Lime Rasam

Elumichai Rasam or Lime Rasam

A common thought between some set of people is, when we take lime fruit juice, we will get affected by cold or fever. But it is not so.

Here, some of the health benefits of lime juice:

• Lime juice contains more citric acid than orange or grapefruit juice. 
• One fresh lime contains 22 milligrams of calcium and over five micrograms of folate.
• Lime is good for women’s health.These citrus gems contain calcium and folate, two nutrients that are important for post-menopausal women and women of child-bearing age. 
• Lime peels can fight against aging skin.
• Lime is anti-carcinogenic. The limonoid compounds in lime have been shown to prevent cancers of the colon, stomach and blood. 
• Lime limonoids also stay active longer in your bloodstream, mopping more free radicals than green tea or dark chocolate.
• Lime juice can help prevent formation of kidney stones.Citric acid is a natural inhibitor of kidney stones made of crystallized calcium.

Here I'm going to give a simple rasam recipe using lime juice.

Ingredients

Lime fruit - 1 big fruit
Tomato -1
Green chilli - 2
Red chilli - 1
Paasi Paruppu (Green gram Dhall) Water - 1 cup
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Coriander leaves - 2 to 3 strands
Mustard seeds - for seasoning
Salt - to taste
Oil - for seasoning

Method

Select bigger size juicy lime fruit. Take juice from the fruit without seeds and keep aside.

Pressure cook green gram dhall and mash it well. Add water to mashed dhall to make it dilute.

Cut tomato into cubes, slit green chilli and add both to dhall water. Add salt and asafoetida powder and mix well.

Bring this dhall water mixture to boil, and cook till the raw smell of tomato and chilli goes.

Now add required water and cook in very low flame till froth appears.

Switch off the flame. Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Season with mustard seeds and red chilli.

After few minutes, add lime juice to the rasam.

Serve hot with hot rice. Any spicy poriyal like brinjal, ladies finger or potato curry will match this rasam as side dish.

Note:
We must not heat this rasam after adding lime juice.

Will meet you with another healthy recipe. Bye!!!

Kothamalli Podi

Kothamalli Podi or Coriander leaves Powder

Coriander leaves are commonly present at each home on Indian family. We use coriander for garnishing, making chutneys or in parathas. Health benefits of coriander are numerous. Its dark green color makes it more attractive and appealing to eat. Coriander has its unique taste.

The health benefits of coriander include its use in the treatment of skin inflammation , high cholesterol levels, diarrhea, mouth ulcers, anemia, indigestion, menstrual disorders, smallpox, conjunctivitis, skin disorders, and blood sugar disorders, while also benefiting eye care.
It has eleven components of essential oils, six types of acids (including ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin-C), minerals and vitamins, each having a number of beneficial properties.

• It helps in lowering blood glucose levels in diabetics.
• It helps in digestion, helps settle an upset stomach and prevent flatulence. So for patients who have indigestion problems, coriander works wonders.
• Coriander fights against the Salmonella bacteria.
• It acts as an anti-inflammatory food. So helps in disease causing inflammation in the body.
• Coriander protects urinary tract infection.
• Coriander prevents nausea and vomitting.
• Coriander helps in curing intestinal gas.
• Coriander lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesterol (HDL).
• It is a great source of dietary fibre, iron and magnesium.
• Coriander is rich in phytonutrients and flavonoids.
• In case of women suffering from a heavy menstrual flow, boil six grams of coriander seed or dhanya in 500 ml water, add a tbsp of sugar and consume while warm.

Ingredients

Coriander Leaves - 3 cups
Black Gram Dhall - 3/4 tbsp
Red Gram Dhall - 3/4 tbsp
Red Chilli - 6 to 7 nos
Tamarind - One small Amla size
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method

Take 1 to 2 bunches of fresh green Coriander leaves, wash and clean thoroughly with water 2 to 3 times to get rid of mud.

Pluck and collect the leaves and dry in shade for 3 to 4 hours.

Heat the oil in a pan. Roast black gram, red gram, red chilli to golden brown. Switch off the stove. Now add tamarind, asafoetida powder, and salt to the hot pan and mix well. Keep aside and let it cool a little.

