to a soft batterFinally mix the both batters and add the salt and keep it separately for atleast 12 hours for the batter to undergo fermentationIdly batter is ready

PARUPPU PAYASAM

Grated Cocunut - 1 CupMoong dhal - 3 tablespoon Raw Rice - 5 tablespoon
Jaggery - 1/2 Cup Cardamom – 4 Ghee - 1 teaspoon

Dry fry the moongdhal till it becomes red colourMix the fried moong dhal and rice and rinse it and add required water and pressure cook itTake the cooked rice and dhal and put it in a heavy bottomed pan and add jaggery with little water.Let the jaggery boils well till its raw smell goes off.Grind the grated cocunut with 1/4 cup of water and squeeze the milk from it and keep it asideAgain add 1/4 cup of water to cocunut and grind it and squeeze the milk from it and keep i asideWhen the rawsmell of jaggery goes away, add the last ground(2nd time) cocunut milk to the rice mixture and let it boil for a minute. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the first ground cocunut milk and switch off the flame.

KONDAI KADALAI SUNDAL

Chole - 1 Cup Salt - To Taste Red Chilli – 2 Gratede Cocunut - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves – few Hing - a pinch
For Seasoning:Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon: Soak the Chole in water overnight The next day pressure cook the chole and allow for 3 whishtles Heat the pan, pour some oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add hing, curry leaves, broken red chilli and then add the cooked chole and salt and mix it well Finally add the grated cocunut and mix it well

RICE APPAM

Rice - 1 cup (Pacha arasi) Grated Jaggery - 3/4 cup Fenugreek Seeds/Vendhayam - 1/4 teaspoonUrad dal - 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom (powdered)- 1/2 teaspon

Pidi Kozhukattai

Raw Rice - 1 Cup Grated Jaggery - 1 Cup Moong Dhal - 2 teaspoon
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon Grated Cocunut - 5 teaspoon
Soak the rice in water for 30mins and then take it out from water and grid it to a nice powder in a mixerHeat the pan and fry the rice flour till it becomes red color and keep it asideDry fry the moong dhal in pan till it gives a good aroma Add water to cook the dhal and allow it to cook for 5 minsAfter 5 mins add 2 cups of water and add grated jaggery and stir it well till the jaggery dissolves in waterNow add the roasted rice flour and mix it evenly. At last add cardamom powder, grated coconut and mix it well Allow the mixture to cool and then make small balls out of the mixture and steam cook the balls by placing it in a idli plate and keep it in pressure cooker for 5 mins

Krishna Jeyanthi

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups
Grated Jaggery - 1.5 Cups
Sesame Seeds - 1 handfull
Grated Cocunut - 5 tablespoon
Cardamom - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:

Soak the rice and rinse it in water and then spread the rice in a towel till it becomes dry
Soak the sesame seeds in water for 30mins
Now grind the rice in a mixer to a nice powder
Add jaggery in a pan with 1/2 cup of water and when it dissolves it water take it and strain the jaggery water to avoid sand
Again boil the jaggery water along with cocunut and sesame seeds and keep stirring it until the jaggery comes to one string consistency
Now remove the jaggery from water and add that to the wet rice powder and mix it well along with cardamom powder.

Keep this mixture aside for atleast one day

The next day, heat required oil in a heavy bottomed pan

Make small balls of the vella seedai mixture and drop around 5-6 balls once the oil is hot.

Deep fry the seedai till it becomes golden color.

Thenkuzhal Recipe:

Rice Flour 2 Cups Urdhal 2 Teaspoon Salt To Taste

Cumin Seeds 1 Teaspoon Hing A Pinch

Oil For Frying Butter 1/2 cup

Accessories Required: Thenkuzhal Press Thenkuzhal ould

Method:

Grind the cumin seeds in a mixer to a nice powder

Dry fry the urdhal in a pan and grind it in a mixer to a nice powder.

Mix the rice flour, urdhal powder, cumin seeds powder, salt, butter and hing in a vessel

Add water and make the flour into a chapati like dough

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, and when the oil is hot add a little piece of dough to check for the hotness. When the dough raises immediately then the oil is ready for frying

Put 1 hand full of dough in a press, and close the press with Thenkuzhal mould. Squeeze the dough to a big circle.Deep fry the Thenkuzhal in low flame till it is crisp and turns golden brown color.Take it out and place it in a oil strainer with a paper towel to remove excess oil and allow it to cool.Store it in a air tight container and serve.The delicious Thenkuzhal is ready to serve.

Thattai :

Rice Flour 2 Cup Fried Gram(Odachakadalai) Flour 1/2 Cup

Red Chilli Powder 1 teaspoon Hing 1/4 teaspoon

Salt To Taste Coconut sliced pieces 2 teaspoon

Fried Gram(Odachakadalai) 2 teaspoon Curry Leaves few

Oil For Frying Butter 1 table spoon

Method:Take a pan, add rice flour, fried gram flour, salt, red chilli powder, hing, sliced coconut pieces, curry leaves, fried gram, butter and mix it well. Sprinkle water and mix all these ingredients to make it a thick dough.Take a piece of plastic paper, spread oil in the paper, make small ball of the flour, and keep it in paper.Grease the fingers with oil and press the ball to flatten it.Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan.Slowly turn the plastic paper over your palm. The greased plastic will enable flattened thattai to slip on your hands easilyTurn them to cook evenly until golden yellow/ deep brownDrop them on a paper towel to drain excess oilOnce cooled, store them in an air tight container.

Uppu Seedai:

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 Cups
Grated Coconut - 2 cups
Salt - To Taste
Urdhal Powder - 1 teaspoon

Method:

Soak the rice in water and rinse it and spread it in a towel for sometime. The rice should be light wet to grind it in a mixer
Grind the rice in a mixer and strain it twice and take it aside
Along with this add urdhal powder, grated coconut and salt and mix it well
Now with the hand pressure make small balls of mixture and keep it aside in a plate
Heat the oil in the pan, and once the oil is hot, add 8-10 balls at a time and deep fry it till it becomes golden color.
Now the delicious coconut seedai is ready for neivedhyam and for serving

APPAM

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup (Pacha arasi)
Grated Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Fenugreek Seeds/Vendhayam - 1/4 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1/4 teaspoon
Cardamom (powdered)- 1/2 teaspon

Method:

Heat the pan (thick bottom pan) and fry the rice till the color of the rice change to light brownAdd the fenugreek seeds and urad dal with the rice and soak them in the water for 30 minsAfter 30 mins rinse the water and grind the rice,fenugreek seeds,urad dal mixture to the fine paste. Dont add water during grinding.Add the Jagari now with the grinded rice and grind it again till the consistency of the batter look like a dosa batter
Add the cardamom powder to the mixtureHeat the oil in the thik bottom pan (ennai chatti). Once the oil gets heat then pour one ladle (small kuzhi karandi) of appam batter and deep fry it. Keep the flame in medium..

Karadayan Nombu:

Karadayan Nonbu or Savitri Vratham is a traditional tamilnadu festival of fasting wherein married women will pray for the wellness and long life of their husbands. This nonbu should be done exactly in the time when tamil month 'Masi' ends and the next month 'Panguni' starts. The reason why this fasting is carried out is that "Savithri fought with yema to save her husbands life", the sameway the married women should fast on this auspicious day for long life of their husbands.
Recipes:Adai:

Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 2 Cups Karamani - 1 tablespoon
Jaggery powder - 1 Cup Finely Sliced cocunut - 1 Cup
Cardamom - a pinchWater - 11/2 CupsGhee - 1 tablespoon
Salt - a pinch
Method:

Soak the raw rice in water for 30 mins and then drain it and grind it in mixer to a nice powder.

In a pan, dry fry the wet rice powder for a while till the flour changes its color to red and keep it aside

In the same pan, dry fry the karamani till the raw smell goes off and pour some water to cook the karamani. When the karamani is cooked add the water

Then add the jaggery powder and stir it well so that it gets dissolved in water

Add a pinch of salt and when the jaggery water starts to boil add the rice flour and stir it properly to avoid lumps. Add finely chopped/sliced cocunut, ghee and cardamom powder and then stir it well till the flour is half-cooked and tightens. Switch off the flame

Now make small balls out from the flour and press it in center to make it like a vadai and put a small hole and place the patties in the idly plates and cook it for 5mins in pressure cooker

Varalakshmi Viradham:

Varalakshmi Pooja is an important pooja performed by many women in the states of Andra and Tamilnadu. This year Varalakshmi Viratham is on August 20, 2010.

Varalakshmi Pooja is celebrated on the friday, before the full moon day, in the Tamil Month Sravana (July-August). Varalakshmi is yet another form of Lord Vishnu’s consort, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Varalakshmi is believed to be the one who grants boons (Varam).
Varalakshmi Pooja can be performed any woman with no restriction of caste or creed. The legend of Varalakshmi Vratham is that Goddess Varalakshmi appeared in a woman devotee named Charumathi’s dream and expressed her satisfaction in the woman’s devotion towards the Goddess.

During this auspicious day, married women gets up early in the morning,take oil bath and start preparing neivedhyam for the pooja and decorate the kalasam.Every women who has the ritual to perform this viratham will have the Varalakshmi face(Amman mugham) in Silver.

Decorating Varalakshmi AmmanIn a thambalam(Plate), plantain leaf(Vazhaiilai) is laid and over the leaf, put 1 cup of raw rice and spread it evenly. Keep a silver pot(Sombu) and decorate the sivler pot with sandal and kumkum. Take a coconut rub it with turmeric keep that Over the silver pot, on the top of the coconut, decorate with karugumani bangles and cover the silver pot with blouse piece. Now place the Varalakshmi face over the coconut and tie it tightly in the back of the coconut to avoid falling. Decorate the Amman Mugham with different colors of flowers and gold chains. Now decorate a small table with thoraman and maaviali(Mango tree leaf) and place the thamabalam inside the table.

Perform PoojaPooja is avaialable in the internet as well as we can get DVD's which can be played to perform the viratham. We can also call sastri(priest) who will perform this pooja at our home. Finally once the pooja is about to complete, keep all the food which we have prepared for the neivedhyam. At last, the elderly married women ties the nonbu kayiru in her right hand with the help of her husband and she will in turn ties other nonbu kayiru to kanya(unmarried) girls at home. Everyone after they tie the knot in their hand ,they will pray to Varalakshmi godess to seek her blessings.

Adiperukku is a unique South Indian and specially a Tamil state festival celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Adi (mid July). The festival coincides with the annual freshes of the rivers and to pay tribute to water's life-sustaining properties. It is celebrated near River basins, water tanks, lakes and wells etc of Tamilnadu when the water level in the rises significantly heralding the onset of Monsoon Aadiperukku, water ritual through religious practice: In India the rivers Ganges and Yamuna, Cauvery and Gothavari are considered sacred. Just like the earth gives us food, water is considered as a considered sacred. Just like the earth gives us food, water is considered as a sacred necessity to meet the needs of individuals. People began to worship water in the form of wells, tanks and rivers. It is common among people to throw fruits, saffron cloths, etc., when the rivers and lakes are in spate purely based on the belief that these rivers are the species of female deities. Similarly every temple has sacred wells and tanks, and water in these resources are considered pure. There are cultural developments of the society that highlight many variations on the theme of primeval water which shows that water culture and civilization represent human interest with sacredness. Aadiperukku, otherwise called Padinettam Perukku – is peculiar to the all the perennial river basins of Tamilnadu and major lakes/ water source areas and is intended to celebrate the water rising levels due to the onset of monsoon, which is expected to occur invariably on the 18th day of the solar month, Aadi corresponding to the 2nd or 3rd of August every year. Hence "Padinettam perukku" - Padinettu signifies eighteen, and Perukku denotes rising. This festival is observed predominately by women in Tamil Nadu. The Aadiperukku, as a water-ritual, celebrated by women is said to honour Nature. In this auspicious day, Goddess Parvathi Devi is worshipped by offer of different rice dishes. Offerings of flowers, Akshata and rice offerings are done into sacred rivers like Cauveri. As per Purana, Parvathi devi meditated upon Lord Siva to see the divine vision and Lord Siva appeared as Shanka-Naraya swami. The avatar of Shri Bhooma devi also is believed to have taken place during this month.

Recipes

Coconut Rice.
Ingredients:
Grated Coconut - 1 Cup
Salt - To Taste
Cooked Rice - 1 Cup
Green chilli - 2
Curry Leaves - 1 teaspoon chopped

For Seasoning:
Cocunut oil - 2 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Moongdhal - 1 tablespoon
Hing - 1/2 teaspoon

Soak the Moondhal in water for atleast 10mins.

Chop finely the green chilles and curry leaves and keep it aside.

Pour 1 tablespoon oil in the pan and add the grated cocunut and fry until the cocunut turns into golden brown color and keep it aside.

Now pour the remaining cocunut oil in the pan. Take the moong dhal from water and add it to the pan and fry until it becomes golden brown and then add the chopped green chilles and curry leaves and fry for a while.

Add the cooked rice to the pan and mix it with the grated fried cocunut. Add salt to your taste and mix it thoroughly.

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:Lemon - 1
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Cooked Rice - 1 Cup
Green chilli - 2

For Seasoning:
Gingelly oil - 3 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Channadhal - 1 teaspoon
Hing - 1/2 teaspoon

Squeeze the lemon and extract the juice and add the salt and keep it aside

In a heavy bottomed pan, add the the gingelly oil and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begins to sputter add the channa dhal and hing and fry for a while till the dhal changes its color to red.

Now add the chopped green chilli and then add the turmeric powder.

To this add the cooked rice and stir the rice gently to avoid smashing of rice.

Finally add the lemon extract and gently stir the rice

Puliyothari Rice Recipe
Tamarind - 1 big lemon size
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - To Taste

For Grinding:
Urdhal - 2 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 2 teaspoon
Curryleaves - few
Fenugreek seeds/Vendhayam - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chillies - 15

For Seasoning:
Gingelly oil - 2 teaspoon
Channa dhal - 1 teaspoon
Peanut - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Hing - 1 teaspoon

Method:

Soak the tamarind in water and extract the juice and keep it aside
Heat the pan and dry fry the urdhal,fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and curry leaves and keep it aside
Again pour some oil in a pan and fry the red chillies and then grind it to powder along with the above fried ingredients
Now in the pan pour the gingelly oil and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard starts to sputter add the channa dhal, peanut and hing and fry until they change their color to red.
Now add the tamarind extract and add the salt.
Let the mixture boils till the raw smell of the tamarind goes off.
Now add the ground powder to the mixture and let its consistency becomes thick.
Finally add the grated jaggery and then switch off the flame

Curd Rice
Ingredients:Milk - 1 Cup
Curd - 1 tablespoon
Salt - To Taste
Grated Ginger - 1 teaspoon
Green Chilli - 1 teaspoon chopped
Curry leaves - few

Seasoning:Ghee - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Moongdhal - 1 teaspoon
Hing - 1/4 teaspoon

Method:

Pour the ghee in the pan and add the mustard seeds, once the mustard seeds begins to sputter add the moongdhal and fry till it becomes golden brown color.
Now add hing , chopped ginger and green chilli and fry for a while
To this add chopped curry leaves and fry for sometime.
Remove the pan from the flame. Now add cooked rice and pour the milk and curd and mix the rice thoroughly.
Add salt to tast

Sakkari Pongal:
Ingredients:Raw Rice - 1 cups
Moong dhal - 1/4 Cup
Jaggery - 1 Cup
Cashews - 5-6 numbers
Elachi - 1 number
Pachai Karpooram - A pinch (optional)
Dried Grapes - 4-5 numbers
Ghee - 4-5 tablespoon

Method:

Heat the dry pan/cooker and add a table spoon of Ghee. Roast the moongdhal in the ghee and add with the raw rice for rinsing.
Cook the raw rice along with the moongdhal in the pressure cooker by adding 1/2 up extra water than normal rice cooking and for 2 extra wistles in the cooker than normal. This will make the rice smashed. (you can add 2 cups of water and allow 4-5 wistles)
In the pan, pour little water and add the jaggery.
When the jaggery gets dissolved add the smashed cooked rice with dhal.
Stir the rice evenly to spread the jaggery by keeping the flame low.
Add the ghee slowly and keep on stirring the pongal for atleast 4-5 mins ( you can notice the pongal leaves the side of the vessel).
Finally add the fried cashews, powdered elachi, Karpooram powder and dried grapes.

Navarathri Special

Navratri also called as Dasara, meaning ‘ten days’, becomes dasara in popular parlance. The Navaratri festival or ‘nine day festival’ becomes ‘ten day festival’ with the addition of the last day, Vijayadashami which is its culmination. On all these ten days, the various forms of Mother Mahisasura-mardini (Durga) are worshipped with fervour and devotion

Recipes:

NAVARATHIRI SUNDALS

1. Kondakadalai Sundal (Chole Sundal) Chole - 1 Cup
Salt - To Taste Red Chilli – 2 Gratede Cocunut - 1 tablespoon Curry leaves - few
Hing - a pinch
For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Soak the Chole in water overnightThe next day pressure cook the chole and allow for 3 whishtlesHeat the pan, pour some oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add hing, curry leaves, broken red chilli and then add the cooked chole and salt and mix it wellFinally add the grated cocunut and mix it well

2.Karamani Sundal(Perum Payiru Sundal)

Karamani/Perum Payiru - 1 Cup Red Chilli – 1 Salt - To Taste Hing - a pinch
Grated Cocunut - 2 teaspoon
For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves - few

Pressure cook the Karamani/Perum Payiru with salt till it is soft. Allow for only 2-3 whistlesHeat the oil in pan, add mustard seeds, and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter add curry leaves and hing and fry for a while Now add the cooked Karamani/Perum Payiru and mix it wellFinally add grated cocunut and mix it well

3.PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) Sundal

PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) - 1 Cup Red Chilli – 1 Salt - to Taste Grated Cocunut - 1 teaspoon

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves - FewHing - A pinch

Heat the pan, and add the dhal and add water till the dhals are soaked and add salt and allow them to cook till the dhal becomes soft but not stickyTake the cooked dhals and keep it asideNow heat the oil in the pan, and add mustard seeds and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter add curry leaves and a pinch of hingTo this add the cooked PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) and mix it thoroughlyFinally add the grated cocunut and then mix it well

4.Pattani/Peas SundalIngredients:
Pattani/Peas Sundal- 1 Cup Salt - To Taste Red Chilli – 2 Grated Cocunut - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves – few Hing - a pinch

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Soak the Pattani/Peas Sundal in water overnigh The next day pressure cook the Pattani/Peas Sundal and allow for 3 whishtlesHeat the pan, pour some oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add hing, curry leaves, broken red chilli and then add the cooked Pattani/Peas Sundal and salt and mix it wellFinally add the grated cocunut and mix it well

5.Moong dhal Sundal(Payitham paruppu sundal) Ingredients:
Payitham Paruppu (Moong Dhal) - 1 Cup Green Chilli – 1 Salt - to Taste Grated Cocunut - 1 teaspoon

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves – Few Hing - A pinch

Heat the pan, and add the dhal and add water till the dhals are soaked and add salt and allow them to cook till the dhal becomes soft but not stickyTake the cooked dhals and keep it asideNow heat the oil in the pan, and add mustard seeds and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter add curry leaves and a pinch of hingTo this add the cooked Payitham Paruppu (Moong Dhal) and mix it thoroughlyFinally add the grated cocunut and then mix it well

6.Sweet PuttuRice - 2 cups Grated Jaggery - 1 Cups Grated Cocunut - 5 tablespoon
Cardamom - 1/2 teaspoon Cashews – few

Soak the rice in water for 30mins and rinse it in water and then spread the rice in a towel till it becomes dryNow grind the rice in a mixer to a nice powderHeat the pan and add the ground rice flour and fry it till the flour turns light brown colorHeat 1 cup of water along with pinch of turmeric powder and a pinch of salt and boil the water and allow it to coolAdd the water little by little in the fried rice flour and mix the flour so that the flour should be wet and not like a doughThen the flour should be strained in a strainer and should be placed in a white towel and steam cook it in a pressure cooker for 10 minsTake the cooked flour and with the help of a ladle broke the flour so that it becomes like Rawa/soojiIn a separate pan, add little ghee anD fry the cashews till it turns golden brown color and take it separately in a plateAdd the grated jaggery to the pan and add water and stir it well till the jaggery juice becomes thickerNow add cardamom powder and grated cocunut and remove from flameAdd the broken flour and mix it well with the jaggery juiceAdd the fried cashews and mix it well.

7.PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) Sweet SundalIngredients:
PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) - 1/2 Cup Cardamom powder - a pinch
Grated cocunut - 2 teaspoon Grated Jaggery - 1/4 cup Ghee - 2 teaspoon

Dry fry the PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) in a pan till its raw smell goes off and clean it in water and cook it by adding water to the panIf the cooked PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) have more water strain it and keep it asideHeat the pan and add grated jaggery and pour little water for the jaggery to dissolveWhen the jaggery dissolves, add the cooked PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) and mix it well till the mixture does not stick on to the panAdd ghee,cardamom powder and grated cocunut and mix it well

8.PACHAI PAYARU SPICY SUNDAL

PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) - 1 Cup Red Chilli – 1 Salt - to Taste Grated Cocunut - 1 teaspoon

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves – Few Hing - A pinch
Heat the pan, and add the dhal and add water till the dhals are soaked and add salt and allow them to cook till the dhal becomes soft but not stickyTake the cooked dhals and keep it asideNow heat the oil in the pan, and add mustard seeds and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter add curry leaves and a pinch of hingTo this add the cooked PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) and mix it thoroughlyFinally add the grated cocunut and then mix it well

9.SWEET SUNDAL Kadalai Paruppu(Channa dhal) - 1/4 Cup PachaiPayiru(Green Moong dhal) - 1/4 Cup
Karamani(Perum payiru) - 1/4 Cup Cardamom powder - a pinch Grated cocunut - 2 teaspoon
Grated Jaggery - 1/4 cup Ghee - 2 teaspoon
Dry fry the dhals in a pan and clean it in water and pressure cook it If the cooked dhals have more water strain it and keep it asideHeat the pan and add grated jaggery and pour little water for the jaggery to dissolveWhen the jaggery dissolves, add the cooked dhals and mix it well till the mixture does not stick on to the panAdd ghee,cardamom powder and grated cocunut and mix it well

10.KARAMANI SUNDAL

Karamani/Perum Payiru - 1 Cup Red Chilli – 1 Salt - To Taste
Hing - a pinch Grated Cocunut - 2 teaspoon

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves - few
Pressure cook the Karamani/Perum Payiru with salt till it is soft. Allow for only 2-3 whistlesHeat the oil in pan, add mustard seeds, and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter add curry leaves and hing and fry for a whileNow add the cooked Karamani/Perum Payiru and mix it wellFinally add grated cocunut and mix it well

11.PEANUT SUNDAL Raw Peanut - 1 Cup Red chilli – 1 Salt - To Taste
Curry leaves- Few
For Seasoning: Oil- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Soak the peanut/verkadalai in water for atleast 3 hoursRinse the peanut and pressure cook it along with salt. Allow for 3 whistlesIn a pan, heat the oil and when the oil is hot add mustard seeds and curry leavesWhen the mustard seeds begins to sputter add the broken chilli and fry for a secNow add the cooked peanut/verkadalai and mix it well

Diwali :

RAVA LADOO

Ingredients:

2 cups - Rava/Sooji (Upma rava)

2 cups - Sugar ( adjust depending on how sweet u want them, starting from 1:3/4)

5-6 nos - Cardamom/Elaichi

1/4 cup - Raisins

1/4 cup - Cashews/Almonds

1 cup - Ghee
Heat 1 Tbsp of ghee in a wide saucepan and roast the rava in it for a few minutes. When you start getting the pleasant aroma of the rava, switch off the heat and let the rava cool. The rava will have turned a slight orange, do not let it brown though.
Once the rava is cooled, transfer it to a blender along with the sugar and cardamom seeds. Blend them for a few minutes so as to mix the sugar and rava well. But see to it that the rava does not become too fine.
Heat 1 tbsp of ghee and roast the raisins and cashews/almonds and allow to cool.
Now in a small kadai melt the rest of the ghee, you can reduce the heat to the minimum amount so that the ghee remains in its liquid form until u are done with the laddoos.
Take the rava+sugar mixture in a wide vessel or plate. Separate small portions of the mixture and add required amount of ghee to form small ladoo's. Initially I was placing the dry fruits in each laddoo individually while making them. But towards the end I lost interest and added the dry fruits to the whole mixture !! hehe

KARA SEV

Ingredients needed:
1. Gram Flour (Besan ) 2 1/2 cups
2. Rice flour 1
3. Chilli powder 1/4 tsp
4. Black pepper coarsely powdered 1 tsp
5. Ghee 2 1/2 tsp
6. Cooking soda pinch (optional)
7. Salt to taste.
8. Crushed garlic (optional) 2 pods
9. Oil to deep fry.

Sieve both flours and make a pit.
2. In that pit put chilli powder, Pepper powder, Salt , Crushed garlic, Ghee, Cooking soda (if u r using).
3. Mix thoroughly with hands. It should look like bread crumbs. Make this into 4 portions.
4. Take One portion of this mixture, sprinkle water, knead like Puri dough.
5. Heat oil in a kadai, Use a ladle with lot of holes (Kara Sevai ladle) or Sev maker.
Put some dough on that and rub directly into oil.
6. It will be like split string. Deep fry in oil , drain excess oil.
7. After cooling this off, Store this in an airtight container.
Follow the same procedures (4 to 7) to make remaining Sev.

Ground Nut Balls or Kadalai Urundai

Ingredients:

Groundnut – 2 cups

Grated Jaggery – 1 cup

Water – as required

Method:

1. Roast the groundnut, remove the skin and break it into halves.

2. Add some water to jaggery and heat it until it thickens (thick syrup)

3. Now take a bowl, add the groundnut and pour the jaggery syrup and keep stirring and mix well.

4. When heat subsides, take few portions of the groundnut mixed jaggery and make small balls.

Mixture

Ingredients:

Gram flour(Besan)- 4 cup
Chilli powder- 7 tsp
Crushed Garlic- 5 to 7
Crushed ginger- small piece
Curry leaves- few
Raw peanuts- 1/2 cup
Rice flakes (Aval)- 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Salt- to taste
Oil- to deep fry

Recipe:

Boondi batter preparation: Mix Gram flour, Chili powder (2 tsp), Salt and 1 to 2 cups Water in a vessel without any lumps. The batter should be little watery and not so thick.
Omapodi dough preparation: Mix Gram flour, Chili powder( 5 tsp), Salt, gradually add water and knead to make a soft dough (like murukku dough).
For frying: Heat Oil in a pan. Keep the stove in low flame.Add Garlic, Ginger, Curry leaves and Peanuts, fry till Peanuts turn into dark in color or till Peanuts are cooked. Keep this aside.
Making boondi: Heat Oil in pan on medium flame. Pour the batter over the perforated ladle(ladle with small round holes) and rub it with another ladle which makes the batter to fall through the ladle holes evenly. Cook till it turns into crispy. Drain this from oil and repeat the same for the whole batter. Now boondi is ready.
Making omapodi: Fill the dough(from step 2) into omapodi press (with very small holes). Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze the omapodi over the hot oil. Do not over crowd the pan. You can see the bubbles of oil immediately. Once these bubbles are almost stopped, remove them from oil and drain them on paper towels.
Frying Rice Flakes (Aval) (Below Pic.3): Heat Oil in pan on low flame. Place some rice flakes over the ladle and fry it in oil. While frying rice flakes(aval), make sure rice flakes stays on top of the ladle itself.
Finally mix Boondi, Omapodi, fried items and little Salt.

BOONDI LADDU

ngredients:

Gram flour (Besan)- 2 cups
Sugar- 1 cup
Cashew nuts - 15
Dry grapes - 15
Cardamom -4
Cloves - 3
Water -2 to 3 cup
Ghee - 4 spoons
Oil - to fry

Recipe:

Batter preparation: Mix Besan flour in 1 or 2 cups Water without any lumps. The batter should be little watery and not so thick.
For frying: Heat 2 spoons of Ghee in a pan. Add Cashew nuts, Dry grapes, Cardamom and Cloves, fry till Cashew nut turns into light brown color.
Sugar syrup preparation: Heat Sugar and a cup of water in a vessel. Allow to boil till Sugar is completely dissolved in water and the syrup sticks in between the fingers.
Making boondi: Heat Oil in pan on medium flame. Pour the batter over the perforated ladle(ladle with small round holes) and rub it with another ladle which makes the batter to fall through the ladle holes evenly. Do not over cook this. It should not be crispy. Drain this from oil and put it into the sugar syrup. Repeat the same for the whole batter. Now Boondi is ready.
Making ladoo: Mix well the sugar syrup, boondi, 2 spoons of Ghee. Finally add the fried items(Cashew nuts, Dry grapes, Cardamom and Cloves) and make balls in warm stage.

KARABOONDI

ngredients:

Gram flour(Besan)- 1 cup
Rice flour- 1 spoon
Chilli powder- 2 tsp
Water- 1 to 2 cups
Crushed Garlic- 5 to 7
Crushed ginger- small piece
Curry leaves- few
Raw peanut- 1/4 cup (optional)
Salt- to taste
Oil- for deep fry

Recipe:

Batter preparation: Mix Gram flour, Rice flour, Chili powder, Salt and 1 to 2 cups of Water in a vessel without any lumps. The batter should be little watery and not so thick.
For frying: Heat little Oil in a pan. Add Garlic, Ginger, Curry leaves and Peanuts, fry till Peanuts turn into dark in color or till Peanuts are cooked. Kept this aside.
Making boondi: Heat Oil in pan on medium flame. Pour the batter over the perforated ladle(ladle with small round holes) and rub it with another ladle which makes the batter to fall through the ladle holes evenly. Cook till it turns into crispy. Drain this from oil and repeat the same for the whole batter. Now boondi is ready.
Finally mix the boondi, fried items(from step 2) and little Salt.

MILK PEDA

Milk - 4 cups
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Lime juice - 1 tspn
Corn flour or rice flour - 2 tspns(dissolved in water without any lumps )
Food color (optional)
Ghee - to grease
Any nuts (Cashew/Almond/Pistachios)

Recipe:

Boil milk in a pan and stir once in a while to avoid burning the bottom.
Approximately, after 1 hour the milk would be reduced to half. Then add lime juice, sugar and rice flour dissolved in water.
Again Stir the milk for every 2 to 3 minutes. Once the milk starts to thicken, stir the mix continuously.
Once the mix is almost thickened, remove from heat and allow this to cool.
Grease your hands with little Ghee, then shape them into small balls and garnish with any nuts of your choice.

SUIYAN

Ingredients:

Idli/Dosa Batter - 2 to 3 cups (to dip the balls)
Chana dal(kadalai paruppu) - 1 cup
Sugar - 5 to 7 spoons
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 cup(to deep fry)

Recipe:

Fry Chana dal without oil.
Half cook the fried Chana dal. Let it cool off.
Squeeze out the water from the cooked Chana dal and semi grind the Chana dal with Sugar. Don’t add water while grinding.
Make small balls out of the semi ground Chana dal.
Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot enough, dip the Chana dal balls into the Idly/Dosa batter and deep fry till it turns into golden brown color.

PALKOVA

ngredients: (For 2 People)

Milk - 500 ml
Lemon juice– 3 to 4 drops
Sugar – 4 spoons
Ghee – 2 to 3 tspn

Recipe:

Heat Milk in a pan and add Lemon juice into that. Keep it aside.
Heat a pan. Add 2 to 3 tspns of Ghee into the pan.
Pour the pre-treated Milk in to the pan and then add Sugar.
Stir this mixture till the Milk separates into very tiny particles (like beach sand) and becomes thick. Ready to eat now.

RASAGULLA

Ingredients:

Milk - 4 cups
Lime - 1/2

For syrup:

Water - 3 cups
Cardamom - 1 (crushed)
Sugar - 3/4 to 1 cup

Recipe:

Heat milk in a pan. Stir it once in a while to avoid burning the bottom.
Once the milk starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium and add lime juice to it, then milk starts to curdle.
After 3 to 4 minutes Paneer is completely separated from milk. Remove this from heat and add some cold water to it.
Strain the Paneer using a nice muslin cloth. Hang the muslin cloth for 1 hour to drain the water from paneer.
After that Squeeze the muslin cloth to remove the extra moisture completely.Now remove the paneer from cloth and knead it for 5 minutes.
Make equal sized small balls from the paneer and keep aside. Now the Paneer balls are ready.
Heat Water, Sugar and Cardamom together in a pan. Once it starts boiling, add the paneer balls to it, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
You can cook these paneer balls in pressure cooker too. After cooking, the size of the balls will be increased from its original size.
Rasgullas are ready now. Serve chilled.

BOLI

Maida – 1 cup
Chana dhal (kadala paruppu) – ½ cup
Grated coconut – 3 spoons
Grated Jaggery (vellam) – ½ cup

Recipe:

Cook Chana dhal in pressure cooker and keep it aside.
In the mean time prepare Maida dough using Maida, Oil and Water.
The Maida dough should not be so hard or so soft.
Mix cooked Chana dal, Grated coconut and Jaggaery. Smash Chana dhal well. This is the mix we are going to stuff inside the boli.
Make small rounds in dough and roll into thin round chapathis.
Spread the stuffings over a chapathi. Then place another chapathi over the stuffing. Seal the two chapathis around the edges.
Heat a tava. Place the boli in tava. Pour 2 to 3 tspns of Oil over the boli till it becomes light brown. Do the same for the other side too. Then remove from heat and Serve.

PAL PAYASAM

savory(semiya) - 1/4 cup
Javvarisi - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Milk - 250 ml
Cashew nuts- 5
Dry grapes- 5
Cardamom-3
Ghee - 2 to 3 teaspoon

Recipe:

Cook javvarisi in pressure cooker or in a pan and keep it aside.
Fry cashew and dry grapes in ghee and keep it aside.
Heat water in a bowl and then add savory(semiya) into that.
After savory is cooked add sugar.
After couple of minutes add javvarisi and fried cashew and dry grapes.
After 3 minutes add hot milk. Leave it for 2 minutes in stove.

SPICY THUKKUDA

Ingredients:
Maida flour/All purpose flour - 1 Cup
Red Chilli powder - 2 teaspoon
Hing - 1/4 teaspoon
Oil - For frying thukkada

Accessories needed:
Rolling Pin
Chapati Pan
Knife

Method to Prepare Thukkada:

· Mix the Maida flour/All purpose flour along with water,chili powder and hing and make this into a tight dough like chapati dough

· Make small balls out of the dough and keep it aside

· Take the chapati pan and rolling pin and keep 1 ball of the Maida flour/All purpose flour mixture and roll it like a chapati

· Using a knife cut the Maida flour/All purpose flour dough into small diamond pieces

· Place the diamond shaped pieces in a paper and allow it to dry

· Repeat the above steps for the remaining balls and allow all the diamond shaped pieces to dry completely

· In a pan, heat the oil and when the oil is hot, add handful of dried diamond shaped thukkadas and fry it until it becomes crisp. Take the crisp thukkadasand keep it in a bowl with a paper tissue to dry the excess oil.

The delicious spicy thukkada is ready for serving.

PARUPPU VADAI

ngredients:
Kadalai Parupu(Channa Dhal) - 3/4 cup
Urdhal - 2 table spoon
Thur Dhal - 2 table spoon
Green Chilli - 2 Nos
Ginger - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Few
Coriander Leaves - Few
Onion finely chopped- 1/2 Cup(Optional. Some people dont add onion on auspicious day)
Salt - To taste
Hing - A Pinch
Oil - For Frying the Vadai

Method:

· Mix all the dhals and Soak the dhals in water for 3 hours

· After 3 hours filter the water and keep the dhal for 1 more hour

· After an hour, Keep 3 table spoon of the dhal separately in a bowl and grind the remaining dhal with salt and a pinch of hing without adding water.

· Add the above ground mixture with the 3 table spoon of the dhals in a bowl along with green chilli, onion, ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves.

· Heat the oil in a kadai and once the oil is hot, make small rounds of ground dhal and press it in the center and put it in the oil and deep fry it.

· Once the Vadai becomes brownish color take it out in a bowl with a paper towel to dry the oil and serve hot.

MULLU THENKUZHAL

Thenguzhal(Mullu Muruku) is one of the spicy, crispy, easy to make recipe. Mullu Thenguzhal(Mullu Muruku) is a very simple, easy to do snacks on any occasion. This can be given even for marriages/seemandham or any auspicious occassion.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 4 Cups

Channa dal - 1 Cup

Moong dal - 1 Cup

Salt -To Taste

Butter - 1/4 Cup

Oil - For Frying

Accessories Required:

Mullu Thenguzhal Press

Mullu Thenguzhal Mould

Method:

· Rinse the rice in water and spread it over the towel and allow it to cool

· Heat the pan and add channa dal and fry for some time till the dal is hot. Keep it aside

· Add moong dal and fry for some time till the dal is hot. Keep it aside

· Mix Rice and dals and grind to a nice powder it in rice mill.

· Mix the rice flour, gram flour, salt, butter and hing in a vessel

· Add water and make the flour into a chapati like dough.

· Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, and when the oil is hot add a little piece of dough to check for the hotness.

· When the dough raises immediately then the oil is ready for frying

· Put 1 hand full of dough in a press, and close the press with Mullu Thenguzhal mould.

· Squeeze the dough to a big circle.

· Deep fry the Mullu Thenguzhal in low flame till it is crisp and turns golden brown color.Take it out and place it in a oil strainer with a paper towel to remove excess oil and allow it to cool.

· Store it in a air tight container and serve.

DIWALI LEGIUM

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds - 1/2 Cup
Cumin Seeds/Jeeragam - 3 teaspoon
Omam - 3 teaspoon
Ginger - 100gms
Grated jaggery - 1/2 Cup
Ghee - 2 tablespoon

Method:

· Dry fry coriander seeds, cumin seeds, omam in a pan and grind it in a mixer to a fine powder and keep it aside

· Grind the ginger and jaggery in the mixer

· To this add the above ground powder and grind it in a mixer once.

· Heat the ghee in a pan, and add the ground paste

· Stir it continuously in a low flame

· When the mixture starts to separate from ghee and leaves the sides of pan without sticking, then switch off the flame

· The delicious deepavali legium(inji legium) is ready to serve on Diwali

Thirukarthigai Deepam:Thirukarthigai/Karthigai Deepam comes on thetamil month Karthigai on Pournami day(Full moon day). Throughout the month lamps are lit in the front of the house in the evening . On theThirukarthigai/Karthigai Deepam day the whole house is decorated with the oil lamps. Thiruvannamalai is famous for Thirukarthigai/KarthigaiDeepam.

Aval Pori:

Aval Pori 4 Cups

Grated Jaggery 1/2 Cup

Finely chopped coconut pieces 2 Tablespoon

Cardamom powder 1 Teaspoon

Method:

Add jaggery in a pan with 1/2 cup of water and when it dissolves it water take it and strain the jaggery water to avoid sand.

Again boil the jaggery water along with coconut and keep stirring it until the jaggery comes to stone consistency. This means when we take a drop of jaggery juice and pour it in water, it should not dissolve rather we should be able to make a ball out of it.

Now remove the jaggery from flame and add the Aval pori/Nell Pori and mix it well along with cardamom powder. Now the Aval/Nell Pori mixture is ready

Remove this pori mixture and place it in a paper. Make small balls ofAval/Nell pori.The delicious Aval/Nell Pori orundai is ready for neivedhyam

Adhrisam:

Raw Rice 1 Cup

Jaggery 1 Cup

Coconut Small Piece Chopped

cardamom Powder 1/2 Teaspoon

Cooking Oil 1/4 Litre for deep frying

Method:

Soak the rice for 30mins and rinse it in water and grind the rice in a mixer to a nice powder

◦Add jaggery in a pan with 1/2 cup of water and when it dissolves it water take it and strain the jaggery water to avoid sand

◦Again boil the jaggery water and keep stirring it until the jaggery comes to stone consistency. This means when we take a drop of jaggery juice and pour it in water, it should not dissolve rather we should be able to make a ball out of it.

◦Now remove the jaggery from flame and add to the wet rice powder and mix it well along with cardamom powder. Now the adhirasam mixture is ready for preparation.

◦Keep this adhirasam mixture aside for at least one day.

Breakfast Recipes

2010-09-25T07:16:00.001-07:00

Tiffin recipes

TIFFIN RECIPES

Persarattu Ingredients:Green garam dal whole (Pachai payaru) - 1 cup (soak in water for 10 hrs)Rice - 2 tbsp (soak this with dal for 10 hrs)Onion - 1 mediumGinger - 1/4 stickGreen chilli - 4 to 5 (adjust to your spice level)Salt - to taste

To garnish Onion - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)Green chilli - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspOil - 1 tbsp

For batter: Grind and make a batter of soaked Green gram dal whole and Rice, Onion, Ginger and Green Chili. Add Salt to the batter.For garnishing: Heat Oil in a pan and add Cumin seeds. Once the seeds starts spluttering, add Green chili, Onion and fry.For Pesarattu: Prepare dosa using the ground batter. Then place 1½ tsp of Onion garnish on top of the dosa and serve.For Pesaru Upma: Instead of onion garnish, place 2 tbsp of rava upma on top of the dosa and serve.Goes well with: Ginger chutney.

Maida dosa

Maida or All purpose flour - 1 cupRice flour - 3/4 cupOnion - 1/2Green Chili - 2Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoonCumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoonCoriander leaves - 3 spoonsCurry leaves - 1 or 2 sprigsPepper powder - 1/4 teaspoonWater - 3 to 4 cupOil and Salt

Finely chop Onion,Green chilies and Coriander leaves. Keep them aside.Mix maida and rice flour with 3 to 4 cups of water and mix thoroughly without any lumps. The consistency of the batter should be watery.Heat oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, Green chilies and Onion. Fry til Onion turns into golden brown. Remove from heat and add this to the batter.Add chopped Coriander leaves, Curry leaves, Salt and Pepper powder to the batter.Heat dosa pan. Season the dosa pan with little oil and rub it with a onion or a paper towel. Once the pan is hot enough, pour a ladle full of batter onto the pan evenly. It may be difficult to spread the batter. So pour a thin layer of batter all over the pan evenly and spread a little.Pour 1 or 2 tspns of oil along the edges of the dosa. Once the underside of the dosa turns golden brown, flip it to the other side. Once it is cooked on both sides, remove from the pan and serve hot.

Ragi idli Ragi flour - 2 cupsBlack gram dal batter(Ground) - 1 cupSalt - to taste

Soak black gram dal(whole) for 2 hours in water. Grind the dal nicely in a blender.Mix the Black gram dal batter, Ragi flour and Salt with 2 to 2.5 cups of water. The consistency of the batter should be the consistency that you prepare for normal idli.Leave the batter to ferment for overnight in a warm place.After fermentation, the batter will be raised. Stir it with a ladle.We can prepare both idli and dosa using this batter. More about idli preparation

Parotta Maida or All-purpose flour - 4 cupSugar - 1 tspSalt - 1 ½ tspBaking powder - 1/4 tspOil - 1/2 cupWater - As needed

Mix Maida, Sugar, Salt and Baking powder in a mixing bowl.Add water and oil, knead till it turns into soft dough.Keep it covered for 6 to 7 hrs.After that, Take a lemon size ball from the dough & roll it flat like chapathi.Fold that chapathi like saree pleats, then roll it from one end to the other end & apply a spoon of oil on it.Then roll it flat like poori. Prepare all the dough like this.Heat a tawa. Roast both sides of parotta by adding a tsp of oil.Remove it from heat & press it around the edeges.

Green gram dosa

Green gram dal(split)- 1 cupRaw rice- 1/4 cupGreen chili- 2Curry leaves- 2 sprigHing- 3 pinchesCumin seeds- 1/2 tspOnion- 1Salt- to tasteOil - as needed Soak Green gram dal and Raw rice for 2 hours.Mince Onion and keep aside.Grind Green chili, Curry leaves, Hing, Cumin seeds and Salt. Then add soaked items to it and grind nicely.Heat a dosa pan. Season the dosa pan with little oil and rub it with a Onion.Pour a ladle full of batter, spread it circularly, sprinkle Onion over the dosa and leave a tsp of Oil around the edges of dosa.Once it cooked turn and cook the another side.

Mixed dal dosa

Thur dal - 1/4cupChanna dal - 1/4 cupMoong dal - 1/4 cupRice - 1/2 cupSmall onion - 12Currry leaves - fewDry red chilli - 6Coconut - 2 tbsp (grated)Fennel seeds(perunjeeragam) - 1 tspSalt - to tasteOil - as needed Soak Rice and all the dals together for 1 hour.After that grind the soaked items with all other ingredients(except oil).Add salt to the ground batter and mix well.Heat a tawa. Pour a ladle full of batter, spread like dosa and apply oil on sides.Roast both sides and remove from pan. It gives different taste as we grind Onion with Rice and Dals.It is good for kids since it is rich in protein.

Adai

Chana dhal (kadala paruppu)- 1 cupGreen gram dhal (pasi paruppu) – 1 cupRed gram dhal - 1 cupRaw rice- 1 cupIdly rice- 1 cupOnoin-2Red chilies- 4 to 8Gralic- 4Curry leaves- fewCoriander leaves- 3 stringsFennel seeds - 1/2 tspnCumin seeds (seeragam) – 1 tspnSalt and Oil- as required

Soak Chana dal, Green gram dal, Red gram dal, Raw rice and Idly rice together for 1 to 2 hours.Add Red chilies, Curry leaves, Coriander leaves, Garlic, Fennel seeds, Cumin seeds to the soaked ingredients and grind it nicely. Keep the batter ready. Chop onions and half grind it in a blender. Keep this aside.Finally add Salt and half ground Onion to the batter.Make Dosas using this batter

PEANUT CHUTNEYIngredients:Peanut - 1½ cupCoconut - 3 tbspGarlic - 1 clove (optional)Salt - to tasteTamarind - small gooseberry sizeDry red chilli - 3Curry leaves - fewMustard seeds - 1/4 tspUrad dal - 1/4 tspOil - 2 tbspRecipeHeat Oil in a pan. Roast Peanuts until it turns golden brown.Grind Peanuts, Coconut, Tamarind, Salt, Red chilli and Garlic together.Heat Oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds, Curry leaves and Urad dal. Add this to to the chutney

MASALA DOSAI

Idly/Dosa Batter - Dosa batter should be thinner than Idly batter. So add 1/2 or 1 cup of water to the Idly batter and make it thinner. Oil

Masala filling: (For 3 dosas)Onion - 1 (Medium size)Potato - 1 (Medium size)Green Chili - 1 or 2Turmeric Powder - a pinchChili powder - 1/2 tspnCoriander powder - 1/2 tspnCoriander leaves - 2 to 3 sprigsSalt - to tasteOil - 1 or 2 tspnRecipe:Masala filling:Finely chop Onion and Green chilies. Peel and cut Potato into cubes.Boil or pressure cook potatoes till they are tender.Heat 1 or 2 tspn of Oil in a pan. Add Green chilies and Onion, fry till they are golden brown.Add Cooked potatoes and saute it for 2 minutes and mash the potatoes partially with spatula.Add Turmeric powder, Chili powder, Coriander powder, Salt and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.Finally add chopped coriander leaves and remove from heat. Now the masala filling is ready.Dosa:Heat a Dosa pan and season it with little Oil. Once the pan is hot enough, pour a ladle full of batter and spread it circularly.Place the masala filling in one half of the dosa and press it with a spatula. Leave a tspn of Oil around the edges of dosa.Once the dosa is cooked on that side, flip it to the other side carefully. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes.Reverse it again carefully, fold the dosa in the middle, remove from pan and serve.

SAMBA RAVA DOSSamba rava (Wheat rava) -1 cupRice - 1 cupSalt - to tasteOil - as needed

Soak Wheat rava and Rice together in water for 2 hours.After that grind and make batter. Add Salt to the batter and let this batter sit for 1 hour. You can start making dosa after 1 hour.Heat a tawa. Pour a ladle full of batter, spread like dosa and apply oil on sides.Roast both sides and then remove from heat.It is good for sugar patients.

MYSORE DAL DOSAMysore dal - 2 cupsRaw rice - 1 cupFenugreek seeds - 1 tspSalt - to tasteOil - as neededDry red chilli - 4 to 5

Soak rice and Fenugreek seeds together, Dal saperately for 2 hours.First grind Rice and Fenugreek seeds together, after 5 mins add dal and Red chilli, then grind to a smooth batter.Add salt to batter and leave this batter for 5 hrs.Heat tawa, pour this batter and spread like dosa, apply Oil on sides.Roast both sides and remove from pan. It is a healthy dish for kids. High in protien.

APPAM

Rice 1 cup.Cooked rice 1/4 cupcoconut milk 1/4 cup.salt to taste

A pinch of cooking soda.Sugar 1/4 tsp(optional)

Grind the rice,cooked rice into a smooth batter, add salt and leave it overnight. Just before using it for breakfast add a pinch of soda and coconut milk.Heat a kadai well and brush it with oil . Pour a ladle of batter in the center and holding the kadai with both hands try to spread the batter on the sides of the kadai. This action should be done once only.The batter forms into a thin layer.Reduce the heat and keep it covered for 2 minutes.Remove lid and scrape the sides of the kadai on all sides with a flat ladle.Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve hot with coconut milk.

PUMPKIN POORI Pumkin 2 cup Jaggery 3/4 cup Wheat flour 3 cup Salt to tasteOil

Remove the cover from the pumpkin, and grate itHeat couple of spoon of oil and add grated pumpkin to itCook on medium flame for 5 minutesTake it off from stove and add the grated jaggery to itWhen the mixture cools down add salt to taste to this and mix wellAdd the wheat flour to it to form stiff dough for the purisRoll the puris and fry in oil

dibetic wheat dosa wheat flour-1-cup water-1-1/2 cup salt-1tsp pepper powder1/4tsp cumin powder1/4tsp take bowl mix all ingriednts the batter should be like normal dosai batter take a dosaitawa and heat it onthe medium flame pour the batter on tawa spread the batter so that thin dosai is prepared apply little oil on the sides of dosai and turn it this dosai is esy to prepare and can be prepared immediately

AVAL UPPAMA Soak 200 g of aval in water for 1/2 hour.Heat 4 tsp of oil
in a pan, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds. When it pops, add 1 tsp urud dal, 1/2 tsp whole black peppers, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp salt. Drain the water from the aval and add it to the pan and fry. You can mix curd with soaked aval if you like

BREAD MASALA Bread Slices- 4, Carrot and Peas [Frozen]- 1 cup,
Potato- 1, Onion- 1, Green Chillies- 4, Cilantro Leaves

Piece bread slices into small cubes and set aside. Pressure cook diced potato, frozen carrot and peas with little salt. In a pan fry onion with a little oil. When it turns golden brown, add chopped green chillies and ginger. Now to this, add the cooked vegetables and salt to taste. You may add a pinch of masala powder for taste. Finally add the bread pieces and stir in carefully. Garnish with Cilantro leaves and Serve!

