Jaggery syrup for dosas

Children are fussy about food is it not? And if you made dosas they do not like chutney or sambar with it. Probably you serve them ghee and sugar or may be jam? But here is a simple jaggery syrup ( which is better and healthier than refined sugar).

Ingredients:

Jaggery : 500 gms.

cardamom : 3 or 4 peeled and powdered fine

Method:
Put the jaggery in a thick pan and pour a cup of water.Keep on stove and let it boil and melt. When all the jaggery is dissolved use a fine strainer or clean cloth to strain this thin syrup. In India jaggery has some impurities and small stones/sand.by straining this way you get clean syrup. Transfer this clean syrup to a thick pan and keep boiling till it thickens and forms syrup of 1 to 2 string consistency. Add powdered cardamom and stir well.When cool this syrup should be fluid enough to come on a spoon ( like honey).If not you can add a little bit of water and keep on stove for one boil.When cool store in a air tight container and serve with iddlies and dosas to the kids.See how they will love it.

Bhindi/Okra and curd curry.

Ingredients:

1. Okra : 250 gms
2. Coconut scrapings( fresh) : 1/2 cup ( 200 ml cup)
   
3. Jeera : 1 tsp
4. Curd : 150 ml ( should be beaten smooth and should not be very sour)
   
5. Salt : as per taste (1 1/2 tsp)
6. Refined cooking oil : 1 Tbsp
7. Karbev leaves : 5 or 6
8. Green chillies : 2 slit lenghtwise
9. Red dry chillies : 2 whole
10. Rice flour : 1/2 tsp
11. Cilantro ( coriander leaves) : a few sprigs
    

Method:

Wash the okras well and let the water drain totally. Now chop off the ends and cut into 1" long pieces. Pour half the seasoning oil in a pan, add 1/2 tsp jeera , add slit green chillies and the cut okras and fry well.Do not add salt now as it will make okras very slimy. Let it cook till done. This is best done like chinese dishes- high fire and quick tossing in oil till done! This will let the okras remain green and still cooked. Remove from the stove.

In a mixie grind the coconut scrapings to a fine paste with water and rice flour. Transfer this into a vessel and add the water with which you would have washed your blender jar ( not more than 1/2 a cup).Drop the salt and bring to boil for 2 minutes. Add the cooked okras now and mix well when hot. Remove from fire and let the heat reduce to "warm". Now add the curd and mix well. Season with the remaining oil, jeera, red chillies (whole) and curry leaves. Add the chopped cilantro on top and serve. Can be had with hot rice or taken as a side dish in a south indian meal.

Drumstick Leaves Dosa

Tender drumstick leaves -1 bunch
Chana dhal : 250 gms
Grated (fresh) coconut : 1 Tablespoon
Green Chillies : 3 or 4 Chopped fine
Fresh Ginger : 1/2 inch chopped fine
Salt to taste

Method:

Grind the above ingredients other than the leaves to a rough paste in the Mixie without adding water.
Scoop out from the mixie and add the tender leaves and mix with a laddle.

Keep a Tava on stove and when heated, spread the dosas ( diameter 3"). Add cooking oil around the edge of the dosa. Turn and fry the other side also. Serve hot with lunch or dinner as a side dish.

Drumstick leaves are rich in iron and also supposed to be an aphrodisiac!

Drumstick Palya/Curry

You may be wondering why so many recipes of drumstick and its accessories! We have a drumstick tree in our backyard and when it is season ,we distribute the harvest of the juicy drumsticks ( everybody says these short drumsticks taste special, and it is indeed true)to our neighbors and with what is left I used to make so many types of dishes and this is a simple one at that.

Ingredients:

Tender drumsticks : 6 or 7 Chopped into 2" pieces.
Red dry chillies : 5 or 6 cut into small pieces
Jaggery : 100 grams
Refined Oil : 1 Tbsp
Mustard and urad dhal : 1 tsp each:
Salt : 3/4 level tsp or as per taste
Method:
Take a banali (kadai/thick deep pan),keep on lit stove, add oil when hot add the mustard, when it splutters, add the red chillies pieces and urad dal. When the dal becomes golden brown, drop the drumstick pieces and add one cup water.Cover and cook till done. Now you can add the jaggery and cover and cook again adding water if necessary. The jaggery should melt and get absorbed in the drumsticks and the water in the curry will turn into a thick liquid because of the jaggery. This is the indication that the curry is done.Transfer to serving dish and serve hot with a South Indian Meal.

