Murungai keerai kootu (Moringa leaves gravy)

Murungai keerai kootu (Moringa leaves gravy) - preparation time 20 to 25 mins
Health Tips : Green contains more iron, low fat, high protein,calcium, fibre and other vitamins so, include more greens. If possible you can make dishes using greens daily.

Ingredients:-
Murungai keerai - 2 cups (washed well).
Turmeric - ¼ tsp
Sambar powder - 1.5 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 1 or 1 ½ cup water (till the greens get immersed)
Thalikkum vadagam - 1
Cumin seed - 1 tsp
Toor dhal (Thuvaram paruppu) - one cup (pressure cooked).
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp (optional)
Roasted and ground Cumin seed - ½ tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tsp

Preparation method:-
Boil water with turmeric, sambar powder and salt. When water boils add greens and cook till the greens are tender/cooked. If you cook for long time it will become dark
Add cooked dhal to greens and boil.
In a tawa thalikkum vadagam (which contains jeera, urad dhal, onion, mustard, castor oil, etc) when it splutters add cummin seed fry and add to kootu
Add grated coconut cumin powder to kootu and serve.
Transfer to serving bowl immediately to avoid over cooking of green. Murungai keerai will take less time to cook.
Murungai keerai kootu can be taken with rice.

Note: While cooking greens don't cover the vessel with lid because greens color will become dark.

Vegetable cutlet (Kaikari cutlet)

Vegetable cutlet (Kaikari cutlet) - Preparation time 25 mins
We can use the different vegetables to make this cutlet healthy. If we shallow fry with less oil in a non stick pan or roast in an oven it will be very good. While making the cutlet i tried using roasted oats instead of bread crumbs.

Ingredients:-
Potato - 1
Carrot - 1 (medium size) grated
Beetroot - 1 grated
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt - As required
Oats - 2 tbsp (dry roasted and powdered) or Rusk powder
Maida - 1 tbsp (I tried with roasted and nicely ground urad dhal instead of maida it was very tasty and healthy when compared to maida)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Preparation method:-
Pressure cook the potato, peel the skin and mash it.
In a tawa add 1 tbsp oil. Fry grated carrot, beetroot till raw smell goes off. When cooked add chili powder, garam masala, salt, mashed potato and mix well.

Cool it and make small balls. Flat the ball to the shape of vada or the shape you like.

Mix the maida with water to coat the cutlet (the maida and water mixture should be very thin just to coat the cutlet so that the oats powder can be coated).

Coat the cutlet with maida mixture and oats powder.

Roast the cutlet in the non-stick tawa and add oil. When roasted on both side, serve hot.

Note : You can also add cooked peas or sweet corn.

Katharikai (Chidambaram) Kosthu (Brinjal Gosthu/Kosthu)

Katharikai gosthu/kosthu (Chidambaram brinjal gosthu) in mom's method - preparation time 20 mins

Making of katharikai kosthu is famous in our native place chidambaram. In most of the functions this kosthu make a perfect pair with idli. This will be a very tasty side dish. You will end up eating few extra idli or dosai when you prepare this brinjal kosthu. Try it out you people surely love it. With slight modification it can be made as a side dish to pongal. When you prepare pepper rice this can be served as side dish for the rice. Happy and healthy eating :-)

Ingredients:-
Brinjal (katharikai) - 6 (Brinjal should be soft and tender, Check whether the green part is fresh and broad)
Small Onion - 20 (finely chopped i.e. small strips of 1/2 inch. If small onion is not available you can use 2 big onion)
Roasted and ground red chili powder - 1 tbsp
Green chili - 1slit in middle
Curry leaves - 5 (washed and finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - 4 (washed and finely chopped)
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Tamarind juice - 1 tsp
Water - Required to cook brinjal and onion
Mustard - ¼ tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tsp
Roast till nice aroma comes and powder- 2 tbsp of coriander seed, 1 tsp gram dhal, 4 pepper & 1 red chili
Salt to taste

Preparation method:-
Chop the brinjal (katharikai) to small pieces and keep in a bowl of water (to avoid oxidation).
Add one tbsp of oil to a kadai, add chopped brinjal's (without water), turmeric a pinch, salt to cook brinjal.
Sortae for few mins and sprinkle little water so the brinjal will be cooked softly.
Mash this using a ladle and transfer to a bowl.

