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Garlic is an excellent herb for creating and maintaining overall health. It is a powerful natural antibiotic. This natural antibiotic is effective against toxic bacteria, viruses, and fungus. Garlic is claimed to help prevent heart disease (including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure) and cancer. So I always try to add garlic wherever possible in my cooking. Here comes the
Pori urundai/ puffed rice ball is a popular snack item which is prepared at the time of karthigai deepam. It simple and easy recipe to make. You can store them in airtight container and have it for a week or more. It is a kids friendly snack and they love it for sure. Ingredients: 5 cups – Pori / Puffed rice 1/2 cup – Jaggery (powdered) 2 pinches – Cardamom powde
Idly podi or powder is a best condiment for hot idly and dosai. There are many brands of idly powder available in market and are prepared with various ingredients. But nothing can replace any home made idly powder. I used to get fresh curry leaves from our local market and I always think of making fresh idly podi with it. Finally I did it this time. Here is the recipe for curry leaves idly powder
Wish all moms a very Happy mother’s day. I prepared a simple eggless vanilla cake with home made butter cream frosting to post on mother’s day. This is the very first time I am preparing butter cream frosting at home and it came out very well. Here comes the recipe for the cake and butter cream frosting. Ingredients: For making vanilla cake: 1 1/2 cup – All purpose flour or mai
Bombay sambar is a simple and easy sambar that can be done in no time. It is slight tangy and very light sambar that goes well with hot idly and dosai. Ingredients: 1 no – Onion ( chopped lengthwise thinly) 1 no – Tomato (chopped finely) 2 or 3 nos – Green chillies (slit it) 1 tsp – Ginger garlic paste 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder 1 tbsp – Gr
Dosai and idly has occupied a very important place as breakfast in all South Indian house holds. It is a very healthy dish as it is fermented and cooked. It goes well with hot sambar, coconut chutney and tomato or kara chutney. I love to have paper or ghee dosai whenever I go to restaurant. Now you can make that crispy and tasty dosai at home. Ingredients: 2 cups – Idly rice or
Ash gourd / White pumpkin / Poosanikai is loaded with nutrients. It's an excellent source of vitamin B1 (thiamine), a good source of vitamin B3 (niacin), and vitamin C. It is also rich in many minerals like calcium. Its high potassium content makes this a good vegetable for maintaining a healthy blood pressure. Raita prepared with ash gourd goes well with roti or parathas. Ingredients:
Onion paratha is prepared with whole wheat flat bread stuffed with spiced onion. It goes well with plain yogurt and pickle. Ingredients: For outer layer: 2 cups – Wheat flour 1 tsp – Ghee Salt as needed Warm water as needed For onion stuffing: 2 nos – Onion (chopped finely) 1 no – Green chilli (chopped finely)
Apple cinnamon tart is a mini pie which is crunchy outside and soft apple cinnamon filling inside. It is a best evening tea time snack. I have tried it for the first time and it came out very well. Here comes the recipe. Ingredients: Yields 12 tarts For outer crust: 2 1/4 cups - All Purpose Flour/ Maida 1/3 cup - Sugar 1 tsp - Baking Powder 1 tsp - Bakin
Suraikai / bottle gourd is one of fresh vegetables commonly available in any farmer’s house. My mom used to prepare this curry very often and it is one of my favorite dish. It goes well with white rice, puli kuzhambu and rasam. Ingredients: 1 medium sized – Suraikai / bottle gourd (chopped finely) 1 no – Onion (chopped finely) 2 nos – Green chillies (chopped)
Today I want to share a nutrition packed millet. There are several millets and it become very hard for me to find its right name in Tamil and English. Millets such as Jowar (Cholam in Tamil), Pearl millet (kambu), Finger millet (kezhvaragu), Kodo millet (varagu), Foxtail millet (Tinai), Proso millet (panivaragu), Barnyard millet (kudraivali) and Little millet (samai). All these millets are having
I am very excited today that I am posting my 300th post in this blog with a video clip. So thought of sharing a sweet dish to celebrate this occasion. Ashoka Halwa is a very popular sweet dish in Tanjavur and Thiruvaiyaru. I have tasted once in my college canteen during my under graduate. After that I never got an opportunity taste this amazing dish. Recently my friend Bhuvana who is from Kumbakon
Hello friends, a few months ago I have posted a review on Firmoo glasses and now I am so excited to share this amazing news that Firmoo is giving out FREE glasses to you! Who is Firmoo? Firmoo (www.firmoo.com) is an online optical store where you can purchase regular prescription glasses as well as prescription sunglasses, specialty eyewear like reading glasses, computer glasses etc.You can se
