Fruit Salad

Fresh Salads are a very nutrition-packed instant food you can relish upon. A very well known benefit of salads is that, it helps immensely in weight-loss, not only that, salads (mostly raw/semi cooked) take time to digest and are generally low on calories, hence keep your stomach full for a quite a long time and also gives all the nutrition from its ingredients uncompromised as it is consumed mostly raw/semi-cooked. Salads also increases the intake of vegetables and fruits in your diet.

 

For a healthy living, it is important that we cultivate the habit of healthy eating for which salad is a very good option. You can make numerous variety of salads mixing various ingredients from vegetables, fruits, lentils to nuts. Having a colorful salad not only feasts your eyes but your hunger too.

 

Here is a healthy fruit salad version, that can be prepared in a jiffy and relished.

 

Method:

 

1. Apple - 1, chopped to thin pieces

2. Grapes - 20, chopped to round, thin pieces

3. Plum - 1, chopped to small pieces

4. Orange (peeled) - chopped to small pieces

 

Mix all the above and serve chilled or immediately.

 

 

Tips:

 

Optionally, add a teaspoon of honey.

 

Cabbage-Peas Curry

Cabbage is a very common vegetable used in the south-indian cuisine and mostly a regular in the south indian weddings & functions menu, particularly Tamil Nadu.  It is not only very easily digestible  & healthy vegetable and but also easy to cook vegetable.

Health Benefits of Cabbage:

1. Cabbage is low in fat and calories. 100 g of leaves provide just 25 calories.
2. Fresh cabbage is an excellent source of natural antioxidant, vitamin C.
3. Cabbage is a very good source of vitamin K, that has a potential role in making our bones healthy.
4. Cabbages help in relieving constipation.
5. Cabbages have anti-inflammatory properties.
6. Cabbages are known to contain potent cancer fighting that prevents the growth of tumors in the body. A recent study in China showed that women who consumed more vegetables from the cruciferous family (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc) had a lower chance of suffering from breast cancer.

This is a simple cabbage curry made by combining peas with it. I have used frozen peas in my recipe. If you have fresh peas, you can cook the fresh peas separately and use it in this curry. This dry curry goes well with any south indian sambar, kozhambu or rasam.

English Name : Cabbage / Tamil Name : Muttakose / Hindi Name : Bandh Gobi / Malayalam Name : Muttakose

Ingredients:

Cabbage (chopped) - 2 Cups
Grated coconut - 1/2 to 1 Cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Seasoning Ingredients: Oil - 2 tsp, mustard seeds - 1 tsp, broken urud dhal - 1 tsp, channa dhal - 1 tsp, curry leaves - 10, green chillies (chopped fine) - 4, hing - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. In a non stick pan or kadai, season as given.

2. When the dhals turns brown, add the chopped cabbage, turmeric powder and salt. Add just enough water to immerse the cabbage and cook closed until all the water is evaporated and the cabbage is cooked.

3. Now add the cooked peas and grated coconut and mix well. Cook for a minute or two and remove.

 Tips:

1. For added flavor, add a teaspoon of coconut oil after removing and mix well.
2. If frozen peas is used, soak the frozen peas in warm water for 5 minutes & drain the water and then add to the cabbage.
3. If fresh peas is used, pressure cook the fresh peas adding required water for a whistle or two (until cooked) and drain all the water and then add to the cabbage.

 

How to cut Banana Flower

Banana Flower is a very healthy vegetable full of fibre and loads of goodness. One prominent reason why this vegetable is not used in cooking much is that, for some it is a very cumbersome process to cut this vegetable as its time consuming, and for others they simply don't know how to use it....In our days, it's all grannies and mommies duty to take up this labourious task, I wonder whether the next generation would even come to know such vegetable exists. Let us not stop using this healthy vegetable because we don't know how to use it...I have attempted to show how to cut this wonder vegetable, so it can help anyone who wants to know how to cut this vegetable. Next time you see a banana flower, just go grab it and cut as shown below and cook it in multiple ways as you want and enjoy it's both good taste and good health.

How to Cut Banana Stem:

1. The banana stem comprise of many petals (Dark Red/Maroon colour), peel each of the petals one by one.

2. Inside each petal, there are many florets (white in colour), which should be detached/plucked from the petals.

3. Each florets has a stamen in the middle and a small covering (looks slightly glossy), which needs to be removed. This is done by holding each floweret's tip of the stamen and pulling it towards you, this breaks both the stamen and the covering from the florets.

 

 Collect all the florets like this from each and every petal, until you reach the core of the vegetable, where you will not find any more petals and only bunch of small tender florets remains, It is ok to use the tender florets as it is, without removing the stamen, as there would be hardly any stamen in it, as you reach the core of the vegetable.

