Tulsi tea

We are experiencing heavy rains for the past one week and all types of fevers,flu and cold are spreading rapidly.Not to be left out,MIL and me fell prey to the 'deadly cold and cough'.Yea,deadly coz I feel I can even withstand a fever but stuffy nose,watery eyes, sore throat,headaches,sneezes and coughs are surely not my things.Worst of all when ever I catch a cold[or rather it catches me..] I don't recover that quick.The suffering continue for more than a week.The doses of antibiotics are long over and no food is palatable.The doctor always assures me that I will be up and ready in a couple of days but that never seems to happen.

This time we did not want to take a chance by waiting for it to leave me as I am set to travel to China this week.I didn't want to find myself detained at the airport because of these symptoms and needed something extra apart from those powerful antibiotics that my physician had prescribed.

Tulsi to the rescue!!!!!

Tulsi or Holy basil is one of the many herbs growing in mom's backyard.The backyard is not a large garden,just a small space which houses a couple of coconut trees,a few curry leaves plants,two varieties of jasmine and other flowering plants,aloe vera,some other herbs for which I don't the English names and lots and lots of Tulsi plants.

Holy basil, which is scientifically called Ocimum tenuiflorum,is a miracle herb and is referred to as the 'elixer of life' in Ayurveda.

Tulsi has so many medicinal properties and is known to cure everything from minor coughs and cold to stomach disorders ,heart diseases and even treat malaria.Recently I read that it can even prevent the 'famous' swins flu virus[Source].It helps boost the immunity and increases the body's defense mechanism.

When I came to know this news of tulsi preventing Swine flu virus,I was in China and immediately called up mom and asked my parents to take a couple of leaves regularly.I am glad that they are still following this ritual.

Anyways,back to topic,with all the symptoms of cold ,I wanted something soothing to drink.Coffee tasted bitter and I did not find tea palatable.I was complainig to mom about my pathetic condition when she suggested of Tulsi tea!

This tea was a really comforting drink and I felt warm and relaxed.My throat defiantely felt better.The sharp taste of Tulsi blended well into the tea.I decided to drink this regularly and now I really feel a lot better.

For this wonder tea you need:

Tulsi leaves
Tea bags/tea dust/tea leaves
Milk
Water
Sugar/honey to taste

1. Heat water in a pot along with the tea dust/bags/leaves and tulsi leaves.
2. Turn off the heat when it come to a rolling boil and let it seep for 5 minutes.
3. Strain into a cup.
4. Add milk and sugar/honey.
5. Stir and sip.
   

The quantity of tulsi leaves used is a personal choice.Some varieties of tulsi are very sharp tasting and hence just a couple of them will do.Adjust it to your preference.

Similarly,if you don't like milk it can be omitted.



If you have tulsi plants in your neighborhood ,give this tea a try and you will be surprised by the fresh tastes it leaves behind.

Sample it even if you don't have a cough or cold for there are many a health reasons to consume this wonder plant.

Here is another tasty drink that can be prepared using Tulsi - A tangy Herb lemonade

Happy cooking...

Toddlers and kid friendly recipes

Some recipes from my blog that are nutritious and are pleasing to the kids…They are fast to cook and hence ideal for working mom's too....

Breakfast ideas

1. Ragi porridge- Finger millet porridge, one of the best weaning food that can also be given to older children.

2. Idli - Easy to digest for the lil one.Smear a little ghee over idli for a calorie rich and tasty breakfast

3. Uthappam-Thick crepes with vegetable toppings

4. Nutri chapathi - Chapathi with oats

5.Vegetable chapathi - A nice way to sneak vegetables into the meal.

6.Coriander parathas-Tasty parathas with a mild coriander flavor.

7. Aval upma -Iron rich preparation of pressed rice/poha

8.Ragi Sevai - Finger millet noodles

9. Buckwheat noodles with vegetables -Colorful noodles with vegetables

10.Sesame vegetable noodles-Calcium and nutrient rich noodles

11. Bread upma -Bread upma for a change with vegetables

12. Ven pongal-Nutritious combination of cereals and pulses


13.Kande pohe-Iron rich breakfast dish


Rice dishes – Apart from the regular rice preparations, try these, for they are rich in Iron and Calcium.They are great to pack in lunch boxes too.

1. Curry leaf flavored rice

2. Sesame seed flavored rice

Snacks

1.Bhel puri -A snack that all kids will love and they won’t mind eating veggies in this.

2.Tit bits -Crunchy wheat snacks

3.Bread pizza sandwich-Children can make their own pizza at home!

