Carrot Sambol | Easy Carrot Salad - Vegan Srilankan Recipe

 Carrots are my favorite vegetable when it comes to eating raw . I love adding carrots to my meal as a salad or as raita . The subtle sweetness from the carrot and crispness ,gives the salad a nice crunch .

Gajar Koshimbir / Carrot Kosambri  is the Indian version of carrot salad where grated carrots are seasoned with tempered mustard seeds, udad dhall , red chillies and garnished with fresh coconut . Likewise, Carrot Sambol from Srilanka is a close cousin of the Indian Kosambari . 

In Srilanka, carrot sambol is served as a part of breakfast with Sevai /String hoppers and some stew . Many a times, lunch also has this healthy sambol as part of the menu .  

Carrot Sambol is very easy to make and can be prepared in a jiffy . Except for pepper powder and chopped green chillies ,there is no other spice element . The overall salad is crunchy and mildly spiced garnished with fresh coconut and mixed with tomatoes and onions.  While I was reading up about Srilankan cuisine, I found out another variant of Carrot Sambol ,prepared in the Jaffna region of Lanka. In that version, some amount of yogurt is added to the salad which resembles the Carrot Raita from Indian Cuisine.

Carrots are a powerhouse of nutrients and there will seldom be anyone who would hate carrots . From the childhood we have been told that , carrots are a good source of vit A and regular consumption of carrots help in preventing the deficiency of vit A . The orange color of carrot is got from Beta Carotene which is metabolised into Vit A . It addition to vitamin A , carrot is also a rich source of vit K and Vit B complex which are very much essential for our overall growth and health.

Carrots are widely used across cuisine all over the globe . Indian and Asian cuisine also make use of carrots widely in many recipes like stir fries, salads, fried rice , desserts , soups etc .  

Come winters;Gajar Halwa & Carrot Kheer are the most popular never to miss seasonal desserts that every household will dish out and serve . The warm serving of Halwa or kheer is perfect for the chill winter days.

Thai Style Carrot Salad is another lipsmacking and refreshing salad option I have bookmarked from Priya's blog "the world through my eyes" .

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : Nil
Complexity - easy
Serves : 2 to 3

Ingredients

3 - 4 orange carrots
2 green chillies
2 tsp pepper powder
3 to 4 tbsp fresh coconut
salt to taste
2 medium sized tomatoes 
1 small onion 
1/2 fresh lemon

**Can be made as a saatvik / No onion No garlic version by skipping the Onions.

Method

• Peel the carrots and grate them using a grater or food processor.
• De seed the tomatoes and chop them into small cubes
• Chop the onions.
• Mix the carrots,onion and tomato in a wide mixing bowl along with coconut,pepper powder and green chillies .
• Add the lemon juice and salt just before serving. Toss it lightly and serve immediately.

Tip : Never add the salt and lime juice before hand in any salad, as it will tend to release the juices and the salad will turn soggy and lose the crunch.

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Chou Chou Kadalai paruppu Kootu | Chayote Lentil Curry - Vegan & GF

 Kootu is a classic side dish from the cuisines of Tamil Nadu and Kerala .  Kootu is served as a side dish along with the other items on the menu. Kootu Curry is a must have on the Sadhya during any festive occasion in Kerala . 

Kootu is normally thick in consistency made using thoor dhall (pigeon peas), moong dhall (pasi paruppu /split lentil) or a combination of the two dhalls . Kootu is served alongside sambar ,rasam and other  stir fries as a part of main course .

Today, I am sharing a  very tasty  kootu using chayote /chou chou /Bangalore kathrikai and channa dhall/kadalai paruppu . This is my amma's recipe and I love to have this kootu anytime . This kootu is mildly spiced and has very subtle flavors . Elders or kids who are unable to take too much spice, this will surely be a treat to their taste buds .

If you don't get chou chou / seeme badnekaai you can also use ash gourd /pooshnikaai to make this kootu.Chou chou kadalai paruppu kootu goes well with rice and chapathi too. 

Various other kootu recipes on my blog 

Avarekaalu Kootu 

Vellarikaai (Cucumber) Kootu 

Thiruvadhirai Kootu / Thalagam

Vazhakkai (Raw banana) Kootu 

Everyday we want to provide a healthy and balanced meal to our family and we are on the look out for preparing a nutritious side dish for our meals. This week it was my turn to suggest the theme and Side dish won the votes hand down and we are celebrating SideKaKamaal the 304th week in our Foodie Monday Bloghop group .