 Once all the florets are collected as mentioned above, cut them to an inch size or any desired length you want and drop them in the bowl of buttermilk water. This helps the florets from discolouration.

Now the chopped banana flower is ready for your cooking!!!!

Tips:

If the Banana flower is very fresh, when you remove the petals the florets will be very creamish/whitish in colour and looks very tender and fresh. If the flower is not very fresh, the florets will have slight brown colouration. As long as it is not too dark, you can use it for cooking.

Banana Flower Thuvayal

Banana Flower (Vazhaipoo) is a very healthy vegetable which grown as a bunch on the banana tree. The Vazhaipoo is very significant in our South-Indian tradition, as in many tamilian household ceremonies and functions ; you will find the banana flower hung from the banana tree, in front of the house.

Health Benefits of Banana Flower:

1. Rich in Vitamin A and C.
2. A good lactating agent.
3. Significantly reduces the blood sugar levels, hence diabetic-friendly vegetable.
4. Have anti-oxidant properties.
5. Curbs excessive bleeding during menstrual cycle & considerably increases the progesterone levels in the body.

Once the banana flowers are cut to small pieces, they have to be immersed in buttermilk water immediately to avoid discoloration.

The Banana flower can be prepared in numerous ways and included in our diet. This is a thuvayal version of the recipe. Thuvayal are thick chutneys made with variety of vegetables/green leaves, dhals and spices, which can serve both as a main dish or a side dish in our south indian cuisine. Mostly thuvayal goes well along with Rice and not tiffin items. Here is a simple Banana flower thuvayal.

Best Accompaniment for : Sambar / Kozhambu / Rasam / Curd Rice

Ingredients:

Banana Flower (chopped) - 1 Cup
Urud dhal - 2 tbsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 2 or 3
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 6
Tamarind ball - 2 pinches
Coconut - 3/4 Cup
Hing - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - 1 to 2 tsp
Water - 1/4 Cup

Method:

1. In a non-stick pan/kadai, add a teaspoon of oil, when it becomes hot, add the chopped banana flower and fry for 5 minutes and remove and switch off and cool.

2. Add a teaspoon of oil, when it becomes hot, add the urud dhal, pepper, cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves , tamarind & hing and fry until the urud dhal becomes light brown.

3. Cool the ingredients in 1 and 2 and grind together adding coconut and required salt and very little water to a thick paste.

Banana Flower Thuvayal is ready to serve.

  

Instant Vicks Remedy for blocked nose

Few days back, I came down with unexpected cold and blocked nose. I was finding it difficult to breathe through the nose while sleeping. We are all aware of the usual vicks application on our nose & chest to get some relief...even though this is a regular method, it takes few days for the cold to leave and also this doesn't release the nose block 100%.While thinking of ways to combat cold with home remedies, I remembered something which I recently read on the internet. It's a quick and effective treatment for cold using Vicks Vaporub with slight difference in its application.

I was little skeptical even after reading so many articles and testimonials about its effectiveness, but when the nose block is so irritating and you're desperate for a relief, one doesn't feel like leaving any stone unturned to find a way out. So I gave it a try and it really worked. Within half an hour of giving it a try, I could sense my nose block relieving (100% relief) and very soon I could breathe through my blocked nose without any difficulty and much better, I slept through the night very well.

So am now compelled to share this remedy (which is all over the net anyways), and my post here is my guarantee for its effectiveness. So, if you're having cold and want a quick relief, please do as below.

1. Take 2 scoops of vicks vaporub and rub each scoop under each of your feet and cover it up with a socks and goto sleep. This relives your blocked nose.

This treatment I have read, is effective for both adults and kids. But for kids the vicks scoop can be less. For very small children under 2 to 3 years, I am not sure whether this treatment is advisable. So parents first check whether it is ok to try this remedy for your little one. For adults, it works and I am strongly vouching for it !!! 

PS: Next day the cold was completely gone. Is it the vicks treatment effect or just a coincidence..not sure, but am happy it's gone!

Baingan Bartha

Baingan Bhartha is quite a side-dish made with eggplant, famous in various cuisines of Maharashtra, Bihar, Orissa, and even Tamil Nadu. It is a gravy side dish made mainly with cooked and mashed eggplant (brinjal) and spices to give a different taste from the usual routine side-dishes.

Egg plant has enormous health benefits. So including it in a form of a side-dish that is well suited for chapathi's makes it an interesting eat.

Health Benefits of Brinjal:

1. The eggplants are a very rich source of fibre and low soluble carbohydrates. Thus a good choice for diabetic persons.
2.  The content of nasunin that is present in eggplant helps remove excess iron from the body. This brings down the risk of getting heart attacks as it damages the existence of the free radicals in one’s system.
3. Eggplant is considered to be high in water content yet low in calorie count. This feature makes it very ideal as a healthy diet for people who want to reduce weight.
4. The skin is well hydrated owing to the high water content an eggplant has. It is also good for the hair.
5. Eggplant reduces the chance of cardio vascular diseases and strokes.

