Thursday, 17 September 2015

Perfect juice for glowing skin

Ingredients
Beetroot – 1
Carrot – 2
Orange – 1
Celery – 2 stalks

Method
Wash all the ingredients well and peel the skin. Cut into long slices. Process all the ingredients through the juicer. Put ice cubes, stir well and drink immediately.

Wednesday, 16 September 2015

Onion Pachadi / Onion in yogurt

Ingredients
Onion – 1 big, chopped
Yogurt – 1 ½ cup
Coconut – 2 cups
Water – ½ cup
Green chillies – 2
Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon
Dry Chilli – 2
Curry leaves – a few
Salt – to taste
Oil – 3 tablespoons

















Method
Grind yogurt, coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds with water to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan and fry mustard seeds, dry chilli and curry leaves. Add chopped onions and saute until onion turns brown colour. Add the ground coconut mixture and put salt. Simmer the fire and let it boil. Mix well and serve with hot rice.

Monday, 14 September 2015

Broccoli Carrot Fry

I always have broccoli in my fridge. My hubby needs it daily in his oats meal and my children love broccoli in any form. I make this dish at least 4 times a week. 
Broccoli is a very healthy vegetable and its packed with soluble fiber that draws cholesterol out of your body. Broccoli is a good carb and it is high in fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and curbs overeating.
Ingredients
Broccoli florets – 2 cups, chopped
Carrot – 2 medium, thinly diced
Onion – 1, thinly sliced
Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
Salt – to taste
Oil- 2 table spoons













Method
Wash broccoli twice in plain water.
Mix ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt in some water. Wash broccoli in this water again and drain it.
Heat oil in a pan and saute onion until brown. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
Add chopped broccoli & carrot and stir well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir for a minute.
It’s a tasty side dish for plain rice or chapati. Enjoy!!!

Friday, 14 August 2015

Pineapple Payasam

Ingredients
Pineapple – 1 ½ cups, thinly diced
Jaggery – 1 cup, grated
Sago (Chowari) – 1 cup
Thin Coconut milk – 1 ½ cups
Thick Coconut milk – 1 cup
Water – 2 cups
Cardamom powder – a pinch (optional)
Ghee – 1 tablespoon
Cashew nuts – 8 nos



















Method
Cook the diced pineapple in water until it is soft. Drain the water in the pineapple and smash it with a spoon. Boil sago in water for 10 minutes. Wash the cooked sago in cold water. Melt the jaggery in a little water. Strain to remove the dusts. Add cooked pineapple and melted jaggery in a vessel. Add thin coconut milk and allow it to boil for 10 minutes. Put the cooked sago and mix well. Add cardamom powder. Pour thick coconut milk and stir well. Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashews. Garnish the pineapple payasam with cashews. Have it after a yummy sadya!!

Notes: - It is better to cook pineapple in a pressure cooker as it takes long time to be soft.

Thursday, 13 August 2015

Ulli Choru / Shallot Rice

Ingredients
Shallots – 10 nos, thinly sliced
White Rice / Ponni Rice – 1 cup, cooked
Ginger – ½ inch piece, thinly sliced
Salt to taste
Ghee – 1 tablespoon















Method
Heat ghee in a pan. Fry shallots and ginger until light brown. At this point in time, add salt. The salt helps the shallots to be crispy. Combine the fried mixture and cooked rice. Add salt if required. Serve hot!

Raw Mango / Pacha manga Chammanti

Ingredients
Coconut – 1 ½ cup, grated
Raw mango – 1 cup, small cubed pieces
Salt to taste
Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves – 4 leaves
Shallots – 3 nos
Coconut oil – 1 teaspoon


















Method
Grind coconut, chilli powder, mango pieces and salt in a blender without water. Add shallots and curry leaves and just crush it together with the blended coconut mixture. Add coconut oil and mix well with a spoon. Serve with hot rice!

Pal Payasam / Rice Kheer

Ingredients
Broken Rice/ Podi ari – 1 cup
Milk – 3 cups
Sugar – ¾ cup
Cardamom powder – a pinch
Water – 2 cups
Ghee – 1 teaspoon
Cashew nuts – a few

















Method
Boil water in a pressure cooker and add the washed rice. Pressure cook up to 3 whistles and low flame for 5 minutes. Open the lid once the pressure in the cooker goes out completely. Pour the milk in a vessel and add sugar to it. Bring it to boil. Add the cooked rice to the boiling milk and stir well. Boil for 5-10 minutes. If the payasam is too thick, add some more boiled milk. Add cardamom powder. Heat ghee and fry the cashews. Add fried cashews to the payasam. Enjoy the yummy payasam!!

Notes – If the milk is too thick, you can add a little water when boil the milk. You can use condensed milk in the final step. Usually pal payasam does not need cashews or raisins.