Hayagreeva Maddi

Hayagreeva Maddi

Hayagreeva Maddi is an important sweet dish in Udupi Cuisine. Recipe credit - Mrs U B Rajalakshmi (Author - Udupi Cuisine)

Ingredients

2 cups Bengal gram dal
2 cups melted & sieved jaggery
2 tablespoons ghee ( 2 teaspoons for frying raisins and cashew nuts )
1/2 cup grated coconut
10 raisins
10 cashew nuts, slit
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
A pinch of salt

Method

Pressure cook Bengal gram dal in 5 cups of water ( cooking time approximately 15 minutes after the 1 st whistle on a low heat ). Drain the water.

Heat ghee in a small pan and shallow fry raisins and cashew nuts till golden color. Keep aside.

Heat cooked dal and jaggery till it turns semi dry by stirring continuously on a low heat.

Add fried raisins and cashew nuts.

Add grated coconut, salt, remaining ghee and cardamom powder. Mix well and cook on a low heat for 5 - 10 minutes. Serve as a sweet dish.

Rumali Roti / Roomali Roti

Here's the new recipe link of Rumali Roti (above photo)



















Rumali Roti / Roomali Roti

A large thin roti folded like a handkerchief or roomal, from which it get its name. Popular with rich meat dishes in Mughlai cuisine.

Recipe Credit - Mrs Khatau & Niru Gupta

Makes: 3

Ingredients

1 cup ( 200 ml ) maida ( plain flour )
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
1/3 cup ( 80 ml ) warm water

Method

Make a soft dough with flour, oil, salt and water. Cover and set aside for one hour in an airtight container.

Knead again and divide into three lemon sized balls.

Roll out each one paper thin with the help of dry flour ( roti should be almost translucent ).

Invert a heavy cast iron pan over the gas burner ( very high heat ) and spread the roti over it. Cook for 30 - 40 seconds or until the small bubbles start appearing over the surface and underside is light brown. Turn over at once, and cook till the outer side is a speckled brown too.

Remove from the griddle and fold like handkerchief and serve with kebabs / butter chicken masala / korma....

Medu Vada with Coriander Leaves

Medu Vada with Coriander Leaves

Ingredients

1 cup urad dal
2 cups water ( for soaking urad dal )
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon water ( for grinding )

Other ingredients

1 - inch piece ginger, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1/4 cup coriander leaves ( or mint leaves / basil ), finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped ( optional )
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
3/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )
250 ml for deep frying ( 1 3/4 - inch from the base of the kadai / frying pan )

Method

Wash and soak urad dal for 4 hours. Drain out water completely.

Add 1/4 cup water and grind urad dal to a fine paste in a grinder ( grinding time - approximately 30 - 35 minutes ). Sprinkle 2 tablespoon extra water while grinding. Batter should be thick in consistency ( do not add more water ).

Transfer vada batter to another bowl and mix with chopped ginger, green chilli, onion, coriander leaves, peppercorns and salt.

Heat oil in a wide kadai / frying pan. Wet your palms and take batter into the palms. Shape into balls and make a hole in the centre ( like doughnut ) and deep fry on a medium heat in batches ( 5 / 6 at a time ) till golden color and fragrant. Serve with coconut chutney and sambar.

Health Benefits of Beans

Health Benefits of Beans

You can't go wrong with beans. Beans are high in fiber and protein and are a good source of vitamins and minerals, such as folate, iron, magnesium, and potassium, which is essential for the water balance between the cells and body fluids, such as electrolyte balance. The American Heart Association recommends eating a variety of foods to get the necessary soluble and insoluble fiber needed daily--about 25 to 30 grams a day, which is twice the amount the average American adult normally consumes. One serving of navy beans is 1/2 cup and has 5.8 grams of fiber per serving.

There are so many delicious varieties of beans to choose from, such as black, kidney, garbanzo, white, lima, and pinto, finding ways to incorporate beans in your diet is a breeze. Soak and cook dry beans or use canned beans. Try substituting beans as your main protein source for lunch or dinner a couple times a week. Protein is an important part of your daily nutrition, which helps the body repair and produce cells and build muscle and bones.

The American Diabetes Association counts one serving of beans, or 1/2 cup, as one starch and one lean meat.

