Healthy Celery fruit Drink

Healthy Celery - fruit Drink

Ingredients:
( to make 2 glasses of drink )

Celery Stalks  -  2 or 3
Strawberry  - 8 to 10
or mandarin oranges / peaches / watermelon / pear
Salt  - a pinch

Steps:
Snap off required stalks from the bunch.
Trim at the base and remove the strings and leaves of the Celery.
Wash the celery sticks well as the base has roots and may be muddy sometimes.
Choose a fruit of your choice. Can be a combination of two fruits.
Dice the fruits and the celery sticks.
Blend celery and the fruit with a pinch of salt into a smoothie.
Chill and enjoy your healthy drink.

My Notes:

I use a blender to prepare the drink rather than a juicer to extract. Mine will be more like a smoothie.

Bare with its distinct pungent taste to get your daily dose of fiber and a whole lot of benefits. Actually its leaves have the strong flavour than the stalk. The Indian coriander leaves are milder and we are used to its taste. likewise you will get accustomed to its taste.

Celery increases bile acid secretion which flushes out cholesterol from body.
It reduces LDL cholesterol to great extent.
But the best I read about it is that it reduces stress hormone and cure insomnia.

Celery sticks are crunchy to eat. Try with a dip like peanut butter  but if you are calories conscious  go for yogurt dip. Can try with any salad dressing.

It can be changed to a tasty drink by adding the right fruits

Though not their preferred choice of drink, my husband prefers it with fragrant pear while my son prefers to have with watermelon. They drink  considering its goodness and my effort ;)

DIY to find out your favourite ;))

Papaya and Flattened Brown Rice

Papaya and Flattened Brown  Rice 

Ingredients:

Flattened Brown Rice ( Poha ) ( சிகப்பு அவல் / பிரவுன் அரிசி அவல் ) - 1 cup

Grated Coconut ( துருவிய தேங்காய் ) -  3 tbsp

Unrefined sugar/ panela ( நாட்டு சக்கரை / வெல்லம் )  -  3tsp

Papaya diced  ( பப்பாளி பழத்துண்டுகள் ) - 10 pieces.

Steps:

Rinse the flattened rice once, drain the water completely. You can slightly squeeze to remove water.

leave it aside for a few minutes. 

Peel and dice the papayas to desired size.

In a bowl transfer the rice, grated coconut ( or coconut pieces if you prefer ) and the raw sugar.

Mix well. Top it with papaya slices and enjoy a healthy breakfast without the need to cook.

My Notes:

An easy to prepare dish. 

It can be given to kids as evening snack as it gives them a good amount of energy. Instead of papaya you can add in a handful of baked almonds or pistachios. Kids' choice ;)

Unrefined sugar is better than the white sugar and it adds an authentic taste to this dish.

Rich sources of proteolytic enzymes make papaya digest the proteins effectively. So they are excellent for treating stomach ulcers.

Quick Breakfast recipe suitable for Peptic Ulcers

Quick breakfast recipe suitable for Peptic Ulcers

( Banana Chapathi roll & Papaya Flattened Brown Rice )

Banana Chapathi Roll

Ingredients:
Chapathi ( சப்பாத்தி) - 2
Banana (  வாழைப்பழம்) - 1
Shredded Coconut  ( தேங்காய் துருவல்) - 4 tsp
Dates ( பேரிச்சம்பழம் ) -  2
Almonds ( பாதாம் பருப்பு ) -  4
Honey ( தேன்) - 1 tbsp ( optional )

An alternative to the regular banana, you may choose the bright attractive red ones. The pink flesh is sweeter than the regular banana. This banana is low in fat, low in sodium and a source of fiber. I like the aroma of this red banana. But overripe has a strong taste and is not recommended to eat and especially for diabetics.
But diabetics need not refrain from eating a banana but keep in mind about the number and frequency of intake.
Eating this fruit helps to create thicker stomach walls and greater production of stomach mucus. This creates a barrier between the stomach lining and the digestive acids, thus reducing ulcer.