Clean the tawa and add 1 tbsp oil, mustard, urad dhal, green chili & chili. When dhal is golden brown add the chopped onion fry to transparent colour.

Add remaining turmeric, water, salt and boil till the onion is cooked.

Now add the tamarind juice, cook till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. (Take care while adding the tamarind juice. This gravy will be tasty only when all the taste and required proportion)
Add boiled and mashed brinjal to the boiling onion and tamarind gravy.
When vegetables blends with all the ingredients it will become a thick gravy. If you want you can add little water to the gravy.
Add coriander, roasted ground red chili powder,coarse ground powder (roasted coriander seed, gram dhal, pepper & chili) to the gravy and boil for few minutes. Due to dhal it will become thick.

Heat 1 tsp of gingely oil and add to the katharikai kosthu. This will give the appropriate colour and taste to the chidambaram katharikai kosthu or brinjal kosthu.
Finally transfer to a bowl and garnish with curry and coriander leaves.
Goes very well with dosa and idli.

Note: Usually it will be very tasty when you use small violet brinjal's which we get more on south part of India. I tried making this on big size brinjal's which we used to get on other parts of world but, the taste is bit less.

Thuvaram paruppu thogayal (Method II) - Toor dhal rice paste

Thuvaram paruppu thogayal (Toor dhal rice paste) - preparation time 15 to 20 mins
Adding protein to our daily food is essential. If we are making kara (or) puli kuzhambu this paruppu thogayal will be of great combination. When we are kids, after enjoying our long annual leave vacation and returning home mom used to make all the cleaning and cook for us. As vegetables wont be available she used to make this and fry vadagam or karudam (in our terms).



Ingredients:-
Toor dhal - 50 gms (or handful)
Urad dhal - 25 gms (2 tbsp)
Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp
Red chili - 2
Pepper - 6
Garlic - 5 pods
Sesame oil - 1 or 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Water - little



Preparation method:-
Roast toor dhal and urad dhal with little oil. When it roasted slightly add red chili, pepper and roast till it is golden brown.
When roasted switch of the flame and add garlic. Sortae for few mins and add water.
Let the ingredients cool.
Grind roasted ingredients with required amount of salt and water if required.
Don’t make it to fine paste then it will be sticky.
Serve paruppu thogayal with ghee along with hot rice. You love the taste.

Method I - Raw banana or Plantain chips (Vazhakai varuval)

Raw banana or Plantain chips (Vazhakai varuval)- preparation time 10 to 15mins This chips goes well with hot sambar rice. When the plantain is tender it will be ok. so choose hard plantain (muthal vazhakai). The chips will be good and stiff instead of soggy. You can also serve this as snack along with tea or some sweet.

Ingredients:-
Raw banana or plantain - 1
Oil - to deep fry
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp (grind pepper coarsely in home)
Salt - to taste

Preparation method:-
Peel the skin of plantain and cut the plantain to half.
Heat the oil and slice the raw banana directly over the heated oil.
Fry till the bubbles subside. Transfer to a bowl, remove excess oil using tissue.
Mix pepper, salt to fried chips. You can also mix red chili powder instead of pepper. It will also taste good.

Karunaikizhangu varuval (Yam chips)

Karunaikizhangu varuval (Yam chips) - Preparation time 15 to 20 mins
When Mom used start preparing for this we will get ready to eat. When she transfers to bowl immediately we will finish it. She used to make in large quantity to store for 1 day.

Ingredients:-
Karunai kizhangu - 150 gms
Oil - to deep fry
Red chili - 2 (break and keep)
Curd - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Preparation method:-
Wash the sliced karunai kizhangu well along with little curd, so that the white or sticky substance in the yam will go off. Wash 2 or 3 times in running water.
Drain all the water using filter/mesh. Mix little curd, split chili & salt well with the grated yam.
Leave this for few mins.
Take the slices and press to remove excess water be careful else the slices will break.
Heat the oil for deep frying. Now slowly add the yam slices( the oil will splash due to water & salt in the slices).
When the slices are cooked and crisp transfer to a bowl containg tissue paper (to remove excess oil).
This will be very tasty and can be served as snack or along with samabhar or rasam rice.

