Green Apple Pomegranate Salad with Honey ( பச்சை ஆப்பிள் மாதுளை காய்கறி கலவை )

Green Apple Salad with Honey 

( பச்சை ஆப்பிள் காய்கறி கலவை ) 

Ingredients:

Green Apple ( பச்சை ஆப்பிள் )  - 1
Pomegranate seeds (மாதுளை முத்து )  - 1/2 cup
Cucumber ( வெள்ளரிக்காய் )  -  1 (small)
Baby Carrots ( கேரட் )  -  5
Honey ( தேன் )  - 2 tsp
Lemon Juice ( எலுமிச்சை சாறு )  - 1tsp
Olive oil ( ஆலிவ் எண்ணெய் )  -  1tsp
Walnuts ( வாதுமை கொட்டை)  -  a handful
Salt & Pepper to taste.  ( சுவைக்கேற்ப உப்பு , மிளகுதூள் )

Steps:

Wash the fruit and vegetables.

Peel the skin of cucumber.

Slice the vegetables into thin strips. Dice the green apple.

In a cup whisk honey, olive oil and lemon juice.

Pour the mixture over the vegetables.Add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine together using salad tongs.

Top it with halved walnuts before serving.

Crunchy,tangy, sweet salad is ready.

My Notes:

Prepare the salad and consume immediately. 

I like, the combination of honey, lemon juice and olive oil, dressing for this salad. A simple but taste bud stimulator. 

The apples get to  retain their colour with the lemon juice rubbed on it.

Walnuts give that nutty taste. It is the best nut that goes well with any salads. Highly nutritious as well.

Horse Gram Snack / Sundal ( கொள்ளு சுண்டல் )

Horse Gram Snack / Sundal ( கொள்ளு சுண்டல் )

Ingredients:

Horse Gram (கொள்ளு)  -  1/2 cup

Grated coconut  ( துருவிய தேங்காய் )  - 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds ( கடுகு )  - 1/2 tsp

Split urad dal  ( உடைத்த உளுந்தம்பருப்பு ) - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida ( பெருங்காயம் )  - a pinch

Curry leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை) - a twig

Dry red chilli ( மிளகாய் வற்றல் )  - 1 (halved)

Sesame oil ( நல்லெண்ணெய் )  - 1 tbsp

Steps:

                                        

Wash and soak horse gram overnight. Remove small stones or other impurities which may be present.

Boil in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles, turned down the flame and cook in low flame for 3 to 5 more minutes.

Strain the boiled water  and do not throw away as it has lots of nutrients. Reserve it to use as a stock for soup/ rasam. 

In a pan, heat a teaspoon of sesame oil. Add mustard seeds, split urad dal for seasoning. Add the halved dry red chilli followed by asafoetida and curry leaves.

Add the boiled legume, salt and coconut. Mix well. Switch off the flame.

An excellent, protein packed evening snack is ready.

Notes:

Horse gram took its English name from its usage as a staple food for the horses. It is called Kollu in Tamil.

Like other millets and legumes, it is an under utilized legume but getting its place on the dining table in the recent past.

It is a high powered, protein rich legume.

In addition to having the highest calcium content among the legumes, its benefits are wide varied ranging from relief for common cold to bronchitis, jaundice, ulcers to weight management.

It is a challenge to soft boil the legume and takes a lot of chewing and eating. So not a much preferred ingredient in cooking.

But with the right amount of time in soaking and cooking, it can be incorporated in various ways.

For easy digestion, it can be sprouted and cooked. It takes three days for the soaked horse gram to sprout.

Steamed horse gram cake, rasam, thuvaiyal, sprouted curry are some of the dishes that I have tried successfully.

Horse gram has the ability to generate heat for which it is consumed during winter days.

If you feel too much heat on normal/ warm days,  balance it by eating salads or drink buttermilk, both of which cools the body system.

I had prepared Green Apple salad with honey to complete the snack.

