ARALU SANDIGE, PUFFED RICE FRYUMS, NEL PORI VADAM

Aralu Sandige is made with Nel Pori  (puffed rice) and white pumpkin and with some spices in it.    In Kannada  Aralu, and Nel pori in Malayalam or Tamil.  It is very easy to make, sun dry  and  store it.

Recently I visited one of my neighbour who has shifted from our building to far away place.  It was during the Sankranti time and as she was giving me the Haldi kumkum and  the til gul laddu, my eyes were looking at the aralu sandige which she had kept for sun drying.

At first I could not figure out as to what it was so i asked her out of curiosity.  She explained me the recipe and gave some sandige.  I came home and fried the same and really liked it. You can serve it with  Sambhar rice, rasam rice, bisibela bhath etc or with a cup of tea.

Aralu sandige, Puffed rice fryums, nel pori vadam

 video here

RAAB with rice and curd

Raab is a traditional healthy drink during winter.  It helps in building immunity and soothing when you have cough and cold.  This dish is prepared by Gujaratis and Rajasthanis  specially and served to the nursing moms.

The ingredients used in this helps in building immunity and keep the body warm during winter.

Normally, it is made with bajra flour, jaggery, soonth powder and little bit cumin powder and ghee. will be posting this recipe soon.  However, I am giving you a savory version of Raab with rice and curd which my neighbour gave me once when I was having high temperature and it was really really awesome to have hot hot raab at that time. .  I have made slight variations  from the original recipe and made the same with little variation.

STUFFED BHINDI

I have made the stuffed bhindi several times, but today only I realised that I have not posted the simple, easy and tasty recipe on my blog.

Okra or bhindi has got medicinal values the prominent one is it controls the blood sugar level and cholesterol.  If the bhindi is put in  water overnight after after trimming both the sides and the next day morning the water is consumed on empty stomach, it helps in controlling your diabetics.

Besides the medicinal values, each and every items has got its own taste and we make it more tasty by adding the masalas in it.  Here comes a simple recipe stuffed bhindi with a simple curry powder.

TAMARIND SEED RICE

I have posted recently Tamarind Seed Gun Powder.  With the same gun powder, I prepared the rice which was quite tasty with the raw tomato raita and papad.  The heath benefits are also mentioned in the said recipe.


It is quite easy to make and you will enjoy the rice as you enjoy the other rice varieties.

TAMARIND SEED GUN POWDER

I  am bringing back my child hood memories in this blog by posting this recipe.  In our child hood,we used to roast the tamarind seed, break the outer cover and eat it.  You have to keep the same in your mouth for sometime and with the help of saliva, it becomes soft.  We really used to enjoy the same by not frying it in the kadai, but put it in the charcoal after cooking our food, then remove it from the fire, break it with a stone.

We also used to enjoy the tamarind mixed with red chilli, salt, jaggery and bit of coconut oil and make a lolly pop with the stick and enjoy.  Another interesting one is break the raw mangoes on the treee itself, fill with chilli powder, salt and eat it.

Coming back to the recipe now, since the seeds are edible, I thought of  making something out of it.  I tried making the gun powder with it and did not feel that I am eating the tamarind seed gun powder.

When you fry the seed, you will get nice aroma somewhat like peanut.   You must ensure that it is not burnt as the taste will differ.   After browsing through the net, I got some interesting information about the health benefits of the seed which  I am writing after the recipe.

MIRCHI KA RAITA

Mirchi ka raita is prepared with the large green chilli or bharwan mirch it is known as.  We can make nice bhajias out of this stuffed with potato masala.

When I saw the fresh green chilli with the veg vendor, I could not resist myself from buying this.  However, I made it with only one chilli and rest, i used for bhajias.  This goes well with rice as well as parathas.  I had made green peas paratha and served with it.

VAZHATHANDU BHAJIA, BANANA STEM BHAJIA

BANANA STEM OR VAZHATHANDU BHAJJI OR BHAJIA IS QUITE TASTY.  IT CAN BE SERVED AS AN EVENING SNACK.

FEW BENEFITS ARE GIVEN BELOW;

Health benefits of the juice:  Apart from helping to remove the stones from gall bladder, it also helps in reducing the weight, hyper acidity, people who are suffering from constipation, for diabetic patients and effective fro treating urinary tract infections.

Since it is bit time consuming to clean and cut the same, you can cut and store the same in fridge by putting it in the butter milk.  But I recommend always use fresh ones.

Banana stem has got many health benefits, the most important one is to prevent the kidney stone.  If you take juice of the same in the empty stomach, you will be relieved from the trouble of kidney stone.

We can make various dishes out of this.  Since so many days, I wanted to make bhajia out of this.  recently I made sabudana banana stem vada.  we can make poriyal,pachadi, raita etc. out of this.  We also use this for making killu karuvadam.

video is already uploaded. Link is Vazhathandu Bhajia

 banana stem sambhar, banana stem chutney,  banana stem kofta kadhi, banana stem kofta sambhar, banana stem thoran

POUSHTIK DHIRDE

Dhirde is a traditional Maharashtrian dish and everyone will love this as its an  amazing  dish from tava to the plate. Though it is a popular dish in the region, you cannot find them on the menus in a hotel.

Normally, it is made with the gram flour but you can replace it with any other flour.  I have made it in a more healthier way than the original dish.  It can be served with plain yoghurt, thecha, tomato sauce spicy pudina chutney.  If you are making it with rice flour, can be served with sambhar too.  I prefer to have it with chunda.

METHI AJWAIN KALA JEERA POWDER

Methi ajwain kala jeera powder is an age old family medicinal value powder which my grandmother used to make.  we can add dry ginger powder also in it which helps in digestion.  Apart from this, it also helps in bowel movement, keeping cholesterol and blood sugar levels under control and also effective in reducing joint pains.

There is a need always that an elderly person should be at home to remind you about all these valuable information and recipes to revive.  Now a days in the busy life, we always run to the doctor and whatever the medicines they give, consume it without realising the side effect of it.

This powder should be consumed with warm water.  You can also mix it with butter milk or  a handful of rice with ghee and bit salt, mix it and eat it.

One of my friend who also suggested me to consume this to get relief from  my back and knee pain as she is benefitted with this powder.  hence I am sharing with you all the Patti Vaidyam (grandma's treatment) so that you all can also be benefitted with it.

DILL LEAVES KADHI

Dill leaves are good for health as it  helps to cure various diseases.  Dill is relaxant, fortifying (strength giving), diuretic (increases urination helping removal of toxic substances from the body), carminative (helps amps), anti flatulent, stimulates lactation (removal of gases), anti spasmodic (prevents crgalactagogue) and endocrinal secretions, enhances libido due to presence of Arginine and last but not the least, it ensures bone and dental health being a good source of calcium.

Once in a week, do add this wonderful greens in your diet.  The smell of the leaves may not be liked by you at first, but, over a period of time, you will definitely love this.

In the beginning when my neighbour brought the subzi, I did not like the smell of it.  She insisted me to eat the subzi as it will help in reducing the gas and stomach related issues.  Hence I tried and it was bit difficult for me to eat the same but after finishing the subzi, I said, yes I will definitely add this to my diet once in a week.

I made various dishes out of it and the links are given below.  Today I tried making kadhi with it and was awesome with rice and papad.  I made a pachadi also out of it. shall share the recipe soon.