Source & Photo Credit- Diabeticlivingonline

Benefits of Gongura & Gongura Recipes

Gongura is popular in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Gongura ( leaves ) comes in two varieties, green stemmed leaf and red stemmed. The red stemmed variety is more sour than the green stemmed variety. There's more to `gongura' than most native Andhras know.

Gongura pachchadi, gongura pappu and gongura mutton are more than quintessentially Andhra food items: they are Andhra obsessions. Other cultures in India and abroad too pickle and curry the kenaf leaf, but none match the fetish that Andhraites have for this sour-leafed herb.

Every year, thousands of Andhra moms lovingly package level 2 biological hazard-range gongura pickles to ship off to their sons and daughters living abroad. And no Andhraite will agree with a restaurant's claim of serving Andhra cuisine unless he finds gongura pachchadi in the pickle jar and gongura pappu on the menu.

Kenaf ( gongura ) is native to northern Africa, and its history in India goes back 2000 years. Its leaves are a pot-herb. Its fibres resemble jute fibres and are useful in the manufacture of ropes, cordage, canvas, carpet backing and fishing nets. Kenaf seeds are used to make edible oil, soap, linoleum, paints and varnishes.

Some African tribes use the stem as a base for drilling fire out of wood. They also use soot from the charred stem as a pigment. The seeds are an aphrodisiac in Africa.

Kenaf leaves are very low in calories, and rich in protein when compared with other leafy vegetables. They are rich in calcium and phosphorus and have appreciable amounts of Vitamin C. The seeds are rich in essential fatty acids and calories. The seeds also contain radium and thorium, but not in amounts large enough to cause cancer.The roots of kenaf are edible too, but they contain too much fibre and too little nutrition.

In traditional African medicine, kenaf flower juice, mixed with sugar and black pepper, is used to treat biliousness with acidity. Because of their high calorie content, kenaf seeds are used to promote weight increase in cultures where plumpness is valued.

In Ayurveda, the leaves are used to treat dysentery, sore throat and indigestion.

In Africa, the leaves are used as a purgative. Dried and powdered leaves are used to treat guinea worm infestations.

Source & Recipe Credit - The Hindu



Try these recipes ...

Gongura Pappu

Ingredients

Tur dal - 10 gms

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder - 5 gms

Green chillies (slit) - 3

Gongura (chopped) - 50 gms 

Curry leaves - 5 gms 

Mustard seeds - 2 gms

Red chilli powder - 5 gms 

Oil - 10 ml

Method

Boil the dal with green chillies and turmeric powder in twice the amount of water. When the dal is almost done add the gongura leaves to it.

Cook further till the dal gets completely cooked. In a pan heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and the curry leaves. When they crackle add red chilli powder and pour this mixture over the dal. Cook the dal further to the required consistency and serve hot with rice.

Gongura Pappu ( with urad dal )

Ingredients

Ambada (gongura) leaves : 100 gms 

Urad dal (washed): 25 gms

Salt: To taste

Ghee: 20 ml 

Red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
Jeera powder: 1 teaspoon

Method

Boil the dal and keep aside. Meanwhile boil the ambada leaves and make a paste of it. Mix both and add the chilli powder and jeera to it. Cook till they are done. Put ghee and check the seasoning and serve hot.

Ambada ghosht ( Gongura Mutton )

Ingredients

Mutton chops - 500 gms
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 teaspoon
Green chillies (chopped fine) - 6
Onions (sliced fine) - 2
Turmeric powder -½ teaspoon
Cooking oil - 4 tablespoon
Ambada ( gongura ) leaves (chopped) - 1 bunch
Chana dal - ¾ cup
Salt to taste

Method

Soak the dal for half an hour.

Wash and drain out the water from ambada leaves.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and add the chopped green chillies, ambada leaves, chana dal and warm water. Cook till dal is tender, then mash well before removing from the heat.

Heat 3 tablespoon of oil and fry the sliced onions till crisp. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry till oil separates. Add mutton and salt to taste along with 1 ½ cup of water and pressure cook till tender.

Remove from pressure add cooked ambada - dal mixture. Stir thoroughly and simmer till well blended. Serve with roti / rice.