White Cowpea Vada (Vellai karamanu vadai)

White Cowpea Vada (Vellai karamanu vadai) - Preparation time 30 to 35 mins Soak the cowpea for 3 hrs to make this vada. Sundal is good for health but occasionally you can make this vada. This will taste like vazhaipoo vadai. You try it out it will be crispy, tasty, different and healthy.

Ingredients:-
White cowpea (vellai karamani) - 1 cup (cleaned and soaked for 3 hrs)
Small onion - 10 (chopped into small squares)
Green/red chili - 2 or red chili powder - 2 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch (chopped)
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves & coriander leaves - chopped finely 2 tsp

Preparation Method:-
Remove the soaked water, wash the karamani and grind to coarse dough along with ginger, chili and salt.
Put the batter in a bowl and add onion, finely chopped leaves and mix well. You can add red chili powder to increase the spice level.

Make small ball from the batter and flatten (you can use plastic sheet or make in hand).
Heat the oil and drop the vada very slowly (if you drop fast the oil will split out so be very careful).

Take care while frying because it will be cooked very soon as the karamani dough will be soft. Cook in slow flame.

After few mins turn the vada repeat this till the vada is golden brown in color.
Remove and place this in tissue to remove excess oil. Tasty vada is ready for you.

Potato chips (Urulai kizhangu varuval)

Potato chips (Urulai kizhangu varuval) - preparation time 30 mins
Mom used to make chips in home for our variety rice. It will be crispy and tasty. I used to make chips for fried rice or variety rices. You can also try this it will be healthy, hygienic and cheap. You have to choose fresh and good potatoes (No green or black color in potato). Potato should be hard.
When you slice the potato it should be white there should not be brown colour one the edges only if the potato is of good quality the chips will be very good.

Ingredients:-
Potato - 2
Oil - to deep fry
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp (grind pepper coarsely in home)
Salt - to taste

Preparation method:-
Wash the potato well so that the dirt in potato skin will be removed.
Using potato chips grater slice the potato to thin slices. Wash in running water so the starch content presnt in potato will removed. For this you have to wash 2 to 3 times.
Remove from water and dry it in a cloth so all the water content will be removed.

Heat oil in a kadai. When hot (if you put a small piece of potato it immediately comes up) keep the flame less than medium.
Add the potato slices (you have to take care the oil should be more when you drop the potato slices so that it will be cooked properly).

When cooked the bubbles won't be present. Transfer to tissue paper to remove excess oil (if present). Add salt and pepper mix with fried potato chips.

When cool put it a air tight container it will be crisp and tasty.

Kothavarankai paruppu usili (Cluster Beans and channa dhal dry curry)

Kothavarankai paruppu usili (Cluster Beans and channa dhal dry curry) - Preparation time 30 minsWe wont take kothavarankai when made as plain curry so mom used to convert this to paruppu usili or make sambar with this vegetable which will also be tasty. This goes well with any rice.

Ingredients:-
Kothavarankai (cluster beans) - 1 cup (chopped to small pieces)
Channa dhal - 1/4 cup (soaked for 2 hrs)
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Red chili powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Water - To boil beans
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 6 (finely chopped)
Asafoetida - a pinch

Preparation method:-
Soak the channa dhal for 2 hrs. Drain the water completely and transfer to mixer. Crush the ginger and add to dhal. Grind to coarse paste.
In a vessel add water. Boil the water with salt and turmeric. Add chopped kothavarangai and cook till it is soft.
Heat a heavy bottomed tawa. Add oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to golden brown, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.
To the above pan add the grind channa dhal and fry till the dhal becomes seperate. If you want you can add another 1/2 tbsp of oil.
In goes red chili powder (adjust according to you spice level) and cooked kothavarangai (take care while cooking kothavarangai.
Add only required amount of water to cook the kothavarangai if more water drain it and add to sambar or rasam).
I love to eat this alone. But goes well with more kuzhambhu and rasam rice.

Bitter gourd dry curry (pakkarkai poriyal)

Bitter gourd dry curry (pagarkai poriyal) - Preparation time 15 mins
My dad like sweet bitter gourd curry but i like the pagarkkai curry spicy and bitter it will taste very good when made in small bitter gourd (mithi pagarkkai). I love this curry and will take as a snack.

Ingredients:-
Bitter gourd - chopped 1 cup
Sambhar powder - 1 tsp or 2 tsp (according to your spice level)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - to cook bitter gourd
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Preparation method:-
In a vessel add water, turmeric, sambhar powder, salt and boil.
Add chopped bitter gourd and cook till the vegetable is tender. (Add only required amount of water).