Dosai is a common South Indian breakfast, which is rich in carbohydrates and contains no sugar or saturated fats. Since its ingredients are rice and lentils, gluten free and contains protein. The fermentation process increases the vitamin B and vitamin C content. I hope many of you might have not seen the red gram plant (toor dal plant). So I thought of sharing some pictures here which are taken
Puttu is a popular South Indian steam cooked dish which can be prepared for breakfast or as an evening snack. I already posted sweet rice flour puttu and now I am posting spicy version of ragi puttu. My mom prepares both sweet and spicy puttu very often as an evening snack when we come from school. Here comes the recipe. Ingredients: 2 cups – Ragi flour 1 no – Onion (cho
Vendhaya kali is also called as menthulu sankati in Telugu. My mom makes it very often during summer and it is one of my favorite dish. It is prepared as a breakfast or dinner at my home. Vendhaya kali is a very healthy dish because it helps to cool our body especially during summer. Recently I got the recipe from my mom and tried it for the first time and it came out well. Ingredients:
Lassi is a popular and traditional yogurt based drink, originally from Indian state of Punjab. It is prepared by blending yogurt with water, salt and spices until frothy. Traditional lassi (also known as salted lassi or simply lassi) is a savory drink sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin seeds. Sweet lassi on the other hand is blended with sugar or fruits instead of spices. Here is a lassi
Baked sweet potato fries are prepared with sweet potatoes and little spices. If you are craving for a high fat and salty treat like fast food french fries, try this recipe for healthier baked sweet potato fries. Baked sweet potato fries are much lower in fat than a deep fried version and are very quick to prepare. Kids will love this baked fries. Ingredients: 3 nos – Sweet potat
Sapodilla which is called sapota in Tamil and chikoo in Hindi. This fruit is commonly used to prepare milkshake in most of the juice centers in Tamil Nadu. Sapodilla is a good source of dietary fiber and rich in calories. Sapodilla contains a good amount of antioxidant vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin A. It tasted awesome and I hope you all like this wonderful taste. Ingredients:
Idly is a healthy popular South Indian breakfast dish. It is commonly prepared with rice and black gram. I did try to prepare idly with a variation by adding Red gram / Thuvaram paruppu / Toor dhal. Here comes the recipe for this idly and it goes well with any spicy chutney of your choice. Ingredients: 3 cups – Idly rice 1 1/2 cup – Red gram / Thuvaram paruppu / Toor dh
Pav bhaji is a maharashtrian fast food dish that originated from Mumbai. Bhaji the spicy blend of vegetables and the bun what a combination. I love this combo. I used to prepare this bhaji for chappathi. Ingredients: 1 packet (12 nos) - Pav buns (as needed) 2 tbsp – Butter 1 no – Onion (chopped finely) 1 no – Tomato (chopped finely) 1 tsp – Ginger
I have already posted tomato thokku made with tomato and onion. This is another version of tomato thokku which is made purely with tomatoes. It also takes very less time to cook. This is a good combo for chappathi while traveling. Ingredients: 3 nos – Tomatoes ( Medium sized) 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder 1/2 to 1 tsp – Red chilli powder Salt as needed
Wish you all a very Happy Tamil New Year. ???? ????? ?????????? ?????????????. Rava laddu is a sweet ball prepared with rava/semolina, sugar, milk and nuts. It is one of my favorite sweets. My mom makes it often when we come from school. Rava laddu can be prepared with few ingredients and it also takes less time to cook. My friends mom used to grind rava after roasting it but I don’t like that w
Paanagam is a healthy drink prepared at the time of Rama navami along with neer more. It is also used as an energy drink because people who are fasting will finish with this drink. Since it has a lot of nutrition, we can have this drink very often. Ingredients: 1/2 cup – Jaggery / Vellam 2 cup – Water 1 pinch – Salt 1/4 tsp – Dry ginger powder 2 no
Turmeric has been used in India for thousands of years and is a major part of Ayurvedic medicine. It was first used as a dye and then later for its possible medicinal properties. Turmeric is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns. During the south Indian festival Pongal, a whole turmeric plant with fresh rhizomes is offered as a thanksgiving offering
Black pepper is one of the most popular spice that is used in all kinds of savory cooking. In order to keep their fragrance and flavor intact, they are generally ground fresh just before preparing dishes and added at the last minutes in the recipes. Black pepper is a very good home remedy for people who are suffering from cold. We can make kuzhambu or rasam with freshly ground black pepper. I made