There are 2 ways of cooking this egg plant for this dish.

Method 1: Roast the brinjal directly on the stove, until it is cooked inside. This gives a smoky flavour to your dish. Then remove the skin and use it for cooking. This method I haven't tried myself yet, but know it works.

Method 2: Cut the stem of the brinjal and directly keep them in pressure cooker and cook for just a whistle or two. Cool and open. Remove the skin of the cooked brinjal and mash it well. This is the method used in my recipe. This cooking doesn't give a smoky flavor for the brinjal.

It is one's choice to use your convineant method to cook brinjal. Now let us go into its preperation.

Ingredients:

1. Brinjals - 5 to 6, pressure cooked and skin peeled.
2. Chopped Onion - 2 (small)
3. Chopped Tomato - 2 (small)
4. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
5. Red chilly Powder - 1 tsp
6. Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
7. Salt - 1 to 1.5 tsp
8. Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tsp
9. Seasoning Ingredients: Oil - 2 tsp, Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Season as given and add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for few seconds.

2. Add the chopped onion and mix well and fry till it becomes slight brown.

3. Add the chopped tomato and mix well and cook till it becomes mashy.

4. Add the required powders - Red chilly powder, coriander powder and salt and mix well with the gravy.

5. Add the mashed brinjals and give a nice stir. Cook for 5 minutes until the brinjals are well blended with the gravy.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and remove.

Raw Onion Chutney

This is an instant spicy onion chutney for all spice lovers. It's instant because, you need to just raw grind all the ingredients without cooking. So it's fast.  This chutney has little raw taste yet goes well with tiffin items like idly and dosa. Since no cooking is done, while seasoning be little lavish with oil, so the cooked oil blends with the chutney and removes the raw taste a bit.

Ingredients:

Big Onion - 2
Red Chillies -  4 or 5
Tamarind - Small ball
Salt - 1 to 1.5 tsp
Seasoning Ingredients: Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp, mustard seeds - 1 tsp, broken urud dhal - 1 tsp, asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. In a mixer, add the onion, red chillies, tamarind and salt and grind to a thick paste, adding limited water.

2. Season as given and pour onto the chutney and mix well and serve.

Poha Upma

Poha Upma (Aval Upma) is a very less time consuming, instant upma that you can think of, on a busy morning for breakfast. Made with flattened rice (aval) & onion and few spices, it is very tasty and healthy breakfast. Poha is light on stomach and easy to digest. It is a good source of energy due to its rice content.  So enjoy this simple & too easy to make aval upma with any chutney or sambar or even curds.

There are both white and brown poha available in the market. I use the white vareity (very thin flattened one) for this upma. You can also use other varieties of aval if you want for your upma, but there may be minor variations.

Soaking the Poha and using for cooking:

1. If white variety is used, soak the poha in just enough water to immerse it completely and give a nice rinse by hand and immediately strain all the water through a colander/strainer and let the poha sit for 3- 5 minutes. Within this time, the poha puffs and enlarges in size. It is then ready for cooking. (I have used the white variety in this preparation).

2. If brown variety of poha is used, soak the poha in tamarind water for 5 minutes and then drain all the water through a colander/strainer and let the poha sit for 3-5 mintues. Within this time, the poha puffs and enlarges in size. It is then ready for cooking.

In either of the above ways, once the poha is ready, you can prepare poha upma as below.

Ingredients:

Onion (chopped) - 2
Green chillies - 3, slit into 2 pieces
Red chillies - 3, broken into 2 pieces
Ginger (chopped) - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tsp (optional)
Lime Juice - 1 tsp (optional)
Seasoning Ingredients: Oil - 1 tsp, mustard seeds - 1 tsp, broken urud dhal - 1 tsp, channa dhal - 1 tsp, curry leaves - 8

Pre-requisite:

1. Take the poha into a vessel. Fill with water till it is fully soaked, give a nice rinse and then immediately drain all the water by passing the poha through a strainer/colander. Keep the water drained poha aside.

This quick rinsing and draining of water is enough for the poha to puff. Don't soak it in water for long.

Method:

1. In a non-stick pan or kadai, season as given.

2. When the dhal turns brown, add the chopped onion and 1/4 tsp salt and mix well. Let onion cook until it turns light brown.

3. Add the turmeric powder and remaining salt and mix well.

4. Add the water drained puffed poha and give a nice mix.

5. Remove from stove and optionally garnish with coriander leaves and add the lime juice & mix well and serve with any chutney.

