Carrot orange juice recipe (with ginger)

I like to drink carrot juice. Here in Singapore food courts/ juice shops, we get so many awesome combination of fruit and vegetable juices. I am always amazed with the wide variety of choices. Though some a awkward combinations for me, I like many. One of the combo I drink often is carrot orange juice with ginger. Here we can choose the combinations too. I have few other combinations which I am planning to try at home.

This has very nice flavour and beautiful colour as well. Kids will surely love to have it just coz  of its colour! Its healthy and eye appealing, what else we need?
 

Carror orange juice recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Continental  |  Recipe Category: Drink
Prep Time: 15 mins    |  Cook time: 0 mins    |  Serves: 2

Ingredients

Carrot	2 (small)
Orange	2
Ginger	A small piece
Sugar (optional)	As needed

 

 

Method

1.   Peel off the skin of orange and wash and clean carrots and slice them roughly. Place them in blender with ginger and grind smoothly.
2. Strain in a metal strainer and serve immediately.

Notes

• You can skip ginger if you are not big fan of it, but it helps in digestion of the raw carrots and prevent heart burn.

Serve this healthy drink immediately. You can blend it with few ice cubes if you want it cold.

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MANATHAKKALI KEERAI THANNI SAARU RECIPE | MANATHAKKALI KEERAI RECIPES

           This is a perfect remedy for mouth ulcer. Manathakkali keerai or Black nightshade has lot of medicinal properties, but what I know is its a wonderful home remedy for mouth ulcer and of-course ulcer. As a kid, I used to love the looks of the berries, it looked as if they are the berries that are described in the English stories I used to read as a kid. Somehow, no idea why!! May be I had no idea about berries those days and imagined these so!  Only these are too tiny and cute. The leaves are also chewed raw if the mouth ulcer is too big and painful to get immediate relief. I have not done so, but have seen few people who had done it and got relieved. Basically this thanni saaru has coconut milk and jeera too in addition to this keerai to cure your mouth ulcer. I already have Agathi keerai Thanni saaru posted few years back. Yes, we make thanni saaru when ever possible for its goodness!

Manathakkali Keerai Thanni saaru recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 15 mins    |  Cook time: 15 mins    |  Serves: 3

Ingredients

Manathakkali keerai (black nightshade)	2 cups loosely packed
Coconut, grated	1/2 cup – 3/4 cup
Shallots/small onion	5
Sugar
Jeera	1 tsp
Salt & water	As needed

Method

1. Separate the leaves from the stem and wash the greens. Keep aside. Slice shallots and slightly crush the jeera. Bring 2 cups of water(or water drained while washing rice/ kazhani/ arisi mandi) to boil and add sliced shallots, jeera, a pinch of sugar and the leaves. Let it get cooked. Add salt when its half done.
2. Meanwhile, extract milk from coconut. Grind the coconut with 1/4 cup luke warm water and squeeze the milk from the coconut using your hands under a metal strainer. With the remains, again add little more luke warm water and you can grind and extract the second milk.
3. Once the keerai(greens) is cooked then switch off the flame and add the coconut milk and stir well. The keerai takes a long time to cook. So while it gets cooked, you can extract the coconut milk.

Notes

• Do not let the thanni saaru boil after adding coconut milk. Just warm it, its enough.
• This one is supposed to be like rasam in consistency. So add more water to adjust the consistency.
• Its supposed to be with no spicy things in it, so I have not added any. If you want add 1/4 tsp black pepper powder.

You can drink this as such and eat the leaves. My hubby also mixes with rice and eat. But it will be very very mild.

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Pineapple rasam recipe | Pineapple recipes

           I have tasted pineapple rasam only in marriages or in restaurant lunch menus. And definitely it is very unique by its taste and flavour. But neither mom nor MIL make this in their kitchen. But I wanted to try and post in Rak’s kitchen, so referred to the cookbook mom gave and tried. Both me and Vj liked the rasam, I dint tried with Aj yet. I always love pineapple flavour.  Be it pineapple juice or pineapple kesari, I love the fruity smell. The best thing I like in fruit salad with ice cream they serve in Saravana bhavan is pineapple .  So wanted to try this rasam with my favorite pineapple in it,  for a long time. Atlast I tried and here is the recipe I adapted to suit my taste and convenience. Sure you can impress your guests with this one, inspite of the usual rasams.