Chayote /chou chou is a versatile vegetable and can be used extensively in our day to day cuisine in various ways  and the best part is chow chow  is easily available all over the world . If you also relish this vegetable like me,then you must definitely try out Chou Chou Kootu and Chou Chou Poriyal (stir fry) already posted on my blog .

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Cooking Time - 20 mins

Complexity - easy 

Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

2 medium sized chou chou /chayote / seeme badnekaai 

1/2 cup channa dhall / bengal gram /kadalai paruppu 

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut 

2-3  green chillies

1 dry red chilli 

1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds

2 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

Fresh curry leaves 

Pinch of asafoetida (skip for GF) 

1/2 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste 

Method 

• Wash and soak the channa dhall in water for 10 mins.
• Peel the chayote and chop into medium sized cubes ; say 1 inch cubes .
• Grind the coconut, jeera , 2 green chillies and 1 red chilly to a fine paste with some water and keep it aside. 
• In a pressure cooker ,add the chou chou,soaked bengal gram /channa dhall , 1 green chilli slit, turmeric ,little salt and 1/2 cup water.  Pressure cook on medium flame for 2 whistles . Let the pressure release naturally.
• In a thick bottomed vessel,add the pressure cooked chow chow , the ground spice mix and bring it to a quick boil . Adjust water and salt if needed at this stage.  Don't add too much water else the kootu will become runny . We need just enough water to let the kootu boil without getting burnt or sticking to the vessel.
• Heat the coconut oil and temper the mustard seeds along with the curry leaves and asafoetida.  Pour it over the kootu and mix it well . Serve hot .

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Maangai Pisaral | Instant Mango Pickle | Maanga Oorgai

 The very name of raw mango is enough to salivate our taste buds and make us drool . Such is the power of the tanginess and unique taste that a raw mango exuberates . 

Today , I shall be sharing a quick and instant recipe of a tasty mango pickle which doesn't need any elaborate ingredients or pre and post processing . 

Known  by various names ; Maanga pisaral , Maangai thundam , Maanga Keeru , Maamidikaya pachadi , kalyana Manga oorga etc etc .. this pickle doesn't have a very long shelf life but tastes very heavenly and is served in almost all  South indian weddings during summer.  Usually the thothapuri /kilimooku mango variety is used to prepare this instant mango pickle

Offlate most of us are shying away from eating pickles for various health reasons.  As much as I agree on the health part of it , at times I love to take a bite of some spicy and tangy mango pickle and enjoy it with some chilled curd rice on a hot sunny afternoon.

For a South Indian, no meal is complete without the creamy curd rice and specially in summers  curd rice is  soothing and divine when served with some fresh manga pisaral.

Maanga pisaral is totally vegan and you can make it even Gluten free by skipping the asafoetida used for tempering. 

 Mangai thundam tastes heavenly and very flavorful when prepared using gingelly oil for the tempering, but you can use any other edible cooking oil too. I would highly recommend using only Gingelly/Sesame/Til oil to get the authentic flavor and taste. 

Preparation Time - 5 mins
Cooking Time - nil 
Serves - 2 to 3 
Complexity - easy 

Ingredients 

1 medium sized raw thothapuri mango /kilimooku maanga  or any variety raw mango .
1.5 tsp red chilli powder 
1/2 tsp turmeric/haldi 
Salt as needed 
1tbsp sesame oil/til oil 

1tsp mustard seeds 
Pinch of asafoetida (skip for GF)

Method 

• Wash and peel the mango . Chop into small cubes and transfer into a dry mixing bowl .
• Add the chilli powder, salt, turmeric to the chopped mango and mix it well.
• Heat the gingelly oil in a pan , splutter the mustard seeds ,turn off the stove and add the asafoetida if using and the gently pour it over the mango mix.
• Gently mix it such that the tempered oil coats the mango mixture evenly . Rest it for 20 mins for the flavors to steep in and then serve .
• Store it in the fridge and consume within 2 days as this is an instant version and has a low shelf life unlike the processed pickles .

Some other lipsmacking recipes using Raw Mango which you can try this summer !! 

Maangai Thogayal / Mango chutney 

Maangai Thokku 

Maangai Pachadi/ Tangy Mango dip

Maangai Saadham / Mango Rice

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Kaakdi Koshimbir | Indian style cucumber salad

 I am so happy to be sharing this recipe on my blog today . Kaakdi koshimbir is a typical Maharashtrian style cucumber salad with a garnish of fresh coconut and roasted peanuts .

