Easy mango pickle (Avasara mangai oorugai)

Easy mango pickle - preparation time 5 mins
When you don't have pickle you can make this pickle with 5 mins if raw mango is available. Mom used to make this pickle during mango season. Mostly it won't last for 1 day also, because it will be tasty and we will consume it as snack.

Ingredients:-
Raw mango - 1 cup chopped to small cubes (Slightly sweet Ottumangai is preferable)
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Roasted fenugreek powder - 1/4 tsp (if not available take little fenugreek)

Preparation method:-
In a bowl mix mango pieces, turmeric, chili powder, salt along with sesame oil.
Heat a tawa, add little oil, mustard to splutter. Switch of the flame add fenugreek powder roast slightly and add the mango and spice mixture.
Mix well and use it. Tasty when taken with curd rice.
You can refrigerate and use for 2 to 3 days. Try not to use for longer days as we haven't added any preservative.

Vazhaipoo and Murungai keerai kootu (Plantain flower & Moringa leaves gravy)

Vazhai poo and Murungai keerai kootu (Plantain flower & Moringa leaves gravy) - preparation time 20 to 25 mins

For peeling plantain flower and separating the florets you can refer vazhaipoo vadai

Ingredients:-
Murungai keerai - 1 cups or handful (washed well. Take care no yellow color leaf should be present and also check small insects or its eggs while cleaning process. Try to remove the tiny stems also).
Vazhai poo - Cleaned and chopped (Refer the Vazhai poo vadai to know the cleaning process of vazhai poo)
Turmeric - ¼ tsp
Sambar powder - 2 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 (or) hand full (pressure cooked).
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp (optional)
Cumin seed - ½ tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tsp

Preparation method:-
Boil water with turmeric, sambar powder and salt. When water boils add vazhai poo and cook till it is half boiled. Now add the murungai greens and cook till the greens are tender/cooked. If you cook for long time it will become dark
Add cooked dhal to vazhai poo & greens boil for few minutes.
In a tawa thalikkum vadagam (which contains jeera, urad dhal, onion, mustard, castor oil, etc) when it splutters add cummin seed. Add to kootu
Add grated and coarsely ground coconut & cumin to kootu and serve.
Transfer to serving bowl immediately to avoid over cooking of green.
As both vazhai poo and murungai keerai will be slightly astringent/umami.
Vazhai poo and murungai keerai kootu is packed with nutrition. Can be taken with rice.

Note: For some people murungai keerai might make your stomach upset so, try eating in less quantity initially.

Mango Milkshake

Mango milkshake - Preparation time 5 to 10 mins
This is our favourite milk shake.Very simple tasty and healthy milkshake. Usually they say ripe mango is heat but when we blend with milk it is good for health. Already mambazham is available in store so you can enjoy the shake.

Ingredients:-
Ripe Mango (Mambazham) - 1 medium size, peel off the skin and take the flesh
Milk - 200 ml
Sugar - 3 or 4 tbsp (according to your taste level)

Preparation method :-
Add sugar, chopped ripe mango & milk in mixer and blend.
Serve mango milkshake chill. If you want to make this even more rich can add scoop of vanilla ice cream which is optional.
The color itself will be more beautiful.

Note:- You can make the pulp of ripe mango and sugar by blending together. Keep this refrigerated and mix the milk and pulp before serving. Don't store the pulp for more that 1 or 2 days

Raw banana or Plantain spicy chips - Method II (Vazhakai kara varuval)

Raw banana or plantain spicy chips (Vazhakai kara varuval) - preparation time 10 to 15mins
Spicy vazhakai chips goes well with any rice. Choose hard plantain (muthal vazhakai). You can also serve this as snack along with tea or some sweet. Kids love this spicy chips. My mom used to prepare this. It will be very yummy snack

Ingredients:-
Raw banana or plantain - 1
Oil - to deep fry
Chili powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Bengal gram flour (kadalai mavu) - 1 tbsp
Rice flour - 3/4 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Water - little (to make thick sticky paste)

Preparation method:-
Peel the skin of plantain and cut the plantain to half.
Using chips grated slice the plantain to chips. Separate and keep the slices.
In a cup mix the flour's, salt, chili powder, asafoetida along with little water (it has to be thick paste slightly coat the raw banana slices (if you coat more paste it will become like baji take care :-)))
Heat the oil , Coat the paste slightly over the slices and drop into heated oil one by one.
When cooked and bubbles goes off remove from oil . Cook in slow flame or you will burn it.
This will be a filling and yummy snack.