CABBAGE IDLI Rice soaked for 3 hrs- 250gms, Grated cabbage - 150gms,
Chilli powder- 3 tsp, Haldi powder- 1tsp, Asaphoetida- 2tsp, Salt- 2tsp
Coarsly grind all the ingredients except cabbage adding 1 cup water. The batter must be thicker than that of idli batter. Add the grated cabbage into the batter and mix well. Make idlis of this batter and cook for 15mns on simmer in an idli cooker. Pour a spoon of coconut oil over the idlis and serve hot with pickle or chutney.

CHEESE DOSA
idly rice - 1- 1/2 cup, black gram dhal - 1/2 cup, fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp,
cheese (grated)- 50 gms, greenchillies(finely chopped) - 4 nos, onion(finely chopped) - 2
nos, coriander leaves (chopped) salt to taste, oil for cooking

1.Rice, black gram dhal and fenugreek seeds separately soaked for 3 - 4 hours.
2. Make a smooth paste separately and add salt then mix well and allow
to fermentation for 8 hrs. 3.Pour the batter in the griddle and spred it circular motion. 4. Pour 2 tsp of oil on the batter. 5.Allow to cook and sprinkle the chopped onion, green chillies, coriander leaves, and grated cheese. 6. Rolled or fold the cooked dosa and put off the flame. 7. Served with coconut chutney.

RAVA DOSAI

Ingredients:
1 cup(ordinary) rice (to be soaked) with 1 teaspoon urad dal/tur dal
2 cups rava 1 l/2 cup rice flour (ready made) 4 green chillis A piece of ginger
1 teaspoon jeera For frying- 1 teaspoon each of rai / jeera / white til / hing powder /little oil

few cashew nuts (roast this in ghee) Nicely chopped coriander leaves 1 teaspoon curd and salt
Method:
Soak the rice with dal for 45 minutes - grind it with green chills, ginger and
jeera by adding enough water (if it is more watery - no worry) add rava, rice flour fried spices along
with roasted cashew nuts and curd and required salt. Just make this mixure 30 min. before you are required to make the dosas.(or else the rava will become soggy and the
crispy effect would be gone ) Keep the batter little thinner (not like idli or dosai batter) and pour it on the tawa just a little above level - do not try to touch the batter with the ladle or try to spread it - the beauty of
rava dosa will vanish - once u make it like normal dosa both sides, clean the tawa with a tissue paper - so ur next dosa is as crisp and golden brown as the first one - enjoy with chutney/dosa powder or with
anything u like.

IDLI BATTER VADAI

IDLY BATTER - 1CUP GREEN CHILLES - 2 NO CORIANDER LEAVES - A
PINCH CH0P TURMERIC - A PINCH MAIDA FLOUR - 2TBSP CURRY LEAVES - A PINCH CHOP
OIL - FOR DEEP FRY SALT - TO TASTE

TAKE ONE CUP OF BATTER ADD CHOPPED ONION,GREEN CHILLIES, CURRY LEAVES, TURMERIC,
MADIA FLOUR AND SALT TO THE BATTER. IF NESSESARY ADD WATER TO THE BATTER MIX WELL THE BATTER HEAT OIL IN THE KADAI THEN ADD SPOON FULL OF BATTER FRY WELL IN BOTH SIDE.
SERVER WITH CORIANDER CHUTNEY.

KOYHU CHAPPATHI

Chappathi - 5
Onion (Big) - 2
Green Capsicum - 2
Tomato - 1
Boiled Peas - 1 cup
Green Chillies - 2
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1/2 tbsp
Tomato Sauce - 1tbsp
Red Pepper Sauce - 2 tbsp
Salt - 2tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Chilli Powder - 2 tbsp
Cooking Oil - 4tbsp

For Seasoning :

Mustard Seeds - 1 tbsp
Jeera - 1/2 tbsp
Saunf (Sombu) - 1/2 tbsp
Curry Leaves
Corriander Leaves for
garnishing.

Method:
- Cut onion, capsicum in length wise.
Don't chop them into small pieces.
- In a frying pan heat 2 tbsp of
cooking oil.
- Add mustard seeds, jeera,
sombu(saunf),curry leaves and let it
splutter.
- Add the chopped onions,
capsicum,green chillies and fry them
for about 3-4 minutes.
- Then add salt,ginger-garlic
paste,turmeric powder,chilli powder to
the frying pan and saute for about 5
minutes.
- Mix the boiled peas,tomato in the
pan and add little water to the
mixture.
- Add tomato sauce, red pepper sauce
and close the pan for few minutes.
- In the mean time make chappathi
into pieces and keep them ready.
- Add them to the pan. Mix them with
all the other ingredients.
- You can use the Dosai Turner and try
making them into fine pieces.
- Before serving garnish with corriander
leaves.

Kothu Chappathi can be served with
Onion Raita

Onion Raita :
- Cut onion into small pieces.
- Add curd,1 tbsp milk to the onions
and keep it aside for about 10
minutes.
- For all the raitas add 'salt' only before
serving. If you add it earlier raita will
become watery and it will loose the
taste.
- Some may not like the raw smell of
curd. In that case you can add chillies,
curry leaves etc
- Heat oil in a Tadka Pan. Add mustard
seeds, green chillies, curry leaves and
little bit of hing.
- Let it splutter and now pour it to the
raita.Mix them well.

MASALA BREAD TOAST

Ingredients:
Bread slices---4
Eggs--2
Milk --20 ml
butter--1 teaspoon
cheese
tomatoes--2
coriander leaves
pepper powder--to taste
salt---to taste
cooking oil- 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder --a pinch

Method:
Beat eggs
Add milk, salt, turmeric powder to
the beaten eggs .Blend it thoroughly.
Put little oil on a heated pan.
Dip the bread slices into the mixture
and fry in low flame.
Top it with finely cut tomatoes and
coriander leaves.Press it slightly so
that it sticks to the bread.
Tilt the bread.Put little butter.
Once it is fried, dress with grated
cheese and peeper powder.
Repeat for all the bread slices.
Serve hot with tomatoe ketchup.

MASALA DOSAI

Ingredients:
Bombay Rawa - 250 grams
Curd - 2 spoons
water - 1.5 spoon
Eating soda
Salt to taste
Ghee - 2 spoons

For filling:
Potatos - 4
Onions - 3
GreenMirchi - 2
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 spoon
Musturd Seeds - 1/2 spoon
Corriander Leaves
Ginger - small piece
Salt
Oil - 2 spoons
Garam Masala - 2 spoons

Method:
Mix rawa,curd and eating soda and
make thin batter. Keep it aside for
the whole night. Boil potatos in the
morning. Chop onions, ginger and
chillies. Pour 2 spoons of oil in a pan
put mustard seeds,onions,ginger and
chillies in the pan. Mash potatos and
add to the above mixture. Sprinkle
garam masala. Now make dosas and
pur the above mixture in dosa and
fold it. Serve with coconut chutney.

PIDI KHOZHAKATTAI

Ingredients:
Rice - 250 gms ,
Salt - 1/2 tsp ,
grated coconut - 1 cup ,
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp ,
asafoetida - 1/4 tsp ,
gram dal - 1 tsp,
urud dal - 1 tsp ,
red chillis - 4 ,
curry leaves - 1 twig,
oil- 1/4 cup
optional - cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp ,
toor dal - 2 tsp ,
black pepper corn - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Grind Grind rice coarsely like rava . Heat oil and Roast
red chillis. Add mustard seeds. Whn it pops add urud dal
and gram dal. When they are roasted curry leaves and
crated coconut and roast slightly. The coconut should not
become too red. Add 4 cups of water and salt to this mix
and bring it to boil. Add the rava and stir untl it is
cooked well and themix becomes thick. When it is hot and
when the hand can withstand the heat make this mix into a
desired shape. Place these shapes on idli plates inside a
cooker and steam them.

RAVA PONGAL

Ingredients:
Rava - 1 cup ,
Moong dal - 1/2 cup ,
whole black pepper - 1tsp,
cumin seeds - 1 tsp ,
green chilli -1 ,
asafoetida - a pinch ,
turmeric powder - a pinch,
ginger pieces - 10 ,
curry leaves - a twig,
salt - 1/2 tsp ,
oil - 6 tsp ,
ghee - 2tsp

Method:
Add 1 cup of water to 1/2 cup Moong dal and boil it in the
pressure cooker until it becomes very soft. Roast Rava in
4 tsps of oil. Add two cups of boiling water and stir
until the rava is fully cooked. Mash the cooked Moong dal
and add it to the rava. Add salt and mix well. In 2 tsp of
oil roast pepper . Add turmeric powder and asafoetida.
After this add cumin seeds, cashews and Roast. cashews
should not become too red. Add the finely chopped chillis
and ginger pieces to the mix. Add the mix to the pongal
and mix well. Add 2 tsp of melted ghee to the pongal.

RAVA KHICADI

Ingredients:
Vegetables - 6 Beans,
1 small carrot,
1 onion (optional),
shelled green peas - 1/4 cup
green chillies - 1

Method:
Cut the vegetables into fine pieces. Take 1 cup of rawa
and lightly roast without oil to make it crisp. Pour 3
teaspoons of oil in a fry pan and add 1/2 tsp mustard
seeds.When it splatters, add 1 tsp urud dal, 1 teaspoon
gram dal, 2 sprigs curry leaves and chopped green chilli
and roast lightly. If onions are not used you may add a
pinch of asafoetida. Add the onions and fry until they
turn colorless. Now add the vegetables, salt and fry them
until they turn soft Add the red chillie powder. Now add 3
cups of water and when it begins to boil add rawa and keep
stirring till all the water is absorbed and it becomes
thick (fully cooked). Side dish - Sambar, Coconut chutney
or any other pickle

RICE DOSAI

Ingredients:
White Rice- 1 cup,
Salt - 1 Tsp or As desired,
Water- 2 1/2 cups,
Jaggery- 4 Tbsps,
Fresh Shred Coconut- 4 Tbsps,
Oil

Method:
1.Soak the rice in water for about an hour.
2.Drain the water. Grind the rice with salt, adding 1 1/2
cups of water. The rice should be very finely ground
(grind for about 5 minutes in the mixer).
3.Transfer this rice mixture into a vessel & add 1 more
cup of water to it. Don't be alarmed that the batter is so
watery. It HAS to be very watery so that the dosais come
out thin & crisp.
4.Heat non-stick dosai tava till it is very hot. Sprinkle
some veg. oil(1/2 tsp).
5.Using a spoon(the usual one which is used to spread
dosai), just "sprinkle" the batter on the hot tava
unevenly. Do NOT use the back of the spoon to spread out
the batter as is usually done.
6. Leave it to cook for about 2 minutes (or till it is
crisp) and using a laddle, remove the dosai. With this
quantity, you can make upto 10 dosais.

RICE UPPAMA

Ingredients:
Rice rawa - 1 cup,
water - 3 cups ,

Method:
In a pan, heat 6 tsp of oil and add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds,
1 tsp urud dal, 1 tsp gram dal, 3 red chillies, a pich of
asafoetida. Then add 6 tsp grated coconut and fry
lightly.Now add 3 cups water and when it comes to boil,
add 1 cup of rice rawa and stir well until it becomes
somewhat powdery and soft. Add a bunch of curry leaves.
Add 2 tsp of ghee while serving.

SPICY SANDWICH

Ingredients:
carrot-1 cup
beans-1 cup
cauliflower-1cup
peas- 1/2 cup
cabbage-1 cup
capsicum-1/2 cup
onion(chopped)-2 cups
garam masala-1/2 tsp
chilli powder-1 tsp
butter - for seasoning
salt- to taste
cheese slices
bread-1
coriander
note : all the vegetables
should be finely chopped

Method:
add the onions in the butter. fry till
golden brown. now add the
vegetables one by one and fry for
sometime. now add salt, redchilli
powder, garam masala and stir.
add few drops of water and allow the
vegetables to be tender and soft.
now add the coriander leaves and let
it cool.
take a bread slice, spread the
vegetable stuffing, place a cheese
slice above it. take another bread
slice and apply butter and cover it
over the vegetable stuffing.
now roast the bread with bread
toaster or in microwave oven or in
tava for 1 or 2 minutes
serve hot!!!

SPONGE SET DOSAI

Ingredients:
boiled rice-1 and half cup.
raw rice-2 and half cup.
methi seeds-2 tsp
salt to taste.
puffed rice-half cup.
urad dal-half cup.

Method:
1.soak raw rice,boiled rice,together.
2.soak urad dal,methi seeds and puffed rice
together for 3 to 6 hrs.
3.grind separately first urad dal,puffed
rice,methi seeds.
4.grind rice and mix it with dal.
5.add salt and keep it for ferment over night.
6.place non stick pan and spread one large
spoon dosa batter.
7.spongy set dosa is ready to serve.
8.goes great with coconut chutney and sambar.

BREAD DOSA

Ingredients:
Bread slices 4
Rice flour 1 cup
Sooji(Rava) 1/2 cup
Curd 1 cup
Chilli powder 1/2 tea spn
Mustard seeds 1/2 tea spn
Urad daal 1/2 tea spn
Curry leaves 3-4
Ginger cut into small pieces 1/2 tea spn
Onion 1
Salt
Oil
Method:
Soak bread in water & squeze out the water. Grind wirh rice flour, sooji, curd and salt. Add chilli powder to this batter. Add enough water to help in grinding.
Heat half tea spn oil and fry mustard seeds, urad daal, curry leaves, ginger. Add finely chopped onion and fry till onions turn slightly brownish. Add this to the above batter.
Add sufficient water to bring it to dosa consistency. Make dosa. (Dosa should be fried till it becomes brownish from both sides).
Serve hot with coconut chutney

CABBAGE DOSA

Ingredients:
Dosa rice 3/4 cup
Toor dal 3/4 cup
Roasted Dry Red chillies 4-6
Small onions (Chopped finely) 2
Cabbage (Chopped finely) 1/2 cup
Tamarind extract 1 tea spn
Coconut 1 cup
Hing (Asfoetida) A pinch
Oil
Salt

Method:
Soak rice and dal seperately for about an hr each and drain. Set aside.
Blend together the coconut, red chillies and tamarind to a fine paste.
Add the toor dal and blend again to get a smooth paste, adding very little water when blending.
Add the hing, salt and drained rice and blend again to get a smmoth-coarse consistency.
To this blended mixture, add the chopped cabbage and onions. Mix well.
Heat the tava, applying a little oil. Pour small dosas (can put three dosas at a time on the normal size tava). Fry on both side till they tun brownish.
Serve hot. (I served this with honey as these dosas are little spicy).

RAGI VEGETABLE DOSA

Ingredients:
1/2 cup urad dal
1 cup rice (I used 1/2 cup brown rice + 1/2 cup boiled rice)
1/2 cup finger millet(ragi flour)
Salt
Oil
1 cup(approx) vegetables (finely chopped/grated carrot, onion and cucumber)

Method:
Soak urad dal and rice for about 4-5hrs. Grind to a smooth batter. Mix salt and ragi flour. The consistency of batter should be like normal dosa batter. Keep overnight for fermentation.
Next day, mix in vegetables. Make thin dosas. Serve hot.

KERALA AVIAL

Ingredients:
Julienned potatos,drum
sticks, raw banana, long
beans,raw
mangoes,carrots,beans.
curry leaves,grated coconut
curd,green chillies,cumin
seeds, salt to taste

Method:
Cook the vegetables with salt and
water. Grind grated coconut, green
chillies and cumin seeds. Add this
paste to thick curd. Add the cooked
vegetables and heat all together. Add
salt.
Garnish with coconut oil and curry
leaves. Serve hot.

CHINESE NOODLES

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• Noodles - 200 gms

• Water - 4-5 cups

• Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste.

• Butter or vegetable oil - 1 tbsp

• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste

• Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp

• Soya sauce (optional) - 1 tsp

Vegetables mix from a few/all vegetables given below. You can use any 2-3 or all vegetables. More is good here.

• Onion, sliced thin - 2 tbsp

• Carrot - cut juliennes (thin sticks) - 1 tbsp

• Tomato chopped - 1 tbsp

• Green beans chopped - 1 tbsp

• Fresh peas - shelled - 1 tbsp

• Cabbage - shredded - 1 tbsp

• Capsicum - cut in thin strips - 1 tbsp tbsp

• Cabbage - shredded - 1 tbsp

• Capsicum - cut in thin strips - 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Heat water till it starts boiling. Add noodles to the water and let boil for 3-4 minutes.

Drain and add to a bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp oil and keep aside till needed.

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil, add chopped ginger, garlic and onion. Sautee for 2 minutes.

Add beans. Cook for 2 minutes stirring. Add cabbage, capsicum, green peas. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes, salt, pepper powder, ketchup, Soya sauce. Mix well.

Place the boiled noodles on a serving plate. Add the cooked vegetables mix on the top of the noodles in a heap. Serve immediately piping hot.

You may also add the noodles to the frying pan and mix with the vegetables before serving. It tastes great that way too.

Raw Rice – 1.5 cups
Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Mustered seeds – ¼ tsp
Urad dal (broken) – ¼ tsp
Moong dal – ¼ tsp
Curry leaves – few
Green chili – 2 nos
Hing – ¼ tsp
Water – 2 cups
Salt – to taste

TO GRIND:

Channa dal – 1 tbsp
Toor dal- 1 tbsp
Urad dal – 1 tbsp
Red chili – 2 nos

PREPARATION:

Wash the rice and drain the water. Dry it in the paper towel or white cotton cloth. When it’s dry, grind it in the mixie until the rava consistency.
Soak the channa dal, urad and toor dal for ½ to 1 hour and drain the water. Grind it with little water and red chili to the coarse paste.
Take a pan and heat the oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal and moong dal. When it gets golden color, add chopped green chili, hing, grated coconut and curry leaves. Add the water and let it boil. Add the ground paste and salt, mix it well.
Keep the stove in the medium heat and add the prepared rice rava and mix it well. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the stove and let the contents become warm.
Mix the above upma with your hand. If it is very thick sprinkle some water and mix it well.
Grease the idli plates and shape this upma into oval balls with your palm. Just wet your palm with water before making the balls. Arrange the balls on the idli plates.
Steam the kozhukattai/dumplings in the cooker just like the idlis. Let it cooks for 10 minutes.
Switch off the stove and allow cooling for 2-3 minutes. Then remove it from idli plates.
Serve it hot with chutney, sambar, curd or pickle.

Mouth Watering Sweet Recipes

2010-09-25T07:15:00.001-07:00

Mouth Watering Sweet Recipes

SWEETS

BEETRROT HALWA

1 KG BEETROOT (PEELED OFF, WASHED & FINELY GRATED)

2-1/2 CUPS SUGAR1/2 LITER MILK (BOILED)

2 TO 3 CUPS OF WATER (SUFFICIENT TO BOIL THE BEETROOT)

8 CASHEW NUTS8 RAISINS

2 TBSP GHEE POUR WATER IN A SHALLOW PAN (KADAHI) AND ADD GRATED BEETROOT.

PUT A LID ON THE PAN AND SIMMER WELL UNTIL WATER GETS EVAPORATED.ADD SUGAR AND HALF OF THE MILK, STIR CONSTANTLY UNTIL THE MIXTURE ACHIEVES A THICK CONSISTENCY.NOW ADD GHEE AND STIR WELL.ADD REMAINING MILK AND SIMMER AGAIN FOR JUST 1-2 MINUTES ON LOW HEAT.TAKE OFF HEAT AND GARNISH WITH CASHEW NUTS AND RAISINS.BEETROOT HALWA IS READY TO SERVE HOT.

CARRTO KHEER6-8 FRESH CARROTS1 LITRE FULL CREAM MILK 2 CUPS SUGAR1/2 TSP CARDAMOM POWDER 1/4 TSP SAFFRON5-6 SLICED ALMONDS SOME CASHEWSWASH THE CARROTS AND CUT THE EDGES.CUT THE CARROTS INTO SMALL PIECES AND BOIL IT IN A PRESSURE COOKER.IN THE MEANTIME, BOIL THE MILK IN A BIG VESSEL AND LEAVE IT ON VERY LOW HEAT.PLACE THE BOILED CARROT & SAFFRON INTO A GRINDER AND MAKE PASTE OF IT.THEN ADD THE CARROT PASTE INTO BOILING MILK AND KEEP IT ON NORMAL HEAT. STIR THE MIXTURE CONTINUOUSLY AND ADD SUGAR (ADD ADDITIONAL SUGAR AS PER THE TASTE). ADD CARDAMOM POWDER AND STIR WELL.HEAT THE MIXTURE UNTIL BOILING STATE.NOW LET IT COOL FOR SOMETIME.REFRIGERATE IT FOR COLD SERVING. DECORATE WITH CASHEWS AND SLICED ALMONDS BEFORE SERVING.

SABUDANA KHEER1 TBSP SAGO GRANULES

4 CUPS MILK 1/4 TSP CARDAMOM POWDER

3/4 CUP SUGAR 1 CUP WATER

WASH THE SAGO GRANULES AND DRAIN.LEAVE ASIDE FOR 10 MINUTES.LOOSEN THE SAGO GRAINS WHEN MOISTURE IS ABSORBED.HEAT WATER AND ADD SAGO GRANULES.BRING TO A BOIL. STIR CONSTANTLY. SLOW DOWN THE FLAME AND SIMMER FOR 5 MINUTES. ADD MORE WATER IF NEEDED.POUR MILK AND BRING THE MIXTURE TO A BOIL.COOK FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.ADD SUGAR AND CARDAMOM.KEEP STIRRINGOCCASIONALLY.COOK TILL SAGO BECOMES SOFT BUT NOT MUSHY.SABOODANA KHEER IS READY.

APPLE RABRI 3 APPLES (PEELED, GRATED)
1 LITRE MILK 4 TBSP SUGAR
1/4 TSP GREEN CARDAMOM
8-10 ALMONDS (BLANCHED, SLICED)5-6 PISTACHIOS (BLANCHED, SLICED)

POUR MILK IN A BROAD VESSEL AND BRING TO A BOIL. SIMMER TILL REDUCED TO HALF THE ORIGINAL QUANTITY.ADD SUGAR AND COOK ON LOW HEAT, STIRRING CONTINUOUSLY.ADD THE GRATED APPLES TO REDUCED MILK AND MIX. COOK FOR THREE TO FOUR MINUTES.ADD CARDAMOM POWDER, ALMONDS AND PISTACHIOS. POUR INTO A SERVING DISH.APPLE RABDI IS READY. SERVE HOT OR COLD

Badam Phirni:

12 nos. Almonds4 tablespoons Rice flour
21/2 cups Milk5 tablespoons Sugar8 strands Saffron1 teaspoon Cardamom powder

Blanch and grind the almonds to a fine paste with 1/2 cup milk. Mix together the ground almond paste and rice flour and keep aside. Bring the milk to a boil. Add the sugar and stir till the sugar dissolves. Keep aside a tablespoon of hot milk and dissolve the saffron in it. Add the almond-rice mixture into the boiling milk along with the saffron. Stir continuously for a few mintues till the milk thickens and attains a custard-like consistency. Sprinkle in the cardamom powder. Take off fire and cool to room temperature. Pour into individual bowls, garnish with almonds and pistachios and refrigerate.

Apple Jam

Apple - 3 (Medium sized)Sugar - 1 ½ cupsLime juice(freshly squeezed) - 1 ½ tspnCut Apple into small cubes.Boil water in a pan. Add Apple cubes and Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow this to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.Drain the water and grind the cooked apple cubes in a blender nicely.Heat the ground apple mix in a pan. Add Sugar and Lemon juice to it. Keep the stove in medium heat.Stir this mix frequently to avoid spilling out and burning the bottom. Stir this mix till it becomes thick(like jam). This may take 20 to 25 minutes.Then remove from heat and let it cool completely. After that store the jam in sterilized jars and refrigerate.

Badhusha
Maida or All purpose flour - 2 cupsBaking soda - 1/4 tspnGhee - 3/4 cupFor Jeera(Sugar Syrup):Sugar - 3 cupsWater - 2 cupsBlend Baking powder and Ghee by hands for 15 minutes without any lumps.Add 1/2 cup of Maida to the blended Ghee and mix it with your hands gradually.Add the remaining maida, water and start mixing till it turns into firm and soft dough (like you prepare for poori). Mix the dough without much forcing.Close it with a wet cloth for 15 minutes.Take a small portion of dough and make a small ball, then flatten it and press lightly in center. Finish all the dough like this.Deep fry these Badhushas in hot oil till it turns biscuit colour.Jeera Preparation:Boil sugar and water until foaming bubbles. This is the correct texture. Now sugar syrup is ready.Drop the hot Badhushas in sugar syrup.Once the sugar syrup is absorbed and badhushas become soft, remove from sugar syrup and store it in another bowl. Garnish it with pista, almonds or coconut.
Coconut burfiCoconut – 1 cupSugar – 4to5 SpoonsPori kadalai (channa) – ½ spoonGhee – As RequiredFry Coconut, Pori kadalai (channa) in Ghee till it becomes light brown in color.Heat ½ cup of Water in a pan. Add ½ cup of Sugar into the Water. Stir it for some time in the medium heat till it becomes not so thick.Then add the fried Coconut into that Sugar syrup and stir it frequently.The Coconut and Sugar syrup mixture should not be so thick or so runny. Take it off from the stove in the intermediate state. Otherwise it’ll stick with the pan. Spread Ghee in a plate. Spread the mix in the Ghee coated plate.
Carrot halwaCarrot – 2Sugar – 3 spoonsCashew nuts – 3 (As required)Ghee- (As required) Ingredients:Green gram dal- 1/2 cupSugar- 1/4 cup Cardamom- 1 Ghee-5 to 6 spoonCook carrot in pressure cooker and keep it aside.Once the carrot cools, grind the cooked carrot and sugar with cashew nuts. Make sure that you grind finely. Don’t use water to grind.Heat ghee in a pan, add the finely ground mix and stir it in very low heat.Stir it continuously till it becomes soft and thick.
Green gram dal laddu (paasi paruppu laddu)
Green gram dal- 1/2 cupSugar- 1/4 cupCardamom- 1 Ghee-5 to 6 spoonFry the Green gram without any Oil till it becomes light brown in color.Dry grind Green gram dal, Sugar and Cardamom.Sift the ground flour to separate the fine powder from the coarse particles(The bigger one which cannot pass through a sieve). You can use a sieve or a strainer to sift the flour.Again grind the coarse particles, sift it. Repeat this process till you make a fine flour. Heat Ghee and mix with the nicely grounded flour.Make small balls out of it before the ghee mixed flour cools off. If it cools off, the flour will be dry and it would be difficult to make balls.Serve after it cools off. It’s very easy to prepare and tasty toeat.
Tomato Halwa (Thakkali alwa)
Apple Tomato- 3Sugar- 3-5 spoonGhee- as requiredGrind the Tomatoes with out water and keep it aside.Heat Ghee in a pan. Add Tomato juice and sugar and stir it in very low heat.Add some more Ghee if you feel you need it.Stir it continuously till it becomes so soft and thick.Serve it hot.
Milk Burfi Recipe for this Diwali.2 cup Whole Milk 2 tsp fresh Lemon Juice 2 tblsp dried Milk Powder 3 tblsp powdered Sugar (Cheeni) 3 tbsp Ghee 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder 1 sheets Edible Silver Foil (Varq) Heat the milk a little and add lemon juice in the milk to curdle it. Hang the curdled milk in a muslin cloth for 3 hours. This results in the solidification of milk into cheese Add milk powder and sugar to the cheese and kneed the mixture well. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and add the cheese mixture Stir-Fry over very low flame until the ghee separates. Take off the mixture from the heat, add cardamom powder to it, and allow to cool slightly Blend properly by again kneading it. Pat the kneaded mixture into a flat cake and allow it to cool completely. Cut into squares and decorate with silver foil.
Gujhia
500 gms maida (flour) 1kg khoya 3 tbsps kismis (raisins) /200 gms almonds (cut into thin strips) 6 tbsps cooking oil. ( keep some more aside for deep frying) 200 ml water 500 gms sugar. Mix the six tablespoons of oil with the maida. Now add some water as required and knead into soft dough. Set aside and cover with a damp cloth. Fry khoya in a deep-frying pan to a light brown color. Add sugar, almonds and kismis into the khoya and mix well. Remove from the fire and let it cool. Roll out the kneaded dough into a small and thick chapatti. Fill half the chapati with the khoya mixture and seal the round, twisting the edges inwards. Deep-fry these gujhias to a deep golden brown color on slow flame. Take them out and drain the oil completely. After it cools down serve them to the guests.

ShakkarPare Recipe3 cup maida (plain flour)2 cup Wheat flour 2 cup Sugar 2 tsp Saunf 2 cup ghee Ghee for fry Mix the ingredients mentioned above into little water. Knead into a soft dough.Divide dough into equal parts and roll out into thick chappatis. Make small diamond shapes with a knife. Lift with spatula and keep aside on a dry cloth for 1 hour.Deep fry in hot ghee over medium heat till it turns light golden brown.Drain well and keep aside till cool.Keep in clean, dry containers.

KULFI1 litre full cream/ whole milk1 can (400 gm) sweetened condensed milk1 cup powdered milk1 cup sugar1 tsp cardamom powder1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds/pistachios cut into slivers (optional)Put all the ingredients into a deep, heavy-bottomed (preferably nonstick) pan and blend with a plastic whisk (to avoid scratching the pan). Cook on a medium flame till the milk mixture is thickened and reduced to 75 per cent of its original volume. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Turn off the fire and add the cardamom powder and almond slivers. Mix well. Cool the milk mixture completely and pour into a freezer-safe dish - any shape is fine. You can even use ice-lolly containers to make handy individual serves. Kids love them! Freeze and when firm, unmould or scoop out desired portions and serve
STEAMED MILK CAKEMakes about 7 cupcakes.
170 gm. Fresh Milk75 gm. sugar100 gm. cake flour20 gm. rice flour2 tsp. double-action baking powder
Use a hand whisk to whisk fresh milk with sugar until the sugar has dissolved.Add in remaining ingredients and stir well.Spoon int small cups lined with paper cups.
Steam at high heat for 15 mins. or until cooked. Remove and cool on wire rack

Recipe for Agra Petha.
1 kg. Firm white pumpkin800 gms. sugar
2 tsp. calcium hydroxide (kitchen lime)1/2 tsp. alum powder
1 tsp. rose water3-4 drops kewra essence2 cups water
Dissolve alum in 1/2 cup water. Keep aside.Dissolve lime in 1 litre water, strain with a clean cloth, twice if required.Peel pumpkin, dicard seeds, mushy centre.Cut into 1"x2"x1" rectangular blocks or as desired.Prick all over with a metal skewer or fork.Put pieces in lime water. Soak for 30-35 minutes.Drain, wash under clean running water for 2-3 minutes.Put in a bowl, sprinkle alum water, shake to coat all pieces evenly.Drain, boil pieces in a large heavy pan, till a little soft and exuding water.Make a syrup of sugar and water, till 2 1/2 thread consistency (refer syrup method)Put drained pumpkin pieces in syrup, boil till syrup becomes thick again.
Keep covered with a mesh, overnight.Drain, boil syrup again till thick, add pieces, reboil for 3-4 minutes.Drain out excess syrup, sprinkle essence and rose water.
Cool completely, refrigerate.
Badam HalwaBadam - 100 gmsSugar - 4 cupsGhee - 30 gms
Cardamom - 3Milk - 3 cupsSaffron - soak them in a lukewarm milk

Soak the Badam for 2 hours, peel the skin off themGrind them well with milkAdd the ground paste to a heated pan and bring them to a boil with a reduced flameKeep stirring and add sugar, keep stirringthem till the halwa becomes thick, add the ghee to it and keep stirring itThen add the cardamomFinally add the saffron.
MYSORE PAK
1 cup Bengal Gram Flour 1-1/4 cup Ghee 3/4 cup Oil2 cup Sugar 1/2 cup Water Sieve the flour to remove lumps. 2. Grease the tray/plate (in which you will finally transfer the mysore pak) with ghee or oil. 3. Heat the ghee and sunflower oil together in a vessel till it is very hot.(Oil gives a soft consistency to the mysore pak) 4. Keep a small bowl/cup with water near the cooking stove. 5. Mix the water and sugar in a heavy kadai and place on fire. When the sugar is dissolved strain through a fine filter to remove dust particles. 6. Pour the sugar syrup back into the kadai and place again on low fire. Keep stirring till you reach soft ball consistency. To check the consistency, just drop a bit of the sugar syrup in the bowl/cup of water that you have near the stove. The syrup should instantly settle at the bottom as a round lump inside the water. This is the soft ball consistency (It will approx take 10 minutes to reach soft ball consistency). 7. Now drop the gram flour little by little into the syrup, stirring constantly (to avoid forming lumps). 8. Once all the gram flour has blended with the syrup, pour the hot ghee-oil little by little, stirring constantly. All the ghee-oil will get absorbed. 9. Continue to stir and within few minutes the mixture will get frothy and leave out ghee. 10. At this stage remove from fire and transfer into the greased tray/plate and pat it even. 11. After about 3-4 minutes, cut into pieces in the tray. Allow to cool and then remove the pieces to store in a jar. NOTE: 1. All cooking is to be done on low fire and it approx takes 40 minutes cooking time to complete the mysore pak. 2. Use the same size cup to measure all ingredients. 3. With a 300ml size measuring cup, you will get around 45 pieces of medium sized mysore pak
APPLE HALWA3number apples 3 tbsp dry fruits 3 number elaychi 1 cup evaporated milk 1 tsp ghee 1 tsp kesar
2 cup sugar Its microwave recipe and unique recipe. Take 3 apples peel and cut into cubes. Now heat in Micro wave for 3 min on high. now grind those cubes of apple in mixer, dont paste it but. Take ghee in pan add all dry fruits and microwave it for 1 min to roast. Now remove dryfruits and add crushed apple. Mwave it for 5 min on high. Now add evaporated milk and sugar stir and put for 5 min on high. stir ocasionally. Now add kesar and ilaychi mix well and put in mwave for 1 min on High. Keep it out of microwave garnish with dry fruits. keep in fridge and serve as desert recipe after Lunch or dinner. Tan tadang .. Apple ka halwa is ready !!! Anyone can cook it very simple and tasty.
BOURNVITA CAKEPlain white flour or Maida – 1 cupBournvita - 1/2 cupSugar - 3 cupGhee -1/4 cupMETHOD:
Heat ghee in a pan and roast the flour on a low flame, till it gives out a pleasant aroma. Take care that it does not burn. The consistency of flour and ghee mixture should be like a thick paste.Keep the roasted flour mixture aside.Dissolve the Bournvita in little warm water and keep aside. It should be thick like condensed milk.Add one cup of water to sugar and boil till one thread consistency.Add the roasted flour and stir to blend with sugar syrup.Add the bournvita and blend well.Keep stirring till the mass thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan.Pour on a greased plate and allow it to cool and set.When it feels firm and still warm, use a knife and draw one set of diagonal lines on the cake. 10. Draw another set of diagonal lines in the opposite direction. This will make nice diamond shaped cakes.
Peda1/2 kg. Soft white khoya
2 1/2 cups (approx.300gms) sugar powdered
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder1 tsp. cardamom seeds semi crushed
1 tbsp. slivered or crushed pistachios
Grate khoya with a steel (not iron) grater.
Add powdered sugar and mix well. Put mixture in a large heavy or nonstick pan. Heat first on high for few minutes.The on slow till done. Make sure to stir continuously, while on heat. When mixture thick and gooey, add cardamom. Mix well, and take off fire. Allow to cool, gently turning occasionall Use cookie moulds, or shape pedas with palms into patty rounds. Mix pistachios and cardamom seeds and press a bit on top of each. If using moulds, first sprinkle some at bottom. Take some mixture and press into mould. When set well, invert and carefully, unmould. Tip:Above is the basic recipe. Any colour ( yellow, orange, green, cochineal), essence (pineapple, orange, pista, chocolate), topping (almonds, walnuts, cashews), can be added. To above recipe add any of following for varied flavours: cashew powder 1/2 cup, cocoa2 tbsp.(then increase sugar by 1/2 cup), walnuts powdered 1/2 cup, etc. Add when the mixture is half cooked.One may also prepare pinnis similarly from gram dal, urad dal, or wheatflour or gram flour,etc. If using flour, make sure it has been roasted in ghee on low fire, till golden, then and add some khoya which has been roasted to a dry light brown in same pan, after flour has been roasted and removed.
Besan Ladoo:
4 cups Gram Flour1 cup Pure Ghee2 cups sugar
1 tsp Powdered Cardamom1/2 cup chopped Almonds and RaisinsHeat the ghee in a pan. Add the gram flour and fry it on a low flame stirring continuously till brown. Once it is browned, let it cool. Add powdered cardamom and sugar. Mix well. Add chopped almonds and raisins. Shape into ladoos and serve.
Jalebi:
2 cups All purpose flour (maida)
11/2 tbsp. fine grained semolina or rice flour
1/4th tsp. baking powder2 tbsp curd (plain yogurt)
11/4th cups warm water
1/2 tsp. saffron threads, slowly dry-roasted and powdered
3 cups sugar2 2/3rd cups water
1/2 tsp green cardamom seeds powder11/2 tbsp. kewra water or rose water
Ghee or vegetable oil for frying
Mix the flour, semolina or rice flour, baking powder, curd and 3/4th cup of the water in a bowl (preferably a ceramic bowl). Mix well with a whisk. Mix well and then add remaining water and 1/8th tsp. of saffron powder, and whisk until smooth.Set aside for about 2 hours to ferment.Whisk thoroughly before use. Prepare one string syrup by dissolving sugar in the water. Just before the syrup is ready add saffron and cardamom powder. Heat oil in a kadhai. Pour the batter in a steady stream ( or coconut shell with a hole) into the kadhai to form coils. Make a few at a time. Deep fry them until they are golden and crisp all over but not brown. Remove from the kadhai and drain on kitchen paper and immerse in the syrup.Leave for at least 4-5 minutes so that they soak the syrup. Take them out of syrup and serve hot.

Rasmalai:
2 lbs Cows Milk or Ricotta cheese1/2 cup sugar
32 oz half & half milkA pinch of saffron
1/4 tsp crushed cardamom seeds1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 tbsp crushed green pistachios
Mix the cheese with sugar and little cardamom powder and spread out on a baking tray. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until it sets. It should not get brown. Remove from oven, cool at room temperature and cut into 2″ squares. Place them in a dessert bowl. Mix the other ingredients, except the pistachios well in a separate dish and pour over the squares. Decorate with pistachios, chill for 2-3 hours and then serve.
Rawa Ladoo
2 cups semolina (rawa)1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup ghee1 tbsp broken cashew nuts
1 tbsp raisins fried1 tsp fried cardamom powder
Heat 1 tsp. ghee in a pan and dry roast the rawa till pink. Grind the fried rawa and powdered sugar in a mixer to a fine powder. Heat the remaining ghee and add the powdered rawa, cashew nuts, raisins and cardamom powder. Mix thoroughly.While still warm, make into small lemon-sized balls. Cool and store in an airtight container.
Gujiya (Karanji):
1 cup Wheat flour3 tablespoons Ghee1 pinch Salt
1/2 litre Oil (for frying)1 cup Grated coconut3 1/4 cups Sugar
1 1/2 cups MilkFew Almonds
Few Raisins1/2 teaspoons Cardamom powder
1 tablespoon Poppy seeds
In a mixing bowl combine the salt, flour and ghee. Rub in well. Gradually add water and knead to form a firm dough. Cover with wet cloth and set aside. For the stuffing: Cook the coconut (use fresh or dried) sugar, milk, chopped almonds and raisins, cardamom powder, and poppy seeds(optional) till the milk evaorates. Divide the dough into 20-25 sections, roll them out into flat round pancakes. Place a spoon of stuffing at the centre and fold the pancake in half. Use a cutter to create the fluted crescent border and cut off excess dough. You can seal the edges by applying a little milk and pressing down hard. After all the karanjis are stuffed, fry them in very hot oil for 2-3 minutes or till golden brown, remove onto paper towels and allow to cool.
Doodh Pak:1/2 cup Almonds1 litre Milk
250 grams Sugar1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
1 teaspoon Saffron1 tablespoon Pistachios11/2 tablespoon RaisinsSoak the almonds in warm water for 1 hour. Peel and grind to a fine paste. Dissolve the saffron in 1 tablespoon of warm milk and keep aside. Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan, stirring constantly. Add the almond paste and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the saffron, sugar, pista and raisins. Cook on a very low flame till thick. Sprinkle cardamom powder. Serve hot or chilled. Tip: You can use 1/2 cup rice instead of almonds. If using rice, soak it in warm water for 45 minutes and grind to a fine paste.
Kesar Kaju Barfi:
500 gms Kaju (cashewnuts)300 gms sugar
1/2 tsp kesar(saffron)1/4 tsp orange color2 chandi (silver) warak
Soak the cashewnuts in water for 3 hours.Drain the water and ground the cashewnuts,finely. In a pan mix sugar and cashewnuts,and roast on low heat,stiring constantly. Mix saffron and orange color in it.roast till done. On the rolling board place a butter paper and pour the mixture on it. Now place another butter paper ,sandwhiching the mixture between the two paper. Roll it with rolling pin. Remove the butter paper from top and place silver warak,and cut the burfi pieces
Gajar Ka Halwa:
1 kg Carrots1 litre Milk
1 teaspoon Cardamom seeds3/4 cup Water
3 tablespoons Ghee2 tablespoons Raisins
2 tablespoons Almonds2 tablespoons Pistachios450 grams Sugar
Wash and grate the carrots. Soak the raisins in water for 30 minutes. Blanch and shred the nuts. Put the water to boil, when it starts boiling add the grated carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the milk. Cook on a low flame for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Add sugar, mix well and cook till the sugar has dissolved and all the milk has been absorbed. Add ghee and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the slightly crushed cardamoms and the raisins. Mix well. Remove from heat and arrange in a serving dish. Garnish with almonds and pistachios. Serve cold, hot or at room temperature.
Kheer:
1/4th cup Long grain Rice (washed and drained)
4-5 cups Milk2-3 cardamom seeds (crushed)
2 tbsp. almonds (blanched silvered)
A pinch of saffron threads, soaked in a little hot milk
1 tbsp skinned pistachio nuts (chopped)
1 tbsp raisins (optional)2-3tbsp. sugar or as desired
Put the rice, milk and cardamom in a pan, bring to boil and simmer gently until the rice is soft and the grains are starting to break up. Add almonds, pistachio, saffron and raisins and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and serve either warm or chilled.
Lapsi:
1 cup Broken wheat2 1/2 cups Hot water
2 tablespoon Almonds3/4 cup Sugar
15 nos. Raisins1 teaspoon Cardamom powder3/4 cup Ghee
Soak the raisins in 1/2 cup water and keep aside. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, add the broken wheat. Saute on a high flame till it turns pinkish brown. Add hot water, partly cover and cook on a medium flame till most of the water has evaporated. Add more water if the wheat is not tender enough. Once all the water has evaporated, add the sugar, ghee and 1/2 cup water. Stir. Place a griddle or tava below the pan and cook on a low flame for 8-10 minutes. The lapsi is ready when the ghee starts oozing out from the sides of the pan. Serve hot garnished with blanched almonds and pistachios.
Badam Ka Sheera:
1 1/2 cup almonds (soaked overnight),
3 cups hot milk,250 gm ghee,1/2 to 1/3 cup sugar.
Peel the almonds, wash and grind to fine paste. Heat ghee in a heavy pan.Add paste and cook on first high then slow flame, stirring continuosly. After a while it should turn a light brown and aromatic. Carefully pour hot milk and stir. Use a long-handled spatula as the mixture tends to splatter. When thickens, add the sugar and cook, stirring continously and gently till ghee begins to separate. Decorate with chopped nuts and serve hot .
Ghevar:
3 cups plain flour,1 cup solidified ghee,
3-4 icecubes,4 cups water, approx.,
1/2 cup milk,1/4 tsp. yellow food colour,
1 kg. Ghee for deep frying.
For syrup:1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup water.
For topping: (optional)1 tsp. powdered cardamom, 1 tbsp. chopped almonds & pistachios, 1 tbsp. milk in which 1/2 tsp. saffron has been rubbed in, Silver foil.
Prepare sugar syrup of 1 thread consistency. Take solidified ghee in a large wide bowl. Taking one icecube at a time rub the ghee vigourously. Take more icecubes as required, till ghee becomes very white. Add milk, flour and 1 cup water. Mix to make smooth batter. Dissolve colour in some water and add to batter. Add more water as required. Batter should be fairly thin (it should run offeasily when pour from spoon). Take an aluminium or steel cylindrical container (do not use lid). The height should be at least 12″. And diameter 5-6″. Fill half with ghee. Do Heat. When ghee is smoky hot, take a 50 ml, glassful of batter. Pour in centre of ghee, slowly in one continuous threadlike stream. Allow foam to settle. Pour one more glassful in hole formed in centre. When foam settles again, loosen ghevar with an iron skewer inserted in hole. Lift carefully, at a slant, and place on wire mesh to drain. Keep hot syrup in a wide flatbottomed container to fit in ghevar. Dip ghevar in it, and remove, keep aside on mesh to drain excess syrup . Alternatively. Pour some syrup evenly all over, keeping ghevar in a mesh placed over a container. Cool a little, top with silver foil. Splash a few drops of saffron milk, sprinkle some chopped dryfruit and a few pinches of cardamom powder. One may also top ghevar with rabri prepared in advance. This ghevar will howver not last as Long. It will also be softer.
Bread Kheer Recipe
1 litre milk
4 slices milk bread, crusts removed1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. sugar, powdered1 tsp. icing sugar
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
10-12 strands saffron, crushed, soaked in 1 tsp. hot milk
10-12 almonds, slivered10-12 pistachios, slivered
Spread bread slices on a plate, sprinkle powdered sugar, 1 tsp. milk.Crumble, mix, gently make small marble-like balls.Dust with icing sugar, to keep separate.Place in refrigerator for 20 minutes or till required.Put milk to boil, simmer for 15 minutes.Add all ingredients, except bread balls.Boil for 2 minutes. Keep hot to serve.Just before serving add bread balls, serve hot

Coconut Sweet Recipe
coconut - 2 whole (fresh and grated)
jaggery - 1/2 kg (grated)cardamoms - 10 to12 (powdered)
maida flour - 1/2 kgwheat flour - 1/2 kgturmeric powder - 1/2 tspcashew nuts -12 to 15 (small pieces fried in ghee)
kashkasha (gasgase) - 50 gms (optional)
oil - 1/4 kgghee - 1/4 kg

Grind fresh grated coconut and put it in a container to heat. Add grated jaggery, Addghee, kashkash, cashew nuts to it. Stir it continuously, until it mixes well and forms apaste. Take out from the stove and add cardamom powder to it.
When it is cooled, make small balls out of it and keep aside. Take maida and wheat flour,(You can also use Maida only). Add oil 5 tsp,turmeric and water, and mix it well into asmooth dough. Add 2 tbsp of oil on the top of that and keep it aside 15 minutes.Divide dough into small balls, make a hole, insert a sweet ball and cover that hole. Rollthem into round shape (Like Parathas).
Grease the tava or pan with ghee and place this over it. When done one side turn andapply ghee on other side.It should be golden brown in color when you remove, Store it in a dry container and eatwith ghee on the top

Carrot Burfi Recipe
carrots 5 lbssugar 2 cupsmilk powder 2 cups
butter 1/2 lbricotta cheese 16 oz

Cook grated carrots and sugar together in a heavy bottom pan till done.
In another pan fry the butter and ricotta cheese and then add the milk powder and cookuntil the mixture leaves the side of the pan.Then add the cooked carrots to the cheese-milk powder mixture and cook for another 5minutes.Butter a large cookie sheet or thali and coat it with butter or ghee. Spread the cookedmixture on the cookie sheet.Put some silver foil sheets on the burfi. Cut it into squares or diamonds when it cools.Put the burfi in the fridge and it will keep for a month

Healthy Snacks

2010-09-25T07:13:00.001-07:00

Healthy Snacks

SNACKS

Moong dal bread chilla

Bread slice- 4 to 5Green gram dal whole(Moong dal)- 1 cup

Green chilies- 1 to 2Chili powder- 1/2 tspGram flour(Besan, Kadalai mavu)- 1 tspSoak Green gram dal for 4-5 hours.Grind Green gram dal with Green chilies nicely and prepare a paste.Add Salt, Chili powder and Gram flour to the paste. Mix it well.Apply the paste on both sides of the Bread and toast it in a pan.

Cut the Bread into slices. Serve hot.

Vegetable spring roll

Maida (all purpose flour) - 1 cupEgg - 1Salt - to taste
Water - as required to make thin batter
Oil - 3 tbsp, for shallow frying(Batter for covering)

For Filling:Carrots - 1 big, cut into thin matchsticks
Cabbage - half to 3/4 cup, shredded thinly
Ginger - half inch piece, mincedGarlic - 1 to 2 cloves, minced

Spring/Green Onions - 3, chopped, white & green parts separated
Soy Sauce - about 2 tspSriracha chilli sauce - 1 tsp (optional)
Salt & Pepper - to tasteOil - 2 tsp

Sealing Paste:Maida/Flour - 2 tsp + little water to form a thick paste For the outer cover, blend the flour, egg, salt & water to make a thin, smooth batter. Heat a small round pan (8 inch diameter is what I used), rub a few drops of oil and pour some of this batter and spread out to form a very thin pancake. Cook on medium on one side, flip over and cook the other side as well. It will still be pale in colour. Keep aside. Do this for the rest of the batterFor the filling, heat the 2 tsp of oil and add the whites of spring onions, ginger and garlic, after abt 20-30 seconds, add in the veggies and a pinch of salt and stir-fry till crisp-tender. Stir in the soy & chilli sauces with pepper to taste & spring onion tops (greens) and when done. Keep aside and allow to cool a bitTo make the rolls, put some filling in the pancake and roll it up tightly. Seal with the paste of flour+water and place them seam side down (so it doesn't open up). Complete filling all the rolls while the Oil to shallow fry them heats up. ) Once the oil is hot enough, put the rolls seam side down and allow to cook till it crisps up outside, flip over and let the other side cook as well. Remove and allow to drain on paper towels before slicing them diagonally into smaller pieces. Serve as is or with some ketchup.