This is a tasty and nutritious breakfast recipe for those who run in a hurry every morning. This healthy breakfast takes very less time to prepare. Also it is a kids friendly recipe. Ingredients: 2 nos – Egg 1/4 cup – Mixed capsicums / peppers (I used green and red bell peppers) 1/2 no – Onion (chopped finely) 1 no – Garlic (chopped finely) 3 tbsp
Green gram and green mango salad is a tangy salad prepared with freshly made sprouts. Sprouts are highly nutritious and rich in enzymes which promote good health. It is a very refreshing and healthy salad. Ingredients: 2 cups – Homemade green gram sprouts 1/4 to 1/2 cup – Green mango (cut into small pieces) 1 no – Green chillies (chopped finely) 1 tbsp –
Potato stew / Kerala ishtu is a popular Kerala dish prepared with freshly made coconut milk. It is a creamy and mild stew that goes well with hot appam, bread etc. I also prepare this as a side for idly and dosai. Ingredients: 2 nos – Potato (medium sized) 1/2 no – Carrot (small sized, chop like circles) 1 no – Onion (big sized, chopped lengthwise thinly)
An easy and healthy juice with carrot, apple and lemon which takes less than 10 mins to prepare. It is a refreshing drink that helps to cool our body during summer. Ingredients: 4 nos – Apple 3 nos – Carrot 1 tbsp - Fresh lemon juice 1 tsp – Sugar or honey (as needed) Ice cubes for serving Preparation method: Wash and chop a
Making different lunch for my little one is a big challenge for me. She loves to eat pizza. Recently when I went for grocery shopping I saw mini pita pocket. I got one and looked for some recipes to make a different dish out of it. Finally I decided to prepare pizza with this mini pita. It came out amazing and my daughter liked it very much. I am sure you too love this recipe. Ingredients: Pita
Venpongal is a popular South Indian breakfast item. For venpongal, we use rice and dhal as a main ingredients. But here in rava pongal we use rava / semolina instead of rice and rest of the ingredients are same. It tastes as good as our regular venpongal and it goes well with sambar and coconut chutney. Ingredients: 1 cup – Rava / semolina 1/2 cup – Split green gram / Pa
Sprouts are believed to be highly nutritious and rich in enzymes which promote good health. Sprouted green gram can be eaten in its raw form, cooked or ground into flour. My aunty (periamma) used to make these sprouts very often. She thoroughly wash green grams and soak it for overnight. Then she will tie it in a clean cotton cloth and hang it in the kitchen. She used to have it raw instead of coo
Capsicum rice / green bell pepper rice is a spicy rice prepared with capsicum and freshly made masala. Capsicum rice is a best lunch box idea for all ages. Ingredients: 1 cup – Basmati rice / Raw rice 1 no – Capsicum / Green bell pepper (chop into big pieces) 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder Salt as needed 1 1/2 tbsp – Coriander leaves for garnishing
Shahi Paneer is a popular north Indian dish which is rich and creamy. Shahi paneer is served with any Indian bread such as naan, roti or with white rice, pulao. Ingredients: 1 cup – Paneer cubes (10 –12 pieces) ( I used homemade paneer) 2 nos – Tomato (medium sized,chopped finely) 1 no - Green chili 1/4 inch – Ginger 1/4 tsp – Turmeric
Paneer is a type of cheese first made in the Indian subcontinent. You can use this paneer in various dish like mattar paneer, kadai paneer, shahi paneer, paneer tikka, rasgulla, rasmalai, sandesh etc. Homemade paneer is tasty and healthy when compare to store bought paneer. Ingredients: 1 litre – Milk ( preferably 3% or whole milk) 2 to 2 1/2 tbsp – Fresh lemon juice
Aval mixture / poha mixture is a spicy snack made with beaten rice/ aval and nuts. Best evening time snack and very simple to make recipe. Also it is a healthy choice as it is just pan fried with little oil. Ingredients: 1 cup – Beaten rice / aval / poha 5 tbsp – Roasted bengal gram / pottukadalai 5 tbsp – Peanuts (roasted) 3 tbsp – Cashew nuts (raw)
Dum aloo is one of the popular North Indian recipes. I made this recipe very first time and it came out very good. I have referred several recipes for this dish and finally decided to adjust to it our taste. Here is the recipe for it. Ingredients: 20 nos – Baby potato 1 no – Onion (chopped finely) 1 no – Tomato (chopped finely) 1 tsp – Ginger garlic paste
Lemon rice is a best lunch box item as well as best to carry while travelling. Recent times quinoa is considered as a best alternative to white rice. Quinoa is a nutritious, ancient grain containing a complete protein profile. So I tried to make lemon rice with quinoa. Lemon juice gives a very refreshing and tangy flavor to the quinoa. Give it a try and enjoy having healthy meal with your family.
