SuvaiArusuvai - Veg Recipes of India

Salads are always a healthy recipe to have during pregnancy. They can be had as a whole meal or as a midmeal snack. Ingredients: Dates - 6 to 8 nos Carrot - 2 nos Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp Salt - a pinch Pepper Powder - 1/2 tbsp (optional) Honey - 2 tbsp Method to make Healthy Salad: Grate the carrots and dates. Sprinkle salt and toss the vessel to have the salt spread evenly. Add the pepper powder and mix well. Add lemon juice and mix well again. Chill the salad; before serving add honey.

An apple a day keeps doctor away. A pregnant woman needs lots of nourishment during her entire period of pregnancy. Some women due to their morning sickness will not eat a lot. For them, this drink is a great boon and this can be had immediatly after preparing. Ingredients: Apples - ripe and unsour - 4 medium sized Sugar - 1/2 tbsp (better substitute with Honey) Lime Juice - 1 tbsp Ice cubes - 1 or 2 (optional) How to make Appy Magic: In a juicer blender, grind the apples (if the juicer have its own filter the better, if not the juice have to be strained using a muslin cloth). Blend it till it is smooth and a fine paste. Add the lemon juice, sugar or honey and mix well. Serve with the ice cubes. This juice is to be made immediatly after cutting the apples so as the nutritional value in it is not lost. The dash of lime juice will help in getting releived from morning sickness. Honey will help in increased strength(as it have iron content in it). Ice cubes also help in reducin

Adai or Adai Dosai, is one of the most favourite recipe in our house hold. It can be made soft, it can be made crispy, add it with coconut, can be had without any side dish. Most favourite dish of my brother and my daughter, I make this dish whenever my brother and his family come to visit us even though I had made it just the previous day. My daughter likes it much better with Jaggery Ingredients to make Adai: Raw Rice - 1 cup Boiled Rice - 1 cup Bengal Gram - 1 cup Urad Dal - 1 cup Thuvar Dal - 1 cup Green Chillies - 2 nos Red Chillies - 6 nos Curry Leaves - 1/2 cup Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup Hing - 2 to 4 pinches Salt to taste Oil - to use to cook (1/4 cup) How to make Adai Batter: Soak all the dals and both the rice together after washing them thoroughly. Let them soak for about 4 hours. Grind them in a mixie coarsely along with green chillies,  red chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, hing and salt. How to make Adai: Heat a tawa and when hot simmer the fl

Though we make this Paanakam for Srirama Navami or on Fridays, this is a great drink for summer. In south India this is given as an after food during Sumangali Prarthani along with Neer More and Sukku Vellam . Ingredients: Lime juice 1 cup Jaggery powdered well 3 cups Dry ginger powder 2 tsp Cardamom powder 2 tsp Pepper powder 2 tsp (optional) Method: Heat jaggery with 2 cups of water to dissolve. Strain, boil to honey consistency. Add all powders, cool & add lime juice. Refrigerate. Dilute to required consistency, adding plain or ice water whenever required. Add Pepper powder if and only if there is a slight cold and cough. Better to avoid it, if one need to relish and enjoy the taste of Panakam.

Jaggery or Gur or Gud or Gol, is one of the sweetner used in many Kheers and Payasams in south India. It is also known as Panela in Mexico and South Africa. It is supposed to be rich in Iron that when taken regularly increases hemoglobin count and prevents Anemia. Jaggery is prepared from sugar cane without separating molases. Jaggery vary from dark brown in colour to golden brown in Colour. Jaggery is also used to make syrups in some sweets. Jaggery is a natural sweetner. Intaking of Jaggery regularly, helps in keeping the lungs and wind pipe clean. People working in highly polluted areas can take this regularly.Taking in a glass of water and a piece of Jaggery after coming in home from hot sun helps in retaining water content in one's body. In South India, every house hold add Jaggery to their monthly Grocery list. If there is Jaggery at home, then making a paysam or kheer becomes very easy. How Jaggery is used in cooking in India: Though in Tamilnadu, Jaggery is use

