அரிசி தேங்காய் பால் கஞ்சி

தேவையானவை

பச்சரிசி - 1  டம்ளர் 
வெந்தயம் - 1  ஸ்பூன் 
பூண்டு - 4  பல்
தேங்காய் பால் - 1  கப்
உப்பு தேவைக்கு ஏற்ப

செய்முறை:

அரிசியை நொய்யாக உடைத்து 1  டம்பளர்க்கு 3  டம்பளர் தண்ணீர், வெந்தயம், பூண்டு, உப்பு சேர்த்து குக்கரில் வேக விடவும். நன்றாக 3 விசில் வர வேண்டும். குக்கரை திறந்த பின் வெந்த அரிசியுடன் தேங்காய் பால் சேர்க்க வேண்டும். சுவையான சத்தான தேங்காய் பால் கஞ்சி தயார். 

காலை சிற்றுண்டிக்கு ஏற்ற சந்தன உணவு. உடல் நிலை சரி இல்லாதவர்கள் தேங்காய் பாலை சேர்க்காமல் சாப்பிட வேண்டும். குழந்தைகளுக்கு ஏற்ற உணவு. கர்பிணி பெண்களும், குழந்தை பெற்ற தாய் மார்களுக்கும் எளிதாக ஜீரணிக்க கூடிய உணவு. பசியின்மையை போக்கி விடும். 

Dry Fruits Powder

Any kheer or payasam is always a welcome dish when it comes to a festival or party.

Ingredients:
Cashew nuts - 1 cup
Badam - 1 cup (soak and deskin)
Cardamom - 8 nos
Ground nut - 1 cup (deskinned)
Dry grapes - 1 cup
Walnut - 1/2 cup

Method:
Dry roast cashew, badam and ground nut one by one in a pan. It should be roasted in low flame. Grind it together with cardamom, dry grapes and walnut.

Add 2 spoons of this powder to 1 cup of warm milk along with a spoon of sugar. This is a very good health drink. A spoon of this powder can be added to a cup of corn flakes and milk.

Modakkathan Keerai Dosai by Vijaya Venkatesh

Pathiya Samayal contest entry by Vijaya Venkatesh

Ingredients:
A small bunch of modakathan keerai
Soaked parboiled rice and Urid dal as u do normally for dosas

Method:
While grinding, add the leaves also. It gives a light green colour to the batter. Allow it to ferment and make dosas as u normally do.
This Modakathaan keerai is very useful in preventing Arthritis/Rhuematism

Crunchy spicy broken wheat snack powder

Wheat based recipe post by Saloni Ramachandran

First I thought I’ll name it as “Anamika snack” as I didn’t have a name for it originally. Then realized it would become like “Anamika” is the owner of this recipe so to avoid such confusions I gave this slightly long and confusing name!

This will some become the favorite snack of your household pretty soon. Kids will love it because of its crunchy taste & powdered form, instead of the usually made solid/semi-solid snack items. It makes a wonderful instant evening time snack for your kids and family if you are bored and don't want to get into something heavy and elaborate for a change.

Preparation Time:-

 5-7 Minutes

Ingredients:-

1 Cup of Large  Sized Broken Wheat (Big Granules are preferred because they richer taste and flavor) - 100gms

3/4 Cup of Kobbari Powder (Dry shredded coconut) - 60-75gms

2-3 Green chillies

Tamarind - 1/2 a strip or less (depending on your taste bud for tanginess)

Curry Leaves one string (optional)

Asafoetida/Hing - 1 pinch

Salt to taste 

For Seasoning:-

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tablespoon

Urad Dhal - 1 tablespood

Cumin Seeds (optional) - 1/4 tablespoon

  

Preparation Method:-

1. Slightly Roast the broken wheat in a medium flame until about 2 mins so it loses any moisture (do not roast until color change).

2. Now, in a mixer, grind the roasted broken wheat, dry shredded coconut  powder, green chillies, tamarind, asafoetida, curry leaves and salt.

3. The ground mixture should be coarse in texture and should not be a very fine powder.

4. Now, in a pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add mustard seeds, urad dhal and cumin seeds, once the urad turns brown and mustard splutters, add the ground coarse powder into the pan and start stirring and sautéing continuously for 5 mins.

5. You will notice a slight change in the color and the powder will start getting crispy, you can turn off the gas and serve hot.

6. If you are a person who loves the crispy and crusty taste a lot then keep stirring the mix further more until you see more dark brown crusts.

  

Tip: You can try out the same thing with Aval/Poha, it will come out really good.

