Bittergourd puli kozhambu

A little write up about bitter gourd will tell us how less bitter is this bitter gourd to our health.

The bitter gourd has excellent medicinal virtues. It is antidotal, antipyretic tonic, appetizing, stomachic, antibilious and laxative. The bitter gourd is also used in native medicines of Asia and Africa. The bitter gourd is specifically used as a folk medicine for diabetes. Recent researches have established that it contains a hypoglycaemic or insulin-like principle, designated as 'plant-insulin', which has been found highly beneficial in lowering the blood and urine sugar levels. It should, therefore, be included liberally in the diet of the diabetic. Bitter gourd being rich in all the essential vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A, B1, B2, C and Iron, its regular use prevents many complications such as hypertension, eye complications, neuritis and defective metabolism of carbohydrates. It increases body's resistance against infection.

With all these informations i decided to include bitter gourd regularly in our diet.
This puli kozhambu is so tasty that any on who says they don't like to eat bitter gourd will end up finishing it.There was no bitterness in this kozhambu.This is a Thirunelveli speciality.

This is how i made it.
Ingrdients
Bitter gourd 1(cut into cubes)
onion 1(chopped)
Tomato 1(chopped)
Tamrind juice 1cup(diluted)
oil 2 tsp
mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
chilli powder 2-3 tsp
turmeric powder 1/4tsp
dhaniya powder 1/2 tsp
coconut shredded 3-4 tspIn a kadai add oil & mustard seeds & allow it to pop.Then add onions & saute(pearl onions tastes very gud).Now add chopped tomatoes & bitter gourd & saute till the gourd gets a bit tender.Now add tamarind juice & all the powders.Add salt to taste.Allow the kozhambu to cook & reach a particular consistency.Now grind coconut to fine paste & add to the kozhambu.Allow to boil.Take of stove.It tastes yummy.

Pav Bhaji

Indian food has variety of chaat items.Pav bhaji being my hubby's favorite one.When ever we got ot a chaat shop he ends up ordering pav bhaji.Its fun watching the way this pav bhaji is being prepared.He prepares it so fast & makes it looks so simple.Mixes the ready vegetables with enormous dollops of butter.Not to mention they are my favorite too.

With the bhaji masala readily available it can be made in minutes at home.
This is how i made my homemade pav bhaji

Ingredients

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets (about 3-4 cups)
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 tbsp oil
1 green bell pepper, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder or red chili paste
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
salt to taste
2-3 cups tomato puree
1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)...optional
1 tbsp Everest pav-bhaji masala (or more to taste)
1 tbsp butter
Boil the cauliflower and potatoes till tender and set aside. Heat oil in a deep saucepan and saute the pepper. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute some more. Add turmeric powder, chili powder and salt to taste. Saute for a few seconds. Add tomato puree, peas, boiled potatoes and cauliflower, pav-bhaji masala and butter. Keep sauteing and mashing it together till it is a smooth mixture, adding water as required (you can use a potato masher to help you along). Be aware that the mixture can spurt up as it boils, so keep a lid on it while you are not actively stirring it. Simmer for 20-25 minutes to really get the flavors to meld together. Adjust for salt.

Serve with:
1. More pats of butter (as much as you can dare,be generous now),
2. Finely sliced/ chopped onions, minced cilantro and wedges of lemon.

Green Kabab

Spinach is a gud source of iron & calcium.According to a study, a 180 gram serving of boiled spinach contains 6.43 mg of iron.Spinach is said to contain a relatively high level of iron, compared to other vegetable and meat sources.Popeye the sailor man comes to our mind when we think of spinach.

Coming to the green kababs they are a very gud supply of nutrients.All the ingredients used are rich in vitamins & minerals.This is fully made in oven without a pinch of oil.It is a little chewy & kids will love it.Gr8 way to make kids eat spinach.

