SuvaiArusuvai - Veg Recipes of India

Thiruvathirai also known as Arudra Darisanam is celebrated in Tamilnadu. It falls in the month of Margazhi on the Thiruvathirai star day. The main neivedhyam is Thiruvathirai Kali and 7 kai kootu. Ingredients to make Thiruvathirai Kali: Raw rice - 1 1/2 cups Moong Dal - 1/2 cup Bengal gram dal - 1/4 cup Jaggery - 1 cup Grated coconut - 1/2 cup Cashew nuts - 10 to 12 nos Cardamom - 6 nos Ghee - 1/4  cup Water - 3 cups (Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups while cooking if needed) Method: Fry rice till it becomes golden brown in colour. Fry both the dals separately till they become golden brown. Grind them together till they reach rawa consistency (this can be done at home in mixer itself). (The dals can be powdered to a fine powder consistency too). Fry the cashew nuts in a tbsp of ghee and set aside. Grind the cardamom to fine powder and keep it ready. In a hard bottom pan add 1 cup of water and when it boils add the jaggery and let it mix well to form a syrup. Drain the jaggery so that

Many women find it very very hard to loose the excess weight gained during pregnancy. Dalia porridge helps in reducing the weight slowly and steadily. It is easily digestive and can be had by lactating mothers without much fear. It is also a very healthy recipe. Ingredients : Dalia  or broken wheat - 1/4 cup Low fat butter - 2 tbsp Oats - 2 tbsp Low fat milk - 1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar - 1 1/2 tbsp Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp Apple - 1 nos Banana - 2 nos Method: Wash and clean the broken wheat. In a pressure pan heat the butter and when it melts add the broken wheat and saute it in medium flame for about 3 mins. Add the oats to it and mix well and saute it again for about 2 mins. Add milk and 1 cup of water and mix thoroughly without forming any lumps. Pressure cook on a medium flame for 2 whistles. When cold add sugar and cinnamon powder and mix well. Refrigerate it. Before eating cut the apples into thin slices and bananas into thin rounds. Garnish the porridge with th

White sauce is normally used to thicken soups and gravies. Ingredients: Butter - 1 tbsp Maida - 1 tbsp Milk - 3/4 cup Black pepper - to taste Salt - to taste Method: In a glass bowl add the butter and microwave it on high for about 10 seconds. Mix the maida to the butter and stir it thoroughly so that the maida mixes well with butter well. Microwave it high for about 20 seconds by stirring in between. Add the milk and microwave it again for about 20 seconds. (Do not let the milk boil). Add salt and pepper.

Ingredients: Paneer - 1/2 cup (finely diced) Spinach - 3 cups (finely chopped) Tomato - 1/4 cup (finely diced) Green chilly - 1 to 2 nos Lime Juice - 1 tsp oil - 2 tbsp Salt to taste Method: In a pan add 1/2 sp of oil and add the spinach. Sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and saute well. Remove it from the pan. Add the remaining oil and when hot add green chilly and the paneer cubes to it. When the paneer cubes becomes a bit golden brown in colour mix it with the spinach. Add chopped tomatoes and lime juice and mix well. Serve chilled.

This is one soup that becomes a full meal of a day. Having this along with any Salad . Ingredients: Onion - 1 cup Tomato - 1 cup Potato - 2 nos Beans - 4 to 6 nos Cabbage - 1/2 cup Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup Peas - 1/4 cup Carrot - 1/4 cup Green Chilly - 2 nos Moong dal - 1/4 cup Noodles - 1/2 cup Corn flour - 1 tbsp Milk - 1 cup Cardamom - 1 no Clove - 1 no Red Chilly - 1 no Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp Salt to taste Butter - 4 tbsp Method: Pressure cook the potato, vegetables and moong dal separately. Peel and dice the potatoes. In a shallow vessel, heat water and  immerse noodles in it and cover it. Remove from flame and let it cool. When warm run it through cold water so that they dont get sticky. In a pan add butter and when it melts add cardamom, cloves, red chilly. When the aroma is released add the remaining butter. Slit the green chillies and add it to the pan, then add the thinly chopped onions and tomatoes. When the onions

Ingredients: Cinnamon - 5 1 inch pieces Black cardamom - 15 gms Black Pepper - 3 tbsp Cloves - 8 to 10 nos Oil - 2 tsp Method: Heat oil in a pan and roast all the ingredients adding them together. Roast them very lightly. Let it cool. Grind it all to a fine powder and store it in an airtight container. This garam masala can be used in Mughalai dishes whichever asks for Garam Masala in it.

