FRUIT CUSTARD

Summer has started and everyone will be interested in drinking something cold, eating some desserts chilled.  I have already posted the tender coconut falooda, tender coconut payasam,  as a summer cooler.  Here is the favourite fruit custard of my children especially my son.

It is basically made with  milk and cut fruits are added to it to make it.  It is a healthy dessert after dinner or lunch.  one bowl ful is sufficient enough to fill your stomach if you do not wish to eat any other thing.

Fruit custard

MAKAI PALAK, SWEET CORN PALAK, SPINACH CORN SUBZI

Makai palak is a very tasty dish with hot roti, parantha, rice.  I love to eat with rice any kind of palak preparation.  The combination of sweet corn and palak makes this wonderful and will be liked by everyone as I have made it less spicy.  If you wish, can add more spices according to your requirement.  Palak has abundance of Vitamin K, A, magnesium, iron, calcium, Vitam K, A, C, B2, B6, C.  It is also a great source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zin, dietary fiber and copper and omega 3 fatty acids.  It is less in calories, fat free and cholesterol free.  Also available in abundance.

makai palak, sweet corn palak, spinach corn subzi

ARBI VADA, COLACASIA VADA

I made arbi vada instead of making the normal batata vada.  Arbi dry subzi is a lovely side dish for sambar rice, curd rice, or dal rice and with roti too.  I was bored of eating the normal batata vada so thought of changing the routine thus this recipe was formed.

As usual you need the ingredients of normal batata vada with the exception of batata, use arbi.

arbi vada

watch on Youtube:  arbi vada 1   arbi vada 2

Let us look at the recipe now:

PAPAYA CURRY

Raw papya curry made with coconut milk and normal milk is a very good side dish for chapati, roti.  It can be served with plain rice too.

My children do not like this either raw or ripe.  I always make them to eat in some other form by making curry or juice or soup or salad etc. the things which are not eaten by them.  I also try with parthas.

Green papaya is a fruit with essential ntrients and enzymes to promote disgestive health.  When it ripesn, the enzyme levels declines hence it is picked when it is still green to retain the qualities.  It also contains vital nutrients viz. potassium, magnesium, vitamns A, C, E and B.  It actually improves digestion and the uptake of nutrients rasing enzyme levels and improve assimilation.  It aids in strengthening the body's natural immune system.

PARUPPU PRADHAMAN, MOONGDAL KHEER, YELLOW DAL PUDDING

Moongdal kheer is very easy to prepare and a nice sweet dish served during feasts or festivals.  Normally, the moongdal kanji is also known as paruppu kanji,  prepared during fast without adding  much sweet in it.  It can be prepared with sugar and milk and with jaggery and coconut milk.

Here I am presenting the second method i.e. with jaggery and coconut milk.  

COCONUT MILK, how to extraact coconut milk

Coconut milk is used for kheer or payasam which is made with jaggery or for sol kadhi or some curries. It is very easy to make.  I do not prefer the store bought ones as when we can make fresh, why to go for store bought ones.

Let us look at the recipe now:

Ingredients:

1 coconut grated.
1 cup of water

Method:

Put the coconut and water in blender and grind.  pass through the sieve to extract the milk.  this is the first thick milk.

Again put water  1-2 cups of water in it and extract the second milk and  repeat the process for the the third milk.  This is used for making kheer.

use it immediately for the curries or kheer or for sol kadhi.

Note:  when you choose the coconut for preparing coconut milk, should choose the paal thengai.  If you ask the coconut vendor, they will give you the exact one to be used.


 Link for making payasam or kheer with coconut milk:   jackfruit-kheer-chakka-pradhaman    idichu-pizhinja-payasam-chadhachadayam,   paruppu-pradhaman-moongdal-kheer

BEETROOT TOMATO SOUP

Beetroot tomato soup is made up of beetroot and tomato.  This soup is quite different from the normal soup we make as I wanted to make something and landed up in making the soup in a different way.  You can serve this hot or cold as you wish.

Now summer  has started, you can serve this cold.

Let us look at the recipe now:

TOMATO PUREE

I wanted to post this recipe when I made Beetroot, tomato saar.  But somehow could not make it.  Tomato puree can be made and kept in freezer.   Either you keep it in container or make cubes by putting them in ice tray and keep in ziplock bags.  One hour before making any dish, remove it from freezer to bring to room temperature.  I always used to keep tomato paste, tomato puree, ginger, garlic, and green chilli paste in fridge for a week as it is quite handy for me to make the dishes in the morning rush hour.

JEERA RICE

Jeera rice, cumin seed rice is favourite of my daughter.  She loves to eat with tomato, cucumber raita.  whenever we go to a new hotel, she always order hara bara kabab as starter, Jeera rice and raita.

It is an easy and simple rice preparation and everyone will love to eat it.  Watch Youtube: Jeera rice,  Jeera rice part 2

IVY GOURD PICKLE, THENLI PICKLE, DONDAKAYA PICKLE, KOVAKKA PICKLE

A special pickle made out of  vegetable viz. Ivy gourd or kovakkai or thenli for today being International Women's day,  apart from making the paal payasam, Beetroot soup, Dahiwale tomato.   

I am fond of pickles, espcially, Vadu Mangai.  Vadu Mangai recipe is already posted in simpleindianrecipes.com.  and the link is here.  Pickles can be stored for a long time if you make it in a proper way and handle the same carefully.  However, it is not much good if you consider health issues hence better to consume the same very rarely.

Ivy gourd pickle is very easy to make and we all loved it.  We can make Ivy gourd kootu, dry subzi, poriyal and with black chana.  Watch on Youtube: ivy gourd pickle, thenli pickle