Watermelon lemonade

It is summer. Special care to be taken to get hydrated.
Watermelon is a great fruit to beat summer thirst. It is sweet and refreshing low calorie fruit. It keeps one hydrated. Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It cures and prevents asthma. Reduces blood pressure and promotes gut health.
Watermelon can be consumed as fresh fruit, juice and as frozen popsicle style.
Watermelon lemonade is a great refreshing drink to get through the heat of the peak summer. I made it simple with the available ingredients.
Chopped and chilled seedless watermelon cubes, two cups,
Lemon 2, squeeze the juice from it,
Sugar 2 tbsp.
Blend watermelon and sugar smoothly, pour the lemon juice into the watermelon, pour into the glass and have it. Removes fatigue and energise so quickly.

Raw Banana Dishes, Stir fry, curried with dal and roasted with chicken

Love to eat ripe banana. It is equally good to cook raw banana. It can be steamed, curried, stir fried, mashed, stuffed and fried. It is a power house of nutrients. Rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. The high potassium level helps regulating blood pressure levels. Prevents bowel problems, great for diabetics and weight loss. It protects heart. One of our banana bunch broken down in yesterday’s heavy wind and rain. It turned out into a banana feast lunch.

Banana Chicken Roast 

Chicken 500g, medium small pieces, pressure cooked with turmeric, salt to taste and ginger garlic paste.

Cut 5-6 bananas into medium pieces. Cook them in a little water with salt and turmeric.

In a shallow wok, heat a tablespoon coconut oil, drop in thinly sliced onion, garlic, ginger and green chilli. Sauté till tender. Add a tbsp. chicken masala powder, tomato slices and salt to taste. Combine and sauté till tender. Add the cooked chicken, mix well and add the cooked banana and some chopped cilantro, combine well and serve hot. It alone is a great and healthy meal. Can serve with rice, bread or chapatti.

Raw Banana dal curry

Banana 4, washed and chopped. No need to peel. I cooked robusta banana which is so tender. Pressure cook half cup of toordal. 

Grated coconut 1/2 cup, shallots 2, garlic cloves 2, both chopped, cumin seeds 1/3 tsp. Grind these ingredients in a mixie to a semi coarse mix.

Cook the chopped banana in a little water with turmeric powder, chilli powder  and salt to taste. Add the well cooked dal and coconut mix into the cooked banana . Mix well and off the flame.

Heat a tbsp. of coconut oil in a shallow pan, drop in mustard seeds, followed by dried red chilli and curry leaves. Garnish the banana dal curry with the tempered mix. Serve hot with rice or chapatti. 

Raw Banana stir fry 

Raw banana 5, washed and sliced finger length. Cook it in a little water and keep aside.

onion 1, garlic cloves 6, green chilli 3, all three thinly sliced, coconut oil 1tbsp., turmeric powder and salt to taste.

Heat the oil in a shallow pan. Drop in the onion, garlic and green chilli. Add salt and turmeric. Sauté till tender. Add the cooked banana, combine well and allow to cook a little on low flame.

Moringa fruits, leaves and flower dishes

Moringa, the drumstick tree is a miracle tree. It is due to the medicinal properties and health benefits.It is also having antiviral, anti fungal and anti inflammatory properties. The edible parts such as fruits, leaves and flowers are rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. It has a great source of fibre and low calories. Some of therapeutic values are it is good for stomach, skin, liver, heart, lungs and kidney disorders. 

We went to pluck the matured fruits up on our Moringa tree. In our attempt got a branch broken down with fruits and flowers. We won’t go for flowers because the fruits are more precious. Brought down, set aside, distributed among our neighbors. It’s lockdown time. Enough time to clean the flowers and leaves. We both together made the task easy. Today my turn. To convert them to not at all common dishes. Menu of Moringa leaves, fruits and flowers ready.

Made Moringa leaves yogurt dish.

Made Moringa flower stir fry.

Made Moringa fruit masala curry.

With these three side dishes the lunch was super great, delicious and nutritious.

Moringa leaves yogurt mix 

Two handfuls Moringa leaves, cleaned and chopped,

Onion 1, chopped,

Garlic cloves 4, finely chopped,

Green chilli 3, thinly sliced,

Yogurt 1 cup,

Salt to taste,

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.,

Sugar 2 tsp.,

Coconut oil 1 tbsp., mustard seeds little, dried chilli 1.