French beans & Carrot stir fry ( பீன்ஸ் கேரட் பொரியல் )

French beans & Carrot stir fry (பீன்ஸ் கேரட் பொரியல்)

Ingredients:

French beans  - 6 nos. or 100 g

Carrot  -  1 or 100 g

Grated Coconut  -  3 tsp

Dry Red chilli  - 1

Mustard seeds  -  1 tsp

Urad dal  -  1 tsp

Curry leaves  - a sprig 

Steps:

Wash and cut both the vegetables into small pieces.
Boil until tender, in small quantity of water. Add required salt.
In a colander drain the excess water.
In a pan, heat oil.
Add mustard seeds and urad dal. When it cracks, add in the red chilli halved and the curry leaves.
Add the boiled vegetable and mix well.
Finally add the grated coconut and switch off the flame.
Transfer to a bowl and serve.

My Notes:

French beans are excellent source of fiber, vitamins and folate. 

It is cooked alone or combined mainly with carrots. 

While boiling in water, use adequate water and not excess so that the nutrients are not washed away in the excess water.

Some prefer to do seasoning, add vegetables , sprinkle water , cover with a lid and cook stir fry style rather than boil it first. This method will give a  bit crunchy veggie.

Alternatively, we can steam the vegetables in a steamer like the  idli vessel. 

At my Mom' place, split green dal / Moong dal is half or 3/4th boiled and added to the dish.

It gives a shine through in your dish. Healthy and colourful. 

Select the bright colored, crisp beans for freshness. Avoid soft or pale ones. 

Potato Kuruma ( உருளைக்கிழங்கு குருமா )

Potato Kuruma ( உருளைக்கிழங்கு குருமா )

Ingredients:

                                      

Potato (உருளைக்கிழங்கு )  - 2

Tomato ( தக்காளி )  - 1

Shredded Coconut ( தேங்காய்  துருவல் )  - 3 tbsp

Green Chilli ( பச்சை மிளகாய் )  - 1
Ginger ( இஞ்சி )  - 1'' piece

Fennel seeds ( சோம்பு ) - 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon stick ( பட்டை )  - one 1"

Ghee (   நெய் ) - 1 tsp

Cumin seed ( சீரகம் )  - 1/4 tsp

Urad dal ( உளுந்தம்பருப்பு )  - 1/4 tsp

Fresh Coriander leaves (கொத்தமல்லி தழை ) - handful 

Steps:

                                   

 Pressure cook Potatoes, peel the skin. Using fingers, break up in shreds.

Cut the tomato into small pieces, boil it in water for 2 to 3 min.

Grind the coconut with green chilli, ginger, cinnamon stick and fennel seeds to a fine paste.

Add the paste to the boiling tomato. Let it cook for another 3 min. Adjust the water content for it to boil.

Add the boiled potato pieces.

Mix well, simmer for another minute or so.

Remove from fire.

For seasoning -  In a small pan, heat 1 tsp of ghee. when it is hot, add cumin seeds and urad dal. As it sizzles, pour over the kuruma.

Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.

My Notes:
I learnt this dish from my Mother in law. She makes this as a side dish for poondu kuzhambu, as the Garlic Tamarind curry is called in Tamil. My husband' favourite combo.
Onions and garlic are not used in this recipe and in that way it is different from the regular gravy dishes.
It is mild in taste, yet spicy and tasty. Goes well for rice varieties, chapathi or dosai. 

Mixed lentils fritters ( தவள வடை )

Mixed lentils fritters ( தவள வடை )

Ingredients:

Toor Dal ( துவரம் பருப்பு )  -  1/2 cup

Channa Dal ( கடலை பருப்பு )  - 1/2 cup

Moong Dal  (பாசி பருப்பு ) -  1/3 cup

Urad Dal ( உளுந்தம் பருப்பு )  - 1/3 cup

Par boiled Rice  ( புழுங்கலரிசி )  - 1/2 cup

Dry Red Chillies  ( மிளகாய் வற்றல் ) - 6 to 8 

Asafoetida  ( பெருங்காயம் )  - 1tsp

Coconut ( தேங்காய் ) - 1/2 cup ( cut into tiny bite size )

Curry leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை )   - 2 sprigs

Mustard seeds ( கடுகு )  -  1 tsp

Oil  ( எண்ணெய் ) - to fry

Salt (  உப்பு )  - to taste 

Steps:

Wash and soak the lentils for 2 hours. Soak the moong dhal separately. Donot grind. 

