RAW ONION CHUTNEY

Onion a common vegetable that we use in every day cooking. Onion a underground vegetable grows in single bulbs,native to Asia and Middle East and cultivated for over 5 thousand years. Greeks and Egyptians used them not only for their culinary use but also as an item for purchages though barter system in their markets.It was used in thair offerings to God's,and king's.Even nowOnion is an indispensable vegetable in many Indian recipes.It was used for it's medicinal properties in ancient India. But some vegetarian Hindus and jains don't eat onions because they are underground vegetables,as there is likelyhood of any micro-organisams or tiny life forms getting injured when the plant is pulled up to secure the bulb.Except such strictly vegetarian communitys most of the Indian kitchens will have onions in their every day menu.According to Ayurveda Charaka Samhita and shushruta Samhita ( ancient Ayurvedic text books )onion is a strengthening food.Like garlic onion is also from lilly(allium family).The anti bacterial property of onion has long been recognized by ayurveda.Onion reduces bad cholesterol and controles high blood pressure. It is having blood sugar regulating qualities also.Because of it's anti inflammatory agents onion helps to prevent Asthama.Onion soup is one of the best remedies for soothing cold. Juice of boiled onion clears phlegm, even eating a raw onion helps you to clear phlegm from throat and mouth and even it helps in controling flu.Onions are very helpfull to maintain healthy bones specialy for women those who are passing through menopause. Onions may bring tears to you eyes and bad breath from mouth. But onions will most certainly bring delicious taste to your recipes.

Here I am with onion chutney recipe:-----

INGREDIENTS:----

Onion --1 big

Green chilies --- 15 no.
Split urad beens --- 1 tea sp (urad dal, Minappappu)
tamarind --- 2 inch piece( or you can use 1 tea sp tamarind pulp also)
Cumin seeds ---1/2 tea sp
Dry coconut -- 2 trab sp grated
Freah coriander leaves --- 1 cup chopped
Oil -- 1 tea sp

METHOD:----

1. Heat oil in a pan add urad dal,green chilies, cumin seeds and fry till nice aroma comes out this will take 7 minutes in a medium flame.

2. Then add grated dry coconut and fry for a second.

3. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.

4. In the mean while soak tamarind in water for 5 minutes (If using tamarind).

5.Place fried ingredients in to a blender jar and grind in to a coarse paste then add onion pieces, chopped coriander, salt to taste, tamarind and grind in to a coarse paste (no need to add water moisture in the onion will be enough for making the chutney)

6. Remove from the blender jar in to a serving bowl and serve with idli, dosa, pongali, and steamed rice.

Note:--- Choose onions clean. dry avoid sprouting onions moisture at there neck and dark patches.

Always store onions in a dry place where they get good ventilation like wire baskets.

Most importent part is when you slice the onion you get tears in your eyes the compound that causes the eyes to burn is a phytonutrient known as a allyl sulfate that produce sulfur- compounds released by the onion s ruptured cells are exposed to air to prevent this

Peel the onion and drop them in cold water for 1 hour then slice the onion.

Cut the onion in to two and place them in a container and leave it in the fridge for 1 hour then chop the onion

You may store the chopped or sliced onion wrapped tightly in a news paper and place it in a zip lock cover or sealed container and place it in the fridge but use these onion with in 2-3 days

BOTTLE GOURD JUICE

Bottle gourd.. such a fantastic vegetable but many people dislike to include in there meal. This easy digestive vegetable has many benefits. Now a days ayurvedic doctors and yoga guru s are giving advises to include bottle gourd in every ones diet. Even for elder people also,this vegetable is usefull as it is having lot of medicinal values. Especially it contains 'o' cholesterol, high in dietary fiber and protein. Bottle gourd prevents excessive loss of sodium, very effective for urinary disorders, because cooked bottle gourd cools the body system. now a days bottle gourd juice is very popular in weight reduction.A glass of bottle gourd juice with a pinch of salt and 1 tea sp of lemon juice will be very help full in preventing urinary disorders, excessive thirst and tiredness. So start using bottle gourd in every day meal as it is a very common and less expencive vegetable in India. Here I am with very healthy bottle gourd juice in two versions.
FIRST VERSION------
INGREDIENTS:---
Bottle gourd pieces --- 1 cup (peal the green skin and remove the seeds)
Ginger -- 1/2 tea sp chopped
Lemon juice -- 2 tea sp
salt -- a pinch (or )
honey --- 1 tea sp (if you have any urine disorders then please don't add honey)
You can use sugar also but it will increase the calories.

