Fresh pudina tea (Mint tea) - Prepartion time 5 mins

Fresh pudina tea (Mint tea) - Prepartion time 5 mins
One day i accidentally tried this tea. Which surprisingly turned to taste good so when i have fresh mint leaves started making this tea also. I dunno whether all will like this flavor, but i am sure it will be a healthy tea.

Do you have fresh mints available now and is it your tea time then this is right time to experiment this tea in your kitchen right away. It will take only 5 mins if your milk is already in the stove and if milk is boiling then only few mins. Try it out this new, interesting and tasty tea.

Ingredients:-
Milk - 1 cup
Fresh Mint leaves - 4 (washed and clean)
Sugar - to your taste
Tea leaves - 1 tsp (I used to use tata gold tea because it smell & taste good)

Preparation method:-
In a vessel heat 1 cup of milk. When it boils add the tea leaves.
Once nice aroma of tea come along with nice color, tear the mint leaves using your fingers, crush slightly and add to the boiling tea.
Leave the tea to boil for few seconds. Add required sugar and dissolve.
Filter the tea. Transfer to serving cup and surprise everyone with this healthy and fresh aromatic mint tea.

Ullunthu milagu methu vadai (Soft urad dhal & pepper vada)

Ullunthu milagu methu vadai (Soft urad dhal & pepper vada) - Preparation time 1 hr 10 mins
Mom used to make this two types of vadai during pongal festival (Bhogi). Vellam vadai and milagu vadai. These vadai's will be different but tasty.For a change try making this simple vadai.

Ingredients:-
Urad dhal - 1 cup (washed and soaked for 1 hr)
Salt - a pinch
Crushed pepper - 1/2 tbsp
Water - Only to sprinkle while grinding
Oil - To deep fry

Preparation method:-
Remove water from soaked urad dhal and grind in the grinder/mixer till the flour is fluffy.
Add required amount of salt and grind. Mix the coarsely ground pepper and mix with the flour.
Heat the oil for deep frying. 
Take a silver foil. Make small ball in the flour and make vada using the silver foil and fry in medium hot oil.
When cooked and golden brown, remove from oil and transfer to bowl. If excess oil remove using tissue.

Making of Sesame seed rice powder (Ellu podi)

Making of Sesame rice powder (Ellu podi) - Preparation time 10 to 15 minutes
You can make this podi, refrigerate and use for few days. Make this health podi and serve to kids and family along with rice.

Ingredients:-
Sesame seed - 50 g (I used black sesame seed)
Red chili - 7
Salt - to taste

Preparation method:-
In a dry kadai add sesame seed and roast in medium flame. When sesame (ellu) starts spluttering transfer to a plate and leave it to cool.
Roast the chilli and add to roasted sesame seed along with required amount of salt.
When the roasted ingredients are cool grind to coarse powder and transfer to an air tight container.

Varagu arisi appam & thengai paal (Kodu millet thin pancake with coconut milk)

Varagu arisi appam & thengai paal (Kodu millet thin pancake with coconut milk) - Preparation time 8 to 10 hrs for dough fermentation
I thought of replacing rice quantity with a healthy millet in our daily food items so i started experimenting some of the dishes which will be gluten free and rich in fiber. Mostly the taste won't differ but some times we might not get the same taste of the food which we are eating from childhood. 

Ingredients:-
Boiled rice 3/4 cup
Varagu rice - 1/4  cup or slightly more
Urad dhal - one medium ladle
Fenugreek seed - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - little to grind
Aappa soda - a pinch
Coconut - 1 grated , ground and extract the milk
Cardamon powder - 1/4 tsp
Organic sugar or brown sugar - As required (because some coconut will be very sweet some won't)

Preparation method:-
Soak boiled rice, varagu rice, urad dhal and fenugreek seed for 4 hrs. Grind in a mixer to smooth paste (use less water then only dough will be soft) and leave to ferment for 10 hrs (according to your climate). Dough should be fermented well. 
Next day in a vessel take two ladle of fermented aapam dough, mix water, pinch salt & aappa soda.
Make the dough little bit thin than dosa flour. If you rotate the kadai the dough should spread evenly.
Heat a kadai, spread little oil and pour the dough in the sides of the kadai and rotatae the kadai.
This will make the dough spread evenly and middle portion will be little soft. Pour little oil over the edge of appam.
Close the kadai with a lid and cook in slow flame. 
After few minutes when the edges or slightly brown remove from kadai.
Serve this appam with coconut milk over it (appam). This will be very tasty and healthy.
If you mix appa soda and keep for long time the appam will lose its texture and won't taste good so mix required quantity at the time of preparing the appam.