In a blender, first blend the red chillies finely.

Drain the water from the lentils and  grind the soaked lentils and the rice  in small portions into a coarse form. Add the soaked moong dhal. 

Add salt and mix well. 

The batter should neither be too thick nor too thin. It should be of a  consistency similar to cookie dough.

Slice the coconut into small bits and add to the batter.

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil.
Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add asfoetida. Add this seasoning to the batter and mix well.
Heat sufficient oil in a pan to fry the fritters.
Once the oil is hot, you can bring the flame to medium heat . Scoop out the batter and drop it in by the spoon to fry.
Turn the fritters regularly and allow it to fry until nice brown colour.
Remove and serve with coconut chutney.
A mouth watering evening snack with coffee / tea.

My Notes:

This crispy, yummy variation is my favourite of all vadais, which is the proper name for fritters in Tamil.
It is an ethnic dish which is very popular in Madurai and Thanjavur districts. The reason it got its name as தவள வடை /Thavala vadai could be because a similar batter was used to cook adai in a bronze pot and bronze is referred to as thavala/தவள colloquially in Tamil.
This is different from the Masal vadai / paruppu vadai in which channa dal is solely used.
After my paternal grandmother' excellent thavala vadai, I got the chance to taste equally good ones prepared by my husband' maternal grandmother. Till date I miss the vadais prepared by those wonderful ladies.
This vadai is crispy outside and slightly soft inside with crunchy bits of coconut here and there.
It tastes good with chutney while hot and when it is cold is equally good and it goes as an accomplishment for rice varieties especially curd rice. When cold, it doesn't becomes soggy  like other vadais.

Brinjal & Black eyed beans stir fry ( கத்தரிக்காய் காராமணி மசாலா )

Brinjal & Black eyed beans stir fry

 ( கத்தரிக்காய் காராமணி மசாலா )

Ingredients:

Brinjal  ( கத்திரிக்காய்  )  - 1 big

Black eyed beans ( காராமணி )  - 1/2 cup

Tomato ( தக்காளி ) - 1 big or 2 medium sized

Ginger ( இஞ்சி )  - 1"

Sesame seeds ( வெள்ளை எள்)  - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder ( மஞ்சள் தூள் )  - 1/2 tsp

Sambar powder ( சாம்பார் பொடி ) - 1 tsp

Curry leaves  ( கறிவேப்பிலை ) - 1 twig

Coriander leaves ( கொத்தமல்லி )  - handful 

Salt  ( உப்பு )  - to taste

Half a cup beans will swell to form a full cup after soaking in water.

Steps:

 Soak the black eyed beans for 2 hours. Presuure cook it for 2 whistles.
Peel the skin of the ginger, chop into fine pieces.
Wash and slice the brinjal into bite size pieces.
In a wok, dry roast the white sesame seeds until fragrant. Keep aside.
In the same wok, add 2 tbsp of oil, add ginger and curry leaves. Add the cut brinjal, turmeric powder and sambar powder.
Mix well. After a minute or so, add the sliced tomato.
Close it with a lid and allow the vegetables to cook.
As the vegetables are almost cooked and the raw smell of the sambar powder is gone, add the boiled black eyed beans.
Cook for a minute or two. Add the roasted sesame seeds. Mix well, switch off the flame.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with hot steamed rice or chapathis.

My Notes:

Black eyed beans is a bean rich in not only Protein but also  Iron and Potassium as well.

The boiled bean has a creamy texture and takes in the spices well.