Heat oil in a pan, drop in mustard seeds and allow to crackle, drop in red chilli, followed by onion, garlic and green chilli, sauté till tender and add moringa leaves, turmeric and salt, combine well, when cooked transfer into a bowl with the yogurt. Add sugar, combine well and serve with rice.

Moringa fruits masala curry 

Moringa fruits 5, peel and cut into finger length pieces. Halve the pieces,

Onion 1, ginger 1 inch piece, garlic cloves 5, all three thinly sliced,

Green chilli 4, silted,

Chicken masala 2 tsp.,

Coconut milk 1 cup,

Salt to taste,

Curry leaf a sprig. 

Add the veggies together in a medium wok,in half cup of water, add salt and cook. Add a sliced tomato pieces, chicken masala , when it gets boiled, add the coconut milk, allow to bubble on low flame. Garnish with the tempered mix of mustard seeds , red chilli and curry leaves in coconut oil. Serve hot with rice.

Moringa flower stir fry 

Moringa flowers 2cups, cleaned, washed, drained and chopped,

Onion 1, garlic cloves 4, green chilli all chopped,

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.,

Cumin powder 1/3 tsp.,

Salt to taste,

Grated coconut 1/2 cup,

Coconut oil 1 tbsp.,

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp., 

Dried red chilli 1, broken.

Heat the coconut oil in a shallow pan, drop in mustard seeds, allow to crackle, drop in red chilli and curry leaves followed by onion, garlic and green chilli, sauté till tender. Add the flowers, salt and turmeric powder, cumin powder, mix well allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. The super tasty rare and unique stir fry is ready. Serve with rice.

Jackfruit healthy dishes for rice

A small piece of jackfruit turns into a variety of dishes for lunch. Go along with rice. I prefer to skip rice today. Jackfruit is the State tree of Kerala. It’s is jackfruit season. The preparation of the jackfruit to culinary purpose is hectic. But the nutritive value is great. High in protein, low in calories, boosts immunity, good for heart health, rich in vitamin C, potassium, dietary fibre and some other essential vitamins and minerals. No doubt jackfruit is one of the superfoods.

Jackfruit Moringa avial

Two hands full of jackfruit, few peeled jackfruit seeds, Moringa fruits 2, cut slender pieces, add thinly cut onion, garlic and silted green chilli. Put the ingredients in a wok along with salt to taste and add half glass water, turmeric powder and cook well on medium flame. Grind cumin seeds and grated coconut in a mixie and add on the cooked mix . Add few curry leaves. Combine well add 2 tsp. coconut oil. Mix well and serve with hot rice.

Jackfruit base erissery with grated coconut 

After plucking the jackfruit cloves, take the base removing the outer spined green portion. Chop it. Take some jackfruit seeds, peel and chop. Toordal 1/2 cup, cooked, onion, garlic cloves a little. Cook all the ingredients along with salt to taste in a pressure cooker for two whistles in half cup of water. Grind half cup grated coconut and few cumin seeds in a mixie. Add the coconut mix into the cooked mixture, add curry leaves, combine well allow to bubble in low flame.

Garnish the mix with coconut oil dried red chilli and grated coconut mix. Serve hot with rice.

Jackfruit seeds stir fry 

Jackfruit seeds few, peeled, sliced and cooked. Onion small 1, sliced thinly, chilli flakes a tsp., salt to taste. Heat coconut oil in a shallow pan, drop in curry leaves, followed by chilli flakes , salt and cooked jackfruit seeds. Combine well. Serve with rice. This can be used as an evening snack with a cup of chukku coffee ( dried ginger coffee).

#covid19#Lockdownhealthycooking# Red spinach egg stir fry ( Cheera mutta chikku)

Lockdown time pass for both of us is Agriculture. After 2018 flood all the seasonals and some of the perennials were vanished. Not even a single pepper plant survived. Then reconstruction of our house and homestead, social and domestic activities, pre planned trips to visit our children every thing took about 18 months. We are back, in lockdown and directly into our garden. For the last month we are having enough spinach varieties, pulses and pumpkin leaves along with our Moringa, mango, bilimbi, rose apple, banana and jackfruit. Plenty of veggies for us and to share. Thank God🙏 Lockdown is going great with healthy activities and healthy food.

Today morning plucked some red spinach. Commonly used to prepare curry with dal, avial with mango, stir fry with coconut and snacks like Pakora, vada and cutlets. Today a new recipe. So I can post in my blog.