Ingredients
Spinach 1 cup
channa dhal 50 gms
Green gram dhal(pachai payaru) 75 gms
Green chillies 1-2
besan flour to bind
garlic paste 1 tsp
salt to tasteCook spinach in microwave with little water.It takes 5 mins maximum.set aside to cool.Now grind channa dhal & green gram.Now add the cooked spinach & grind to a fine paste.To this spinach paste add besan flour,salt & garlic paste.Mix only enough besan flour to bind to make small vadais.Make small vadai out of this mix & microwave it for 2-3 mins.Serve hot with ketchup.

Variation:u can add onions, corn kernels or shredded carrots for more color.

Iam sending this post to microwave cooking savoury snacks hosted by Priya and Srivalli's MEC Announcement.

Strawberry cake

Iam so happie to announce that my blog is 50 days old today.Blogging made me realize how much i can cook.All the blogs helped me a lot in learning new dishes everyday.Everybody are so creative & inspiring it motivates me to try out new one almost everyday.

So with my blog turning 50days today i wanted to post something special today.So i decided to make yummy simple strawberry cake & post it.

Here is how i made it....
Ingredients
Strawberry cake mix 1pack
Vegetable oil 4 tsp
Milk 1/2 cup

For frosting
Pillsbury creamy supreme -Vanilla
Spring Nonpareils sprinkles-1tspMix cake mix,vegetable oil & milk together.Beat it well.The mix should fall in layers when dropped with spoon.Pre heat oven to 360 degrees.Grease the baking tray with little vegetable oil & pour the batter in it.Bake for 40 mins.Check with toothpick.When dipped in cake the tooth pick should come out clean.

Allow the cake to cool a bit.Spread the Pillsbury creamy supreme -Vanilla flavor frosting cream on top of the cake & sprinkle some Spring Nonpareils & cut the cake in desired shapes.It was sooo yummy.Try it.


Iam sending this to FIC-Pink hosted by Priya of Priya's easy n tasty recipes and Harini's announcement.

godhumai ravai pongal

Godhumai ravai(broken wheat) is said to be gud for people with diabetics.I usually prepare uppma with this ravai.This time jus tried preparing pongal with it.It tasted too gud.Low calorie pongal with yummy chutneys.Totally oil free.No ghee.

Iam sending this post to JFI-Wheat hosted by Roma's space.

This is the recipe..
Ingredients
Godhumai ravai 3/4 cup
Moong dhal 1/4 cup
Pepper 1/4 tsp
jeera 1/4tsp
Ginger 1 small piece
Few curry leaves
A pinch of hing
salt to taste
cashew nuts few
Mix all ingredients with 3:1 ratio of water & ravai-moong dhal together,i.e, 3 cups of water for 1 cup of ravai & moongdhal together.Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.Ur godhumai ravai pongal is ready.Serve hot with chutneys.

My treasures-awards

This morning when i came online my blogger buddy Vidhya of Appetizing recipes came online too.She showered me with loads of awards.Ohhhhh man what a way to start a day.Vidhas u made my day.Thanx a lot for all ur awards.It means so much to me.These are the awards she passed to me.

Pidi kozhukatai

Pidi kozhukatai is one traditional tiffin item prepared in south India.It is made out of rice flour.Its one simple easy recipe which is healthy too.It is easy to digest & use less oil as it is steamed.

This is how i made it.
Ingredients
Rice flour 1 cup
green chilies 1-2
oil 2 tsp
mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
jeera 1/4tsp
curry leaves few
salt to taste

In a kadai take 2 tsp oil & add mustard seeds & jeera.Now add finely chopped green chillies & curry leaves.Now add water to this.Add salt to the water itself,it becomes easy to mix salt to the flour.When u add water do it fast otherwise oil starts spilling around.For one cup rice flour use 2 cups of water.When water starts to boil add rice flour mixing it at the same time.Now when it becomes like a dough take of stove.When it is little warm make it to small balls or flat ones whichever shape u want.Steam it in idly mold for 15mins.Serve it hot with chutney.