When you prepare a stir fry masala with this bean, it doesn't become too dry like other beans.

Any type of brinjal is suitable. I have used the long seedless type.

Sambar powder is a better choice as it has all the spices like cumin, coriander seeds and chillies.

Home made sambar powder or any popular brand available can be used.

Sesame seeds gives a unique flavor to the dish.

Falooda

Falooda

Ingredients: 

 Milk  - 3 Glasses

Rose Syrup  - 3 tbsp

Sugar  - 6 tsp

Vermicelli  - 3 tbsp

Sago  - 3 tbsp

Basil seeds / Sabja / Chia seeds  - 2 tsp

Almonds & Pistachios  - few each

Strawberry puree or essence - 1 tsp

Sweetened Milk koya / Ice cream  - 4 scoops.

                                        

On the right is dry sabja seeds , on the left is soaked in water for 15min.

Steps:

Soak the sabja seeds in water. It will swell to more than double its volume. 

Boil milk, dissolve sugar in it. When lukewarm, add the rose syrup and chill the milk.

Boil vermicelli in milk  with a spoon of sugar added to it. Add  food colour. Refrigerate.

Boil the sago , add strawberry pulp ( alternatively, can use strawberry essence and red food colour). Mix well.Refrigerate this also separately. 

Thin slice almonds lengthwise and fine slice pistachios.

To arrange the serving, take a tall glass.

Add a spoonful of strawberry flavoured sago, vermicilli, sabja and then followed by the milk koya. Pour in the flavoured milk. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve.

My Notes:

In the excitement to serve the guests, forgot to take the picture of the drink completely arranged to serve.

I pureed 3 fresh strawberries and added a few drops of strawberry essence to add to boiled sago.

Vermicelli can be cooked in water and run under cold water so that they don't stick together and form lumps. I have also used the cendol ( green coloured) available from the chilled section at the supermarket. It is a vermicilli made of tapioca n rice flour combination.

 I have used sweetened koya as I had it at home. Mostly vanilla ice cream is used.

The combination of ingredients is a personal choice. Easy to prepare but a very rich fulfilling dessert. The ingredients can be prepared and chilled earlier. Arrange in the glass before serving.

Falooda, a drink dessert, is quite popular with North Indians as well as in major Metropolitan cities like Chennai, Bangalore in the South. Deep South, in Madurai, they have their own version of this drink called Jigirthanda.

My Mother' favourite drink. I remember, she always go for onion rava dosai and falooda for dinner at Hotel Palimar, Chennai. Being a native of Madurai, may be she was looking at the falooda as a substitute for Madurai Makals' popular drink Jigirthanda.

I learnt to make this drink only after moving to Singapore and feel nostalgic that I didn't get to serve my mom her favourite drink as she is no more. 

Wheat Rava Mixed Vegetable Porridge ( கோதுமை ரவை கிச்சடி )

Broken Wheat Grain ( Rava) Mixed Vegetable Porridge

( கோதுமை ரவை கிச்சடி )

Ingredients: ( serves 4 )

Broken Wheat Grain ( கோதுமை ரவை )  - 1 1/2 cups

Onion ( பெரிய வெங்காயம் )  - 1

Ginger  (இஞ்சி )  - 1" 

Green Chilli  ( பச்சை மிளகாய் )  - 3

French Beans  ( பீன்ஸ் )  - 8

Carrot  ( கேரட் )  - 1

Green Peas ( பச்சை பட்டாணி )  - 4 to 5 pods

Potato  ( உருளைக்கிழங்கு )  - 1

Cauliflower  ( காலிப்ளவர் )  - few florets

Turmeric powder ( மஞ்சள் தூள் )  - 1/2 tsp

Salt  ( உப்பு )  - to taste

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds (கடுகு)  -  1/2 tsp

Urad dal  (உளுந்தபருப்பு )  - 1/2 tsp

Channa dal  ( கடலை பருப்பு )  - 1 tsp

Curry leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை )  - 1 string

Steps:

Wash the vegetables and fine chop them.