Cabbage Vada

Besan flour (kadala mavu) - 1¼ cupCabbage- 1 cupOnion - 1

Curry leaves- 3 or 4 sprigsCoriander leaves- 3 sprigs

Chili Powder - 1 tspn (adjust with your spice level)

Salt - to tasteOil - to deep fry

Chop Cabbage,Onion, Curry leaves and Coriander leaves.Mix all the ingredients except Oil in a bowl, add enough Water to this and make a thick batter.Heat Oil in a pan. Once the Oil is hot enough, pinch a small amount of batter and drop it gently into the hot oil. Deep fry them till they are golden brown turning once in a while.Remove and drain them on paper towels. Serve hot.

Spinach Pakora

Besan flour (kadala mavu) - 3/4 cupRice flour - 2 tbspn

Spinach - 1/4 portion of a bunch or a pack Onion - 1

Hing - 2 to 3 pinchesChili Powder - 1/2 to 1 tspn (adjust with your spice level)

Salt - to tasteWater - 1 or 2 tspnOil - to deep fryChop Spinach and Onion.Mix all the ingredients except Oil in a bowl. Add 1 or 2 tspn of water to just bind all the ingredients. Already Spinach and Onion contain some moisture in it. That’s enough. Don’t add more water. Heat Oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot enough, pinch gooseberry size of mix and press it with your hands(to just bind all the ingredients). Prepare small balls like this.Drop these small balls gently into the hot Oil. Deep fry them till they are golden brown turning once in a while.Remove and drain them on paper towels. Serve hot.

Spring rolls

Egg Roll or Spring Roll Wrappers - 10 to 15

Onion - 1 cup(chopped)Carrot - 1 cup(grated)Cabbage - 2 cups(Chopped)

Tofu (crumbled)- 1 cup (optionalSoy sauce - 1 teaspoon

Heat Oil in a Pan. Add Onion and fry till it becomes transparent.

Add Cabbage, Carrot and crumbled Tofu, fry for 2 to 3 minutes.Add Soy sauce and Salt, stir this mix. Remove from heat.Let this mixture cool. Now the filling is ready.Place 2-3 tbspn of filling diagonally on wrapper.Fold over that corner and roll up half-way.Fold up both sides of the corner against filling.Brush the edges with little water and seal it. Keep all the spring rolls ready.Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot enough, add these spring rolls, turn frequently for 1-2 minutes or until light brown.Remove from heat and drain on paper towels

French fries (Potato fry)
Potato (large) - 4 to 5 (peel skin and cut lengthwise 1/2 inch thick)
Salt - to tasteOil - to deep fry
Cut potatoes length-wise and soak it in ice cold water for an hour. Then dry in a tissue paper.Heat oil to 325 degree Fahrenheit, deep fry for 3 minutes. Then rise to 375 degrees and fry till crispy.Sprinkle salt and serve hot.

Cauliflower Vada
Cauliflower - 1 cup
Broccoli - 6 to 7 florets (optional)Onion - 1/4
Gram flour (kadala mavu) - 1/2 cupRice flour - 1/4 cupGinger garlic paste - 1 tspnChili powder - 1/2 to 1 tspnCoriander powder - 1/2 tspn
Coriander leaves - 4 to 5 sprigs
Fennel seeds (perunjeeragam) - 1/4 tspnSalt - to taste
Water - 1/4 to 1/2 cupOil - to deep fry
Chop Cauliflower, Onion and Broccoli into small pieces.Mix all the ingredients(except Oil) together in a bowl and make a thick batter. Be careful in adding water.Heat Oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot enough, pinch a small amount of mix in your left palm, flatten it lightly and shape them into small round vadas.Drop them gently into Oil and deep fry them till they are golden brown.Then remove from heat and drain them on paper towels.

Ragi Vada
Ragi flour- 2 cupsChili powder- 2 tspRoasted channa dal - 4 or 5 spoons
Onion- 2Curry leaves- fewAny greens(keerai)- 1/2 bunchSalt- to tasteOil- for fry
Chop Onion and Greens(Keerai). Keep aside.Take a vessel and mix all the ingredients except Oil. Add required Water and make a soft dough(like chapati dough), but slightly thinner than chapati dough.Heat Oil in a pan. Take a small amount of dough, press that with help of fingers and drop that in hot Oil.Fry till it turns into crispy or till the bubbles are almost stopped.

Fried idly
Idly – 4 to 5 Chili powder – 2 tspns
Turmeric powder – a pinch Salt – As required
Oil to fryCut idly into 4 pieces.
Mix Chili powder, Turmeric powder and Salt using little waterMarinate the Idly pieces into the chili mix for half-an-hour.Deep fry the Idly pieces in oil.

Babycorn Cutlet
Potato- 3Baby corn- 8
Cabbage- 1/2 cupOnion- 1/2
Tomato- 1/2Coriander leaves- 2 sprig
Chili powder- 1 tspGram masala powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tspBread crumbs- 6 plain brand (crumbled)
Oil and Salt- as requiredChop Onion, Tomato, Coriander leaves and Cabbage. Cook and mash Potatoes. Cook and semi grind Baby corn. Keep all this aside.
Add mashed Potatoes, ground Baby corn, chopped Onion, Tomato, Coriander leaves, Cabbage, Chili powder, Gram masala powder, Turmeric powder and Salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well.Equally divide this mix in to small ball size. Press each ball and flatten them between your palms. Now these cutlets are ready to fry.Heat a wide pan. Keep the stove in the medium heat. Pour 1 spoon of Oil and place a cutlet. Fry till each side turns into brown color. Fry both the sides. Serve with ketchup.

Baby corn 65
Baby corn-10 nosGinger garlic paste-2tsp
Chilli powder-2tspCorn flour-5 to 6tsp Salt-to taste
Garam masala-1tsp Oil-1cup
Recipe:Cut the corn in to small piecesMix it well with all ingredients except oilLeave it for 5 minutesDeep fry in oilServe hot with sauce

Baby corn Bajji
Baby corn – 2Gram flour (Kadala mavu) – 4 to 5 spoonsChili powder – 1 tspn
Turmeric powder – a pinchSalt – As required
Oil to fryCut Baby corns in to small pieces.
Prepare thick batter by mixing Gram flour, Chili powder, Turmeric powder and Salt with Water.Marinate the Baby corns into the batter for half-an-hour.Heat Oil in a pan and deep fry the Baby corns till it becomes golden brown in color.Serve with Tomato sauce.

Vegetable Noodles & Vegetables in Spicy Garlic Sauce
1 packet egg noodles (boiled, drained in cold water and tossed in 1-2 tsps oil)
1/4 cup spring onions, finely chopped1 onion sliced
2 cups julienned vegetables (carrots, beans, cabbage and capsicum)
1 tsp soya sauce1 tsp green chilli paste (optional)
1/2 tbsp vinegarpepper pwd as required
salt as required1 1/2 tbsps sesame oil or peanut oil
Heat a tbsp and a half of sesame oil in a large wok and once the oil is piping hot, add the spring onions and sliced onions and stir fry for 1 mt on high.
Add the rest of the vegetables and toss them on high heat for 4 mts.
Add salt, pepper pwd, soya sauce and combine. Add the drained noodles and combine well.Add vinegar and toss the noodles and vegetables on high heat for a few seconds. Turn off heat. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and serve hot with vegetables in spicy garlic sauce

ALOO CHANA CHAT
1-1/2 CUPS CHICK PEAS 2 MEDIUM POTATOES, PEELED AND DICED 1-1/2 TSP BROWN SUGAR1/2 TSP MILD CHILI POWDER 2 TBSP FRESH CILANTRO LEAVES, FINELY CHOPPED 1 PINCH SALT
1 TBSP TAMARIND PASTE 6 TBSP WATER
CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES CHOPPED ONION
TOMATO JULIENNE OR POMEGRANATE SEEDS
RINSE AND DRAIN GARBANZO BEANS.BOIL WATER IN A PAN, ADD THE DICED POTATOES AND COOK TILL SOFT.

REMOVE POTATOES FROM HEAT, DRAIN AND SET ASIDE TO COOL.MIX THE TAMARIND PASTE AND WATER IN A SMALL BOWL.ADD CHILI POWDER, SUGAR AND SALT.POUR THE TAMARIND MIXTURE ON THE GARBANZO BEANS.COMBINE THE POTATOES, CHOPPED ONIONS AND CILANTRO.MIX THEM PROPERLY AND ADD SALT TO TASTE.SERVE IN INDIVIDUAL BOWLS.GARNISH WITH CORIANDER LEAVES.USE TOMATO JULIENNE OR POMEGRANATE SEEDS,IF DESIRED.ALOO CHANA CHAAT IS READY.

BAINGAN FRY
8 BRINJALS (SLICED)3 TSP SALT OIL FOR FRYING
4 TSP CHILLY POWDERMARINATE BRINJAL SLICES FOR 20 MINUTES WITH CHILLY POWDER AND SALT.HEAT VEGETABLE OIL IN A PAN AND FRY THE MARINATED BRINJAL.REMOVE THE FRIED BRINJAL IN A DIFFERENT VESSEL, REMOVE EXCESS OIL AND SERVE HOT.

BABYCORN MANCHURIAN
15-20 BABY CORN 5 TSP RICE FLOUR
15 TSP CORN FLOUR 2 TSP GINGER-GARLIC PASTE
1-2 TSP CHILI-GARLIC SAUCE 1 TSP SOYA SAUCE
2 TBSP CASHEW PEANUT POWDER 2 TBSP FRESH CORIANDER LEAVES, WASHED AND CHOPPED, FOR GARNISHING 2 MEDIUM ONIONS, FINELY CHOPPED 4 GREEN CHILIES, WASHED AND CHOPPED
2 GARLIC CLOVES, WASHED, PEELED AND FINELY CHOPPED TOMATO SAUCE, AS REQUIRED OIL FOR DEEP FRYING SALT TO TASTE

BOIL BABYCORNS IN A LITTLE SALTY WATER.

TAKE A BOWL AND MIX CORN FLOUR, RICE FLOUR, TOMATO SAUCE, GINGER-GARLIC PASTE, A LITTLE SALT AND THE PARBOILED BABYCORNS.POUR OIL IN A PAN AND HEAT IT.NOW FRY THE BABYCORNS. REMOVE THEM FROM THE PAN AND DRAIN OUT EXCESS OIL ON CLEAN PAPER TOWELS.POUR 3 TBSP OIL IN A PAN AND HEAT IT.ADD ONIONS, GREEN CHILLIES AND GARLIC, SAUTE UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN.ADD THE DEEP-FRIED BABY CORNS, SOYA SAUCE, TOMATO SAUCE, CHILLI-GARLIC SAUCE AND SALT TO IT.FRY FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES OVER MEDIUM HEAT.GARNISH BABYCORN MACHURIAN WITH CASHEW-PEANUT POWDER AND CORRIANDER LEAVES.

CORN BALLS
1 TEACUP BOILED CORN 4 BOILED POTATOES
4 TBSP GRATED CHEESE4 GREEN CHILLIES
2 TBSP CORIANDER 225 GMS PANEER
BREADCRUMBS 1 TEACUP MAIDA CHILLI SAUCE
2 TEACUPS MILK 4 TBSP BUTTER 4 TBSP MAIDA
SALT TO TASTE OIL MELT THE BUTTER IN A PAN AND SEETHE THE FLOUR FOR ABOUT HALF MINUTE.POUR THE MILK INTO IT AND COOK TILL THE SAUCE BECOMES THICK.CHOP THE PANEER AND POTATOES.MIX THE CORN, CHEESE, POTATOES, GREEN CHILLIES, PANEER, CORIANDER AND THE ABOVE PREPARED SAUCE.ADD SALT AND MIX WELL.MAKE THE BALLS. MIX THE FLOUR THOROUGHLY IN 1-1/2 TEACUPS OF WATER.DIP THE BALLS IN FLOUR PASTE.ROLL THE BALLS IN BREADCRUMBS.DEEP-FRY THESE BALLS IN OIL.CORNBALLS ARE READY TO SERVE.

CORN KEBAB
½ CUP CORN KERNELS 2 BIG POTATOES (BOILED)
2 ONIONS (CHOPPED)½ CUP CAPSICUM
2-½ CM GINGER (CHOPPED) 3 GREEN CHILIES (CHOPPED)
SALT TO TASTE OIL FOR DEEP FRYING
WITHOUT USING ANY WATER, CRUSH THE CORN KERNELS IN A GRINDER TO GET A COARSE PASTE.
MIX THIS COARSE PASTE WITH POTATOES, ONION, GINGER, CAPSICUM, GREEN CHILIES AND SALT.DIVIDE THE MIXTURE INTO EQUAL PORTIONS AND SHAPE THEM AS KEBABS.HEAT OIL IN A PAN AND DEEP FRY THE KEBABS UNTIL THEY TURN GOLDEN & CRISP.TAKE THEM OUT WITH A SLOTTED SPOON. DRAIN EXCESS OIL ON KITCHEN TISSUE.CORN KEBAB IS READY TO EAT.SERVE HOT WITH SAUCE OR MINT CHUTNEY.

POTATO STUFFED CABBAGE
1 HEAD CABBAGE5 LB POTATOES PEELED
1 APPLE, PEELED AND SLICED 1/4 TSP BLACK PEPPER GROUND 1/4 TSP GINGER, DRIED GROUND1/2 CUP RAW RICE 1 TSP DILL, DRIED
1 CAN TOMATOES 1 ONIONS 1 EGG WHITES
BOIL THE CABBAGE AND SEPARATE THE LEAVES. CHOP EACH LEAF BY CUTTING PARALLEL TO THE LEAF.GRATE SMALL INNER LEAVES OF CABBAGE, POTATOES AND ONE OF THE ONIONS. MIX TOGETHER VERY WELL.ADD DILL, RICE AND BLACK PEPPER. THEN BEAT EGG WHITES AND ADD TO THE POTATO AND CABBAGE MIXTURE.COVER EACH REMAINING CABBAGE LEAF WITH APPROXIMATE 2 TBSP OF THE POTATO AND CABBAGE MIXTURE.FOLD UP THE BOTTOM OF CABBAGE LEAF, THEN FOLD IN THE SIDES AND ROLL UP. IF NECESSARY SECURE WITH TOOTHPICK.CHOP THE REMAINING LEAVES AND ARRANGE THE BOTTOM OF CROCK-POT WITH IT. CUT SECOND ONION AND SMEAR ON TOP OF THE CABBAGE AND MIX APPLE, TOMATOES AND GINGER.PLACE ROLLED CABBAGES INTO POT AND COOK AT A MEDIUM HEAT FOR 5 HOURS.

    Raw Banana Cutlet

   2 raw bananas2 medium-sized potatoes4 green chilies
   1 tsp dry mango powder (amchur)Salt to taste
   2 tbsp bread crumbs (or suji)1 tbsp oil

Peel raw bananas and potatoes. Steam them in pressure cooker for about 5 minutes on low flame. Cut green chilies in very small pieces. Mash steamed bananas and potatoes and add dry mango powder, salt and green chilies to it. Mix well. Make small flat rolls of the mixture. If the mixture sticks, apply little oil to hands. Dip the rolls in the bread crumbs or suji. Heat oil in frying pan andshallow fry the rolls. Serve with tomato sauce

Corn Dish

Frozen corn - 1 pound. Onion - 1 small Few green chillies
Curry leaves Coriander leaves Mustard, jeera etc for seasoning
Oil Coconut - fresh grated or Dry grated

Microwave the corn for 6 - 8 minutes . Chop the onions , green chillies.
In a vessel, heat some oil, add the seasoning like mustard, jeera, then add the onions and green chillies. Fry the onion until they turn pale pink, then add the microwaved corn. Cook until the corn is well cooked and season it with salt.
Garnish it with coconut and coriander leaves

BREAD BALLS4 to 5 - bread crumbs 2 - carrots, grated1 - beetroot, grated1 - big onion, finely chopped Finely chopped garlic Finely chopped green chillies 2 - boiled and mashed potates of medium size Salt, garam masala and some rice flour1/2 cup - coriander 1/2 cup - mint leaves Oil
Mix all the grated and chopped vegetables in a bowl along with the bread crumbs. Remove the edges of the bread slices and break them into small pieces before mixing. Now add mashed potato, coriander and mint leaves. Add a pinch of salt and garam masala to this mixture, mix well. Add some rice flour to this mixture if you want the balls to be crisp. Now mix well and make small balls from this mixture. Deep fry. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with tomato sauce. This is a very healthy and tasty snack for children.

CORN ROLLS10 - bread slices2 tbsp - plain flour oil for deep frying For the filling:
1 teacup - canned sweet corn, cream style 1 - onion, chopped
1 - green chilli, finley chopped 1 tsp - soya sauce
1/4 tsp - ajinomoto powder (optional) 2 tbsps - oil
salt and pepper to taste To serve: 1 tsp - chilli sauceMethodFor the filling: Heat the oil and fry the onion and green chilli for 1/2 minute. Add the sweet corn, soya sauce, Ajinomoto, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook till the mixture becomes dry. Cool. How to proceed: Steam the bread for 1 minute and roll out with a rolling pin so that it becomes thinner. On the corner of each slice, spread a little filling and roll into cylinder shape. Make a paste of the flour with 2 tbsps of water. Seal the edges of the rolls from all sides with a little flour paste.Deep fry in oil until golden brown. Cut each roll into two. Serve with chilli sauce.

GOLDEN FRY BABYCORN6 nos - baby corn2 tbsp - corn flour 2 tbsp - flour 1 tsp - oil
1/4 tsp - baking powder Ajinomoto, a pinchSalt and pepper to tasteOil for frying Cut the baby corn into three juliennes each Mix cornflour, flour, oil, baking powder, ajinomoto, salt and pepper well Add enough water to make a smooth dough and beat well. The batter should be thick Heat oil in a frying pan Dip the baby corn in the batter and fry till golden brown Serve hot with chilli sauce

CORN CHAATIngredients:
1 cup - sweet corn (boiled)1 - potato (boiled)1 - small onion chopped
1 - small tomato choppedgreen chilli choppedsalt to tastechaat masala to taste1/2 tsp - lemon juicebutterjeera powder For garnish:corainder leaves Heat butter in a pan, add boiled corn, potato, onion and tomatoes and mix well. Remove from the flame and add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve garnished with corainder leaves and farsan/ gathia, sev or salted bhoondi.

MYSORE BONDAAIngredients: Urd dal ¼ k.g, Green chillis 6-8, Pepper powder 1 tsp, Salt to taste, Ginger 1 inch (chopped), few curry leaves, ¼ coconut pieces and oil for frying. Method: Soak Urd dal for 3 hours. Later grind Urd dal with less amount of water to a thick batter, which should be nice and soft like a cream. To this mixture add pepper powder, coconut pieces, green chillis (chopped), salt, curry leaves, chopped ginger and mix well. Make it into lemon sized balls and deep fry in the oil until golden brown. Later serve this hot with coconut chutney.
Lady's finger mosaru bajji: Ingredients: Lady's finger ½ kg, thick curds 2 cups, daniya 1 tsp, jeera ½ tsp, red chilies 4-5, mustard seeds ¼ tsp, curry leaves few springs, salt to taste and oil 1 tsp.Method: Wash lady's finger, dry it on a dry cloth. Chop it. Heat kadai; add oil and fry chopped lady's finger nicely until crisp. Later fry daniya, jeera and red chilies and powder it. Add this to curds and mix well. Later add mustard seeds and curry leaves splattered in oil and mix well

Bread BajjiBread slices 10 Bajji powder1 packet Oil as needed MethodAdd water to bajji powder and prepare batter.Heat oil in a frying pan.Dip the bread slices in batter and fry in oil.
BREAD POKODA
Ingrediants:
Slice BreadGram Flour (Besan) to make Batter
Oil for fryingPotato 350gms
Mustered Seeds(Rai) 1 Tea Spoonful
Cumin Seeds(Jeera) 1 Tea Spoonful
Turmeric powder (Haldi) 1/2 Tea Spoonful
Paste of Green Chillis 1 spoonful
Paste of Ginger (Adrak-Adu) 2 spoonfulPaste of Garlic (Lasan) Optional
Garam Masala 2 Tea SpoonfulCorriender dry powder 2 spoonful
Green Corriender ChutneySalt to taste
Method Potato stuffing:  Boil, Peel and mash potatoes.Put a pan on a stove, when warm, put two table spoon oilAdd Mustred seed, when start cracling, add cumin seed, before it starts   burning, add Green Chilli paste, Ginger and garlic paste, corriender powder. cook for mininute and halfAdd mash potatoes. Season it with salt and add Garam MasalaPreparation of Green Corriender Cutney
Add following things in Blender A Bunch of fresh corriener leaves with stalktwo to three green chillisTwo table spoon cumin seedstwo table spoon of Seasmee Seeds(Teel)one spoon salt and two spoonful SugarTwo lemon's juiceBlend it to make thin spooth paste. Preparation for Batter Take four spoonful Gram FlourAdd two spoon red chilli powder+ two spoon dry corriender (Dhania) powderAdd one spoon salt.Add 150ml water and make paste of thick constitancy.
Making Pakoda Remove the crust from Bread slices,One one slice spred potato filling.
on another slice spread Green Cutney. Make a sandwich of two fillings.
Cut the whole sandwich into four pieces.Soak each piece into batter and fry

BREAD TOAST WITH IDLI BATTER:
bread slices-6 to 8Idli batter- 3 cups Finely chopped onion-1
Finely chopped green chillies-1 tsp Finely chopped coriander leaves- 2 tbsp
Crushed chilli powder or idli powder-2 tsp Red chili chutney or mint chutney
Butter Procedure; Add the chopped onion, green chillies, coriander leaves and the powder to the idli batter and mix well. Heat the dosaikkal. Spread a little butter on one side of a bread slice. On the same side, spread evenly the chutney to a thin layer. Dip careful the bread slice into the batter and place on the hot tawa. Cook on both sides. Finish all the slices like this.

BREAD HALWA
Bread - 4 slice Purified butter - 3 tbsp.
Green cardamom powder - 1 tsp. Saffron - a pinch
Milk - 4 tbsp. Sugar - to taste Dry nuts - 2 tbsp.
Soak saffron in the warm milk and dice the bread into the small pieces.Heat butter in a nonstick pan and fry the bread pieces till golden brown. Then add sugar and cardamom powder, mix them and pour as much water as needed to soak the bread completely but not too much. Add saffron. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot and garnish with nuts.
BREAD VADA
Bread – one loaf Onions - 2 nos. Green chillies - 5 nos.
Rice Flour - 2 tbsp Curry leaves - few Salt - to taste
Oil – to fry Method
Cut bread into two triangles each .Mix the bread pieces, chopped onions, finely cut green chillies, curry leaves and salt.Add water and rice flour to this mixture, bring to vadai consistency. Make small balls and deep fry in oil
BREAD SWEET BALLS
Ingredientsone loaf bread1 cup sugarfresh coconut powderelaichi
method mix fresh powdered coconut and sugar with bread (cut into pieces)mix well to form neat powder and make a small balldeep fry in oil,

BREAD DOSAI
Bread crumbs - 1 cupRaw Rice - 1/4 cup
Moong dal - 1/4 cup or Rava - 1/2 cupCurd (in case rava is used) - 1 cup
Onion; minced - 1 medium sizeGreen chillies; minced - 2
Ginger; minced - 1 inch piece mincedCoriander leaves - a bunch
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspSalt; to taste Soak the rice and dal with plenty of water for several hours.Drain, then grind to a fine paste.Add water to make a thick batter.Heat half tea spn oil crackle mustard seeds, and fry urad daal, curry leaves, ginger. Add finely chopped onion and fry till onions turn slightly brownishAdd the above to the batter along with other ingredientFor each dosa, cook 2 tablespoons batter on hot greased skillet or griddle, spreading batter into thin circles and turning dosa once to brown both sides.Serve hot with chutney.
MUTTAI KOSU GOLA4 cups - Cabbage (shredded)1 Cup - Toor dal (soaked)
1 Cup - Chick peas (soaked)8 nos - Red chillies
1 no - Onion1 tsp - Chilli powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder2 tsp - Fennel seedsSalt to tasteOil for frying
Cooking Instructions:
Chop the onionsDrain all the water and grind the dal properly.Grind fennel seeds and chillies in a blender.Heat the oil, put ground fennel seeds.Add chopped onions and shredded cabbage, Saute them well.Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt, add the ground lentils.Saute on meduim heat till it becomes golden brown SERVE WITH BISIBELABATH
.
VEGETABLE KOOLA:
For Koola:
Bengal gram flour – 3/4 cupTurmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Melted ghee – Tbl spsalt – as requiredChilli powder – 1/2 tsp
For Masala:
Finely cut onion – 1 cupChopped tomatoes – 1/2 cup
Salt – as requiredOil – for fryingMustard seeds – 1/2 tspCurry leaves – few
Asafoetida powder – little
Coriander leaves – 1 Tbl spGrated fresh coconut – 1 Tbl spGrind Together:Red chillies – 6Poppy seeds – 1 Tbl spGarlic – 4 flakesGinger – 1/2 inch piecCoriander leaves – 1/2 bunch
For Koola:
Mix turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder, melted ghee with bengal gram flour and mix well.Sprinkle water and knead like chappathi dough.Prepare medium sized balls and roll it to oblong pieces.Arrange on a greased plate and steam cook (like Idlis) for 7 minutes.
Allow to cool and cut into round pieces. Deep fry in oil till crisp. Keep aside.
For gravy:Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and then chopped onions.Fry till golden and then add tomatoes. Stir till it turns pulpy.Add ground paste, salt and stir till good smell comes.Pour enough water and boil for few minutes.
Mix deep fried Koolas and remove from fire.Sprinkle coriander leaves, grated fresh coconut on top and serve hot

Tomato Dosa
1 1/4 cup raw rice and 2 tbsps of tur dal, soaked in water for 2-3 hrs
2 tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp grated fresh coconut (optional)
2-3 dried red chillis, de-seed and tear
1-2 tbsp grated jaggery
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (optional)salt to taste
oil as required
Drain and grind smoothly the rice and tur dal with chopped tomatoes, dried red chillies (de-seed), grated fresh coconut, jaggery, coriander leaves, salt and little water to form a dosa-like batter.Heat griddle on high flame till hot, reduce heat, pour a laddle full of dosa batter, spread the batter with the bottom of the ladle evenly making circles to form a dosaand drizzle with some oil along the edges. Cook on medium heat for 1-2 mts and increase to high flame for a few seconds and flip the other side and cook for 20-30 seconds or till done.Serve hot with any podi or chutney of your choice like karivepaku podi or coconut chutney

VAZHAIPU CUTLET   Banana flower- 1/2Onion- 1Coriander leaves- 2 sprigsCurry leaves- fewGinger Garlic paste- 1 tspGram flour (kadala mavu) - 8 spoons Corn flour- 3 spoonsChilli powder- 1 tspGram masala powder-1/2 tspTurmeric powder- 1/4 tspBread crumbs- 4 plain bread (crumbled)Oil and Salt- as requiredRecipe:Clean and chop Banana flower. Chop Onion, Coriander leaves and Curry leaves. Keep all this aside.Mix the chopped items,Ginger garlic paste, Gram flour, Corn flour, Chili powder, Gram masala, Turmeric and required Water in a bowl. Make the batter thick enough to make cutlets.Equally divide this mix in to small ball size. Press each ball and flatten them between your palms. Now these cutlets are ready to fry.Heat a wide pan. Keep the stove in the medium heat. Pour 1 spoon of Oil and place a cutlet. Fry till each side turns into brown color. Fry both the sides. Serve with ketchup.

CABBAGE VADA   Besan flour (kadala mavu) - 1¼ cupCabbage- 1 cupOnion - 1Curry leaves- 3 or 4 sprigsCoriander leaves- 3 sprigsChili Powder - 1 tspn (adjust with your spice level)Salt - to tasteOil - to deep fry
Recipe:Chop Cabbage,Onion, Curry leaves and Coriander leaves.Mix all the ingredients except Oil in a bowl, add enough Water to this and make a thick batter.Heat Oil in a pan. Once the Oil is hot enough, pinch a small amount of batter and drop it gently into the hot oil. Deep fry them till they are golden brown turning once in a while.Remove and drain them on paper towels. Serve hot

KEERAI PAKODA Besan flour (kadala mavu) - 3/4 cupRice flour - 2 tbspnSpinach - 1/4 portion of a bunch or a packOnion - 1Hing - 2 to 3 pinchesChili Powder - 1/2 to 1 tspn (adjust with your spice level)Salt - to tasteWater - 1 or 2 tspnOil - to deep fryRecipe:Chop Spinach and Onion.Mix all the ingredients except Oil in a bowl. Add 1 or 2 tspn of water to just bind all the ingredients. Already Spinach and Onion contain some moisture in it. That’s enough. Don’t add more water. Heat Oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot enough, pinch gooseberry size of mix and press it with your hands(to just bind all the ingredients). Prepare small balls like this.Drop these small balls gently into the hot Oil. Deep fry them till they are golden brown turning once in a while.Remove and drain them on paper towels. Serve hot.

MASALA PEANUTS Peanuts - 1 cupGram flour - 1/4 cupRice flour - 3 to 4 tspnHing - 2 to 3 pinchesChili powder - 1 tspnSalt - to tasteWater - less than 1/4 cupOil - to deep fryRecipe:Dry roast raw peanuts till light brown.Then mix roasted Peanuts, Gram flour, Rice flour, Hing, Chili powder and Salt in a bowl.Add Water little by little and make a thick coating on peanuts. Heat Oil in a pan. Drop the masala coated peanuts and deep fry till golden brown in medium heat. Make sure that peanuts are separated when you drop them in Oil.

JANTHIKALU  2 cups rice flour1 cup chick pea flour/besan/senaga pindi
1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds1 tbsp ajwain/vaamu1 tsp red chilli pwdsalt to taste
2 tbsps hot gheeoil for deep frying
Put together rice flour, gram flour, salt, hot ghee, chilli pwd, ajwain and sesame seeds, and combine them well. Slowly add water little by little to make a soft dough, just soft enough that it is pressed through easily with the janthikalu press. Test the dough for salt and chilli pwd before deep-frying.2 Heat a wide heavy bottomed vessel with enough oil for deep frying. Take the janthikalu gottam aka murukku press and use the disc with small holes. Fill half of the press with the dough and once the oil is hot, reduce to medium flame and using circular motion, press the jantikalu gottam to make concentric layers of the janthikalu dough. As you press the dough into the hot oil, you will find the oil froth up in bubbles which will eventually subside as the janthikalu turn to a golden shade. Remember the frying has to be done on medium flame to achieve that golden color and crispness.3 When the janthikalu turn a golden color, turn over to the other side and let it also cook to a golden brown. Use a slotted ladle to remove onto an absorbent paper and cool. Repeat the same process till the rest of the dough is done. Cool completely before storing in an air tight metallic container

PAPPU CHEKKALU    1 cup rice flour1 cup water3/4 tsp red chilli pwd or green chilli paste
1/4 tsp asafoetida/inguva/hingsalt to taste1 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tbsps channa dal (soak in water for an hour and drain)1 tsp ghee or butter (optional)
roughly torn few curry leaves (optional)oil for deep frying
1 Bring a cup of water to boil. Add salt, red chilli pwd, asafoetida and rice flour and combine. Placee lid and turn of heat. Leave aside to cool.2 Once cool, add cumin seeds, channa dal and butter to the rice flour mixture and combine well. Test the dough for salt before deep-frying.
3 Heat a wide heavy bottomed vessel with enough oil for deep frying. Take a small lemon sized ball of the dough, place on an oiled plastic sheet or banana leaf and using your fingers shape into a 2″ circle. Use a fork or knife to make small dents all over the chekkalu so that they don’t puff up when deep frying.4 Once the oil is hot, slowly peel the shaped chekkalu off the plastic sheet and slide into the hot oil. Based on the size of vessel and amount of oil, you can deep fry a batch of 5-8 chekkalu. Don’t crowd the vessel with too many chekkalu. Reduce flame to medium and deep fry the chekkalu to a golden colour. Remember the frying has to be done on medium flame to achieve that golden color and crispness.5 When the chekkalu turn a golden color use a slotted ladle to remove onto an absorbent paper and cool. Repeat the same process till the rest of the dough is done. Cool completely before storing in an air tight metallic container

Barcolli bajjai
Broccoli florets - 18-20All purpose flour - 3 spoonsRice flour - 2 spoonsGinger garlic paste - 1/2 spoonChili powder - 1/2 spoonSalt - to tasteOil - to deep fry(1/2 cup to 1 cup)
Add All purpose flour, Rice flour, Ginger garlic paste, Chili powder and Salt in a bowl.Add little water to the ingredients and make a more liquid like paste. Add the Broccoli florets and mix well to the spice and flour mix.Heat Oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot enough add the flour coated Broccoli florets to the oil and fry till the broccoli turns into golden brown.

BREAD CUTLET
Ingredients: bread 1 pack , potato 1/4 kg ,
onion 1/4kg(cut into small pieces) , green chilies 4 ,
salt 1/2 tsp , kruvepilai 6-8 leaves ,
ginger a small bit(cut ino very small pieces) ,
oil 200 ml , mustard 1/4 tsp , jeera 1/4 tsp ,
garam masalapowder 1/2 tsp

Cook potato and remove the skin. Mash well. In a kadai pour 6 tsp oil,. Heatand add mustard. when it pops add jeera. Add onion, green chilies, karuveppilai, ginger. cook well. Add mashed potato. cook well for 5 min. Keep this aside.
Covering: Take the bread and remove outer edges.In the remaining part stuff with potato curry. Close by folding the bread. Do all the bread slices like this. The outer
sides of the bread slice should be powdered. Dip the cutlet in the powder. deep fry the cutlets in oil. Use any sauce as side dish.

BEETROOT BALLS

beetroot-2(medium size) channadal -1/4 cup(soaked for 2 hrs)
to grind: coconut-3 spns sombhu-1/2tspn jeera-1/4tspn pottukadalai-1/2 tspn
garlic-2 ginger-small piece clove-1 cinnamon-1small onion-3 green chillies-4 or 5.

first grate the beetroot in keep aside.grind the channa dal separately
&finely.dont add water or otherwise it will become soggy if u need add 2 or 3 drops of
water to grind.then things given in to grind section u pls lightly roast in little
oil &grind it into thick paste .now lightly squeeze beets for excess water then add
channa dal paste,coconut paste,salt and mix together to form a dough.then make into
equal form of small balls &deep fry it in
oil.beetroot balls are ready to eat

BHEL PURI
Ingredients:
Oma podi - 100 gm, Small puris - 10,
Potato(medium sized) - 2, Black channa dal - 1/2 cup,
Puffed rice - 2 cups, Onions(medium sized) - 2,
tomato(small) - 1, Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup,
Mango pieces(finely chopped) - 1/4 cup, Salt - as required

Boil the potatoes, peel and mash. Boil the black channa dal in a separator vessel. Chop the onions and tomatoes finely. Prepare oma podi, sweet chutney, mint chutney and
small puris. In a large bowl, mix puffed rice, onions, tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves, mashed potatoes, small puris, cooked channe dal and mix well. Add salt, mint chutney and sweet chutney. Mix and serve. Store in refrigerator for one day if required.

BREAD VEGETABLE BONDA
STEAMED POTATO (SMASHED)-1 CUP GREEN PEAS- 5 GMS. GREEN CHILLI- 2 (CHOPPED INTO SMALL PIECES) CURRY LEAVES AND CORRIANDER LEAVES BREAD- 6 SLICES PANEER- 1/2 CUP WATER- 1 CUP RUSK POWDER- 1 CUP MAIDA- 1/4 CUP A PINCH OF SALT, PEPPER POWDER TURMERIC POWDER- 1 TEA SPOON FULL OIL FOR DEEP FRY.

Method:
ADD GREEN CHILLI, PANEER, BREAD, SALT, PEPPER POWDER, TURMERIC POWDER, GREEN PEAS, CURRY LEAVES AND CORRIANDER LEAVES TO THE SMASHED POTATO. MIX IT WELL AND MAKE IT INTO SMALL BALLS. NOW MIX MAIDA AND WATER TO MAKE IT A PASTE. DIP THESE BALLS IN THAT PASTE AND THEN DIP IT IN THE RUSK POWDER. NOW FRY IT DEEPLY IN THE OIL, TILL IT BECOMES GOLDEN BROWN. SERVE HOT WITH WITH TOMATO SAUCE, CHILLI SAUCE OR SOYA SAUCE.

CHEESE BALLS
Ingredients:RICE FLOUR-1 CUP
CORN FLOUR-2 tbsp A PINCH OF SALT
CHEESE-1+1/2 CUPS OIL FOR DEEP FRY

MELT THE CHEESE AND ADD RICE FLOUR, CORN FLOUR, SALT TO IT. MIX IT WELL LIKE WE MAKE FOR CHAPPATHI. MAKE SMALL BALLS FROM THE MIXTURE AND FRY IT DEEPLY IN THE OIL TILL IT BECOMES GOLDEN BROWN. SERVE HOT.

CORN VADAI
Ingredients: Corn seeds- 1/2 kg, veg. Oil - 1/2 kg,
green chillies - 50 g, ginger - small piece,
cumin seeds- 1/2 spoon, rice flour - 100 g
Grind corn seeds,ginger,greenchillies with some water into
a bit coarse paste. To this paste add cumun seeds,
riceflour. Make round flat shape on a plastic sheet of
paper and drop it into the boiling oil.Remove when fully
cooked Side dish can be cabbage,tomato or coconut chutney.

CORN BALLS

1 Teacup boiled corn 4 Boiled potatoes 4 tbsp Grated cheese 4 Green chillies  2 tbsp Coriander 225 gms Paneer Breadcrumbs 1 Teacup maida Chilli sauce 2 Teacups milk 4 tbsp Butter 4 tbsp Maida Salt to taste Oil

Melt the butter in a pan and see the the flour for about half minute. Pour the milk into it and cook till the sauce becomes thick. Chop the paneer and potatoes. Mix the corn, cheese, potatoes, green chillies, paneer, coriander andthe above prepared sauce.  Add salt and mix well. Make the balls. Mix the flourthoroughly in 1-1/2 teacups of
water.Dip the balls in flour paste. Roll the balls in breadcrumbs.Deep-fry these balls in oil. Cornballs are ready to serve.

CRISPY BREAD MONGES
boiled potato-2, salt to taste, chilli powder-1tsp,
bread-4slices, oil to fry, bread powder-2tsp,
grated carrot-1, corriander-1, ginger garlic paste-1tsp, corn flour-1tsp, lemon-1tsp.`

Method:
Take a bowl mash the boiled potatoes. Add salt,chilli powder,bread powder,grated carrot,gnger garlic
paste, lemon,corn flour,corriander. Mix all the ingredients well and make
it into balls. Heat pan add oil.the sides of bread slices are cut. Now take a
wide bowl with water,dip the bread slices and wear off the excess water by pressing in between palms. The balls are rolled in bread slices and fried till brown. The bread monges which are crispy outside and soft inside are ready to serve. It can be served with tomato sauce or pudina chutney.

CRISPY MUSHROOM  mushroom-1lb bread crumbs oil for deep frying
batter: cornflour -4tbsp riceflour-2tbsp salt pepper-1tbsp or more (depends on ur spicy level)mix all the batter ingerdients with some water so as to make thin paste. cut the mushroom into pieces as u like. dip each pieces seperately into batter. then roll it in the breadcrumbs. Do the procedure for all pieces . Refrigerate for an hour. Now deep fry the pieces in oil till it turns into brown color. (dont overcrowd the pan)Serve hot with HOT and SWEET sauce.

CUTLET

Potatoes-2(Boiled) Onion-1 curry leaves- 10 nos corriander leaves - 10 nos
Karam masala - 1 tsp cornflour - 3 tsp Bread crums - 1 cup salt - to taste oil - to fry

smash the boiled potatoes. Choppe the onion, curry leaves & corriander leaves. Now mix the water with cornflour  and make it as a solution then keepaside. Mix the onion,curry & corriander leaves with the smashed potatoes. Make this mixture as a ball and then lightly flat it. Now take this mixture, slightly dip this in a corn solution and then
spread the breadcrums over it. Now deep fry it. Tasty CUTLET
is ready. serve it with the sauce and the chopped onions.

FINGER CHIPS
5-6 potatoes Oil for frying ¼ tea spoon Red chilly  powder ½ tea spoon mango
(aamchur) powder Salt to taste
Peel the skin of the potatoes and cut it into long and thin strips. Add salt according to taste. Heat around ½ liter of oil for frying. Put the cut potatoes in the pan for frying for around 2-3mins. When the potatoes become littlepinkish in color and crisp remove it on a tissue paper to soak the excess oil from the potatoes. Now add red chilly powder and mango powder.

INSTANT RICE VADA

Roasted Rice flour - 1 cup grated coconut - 1/2 cup big onions sliced -2 green chilly -3 salt to taste oil for frying

Use water to mix all the above ingredients other than oil to a smooth vada batter consistency. take the batter and make it like a vada shape and fry it till it becomes gloden brown. Note:when making the vadas keep the center portion thin so that the inside cooks well

MASALA CABBAGE VADA
chanaa dal -- 2 cups udid dal -- 1 cups shredded cabbage--1 cups onion -- 2 small pieces
red chilli -- 3 to 5 curry leaves - few salt --as per taste ginger paste - little hing - 1/2 tsp oil for frying

Soak Chana dal & Udid dal atleast for 3 to 4 hrs .cut onion in to small pieces.when
chana dal & udid dal soaks ,in this u add red chilli & grind to a little coarsely paste by sprinkly little water .keep it in a bowl, now in this u add onion , ginger paste,curry leaves,salt, hing. Mix it nicely.Take a plastic paper & add little oil & spread it evenly .Now take a little dough & make a round shape.Now take a pan & fry the wada in a low flame.l Fry it till it is done.Serve it with coconut chutney.

MASALA VADAI
gram flour - 1/4 kg, onions - 1/4 kg

Soak gram dal for 1 1/2 hours. Grind 2 green chillies, 2 whole red peppers and 1/2 tsp salt in a blender.Add the soaked dal(take about 4 tsp of soaked dal and keep it separately for adding later) to this mixture and grind very coarsely.Add cut onions, 1 tsp ginger pieces and 10- 15 curry leaves to the ground mixture. You may add garlic if preferable.Take 2 large flakes of garlic, crush it and mix with the flour. Take a ball of this mixture and place it on a plastic sheet of paper and pat it to flatten it a little. Then drop them in boiling oil. Turn over both sides until fully cooked.

MINI PURIS
Rava - 1 cup, maida - 1 cup, Salt - 1/2 tsp, ghee - 2 tsp

Add minimum water to the ingredients and make into a thick dough. Leave the dough covered for 1/2 an hour. Then make into large chappathis using a chappathi roller. Then using a small lid, cut out round pieces from the large chappathis. deep fry these pieces in oil. Store it in air
tight conatiners. You can keep this for about 4 days.

MURUNGAI VADAI

drumstick/murungakai-10 gram dhal-2 cups saunf-2 tbsp; red chilli - 12 nos; onion(finely chopped)-1 cup coriander, curry leaves; salt to taste oil to fry

boil the drumstrick with little salt till tender. take the pulp alone with the help of a spoon and keep it aside. soak the dal for 2 or 3 hours in pure water. drain the water and grind very coarsely with salt, red chilli and saunf. now add onions, cuury leaves,coriander and drumstick pulpand mix well.
now make small balls out of the dal mixture flatten it and fry it in hot oil.
serve hot with chutney or tomato
ketchup

PAANI PURI
rava - 100g, maida - 100g, mint leaves - 1 cup, coriander leaves - 1 cup,
salt - 1/4 teaspoon, green chillies - 2 small, tamarind - lime sized, potatoes - 1/4 kg.

Puris:
Mix rava and maida, add water to make a tight dough.make large chappathis using this flour and cut out small round shapes from the large one.Deep fry these in oil till they become crisp.

Paani (Sauce): Grind mint leaves, coriander leaves, salt and green
chillies into a thick paste. Soak tamarind for 3 min and extract the juice.Mix the ground paste with the tamarind extract. Boil potatoes whole and cut into small pieces (Do not mash). Spread 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder on the potatoes and fry in 4 tsp oil.While serving, make a hole inside each puri and place some amt of sauce inside it. Place a potato piece inside the puris.

PANEER BALLS
Grated paneer-1/2 cup Bread- 5 to 6 pieces Green chilly- 1 Maida-1/4 cup Ginger- garlic paste- 2 tsp Curd-1 tsp Soya sauce-1tsp Tomato puree- 4 tsp Chilly Sauce & tomato sauce- 1tsp Vinegar-1tsp Salt
Add above all well and blend it uniformly.. Make it as balls and deep fry it in oil.. Garnish with coriander leaves..

PANEER CUTLET paneer slices-4(1inch thickness), onion paste-1tbsp, ginger garlic paste-11/2tsp,
tomato puree-2tsp, corrianer leaves paste- 11/2tbsp, red chilli powder-1/2tsp,
green chilli paste-1/2tsp, garammasala powder-1tsp, lemon juice-2tsp, sugar-1tsp,
salt- to taste, capsicum-cut into rings, tomato-cut into rings, oil for deep frying bread crumbs-5tbsp, cornflour-2tsp, refined flour-1tbsp, water

marinate the paneer slices with salt. heat oil in a kadai,now add onion paste,ginger garlic paste,tomato
puree,corriander leaves paste,garammasala powder,salt and sugar to taste,cook for few minutes until the oil seperates and aroma comes out.when done keep aside. now take one paneer slice and spread the cooked mixture paste.then cover it with another paneer slices over it. now take a bowl and make a smooth mixture of cornflour, refinedflour water and salt and deep the paneer sandwiches and coat it with the mixture of cornflour....now roll the paneer into bread crumbs and deep fry.garnish with tomato and caosicum rings. serve hot

PANEER STICKS   50g paneer 1 small green pepper 1 small yellow pepper
1 small onion 1 small tomato ¼ tsp. red chili powder ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. dried mango
powder (amchoor) ¼ tsp. garam masala ¼ tsp. cumin powder a few tooth picks or
skewers 2 tsp. olive oil a few drops of lemon

Cut paneer, green pepper, onion and tomatoes in cubes of ½ inch. Mix all the dry spices (masalas) and
keep aside. Take a toothpick. Insert a piece of onion, green pepper, yellow pepper, tomato and paneer. Repeat the vegetables if you are using skewers. Make such toothpicks with all the cubes.
Sprinkle olive oil on all the toothpicks. Arrange these toothpicks on a plate and sprinkle the prepared masala liberally. Bake these sticks in a preheated oven for 10 minutes at 200oC (till the spices (masalas) and the vegetables are slightly roasted). Arrange in a serving dish, squeeze in some lemon juice on them and serve hot.

POTATO CRUNCHIES
Ingredients:Boiled potato - 1 cup Min leaves/Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup salt-1/2 tsp
Dry ground cumin powder - 1tsp green chilli paste - 1 tsp ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
cornflour- 1/2 cup bread crumbs - 1 cup oil - as required water - as required

Smash potatoes add mint leaves, salt, cumin powder, green chilli paste, ginger garlic
paste and mix well and make into small balls or any shapes.Add water to the cornflour to make it as dosa flour consistancy. Dip the prepared balls in the cornflour roll it in bread crumbs and then deep fry in the oil or grill it. tasty potato crunchies ready

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
Ingredients:
10 clorets cauliflower ( half boiled with salt ) 1 tsp chilly powder
1 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp all ground mixed spices 1/2 mixed herbs 2 - 3 tbsp butter

Marinade all the ingredients expect for the butter for 45 mins. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the
marinated items and roast it. Keep the heat low.

TORTILLA CHIPS   Uncooked Tortillas 2-3 salt to taste pepper powder 1 tsp chat masala 2 tsps oil for frying
Cut the uncooked tortillas into small diamond shapes with a cutter or knife. Fry the same in medium flame till golden brown. Take a deep bowl and put the fried tortillas in it. Sprinkle with all the masala powders and salt and toss it well so that all the masalas get coated evenly on the tortilla chips. Serve with green chutney.

VEGETABLE FINGERS
dal-1 cup carrot-1/2 cup cabbage-1/2 cup corander-finely chopped chilli powder
salt garam masala onion-finely chopped oil to fry

soak the dal for 2 hrs grind well to a paste heat a kadai add some oil add the onions and fry till golden brown now add chiili powder,garam masala and salt as needed add the finely chopped vegetables mix well
add coriander leaves add to grinded dal and mix well now cook the dal as we do for idlis let it cool cut into fingers and deep fry till golden brown

VEGETABLE SAMOSA
vegetables - potatoes and green peas combind - 1/4 kg, onions - 2,
mint leaves - 2 twigs, green chillies - 2, cilantro - 2 twigs.
Steam the potatoes and peas separately.Cut the onions into small slices.Take some oil in a fry pan.Add onions and cut green hot chillies and fry the onions until it turns transparent.Add the vegetables and fry them with stirring until they are completely cooked. Add mint leaves and coriander leaves(cilantro). Mix maida with water, knead it well.Roll into even sized balls and make into round shape
using a roller.Cut into 2 semi-circles.Place the curry and fold on three sides to make into a cone shape.Deep fry until it becomes crisp. Side dish - tomato ketchup

IDLY 65

Cooked Idly-4(cut into strips like finger chips) Bengal gram flour-2tbsp
Chilly powder-2tsp Ginger and garlic paste-1tsp turmeric-1tsp
Garam masala-1tsp Curd-2tbsp Salt to taste Oil to fry
Take a bowl, add gram four, chilly powder, turmeric, garam masala, ginger and garlic paste, salt and curd. Mix well. Marinate the idly strips in the above mixture for 20 mins. Heat oil in tawa, roast the idly strips on all sides till golden brown and crisp. Serve with Tomato sauce

MAIDA CUTS
Maida - 1 kg, red chillie powder - 1 1/2 tsp, salt - 1 tsp, asafoetida - 1/2 tsp,
butter, ghee or oil - 4 tsp

Mix maida, salt, red chilli powder,asafoetida, ghee or oil and knead well.Make into balls and roll into very thin large chappathis.Make cuts using a knife by drawing a no of parallel lins to cut into diamond shaped peices.Deep fry these in oil.