This Desi style salad has some rustic flavors from the tempering of cumin/jeera and asafoetida which is mixed into the salad . It hardly takes 10 mins to put this salad together and it can be served alongside a regular meal or as an accompaniment for barbecues or meal starters.

This salad is very refreshing and hydrating especially during summers . The cucumbers provide the necessary hydration to our body to keep us cool .

Thanks to Poonam who is the hostess for the 289th week Foodie Monday Bloghop (FMBH) and she suggested we share some healthy salads which will be perfect for the ongoing summer . In my part of the world ,the mercury is already soaring and we are experiencing severe heat and we are looking for various ways to beat the heat and keep us cool .  Poonam's vermicelli salad is very unique and healthy and definitely on my to do list soon .

 I try to incorporate cucumbers in many ways during summer and even other wise as it is a vegetable that is loaded with health and goodness . 

Cucumbers are natural detoxifiers and antioxidant that help remove toxins from our body . Cucumber is also rich in many other minerals and nutrients which help in digestion, maintaining of skin,manages stress  etc.

Some cucumber based recipes on my blog which you may want to try 

Vellarikaai Kootu / South indian style cucumber curry 
Pahadi Raita 
Southekaayi Kosambri 
Cucumber Pancakes 

For this kaakdi koshimbir  ,I have used English cucumbers which are almost seedless and we can use them as it is without deseeding . Incase you use the native Indian variety of cucumbers, then ensure to deseed before using it in the salad .

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Cooking Time - nil 

Complexity - easy 

Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

2 to 3 cucumbers 
Handful of roasted peanuts (skip if allergic) 
2- 3 tbsp fresh coconut grated 
Pinch of salt 
Pinch of sugar 
2 green chillies slit 
1 tsp cumin seeds 
1/2 tsp oil 
Pinch of asafoetida 
Few curry leaves 

Method 

• Peel the skin of the cucumbers and chop of the top and bottom ends .
• Cut into small cubes and add to a large mixing bowl along with grated coconut and roasted peanuts. 
• Prepare a tempering of cumin/jeera by heating the oil and fry the slit chillies and curry leaves in the same oil .Lastly add the asafoetida and pour it over the chopped  cucumber .
• Add freshly chopped corriander ,salt and sugar and lightly toss it and mix well and serve immediately. Do not let it rest for a long time as the cucumbers, salt and sugar will release water and the salad will become soggy and loose the crunch .

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Maanga Thogayal | Maangai Thuvayal | Raw Mango Chutney- Vegan South Indian delicacy

 Come summer , the markets are flooded with raw mangoes of different varities followed by ripe mangoes .

As much as we eagerly wait for luscious and sweet ripe mangoes , raw mangoes have their own charm and can be widely used in a lot of recipes. 

I do use raw mango in my cooking during the season .  A sweet and tangy dip Maangai Pachadi - an essential recipe for Tamil New year's eve in April is a sought after recipe with raw mango in my home  .

 We are a family who don't like to gorge on mango pickles ,so I make a close cousin of pickle called as Thokku in Tamil.  Maangai Thokku tastes delectable and can be used as a side dish for parathas , dosas ,theplas and chilled curd rice.

 I prepare a delicious Mavinkaai Chithranna/ Maangai Saadham (Raw mango flavored rice) using the Mango Thokku .

Of course Aam panna is another delicacy which is prepared and bottled up to enjoy during the season . 

If you have reminisced your childhood watching the advertisement " Mango frooti...fresh and juicy " and love to sip on this delicious drink , then you must try this Home made Frooti recipe on my blog .

 In our group Shhh cooking secretly challenge,for February it was my turn to suggest the theme and I chose  " CHUTNEYS " . There is no dearth of chutney varities in our Indian cuisine.  My idea was to bring out some unique ,traditional and family specific chutney recipes and as always my fellow bloggers have dished out some amazing and lipsmacking chutneys with exotic ingredients .

I was paired with the talented cook and classic  writer Jayashree Rao ji who blogs on Evergreen Dishes and has a few cook books to her credits. Do check her blog and order your copy of her cookbook right away!!  

I was given turmeric and urad dhall (black de husked lentil) by Jayshree ji as secret ingredients while I gave her curry leaves and tamarind with which a delicious and lipsmacking curry leaves chutney has been dished out and the recipe can be found here .