Pudalangai / snake gourd stir fry is prepared with gram flour / besan as main ingredient. This fry goes well with white rice, sambar and rasam. Ingredients: 2 cups – Snake gourd / Pudalangai (chop as shown in the picture) 1 cup – Gram flour / Besan / Kadalai maavu 1/2 to 1 tsp – Red chilli powder 2 pinches – Turmeric powder Salt as needed
Mini idly sambar is a popular South Indian breakfast and dinner dish served in most Indian restaurants. For this recipe you will need mini idly stand or platter. I was waiting to prepare this at home and tried immediately after getting the mini idly maker during my recent vacation to India. For making sambar: Ingredients: 1/2 cup – Split red gram (Thuvaram paruppu/toor dhal)
Radishes are very low calorie root vegetables. They are good source of anti-oxidants, electrolytes, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber etc. Red radish stir fry is prepared with sliced red radish and red chilli flakes. Red chilli flakes gives new flavor and taste to the dish. Ingredients: 6 or 7 nos – Red radish 1 no – Onion (chopped lengthwise) 2 no – Garlic (
Chilli bajji /Milagai bajji is one of the popular street side snacks in India. There are many variations to it. This is a simple version of it. I will try to post the other variations over the time. Ingredients: 5 nos – Long green chilies (as shown in pic) 1 cup – Besan flour/ Kadalai Maavu 1/4 cup - Rice Flour 1 tsp - Red Chili Powder 1 pinch
Bisi bele bhath is a rice-based dish originated from South Indian state of Karnataka. I always prefer using home made bisi bele bhath powder rather than store bought powder. I like its fresh aroma to the dish. This is an easy to make powder and also it consumes less time. Ingredients: 4 tsp – Coriander seeds 2 tsp – Cumin seeds 2 tsp – Bengal gram / kadalai paru
Happy Women’s day Dates are one of the most popular fruits packed with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well-being.Walnuts are rich source of energy and contain health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health. Especially they are rich in Omega 3 fatty
Karuppatti / palm jaggery paniyaram is an authentic dish prepared with karuppatti / palm jaggery / panai vellam. Palm jaggery is one of the tastiest and healthy products. In southern part of India it is used in the preparation of sweet dishes. It is used as a substitute for sugar in the preparation of coffee, tea, etc. Palm Jaggery is rich in calcium, iron and other useful vitamins and minerals. C
Brown rice is a source of many beneficial nutrients, including fiber, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B-6. White rice, which is refined brown rice, has smaller amounts of these nutrients than whole-grain brown rice. I made dosai with brown rice along with idly rice and it came out well. Ingredients: 2 cups – Brown rice (I used long grain brown rice) 1 cup – Idly rice
Paneer tikka is an Indian dish made from chunks of paneer marinated in spices and grilled in a tandoor or oven. It is a vegetarian alternative to chicken tikka and other meat dishes. It is a popular dish that is widely available in India. Paneer tikka traditionally served with mint chutney. Ingredients: 20 big chunks – Paneer 1/2 cup – Red bell pepper (cut into big chunk
Chickpea and potato carries lot of nutrition and is good to include in our diet quite often. Chickpea and potato stir fry goes well with white rice and a nice combo for puli kuzhambu. Ingredients: 2 nos – Potato 1/4 cup – Chickpea 1 no – Onion (chopped finely) 2 or 3 nos – Green chillies (chopped) 1 tsp – Ginger chopped 1 pinch – Turmeric
Walnuts are rich source of energy and contain health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health. Especially they are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin E etc. It is good to add this precious nut in our daily diet. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup – All purpose flour 1 cup – Brown sugar / jaggery 1 cup – Milk ( room tem