Day 2 Diet plan by Laxmi

Day Two:
Break Fast :
Dosa and Steamed Vada Curry

Recipe for Vada Curry:
Soak and Grind Channa Dal and Thuvar Dal with Red Chillies, salt and saunf and steam the ground mixture in idly pan and do the rest like usual vada curry. 

Lunch:
Rice
Poosani Sambar
Vazhathandu Curry
Pudina Thuvaiyal
Soya Granules Dry Curry
Lemon Rasam
Curd

Sambar Recipe:
Pressurecook half cup of thuvar dalw ith turmeric powder. In a pressure pan temper mustard, methi seeds, curry leaves, one green chilly. Add chopped tomato and fry well. Add tamarind extract and cut pumpkin pieces, sambar powder, salt and close lid and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Open, add mashed thuvar dal and bring it to a boil. 

Vazhathandu Curry:
Boil finely cut vazhathandu and 1/4cup payatham paruppu with salt and turmeric powder in just enough water (so that we need not drain the water). After all the water is absorbed switch off the stove. In a kadai tempermustard seeds andjeera with curry leaves and add it to vazhaithandu and mix well. Finally garnish with 2 tbsp of grated coconut. 

Pudina Thuvaiyal:
Fry Urad dal and red chillies in half a tsp oil. Switch off the stove and add pudina leaves and fry for a min in that heat. Then grind with salt and add lemon juice to retain the green colour and taste. 

Soya Dry Curry:
Soak Soya granules for fry mins. In a pressure pan, fry finely cut onions and tomatoes. Add ginger garlic paste and saute well till the raw smell is gone. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt and fry for a few more mins. Then add squeezed soya graules and a cup of water. Close lid and pressure cook for 2 whitsles. Then open lid and fry till all moisture is absorbed and dry. Finally add cut coriander leaves. 

Eve snack:
Apple, Papaya, Musk melon and sprouts salad.

Dinner:
Mushroom Soup
Pasta with Arrabiata Sauce

Mushroom Soup:
Saute peeled garlic, onions and mushrooms. Add 1/4th cup barley and 8 cups of water and simmer for 40 mins. Then puree the soup and add salt and bring it to a boil. Fry finely cut garlic pieces in olive oil till golden brown and use it for garnishing. 

Pasta Recipe:
Cook whole wheat pasta with salt
Drain and keep it aside.
Blanch Tomatoes and peel skin.

For Arrabiata Sauce:
Fry Peeled Garlic in Olive Oil along with red chillies and grind with blanched tomatoes and fresh basil leaves and salt. 

In a pan add olive oil and sliced onions and add the arrabiata sauce and cooked pasta and bring it to a boil. Remove from fire and add Oregano Seasoning. 

As I made it for dinner time, I did not add grated cheese. It tasted good even without the cheese. And it is healthy too as it is whole wheat. 

These are not cooked specially but a daily routine cooking for my family. In most recipes I have mentioned which oils I have used. In general, i try to use 3 to 4 types of oils in daily cooking which include Rice Bran, Gingelly and Olive Pomace. I use Coconut oil and Ghee to the barest minimum. 

Two Day diet plan by Laxmi

Two Day Diet by Laxmi

Day - 1
Breakfast:
Idly and Indian Flag Tricolour Chutney
Seasonal Juice (This season it is watermelon Juice)

Recipe for Green Chutney:
Fry Peeled Garlic, Red Chillies and 2 tomatoes. 
Grind it with a big bunch of Kothamalli and slat and squeeze a little lemon juice for retaining green colour and taste

Recipe for White Chutney:
Grind grated coconut, green chillies, roasted gram dhal (pottu Kadalai) and salt and temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Recipe for Red Chutney:
Fry 1/4 tsp Dhaniya seeds, Red Chillies, Peeled Garlic Pods, Onion and Tomatoes in that order and grind with salt and Lemon Juice (I use Lemon Juice instead of Tamarind for Chutneys always)

All above items are fried and tempered with very little oil (Used PORNA Rice Bran Oil)

Lunch:
Garlic Kozhambu
Chow Chow Molagootal (Kootu)
Cucumber Pachadi
Bittergourd Curry
Lemon - Garlic Rasam
Curd

Recipe:
Kootu: Pressure cook Thuvar dal with turmeric powder and mash well. Boil chow chow with salt and turmeric powder, fry little urad dal and red chillies and grind with one tbsp grated coconut and jeera. Add ground mixture and mashed dal to boiled vegetable and add enough water and bring it to boil. Temper mustard seeds and curry leaves in 1 tsp coconut oil. 