Goli Baje ( Udupi Snack )

Goli Baje ( Udupi Snack )

Makes: 12

Ingredients

3 cup Maida
3 green chillies, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pinch cooking soda
1 3/4 cup butter milk ( sour )
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt

Oil for frying ( oil level 1 - inch from the base of the kadai )
Coconut chutney for serving

Method

Mix all the ingredients and make a batter. Batter should be thicker than ‘’ Idli ‘’ batter. Keep aside for 1 hour.

Heat oil in a wide frying pan / kadai. Take the batter using a round spoon and drop them in hot oil. Deep fry on a medium heat in batches ( 5 / 6 at a time ) till golden color. Serve as a snack with coconut chutney.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

For Coconut chutney:

1 cup grated coconut
1 - inch piece ginger, chopped
1/4 teaspoon tamarind paste
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )
2 tablespoon water

For Seasoning:

2 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 curry leaves
1 red chilli

Method

Grind all the chutney ingredients in a mixer with water.

Seasoning:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they begin to pop add curry leaves and red chilli. Pour this seasoning over coconut chutney.

Recipe Credit - Vanitha ( April 1- 15 )

Blueberries, Red Grapefruit & Apples - Best Fruits for Diabetes

If you already follow a healthful meal plan filled with whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, and lean protein, congratulations! You're on your way to a long, healthy life and are taking a major step in controlling your weight and blood glucose levels. Plus, you're probably already eating a bunch of the foods on this list.

For those who are taking the baby-steps approach to eating better, this list is even more helpful. Not only are these power foods high in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals, they're also familiar and easy to find. That means you don't have to hunt down any exotic ingredients or shop at specialty grocery stores to find foods that will help you get on track with a healthful meal plan.

Source & Photo Credit - Diabeticlivingonline



Blueberries

Enjoy the benefits of blueberries on their own or in a variety of foods, including smoothies and pancakes. Blueberries provide dietary fiber, vitamin C, and flavonoids, a type of phytonutrient that offers antioxidant protection, such as boosting your immune system and fighting inflammation. Flavonoids may also help decrease the LDL (bad cholesterol)-oxidation process that can lead to arterial plaque, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Blueberries get their dark blue color from anthocyanins, another disease-fighting antioxidant that may benefit heart health. Blueberries have also been studied for their potential to protect and improve vision.

One serving is 3/4 cup and has 15 grams of carbs. You can enjoy fresh, in-season blueberries May through October or buy the frozen varieties year-round.

Red Grapefruit

Sweet, juicy, and delicious, the ruby red grapefruit packs more antioxidant power and possibly more heart benefits than the white grapefruit. In a preliminary 30-day test of 57 people with heart disease, those eating one red grapefruit daily decreased their LDL (bad) cholesterol by 20 percent and decreased triglycerides by 17 percent. In contrast, those eating a white grapefruit reduced LDL by 10 percent with no significant change in triglycerides, compared with a group of people who didn't eat the fruit.

Include the vitamin C-rich grapefruit as a juice, in salads, or by itself. The only way the body can get vitamin C is through food, such as citrus fruits, or supplements.

Grapefruit interacts with certain drugs, including statins and antiarrhythmic medications, so check with your health-care professional.

One serving of a large grapefruit is one half of the grapefruit or 3/4 cup of grapefruit sections.

Apples

The soluble and insoluble fiber in apples can benefit people with diabetes. According to a 2003 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a diet high in fiber can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease-a leading diabetes complication, which is often caused by high cholesterol, lack of exercise, and obesity. The good news is one medium-sized apple packs 3 grams of fiber--12 percent of the recommended 25 grams per day.

Plus, the soluble fiber in an apple may help slow digestion. According to the Cleveland Clinic, some research has indicated this slowing-down process may help regulate cholesterol and stabilize blood glucose.

Eating apples, especially with the skin, not only increases your fiber intake but provides vitamin C and flavonoids, a disease-fighting antioxidant.

Chikku Milk Shake

Photo Credit - Wikipedia

Chikku Milk Shake

Chikku ( Sapodilla, Sapota ) is a tropical fruit with an exceptionally sweet malty flavor. This is summer in India and Chikku fruits are easily available in the market now a days.