I prepared a tangy and spicy thuvayal or thogayal using raw mango . If you have been following my blog you will know that I have a variety of chutneys and thogayals listed on my blog..thuvayal is a slightly thicker version of chutney and has roasted ingredients going into it.  

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time - 5 to 10 mins
Complexity - easy 
Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

1 medium sized raw mango grated 

1/4 cup channa dhall / split bengal gram 

2 tablespoon udad dhall /dehusked black lentil

1 tbsp grated fresh coconut 

1 tsp jaggery 

3 to 4 dry red chillies 

1 green chilli 

Few curry leaves 

1/4 tsp turmeric 

Salt as needed 

Pinch of asafoetida (skip for GF version)

2tsp cooking oil

Method 

• Heat oil in a pan or small wok and fry the chopped green chilli followed by the channa dhall and udad dhall .Roast the lentils until they turn crisp and golden brown .
• Roast the red chillies and curry leaves in the same pan  until crisp .
• Turn off the stove and lightly saute  the grated mango for 1 to 2 mins in the heat of the pan. 
• Let the ingredients cool down before blending. 
• In a blender or your mixie's chutney jar add all the roasted ingredients along with coconut, turmeric, asafoetida, salt and jaggery along with little water and grind to a semi fine paste .
• Adjust water while grinding if you find it difficult to grind . 

Storage and shelf life 

Transfer to a clean and dry container and use a dry spoon while serving . This chutney stays well in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days . 

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Do click on the image below for a collection of some tongue tickling chutney varities 

Dates Tamarind Chutney | Khajoor Imli Chutney

 Have you all wondered about the recipe of the tongue tickling and lipsmacking brown colored chutney that is poured over your chaats or filled in panipuris ? Do you ask for some extra khatta meetha chutney to be packed when you buy samosas or Dhoklas for your family ? 

If you thought that making this recipe is very complex ,worry not , now you can whip this chutney at the comfort of your home and even store it away for a long time in your freezer and enjoy it as and when you like .

Khajoor Imli Chutney is a very simple recipe using 3 main ingredients Dates(khajoor) , Tamarind (Imli) and jaggery (Gud). 

No Desi Chaat is complete without a generous pouring of the khajoor Imli chutney and the spicy green chutney. I generally have a batch of this khajoor imli chutney my fridge  which comes in handy to satisfy my sudden pani puri cravings . All I need to do is grind some fresh coriander chutney and dunk the pani puris in these two chutneys and stuff my mouth and relish .. 

If you are a crazy fan  of lipsmacking  chaats like me ,then you must check out these recipes on my blog.

Mumbai style Bhelpuri 

Paani puri 

Karnataka special Masal Puri 

This week is the 287th week on our foodie group FMBH and it was Aruna's turn to suggest the theme . She came up with this novel idea to post recipes using "dates" as the star ingredient and called this theme as DateWithDates.  If you are a die hard fan of Indo Chinese cuisines and love your spring rolls or wontons with a generous helping of Schezwan Chutney, then do check this fiery and flavorful recipe posted on Aruna's blog .Recipe link SCHEZWAN Chutney 

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Cooking Time - 20 mins

Complexity- simple 

Ingredients 

250 gms seedless dates 
50 gms seedless tamarind 
5-6 tbsp jaggery powder
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp roasted jeera powder 
Pinch of dry ginger powder
1/2 tsp black salt/kaala namak
Pinch of salt 
2 cups water 

Method 

• Boil the dates , tanarind and jaggery powder in 2 cups of water until they become soft.  Alternatively you can pressure cook it for 1 whistle.
• Let it cool down completely, blend it in a blender to a very fine paste. Adjust water while grinding incase it feels too thick .
• Pass this paste through a sieve so that we have only the date tamarind extract and nothing else.
• To this fine extract , add the red chilli powder, roasted jeera powder, salt ,dry ginger powder and 1/2 cup water .Mix it well and bring it to a  rolling boil and add the black salt in the end after turning off. 

**this step is done to ensure that the chutney has a longer shelf life .

• Cool the chutney completely and then transfer to a clean and dry bottle and store in the fridge .
• Always remember to use a dry spoon to take out the required quantity of chutney and then store it away immediately. Don't thaw it for a long time .

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Masala Pori | Khara Pori - Vegan & GF

 Masala Pori or Khara pori is a snack that can be put together in no time and takes care of the mid evening hunger pangs and is liked by people of all ages . 

