Poondu karuvapillai milagu kuzhambu:

Ingredients:

Red Chilli – 4
Pepper corns – 1 tbs
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Garlic pods – 10
Urad dal – 1tbs
Toor dal – ½ cup
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Tamarind, lemon-sized, soaked in ½ cup of water for 10 minutes
Curry leaves- ½ cup
Gingely oil – 2 tbs
Asafoetida – ½ tsp

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and fry all the above ingredients except the mustard seeds,turmeric powder, asafoetida and tamarind. Add ¼ cup of water to the mixture and keep aside for 30 min. Fine grind the mixture.
2. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a kadai and sauté the mustard seeds, turmeric powder and asafoetida.
3. Squeeze out the thick tamarind juice using 2 cups of water and add to the above mixture. Add salt according to the taste and allow it to boil till the raw smell of the tamarind dissapears.
4. Add the ground mixture to the tamarind gravy and stir constantly till there are no lumps.
5. Add 1 tbs of gingely oil and allow it to boil and stir constantly till the oil seperates from the kuzhambu(gravy).

Ingredients (For 4 members) :

Sprouted Dalia rava – 1/2 cup
Onion, chopped – 1
Green chilli, chopped – 1
Green peas – 1/4 cup
Carrots, diced – 1/4 cup
Refined Oil – 1 tbs
salt to taste
Chopped coriander – 2 tbs

Method:

1. Wash the dalia thoroughly. Blanch it in 2 cups of hot water for 4 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
2. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the onion and green chilli and sauté till the onion turns translucent .
3. Add the peas, carrots, dalia and salt and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
5. Garnish with the coriander and serve hot.

Tips:

1. You can use any other vegetables of your choice.

2. You can use broken wheat instead of sprouted broken wheat.

“Nice Matters Award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.”

I would like to pass on this award to my good friend and food-lover Roma of romaspace.

The special nutritional needs of children.

Healthy Tips

1. For a young child (5-10 years.), 2 meals in a day are not sufficient, as the child cannot have full meal at a time.Thus, you can include 4-5 short meals in a day.
2. Meals should be energy dense i.e. short meals but with good combination of nutrients.
3. Children usually prefer finger foods, thus during lunch and dinner cubes and slices of carrot as well as cucumber will serve the purpose.

Importance of breakfast.

1. A nutritious breakfast is a key to your child’s good performance in studying.
2. Make sure your child does not skip breakfast.
3. One fruit with a cup of milk and any cereal product fulfills the necessity of breakfast.

Packed lunch (for school going children)

1. 1/3 of the day’s requirement should be fulfilled.
2. Try to incorporate cereals, pulses, milk products and vegetables in a packed lunch.

Ingredients:

Wheat based macaroni – 250 gms
Soy nuggets(soaked in water and drained) – ¼ cup
Tomatoes, chopped – 2
Onions, sliced – 1 (Big)
Tomato ketchup – 4 tbs
Garlic pods, peeled and chopped – 3-4
Olives, sliced – 2 tsp
Italian seasoning such as Basil, Oregano and mixed seasoning
Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
Refined oil – 1 tsp
Butter – 2 tsp
Coriander leaves, chopped – for garnishing
Salt to taste

Method:

1. For every cup of macaroni, add 1 and 1/2 cups of water and boil it with salt and refined oil. Drain the water and keep aside.
2. Heat the butter in a pan and sauté the onions, garlic and tomatoes till they turn glossy.
3. Add chilly powder and salt to the above mixture and stir well.
4. Add the pasta, soy nuggets and olives. Cook for few minutes with the lid covered.
5. Sprinkle some seasoning and cook for a minute.
6. Pour in the tomato ketchup and cook for a minute.
7. Remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Uppadai(Salt adai):

Ingredients: (For 10-15 Adai)

Rice flour, roasted, 1 cup
Dried Cowpeas(karamani) – 3 tbs
Coconut, grated – ½ cup
Ginger, 1” piece – 1
Green Chillies – 1-2
Refined Oil – 2 – 3 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Curry leaves – 3 to 4
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad Dal – 1½ tsp
Salt to taste
Water – For 1 cup of rice flour add 1½ cups of water.