Shankarapalli is a triangle shaped tea time snack which can be made very very easily in about 20 to 30 mins. Ingredients: Maida - 3 1/2 cups Milk - 1 1/2 cup Sugar - 2 cups Salt - 1/2 tsp Ghee - 3/4th cup Oil to fry Method: Seive the maida to avoid forming lumps. In a hard bottom pan add ghee, sugar and milk and boil it. When the mixture starts boiling remove from flame and let it cool. Mix the seived maida to the above mixture slowly and making a dough out of it. The dough have to be stiff enough to make be able to make chappatis out of it. Divide the dough into equal parts and make balls out of it. Heat oil in a kadai and when hot reduce the flame to medium. Make chappatis out of the balls (the chappatis should not be very thin). Cut the chappatis with a knife or shankarapalli cutter into square or diamond shape. Fry it in oil in the medium heat itself. Keep turning it till it becomes golden brown in colour. Note: If the sugar is very sweet, reduce the quantity by ha

Ingredients: Green okra - 20 to 25 nos. Onion - 1 big Garlic flakes - 10 nos Green Chillies - 6 nos Tamrind paste - 3 to 4 tbsp Raw rice water - 1/2 cup Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup Coriander Leaves - finely chopped 1/4 cup Salt to taste Turmeric powder - 1 pinch Asafodeita - 1/2 tsp Gingely Oil - 6 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp Bengal gram - 2 tbsp How to make Raw Rice Water: Wash and soak 1/2 cup of raw rice in 3/4 cup of water for about 1 hour. This water can be used to make Mandi. Method: Add 1 cup of water to tamrind paste. Add turmeric powder, salt and hing to the tamrind water. Wash the lady's fingers and cut them to 3/4th inch pieces. Chop the onions and garlic into fine pieces. Slit the green chillies into half without cutting them into two. In a shallow vessel, heat 4 tbsp of oil and fry the lady's fingers and keep them aside. Heat oil again and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add the bengal gram and curry leaves. Add the garlic, onion, green chi

Not a day starts without the filter coffee for every South Indian. Early in the morning, waking up to the aroma of the freshly made thick decoction blended with thick milk always makes the day a very fine one. The coffee powder combination: One can get the aroma and taste only when the proper combination of the beans are selected and they are properly roasted and ground too. One of the popularly known combination is 200gms Peaberry+ 200gms A+50gms Robusta and the other is 200gms Plantation+200gms Peaberry+100gms Chicory. The chicory is known to give the aroma and taste that makes the coffee lovers go for it. Whatever be the combination, the beans are roasted properly and should also be ground finely. The ground powder should be stored in airtight container too. The coffee making method: In a coffee filter add the coffee powder to the top chamber up to half of the filter. Press the coffee powder lightly with the mushroom shaped umbrella. Do not over press it, if done there

Ingredients: Paneer - 500 gms Butter - 75 gms Garlic - 12 pods Onion - 2 nos Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp Bay leaf - 1 no. Cinnamon sticks - 1 inch piece Cloves - 2 nos Cardamom - 2 nos Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp Oil for frying Salt to taste Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp Punjabi Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp Fresh Cream - 3 tbsp Tomato puree - 1/2 cup Kasoori Methi - 1 tbsp Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup Method: Cut Paneer into 1 inch strips. Deep fry the cottage cheese in hot oil till it turns golden brown. Remove the excess oil. put them in warm water which is added with little salt. In a pan heat butter and when it melts add cloves, bayleaf, cardamom and cinnamon sticks. Chop the garlic into small pieces and add it to the pan. Grind the onion to a fine paste and add it to the pan and saute well. Add the ginger garlic paste to the pan and saute all the items well without burning them. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder

Pregnant women craves for some specific types of foods. Foods like pickles, chocolates, raw mangoes. Some have cravngs for chalk, ash, clay, mud etc but eating these foods should not be encouraged. The food cravings will be mainly for highly salty or highly sweet dishes. Many people crave for spicy or fatty foods too. The main reason pregnant women experience food cravings during pregnancy could be due to the need of the body's cravings for additional calories. The pregnant women's body is working 24 hours a day to help the baby to grow healthy. How to deal with food cravings during pregnancy? Though it is OK to eat the foods that the pregnant women crave for, it is not OK to overindulge in itself. Most food cravings are healthy still, pregnant women need to keep a check on what they eat and what they not eat.

Juices are made from fresh fruits and vegetables. Juices. Juices are something liked by both young and old alike.  Why it is better to take juice?      Many kids and some adults dont like to take fruits and vegetables raw which are rich in minerals and vitamins. It is better to make those fuits and vegetables as juices and have them to get the minerals and vitamins from them.        It makes the skin glow and shiny.       It increases the energy levels.       Fresh juices are better than cold drinks. Cold drinks harm the body.        Juices help in diminishing the toxin loads in our body.        For those vigorous dieters juice diet helps in reducing food craving and helps in staying away from junk food.

