NEEM FLOWER CHUTNEY

NEEM FLOWER CHUTNEY

Neem flowers though bitter add aroma and taste to the chutney. Delicate little neem flowers have mere wisps for petals which come apart as you pick them. Since neem flowers are difficult to get as we wish, they can be sun dried and stored in an air tight container to use later. If you have lots of dried neem flowers, they can be  fried in ghee and sprinkled over sambar, dals, veg subjis or any veg dish for a delicious taste and aroma.

You Need

1 tbsp urad dal

1 tbsp chana dal

1 tbsp coconut scrapings

2 tbsp dried neem flowers

2 dry red chillies

Marble sized ball tamrind

¼ tsp asafetida

½ tsp jiggery (optional, but tastes good)

1 tbsp oil (or less)

Salt to taste

ü Heat a thick bottomed pan and dry roast neem flowers over a low heat so nut to burn them. When you get a nice smell, transfer them to the mixie jar.

ü Heat oil in the same  pan and roast   the dals one by one till they turn into golden colour. If you burn the dals they may taste bitter.

ü Finally fry the dry chillies. As you put off the stove, add asafetida .

ü When the fried items are cooled, grind them along with coconut, salt and jiggery adding little water as required.

ü When the paste is coarse, put off the mixie, check the taste and serve with Idli/dosa/chapathy or rice.

SALTED RAW MANGO for later use

Raw Mango in Brine/Kolache Ambe

2 big raw mangoes (around ½ kg)

3 cups water

4 tablespoons table salt

3 green chilies washed and dried

2 big glass bottles, washed and sun dried for a day or two

·         Take a clean vessel, pour water and bring it to boil. Add salt and boil in low heat for 10 minutes. Put off the heat and allow it to cool. (brine)

·         Wash the mangoes well and dry them. Cut off the stalk and wipe off the sap if you find any.

·         Cut the mango in to strips and discard the seed.

·         Cut the chilies in to 4s.

·         Take a bottle and place the cut mango pieces in the bottles slightly more than half. In between put the cut chili pies.

·         Pour the boiled and cooled salt water in the bottle till the mango pieces are immersed in the brine.

·         Put the rest of the mango and chili pieces in the second bottle, pour the brine water.

·         Make sure that the level of salt solution is higher than the mango pieces.

·         Close the lid. It is better to secure the lid with clean cotton cloth. Place the bottles in a dry, cool place.

·         Use a clean, dry spoon to take out the mango pieces after a few days.

Tips

Ø  A bit of more or less of water and salt will not change the taste. However, it is better to finish all the other cooking when you start this work. Cleanliness is very important, lest the entire mangoes may spoil.

Ø  Mangoes cut into small pieces, so that the bottle can hold more of mango.

Ø  The mango bottles may be kept in the fried for a longer life.

Rice Rawa Mutli/ Dumplings /Pundi

Rice Rawa Mutli/Dumplings/Pundi

There was a time when Mutli/Pundis were prepared by grinding soaked red rice and salt in hand grinder. Unless the batter is thick, the mutlis could not be shaped and water was added sparing while grinding. The mutli batter was not cooked first to shape mutlis then. Now that the usage of hand grinder is almost found nowhere, this rice rava mutlis taste best.

What you need:

1 cup rice rava (coarse powder)

2 tbsp grated coconut

2 and ¼ cups water

2 green chilies cut into 4s

1 medium onion minced

1 sprig of curry leaves cut finely

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (optional)

1 tsp oil

1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

Recipe:

• ·        Heat a heavy bottomed or nonstick pan, add oil. When it is hot add onions, chilies and curry leaves one by one. Stir for a minute or two. Add the water and bring to boil.
• ·        When the water starts boiling add salt, coconut and coriander leaves.  Slowly start adding rice rava stirring continuously. See that no lumps are formed.