4.Bread thayir vadai-Another delicious way to include curd in the meal

5.Ulundhu vadai-Lentil fritters

6.Susheela - A snack made with pufffed rice

7.Kuzhi paniyaram -A chettinad mini wonder

8.Sweet poha - Iron rich sweet tasting snack

Milk and milk products -

1.Cheesy pasta - All time kids favorite with lots of cheese

2.Fruity yoghurt - A delightful combination of mango and yogurt

3.Curd aval-Pressed rice in seasoned curd.

4.Curd rice - Helps keep you cool

5.Colorful beetroot raita - Beetroot in seasoned yogurt

Desserts

1.Ell urundai-An iron and calcium rich preparation

2.Instant oats halwa - Oats halwa in a jiffy[Microwave version]

3.Coconut payasa -A yummy kheer with coconut

4.Instant milk halwa - Easy dessert prepared in a microwave

Fruits

1.Apple sauce for toddlers

2.Mashed sapota with milk for the little one.

3.Water melon slush

4.Herb lemonade - An appetizing drink

5.Banana in rich coconut sauce-A Vietnamese dessert

6. Banana milkshake

7.Kiwi banana milkshake

8.Kiwi banana shake

9.Strawberry banana milkshake

10.Apple Milkshake

12.Strawberry milkshake


Well,don't you agree with me that these recipes are sure to be a hit with your children!!Do try them out....

Happy cooking...

When Susheela came home...

I had plans of inviting Susheela for tea today.I just made a hint and everyone including lil angel were looking forward to meet her.

At teatime she did arrive ,very quietly that no one even noticed her.I introduced her to my family and everyone were awestruck by her beauty.Clad in yellow she was a real stunner!

Well.... then..... Do you know what we did??We waited no further,we savored every bit for she tasted as lovely as she looked.

Gosh!!Don't look at me like that.Susheela is not a lady as you are thinking,but a snack served in Maharastra.

Susheela/sushila is a popular snack in Maharastra made from puffed rice or Kurmure / Murmure[in marathi]/Pori[Tamil]/Borugulu or Mora moraalu [Telugu]/mur mure[hindi].

Pori is to rice as popcorn is to corn.We usually have it as such[ mixed with a little roasted gram and groundnuts] as our favorite time pass snack.Today I planned to make this dish when I heard a vendor selling Pori go past our street.I do get Pori in China but it is sweet and I don't prefer it.Since I am in India now,I saw this as a chance to savor it before I leave to my place.

Coming to the preparation,as I always say,this is a pretty simple dish and a non fussy one too.Ready in few minutes its a tasty snack for kids and adults.This is the first time I am preparing this and it was a success.Everyone loved it and I am sure to make it again.




You need :

Puffed rice/Pori - 5 cups
Onion-1 finely chopped
Tomato-1 finely chopped
Potato-1,finely chopped and boiled
Groundnuts-5 tablespoons
Green chillies-2,slit
Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves a few
Oil-2 teaspoons
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Lemon juice to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard and jeera.
2. When it splutters,add the onion,curry leaves,green chillies and cook till onion is transparent.
3. Put in tomato,turmeric,salt and cook for a minute.
4. Meanwhile put the puffed rice in a colander.Pour a mug of water over it and give a quick rinse.
   
5. Let the water drain for a minute.
6. Put this into the pan along with the cooked potato,groundnuts, and mix well.
7. Cover,simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and serve sprinkling lemon juice over it, garnished with coriander leaves.

Updated

My dear friend Nivedita mentioned that this is called Susala and is a famous dish in North Karnataka .Check out her version here

Sending this lovely lady to grace-

1.RCI Mumbai.Lakshmi Venkatesh of Kitchen chronicles has chosen Mumbai food for this months edition of RCI.Regional cuisine of India or RCI is an event started by Lakshmi Krishnan of Veggie cuisine which glorifies the rich culinary treasures of all parts on India.

2.Think spice event.Sudesana of Cook like a bong has chosen Turmeric for this months edition of Think spice.As you must be aware, it is a wonderful event started by Sunita of Sunita's world.

3.Food for 7 stages of life:Kids special hosted by two lovely bloggers Sudeshana and Radhika.

Happy cooking...

Sweet Poha-A tasty dish for kids on childrens day..

This is another super easy dish that mom made today.It remained me of my childhood days when mom would prepare this for me.Today she prepared it for lil angel.

Serve this as a snack for your kids when they return home from school and watch them gobble it up and ask for more.

Three simple ingredients,3 simple steps yet it is a nutrition storehouse!!!Full of Iron and flavor,this takes just 5 minutes to prepare!!!Can you believe that!!!

