POONDU RASAM, how to make garlic rasam

 GARLIC....what health benefits and nutrition hidden inside those small pods!!!!

*Helps blood flow freely and thus lowers blood pressure!

*Reduces Cardiovascular disease  risks by lowering cholesterol!

*Keeps the blood vessels relaxed!

*Boosts immunity and reduces the length of Cold and Flu symptoms!

*Reduces fatigue and helps us stay fit!

*Reduces the risk of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis!

And....such a healthy garlic, combined with various healthy ingredients contribute to this wonderful Rasam, which can be drunk as a soup too!

My other 15  Rasam Varieties

Ingredients

Garlic pods - 25 - 30

Water - 2-3 cups

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Hing powder - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Ghee - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

To roast and powder

Curry leaves - 1/4 cup

Garlic - 6

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Pepper - 1 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tbsp

Red chillies - 2 - 3

To season

Ghee - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Lunch/soup

Prep time: 5 mts; Cooking time: 20 - 25 mts

Serves 3-4

First, in 1/2 tsp ghee, on slow fire, saute the garlic pods(reserving 6) till they become slightly brownish. Add a pinch of salt

Like this

There are 2 ways to get the garlic cooked . 1. In a vessel, take water, add turmeric and hing powders, and to this add the roasted garlic, and allow it to boil on slow flames, because, if we add tamarind paste in the beginning itself, garlic won't get cooked well 2. If you want the garlic pods to be really soft, then you can cook them for 1 - 2  whistles, then add to the vessel, and in this case, tamarind paste can be added too in the beginning itself.

In the meantime, in the same pan in which we roasted garlic, add all the roasting ingredients. No need to add extra ghee

Roast well like this

Load it to the blender jar, let it cool a bit

Check whether the garlic is cooked, add salt now, and let it boil

Roasted ingredients powdered

and water added to it

By now, garlic is cooked, raw smell of tamarind gone and water reduced to half, then add this powder-water, and let it become frothy. No need to boil

In 1 tsp ghee, season some curry leaves and mustard seeds and pour on the rasam

Serve this piping hot rasam with rice and a vegetable.

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

MATAR PANEER, how to make a flavorful gravy with fresh green peas and homemade cottage cheese

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A very easy matar paneer recipe with home made paneer!!

A quick recipe too...creamy without any unnecessary fresh cream and butter!! An one pot Pressure cooker recipe!!

My other side dishes for rotis

Ingredients

Fresh peas - 11/2 cups

Fresh paneer - 11/2 cups(can be home made or store bought), cubed

Onion - 1, chopped

Green chillies - 1,  chopped

Ginger - a small piece, chopped

Garlic - 2-3 pods, chopped

Tomatoes - 2, chopped

Cashews , soaked for 1/2 hour - 10 - 15

Salt to taste

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Dhania and Jeera powders - 1 tsp each

Kasoori methi - 2 tsps

Garam masala powder - 3/4 tp

To season

Cooking oil - 2-3 tbsps

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Jeera/cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Recipe cuisine: North Indian; Category: Lunch/dinner/sides

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 20 mts

Serves 2-3

In the pressure pan, heat cooking oil, add ginger, garlic, green chilli and onions and saute till onions become translucent

Add tomatoes too

After the tomatoes become mushy, add soaked cashews

after the sauteed mixture cools down, load into blender jar

and grind to a smooth paste

Now, heat the pressure pan again with oil, and add seasonings

Now, keep the flames on the lowest, add the ground paste, and add chilli, dhania, jeera and garam masala powders along with kasoori methi

add the fresh peas, salt to taste, and cook for 2 whistles

After the pressure releases naturally, this is how it looks

Now, add the fresh paneer cubes, mix well and simmer for 3-4 minutes so that the paneer cubes will take in all spices

Serve hot with rotis

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

NEI APPAMS, how to make ground Vella appams

 

All these years, I have always made this Instant and quick appams, which is my maternal home special, a fool proof recipe.

But this year I tried this traditional version and the recipe is  from my respected Manni (brother's wife)

Ingredients

Raw rice - 1/2 cup

Wheat flour - 2-3 tsps

Jaggery powder - 1/2 cup

Brown/white sugar - 2-3 tsps

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Grated coconut - 2-3 tsps

Ripe small banana - 1/2

Baking powder or baking soda - a pinch (optional)

Oil and 2 tsps ghee to make the appams

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: festival delicacy/neivedhyam/karthigai

Soaking time: 3-4 hours or overnight; Cooking time: 25-30 mts totally

Yields 20 Appams

Raw rice washed and soaked in hot water for 3-4 hours

Then after soaking, rice added into the blender jar, along with wheat flour,  banana and coconut

Now jaggery, 3 tsps brown sugar and cardamom powder too. Always remember, adding some sugar enhances the sweetness of jaggery (my mom in law used to say)

Ground into a batter, and rest the batter for 30 minutes to an hour

Appe pan heated with oil and a drop of ghee in each cavity

After the oil becomes hot, keep the flames on medium and pour the batter. Do not over fill. fill to 3/4 level only

Flipped over...see how golden and puffed up they look!!!

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

ROSE LASSI, how to make rose lassi with natural colors

This is such a  wonderful tasting Lassi, with all natural color and essence.
Nowadays, I am quite against all artificial colors and essences, at times they affect your throat.
Please check my other cold beverages

Ingredients

Fresh and thick curds - 2 cups

A very small beetroot - chopped

Salt - 1/8 tsp

Brown sugar - 2-3 tsps

Organic rose essence - 1 tsp

Recipe cuisine: Indian; Category: Dinner/lunch/welcome drink

Prep time: 5 mts; Cooking time: nil

Serves 2

Chopped beetroot pieces loaded into the blender jar

And ground to a smooth paste

Curd taken in another big blender jar , sugar and salt and the ground beet paste (it's at the bottom) added

Now goes in the Rose essence

All blended, chilled and served!!!

Look at this amazing lunch!!! Grilled veg-cheese sandwiches, cut mangoes and Rose lassi...Isn't it heavenly???

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com