METHOD:---
Blend all the ingredients in a blander in to a fine paste.
Add water mix well and serve.
If you want you can strain the juice, but wen you strain the juice fiber will be removed and that is not good for health, not recommended too.
Have this juice once in a day only.
SECOND VERSION---
INGREDIENTS:---
Lemon juice -- 1 tab sp
Honey --- 1 tab sp or Rock sugar(patikabellam, Kalkanda)
Bottle gourd pieces -- 1 cup
Pineapple pieces -- 1/2 cup
cucumber pieces ---1/4 cup
ginger --1/2 tea sp chopped

METHOD:----
Blend all above ingredients in a blender in to a smooth paste and add 2 glasses of water and blend for 1 second again.
Add 1 tab sp lemon juice and 1 tab sp honey or rock sugar(kalkanda, patikabellam) mix well to dissolve and serve.
If you are in a low calorie diet then this juice will be a good combination with any salad.
In that case don't add honey or sugar a pinch of salt will be replaced.
you want to really reduce your weight not only drinking this juice will help you have to do yoga or exercise and a 1/2 hour brisk walk also will give a good results...

COOKED RICE AND VEGETABLE CUTLET

Yessssss it is COOKED RICE CUTLET WITH VEGETABLES .....

We have seen this recipe in a TV show, before that I use to make pakodi s with left over rice. Some times after a party left over rice is a big question mark for me in that case this is a great idea to finish that rice.in that tv show she didn't add vegetables but adding fresh grated vegetables will give a great taste to the cutlet, no need to add potato because we are using corn flour, chick pea flour,bread crumbs for binding, they helps to give a crispy texture also. Of course you can use fresh cooked rice also.

Wow girls Priya,Sailaja and Sharmila How did you find that!!!!! I thought only I know the recipe... heee hee hee great yaar thank you all for the comments and here I goo with the recipe..........

INGREDIENTS:---
Cooked rice --- 2 & 1/2 cups (you can use left over rice or vegetable pulav or any non-vege pulav will give great taste in this you have to remove hole spices)

Onion -- 1 big finely chopped

Fresh coriander leaves --- 1 tab sp finely chopped

Carrot -- 1/4 cup grated

Cabbage --1/4 cup grated or finely chopped

Spinach --- 1/4 cup finely chopped

Green chilli chopped --- 1 tab sp

Besan (chick pea flour) -- 1 tab sp

Corn flour -- 1 tab sp

Fresh Bread crumbs -- 1 cup

Red chilli powder ---1/2 tea sp

Salt --- 1 1/2 tea sp or according to your taste

Garam masala powder -- 1 tea sp(optional)

Oil for deep frying

METHOD:---

1.Mash the cooked rice with hand well, add chopped onion, chopped green chilies,grated vegetables, chopped spinach, chick pea flour,corn flour,fresh bread crumbs, salt, red chili powder,garam masala (if using) mix well to combine every thing.

2. Now make Small balls out of this mixture, give desire shape and deep fry in hot oil till golden color.

3. Remove from oil serve hot with tomato sauce or hot garlic sauce

Note:- Mash rice with hand only don't use blender or mixee if you use blender or mixee rice will become very soggy(fine paste) that won't give a good taste to cutlet

Use fresh bread crumbs and mix them with rice mixture this will help you in binding and helps in remove extra moisture from rice mixture and vegetables also and your oil won't spoil trust me and try this with any cutlet not only this one you will get nice crisp cutlets

You can shallow fry them but deep fry gives a better and crispy texture.

GUESS THE INGREDIENT......

Today is Saturday, suddenly it was raining here and weather became little pleasant. We were carving for some thing deep fried for our dinner, first we thought of making pakodis or puri and curry but suddenly amma changed her idea and this recipe was born.She didn't add potato in this and they are not regular bread rolls.Now friends try to GUESS WHAT THE MAIN INGREDIENT IS.........

Recipe coming up..............................

CHOCOLATE MILK PUDDING

Pudding normally made with milk, eggs or starch,some times with rice also and served most often as a dessert. But there are some savory dishes which are very famous as puddings. In India puddings are famous for desserts like rice pudding (kheer), Bread pudding, Bread and butter pudding, caramel custard. First time I was inter duce China grass by my MIL she use to make with instant china grass power and milk and it is a favorite dessert at my place.When I was a kid amma (my mom) use to make caramel custard pudding with milk, eggs, sugar that is my all time favorite. I usually make milk pudding with china grass with vanilla flavor but one fine day I saw this chocolate milk pudding in Priya s blog that was very interesting..and it came out very well, taste awesome also we just loved it Thank you so much Priya for this delicious Idea of chocolate milk pudding.....