Drumstick Flowers Buththi

Ingredients:

1. Fresh drumstick flowers : 1 cup
   
2. Fresh coconut (1/2) grated
3. Red long chillies : 6 ( shallow fried in oil)
   
4. Seedless Tamarind : Marble size -made into pulp by soaking in water.
   
5. Onions large : 2 numbers finely chopped
6. Edible oil : 2 Tbsp
7. Salt : 1 1/2 tsp
   

Method:

Sort and pluck the flowers and clean thoroughly and wash in water and drain in a colander.

Grind to a paste coconut, fried chillies and tamarind pulp.The paste should not be very smooth nor too coarse, say medium coarse. Cook the drumstick flowers in very little water till it is just cooked ( in a micro-oven, cook for 3 minutes in 1 Tbsp water in a glass bowl for 2 mins; at 600 watts setting)

Add the oil in a thick pan and when it is hot add the chopped onions and fry till transparent. Now add the masala , salt and mix well, next add the cooked flowers and mix well. Keep the stove on sim and cover and cook for 5 minutes taking care to stir now and then. The whole curry should be fried well on sim fire till slightly roasted. Remove and keep in serving dish.

Goes well as a side dish or can be had with rotis and chappathis.

Gooseberry Curd Pickle

Ingredients:

1. Big gooseberry : 2 kgs
2. Til(sesame) Oil : 250 gs
3. green chillies : 200 gms
4. fresh curd : 200 gms
5. TableSalt :to taste
6. Asafoetida : 1/4 tsp Haldi : a pinch
7. Mustard seeds for seasoning
8. Dry fried 1/4 tsp methi seeds and 1/4 tsp mustard seeds: Powder fine.

Method:
In a non-stick pan add two Tbsp oil and heat, add the gooseberries and toss well in the oil so that the oil covers all the gooseberries.Cover and cook for 15 to 20 mins taking care to toss it in between so that nothing will get burnt.

After this, cool the well cooked berries totally. Now remove the seeds by slightly prodding with a spoon so that the berries split into 4 pieces and are not crushed.
Now to this cooled and deseeded berries add asafoetida,haldi , curd and chopped green chillies and mix well but gently. Now add the powdered items under (8)

Heat the remaining oil, add 2 tsp mustad seeds, let it crackle fully. Now pour this hot oil into the pickle pan and toss well to mix. Let it cool, cover and keep aside for 5 to 6 hrs and then transfer to refrigerator. Can be eaten the next day , will keep for two weeks in the fridge.

Gooseberries are very good for health and de-toxify the system. They are a rich source of Vitamin C.
Eat one or two pieces a day with your meal.

Jam biscuits/Cookies

This is a recipe from a magazine which I copied in my recipe book long back,I do not remember which magazine, but this comes out well and children love it

Ingredients:
Multipurpose flour (maida) :600 gms
Butter/dalda :600 gms
Rice flour :300 gms.
Sugar :300 gms
Milk :250 ml
baking powder : 2 gms
Vanilla essence : 1/4 tsp
Mixed fruit jam : 400 gms bottle (to be used as desired)

Method :
Cream fat and sugar.Add the vanilla essence and milk.
Sieve the two flours and baking powder together and add the above mixtures to this to make a smooth dough. Make into small balls and flatten between your palms or roll out the balls to 1/4 inch thick rounds (discs!)and smoothen the edges.Arrange in a baking tray and bake at 400F (200C )until they are golden brown .Allow to cool.Spread the jam on one and sandwich with another biscuit.Keep in an airtight container taking care to arrange neatly. Children will love this.

Date Halwa

This recipe is from my friend Radha who always tried out new stuff and shared it with me.
Ingredients:

Seedless dates : 1 cup
Milk : 1 cup
Sugar : 1 cup
Ghee : 4 Table spoons
Cardamom 4 powdered, 2 Tbsps of chopped cashewnuts and pistachios

Method:

Wash the dates well and chop into small pieces.Add this to the milk.Add a 1/2 cup of water also and pressure cook for 10 minutes.Take it out of the cooker and lightly mash with a pestle.Transfer the contents to a thick pan and add sugar.Keep on fire and stir continuously till sugar is totally dissolved. Next add the ghee a little at a time and keep on stirring till the halva leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from fire and add the cardamom powder mix well and pour on to a grease thali.Garnish with the nuts and cut into cubes and serve.