MOR KALI
RICE FLOUR-2CUPS SOUR CURD-1CUP RED CHILLI-4 MUSTARD-5gms SUN FLOWER OIL-15ml SALT-AS YOU DESERVE

ADD CURD &SALT WITH RICE FLOUR & IT WILL TAKE 5 MINUTES TO SET. NOW POUR LITTLE OIL IN A PAN & ADD MUSTARD TO IT. LET THE MUSTARD BURST. NOW ADD RED CHILLIES & FRY IT. POUR THE MIXTURE OF RICE FLOUR AND CURD IN THE PAN. SIM THE STOVE. STIR THAT TILL IT BECOMES GOLDEN BROWN. REMEMBER THAT THE FULL MIXTURE SHOULD BECOME GOLDEN BROWN. NOW YOU CAN SERVE IT HOT.

BREAD PAKODA
6 slices of bread 100 gms gram flour (Chana Atta) 2-3 green chillies
1 tsp turmuric 1 tsp red chilli pwdr pinch of hing small bunch of coriender
finely chopped Oil/ghee to fry salt to taste
Mix the abve ingredients with water to form a smooth paste.
Coat the bread slices with the paste. Fry till lightly brown
Serve hot with tomato sauce.

YAM CHIPS (SEENAKHIZAGU)
Cut yam into long rectangular pieces and slice them using a chips slicer. Soak them in water for 5 min and drain completely. Spread them on a large sheet of paper and allow to dry for about 10 min.. Deep fry in oil. Add salt, chili powder if required. Add a tsp of ghee so that the salt mixes uniformly.
MUSHROOM PAKODAS
200 Gms - Chopped Mushrooms (If the mushroom is standing cut it from the top-vertically)2 Nos Medium sized Onions
3 Nos - Finely chopped Green Chilies (However for Mr&Mrs. Neumann I would add just 1 Chilli) 1 Tsp - Ginger-Garlic paste
1/4 Tsp - Turmeric Powder1 Tsp - Chilli Powder (That will defnitely send Mr.Neumann to the doctor, so for him I would limit to 1/4 Tsp)
5 Tsp - Besan Powder2 Tsp - Cornflour
Finely chopped Coriander leaves (3 Tbsp)
Salt to taste

1. Add the mushrooms to a bowl followed by all the ingredients as mentioned in the above order2. No need to add water as the wateriness of the onion will be sufficient3. Put a shallow vessel with sufficient oil to deep fry on the stove and let it reach high temperature
4. Add the mushroom batter in small sizes ie the size of a Ferro Rocher choclate ball in the frying pan.5. Deep fry till the mushroom reaches golden brown color. Remove and stain the oil (The staining is just to
prove a point that you are health concious)

CABBAGE PAKODA      Shredded cabbage - 2 cups Besan - 3 tbsp Rice flour - 3 tbsp Red chilly powder - 2 tsp Green chillies - 2 nos Baking soda - 1/4 tsp Onion - 1 no Curry leaves - 1 tbsp Oil - 1 tsp + for frying
Combine shredded cabbage, besan, rice flour, red chilly powder, finely chopped green chillies, baking soda, finely chopped onion, curry leaves & 1 tsp hot oil.Dont add water (if necessary add 1 tsp of water) (After 3 min, onion & cabbage release some water which is enough for the batter)Heat oil in the frying pan & deep fry the pakoda till golden brown and crispy on either sides.Serve warm with tomato ketchup
CRISPY BABY CORN   Baby corns - 1/2 kg Besan - 4 tbspChilly powder - 2 tsp (according to ur spice)Finely chopped onion - 1 noBaking powder - 1/2 tspTurmeric powder - 1/8 tspCornflour - 6 tbspSoyasauce - 1/2 tspAginomoto - a pinchWater - 1 to 2 tbspSalt to tasteOil for fryingCurry leaves for garnishing
Chop the baby corns lengthwise & keep aside.Mix besan, cornflour, soyasauce, ajinomoto, chilly powder, turmeric powder, onion, baking powder & salt together.Also, combine the chopped baby corns & sprinkle some water. Mix well. Heat the oil in the frying pan, fry the baby corn mixture till crispy & golden brown.Finally, fry the curry leaves & add them in the fried baby corns
BANANA PUDDING    1 large instant vanilla pudding mix 1 3/4 cups cold milk 1 can sweetened condensed milk 4 bananas, sliced 54 vanilla wafer cookies 2 cups whipped topping
In a large glass or ceramic bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk for about 2 minutes to combine well. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk, and mix it well. To make 6 individual servings, use 9 cookies and 9 slices of banana per serving. For each serving, place one cookie and a banana slice on the bottom of an individual dessert dish. Line the sides with 5 cookies, and then repeat with banana slices. Pour in pudding and top with 3 more cookies and 3 banana slices. Cover and chill for 3 to 4 hours to let the cookies soften.Garnish with whipped topping just before serving.

BREAD ROLL

1 cup potatoes (cooked & mashed)1/2 cup green peas (cooked)
6-7 strands coriander leaves4-5 green chillies
2 tbl spn rice Flour1 tea spn ginger-garlic paste5 bread slices
SaltOil for deep frying
Mix potatoes, green peas, coriander leaves and chillies made into paste, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Mix well.Dip bread slice in water & squeeze out the water. Fill the mixture in bread & close the bread around the filling(filling should not come out). Roll it on rice flour so that the bread roll gets a coating of rice flour. Deep fry in oil.

ALOO TIKKI
The first step in preparing Alu ki Tikki is to boil the potatoes. Once the potatoes – at least two moderately sized ones – have been boiled, you must peel them.
Once the potatoes have been peeled, they must be mashed or crushed – along with a slice of bread (that has had its corners removed). As a rule of thumb, add one slice of bread to every two moderately sized potatoes. The process of mashing or crushing is usually carried out by hand, or with the help of a fork. The other ingredients to be added include dhaniya (coriander), finely sliced onion (half an onion), and salt (half a teaspoon). Some persons also prefer to add chilli powder – but I prefer to do without.
Once all the ingredients have been mashed together, take a spherical lump of the mixture and give the potato cutlet its characteristic shape by flattening the lump. Two moderately sized potatoes should make at least six cutlets.
When you are ready to cook, add three to four teaspoons of oil to the frying pan – that is the minimum one can fry the cutlets with – and cook the cutlets on the pan. Once one side of the cutlet has been done, flip the cutlet over onto the other side using a spatula. The whole process should take at most a few minutes. Note that if you have used too much oil to prepare the cutlets, you will have to dry the cutlets (with a paper napkin) prior to serving them on a plate

MASALA VADA
Tuar dal(soaked in water) 1 cupChanna dal 1/2 cup
Spring onions(finely chopped) 2-3Green chillies(finley cut) 2-3
Fresh coriander leaves(chopped) 2 tbspCurry patta(finely chopped) 8-10Ginger paste 1/2 tspGarlic paste1/2 tspVeg cooking oil for deep fryingSalt to taste
Grind together tuar dal with half channa dal to form a thick paste.
Mix the remaining channa dal and other ingredients like spring onions, green chillis, coriander leaves, curry patta, ginger and garlic pastes and salt to form a thick batter with the ground paste and make vadas.In a kadai, heat oil, to deep-fry the vadas till they turn brown in colour.
Serve hot with sweet and sour tamarind chutney.
KARA VADAI
Kara Vadai - Ingredients: Maida 1 cupRice flour 1/4 cup
Onions 2 small finely choppedGreen chilles 4 finely choppedCurry leaves a few
Salt 1/2 t.spoil for frying
Kara Vadai - Directions: Mix all the above ingredients and make small balls and deep fry in oil.

POTATO PANCAKESIngredients to make 4-5 potato pancakes
Potatoes grated - 2 cups Onion grated - 1/4 cup Plain flour - 1 cup
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp or to taste Salt - 1 tsp or to taste. Milk and/or water - 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp Baking powder - 1/2 tsp  Baking soda(optional) - a small pinch

Mix together the grated potatoes, onion. Mix flour, salt, pepper powder, baking powder and baking soda. Add the potato onion mix to the flour mixture. Add milk or water.
The batter should be of thick pouring consistency. Do not make it too watery. Do not beat the mixture too much after you add the liquid. Just mix it.
Making - Cooking Potato PancakesHeat a frying pan / girdle or a nonstick pan / tava. Keep the heat medium. Add a tsp of oil and spread it on the pan. Pour a big ladle ful of batter on the heated pan. Spread into a thick circle. Do not make it too thin. The size and thickness will depend on your liking and the size of your pan. Cook for about 2 minutes of till it is golden brown. Turn and cook the other side the same way. Serve hot with your choice of fillings and accompaniment such as tomato ketchup, jam, marmelade, chutney, vegetable curry, your favorite relish etc. I had it with coconut chutney and it tasted wonderful. Tips: The batter should not be too thin. If you like softer pancakes, spread the batter in a thicker round. For crisp pancakes, you can spread a little thinner circle

Online Doctors For You

2010-09-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

1.http://www.askyourdronline.com/

2.http://www.simplyanswer.com/

3.http://www.aapkadoctor.com/

Spicy Gravies

2010-09-19T21:16:00.001-07:00

Palak channa Spinach - 250 grams or a bunchChickpeas - 1 cupGreen Chili - 2 (finely chopped)Garlic - 1 cloveFennel seeds - 1/4 tspnCumin seeds - 1/2 tspnBrinji leaf - a small leafOnion - 1Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tspnTomato - 3Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspnChili Powder or Masala Powder - 1/2 to 1 tspn (Depends on your spice level)Cumin powder - 3/4 tspnCoriander powder - 1 ½ tspnLemon juice - 1 tspnSalt - to tasteOil - 1 or 2 tspns

Soak Chickpeas in water for 6 to 8 hours. Cook Chickpeas till they are tender. If you are using pressure cooker, cook till 3 to 4 whistles.Finely Chop Green chilies, Onion and Tomatoes. Keep all this aside.Heat a tspn of Oil in a pan. Add Green Chilies and Garlic, fry till garlic turns into golden brown. Add Spinach and saute till all the leaves are wilted.Remove from heat and let this mix cool for at least 10 minutes. Then grind this mix in a blender. Now the spinach puree in ready.Heat 1 or 2 tspns of Oil in a pan. Add Fennel seeds, Cumin seeds and Brinji leaf. Once it starts spluttering add Onion and fry till it turns into golden brown.Add Ginger Garlic Paste and fry till the raw smell goes.Add Tomatoes and fry till they are soft. Then Add Turmeric powder, Chili powder, Cumin powder, Coriander powder and fry till the smell of masala goes.Add Spinach puree, Salt, Lemon juice and very little Water(water used to cook chickpeas) to it. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir this once in a while to avoid burning the bottom.Finally add Chickpeas. Again, Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Methi chole Chickpeas - 1 cup (soak overnight and then cook)Cinnamon - 1 stickCumin seeds - 1/2tspFenugreek seeds - 1/4 tspGreen chilli - 3 to 4 ( cut lengthwise)Ginger - 1 tsp (grated)Fenugreek leaves - 1 cup (cleaned & washed)Channa masala powder - 1 tbspTurmeric powder - 1/4 tspHing - a pinchTomato - 1 (finely chopped)Tamarind paste - 1/2 tspGaram masala powder - 1/4 tspCoriander leaves - for garnishingSalt - to tasteOil/ghee - 1 tbsp

Soak Chickpeas overnight and then cook till they are tender.Heat Ghee in a pan and add Cinnamon, Cumin seeds, Fenugreek seeds. Then add Green chilli and Ginger, fry for 1 or 2 minutes. Then add Fenugreek leaves and mix well.Add Channa masala powder, Turmeric powder, Hing, Salt and mix well. Then add Tomatoes and fry well.Add cooked Chickpeas and a cup of water, leave this to boil for 5 minutes. Then add Tamarind paste, mix well and cook for another 5minutes.Now add Garam masala powder and allow the gravy to thicken. Finally add coriander leaves.

Capsicum gobi masala :Cauliflower-1cupGreen peas-1/2cupCapsicum-1Onion-4Tomato-3Ginger-2inch pieceGarlic -10Cloves-2Star anise-only 2 petalsPoppy seeds(khaskhas)-1/2tspGreen chilli-2noChilli powder-1tspCorn flour-2tspMilk-50mlCoriander- to garnishGhee or oil -4tsp

Clean the Cauliflower and keep aside.Cut 3 Onions into small pieces and 1 into big cubes, cut Capsicum into large cubes and keep them aside.In a pan take 2tsp of oil. Fry Cloves, Star anise and add Onion(finely chopped), Khaskhas, Ginger and Garlic.After Onion is cooked add Tomato and fry till Tomato is completely fried, then grind it to a fine paste Now heat the pan with oil and fry large cubes of Onion, Capsicum and keep it asideThen fry Cauliflower, Green peas in the same oil for 2 minutes.Add Green chillies, Ground paste, Chilli powder and mix well. Let it cook till all vegetables are cooked.Now mix Corn flour with Milk. Add it to the gravy to make the gravy thick. Boil it for 4 minutes. Add the fried Onion, Capsicum and Coriander leaves to it. Serve hot .

Capsicum Paneer masala:Capsicum - 1 noOnion - 1 no(big)Paneer - 50 gmTomato - 1 no(big)Green chilly - 1 noGarlic - 2 podGinger garlic paste - 1 spoonTurmeric powder - a pinchCumin seed powder - 1 tspGaram masala powder - 2 tspCoriander powder - 1 spoonChilly powder - 1 spoonSalt and Oil - as requiredCoriander leaves - for garnishing

Cut Capsicum in to square shape and cut Paneer in to cubes. Chop Green chillies and Garlic in to fine pieces. Cut Onion into four pieces, take out the top layer of onion & chop the inner layer in to fine pieces. Chop Tomato.Heat a pan. Add Oil, chopped Garlic, Green chilly and fry. Add Capsicum and Onion, fry till it becomes gold brown in color. Add Tomato, Ginger garlic paste and fry till it becomes soft.Add Paneer, Chilly powder, Turmeric powder, Garam masala powder, Cumin seed powder, Coriander powder and salt. Stir till the raw flavour of masala goes out.Then add the required water and cook for some time. Finally garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Groundnut kuruma:Groundnut-2cupCarrot-2noPotato-1noOnion-2nosTomato-2nos Garam masala-2tspGrated coconut-1cupFennel seeds-1tspPoppy seeds-1/2tspCinnamon stick-2Coriander leave- to garnish…Soak the Groundnut for 4-5 hours Grind the Coconut,Fennel seeds,Poppy seeds into fine paste.Cook the Ground nut in a pressure cooker.Pour Oil in a pan. Add Cinnamon sticks, Onion, Tomato. Fry them till onion turns pink.Then add Carrot, Potato(small cubes), Coconut paste,Garam masala and cooked ground nut.Cook it till the masala is cooked or else pressure cook for 2 whistleGarnish with coriander leaves

Vegetable kuruma

Vegetables - 2 cups (Carrot, Beans, Cauliflower, Potato, Peas or any veggie of your choice) Cinnamon - 1 inch stickCloves - 2 to 3Brinji leaf - 1 small leafCumin seeds - 1/2 tspnOnion - 1 (small)Green Chilli - 2Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tspnTomato - 1Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspnChili powder - 1/2 to 1 tspn (adjust to your spice level)Coriander powder - 1 tspnGaram masala powder - 1/4 tspnSalt - to tasteOil - 1 or 2 tspnCoriander leaves - 2 to 3 sprigs

Grind and make a paste of:Poppy seeds(kasa kasa) - 3/4 tsp Coconut - 3 to 4 tspn(grated)Cut Vegetables and Tomato into small cubes. Chop Onion into thin slices. Slit Green chilies length-wise. Grind and make a fine paste of Poppy seeds and grated Coconut. Keep all this aside.Heat Oil in a Pressure cooker. Add Cinnamon, Cloves, Brinji leaf and Cumin seeds. Once the seeds starts spluttering add Onion and Green chilies, saute till Onion turns into light brown.Add Ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes. Add all the Vegetables and Tomato, fry for 2 minutes.Then add Turmeric powder, Chili powder, Coriander powder, Garam masala powder, Ground paste(Poppy seeds and Coconut), Salt and 2 to 3 cups water. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Once the steam is released from the cooker, add chopped coriander leaves and serve.You can also cook this kuruma in ordinary pan.

Black eye Peas

Black eyed peas - 1/4 cupOnion - 1/2Tomato - 1Garlic - 2 to 3 clovesGreen chili - 1 or 2Hing - 3 to 4 pinchesTurmeric powder - 1/4 tspnMasala powder or Sambar powder - 1tspnSalt - to tasteWaterFor tampering:Mustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tspnCumin seeds - 1/2 tspnCurry leaves - 1 or 2 sprigsOil - 1 or 2 tspn Soak Black eyed peas overnight.Pressure cook all the ingredients together with enough water for 3 to 4 whistles. Open the cooker once the pressure is released.With the help of masher, mash all the ingredients till its creamy. For tampering: Heat Oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds, Urad dal and Cumin seeds. Once it starts spluttering add Curry leaves and pour this to the curry.

Ulli theeyalSmall Onion - 15Tomato - 2Drumstick - 5 to 6 pieces (optional)Tamarind - small gooseberry sizeSalt - to tasteOil Roast and make a fine paste of:Small Onion - 2Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tspnCoconut (grated) - 3 tbspnCurry leaves - a sprigChilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tspnCoriander powder - 1 tspnMasala powder - 1 tspnTurmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

For tampering:Mustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tspCurry leaves - a sprig

Heat a tspn of Oil in a pan. Add 2 small Onion, Fenugreek seeds, Coconut and Curry leaves. Fry till the Coconut turns into nice brown color.After that, grind the roasted items with Chilli powder, Coriander powder, Masala powder and Turmeric powder.Soak Tamarind in water for 20 minutes. Then extract tamarind juice from it.Heat Oil in a pan. Add Onion and fry till they are light brown.Add Drumstick and Tomato, fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the ground paste and fry till the smell of masala goes.Add Tamarind juice and a cup of water. Bring this to boil once, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from fire.For tampering: Heat 1 or 2 tspns of Oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds and Urad dal. Once it starts spluttering, add Curry leaves and pour this mix to the curry.

Vazhakai puli gravy

Plantain - 20 to 25 (length-wise cut pieces) Tamarind - small gooseberry sizeMustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tspnCumin seeds - 1/2 tspnCurry leaves - a sprigDry red chili - 1Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspnChili powder - 1/2 tspnCoriander powder - 1 tspnCumin powder - 1/2 tspnSalt - to tasteOil

For Paste:Onion - 1/2Garlic -2 clovesTomato - 1Coriander leaves - 2 to 3 sprigs Fennel seeds - 1/4 tspn

Scrape the outer skin of Plantain and cut them into paneer sized cubes. Soak Tamarind in water for 20 minutes, then extract tamarind juice from it. Cut Onion and Tomato into small pieces. Keep everything aside. Heat enough Oil in a pan to deep fry the Plantain pieces. Once the Oil is hot enough, drop the Plantain pieces and deep fry them till they are golden yellow. Keep it aside.Heat a tspn of Oil in a pan. Add Garlic, Onion and fry till they are golden brown. Then add Tomato and fry till they are little soft.Then remove from heat, add Fennel seeds and chopped Coriander leaves. Once this cools completely, grind them into a fine paste.Keep this aside.Heat 1 or 2 tspns of Oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds, Urad dal and Cumin seeds. Once the seeds starts spluttering, add dry red chili and Curry leaves.Then add the ground paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add Turmeric powder,Chili powder, Coriander powder, Cumin powder and fry till the smell of masala goes.Add Tamarind juice, Salt and 1 or 2 cups of water to it. Bring this to boil to once, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes.Then add deep fried plantain pieces and cook again for 5 minutes.

Dal Toor Dal - 3/4 cupOnion - 1/2Garlic - 1 or 2 clovesGreen Chili - 3Tomato - 1 Hing - 2 to 3 pinchesTurmeric powder - 1/4 tspnChili powder - 1/4 tspnCoriander powder - 1 tspnTamarind - small gooseberry sizeSalt - to taste

For tampering:Mustard seeds and Urad dal - 1 tspnCumin seeds - 1 tspnCurry leaves - 2 sprigsOil - 2 to 3 tspn Wash dal in water. Cut Onion and Green chili length-wise. Chop Tomatoes. Soak Tamarind in water. Keep all this aside.Add Dal, Onion, Garlic, Green chili,Tomatoes, Hing, Turmeric powder, Chili powder, Coriander powder and 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker. Cover and Cook for 4 to 5 whistles.In the meantime, extract the tamarind water from the soaked tamarind. Once the pressure is released from the cooker, add tamarind water and Salt to it. Bring this to boil once and remove from heat.Heat Oil in another pan. Add Mustard seeds,Urad dal and Cumin seeds. Once the seeds starts spluttering, add Curry leaves and pour this to the dal and mix well.

Bottle gourd curry

Bottle gourd - 2½ cupsTurmeric powder - 1/4 tspnSalt - to tasteCurd - 1/2 cup (beaten)Grind and make a paste of:Green chili - 3Garlic - 1 cloveCumin seeds - 1/2 tspnCoconut - 1/4 cupFor tampering: Mustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tspnFenugreek seeds - 1/4 tspnCurry leaves - 1 or 2 sprigsOil - 1 or 2 tspn

Scrape the outer skin of Bottle gourd and cut into cubes. Boil water in a pan. Add Bottle gourd, Turmeric powder, Salt and cook.Meantime, grind and make a fine paste of Coconut, Cumin seeds,Green Chili and Garlic by adding little water. Once the Bottle gourd is almost cooked, add the ground paste and cook for 10 minutes or till the raw smell goes.Then reduce the heat to low and add the beaten Curd. Mix well and remove from heat once the curd is just warm. Do not let this boil.Heat Oil in another pan. Add Mustard seeds and Urad dal, Once it starts spluttering add Fenugreek seeds and Curry leaves. Remove from heat and pour this mix to the curry.

Potato gravyPotato - 3 (peel & cut in to medium pieces)Onion - 1 (finely chopped)Tomato - 2Salt - to tastePeas - 1/4 cup (optional)Water - 2 cupsOil - 1/4 cupCinnamon - 1 small stickCurry leaves - 7 to 8

For Masala paste: (Grind and make a paste of the below mentioned ingredients)Ginger - 1 small pieceGarlic - 6 clovesTurmeric powder - 1/4 tspnRed chili powder - 2 tspn (Adjust with your spice level)Coriander powder - 1 tspFennel seeds (Perunjeeragam) - 1/2 tspn

For Coconut paste: (Grind and make a paste of Coconut and Fried Chana dal)Coconut - 3 tbspnFried Chana dal (Pottu kadalai) - 2 tspn Heat Oil in a deep pan. Add Cinnamon, Curry leaves and Onion, fry till they are golden brown.Add Tomatoes and fry till they are soft. Add Potatoes and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.Add ground Masala paste and salt, fry till the raw smell of masala goes.Add water and cover the pan with a lid. Cook till the Potatoes are cooked.Then add ground Coconut paste to it and allow this to boil once. Remove from heat

Kadhai baby cornBaby corn- 4Capsicum- 1Lemon juice- 1/2Onion- 1Tomato puree-2Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tspTurmeric powder- 1/4 tsMilk- 1/4 cupOil and salt- as required

Fry and Grind:Cinnamon- a small pieceCloves-1Cardamom- 1/2Bay leaf- 1/4Coriander seeds- 1 spoonRed chili- 2Cumin seeds- a pinchFennel seeds (saunf)- a pinchPepper corns- 4 or 5

Cut Onion, Capsicum and Baby corn. Keep aside.Heat Oil in a pan and add Capsicum, saute till it turns soft or for 3 min.Cook the cut baby corn in 2 cups of water with salt and lemon juice for 2 to 3 min. Then drain the Water.Heat Oil in a pan. Add boiled Baby corns and fry for 5 minutes in low flame. Keep this aside.Fry Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Bay leaf, Coriander seeds, Red chili, Cumin seeds,Fennel seeds and Pepper corns without any Oil. Fry till it turns dark in color or for 30 sec in low flame.Dry grind all the fried ingredients without Water.Heat Oil in a pan. Add ground items, Onion, Ginger Garlic paste and fry till Onion turns into light brown in color.Then add Tomato puree and Turmeric powder, fry till it becomes dark in color.Add a cup of water, fried Baby corns and Capsicum, cook for 3 minutes.Finally add Milk and cook till it turns dry.

Gobi Manchurian dryCauliflower - 1/4 portion of a large CauliflowerGreen chili - 1 or 2Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves of large sizeOnion - 1/4Soy sauce - 3 tspnTomato sauce - 2 tspnChili sauce - 1½ tspnOil - 1 or 2 tspn

For batter:All purpose flour (Maida) or Corn flour - 3 spoonsRice flour - 2 spoonsGinger garlic paste - 1/2 tspnChili powder - 1/2 tspnSalt - to tasteOil - to deep fry

Cut Cauliflower into small florets. Boil water in a pan with little Turmeric powder and Salt. Add Cauliflower florets and leave that in hot water for 5 minutes. Cut Onion into big chunks. Chop garlic into small pieces. Keep all this aside.Prepare the batter by mixing All purpose flour, Rice flour, Ginger garlic paste, Chili powder, Salt and Water in a bowl. The batter should not be too thick or too thin.Heat enough Oil in a pan to deep fry. Once the Oil is hot enough, reduce the heat to medium. Dip the cauliflowerflorets in batter, drop gently into the hot Oil, turning once in a while, deep fry them till they are golden brown and crispy. Deep fry all the cauliflower florets like this.Remove them and drain on paper towels.Then heat 1 or 2 tspns of Oil in another pan. Add Green chilies and Garlic, fry them for a minute.Add Onion and fry them for 2 minutes.Add Soy sauce, Tomato sauce, Chili Sauce and saute it for 1 or 2 minutes.Add 1/4 cup of water and cook this for 2 minutes in medium heat. If you want gravy add some more water.Finally add deep fried Cauliflower florets and mix it with the sauce for 1 or 2 minutes. Then remove from heat

Cauliflower carrot paruppu kootu Cauliflower- 2 cupsCarrot- 1 cupRed gram dal(Thuvaram paruppu) , Channa dal(Kadalai paruppu) and Green gram dal(Pasi paruppu)- 1/2 cup eachCoriander seeds- 4 tspnsCumin seeds- 1 tspGrated coconut- 2 spoonsGreen chili- 2Garlic- 3 to 4Turmeric powder- 1/4 tspMustard seeds and urad dal- 1/2 tspOnion- 1/2Curry leaves- fewOil and Salt- as required

Cut and cook Cauliflower, Carrot with Turmeric powder.Cook Red gram dal, Channa dal, Green gram dal and Garlic in pressure cooker.Heat little Oil in a pan, add Coriander seeds and Cumin seeds, fry till it turns into light brown color.Grind the fried items with Grated coconut, Green chilies and Water.Heat Oil in pan. Add Mustard seeds and Urad dal to the pan. Once it splutters add Onion and Curry leaves. Fry till it becomes brown in color.Then add ground items, Salt, cooked dal and vegetables. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or till it becomes thick.

VEGETABLE MANCHURIAN

1 tsp ajinamoto 30 grams beans 1 cup boiled rice

100 grams cabbage 2 number capsicum pepper

150 grams carrots 50 grams cauliflower 2 piece celery

3 tbsp chilli paste 3 piece choppe gr chillies

30 grams chopped garlic 3 tbsp corn flour

1 large ginger 1 to fry oil 2 number onion

2 tsp pepper pdr 1 to taste salt 2 tbsp seasame oil

4 tbsp soya sauce 1 springs spring onion 1 tsp sugar

3 tbsp sweet and sour sauce

Boil /steam finely chopped minced vegetables and bind with some corn flour and rice with all shown spices and make small lumps the size of a ping pong ball. roll in corn flour and deep fry make sauce as shown add cumin ,2 tbsp chopped garlic ,1 tbs chopped ginger and chopped onion add soya sauce,pepper,chilli paste,spring onion ,ajinamot sweet sauce or sugar stock and cook thicken with cornflour mixture adding very little at a time add fried dumpling or cauliflower Serve hot with noodles or rice.

VEGETABLE 65

2 pinch ajinamoto 1/2 number cauliflower

1 pinch coriander pdr 1 cup corn flour

1 pinch cumin 2 tsp garlic 2 tsp ginger

1 cup maida flour 2 tsp mirchi powder oil

1 small onion 1 piece potato

1 cup rice boiled Or use pakoda mixture 1 to taste Salt

1 piece zukini or any vegetable

cut vegetables into small size and coat it with either pakoda mixture(see my pakoda video) make a thin batter with out soda or coat it with rice and flour batter and deep fryheat oil add cumin add chopped ginger garlic onion(optional and all other spices as shown add chilli garlic , red color , and soya sauce with pinch of ajinamoto and toss the fried vegetables serve hot the rice batter will absorb oil , to prevent add extrd maida , vah chef recommends besan batter

PANEER CHOPS

Ingredients:
3 - medium onions 5 cloves - garlic 1 tsp - ginger
4 tbsp - vinegar1 cup - yoghurt1 tsp - garam masala
1 level tsp - chilli powderSalt to taste1/2 tsp - coarsely ground pepper
1 kg - paneer, cut into 2 inch x 2 inch squares, 1/2 inch thick
2 - egg whitesBreadcrumbs

Mix onion-ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, yoghurt, garam masala, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Add the paneer, salt and pepper. Make sure the paneer is well coated with the mixture. Set aside for 10-15 mins. In the meantime, beat the egg whites lightly. Keep aside. Drain each paneer square. Dip each piece in the beaten egg white, coat with breadcrumbs and shallow fry in a non-stick pan till golden brown. Serve hot.

DRUMSTICKS IN RED GRAVY

Ingredients:
5 drumsticks, scraped, cut in 2"-3" pieces
3 ripe firm tomatoes, grated
1 onion grated2 flakes garlic grated
1" piece ginger, grated1 stalk curry leaves
1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tbsp. coconut, finely scraped
1 tsp. red chilli powder 1 tsp. coriander seed (dhania) powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder 1/4 tsp. garam masala powder
2 pinches asafoetida powder1/2 tsp. sugar
salt to taste1/2 tsp. each cumin & mustard seeds1 tbsp. Oil

Heat oil, add cumin & mustard seeds, asafoetida Allow to splutter. Add ginger, onion, garlic, stirfry till oil separates. Add drumsticks, stir, cover and simmer till halfdone, stirring occasionally. Add tomato, curryleaves, coconut, stirCover and cook till drumsticks are almost done.Add all dry masalas, sugar, salt, 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook till drumsticks are tender to touch. Pour into serving bowl, garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with thin phulkas, puris or steamed rice

CHILLIPANEER

pinch pinch ajinomoto 1 tsp chilli garlic sauce

1/2 tsp coriander powder 1 1/2 tbsp Corn flour

1/2 tsp cumin seeds 7 number curry leaves

1 number egg 1 tsp garlic chopped

1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 4 number green chillies

1 tsp lime juice 1 tbsp maida

for fying oil 1/2 cup onion

1 lbs paneer 1 cup red bell pepper as per taste salt

1 tsp soya sauce as needed water

1 cup yellow bell pepper Cut paneer into cubes.

Take a dish add salt,ginger garlic, water,egg and mix well and pour on the cubes mix well and add maida.Take oil to fry add the mixed paneer into it and fry in very slow flame. Take a pan add oil cumin,garlic,ginger garlic paste,chopped green chill,onion,coriander powder,little water,chill garlic sauce,ajinomato,red bell pepper,yellow ,chilli powder,soya sauce,curry leaves,salt,lime juice, if you want to add colour u can, now add paneer and mix well,Finely finish it off with coriander leaves.

Easy bhindi masala

300 gms bhindi (cut into half an inch)2 onions finely chopped

2 tomatoes finely chopped1 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 tsps red chilli powder1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp mustard1/2 tsp jeerafew curry leaves and coriander

salt to taste

heat oil and splutter mustard and jeera.add ginger garlic paste and curry leaves.fry the onions well into the oil.add the red chilli and turmeric and salt.now add the tomatoes also and cook till tomatoes are soft and the oil shows up.add in the cut bhindis.keep stirring in between to ensure it does not stick to the bottomcover and cook on simmer till bhindis are soft and done

Brinjal in tomato

5 ggplants (Brinjal)1/2 cup chopped Onion2 cloves Garlic

5-6 medium Tomatoes1 tblsp Vegetable/Olive oilsalt & pepper to taste

Wash the Eggplants, pierce each one with a sharp knife.In a baking tray, place the Eggplants & Garlic cloves.Roast the eggplants and garlic in a oven at 180c for 20-30 minutes or until the skins turn wrinkly and brown. Remove and allow to cool.Remove the skin of the eggplant. squeeze each garlic clove & mix it with the eggplant.In a pan, heat Oil. Add chopped Tomatoes, Salt & Pepper. Mix well until Tomatoes are soft & pulpy.Add the Eggplant & garlic mixture to the Tomato mixture. Mix well stirring constantly for 4-5 mins on Medium heat. Serve hot with steamed Rice, Rice Roti, Poori or even on Pasta with little cheese.

Baingan ka madrasi bharta

1/2 kg brinjals4 green chillies2 big onions (sliced)125 g tamarind pulpsalt to tastefew leaves of mint1 tbsp red chilli powderoil as req

Boil brinjals and pill its skin.Grind brinjals and make a burta.Now add red chilli powder and salt in the burta.Heat a oil in a pan and fry onion till turns in golden color, and add bhurta in it.Now add tamarind pulp in this mixture.Cook for few minutes and add chopped green chillies and mint leaves.Now cook it very well when it leaves oil in a surface then turn out in a bowl.Serve with boil rice or chapatis

BLACK CHANNA MASAL

2 cups Black chana (socked for 2 hrs)3 Onions chopped

2-3 tomatoes chopped2-3 Green chilies

1 tsp ginger garlic paste1 tsp Red chilies powder

1 tsp garam masala1 tsp Coriander powder

Coriander leavesSalt to tasteTake oil in cooker add onions cook till brown.Now add green chilies, ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, red chilies, garam masala, coriander powder, salt and cook well.Add black chana and stir well for 5 min and add 1 glass of water and pressure it for 10-15 min or till black chana is cooked.Close the gas, add coriander leaves and serves hot with chapattis.

GREEN MUNG DAL

2 cups green mung dal (soaked for 1 hr)2-3 onions chopped1-2 tomatoes chopped2 green chilies1 tsp red chilies powder 1 tsp turmeric powderSalt to tasteCoriander leaves1 tsp garam masala1 tsp ginger garlic paste Take oil in cooker add green chilies and onions cook for 5 min.Now add all the ingredients expect coriander leaves, stir well till tomatoes get soft.Keep stirring for 10 min and add 1 ½ glass of water and pressure for 10-15 min or till the mung dal gets cooked properly.After cooked mash the dal and add coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapattis.Note: Don’t smash dal too much.

Baby corn manchurian

Baby corn- 6Rice flour- 1 spoon

Corn flour- 2 spoonGinger and Garlic paste- 2 tspn

Onion- 1Green chilies- 2Chili powder- 1/2 tspnTomato sauce- 2 tspn

Soya sauce- 1 tspnCoriander leaves- 3 strings

Oil and Salt- as requiredSemi cook the Baby corns in little salted water. Drain out the excess of Water.Then add Rice flour, Corn flour, Ginger and Garlic paste, Chili powder, Tomato sauce(1 tspn), Salt and mix well.Heat Oil in a pan to fry. Fry the Baby corns in that and keep it aside.Heat another pan with 2 spoon of oil. Add Garlic, Onion, green Chilies and fry till it becomes golden brown in color.Add the fried Baby corns, Tomato sauce(1 tspn), Soyasauce and Salt. Fry for 10 minutes in medium flame (If required add little water and fry till the water evaporates.) Finally add Coriander leaves to garnish.

Baby corn capsicum curry

Baby corn – 3 sticksCapsicum -1

Onion – 1Tomato – 1 Ginger garlic paste – 1 tspn

Chilli powder – 1 tspnTurmeric powder – a pinch

Masala powder – 1 spoonCoriander powder – ½ spoon

Grated coconut – 3 spoonsMustard seeds and urad dhal – 1 tspn

Curry leaves – a fewSalt and oil – As required

Cut Baby corn, Capsicum, Onion and Tomato into small pieces.

Cook Baby corn pieces by adding Turmeric powder and little salt in pressure cooker.Heat a pan. Add oil, Mustard seeds and Urad dhal. Once it splutters, add Curry leaves, Onion and capsicum.Fry all the above items till it becomes golden brown in color. Then add Tomatoes and fry till it becomes soft.Then add Ginger Garlic paste,Chili powder, Masala powder, Coriander powder and salt.Once the raw smell of masala goes, add the cooked Baby corn and fry for sometime. Then add the required Water and cook for sometime.Finally add Coconut milk(by grinding coconut with water) into the Baby corn gravy

Kadhai Baby corn Capsicum

Baby corn- 4 Capsicum- 1

Lemon juice- ½ Onion- 1Tomato puree-2

Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tspTurmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Milk- 1/4 cupOil and salt- as required Fry and Grind:

Cinnamon- a small pieceCloves-1Cardamom- 1/2Bay leaf- 1/4

Coriander seeds- 1 spoonRed chili- 2Cumin seeds- a pinch

Fennel seeds (saunf)- a pinchPepper corns- 4 or 5

Cut Onion, Capsicum and Baby corn. Keep aside.Heat Oil in a pan and add Capsicum, saute till it turns soft or for 3 min.Cook the cut baby corn in 2 cups of water with salt and lemon juice for 2 to 3 min. Then drain the Water.Heat Oil in a pan. Add boiled Baby corns and fry for 5 minutes in low flame. Keep this aside.Red chili, Cumin seeds,Fennel seeds and Pepper corns without any Oil. Fry till it turns dark in color or for 30 sec in low flame.Dry grind all the fried ingredients without Water.Heat Oil in a pan. Add ground items, Onion, Ginger Garlic paste and fry till Onion turns into light brown in color.Then add Tomato puree and Turmeric powder, fry till it becomes dark in color.Add a cup of water, fried Baby corns and Capsicum, cook for 3 minutes.Finally add Milk and cook till it turns dry.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

Spinach - 225 grams or a bunch

Paneer - 250gmsGhee - 2 tbspCumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 medium (finely chopped)

Green chili - 2 (cut lengthwise)Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 2 tspn (Adjust with your spice level)

Trumeric powder - 1 pinchGaram masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Tomato - 1 medium (pureed)water - 1/4 cup

Chop Onion and Green chili into small pieces. Grind Spinach with little water in blender and make a paste. Keep all this aside.Heat Ghee in a deep pan, fry Paneer cubes till they are golden brown. Remove them and keep aside.

Heat Ghee in the same pan. Add Cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add Onion and Green chili, fry till Onion turns into golden brown.Add Ginger Garlic Paste and fry till the raw smell goes.Add Turmeric powder, Chili powder, Garam masala powder and Salt. Fry till the raw smell of masala goes.Add Tomato puree and cook for 5 mins. Add Spinach paste and cook for another 5 minutes.Then add Paneer cubes, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add water and cook for 5 to 7 minutes in medium heat .Finally garnish with butter flakes.

Dal Makhani

Black lentil - 1 cupKidney beans - 1/2 cupGhee - 2 tbspnCumin Seeds - 1 tspn

Onion - 1 (medium)Green Chilies - 2

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tspnRed Chili powder - 1 tspn

Turmeric powder 1/2 tspn

Tomato - 1 (finely chopped )Butter - 5 tbspn

Garam masala powder - 1 tspn

Coriander leaves - For Garnishing

Soak Black lentil and Kidney beans for 6 hours.Finely Chop Onion and Green Chilies. Cook dals in pressure cooker. Keep this aside.Heat Ghee in a deep pan. Add Cumin seeds and let them splutter.Add Onion, Green Chilies and fry till Onion turns into golden brown.Add Ginger Garlic Paste and fry till the raw smell goes.Add Turmeric powder, Chili powder, Garam masala powder and Salt, fry till the raw smell of masala goes.add tomatoes and fry till they become soft.Now add the cooked dals and a cup of water(in which dals cooked). Cook for 5 more minutes and mix well.Add Butter and cook for another 5 more minutes.

Black Chickpeas Curry (Kadala Curry)

Black Chickpeas (Kondai Kadalai) - 1 cup

Onion - 1 Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tspn

Salt - to tasteOil - 3 to 4 tspnsRoast and make a fine paste of:

Coriander Seeds - 1 ½ tspnCumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn

Dry red chilies - 3 to 4 (Adjust with your spice level)

Cinnamon - very small pieceCloves -2

Fennel seeds - 1/4 tspnCoconut(grated) - 4 to 5 tspns

Soak Black Chickpeas overnight. After that, Cook Black Chickpeas with little salt till they are tender.Heat a tspn of oil. Roast Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Dry red chilies, Cinnamon, Cloves and Fennel seeds till they are light brown. Remove from heat.Roast grated Coconut till they are dark brown. Remove from heat.Heat a tspn of oil. Add 1/2 of the Onion and fry till they are golden brown and then remove from heat.Grind all the roasted ingredients(from step 2,3,4) with a tspn of cooked chickpeas into a fine paste.Heat 2 tspns of Oil in a pan, add Mustard seeds and Urad dal. Once the seeds starts spluttering, add Curry leaves and the remaining Onion(finely chopped) and fry till they are golden brown.Add Turmeric powder, ground masala paste and 1 or 2 cups of water(water used for cooking Chickpeas). Cook this masala for 5 to 10 minutes.Then add cooked Chickpeas and Salt. Bring this to boil and then reduce the heat. Cook the curry for 7 to 10 minutes in medium heat. Remove from heat and serve.

Palak Channa (Chickpeas in Spinach puree)

Spinach - 250 grams or a bunchChickpeas - 1 cup

Green Chili - 2 (finely chopped)Garlic - 1 clove

Fennel seeds - 1/4 tspnCumin seeds - 1/2 tspn

Brinji leaf - a small leafOnion - 1

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tspnTomato - 3

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

Chili Powder or Masala Powder - 1/2 to 1 tspn (Depends on your spice level)

Cumin powder - 3/4 tspnCoriander powder - 1 ½ tspn

Lemon juice - 1 tspnSalt - to tasteOil - 1 or 2 tspns

Potatoes boiled,peeled 5 Nos

Onions medium size 3 Nos Chopped lengthwise.

Sour Yogurt 11/2 CupsMSG(optional) 1/2 tsp.

Green chilies 3 or Acc to taste chopped.

Salt Acc to tasteChili powder 1 Tsp.

Flour 2 Tbsp.Baking Powder 1/4 Tsp.

Garam Masala 1/4 Tsp. Oil for deep frying.

Cut Potatoes into chunks & mix with flour,Baking Pwd & Salt.

Deep fry them in the oil & set aside.Drain water from curds & soften the resultant cheese.Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan.Fry Chilies,Onions & MSG till translucent.Add the curd cheese,salt,red chili & garam masala powder. Cook in low flame stirring frequently till oil seperates. Add the fried potatoeswater if required.

Masala Bellpeppers Recipe

Bell Peppers 1 No.(Green,Purple,Red,Yellow) 4 Nos.

Potato Large 1 NO.Salt,chilli powder Acc to taste.

Coriander Powder 2 Tsp.

Tumeric(optional) 1 Tsp.Dry Roasted Peanuts 1/4 Cup.

Lemon Juice 1 Tsp.Coconut Grated 2 Tsp.

Seasoning Mustard Seeds 1 Tsp.
Cumin Seeds 1 Tsp.Oil 1 Tbsp.

Powder peanuts.Cut the all veges similarly into medium size.

Heat oil in a Pan, do the seasoning add the potatoes & cover.

Cook for a couple of minutes.Mix in Bellpeppers,salt,tumeric.

Add the dry masalas,cover & cook for few minutes.Mix in coconut,peanut powder gently.Add Lemon juice & serve .

Vegetable Kurma Recipe

Potatoes   3 Nos Peeled .
Peas  1/4 Cup.Carrots   2 Nos.
Green Bean 10 Nos Each cut into four pieces.
salt   To taste.Yogurt 1/2 Cup.
Any Flour 1 Tsp. rice/corn/AP flour.
Butter 1 Tbsp.Grind to Paste :
Coconut 1/4 CupPoppy seeds1 Tsp.
Cashew nuts Raw     8 Nos.
Onion1/2 No.Garlic 1 No.Cilantro leaves  few.
Green Chillies 3 Nos or To Taste.
Soak in water for few minutes , grind to a paste & reserve.
Cut all the veges into similar sizes.Cook in a cup of water till almost done.
Mix salt,flour ,paste & yogurt in a bowl.Add to the veges & stir for a few minutes.Add Butter & adjust the seasanings.Serve with any variety of rice/rotis.

Channa Palak Recipe

white channa - 1 cup (soaked)
spinach leaves - 1 cup (washed and chopped)
onion - 1 mincedginger-green chilli paste - 2 tsp
channa masala powder - 1 tsp
garam masala powder - 1 tspsalt/oil as needed

Soak white channa for 5 hrs and boil till soft.Chop cleaned spinach leaves and par-boil for 5 mins.Heat pan and add 2 tbsp oil. When heated add the chopped onions. Fry.Now add the ginger-chilli paste and fry further, add 1/2 cup curd and continuefrying till the masala cooks well.Now add the garam masala and thespinach. Mix well. Add the boiled channa andsimmer the gravy. Add salt to taste.Once the gravy is done sprinkle corianderleaves.
In a separate pan heat 1 tbsp ghee or butter. When hot add 1 tsp channa masalaand pour over the gravy.Serve hot with Rotis or Bread.

Bagara Baingan ~ Stuffed Eggplant Curry

1/4 kg purple brinjals, wash, make + quarters with stalk intact

small lemon sized tamarind, extract pulp

1 1/2 tbsps oil

1/4 tbsp grated jaggery (optional)

For stuffing:

1 tbsp dhania pwd1 1/4 tbsp roasted peanuts1 1/2 tbsps roasted til/nuvvulu

1/4 tsp methi pwd1/2 tsp jeera pwd

1 tsp ginger garlic paste1 large onion, chopped

1/4 tsp garam masala (elaichi, cinnamon, cardamom)

1 1/4 tsp red chilli pwdsalt to taste

For poppu/tadka/seasoning:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds3 crushed garlic clovesa sprig of curry leaves

Make a paste with all the stuffing ingredients. Make a + slit in each brinjal, place stuffing as shown in the image above and keep aside.Add oil in a vessel, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add crushed garlic and curry leaves and toss them for a few seconds till the flavors come out. Place the stuffed brinjals in the oil and cook on medium high flame for 2 mts. Now, cover with lid and let them cook on medium low flame for 15 mts. Keep checking in between and stir fry to ensure the brinjals don’t burn or stick to the pan.Add the tamarind extract along with two cups of water and jaggery. Bring to a boil and reduce flame. Place lid and cook over low flame for 15-18 mts. Remove lid and cook for another few mts if it appears still watery. Let the brinjals cook till you achieve a thick gravy consistency. Turn off heat.
Serve with rice or rotis.

Aloo Tamatar Subzi - Curried Potatoes In Tomato Sauce

4 medium potatoes (boiled and slightly mash with hand roughly to form small chunks)1 large onion chopped finely
3 cloves garlic finely minced
1″ ginger finely minced
1/2 tsp mustard seeds2 dry red chillis
10-12 curry leaves2 green chilli slit length wise
1 tsp red chilli pwd (adjust according to your choice)
1 tbsp coriander pwd1/2 tsp cumin pwd
1/4 tsp turmeric pwdsalt to taste
3 medium sized tomatoes finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp oilchopped coriander leaves for garnish
1 tsp jaggery or sugar (optional)

Heat oil in a cooking vessel and add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Now add the red chillis and curry leaves and stir fry for a few seconds till the flavors are released in the oil. Now add onions, ginger and garlic and saute till the onions turn light brown. Add the green chillis and all the pwds. Combine.Add the tomatoes and stir fry till the oil seperates and it gets mushy.Add the potatoes and combine and keep covered with a lid on low heat for 3-4 minutes.Remove lid and cook further for another 3-4 mts stirring once in a while.Add salt and enough water to cover the potatoes.Bring to a boil and let it simmer on low heat till you get the desired curry consistency. Finally add the jaggery/sugar and combine. Turn off heat. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.Serve hot with rotis/chapatis/steamed white rice

Mirchi Khatta Masala - Tangy Green Chillis Curry

1 cup chopped onions (make a coarse paste)
1/2 tsp shahjeera (black cumin seeds)
1 tbsp chopped pudina (mint leaves)1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd1 tsp coriander pwd1/2 tsp cumin pwd
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp of boiled channa dal paste (boil 2 tbsp of channa dal and make a paste)
2 tbsp of khus-khus and melon seeds(magaz,dawsa ginjallu) paste(soak 2 tsps each of poppy seeds and melon seeds in little water for half an hour and make a smoothe paste)3 tbsp oil2 cups watersalt
chopped coriander leaves for garnishHeat 3 tbsp oil in a pan.Add shahjeera and pudina leaves and fry for 10 seconds.Add the coarse onion paste and fry till oil seperates.Next add ginger garlic paste and fry till oil seperates.
Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well and fry till oil seperates.
Add chilli pwd,cumin pwd and coriander pwd and mix well.Now add the green chilli pieces and salt, mix well.Cover and cook on slow fire till three fourth cooked.Now add the khus-khus and melon seed paste along with boiled channa dal paste and tamarind paste.Mix well.Add water and mix well and cook till the chillis are soft.Add garam masala towards the end and garnishwith chopped coriander leaves.Serves best with hot rotis andrice/pulao

Beerakaya Vepudu - Ridge gourd Stir fryIngredients

1/4 kg beerakaya/ridge gourds

1 finely chopped onion

3 slit green chillispinch of turmeric pwd

1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

large pinch of coriander pwd

pinch of roasted methi pwdsalt to taste

3/4 - 1 tbsp oil

For poppu/tadka/seasoning:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds1/4 tsp cumin seeds

4-5 garlic flakes, crushed8-10 fresh curry leaves

Cut the ridge into half lengthwise and slice. Finely slice onions.
Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the mustard seeds and as they splutter, add the cumin seeds and let them turn brown. Add the crushed garlic, green chillis and curry leaves and saute for 15-20 seconds.Add the sliced onions and saute for 3-4 mts. Add the sliced turai and turmeric pwd and let it cook without lid for 4 mts.Cook on medium heat for 6-7 minutes, constantly sauteing in between. Place lid, reduce to low flame and let it cook covered, approx 15 mts. Check in between. Add chilli pwd, coriander pwd, roasted methi pwd and salt and combine.If it appears slightly watery, continue to cook till the water evaporates completely and stir fry on high for a half a mt and turn off heat.6 Serve hot with steamed rice or roti

CHILLI PANNER

350 gms Paneer 2 Cups coarsely chopped onions

2 tbsp Vinegar 1/4 tsp Ajinomoto

2 tbsp Sliced green chillies 1 tbsp Soya sauce

Oil for frying 2 tsp Salt 1 Egg 1/2 Cup corn flour 1 tsp Ginger-garlic pasteChop the paneer into cubes.Combine together the paneer, corn flour, 1 tsp salt, egg, ginger, garlic and little water.Heat oil in a frying pan.