Pineapple rasam recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 15 mins    |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Pineapple - 2 rings/ slices

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Tomato - 2

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Rasam powder - 1 tsp

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Turmeric - 1/8 tsp

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Cooked toor dal - 1/2 cup

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Salt - As needed

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Curry leaves - 1 sprig

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Coriander leaves - 2 tblsp

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To grind coarsely

Pepper - 1 tsp

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Jeera - 1 tsp

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Garlic - 4 flakes

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To temper

Oil - 2 tsp

---

Mustard - 1 tsp

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Fenugreek seeds (optional) - 1/2 tsp

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Red chilli - 2

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Asafoetida - 1 pinch

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Method

1. Pressure cook dal and mash it and keep aside. Powder pepper, jeera and garlic coarsely. Keep aside.

2. Grind one ring/slice of pineapple to paste and keep aside as well.

3. In a bowl, mash 1 tomato and add 1 cup water. Chop other tomato and pineapple slice finely. Mix salt, 3/4th of the ground pepper, jeera and garlic, ground pineapple, rasam powder and turmeric with the mashed tomatoes.

4. In a kadai, temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table, followed by curry leaves. Add the reserved 1/4th part of jeera, pepper and garlic powder and give a quick stir.

5. Add chopped tomato and pineapple and fry for 3-4  minutes in medium flame.

6. Add the mixed items we kept in step3 and enough water to adjust its consistency. Bring it to boil. Add cooked dal.

7. Top with chopped coriander leaves and when the rasam is about to boil/ raises frothy, switch off the flame and cover immediately.

Notes

• Tangy pineapple is apt for this rasam.
• Pineapple rasam can be made along with lemon also. I will post that version some other time.

Serve the flavourful rasam hot, with rice and appalam, along with the other poriyals/ curry.

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CANTALOUPE JUICE RECIPE | SUMMER DRINK RECIPES

I saw this fruit cantaloupe in the shop last week and found it look more similar to the kirini pazham we get in India. When I tried to find out in the net, there are so many  varieties like honey dew, cantaloupe/ musk melon. But what ever they belong to, the taste is very similar. And these are great thirst quenchers for the summer and great body coolant as well. I love to eat as such, but Vj likes to have it as juice. Its really yummy and I like its flavor a lot. And above all its so simple to make, just blend it with sugar and serve chilled!

Cantaloupe juice

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Drink
Prep Time:10 mins     |  Cook time: 0 mins     |  Serves: 3

Ingredients

Cantaloupe - 1

---

Sugar - 3 tblsp

Method

1. Cut the fruit into two halves as shown and  scoop out the seeds first and discard. Then using a scooper/ laddle we use for gravies, scoop the pulp from the fruit. 
2. As you scoop, transfer to the juicer jar and blend it with sugar until smooth. Adjust sugar as per your taste.

Notes

• You can scoop the pulp and keep refrigerated in an airtight box and blend it whenever needed (within a day).
• Mix well before serving.

Enjoy this amazing body coolant this summer and keep your family cool!

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CORN PULAV RECIPE | SWEET CORN RECIPES

          I had corn pulav/ corn pulao/ corn pilaf only 2-3 times before. In buffet and once in flight. I loved it both the times. It was very simple to look at,  yet had wonderful taste. Even Aj loved it when he has it with some dal in the flight and with aloo palak in the buffet once. So I had a thought of trying it since last year when I travelled to India, now after almost an year, now only I tried. It came out very well and corn is always my boy’s favourite. So he enjoyed it. You can make this corn pulav for even your lunch box and pair it with something like dal makani, rajma masala or even palak paneer or aloo palak ~ it makes a hearty meal!

