Sambar

Sambar

Sambar

Ingredients

• Tur Dhal......................2cups
• Okra (Vendakai).........5
• Pumpkin.....................100gms
• Green Pepper.............1
• Drumstick..................1
• Tamarind....................lemon size
• Mustard Seeds......,,,,,1tsp
• Salt to Taste

To fry

• Red chili............6
• Coriander seeds....3 tsp
• Chana Dhal..........3 tsp
• Asafoetida............small piece
• Coconut...............2tsp
• Turmeric Powder...1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves........few
• Coriander Leaves....few

Method

• Cook the dhal in pressure cooker.
• Fry the chili, coriander seeds, chana dhal and Asafoetida with little oil and grind with coconut. 
• Extract tamarind juice. Wash and cut the vegetables into pieces. 
• Boil them in water and turmeric powder. 
• When the vegetables are cooked add the tamarind water , curry leaves and salt. 
• Let it boil for some time. Add the dhal and ground paste. 
• Stir nicely. When it is boiled remove to a bowl. 
• Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds and when it splutters add to the sambar. 
• Sprinkle the chopped coriander.
• You can use powder asafoetida but the other solid LG perungayam smell very good.
• Instead of grinding the masala you can use sambar powder. .

Pazha Nurukku/Nendra Pazham Nurukku (Ripe plantain Dessert)

Pazha nurukkuu/Nedra Pazham Nurukku (Ripe Plantain dessert)

Pazham puzhugiyathu in Malayalam I make this in USA, because you can get the ripe plantain plenty here but the taste is different here. I just keep in the pazhams in microwave after chopping both sides. It is very healthy breakfast and very filling too.The sweet dessert is very tasty and we prepare on Onam day.

Ingredients

• Nendran pazham(Ripe Plantain)…….2
• Powdered Jaggery…………………1cup
• Ghee……………………………….1tsp

Method

• Cut the banana into 2” pieces with the skin .
• Heat a pan with little water add the jaggery powder and banana pieces.
• Keep the flame in low. Cover the pan. 
• Stir from time to time. The jaggery becomes thick and banana pieces are cooked and incorporated with jaggery well.
• Remove and serve. Remove the skin and eat it
• In Kerala we prepare this recipe very often and especially children love this pazham nurukku.
• This is one of the dish for Onam Sadya.

Athirasam (Sweet Athirasam)

Athirasam

 
Ingredients

• Raw rice………………….2 cups
• Jaggery...............................2 cup
• Cardamom Powder………1/2 tsp
• Dry Ginger Powder……….1 pinch

Method

• Soak the rice for two hours. Remove the water and spread in a towel.
• When it dries grind in a blender
• Sieve it to get fine powder. 
• The powder should be slightly wet.
• Heat a pan with little water add the jaggery and make a syrup.
• Filter this syrup to remove the stone.
• Boil again till it forms one thread consistency Kambi padam(Put a drop jaggery in cold water then it should be like soft gel). 
• Add this syrup, cardamom powder to the rice flour to a soft dough.
• Heat a pan with oil to fry. 
• Apply oil in plantain leaf of plastic, take small amount dough and spread like small discs. 
• Deep fry them and keep them in paper towel.

Cucumber Raitha

Cucumber Raitha

 
This raitha is very soothing dish.

Ingredients

• Cucumber..............1
• Yogurt....................1cup
• Mustard Seeds.......1/2 tsp
• Red Chili.................1
• Curry Leaves.............few
• Salt to taste

Method

• Peel the skin of the cucumber and grate it. 
• Add yogurt and salt.Heat a pan with oil,mustard seeds, chili and curry leaves.
• When the mustard splutters add to the raitha.
• This dish goes with vegetable pulav.
• Make dhuthi raitha with grated dhuthi. 
• You can make okra raitha , karela  raitha, spinach raitha the same way.
• But fry chopped spinach/chopped okra/ chopped bitter gourd and add to the yogurt.

Home remedy

Dry, lustreless hair

Good ole' grandma's warm coconut oil works best. Massage in about half hour before you shampoo.

You could also use a heavy duty conditioner like Boots' Honey Acacia (Rs 225, available at any store which houses imported products).

Amongst the Indian brands, you could use Ultra Doux with wheatgerm for dry hair, which will cost your approximately Rs 130.

Natural remedies!

For those who don't want to settle for anything less than 100 per cent natural, here are some home remedies you can concoct:

For that satiny feeling, apply virgin olive oil on your body, lips and nails; it's a great skin revitalizer.

Mix equal parts of boroglycerine (Rs 3 a vial, available at any chemist), rosewater and a few drops of lemon juice. Apply this at bedtime on your face, hands and feet for magical results.

Mix a teaspoon each of milk cream, honey and oats. Apply on your face for 10 minutes and scrub off. It not only moisturizes but exfoliates gently, leaving your skin radiant. Use this pack once a week.

Whip up this pre-bath body scrub, massage all over your body and then shower:

Grind three tablespoons of sesame seeds (til) with three to four teaspoons of rosewater and half a teaspoon of sandalwood paste.

You now have a fragrant, hydrating pre-bath body scrub.

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Murukku(Kai Murukku)

Murukku

Murukku by hand

Making murukku is an art.In south Indian wedding we prepare plate sized murukkus and display them.This is main item in the wedding.

Kai Murukku

• Ponni Boiled Rice…………….2cups
• Urad Dhal Powder…………….3tbsp
• Melted Butter…………………3 tbsp
• Cumin Seed …………………..2tsp
• Hing………………………….1tsp
• Salt to Taste.