Every one wishes to have a healthy glowing skin. Tomatoes gives that glow to any kind of skin type. I am highly fond of this fresh juice recipe that whenever I feel a bit low of energy, I take it as we have all the below ingredients at home ever. Even if there is no lemon available one can have it without that and can feel a definite refreshing just in a few mins after taking it. Ingredients Tomatoes - 4 Ginger - 1 inch piece Sugar - 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice - From one medium sized lemon Ice cubes - 2 Method Grind tomatoes along with ginger and sugar. Blend well and add the lemon juice and ice cubes. It is the best drink to have to have in summer. Check the health benefits of ginger Best summer drink Fights Cancer Helps skin glow

Ginger, a common ingredient that is used in our day to day cooking have lots of health benefits and when used regularly, it helps in releiving indigestion, diarrhea, stomach cramps as it aids in digestion. It have a good amount of vitamins and minerals that will help Pregnant Women. It also helps in curing Nausea during pregnancy. If one have congested nose, sore throat or cold and cough ginger kashayam is highly helpful. It also helps in controlling Asthma and Wheezing. Ginger have the property to reduce and releive pain and inflamation. It helps in stinulating blood circulation, cleaning the bowels and kidneys and removing toxins from the body. Ginger helps in nourishing the skin.

Lemonade is one of the most favourite drink for every one at home. So I generally ensure that I store it. I try to store it whenever it gets over. Ingredients: Sugar - 3 Sugar Water - 1 cup Lemon Juice - 3 cups (16 to 20 lemons) Method to make Lemonade: Boil the water and dissolve sugar in it. Let it cool. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Store it in fridge and this can be used for a week. (But I assure you this wont stay in your fridge for more than 2 days, as your family members will keep asking for it more and more). To prepare lemonade for 1 serving, combine 1/4 to 1/3 cup syrup and 3/4 cups cold water in a glass. Add 1 or 2 ice cubes (depending upon the size). Serve in parties with a piece of lemon rind in the tip of the glass.

Wanted to make something different for Payasam for friday Neivedhyam. Tried out making one using both Bengal Gram Dal and also Semiya (Vermicili). I was ofcourse quite afraid as to how this would turn out but this recipe did turn out really well. Ingredients I used to make Semiya Bengal Gram Payasam: Roasted Vermicili - 1 cup Bengal Gram - 1/2 cup Milk - 1 1/2 litre Jaggery - 2 cups Ghee - 1 tbsp Cashew Nuts - 12 pieces Cardamom Powder - 2 pinches How to make Semiya Bengal Gram payasam: Pressure cook Bengal Gram Dal and keep it separately. Boil 1 litre of milk and cook semiya in it till it becomes soft and tender.  Add the cooked dal to it and mix well by constantly stirring it so that lumps will not be formed. Add Jaggery and let it boil in low flame. Fry cashew nuts in ghee and add to payasam. Remove from flame and add cardamom powder and mix well. Before serving add remaining milk. This can be served hot or cold.

CBadam Milk is one of the favourite drinks in our household. To make any occassion special, either Badam Kheer or as a dessert Badam milk is served. This is one recipe that I learnt from one of my friend's mom which can be stored in fridge and use whenever needed. Ingredients: Almonds - 1 cup Saffron - 1/2 gm(fresh) Sugar - 2 cups Water - 1 1/2 cups Badam essence - 1 tsp (optional) How to make Badam Syrup: Soak almonds in hot water and peel them. Add 2 tbsp of warm water to saffron. Grind both almonds and saffron to a very fine paste. Better to avoid water but if needed, a little water can be added. In a heavy bottom pan add sugar and add 1/2 cup of water to make sugar syrup. Add the paste when the syrup starts boiling. Keep stirring so as to no lumps are formed. (Essence can be added when the mixture starts boiling again). Let it cool and refrigerate it. How to make Badam Milk using Badam Syrup: Add 2 tsps of syrup to warm milk. (Though no sugar is needed, if you ha

Though we make this on special occassions, I generally give this to my kids whenever they feel heavy after a good, nice meal. This helps in easy digestion. But care should be taken as to not to have too much Ingredients: Dried Ginger (Sukku) Powder - 1 tbsp Jaggery Grated - 4 tbsp Ghee - 1 drop Cardamom Powder - a pinch How to prepare Sukku Vellam: Mix all the ingredients slowly in a cup and ensure that no lumps are formed. Make small balls the size of Small Gooseberries.