Fry the paneer cubes coated with mixture till golden brown.Take a wok and heat 2 tbsp of oil in it.Add the onions and fry on high heat for half a minute.Add vinegar, ajinomoto, green chillies, soya sauce, salt and the fried paneer cubes. Mix properly and garnish with finely chopped spring onions and coriander.Ready to serve.

CAULIFLOWER MANCHURIAN

1 Medium cauliflower 3/4 Cup maida

1-1/2 tbsp Garlic paste 2 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp Corn flour 1-1/2 tbsp Ginger paste

1 Cup finely chopped onions 1/4 tsp Ajinomoto

1 Chopped green chili 2-3 tbsp Tomato sauce

2 tbsp Soya sauce Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing Salt to taste Water as required

Wash and cut gobi.Combine maida, corn flour, salt and water to make a fine paste. Add a tsp of ginger and garlic paste to it. Dip the gobi florets in the paste and deep fry until golden brown, set aside.Heat oil in another pan and add the remaining ginger and garlic paste, chopped onions and green chili to it.Now, combine ajinomoto, soya sauce and tomato sauce with it.Add fried Gobi and mix well.Garnish Gobhi Manchurian with coriander leaves.

MOONG DAL

1/2 cup Moong Dal 1 cup Water

2 Tomatoes (chopped) 1 Onion (chopped)

Coriander leaves to garnish 1 Ginger Flake (chopped) 4 Green Chillies (chopped) 1 tbsp Jeera 3 tbsp Ghee Salt to taste

Wash dal properly and pressure cook it in water.

Add more water, if necessary, to prevent drying out.Remove the cooker from the flame after 2 whistles.Heat the ghee in a frying pan and add jeera.Fry it for a minute on medium heat. Mix green chillies and ginger. Fry again for about 2 minutes. Add onions now and fry them till they turn light brown.Now add tomatoes and fry for about 10 minutes.Put salt and coriander leaves.Mix well and fry for a minute.

Mix the prepared gravy into cooked dal.Put it in pressure cooker and cook again for 1 whistle.

Moong dal is ready.Serve with chapatis or plain rice.

POTATO GRAVY

3 Potatoes 1/4 Cup besan 2 Onions

6 Green chillies 1/2 tsp Chilly powder

Turmeric (a pinch) 3 tsp Oil Salt

Wash potatoes, peel and cut into small pieces.

Cut onions and green chillies into small pieces.

In a pressure pan, heat oil, add onions and green chillies and fry until the onions turn light brown.Now add potato pieces and fry for 2 minutes.Add turmeric, salt and chilly powder.Pour down 2 cups of water, close the lid of the pan and cook for 3 to 4 whistles.Now make a thick paste of besan using water.Open the pan lid, add the paste in it and mix well.Now your Potato Gravy is ready.

NAVARATANA KURUMA

2 Cup vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, beans, bottle gourd, cluster beans, carrots, potatoes)

Onion chopped 1 tsp Garam masala

2 tbsp Cashew nuts 2 Garlic flakes

1 Ginger1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Red chilli powder 2 tbs Pine apple

1 Cup cream 1 tbsp Curd 2 tbsp Tomato sauce

1 Cup butter Salt to taste

Boil all nine vegetables Grind ginger and garlic to make a paste. Heat butter and fry cashew nuts tiil it turns brown. Add turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and onions and fry it well.

Mix tomato sauce, curd, red chilli powder and garam masala Cook it for 5 minutes on medium heat.Add boiled vegetables and salt.Pour 1/2 cup of water and boil it for few minutes.Now add cream to it and mix it properly.Navratn Korma is ready.

PANEER CAPSICUM MASALA

1/4 kg Paneer1/4 kg Capsicum

2 Big onions3 Big tomatoes (pureed)1 tbsp ginger - garlic paste

1 tsp Jeera 2 tsp Red chili powder1 tsp Haldi powder

2 tsp Coriander powder1 tsp Garam masala 1 Cup milk 1/2 Cup creamGrate the onions. Cube the paneer. Slice the capsicums.In a kadai heat oil, and add jeera. When it splutters, add the grated onions and fry till pink.Add the ginger- garlic paste and fry for some more time.Add the sliced capsicum and fry for 2 minutes. Add all the powder masala and fry. Add the pureed tomatoes and salt. Let it cook.Lastly add the paneer pieces and let it cook in the masala.Finally add the milk and the cream. Cook for 5 minutes.Garnish with coriander leaves.Paneer Capsicum Masala is ready.

VEGETABLE KORMA

100 gm Green peas

50 gm Beans1 Small cauliflower

1 Potato 1 Big carrot1/2 tsp Aniseed 1 Big onion

Garlic as required, slit into long pieces

Fresh coconut milk as required

2 Green chillies, slit into long pieces

1 Inch ginger, slit into long pieces

1/2 tsp Chilly powder1-1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powderA pinch garam masala Salt as required

Coriander leaves for garnishing

1 tbsp Oil

Wash and cut the vegetables.Cook green peas, carrot, beans and potato along with the salt and water until it is almost done.Steam the cauliflower separately for about 5 minutes.Heat oil in a pan and add aniseeds, garlic, ginger and green chillies to it.When it is done, combine onions with it and sauté until golden brown.Combine all the powders with it and sauté for a while.Add a little salt and all the cooked vegetables to it.Pour coconut milk and when the bubbles start coming, remove it from the heat.Sprinkle garam masala powder.Garnish Veg Korma with coriander leaves and serve.

VEGETABLE MANCHURIAN

2 Cups grated cabbage

2 Cups grated carrots 2 Chopped green chilies

3-4 Crushed garlic flakes1 Chopped spring onion 2 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Corn starch 1 tbsp Soya sauce 1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Pepper powder A pinch of ajinomoto

Salt to taste Oil for deep frying

Water as required

Combine carrots and grated cabbage and squeeze the water out from them. In a bowl take the squeezed cabbage, carrots and add 1 tbsp corn starch, few chopped chilies and little salt to it.Make small balls from the mixture.Heat the oil in a wok and deep fry the balls until golden brown, drain and set aside.Take another pan and heat 2 tbsp oil in it. Fry garlic, green chilies and spring onions. Add water, pepper powder, ajinomoto, sugar, soya sauce and saltBring it to a boil.Combine 1 tbsp corn four with half cup of cold water, mix well.Now add the fried balls to the gravy.Cook it for about 3 to 4 minutes.Garnish Vegetable Manchurian with chopped coriander.

Green Peas Masala Curry Recipe

Green peas(cooked) - 2 cups

Onion - 2 nos

Tomato - 1 no

Garlic-ginger paste - 1 tbspGreen chillies - 4 nos

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tbspTurmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tspCurry leaves - A few

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Coconut oil - 3 tbsp

Salt - As reqd

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan or kadai.Add garlic-ginger paste.When a good aroma comes, add sliced onion and green chillies.Saute till they change colourAdd tomato into it.Add all the powders and stir well for 1 min.
Add the green peas and add 1 cup of water and leave it for boiling.when the gravy becomes thicker, switch off the stove.In another pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil and splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves and add this to the curry.
Garnish the curry with chopped coriander leaves.Serve with chappathi, vellayappam and puttu

RAW BANANAN KOFTA

1 raw Banana1 cup Coconut paste2 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste1 tbsp Coriander powder1 Onion Chopped2 Tomatoes Chopped2 Green Chillis chopped1/4 tbsp Turmeric2 CardamonsSalt to tasteCoriander leavesMint leavesCurry leaves2 ClovesCinnamon stick

Cut Banana in to slicesAdd Salt,Turmeric to Banana slices and deep fry in oil.Heat 4 tbsp of oil over medium heat.Put Cloves,Cinnamon,Green Chillis,Curry leaves,Onions,Salt fry until Onions turn Golden Brown color.Put Ginger Garlic paste fry until turn Golden Brown color.Put Coconut paste fry until turn Golden Brown color.Put Tomatoes,Red chilli powder,Turmeric,Coriander powder,Cardamons fry until no lumps,Consistency should be thick.Put fried Banana pieces fry it for 10 min.If you want gravy we can add some waterGarnish with Coriander leaves,Mint leaves.Tasty Banana curry is ready to eat with Rice or Roti.

RAJMA MASALA

1 cup Red Kidney Beans1 big Onion chopped2 Tomatoes ChoppedCurry LeavesCoriander Leaves choppedMint Leaves chopped1 Green Chilli chopped1/2 tbsp Turmeric1 tbsp Red chilli powder2 tbsp Coriander powder1 tbsp dry grated Coconut(optional)Salt to tasteMustread Seeds1/2 tbsp Urad Dhal1/2 tbsp Channa DhalCumin seeds

Soak Red Kidney Beans over 5hrs in water.Boil Beans ,once it is boiled fully add salt boil it for 2 mins.Heat 3 tbsp of oil in pan over medium heat.Put Mustreat seeds,Urad Dhal,Channa Dhal,Cumin Seeds,Onions,Green Chillis ,Salt,Turmeric,Curry leaves fry untill Onions turn Gloden Brown color.Put Dry Coconut powder fry for 2 mins.Put Tomatoes fry untill no lumps.Put boiled Red Kidney beans,Coriander Powder,Salt,Coriander leaves,Mint leaves Cook for 15 mins in low flame add little water for gravyGarnish with Coriander leaves and Mint Leaves

MUSHROOM MASALA

250gms Mushrooms1 cup sliced/2 Tomatoes1 cup sliced Onions3 Green ChillisCashew Pieces1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste2 tbsp Coconut paste2 Cloves2 CardamonsCinnamon stick1/4 tbsp fennel seedsPinch of NutMug powderSaltCoriander powder1/4 tbsp Turmeric1 tbsp Red Chilli PowderCurry leavesMint leavesCoriander Leaves

Heat 5 Spoons of oil in pan over medium heat.Place Cinnamon,Cloves,Green Chillis,NutMug powder,cashew pieces,Curry leaves fry for 2 minsPlace Onions,salt,Turmeric fry untill Onions turn to Golden Brown colorPlace Ginger Garlic paste,Coconut paste fry it untill turn Golden Brown color.Place Tomatoes,1 tbsp Red Chilli powder fry untill no lumps.Place Mushroom slices,Coriander powder,Fennel seeds,Cloves powder cook for 15 to 20 min by closing lid,no water added.Garnish with Coriander leaves and Mint leaves

PAKODA GRAVYPakoda - 7 nos.Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.Tomatoes - Thakkali - 2 nos.Ginger - Inji - small quantityGarlic - Poondu - 3 flakesGreen chillies - Pachai milagai - 3 nos.Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1/2 cupGaram masala powder - Masala thul - 1 tea spoonCurry leaves - Karuvepilai - smallquantityCoriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantityCashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - 2 nos.Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 tea spoonTurmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoonPoppy seeds - Kasakasa - 2 table spoonsCumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoonSalt to tasteOil for fryingMake pakodas. I have mentioned how to make pakodas in snack items.

Cut onions, smash tomatoes in a mixie. Make ginger-garlic paste after peeling off the skin. Grind grated coconut, poppy seeds, green chillies, cumin seeds, cashew nuts and make them to a paste. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste, onions, fry them well, now add tomatoes which are smashed, add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, little salt, curry leaves and boil them for some 3 minutes. Now add coconut paste. Finally add pakodas and garnish with coriander leaves. Pakoda kuruma is ready to be served. Yummy!!!! It can be served with white rice, idly, dosa, chappathi, poori

TOMATO MASALA

8 - small tomatoes 4 - onions, made into pastecurry leaves4 tsp - roasted gingelly seed powder1 tsp - coriander powder1/4 tsp - garam masala
1/4 tsp - sugara pinch of turmeric1 tsp - ginger garlic paste1/4 tsp - cumin seeds 1/4 tsp - sesame seeds2 tsp - red chilli powdera few coriander leavessalt and oil as requiredHeat 8 tsp of oil in kadai, add cumin and sesame seed

When they splutter, add onion paste and fry on medium flame till it is golden brown in colour. Add ginger garlic paste and turmeric and fry for a min Add red chilli powder and fry for a min then add slit tomatoes and cook on low flame for 5 to 10 min. When tomatoes are cooked properly add salt and gingelly paste Cook for 2 to 3 min. when the aroma of cooked tomatoes start coming, add coriander powder and masala powder and cook for 1 min Remove from flame, garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Best when served with naan.

SCHEZUAN CAULIFLOWER GRAVY

200g cauliflower florets Oil for deep frying 1/2 tsp each - ginger and garlic
2 - green chillies1 tbsp - whites of spring onion 1 tbsp - cornflour1/2 cup - water4 tbsp - Schezuan sauce Salt to taste For batter:3 tbsp - maida 3 tbsp - cornflour1/2 tbsp - oilWater for mixingSalt to taste For garnishing:2 tsp - spring onion greens, chopped Dip the cauliflower florets in the batter. Deep fry till crisp. Heat one tablespoon oil in a pan; add chopped garlic, ginger and green chillies and stir fry over a high flame for a couple of seconds. Add the whites of spring onion and fry again for a few seconds. Add the Schezuan sauce, fried cauliflower florets and salt and mix well. Add the cornflour dissolved in water to make a semi-solid gravy. Serve immediately, garnished with the spring onion greens

PANNER MANCHURIAN200 gms paneer/cottage cheese 1/2 cup chopped coriander1/4 cup chopped parsley1/4 cup crushed cashewnuts or almonds25 gms cornflour100 gms flour
1/4 cup spring onions - chopped1 clove garlic - flaked4-5 green chilies - chopped100 gms tomato sauce1/4 tsp pepper pwd 1/4 tsp chilli sauce1/4 tsp vinegar1/4 tsp soya sauce1 tsp salt1 tsp sugarOnion leeks for garnishingCooking oilMash together the paneer, leaves, nuts, flours, spring onions, garlic, pepper pwd, salt, sugar & green chilies. Add 1/3rd of each of these - the tomato, soya & chilli sauces and vinegar. Mash to a thick mixture, adding a little water if reqd. Make golf-ball size balls of this mixture & deep fry till golden brown. In a saucepan, add all the remaining sauces & vinegar with 2 cups water bring to a boil. Taste & add salt/sugar and thicken the mixture with cornflour, while simmering. At last, add the balls & garnish & simmer for just 2 minutes.

GARLIC SPINACH DAL

1 small cup tur dal/red gram dal/kandi pappu2 cups chopped and tightly packed palakura/palak/spinach1 onion, chopped1 tomato, chopped2 green chillis, slit lengthwise3 garlic cloves, finely sliced, saute in ghee till lightly browned and keep aside1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger1/2 tsp red chilli pwdbig pinch turmeric pwdsalt to taste1 1/2 cups water, approx
For seasoning/poppu/tadka:1/2 tsp cumin seeds2 garlic cloves, finely chopped1 tbsp gheeIn a pressure cooker, add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water and tuvar dal and pressure cook upto 3 whistles. If cooking over stove top, cook till the dal is almost cooked.Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel, add cumin seeds and as they splutter, add garlic and ginger and stir fry for few seconds. Add the chopped onions and saute for 3-4 mts.Add red chilli pwd and turmeric pwd and combine. Add the chopped palak and saute for 4 mts. Add chopped tomato and saute for another 3 mts.Add the pressure cooked dal along with salt and combine. Cook on slow to medium flame for 8-10 mts without lid or till you get the consistency of your choice. Garnish with sauteed garlic slices

LADYSFINGER GRAVY
Ladies finger-250 gms(15 medium sized ones)
Small onion-15 or big onion-1Green chilli-2Tomato-1
Sambar powder-1 teaspoonTurmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Thoor dhal-2 to 3 table spoons (1 hand full)Coriander leaves-littleCurry leaf-little
Cut the ladies finger into small pieces like in the picture. Chop the onion and tomatoes also.Split the chilli in the centre lengthwise Cook the thoor dhal 1 whistle less than you cook for sambar(switch off the stove 5 minutes after the first whistle in medium fire).Once the dhal is cooked open the cooker and take the water on top of the dhal (if there is not much water add a cup of water to the dhal and take out that water and keep aside.) Keep the kadai in the stove. In 1 table spoon of oil season the pachadi with a teaspoon of mustard seed, cumin seed, broken urudh dhal and little curry leaf. First add the onion pieces then the tomatoes and green chili and sauté for a while. When there is not much water content add the ladies finger pieces and sauté in medium fire for 5 to 6 minutes without it getting burnt. If you find it difficult to sauté add few drops of oil. Once the pieces are sauted well add the water from the dhal kept aside. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder and the salt needed also. Cook for 10 minutes in medium fire. If water is less add little more. Once the pieces are cooked fine add the dhal also (don’t overcook the dhal).Cook for 5 minutes more. Let the consistency be semi solid. Garnish with coriander leaves. Coriander leaves will add to the taste. So if you have stock, be little liberal in adding coriander leaves

BRINJAL MASALA

Ingredients
Brinjal-1/4 kgOnion (big)-1Garlic-10 podsTomato-1Sambar powder-1 table spoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoonFresh coriander leaves-little
Curry leaf-littleSalt-to tasteOil-1 table spoon (be little liberal in using oil for this fry)

Cthe brinjals as shown in the picture. Mince onion, garlic and tomatoes. Keep the kadai in the stove.s4eason the fry with a teaspoon of mustard, fennel seed and curry leaves. Add the onion and garlic pieces first and sauté for a while. Then add the tomatoes and sauté for a minute .Now add the brinjal and sauté nicely in medium fire for 5 minutes. Now it will be half done .In this stage add the turmeric powder, sambar powder and the salt. Mix everything well. Pour half a cup of water into the kadai now so that the brinjal pieces get cooked softly. Reduce the fire, close the kadai and cook for 5 more minutes or till the water gets absorbed and oil separates .Make sure that the brinjal pieces are softly cooked and get blended with the masal else add little more water and cook for a while. Garnish with coriander leaves. Corriander leaves along with brinjal will be excellent

ALOO CAPSICUM

4 Capsicums 2 Potatoes

1 Large chopped onion 1 Large chopped tomato

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 1 tsp Ground coriander

2 tbsp Oil Salt to taste Coriander leaves

How to make Aloo Capsicum:

Wash capsicum and potatoes and cut into pieces. Heat the oil and fry chopped onion till it turns brown.Add capsicum and potato and fry it for few minutes.Add chopped tomato, turmeric powder,red chili powder,ground coriander and salt.Mix it well and cook it till it turns tender.Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.Serve hot with rotis.

Cauliflower onion fry250 gm cauliflower pieces -cut into bite sized pieces100 gm sambar onions- peeled and cut into bite sized pieces1/2 tsp turmeric powder1 tsp chilli powder1/2 tsp garam masala or curry masala powder curry coriander leaves1 tsp salt-to taste1 tbsp refined oil200ml water3 tbsp grated coconut(optional)Clean the Cauliflower pieces and pressure cook them upto 5 whistles or till steam stops coming out of the pressure pan.Leave it for 10 mins till the pressure is released.Mix the cauliflower pieces with chilli powder, garam or curry masala powder, curry and coriander leaves, salt and onion slices. Mix this well. No need for marination.Heat oil in a kadai. Add the mutton pieces along with spices and onion.Saute this for 4-5 mins.Serve this hot with rice and sambar or curd rice or coconut rice.

Ridge Guard Dhal gravy (Peerkangai paruppu koottu)

Peerkangai (Ridge guard)– 2

PasiParuppu (GreenGramDhal) – ¼ cupOnion – ½

Masala powder – 1 spoonTurmeric powder and hing – a pinchCurry leaves-few

Mustard seeds and Urad dal – 1 tspn

Salt and oil- As requiredRemove the outer skin of Peekangai(Ridge guard) and cut into small pieces.Mix Peerkangai,Green gram dhal, Turmeric powder, Hing, Masala powder and 2 tspn of oil in a pan.Cook the above mix by adding the required Water in the pan.Once its cooked add the required Salt and remove from heatHeat Oil in another pan, add mustard seeds, Urad dhal, Curry leaves and Onion. Once the Onion turns into golden brown, add the cooked Peerkangai dhal into this. Fry this mix for a minute or 2, then remove from heat.

French Beans Dal Recipe

French beans 15- 20 Depending on ther size
Tomato big 1 NOToor dal 3/4 Cup
salt Grind to Paste:

Dhania Seeds 1 tbsp.Red Chilies(dry) Acc to taste

Mustard seeds 1 tsp.Coconut 1 tbsp.

Cut each French beans into 3 pieces.Pressure Cook dal,Beans ,tomato with salt.Add the ground paste & mix.serve hot with Rotis/Rice.

Spicy dal palak

Palak / Spinach - Chopped - 2 cupsCooked Toor dal - 1 cup

Onions - 1 medium - preferably red onion - chopped

Tomato - 2 - pureed or half a can tomato puree

Green chillis - 4 count - (increase or decrease as per your taste) Since the gravy is green, colored green chillis like yellow, orange or red can be used

Ginger - 1 inch - skin peeled and finely chopped (1 teaspoon ginger paste can be substituted)

Turmeric powder - quarter teaspoonSalt as required

Dhania powder - 1 tablespoonJeera powder - half tablespoon

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoonUrud dal - 1 table spoonOil for seasoning

Heat oil in a wide kadai. Add the mustard seeds, when it splutters, add the urud dal, when it turns golden color add the green chillis, ginger and onion.

Sauté the onion. When it turns light brown, add the tomato puree.When you see the content bubbling, add the following: turmeric, dania powder and jeera powder.Stir well and add the chopped spinach. Pour just half cup water and cook the content partially closed.When the spinach is well cooked, add the cooked toor dal and mix well. Wait for one bubble and turn off heat. Serve with rice or roti. This is a very healthy alternative for many other high calorie gravies.Note: This gravy can be cooked without the dal too. Also, you can avoid onion or tomato or both.

MANATHAKALI KHUZHAMBU

Manathakkali vathal – 2 tbsp
Tamarind – lemon size
Turmeric powder – 2 pinch
Sambar powder – 1 1/2 tbsp
Toor dal – 1 tsp
Mustered Seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
Hing – 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Gingely Oil – 3 t0 4 tbsp
Grated Coconut – 1 tbsp
Grated Jaggery – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste

PREPARATION:

Soak the tamarind in warm water for approx 10 min. Mash the tamarind well and extract (filter) the water.
Take a kadai and heat the oil. Then add mustered seeds. When it splutters, add toor dal, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and stir it well.
Add Manathakkali Vathal fry until brownish black color. Make sure Manathakkali Vathal doesn’t burn. Cook it in the medium flame.
Add Sambar powder, turmeric powder, hing and grated coconut and mix it well.
Then add tamarind water and salt, stir it well. Cook until the raw smell is gone.
Add the grated jaggery and mix it. Boil until the oil seperates out (you can see it float on top).
Serve it hot with rice, potato poriyal and papad.

SUNDAIKAI KHUZHAMBU

Sundaikkai vathal – 2 tbsp
Tamrind – lemon size
Turmeric powder – 2 pinch
Sambar powder – 1 1/2 tbsp
Toor dal – 1 tsp
Mustered Seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
Hing – 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Gingelly Oil – 4 tbsp
Grated Coconut – 1 tbsp(optional)
Grated Jaggery – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste

PREPARATION:

Soak the tamrind in warm water for approx 10 min. Mash the tamarind well and extract (filter) the water.
Take a kadai and heat the oil. Then add mustered seeds. When it splutters add toor dal, fenugreek seeds and curryleaves and stir it well.
Add Sundaikkai vathal fry until brownish black color. Make sure Sundaikkai vathal doesn’t burn. Cook it in the medium flame.
Add Sambar powder, turmeric powder, hing and grated coconut and mix it well.
Then add tamarind water and salt, stir it well. Cook until the raw smell is gone.
Add the grated jaggery and mix it. Boil until the oil seperates out (you can see it float on top).
Serve it hot with rice and Papad.

Rice Varities

2010-09-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

Palak Chawal ~ Spinach RicePalak Chawal ~ Spinach Rice

2 cups long grained rice

large bunch of spinach, wash thoroughly, blanch for 3 mts, strain and puree

1/2 cup lightly sauteed paneer cubes (optional)

1 large onion, finely sliced1/2 tbsp oil + 1 1/2 tbsps ghee or butter

1 tsp ginger garlic pastewhole garam masala

(4 cloves, 1″ cinnamom, 1 elachi, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf)

1/4 cup curd/yogurt1/2 tsp sugarsalt to tasteCoarsely crush (do not make a paste):

1 1/2 tbsps chopped coriander leaves

1 tbsp chopped pudina leaves3 green chillis

Heat oil+ghee in a cooking vessel, add whole spices and bay leaf and saute for a few seconds. Add the sliced onions and sugar saute for 4 mts. Add the ginger garlic paste and crushed coriander-pudina-green chillis and saute further for 5 mts. Add the spinach puree and cook further for another 8-10 mts. Add yogurt and combine and allow to cook for a mt, stirring constantly.Add the washed rice and saute for 2 mts. Add 3 1/2 cups water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add paneer cubes (if using), cover with lid and cook till rice is done.Serve hot with raita or any curry of your choice

CAPSICUM RICE

1 Cup basmati rice, soaked in water

1 Capsicum, sliced1/2 Cabbage, chopped lengthwise

1 Onion, sliced 1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp Green chili pasteA pinch of AjinomotoSalt to taste

Oil for cooking Water

Heat oil in the pan. Add sliced onion and cook till it becomes light brown. Add sliced capsicum to it and cook for 2 min.Then add chopped cabbage and cook again for a whileThen add ginger-garlic paste, green chili paste and ajinomoto. Mix well Add the soaked rice in it and mix lightly, taking care that the rice don’t break.Add required quantity of water and cook till the rice is done.Cabbage and Capsicum Pulao is ready

VEGETABLE PULAV

1/2 Cup chopped onions 1/2 Cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 Cup cauliflower 1/3 Cup carrot chunks, cut Beans, shelled peas1/2 Cup grated coconut 1/4 Cup mint leaves 1 tsp Chopped ginger, garlic3 to 4 Green chilli 1/4 Cup cilantro

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 2 Cups uncooked rice

Two 1 inch cinnamon sticks 4 Cardamon

6 Bay leaves Garam masala accoding to taste

Soak the rice in water for ten minutes and then drain.Take one tablespoon of oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the rice to it and fry for some time.Grind coconut, ginger, garlic, mint, cilantro, garam masala, green chilli and red chilli. powder with some water together.Heat two tablespoon of oil in the cooker.When it is hot, add some cummin seeds, cinnamon, cardamon and bay leaves.Stir for a while and add chopped onions to it. Stir the onion till it is golden brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and ground paste. Add the vegetables after frying for a minute. Add rice and water then.Cook in the cooker till two whistles.

VEGETABLE BRIYANI

1-1/2 cups Uncooked Rice

2 pinches Saffron (dissolved in a little water)

2 Onions (sliced)2 tbsp Cashew nuts (broken into pieces) 2 tbsp Raisins3 Tomatoes (finely chopped)

2 Capsicums (sliced) 2 cups (mixed boiled vegetables i.e. chopped cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, green peas) 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves (chopped) A little Milk 4 tbsp Ghee Salt to tasteTo be ground into a paste:6 Garlic Cloves 25 mm piece of Ginger 3 Cardamoms 4 Green Chilies 3 Cloves 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds 2 sticks Cinnamon1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp Chilly Powder 2 Onions6 Mint leavesBoil the rice in a vessel containing adequate water, cook and drain excess water.Add the saffron liquid and salt to the cooked rice. Mix well.Heat the ghee and add the onions.Fry until brown.Remove the onions and in the same ghee, add the cashewnuts and raisins.Fry for a few seconds. Remove and keep aside for garnishing. Add the prepared paste and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.Add the tomatoes and capsicum and fry again for 2 to 3 minutes.Add the boiled vegetables and coriander and cook for a while.Put 2 tablespoons of ghee at the bottom of a baking bowl. Make layers of the rice and vegetables, beginning and ending with rice. Sprinkle a little milk on top. Cover and bake in a hot oven at 200 degree C for 15 to 20 minutes.Garnish with fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins and serve hot

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

3 cups Water

1 1/2 cups Rice 2 tbsp Peanut Oil

1 small Onion, chopped 1 small Capsicum, chopped

1 tsp Garlic, minced 1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder 3 Spring Onions, thinly sliced 3 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 can Baby Peas, drained 2 tsp Sesame Oil 1/4 cup Peanuts, roastedFirst boil water in a saucepan and add rice to it.Cover the pan and allow it to simmer on a low flame for about 20 minutes.In the meantime, heat peanut oil in a large wok on medium flame. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic and red chili powder and cook it for about 3 to 4 minutes. Now, increase the flame to medium high and add cooked rice spring onions and soy sauce. Fry the mixture for about a minute.Now, add peas to it and cook for about a minute more. Thereafter, remove the wok from the flame and add sesame oil. Mix well and garnish with peanuts.The delicious vegetable fried rice is ready to be served!!

Bise Bele Bath
cups mixed vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, 1 potato, 1/2capsicum, cauliflower)
1 medium sized tomato chopped
1.5 cup toor dal washed1tsp turmeric
1 tsp tamarind juice/lime juice
For seasoning:2tbsps ghee/oil-ghee mixture, a few cashews (optional), 2 dried red chillies,, 1tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp hing (asafetida), 1tsp jeera, 1 sprig curry leaves
2-3tbsps Bise bele bath powder (MTR bise bele bath powder/paste is quite good if you can get access to that.)
Boiled white rice 1.5 -2cups
In case you do not have this powder, here is a trick that might help you. Grind Sāmbhar powder with some cinnamon (1/2” piece) and 2 cloves.
Pressure cook vegetables and dal together with plenty water and turmeric till dal is well cooked. In a big pan, add the boiled dal-veggie mixture, to this add the boiled rice. Make sure the content of rice is less than the dal mixture and adjust the water accordingly. Let it be watery as the more it boils the more it thickens. Now add the chopped tomato and mix. The trick to knowing when this is complete is that the tomato should be boiled well. Add tamarind paste/lime juice; add salt per your taste. Now add the Bise bele bath powder and mix well. You can adjust the spice level based on your individual need. Close the lid and let it boil well in a medium flame for about 5-8 minutes till everything comes together. Finally in a separate pan, add ghee, when it is hot add mustard till it splutters. Now add the rest of the ingredients and switch off the heat. Add this to the bise bele bath and mix well and serve with raita…

Brinjal Masala Rice

1. 500 gms Rice (Basmati) (soaked and drained),

2. 200 gms Brinjal (Black Round one) (cut into 1 inch cubes),

3. 1 ½ tbsp coriander seeds Roasted,

4. 3 - 4 1 inch pieces of cinnamon sticks,

5. 1 tsp of cumin seeds1 tsp of Mustard seeds,

7. ½ tsp of cloves, ½ tsp of Black Pepper corns (seeds),

9. 1 ½ inch of ginger (paste or grated) salt to taste,

10. ½ cup grated coconut, 2 tsp of green chilly paste,

12. Coriander leaves (chopped),Turmeric powder.

First fry all the ingredients i.e. from coriander seeds to pepper seeds and make powder. Take ghee or oil and heat in a vessel. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start splutter, add ginger paste fry till it becomes brown. Then add drained rice and powdered masala, turmeric powder. Mix them well and fry for a 5 minutes and add water salt, green chilly paste, half of grated coconut. Cover the lid and cook till rice is ¾th cooked. Now add brinjal and cook till brinjal and rice is done and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut serve hot with Raitha or you can serve with ghee and lime juice

BRIYANI

300 gms Basmati rice600 gms Chicken4 Cardamoms
•6 Cinnamons1 Ginger3 Garlic flakes2 Onions
10 gms Coriander leaves10 gms Mint leaves
1 tsp Black pepper1 tsp Coconut paste2 tbsp

2 Cups parboiled riceSalt to tasteOil for frying
Soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.Add salt, cardamom and cinnamon.
Grind ginger and garlic to make a paste.Mix the paste with coriander and mint leaves.
Add coconut, cardamom paste, lemon juice and black pepper.Mix it well.
Now add red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt.Cut chicken into pieces.
Marinate the chicken in this mixture.Heat the oil and fry the chopped onions.
Add marinated chicken pieces.Cook over medium flame till done.
Prepare a bed of parboiled rice in a handi.Sprinkle the fried onions.
Put chicken pieces and cover it with rice.Cover it properly and cook for 10 minutes.

KALKANDU SATHAM

Raw rice-1 cupMilk-1 cupKalkandu-1 cup
Cardamom-4Kumkumapoo(saffron)-a pinch
Ghee-3 table spoonsCashew nut-10Dry grapes-little
Cook the rice with 1 cup of milk and 2 cups of water either in cooker or rice cooker such that it can be smashed nicely. When it gets cooked smash the rice with a spoon when the rice is hot itself. Add the powdered kalkandu and cardamom into the rice keeping it in the stove. Kalkandu will make the rice watery. When the rice cools it will become thick. If you feel that it is too watery cook for another 5 minutes. Add the saffron mixed in milk also into the rice. Fry the cashews and grapes in the ghee and mix it with the rice.

PULIYODARAI RICE

Ingredients for the Rice
Raw rice-2 cupsTamarind-size of a small lemon
Curry leaf-littleTurmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Asafoteds-1/2 teaspoonGround nut-2 tablespoons
To season
Mustard seeds-1 teaspoonChanna dhal-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Red chillies-2(If the mix is not used use 6 more chilies)
Method
Keep the kadai in the stovePour four table spoons of gingili oil
Season with items given in ‘To season’Add the groundnut also and roast for 2 minutesDissolve the tamarind in ½ cup of waterAdd this water into the kadai
Add the grinded mixAdd little turmeric powder,asafoteda powder and required salt(2 to 3 table spoons, Remember salt is needed for the rice too)
Keep the stove in sim and cook till oil separatesNow The Puliyodarai mix is ready

Cook the rice with little less water than usual in such a way that they do not stick to each otherTransfer the rice into a flat bottom vessel. Add 1 tablespoon oil, mix well and allow it to cool .Once the rice cools ,little by little add the Puliyodarai mix into the rice and mix well. If there is extra mix, it can be stored for future use. It can be even kept outside. It will not get spoiled for 10 days .If refrigerated the mix will stay fresh for a longer time

THAKKALI SADAM

Rice-1 cupTomatoes Ripe -4 to 5(medium size)Big onion-1
Green chillies-2Mint leaves-littleCoriander leaves-little
Chili powder-1 teaspoon

To smash Ginger-a small pieceGarlic-3 pods
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
(If you don’t have the stone to smash, it can be smashed by putting it in the small mixie and rotating the mixie switch on the reverse once or twice)
To season
Cinnamon-2 piecesClove-2Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Mint leaves-littleCurry leaf-little
Rice
Cook the rice in such a way that it does not stick together. Use one cup less water while cooking than you usually use. Pour 1 teaspoon oil while cooking the rice. After cooking the rice transfer it into a flat vessel and let it cool for sometime
Procedure
Put the kadai in the stove. Pour 2 to 3 table spoons of oil (ghee can also be mixed).Season with the items mentioned in ‘to season’. Then add the nicely minced onions, and tomatoes and sauté well. Sauté the smashed items also. With the help of a spoon smash the tomatoes nicely so that it will get cooked faster. Add little turmeric powder, the chili powder and salt need. You can put little extra salt as salt is required for the quantity of rice used also. Do not pour water. Let the items get cooked in the tomato juice itself. If you feel the tomatoes you are using don’t have much juice, add little water. Switch off the stove when you feel the onions are well cooked and there is not much water content in the gravy. Mix the gravy little by little with the rice and check for the taste. If you feel the entire quantity is needed add it otherwise add the required quantity and refrigerate the remaining gravy which can be used later.

ANDHRA LEMON RICE

Rice- 2 cups Onion- 1 Fresh Lemons – 1 Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Green chilly- 3 Dry red chilly-2 Turmeric – pinch Asafoetida – pinch Curry leaves- few
Whole Peanuts- 1/2 cup Coriander leaves- few Oil – 5 tsp Salt to taste.

Cook rice separately. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Fry peanuts until light brown, put
all the peanuts on the rice. Put mustard and cumin seeds into the oil. Once the cumin seeds start becoming brown, add onions and green chillies in to the oil, saute well. Add turmeric, red chilly and Asafoetida into the oil. Mix well and switch off the stove. Immediately add curry leaves. Mix Lemon juice, salt and the sauted mixture to the rice. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with Coconut chutney

CARROT CAPSICUM RICECapsicum - 2 Carrot -1 medium size Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups 1 tsp Turmeric powder Jeera - 1 tsp. Cloves - 2 to 3 Lavang - a small piece. 3-4 tsp Oil plus Ghee Salt to taste Corriander leaves Cashewnuts (a few)
For Frying Masala Powder 3 tsp coriander seeds 3 tsp bengal gram dal 5 red chillies.

Fry the above ingredients and make it into a powder without adding any water. Cookrice with 2 cups of water(the rice consistency should be such that each grain should be separate and it should not be overcooked) and allowit to cool. Cut the capsicum and carrot in small thin stripes. First, take a thick kadai and heat oil plus ghee, season jeera,
turmeric powder, cloves and lavang and add capsicum and carrot stripes and fry , add salt as required for the vegetables to be cooked, and then add the masala powder to the vegetable once it is cooked. Add the cooked rice to it and mix well. Can add a little more salt as per taste. Garnish it with corriander, cashewnuts fried in ghee and , little bit of fresh coconut before serving.

PANEER PULAVBasmathi Rice-1 cup Paneer- 1 packet Potato- Medium Size
onions-2 Peas--50 gm Cauliflower-1 cinnamon-1 inch piece cloves-2
Bay leaf-2 Black Cardamoms-2 Cumin seeds-1 tsp Chilly powder- 1 tsp Spring onions-1/2 bunch Salt & 1 tsp oil
Heat little oil in pan and fry paneer till it turns light brown and blanch it in warm water to make it soft. Fry onions and potatoes separately till golden brown. Add some oil and fry
cinnamon,cloves,cardamom,cloves, cumin seeds. Add cauliflower, peas and fry forsome time. pour 2 cups of water and chilli powder. when it starts boiling add
potatoes,onions,rice,salt and half portion of paneer to it. stir well and cook for 20 min in low flame. Now add spring onions to it and cook for 3 min. Garnish it with remaining paneer and coriander leave..

CHANNA BRIYANIBasmati rice -2 cups Channa - 1 cup (soaked
Ghee - 3 tablespoon Cinnamon 2 pieces(one
inch) Cloves - 5 Cardomom - 5 Big Onion - 2( finely chopped)
Green chillies - 4(split) Tomato - 1 (chopped) remove seeds Chille powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - ½ teaspoon Corriander leaves - ½ (chopped)
Salt - 1 teaspoon Water - 3 cups

Heat ghee & fry cinnamon, cloves and cardamom When the flavour comes out add
onions and green chillies and sauté Add tomatoes (remove the seeds) and sauté Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander leaves and sauté Add rice and sauté for 3 mts
Add channa , salt and 3 cups of hot water and put this in a cooker After 2 whistle,take off from fire,wait for 15 mts. After 15 mts open the cooker and mix coriander leave and mint leaves.
BRINJAL RICE1/4 kg - brinjal/egg plant1 cup - raw rice1 - onions4 - green chillies
ginger, small quantitypoppy seeds, small quantitygrated/shredded coconut, small quantitymustard, small quantitycumin seeds, small quantitycurry leaves, small quantitycashew nuts, small quantityturmeric powder, small quantity
1 stick - cinnamonsalt to tasteoil for fryingWash and keep rice in pressure cooker after adding a pinch of salt. After cooking spread it in a plate and allow it to cool. Cut brinjals length wise and soak in water after adding a pinch of salt to it. Boil the brinjals and keep it aside.Cut onions, grind ginger and green chillies and make it to a paste.Fry poppy seeds,cinnamon and coconut and keep it aside.Fry cashew nuts and keep it separately. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, cashew nuts, then add ginger paste, coconut paste to it, turmeric and add chopped onions.Fry them well, now add boiled brinjals. Deep fry them until it forms like gravy. Now mix the gravy with the rice and serve hot. Hot and tasty brinjal rice is delicious and ready to be served. Serve brinjal rice with potato chips.

Roasted brinjal

200 gm Brinjal (eggplant) - cut into bite size pieces

2 tsp chilli powder1/4 tsp turmeric powder1/2 tsp pepper powder-freshly ground

1 tsp white-sesame seeds1/2 tsp garam masala or any good mutton masala

1/2 tsp(very little) ginger-garlic paste1/2 tsp asafoetida powder

1 tsp lemon juice1 1/2 tsp saltfew curry leaves

few coriander leaves1 tbsp + 2 tsp(for greasing the tray) refined oil

Take the microwave tray out.Take the tray used for grilling,Grease the tray with 2 tsp refined oil (using a brush).Mix all the ingredients well so that the masala gets evenly spread on brinjal pieces.Spread the brinjal pieces on the grilling tray and grill this for 6 mins.Take the tray out after 5 mins.Turn the brinjal pieces and grill for 2-3 minsServe this Roasted Brinjals with Rice and Sambar or Curd Rice.

RAW BANANA THORAN2 Raw Banana - cut into bite size pieces2 tbsp coarse coconut paste(ground with 1/2 tsp cumin seeds,1 small onion and 1 garlic pearl)1/2 cup cooked and mashed Toordhal1 tbsp finely chopped onions1 tsp chilli powder1/4 tsp turmeric powder1 tsp freshly ground pepper powder2 whole red chillies1 tsp cumin seeds1/2 tsp mustard seedsfew curry leavesfew coriander leaves1/2 cup water2 tsp refined oil2 tsp or salt to taste

Take a microwave bowl and add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,chopped onions, whole red chillies,curry leaves and refined oil.Mix them well.Microwave high for a min.Mix all the other ingredients including 1/2 cup water and add this to the above bowl.Microwave this on high for 10 mins or till water evaporates.Take the bowl out after 5 mins.Serve this Raw Banana Thoran hot with rice and sambar or karakuzhambu or Rasam or Curd.

.Small arvi is chepangkizhangu250 g Arvi (small taro roots)2 tsp chilli powder1/2 tsp turmeric powdera pinch of asafoetida powderfew curry leaves2 tbsp refined oil1 1/2 tsp salt Take a microwave bowl,add 500 ml water and arvi with skin. Microwave this for 10 mins on high.Take the bowl out and wash with cold water and peel of the skin.Cut each arvi into 4 pieces.Mix all the ingredients well and spread the spiced arvi on a grill tray and grill this for 10 mins on high.Serve this roast hot with rice and sambar.

CRISPY LADYFINGER FRY15 Bhindis (ladies-finger) - chopped fine and wiped1 1/2 tsp chilli powder1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper powder1/4 tsp turmeric powder1 1/2 tsp salt1 tsp besan flour1tsp lemon juice1/2 cup refined oil

Mix all the ingredients except refined oil well.Heat refined oil in a kadai and fry the bhindis till crisp and little brown,stirring continuously.Serve this with rice or add this to the top of thick plain yoghurt(mixed with little salt) and have.

GONGURA CHUTNEYbunch of Gongura (Pitwa) leaves (red-stemmed ones are sourer than the green-stemmed ones)½ cup water5-6 green chillies slit longitudinallyvery little imli (tamarind)½ tbsp mustard seeds (sarson)½ tbsp urad dal (slit ones, not the whole dal)1 tbsp chana dal2 tbsp oilpinch of haldi (turmeric)pinch of hing (asafoetida)salt to tasteSeparate the leaves from the stems and wash thoroughly in clean water.Take it in acontainer, pour half cup water and keep it in simmer.Add turmeric powder, green chillies and very little imli juice ( as the leaves are sour).After the leaves are cooked and become soft add salt and keep it aside.Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal and allow these to crackle and then add asafoetida.Add these to the cooked leaves and mix it well.Garnish with green chillies and relish the taste with rice and dal

VAZHAKAI MASALA

2 nos raw banana - cut into round pieces1 tbsp refined oil

1/2 tsp turmeric powder1 cup chopped coriander leaves

1 cup chopped mint leavesa sprig of chopped curry leaves

3 no.s green chillies1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp saltGrind chopped coriander leaves , chopped mint leaves , a sprig of chopped curry leaves, green chillies, cumin seeds,turmeric powder,lemon juice and salt into a smooth paste .Apply this green masala on raw banana pieces and keep it aside.Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the raw banana pieces both sides,till golden brown.Serve it with Rice and sambar or with tomato ketchup.

SMALL PAVAKAI1/2 kg bittergourd1/4 tsp turmeric powder1/2 tsp mustard seeds1 tsp red chilli powder1/4 asefotida powder1 tbsp oilSalt,to taste Wash and wipe small tender bitter gourd. Cut into 2 halves.Don't throw away seeds.Seeds gives more taste for this type of bitter gourd.Rub them with 1/4 tsp salt.Take a pan and heat oil and add mustard seeds.After it crackles, add the bitter-gourd, turmeric powder, asefotida powder and red chilli powder.Saute in between.It will be cooked in 5 minutes.It shrinks in quantity.Add little salt.Take care that you had already added some salt to it.Pavakai curry is ready.

Brinjal Curry

Brinjal - 2 (tender ones) or 16 -20 cubesOnion - 1 (small)Tomato - 1

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tspnTurmeric powder -1/4 tspn

Chili powder - 1 tspn (adjust to your taste)

Coriander powder - 1½ tspnMustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tspn

Curry leaves - 1 sprigWater - 1 to 2 cupsSalt - to tasteOil - 2 tspn

Roast and make powder of :Peanuts - 2 tspn

Chana dal (kadalai paruppu) - 1 tspnSesame seeds - 2 tspn

Cut Brinjal into small cubes. Chop Onion and Tomato into small pieces.

Heat a tspn of Oil in a pan. Add Peanuts and Chana dal, fry till it turns into golden brown or till its cooked. Next, add Sesame seeds and fry till it starts spluttering. Then remove from heat and make a coarse powder of this in blender.Heat a tspn of Oil in a pressure cooker. Add Mustard seeds and Urad dal, Once it starts spluttering add Curry leaves and Onion. Fry Onion till it becomes transparent. Add Ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes.Then add Tomato, Brinjal, Turmeric powder, Chili powder, Coriander powder, ground powder(Peanuts+Chana dal+Sesame seeds), Salt and Water. Cover and cook for 1 whistle. You can also cook this curry in ordinary pan till the brinjal becomes tender.Serve once the steam is released from the cooker.

Andhra Ridge gourd fry (Peerkangai poriyal)

Ridge gourd- 1Onion- 1Curry leaves- few

Mustard seeds and Urad dal- 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds- 3 spoonCumin seeds- 1 1/2 spoon

Grated coconut- 4 or 5 spoonGreen chili- 1Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Red chili powder- 1/2 tspOil and Salt- as required

Remove Ridge gourd skin(You could make Chutney out of it).

Cut Ridge guard and Onion into length wise.Heat little Oil in a pan. Fry Coriander seeds and Cumin seeds till it turns into dark in color.Grind fried itmes, Grated coconut and Green chili.Heat Oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds and Urad dal, once it splutters add Onion and Curry leaves, fry till Onion becomes brown in color.Then add Ridge gourd, Ground items, Turmeric powder, Red chili powder and Salt. Cover with a lid. Cook till Ridge gourd turns into soft or till its cooked . If required add little water to cook. Don’t add too much of water.

Aakakarakaya Vepudu Recipe

Ingredients: kg aakakarakaya, lightly peel, quarter

2 onions, slicedlarge pinch turmeric pwd

1 tsp red chilli pwdpinch of roasted methi pwd

1/4 tsp garam masala pwdlarge pinch sugar

2 tbsps oilsalt to taste

For seasoning/poppu/tadka:

10-12 curry leaves1 Drizzle 2 tsps oil in a vessel, add the quartered teasel gourds along with a large pinch of sugar and saute for 9-10 mts till they attain a pink shade.2 Heat 1 1/2 tsps oil in a cooking vessel, add sliced onions and saute for 3-4 mts. Remove from vessel, cool and make a paste. Keep aside.3 In the same vessel, the onions were sauteed, add the remaining oil, add curry leaves and the onion paste and saute for 4 mts. Add chilli pwd, methi pwd, haldi, garam masala and salt and combine.4 Add the roasted teasel stuffed quarters and stir fry on medium heat ensuring they don’t burn or stick to the pan.

Gutti Vankaya ~ Stuffed Eggplant Roast

1/4 kg purple brinjals, wash, make + quarters with stalk intact

small lemon sized tamarind, extract pulp

1 1/4 tbsps oilFor stuffing:

1 large onion, sliced4-5 garlic cloves

1″ cinnamon stick1 tsp red chilli pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd1 1/2 tsps ghee or soft butter

1/2 - 1 tbsp grated jaggery or sugar (adjust)salt to taste

For poppu/tadka/seasoning:

1/4 tsp methi seedsa sprig of curry leaves

Add 1 tsp oil in a cooking vessel, add garlic and cinnamon stick and saute for a few seconds. Add the sliced onions and saute till rawness disappears. Approx 4-5 mts. Keep aside to cool.Once cool, make a coarse paste. Remove the paste into bowl, add salt to taste, red chilli pwd, jaggery, coriander pwd and ghee. Combine well and stuff the brinjals with this paste.Add the remaining oil in a vessel, add curry leaves and toss them for a few seconds. Add the methi seeds and let them turn brown. Place the stuffed brinjals in the oil and cook on medium high flame for 2 mts. Now, cover with lid and let them cook on medium low flame for 12-14 mts. Keep checking in between and stir fry to ensure they don’t burn or stick to the panAdd the tamarind extract along with a cup of water. Bring to a boil and reduce flame and place lid and cook over low flame for 13-15 mts. The water content should reduce.
Remove lid and cook over low flame and let the brinjals roast well and itappears like a dry saute (mudda kura). It should take about 8-10 mts for the brinjals to be well roasted. Turn off heat.Serve with rice, pappu pulusu or sambar

STUFFED CAPSICUM

6-8 Small size green capsicums

2 tbsp of shelled, boiled and mashed green peas

3 Boiled potatoes 1 Onion, finely chopped

1/4 tsp Chili powder 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Amchur powder (mango powder)

1/4 tsp Garam masala powder 1/4 tsp Coriander powder A few seeds of Pomegranate

Oil as required Salt according to taste

Wash the capsicums and boil them on a medium heat till they are tender. Then, remove them, drain and let it cool.Heat 2 tsp of oil in a frying-pan and fry the chopped onions till they turn brown.Add the mashed potatoes, peas and the spices and fry them together.With a sharp knife, gently cut out the stem and seeds of the capsicums, stuff the potato mixture into the capsicums and then tie them carefully with a thread. Heat oil in a pan and fry the stuffed capsicums on all sides. Take off the threads before serving.