Kozhambu:
Take 2 tsp gingely oil in a pan, temper mustard and curry leaves and fry peeled and cut garlic till golden brown. Add cut tomatoes and fry for one more min. Then add tamarind extract and add kozhambu powder, salt and half tsp jaggery and boil till it thickens. 

Pachadi:
Grate cucumber, add to curd with little salt. Temper with mustard and curry leaves. 

Bittergourd curry:
Fry Onions, tomatoes and bitter gourd pieces with salt and keep it closed till cooked. Then add red chilly powder and saute for a few more minutes. 

Lemon Garlic Rasam:
Take finely cut tomatoes (2) one slit green chilly and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder in a microwave bowl and microwave on high for 2 mins in a closed container. Take it out and mash it well and add 2 tbsp boiled and mashed thuvardal and add 4 cups of water. Add salt, 2 tsp rasam powder, 1/2 tsp jaggery and bring it to a boil. Switch off stove as soon as froth is formed on top. Temper Jeera, Mustard and finely cut garlic in 1/2 tsp ghee and add cut coriander leaves. Finally squeeze in one lemon. 

Evening Snack: 4pm mostly seasonal fruits
This month it is Musk Melon with Honey for Taste
Boiled Peanuts and Pomegranate.

Dinner: 7pm
Ragi Dosa with left over Green and Red Chutneys from the morning. 

Recipe: Usually while grinding for Idly/Dosa, I reserve some Ulunthu maavu for adding sprouted Ragi flour, Ferment and Make Ragi Dosa for kids. If they dont prefer that I serve multigrain Meusli with milk. 

Usually Dinner without Rice, such as Chappathi or Oats Kanji, Or Ragi Kanji or Kellogs - K

If they preer to have Ragi Dosa, then it is one cup of milk (or flavoured Soya Milk for all four before retiring to bed). 

Palak Soup a healthy recipe

Ingredients:
Palak - 1 bunch
Onion - 1 no.
Tomato - 1 no.
Chillies - 2 nos
Garlic - 3 to 4 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn
Salt to taste
Water - 1 cup

Method:
Pick the leaves of Palak and wash them clean for about two or three times. Chop the onions, tomato and green chillies finely.

Pressure cook spinach, tomato, onion and green chillies. Let it cook for about 3 whitsles. When cold blend it with a hand mixture. Add salt and another cup of water if needed and noil it for another 5 mins.

Serve hot with a dash of butter on top. Can be accompanied by potato wedges.

How to make Horse gram sprouts

Just like moong dal sprouts Horse gram can also be sprouted to make delicious dishes. It is quite healthy for bringing down cholestrol levels too.

Ingredients:

Horse gram - 250 gms

Method:
Wash and soak horsegram in 3 cups of water for about 12 hours. Wash again strain and transfer it to a strainer so that all the excess water drains off. Cover the strainer with a vessel. Sprinkle a little water in the night. The sprouts will appear within 24 hours. These can be refrigerated for about 3 to 4 days.

Rice green gram porridge - a healthy gruel recipe

Ingredients:
Jeeraga Chamba Rice - 1 cup
Green gram - 1 cup
Shallots - 12 nos
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Red Chilly - 3 nos
Green Chilly - 2 nos
Salt to taste
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:
Wash and soak rice for about 1/2 an hour. Soak green gram for 1 hour. Mix them together and pressure cook along with finely chopped shallots, slit green chillies. Pressure cook for 5 whistles.

Grind coconut and red chillies together along with a little salt to a coarse paste with less water. Mix it to the cooked gruel and boil it for another few minutes.

(If it is served for diabetics, the coconut can be avoided. While serving the kids, the number of chillies can be altered. While giving it for pregnant women and kids, the porridge have to be thick and less spicy)

Add little ghee on top before serving.

Drumstick Soup

Ingredients:
Drumstick - 12 nos
Onion - 4 big
Green chilly - 4 nos
Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Curd - 1 cup
      or
Cheese - 1/2 cup grated

Method:
Chop onions finely. Cut drumsticks into reasonable sized pieces. Pressure cook onion, green chilly and coriander leaves together with milk. Pressure cook drumstick pieces separately. Open the drumstick pieces and remove the fleshy parts and seeds. Separate the seeds and keep them aside. Blend the drumstick flesh with the remaining cooked ingredietns and grind them. Add the drumstick seeds, salt and pepper and bring it to a boil. Before serving add either curd or grated cheese.

Neer Aagaram - long forgotten healthy breakfast

For a country like India which is in tropical region, having something  healthy early in the morning for breakfast helps in maintaining good health. And so came a lot of porridges and food made of left food. The previous day's cooked rice is converted into a healthy breakfast named Neeraagaram - means water based food. Though it is not a trend now a days, still to beat the scorching summer heat, one can try this out.