Tips:

1.  Optionally before removing the poha  upma, add 1/2 cup of fresh grated coconut and mix well and remove. As I don't prefer adding coconut, I don't use it in my preparation (am bit cholesterol conscious and avoid coconut as much as I can).

Bisibelabath

Bisibelabath (or) Sambar Saadam is a very famous Karnataka dish, made from rice, lentil, mixed vegetables and spice powders. This is a one pot meal and very delicious to taste. For a long time,  I have been under the misconception that Bisibelabath is too complex to cook, but I was wrong. I realize now that this is one of the easiest dish that one can prepare and relish. This is a wholesome meal as it contains plenty of vegetables and very filling to the stomach. Generally this rice dish doesn't require any side-dish, as the dish itself has lots of vegetables in it, if you still need any side-dish, just enjoy it with few papads/chips.

For the preparation of Bisibelabath, we need to have rice and lentil (toor dhal) cooked separately and kept ready. The mixture of vegetables and spices are separately cooked and finally all the ingredients are mixed together to get the tasty sambar rice or Bisibelabath.

Bisibelabath powder is used in its preparation, which can be either made at home or can be store-bought. (I prefer MTR's Bisibelabath if store bought, as it taste good).

Ingredients:

1. Mixed Vegetables cut to 1 inch long - Small Potato (peeled) - 1, Small Carrot - 1, Beans - 10, Peas - 1/4 Cup, Raw Banana - 1/2, Elephant yam - 1/2, Chayote (peeled) - 1/2 , Drumstick - 1, Brinjal - 3, Broad Beans - 10, Cluster Beans - 6
2. Small onions (peeled) - 12
3.Tomato (Big) - 2 , finely chopped
4. Bisibelabath powder - 4 tsp
5. Tamarind Extracted Water - 1/2 Cup
6. Rice - 1 Cup
7. Toor Dhal - 1/2 Cup
8. Salt - 2 to 3 tsp
9. Seasoning Ingredients 1: Oil - 3 tbsp, Cinnamon Sticks - 2, Cloves - 4
10. Seasoning Ingredients 2: Ghee & oil - each 3 tsp, mustard - 2 tsp, curry leaves - 15
11. Coriander seeds (chopped)- 3 tsp

Pre-requisite:

1. Pressure cook the rice and toor dhal together, adding 4 to 4 1/2 cups of water for 4-5 whistle. (the rice and dhal can be overcooked , no problem. If they are undercooked, it will be a spoiler).

2. In 2 teaspoons of ghee, fry about 10-12 broken cashews and keep ready.

Method:

1. In a Pressure cooker, add the oil and add the seasoning ingredients 1. When they turn aromatic, add small onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add all the vegetables and mix well, add little salt and cook the vegetables until they are 60% done (you can close the pressure cooker, but do not add weight. Cook closed for 3-4 minutes and then open).

3. Add the chopped tomato and mix well and cook for another 2 minutes, until tomatoes are mashed.

4. Add the Bisibelabath powder and required salt and mix well and coat the powder well into the vegetable mix.

5. Add the tamarind extracted water and mix well.

6. Add the cooked rice+toor dhal mixture and mix all the contents well. If the rice is thick, you can add 3/4th glass of warm water to loosen it up and mix well.

7. Add 2-3 teaspoon of ghee and mix well and close the cooker and immediately add the weight and switch off after one whistle.

8. Open the cooker when the pressure completely drops and then season as mentioned with seasoning Ingredients 2 and pour onto the bisibelabath and mix and serve.

9. Garnish with coriander leaves (optional).

Bisibelabath Powder

Bisibelabath powder is used in the preparation of Bisibelabath, a famous Karnataka Sambar dish.  This powder can be made freshly at home , just before starting  the preparation of Bisibelabath. Using fresh powder adds more flavor and aroma to the dish. Here is the steps to make the bisibelabath powder.

Ingredients:

1. Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp
2. Channa dhal -3 tbsp
3. Urud dhal - 1 tbsp
4. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
5. Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 tsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
7. Cinnamon sticks - 6
8. Cloves - 6
9. Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
10. Red chillies - 30
11. Oil- 2 tsp

Method:

1. In a non stick pan, add oil, when it becomes hot, add all the ingredients except coriander seeds and poppy seeds. Fry everything until the dhal turns brown.

2. Then add the coriander seeds and poppy seeds and fry for just a minute or two, until the coriander seeds emanates nice aroma.

3. Remove and cool everything and take into a mixie and grind to dry powder.

4. Store the bisibelabath powder into an air-tight container.

Tips:

1. Poppy seeds is an optional ingredient. You can ignore if you want.
2. Cinnamon stick and cloves are essential ingredient, this gives the unique flavor to the powder, if you want strong spice flavor in bisibelabath, increase their quantity by adding 2 or 3 more in each.