 

 

 

If you find your coriander leaves are still moist, keep in shade and dry for few more minutes. Don't roast the coriander leaves.

Dry grind the roasted dhall and spices. Then grind the dried leaves with the spices and store it an air tight container. If the leaves are completely dried, then the coriander powder will long last for 3 to 4 weeks.

Serve with hot rice and gingelly oil.

We can make variety rice with this powder or can add this powder in sambar or rasam to enhance the taste.

Looks yummy! Will revert back soon with another delicious recipe. Bye!

Veg Balls

Veg Balls

Whatever we speak about healthy diet to children or to others; but when we come across with any fried items like hot samosas or  hot bajjis or hot vadas, our mind goes behind it and we forget about our diets, health etc. But here is a healthy snack - Veg Balls - which we all love to have without any guilty conscious.

A good way to make our children eat vegetables. This snack is definitely healthy but still very delicious.

Ingredients

Potato (Finely Chopped) – ½ cup

Carrot (Finely Chopped) – ½ cup

Onion (Finely Chopped) – ½ cup

Peas (Boiled) – ½ cup

Spring Onions (Finely Chopped) – ½ cup

Cabbage (Finely Chopped) – ½ cup

Cauliflower (Finely Chopped) – ½ cup

Beans (Finely Chopped) – ½ cup

Big sized Appalam (Urid Dhall) - 10 to 15 nos.
Coriander leaves (Finely Chopped) – ½ cup

Curry leaves – 2 strands

Garam Masala Powder – ½ tsp

Chilli powder – ½ tsp

Dhaniya Powder – ½ tsp

Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp

Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp (for seasoning)

Salt – to taste

Oil – for frying

Method

Take a big mixing bowl. Add all the chopped vegetables and mix well. Add salt, garam masala powder, chilli powder, dhaniya powder, turmeric powder, and mix well. Add curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Season the vegetable mixture with mustard seeds.

Take one appalam, soak in water for 1 to 2 minutes. It will become like a cloth. Hold the soaked appalam in your palm and fill with little veg mixture and close it. Make a small ball.  As the appalam is wet, it will close and stick, so that we don't require any other liquid to stick it.

Make more appalam balls and keep aside.

Heat oil in pan. Deep fry the balls in oil to golden brown.

Veg balls is ready. Enjoy it with tomato sauce Or garlic sauce.

Children love this veg balls when given as evening snacks.

We can use this mixture in stuffing for Chappathi or Parathas or even in Bread Sandwiches.

Will revert back soon with another yummy recipe. Bye.

Kariveppilai Podi or Curry Leaves Powder

Kariveppilai Podi

The whole karuveppilai plant is well known for its medicinal value. There is no traditional South Indian Dish without using curry leaves. We use Kariveppilai for our each and every dish preparation for its pleasant aroma, health benefits and nutritional value. Curry leaves are rich in vitamin A and calcium which helps to stop hair fall and supports rapid hair growth. Leaves also carry plenty of Aminoacid which helps in regularizing digestion. All types of stomach problems like indigestion, ulcers etc are easily cured by consuming curry leaves. Here I'm sharing the preparation of Kariveppilai Podi or Curry Leaves powder.

Ingredients

Curry Leaves - 2 cups
Black Gram Dhall - 1 tbsp
Red Chilli - 6 to 7 nos
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - One small Amla size
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method

Select fresh green curry leaves, wash and clean thoroughly with water 2 to 3 times to get rid of mud.

Pluck and collect the leaves and dry in shade for 3 to 4 hours.

Heat the oil in a pan. Roast black gram, red chilli, black pepper to golden brown. Switch off the stove. Now add tamarind, asafoetida powder, and salt to the hot pan and mix well. Keep aside and let it cool a little.

If you find your curry leaves are still moist, you can roast it a little. But try to maintain the green colour of the leaves.

Dry grind the roasted things and store it an air tight container. 

Serve with hot rice and gingelly oil.

We can make variety rice with this powder or can add this powder in any koottu or poriyal to enhance the taste of the dish.

Health is wealth. Have a healthy living. I'll meet you with another delicious recipe shortly.
Bye.