Steps:

Slice the bananas. Slit the almonds and dates lengthwise.
Divide the above ingredients into two portions, one for each chapathi.
Chapathi can be freshly made or saved/left over from the previous meal.
On a Chapathi, spread the banana pieces, top it with almond and dates pieces and scatter 2 tsp of shredded coconut. Drip a tsp of honey and roll the chapati.

Repeat with the other half of the ingredients for the second chapathi.

A delicious, minerals and vitamins loaded wrap on the go.

My Notes:

I have noticed, nearly three decades ago, my University friend Beena' Mother prepare this dish regularly for her Father as he had a mild peptic ulcer.

Eating fresh Coconut has many health benefits. Don't worry about the cholesterol as the uncooked coconut has only good cholesterol.
Chewing one or two pieces of coconut a day cures mouth ulcers.

Recently was mentioning this recipe to a friend whose Father in law has ulcer.

So this simple dish actually gives an idea or choice of food for the people in need rather than a detailed recipe.

Not only for ulcer, but it is also an excellent choice to start a day for the young and old.

 A healthy breakfast fixed quickly provided you are ready to prepare the chapathi or plan early and save a few from dinner.

This breakfast is better than 2 slices of bread with jam, in many ways.

Another dish made with puffed rice is also very easy to make and very soothing for the stomach.
Flattened Brown rice with papaya. Shall post this soon.

Purple Cabbage stir fry ( கலர் கோஸ் பொரியல் )

Purple Cabbage stir fry ( கலர் கோஸ் பொரியல் )

Ingredients:

Purple Cabbage (  கலர் கோஸ் )  - 250 grams

Green peas ( பச்சை பட்டாணி ) or Channa Dhal ( Iகடலை பருப்பு )  - a handful or approx 50 g

Grated Coconut ( தேங்காய் துருவல் )  -  3 tbsp

Mustard ( கடுகு )  -  1/2 tsp

Urad Dal ( உளுந்தம் பருப்பு )  - 1/2 tsp

Garlic ( பூண்டு )  -  3 cloves ( peel and pound )

Green Chili ( பச்சை மிளகாய் )  - 1 or 2 

Curry Leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை )  -  a twig

Steps:

Wash and slice the cabbage into thin pieces.
Steam the vegetable in an Idli steamer or any steamer.
Soak the channa dhal for half an hour. It can be cooked in a small cup kept in the boiling water of the steamer. The green peas can also be cooked in the same way.
If frozen peas are used, soak in hot water for a few minutes and transfer to the steamed cabbage.

In a pan, add a teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add mustard and urad dhal.
As it cracks, toss in the pounded garlic and green chili followed by curry leaves. Saute for a minute.
Add in the steamed cabbage and the boiled channa or the green peas.
Add salt and mix well.
Finally, add the grated coconut and switch off the flame.
Mix well and transfer to a serving bowl.

My Notes:

The crimson or purple cabbage is a feast for both eyes and stomach.

An excellent vegetable with a long list of benefits, cabbage, is rich in nutrients, balances the pH of our body.

Except that some people may not like its flavor. 

To add a spark to the dish,  add garlic, green peas/ channa dhal and coconut.

My friend eats raw cabbage ( white or purple) with a zest of lemon juice added. I have tried and liked the crunchy taste. I prefer to have raw cabbage with pineapple chunks and red capsicum slices.

From what I have read and known, cabbage retains its fiber-related component when steamed and it loses its nutrient when boiled or overcooked.

So always make sure it is not overcooked even while steaming.

Green peas or the channa dhal compliments the dish with its protein value. 

You can also toss in a handful of boiled corn kernels.

The variations add colour to the colorful vegetable. Kids may like to give a try if presented this way.

Today, I made both the versions as per the preferred choices of my family members.

This vegetable is a good combination for  vatha kuzhambu / sambar and rice.