STUFFED ONIONS

250 grams Small Onions

1 tsp Mustard Seeds 1/2 cup Roasted Sesame Seeds

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder 2 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Dried Mango Powder 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder 4 tbsp Oil Salt to taste

Coriander Leaves(chopped)

Wash the onions properly after peeling off the skin.Make a slitin the centre of each onion.Heat about 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan.Fry the mustard seeds and then add turmeric powder, roasted sesame seeds, chilli powder, coriander powder, mango powderandsalt.Mixitandfryforabout3to4minutesonlowflame.Allow the masala to cool.Now fill this masala in each of the onion.Heat the remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan.Fry the stuffed onions for 4 to 5 minutes on low flame. Pour little water and allow cooking till whole water gets evaporated.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.Stuffed onions are ready to serve.

VEGETABLE CHOWMEIN

220 gms Fresh Egg Noodles

• 1 cup Bamboo Shoots1 can Water Chestnuts

• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (cut into half and discard the seeds)

1 cup fresh Snow Peas 2 Celery Stalks

2 slices Ginger (minced) 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce

1 tsp Sugar 1 tbsp Chinese Rice Vinegar

1 cup Moong Bean Sprouts 2 tbsp Oil for stir-frying

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 3 - 5 minutes. Drain the water.Rinse all the vegetables under running water and drain thoroughly.Cut the red bell pepper and celery into thin strips, string the snow peas and keep it aside.Take oil in a wok and heat it. Add the minced ginger and stir-fry briefly until aromatic.Add the water chestnuts and fry then for a while.Now add the other vegetables except for the moong bean sprouts.Stir-fry briefly and add the noodles.Stir in the dark soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar.Now add in the bean sprouts and cook for a few more seconds and serve hot.

RAW BANANA FRY

2 medium raw (plantains)Curry leaves1 Tbsp urad daalAsafetida

Cumin seeds(jeera)Mustard seeds2 tsp Turmeric

Coriander leaves for garnishingOilsaltTo make powder2-3 dried red chillies1 Tbsp coriander seeds1 Tbsp of raw dry tamarind (not paste)Peel the raw banana and cut them into discs.Dry roast the ingredients for dry masala and grind it to a fine powder. (If the tamarind is roasted, even that will turn into powder along with red chillies and coriander seeds).Heat a heavy bottomed pan, and then add oil, jeera, mustard, curry leaves.Add asafetida, then the urad daal and fry until it turns golden brown. Add the cut banana discs, salt and continue to fry.Add the masala powder and sprinkle of water in between, and fry. Once in a while add oil also as it makes it crispy and tasty.When it is done, it should be both cooked and crispy at the same time. Garnish with coriander leaves.

PALAK KURA PAPUSpinach1 cup Kandi pappu(Toor dhal)1 Tomato3 Green Chillislittle TamarindSalt1 small Onion1 tbsp Mustard seedsCurry LeavesCoreinder leaves1 tbsp Channa dhal1 tbsp Urad dhalCook Toor dhal,Tomato,Gree Chilli,Chopped Spinach in to 2 ,3 cups of water until soft.Then add salt and Tamarind again cook mixture for 5min.Mix it well with Wisk or Spoon it should be a fine pasteSeason with oil,Mustard seeds,Channa dhal,Urad dhal,Curry leaves and Onions and cook for 2mins.Garnish with Coriander leaves,fried Onions and curry leaves

SMALL BITTERGOURD STUFFED CRY

Small size BitterGourdsSliced OnionChopped 4 Green Chillis1/4 tbsp TurmericCoreinder leavesSalt to taste1 tbsp Red chilli powder1 tbsp Mustard seedsCurry Leaves1/4 tbsp Cumin seeds(Jeera)1 tbsp Channa dhal1 tbsp Urad dhal

Potato Pittu

Split BitterGourd and remove seedsStuff Potato Pittu in BitterGourdHeat the 4 spoons of oil in pan over medium heat.Place Mustrad seeds,Cumin seeds,Curry leaves,Channa Dhal,Urad Dhal in oil fry it for 2min.Place Green Chillis,Onion slices fry untill onion turns Golden Brown color.Place stuffed BitterGourd in pan and fry untill BitterGourd cooked and turn to dark brown color in low flame.

potato pittu

2 PotatoesSliced OnionChopped 4 Green Chillis1/4 tbsp Turmeric1 tbsp Ginger SlicesCoreinder leavesSalt to taste1 tbsp Mustard seedsCurry Leaves1/4 tbsp Cumin seeds(Jeera)1 tbsp Channa dhal1 tbsp Urad dhal

Boil Potatoes and mash itHeat the 2 spoons of oil in pan over medium heat.Place Mustrad seeds,Cumin seeds,Curry leaves,Channa Dhal,Urad Dhal in oil fry it for 2min.Place Ginger,Green Chillis,Onion slices fry untill onion turns Golden Brown color.place Potato ,Turmeric,Salt fry it for 5 mins.Add Coriander leaves fry it 2mins.

VAZHAKAI PODIMAS

Ingredients :

1 no - Raw Banana (Plantain)
1 no - Onion
5 nos - Green chillies
5 nos - Curry

leaves
1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - Urad dal
1 tbsp - Coconut
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Cooking Instructions :

- Peel the banana and cut it into pieces.
- Keep the banana pieces in water.
- Cut onion into small pieces
- Boil the banana and onion pieces.
- Add salt to this mixture.
- Heat the oil in a pan.
- Add urad dal, mustard seeds and green curry leaves.
- Mix chillies and onions.
- Now add banana pieces and mix it gently.
- Cook it for 2 minutes.
- Add coconut to the cooked mixture.

VENDAKAI MANDI20 nos - Okra (Lady's Finger)
1 no - Onion
10 nos - Garlic flakes
6 nos - Green chillies
1 tsp - Tamarind paste
1/2 Cup - Raw rice water
7 nos - Curry

leaves
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 Cup - Water
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Cooking Instructions :

- Add 1/2 cup water to the tamarind paste.
- Wash the okras and cut it into small pieces, chop the onions and garlic, slit green chillies.
- Heat the oil, fry the okra pieces and keep aside
- Heat the oil again and add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- Mix chopped onions, garlic and green chilies.
- Add fried okras and tamarind paste, Mix it well.
- Add raw rice water, add salt, boil till the mixture turns thick.
- Vendakkai Mandi is ready.

LADYS FINGER WITH GREEN CHILLY

1/2 kg – ladies finger oil – for fryingsalt – as requiredpound coarsely:1 big (chopped) – onion4 or 5 – greenchilliesMethod: Cut ladies finger into 11/2 inch pieces. Heat oil in a pan and fry the pieces till half cooked. Add pound mixture and fry till ladies finger become dark in colour. Sprinkle salt at the end, mix well and remove from fire.

SUNDAKAI PACHADI

Ingredients
Sundakkai-1 cup(tender ones)Small onion chopped-20
Tomato-1Sambar powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoonTamarind paste-1 teaspoon
Cooked Thoor dhal-1/4 cup
To season
Musrad seed-1 teaspoonSmall jeera-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-littleCorriander leaves to season

Procedure
Select tender sundakkai while cutting. Split into 4 and put into water. Mince onion and tomatoes. Cook thoor dhal one whistle less than you cook for sambar. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the pachadi with the items given in to season in 1 table spoon of oil.Add the onion and tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes. Now add the cut sundakkai and saute in medium fire for 5 minutes.If sauted nicely,there will be no bitter taste in the curry. After sauting add the water that is there on top of the cooked dhal.(If there is not much water in your cooked dhal, add a cup of water into it, mix it lightly and take out that water.).Add turmeric powder. Half close the kadai and cook for 6 to 7 minutes in medium fire till the Sundakkai cooks soft. Now add little more dhal water and sambar powder.cook for 3 minutes. Add the salt needed and the tamarind paste now. When the curry boils add the cooked thoor dhal left and cook for 5 more minutes. You should not cook long after adding dhal as the curry will turn very thick. Garnish with coriander leaves. This gravy will be semi solid .This can be mixed with rice as well as used as a side dish for curd rice.

Brinjal Tamarind gravy

Brinjal - 4Tamarind - small lemon sizeSugar - a pinchSalt - to tasteSesame Oil - 4 to 5 tspn

For Stuffing:Onion - 1 (finely chopped)Masala Powder or Chili Powder - 1 to 2 tspn (Adjust with your spice level)Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tspn
For tampering:Mustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tspnCurry leaves - 1 sprig Slit Brinjal vertically and horizontally. Don’t cut it completely, So that it can hold the stuffing. Refer the picture. Finely chop the Onion and keep it aside.Soak Tamarind in water for 15 minutes. After that extract about 2 cups of tamarind juice from it and keep aside. Mix finely chopped Onion, Masala powder, Turmeric powder and 2 to 3 tspns of Sesame Oil in a small bowl.Fill this mix inside the brinjals without breaking it. Do this carefully. Keep all the brinjals ready.Heat 2 to 3 tspns of Sesame oil in a pan. Once the Oil is hot, add the stuffed Brinjalas and the remaining stuffing, fry till all the brinjals turn into light purple color. Add extracted Tamarind juice, Sugar and Salt o it. Keep the stove in high heat and bring the curry to boil completely, then reduce the heat to medium .Let this curry cook in medium heat till the curry becomes thick and Oil oozes out. Turn the Brinjals once in a while to cook all the sides.Finally do the tampering. Heat a tspn of Oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds and Urad dal. Once the seeds starts spluttering add Curry leaves and pour this mix to the Brinjal tamarind curry.
Goes well with: White rice

BRINJAL DRUMSTICK CURRY

IngredientsDrum stick -5
Brinjal-3Small onion-20(big onion-10
Tomato-1Garlic-10Sambar powder-1 table spoon
Turmeric powder- ½ teaspoon
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. In 2 teaspoons of cooking oil season the masal with a teaspoon of mustard and fennel seeds. Saute the minced onion, garlic and tomato pieces one after the other. Add the length wise cut brinjal pieces and sauté well. Now add the drumstick pieces. Add 2 cups of water along with the turmeric powder. Close the kadai and cook for 10 minutes in medium fire till the drum stick pieces are cooked soft. Now add the sambar powder and the salt needed along with little water if there is no water left in the kadai. Cook till everything gets mixed well ( at least 5 minutes).Don’t make it very dry. Garnish with coriander leaves. Brinjal, drumstick and coriander smell will make the dish altogether taste divine.

CHENNAI FRY

Yam-1/4 kg (Cut like finger chips pieces)
Oil-2 table spoons

Ingredients for the masal
Garlic-7 to 8 podsFennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Pepper-1 teaspoonChili powder- 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoonSalt-1 table spoon
Procedure
Cook the Yam pieces in a kadai for 5 to 6 minutes (till they are 3/4th cooked) Drain the water and keep it to cool. Mean time grind the ingredients given for masal in the small jar with just enough water. Marinate the yam pieces with the masal for 5 minutes. Keep the kadai in the stove and in 2 tablespoons of oil season the fry with a teaspoon of mustard seed and fennel seed and little curry leaf. Add the yam pieces and fry nicely without stirring much. Too much of stirring will make the pieces break. (Be sure that the pieces are not cooked too much in the beginning).When the pieces get roasted oil will separate Remove the pieces alone and discard the excess oil. This fry will be yummy with Rasam rice as well as curd rice

VAZHAIPOO KOLA

Ingredients
1 banana flower withy petals cleaned and nicely minced
1 big onion mincedGrated coconut-1 table spoonCurry leaf-little
For grinding
Thoor dhal-1 small cup
Red chilli-5Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
(Soak these items for 15 minutes and coarsely grind in the small jar without much water)
Procedure
Take the grinded dhal and add the minced banana flower, onion, turmeric powder, coconut and the salt needed. Mix well. If you have a microwave, cook it inside that for five minutes. Remove it from the oven mix well and again cook for 5 minutes. Now everything will be well cooked. Those who don’t have a microwave can steam the mix in an idly pot. After cooking like this, keep the kadai in the stove .In 2 to 3 table spoons of cooking oil season the curry with a teaspoon of fennel seed and curry leaf. Add the cooked mix and cook in low fire stirring frequently. The mix should turn like puttu without water content. The mix if left without stirring will get burnt and catch at the bottom of the kadai. If necessary little more oil can be added. This will take 10 to 12 minutes to get done in medium fire. But for sure all this pain will get you a great name from your loved ones for serving them something delicious.

BEETROOT CARROT POTATO FRY

Ingredients
Carrot-1 bigBettroot-1 small
Potato-1 bigBig onion-1Tomato-1

grinding
Cocunut-2 tablespoons
Pottukadalai-1 to 2 tablespoons or (cashews-5)Redchilli-6
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoonCumin seed-1 teaspoon
Procedure
Cut the vegetables into small pieces. Pressure cook the vegetables in high flame adding a cup of water and little salt for 1 whistle (5 minutes).For grinding, first dry grind the chilies, pottukadalai, fennel seeds and cumin seeds, then add the coconut with little water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep the kadai in the stove. In one to two tablespoons of oil season the curry with a small piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 cardamoms and a teaspoon of fennel seeds and curry leaf. Add the minced onion and tomatoes and sauté with a pinch of salt. Now add the grinded masal and sauté that also nicely till oil separates. Now add ¼ cup of drained water from the vegetables cooked. Mix well and add the drained vegetables. Now check for the salt and hot taste. If anything is less add now. If it is less hot, add little chili powder or sambar powder and go on stirring till there is no water content and the curry gets the glow of the oil. Add a handful of nicely minced coriander leaves if you have stock. Mix well and switch off the stove.

KATHIRIKA MALLI KOOTU

Ingredients
Brinjal-4 medium sizedBig onion-1 or small onions(10)
Tomato-1
Coriander leaves-a small bunch (1 cup cut Coriander leaves)
Sambar powder-1 teaspoonGreen chillies-2
Tamarind paste-1/2 teaspoon (1/4 qty used for sambar)
Thoor dhal-1 handful (switch off one whistle short than for sambar)
To season
Small jeera-1 teaspoonBroken urudh dhal-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. In one teaspoon of ghee or cooking oil season the curry with the items given in'to season’. Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, green chili and cut brinjal pieces one by one and sauté nicely for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water that is on top of the cooked dhal(1 cup) and the sambar powder. Cook for 3 more minutes. The brinjals will be almost cooked now. Add the tamarind juice, salt needed and the cooked dhal now. Allow it to cook for 2 more minutes. Now add the chopped coriander leaves. Wait for one boil and switch off the stove. The curry should be semi solid with the brinjals rightly cooked. Over cooking will make the brinjal pieces smashed

PAVAKAI MASALA

Ingredients
Pavakkai-2(medium sized)Small onion-30 or big onion 2
Tomatoes-2Garlic-10
Sambar powder-2 teaspoonsTamarind juice-1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves-little
Mince the onions and tomatoes in a chopper or cut the onions and garlic into very small pieces. Rotate the tomatoes once in a mixie to crush them. Cut the pavakkai also into small pieces.
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. In two table spoons of oil season the curry with 1 teaspoon of mustard, 1 spoon small jeera and curry leaves. After the mustard seeds splitter, add the minced onions, garlic and sauté till they turn transparent. Now add the pavakkai pieces and keep the stove in medium flame and cook the pieces without adding water. When you feel that the pieces are almost cooked add the crushed tomatoes sambar powder and the required salt and the tamarind juice. Let this cook for 5 more minutes .Now add 2 teaspoons jaggery and keep the stove in sim. You will notice oil separating. Now switch off the stove. If desired it can be garnished with coriander leaves.

KOVAKAI FRY1/2 kg - tinda/kovakkai1/2 tbsp - red chilly powder
1 tbsp - coriander powder1 tsp - turmeric powderasafoetida, a pinch
1 tsp - mustard seedsoil for deep fryingsalt to tasteWash and slice the vegetables in round shape as shown in the picture. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds Add vegetables, red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, some salt and mix well. Fry till it turns brown. Hot kovakkai curry is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served with rice.

VAZHAKAI PODIMAS2 - raw banana plaintain1 tsp - mustard 1 tbsp - black gram dal
1 tbsp - bengal gram 3 - green chilliessmall quantity - ginger
small quantity - curry leavesa pinch - asafoetidasmall quantity - grated/shredded coconut
salt to tasteoil for fryingPeel off the skin and cut raw banana plaintain in water. Add a tea spoon of curd to it. Boil it for some 5 minutes in microwave oven or in gas stove. Keep other required ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard, black gram dal, curry leaves, asafoetida, ginger, green chillies, grated coconut, and finally plaintain. Add little salt to it. Mix them well. Plaintain podimas is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served along with rice.

VENDHAYA KEERAI DAL

Ingredients:
Fenugreek leaves - Vendaya Keerai - 1 bunch
Red gram dal - Thuvaram Parupu - 1/2 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium)
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no. (Medium)
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Red chilli powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 tea spoon
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Garlic - Poondu - 2 flakes (Small)
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuruviya thengai - 2 table spoons
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantitySalt to tasteOil for fryingWash and cut fenugreek leaves and keep it aside. Wash dal and keep it in pressure cooker along with green leaves, chopped onion, tomatoes, garlic, tamarind paste, green chillies, red chilly powder, grated coconut and little salt. Pour 1 cup of water and boil it for some 15 minutes. Smash it. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal, curry leaves and add it to the boiled dal. Methi dal is ready to be served. It can be served along with white rice, chappathi or roti.

GINGER RASAM/SOUP

Ginger - Inji - small quantityGreen chilly - Pachai milagai - 1 no
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no.Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantityAsafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Rasam powder - Rasam podi - 1 table spoonTurmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Salt - Uppu - 1 table spoonOil for fryingWash and squeeze tomatoes.

Peel off the skin from ginger and smash coarsely. Keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, add tomatoe, ginger, green chilly (slit into two pieces). Add little turmeric powder, rasam powder and salt. Mix well. Add water if required. Finally add chopped coriander leaves. Ginger rasam is delicious and ready to be served. It can be had like soup or along with white rice.

RASAM POWDER

Red gram dal - Thuvaram parupu - 1/2 cupRed chillies - Kaintha milagai - 20 nos.
Pepper - Milagu - 50 gmsCumin seeds - Jeeragam - 50 gms
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 5 table spoons
Coriander seeds - Dhaniya - 5 table spoonsFry each of the ingredients separately in a pan/kadai after heating a tea spoon of oil. Allow it to cool off. Grind them in a mixie. Rasam powder is ready.

BAGARA BAINGAN1/4 kg - brinjals (round & small)2 tbsp - sesame seeds4 tbsp - roasted peanuts
1 tsp - ginger garlic paste2 tsp - tamarind juice2 - onion paste1 tsp - garam masala pwd
1 tsp - dhaniya pwdoil for frying1/2 tsp - haldi1 tsp - chilli powdersalt to taste
coriander leaves for garnishingCut 3/4th of the stalk Cut brinjals into 4 slices retaining the stalk Then fry them in oil until tender and keep aside. Pour oil in a pan and add ginger garlic paste & fry. Add onion paste and fry till golden brown. Add peanut, sesame powder, haldi, dhaniya powder, tamarind juice, garam masala pwd, chilli pwd, salt and fry till oil comes out. Then add fried brinjal and cook for 5 min. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Arachu-vitta RasamTamarind Extract – 1.5 cup
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Tomato (Medium) – 1 no
Salt – to taste
Hing – 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves – few
Ghee – 1/2 tbsp
Mustered seeds – 1 tsp
Crushed Pepper and cumin seeds – ½ tsp

TO GRIND:

Toor dal – 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Red chili – 2 nos [or] to taste
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Soak the toor dal for half an hour. And grind it with cumin seeds, red chili and curry leaves to a smooth paste. This step is what differentiates this Rasam from a regular Rasam.
Take a vessel and add tamarind extract, chopped tomato, turmeric powder,hing and salt. Boil until the raw smell is gone.
Add the ground paste and 1.5 cup of water into it. Mix it well. Let it boil until foam comes. Cook it in the medium flame. Garnish it with few coriander leaves.
For seasoning: Take a kadai and heat the ghee, add mustered seeds. When it splutters, add crushed cumin and pepper and have a quick mix. Pour it in to the Rasam.
Serve it hot with Rice and Pappad/Veg-curry.

Kathirikai Gosthu
Kathirikai /Brinjal – 1 no (large) or 6 nos (small)
Onion (medium) – 1 no
Tomato – 1 no
Tamarind – Gooseberry size (Soak in water for few min)
Moong dal – ¼ cup
Green chili – 2 nos
Sambar Powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Grated ginger – 1 tsp
Asafetida – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – few
Coriander leaves – few
Mustered seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – ½ tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Take a pressure pan/cooker, heat the oil and add chopped onion, sauté it until the raw smell is gone. Then add the chopped tomato, green chilies and ginger. Mix it well.

Add the chopped Kathirikai /Brinjal, moong dal, turmeric powder, sambar powder, asafoetida, curry leaves, salt and water (enough water to cook). Cook it for 2 – 3 whistles. Let it cool. Add the tamarind extract in the cooked item. Let it boil until raw smell is gone.
For seasoning: Heat the oil and add the mustered seeds. When it splutters, add urad dal and fry until golden color. Pour it in the gosthu. Garnish it with coriander leaves.
Serve it hot with rice or as a side dish for Dosa/Idli.

· Puli-itta Keerai
frozen or fresh spinach (a good BIG handful), 2 small split green chilis, 1/4 cup of tamarind juice, 1 tsp mustard seeds, a pinch of asafetida, 1/2 tsp urad daal, 1/2 tsp of channa daal, 1 dried red chili

1. Cook spinach with the split green chillis in the tamarind juice on medium, add salt.
3. Blend the spinach with a hand blender, being careful not to grind up the chillis unless you want it that hot! Do not grind too much, as you still want a nice texture.
4. Splutter the mustard seeds, add the urad daal, channa daal, asafetida, and red chillis.

* If the spinach is too watery you can add rice flour to thicken it up. Ensure you cook the flour through completely.

VEGETABLE PULAV

Basmati rice-1 1/2 cupsCarrot-1Cauliflower-a few pieces
Beans-8Peas-a handfulBig onion-1
Mint leaves-littleCoriander leaves-little

Green chillies-2Red chillies-3Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Cinamon, clove, yelachi-1piece each
Ginger-a small pieceGarlic-4 or 5 pods

To season Cinamon-2 piecesClove-2Elachi-2
Birinji leaf-littleFennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Cocunut milk
Scrap ½ portion of a coconut and take that milk (Those are using instant coconut milk can take 1cup of it and dilute with 2 cups of water)

Grind the items given in ‘To grind’Wash the rice and soak for 5 minutes. Drain the water nicely.Keep the kadai in the stove .Pour 1 spoon ghee or butter and roast the rice till it doesn’t stick to the kadai.(for 2 minutes)Now keep the cooker in the stove. Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil (little ghee can also be mixed)Season with the items mentioned in ‘To season’.Add the nicely minced onion and the cut vegetables and sauté nicely (Too much of vegetables will spoil the taste)Sauté the grinded masala also.Then add 3 cups of coconut milk. (1:2 is the ratio of rice to coconut milk)When the milk boils add the rice and required salt and mix everything wellClose the cooker and cook for 8 minutes after putting weight in low fire.Switch of the stove and don’t open the cooker till the pressure goes.
After the pressure goes open the cooker and mix everything nicely
Garnish with coriander leaves while serving.

KHUZAMBU RECIPES

Garlic Tamarind Gravy (Poondu Puli Kulambu)

Garlic - 10 to 12 cloves (Big one)Onion - 1/2

Tomato - 1Tamarind - Big gooseberry size

Mustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tspn

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

Oil - 2 to 3 tspnSalt - to taste

Roast and make a paste of:Red chilies - 3 to 4

Coriander seeds - 1/2 tspnCumin seeds - 1/2 tspn

Peppercorns - 1/4 tspn

Fennel seeds(perunjeeragam) - 1/4 tspn

Curry leaves - 2 sprigsGarlic - 4 to 5

Finely chop Onion and Tomato. Soak Tamarind in water for 15 minutes. Extract about a cup tamarind juice from it and keep aside. Heat a tspn of Oil in a pan. Add Red chilies, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Peppercorns, Fennel seeds, Curry leaves and roast till they are light brown, then remove from pan.Roast 4 to 5 Garlic cloves till they are golden brown. Then make a very fine paste of these roasted items.Heat little Oil in a pan, add Mustard seeds and Urad dal. Once the seeds startsspluttering add Curry leaves and Garlic, fry till they are light brown.Add Onion and fry till they are golden brown. Then add Tomatoes and fry till they become soft.Add Turmeric powder, ground masala paste and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.Add Tamarind juice, 1 or 2 cups of water and Salt to it. Keep the stove in high heat and bring the curry to boil completely, then reduce the heat to medium.Cook till the curry becomes thick and Garlic are soft.

Black eyed peas Tamarind curry(Karamani Puli kulambu)

Black eyed peas(Thattai payiru or Kaaramani) - 2 cups

Tamarind - Lemon size ball

Mustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves - a sprigOnion - 1Brinjal - 3 to 4 (small)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoonHing - a pinch

Masala powder - 3 teaspoons(You can also use chili powder. Use 1 or 2 tspns which depends on your spice level)Sugar - a pinchSalt - to tasteSesame Oil

Soak Black eyed peas in water for 2 hours. Cook till they are tender. Don’t overcook.Soak tamarind in water for 15 minutes. After that squeeze and extract the tamarind juice. Add water each time to extract the juice. Extract the tamarind juice of 2 to 3 cups.Chop onion into small pieces.Cut brinjal in length-wise. Keepall this aside.Heat 2 to 3 tspns of Oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and Urad dal. Once it splutters add curry leaves and Onion, fry till it turns into transparent.Add brinjal and fry for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add Turmeric powder , Hing, Masala or Chili powder, Salt and fry till the smell of masala goes out. Add oil if necessary.Add Tamarind juice, a pinch of Sugar and 1 or 2 cups of water. Bring this to boil once and then keep the stove in medium flame. Cook till the oil oozes out and the curry becomes thick.Finally add the cooked black eyed peas and bring this to boil once. Then remove from heat.

Gutti Dondakaya Recipe

1/4 kg dondakayalu/tindora, chop ends, make a + slit length wise for stuffing

2 medium sized onions1 tsp grated jaggery (adjust)

small lemon sized tamarind (soak in 1/4 cup warm water)

salt to taste1 1/2 tbsps oilcoriander leaves for garnish

Seasoning/Poppu/Tadka:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds1/2 tsp cumin seeds

4-5 crushed garlic clovesfew curry leaves

Roast:

4 dry red chillis1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp urad dal/split gram dal/minapappu1/2 tsp oil

Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin, red chillis and urad dal and toast for 3-4 mts. Make a paste along with onions, add salt. Stuff the nipped dondakayalu with the stuffing and keep aside. Heat oil in a vessel, add mustard seeds and let them pop, add the cumin seeds and garlic and saute for a mt. Add the curry leaves and saute for a few secs.Add the stuffed tendli and the rest of the remaining stuffing. Place lid and cook on low heat. After 4-5 mts, uncover the lid and turn the pieces so that they cook all over. Cook for another 15 mtsAdd tamarind extract along with 1/4 cup of water. Let it cook on low heat with lid till the dondakayalu turn soft. Add jaggery and combine.
After 4-5 mts, uncover the lid and turn the pieces so that they cook all over. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.Turn off heat and serve with hot steamed rice

Bendakaya Pulusu - Okra in tamarind gravy

1/4 kg okra/bendakaya, wash, pat dry and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces

2 medium sized onions, finely chopped onions

1 tomato finely chopped2 green chillis, slit lengthwise

10 curry leaves1 tsp red chilli pwd (adjust)

1 tsp coriander pwd1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

1 tsp jaggery, grated (adjust)

small lemon sized tamarind, extract pulpsalt to taste

coriander leaves for garnish (optional)1 tbsp oil

For poppu/tempering/tadka:

1/2 tsp mustard seedsbig pinch methi seeds/menthulu/fenugreek seeds

few curry leavesHeat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them pop, add methi and curry leaves toss for a half a minute till the flavors come out and take care not to burn them.Add the chopped onions and green chillis and saute for a minute. Add the okra pieces and salt and combine. Cook on medium flame for 12-14 mts or till the onions and okra are lightly browned.Add chilli pwd, coriander pwd, turmeric pwd and salt and combine well. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook further for another 4-5 mts.Add the grated jaggery and tamarind pulp along with approx three cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce flame and cover with lid. Let it cook for 8-10 mts till the gravy thickens slightly. Remember, ‘pulusu’ is a gravy dish and should be of a slightly watery consistency.Once cooked, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice

Gutti Beerakaaya Kura - Stuffed Ridge Gourd Curry

1/2 kg ridge gourds (beerakaaya), peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces and make a + slit on top for stuffing

2 medium onions, sliced4-5 dry red chillis, de-seeded

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds3 tbsps sesame seeds (nuvvulu)

1 tbsp grated jaggery (optional)salt to taste

small lemon sized tamarind ball1 tbsp oil

Heat a tsp of oil in a frying pan and add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chillis and sesame seeds and fry on medium heat till you get a nice aroma. Dont burn the spices. Just fry for 3-4 mts stirring continously. Remove and cool.Once cool, make a paste of the above spices along with ginger garlic paste, jaggery, tamarind, salt and onions.Take a tbsp of the paste and stuff each of the slit ridge gourd pieces.Heat oil in a pan and add some curry leaves and stir fry for a 3-4 seconds. Place the stuffed ridge gourds in the pan and let it cook covered on medium heat.After 4-5 mts, uncover the lid and turn the pieces so that theycook all over.Cover and cook on low heat till the ridge gourds become soft. This could take about 20 minutes.Turn off heat once cooked and serve with hot white steamedrice

Pavakai puli kuzhambu

Bitter gourd(pavakkai)- 1/2 pieceSmall onion- 8 to 10Curry leaves- fewFenugreek seeds- 1/4 tspMustard and Urad dal- 1/4 tspGingelly oil- 3 spoonsTurmeric powder- 1/4 tspMasala powder-3/4 spoonTamarind- a lemon sizeJaggery- 3/4 spoonSalt- as requiredSoak the Tamarind for 15 mins. Squeeze out the juice from the Tamarind. You can add little fresh Water each time to extract the juice.Cut the Bitter gourd into round shapes.Heat Oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds, Urad dal and Fenugreek seeds.Once it splutters add Onions and Curry leaves fry for a minute. Then add Bitter gourd fry till it turns into light brown.Add Turmeric powder, Masala powder and fry all the items in Oil till the raw smell goes.Then add Tamarind juice, Jaggery, Salt and add fresh water if required.Cook till the curry becomes thick.

Chettinadu pavakai
Pavakkai-2(medium sized)Small onion-30 or big onion 2
Tomatoes-2Garlic-10Sambar powder-2 teaspoonsTamarind juice-1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves-little
Mince the onions and tomatoes in a chopper or cut the onions and garlic into very small pieces. Rotate the tomatoes once in a mixie to crush them. Cut the pavakkai also into small pieces.
ProcedureKeep the kadai in the stove. In two table spoons of oil season the curry with 1 teaspoon of mustard, 1 spoon small jeera and curry leaves. After the mustard seeds splitter, add the minced onions, garlic and sauté till they turn transparent. Now add the pavakkai pieces and keep the stove in medium flame and cook the pieces without adding water. When you feel that the pieces are almost cooked add the crushed tomatoes sambar powder and the required salt and the tamarind juice. Let this cook for 5 more minutes .Now add 2 teaspoons jaggery and keep the stove in sim. You will notice oil separating. Now switch off the stove. If desired it can be garnished with coriander leaves

PARUPPU URANDAI KHUZHAMBU

1 cup - red gram dal4 - red chillieslemon size - tamarind
1 - onion (large)2 - tomato 1 tbsp - red chilly powder
2 tbsp - corriander powder 1 tsp - turmeric powder
3 flakes - garlic (medium)1/2 cup - grated/shredded coconut
small quantity - curry leaves 1 tsp - mustard 1 tsp - cumin seeds
1 tbsp - sambar powder salt to tasteoil for frying

Wash and soak red gram dal for 2 hours alongwith red chillies and cumin seeds. Grind them to a smooth paste and now add sambar powder, little turmeric powder, little salt and keep it in idly plate and boil it for some 3 minutes if kept in oven and 10-12 minutes if kept in pressure cooker. Make them to small balls. Heat oil in pan/kadai (Preferably sesame oil), splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chilly, curry leaves, garlic flakes, now fry onions, then tomatoes and tamarind paste (After removing dust particles). Now add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and little salt. Let it boil for some 10 mintues. Transfer the dal balls to this boiling kuzhambu. Finally add coconut paste to this. Paruppu urundai kuzhambu is delicious and ready to be served

KARUVEPPILLAI KHUZHAMBU1 bunch - curry leaveslemon size - tamarind
1 tbsp - red gram1 tbsp - bengal gram dal 5 - red chillies
1 tbsp - black pepper 1 tsp - mustard seeds
1 tsp - fenugreek seeds a pinch - asafoetida a pinch - turmeric powder
2 tbsp - grated/shredded coconut oil for fryingsalt to taste

Soak tamarind in hot water and make a paste out of it.Dust particles has to be removed using filter. Keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, fry asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, red gram, bengal gram dal, curry leaves and grind them to a powder once it is cooled. Grind coconut to a paste. Care must be taken not to fry fenugreek for long since it will taste bitter. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, add asafoetida, curry leaves, red chilly andadd tamarind paste and required water and salt. Mix them well, add turmeric powder and the grinded powder. Finally add grinded coconut. Hot curry leaves kuzhambu is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served with white rice

KARA KHUZHAMBU

lemon size - tamarind
5 - pearl onion 2 - tomatoes (medium size)5 - garlic
small quantity - curry leavessmall quantity - black gram dal
small quantity - bengal gram dalsmall quantity - mustard
small quantity - fenugreek seeds1 tbsp - chilli powder
2 tbsp - coriander powder 4 - red chillies
small quantity - turmeric powder small quantity - asafoetida
3 tbsp - sesame oil salt to taste

Soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes, then filter all the dust particles and make it a paste. Cut onions, tomatoes, garlic and keep other ingredients ready. Fry fenugreek for a minute and make it powdered. Heat oil in kadai, splutter mustard, fry red chillies, curry leaves, black gram dal, bengal gram dal, onions followed by tomatoes, garlic, then add red chiili powder, coriander powder, asafoetida, turmeric powder, and little salt. Pour tamarind paste to this mixture. Mix them well. The content has to boil and come to half. It has to be boiled atleast for 30 minutes. Finally add fenugreek powder and mix it well. Mirchi kuzhambu is hot and delicious.

SUNDAIKAI KHUZAMBU
Sundaikai – 2 cupsThurvar Dhal – ½ cup
Sambar Powder – 2 teaspoonsTurmeric Powder – a pinch
Red chillies – Bengal gram dhal – 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoonMustard – ½ teaspoon
Onion – 1 smallCurry leaves – few
Coconut gratings – 1 tablespoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste/
Remove the small top stem and cut the sundaikai into two. Or remove the top and using a wooden roller you can crush the sundaikai. Put it in water.
Pressure cook the thuvar dhal along with a pinch of turmeric powder.
In a kadai put a teaspoon of oil and fry one teaspoon bengal gram dhal, two red chillies, one teaspoon coriander seeds. Cool it and grind along with coconut to a coarse paste.Take out the sundaikai from water and put it in a vessel. Add just enough water to cover the vegetable. Add sambar powder, a pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Cook it on medium heat. When the vegetable is soft, add the cooked dhal and mix well. Allow to boil. Then add the coconut paste and mix well. It should be semi liquid consistency. If it is very thick add little hot water and allow to boil.Season it with mustard, a small onion chopped finely and curry leaves.

KEERAI SAMBAR Keerai (Any green) - chopped finely one cup
Thuvar dhal – Half cupTamarind – small lemon size
Sambar powder – 1 tablespoonTurmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
For seasoning:
2 teaspoon oilHalf teaspoon mustard
half teaspoon fenugreek seedsA pinch of asafetida
Sambar onion – 4 or 5 cut length wise
Tomato -1 (Chopped finely)
Wash thuvar dhal and add two cups of water along with a pinch of turmeric powder and pressure cook till soft.Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out the juice adding required water to make two cups of tamarind water.In a kadai put the oil and when it is hot, add mustard. When it pops up, add fenugreek seeds and asafetida and fry for just a second and add chopped onion and fry for a while. Then add chopped tomato till it mashed well. Add cooked dhal along with salt and stir well. When it starts boiling, add tamarind water along with sambar powder and turmeric powder and stir well. Allow to boil for 3 to 5 seconds. Then add chopped greens and mix well. Cover with lid and let it boil for few more minutes in a medium flame.

KOTHAMALI SAMBAR Fresh coriander leaves – 1 bunch Curry leaves - few
Tamarind – Small lemon sizeRed Chillies – 4 to 5 Nos
Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoonFenugreek seeds – ½ teaspoon
Black Pepper – 1 teaspoonJeera – 1 teaspoon
Garlic flakes – 4 to 5 NosSambar Onion – 10 Nos
Tomato – 1 NoTurmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Gingelly oil – 3 to 4 tablespoonsMustard – 1 teaspoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste

Chop the coriander leaves (it should be one medium size bowl).
Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out the juice. It should be one to one and half cup of tamarind water.In a kadai put one or two teaspoon oil and fry red chillies, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, pepper, jeera till it turn light brown. Add garlic flakes and sambar onion and fry for a while. Than add tomato cut into pieces. Add little salt so that the tomato will get fried quickly. Now add coriander leaves and few curry leaves. Fry for one or two more seconds in low flame. Cool it and grind to a fine paste.Mix the paste in the tamarind water along with turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside.
In a kadai put the remaining oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up, add few curry leaves and then add the tamarind juice. Mix well. If it is too thick, add a cup of water and stir well. Close with a lid and bring to boil. Allow to thicken in moderate heat.This kuzhambu stays good for two to three days.

PEPPER KHUZAMBU

Black Pepper - 1 tablespoonJeera - 1/2 tablespoon
Garlic - 1 whole garlicTamarind - Small lemon size
Sambar Powder - 1 teaspoonTurmeric Powder - a pinch
Sambar Onion - 5 to 6 NosCurry Leaves - few
Gingelley Oil - 2 to 3 tablespoonsMustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon or as per taste
Soak tamarind in water and squeeze the juice. (You can also use tamarind paste mixed with water). The tamarind water should be one cup. Add sambar powder and turmeric powder to the tamarind water and stir well. Keep it aside. Take out garlic flakes and peel the skin. Garlic flakes should be 10 to 15 Nos of medium size.Chop onion finely.In a kadai put a teaspoon of oil and fry the pepper first. When it starts pops up, remove. Add jeera in the same kadai and fry till it is hot to touch. Remove and keep it along with fried pepper. Same kadai add one more teaspoon of oil and add garlic flakes. Fry the garlic till it turns light brown. Remove and cool it. Grind fried pepper, jeera and garlic together to a fine paste. Wash the mixie with little water and add to the paste.In a thick bottomed vessel, pour the remaining oil. When it is hot, add mustard. When it pops up, add chopped onion, curry leaves and fry just for second. Then Add tamarind water and stir well. Add salt and bring to boil. When it starts boiling, add the pepper paste and mix well. Allow to boil just for a second. No need to boil for longer time.

BRINJAL KARA KHUZAMBU Brinjal – Medium size 3Sambar Onion – 10
Big Onion – ½Tomato – 1
Coconut gratings – 1 tablespoonTamarind – small lemon size
Sambar Powder – 1 heaped tablespoon
Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon
Gingelly Oil – 2 tablespoonMustard – ½ teaspoon
Fenugreek – ½ teaspoonRed Chillies – 2
Bengal Gram Dhal – 1 tablespoonCurry leaves – few
Salt – 2 teaspoon or as per taste
Soak tamarind and salt in water. Squeeze out the juice, add water and make 3 cups of tamarind water.Cut the brinjal into medium size pieces. Cut the tomato into four pieces. Cut the big onion lengthwise.Cut the sambar onion into two.In a kadai put one teaspoon oil and add big onion pieces and fry till it turns transparent. Add tomato pieces and fry till the tomatos mashed well. Add coconut gratings and sambar powder and fry for two minutes. Remove and cool it. When it is cooled, grind to a fine paste. Put the remaining oil in the kadai. When it is hot add mustard. When it pops up, add bengal gram dhal, red chillies broken into pieces, curry leaves. Then add fenugreek and fry till it turns light brown. Add cut sambar onions and fry well. Then add brinjal pieces and fry for two to three minutes. Add tamarind water along with turmeric powder. Bring to boil. Reduce the heat and cook till the brinjal is soft. Now add the ground paste along with a cup of water and stir well. Allow to cook in reduced heat for three to five minutes. Tips: After grinding the coconut and tomato, you can wash the mixie with a cup of water and add that to the paste and make it semi liquid. If you add this liquid, it will blend with the kuzhambu well

IDLI SAMBAR

Thuvar dhal – ½ cupGreen gram dhal – ¼ cup
Tamarind - Big Gooseberry sizeSambar Powder – 2 teaspoons
Turmeric Powder – ¼ teaspoon
Sambar onion – 10 to 15 NosTomato – 1 No
Green Chillies – 2 NosCurry leaves – few
Coriander leaves – for garnishingOil – 1 tablespoon
Mustard – ½ teaspoonAsafotida Powder – ¼ teaspoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
Pressure cook both thuvar and green gram dhals together along with a pinch of turmeric powder till soft.Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out the juice with half cup water.Peel the skin from the sambar onion and cut it lengthwise into two or four, depending on its size.Chop tomato. Slit the green chillies lengthwise.In a kadai put the oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it splutters, add asafetida powder, cut onion, slit green chillies, curry leaves and fry till the onion is transparent. Then add tomato and fry for a while. Add sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Add tamarind water and close with lid. Allow to boil for one or two minutes. Then add the cooked dhal and stir well. Allow to boil again. Remove from stove and garnish with coriander leaves

KARAMANI KHUZAMBU Karamani – 1 cupTamarind – Lemon size
Salt – 2 teaspoonSambar Powder – 1 heaped tablespoon
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoonCoconut gratings – 2 tablespoon
Oil – 2 tablespoonMustard – 1 teaspoon
Sambar Onion – 5 Curry leaves – few
Soak tamarind and salt in one cup of water. In a kadai put one teaspoon oil and fry the Karamani till it turns light brown. Put it in a pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for three whistles. Cool it and drain the excess water.Squeeze out the tamarind and extract the juice. Add more water and again take out the remaining juice. The tamarind juice should be of 3 cups. Add sambar powder and turmeric powder to the tamarind juice. Add cooked karamani also. Mix well and bring to boil.Grind the coconut to a fine paste. Add to the boiling kuzhambu. Stir well. Allow to boil in a low flame for few more minutes. Season it with mustard, curry leaves and chopped onion

CURRY KHUZMABU Curry Leaves – a handfulThuvar Dhal – 2 tablespoon
Bengal gram dhal – 1 teaspoonRed Chillies – 5
Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoonPepper – 2 teaspoon
Coconut gratings – 2 tablespoonTamarind – Lemon size
Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoonAsafotida Powder – ½ teaspoon
Oil – 2 tablespoonMustard – ½ teaspoon
Fenugreek – ½ teaspoonSalt – 2 teaspoon or as per taste

Soak tamarind and salt in a cup of water and squeeze out the juice and make 2 cups of tamarind juice.In a kadai put one teaspoon oil and fry thurvar dhal, bengal gram dhal, Pepper, coriander seeds and red chillies separately. Same kadai add the curry leaves and fry for a while. Remove. Mix fried dhals, chillies, coriander seeds, curry leaves and asafotida powder and grind to a fine powder. Grind coconut separately to a fine paste.In a kadai put the remaining oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up add fenugreek and fry till it turns golden yellow. (Fenugreek normally fry very past and if it is over fried, tastes very bitter). Add tamarind water along with turmeric powder and ground dhal powder. Stir well. Close with lid and bring to boil. When it starts boiling, add the coconut paste and add little water if necessary. Stir once again and let it cook in low flame till it thickens.

TOMATO GARLIC KHUZAMBUTomato - 3 Nos Tamarind - Gooseberry sizeGarlic flakes - 20 to 25 Nos
Sambar Onion - 10 to 15 NosSambar Powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - a pinchGingelly Oil - 2 tablespoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoonJeera - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
Asafotida powder - a pinchCurry leaves - few
Salt - 2 teaspoon or as per taste

Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out the juice.Bring four cups of water to boil and add whole tomatos. Allow to boil for two minutes and switch off the stove. When it is cold, take out the tomatos from water and peel off the skin gently. Mash the tomatos well (or put it in a mixie and run for one second).
In a kadai, pour the gingelly oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up add jeera, fenugreek and asafotida. Fry till the fenugreek turns light brown. Add garlic flakes and fry for one minute. Then add sambar onion chopped along with curry leaves and fry nicely. Now add tamarind water, tomato puree, sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt and stir well. Allow to boil. Reduce the heat and cook on low flame till the kuzhambu is thick.

PORICHA KHUZAMBU

Mixed vegetable cut into small pieces – 2 cups(Chow chow, green brinjal, broad beans, capsicum)Green Gram Dhal – ½ cup Coconut gratings – 2 tablespoonsJeera – ½ teaspoon
Green chilli – 1Rice flour – 1 teaspoon
Sambar powder – 1 teaspoon heapedTurmeric powder – a pinch
Salt – 1 teaspoonOil – 1 teaspoon
Mustard – ½ teaspoon2 small onion chopped finely Curry leaves – few
Cook green gram dhal in open vessel along with a pinch of turmeric powder and a teaspoon of oil till soft.Put the vegetable in a vessel and add just enough water to cover the vegetable. Add sambar powder, turmeric and salt and cook till the vegetables are soft. Add the cooked dhal. Allow to boil.Grind coconut, green chilli, rice flour and jeera to a fine paste. Wash the mixie and add that water also to the paste and make it liquid. Add this to the vegetable and mix well. Allow to boil.

MOR KHUZAMBU

Buttermilk – 2 cupsTurmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Green chillies – 2Jeera – ½ teaspoon
Thuvar dhal – 1 teaspoonRaw Rice – ½ teaspoon
Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoonGrated coconut – 2 tablespoon
Oil – 1 teaspoonMustard seeds – half teaspoon
Few curry leaves and one red chiily
Soak Thuvar dhal, coriander seeds, raw rice and jeera in water for 10 to 15 minutes. Grind alongwith coconut and green chillies to a fine paste. Churn the buttermilk and add the paste, turmeric powder and salt. Bring to boil. When it starts boiling, immediately switch off the stove. Season it with mustard, red chilli and curry leaves.Tips: You can add vegetables to the mor kuzhambu. The best suitable vegetable for mor kuzhambu is Ashgourd (white pumpkin known as Poosanikai in Tamil). Another vegetable is ladies finger. Vadai mor kuzhambu is also another treat. Some people even use brinjal, cucumber, drum stick, potato, manathakali vatral, sundaikkai vatral.If you are using ashgourd, first you have cook the vegetable pieces (you have to remove the skin, seeds and the white inner portion and cut it into medium size pieces) with little water, salt and turmeric powder till soft. Drain the excess water. Then add to the buttermilk mixture and bring to boil.If you are using ladies finger, cut the vegetable into 2 inch pieces and fry it in a teaspoon of oil till it changes its colour and add to the kuzhambu and bring to boil.If you use potato, boil the potato and remove the skin, cut it into medium size pieces and add.Vathal or brinjal can be fried in a teaspoon of oil and then add to the kuzhambu.In all cases, you have to add in the first stage itself, i.e. when you add coconut chilli paste to the buttermilk, add the cooked or fried vegetable and then bring it to boil.If you prepare Vadai Mor Kuzhambu, then prepare the kuzhambu, remove from stove and add the vadai.Thoothuvalai keerai, a herb, is also added in the mor kuzhambu. This keerai is found in the home gardens in Tamilnadu. It is good for heart health. When the kuzhambu starts boiling, few leaves can be added, like garnishing with coriander leaves

VAZHAKAI PULIKHUZHAMBU

Ingredients:
1 no - Green plantain8 nos - Pearl onions (Shallots)
1 no - Tomato1 tbsp - Tamarind Paste
6 nos - Garlic flakes (minced)1 tsp - Red chilli powder
2 tsp - Coriander powder1/2 tsp - Fennel seeds
1/2 tsp - Fenugreek seedsFew CURRYleaves
Oil for fryingSalt to taste
Add 1 cup water to the tamarind paste.Chop the onions and tomatoes.
Heat the oil and add fennel, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
Now add chopped onions.Fry till they turn light brown.Mix chopped tomatoes and stir it well.
Add chilli powder and coriander powder.Mix it well.Add tamarind mixture and plantain, adjust salt.Cook it covered for 10 minutes over medium flame.Add minced garlic, cook till the mixture turns thick.Serve it with rice.

KEERAI MASIYAL 1/2 Kg Spinach1/2 Cup moong dal3 Green chillies1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Urad dal4 Garlic flakesSalt to tasteOil for frying
Wash the spinach and cut it evenly.Now wash the moong dal and keep it in cookerAdd 1/2 cumin seeds, red chillies, minced garlic and spinach to the moong dal.Now pour 1/2 cup water and add salt.Mix it well.Cook all the ingredients.Now smash the cooked mixture.Heat the oil.
Add cumin seeds and urad dal.Now add smashed spinach mixture.Boil till the mixture turns thick. Serve it with ricE

KARIVEPILLAI KHUZUMBU

1 Onion curry leaves (10 sprigs)1 Tomato
1 tbsp Toor dal5 Red chillies2 tsp Pepper
1 tbsp Rice (raw)1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds1/2 Cup tamarind paste
Salt to tasteOil for frying
Cut onion, tomato and garlic.Add 1/2 Cup of water to tamarind paste.Heat the oil.
Add cumin seeds, black pepper, red chilies, raw rice and toor dal.Mix curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes.Keep it for cooling.Grind the above mixture to make a paste.Heat the oil.Add mustard seeds.Now mix onions, garlic and tomato.Stir it well.Add tamarind paste and salt.Mix it well.Pour the grinded mixture on it.Boil it covered till the mixture turns thick.Karuvepilai Kulambu is ready

PAVAKAI PULI KHUZAMBU

Bitter guard-1(medium size) Buy little less green and less thorn shaped for less bitternessSmall onions-10garlic-10 Tomato-1Sambar powder-11/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder-1 table spoonTurmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon

curry leaf -littleTamarind -little(as shown in the picture) or 2 teaspoons paste

jaggery-1 small piece

For seasoning

Mustard seed-1 teaspoonFennel seed-1 teaspoon

Fenugreek seed-1/2 teaspoonGingelly oil-2 table spoons

Procedure

As I told earlier the taste of the curry depends on how you cook the gravy.