Ingredients: Broken Rice Rawa- 1/2 cup Salt to taste Lemon - 1/2 Ginger Juice - 1 tsp Method: Cook rice rawa either in open pan or pressure cook it. Remove and mash it. Add ginger juice, lemon juice and salt and serve. This kanji helps in reducing body weight if taken 2 glasses daily in the morning

This recipe is a very good weight reducer if taken regularly. Ingredients: Barley - 1/2 cup Horse gram - 1/2 cup Dried ginger powder - 1 tsp Salt to taste Butter milk - 1 cup Water - 1 cup Green chilly - 1 Lemon - 1/2 Method: Clean barley and horsegram and grind it to a fine powder in flour mill (it is a bit hard to grind it in mixer at home). Take 3 tsp of the powder and fry it in a dry pan ensuring it didnot burn out. Add 1/4 cup of water and make it to a fine paste without forming any lumps. Mash any if formed and beat it thoroughly. Add remaining water and cook it. Keep stirring so that it does not burn and also not to form lumps. When cooked remove from flame, add dried ginger powder, green chillies and salt. Add buttermilk and squeeze out the lemon juice. Note: If milk, sugar and elaichi is added to the cooked mixture and drank regularly then it helps in regaining the weight that is reduced due to dieting and heavy exercising.

 During summer, due to the heat, lots of stomach disorders occour. This Kanji cools the body and helps in removing all kind of stomach disorders. Ingredients: Ragi flour - 2 cups Butter milk Chilly (More Milagai) - 4 nos Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Asafodeita - 1/4 tsp salt to taste oil - 1 tsp Butter milk - 3 cups Curry Leaves - few Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped Method: Mix ragi flour with 1 cup of buttermilk, salt and asafodeita thoroughly. Ensure that no lumps are formed. Add oil in a pan, when hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. When done add the buttermilk chilly and fry it. When done add the mixed ragi flour to it slowly stirring constantly in low flame. The entire mixture should become a paste form when cooked fully. Decorate it with curry leaves and coriander leaves. When the entire mixture is not sticky remove from flame. Serve warm by adding the remaining buttermilk. The whole cooking process will take 20 to 30 mins and the quantity is good

Ingredients:   Cashew nuts whole - 1/4 kg (approximately about 50 pieces) Bengal Gram Dal - 1 cup Raw Rice Powder - 1 tsp Cornflour - 1 tsp Green chilly - 2 nos Curry Leaves - 1/2 cup Garlic - 6 cloves (optional) Saunf - 1 tsp  Salt - To taste Oil - for frying. Method: Mix besan flour, rice flour, corn flour together along with salt. Grind garlic, green chillies and saunf to a paste and add it to the flours. Add finely chopped curry leaves to the flour. Add cashew nuts to the flour and add water slowly to make a dough.  In a pan heat oil and when hot reduce the flame to medium. Add small dumplings little by little to the oil. When they turn golden brown, remove from flame, drain the excess oil.  This pakora can be stored for about two or three days. Makes a good starter and also a good tea time snack.  Note: Do not increase the flame untill, the whole consignment of dough is fried.

Ingredients: All ingredients as in  Simple Pakora Onion - 2 to 3 nos big Method: Chop Onions finely. Mix the dough as that of Simple Pakora, but before mixing the water add onions and mix well. Add water little by little and make a dough. Heat oil and fry the dough just as said in simple pakora recipe. The onions will turn brown a bit faster than the dough. (But wait till the dough turns golden brown before removing it from oil). Serve hot. Ideal snack for rainy day.

Nice restaurant offering exciting flavors of India. Suitable for a formal or casual get together. Lunch Buffets available for Monday to Friday (11:00am to 2:30pm) Reservations recommended. Open Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm Address:  1971 HWY2, Monroe, WA 98272 Telephone:   (360) 863-8033

Serves some authentic Indian Food. Food available at affordable prices. Suitable for family as it offers a cozy dining eperience. Offers outdoor seating. Takeouts available. Address:  110 North, 3rd Street, Saint Charles, Illinois - 60174 Telephone:  (630) 444-1575

This restaurant serves Authentic Indian Food. Lunch Buffets available. Suitable for family dining and get together. Address:   245 Bush River Rd, Columbia, South Carolina - 29210 Telephone:   (803) 772-5121

An elegant Indian Restaurant for warm and inviting dining experience. Suitable for business lunch and family get together.  Traditional and authentic Indian food served Suitable for family dining as the restaurant offers cozy dining. Free home delivery within the neighborhood. Address:  1251 Opelika Road, Auburn, Alabama - 36830 Phone:   (334) 502-5200