Poha/aval/pressed rice ,jaggery and coconut weave a magical taste around this dish.It is a great dish for people with anemia as aval and jaggery are good sources of Iron.Sugar is replaced with jaggery and makes this snack all the more tasty and nutritious.Since it has zero[added] oil it is suitable for all ages and is easy to digest.

With so much of goodness in a dish and that too so easy to prepare,I just can't keep it to myself.So sending this to Food for 7 stages of life:Kids special hosted by two lovely bloggers Sudeshana and Radhika.

You need:

Aval/poha/beaten rice - 1 cup
Coconut,grated
Jaggery,powdered
Cardamom powder- a pinch[optional]

1. Wash the aval in a colander and transfer into a bowl.
2. Put in the coconut[the quantity is purely at your discretion],jaggery[according to taste] and cardamom.
3. Mix gently and serve.
   

Note:

There are two varieties of Aval - the thick and thin varieties.

If you are using the thin variety, wash the aval in a colander and use immediately.If you let it stand too long,it will get soggy.

If using the thick variety,wash aval and put in a vessel.Sprinkle a little water,cover and let it stand for 10 minutes or till it is soft.Then use it in the recipe.

Happy cooking....

Kande pohe-A Maharastiran Delight....

Mumbai is well known as the most populous city in the world.Another well known fact is the scrumptious food that is offers.From the chaats to the traditional dishes,Mumbai cuisine is famous for its hot and spicy dishes.Yes,I have prepared a Mumbai special today.

Lakshmi Venkatesh of Kitchen chronicles has chosen Mumbai food for this months edition of RCI.Regional cuisine of India or RCI is an event started by Lakshmi Krishnan of Veggie cuisine which glorifies the rich culinary treasures of all parts on India.

I was wondering what to prepare and luckily Laksmi[kitchen chronicles] has provided a huge list of Mumbai food and made my selection process easy.

Kande pohe is a Maharastrian breakfast dish that can also be served as a snack with tea.It is pretty simple to prepare and equally delicious.

I browsed various sites for the recipe and each one had different versions.Some used green peas,some lemon juice and I also found one with garam masala.Since I don't have any locals to turn to for reference,I came up with this version after going through several methods.

You need:

Poha/pohe/pressed rice/beaten rice/aval - 1 cup
Onion - 1 large,sliced
Green chillies- 1 chopped
Potato-1 small,peeled and finely chopped
Coconut - 2 tablespoons,grated
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Curry leaves- a few
Asafoetida-a pinch
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Oil-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

1. In a microwave safe dish cook the chopped potato till done.[it will take around 6-8 minutes.].This can also be done on the stove top.
   
2. Take the pohe in a colander and wash with water.Let it drain.
3. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard and jeera.
4. When it splutters put in onions,curry leaves,green chillies.
5. Saute onions till transparent and put in asafoetida and turmeric powder.
6. Add the pohe,cooked potato,salt, mix well and cook for two minutes.
7. Serve garnished with grated coconut.
   

Note:

There are two varities of Poha - the thick and thin varieties.

If you are using the thin variety, wash the poha in a colander and use immediately.Wash only when you are ready to prepare the dish and have cooked the potato,chopped the onions and chillies.If you let is stand for too long,it will get soggy.

If using the thick variety,wash poha and put in a vessel.Sprinkle a little water,cover and let it stand for 10 minutes or till it is soft.Then use it in the recipe.

Sudesana of Cook like a bong has chosen Turmeric for this months edition of Think spice.As you must be aware, it is a wonderful event started by Sunita of Sunita's world.So sending it across to her event as well.

Happy cooking...

Gulab Jamuns for ICC

This morning I decided to spend a few days at mom's place.Armed with a couple of bags and 2 litres of milk[!!!!] I landed at her door steps.I was excited.This excitement has been surging within me for a couple of days and was about to be unleashed.

When Lil angel was asleep this afternoon I sped into the kitchen to explore the unknown waters,errr,i mean to prepare Gulab jamuns .If you are thinking I am talking about cricket,you are mistaken!Srivalli started the Indian cooking challenge fondly called ICC.



It is a cooking challenge where members try out different Indian dishes each month and this month the chosen recipe is Gulab jamun.So by now you would have guessed why I came home with so much of milk.Yes,we have to make this recipe from the scratch.

When I was a kid,I have seen mom preparing Khova for different sweets and I would stand next to her taking in the yummy fragrance and looking forward to the final dish!She would heat milk in a large vessel and put in a small stainless steel cup[to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom/getting burnt] and let the milk boil and stir once in a while till the milk thickened to the khova consistency.

