Bread Upma

Bread Upma, Bread Uppuma, 

or 

Double Roti Upma

Ingredients:

·        Bread slices: 6  

·        Yoghurt:  1 cup  

·        Tomatoes: 1

·        Mustard: 1 teaspoon

·        Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon  

·        Turmeric powder: ½ teaspoon

·        Chili powder: ½ teaspoon

·        Green chilies: 4

·        Curry leaves: 6

·        Edible oil: 2 tablespoons

·        Salt to taste

For garnishing:

·        coriander leaves

Method of preparation:

·        Finely cut and soak the bread pieces in well beaten yoghurt (curd) for about 10 minutes.

·        Heat the oil in a pan and toss in mustard seeds and cumin seeds one after the other.

·        Let them splutter.

·        Add curry leaves, finely chopped green chilies and finely chopped tomatoes.

·        Stir on medium flame till the tomatoes become soft.

·        Add the bread, salt, turmeric and chili powder and stir.

·        Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with any type of sauce, pickle, thokku, thuvaiyal, or chutney.

Spicy Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

• Carrots: 8
• Celery sticks (Celery stalks): 5
• Garlic cloves: 2
• Large onion: 1
• Water: 4 cups
• Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
• Curry powder: 1 teaspoon
• Salt: To taste

Method of preparation:

• Chop the carrots, garlic, and onion.
• Cut the celery sticks into pieces.
• Heat olive oil in a frying pan.
• Fry the chopped garlic and chopped onion for about five minutes.
• Add curry powder and stir.
• Add carrots, celery sticks and four cups of water.
• Cook until the vegetables become tender.
• Add salt to taste.
• Mix in a blender to get a smooth and spicy carrot soup.
• Serve with pleasure.

About Celery:

Celery is an aromatic, herbaceous plant, grown for its leaves, seeds, oleoresin and essential oil.

Dried ripped celery fruit are used as spice. Leaves and stalks of celery are used to prepare salads and soups. It is useful in the treatments of Asthma and liver diseases.

Botanical name: Apium graveolens L.

• Celery in Arabic: Karafs
• Celery in Bengali: Bandhuri, Chanur
• Celery in Chinese: Chin
• Celery in Dutch: Selderij
• Celery in French: Celeri
• Celery in German: Sellerie
• Celery in Gujarati: Bodiajmoda
• Celery in Hindi: Shalari, Ajmud, Randhuni
• Celery in Italian: Sedano
• Celery in Japanese: Serorii
• Celery in Malayalam: Ayamodakam
• Celery in Marathi: Ajmoda
• Celery in Portuguese: Apio
• Celery in Punjabi: Kernauli
• Celery in Russian: Syel'derey
• Celery in Sanskrit: Ajmoda
• Celery in Slovenian: Zelena
• Celery in Spanish: Aipo
• Celery in Swedish: Selleri
• Celery in Tamil: Ajmoda, sallari or selari
• Celery in Urdu: Ajmod
• Celery in Vietnamese: Cần tây

Achari Mutton

Ingredients:

·        Mutton – ¾ of a kilo (750 gm)

·        Cloves - 5

·        Chopped Coriander leaves – ½ cup

·        Onion seeds (Fennel flower, Kalo jira, Kalaunji, or Kalonji ) – 1 tsp

·        Mustard oil - 7 tbsp

·        Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp

·        Chopped Ginger – 2 tbsp

·        Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

·        Chopped Garlic – 1 tbsp

·        Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

·        Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

·        Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

·        Onions, medium - 4

·        Red chilies, whole - 8

·        Red chili powder – 1 tsp

·        Tomato medium Sized- 4

·        Salt to taste

 Method of preparation:

·        Wash and cut the mutton into small pieces.

·        Cut the onions and tomatoes.

·        Roast the whole spices separately and grind everything coarsely.

·        Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed vessel and fry the onions till brown.

·        Add the chopped ginger-garlic.

·        Then add coarsely ground masala powder.

·        Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, with constant stirring.

·        Add mutton.

·        Continue stirring on high flame so as to make the mutton pieces well browned.

·        Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt.

·        Mix well.

·        Stir-fry till oil leaves the masala.

·        Pour about 2 ½ cups of water.

·        Wait for boiling and cover the vessel / pot with a lid.

·        Stir-fry till the mutton is fully done.

·        Serve hot decorated with coriander leaves.

Bangla Khichdi

Bangla Khichdi

Bengal Khichchadi / Bengal Kichri/ Bangla Khichudi / Bengali Khichdi / khichri, khichdee, khichadi, khichuri, khichari 

Ingredients:  

• Rice:  1 Cup

• Masoor dal (skinned split red lentils): 1 Cup

• Channa dal (chickpea, Cicer arietinum, Garbanzo bean, Indian pea, Ceci bean, or Bengal gram): 1 tbsp

• Bay leaf: 1

• Cardamom: 3

• Cinnamon:  1" Stick

• Cloves: 3

• Cumin seeds: ½ tsp

• Small Onions: 10

• Baby potatoes: 10

• Peas, shelled: 1/2 Cup

• Carrot: 1

• Ginger, grated: 1 tsp

• Garlic, grated:  1 tsp

• Green chilies: 3

• Turmeric powder:  1/2 tsp

• Garam masala powder:  1/2 tsp

• Ghee:  4 tbsp

• Chopped coriander leaves, for garnishing

• Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

• Wash and soak separately the rice, masoor dal, and channa dal.

• Peel the onions.

• Wash and clean the baby potatoes.

• Finely chop the green chili.

• Dice the carrot.