Puffed rice is widely used in India in preparation of  various sweets and savories . Jhalmuri and Bhelpuri are two most popular Street food special that make use of puffed rice. 

 It is known as Pori in south India , Murmura/Kurmura / Mammara in the North India. Puffed rice is prepared by heating the rice kernels at a very high temperature under pressure and steam .The kernels then pop and we get puffed rice.  

Usage of puffed rice is not limited only to snacks,but it also plays a vital role on the devotional front too especially in Southern India .

Pori and vellum (puffed rice & jaggery) is one of the main offerings to Lord Ganesha , the devotees who travel to Sabrimala for pilgrimage also offer this Pori along with coconut and ghee to Lord Ayyappa .Pori Urundai i.e . Sweetened puffed rice balls are offered on the holy auspicious occasion of Karthigai Pournami .(karthik poonam - full moon day in the months of November- December)

Sujata ji of Batter up with Sujata , wanted us to share some quick recipes which are our family favorite for the 286th week of FMBH . So presenting to you all our family favorite and all time staple snack , Masala Pori for you all to try and enjoy .  Suja ji's Aloo chat is on my mind ever since she posted it on her blog . The pictures are so appealing and appetizing, that is making me want to try it out at the earliest.  

Masala pori is also known as Kadle pori because we add spiced and roasted groundnuts in plenty while preparing this snack.  We like our masala pori to be mildly spiced with just some red chilli powder but you can also spice it up with garam masala, sambar powder or even chaat masala. You can also add small bits of deep fried dry coconut pieces, cashews and some boondi too .

Preparation Time -  5 mins
Cooking Time - 7 mins
Complexity - simple
Makes 250 gms 

Ingredients 

250 gms puffed rice 

Handful of groundnuts 

Handful of fried gram /chutney dhall 

Few curry leaves 

1tsp red chilli powder 

1/4 tsp turmeric 

Salt as needed 

1 tbsp oil 

Method 

• In a deep thick bottomed pan heat the oil and fry the groundnuts followed by fried gram till they turn crisp 
• Fry the curry leaves and add the chilli powder, turmeric and salt. 
• Add the puffed rice and mix it well such that each puffed rice is coated well with the oil and spice mixture .
• Keep tossing the puffed rice for about 1 or 2mins until it turns crisp and crunchy.
• Once it feels crisp , turn off the stove and let it cool for 10 to 15 mins .
• Carefully transfer to an airtight, moisture fee container and store it .

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Kunukku Paniyaram | Dal Appe | Lentil Dumplings - Vegan Snack

Kuzhi Paniyarams , Appe, Paddu, Ponganalu are different names for a very tasty shallow fried snack made in India.  This snack is made in a special vessel called as "Paniyarakal" , " Appe Patra"  or "Aebelskeiwer Pan" .  It is also known as "Appakaaral" in Tamil.

The pan is traditionally a very heavy one made out of cast iron with small fissures or moulds. 

Over the long time usage ,the pan gets seasoned very well and acts almost like a nonstick pan . When cooked on slow fire , the paniyarams or appams turn out crispy from the outside and soft from inside . Modern kitchens make use of Nonstick appe pans too for ease of handling ,cleaning and maintainence.

This time for the 285th week of Foodie Monday blog hop , it was my turn to suggest the theme , and the Paniyram Pan won over hands down against Welcome drinks which was another option I had suggested for voting.  

Come back to my Facebook space and check out the various innovative and lipsmacking recipes dished out by my co bloggers using the paniyram pan .

Traditionally the kuzhi paniyarams or uppu appams are made using fermented batter prepared  with soaked udad dhall and rice or even left over idli batter .  I frequently make paddus with left over idli  batter by adding some vegetables and freshly prepared tempering.  The recipe can be accessed by clicking here .

The sweet variety is  known as Nei Appam or unni appam and is made using rice flour or wheat flour  and jaggery is used for sweetening. 

You must definitely try out Watermelon Nei Appam which I have on my blog . It can be served as a dessert during any special occasion. 

Now a days , lot of varieties are being made using millets , oats , quinoa as well .

We can also  make vadas , sabudana vadas,kothimbir vadis etc to avoid deep frying keep up with healthy lifestyle and relish some guilt free indulgence.   I have tried to make kothimbir vadis too using the appe pan and it was a super hit. The recipe will be posted soon on my blog .