INGREDIENTS:---
Milk -- 1&1/2 cups

Sweetened condensed milk -- 1/2 cup
Chocolate powder -- 2 tab sp
Agar agar (china grass) powder -- 1 tab sp
Chocolate chips -- 1 tab sp
Vanilla essence -- few drops
METHOD:---
1. Mix milk and condensed milk in a tick bottom pan and bring to a full boil then add agar agar powder mix well keep in a low flame and stir till agar agar get dissolved.
2. Remove from the heat and divied this milk in to two bowls.
3. Add vanilla essence in one bowl and chocolate powder and chocolate chips in another bowl mix well to dissolve chocolate powder.
4. Take another big bowl or 2 or 3 small bowls.
5. pour vanilla milk mixture first.
6. Next pour chocolate milk mix slowly in the middle of the vanilla milk mix leave it a side to cool then keep it in the fridge for an hour.
7. Serve chilled with any toping or with fruits.
Enjoy your dessert chilled...

MANGO JAM

Ahhh almost finished my raw mango recipes for this year. Raw mangoes are turned in to ripe sweet fruit so now they are in very sweet taste. If they are any raw mangoes in the market they don't taste sour but little sweet taste will be there. this sweet and sour taste mangoes are not perfect for pickles and chutneys. This sweet and sour mangoes are good for Salsa,salads and some curries but not for pickles and jams.For jam we have to use fully ripe mangoes, that gives a better taste to jam.But some people use half ripe mangoes also for jam... Who don't like jam spread on a crisp toast for break fast? Jam is my all time favorite with bread toast or a chapati or roti, that too if it is a mango jam thats it yummmm.
Mango pulp -- peal mango and cut in to bite size pieces and make pulp in a blander add 1 tab sp water if require(better make pulp without water).

INGREDIENTS:----
Mango pulp --- 2 1/2 cups
Sugar --- 200 gms
Cloves -- 4
Cinnamon powder --1/2 tea sp
Citric acid ---- 1/4 tea sp or
lemon juice -- 1 tab sp
METHOD:---
1.Take mango pulp, sugar, cloves in to a thick bottom pan and start cooking, bring to a full boil and reduce the flame, keep string.
2. cook this mixture in a low flame till the mixture become thick, means if you drop a little jam on a plate that should not spread.(this will take 20 to 25 minutes time)
3. In this stage add lemon juice or if you like to add citric acid then mix 1/4 tea sp citric acid to 1/4 cup of hot water and add this citric acid mixture, cinnamon powder mix well to combine every thing.
4. Remove from heat and let it cool then pour mango jam in to sterilized glass jar, seal when it is completely cool.

Remove cloves before you pour the jam in to jar.
Keep this jam in fridge because I didn't use any preserves I used lemon juice if you want to keep this for long time then you can add preserves so that jam will stay for long time.
Like pickles don't use a wet spoon to scoup out the jam always use a clean and dry spoon.
If you like can add a pinch of yellow food color for more bright color.

RAW MANGO AND CABBAGE CHUTNEY

In the array of my mango recipes, this chutney recipe is new one to me also. Few day back Harichandana of Indian cuisine posted this spicy and tempting chutney with Raw mango and cabbage Really it is a perfect side dish for every thing like rice, dosa, idli and chapati. I made little changes like I gave a seasoning after grinding the chutney and increase the red chilies.thank you so much for the recipe Chandana...

INGREDIENTS:----

Cabbage --- 1 cup chopped(I used the bowl what I presented the chutney in the pic. that is nearly 200g of cabbage)

Raw mango --- 1 medium size, very sour and green mango

Dry red chillies -- 12 to 15 or according to your taste

Chana dal -- 1 tab sp (split chick peas)

Urad dal -- 1/2 tab sp (split urad bean)

Fenugreek seeds -- 1/4 tea sp

Mustard seeds --- 1 tea sp

Oil --- 4 tea sp

Salt -- 1 1/2 tea sp or according to your taste

FOR SEASONING:----

Oil --- 1 tea sp

Mustard seeds -- 1/2 tea sp

Asafoetida -- 1/4 tea sp

Curry leaves -- 1 spring

METHOD:----

1. chop cabbage, peal and chop mango in to small pieces and leave a side.

2.Heat oil in a deep frying pan add chana dal, urad dal,mustard seeds and fry till light golden color then add fenugreek seeds and Dry red chilies and fry for 3 min. remove from flame and leave it to cool.

3. In the same pan add chopped cabbage and fry for 2 to 3 min. or till the raw smell disappears, remove fro the flame and let it cool.

4.Grind roasted dals, mustard, fenugreek seeds,red chillies in to afine powder then add cabbage, chopped raw mango pieces, salt and grind in to a coarse paste if required sprinkle water(I did't add any water, if you run your blender with gaps for every 2 sec. that will help you to grind your chutney with out water).

5. Heat oil for seasoning in a small frying pan add mustard seeds let them splutter then add asafoetida and curry leaves add this seasoning to chutney mix well ti combine every thing check salt one before you serve.If require add some salt and mix well.

Serve with hot steamed rice, dosa, idli, chapati or any thing you like...enjoy...