Lemonade Syrup comes handy if it is there at home when guests come. It is also a refreshing drink and whenever one feels slightly dehydrated, this syrup can be added with a pinch of salt and luke warm water. Ingredients: Fresh Lemon Juice - 2 cups Grated Lemon Rind - 2 tbsp (option Sugar - 2 cups Water - 1 1/2 cup How to make instant Lemonade Syrup: Mix sugar and juice (and also the rind). Stir constantly until dissolved. Add water and cover tightly. Keep the mixture in an air tight container and keep it in fridge untill it is time for serving. (Can be prepared in the morning if the party is in the evening)  How to make lemonade out of the instant lemonade syrup: Add 1/2 cup of the lemonade syrup in a large glass. Add 1/2 cup of water and 2 or 3 ice cubes. How to serve this lemonade in a party: Place a thin rind of lemon on one side of glass. Place one or two mint leaves on the top of the glass. Add a decorative party straw. Add the ice cubes just before serving.

It is definitely a difficult task to find out the snack that can be served for the kids in the evening but I got this recipe from a friend which I tried and it turned out too good too. Infact I am planning to make it as a starter dish too. Ingredients: Fresh or Frozen corn - 2 cups Paneer - 100 gms Onions - 2 medium Ginger -  1 inch piece Garlic - 6 flakes Green chilly - 2 nos Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup Cumin/ Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Red chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp Bengal Gram Flour - 6 tbsp Amchur Powder - 1/2 tsp Milk - 1 cup Salt to taste Oil for deep frying Method: Soak the frozen corn for a while to remove ice.  Grate the cottage cheese. Blend the corn in a blender to make it coarse. Grind ginger and garlic together. Cut the green chillies into fine pieces. In a pan heat oil, add ginger garlic paste and after a minute add the crushed corn and stir fry it. Add salt and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of milk and bring it to a creamy texture. When the corn gets cooked remove fr

Whenever talk about home made cookies and cakes come, me and my friends discuss about OTGs and Microwaves . Still many of my friends prefer OTGs to bake those delicacies inspite of having convection microwaves. Not that they dont know to bake a cake in that but they fear of hardening it or cooking it much more than required than the needed. Many of my relatives who own a microwave still use it to reheat, or to cook dishes like oats etc and have never tried out many dishes. But before I purchased my LG Convection microwave, I decided to check out the difference between OTG and Microwaves and whether I should go for convection or for a solo microwave and a OTG . Eventually, I ended up purchasing a microwave oven as I got convinced from various websites that a cake can be baked in convection mode of microwave. Microwaves normally comes in 3 types,              Basic or Solo which can be used for basic cooking and reheating.          Microwave with grill helps in grilling, baking cok

Though I add a bit of Mint Leaves, whenever I have it at home to the Rasam I make, I came across the special Pudina Rasam recipe which every one in the family liked very much. Infact it turned out to be a great soup too. Ingredients: Mint Leaves - 1/2 bunch Tomato - 2 nos (big sized) Garlic - 2 to 3 flakes Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp Pepper - 1/2 tsp Red Chilli - 1 Tamrind Paste - 2 tbsp Salt to taste Hing - a pinch Rasam Powder - 1 tsp Ghee - 2 tbsp Method: Add 2 cups of water to tamrind paste and mix thoroughly. Cut tomatoes into small pieces. Add salt, finely chopped tomatoes and rasam powder to the tamrind paste and boil it. Grind fresh mint leaves, garlic, cumin seeds, pepper  and add it to the boiling tamrind water. Let it boil again. When it bubbles remove from flame. In a pan add ghee and when hot add mustard seeds, when it splutters add the red chilly and asafodeita. Add it to the Pudina Rasam. Decorate it with fresh mint leaves.

