Simple Coriander / cilantro Thuvayal ( chutney)

Ingredients: serves 4 (conservative estimate)
Cilantro / Coriander leaves  (washed and chopped) - 1  1/2 cup
Urad dal - 2 tbsp
Green Chilli - 1 or 2
Ginger - 1 tsp (grated)
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder (haldi) - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli - 1 or 2
Tamarind - just enough to roll up to size of a small key lime
(If using pulp - 1 tbsp)
oil to temper (1/2 tsp)
Curry leaves - 5 or 6

Process
Pour oil in a kadai and roast urad dal for a minute or so (medium flame)
Add red chillies, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and saute for 1/2 a minute or so
Add asafoetida, turmeric and transfer the ingredients onto a plate to cool
Soak the tamarind in a tbsp of water
Use the oil traces in the kadai and saute coriander leaves (cilantro) on medium flame for two minutes
take it of the stove before the leaves change colour
Combine the sauted leaves and the sauted ingredients, tamarind and salt and grind into a yummy thuvayal :)

A simple comfort food which goes well with dosa, idli, adai or pesarattu etc. Tastes divine with steamed rice as well...:) Serve with the oats and quinoa adai 

Going Nuts?!! - Have a Banana

This may come as a surprise to many, I was too. A very dear friend of mine sent me an article on benefits of banana and I had to share it on Avial and Rasam

 Pic source: uberreview(dot)com

Going Bananas

Bananas... This is very interesting. 

After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again -

Bananas. Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. 

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: 

High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: 

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 

200 students at aTwickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: 

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: 

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: 

Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: 

Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood  sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

 Mosquito bites: 

Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

 Nerves: 

Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

 Overweight and at work? 

Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

 Ulcers: 

The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

 Temperature control: 

Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

 Seasonal Affective Disorder 

(SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

 Smoking: 

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

 Stress: 

Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

 Strokes: 

According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, "eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: 

Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

 

PS :

Bananas must be the reason why monkeys are so happy & Healthy all the time!

Source of the article unknown...any input appreciated!!

Lettuce and Matki sprouts Dal /Soup

Greens are great for your digestive track as they bring in fiber into your diet. A good digestive system ensures smooth running of your other systems and that mean over all health! Salad, soups and grilled forms of leafy vegetables should be made a part of your everyday meal. However, it is important to check for allergy information before you choose your greens. For example, people with Thyroid malfunction are asked to minimize use of a few vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower, soyabeans or soya products (as these food varieties contain goitrogens and do not allow absorption of Iodine by the body.)

Lettuce is among the common greens used in salads. I recommend that you try at least one variety of lettuce in your diet if they are available in your local market. Here is a nice article on Lettuce varieties for you to know more about this leafy veggie. HERE . If you are bored of eating raw lettuce in your salads and sandwiches, this simple soup/dal recipe is a nice way to eat your lettuce. It is very easy to make and is great on a cold night.

leafy veggie - Red leaf Romaine lettuce

Moth dal (gujrati) or matki dal (Marathi) - Raw

Matki /moth dal (sprouts) and other lentil varieties feature prominently in Gujarati and Marathi cuisines

For this recipe:

Soak matki in water for at least 8 hours and drain it completely 

Tie it in a neat kitchen towel and leave it for a day for the matki to sprout

you could also use the soaked matki for this soup/dal 

All you need: serves 4

Matki sprouts - 1 1/2 cup (use 1 and  cup raw matki for 1 1/2 cups sprouts)

Romaine lettuce (a bunch) - 3 cups when chopped
Onion- (chopped) - 1/2 cup
spices: to grind
cumin seeds 1 tsp
Green chillies- 2
curry leaves - 5/6
mustard seeds (black) - 1 tsp
ginger - 1" piece- grated
garlic- 1 clove (optional)

Spices
turmeric powder - a pinch
kuzhambu powder - 2 tsps
Indian Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Asafoetida -  a pinch
Bay leaf - 1 (fresh or dry)
oil - 1 tsp

Clove - 1
cilantro/coriander leaves for garnish

Method

• Pressure cook matki / moth sprouts (a single whistle)
• Grind mustard seeds, cumin, chillies, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and  half the quantity of onions into a smooth paste
• In a kadai,  pour oil and put the clove and bay leaf and remaining onions and saute well
• Add the chopped lettuce leaves and keep stirring until the lettuce is half done
• Add the pressure cooked matki /moth sprouts and stir well
• Pour the spice paste and salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida, kuzhambu powder and cook until done.
• Add garam masala powder (optional) and simmer for another minute
• Serve this soup with bread/roti or steamed rice

you could add some water while cooking to make the dish a little more soupy.