• ·        Put off the heat. Take a big plate. Keep putting a big spoonful of above mixture in the plate.
• ·        Wet your palm with water and shape each spoonful of above mixture into a round shape, make a hole in between and place it in the idli steamer.
• ·        Repeat till all the rava mixture gets over. Close the lid and steam for 5-6 minutes. Can make 8-10 medium mutlis.

·         

• .             Open the lid, insert a knife to check whether the multis are done. If the knife comes out clean, put off the stove and keep the lid slightly ajar to escape the steam.

·        Serve with hot coffee (and chutney if you prefer)

Tips

1.      Mutlis can be cooked without seasoning. If you are short of time add everything to the boiling water and proceed.
2.      Can skip coconut and coriander leaves, if the mutlis are served with chutney.
3.      If mutlies are served with chicken/mutton curry, not need to add onion, chilies. Just add coconut (optional) and salt to water and proceed.
4.      Can enhance the taste by adding a little sugar.
5.      Always use a long and strong ladle/wooden spoon while stirring the mixture.
6.      It is always best to keep the steamer ready before you start cooking rava. Instead of idli steamer, you can steam them in cooker, without the whistle for ten minutes (after the steam escapes freely out of cooker, lower the heat to medium and put off after ten minutes).

You may also like to try

 sweet corn on the cob

Vanilla Custard 
 one pot meal Methi Pulao or Carrot Rice
 Paneer / Baby Corn Masala
KOKUM/ BINDA/ PUNARPULI RASAM great to health
Home made twistato
Vanilla Custard
KOKUM/ BINDA/ PUNARPULI RASAM
 KOKUM/ BINDA/ PUNARPULI JUICE  
Peanut/groundnut special
Ragi balls in micro wave
Bafat powder - spice mix
Jackfruit dosa

Drumstick Flowers Sambar (Nugge Hu)

Drumstick Flowers Sambar (Nugge Hu)

Drumstick tree itself is a nutritional powerhouse. Drumstick or Moringa flowers are said to aid weight loss because they reduce water retention and bloating due to the powerful diuretic in them. These also protect against tissue damage.

You need

250 gm Mangalore cucumber (peeled and cut into cubes)

2 handful or more drumstick flowers/buds

1 cup tur dal

1  tbsp bafat powder

1 big tomato chopped fine/pureed

1 sprig curry leaves chopped fine

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

1 pinch hing or crushed five flakes of garlic

·     Pluck the flowers and buds off stems, wash, drain and keep aside.

·     Wash the tur dal and cook it in cooker for 5 minutes after the whistle, mash it and keep it ready.

·     Heat a nonstick or thick bottomed pan, add oil.

·     When oil is hot add curry leaves, fry for a minute.

·      Add onions and fry two minutes, add tomato, make the heat high for 2-3 minutes.

·     add drained flowers, cut cucumber pieces, mix well and close the lid and cook till both are cooked.

·     When the flowers and cucumber pieces are almost cooked, Add salt and bafat powder, cooked dal and mix well.

·     Add a cup or more water to make it to corry consistency, check the taste. Add salt and bafat powder as per your taste.

·     Lower the heat, close the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes.

·     Put off the stove, and serve with rice.

Tips

If you want the sambar to be more tangy add a tsp of tamarind extract.

To quicken the cooking, you can season and boil the cucumber and flowers in a small cooker till one whistle. Then continue with the above steps.

Instead of bafat powder, any sambar powder can be added.

 You may also like to try

 sweet corn on the cob
Vanilla Custard 
 one pot meal Methi Pulao or Carrot Rice
 Paneer / Baby Corn Masala
KOKUM/ BINDA/ PUNARPULI RASAM great to health
Home made twistato
Vanilla Custard
KOKUM/ BINDA/ PUNARPULI RASAM
 KOKUM/ BINDA/ PUNARPULI JUICE  
Peanut/groundnut special
Ragi balls in micro wave
Bafat powder - spice mix
Jackfruit dosa

Potato Subji

We need

2 large potatoes, boiled

1 onion, thinly sliced

lemon juice and salt to taste

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 inch ginger, finely chopped

few coriander leaves, finely chopped (optional)

Lets start

Wash and boil the potatoes till they are soft. Peel and mash roughly. keep aside.