(Or) you can slice the bitter gourd very thinly and add after garnishing.

In a tawa heat sesame oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal should be brown.
Now add cooked bitter gourd and fry till the excess water evaporates or add the thinly sliced pagarkkai, turmeric, sambhar powder or red chili powder and salt to taste.

Dry curry will be bitter and spicy with full of taste and bitter gourd flavor. 
Dark green colored bitter gourd will be very bitter.

You have to cover the curry after sprinkling little water. It will absorb all the water and cooked well

If you want you can add 1 tbsp of bengal gram flour  which is optional.

Healthy bitter gourd dry curry is ready.

Note: The teeth over the bitter gourd should not be very close and dark green bitter gourd will be very bitter.

Making of Mullu murukku (dough) mavu & mullu murukku

Making of Mullu murukku (dough) mavu and mullu murukku
One of the tasty snack for which we will wait till deepawali. It will be crisp, slightly sweet and with correct amount of salt. This mullumurukku taste will last for few minutes. My husband used to say that this murukku has some taste which make us to keep on tasting it repeatedly.

Even the process will be bit long when compared to other murukku snack but it is worth for it. You can taste the richness of the coconut milk we add and flavour of freshly roasted and ground pasiparuppu which brings out the uniqueness of this murukku. Mom mostly make this during Diwali only. She used to prepare sweets and snacks for a week. I don't know how she managed to take care of all household work and prepared so many varieties.

Each and every snack and sweet will be that much tasty. Mom you are really great. She used to make in large quantity to share it with friends, relatives and neighbours.



2:1 (rice:pasiparuppu maavu)
Wash and soak the raw rice for 2 hrs and filter the water.
Grind the rice to fine powder. Seive the flour and remove the coarse powder. Grind the coarse powder and seive again.
Slightly roast the grind powder.
Roast the pasiparuppu slightly and grind to very fine powder.
Mix the rice and pasiparuppu flour in 2:1 proportion and use for making mullu murukku.

Ingredients:-
Butter - 1 tbsp
Coconut - 1/2
Salt - as required
Sugar - 1 tsp
Hot oil - 1 tbsp
Water - to grind the coconut
Oil - to deep fry

Preparation method:-
When the flour's are ready seive both the flour together and mix well
Take take half coconut, grate and grind well with little water. Filter and take the coconut milk, it has to be thick(if the coconut is sweet the murukku will be tasty)
In a bowl add flour, butter, hot oil and mix well (it might resemble like bread crums).
To the coconut milk add sugar, salt and slowly add to flour and make the dought to chapathi dough consistency.
Heat the oil and bring to medium or less flame.
Now using the mullu murukku acchu insert the dough to press over the hot oil.
When the murukku is done slight aroma will come. (Take care else the muruku will be burnt it you keep for too long)
Now crispy and tasty mullu murukku is ready.

Making of Thean kuzhal dough (mavu) & Thean kuzhal

Making of Theane kuzhal dough (mavu) and Theane kuzhal
This is a snack which I will make when I have time. I used to keep this flour so that we can make in required quantity when we need. This snack will also be a part of deepawali snack list.

I wonder how our tradition include some healthy spice in almost all the snack and sweet we prepare. See in this theane kuzhal they used to add cumin(jeeragam) which is good for digestion. Even if we deep fry the flavour and taste will exist in the snack.

When mom used to prepare this during deepawali we will ask her to give us some half boiled ( it will be cooked but won't be crispy) it will be soft and tasty while consumed hot. This can be given to aged people when they can't eat crisp murukku.


Proportion of rice and dhal is 5:3/4 (rice:urad dhal)
Wash 5 portion of raw rice and dry in shade.
Slightly roast the 3/4th portion of urad dhal and add to the dried rice.
Give this mixture to flour grinding store and grind to very fine powder.
Seive the flour to ensure that the flour is grind to fine powder.
If you want you can try in less quantity in home. This will be useful for people who wont be able to grind in store.

While preparing the theane kuzhal dough, mix the required amount of salt in 1 tspn of water and dissolve completly before adding to the flour.

Mix the butter along with 1 tbspn of hot oil, cummin seed and salt water well before adding the required amount of water to make the dough for murukku.