Trivia: ayurveda
Mustard and cumin paste helps in keeping your body warm in the winters
Asafoetida and garlic help in digesting the lentil better and reduces gas in your stomach
Lentils /whole dals (not kellogs lol...) are easy to cook and digest when they are soaked allowed to sprout

Undhiyu - A veggie delight from Gujarat

Hop into the Flavour Train with me. Let us take make a trip to a western state in India, Gujarat, and sample a Vegetable specialty -  Undhiyu. This dish is seasonal and is generally made in winters. This is because winters are the time of abundance in a normally arid Gujarat. It features in most festive menus and is served with roti or puri.

This dish is an obvious favourite of mine. How could it not be - vegetables cooked in a coriander leaves/cilantro gravy. My amma makes another version quite frequently (with all dry ingredients...the typical Gujarati style.)

Variations...
We could prepare undhiyu by stuffing vegetables with the masala or cooking the chopped vegetables in the masala gravy. I have seen and loved more than one variation of this dish. I skip the tempering part of the recipe and make a low fat version. This time around, I also skipped a very important Gujarati ingredient - Muthiya (spicy, wheat flour and besan/chickpea flour fried dumplings).

Vegetables which hold up to being cooked in a gravy work well in this recipe-  pigeon peas (kacha tuvar), drum stick, tindora/ dondakai, Surti papdi (avaraikka), Brinjal, Plantain, yam, potatoes etc.

This time around I cooked the vegetables in the undhiyu gravy. My hubby dearest clicked a series of pictures to make it a colourful post.

All you need: Serves 4
Vegetables:
Plantain - 1
Brinjal - 3
carrot - 2
potatoes- 2
snow pea - 1 ' pieces (1/2 cup)

For the masala gravy 
Green chillies - 4
Fresh coconut - shredded - 1/2 cup
Corainder leaves / cilantro - Chopped (used the stem and leaves) - 1/2 cup
Fresh ginger - 1 " piece Garlic - 2 cloves
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Flavouring 
Salt to suit your taste
hing (asafoetida) - a pinch
Sugar or jaggery - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Process

• Chop all your vegetables and wash them well. Steam/Cook in the microwave for four minutes
• Dry roast coriander seeds and cumin
• Grind roasted ingredients with coriander leave/cilantro, ginger, garlic, coconut, green chillies into a fine paste
• Put all the steam vegetables in a kadai and pour in the masala paste (add a little water used to wash off your grinder jar )
• Add salt, turmeric powder, hing/asafoetida, sugar and let the sabzi cook until the masala gravy looses its raw smell. 
• Stir gently so that the vegetables remain intact and do not become mushy
• Add muthiya at this stage(i did not add muthiya this time)
• Add sugar, mix lightly and let the undhiyu simmer for a minute or so
• Take it off the stove, let the dish rest for a few minutes and add the lemon juice (make sure you add the lemon juice after it is taken off the stove. This is because, the lemon juice turns bitter when exposed to heat)
• serve with steamed rice or roti 

All done and steamy!

Traditionally, the dish is started with oil tempering with a pinch of hing. The vegetables are added to it and then comes the gravy. You could also add Muthiya  to your dish.