Today's recipe is a protein rich appe made using various lentils. The lentils are soaked and ground to a fine batter along with chillies and curry  leaves,later fried in the appe pan. We can call this a no fried version of Kunukku - a traditional deep fried  South Indian snack ,the recipe which is already on my blog .

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Pinterest link - https://pin.it/4fUESiW

Soaking Time - 45 mins to 1  hr 

Preparation Time - 20mins

Cooking time - 20 min per batch 

Complexity - easy 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup channa dhall /bengal gram dhall /kadalai paruppu

1/4 cup thoor dhall /pigeon peas /thuvaram paruppu 

1/3 cup moong dhall/split yellow lentil

2 tablespoon rice 

2 tablespoon  udad dhall /ulutham paruppu (for softness)

3 to 4 dried red chillies

2 green chillies

1 tablespoon grated fresh coconut 

Salt as needed

Pinch of hing/asafoetida  (skip for gluten free)

10 to 15 curry leaves /kadipatha 

Handful of finely chopped corriander

Oil as needed 

Method 

• Wash the dals and rice multiple times and soak it for 45mins to 1 hr . The water used for soaking should be 1 inch above the dhalls and rice after washing. Soak the dried red chillies also along with the dhalls. This will make the chillies soft and will grind easily. 
• After 45mins, drain the water and add it to a blender along with salt , grated coconut, asafoetida and few curry leaves.  Reserve the balance for adding to the batter .
• Add water little by little and grind to a semi thick batter . The batter has to be smooth and of dosa batter consistency. Only then it will be easy to pour in the appe pan.
• Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl, add in the chopped corriander and curry leaves and mix well . You can add some finely chopped cabbage ,mint leaves or chopped onions also if you like . I have not added. 
• Heat the paniyaram pan and pour tsp of oil in each of the holders and let it heat well 
• Once , the oil is heated slowly pour a small amount of batter into each kuzhi/holder carefully and let it cook nicely from the downside .
• Now with a spoon carefully flip it over and let the other side also turn crispy and golden brown.
• Drain it carefully and repeat another batch until all the batter is over . Serve hot with some chutney or it can be had as is with some piping hot filter coffee or masala tea.

Notes

1. Incase you are unable to prepare paniyaram after soaking, drain the water and keep it in the fridge and you can grind it the next day and make it.
2. Never leave the soaked dals outside as it will ferment and give out a foul smell .
3. You can also grind the batter and keep it in the fridge and use it later for frying . Try to consume within 24hrs as the batter will begin to turn sour and the sour taste may not be liked by all .

Grape Gooseberry cooler

Fresh fruit Juices have always been my weakness and I love to sip on them.  I prefer to make them without added sugar and also very less water so that there is no much loss of nutrients.  Incase the juice happens to be slightly sour or bland , I prefer to add a few spoons of honey which makes it sweet . You may add jaggery too but at times it changes the taste and many may not like it ..so pls choose depending on how you like your juice/cooler to be .

This week for FMBH week 282 , Poonam wanted all of us to share delicacies made using berries .I wanted to make some Amla rice (Nellikai Saadham) or Amla murabba , but somehow due to certain other commitments I couldn't go ahead as planned . Poonam has dished out mouthwatering jaggery based Amla murabba which is a must try if you love Gooseberries. 

So for the theme it is  fresh juice from green grapes and boiled Gooseberry I.e Amla . I have boiled the amlas as it is easier to deseed them and also becomes soft to grind . I have not added any sugar as the grapes were sweet by themselves .

Nutrition Facts

• Grapes, Amla are packed with nutrients and essential vitamins like Vit K and Vit C .
•  Amla and Grapes also have antioxidant properties which help in dealing with chronic ailments. 
• Amlas are a powerhouse of natural fibre , hence very useful in digestion and also eases the discomfort of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Since grapes and amla are rich in Vit C they provide natural immunity to the body . 
• Amla is also beneficial in controlling blood sugar as the natural soluble fibre prevents sudden spikes in sugar levels.

**these are general health benefits of grapes and amla , but pls do exercise caution in consuming these in case you have any underlying health issues which may prevent the consumption of amla and grapes . 

How to boil the Amla/Gooseberry ? 

• Take the required quantity of Gooseberries ,wash them well and pressure cook for 1 whistle with sufficient water . 
• The Gooseberry will become soft and the seed would have popped out on its own
•  You can just discard the seed and use the boiled Gooseberry. 