• Drain dals and rice in a colander and keep aside.

• Semi crush spices (cardamom, cinnamon and cloves).

• Heat about three tbsp of ghee in a large skillet.

• Add cumin seeds, bay leaf and crushed spices.

• Add ginger, garlic and chilies. Stir-fry for a moment.

• Add onions and potatoes (with skin). Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

• Add carrot, peas, turmeric, garam masala and salt.

• Add dals and rice. Gently stir-fry for 1 minute.

• Add five cups of water.

• Stir, bring to a boil, cover and simmer till done.

• When done, pour remaining ghee and sprinkle coriander leaves.

• Serve this Bangla Khichdi piping hot (very hot), with yogurt / curd, chutney / thuvaiyal, kadhi, papad, beguni (deep fried eggplant in a besan batter), ghee (clarified butter), or pickle (achar / oorukai).

Egg parotta

Egg Parotta / Muttai Purotta / Anda Parantha / Koththu purotta / kothu parotta

Ingredients:

• Cooked parotta- 3
• Onion- 1
• Ginger garlic paste- 1tsp
• Tomato-1
• Green chillies-3
• Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves
• Eggs-2
• Gravy / kuzhambu / salna / chalna- 1 cup

Method of preparation:

• Heat oil in Dosaikkal/ lat kadai/iruppuchchatti and fry pattai (dal chini /Cinnamon) and cloves.

• Add fine pieces of onions, ginger garlic paste, chilies, turmeric & curry leaves.

• When the onion gets cooked add tomato.

• Sauté for some time.

• Add parotta and fry for about two minutes.

• Add eggs, salt and pepper.

• Blend everything together.

• When the egg is almost done add gravy.

• Cut each and every item on the kadai into very small pieces using two spatula shaped dosaikkarandi or flat metal sheets or inverted tumblers.

• Add coriander leaves for decoration.

Vegetable Pulao / Pulav

It’s an easy to prepare rice variety. It is also called mixed vegetable pulavu.

Ingredients:

Cooked rice: 3 cups

Coriander leaves: 1 bunch

Green chilies: 3

Shredded coconut: 2 tsp

Fine onion slices: from 3 onions

Chopped onions: from 1/2 onion

Cinnamon: a few sticks

Cardamom: a few

Cloves: a few

Red chili powder: 1 ½ tsp

Cauliflower: 1 cup

Garlic: 2 flakes

Ginger: a small piece

Ghee : 3 tbsp

Beans, carrots, green peas etc.: as required

Ghee for frying

Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

• Grind together the chopped onions from ½ onion, shredded coconut, garlic, ginger and coriander into smooth paste. This is the masala.

• Fry the onions in ghee.

• Add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.

• When onions become brown, add red chili powder and fry for a while.

• Add all the vegetables including the cauliflower.

• Sprinkle some water, close the lid and cook under low flame for about 20 minutes.

• Sprinkle water as and when required.

• Remove from flame and transfer the content into a large vessel.

• Add cooked rice, masala and salt.

• Mix thoroughly and heat a little.

• Serve with kuruma (kurma), salna, Raita and pickle.

Ice Tea for losing weight

Ice tea is a calorie free, easy to prepare, delicious beverage with antioxidants and flavor of your choice. Drink this tea and stay healthy.

• Boil water.
  
• Turn off the stove.
  
• Dip tea bags of any type and brand according to your choice into the boiling water.
  
• Wait for about ten minutes.
  
• Discard the teabags.
  
• Pour the content into a pitcher.
  
• Fill the pitcher up with cold water.
  
• Stir and place it in the fridge.
  
• Serve.
  
• Alternatively, you can add ice cubes and serve.
  
• Calorie free sweetener may be added if desired.

Nannari sarbath

It is a non alcoholic herbal drink we can enjoy drinking during summer seasons.

Nannari sarbath is also called sarvath or sarsaparilla sherbet.

Sarsaparilla is a medicinal herb. `Nannari' is Indian Sarsaparilla’s name in Tamil. The Hindi name for it is Anantamool literally means endless root. It is Narunenti in Malayalam, Suganda pala in Telugu.

Botanical name: Hemidesmus indicus

Family: Asclepiadaceae

It is a natural coolant. It is effective in healing diseases. It rejuvenates body. Sarsaparilla is said to be effective for inflammation of liver and spleen, urinary disorders, wheezing, anaemia and rheumatoid arthritis.

During the summer season, its root is immersed in potable water.

Simple method:

• Take three tablespoon of Nannary syrup (available in bottles in markets) in a large glass tumbler.

• Add two tsp of lemon juice.

• Add ice cold water, stir and serve.

Simple recipe for Lemonade

Simple lemonade is usually prepared at home. Varieties of it are sold as a summer refresher at parks, restaurants, hotels, summer outdoor events, fairs, festivals, cinemas, picnic spots, etc.

Ingredients:

• Lemon
• sugar
• water
• ice – cubes

Procedure:

• Take a lemon.
• Cut it into two.
• Squeeze the halves in a crusher.
• Collect the juice in a glass.
• Filter it.
• Pour water.
• Add sugar.
• Stir the solution.
• Put some ice - cubes and serve.

Slices of lemon are added, if it is prepared for guests or during dinner parties.

Instead ice-cubes, shaved ice can be added and served in the name of slush or lemon shake up.

Lemonade and beer make a shandy.

Sometimes salt, pepper powder and water are mixed with lemon juice and ice- cubes added.

Carbonated water is also used instead of water to make the lemonade fizzy.

Cranberry juice is added to get Pink Lemonade.