Recipe: Muthiya (makes 6-8)
whole wheat flour- 4 tbsp
besan/chickpeas flour - 4 tbsp
coriander leaves/cilantro - chopped - 1 tsp
methi leaves - 1/4 tsp
salt to suit your taste
hing - a pinch
cumin - 1/4 tsp
turmeric powder - a pinch
water (to knead your dough)
oil for frying

Process:

• mix all the ingredients (except oil) and make your dough
• roll out equal sized balls and fry them in oil
• Add these dumplings in the dish when the gravy is almost done

Trivia- Ayurveda:

• Garlic, hing, coriander, ginger and cumin are good digestives
• Turmeric is a natural antiseptic
• Coriander leaves/cilantro is very good for our skin and the digestive system
• Vegetables, cilantro/coriander leaves bring in the essential fiber in our diet

Gongura Gobi - Cauliflower Stir fried with Gongura leaves

I can never cook using measures and proportions, that is one of the main reasons why I hesitate to post recipes on my blog. My amma had sent me some sun dried gongura leaves for me to make the traditional Andhra Gingura Pachchadi (pickle). But I dint want to risk making a pickle in winter {Summers are the best for making pickles - lower humidity works well for the pickling process. :-) }.

Fresh Gongura bunch

Mix and match happens to be the in thing in my kitchen.I decided to use these yummy gongura leaves in a stir fry. Cauliflower and broccoli were the first choice because I remember my amma makes really yummy cauliflower and methi(fenugreek) leaves fry.

Cauliflower is a rather bland vegetable with a distinct smell associated with it. We use it in gravy curries, stir fry it, add it to pulav, or stuff in a parata. It works wonderfully in any dish. I have seen people either love or just hate this vegetable. Coming to the dish this post is all about- Gongura being a naturally tangy leafy vegetable, works well with the versatile cauliflower. A few minutes in the kitchen and you will have a yummy, tangy spicy Cauliflower stir fried with gongura leaves. I mixed in a few florets of broccoli for that extra hint of nutrition.

You need. (Serves 2)

Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Broccoli florets- 1 cup
Gongura leaves - 1 cup
salt (to suit your taste)
turmeric powder - a pinch
coriander powder - 1tsp
cumin powder - 1tsp
curry leaves - 5/6
Cilantro/coriander leaves - for garnish
Tempering:
oil - tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2tsp
(Methi seeds) Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red chillies -2
Ginger - grated - 2tsps
garlic- grated - 1tsp
Process:

• Separate broccoli and cauliflower florets (use your hands) and soak them in a bowl of salt and water- for about 5 minutes
• wash the gongura leaves and lay them on a towel to dry (excess water on the leaves can make your gongura leaves mushy and soggy) - this takes about 5 minutes
• Pat dry your leaves and chop them to suit your requirement
• Pour oil in a kadai and saute the red chillies for a few seconds - take it out of the oil and keep it aside
• Start your tempering in the same oil - Add Cumin seeds(jeera), curry leaves and ginger, garlic and fenugreek seeds (Methi seeds)
• Add gongura leaves and saute for a minute
• In the mean while, drain cauliflower and broccoi florets off the salt water they were soaking in and wash them with some fresh water.
• Add them to the kadaai and gently fold in the leaves and florets together. 
• Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander and cumin powder 
• Sprinkle some water to the vegetables and cover the pan/kadaai 
• Once the vegetables are done, cook it for a minute or so with out the lid
• Crush the roasted red chillies and sprinkle over the vegetables and take it off the stove
• Garnish it with curry leaves and serve with rice or roti 

Trivia:

• Gongura is a very rich source of Iron, vitamins, folic acid and anti-oxidants
• Adding methi seeds to this dish helps in balancing the heat which gongura is said to generate once eaten. 
• gongura is leaves turn mushy when washed because of its association with the hibiscus family.
• Gongura comes in two varieties - Green stem and red stem. the red stem variety is tangier
• Not only the telugu cuisine, but even tamil kitchens boast of a number of recipes which includes this leafy vegetable (Gongura is called pulichakeerai in tamil- which leiterally means (puliccha)- tangy (keerai) - leafy veggie)

Plantain in mustard masala (dry) - aava pettina aratikaya

This is one of those easy to cook recipes with a load of nutrition from plantains, and all the spices(mustard, cumin etc). I can gobble up any amount of thoran and fries before it reaches the dining table.