Corn pulav recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 30 mins    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Basmati rice	2 cups
Sweet Corn, Frozen	1 cup
Green chilli	2
Milk (optional)	1/2 cup
Water	2 cups
Mint leaves	10
Coriander leaves	2 tblsp
Salt	as needed

 

To grind

Garlic	5
Ginger	A small piece
Pepper, (black, whole)	1 tsp
Cinnamon	1 small stick
Cloves	2
Cashew	5-7

 

To temper

Oil + ghee	3 tblsp
Bay leaves	1
Elachi	2

Method

1. I used frozen corn, if you are using the fresh sweet corn, first separate the kernels. Wash and keep aside. Soak the rice for at least 20 mins. Grind the items under ‘To grind’ table with little water to a smooth paste.
2. Heat a pressure cooker with oil and temper with bay leaves and elachi followed by slit chillies. Add the ground paste and fry for 2 minutes in medium flame and let the raw smell go away.
3. Add the corn and fry for another 2 minutes in medium flame. Add little salt for the corn. Add the milk and water, bring to boil.
4. Add salt, mint leaves, coriander leaves and rice. When it starts boiling, check for salt and reduce the flame to lowest possible and cook for 12-15 minutes.

Notes

• You can add onions in the recipe, I wanted to make it simple so dint add.
• Milk gives a sweet richness, but you can replace it with coconut milk or water too.
• If you cant reduce the flame much in your stove, you can cook this same with different water ratio. If the flame is higher, then you may need more water.So experiment with your water ratio.

We had it with Paneer butter masala Simple superb combination !!

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Spaghetti with spinach | Spaghetti recipes

I like the combination of pasta and spinach always, like in this recipe. It goes well with each other. So when I saw this recipe in the cookbook I borrowed from library, I loved the simplicity of the recipe and sounded healthy too. So made it last week for my lunch. It was so filling and had a hearty meal. Make it for your kid, they would love it too. The flavour burst of garlic and the tanginess lemon gives, yummy!

Spaghetti with spinach recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Continental  |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time:10 mins    |  Cook time: 30 mins     |  Makes: 2

Ingredients

Ingredients

Spaghetti - 250 gm

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Spinach - 1 cup

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Garlic - 4 pods

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Parmesan, grated - 2 tbslp

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Lemon - 1/2

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Pine nuts(optional) - 2 tblsp

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Olive oil - 4 tblsp

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Salt - As needed

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Chilli flakes - 2 tsp

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Method

1. Boil enough water with salt and cook spaghetti in it as per package instructions. Once done, drain it and mix a tblsp of oil to it and keep aside.

2. Wash spinach leaves and keep it immersed for a minute (blanch) and again wash it in cold water.

3. Chop it roughly and peel and chop garlic also very finely. Heat a pan with 3 tblsp oil in medium heat. Add garlic cook it for 2-3 minutes in low flame.

4. When it turns golden, add spinach in a scattered way and mix well.

5. Switch of the flame and squeeze the lemon and add pine nuts if desired.

6. Mix well and mix it with the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add cheese, little salt, chilli flakes and mix well.

Notes

• Baby spinach can be used as in the original recipe.
• Pine nuts is purely optional, but please add cheese and do not skip it.
• For healthier version, replace spaghetti with whole wheat spaghetti.

Garnish with more cheese and chilli flakes as needed at the time of serving.

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KARADAIYAN NOMBU ADAI RECIPE (SWEET & SALT)

Karadaiyan nombu is one of the Thamizh festivals I have seen as I grew up. I can never forget the yellow thread with a flower tied to it, that we tie around neck/ hand. Every day I apply turmeric to keep it yellow every day. Adai is secondary for me those days, but this yellow thread excited me a lot, don't know why. The adai is very flavourful as we roast and add karamani( black eyed peas). My mom adds nava dhanyam in this just for name sake, but its optional. so add it one each, while roasting karamani(Rice by itself make a grain(nell)). I usually sandwich both sweet adai and savoury adai during my childhood, as I am not big fan of jaggery those days. Now I like both. My MIL have no practise to do this nombu, but I wanted to record here, so made it. After long time the flavour of this adai took me back to the childhood days .