An Indian Restaurant serving exciting Indian flavors right in California.   Suitable for families with children, as the restaurant offers private dining.  Suitable for a small family get-together and in house parties.  Catering service provided in the neighborhood.  Children aged 5 to 10 years charged half the dining price.  Takeouts available.  Address:  917, Main Street, Redwood City, CA 94063 Phone:   (650) 995 7946

Song of India is located close to Orchard road. The restaurant is located in a classic black and white heritage bungalow.  Address: 33 Scotts Road, Singapore 228226. Phone No: +65-68360055 Email: swagat@thesongofindia.com

Restaurant have Bar/Wine Bars. It is suitable for late night dining. The restaurant provides live music/entertainment along with private dining. Suitable for functions and can hold upto 50 to 100 people. Suitable for families with children and family can enjoy private dining.Suitable for coroporate parties and product lunches too. Address: 86, Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Unless and untill it is an infection, sore throat can be cured using natural ingredients.  1. Drinking warm tea (not so hot) mixed with one or two small pieces. The tannic acid in tea helps in releiving the soreness. 2. Many people think that lemon will increase the sore throat or cold. But the Vitamin C in the lemon will help in relieving sore throat. Make lemon juice with warm water and honey and it is a natural medicine for sore throat. 3. Taking 1 tspn of honey along with a pinch of cinnamon powder 3 times a day helps a lot. 4. The first and best thing that is advised whenever any one have a sore throat is gargling. Gargling with warm water added with rock salt. (add rock salt when the water is boiling and let it cool till it become warm so that the salt also gets dissolved). Note: If the sore throat is along with fever, chills or severe pain, it is better to see a doctor. Avoid natural treatment.

Blood Pressure have become so common due to the life style, eating habits and other personal habits. But it is proved that drinking grape juice (freshly made), regularly helps in reducing the blood pressure.  People who are over weight are prone to be affected by BP more than others. Along with the exercise and proper diet that they are following one can also take 2 glasses of grape juice daily. Grape juice is a favourite one for both young and old. So it is better to train the children to drink grape juice regularly.  But people who are diabetic need to take it with no sugar. How to make Grape Juice at home

Children are always picky eaters. They have their own preferences of food when it comes to eating any course. It is always a challenge for mothers to make thier kids eat balanced diet. Mothers have to make the food appealing and tempting too. Kids have their own taste and choices. On analysis one can get an idea as to how to present the food in an appealing way that will make the kids eat it. By this way nutritious food can be served to the kids. Preaching while eating never works. Many mothers tend to talk to their kids about the benefits of eating greens, or benefits of drinking milk. By doing so, they are making the kids get an aversion towards the food that is presented before them. Give the kids examples of their favourite heros and talk to them about how they have become so strong by eating healthy and nutritious food. But this talk should be done when the kids are in a very amicable mood and not while they are eating. Be it a joint family or a nuclear family, it is bette

Recipes can be either vegetarian, non-vegetarian and vegan. Indian recipes are of all the 3 types.  Indian Cuisine consists of a combination of many spices, herbs, vegetables (meat or poultry in non-veg cooking). Each family in each region have its own style of cooking and its own style of including the same kind of ingredients for the same dish thus making it unique for that region or for that culture. Though almost many in India are vegetarians, the invasions right from the Mughals till the British have bought in various cuisines and various kinds of preparations to India.  The main or staple ingredient in Indian cuisine are Rice, Wheat, different pulses, lentils, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Though in the olden days, pure ghee is used for frying, people who have become more health and diet conscious have now stopped using it for frying but have started using it in very less quantities.  Currently there are many brands of sunflower oil and refined oils used to deep fry. Along

Ingredients: Cumin seeds (Jeeragam) - 2 tbsp Pepper - 2 tbsp Hing - 1/2 inch piece Salt to taste Method: Grind cumin seeds, pepper and salt in mixie to a fine powder. Take 1/2 tsp of it and mix with hot rice the size of medium sized lemon along with 1/2 sp ghee. It is good for health and will induce hunger. This powder helps in easy digestion.

Ingredients: Condensed Milk - 1 tin (500 ml) Curd - 1 tsp Sugar or Jaggery - 1 cup Method: In a deep microwave vessel, add the condensed milk (donot add water). Add the curd and mix well.  Keep the container in micro high for 2 mins. Remove and stir well. Repeat the process twice. By this time, the milk would have thickened even more, keep it for one more minute in microwave and if it is thick enough, add sugar or jaggery, if not keep it again for a min. By this time, the mixture would have become pink in colour.  Now add the sugar or jaggery and mix thoroughly and microwave it for one more min in micro high. Remove and let it cool and store it.