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Preparation Time - 15 mins

Cooking Time  - Nil 

Complexity - Easy 

Ingredients 

500gms green grapes 

2 -3 medium sized boiled amla/Gooseberry 

2 tbsp honey (optional) **skip for Vegan

1/2 cup water 

Method

• Soak the grapes in salt water for 10 mins.
• Wash the bunch of grapes thoroughly in water multiple times until the water appear clean and clear .
• Drain the grapes in a colander for a few mins.
• Add the amla and grapes to a blender or juicer and blend  well . 
• Strain the juice for extra pulp or you may include the pulp if you like pulpy juices .
• Stir in the honey after passing the juice through the sieve .
• Refrigerate it and enjoy chilled. 
• You may add some ice cubes too if you wish .

Mix Vegetable Rice - Kannu Pongal special (Vegan,GF& Saatvik)

 We are always on the look out for quick lunch box recipes which are filling at the same time healthy and nutritious. My to go choice for such quick recipes is always some variety of mixed rice like pulao ,biryanis or south indian style variety rice .

As much Pulaos and Biryanis are sought after delicacies in North Indian Cuisine, South Indian cuisine has a variety of flavored rice known as Chitrannam / Chitranna / Kalandha Saadham .

If you have been following my blog regularly you would have observed I have posted most of the traditional south Indian variety rice recipes which are very popular and a must have on special occasions.  

Festivals like Aadi Perukku and Kannu Pongal are days when we prepare an elaborate spread of variety rice .For these festivals minimum of 3 variety rice is prepared and max is about 7 or 9 varieties. 

Both these festivals are a way of expressing our gratitude to The Nature for having bestowed us with abundant natural resources which helps in fetching a good yield of crops year on year .

Kaanum Pongal / Kannu Pongal is celebrated on the day after Pongal/ Sankranti where the cattle is worshipped and farmers pay their respects.  The family then  rejoices this day with friends and relatives and they share the delicacies prepared in each home. 

Also,during Navaratri ,each day a special chitrannam is prepared as Prasad for Devi Maa.

If you haven't checked on these recipes , do click the links below and try them the next time you are pressed for choices 😉 

• Lemon Rice | Ellumcha Pazha Saadham 
• Coconut Rice | Thengaai Saadham
• Puliyogre | Tamarind Rice 
• Ellu Saadham | Sesame Rice 
• Karvepillai Saadham | Curry leaves Rice
• Iyengar Spl Kadhamba Saadham | Mix veg Sambar Rice 
• Maavinkaai Chitranna | Raw Mango Rice 
• Thayir Saadham/ Dhaddhiyodhanam| Curd Rice
• Lemon Capsicum Rice 
• Capsicum Rice | Capsicum Baath 
• Kalkandu Saadham | Sugar candy rice 
• Sakkarai Pongal | Jaggery Rice 

This Monday is the 281st week in our FMBH group and Narmadha is the hostess. She suggested we share variety rice dishes which are the speciality of any region barring Pulaos and Biryanis as they are a wide range by themselves.  Narmadha's Srilankan Pol Roti (Coconut Roti) is very interesting and something very unique which I would like to try .

Today's recipe of mix vegetable rice is very simple yet flavorful at the same time .There are no spl fancy spice mixes needed just the usual ones we have in our kitchen shelves . I personally love this rice very much because it is loaded with vegetables and can be paired with some chilled curd and chips . A simple cucumber raita is also a good combination for this mix veg rice. If you follow Vegan diet ,you can pair this with some simple Dal tadka or Rajma Masala.

Donot forget to pin this recipe 

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Complexity - Simple 
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

2 cups cooked rice 
1 -2 medium sized potato
2 medium carrots
8 to 10 fresh French beans
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas 

2tbsp cooking oil

2 tsp mustard seeds
Salt as needed 
2 tsp sambar powder
1 tsp dhaniya powder 
1/2 tsp haldi 
1/2 tsp red chilli powder 
Fresh corriander finely chopped
Few curry leaves 
1 tsp sugar 
1 tsp tamarind extract 
Pinch of asafoetida (skip for GF) 