Keep the kadai in the stove.Season the gravy.Saute onions,garlic and tomatoes for a minute.Add the bitter gaurd pieces.Reduce the flame to medium and saute for 5 to 6 minutes.Meantime in 3 to 4 cups of water mix the tamarind,the salt needed,sambar powder,coriander powder and turmeric powder and add after the pieces are sauted well.Let the gravy cook for 5 minutes in medium fire.Then reduce the fire and cook till the gravy becomes thick and get reduced to 1/3 quantity.If the gravy is going to be served for non diabetic people, add a small piece of jaggery and cook for 2 more minutes.Adding jaggery will give an excellent taste to the curry

KARUNAI KHIZAGHU KUZHAMBU

Ingredients
Karunai kizhangu-5 to 6 (pressure cook for 6 minutes)Small onion-20
Garlic-20Tomato-1Sambar powder-2 teaspoon
Coriander powder-2 teaspoon
Tamarind-little more than you use for sambar (a small gooseberry size)
For seasoning
Mustard seed-1 teaspoonFennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-littleOil-2 table spoon
Fenugreek seed-1/2 teaspoon
Procedure
Peel off the skin of the cooked kizhangu. Cut into small round pieces. If your kizhangu is over cooked or undercooked adjust the cooking time next time. This time if it is over cooked add the kizhangu to the gravy by the end. Cut the onion, garlic and the tomatoes too.Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the gravy with the items given in ‘for seasoning’. Add the onion, garlic and tomato pieces one by one after sauting each for some time. Soak the tamarind and the salt needed in 3 cups of water. Squeeze out the tamarind pieces and add the sambar powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder to this water. Add this water to the kadai and cook in high flame for 5 minutes. Add the kizhangu now. Reduce the flame and in slow medium fire cook for another 10 minutes. When the gravy is almost half or little less than half in quantity, switch off the stove. I usually wait for the oil to separate but for those who are new to cooking this method wont work

BLACK CHEENA KHUZAMBU

Ingredients
Soaked channa-1 cupPotato-1 bigBig onion-1
Tomato-1Garlic-4 to 5 pods
Chillie powder- 1 table spoon or ( Kuzhambu milagai thool-2 tablespoon)
Coriander powder-2 tablespoon

Tamarind-very little (2 sulai)
To season
Cinnamon-2 piecesClove-2Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
To grind (If you want a thick gravy grind the paste else use 1/2 cup of coconut milk)
Coconut-3 table spoonCashews-4Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

Procedure
Keep the cooker in the stove. Pour 2 tablespoon of oil. Season with the items in’To season’Sauté the big onion, tomatoes and the garlic pods .Add the cut potato pieces and channa. Mix well, add the chilli powder and the coriander powder. Pour 3 cups of water and the salt required. Close the cooker and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. After the pressure goes open the cooker and check for consistency. If it is going to be used for rice as gravy add the tamarind water and 1/2 cup of coconut milk and cook for another 5 minutes. If the gravy is for idly ,chapathi,naan or paratta add the grinded masala and the tamarind water and cook for another 5 minutes

POONDU KHUZAMBU

Ingredients
Garlic-20 to 30 podsPearl onion (small onion)-20
Tomato-1Curry leaves-little
Coriander powder-2 teaspoon
Sambar powder (kuzhambu milagai thool)-2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoonTamarind-gooseberry size
Gingelly oil-1 table spoon
For seasoning
Mustard seed-1 teaspoonFennel seed-1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seed-1/2 teaspoonCurry leaf-little
Procedure
Soak the tamarind with the salt needed in three cups of water. Add the coriander powder,sambar powder and turmeric powder to this water itself. Cut the onions and garlic into length wise pieces. If the garlic is not very big, no need to cut it. Cut the tomatoes also into small pieces. Many don’t use tomatoes for this kuzhambu. To reduce the use of tamarind, I use tomatoes. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the gravy with the items given in ‘to season’ in one to 1 ½ table spoon of gingerly oil or cooking oil. Add the onions, garlic and tomatoes and sauté nicely. Now add the tamarind dissolved water .Wait for the gravy to boil nicely for 3 minutes. Now reduce the flame to minimum and allow the gravy to cook till it becomes thick. I usually wait till the oil separates. For the new ones they can switch off the stove when it becomes 1/3 rd in quantity. In between you can check for the taste and add chili powder or salt if needed. (While sautéing if you add some vathal like sundakkai or manathakkali this kuzhambu can be called vathal kuzhambu

MILAGU KHUZMABU

IngredientsSmall onion-30

Garlic-20 podsTamarind-small piece

To roast and grindBlack pepper-1 table spoon

Coriander seeds-2 table spoonsGrated coconut-3 table spoons

Fennel seeds-1 teaspoonSmall jeera-1 teaspoon

Garlic-5 podsGreen chillies-2

Red chillies-3Small onion-5

Cashewnut-2Cinnamon-1 small piece

In a kadai with 1 teaspoon coconut oil dry roast all the above items and grind to a smooth paste

Cut 20 small onions and 10 garlic pods into small pieces.Keep the kadai in the stove. In two tablespoons of gingili oil season the gravy with little small jeera, curry leaves and fennel seeds. Sauté the onion and garlic pieces. In two cups of water dissolve a small piece of tamarind, and the salt required and add to the onion garlic pieces and allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes. Mix the grinded mixture in ½ cup of water and pour into the kadai. Keep the stove in medium flame and allow the mixture to boil till it becomes semi solid. This gravy will taste excellent with idly. If the gravy is found too hot it can be given to small children with plenty of gingili oil or little ghee

ENNAI KATHIRIGA KHUZAMBU

Small Eggplant/Kathrika - 10Channa Dhal - 1/2 cupCoriander Seeds - over 1/2 cupDry/Fresh Coconut - 1 tbspAsafoetida - a few shakesDry Red Chillis- 2 ( add more for spice)Oil - 1 tbsp for kozhambu, 8 tsp's for Eggplant and 1 tsp for the powder.Curry leaves - a fewMustard seeds - 1 tspFenugreek seeds - 1 tspSaltWater - 2 cupsTamarind - small lime size

Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes.Cut the stem of the eggplant and slit the eggplant in the middle and across without cutting them into pieces.Heat the wok with 1 tsp of oil and roast channa dhal, coriander seeds, dry red chillis, salt and coconut, cool and blend them into a powder.Stuff this powder inside the slit eggplant.Place the appam pan on the stove and add 1/2 tsp of oil. Place the stuffed eggplant in the pan and cover with a lid. Cook this on medium high flame and keep turning them to get them all roasted.In another cooking pan add 1 tbsp oil. When that warms up add asafoetida, mustard seeds (allow this to pop) and methi/fenugreek seeds, sambar powder, tamarind water, salt and allow it cook.Add 2 tbsps of the prepared powder in the sambar and it would start to thicken.When the Eggplants get cooked and roasted well remove and add to the kozhambu and cook it for 5 minutes covered on low flame so that the kozhambu will soak into the eggplant.Garnish with some more curry leaves and serve it hot with rice.

Senai kizhagu kola

Yam(Senai kilangu) - ½ KgCumin seeds - 1 tspnSauf - ½ tspnGarlic - 6Chili powder - 2 to 3 tspnGram flour - 1 cupOnions - 2Curry leaves - FewSalt and Oil - As requiredRemove the skin of yam and wash it.Cut Yam and Onion in to pieces.Fine grind the Yam pieces, Cumin seeds, Sauf, Garlic, Chili powder and Salt. Finally add Curry leaves and Onions. Grind it for a second. Onions should not be ground finely.Transfer this ground mix to a bowl. Finally add Gram flour to prepare the thick mix.Heat Oil in a pan to fry. Make the balls from the mix and deep fry till it becomes golden brown in color

CHAPPATH/ROTIS

CABBAGE PARATHA

3 cups Wheat Flour 1 cup Cabbage (finely grated)
1'' Ginger (finely chopped) 1 tsp Green Chillies (chopped)
1 tbsp Fresh Coriander (finely chopped) ½ tsp Garam Masala Butter/Oil (for frying) Salt to tasteMix the wheat flour and salt properly in a bowl.

Then add 1 teaspoon oil, grated cabbage, coriander, ginger and green chillies and again mix well.Now knead this into soft dough by mixing enough water.Take little portion of the dough and make a round ball. Roll this ball into the shape of a round paratha.Heat the tawa (griddle) and cook the paratha with butter or oil as per your choice. Cook till both the sides of paratha turn golden brown.Serve hot parathas with curd or pickle

ALOO PARATHA

2 cup Wheat Flour
1 cup Water 2-3 Potatoes(boiled and mashed)
1/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder1 tsp Chaat Masala
1/4 tsp Salt Mix water and flour and knead it to make a soft dough.

•Leave the dough for about half an hour. Meanwhile add salt, chili powder, chaat masala to the potatoes and mix thoroughly.

Now roll out small balls out of the dough.Smear a little oil in the center and then put some stuffing mixture.Draw the edges towards the center to cover the mixture.Press the resulting dough gently and dust it with flour. Flatten to the size of roti.Place the paratha on a preheated griddle.After some time reverse the side of paratha. Do it when golden brown patches appear on first side.Sprinkle little oil and then flip again.Sprinkle oil drops on other side also. Cook till it is well done.Hot Paratha is readyServe with Chutneys or Tomato Ketchup

COLORFUL PARATHA

1 tbsp Minced mixed vegetables(peas, carrots, beans, cabbage)

1 tsp Semolina• 1 tsp Oil • 1 tsp grated paneer

Oil for frying • 1 tbsp Chopped spinach

2 Finely chopped spring onion stems • 1/4 Cup wheat flour

1 tbsp Soaked moong dal • 1 Flake garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp Tturmeric powder • Salt to taste • 1/4 Cup rice flour

Minced very fine the vegetables in an electrical chopper.Then grind spinach to a paste, add chillies if desired.Mix all ingredients except the oil and cheese.

Then make dough of the mixture of ingredients and roll it into sizeble parathas. When dough are ready, heat the griddle and start frying the parathas. Cook till it turns brown and golden on either side. Garnish with grated cheese. Serve hot.

DAL PARATHA

1 cup Wheat Flour½ cup Moong (yellow) Dal

1 tsp Cumin Seeds1/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder A pinch Asafoetida A pinch Turmeric Powder1tbsp Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) 2 Green Chillies (finely chopped) Salt to tasteOil (as required) How to make Dal Paratha:

Add little oil and salt to the wheat flour and make a soft dough by adding water.Soak the moong dal in water for some time and then cook it.Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the seeds splutter add the chopped green chillies and then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cooked dal, chopped coriander and salt. Mix well the entire mixture and keep stirring till it becomes a dry mixture. Keep aside this dry mixture and let it cool. Take a little portion of dough, knead it to a ball and then roll it in the shape of a small puri. Close the sides of this puri after filling it with the dry dal filling. Now roll it into a thick round paratha. Cook this paratha with oil on a tawa till both the sides become golden brown.Serve dal paratha hot with chutney, curd or curry.

LACHCHA PARATHA

2 Cups whole wheat flour

1 Cup ghee or clarified butter Salt to taste

Combine flour and salt. Make soft dough using water and leave aside. Combine 1 tbsp of flour with 3 tbsp of ghee and leave aside.Take the dough and divide it into equal-sized balls.Now again divide each ball into two.Roll out each portion into a long, finger shaped noodle.Give the first portion a spiral shape.Apply little flour on a rolling surface and gently roll out the spiral into a circle of about five inch diameter.Smear the top with the flour-ghee mixture. Repeat the procedure for the next portion and put it over the first circle.Place a flat pan on medium flame.Place the paratha on the pan. Fry and flip after 30 seconds. Apply little ghee on the surface and flip again.

Apply ghee on exposed side and fry the paratha till crispy and golden brown. Lachcha Paratha is ready.

KUTTU PARATHA

2 Cups Kuttu Atta

• 1 tsp Rock salt • 2 Potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed • Dry flour for dusting • Ghee or clarified butter for frying

Combine together the kuttu atta, potatoes and salt.Add sufficient water and make flexible dough. Knead wellCover it and set aside for about half an hour.Divide the dough into eight pieces and shape them into roundballs using dry flour Roll out these balls into chapatti.Heat a griddle(tava). Reduce the flame to medium. Put one paratha on the tava and pour ghee in the form of trail along the outer edges of the paratha.Flip when the underside is cooked. Apply the ghee on exposed surface.Again flip and cook on the other side. • Remove when well done on both sides.

GOBI PARATHA

2 Small cauliflowers(gobi) • 3 Green chillis, chopped • 1 Onion, chopped • 1 tsp Cumin powder • 1 tsp Ginger paste • 1 tsp Dhania powder • Chopped coriander leaves • Salt to taste Chop the cauliflower. • Sprinkle with salt and mix properly. Leave aside for 10 minutes. • Take little amount of cauliflower and squeeze to remove water. • Add onions, dhania powder, chilli powder, jeera powder, ginger paste, coriander leaves, and green chillies. • Mix well and add salt to taste. • Prepare dough as for a chapatti. • Flatten a small portion of dough and put some mixture in the center. • Draw the edges towards center to cover the mixture. • Roll out in the form of paratha. • Heat a griddle and fry the paratha on it. • Smear ghee on it while frying. • Serve hot with curd.

Mughlai Paratha

300 gm Maida • 2 Eggs • 1 tsp Baking powder • Oil to cook

Salt to tasteTake a big bowl and mix flour, baking powder and salt.

Rub the flour with 2 tbsp of oil.Add little water at a time and make soft dough. Make 8 balls from the dough and roll out into flat thick rounds.Apply little oil, sprinkle some flour and fold it into half circle. Again apply little oil and flour, fold it lengthwise.Now roll it, press down and roll out into square of 8 inches by 8 inches. • Brush the surface of the paratha with the beaten eggs.

Turn all four corners towards the middle.Heat the girdle and apply oil.

Cook the paratha on it, applying oil along the edges.Fry on both the sides until brown patches appear.

ONION PARATHA

1 Cup wheat flour • 1 Chopped Onion • 2 Green chilies

• 1 tsp Pomegranate seeds • 1 tbsp ghee • Coriander leaves

How to make Onion Paratha:

• Mix chopped onion, chilies, pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves thoroughly.Add flour to the mixture and make soft dough. • Roll out equal balls out of the dough and make rotis. Place the roti on heated tawa and add ghee on both the sides.Cook it till it turns brown and serve it with green chutney

PANEER PARATHA

1-1/2 cup Paneer(grated)

• 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves (chopped) • 1 Onion (chopped)

• 5 Green Chillies (chopped) • 3 cup whole meal flour • 2 tbsp Ghee • 1/2 tsp Salt • Ghee for frying Prepare the stuffing material by mixing paneer, coriander, onion, green chillies and salt.Sieve the flour. Add ghee to the flour.Add wateroccasionally to make dough.Knead the dough properly and roll out 10-12 balls. Take a ball and flatten it. Put 1 tbsp of stuffing mixture in the center.Draw up the edges towards the center to cover the mixture properly. Again flatten it on a floured board to give the shape of a roti. •Put the paratha on a preheated gridlle.Turn after cooking for 1-2 minute. After a minute apply ghee around the edges and turn again. • Fry till the brownish spots appear on both sides Paneer Paratha is ready. Serve it with fresh curd and enjoy.

PUDINA PARATHA

3 cups Wheat Flour • 1 cup Mint Leaves (Pudina), chopped • ½ tsp Carom Seed (Ajwain) • Oil /Ghee (as required)Salt to taste

Heat a tawa and dry the mint leaves in it. Take the dried mint leaves and blend them in a mixer to a fine powder.Sieve the flour. Now, take a bowl and mix in it powdered mint leaves, salt, ajwain and wheat flour.Add to this mixture enough water so as to knead it to make semi hard dough. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and keep it aside for about 10 minutes.Now, take a little portion of the dough and roll it out giving it a circular shape Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the dough.Cook the rotis in the tawa with oil. The pudina paratha would be done when both the sides turn golden brown.Serve hot Pudina Parathas with chutney.

GREEN PEAS PARATHA

2 cups Boiled Green Peas

• 3 cups Whole Meal Flour • 1 tsp Cumin Seeds

• 5 Green chillies • 3 tbsp Ghee

• 1/2 tsp Salt • Ghee for frying • Water as required

• Grind the boiled green peas.

• Put a little ghee in a vessel and heat it to fry the cumin seeds.

• Now add green chillies and fry for a minute and then add the crushed peas and salt.Again cook the mixture for 1 minute and keep aside to cool.Sieve the flour and add ghee to it.Make the dough by adding sufficient waterKnead the dough properly and roll out 10-12 pieces.Take a piece and flatten it.Put 1 tbsp of stuffing mixture in the center.Draw up the edges towards the center to cover the mixture properly.Again flatten it on a floured board to give the shape of a rotiPut the paratha on a preheated skillet. Turn after cooking for 1-2 minute.After a minute apply ghee around the edges and turn again. Fry till the brownish color appears on both sides.• Green peas paratha is ready. Serve it with curd or pickle.

Kuttu Rajgiri Parathas

1-1/2 cup Kuttu Ka Atta

• 1 cup Rajgiri (roasted) • 1 Potato (boiled / mashed) • 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves (chopped)

• 2 Green Chilies (chopped) • 1 tsp Ginger (grated)

• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder • 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

• 1 tsp Lemon Juice • Salt to taste

• 1 tbsp Oil For making dough, mix salt, kuttu flour and water to make soft pliable dough. Cover the dough with a moist cloth; keep it aside. • For making the filling; heat oil in a heavy pan, add cumin seeds and allow it to splutter. Now add ginger, mashed potatoes, lemon juice, coriander leaves, toasted rajgiri grains and mix them well. Keep it aside. • To make parathas, divide the dough into six parts and shape it into balls. • Roll each ball of dough to rounds 5" in diameter. Place one portion of filling in centre and bring together all edges of round over filling. Press lightly to form a thick round and grime lightly with kuttu flour. Roll the round into a paratha 6" in diameter. • Heat the griddle and put the paratha on it. Roast both of its sides lightly and allow it to turn golden on low flame. • Kuttu Rajgiri Paratha is ready to eat. Serve hot with coconut or pumpkin chutney

Lifafa Paratha 2 cups Plain Flour

• 1 cup Milk1 tbsp Melted Ghee

• ¼ cup Paneer, grated

• ½ cup Cauliflower, grated • ½ tsp Ginger, finely chopped • 1 tsp Green Chilies, chopped

• 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped

• Butter/ghee • Salt to taste

• Take a bowl and mix grated cauliflower, finely chopped ginger, green chilies, paneer, coriander and salt. Keep aside this mixture. • In a separate bowl, make a mix of plain flour, little salt, milk and melted ghee. Knead this mixture into a soft dough, by adding little water. • Take small portion of the dough and roll it out into the shape of a round roti.Bake it lightly in the tawa by applying little butter/ghee. Now, spread little filling mixture over it and close it like an envelope. Cook it properly by applying a little more butter/ghee.The parathas are done when pink spots start appearing on the top. • Serve hot Lifafa Parathas with curry, curd or pickle.

METHI PARATHA

2 cups Whole-Wheat Flour

• 1 tsp Fennel Seeds (roasted and crushed)

• Salt to taste • 2 tbsp Fenugreek Leaves (chopped

• 2 tbsp Ghee or oil

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.Make soft and pliable dough using warm water.Knead the dough well Leave it for about 10 minutes.Fold in the chopped fenugreek leaves.Divide the dough into equal parts.Roll out flat parathas from each portion.

Heat a griddle and cook the parathas.Apply ghee on both sides.

Methi Parathas are ready to serve.

MOOLKI PARATHA

2 Medium Sized Mooli(Daikon Radish peeled)

• 3 cup Wheat Flour 2 tbsp Ghee

• 2 Green chillies (chopped)1/2 tsp Amchur Powder

• 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves (chopped)1/8 tsp Turmeric Powder

• 1 tsp SaltWater as per requirementTake radish and grate it.

Sprinkle little salt over it and keep it aside for half an hour.Squeeze the water out and add green chillies, coriander leaves and salt.Sieve the flour. Add 1tbsp ghee and all the remaining ingredients.Knead it properly to form a semi-solid doughRoll out thin rotis out of the dough. Cook these rotis on a preheated skillet until it turns lightly crispy. Apply ghee on both sides. Serve hot with fresh curd or pickle.

PALAK PARATHA

1 cup Spinach2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

¼ cup Coriander Leaves, chopped¼ tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Cumin Seeds, roasted1 tsp Carom Seeds (Ajwain), roasted

1 Onion, chopped 2 Green ChiliesSalt to taste Oil/butter (as required)

Boil water in a pan and add palak.Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.Strain out the water and allow the palak to cool.

Grind the coriander leaves, palak and green chillies to make a fine paste.Take bowl and add in it wheat flour, carom, cumin, onions, palak paste, chilli powder, 1 tbsp oil and salt. Mix well and knead it to make smooth dough, by adding enough water.Take a small portion of the dough and roll it giving a circular shape.Repeat the same procedure with rest of the dough.Cook the rotis in tawa with ghee.The parathas are done, when both the sides turn golden brown.Serve hot and crispy Palak Paratha with butter and curd.

ROTIS

BAJRA ROTI

5 cup Millet flour

A pinch Salt 6 - 7 tbsp Ghee Warm WaterSieve the millet flour and add salt to it. Gradually add enough warm water and knead with greased palms to make a semi-soft dough. Knead the dough 5 minutes before making the roti.Divide the dough equally into lemon-sized portions.Flatten each portion with palms pressing the edges together to make 5 - 6 inch diameter discs.Heat a griddle at high flame and put a roti on it and roast both sides. Then put it directly on a coal fire to make it crisp.Smear 2 tbsp ghee on it, crumple lightly between both palms and serve hot. Repeat with the other rotis.Serve immediately with yoghurt or garlic chutney.

COORGI ROTI

1 ½ cup Rice (cooked)2 cups Rice Flour

1 ½ tsp SaltWater (as required)

Ghee/oil (as required)

How to make Coorgi Roti:

Take a bowl and mix the rice flour and salt. Don't forget to sieve the rice flour before usingBlend the cooked rice with two tablespoons of water in a mixer.Now add the cooked rice mixture to the rice flour and mix wellKnead it into a dough by mixing enough water.Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and keep it aside for some time.Now take a small portion of the dough and make a round ball. Then roll it up giving it the shape of a roti

Repeat the process with the rest of the dough.

Cook the rotis in a tawa with little oil or ghee till brown specks appear.Smear the rotis with ghee and serve them hot with chutney or pickle.

KHASTA ROTI

2 Cups wheat flour.4 tsp Ghee 1/2 tsp Baking powder

1 Cup milk.1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt to tasteMix baking powder, cumin seeds, salt and ghee with the flour thoroughly.Add milk to the mixture and make soft dough.Roll out equal balls out of the dough and make paranthas.Place them on heated tawa and cook it well. Serve it with butter.

MISI ROTI

2 cup Whole Wheat Flour

2 cup Gram Flour2 tbsp Dry Fenugreek Leaves

1/2tsp Red Chili Powder

A pinch of turmeric powder2 tbsp Ghee/Oil

Salt to taste Water as required

• Mix all the ingredients and make semi solid dough by adding a little water.Thoroughly knead the dough and keep it aside for at least half an hour. Then knead it again.Make small balls out of this dough.Roll out rotis from these balls.Apply ghee and use a preheated skillet to cook them.Serve misi roti with sarson ka saag and enjoy.

RAAGI ROTIRagi flour

4 Onions, finely chopped 1 Bunch coriander

1 Cup grated coconut Finely chopped green chilies

Finely chopped curry leaves Salt to tasteLittle sugar

Combine onions, coconut, curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chilies and salt with little waterAdd ragi flour and some more water.Mix well and knead to make dough. Set the dough aside for some time.Apply little oil on a griddle.

Roll out chapattis from small portions of the dough.Smear with oil and bake the roti at low heat till well done.Serve the ragi roti with pudina chutney.

TANDOORI ROTI

2 cups Wheat Flour

• 2 tsp Baking Powder½ cup Plain Yogurt

½ cup Maida ½ cup Milk

2 tbsp Ghee Salt to taste

How to make Tandoori Roti:

Mix the flour, maida, yoghurt, baking powder, milk and salt together. Pour enough water into it to make dough. Knead for about 10 min or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

Cover the dough and leave it for 20-30 min. After due time, divide it into small balls of equal portions.Occasionally, apply some flour to roll the balls into a thick (4-5 mm) circular/oblong shape.Apply ghee over the rotis. Now bake each roti for 4-5 min in a tandoor or oven at the temp of 200 degrees CelsiusTandoori Roti is ready to eatServe hot with any veg / non-veg curry.

Coriander Roti

2 cups Wheat Flour 1 cup Fresh Coriander (finely chopped) 3 Green Chillies (finely chopped)

1 tsp Coriander (dhania) Powder 1 tsp Cumin Seed Powder (jeera powder)1 tbsp Besan (gram flour) ½ tsp Haldi (turmeric) Powder Oil (as required) Salt to taste

Take a big bowl and put wheat flour into it. Add in besan, haldi powder, salt, and coriander and cumin seed powder, and mix well.Now add the finely chopped coriander and green chillies in the mixtureNext add 3 teaspoons of oil and knead the mixture into soft dough with enough water.Make small balls of the dough and roll each one into circular rotis.Heat the tawa and fry these rotis with oil or ghee/butter.Cook until both the sides appear brown Serve Coriander roti hot with mint chutney, dahi and curry.

STUFFED BAJRA ROTI

2 cup Bajra FlourA Pinch of SaltFor stuffing:

1/2 cup Paneer (crumbled)

2 tbsp Fenugreek Leaves (chopped)

1 Green Chili(chopped)1 Large Tomato(chopped) Salt to taste

Seive the flour and mix salt to it.Make a dough by adding hot water occasionally.Knead the dough well and divide it into 16 equal parts.Roll out each part into thin chapattis.Put little stuffing on one chapatti and spread.Cover with another chapatti and press well to make one roti.Repeat the procedure for the remaining stuffing and rotis.Cook these rotis on a hot griddle on both sideswithout using oil.Stuffed Bajra Roti is ready.Apply butter just before serving.

BISIBELABATH

Rice – 1 cup
Toor dal – ½ cup
Vegetables (Carrot, Beans, Potato, Cauliflower, Peas, Bean Seeds) – each ½ cup
Onion (medium) – 1 No
Shallot (Baby Onion) – 10 Nos
Tomato – 2 Nos
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Tamarind Juice – 1 ½ – 2 cup
Hing – ½ tsp
Salt – to taste
Butter/Ghee – for seasoning
Cashew nuts – 5 pieces

TO GRIND:

Channa dal – 2 tbsp
Coriander seeds – 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds (venthayam) – ½ tsp
Whole Pepper (Optional) – 5 Nos
Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
Cloves – 2 Nos
Cardamom – 2 Nos
Red chilies – 10 – 12 Nos
Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp

PREPARATION:

Take a pressure cooker; cook the rice and toor dal together for 4 whistles using 4 -5 cups of water.
Take a kadai, add few drops of oil, and add the channa dal, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, red chilies, fenugreek seeds, cardamom and cloves. Fry all until golden color. Finally add the grated coconut and fry it for few minutes. Make sure doesn’t burn.

Grind all the sauted items in to powder using a mixie. Take a big pan, add 2 tbsp of oil, when it’s hot add the chopped onion and shallot and stir well. Cook it until golden color. Add turmeric powder and hing mix it well.

Add the chopped tomato and mix well. Add all the chopped veggies and add 2 cups of water. Let it half cooked.
Then add the tamarind juice and boil it for 2 minutes. Add the salt and the above ground spice mixture and mix it well. Cook until all the veggies are tender. Cook it in the medium heat.
Then add the cooked rice and dal and mix it well. Add water, if necessary. Let it cook for few minutes.
Splutter the mustard seeds in ghee/butter add the curry leaves and roast the cashew nuts in the ghee/butter. Add this to the rice mixture. If you want you can add more ghee/butter to your taste.
Serve it hot with raita and chips/papad

Videos of my Daughter Swathi

2010-09-17T02:56:00.000-07:00

Healthy Tips - Sparkling Eyes

2010-09-15T20:42:00.001-07:00

SPARKLING EYES …..

Your eyes are the windows to your soul. And healthy, sparkling eyes are the sign of a well-adjusted, happy, human being. Needless to say that this is a very attractive quality as well as a sign of true beauty. Something that every person aims for.

Now how does one go about achieving this It's quite simple really. One must try to remain calm and relaxed in the most adverse circumstances. Life does not always go the way we want, but always works out best in the long run. If we are accepting and content with our lot then our path automatically smoothens out. But this is the way to true inner beauty. Let's see how we can handle these windows to our soul externally.

The easiest way is through make-up. You can always emphasize or intensify the shape and colour of your eyes with the help of a kohl pencil, eyeliners and eye shadows. But the best way to maintain that inner sparkle is to take care of your health. Avoid long hours and do not overstrain your eyes.

How Should We Avoid Eye-Strain

One of the most common causes of eyestrain is inadequate lighting while reading or even doing housework, like cleaning, mending or sewing. This causes a weary, dull feeling that can simply be avoided by proper lighting.

Another common fault is the angle at which you tend to hold a paper or book while reading. People generally tend to hold it too close to their eyes and strain them in the process. The correct method is to hold the book about ten inches away from your face. i.e. neither too close nor too far. The same goes for watching television or when using the computer.

Lastly, if none of the above tips seem to help, then you must consult an optician to check your number. Do not worry as you can go in for contact lenses. In any case, nowadays spectacles have become a wonderful accessory. If you already have spectacles, then make sure you get your eyes tested every two years or so in order to keep a check on your number.

Simple Home Remedies For Tired Eyes

1. To soothe tired eyes, dip cotton pads in chilled milk and place on closed eyes for 10 minutes. Now relax completely.
2. Alternatively, you can place slices of cucumber or grated cucumber on closed eyelids for about 10 minutes and relax completely.
3. To completely relax the eyes and the surrounding muscles, close your eyes and think of something that is pleasant or soothing and at a distance. Now gently open your eyes and look into the distance. Next focus on an object at arm's length. Do this extremely relaxing exercise four to five times a day.

Make Your Eyes Sparkle

Soak 1 tsp. dry amla in one cup of water overnight. Next morning strain it through a muslin cloth and then add one extra cup of water. Splash your eyes with this solution each morning and watch your eyes sparkle.

Problems With Puffy Eyes

All you need to do is grate a potato with its peel and apply on your closed eyelids for about 20 minutes and relax completely. You may even take a nap. You will wake up feeling extremely fresh.

Tips For Dark Circles

1. Apply cucumber juice below your eyes every night just before going to bed.
2. Mix the pulp of a quarter tomato, turmeric powder, lemon juice and gramflour (besan). Apply this mixture on your dark circles and wash off once it dries.

DARK CIRCLES:

Does your face match with the area under your eyes Here's help for combating dark circles and under-eye puffiness.
Causes

Dark circles are often caused due to sleeplessness or disturbed sleep. If you find yourself developing dark circles, you need to first catch up on your sleep. Genetics too could predispose you to developing dark circles.
Other factors causing dark under-eye circles include:

Drinking an excess of beverages that contain caffeine.
Smoking
Allergies
Thyroid problems
A lack of iron in your body during menstruation. This often contributes to dark circles, which is why some women have a tendency to develop dark circles during their period.

Remedies
First of all, try and figure out the reason you have developed dark circles. Have you always had them Are they a recent occurrence Does your mother have dark circles under the eyes as well Once you can pinpoint the cause for dark circles, it would be much easier for you to get rid of them.
1. Are you allergic to something If yes, work on avoiding the allergens.
2. Apply Vitamin E to the area under your eye. You could open up a Vitamin E capsule, and apply a little oil. Swallow the rest of the oil. This not only helps you get rid of dark circles, but also reduces puffiness around the eyes. In addition, regular application of Vitamin E delays the onset of wrinkles.
3. Apply creams that contain Vitamin C.
4. Inverted asana postures work wonders for dark circles. Try doing the sarvangasana everyday. Often dark circles and under-eye puffiness is caused due to sinusitis. Jal Neti is extremely beneficial in such cases, as it internally cleanses your entire facial region, rejuvenating it. Do the Jal Neti at least five times a week to clean out your entire nasal passage.
5. Swallow a capsule of cod liver oil everyday. It strengthens eyes.
6. Take a teaspoon of tomato juice, a few drops of lemon juice, a pinch of turmeric powder and a little flour, enough to make a paste. Apply this paste to the under-eye area, and wash off after fifteen minutes.
7. Drink at least ten glasses of water everyday. There is no stressing this enough. If you do not drink at least eight glasses of water everyday, you are not providing your body with as much water as it requires for flushing out toxins. Do not wait until you are thirsty before drinking up. By the time your body cries I'm thirsty!, you are already severely dehydrated.
8. Avoid stepping out in the sun, especially between noon to four, when the sun is at its strongest. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes, and the delicate skin around it, from the harmful effects of UV radiation.
9. Apply a cold, used tea bag to your eyes. You could also applied used, cold, herbal tea leaves to your eyes, to sooth them.
10. Apply a concealer to the area under your eyes, to hide dark circles. Use a colour that is every so slightly lighter than the shade of your skin. Apply the concealer gently; do not stretch or pull the skin from this delicate area.
11. Lie down, close your eyes and apply cucumber or potato slices to your lids. Leave on for ten minutes and remove. Wash the area with cold water. This soothes tired eyes instantly, and helps boost blood circulation in the under-eye area.
12. Try out dark circle remover creams available in the market. Make sure they are of a recognized brand before applying them to your face.

How can I get rid of dark circles See what our beauty and medical experts have to say

PREVENTING EYE PROBLEM:\

Ignoring regular eye care can invite serious eye problems. Learn to take proper care of your eyes and have a clear vision and eye sight throughout life.

Our eyes are most precious and sensitive organs of the body. However eye care is taken for granted. Eye problems arise as a result of ignoring eye care in most of the cases. Taking such risk can result in loss of the vision in future. Therefore you should learn to prevent eye problems from the beginning itself.

As computer has become an inevitable part of daily life eye problems are common. Though eye problems are usual they can be prevented. You need to be a little careful and wise to avoid major eye-problems. Read on and learn some rules of thumb to protect your precious set of eyes.

Daily eye care

Make eye care a part of your daily life. It will be much easier for you to chuck out the eye problem from the root. Here are some tips for daily eye care

Wash your eyes with cold water at least twice or thrice a day.
Keep cucumber slices on your eyes for soothing them after work that put strain on your eyes.
Drink adequate amount of water each day.
Include food rich in vitamin A, C and E in your diet.

Eye exercises

Eye exercises are vital for preventing eye problems. Looking up, looking down, looking at the corners, palming, moving eyes in circular motion, concentrating on one point are some simple ways of doing eye exercises. Regular eye exercise provides benefits like improved vision, maintenance of eyesight, reducing eye stress, etc. One should do eye exercises regularly to get all the benefits. Eye exercise is the effortless way of avoiding serious eye problems. You can also try yoga for eyes which helps you to maintain your eyesight.

Contact lens care

Taking care of your contact lenses is an important aspect of eye care and hygiene. As contact lenses are closest to eye, more care is necessary. However preferring contact lenses over eye glasses can help you to maintain your eye number. You should clean your contact lenses regularly. You should use suitable products for cleaning your lenses. Try to keep your contact lenses moist and remove them while sleeping.

Contact lenses are available in various forms like coloured contact lenses, hard contact lenses, soft contact lenses, etc. Each type of contact lens is required to be handled differently. You should try to learn more about the type of contact lenses you are using. This will help you to take proper care of your lenses and avoid contamination. Contamination of contact lenses can create serious eye problems. Follow the instructions given by your optician while using your contact lenses.

Wearing eye glasses

Eye Glasses are an important tool to protect eyes. Eye glasses protect the eyes from the direct exposure of light. They also help to protect eyes from tiny dust particles causing harm. It also protects eyes from the heat and the radiations of the sun. You can also use spectacles specially designed to prevent eye problems due to computer. It is advisable to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harsh sunrays.

Regular eye check up

Regular eye check up is essential to know the condition of your eyes. You can find out the increase or decrease in your eye number. This will help you to take suitable measures to prevent eye problems. You will also be able to seek expert's help regularly. You should visit an eye specialist for a check up at least once in a year.

Avoiding eye strain

If you want to avoid eye strain you need to follow some simple remedies. Have a quick look at the tips for preventing eye strain and avoid eye problems.

Avoid working on computer, reading or writing continuously for long hours, take short breaks in between
Make sure that there is sufficient light while working
Avoid holding paper or book too close or too far from your eyes while reading
Use spectacles continuously if you have eye number
Try blinking your eyes frequently to keep them moist

Your eyes speak; let them speak clearer and louder by preventing eye problems. Healthy and sparkling eyes add on to your beauty. Follow the eye care regime and get set with good vision and eye sight throughout your life.

How do you prevent eye problems? Do you follow eye care regime daily? How do cope with eye problems? To share your experiences, views, and tips, click here.

Healthy Tips - Make Your Face Bright and Attractive

2010-09-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

HOW TO KEEP YOUR FACE BRIGHT AND PLESANT .FEW TIPS FOR YOU:

QUICK HERBAL TIPS

Down the ages, Indian women have used simple, effective home-made remedies to look after their skin.

Skin Cleanser:
Found in your own kitchen is a simple, chemical free cleanser � good ol� unboiled milk. All you need to do is dip a piece of cotton wool in milk and wipe your face with it. It also cleans unseen dirt and goes down into your pores. Another fine cleanser is almond oil, especially effective in protecting the delicate skin under the eyes.

Skin Moisturizer: For normal skin care, you can take 1 cup of yogurt, 1 tablespoon orange juice and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and mix it into a paste. Apply it on your face as a mask and keep it on for 15 minutes. Then clean it off with a wet tissue watch your complexion glow. For dry skin, you could use a mixture of cooked oatmeal and honey; it will not only help moisturize the skin but also acts as a good cleansing agent.

Skin Nourishment and Bleach: For nourishing your face try a protein mask. You can prepare this mask by first soaking 1 tablespoon urad dal and 4 almonds in water overnight and then grinding them into a paste. You can then apply this protein mask to your face and wash it off after half an hour. This exceptional protein mask will not only nourish the skin but also bleach it.

Wrinkle Prevention and Softer Skin: To prevent wrinkles and soften your skin, you could try pure castor oil; it is known to slow down the aging process of the skin.

Skin Conditioner: Another simple and excellent skin conditioner that can be made out of 1 tbsp. honey blended with 2 tbsp. cream (of milk). Leave it on for a few minutes and wash it off. It works like magic.

Skin Blemishes: For skin blemishes, you can try rubbing a raw potato on your face.

Sun-Protection Lotion:
It�s summer time. Time to cool off. So let�s wind up with a good home-made sun-protection lotion. Take cucumber juice and equal amounts of glycerine and rose water and make a concoction. This should be refrigerated. Try it, it�s really cool. The Indian beauty has a hundred tips up her sleeve, so visit us again for some more beauty secrets next week

AN APPALE A DAY MAKES A MAN HEALTHY ::TAKE HEALTHY FOODS TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SKIN.

SKIN CARE THROUGH EATING HEALTHY:

A healthy glowing complexion is the most important attribute of a natural beauty. Beauty care starts with the skin. The first step, then, would be to take care of what you put on the inside, because it shows up on the outside!

Did you know that scaly skin is a result of fluorine deficiency? Fluorine is the anti-resistant element of the human body, the absence of which creates problems in the blood and spleen. Since cooking and heating foods destroys fluorine, it is better to eat uncooked raw fruits and vegetables. Other foods rich in fluorine are goat milk and cheese, rye flour, avocados, sea plants and cabbage, cream whey and cottage cheese.

Sodium deficiency causes skin to become sticky and makes it wrinkle faster. Cucumbers are ideal for combating and preventing sodium deficiency because they are not only high in sodium, but also help in keeping the body cool, a great summer�s treat.

Skin rashes are the result of silicon deficiency. To avoid pus and rashes, eat plenty of sprouts, alfalfa, barley, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries and figs.

Chlorophyll supplements that are found in wheat grass and other green leafy vegetables are excellent to combat skin eruptions.

Always remember that most skin problems start with the kidneys. So flush out your system with plenty of water and eat foods with high iodine content like carrots, beetroot and leafy vegetables. An ideal way to start your day is with a glass of water with a twist of lime and 1 tsp. honey. Drink at least 10 - 12 glasses of water the rest of the day; it not only improves digestion but also clears out toxins from your body.

SKIN TYPE AND SKIN CARE:

Your skin is not a part of your body that you can forget about (like an appendix or a kidney), assuming that it will look after itself. It is a high-maintenance part of your body, which is sensitive to the slightest changes in your health, emotions and environment. You binge on chocolates and your face becomes a mass of pimples; you don't get a good night's sleep and dark circles appear under your eyes; you're out in the sun a lot and you get burnt or develop freckles. The list is endless. So let's take a look at skin care regimes for different kinds of skin.

Dry skin

Use a rich cream cleanser instead of soap and water. Avoid astringents, as they will further dry your skin. Instead, use a mild skin toner after cleansing your skin. Apply a good moisturizing lotion in the day, before sleeping, before applying make-up and after removing make-up.

Once a week, wash your face with the juice of a melon. You can give yourself a weekly facial by mixing a yolk of an egg with two tablespoons of milk and half a tablespoon of honey. Apply this on your face and leave it on for about fifteen minutes. Then wash with lukewarm water. If you're out in the sun a lot, milk mixed with melted butter helps soften the dry skin.

Lanolin, apple juice, peach juice, sour cream and crushed almonds are also helpful for dry skin.

Oily skin

You may not believe it, but oily skin actually has some advantages. As a result of excess lubrication, wrinkles do not form prematurely and skin is not much affected by wind and sunlight. However, oily skin is a magnet for dirt and grime and thus a good and regular cleansing regime is a must. If oily skin is not cleaned thoroughly and regularly, the dirt will clog the pores in the skin and blackheads will appear.

People with oily skin should wash their faces with medicated soap and water. The use of astringents is advised as they have a tightening and drying effect on the skin. Buttermilk or beaten egg whites also have a drying and tightening effect. Parsley juice mixed with honey and a few drops of lemon or ginger is good for an oily skin. This mixture controls the secretion of oil.

Fuller's earth (Multani mitti), oatmeal, almond paste, or lime juice or vinegar mixed with water are excellent cleansers. Steaming opens up the clogged pores and you can push out blackheads and whiteheads and prevent pimples.

Avoid rich fried foods and load up on green vegetables instead. Take two tablespoons of lecithin granules (a by-product of soyabeans) daily.

After washing your face, soak a towel in hot water and press it to your face. Repeat this process two or three times. Next wet the towel in ice-cold water and repeat the process two or three times to close enlarged pores.

Cucumber, parsley, cabbage, tomato, yoghurt and lemon are natural aids for an oily skin.

Combination skin

If you have an oily nose and forehead, but dry cheeks and chin, you will have to treat each area of your face separately depending on whether it is dry or oily

SUNNY SKIN SIDE EFFECTS:

People tend to look upon the sun in a friendly way. It is what gives us warmth and life. It is associated with good times and cheer. Yet the sun can affect your skin in a distinctly unfriendly fashion. Ask anyone who has stretched out under the fiery rays on a beach in search of the perfect tan and got burnt instead; or someone whose face is a mass of freckles. None of them could be very happy with what the sun has done to their skin. Here are some practical ways of coping with the effects of the sun.

Freckles

If your skin has a light smattering of freckles, pat some lime juice or buttermilk onto the freckles and then leave it on till it dries. Radish is also useful in combating freckles. A combination of four tablespoons of grated radish and a few drops of vinegar makes a good bleaching paste. You can also boil grated horseradish in milk to make a mild bleach. Fresh green beans boiled and then mashed can be applied as a poultice. Rum is also helpful, but the idea is not to drink it, but to mix two ounces of lemon juice to one ounce of rum and then apply this mixture to your freckles.

If you need to use something stronger for those stubborn freckles, a stronger bleach can be prepared by boiling an ounce of horseradish in half a litre of butttermilk for about an hour. Strain the solution and then apply on your freckles. Another strong bleaching agent can be concocted by mixing sixty grains of borax powder with five ounces of lemon juice. Apply this paste at bedtime.

A good tip to keep in mind is that any fruit or vegetable that contains Vitamin C can be used to bleach freckles.

Sunburns

Excessive exposure to the sun's rays makes the pigment in the skin come up to the surface in order to protect the skin from burning. This is the reason your skin becomes darker.

The phrase cool as a cucumber is not completely baseless. Cucumbers are very useful in soothing sunburns. Peel and grate a cucumber. Then take out the juice and mix it with half a teaspoon of glycerine and half a teaspoon of rose water. Pat this solution onto your skin and experience the cooling effect. You can also soak some pieces of cucumber in a cup of milk for a few hours and then apply the milk on your sunburn. A mixture made of equal parts of lime water and linseed oil is also a good alternative. Cod-liver oil, potato juice and even a solution of ordinary tea can have a cooling effect. A homemade face mask constituting one egg-white mixed with a little honey and witch hazel is also very effective in dealing with sunburn.
Darkened skin For some people a fair skin is of utmost importance. Here are a few simple home bleaching ideas. Mostly all the sunburn remedies also have a bleaching effect. However, they are more suitable for oily skins as they also have a drying effect. So if you are going to use these remedies, remember to follow them up with some nourishing cream if you have dry skin.

Those with dry skin who would prefer not to use the above remedies, could try soaking one slice of lemon in one cup of milk. Then strain the milk and apply it on your face. This serves as a mild bleaching agent and does not dry the skin as much. You could also substitute a pinch of bicarbonate of soda for the lemon.

Grapes are gentler on the skin than lemon juice. What you need to do is to wash a bunch of grapes thoroughly. Then sprinkle them with alum powder and salt. Next, wrap them in aluminium foil or brown paper and bake for 20 minutes in an oven. Finally, squeeze out the juice and wash your face with it.

TEN BEAUTIFUL BEAUTY TIPS FO YOU:::

1. Brushing Up Make body brushing a part of your daily routine. Scrubbing out dirt and grime is the least of its advantages. Body brushing tones and stimulates skin, helping with the natural drainage of the lymph glands. It also helps combat cellulite. When brushing, work towards the heart, up from your legs and thighs, and down from your neck. Oh, and remember, skin should be dry while body-brushing, so make sure you have a soft brush - you don't want abrasions that are hard to explain!

2. Banana Rama For a great homemade face softener, try this: mash a banana and apply it to your face. Leave on for ten minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. Your face feels like satin. Plus, it puts those over ripe gooey bananas to good use!

3. Pearly White Ever looked in the mirror and felt that your teeth were going from white to off-white to yellow? Take a hard look at your habits. The biggest culprits in the teeth-yellowing process are tobacco, coffee, tea and red wine. So if you must indulge, brush your teeth afterwards whenever possible, or at least rinse with water.

4. Shades Of Summer A snazzy pair of sunglasses not only looks great, but also delays the onset of crow's feet (wrinkles on the sides of the eyes) which are accelerated by squinting in the sun.

5. Peaches And Cream

Great looks come with great skin, so get crackin' on that epidermis. Dirt and oil blocks pores causing blackheads and pimples, while dirt, grime and pollutants are drawn to oily skin like moths to a flame. So wash your face as often as possible, and cleanse at least twice a day.

6. Instant Glow So you've just reached home after a nerve-wrecking day at the office and have to leave immediately for a dinner party thrown by your husband's most revered business client. How to get that glow in a flash? You could cheat and layer on the blusher, but a better option would be to try this: simply mix equal amounts of lemon and honey, apply it to your face and wash off after ten minutes.

7. Luscious Locks Nothing improves the quality of your hair better than getting a regular oil massage. Get it done at home once a week if you have a husband or mother-in-law that dotes on you, or visit your neighbourhood parlour.

8. All Steamed Up After applying oil wrap your hair in a steaming towel for twenty minutes. Give your hair this steaming treatment at least once a month. Steaming hair after applying oil helps it soak deeper into the follicles.

9. Fun In The Sun The sun's warmth may make you feel good but it's ultraviolet rays over time cause at best, dry wrinkly skin and at worst, skin cancer. Don't step out without loading on that sunscreen. In the summers, avoid stepping out between 12:00 to 2:00 when the sun is at its peak.

10. Water, Water Everywhere You can never drink too much water. It flushes out your toxins and is great for the skin, liver and just about every conceivable body organ! It keeps you cool and feeling fresh, reduces dehydration and rejuvenates your body cells. Drink at least ten glasses of water in a day. Bottoms up!

HONEY HONEY HONEY IF YOUR LIFE PARTNER WANTS TO CALL YOU LIKE THIS….. YOU NEED TO TAKE HONEY DAILY IN YOUR LIFE….All about honey…

Pour it on your paratha, stir it into your milk, dip your fruits in it, apply it to your face or hair, or simply pour a teaspoon down your throat. Whichever way you have it, rest assured, it's a treat for your health, skin and body.

Honey Cleansing Scrub

Take 2 tablespoons of finely ground almonds and mix it with a tablespoon of honey and ten drops of lemon juice. Apply this to your face and scrub gently. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Firming Mask

Whisk one tablespoon honey with the white of an egg. Add enough flour to this mixture so it forms a paste. You will require approximately quarter of a cup. Smooth this mixture over your face and rinse off after ten minutes with lukewarm water.

Hair Conditioner

Mix half a cup of honey with two tablespoons olive oil. If your hair is very dry, add a third tablespoon. Section off your hair and coat it well with the mixture. Cover your hair with a shower cap so you don't mess up the entire house. In addition, the shower cap traps heat from your scalp, enabling the oils to penetrate further. Wash off after half an hour.

Skin Toner Puree an apple with one tablespoon honey in a blender. Apply this mixture for face and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water. This makes a great toner.

For Dry Skin Take one tablespoon honey in a katori and add one teaspoon milk. Mix well and smooth it over face. Rinse off with lukewarm water after ten minutes. Your skin will feel soft instantly.