Ingredients:
Left over rice - 1 cup (had to be the rice that is cooked the previous evening or night)
Rock salt to taste
Butter milk - 2 cups

Method:
Add two cups of water to the rice the previous night before going to bed. Early in the morning add rock salt and butter milk. Chill it and serve.

The best side dish - uppu manga, more milagai or shallots.

Garlic Pepper Kuzhambu for Lactating Women

Ingredients:
Tamarind Paste - 1 tbsp
or
OPOS Tamarind paste - 3/4 tbsp
Thuvar Dal - 2 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper - 2 tsp
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Red Chillies - 2 nos
Curry leaves - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 12 cloves
Salt to taste
Gingely Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Asafodeita - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Fry thuvar dal pepper corns, jeera, curry leaves and garlic cloves(peeled) in 1 tsp of gingely oil to a fine paste.

In a pan add the remaining gingely oil and when hot add mustard seeds and when it splutters add asafodeita and ground paste. Fry the paste again in oil for just a few seconds. Mix tamarind paste in two cups of water and add it to the pan. Mix all the ingredients together. Add salt and let the mixture cook. The mixture will thicken and will come together forming a fine paste. Add ghee to it and remove from flame. This can be stored in fridge for about a month.

This is a healing recipe served for lactating mothers during postpartum. Pregnant women can avoid this kuzhambu.

How to serve this:
Serve it with hot rice and about 1 tbsp of ghee (which is must as this is a bit more spicy). Serve it with plain postpartum kootu. Eat just 1/2 cup of this rice with lots of veggies.

Energising Hot Chocolate Drink

Ingredients:
Drinking Chocolate Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 1/2 tbsp
Milk - 2 cups
Cinnamon Powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Heat milk. Add sugar and Drinking chocolate powder and mix well. Add the cinnamon powder and mix well. This is a great energising drink. Good for exam goers, morning breakfast and also for pregnant women.

Recipe for Urad Dal Kanji

A kanji that is good for the hip bones of women and for the heart of men, this Urad Dal Kanji helps in easy delivery for pregnant women.

Ingredients:
Urad Dal - 1/4 kg
Palm Jaggery - 1/2 kg
Cardamom - 1 or 2 nos
Dried Ginger - 1/2 inch
Coconut - 1 big.

Method:
Grate the coconut and grind it and take coconut milk (full thick and 2nd milk). Fry the Urad dal till it becomes golden brown in colour. Set aside and let it cool. Soak in water for about 1/2 an hour. Mash the palm jaggery and dissolve it in 1/2 litre hot water. Grind urad dal in grinder and when it becomes soft add ground cardomom powder and dried ginger powder.

Add another 1/2 litre of water and keep stirring it in low flame till it starts boiling. Strain the palm jaggery and add it to the urad dal. Keep stirring till it becomes thick. Add the 2nd extract coconut milk and a pinch of salt.

Add the first, thick extract of coconut milk to it and remove it before it starts boiling.

Note:
Keep stirring constantly when the kanji is in flame.

Dalia Kanji or Conjee recipe for weight loss after pregnancy.

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 these slices and serve in room temperature.

Recipe for full meal soup

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 turn solft and when the tomatoes become soft, add the pressured cooked vegetables and potatoes. Add the cooked moong dal and add 4 cups of water to the pan. When it boils add the noodles. In 1/4 cup of warm water mix the corn flour and beat it well so that no lumps are formed. Add it to one cup of milk, pour it into the pan by stirring it very slowly.

Add cinnamon powder, pepper powder and the required salt. Bring it to boil and when it comes to boil remove from flame and serve hot.

The quantity serves for 2 and it takes about 20 to 30 mins for the whole preparation.

Raw Rice Rawa, Lemon and Ginger Kanji - Recipe to loose weight

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

Barley-Horsegram Porridge to reduce weight

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.

Powder to induce hunger

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.

Kanji to reduce excess water during the third trimester of pregnancy

This is commonly known as Vaditha Kanji in Tamil which means, the whole Kanji is made using the water that is drained after the rice is cooked in open vessel. (Pressure cooked rice wont have any water remaining in it). This recipe is good for pregnant women to reduce the excess water that gains in the legs. It also helps in easy urinating during pregnancy especially in the 3rd trimester.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Water - 5 cups

Butter - 1 spoon

Salt -  to taste

Palm Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Method:

Wash and clean rice. Add water to it and cook it. When it is done drain the excess water. Add salt, butter, palm jaggery to it and mix well. Drink warm. 

Note: It is a must that only palm jaggery is used.