Ingredients 

Red spinach a handful bunch , cleaned, washed, drained and chopped,

Eggs 2, ( I prefer hen eggs),

Shallots 5, green chilli 5, garlic cloves 5, all three finely chopped,

Turmeric powder 1/3 tsp.,

Salt to taste,

Coconut oil 2 tsp.,

Cilantro a little, chopped 

Preparation 

Heat oil in a a wok, drop in shallots, garlic and green chilli, sauté till tender, add spinach, turmeric and salt, mix well, when sautéed, break in the eggs and add cilantro. Combine well. Allow for a minute to get the eggs cooked. Mix again and transfer into a serving bowl. Serve hot with rice. Good for chapatti also. Leftover if any won’t taste good.So better to have it freshly cooked.

Pumpkin leaves stir-fry( mathanila thoran)

 Today morning went around our garden, plucked some tender pumpkin leaves with an intension to stir fry. Also got five mangoes under the mango tree. Still it is Lockdown. Years back only once I have made it. We cultivate pumpkin in our urban homestead once in a while. Being busy when thinking of the leaves it will get mature. Then no way to try. This time to make and enjoy the homegrown ingredients today decided.
Pumpkin leaves are high in essential vitamins A and C. Also rich in iron and protein. High in calcium and fibre. It regulates blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol.
Ingredients
A bunch of pumpkin leaves, washed and chopped thinly,
Onion small chopped,
Garlic cloves 4, finely chopped,
Coconut oil 2tsp.,
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp.,
Turmeric powder 1/3 tsp.,
Salt to taste,

Grated coconut 1/2 cup,
Green chilli 3,
Cumin seeds 1/3 tsp.
Grind these three ingredients along with a little of the chopped onion and garlic into a coarse mix.
Heat oil in a shallow pan, drop in mustard seeds allow to crackle, drop in onion, garlic,  sauté till tender. Add pumpkin leaves, turmeric powder and salt, combine well and cook for three minutes. Add the coconut mix, combine allow to get the mix warm. Take its off and transfer into a serving bowl. Good side dish for rice and chapatti.

Drumstick Moringa leaves egg soup

Quality and taste of homestead products cooking is superb. We have Moringa tree with fruits. Eggs 🥚 in the refrigerator. Summer showers in the evening making it rainy evenings. Great time to have a porridge or a soup. So why not go for a thick soup? It came out well with great taste.

Ingredients 

Eggs 2, boiled, transfer into cold water to cool down,

Drumsticks 3, peel the outer skin and cut into 3-4 cm length, 

Moringa leaves two handfuls, 

Onion 1, garlic cloves 5, ginger one inch piece, all chopped,

Green chilli 4, silted,

Tomato 1, chopped,

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.,

Coconut milk 1/2 cup,

Coconut oil 2 tsp.,

Chopped coriander leaves 1 tbsp.,

Salt to taste.

Preparation 

Cook the drumstick and half of the onion, garlic, ginger , green chilli , turmeric powder and salt in a little water. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a shallow pan, drop in the balance onion etc, sauté till tender, add Moringa leaves, mix it, add cooked drumstick, combine well, adjust salt, reduce the flame and add coconut milk, allow to bubble. Off the flame. Peel the eggs, cut lengthwise halves. Transfer the soup into a bowl, leave some juicy, place the eggs on the top and pour the rest of the juice and remaining leaves over the eggs. 

A great dinner idea on a rainy night. The vitamins, minerals , fibre and protein in the dish makes it nutritious.

Banana flower masala dosa and thoran with cowpea

Banana flower is a good antioxidant source. It is rich in vitamins and minerals. Helps to keep blood sugar level healthy. Good for cell health and anti-aging.

Yesterday made a delicious baji. Got some leftover baji mix. Today for breakfast used the mix to make masala dosa.

Preparation of the masala 

Banana flower chopped a cup, cooked cowpea a cup, chopped onion 1/4 cup, ginger 2 tsp.,and green chilli 4, chopped, salt to taste, chopped curry leaves few. Heat a table spoon coconut oil and drop in the mix and sauté it till cooked. 

