Badam Halwa

Badam halwa is a delicious dessert made with puréed almonds

Ingredients

3 cups Almonds(Badam)
1 cup Ghee
1 cup Milk
2 tsp Saffron
3 cups Sugar
1 pinch of Yellow food color

Method

1. Soak almond/badam for 2-3 hrs (suitable if soaked overnight) & peel off the skin or boil them for 30 mins incase of last minute preparation.
2.Put the peeled almonds in a blender and add milk to it .It should be enough to cover them.
3.Blend it into a coarse paste .Avoid thin texture of paste due to excess of milk.
4. Heat the pan & add 2 tbsp ghee to it .As ghee melts add badam mixture & give a quick stir.
5. Add sugar
6. Constantly stir the mixture as it can stick & burn from bottom.
7. Add Saffron & constantly stir as it boils from bottom.(Food color is optional if required)
8. Add additional ghee while its boiling.Constant stirring is a must till ghee starts oozing out.
9. Once halwa seperates out ghee its time to put it in a container & is ready to be served.
10. Garnish it with grated almonds/badam.

Alternative Tip:- dilute the sugar by making sugar syrup & then adding it to the badam mixture.

Nutritional Value

Almonds are a unique food in that they are among the best whole food sources and the best nut; these are packed with mono unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and most of that is oleic acid one of the two good fats responsible for lowering LDL cholesterol and rich source of vitamin E (containing 24 mg per 100 g) in the form of alpha-tocopherol. Almonds are low in saturated fat and, are cholesterol free. In addition, almonds are an excellent source of magnesium, copper, manganese, riboflavin (B2) and vitamin B, contains a healthy mix of essential micro-nutrients—vitamins and minerals. Almonds are also a good source of phosphorus and calcium, which are important minerals for bone health.

Almonds are the best source of protein providing 6 grams in one ounce, nearly as much as in one ounce of red meat. Also, research shows that the protein in almonds is high quality and highly digestible. An analysis of the protein provided in one ounce of almonds showed that almonds have a Protein Digestibility Combined Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 0.44, which means that the protein in almonds is able to be efficiently digested, absorbed and utilized similar to black beans, lentils and peanut meal. Along with the quality protein in almonds, there are 3 grams of dietary fiber per ounce. Of this, about 80 percent of the fiber is insoluble and 20 percent is soluble fiber.

Murungai Keerai Poriayal

Ingredients

Murungai keerai -1 cup
Salt to taste
Onion chopped-1/2
Garlic crushed-6
Coconut-2tsp
(optional)
Tempering
Oil-1tsp
Mustard-1/4tsp
Uraddhal-1/4tsp
Red chillies-2

Method
Heat oil in a pan temper it.Add onion,garlic fry till light brown.Add the greens & salt.Cover & cook it till done.Finish it with coconut.

Tip: can add scrambled egg at the last & sprinkle pepper

Murungai keerai Sambhar

Ingredients

Drumstick leaves (choose Green tender ones) - 1 cup
Toor dal - 1 cup
Asefeotida - 2 pinch
Tamarind - one lemon size ( soak in water and take juice)
Onion - 1 (chopped finely)
Tomato - 1 (chopped finely)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 3 tsp (as per taste)
Sambar powder - 2 tsp (Optional)
Salt - as per taste
Oil for frying
To grind:
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1/4 cup
Seasoning:
Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Methi/ Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red dry chilly - 2
Curry leaves - 5
Method
1. Grind the given ingredients to a fine paste.
2. Cook the toor dhal with asefeotida powder, turmeric powder, water and mash it well.
3. Heat oil in pan/pressure cooker, add the methi seeds, mustard, cumin seeds, red dry chilly and saute till the mustard splatter.
4. Add the onions, curry leaves and saute till it turn transparent.
5. Add the tomatoes, saute for 3 mins add the drumstick leaves, chilly powder, sambar powder, salt. Saute for 4mins till the raw smell goes.
6. Now add the mashed dhal, tamarind juice, ground coconut paste and enough water. Mix well and close the pan.
7. Cook for 10 min and your sambar is ready.
Serve with steaming rice

Nutrition Value
It is commonly said that Moringa leaves contain more Vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more Vitamin C than oranges, and more potassium than bananas,” and that the protein quality of Moringa leaves rivals that of milk and eggs.