When you want to prepare murukku make the water mixed dough in little portion and fry else the murukku might become more red after few minutes.

Always make sure to fry the murukku immediately after mixing the water don't leave for hrs and make. It won't be good.

First heat the oil and bring down the flame. Using the murukku achu start pressing the dough in oil to make murukku. I usually fry only one murukku at a time to get best quality of murukku. 

Rice along with vegetable and mung dal (Soji)

(Soji is name of the recipe (like idli,dosa, etc) not an ingredient) Rice along with mung dhal & vegetable - preparation time 30 min
I didn't had this tiffen before marriage. I tasted this recipe after marriage.Actually in my in-laws house they won't pressure cook sooji they will keep adding boil water as and when required i altered to below method. It might slightly resemble pongal and upma. If you don't add correct proportion of water you will end up in vegetable pongal :-). Try it out it will be healthy and tasty tiffen. No need of side dish.

Ingredients:-
Onion - 1 (chopped to cubes)
Ginger - 1 inch (chopped finely)
Carrot - 1 (chopped to small cubes)
Curry leaves - 1 or 2 string
Green chili - 2 (chopped)
Groundnut - 1 tbsp
Split urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Rice - 1 cup (measure 2 cup and 3/4 cup in same cup for cooking)
Split mung dhal - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - A pinch
Salt - required amount
　
Preparation method:-
In a tawa roast the rice till it turns to white color and slightly puffed. Add the mung dhal, roast for few seconds. Transfer this to a vessel and keep.

In same tawa add sesame oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal, groundnut, roast to slight brown.

Add carrot, onion, curry leave, chili, ginger and sortae for few mins.

Add the hing (asafoetida) along with the roasted rice, mung dhal, salt & measured water.
Tranfer to cooking vessel and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistle & simmer the flame for 5 to 10 mins.
Serve it hot.This dish will be very filling and easy to digest. When you want to give to kids reduce the chili & ginger.

Making of rice upma flour

Making of rice upma flour
Wash 1 cup of rice and dry in shade (if you dry in cloth the cloth will absorb the water and rice will dry within 1 to 2 hrs).

When rice is fully dry add to mixy jar along with 1 tsp of toor dhal, 1 tsp of black pepper and 1/2 tsp of cummin seed.

Grind till the rice becomes coarse (don't make to powder as the upma will become sticky) it can be bigger than the sugar.

Vegetable uthappam (Kaikari uthappam)

Vegetable uthappam (Vegetable thick pan cake) - Preparation time 15 mins
This i tried in my home. Added some vegetables on dosai & idli flour and also when the idli flour is sour. It will be bit spicy so can be taken without any side dish. You can try it out in fermented idli dough only thing is the batter has to be thick as we use for idli.

Ingredients:-
Small onion - 5 (peeled and cut into small semi circles)
Carrot - 1 (finely grated)
Tomato - 1 (Remove the seed and chop finely)
Coriander leaves - finely chopped 1 tbsp
Green chili - 2 (finely chopped)
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Sesame oil - 4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 string (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1 tbsp chopped
Idli flour - 2 cup

Preparation method:-
Heat a kadai. Add 1 tbsp oil, mustard seed to splutter, urad dal to golden color, add the chili, onion, carrot,ginger, little salt to cook.
Add the garnish, coriander leaves and curry leaves to idli flour and mix well.
Heat the kadai and pour one small ladle of uthappam flour. Don't spread too much because, it will become dosai instead of uthappam. Top the uthappam with chopped tomato.
Cook in low flame and cover with a lid. After few mins remove the lid and see whether the bottom side has become brown.
Now turn the uthappam carefully and leave the other side to cook and become brown (don't cover now). The side will be crisp and center portion will be soft.
This will be a colorful and tasty dish. I am sure you all will love it. Only if you cook in slow flame it will be cooked well.