A smoothie is a beverage, which is made by blending, chilling and sweetening. Most of the smoothies are made out of fresh fruits or vegetables and are added with cream, chocolates, crushed ice, forzen fruit, honey, yogurt etc. The consistency is sort of milk shake but is thicker. But like milkshakes they don't contain ice cream but contain milk and yoghurt. Many health conscious people consider taking smoothies than milk shakes. Smoothies can be had both at breakfast and also at dinner as a dessert.

All the north Indian side dishes use this Onion and Tomato paste in the cooking process. This paste can be made and stored for almost 15 days in freezer. If there is party or if you are planning to make North Indian Dishes quite regularly, then this is the best thing one can make use of. Ingredients: Onion - 12 nos Tomatoes - 18 nos Oil - 6 tbsp Method: Cut all the onions and tomatoes into pieces.  In a heavy bottomed flat pan add oil and when hot add the diced onions.When they turn golden brown in colour add the tomatoes. Mash the tomatoes and stir well. Keep cooking till the oil starts coming out. Once done, remove from flame and let it cool. Use a hand blender to mash the mixture thoroughly. Store in dry air tight containers so that it can be used when ever needed. When you are cooking vegetables or meat based dishes. Finish off all the other cooking process like adding the spices, boiling and blending and add this paste at the end and stir well. Benefits of using thi

Felt very bored and bugged up after undergoing a minor procedure. Wanted to have something hot, spicy but healthy. Was wondering what to do and just was rummaging through the fridge and kitchen and took some Tomatoes, Onions and Carrots and made this Tomato Shorba in a jiffy and had it hot with 2 slices of toasted bread. Ingredients: Tomatoes - 4 or 5 depending upon the size Onion - 1 big Carrot - 1 medium sized Cinnamon - 1 inch piece Garlic Pods - 6 nos Black Pepper - To taste Salt - To taste Corn Flour - 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup Cream - 2 tbsp(optional, I didnot have it so used Amul Butter) Method: Cut carrots into cubes, tomatoes into 4 pieces and onion into strips. In a vessel add tomatoes, onion, carrot, cinnamon sticks, garlic pods, salt, 1/4 cup of coriander leaves and 1 cup of water and pressure cook it. Grind all the ingredients along with one more cup of water. Seive the mixture thoroughly. In a flat bottom pan add the seived mixture. Simmer the fl

Vinayakar Chaturthi/ Pillayar Chaturthi/ Ganesh Chaturthi is the birthday or the rebirth day of Pillayar, or Ganesha or Vinayaka. Though it is often said, "Aavi Avanukku, Annam Namakku" - meaning, the smell is for the lord and the eatable is for us, praying lord Ganesha on any day not only on this special occasion gives an immense inner strength. This festival mostly comes in the month of August and September, that is after August 15th and before September 15th, in the month of Aavani and the Valarpirai Chathurthi (the chaturthi that comes in the growing moon phase, 4th day after the Amavasya). The Vinayagar idol is purchased from the vendor on that day or the previous day from the road side where it is made fresh using clay and is pressed in moulds. Now a days, big idols are installed in the street corners too and are taken in a procession and immersed in the sea. A small umbrella is placed behind the idol (which is normally struck to some extra clay that is given by the

Make small balls of the outer cover of Kozhukattai dough and steam it. In a hard bottom vessel add a cup of water and add 3/4th cups of Jaggery. Bring it to boil. Add the steamed balls and boil it again. Grate 1/2 coconut and add it to the jaggery mixture. Remove from flame and add 1 cup of milk to it

This is one Kozhukattai which can be made using excess outer cover dough. Make small balls and pressure cook it just like other kozhukattais. Ingredients to make Ammani Kozhukattai    Steamed balls - 2 cups Oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Urad Dal - 1 tbsp Hing - a pinch Salt - to taste Multi Purpose Powder or Idly Dosa Powder - 2 tbsp Curry Leaves - a few (If Idly Dosa Powder is used, reduce the salt quantity) Method: In a pan heat oil, temper mustard seeds and when it splutters add Urad Dal, hing, curry leaves and Steamed Balls. Add salt (there will already be salt added to the flour, so salt have to be added very carefully). Mix with the back of a laddle not breaking the balls. Add the Multi Purpose powder or Idly Dosa Powder and mix well so that it all mixes nicely.