Heat oil n a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli and channa dal one by one. Let it splutter. add curry leaves and hing.

Add onion and fry for 2 minutes or till transparent. Add chilli and ginger. Fry for a few minutes.

Now add mashed potato and mix well. Add salt to taste. Squeeze lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Squeeze some lemon juice and garnish it with fresh chopped coriander leaves.

CRISPY OATS DOSA to support weight loss

OATS DOSA


This easy to do dosa turns crispy and tastes best. Looks so inviting with many holes just like traditional rice and dal dosa. Oats is a low calorie food which is heart healthy and prevents constipation. Since oats is slow to digest it supports weight loss too.

You need

Half cup oats

Half cup rice flour

Quarter cup small rava

One and half cup water

One onion cut into small pieces

One green chili

One tbsp coriander leaves cut finely

2 tbsp coconut (option)

Salt to taste

·        Powder the oats finely in the mixer grinder.

·        Mix powdered oats, rice flour and rava in a vessel and add water little by little to make the batter.   Whisk the batter well so that there are no lumps. (May need little extra water depending on oats/rice/rawa).

·        Once you get the dosa batter consistency add salt, onion, green chili, coriander leaves and coconut if using.

·        Leave it for half an hour.

·        Heat the dosa pan, smear oil/ghee. When the pan is hot, take a ladleful of batter and start making dosa.

·        Within three minutes dosa starts turning into golden. Flip it over.

·        Repeat with rest of the batter.

·        Serve hot with chutney and hot coffee for a healthy and filling breakfast.

SEEDY MUSELI power packed

SEEDY MUSELI  power packed

The seeds which we usually discard are full of nutrients and good for health. These seeds can be bought in super markets or organic shops. Watermelon seeds are very high in protein, B vitamins, minerals and good fats. Pumpkin seeds provide improved energy, mood and increase immunity due to the presence of valuable nutrients, high antioxidants, magnesium and fiber. Sunflower seeds help improve cholesterol levels, helps support bone health, promote healthy detoxification; support the health of skin and promote good mood and restful sleep.

You need

100 gms sunflower seeds

100 gms watermelon seeds

100 gms pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Water melon seeds

•  Take a heavy bottomed pan and heat it. When it is medium hot, add sunflower seeds and lower the heat. Keep stirring till you get nice aroma.
•       It may take nearly 4-5 minutes in the low heat. Don’t burn, just roast.
•       Turn off the heat. Spread the seeds in a wide a plate to cool.
•       Similarly roast the watermelon and pumpkin seeds one by one.
•       Once the seeds are cooled, mix them well; add a pinch of salt if necessary.
•       Store in an airtight jar and munch them whenever you like.

Tips:

ü  Dry the seeds in the sunlight before roasting, for a longer shelf life.

ü  Pepper powder or chili powder may be added for extra taste.

ü  Vacuum sealed packets have fully cleaned seeds. However, when bought lose, the seeds should be cleaned thoroughly.

You may also like to try some of these

Sweet corn masala

CHURIMURI / MURMURA / PUFFED RICE MASALA 
Home Made Twistato
Jackfruit dosa

You may also like to try some of these with the carrots:

CARROT RICE

CARROT SUKKA Easy & Simple yet tasty & healthy

others 
Paneer/ Baby Corn MasalaBhendi Sambar/Okra curry

SILVER FISH GRAVY (Erli/Netholi)

METHI PULAO

EGG and DRUMSTICK FLOWERS BURJI / NUGGE HU
Peanut/groundnut special
Ragi balls in micro wave
Bafat powder - spice mix
Vanilla custard