What is Karadaiyan Nombu festival? Learn more about the festival here in my Dad's post :) 



        The festival is celebrated when the Tamil month Panguni begins and precisely at the time when month starts. But can also be made at the nalla neram of that day. So make it as per your convenience.

Karadaiyan nonbu adai recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Snack
Prep Time: 2 hours    |  Cook time: 30 mins    |  Makes: 14 each

Ingredients

Raw rice - 1 & 1/2 cups

For sweet adai

Rice flour - 1 cup

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Jaggery - 1 cup

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Water - 2 cups

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Coconut pieces - 3-4 tblsp

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Karamani/ black eyed peas - 1/4 cup

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Cardamom - 1, powdered

For salt adai

Rice -1 cup

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coconut - 3-4 tblsp

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Karamani - 1/4 cup

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Salt - As needed

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Oil - 1 tsp

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Mustard - 3/4 tsp

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Green chilli - 2

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Curry leaves - 1 sprig

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Asafoetida - 2 generous pinches

Method

1. Wash and soak rice for 1 or two hours. After soaking, drain water completely and spread it in a clean kitchen towel. 
2. Mean while, roast karamani and 7 other grains(optional)– I used  channa, black urad, green moong, finger millet, red milltet, mocha kottai, dried peas . Roast until karamani starts golden and nice aroma wafts. Let the flame in medium flame.
3. Soak in water until you do the other works.
4. Now the rice flour, let the cloth absorb excess water. Say for 30 minutes. Grind it to a fine powder in a mixer. Sieve it and if you get more remains(coarse rice in the sieve) again powder it sieve to prevent wastage.
5. This will yield 2 cups plus little more. So you can use it for this recipe. 1 cup flour for each, sweet and salt version. Boil 2 cups water in a heavy bottomed vessel, add jaggery and dissolve it completely. 
6. Filter the jaggery to remove impurities in a metal strainer. Bring to boil again and add the karamani we soaked drained from water. Simmer the flame and add the flour in a sprinkled way. Mix it while you add briskly with other hand to avoid lump formation.  
7. Continue stirring in a mashing way, to break the lumps if any. When it becomes a lump as in the picture below, switch off the flame. It takes some time, so keep stirring. When it forms lump, it may look sticky, but after cool down, it will stiffen.
8. For salt version, heat a heavy bottomed pan with oil and season with mustard, green chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida. Add 2 cups water,mix salt to it. Bring to boil. You can add a pinch of asafoetida at this stage for extra flavour.
9. Simmer the flame and add the rice flour little by little as you mix with the other hand. 
10. Cook in medium flame, this will thicken soon than the sweet dough, so be prepared for that. When it forms as a lump, switch off the flame and transfer to another vessel.
11. By now the sweet dough would have cooled down. Make equal sized balls, flatten in well greased hands and make a hole in the middle. When u make hole, dip the finger in sesame oil to make it easier. Arrange in plate/ idli plate.
12. Repeat the same for salt version and make equal size balls and flatten in well greased hands, make a hole in the middle. Arrange in greased idli plate and steam for 5-8 minutes.

Notes

• You can use store bough rice flour also for this preparation.
• Make sure you reduce the flame when you add flour and keep stirring to avoid lumps in the dough. If few lumps are there, it will break as we keep stirring, no need to worry.
• Roasting karamani adds a great flavour, not only that, it also makes it cook easily. The longer it gets soaked, it will easily get cooked and be soft in the adai.
• If you want, you can even boil the karamani to cook it before adding.
• Keep the prepared dough covered, as it will become dry while cooling down.
• It it is too dry, sprinkle water while you make adai. Otherwise the edges will be cracked.
• You can add grated coconut in place of chopped coconut, both has its own texture and taste.
• Longer the time you soak karamani, sooner and soft it will get cooked in the adai.
• The sweet dough takes longer time to get stiff. So keep stirring.
• You can add finely chopped ginger in salt adai while tempering…

We offer with butter(urugaadha vennai) and it does tastes best with it :)

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