Rajma / Red Kidney Bean Gravy

Rajma / Red Kidney bean Gravy

Rajma / Red kidney bean : 1 cup

Tomato : 2

Onion :  1

Ginger : 1 inch

Garlic : 6 cloves

Green chilly : 1 ( slit )

Cumin seeds : ½ tsp

Coriander powder : 1 tsp

Jeera powder : 1/4 tsp

Red chilly powder : 1 tsp

Turmeric powder :  ¼ tsp

Rajma masala powder : 1/2 tsp

Sugar : ¼ tsp

Tej patha / Bay leaf : 1

Badi ilaichi / Black cardamom : 1

Salt to taste.

Oil : 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves : 1 tbsp

Some Ginger Julienne for garnishing.

Water : 1 tea cup

Soak Bean overnight.

Cook soaked bean with Tej pathaa, Badi ilaichi without salt for 5 whistles adding sufficient water.  

 In a cooker  add oil and temper cumin seeds . Add finely chopped onion, ginger and garlic, green chilly … sautee till onion becomes golden brown.   Add  tomato puree, sugar and fry in low flame, till it becomes mushy.

Add red chilly powder, salt, coriander powder, turmeric powder , Rajma masala and give a nice stir.

Mash few beans and add it ,along with cooked water . 

 Close the lid and Cook for 2 whistles 

Garnish with coriander leaves and ginger julienne .

Serve Rajma with hot Rice or Roti .

Melon smoothie

Melon Smoothie

Musk Melon :  1 cup ( chopped )

Banana :  ½ cup ( chopped )

Cold Milk :  ½  cup

Honey :  1 tbsp

Green Cardamom : 1 ( powder it )

Dry ginger powder : 2 pinches.

Pumpkin seeds :  1 tsp ( optional )

Blend everything together nicely and pour on a tall glass. 

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Note :

Use well ripened banana for making smoothie or milkshake.

Bread Medhu Pakoda

Bread Medhu Pakoda

Recipe courtesy :  Hebbers kitchen.

Ingredients:

Bread slice : 4

Rice flour :  1 tbsp

Rawa / Sooji :  1 tsp

Green chilly : 1

Onion ( chopped ) : 2 tbsp

Coriander leaves ( chopped ): 1 tbsp

Pudhina leaves : 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds : ¼ tsp

Salt to  taste

Fresh Curd to mix everything.

Oil for deep frying.

Crumble the bread and mix with all the ingredients using fresh curd into a thick paste/dough so that you should be able to pinch out from the mixture.

Pinch out some portion and deep fry in medium flame till it become light brown in colour.

Bread medhu pakoda is a quick evening snack that can be made within few minutes and also tastes good.

Serve Pakoda with Ketchup and a hot cup of Tea or Coffee.

Papaya Pazharasam

Papaya Pazharasam

The health benefits of papaya include better digestion, relief from toothache, improvement in the immune system and the promotion of better heart health.

Papaya (chopped ):  1 cup

Red Currant : 6

Honey : 1 tbsp

Water :  ¼ cup

Salt :  a pinch

By adding water pulse the red currant.  Strain it.

Mix red currant juice with chopped papaya and blend well .  Do not drain. 

Mix with honey and salt ….. enjoy tasty & thick Papaya juice.

If needed, add Ice cubes before serving.

Note :

Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it.

Raw Tomato Chutney

Raw Tomato Chutney

Heating food destroys its nutrients and natural enzymes, which is bad because enzymes boost digestion and fight chronic disease. In short: When you cook it, you kill it.
A raw food diet can clear up headaches and allergies, boost immunity and memory, and improve arthritis and diabetes.

Recipe courtesy : 

http://letslivewithnature.blogspot.in/2016/06/raw-tomato-chutney.html

Tomato : 1

Grated coconut : 2 tbsp

Chopped coriander leaves : 2 tsp

Garlic : 1 clove ( optional  )

Chopped Ginger:  ¼ tsp

Green chilly : 1

Mustard seeds : ¼  tsp

Coconut oil : 3 drops

Salt to taste.

Water as per need.

Grind chopped Tomato, grated coconut, chilly, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves to a nice paste using very less water.

Add salt .

Using 3 drops of oil , temper mustard seeds and garnish the Chutney.

Enjoy this chutney with Tiffin.

Note : 

Ø When using coconut avoid using brown part of the coconut. Use only white part.  Brown part of the coconut is not good for digestion

Ø Peel the skin of the ginger always before using it.  Ginger skin is bad for health.

Ø Country tomatoes give nice and rich colour.

Ø Increase or decrease the quantity of tomato or coconut or coriander leaves and enjoy different taste. 

Ø Use less green chilly as you are including it just to satisfy your taste buds.

Kiwi Cucumber Cooler

Kiwi Cucumber Cooler

Golden Kiwi  :  1

Cucumber :  1

Water :   1/2 cup

Ginger ( Chopped ) :  1/4 tsp

Salt to taste.

Remove skin of Ginger, Kiwi and Cucumber.  Blend everything adding water.  Mix with salt.

Can be served adding ice cubes. 

This tasty Green Juice will help to ensure beautiful skin and will smooth wrinkles and improve overall skin texture.  

Can use normal kiwi instead of golden kiwi . 

Kaara Kuzhambu

Kaara Kuzhambu

Veg :  

Brinjal Chopped :  1/2 cup

Drumstick :  1 ( chop )

Stir fry in oil

Red chilly :  4 or 5

Red gram / Tur dal :  1 tsp

Black gram / Urad dal :  1 tsp

Raw Rice :  ½ tsp

Curry leaves :  10

Til Oil :  ½ tsp

Grind along with fried items:

Black Pepper :  4

Cumin : ¼ tsp

Deep fried Urad dal Papad/ Ulundhu appalam  :  ½

Other ingredients :

Tamarind paste : 4 tsp

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder : ¼ tsp

Jaggery:   ½ tsp

Water :  ¾ cup

Curry leaves : 6

For Tempering :

Til / Gingelly Oil : 4 tsp

Mustard seeds:  ½  tsp

Fenugreek seeds :   ¼ tsp

Red gram / Tur dal :  ½ tsp

Red chilly : 1 ( broke into 2 pieces)

Hing / asafetida  :  ¼  tsp

Method: 

Deep fry Urad dal Papad .  We need half of it for this recipe.

In 2 ltr cooker add ½ tsp of oil and fry Red gram, Black gram, Red chilly , Rice , Curry leaves for a couple of minutes and grind along with pepper , cumin and fried papad.

In the same cooker add 4 tsp of Til oil and temper with mustard seeds .  When it starts popping add red chilly, red gram, fenugreek seeds , hing .  Fry till the ingredients starts changing its colour. Add veggies and stir for a couple of minutes.

Add water , tamarind paste, salt , turmeric powder, jaggery , curry leaves, ground masala powder . Close the lid and cook for a whistle.

Flavorful Kaara Kuzhambu is ready to serve with hot rice and with fried appalam / papad and veggies.  

Note : 

Instead of adding veggies , you can add sun dried veggies ( vaththal ).  Add sun dried veggies while tempering.