Sweet Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

Macaroni – 1.5 cups

Condensed Milk (Milkmaid) – ¾ cup

Mayonnaise – ½ cup

Apple Cider Vinegar – 1 table spoon

Bell pepper (red colour) – ½ cut into small cubes

Carrot – 1, cut into small cubes

Red apple – 1, cut into small cubes

Spring onion – a few chopped

Salt – ½ teaspoon

Pepper powder – ½ teaspoon

Method

Boil some water in a large pan. Put salt and add macaroni. Stir occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop it from cooking any further. Combine the cooked macaroni with the cubed vegetables.

Mix mayonnaise, condensed milk, apple cider vinegar and pepper powder in a bowl. Pour the dressing over the top of macaroni – vegetable mixture. Mix it until everything is coated in the creamy dressing. Chill the salad for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Garnish with some spring onions. This is a very yummy salad!

Notes:- You can use fresh cream instead of mayonnaise. I have tried fresh cream on another occasion and its awesome. You can replace vegetables with fresh fruits or fruit cocktail can which is available at stores.

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

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!