Potato kozhambu

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup potatoes
• 1 Onion
• 1 Tomato
• 10 Garlic flakes
• 1/2 Cup tamarind pulp
• 1/4 Cup coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tsp Sambhar powder
• 1 tsp Gram
• 1 tsp Black gram
• 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 2 tsp Chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
• Few curry leaves
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying


How to make Kara Kuzhambu:
• Cut onion and tomato into slices.
• Crush the garlic flakes.
• Heat the oil.
• Fry the black gram, gram and cumin seeds till they turn brown.
• Grind this fried mixture to make a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Heat the oil again.
• Add mustard, curry leaves, crushed garlic and sliced onion.
• Saute for few minutes.
• Add potatoes and fry it.
• Mix sliced tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder and sambhar powder.
• Add tamarind pulp, salt and water.
• Boil it for 5 minutes.
• Now add dal powder and coconut milk.
• Cook it over low flame.
• Kara Kuzhambu is ready.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 321 kJ (77 kcal)
Carbohydrates 19 g
Starch 15 g
Dietary fiber 2.2 g
Fat 0.1 g
Protein 2 g
Water 75 g
Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.08 mg (6%)
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.03 mg (2%)
Niacin (Vit. B3) 1.1 mg (7%)
Vitamin B6 0.25 mg (19%)
Vitamin C 20 mg (33%)
Calcium 12 mg (1%)
Iron 1.8 mg (14%)
Magnesium 23 mg (6%)
Phosphorus 57 mg (8%)
Potassium 421 mg (9%)
Sodium 6 mg (0%)

Egg curry

Ingrdients
1. Eggs - 4
2. Onion - 3 (Finely chopped),
3. Tomato - 1 (Finely chopped),
4. Curry leaves - 2 stigs,
5. Green chilly - 3 (Slit lengthwise),
6. Ginger-garlic paste - 3 tsp,
7. Coconut paste - 3 tsp,
8. Jaggery/Sugar - 2 tsp,
9. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp,
10. Red chilly powder - 3 tsp(as per taste),
11. Coriander powder - 4 tsp,
12. Salt - as per taste,
13. Oil - for frying,
14. Pepper powder - 2 tsp,
15. Cilantro for garnish.
For Seasoning:
1. Cinnamon - 2 sticks,
2. cloves - 2,
3. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp,
Method
1. Heat oil in kadai, add all the given seasoning ingredients and saute.
2. Add the onion, green chilly, cury leaves and saute for 2mins.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute. Add the tomatoes and saute till nicely cooked.
4. Now add the turmeric, salt, red chilly, coriander powder and saute.
5. Add some water and bring to boil.
6. Break and add the eggs one by one.
7. once the egg is cooked add coconut paste and bring it to boil till the curry thickens.
8. Sprinkle pepper powder and cilantro.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) (2 eggs)
Energy 647 kJ (155 kcal)
Carbohydrates 1.12 g
Fat 10.6 g
Protein 12.6 g
Vitamin A equiv. 140 μg (16%)
Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.066 mg (5%)
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.5 mg (33%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 1.4 mg (28%)
Folate (Vit. B9) 44 μg (11%)
Calcium 50 mg (5%)
Iron 1.2 mg (10%)
Magnesium 10 mg (3%)
Phosphorus 172 mg (25%)
Potassium 126 mg (3%)
Zinc 1.0 mg (10%)
Choline 225 mg
Cholesterol 424 mg

Raagi Adai

Ingredients:

Raagi flour- 2 cup
Chopped Onion – 1/2 cup
Finely chopped Green Chilli – 2
Salt – to taste
Drumstick leaves – 1 cup
Curry leaves – to garnish
Water – as required
Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard – 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Take a tawa, heat 1 tsp oil and add mustard and allow it to pop and add urad dhal, onion, green chilli, drum stick leaves and pinch of salt.

