Cucumber Raitha/Vellerikka thair pachadi

Summer in full swing and was wondering  how to beat the scorching summer heat? Remembered cool crunchy cucumber! This low calorie vegetable has more nutrients to offer than just water and
It provides  just 15 calories per 100 Grams.
Health Benefits:-It is a very good source of Potassium, helps reduce blood pressure and heart rates by countering effects of sodium. It contains unique anti-oxidants in good ratios such as ß-carotene and α-carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin A. Cucumbers have mild diuretic property probably due to their high water and potassium content, which helps in checking weight gain and high blood pressure. They are surprisingly have high amount of vitamin K. Vitamin-K has been found to have potential role in bone strength by promoting osteotrophic (bone mass building) activity.(Source :- wiki)

Ingredients:-

Cucumber:- 2
Salt to taste
Green Chillies -4
Fresh Coconut - 3 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Coriander Leaves
Curd - 1 Cup
Sugar - a pinch

Seasoning:-
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method:-
1.Scrape the outer skin of cucumber  and cut into small pieces and transfer it to a vessel.
2. Grind Fresh coconut and Chillies in a mixer.
3. Add it to the Cucumber pieces.
4. Add Curd, Salt, a pinch sugar to it and mix well
5. Heat Oil in a pan , add musturd seeds, and asafoetida.
6.Once the mustard seeds starts spluttering, add it to the cucumber Mix.
7.Garnish with Coriander Leaves.
8.Cool, crunchy, tasty Cucumber raitha/ Thair pachadi is ready to eat.

Note:-Coconut is optional. Instead of grinding the chillies u can cut it into peices and add it to cucumber. Sugar is also optional. You can have this raitha with veg pulav, Veg biryani, Mixed rices,
parathas, rotis etc.

 

Vegetarian thali - 3

I love to eat food served in banana leaf. But as i don't get banana leaf at my place the next best option is food served in thalis. One of those usual and relaxed Friday's off from work, got time to cook at leisure. So ended up cooking this simple thali for lunch. This is a simple veg thali consisting of Rice, tindora/kovakka sabji, Coconut Chutney,Cucumber/Vellerikka raitha, Tomato Rasam, Curd and Ginger Pickle. The receipes of the same are posted individually in the blog. I enjoyed cooking and posting the receipes, hope you enjoy reading and  try cooking these receipes. Your comments and suggestions are welcome......

Spicy Onion and Tomato Chutney

This is a spicy chutney made out of Onions and Tomatoes which goes well as a side dish for Soft South indian idlies. Its simple to make. Lets see how to make it...
Ingredients:-
Urad Dal - 5 tsp
Onions - 5
Tomatoes - 2

Small Red chillies - 12 to 15 pieces
Tamarind- Small Lemon Size
Oil - 2 Tsp
Salt to taste
Method:-
1. Heat Oil in a pan. Fry Urad Dal,Red chillies and tamarind  until they are nicely fried and become golden in colour and keep it aside.


2. In the same pan fry onions and tomatoes

3. Until they are nicely cooked and onions becomes transparent.

4.Let it cool.
5.Grind the Urad Dal,Red chillies,Tamarind,Onions,Tomato in Mixer with salt and without water.
6. Course grind them and remove chutney in a bowl.

7. Heat Oil in a pan add mustard seeds.
8. Once it starts spluttering,add curry leaves and pour it on the chutney.

9. Yummy and spicy chutney is ready to eat with hot and  Soft Idlies.


 You can eat this chutney with Rice,Roti,Dosa,Upma etc......

