Mexican Rice Salad

Mexican rice salad is really a healthy and tasty recipe.

• You can also wrap this salad in a chappathi and make it into a roll and serve with guacamole and sour cream.
• Also you can add cooked chicken or egg scramble to this salad.

Preparation Time: 30 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients :

1. Cooked Basmati Rice - 3 cup
2. Onion - 2 cup chopped
3. Plum Tomatoes - 2 cup chopped
4. Carrot - 1 cup chopped
5. Bell Pepper - 1 cup
6. Garlic - 3 cloves
7. Corn - 1 cup
8. Cilantro - 2 cup - finely chopped
9. Salt to taste
10. Pepper to taste
11. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
12. Lemon Juice - 3 tbsp
13. Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

      1.  Take a large mixing bowl, put all the vegetables one by one. Mix all together. Add salt, pepper, cumin powder, lemon juice, olive oil.

2.  Cook basmati rice and fluff with fork. Add rice to the mixed vegetables. Allow it to rest for 1 to 2 hrs before serving. You can also refrigerate before serving.

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Poms Salad

Here is very healthy protein rich snack for kids and adults. This pomegranate salad attracts everyone to eat more.

Preparation Time: 3 min

Cooking Time: 0 min

Ingredients:

1. Whole Moong dal - 1/2 cup
2. Pomegranate - 1 cup

Preparation:

• Soak whole Moong dal for 6-8hrs. Drain water and transfer it to a hot pack box and keep close for 6-8hrs. Moong dal will start germinating.

Procedure:

1. Mix sprouted moong dhal and pomegranate in a mixing bowl and serve
   

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Sweet Corn Soup

This sweet corn soup is a very easy healthy soup which is always loved by all. And this is one more soup of our potluck made by my friend Nirmala. We also had another healthy yummy cauliflower soup ;)

Ingredients:

1. Carrot
2. Beans
3. Corn
4. Cabbage
5. Corn flour
6. Pepper
7. Salt

Procedure:

1. Finely chop carrot, beans and cabbage
2. In a pan boil water with carrot, beans, cabbage, corn and salt.
3. Separately boil some water. Mix cornflour in 1/4 cup of water and add to this water.
4. Once the required consistency is reached, add the boiled vegetables along with the water to this mixture. Add salt and pepper as required.

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Cauliflower Soup

Yesterday (19 Nov 2013) we had a potluck with soup and salad in our apartment. My friends made very delicious dishes and we decided to share our recipes to everyone. This was our starter soup. It was so tempting that all kids enjoyed this soup. I really loved it. Thanks to Nirmala for her soup and recipe ;-). She also prepared Sweet corn soup that was also equally tassttty...!! :-) my mouth starts watering when I think of these two soups... :-P

Ingredients:

1. Carrot
2. Beans
3. Corn
4. Cabbage
5. Corn flour
6. Pepper
7. Salt

Procedure:

1. Finely chop carrot, beans and cabbage
2. In a pan boil water with carrot, beans, cabbage, corn and salt.
3. Separately boil some water. Mix cornflour in 1/4 cup of water and add to this water.
4. Once the required consistency is reached, add the boiled vegetables along with the water to this mixture. Add salt and pepper as required.

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Unni Appam

Unni appam is a very popular kerala dish. After seeing paniyaram in my blog, Meenakshi akka, a great friend of me and my family shared this recipe. Thanks to Meenakshi akka for her recipe. This snack is really very yummy and tempting to eat.

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 20 min
Serves: 25 count

Ingredients:

1. Rice Flour / கோதுமை மாவு - 1 cup
2. Wheat flour / அரிசி மாவு - ¼ cup
3. Jaggery / மண்ட வெல்லம் - 1¼ cup
4. Banana - 1
5. Cardamom seeds - 1
6. Ghee - as required

Procedure:

1.  Using a hammer or heavy weight, break the jaggery to pieces. Heat a small pan with jaggery and 1 cup of water. Stir slowly and keep in low flame. When jaggery gets completely mexed in water, switch off the stove and strain to remove dust. Set aside.

2.  In a mixing bowl add rice flour and wheat flour. Pour the syrup and mix to a idly batter consistency.

3.  Smash banana. Add banana, cardamom seed and batter in a blender and grind for 5 sec. Transfer to bowl

4.  Heat paniyaram pan with ghee. Pour a scoop of batter in each pit. When its starts turning golden brown turn to other side. Add more ghee if needed. Cook until its done.

5.  Lip-smacking paniyaram is ready to serve 

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Aloo Bonda

Potato is always everyones favorite and its always taste great. A perfect circle with aloos(potato) inside is a very tempting dish. It is a perfect snack with a cup of tea or coffee in the evening.

Preparation Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 25 min

Serves: 10 bonda

Ingredients: Batter: Kadalai maavu - 1 cup Salt to taste Soda uppu - 1 tsp Chili powder -  1 tsp Food color (optional) Stuffing: Potato - 2 medium sized or 1 big sized Onion - ½ cup - finely chopped Green chili - 2 Ginger - 1 tsp - finely chopped Lemon juice - 1 tbsp Oil - 1 tbsp Mustard - ½ tsp Urad dhal - 1 tsp Jeera - ½ tsp Curry leaf - 1 sprig Coriander leaf - ¼ cup finely chopped Turmeric powder - 1 pinch Salt to taste Procedure: 1.  Pressure cook potato and allow it to cool naturally. Peel the skin of potato and mash them. 2.  Heat a medium sized pan. Add oil and when it is hot, add mustard, jeera and allow it to sputter. Then add urad dhal and roast them. Add onion, ginger, green chili and saute them until onion turns soft. 3.  Then add turmeric powder. Mix the mashed potatoes, salt, curry leaf, coriander leaf. Finally add lemon juice and give a good stir. Transfer aloo masala to a bowl and allow it to cool. 4.  Meanwhile, In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients in “batter” section. Sift the flour before adding to avoid lumps. Add water and make bonda batter in a idly batter consistency. 5.  Make lemon sized balls from the stuffing masala. Drop them into prepared batter. Coat it with the batter. 6.  Heat oil in a kadai. Drop the dipped masala balls into hot oil. Fry them until it is cooked. Delicious aloo bonda is ready for a chill evening..!!