In a sauce pan, boil 4 1/2 cups of water separately.

In a heavy bottom pan, add 5tbsp of oil.

When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds to crack, followed by channa dal and then urad dal.

Add curry leaves, finely chopped ginger and slit green chillies.

Add french beans, carrot, green peas and potato. Stir for a minute.

Finely add the cauliflower florets which requires less cooking time

When the vegetables are saute add the broken wheat grain ( rava ) and roast it together with the vegetables.

When the wheat rava is fragrant, add the boiling water. Add turmeric powder and salt.Stir continuously.

Close it with a lid, allow it to cook in medium flame for 3 to 5 minutes.

Turn and mix well the cooking porridge and allow it to cook for 2 more minutes.

Switch off the flame. Allow a standing time of 2 to 3 minutes with the lid on.

Transfer to serving bowl. Serve the hot mixed vegetable wheat rava upma with coconut chutney or sambar.

 My Notes:
Broken whole wheat is a healthier option than the normal rava. Some families least prefer this due to it rough texture with the husk / skin. Fine / coarse broken wheat  is available for one to choose from.
Added vegetables bring a great change in taste and appearance. My family developed an acceptance and liking after adding vegetables to the dish. So, it is always cooked with vegetables.

In south Indian breakfast menu, Upma has a place next to Idli, dosai and Pongal.
A plain version, with just ginger and onion added, is called upma / upuma / uppittu in various South Indian languages.
If mixed vegetables is added, then the dish is called Kichadi.
In English I am not sure of its exact name. But can call as a  porridge in a solid state different from the semi solid watery porridge.

A lot of variations of this kichadi can be made.

As a final step, lemon juice can be added to get that zest in the dish.

For the tangy taste, tomatoes can be added together with the vegetables.

Whole  spices like the cardamom, cinnamon, clove, bay leaves and masala powder can be added for those who love it the spicy way.

Its a whole meal with lots of fiber and nutrition from the vegetables.

 I prefer to  roast the broken grain and add the measured boiling water rather than add water to the sauted vegetables, boil water and add the grain. By the former method, forming of lumps in the dish can be avoided.

I prefer to add turmeric powder due to its antiseptic property and the colour.

  

Mango Lassi ( மாம்பழ தயிர் பானம் / மாம்பழ லஸ்ஸி )

Mango Lassi ( மாம்பழ தயிர் பானம் - மாம்பழ லஸ்ஸி  )

Ingredients: ( makes 4 servings)

Mango Pieces  - 1 Bowl ( from 2 medium sized ripe mango)

Thick Curd /  Plain Yogurt  - 250 ml

Sugar  - 4 tbsp

Honey  - 2 tbsp

Ice cubes  - as required 

Salt  - Just a pinch to enhance the sweetness.

Steps:

In a mixie jar, add the mango slices and blend it well in a blender.
Add the curd and blend again.
Add sugar, honey and ice cubes , blend to form a smooth paste.
A pinch of salt can be added to enhance the sweetness of lassi.
Pour the chilled drink in a glass. Topping it with a cherry is optional.
Enjoy the yummy drink.

My Notes:

Lassi is a favourite drink of all age group. A refreshing drink on a hot day is a welcome treat. Especially in this hot summer and with the season of Mangoes. mmm...yummy drink..

During my childhood days, I have had relished this juicy sweet fruit from our own farm at Sholavandan. So,mentioning  mangoes always has a fond memory.

Well ripen mango is a great combination with curd rice, which is a South Indian favored choice.

Moving to Chennai, I have had the taste of mango lassi. Since then, have a liking for the drink.

My family loves to have the drink on a Sunday afternoon.I used to make plain lassi when mango season is not around. But now a days have reduced the frequency due to its calorie count.

In this recipe, I have used honey as well. If not preferred, can replace it with more sugar.

Use fresh curd prepared at home. It can be slightly sour. A well set curd aids digestion.