COOL COOL CUCUMBER RAITA

Cucumber is good for health as it increases the fiber and water content in the body. The water content of cucumber hydrates the skin when eaten or applied to skin. So it is always recommend to eat cucumber to have a natural glowing skin. Potassium, magnesium, and fiber content present in the cucumber helps alleviate blood pressure disorders. Here comes the raita using cucumber.

INGREDIENTS:

Cucumber – 1 medium size

Green chilies – 2

Salt – As required

Asafoetida – a pinch

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Curry leaves and Coriander leaves – few

Yogurt – 2 cups

Oil – 1/4 tsp

METHOD:

· Beat the yogurt until smooth.

· Peel the skin of the cucumber and cut into small cubes.

· Add the cucumber to the yogurt and add necessary salt and asafoetida.

· Heat little oil in pan, add mustard seeds, once they splutter add the green chilies and curry leaves. Add to the yogurt-cucumber mixture once it cools.

· Garnish with coriander leaves. Refrigerate until serving.

PUDINA/MINT PULAO

Pulao is the perfect dish when we feel very lazy or got late to return home after a hectic office schedule. Also, it is one of the preferable lunch box dish that can be served with any raita. Mint leaves have an aromatic flavor and has lot of medicinal values. It helps in cooling the stomach acids and thus giving a fast relief from acidity. It also helps alleviate indigestion and bloating.

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice – 2 cups

Onion – 1 medium size

Potato – 1 big size

Peas – 1 small cup

Cloves – 1-2

Cinnamon – 1

Bay Leaf – 1

Oil – 2 tsp

Ghee – 3 tsp

Coriander Leaves – few

TO GRIND:

Pudina/Mint leaves – 1 small bunch

Garlic flakes – 4

Ginger – 1 small piece

Green chilies – 5

METHOD:

· Wash the pudina/mint leaves and grind coarsely with the above said ingredients.

· Heat oil in the pressure pan, add the necessary spices, then add onions. When the onion turns golden brown, add peas and potato. Add necessary salt and mix well.

· Now add the ground masala and stir well and then add the rice with double the water. Mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook for 2 vessels.

· Add 2-3 tsp of ghee after opening and mix well. Adding ghee at this point will give good flavor and aroma to the pulao. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with any raita.

VATTHA KUZHAMBU

Vattha kuzhambu is one of our favorite dish. My hubby loves this very much. One of my mom’s trademark dish. This goes well with steamed rice and papad, however, I feel crispy potato curry is the apt side dish for this. I used red pumpkin this time. We can also use small onions, ladies finger or brinjal. Even fried papads can also be added at the end which will taste very yummy.

INGREDIENTS:

Tamarind – Small lemon size
Red Pumpkin – 1/4 kg (cut into small cubes)
Tomato – 1 small size
Garlic flakes – 10
Mustard seeds – 1 tbp
Urad dal – 1 tbp
Red chilies – 2–3
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
Sambar powder – 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Asafoetida – a pinch
Curry leaves – few

METHOD:

· Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, red chilies, fenugreek seeds. When mustard seeds starts to crackle, add curry leaves.

· Once seasoning is over, add the garlic flakes, red pumpkin, and tomato.

· Now add turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt and mix well. Adding sambar powder at this stage will give good color to the vatta kuzhambu.

· Then add the tamarind water and mix well. Add some water and allow it boil for sometime until the raw smell goes and kuzhambu get thickens. The longer it boils the better it tastes.

ALOO GOBI QUICK

This is an easy recipe which we can prepare in just 10 minutes. This goes well with rotis and dosas.

INGREDIENTS:

Cauliflower florets – 1 cup

Potato – 1 big size

Green peas – 1/2 cup (optional)

Oil – 3 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tbp

Salt – As required

DRY ROAST AND GRIND (1):

Dhaniya/Coriander seed – 3 tsp

Red chilies – 7-9

Sauf – 1 tsp

Poppy seeds/Kasakasa – ½ tsp

TO GRIND (2):

Onion – 1 big size

Tomato – 2-3 medium size

Garlic flakes –3

METHOD:

· Wash the cauliflower florets in warm water with a pinch of salt.

· Cut the potato in small cubes.

· Heat oil in a pressure pan, add cumin seeds, then add cauliflower, peas, and potato one by one. Add necessary salt.

· Add the spice powder (1) and mix well.

· Then add the ground masala and stir for a minute.

· Cover with enough water and when it comes to boil, close and pressure cook for one whistle.

· Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis/dosas.

OATS PULI UPMA

I have not got much interest in Oats recipes before as I didn’t know the medicinal values of it but when I wanted to shed the extra weight after delivery, I was told to increase the intake of Oats by the nutritionist. Hence, I started collecting different recipes using the Oatmeal. One of them is the upma which tastes really good.

INGREDIENTS:

Oats – 1 cup

Mustard seed – 1 small tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Chenna dal – 1 tsp

Red chilies – 2-3

Salt – As required

Tamarind Juice – 3 tsp

Turmeric Powder – a pinch

Asafoetida – a pinch

Curry Leaves – few

Oil – 1 tsp

METHOD:

· Powder the oats in the grinder.

· Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the dals and fry. Then add the red chilies and curry leaves and fry for few seconds.

· Now add the tamarind juice. Add necessary salt, turmeric powder, and asafoetida.

· When the tamarind juice starts boiling, add the oats powder, stir constantly until it becomes thicken.

· Serve hot with any chutney or sambar.

MY FIRST ENTRY - ALOO CAPSICUM

FIRST STEP IS REALLY HARD!!!!

Can I, Cant’ I, Should I, Shouldn’t I…After a long thought, I am landing my first step into the cooking blogosphere because it needs some determination and regularity in posting the stuffs. I am interested in viewing other cook blogs but never thought of posting my own stuffs but after seeing people running for marathon races here in midst of their busy schedules, I too got interested to run along with them. Here’s my first entry. Hope I will improve the presentation and photography skills in the forthcoming stuffs.

INGREDIENTS:

Potato – 1 big size

Capscium – One big size

Tomato – 2 medium size

Onion – One medium size

Cumin seeds – 1 tbp

Garam Masala – 1 tbp

Coriander powder – 1 tbp

Cumin powder – 1 tbp

Red Chilly Powder – 1-2 tbp

Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tbp

Curry Leaves – few

Oil – 2 tbp

Salt – as required

TO GRIND:

Garlic – 4 cloves

Ginger – ½ inch piece

Tomato – 1 small size
Onion – 1 small size

Sauf – 1 small teaspoon

METHOD:

· Cut the capsicum, onion, and potato into thin long even strips and chop the tomato into small pieces.

· Grind all the above said items.

· Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter, add curry leaves. Add onion and fry until golden brown. Then, add the chopped tomatoes. Now, add the chopped capsicum and the necessary salt.

· When the capsicum is half cooked, add the cumin seed powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder one by one. Add little water if necessary and keep it in low flame for 5-7 minutes.

· Meanwhile, deep fry the potatoes with some little oil in another pan and keep it aside.

· Once the capsicum is cooked, add the deep fried potatoes and serve hot with roti/rice