One idea to beat summer heat is to consume fruit juices - which will not only keep the heat down, but also maintain the mineral balance in our body.

A glass of chilled Chikku milkshake in the morning is a very refreshing and wholesome drink - which will make you energetic to face a tough day ahead. Children will also like the grainy taste of the drink. This can be made with minimum ingredients and very little effort.

Try this ....

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 cup ( 200 ml ) chilled milk
2 chikku ( wash, clean, skin peeled off , seeds removed, diced in big chunks)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar

Method

Place all the ingredients in a mixer or juicer and blend for 2 - 3 minutes until smooth.

Pour into serving cups and consume immediately.

Health benefits of Bitter Gourd, Pumpkin & Jackfruit

Bitter Gourd

Used as herbal medicine for diabetes. It has an insulin-like compound that reduces the blood and urine sugar levels.

It is highly beneficial in blood disorders like itching, blood boils, scabies, psoriasis, ring-worms and fungal infections.

Fresh juice of bitter gourd is highly beneficial for different types of diarrhoea and stomach infections.

Its juice has a detoxifying property and helps cleanse, repair and nourish liver.

It can help alleviate eye problems and improve eyesight.

Pumpkin

Rich in carotenoids, known for keeping the immune system strong and healthy.

Helps prevent build up of cholesterol, reducing the chances of strokes.

Known to slow the process of aging, it also helps prevent cataract formation.

Reduces the risk of muscular degeneration.

Rich in fiber, it's good for the bowel health of an individual.

Jack fruit

The root of the jack fruit tree is used to treat bug bites, skin allergies, rashes, skin infections and fungal infections.

Helps people suffering from blood pressure and cardiovascular problems.

Rich in phytonutrients that can fight cancer and slow down degeneration of cells.

Benefits people suffering from asthma.

Has anti-ageing, anti-oxidents and anti-ulcer properties.

Source- India Today

Photos of traditional Konkani ceremony and feast

Recently, we had been to Kerala for a family function - Brahmopadesam / Upanayanam of one of our nephews.

This function was conducted in the traditional way of Kochi GSB’s starting with “Naandi poojan” 10 days before the function.

The occasion was well attended with 800 guests. It started with the “Ududa muhurthu” which is basically start of the event invoking blessings from “Shri Mahaganapathy”. This was followed by traditional breakfast with Idly, Sambar, Chutney, Mixture, Rava Kesari or Sheera, complimented with tea/coffee.

Since the gathering was relatively large, the food was prepared in the kitchen attached to the venue, hiring professional cooks. Professional Konkani cooks available in Kerala for this purpose, who specializes in preparing traditional cuisine suited for marriages and other family occasions. Huge vessels are also available on rent in every nook and corner in Kerala for this purpose.

The preparations for lunch started by the previous nightfall itself. All the vegetables and grains were cleaned, cut / sliced, and the cooking was timed such a way that everything was ready to be served for lunch.

Traditional dishes served were dhewe orva seethe (rice), thoye (dal), gassi, dhewe humman, kelya ambaet, methiye sukke, ambya edgai, miriya appolu and dhewe appolu, alle, kelya sassam, pulliserry, rasam (saru). Sweet dish was dudda paysu ( pal payasam).

Enjoy some photos which I snapped for you.





Brahmopadesam





Idli mould


Idli


Idli, Sambar, Coconut chutney, Mixture, Rawa kesari


Rawa Kesari











Kelya Sassme, Alle, Methiye Sukke, Mango Pickle, Gassi & Banana Chips


Dhewe Humman


Pulisseri


Rasam


Pappadam ( Appolu )


Mirya Appolu





Kelya sassam and Alle





Rice ( Seeth )





Dudda Paysu ( Pal payasam )

Delicious Fish Curry Meals at Sagara Restaurant, Thiruvananthapuram

Enjoy these fish curry meals ...

Rice, Kappa vevichathu, Pappadam, Pachadi,Cabbage Thoran, Vegetable curry & Pickle

Spicy Fish Curry


Pulisseri & Rice


Side Dish - Prawns Fry


Kerala Beef Fry

Sagara Restaurant
Vazhuthakkad
Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala

Landmark - Near Kala Bhavan, Sindoor Bakeria & BP Petrol Station