Tomato Rice

Pulav Rice 2 Cups
Onions 2
Ghee 2-3 teaspoons
Tomato Juice 2 cups
Cooked green peas
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Heat ghee in a panand fry the sliced onions, add rice and fry to a light brown colour. Pour in the tomato juice and the rest of the ingredients adding a little water if the juice is not sufficient to cook the rice. Cover it with a ld and cook in the pressure cooker. Add cooked green peas after mixing well after removing from the cooker. Serve with curds and pickle.

Dhal Dosa ( ADAI)

Adai (Dhal Dosa )( Break-fast item )

Ingredients:

Boiled rice : 1 cup
Bengal Gram dhal : 1 cup ( Chana Dhal)
Thuvar dhal : 1 cup
Urad dhal : 1 1/4 cup
Curry leaves or : as desired, chop fine
Drumstick leaves
Fresh Coconut scrapings : 1/2 coconut
Hing(asafoetida) : 1/4 tsp and Salt
Green chillies and red chillies, quantity as desired. This is not to be made very hot, so you can adjust the number of chillies

Method: Wash and soak the dhals and rice for 3 hours. Drain the water and grind in a mixie till coarse along with the chillies. If necessary grind rice coarse separately and then mix well with the coarsely ground dhals. Add salt,coconut scrapings and chopped curry /drumstick leaves. Mix well and make thick dosas adding oil in the edges and center. Must not be cooked on high flame, cover and cook, turn and cook again till roasted golden in colour. Eat hot with with coconut chutney.

This is a highly nutritious breakfast item and the nutrition value increases if using drumstick leaves which are a high source of calcium, Vitamin C and iron and low in calories.

A remedy for Common C old

Here is a simple and quick relief for the common cold. Here's how:

In 2 cups of water add 2 tsp of dry ginger powder and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed pepper.Add jaggery and keep on sim flame. Let this keep boiling till the liquid mixture reduces to half quantity (1 cup).
Now remove from flame, take some of this in a cup and top it with hot milk (like tea decoction and milk).Sip slowly. You will find relief. Take this for 3 days atleast 3 or 4 times a day.
Quantity of pepper and dry ginger can be adjusted according to taste if you find it very "thikka" (hot).

Condensed Milk Fudge

Condensed milk tin : 1 (400 gms)
Chopped nuts : 100 grams
cocoa powder : 1/2 cup
Butter (plain white) : 50 gms
Sugar : 3/4 cups
Method:
Pour condensed milk in a thick bottomed vessel and the other ingredients one by one and mix well. Keep the vessel on stove and on sim flame cook stirring till the mixture leaves the sides of the vessel. Pour out on to greased plate and cut into diamonds or squares when cool and set. Children love fudge!

The final farewell

My beloved mother who has been a great strength to me all through the years passed away on 7th January at the ripe old age of 94. She was active all through the years till 31st December, and in the last one week also she did not suffer, the end was peaceful. May her soul rest in peace. I am yet to meet anyone with her positivity and courage. I am proud to be her daughter.

I will continue to add her recipes here, a small way to pay tribute to my mother.

Aloo Methi

Potatoes : 5
Onions : 4
Methi Leaves :( Cleaned and chopped ) 1 cup
Dry red chillies : 5

Cut onions into small squares and potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. In a pan pour 1 Tbs oil and add mustard. When it splutters, add red chilli pieces. When it turns brown add onions and saute till transparent. Now add cut potatoes and stir well. Add salt and 1/2 cup water and cover and cook. When potatoes are well cooked add the methi leaves and stir well. Cover and cookfor 5 mins till methi leaves are just cooked. (do not over cook methi) . Serve hot as a side dish with South Indian meals.

Hi

Could not update my blog because I was
1. Busy with the wedding of my son Arvind which took place on 28th June,2009.
2. Lillymammamma (my mother)had a fall and fractured her hip-thigh joint on 17th July.Underwent an emergency surgery and is now recuperating. With all good wishes of the followers of this blog she should be back on her feet like before.

Easy Coconut Cookies

This is also a recipe from a magazine which I copied to my recipe book long back,I do not remember which magazine, but this comes out well and children love it .