Then she would prepare different sweets with it and the one that she made most often was Gulab jamun.I love these sweet wonders and nowadays I prepare this with ready mix.But Srivalli's challenge was really challenging as I just enrolled myself this month and I am ready to go on a vacation and have just a few days to prepare this dish and that too with a sick lil angel at home.

Fortunately lil angel is getting better and I thought today is my chance to prepare this dish.Mom helped me with making the sugar syrup while I made the khova and the jamuns.

I followed the procedure form the YUM blog.I got 24 jamuns from this recipe.

Ingredients:

Khova – 11/2 cups/ 1 recipe

Maida – 1 cup

Sugar – 3 cups (if you want excess syrup i.e floating jamuns increase by a cup)

Water – 1 cup (increase if you’re increasing sugar)

Cooking Soda – 3 pinches

Cardamom – 4 pods

Saffron leaves – a few

Oil – 1 cup (for deep frying)

Method:

1. Combine sugar and water in a flat bottomed broad pan and simmer on a low heat until sugar dissolves. Add cardamom powder and saffron leaves and remove from fire.

2. Knead khova, maida and soda and quickly shape into balls.

3. Heat oil on a medium flame. Fry the jamuns till golden brown over a low to medium flame, keeping oil temperature uniform. Oil should not smoke.

4. Drain the jamuns and soak in the warm sugar syrup.Serve the jamuns after half an hour.

Tips:

You will achieve correct consistency for jamun syrup when 3 cups of sugar dissolves 1 cup water over low heat.
Only when the syrup is ready, mix the jamun dough.
Since the dough has soda, if its kept aside the jamuns will disperse while frying and will not hold well.

Right temperature of oil of utmost importance to get soft jamuns.

Never refrigerate jamuns. Jamuns when refrigerated will shrink and become hard.

Jamuns will stay fresh for 4 days when stored in air tight containers.

If you like you can add two drops of rose essence to the syrup to make it Gulab jamun

This is the procedure and the tips as given to us and I have not changed it one bit!I just made one small addition though.

I added 2 teaspoons of milk[to remove impurities] to the sugar syrup as it started boiling, strained it and then added cardamom and saffron strands.

When I made the first batch,the jamuns started to crack when I was frying them and only then did I realize that I had not rolled the balls well.I rectified this in the next batch and got wonderfully shaped jamuns.Since it took a long time to prepare this and the want of enough sunlight to click a pic[ and I had to do it all before lil angel woke up from her beauty sleep],I am posting the pic of the first batch which looks a little 'out of shape' but tasted divine.

As I am writing this post,I am savoring these sweet little delights.Each bite is sinfully delicious and I am not a bit worried about those extra calories,fat and whatever....[All that is for later though :)].Right now its pure pleasure.....

Sprouts at home..

Sprouts are well known for their nutritive benefits.They are sometimes referred to as wonder foods.

Sprouts are an inexpensive method of obtaining concentrates sources of vitamins,minerals and enzymes.It is also the safest way to get the maximum nutritional benefit devoid of contamination and harmful chemicals/pesticides.

Apart from nutritional aspect,sprouts have other benefits as well.On sprouting,the grains develop better digestibility and increased nutritive value.

They supply food in the predigested form,meaning,the food has already been worked upon by enzymes thereby making it easy to digest.Starches are converted into simple sugars,proteins are broken down to amino acids and amides and fats and oils are converted into simple fatty acids by the action of various enzymes.

While whole bean is considered to be gas producing and shunned by many,the sprouting process gets rid of this quality to a maximum level.

Consuming sprouts avoids constipation as it contains lots fiber and water.

Last week I made Moong sprouts at home after a long gap.Though I get loads of varieties at the farmers market and the fact that it is very inexpensive,I wanted to make them at home for a change.

Moong sprouts have a greater nutritional advantage over the dried green gram/whole moong.The water content of sprouted moong is higher than the dreid one and the ascorbic acid content increases by many folds.There is also an increase in protein and sodium content.The increase in amounts of vitamins and minerals along with the sodium content contributes to the easy digestibility of these sprouts.

Making sprouts at home is very easy.

• Soak the moong bean overnight.
• The next morning,drain the water and tie it in a muslin cloth[or any thin cloth] .Put in tnto an vessel and leave it in a dark corner.
• The next day you can see the spouts emerging.Ideally the sprouts can be twice the length of the moong bean.Remove from the cloth and use as required.

Simple isn't it!!!!!




Sending this simple entry to My legume love affair[MMLA]- 17th edition,hosted by Sra of 'When my soup came alive'.MMLA is an event started by Susan of The well seasoned cook.