Also known as Medu Vadai or Medhu Vadai, this makes a good accompaniment for morning breakfast along with Pongal . Most of the south Indian festivals include Vadai in their menu and this is made. During Navarathri, this vadai is made as one of the neivedhyams in the morning. Ingredients: Urad Dal - 1 cup Thuvar Dal - 1/4 cup Green Chillies - 2 to 3 nos Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup Salt to taste Hing - a pinch Oil - To fry Method: Wash and Soak Urad Dal for half an hour. Drain the water thoroughly and grind it to a fine paste along with curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt, hing and green chillies. Add no water (or sprinkle water if necessary), and grind it to a fine paste. It should form a thick fluffy ball. Heat oil in a pan, and when hot reduce the flame. Take small balls of the dough and flatten them, make holes in the center and fry them in oil. Keep turning them ocassionally till they become golden brown. Remove from pan and drain the oi

I normally soak a little more of the dals that I soak for Aama Vadai and pressure cook them in the idly plates. Then make them in the form of Pidi Kozhukattai and the smaller ones are set into the outer cover and made one more kozhukattai and the bigger ones are again pressure cooked. These Kozhukattais taste too good. (These can also be alternated instead of either Paruppu Poorana Kozhukattai or Ulunthu Poorana Kozhukattai )

Kids like variety in their lunch box and this Pongal is something which will make even those kids who dont eat tomatoes to eat it. Ingredients: Rice (Raw) - 2 cups Tomato (Banglore vareity) - 6 to 8 nos depending upon the size Moong Dal - 1/2 cup Green chillies - 4 Ginger - 1 inch Clove - 1 no Bay Leaf - 1 no Onion - 4 medium sized Ghee - 1/4 cup Curry leaves - a few Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup Cashew Nuts - 12 nos Method: Pressure cook rice and moong dal with 4 cups of water for almost 5 whistles. Cut tomato into thin slices. Slit the green chillies in the middle. Cut the onion into thin lengthy slices. In a pan add half of the ghee and add bay leaf and cloves and the add onions when the onion turns glassy add the green chillies and ginger. Add the tomatoes and salt and saute them well till the tomatoes get mashed well. Add the cooked rice and moong dal and mash well. Add curry leaves and coriander leaves (chopped finely).In the remaining ghee fry the cashew nuts til

This soup can be had by even diabetics. Using the cheese and butter is optional instead of those diabetics can alternate it with cooking oil and low fat cheese. Ingredients: Onions - 2 chopped Butter - 2 tbsp Water - 4 cups Cheese grated - 2 tbsp Corn flour - 2 tbsp (dissolved in cold water) Salt to taste Method: Heat the butter in a flat bottom pan and add the chopped oinon and saute in low heat till it turns glassy and then brown. Add 2 cups of water and salt and bring it to boil in medium heat. Add the cornflour paste and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining 2 cups of water and cheese and bring it to boil till the soup turns clear and glassy. Serve hot with bread sticks, soup sticks or rusk. Before serving add a dash of grated cheese.

Constipation is one major problem many face in today's life due to the change in the food and diet. There are many reasons for one to get constipated but a few of the major reasons are 1. Improper diet 2. Anxeity 3. Stress 4. Lack of Exercise 5. Lack of fluid and fibre in food intake. Though it is always better to consult a doctor before doing any self medication, it is also better to change our personal life style and personal diet to get cured of constipation. The first thing one should do to avoid constipation is to increase the intake of water. Many feel it difficult to take the minimum required 8 glass or 1.5 litres of water every day. But if it is taken meticulously and more if the weather is warm. Fibers are very rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, cereals and some nuts. Every day 30 gms of fibre intake is absolutely necessary for an individual. The list of vegetables rich in fiber are: 1. Turnip 2. Radish 3. Lady's Finger 4. Beans 5. Cabbage 6. Cucum