Herbal (Healthy) Vegetables in our daily life - Part II

Herbal (Healthy) Vegetables in our daily life - Part II



Okra/Lady's finger (Vendakai)
Easily available in market and also most of the year. Rich source of dietary fibre so good to get rid of constipation problem. Contains good amount of vitamin A, potassium, folate, vitamin C. Improves the immune system and digestible Very rich in anti-oxidant. Can also be consumed in raw. Good for laxative, ulcer problem and bowel movement. To retain the nutrient values vegetable should be cooked in low heat. To gain all the health benefits can be consumed raw. My mom used to tell lady's finger is good for doing math's but i hate lady's finger curry due to stickiness. To wonder i completed my maths degree :-). Can make vendakkai poriyal or raitha and consume

Onion (Vengayam)
We usually add this in our daily cooking. Vegetable which cannot be avoided. Onion has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant properties. Rich in Vitamin C, minerals, blood thinning agent. Body coolant when small onion is consumed raw, removes constipation problem, lowers the blood sugar and keep us away from infections. Add few small onions in your daily sambar. During summer small onion can be chopped and added to white rice and water (Thanni sadam). If you want to take raw try kara chutney in this blog.

Radish/Daikon (Mullangi) Radish is rich in folate, calcium, potassium. Good when consumed raw as salad. It is an anti-oxidant which is water soluble, has dietary fibre and good for ulcer patient when consumed as soup. Brings down the body temperature and have cleansing properties. When consumed you might lose weight and good for skin because of vitamin b complex. Very good to get rid of liver and stomach problems. Some people don't like the smell of radish so, when you want to add this to sambar fry the radish pieces along with small onion & sesame oil. Add water to cook only after raw smell of radish goes off. Try mulli paratha.

Garlic (Poondu) Garlic is very good for heart. It has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, ant-oxidant properties. It has blood thinning property so improves the blood circulation so, maintains the blood pressure. Brings down the cholesterol, improves the digestion when included regularly include in diet. When garlic pods boiled along with milk and consumed it will improve the laxation and good for asthma problem. When taken raw it improve the overall health. Rich in calcium, vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus along with other vitamin and minerals in less quantity. I used to add raw garlic (1 or 2 pods) to coconut chutney or onion kara chutney or poondu rasam. Consuming raw it helps reduce cholesterol

Potato (Urulai kizhangu)
Rich in starch, dietary fibre, Magnesium, Calcium, etc. Easily digestible, controls blood sugar contains more energy so consumed you will feel filling. When potato is used along with skin fibre content is high. When you use potato for cooking boil the potato along with skin then peel off to use in your curry or gravies. It also contains some amount of potassium, folate, iron. Very rich source of carbohydrate i.e. starch so, can be used in less or moderate amount. Research shows it contains more amount of water content. Deep frying will be tasty but it will lose the nutrition value. Occasionally you can eat chips but try out potato poriyal or potato side dish or stuffed chappathi after boiling it.



Drumstick (Murungakai)
Drumstick is available in most part of India. All parts of the tree hold some medicinal value. We already saw the benefits of drumstick leaves now it is about drumstick. It is rich in fibre, anti-bacterial, calcium, vitamin C, minerals (Phosphorus, potassium, copper,sulphur,etc) and very rich in iron content and helps to overcome anaemia. Good for expecting and feeding mothers because of its lactative properties, to improve the skin tone and give a glow. It is blood purifier , good for throat, cough, for asthma related problem and cools the body. We used to make drumstick kootu or sambar. I heard that soup can me made with drumstick pulp. Haven't tried out.

Vazhaipoo vadai (Plantain flower vada)

Vazhaipoo vadai (Plantain flower vada) - Preparation time 30 mins (for soaked dhal) Vazhaipoo is very good for health. So try to consume whenever possible. Instead of making vadai you can make dry curry to gain full nutrition value. The cleaning and chopping the fingerlets of vazhaipoo will be a time consuming work. You rub the palms with sesame oil (nalla ennai) before staring the process else your hand will become slightly brownish and sticky :-). Nothing can be compromised before health. Add this vegetable every 15 days or else monthly once.

Ingredients:- Channa split dhal (Kadalai paruppu) - 1 cup
Fennel seed (Saunf) - 1 tsp
Red Chili - 3 (split into 2 pieces each) or Chili powder - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch (small piece)
Small Onion(optional) - 4 (finely chopped - )
Curry leaves - 6 (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - 5 (finely chopped)
Water - very little to grind the dhal
Vazhai poo - chopped finely (In each fingerlets of vazhai poo their will be white string with a pod (round shape) in top. You have to strictly remove it before chopping to pieces. It wont be able to digest and will also be hard to chop)
Oil - To deep fry
Salt to taste 

Preparation method:- Soak the channa spilt dhal for 3 hrs. Crush fennel, ginger, red chili.
Add the dhal and use wiper to grind it coarsely(if you want you can sprinkle water).
To the flour add onion,chopped vazhai poo, curry leaf, coriander leaf & salt.