Prepare dosa, place a scoop of the mix in the centre of the dosa and fold it. Serve hot with coconut chutney. Really delicious 😋 

Banana flower and cowpea thoran

Banana flower chopped 2 cups, cooked cowpea 1 cup, onion 1, garlic cloves 5, both chopped, green chilli 3, cut into thin circles, grated coconut 1/2 cup, turmeric powder 1/3 tsp., cumin powder 1/4 tsp., salt to taste. 

Heat a tablespoon coconut oil in a pan, drop in mustard seeds, allow to crackle, drop in broken dried red chilli followed by curry leaves, add the onion and garlic, sauté till tender. Add green chilli, banana flower and salt, combine well and allow to cook. Combine turmeric and cumin powder into grated coconut mix it. Add the coconut mix and cowpea to the cooked banana flower. Combine well and allow to cook in low flame for 3 minutes. Serve with rice or chapatti. Delicious and nutritious.

Grandma’s Rava Kesari

So simple and easy to cook. Less in calories compared to the traditional kesari. Our tasters gave green signal to publish in the blog.

 Every evening preparing snack to share with our neighbors. One of our friend took appointment to visit us in the evening. So thought of making an easy dish to spend time with her. I made it with minimum sugar and no extra colour.

Ingredients 

Rava 2 cups,

Sugar 1 cup,

Milk 3cups,

Boiling water 3 cups,

Raisins half cup,

Ghee 1/4 cup,

Cardamom powder 1 tsp., 

Salt a pinch,

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.

Preparation 

In a heavy bottom wok, heat the ghee, fry the raisins and keep aside. In the balance ghee fry the rava. Meanwhile boil three cups water, add salt and turmeric powder in it. Transfer the boiling water into the rava. Also add 3 cups of boiling milk into the rava. Stir continuously. When the volume reduces to half add the sugar, stir continuously, add cardamom powder, stir well till it separates from the sides. Take a plate, brush with ghee, spread the fried raisins on it. Transfer the mix into a ghee layered plate. With moist hands press the top of the mix to level it. Allow to set for two to three hours. Upside down it on another plate. Cut into your desirable shape and size❤️ No baking powder, no artificial colours, less sugar and ghee. Really healthy and of course delicious. 

#covid19#lockdown# stayhomestayhealthy #gardening and cooking. Palak Chicken Rice

It’s a great pleasure to cook with home grown veggies. We got palak seeds for our friend about six months back. This lockdown period made it sown. Today got the first harvest. For lunch prepared this delicious and nutritious dish. 

Biriyani rice 2 cups, cooked in four cups water. Spread it to get separated.

Boneless chicken 1 cup, marinated overnight with ginger garlic paste , salt and chilli chicken masala.

Shallow fry the chicken and keep aside. In the balance oil add chopped onion, sauté it till tender. Add green chilli and tomato without seeds, sauté for a minute, add the palak and sauté till stewed. Add a tbsp. soy sauce combine well. Add the chicken and the veggie mix over the rice, combine well in low flame for two minutes. The dish is done ✅

#covid19#Lockdowncooking# pachari watermelon palpayasam

A delicious dessert with a unique ingredient.  So simple to make. The special ingredient in the inner  of the watermelon without the skin. The watermelon rind is rich in vitamins B and C. The high doses of citrulline in it which gets converted into arginine is vital to the heart and improves blood circulation, according to Texas A&Ms Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center.
I had made thoran, mezhukkupuratti, pachadi, pulissery, pickles, Semolina Kheer and added in salads, sambar and avial. This one is new.
Ingredients
Pachari, un boiled raw rice, 1 cup,
Milk 2 litre,
Sugar 2 cups,
Cardamom powder 1 tbsp.,
Cashew nuts 12, split them,
Chopped Watermelon rind 2 cups ,
Ghee 2 tbsp.,
Salt a pinch.
Preparation

Pressure cook watermelon rind in a cup of sugar for three whistles and allow to cool down.
Pressure cook the rice in two cups of water for a whistle. Allow to cool down.
Boil the milk in a milk cooker.
Transfer the rice into a nonstick wok, add half of the milk, and stir. When the volume is half add the rest of the milk and sugar. Allow to boil. Stir continuously. Add salt and a tbsp., of the ghee. Add the cooked watermelon rind.  When the consistency of palpayasam is reached simmer the flame. Add cardamom powder and combine well.
In a small nonstick pan, heat the ghee add the cashew nuts, fry till golden brown, pour on the payasam. Off the flame. Serve hot. Delicious ❤️ The watermelon rind gets candied and taste great 👍