Ingredients:
Flour (maida) : 1/2 cup
Castor Sugar : 1 cup
Grated coconut : 2 cups
Egg whites : of 4 eggs
Vanilla essence : a few drops ( 3 or 4)

Method:
Beat egg whites till stiff.Add vanilla essence. Mix in the flour and coconut scrapings and mix well. Take a baking tray and grease it.Sprinkle some flour on to the greased tray. Now drop tablespoons full of the mixture on to the tray and bake in moderate oven (250 deg Centigrade) for about 15 minutes or till golden brown. Cool and then store in an air-tight container.

Sweet Sour Mango curry

The lovely mango season is just round the corner and what better recipe can I post than that with ripe but sour mangoes which you may have bought by mistake!

Ingredients:
Sweet sour mangoes (size of your fist) : 5 or 6 ( Ripe but sour mangoes)
Jaggery : 250 gms
salt : 1/4 tsp
Green chillies : 5 nos.
Wheat flour or maida : 1 Tbsp
For seasoning:
Mustard : 1 tsp
Edible oil : 2 tsp
karbev leaves: 6 or 7
Urad dal : 1 tsp

Method:
Take a thick bottomed vessel and keep the washed mangoes in it and add water to just cover it.Place on stove, cover & cook till the mangoes are done.When cool remove the skin of the mangoes and put it back in the vessel and slightly squeeze the mangoes in the water in which the mangoes were cooked so that the juice gets mixed with water. Now add slit green chillies,jaggery and salt and bring to boil till the liquid thickens with jaggery. Next mix the wheat flour in 3 Tbsp water so that no lumps are formed.Pour this into the vessel and mix well and bring to boil stirring continuously.You can see the liquid thickening. Remove from the stove.Season with the seasoning items given above by heating oil and adding the mustard, urad dal ( let it become golden brown) and karbev leaves in that order and drop into the curry whrn hot.Stir well and serve hot with Indian any lunch.

Panha

This is a recipe for a fruit drink made out of raw mangoes ideal and cooling for the summer.
Ingredients:
Raw (sour) green mangoes : 2 no.s (Large ones peel and cube)
Sugar : 2 cups
Water : 1 cup
Ginger : 1/4 inch (cleaned and grated)
Pepper powder : 1 pinch
Salt : 1 pinch

Method:

Cook the cubed mangoes in 1 cup of water in thick bottomed vessel till soft and done. Add the sugar and boil till sugar dissolves well . Add pepper, salt and ginger shreds and let boil till the fluid thickens slightly. Remove from stove and cool. Put in a blender to blend. Store in the fridge and use like squash by adding cold water and ice before serving. If you do not like ginger you can do without it.

Some Advice!!

Hi all,

Thanks for browsing through my Blog, my little effort to do something worthwhile in the evening of my life! But here's what I would like you all to do- other than wash,clean,cook ,feed and take care of your family and home ever so lovingly.

Me being so old can't help giving ADVICE!! Try this, do something other than the usual in your life- have you tried to awaken your dormant or hidden artistic talents be it singing,dancing, sewing or even drawing and painting? Just try and see how much more fulfilled you feel. Your own family will love it and look at you in a different light , in fact appreciate you. Reserve a few hours a week for your interests and see how you feel and what you achieve, after all we live only once and on the Womens' Day I have nothing but this to say- do something../anything for yourself.

I may or may not be around , but you will surely remember me for telling you all this!
And don't forget , all good things should be passed on....

Marie Biscuit Cake-Needs no baking

Here's a simple "cake"you can make with Marie biscuits!There is no baking involved!

Ingredients:

• Marie Biscuits : 1 packet ( or 15 biscuits)
• Fresh white butter : 4 Tbsps
• Coarsely powdered roasted cashew nuts : 1 cup
• Milk : 2 to 3 Tbsps
• Powdered sugar : 1 cup
• Cocoa : 4 Tbsps
• Raisins : 1 Tbsps
  

Method :

Crush the Marie biscuits to a coarse powder. Beat sugar and butter well. Next add the milk and cocoa and mix thoroughly. Now add the crushed Marie biscuit and raisins and mix well.
Grease a rectangular baking dish, preferably made of metal and spread the mixture in it evenly.Next sprinkle the powdered cashew on top. Keep in the refrigerator freezer for a short time till it hardens then transfer to the shelf in the refrigerator. Cut into diamonds or squares and serve. Kids will love this!