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Onion Bonda

Winter is starting here...!! and its will be perfect evening with this hot onion bonda and a cup of tea or coffee.

Preparation Time: 2 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Serves: 15 count 

 Ingredients:

• Kadalai Maavu - 1 cup
• Onion - 2 big sized - Cut lengthwise and one or two cut in middle
• Onion should be neither too long nor too short
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - to fry

Procedure:

1.  Take a large mixing bowl and add all the ingredients except oil. Mix them well and add water. Make it into a batter consistency. It should neither be too thin nor thick.

2.  Heat a kadai with oil to fry. Pour a scoop of batter in to hot oil.

3.  Keep in medium high flame and fry them until it turns brown. Fry until sound cease otherwise the center of bonda won’t get cooked properly.

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Madurai Special Chicken Salna

Chicken salna is prepared from roasted masala and it smells great. It is a Madurai style spicy salna and goes well with parotta, egg dosa, keema dosa...!!

Preparation Time: 25 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Serves: 4

 Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 500 gm
2. Onion - 2 big sized - finely chopped
3. Tomato - 3 big sized - finely chopped
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Bay leaf - 1
7. Curry leaf - 1 sprig
8. Green chili - 2
9. Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
10. Oil - 3 tbsp
11. Salt to taste

Roast and grind:

1. Raw rice - 1 tbsp
2. Milagu - 1 tsp
3. Red chili - 4
4. Jeera - ½ tbsp
5. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
6. Cinnamon - ¼ inch
7. Cloves - 3
8. Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
9. Fried gram - 1 tsp
10. Coconut - ¼ cup
11. Cashew nuts - 2
12. Curry leaf - 1 sprig
13. Star Anise - ¼ piece  

 Procedure:

1.  Dry roast all the ingredients given in “Roast and grind” in a medium sized pan until it starts turning brown.

2.  Allow it to cool and grind them into powder. Do not add water. This will be the masala powder.

3.  Heat a large pan or pressure cooker with oil. Add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Then add bay leaf, curry leaf and roast for few seconds. Add chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute for 2 min or until it turns golden brown.

4.  To this add green chili, tomato, salt and saute for 2 min. Add the fresh clean chicken pieces and cook them until it turns white.

5.  Then add turmeric powder and the masala powder prepared in step 2. Mix well and add 1 cup of water. Adjust salt to taste.

6.  If you are using pressure cooker, close the lid and allow it to cook for 3 whistles. If you are using a pan, close the lid and keep in medium flame for 20-25 min, or until chicken turns soft. Garnish with cilantro and serve with multilayered parotta.
 

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Pasipayaru Paratha

Here is a dish for growing kids and also for adults who are in diet. This paratha will make your kid take proteins in their diet. Everyone in your home would enter your kitchen to look for this delicious flavor and aroma. ;-)

 Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

*  Chappathi flour - 1 ½ cup
*  Oil or ghee - 1 tbsp
*  Salt to taste

Stuffing:

1.   Mung bean / Green Gram / பாசிப் பயறு - ½ cup - cooked
2.   Onion - 1 cup - finely chopped
3.   Coriander - ¾ cup - finely chopped
4.   Garam masala - 2 tsp
5.   Ginger garlic paste  - 1 tsp
6.   Green chili paste - 2 tsp
7.   Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
8.   Salt to taste

Procedure:

1.  Take a large mixing bowl and add chappati flour. I used multigrain atta. You can use regular atta too. Add ghee or oil and salt. Mix them well. Then add water and make it into a smooth soft dough. Close the lid or wrap in wet tissue and set aside for 15 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, prepare stuffing for paratha. Pressure cook green gram. It should be about to turn mushy. But not too mushy. Slightly smash it and keep it in a bowl.

3.  In another mixing bowl, Put all ingredients given in “Stuffing” section and mix them well. Allow it to rest for 5 min. The nice aroma from the stuffing itself tempts to eat :-)

4.  Then make big lemon sized balls from the dough and roll it to a small circle. Place the stuffing and wrap the edges to seal the stuffing completely.

5.  Gently tap with dry flour and roll it again into a circle paratha. Heat chappati pan and cook paratha on both sides. Add oil or ghee while cooking paratha. Serve with raita and remaining stuffing ;-)

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Carrot Payasam - With Coconut Milk

Carrot is a excellent source of Vitamin A and it has number of health benefits improving vision, beautiful skin, anti-aging. It is always good to take carrot in different form everyday. Carrot payasam is a yummy dessert too.
Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Serves: 2
Ingredients:

• Carrot - 2 medium sized
• Milk - 1 cup
• Coconut milk - ½ cup
• Sugar - ¼ cup and 2 tbsp
• Cashew nuts - few
• Dry grapes - few
• Almonds - few
• Ghee - ½ tbsp 

Procedure:

1.  Heat a medium sized pan, pour milk and bring it to boil. Add coconut milk and stir slowly. Reduce to medium flame and add sugar. Keep stirring slowly.

2.  Clean and peel the skin of carrot. Grate them and grind it into a smooth juice. You can use juice extractor too. Add carrot juice to boiling milk.

3.  Roast cashew nuts, almond, dry grapes in ghee and add to carrot payasam. Serve hot or chill.

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