Note:- Sending this recipe to cook up a meal under 30 min by Srivalli Meal under 30 min

South Indian Soft Idlis

i cant believe this. Me idlies..... making from scratch and eating too.....  i am i dreaming .....nooo.....i think my family is not going to believe this especially my Sis and Bro. I am the first one to run away and throw tantrums listening to the word idlies.
Even though it was a regular thing that was made twice or thrice a week for breakfast, evening tiffin and dinner from my childhood at home i never liked them. My mom used to have so much problems with me she used to make dosa for me when ever she made idlies.
 Believe me she used to make such sponge like idlies which used to melt in mouth. I think even though my mom never cursed me, but i was punished for making her run after me and not eating her nice and soft idlies.  Once i started working and stayed in a hostel i was served idles for dinner twice a week  and let me tell you the idlies are not soft at all but i had no other go...But to eat them...:(

Now i make idlies regularly....... and eat them too....Things change and me too i think....ha ha....
I used to grind the idlie batter in wet grinder but this time used my sumeet mixie to make them. Believe me the idlies came out nice and soft.Time consumption in grinding the batter is very less compared to using wet grinder. Let's see how to make this mouth watering idlies and Spicy tomato Onion chutney
Ingredients:-
Urad Dal - 1 1/3 Cup(Split ones)
Boiled Rice - 2 Cups
Raw Rice - 1 Cup
Poha/aval - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Sodium Bicarbonate/Cooking soda - 1 Tsp
Method:-
1.Soak Boiled rice and raw rice together and urad dal separately for 6 to 8 hours. i soaked them over night.
2.In the morning soak Poha in Sufficient water for 1 hour.
3. In a mixie first grind the Urad dal by pouring little bit of ice/Cold water  in between now and then. Care should be taken not to make the mixie Hot.
4. Grind Urad dal switching mixie on and off every 2 Min's. Grind it until it becomes soft like butter.
5. Remove it and keep it in a large bowl.
6. Grind Rice and poha together until it forms a batter.
7. Add it to the bowl which contains  already ground urad dal batter.
8.Add salt. Mix sodium Bicarbonate in 3 tsp  of hot water and add it to the batter.
9. Mix well and keep it to ferment for 6 to 8 hours.

10. Batter will nicely ferment and rise double the quantity.

11. Mix it well. Idli/Dosa batter is ready to use.

12. Grease the idli plates with a drop of oil.
13. Pour the batter on the plates and set it in idli cooker.




14. Cook it for 15 min until whistle comes.
15. switch off the stove and let it cool a little bit.
16. Sprinkle little bit water on the idli plates and remove the idlies into a bowl.



 17. Hot and very soft idlies are ready to eat with Spicy Tomato onion Chutney and Idli Molagapodi/chilli powder.

Note:- Sending this recipe to cook up a meal under 30 min by Srivalli Meal under 30 min

Kovakkai Karamadhu or tindora sabji or ivy gourd curry

Kovakkai  also known as Dondakaya in Telugu, Kundru in Hindi, Parwal in Marathi and Ivy gourd in English.This vegetable was not that popular because of the wrong notion that it reduces the sharpness of brain. This was a neglected vegetable for long but thanks to the recent researches that bought into limelight its medicinal value.

In traditional medicine, fruits have been used to treat leprosy, fever, asthma, bronchitis and jaundice. It is claimed that these products help regulate blood sugar levels. Tindora is a vegetable rich in fibre and a vast array of B vitamins and minerals. It is quite a valuable source of nutrients.(Source:-Wiki)

Kovakkai blends well with all sorts of masalas. This is a simple sabji but tastes very nice with rice or roti.

Ingredients:-

Kovakkai - 1/3 Kg

Onions - 2

Salt as per taste

Chilly powder -2 tsp

Turmeric - a little

Oil -2tsp

Seasoning:-

Mustard seeds:- 1 tsp

Urad Dal -1 tsp

Method:-

1. Cook Kovakkai/Ivy gourd separately in enough water with salt till soft or steam for 10 min in microwave by sprinkling water .

2. Strain water and keep it aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add seasoning. Once Mustard starts spluttering add onions,salt(Little bit) and fry till golden.

4. Add cooked Kovakkai, turmeric, chilly powder.

5. Keep it in stove in Sim for another 10 to 15 Min's until it becomes crisp.

6. Tasty Kovakkai /Tindli subji is ready.

Variations:-

I have used idli chilly Powder instead of chilly powder in my subji. It tastes nice.

You can add course ground nuts powder along with chilly powder.

You can add garam masala powder before removing it from fire.

Grind coconut with green chillies and add it to the kovakkai.

Note:-

Already you have added salt while cooking kovakkai/Tindli in water hence use a little bit salt while adding to onions.