Method 

• The rice must be well cooked at the same time fluffy and separate. Spread the rice of a wide plate and allow it cool completely before you mix it .
• Chop all the vegetables into small cubes and keep aside 
• In a wide pan , heat the oil and splutter mustard seeds and asafoetida followed by curry leaves.
• Add the vegetables, salt , haldi and red chilli powder and stir it well . Sprinkle some water and cook covered with occasional stirring . 
• Once the veggies are half cooked add the dhaniya powder , sambar powder ,fresh corriander leaves ,sprinkle some more water and continue cooking covered. 
• After a while you can see the vegetables are well cooked .Adjust salt at this stage ,add the tamarind extract and sugar and continue to cook covered for another 2 or 3 mins until you see the vegetables releasing oil and water on its own from the sides .
• Turn off the stove, add the cooked rice to this vegetable mixture , spread some oil and mix it carefully without breaking the rice.  
• Donot over mix else they will turn mushy . Carefully mix the rice with the vegetable mixture so that the vegetable mixture gets evenly coated and mixed with the rice. 
• Let it sit for 20 mins before you serve. This well help the rice absorb all the flavors nicely .
• Warm it up a bit just before serving. Tasty and healthy vegetable rice is ready .
• You can fry some peanuts or cashewnuts and garnish it just before serving . 

Ellu Podi | Sesame seeds spice mix

 Winter is the time when sesame seeds are used in plenty in various parts of Northern India as it helps give warmth to the body . 

Not just Indian cuisine , sesame seeds and sesame seed oil are widely used and popular in other cuisines all over the world. Tahini which is a middle eastern delicacy is primarily made using toasted sesame seeds. Traditionally, the Japanese special Tempuras used to be fried in Sesame oil but now other oils are used for frying.

Makar Sankranti celebrations are incomplete without Til Chikki ,Til Ladoo / Til Gul  in the North and Ellu Bella in Karnataka and Andhra .

In Tamil Nadu , Sesame seed oil known as Nallennai is used as a part of daily cooking and most popular way to use Gingelly oil is to mix the Idli-Dosa molagapudi with a drizzle of Nallennai and dunk the idlis or dosas in this mixture and savor it to one's heart's content .

This week when Mayuri ji suggested we share Sesame based recipes for the 279th FMBH challenge, I decided instantly that I must share this very flavorful Ellu Podi with you all in addition to the different variants of spice powders shared on my blog .

• Pudina podi (mint leaves spice powder)
• Karvepillai podi (curry leaves spice powder)  {video recipe}
• Idli milagai podi
• Thengai podi (coconut spice powder)
• Hurigadle podi (chutney dal spice powder)
• Paruppu podi (dhall rice spice  powder)

I love the crunch and nuttiness of til or sesame seeds in my food and try to use it as a garnish too in many recipes.  Mayuri ji's Honey chilli potato with a liberal garnish of sesame seeds looks totally lipsmacking and she has made the recipe so simple and easy . 

This aromatic Ellu podi can be used to flavor stir fries , spread it on rotis or bread and enjoy the nutty crunch and best is when mixed with gingelly oil and enjoy with crispy dosas or spongy idlis .
Always make this spice blend is small batches and try to consume it within a week, at times the sesame seeds tend to give out the oil if stored for a long time and the podi may turn rancid .

Pin it up for future 

Preparation Time - 5 mins

Roasting time - 8 mins

Complexity - simple

Makes about 200 to 250 gms

Ingredients
1/2 cup udad dhall /black gram (deskinned)
1/2 cup channa dhall / bengal gram 
1/4 cup  white sesame seeds/til /ellu
6 to 7 dry red chillies
1 tsp pepper corns
Pinch of asafoetida (skip for GF)
1tsp Gingelly oil /cooking oil 
Salt to taste
Few curry leaves 

Method 

• In a dry pan , first dry roast the sesame seeds until it starts popping and gives out a fragrant aroma . Remove it from the kadai and keep aside on a plate for cooling.  Be very vigilant as sesame seeds tend to burn fast .
• Now heat about 1 tsp oil and fry the udad + channa dhall until crisp and golden brown , followed by red chillies , curry leaves and pepper corn.  Add some asafoetida/hing. Let the roasted ingredients cool down .
• First blend the roasted  lentils and chilli with salt in a mixie jar until it is turned into a semi fine powder. The powder has to be a little coarse and not very fine.
• Add the roasted sesame and give a quick pulse.Do not run the mixie for a long time as the sesame seeds will give out oil and the entire spice powder will become pasty 
• Spread the spice powder on a plate and let it cool before bottling it up.
• Always use a dry spoon to serve .
• You can make delicious Ellu Saadham/Ellu Ogre / Sesame rice with this delicious podi . Recipe to prepare sesame Rice can be found here .