Method

• Soak the rice for 4 to 5 hours and grind finely in the wet grinder. 
• Add salt butter, cumin seeds, hing and urad dhal powder.
• Mix well and knead to a thick dough. 
• First apply oil on your fingers. take little dough and roll them between your palm make spiral form. 
• While twisting press the end with finger and make two or three rounds. 
• By practicing it can be done easily. 
• Heat coconut oil and drop the murukkus when it is hot. 
• And fry them both sides. Remove from the oil and place in a paper towel.

• Murukku with coffee /tea is good combination
• Murukku can be prepared with raw rice flour.
• Soak the raw rice for an hour and remove the water, spread on paper towel to dry. 
• Grind this rice into fine powder. 
• And sieve it Uraddhal powder
• Dry roast the 1 cup dhal for 2 minutes to remove the raw smell, powder it in ablender. 
• Sieve it into a fine powder

Pavakai Pitla( Karela Pitlai)

Pavakai Pitla or bitter gourd pitla ( Karela pitlai) 

Pavakkai Pitla

• Pavakai……………4
• Tamarind………….lemon size
• Red Chili………….6
• Urad Dhal…………..3tbsp
• Grated Coconut……½ cup
• Turmeric Powder….¼ tsp
• Cooked Tur Dhal….. 1cup
• Mustard Seeds…..1tsp
• Salt to taste

Method 

• Wash and cut the pavakai into small pieces. 
• Fry the chili, urad dhal with little oil and grind with coconut.
• Take the tamarind juice adding water. 
• Boil the pavakai with water. 
• Add tamarind water, turmeric powder, and. Salt. 
• When the pavakai is cooked add the coconut paste cooked dhal and let it boil.
• Heat a pan with oil add mustard, curry leaves and urad dhal. 
• When it becomes red, add to the pitla.

Beauty (Home remdies for Acne Scars)

Beauty

Looking for effective home remedies to treat acne scarring? Here are some things that you can concoct in the comfort of your own home to get rid of acne and acne scars:

1. Squeeze the juice out of fresh lemons or limes.

Apply the juice directly on your acne scars using a cotton ball. Let your skin soak up the lemon juice for a while before washing it off with water. Lemon juice improves the appearance of dark acne scars and blemishes by lightening them.

2. Mix sandalwood with a few drops of rosewater to make a paste.

The sandalwood and rosewater paste can be used as a facial mask and can be directly applied on the scarred area. Leave the paste on for more than an hour. Wear it overnight if you can. Wash off completely with water. This is an effective method of how to treat acne scar because of sandalwood's soothing and cooling effect on the skin.

3. Slice up a tomato and place it over your face.

Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A that hinders overproduction of sebum that causes acne. Vitamin A also has antioxidant qualities that refreshes and renews scarred and damaged skin.

4. Olive oil does not only improve the taste of food, but can also improve the appearance of acne scars.

Massage olive oil on the scarred skin. Olive oil has a moisturizing quality that softens the skin's texture and reduces visibility of acne scars.

5. Honey is another natural moisturizer that can help in treating acne scars.

You can use honey as a mask or orally take a specially formulated honey acne scar treatment.

6. To treat acne scars, use this mixture as a face mask:

1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of oatmeal, and a few drops of lemon juice. Pat the mixture onto acne scars, leave on for 10 minutes, and rinse off.

7. A popular way of how to treat acne scar is to use a face mask made out of tomatoes and cucumbers.

These two combined can greatly reduce the visibility of acne scars. Using a tomato and cucumber face mask also tightens the pores of the skin giving it a nice, even texture.

8. To get a quick relief from acne scars.

Rub some ice cubes in a pack on the affected area. This soothes the irritated skin and also shrinks the size of pores.

9. Fenugreek is an effective solution to how to treat acne scars.

You can make a paste out of fenugreek leaves and use it as a face mask. You can also boil Fenugreek seeds in water and use the solution on acne scars after it cools down.

10. lavender oil

Saturate a cotton ball with a few drops of acne-fighting essential oil such aslavender oil.. Apply it on acne scars at least two times a day.

11. Use cucumber juice or fresh cucumber paste as a face mask.

Cucumber soothes inflammation, refreshes the skin, and heals acne scars.

12. Egg whites are a cheap yet effective way of how to treat acne scar.

Dab some egg whites onto acne scars using a cotton ball and leave on overnight to prevent acne and treat acne scars.

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Vazhakai Podimas (Banana Podimas)

Ingredients

Vazhakai…………………….5
Grated Coconut……………..1/3 cup
Chopped Green Chili…………\2 tsp
Chopped Ginger …………….1 tsp
Salt to Taste
Mustard Seeds……………….1tsp
Urad Dhal……………………..2tsp
Curry Leaves…………………..few
Coconut Oil……………………2tsp
 
Method.

Cut the the both side of vazhakai and put them in boiled water.
When they change their color remove them.

Peel the skin and grate them..

Whip the coconut and chili and add this to the grated vazhakai. 

Heat a pan with coconut oil add mustard seeds , urad dhal and curry leaves. 

When the dhal turns its color add the vazakai podimas, coconut, ginger. 

Mix them well. Serve with sambar rice/ rasam rice.

Potato Red Pepper Fry

Potato Red Pepper Fry ( potato pepper curry)

Potato Red Pepper Fry

Ingredients

• Potato............................6
• Red Pepper....................1
• Red Chili Powder...........1tsp
• Turmeric Powder............1/4 tsp  
• Mustard Seeds...............1tsp
• Jeera( Cumin Seeds).......2tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Wash and cut the potato into big pieces. chop the pepper in long pieces. 
• Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil, add mustard seeds and cumin seed and when the mustard splutters add the potato and pepper.(you can keep on microwave for 5 minutes and then fry) 
• Add salt and turmeric powder. 
• When the potatoes are cooked add chili powder. 
• Very tasty, this curry goes with chapathi or sambar rice.