Smoothing Skin Lotion Mix one teaspoon honey with one teaspoon regular cooking oil and a quarter teaspoon lemon juice. Dip a cotton swab into this mixture and rub it into your elbows, hands and heels. Rinse off with lukewarm water after ten minutes.

Skin Softening Bath Fill up your tub with warm water and add a quarter cup honey for a smooth, silky bath.

Hair Shine Stir 1 teaspoon honey into 4 cups warm water. After shampooing, pour mixture through hair. Do not rinse out. Dry as usual. Your hair will shine.

Vocal Cords Ever wondered what it feels like to have a voice as melodious as that of Lata Mangeshkar? Now is your chance to find out. A teaspoon of honey a day soothes your throat and enhances the sweetness of your vocal chords � you're set to be the singing sensation of the millennium. (All you need is ten hours of practice a day�)

Energy Booster If you feel an instant boost of vitality after taking a teaspoon of honey, you're not imagining it. Honey is choc-a-bloc with vitamins, minerals, glucose and fructose, which is why it makes good sense to substitute sugar with honey whenever possible.

Healing Properties Applying honey on cuts and wounds helps them heal faster, as honey controls anti-oxidants which absorb the oxygen from the air and help the wound heal faster, without scarring. The ancient Egyptians used honey to treat cataracts, cuts and burns. Hippocrates, the Greek physician, prepared honey-based cures for skin disorders and ulcers. During World War I, German doctors used honey mixed with cod liver oil to surgically dress soldiers' wounds. So what are you waiting for? Rush to the kitchen and grab a spoonful of honey!

ALL ABOUT LIME:

If there's one beauty item your kitchen shelf should not be without, it's the humble LEMON. Here are just a few of the ways you can use it, to achieve spectacular results.

Skin Sense

Mix a few drops of lemon juice with an equal amount of water. Apply it on your face with a cotton ball. This makes a great astringent.

Beset by blemishes? No problem. Simply dab the area with lemon juice a few times a day. This removes the redness from the blemished area.

Mix the juice from 1 lemon with 2 parts coarse salt and 1 part olive oil to make a paste. Step into the shower and massage into body. Turn on the shower and rinse. Pat dry and apply a rich moisturiser. This makes a great exfoliating scrub and leaves your skin soft and glowing.

Turmeric powder is also excellent for your skin. Mix turmeric powder along with a little lemon juice and wash off after 10 minutes. Be careful though the yellow tends to stain the face, so do this before going to bed.

You can make an excellent face mask by mixing 2 tablespoons papaya pulp with 10 drops of lemon juice. Rinse off after 20 minutes. You've heard it said again and again - you can never drink too much water, but what's even better is water to which a twist of lemon has been added. (No sweet or other masalas - we're not talking nimboo pani here!) This is not only great for your health, but good for your complexion as well.

Step by Step to Steam Cleansing

Most skin types benefit from regular steaming, but don't steam your face if you have thread veins as it would only worsen the condition. Also, don't steam your face more than once a week. it may dry your skin excessively. Bring a quarter of water to boil and take it to the table. Add the juice of half a lemon and a handful of any herbs (basil or mint). Tie back your hair and drape a towel over your head and the bowl to form a tent, to trap the steam. After you've steamed your face for fifteen minutes, gently squeeze out blackheads, if any, and splash it with cold water to close pores. Apply a moisturiser 15 minutes later.

A Natural Bleach

Streak your hair the natural way. Add lemon to strands of hair and sit in the sun for fifteen minutes. Do this sparingly because it could damage dry hair. Cut a lemon in half and rub it on hyper-pigmented areas like your elbows and knees to lighten them.

Mix a few drops lemon juice with an equal amount of honey if you have dry skin, or with cucumber juice if your skin is oily. Wash off after 15 minutes. Get rid of age spots. Cut a lemon wedge and hold it directly on the spot for ten minutes. Rinse with warm water. Repeat this every day until the spots lighten or vanish altogether!

Lemon is good for removing stains on teeth - rub with the peel, then rinse with water.

Hair Care

For hair that shines, add the juice of a lemon to one cup water. Pour it over your hair after shampooing as a final rinse. Do not rinse off.

Squeeze lemon juice in your hair while rinsing off the shampoo. This removes shampoo residue from your hair and smells great!

Troubled by hair loss? Try this: Mix the juice of one lemon with 4 tbsp coconut milk. Massage it into your scalp and wash off after half an hour. Do this at least once a week to arrest hairfall.

And More...

Instant refreshment for your face: Add lemon to water and freeze it. Rub your face with these lemonice cubes whenever you're hot, tired or simply bored... Soak your fingertips in a mixture of 1 cup warm water and the juice of 1/2 lemon for about 5 minutes. Rinse and pat dry, pushing back cuticles as you dry. Rub lemon peel over your nails and buff with a soft cloth. This is great for your nails. Do this once a week. Adding lemon to a warm bath helps to invigorate the body. You come out from your bath feeling fresh and fabulous!

TANGY TOMATOES:

Not many of us relish getting pelted on the face with tomatoes, but believe it or not, tomatoes are excellent for the skin.

The humble tomato is one item no kitchen shelf is ever without, no matter what the season or location. Perhaps this is why most of us take the tomato for granted and do not appreciate the tremendous health and beauty benefits it brings.

Not many of us relish getting pelted on the face with tomatoes, but believe it or not, tomatoes are excellent for the skin. In fact, as far as anti-ageing products go, tomatoes rank high on the list.

Tomatoes are rich in anti-oxidants and so they counter the ageing effects on the skin, by cutting out the number of free radicals in your body. Free radicals break down the support system for your hair and skin, so it makes sense to eat a tomato a day.

In addition, tomatoes help preserve moisture levels in the body. In the summer or winter, when our skin is exposed to artificial heating or cooling, moisture levels in our body fall. We need to constantly replenish this water supply, or our body will start sucking moisture from the skin and the hair. In addition to eating a tomato a day, it makes sense to drink no less than 10 to 12 glasses of water daily.

If your skin is oily, you can apply tomatoes to your face. It counters oily skin by absorbing surplus oil and also helps get rid of pimples and acne. Apply undiluted tomato paste to your face and leave on for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm, not hot, water. In addition, tomatoes also help lighten the complexion, especially if mixed with cucumber juice. This makes a great face mask for oily skin. Place a cucumber slice on each eyelid and cover the rest of your face with the mask, taking care to avoid the delicate under-eye area.

If your skin is dry, you can add some day-old curd to the tomato paste and then apply to your skin. Tomato masks have excellent anti-ageing properties, so start applying them once you cross the age of 25.

If your skin starts burning when you apply to tomato mask, wash it off. You should feel a gentle tingling sensation after applying the tomato but if it stings too much, you could wash it off and add curd before applying the mask.

Do you have a boil or a pimple? Apply tomato paste to it. The acids from the tomato will soothe the pain of a boil and will also speed its recovery.

Slightly red cheeks looks healthy and very appealing. Eating tomatoes regularly gives you a pink and glowing complexion, so eat up!

Hair Tip

If ever your hair has absorbed foul odour which you are not able to lose despite shampooing it, a great way to neutralize this odour and get rid of the smell would be to apply undiluted tomato paste to your scalp. Leave on for fifteen minutes and then wash it off. Your hair should be odour-free, and dandruff free.

WINTER BEAUTY TIPS

Chapped lips, dry hair, split ends, dry, itchy skin� all this and more is often wrought upon us every winter. Here are tips on how to ensure your hair and skin stays soft, supple and well moisturised during these months.

Lips Dry, cracked and chapped lips are a common winter complaint, and severe cases of chapped lips can be very painful, not to mention unattractive. What�s worse is that lipstick makes cracks stand out even more instead of concealing them. However, chapped and peeling lips can be cured within a couple of days. Apply lip balm generously and bush your lips gently with a soft toothbrush until the flakes have dislodged. Apply another coat of lip balm, and skip the lipstick unless it is richly moisturising. Matte lipsticks dry out lips, so steer clear of them. Brushing lips with a toothbrush also plumps them up and makes them look fuller and sexier, so do this every morning before stepping out.

Almond oil makes for a great lip moisturiser. Simply apply some almond oil to lips before turning in for the night. You could also heat grated beeswax and almond oil and mix them together. You could also add Vitamin E oil to this mixture.

Skin Skin often goes dry in the winter, but can return to normal within a week. When you splash water on your face, make sure it�s not hot water as hot water uses up the skin�s moisture. Cold water on the other hand stirs up circulation, temporarily closes large pores and brings a glow to the face, so splash cold water on your face a couple of times a day. However, skip washing your face with a face wash and instead opt for a gentle, cream cleanser. Make sure you use an alcohol-free toner and follow up with a thick moisturiser which contains collagen, lactic acid or urea. It is best to apply moisturiser on damp skin, as this locks in the moisture. Similarly, apply body lotion to your skin immediately after a shower, when your skin is still damp and you have not yet completely wiped it dry. Scrub your face once a week in the winter before applying moisturiser as this removes dead skin from the top and allows the moisturiser to reach the bottom layers of skin.

At times excessively dry skin can start itching. This happens when the skin develops cracks due to dryness, and bacteria and other irritants enter these cracks. These cracks are so fine that they are invisible to the naked eye, so if your face starts itching don�t expect to see a cracked up face in the mirror! Calamine lotions soothe itchy skin, as do aloe vera lotions. If itching is severe you could try applying Benadryl creams, which temporarily control the itching.

Hair Winter is often accompanied by dry hair, an increase in split ends, more static in the hair and more frizzies. Your hair requires not just conditioning but a deep conditioning treatment. For an at-home, do it yourself deep conditioning treatment, try this: Apply conditioner generously to your hair, cover your head with a shower cap and wash off after an hour, or leave on overnight and wash off in the morning. You could also steam your hair after applying the conditioner, and then wash it off after half an hour. Conditioner works better than oil because it is easier for conditioner to penetrate the hair shaft. Oiled hair is most benefited if hair is steamed after applying oil.

OH MY FAIR LADY!!!!!!

You can be beautiful even if you are dark, and unattractive even if you are fair. So why lay such a premium on fair skin.

Why is it so important to be fair

We all know women who are beautiful even if they are not light skinned, and we all know fair skinned girls who are unattractive. Still, all of us spend hours trying to lighten our skin and on wishing that we had lighter skin, and thousands of rupees on products that claim to lighten our skin.

More damaging than the time and money spent, is the inbuilt belief that you are in some manner inferior because you are not 'fair'.

Girls with dark complexions grow up wishing that they had lighter skin, and often develop an inferiority complex. Thankfully, for some, this complex vanishes as they grow older and wiser and discover numerous abilities and talents, but sadly, others never seem to be able to let go of the feeling of inadequacy. Not surprisingly though, when you take a look at any matrimonial ad, and the text will in all probability say looking for a convent educated, fair, beautiful girl And considering that our entire culture evolves around marriage, fair women suddenly seem to command a premium.

Any wonder then that a girl with dark skin will want to lighten it

Beauty companies feed off this inbuilt insecurity, and make millions as they sell their fairness creams to women. The ads make it seem so easy if you transform yourself into a fair skinned woman, you will get the job you want, and the man you want. Needless to say, it's not that easy, and no matter what you believe at the moment, the colour of your skin should be the lowest on your list of beautification priorities. Concentrate the time, effort and money that you would on trying to get fair, on something else, and the results would be far more satisfying.

Here are some tips:

It�s a mistaken belief that if you have dark skin, you should not colour your hair light. Nothing is further from the truth. Don't hesitate before adding blonde highlights. They brighten up your complexion, making you look radiant.

Take care of your hair, and ensure it is always well groomed.

If you have frizzy, flyaway hair, style it regularly so it doesn't look messy. 32 year old Hetal doesn't even remember what her hair looks like without blowdrying it, because she is so particular about blowdrying and styling her hair after every wash.

If you don't have the time or patience for blowdrying your hair regularly, get your hair permed. If you are light skinned, you can get away with sporting frizzy hair, but if you are dark, with dark, frizzy hair, colouring it and then blowdrying it straight even if you don't opt for chemical straightening, can make a world of a difference.

White and red suits dark skinned women, so wear these colours often. I know many women whose entire wardrobe consists only of 2-3 colours, because they know what colours suit them, and don't see the need to wear anything else. You could also figure out what colours don't suit you, and stay away from them. There is really no need to possess a top in every colour under the sun. If you have the features, cut your hair short (think Halle Berry). Not everyone can carry off hair this short, but if you can, go for it, as short hair that looks good looks far more effective and attractive than long hair.

Do fairness creams work

They do, to a certain extent. Don't fool yourself into believing that they will make you fair. They will, at the most, lighten your skin slightly, but glowing skin will only come from within. Exercise regularly, and before long your skin will start glowing with health and vitality and a glowing, healthy skin beats light, pale and unhealthy skin any day!

REMEDIES FOR GLOWING SKIN

Getting glowing skin is very easy with the help of home remedies. Some home remedies can really work wonders for getting glowing skin. These remedies are simple indeed and used since ages to get beautiful and glowing skin. Such remedies are not only effective but also help to save money spent on cosmetics, beauty products and beauty treatments. Read on to know more about the home remedies for glowing skin.

Seema tried almost all skin care and cosmetic products available in market for getting glowing skin. Whenever she saw any advertisement on television, she made sure that she buys that particular beauty product. Like many other women, Seema too was obsessed with glowing and beautiful skin. But she never thought about using herbal and home remedies for her skin care regime.

Seema spent thousands on skin care treatments, beauty products and cosmetics. However, her desire of getting glowing and beautiful skin remained unfulfilled. Finally, she decided to try some home remedies suggested by one of her good friends. It is unbelievable but these home remedies worked like a magic-wand on her skin. Have a quick look at some of the home remedies which can be used for getting glowing and flawless skin.

Simple Home Remedies for Glowing Skin

Here are some simple home remedies which can be tried using easily accessible and other ingredients available in your kitchen cabinet. If you are allergic to any of the ingredients or products mentioned below, avoid using them.

Ice and Moisturiser

If you want to get a glowing skin quickly, try using ice and moisturizer. Put few drops of moisturizer or malai on a cube of ice. Massage your face with this cube for 2-5 minutes. Practicing this remedy will help you to get glowing skin and fresh look instantly. You can try this remedy during winters when your skin becomes very dry and scaly. This remedy can also be used when you are feeling tired and dull to get quickly refreshed.

Ripe Papaya Paste

If you have some ripe papaya at home, use it as a beauty and skin care remedy. Take this ripe papaya and churn it into a thick paste. Apply this thick paste on your skin and massage slowly for few seconds. Use clean and cold water to wash your face after 10 -15 minutes. Wipe your face with dry cloth or towel after washing your face. This remedy is good for treating oily skin. Try this remedy once in every two weeks to get a refreshing look and glowing skin.

Curd

If you are worried about your dry skin, use curd. You can massage your skin with curd at least once in fifteen days. It will help you to get rid of dry skin as well as get glowing skin with an ease.

Besan or Gram Flour

A mixture of besan or gram flour, milk and turmeric powder is used by many people as a natural face pack. It helps to deal with oily skin and get a flawless and beautiful glow on your skin. Many people use this mixture while bathing their babies also. However, if you want to use this mixture for your baby, you should consult your doctor.

Mixture of Honey and Lemon juice

Mix honey with some lemon juice and make a paste out of it. Apply this paste evenly on your facial skin. You can also use this paste on your hands, legs, neck and back. Let this pack stay on your skin for at least 5-10 minutes before you wash your face. This remedy will help you to get soft and glowing skin in minutes. It also acts as a substitute for skin bleach and helps to deal with oily skin. You can use this remedy during summers when skin tends to become oily quite often.

Cucumber Juice

You can extract some cucumber juice for your skin care regime. Take this juice and rub it on your face for some time. Wait for few minutes and wash your face with cold water after that. It is a good skin care remedy for treating spots and marks on skin and getting clear and glowing skin. It also proves effective to treat dark circles and dull skin.

Turmeric and Sandalwood Paste

Turmeric and sandalwood paste is one of the oldest and traditional skin care remedies used for getting beautiful and glowing skin. You can make a natural face-pack using turmeric powder, sandalwood powder and milk. Mix these three ingredients properly and your instant face-pack is ready. This face-pack can also be used for improving the complexion of your skin.

Neem, Mint and Tulsi Leaves

Wash your face regularly with neem and tulsi water to deal with skin problems. You can also use mint leaves to treat skin problems like acne and pimples. Neem, mint and tulsi leaves are good for treating most of skin problems and help to get beautiful and glowing skin.

Home remedies for glowing skin, including herbal and ayurvedic remedies are used in India since ages. These home remedies were the beauty secrets of most of the Indian Princesses, Queens, Rajkumaris and Maharanis. However, you also need to take proper care of your diet and consume sufficient amount of water along with home remedies. So, why depend only on cosmetics and chemical based products if we can make best use of home remedies to get glowing skin.

Are you aware of the home remedies for glowing skin? What do you use to get glowing skin? Have you tried any home remedies? Do you think home remedies are better for preventing dark circles? To share your experiences, views, and tips, click here.

SIMPLE SKIN CARE:

If you really love your skin, use only natural and herbal products on it. You also need to follow a balanced diet to get beautiful skin. Read on to know some simple skin care remedies.

Loads of cosmetics and skin care products are available in the market. We spend lot of money on these cosmetics and skin care products. However, we tend to forget some basic things which can create miracles to our skin. There are some natural remedies which can help to maintain beautiful skin without spending much on cosmetics.

As skin is the largest and sensitive organ of our body, proper skin care regime is a must. If you follow a proper diet and use natural products you can save a lot on other beauty treatments. Here’s a guide on how you can use simple skin care remedies to obtain a beautiful and flawless skin.

Skin care products

Have a quick look at how you can use easily accessible and natural products for your skin care regime. These skin care regime will not only help you to deal with infections, scars and other disorders but also help you love your skin.

Rub a slice of papaya on your face skin and let it stay for 10-15 minutes. Wash your face with cold water. This mask is good for dealing with an oily skin if it is used at-least once in two weeks. Try to avoid this practice if your skin is sensitive.
Get a beautiful glow on your face by massaging your face skin with the mixture of almond, sandalwood and milk.
Mix water boiled with neem leaves in cold water and take bath with such water regularly. This practice will help you to deal with all kinds of skin problems and infections.
Use milk powder to deal with a tanned skin. You just have to mix milk powder with water and rub it on your skin. You can also use milk instead of using milk powder for de-tanning your skin.
Massage your skin with curd if you want to get rid of very dry skin. Curd will also act as natural skin bleach for your skin. You can also use a mixture of honey and few drops of lemon juice as skin bleach. Avoid using curd or mixture of honey and lemon juice drops if you are having a very sensitive skin.
Make use of almond oil, olive oil or coconut oil to massage your face, hands and legs before taking bath during winters. It will help you to deal with dry skin during winters and get a natural glow on your face.
Place mint leaves all over your face and let it stay for 10-15 minutes. This practice will help you to deal with pimples.
Cleanse your skin by rubbing tomato slices on your face.
Keep your face fresh by washing it three to four times a day without using soap or face-wash solution.
Maintain a clear skin by rubbing your face with a pinch of turmeric powder. You should practice this remedy at least once a week.

Skin care by eating healthy

You do not have to go on a strict diet for obtaining healthy and beautiful skin. You just need to make small changes in your eating habits. Read on to find how you can imbibe healthy eating habits to get a gorgeous skin.

Keep a habit of drinking at-least 1.5 liters of water a day. Drinking lots of water detoxifies body. It not only helps to get a beautiful skin but also lose weight. Water therapy is illustrious these days to treat various health disorders.
Try to reduce the proportion of oil while cooking your regular meals. Instead, try cooking food with more of water than oil.
Eat fruits daily and try to eat raw tomatoes to get red cheeks. If you are took keen to have red cheeks try to eat red fruits and vegetables regularly.
Eats lots of fruit or vegetable salads if you do not like to eat fruit as a whole or a cooked vegetable.
Put a pinch of turmeric powder in each glass of milk you drink to deal with some skin disorders.
Have a balanced diet always to get a beautiful skin.

Nature has gifted us so many products which are much better than chemical based beauty products. Learn to make use of natural and herbal products instead of damaging your skin. Cosmetics can only give temporary good look. But natural remedies help to maintain good and healthy skin forever. Natural beauty of your skin is a real beauty indeed.

Do you use cosmetics frequently? How do you take care of your skin? Is natural skin care regime better than using cosmetics and other beauty products? To share your experiences, views, and tips, click here

Healthy Tips - Silky and Soft Hair

2010-09-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

HEALTHY BEAUTY TIPS

How to keep your HAIR healthy and perfect????

Prologue Before stepping into the shower, comb your hair lightly with a wide-toothed comb to untangle knots. This aligns the strands and prevents your getting out of the shower with a lot of knots. Begin at the ends and slowly work your way up. Never try to rip through tangles from top to bottom. You'll end up with a clump of hair on your comb that could have been avoided if only you'd had some patience!

Water The temperature of the water you use while washing your hair should ideally not be warmer than room temperature. In fact, the best thing would be to use the lowest temperature you can bear. Too cold for you? Well, hair is not sensitive, so you could at least bend over and give the lower part of your hair a final rinse with cold water.

Why cold water? Because cold water helps the hair scales lie down flat, making them stronger. On the other hand warm water opens the hair scales not only causing more frizz but also making the hair shaft weaker and more vulnerable. In addition, the scalp secretes certain oils that are good for the hair. These oils get dissolved in warm water, causing further dryness. Cold water does not dissolve the natural oils. So make the healthy-hair choice and go in for cold water! Brrrrr

Shampooing your hair Start washing your hair at the scalp, because that's where grease accumulates. Gently massage the shampoo into your hair with your fingertips. It is a good idea to dilute the shampoo in a little water in a mug and then massage it on your scalp. This way the shampoo is even gentler on the hair.
- While applying shampoo to your locks, leave them hanging down instead of piling them on top of your head as though you're posing for a shampoo commercial. Piling up your hair only leads to more tangles. Let it hang naturally so the lather works its way from the root to the ends.
- Try not to churn your hair too much. Work the shampoo gently so the strands don't get untangled and result in unbearable knots. If you have long hair, apply shampoo to your scalp, divide it into sections, and massage each section gently with the shampoo from roots to ends.

Go gentle while rinsing The best way to wash out shampoo is to keep combing it with your wide toothed comb while rinsing it out under the shower. This helps in the de-tangling process and also helps the shampoo to rinse out better. While you rinse your hair, do not rub it harshly. Hair is at its most fragile state when it's being rinsed. The correct way is to just simply let water run down your hair.
- Remember, it's best to rinse hair under running water. Dunking it in a tub is not so effective as residue may still remain. You have to make sure you've rinsed out all the shampoo. Once you are fairly certain it's all gone, stay under the flow of water for another half minute or so, to be doubly sure. Wrap your hair in a soft,absorbent towel - and voila! You're done!

ESSENTAIL FOR FALLING HAIRS:

Does your hair fall often Arm yourself with these tools to combat hair fall.

Wide-toothed comb Get yourself a wide-toothed comb. This is probably one of the most important yet underutilized of all hair tools. A wide-toothed comb helps you distribute conditioner evenly all over your hair while shampooing and conditioning. In addition, it also helps get rid of knots smoothly.

The best time to get rid of knots is during conditioning. Apply conditioner and run a wide toothed comb gently through your hair.

· While untangling dry hair, do so in sections. Take one section at a time, and first, untangle the ends of your hair. Do so slowly, and don't pull unless you want your hair to fall out in clumps or break.

· Don't wait for the last minute before detangling your hair. Every night, while sitting in front of the television, run a wide toothed comb gently through your hair, until you have untangled it completely. Do this every night, and you will notice that your hair remains free from tangles.

Leave-in conditioner
Dry hair tends to tangle easily, and, needless to say, causes it to break. Make sure your hair is never devoid of moisture by always keeping a bottle of leave-in conditioner handy. The next time you feel your hair is dry and rough to the touch, simply rub a dollop of leave-in conditioner between your palms, and apply it to your hair. Comb through with your wide toothed comb. Your hair will be instantly rejuvenated and moisturized. Gradually, the texture will also improve. This is a must if you blow dry your hair regularly, or if it is chemically treated. Such hair constantly craves moisture, so get yourself a bottle of leave-in conditioner.

Oil
Olive, almond and coconut oils are all excellent for the hair. While you could apply oil as an alternative to leave-in conditioner, oil tends to make your hair sticky, and you cannot style your hair well after applying oil. Your only alternative would then be to tie up your hair. For better results with oil, apply just a few drops immediately after washing your hair, when your hair is still dripping wet. Oil doesn't penetrate the strands as easily as leave-in conditioner does though. Nothing beats a hot oil massage followed by a steam treatment, as the steam helps the oil penetrate the hair strands, strengthening them and curtailing hair fall.

Egg
Egg is great for the hair - there are no two ways about it! True, it causes a tremendous stink in the bathroom, and your hair may let off an 'eggy' smell, but the results are instantaneous and worth it! Egg strengthens your hair almost immediately, and the egg yolk leaves your hair shining. Whip an egg with two tablespoons of olive oil and apply it to your hair. Wash off after half an hour. Make sure you wash off with cold water though, or the egg will start cooking in your hair, and would be harder to take off! Use a scented shampoo to counter the smell of egg in your hair, and follow up with a leave-in conditioner. Do this for a month, and you will be amazed by the change in your hair texture and the reduction in hair fall.

HAIR FALL PREVENTIONS:

Does your hair fall a lot? Don't worry, you're not alone. Millions of people from all around the world suffer from dry, brittle and weak hair. Some of the possible reasons for falling hair are:

Tension
Too much work
Illness
Poor diet
Over-exposure to the sun
Perming
Amateur bleaching
Too frequent and inexpert use of tints, rinses or other colourants

Here is what you can do to prevent hair fall

Shampoo regularly. Remember, a CLEAN scalp is a HEALTHY SCALP.
Brahmi amla oil also promotes hair growth.
A high protein diet with plenty of fruits, green vegetables and dairy products is a must.
Drink 10-12 glass of water everyday.
Use a very mild shampoo and condition your hair at least twice a week. When you do, make sure you rinse out the conditioner thoroughly, otherwise residue build-up will cause your hair to look limp and dull.
Know your vitamins! IRON is important for healthy hair and brittle, limp hair indicates an iron deficiency. Spinach has a good iron content, so gulp it down!
ZINC helps prevent hair loss and greying. Eat adequate zinc rich foods. Overweight people tend to have zinc deficiency, which is inversely related to the body mass index. Thus if you are overweight and if your hair falls too much, you may want to increase your intake of zinc containing foods. Recipes containing stone ground, wholegrain flour are rich in zinc.
A shortfall in VITAMIN B may cause dandruff, falling hair, loss of colour and could encourage grey hair. So B group Vitamins are essential for gloss, colour and thickness.
VITAMIN C ensures the health of capillaries supplying blood to hair follicles. Make sure your diet includes plenty of fresh fruits and veggies.
VITAMIN E encourages hair growth. Switch from refined flours to wholemeal and wheatgerm, eggs, vegetable oil.
COPPER stops hair from falling. Studies show that the copper content in the blood serum of people with falling hair is less than normal. Different types of alopecia (falling hair) are seen to have a deficiency of this important trace element. Include small quantities of nuts, especially cashews and peanuts, seeds, whole milk and beans in your diet as these contain minute but important amounts of copper.

Homemade remedies for preventing hair fall:

Apply almond oil on scalp and massage.
Grind fenugreek seeds in water and apply on your scalp. Wash off after 40 minutes. Do this every morning for a month ¡V if it suits you! Remember, different treatments suit different types of hair.
Massage warm castor oil + almond oil into your scalp gently. Wrap a hot towel around your scalp so it gets absorbed into the hair. Do this twice a week for healthy, shiny hair.
Add 2-3 drops of honey to a glass of water and use this as the last rinse after shampooing.

Quick Hair Care Conditioner

Mix 1 egg, 2 tbs castor oil, 1 tsp vinegar and 1 tsp glycerine. Beat until frothy and massage lightly into your scalp. Wrap your head in a hot towel, steam, then wash off. This conditioner makes hair thicker, shiny, soft and manageable.

Honey Conditioner Beat 1-2 eggs (depending on the length of the hair), 1 tsp honey and 2 tsp olive oil. Massage gently into the scalp. Steam, and shampoo after an hour.

Alcohol Conditioner Beat 1-2 eggs with 2 tsp brandy. Massage into your scalp. Leave for 10-15 mins. Rinse well. The egg nourishes your hair and brandy stimulates hair growth.

Your hair is a vital beauty asset, requiring constant loving care. And with a little nurturing, lush, glossy hair will be yours.

HOW TO USE STRAIGHTENING IRONS:

Straight silky flowing hair is what most women desire. Hair is a women's crowning glory which only appreciates with love and care. Hair care products and hair treatments have been around the world since ages. At present straight hair seems to have captured the hearts of millions of women. Today, a woman with the curliest of tresses can have the straightest of hair. It is no secret that a straightening iron can press out all those unruly waves and curls to a sleek, shiny mane.

Straight hair is easier to manage and there is a chic quality attached to them that makes them a hot favourite amongst women of all age groups. Straightening irons have now become an inseparable appliance for any beauty makeover. If you fancy straight hair but find it difficult to use straightening irons, read on to get some basic lessons on how to use a straightening iron.

Steps for using straightening iron

Here are some easy steps which will help you learn to use a straightening iron. Follow these simple tips and get lovely straight hair falling on your cheeks. This method keeps hair straight till the next shampoo. Sprinkling water and excessive sweating may bring back the waves. Avoid rains and running around too much to maintain the look.

1. Wash your hair using a good shampoo and a conditioner. Dry it using towel.

2. Apply hair protection products on your hair before straightening. You can use a combination of straightening balm and hair moisturiser or a hair serum. Avoid applying these products on the roots of hair.

3. Dry your hair properly before using straightening iron.

4. Brush your hair well so that the hair protection products applied are spread evenly through the hair.

5. Make several sections of your hair using clips.

6. Use thermal protection spray to protect your hair from heat. Spray it on the each section of hair from the distance of about one inch.

7. Plug your hair between the irons and glide it down to the end of hair, just like using a comb. You can use a comb to make this process easier. Start from the top exerting pressure and glide the iron towards the bottom of your hair. Repeat the process for all the sections of hair.

8. Apply smoothening product if possible after you finish straightening your hair. As frizzy hair gets settled your hair will appear smooth and attractive.

Now, that you know the process of hair straightening, all you need is a good hair straightening iron. Avoid using other heating appliances as it can cause hair fall and damage. Make sure that you buy a good ceramic coated hair straightening iron.

Frequent straightening of hair is not good for the health of your hair. You can try it for special occasions. Hair straightening exerts pressure on hair making it weak. So it is necessary that you take proper care of your hair. Oil your hair and massage it regularly to make your hair strong. When you use hair straightening irons, make sure that you also use proper hair care products thus preventing hair loss. All the best!

Do you fancy straight hair? Do you use straightening irons? How often do you use hair straightening irons? To share your experiences, views, and tips, click here.

CURLY HAIRS:

Your head is full of curls that rise like the living dead and seem to have a mind of their own. You've tried everything from straightening your hair to blowdrying it till it's fried, but it's still the same frizzy mess you started out with. What should one do?

First of all, there's good news for curly heads. Ringlets are back with a rage. So instead of burning out your hair with frustrating attempts to straighten it, here's what you can do to control those curls.

Curl Care

Getting curly hair to behave begins in the shower. Wash your hair every third day. On days you are not washing your hair, wet it and apply conditioner. Don't wash your hair everyday if you have curly hair, even if you are using a mild shampoo that claims it is suitable enough for daily use. Of all hair types, curly hair is the driest and most brittle.

Always follow up with a conditioner. Concentrate conditioner on ends, which are the most dry, and rinse out. Towel dry hair and apply a leave-in conditioner. If you don't have any, moisturising lotion is a good substitute! It keeps the frizz at bay and controls the curls. You could also apply a couple of drops of oil to your hair when wet. Remember, when towel drying frizzy hair, pat it down, don't
ruffle it.

For a quick fix for damaged, weak, dull or dry hair, work in a good healthy dose of conditioner on wet hair and expose it to steam for 15 minutes. Then lightly shampoo and rinse.

Curly heads need to apply more styling products, conditioners and oils to control their mane. This leads to build up. Once a month mix an equal amount of baking soda with your shampoo and wash your hair. This removes build up and residue and leaves your hair squeaky clean.

Comb your hair with a wide toothed comb when it's damp and not dripping wet as wet hair breaks easily, especially if it is tangled. Apply a good conditioner and using a wide tooth comb start from the ends. Take as much time as is necessary to avoid stretching or breaking your hair. Never comb curly hair when it is dry and never, ever brush your curls. They'll just open up into frizzes.

When blow drying your hair, use a diffuser attachment. Don't dry it completely; leave it slightly damp or you run the risk of over-drying your hair.

Perfecting the Curl

If you're letting your hair dry naturally, try this: Apply gel or leave-in conditioner to towel dried hair and create curls by twisting locks of hair around your fingers or by scrunching your hair. Or twist sections and clip them up with butterfly clips. Once dry, take them down. Loosen the curls with your fingers.

Wash your hair at night, apply gel or mousse and braid it. The next morning, open out your braids and finger comb your hair for lovely, natural curls.

Fed up with hair that zooms out at the sides as if you've been electrocuted? Pull your hair taut and secure it into a ponytail when it's drying. This way your hair will tend to fall down instead of spreading out.

Frizz Busters

If you tie up your hair in a silk, satin or velvet scarf at night, it will kill some of the frizz. If you catch a case of the frizzies, simply wet your hair. Your mane needs to be kept megamoisturised to fight frizz.

So there you have it. In a world of people with flat, limpy hair that just hangs down, your curls set you apart. Just one out of twenty have curly hair, so count yourself lucky and chuck those straightening irons where they belong. In the bin

GET RID OF DANDRUFF:

Neglecting dandruff can only make it worse. Find a suitable remedy and get dandruff-free hair that become your crowning glory. What is dandruff?

Everyone is experiences the dandruff problem some time in their life. Summer is the season which makes you sweat a lot thus giving you an oily and sticky scalp. On the other hand too much of dryness in the scalp can also lead to dandruff. The skin of the scalp is sensitive. Dandruff is nothing but the excessive shedding of dead cells of the scalp. Human body gets rid of dead cells occasionally. Loosing some amount of dead cells is normal but large amount of flaking could lead to irritation and redness. Dandruff is the accumulation of the dead skin in a large amount.

Causes of Dandruff There are many causes of dandruff. To begin with an imbalanced diet and constipation can be reasons for a scalp full of white dandruff flakes. Using a shampoo which is not suitable for your hair or excessive use of hair products like gels, mousses and styling sprays can make hair unhealthy. Stress, fatigue, pollution and exposure to cold weather add to the problem even further.
It is a known fact that dandruff causes social problems. One may feel shy to attend a social gathering if dandruff is highly visible or is accumulating on clothes and shoulders. A very dry or a very oily scalp is the main cause of dandruff.

How to cure dandruff?

The market is full of products that can get you rid of dandruff. But if you want to stay away from strong chemical products then there are many natural ways to cure dandruff. These have been developed and have evolved over time. But before you try any method you must ensure that you are following the right diet pattern.

Natural ways to cure dandruff

Dandruff can be easily cured by adopting some natural remedies. Explore your kitchen and you will find many solutions to cure dandruff right there. Following are some simple remedies to get rid of dandruff naturally.

Soak a spoon of fenugreek seeds in water overnight and then grind it into a fine paste in the morning. Apply it all over the scalp and rinse it off after half an hour
Add a teaspoon of lime juice into the mug full of water and rinse you hair with this solution immediately after washing your hair
Boil beetroot in water and apply the solution to the scalp with a cotton ball every night before going to bed
Massage your hair gently with curd and rinse after half an hour
Apply a mix of lime juice and amla juice to the scalp. Keep it overnight and wash next day
Rinse your hair with one part Cider vinegar diluted with three parts of water
Massage your scalp gently with warm coconut oil twice a week
Apply Aloe Vera gel all over the scalp for half an hour before taking a bath
Massage the scalp with olive oil and keep it overnight
Mix a tablespoon of limejuice and crushed garlic. Apply it all over the scalp and rinse after 10-15 minutes
Soak a few neem leaves in hot water, filter, cool and rinse your hair with this water
Apply onion juice all over the scalp and wash it off after half an hour with shampoo

Other than these remedies, ingredients such as honey, brandy, rosemary leaves, henna, carrots, salt, tea leaves and egg white are also found beneficial to cure dandruff.

Proper diet to cure dandruff

While you are trying out various natural remedies, follow a diet that keeps your hair healthy. For example, Omega 3 Fatty acids found in fishes is beneficial for hair. It is also necessary to have adequate amount of fibers in your diet.

One should add raw vegetables and fruits to the diet. Drinking plenty of water is also essential to keep skin hydrated. Intake of fibers and water helps dispel toxins from the body. Carrots, broccoli, spinach and tomatoes are rich sources of Vitamin A, including them in your diet helps fight infections. Dark green vegetables, sprouts, nuts, dry fruits and beans are also very beneficial for a healthy scalp and hair.

If you are planning to take vitamin supplements then it is advisable to consult your doctor before doing so.

Preventing Dandruff

It is not possible to get rid of dandruff completely. One cannot be sure that it will not reappear once treated. Though dandruff is a common phenomenon it can be a cause of concern if it is in excess. Maintaining a healthy scalp is the only way to keep dandruff away.

Avoid being in the sun without applying a hair serum. Wear scarves or caps before stepping out of the house. Sunrays are harsh on scalp skin and can harm hair structure.
Avoid exposing hair to cold weather. It can cause hair problems including dandruff. Make use of head gears in extreme weather conditions.
Wash your hair at least twice a week. In humid weather washing your hair thrice a week is advisable. Select a shampoo which is suitable for your hair texture.
Condition your hair after every wash. Some may need mild conditioning and some may need deep conditioning, according to their hair texture.
Apply a leave-in conditioners for shiny, radiant hair
Avoid combing you hair when they are wet. Use a wide toothed comb.
Avoid chemical treatments such as colouring, highlighting, straightening or perming if your scalp is prone to dandruff.
Practice stress reducing methods such as meditation and yoga. These healing treatments can have positive effects on physical health and your hair condition too.

Dandruff is a tricky hair problem but it is not impossible to get rid of. A few lifestyle modifications, constant hair care, healthy habits and a balanced diet can keep your scalp dandruff-free. So get ready to sport a beautiful mane that you are proud of.

Do you have dandruff? What remedies have you tried to cure dandruff? What precautions do you take to avoid dandruff? To share your experiences, views, and tips, click here.

TIPS TO GET A SILKY HAIR:

Everyone desires soft, silky hair. Here are some hair altering tips that can make you proud of your mane. Try it today.

All women and young girls love having silky hair. Having smooth and silky hair is one of the attributes of beauty. Silky long hair is a beauty asset of good looking girls and women. It is easier to tie your hair in any style you like. With proper care of your hair silky hair can be a reality. Natural and safe cosmetic products can make hair silky and soft. Using natural products is not only safe but also make it affordable to maintain your silky hair. These natural ingredients are easy to obtain. Read on to know some beneficial tips to get and maintain silky hair.

Basic tips for maintaining your silky hair

Some basic hair care can go a long way. You should always cover your hair with a scarf when you go out in sun. Avoid using hair dryer regularly; it may damage your hair. Eat lots of fruits, green vegetables and drink lots of water. This is not only important for having a healthy body but also essential for good hair. Avoid combing on your wet hair and always use wide toothed comb.

Try to use natural conditioners rather than using harsh chemical products. Avoid hairstraightening if your hair is curly and do not perm your hair if it is straight. It might lead to hair damage. Always use mild shampoo for your hair. Avoid colouring your hair with artificial colours unless necessary. Do not iron your hair. Frequent ironing may cause damage to your hair. Loving your natural hair is the best way to stay away from hair fall and damage. Here are some simple but great remedies for getting soft, smooth and silky hair. Try these tips mentioned below and find out which one works best for your hair.

Tips for getting silky hair

Follow these tips to make your hair more silky and soft. It will require some ingredients which are easily available in market. If shiny hair is what you desire then know that dream is soon going to be true.

Use almond oil to massage your hair one day before washing your hair. Frequently massaging your hair with almond oil will help you to get silky and soft hair. Massaging is good for improving blood circulation and getting stronger hair.
Apply paste made out of the leaves of hibiscus plant on your hair. Let it stay for 10-20 minutes and then wash your hair to get best results
Use mixture of shikakai powder, henna (mehndi) powder, amla powder and curd as conditioner to get soft and silky hair
Mix two whole eggs with four tablespoon of olive oil apply this mixture on your hair and leave it. Wash your hair after 20 minutes, you will find your hair slipping like silk after this.
Try massaging your hair once in a week with aroma oils to make your hair silky and soft
Rubbing your hair with hibiscus flower is also a good remedy for soft and silky hair. Soak hibiscus flower in water and then use the same for applying on your hair before hair wash.
Make a mixture using amla powder, shikakai powder, ritha powder, henna powder, and bhringaraj powder in equal proportion. Add water to this mixture and heat this mixture. When the mixture becomes lukewarm apply gently on your hair. Leave this mixture on your hair for 15-20 minutes and wash your hair without using shampoo to get the best results
Use mixture of mustard oil, curd and lemon to apply on your hair. Leave this mixture on your hair for half an hour and then wash it
Use Aloe Vera gel with hair shampoo which is helpful to make it shiny and soft
Apply boiled apple pulp or pour apple juice on your hair before washing
Ensure that you have a balanced and protein rich diet which is essential for good, shiny and silky hair
Always trim your hair after 3-4 months depending on your hair growth. This will help you to get rid of split ends and also maintain the texture of your hair

All these natural and safe ways of getting silky hair can work wonders. Using products with chemical contents is not long lasting and beneficial to keep hair healthy. Use natural products and stay away from harmful chemicals and pollution. This will help you save money on costly hair products. Learn to love your natural hair as natural beauty is real beauty indeed.

How do you take care of your hair? Do you know any natural remedies for silky and soft hair? Do you wish to get soft and silky hair? To share your experiences, views, and tips, click here.

COLOURING YOUR HAIR:

Coloured hair lightens and brightens the face, and makes you look better. Before you decide on whether or not you should colour your hair, ask yourself these questions: Do you have split ends? Is your hair damaged? Has your hair been recently chemically processed (permed or straightened)? If your answer no to all three questions, your hair should stand up to colouring without any problem.

Highlights or all-over colouring?
The first thing you need to decide is whether you want to highlight strands, or if you want to colour your entire hair. Both look good, and what works for you is a matter of personal choice. Here is a quick comparison:

Highlights tend to look good on straight hair, but if your hair is curly, you could opt for colouring your entire hair.

Highlighted hair is, of course, easier on the hair, as only selected strands of hair are coloured and not the entire hair, but once again, if you take care of your hair after colouring, there will not be any damage.

You could colour your hair at home instead of spending big bucks at a beauty saloon, by simply purchasing a packet of hair colour. Various brands of reputed companies are available in the market. However, you will not be able to give your hair fine highlights without professional help.
I have lovely hair. Will colouring ruin my hair?
As long as you look after your hair well after colouring it, the quality of your hair will not go bad. Your hair may dry out a little, but regular oiling would keep the dryness under control. It is a myth that colouring ruins your hair. However, if you neglect your hair after colouring it, if you blowdry it too often and don't bother oiling or conditioning your hair, you will definitely cause it harm. Using colour that is too harsh, or leaving the colour on for too long, may also damage your hair. In any case, your natural hair that grows out will be just as healthy as it always was, and the only portion that will get damaged is the coloured part, so don't believe that your hair will get ruined for life after colouring it! In fact, if your hair is too oily, get it coloured to balance it out.
Should I colour my hair if I have split ends?
If your hair is damaged, colouring it will only damage it further. Wait until your hair recovers before subjecting it to any form of chemical treatment.
Why should I do a strand test?
If you are colouring your hair by yourself, make sure you do a strand test. Many women apply colour to their hair and wash it off only to find that their hair has not caught any colour at all. So colour a very small portion of your hair first, to see how long you need to leave the colour on. If you have curly hair, leave the colour on for less time than that specified, as curly hair is porous, and catches colour easily. If your hair is straight and healthy, it may take a while longer to colour your hair, so leave it on accordingly. After taking the strand test, you will get a general idea as to whether you need to leave the colour on for more or less time.

After-Colour Care
Oil your hair at least once a week. Apply a generous amount of warm oil to your scalp, and massage well, so the oil spreads right to the ends of your hair. After applying oil, whip up the yoke of an egg and apply it to your hair, for extra conditioning. If you like, you could add curd to this mixture too. All of these natural products are excellent for the hair, and provides it with all the nourishment it needs.
Leave the oil, egg and curd on for at least 45 minutes, and then shampoo your hair. Use a gentle shampoo, preferable one especially formulated for coloured hair.
Apply conditioner after shampooing your hair, to prevent your hair from drying. You could also consider a leave-in conditioner, which is preferable for chemically processed hair.
Natural alternative to conditioner:
Another tip for conditioning hair that works well for me is to simply apply curd to the hair after shampooing, leave on for five minutes, and rinse off. Do not apply shampoo again; simply rinse off the curd with water. This conditions your hair rather well, and keeps frizzy hair in check. However, I do follow up with conditioner, for increased protection.
Natural alternative to leave-in conditioner:
Apply 2-3 drops of oil, more for longer hair, to your palms. Rub them together, and apply to your hair

HAIR STYLING TIPS:

Style your hair with care with these tips:

1. Never use a blow dryer on dry hair.

2. Cut your hair frequently. It is better to trim a minimal amount of hair often, than it is to cut off a whole lot once a year, as your hair stays in healthier condition.

3. If you want a change of style but want to keep the length, get your hair cut in long layers. This also helps remove spilt ends.

4. Use rubber bands that are covered with fabric when you want to tie up your hair. This reduces breakage.

5. Natural bristle brushes are preferable to plastic and polyester bristles. They are gentler on the hair. Unless your brush has natural bristles, you should never brush wet hair, as wet hair tends to snap easily.

6. If you blow-dry your hair right, there is no reason why it cannot look as good as salon-blow-dried hair. The trick is to blow-dry your hair in sections.

7. If you section it well, you should be done after 11 or 12 sections, and it should not take you more than fifteen minutes. However, if you randomly section your hair, it may take a lot longer, so be systematic about it. Another reason to stick to systematic sections is that you will not be blow-drying hair that is already dry, and in this manner you will reduce damage to your hair.

8. Stick to making sections with the help of horizontal and vertical partings to your hair, and doing blocks at a time.

9. Make a horizontal parting two inches above the back of your head. Part the rest of the hair in the center, and pile up each side on top and clip it up, using one clip for each side.

10. Divide the loose hair into two sections, and blow-dry each section with the help of a round brush.

11. If your hair is very curly, it helps if your blow dryer has a flat nozzle attachment to better direct air.

12. Move the blow dryer along the length of your hair along with your brush.

13. After you have got the bottom done, keep moving upwards in sections, until you have finished all your hair. Simply use horizontal and vertical partings to section your hair.

14. If you are using a straightening iron to straighten your hair, use it with care, and use it sparingly. It can be very damaging if used often, and if you do not follow up with extra care for the hair.

15. On the other hand, if you are using a curling iron, don�t place the iron at the ends of your hair. Place it around four inches above the ends, and then feed the ends into the iron. Hair ends are the most fragile part of your hair, and in this manner you reduce the damage to the hair ends as you avoid prolonged high heat exposure.

16. Wearing a leave-in conditioner at all times keeps the hair moisturized and also helps prevent damage caused by exposure to sunlight.

HAIR CARE IN THE RAINS:

Manage hair easily and keep it looking great even when it rains!

The rains bring respite from the heat of the summer but can leave you frustrated when your hair refuses to behave and stay in style. However, by following a few simple tips, you can manage to keep your hair problems to a minimum and look good.

Do not wash your hair too often

There is nothing better than a nice bath when you just get in from the pouring rain. However, washing your hair too often, say every day, can exaggerate the problems you already face. Washing your hair two or three times a week will keep your hair clean and looking good. At the same time, it prevents excessive drying of hair and keeps frizziness to a minimum. Also, do not forget to condition your hair after every wash; you could use a leave-in conditioner to make dry hair more manageable.

Protect from moisture

Excessive moisture is the biggest culprit during this season. It affects your hair even if you remain indoors, especially on days when the humidity is high. Depending on your hair type, it may leave your hair frizzy or flat. Hair that is fine, wavy, or curly usually tends to absorb the moisture in the air. This makes fine or thin hair fall flat, but people with wavy or curly hair end up with frizzy strands. The best solution to this is to use a humidity-protective gel before styling. These gels help by forming a protective coat over the hair cuticle and preventing moisture from getting in.

You can also follow up with a non-sticky hairspray for extra protection. It is better to use an aerosol, since it gives out a fine spray. A spray with a regular nozzle can give out too much of the product, which can result in clumps of your hair turning sticky later on in the day. Try not to use more than four different hair care products at a time. This will save you time. A normal routine would be to use a shampoo, followed by conditioner, styling gel, and hairspray.

Do not experiment too much

On rainy and extra-humid days, it is usually better not to force your hair into a style that does not feel right. For example, do not attempt to curl hair that is fine and limp or straighten hair that is naturally curly. This is because even a small amount of moisture absorbed by your hair will make it revert back to its natural texture, and your efforts will be in vain. Instead, try and make the most of your natural hair texture by adopting a style that suits you. Rub a generous amount of gel through curls for that tousled look. For fine and straight hair, pulling it back into a ponytail or braid works best.

Choose hair care products wisely

Frizzy hair is usually dealt with by using hair cream or similar products to smooth it down. But this can have an adverse effect, by allowing your hair to absorb moisture and making it look greasy or sticky. During the rainy season, it is better to stick to alcohol-based creams and gels since they have a drying effect on hair. Leave moisturising products for use in the winter months.

Accessorise

If you cannot quite get your hair to behave the way you want it to, do not fret. The right accessories can not only cover up a bad-hair day but can also make a fashion statement. A colourful scarf can cover up most of your frizzy ends, while a funky hairband works for shorter hair. If all else fails, just grab a hat for that slightly bohemian look.

With so many ways to keep your hair looking and feeling great even when it's wet, it is time for you to go ahead and enjoy that rain dance!

Do you have a problem managing your hair during the rains? What special care do you take to keep hair looking good in the monsoon? To share your views and opinions, click here.

NURSERY RHYMES

2010-09-15T04:56:00.000-07:00