Method:

1. Soak the cowpeas in water for 4 to 5 hours and steam till cooked. Stain the water and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the mustard seeds and urad dal. Add the finely cut ginger, green chillies and fry for a minute.
3. Add water, salt, grated coconut, asafoetida and curry leaves and allow it to boil.
4. Simmer the heat and add the cooked cowpeas and roasted rice flour. Stir constantly till the mixture comes together so that it does not form lumps. Add extra water if required. Remove from heat when all the water is absorbed and the mixture is almost cooked.
5. Take a small portion of the mixture and shape them to a circular adai (1/2 inch thickness) with a small hole in the middle on a palm or banana leaf or a plastic sheet.
6. Arrange the adai in the Idli steamer or cooker and steam till cooked.
7. Serve with Butter.

Vella Adai(Jaggery adai):

Ingredients: (For 10-15 Adai)

Rice flour, roasted, 1 cup
Dried Cowpeas(karamani) – 3 tbs
Coconut, grated – ½ cup
Jaggery, powdered– 1 to 1 ¼ cups
Green Cardamom, crushed – 4
Water – For 1 cup of rice flour add 2 cups of water.

Method:

1. Soak the cowpeas in water for 4 to 5 hours and steam till cooked. Stain the water and keep aside.
2. Boil 2 cups of water in a pan. Add jaggery and allow it to boil till it dissolves completely.
3. Add the grated coconut, cowpeas, crushed cardamom and roasted rice flour. Stir constantly till the mixture comes together so that it does not form lumps. Add extra water if required. Remove from heat when all the water is absorbed and the mixture is almost cooked.
4. Take a small portion of the mixture and shape them to a circular form (1/2 inch thickness) with a small hole in the middle on a palm or banana leaf or a plastic sheet.
5. Arrange the adai in the Idli steamer or cooker and steam till cooked.
6. Serve with Butter.

Many does not prefer Bitter gourd due to its taste even though it has excellent medicinal values.when bitter gourd is used as the main vegetable along with chickpea| Mochai(Field bean), you will start loving the taste of the bitter gourd due to the aroma and taste.

Brinjal Pitlai:

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd, cut into thin circular pieces – 2-3

Toor dal, cooked – ½ cup

Chickpea or Field bean, cooked – ¼ cup (optional)

Tamarind, lemon-sized, soaked in ½ cup of water for 10
minutes

Refined oil – 2tsp

Mustard seeds – 1tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Coriander seeds – 2 tbs

Chana dal – 2tbs

Black peppercorns – 4-5

Dry red chillies – 2-3

Asafoetida a pinch

Salt to taste

Coconut, scraped – ½ cup

Curry leaves – 4-5

Method:

1. Squeeze out the tamarind juice and keep aside.
2. Heat ¼ tsp of oil in a kadai and sauté the mustard seeds. Add the vegetable, turmeric powder, tamarind extract and salt. Allow to boil till the vegetable is cooked, adding water if necessary.
3. Heat the remaining oil and sauté the remaining ingredients except curry leaves and chickpea or Field beans till the coconut is reddish brown in color. Allow it to cool and grind to a fine powder.
4. Add the cooked toor dal, curry leaves, spice powder and chickpea to the bitter gourd mixture. Stir and cook for few minutes. Add water, if required to get the correct consistency.
5. Serve with plain rice and papad.

Tips:

1. To remove bitterness from the bitter gourd, rub salt all over the cut bitter gourd slices and leave it for 15-20 min and rinse off the salt and the water beneath the vessel. Squeeze the water out of the bitter gourd.
2. You can alternatively use vegetables like brinjal or drumstick or kothavaranga (cluster beans) instead of bitter gourd. instead of bitter gourd.