Plantain, banana stem (vaazhai thandu), banana flower and (sweet) banana are feature regularly  in our diet. I am a total foodie, a health conscious one at that.... because my amma repeats the nutrition chart with every meal she serves...lol.

Health facts

Plantain, Banana and its stem are known to be effective in treating high blood pressure and Renal diseases (Kidney). There is a difference between the usual banana we eat as a fruit and the raw green plantain we cook. Although all of them are botanically the same, the difference is in the sugar levels in each variety.This is why plantain is considered better for people dealing with diabetes

Banana Stem - Vaazhai thandu

Image source: wiki

Banana flower - Vaazhai poo

Image source: wiki

Banana varieties - (L-R) Plantain, red banana (nendram pazham), small banana (malai pazham), regular banana

image source: wiki

I love raw banana in any form, in avial, kootu, fry or as simple plantain chips! yum...The recipe featuerd in this post is is one of the most common plantain fries I make at home. Nothing fancy about the dish, just that we need to fold in a masala paste into the regular plantain fry.

 Plantain in mustard masala

What you need : serves 2
Raw plantain - 2
salt-to your taste
hing (asafoetida)-pinch
Turmeric powder-pinch
Khuzhambu powder - 1/2 tsp
curry leaves - 6-8
coriander leaves /cilantro - finely chopped for garnish
Water - 1/2cup
oil - 1tsp (I prefer coconut oil)

Masala
Mustard seeds - 2tbsp
Jeera/Cumin - 1tsp
Methi seeds - 1/2tsp
Green or red chillies -2
Ginger - 1/4 " piece

Process:

• Slice the plantains into any shape you prefer - cubes/rounds/ 1" long pieces
• Dry roast the masala ingredients and grind into a fine powder
• Par boil sliced plantain in 1/2 cup water with salt, hing and turmeric in a covered container (saves energy)
• Once the planatain seems to be al-dante (half done), add the paste and cook
• Add oil and curry leaves to the cooking plantains and gently mix everything in and cook until the paste looses its raw smell
• Garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves

Yummy fry is ready to be served with rice or carb of your choice!

Trivia

• Andhra cuisine has a dish called Ava pettina aratikaya koora (avalu means mustard in telugu, aratikaya - raw banana)
  
• Telugu and Bengali cuisines are known for their extensive use of mustard masala in their cooking.
• Raw banana based recipes are common in South and East Indian, Sri lankan, Thai, Indonesian, Singapore and Malay cuisines

Lauki Juice/ Bottle gourd juice for battling obesity

People familiar with yogi Ramdev from India would be familiar with his juice recommendations to tackle obesity and diabetes.

Lauki for weight loss
One glass of raw bottle gourd (lauki/sorakkai) juice with a pinch of dry ginger and pepper powder. It works great due to its holistic approach to weight loss. It works on the digestive system as a whole and provides relief from major issues such as constipation, bloating, indigestion and most importantly provides us with water (in disguise). There are numerous other good things happening with this juice.

Lauki

Image Source: nilegreenery.com

It is important to follow instructions completely. I say this because, pepper /dry ginger powder has to be added to your glass of juice. Lauki / bottle gourd/ Sqaush is a "coolant". "Heat" from ginger powder or pepper balances the "cold". It is also important to wash the vegetable thoroughly and blend it with the skin for that extra fiber in your diet. Try this and you wouldn't need those 'soluble" store bought "fiber" tablets in a glass of water!


Karela, tamatar aur keera for controlling Diabetes
Same fundamental applies to bitter gourd, tomato and cucumber juice recommended for tackling diabetes. It is better to have all three vegetables together so that any adverse effects of either of the veggies are balanced out by the other. People who are on medication or are battling ailments, respond differently to different food. Ayurvedic experts put in aspects of Vatha(wind), Pittha (bile) and Kapha(phlegm) in our body and look at ways to balance them by coming up with the list of do's and don't. It is better to follow simple inputs with care.

Bitter gourd:

Image source: klamathicesports.com