2. Fry them and add to the raagi flour.

3. Add required salt to the flour and add water and prepare dough.

4. The dough should be softer than chappathi dough.

5. Take in small portions and flatten it(use greased plantain leaf or clean plastic sheet or a flat plate) use oil for greasing

6. Do not make it too thin.

7. Cook it in a dosa pan like ordinary dosa allowing it to cook well on both sides.

Nutritional value:

Raagi:

Finger millet , also known as African millet or Ragi.
Nutritive value of Ragi per 100 g
Protein 7.3 g
Fat 1.3 g
Carbohydrate 72 g
Minerals 2.7 g
Calcium 3.44 g
Fibre 3.6 g
Energy 328 KCal

Drumstick leaves:

It is commonly said that Moringa leaves contain more Vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more Vitamin C than oranges, and more potassium than bananas,” and that the protein quality of Moringa leaves rivals that of milk and eggs.

Goat liver fry (Yeeral Fry)

Ingredients

1 lb Goat liver
1 Onion(finely chopped)
1 Tomato(chopped)
½ tsp Chilli powder
¼ tsp Turmeric powdr
2 inch Cinnamon stick
3 no Cloves
½ tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 strands Curry leaves
2 tsp Pepper powder
Salt (as per taste)

Method

Instructions
Cook liver with 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 cup of water in pressure cooker for 3 whistles. Remove from the heat and keep aside.

Heat 3 tbls oil in kadai. Add cinnamon, cloves,fennel seeds and curry leaves. When the maslas pop up add onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute for 5 minutes. Then add tomato and cook till it becomes soft. Now add cooked liver with water, pepper powder and salt. Cook till done. Goes well with kuzhambu, rasam and curd rice.
Do not over cook. Liver may become hard.

Nutritional Value
Amount Per 1 cup, cooked, diced
Calories 297.38
Iron 71 %
Protein 31.9g 64%
Vitamin A 650 %
Vitamin C 27 %
Calcium 1 %
Vitamin E 2 %
Thiamin 22 %
Riboflavin 287 %
Niacin 104 %
Folate 125 %
Vitamin B-6 59 %
Vitamin B-12 1785 %
Phosphorus 53 %
Magnesium 7 %
Zinc 47 %

Chicken Biriyani

A popular rice dish served duirng special occasions, holidays and parties. Traditional preparation involves use of meat/vegetables marinated with yogurt, spice powders and cooked along with layered rice by following a challenging baking process called Dum. But the process can be made simple by using a pressure cooker or rice cooker. (CHICKEN BIRYANI / KOZHI BRIYANI)

Ingredients:
=========

Chicken – 500 g
Salt – ½ teaspoon
Curd – 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder – 1/ 2 teaspoon
chili powder - 1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Marinate chicken with above ingredients for half an hour .

Basmati rice – 2 cup
Onion -3 ( finely sliced )
Tomato – 2 ( finely chopped )

Masala ingredients

ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
Green chilli – 2
Coriander leaves ( chopped )- 1/4 cup
Mint leaves ( chopped ) – 1/2 cup

Make a smooth paste of ginger , garlic , green chilli and chilli powder. Finally add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Just crush it.

Whole spices :

Cardamom – 2( broken )
Cloves -4
Cinnamon – 4 ( 1 – inch piece )
Star anise – 2
bay leaves - 2
Cashew nuts ( broken ) – 10

Cooking oil – 2 tsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp

Method

1. Soak basmati rice for half an hour in water .
2. Heat ghee and oil in a cooker on a slow flame. Add whole spices and sauté well. Add broken cashew nuts and raisins. Shallow fry till get a nice aroma of spices and golden colour of nuts. Add finely sliced onion and fry on a medium flame till get golden colour. Add masala paste and sauté for 5- 8 minutes. Add chopped tomato and sauté well for 3- 4 minutes.
3. Add marinated chicken pieces , salt to taste . Cover with a lid and cook till done ( cooking time approximately 15 – 20 minutes ). When done you may get 1cup of gravy. now add 2cups of water and 1/2 cup of yogurt and bring the mixture to boil.
4. Add rice and close the pressure cooker and cook at simmer for 7 min with weight on.

incase of a rice cooker do all the sauteing in a kadai and then tranfer the gravy to the rice cooker. Add rice once the mixture boils and cook till done.

5. once the steam comes down tranfer the biriyani to a wide serving dish gently without breaking the rice.

Serve with boiled eggs and raita