Ingredients:
Small onions, pealed or ( manathakkali| sundakkai| kothavaranga | Brinjal vatral or Fried Papad or onion and garlic together| Drumstick) – 1 cup
Tamarind, lemon-sized, soaked in ½ cup of water for 10 minutes
Sambar powder – 2 tsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
Toor dal – 1 ½ tsp
Red Chillies – 1 or 2 as per your taste
Asafoetida – a pinch
Curry leaves – 5 to 6
Gingely oil – 3 – 4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a kadai and sauté the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, toor dal and asafoetida till golden brown.
2. Add the curry leaves, any one of the above mentioned vegetables and fry for 1-2 min. Add the sambar powder and fry for another 1-2 min till golden brown.

3. Squeeze out the tamarind juice and dilute this juice in 2 cups of water by repeating the process. Add to the fried mixture. Add salt to taste.
4. Allow it to boil till the mixture thickens.
5. Serve with papad and plain rice.

Note:
1. If the ‘kuzhambu’ is too watery and does not thicken, add 1 tsp corn flour in ¼ cup of water and allow it to boil till the mixture thickens.
2. Instead of vegetables, if you select fried papad, follow the method as mentioned above and add the crushed papad at the end.

Ingredients:
Garlic pods, pealed – 5
Jeera – 2tsp
Black pepper corns – 2 tsp
Toor dal – 1 tbs
Coriander seeds – 1tsp
Curry leaves – 10 – 12 leaves
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Ghee – 1 tsp
Tamarind, lemon-sized, soaked in ½ cup of water for 10 minutes
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak the Jeera, black pepper corns, Toor dal, coriander seeds and curry leaves in ¼ cup of water for 20 to 30 min.
2. Grind the soaked mixture along with garlic coarsely.
3. Squeeze out the tamarind juice using 2 cups of water and boil the juice with asafetida and salt. Stir well and boil till the raw smell of the tamarind disappears.
4. Add the ground mixture and remove from heat when the mixture turns frothy.
5. Taste and adjust the salt and add water to increase the quantity.
6. Heat the ghee in a pan and sauté the mustard seeds and add it to the rasam.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves, if required.
Note:
1. Do not grind the mixture finely as the rasam will become too hot to eat.
2. You may discard garlic if you do not like the taste of it.

On waking

1-2 glasses of lukewarm water(with jeera,saunf,honey,lemon)

Breakfast (8.00 – 8.30 AM)

1 cup tea + ½ tsp sugar [skimmed milk]

+ 2-3 Idlis / 2 plain dosas[non-stick pan] + 1 cup sambar

No coconut chutney

[or] Sprouts ¾ + salad

[or] 1 veg sandwich made of 2 slices brown bread [no butter, cheese, jam, potato]

[or] Porridge – Ragi/ white oats

[or] Corn flakes/ wheat flakes + 1 cup skimmed milk

[or] Poha/upma/dalia + veg [ 1:3 proportion]

Brunch (10.30 AM)

1 fruit [ avoid banana, chikoo, custard apple, pineapple,grapes,mango,jackfruit]

No fruit juice

Fruits to eat: Apple, peaches, pears, oranges, sweet lime, papaya, watermelon, guava.

Lunch(1.00 PM)

1 bowl home made veg soup/rasam/2 glasses of buttermilk

+ 1 bowl salad

+ 2 chapattis without oil/ghee or 1 cup rice or 1- 1½ plain tandoori roti

+ 1 cup dhal/sprouts without coconut

+ 2cups veg (1 cup green leafy veg(dry) + 1 cup other veg)

[avoid potato, sweet potato, jam, beetroot]

+ 1 cup skimmed curd.

Snacks(5.00 PM)

1 cup tea + ½ tsp sugar [skimmed milk]

+ puffed rice + salad/ 2 marie biscuits/1 cup salad/ 1 cup popcorn

Dinner(8.00 PM)

Dinner same as lunch [ Avoid Rice]

Note:

Drink at least 12-15 glasses of water per day

Sugar/oil – 2 tsp each day

Avoid sweets, fried, aerated drink, canned food, processed food, coconut, ground nut

Brisk walk – 1 hr per day