Initially make small balls using the dough for easy preparation.
Using plastic sheet or banana leaf flatten the balls to circle (don’t make too thin it will be difficult to take).
You can make in your hand also (i.e. with plastic sheet) if you can make quickly.
Heat the oil in deep frying pan and drop the vadai very slowly (usual practice is to drop on the edge of oil kadai).
Fry the vadai till it is golden brown. You can put in tissue paper to remove excess oil and serve hot.


Note :- How to peel and use vazhai poo?

Spread a waste sheet to keep the place clean while peeling the plantain flower.
While doing this process put sesame oil (nalla ennai) fully on your palm to avoid the stickiness. The watery substance in vazhaipoo might stain your clothes so take care
Hope you all saw the big red vazhai poo (plantain flower) from which we used to get cute little bananas or big plantain.
In each plantain flower when you remove the red covering carefully you will see tiny fingers. Which is full of nutrition. We can use this for our cooking.

In each fingerlets of vazhai poo their will be white string with a pod (round shape or head of the string) in top. You have to strictly remove it before chopping to pieces. It wont be able to digest and will also be hard to chop. Might create digestion problem.

After removing this string in each and every plantain flower fingers. You can chop and keep in a vessel with little water and curd else it will become brown in color.

Kothamalli thogayal (Fresh Coriander leaves rice paste)

Kothamalli thogayal (Fresh coriander leaves rice paste) - preparation time 10 mins
Coriander is very good for skin. Rich in antioxidant, used to low the cholestrol,etc. It is best way to consume is raw so all the nutritional values will be grasped. So try to add coriander leaves in your daily cooking. My cooking will be complete and colourful only by adding the fres leaves of coriander. I used to add coriander leaves to sambar, rasam, dry curries & butter milk.
Kothamalli thogayal is one of the best way to consume more. So when ever possible make this thogayal

Ingredients:-
Coriander leaves - 1 cup (Bunch of coriander leaves. Remove the root. wash 3 to 4 times in water to remove the mud, and rotten leaves. Remove the leaves and excess water in the leaves. Chop using cooking scissor )
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Red chili - 3 to 5
Salt - to taste
Tamarind paste - less than 1/4 tsp or little tamarind water
Sesame oil - 2 tbspn
Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Preparation method:- In tawa heat oil. Add urad dhal, roast to golden brown. Keep aside.
In same tawa add the red chili and roast to dark red color. Keep along with roasted urad dhal.
When roasted ingredients are cool grind to coarse powder along with salt and tamarind.
Now add the chopped coriander leaves, little water to grind. Make to thick thogayal by adding required amount of water.
Heat the tawa add little oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to brown and garnish Kothamalli thogayal (Coriander rice paste).
Mix this paste and sesame oil with white rice and take with roasted papad. Surely you will love this healthy thogayal.

Mango thokku (Mangai thokku oorugai)

Mango pickle (Mangai thokku) - Preparation time 20 mins to 30 mins
Mango pickle is a favourite pickle for most of the people. If you choose a mango which is slightly sweet it will be very tasty. Usually grandma used to make the pickle and keep in a kaal chatti (it will be a black color heavy utensil). The taste and flavour will be unique. She used to cook in mud stove with wood, Now also when my mom used to cook in it when she is in native place. We can prepare mango pickle with less oil and salt but surely you have to refrigerate and use. Below i am using required amount of oil, salt and chili powder.

Taste of cooking in mud vessel will be unique. I used to make daily gravies like sambar, rasam and boil vegetable for curry in that vessel for several years. Try it out you might also like it.

Ingredients:-
Mango - medium size and slightly ripe
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Preparation method:- Wash the mango well and grate the mango.
In a tawa heat oil. Add mustard to splutter, asafoetida, fenugreek powder, turmeric, chili powder and add the grated mango.
Fry till raw smell goes off. Sprinkle little amount of water and required amount of salt. Close and cook so that the mango will become soft.
After few minutes the oil separates. You can check and increase the spice level according to your taste.
If you don't want to refrigerate then you have to use more oil (the oil should be stagnant over the pickle :-( . This is not good for health, so I use less oil)
Try out in limited quantity if you like it you can make and keep.