Vellarikai Pachadi

Cucumber is known as vellarikai in Tamil and khira/ kakdi in Hindi.

It is one of the very low calorie vegetables; provide just 15 calories per 100 g. It contains no saturated fats or cholesterol.

It is a very good source of potassium. Cucumbers contains unique anti-oxidants in moderate ratios such as ß-carotene and a-carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin-A, zea-xanthin and lutein.

Cucumbers have mild diuretic property, which perhaps attributed to their free-water, and potassium and low sodium content. This helps in checking weight gain and high blood pressure.

They surprisingly have a high amount of vitamin K, provides about 17 µg of this vitamin per 100 g. Vitamin-K has been found to have a potential role in bone strength by promoting osteotrophic (bone mass building) activity. It also has established role in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.

Vellarikai pachadi ( raita) is a healthy dish which can served as an accompaniment for biryani / fried rice / any rice preparation/ parathas. There are many varieties of recipe. Sharing with you all a simple and a delicious and a easy to make recipe:)

Ingredients 

Grated cucumber- 1 cup

Yogurt – 2 cups

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tsps

Mustard- 1 tsp

Hing ( asafoetida)- 2 punches

Method 

Beat the yogurt till becomes smooth. Add the grated cucumber and salt to taste and mix well.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add hing.

Add the tempering to the pachadi and mix well. Serve with any rice preparation / parathas:)

  

Spiced Gulkand and Pomegranate Lassi

Lassi is a popular, traditional, yogurt based drink from India & Pakistan. Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spiced and sometimes, fruit. 

Traditional lassi is a savoury drink, sometimes flavoured with ground and roasted cumin( jeera).  Sweet lassi, however, contains sugar or fruits, instead of spices.

Lassi is our family’s favourite summer drink. 

Very often I make mango lassi as that’s the fruit of summer.

But today I have tried a very different lassi. I had in my mind to make pomegranate lassi. 

While I was taking out the spices, I saw a bottle of gulkand. Gulkand is a preserve made with rose petals. It’s very aromatic and good for digestion. 

 I decided to use gulkand also. Am so glad that I did that as the lassi turned out be very aromatic, delicious and very soothing to look at:)

  

Ingredients 

Pomegranate pearls- 11/2 cups

Gulkand- 1 tsp

Sugar- 2 tbsps

Yogurt- 2 cups

Roasted jeera powder- 1/2 tsp

Pepper- 2 pinches

Black salt- little

Mint leaves- few

Method

Freeze 2 tsps of pomegranate pearls to use as garnish.

Add pomegranate, gulkand, sugar and 1 cup of water and blend to a puree. Strain well.

To this juice, add yogurt, jeera and pepper powder and black salt. Blend again till it’s well blended and becomes frothy.

    

Chill the lassi.

To serve

Take a tall glass. Pour the lassi, garnish with frozen pomegranate pearls and mint leaves and serve immediately:)

   

 

   

 

Papaya Punch

It’s summer now and it’s very important to keep the body cool and hydrated. What could be better than healthy and delicious chilled fruit juices, mocktails, punches etc.

Today I have made Papaya Punch.

Fruit punch is a blend of different fruit juices.

There are many recipes for fruit punch, but you can create your own too. Basic understanding of blending the flavour and texture will be helpful to make your own recipe.

I have used papaya as the main fruit today. Added apple to give the sweetness, orange and lemon for the required punch:) 

 

Ingredients

Chopped ripe papaya- 11/2 cups

Chopped apple- 1 cup

Orange – 1

Lemon- 1

Dry ginger powder- 1/4th tsp

Honey – 1 tbsp

Sugar – 4 tsps

Ice cubes as required.

Mint leaves for garnish 

Method

Cut the lemon and squeeze the juice.

Peel the orange, remove the pith and seeds from the segments.

Add all the ingredients in a blender. Add water and blend to a smooth juice.

Strain the juice. Check for sugar. If needed add more. Chill till required to serve.

To serve 

Take a serving glass. Add some ice cubes. Pour the juice, garnish with some fruit slices and mint leaves and serve immediately:)

  

Brownie Cups with Chocolate Ice cream

My son’s 12th board exams got over today. He has been working really very hard for the past few months. So, I wanted to make a small treat for him. 

Brownies are his favourite. Few days back I saw a video in you tube showing brownie cups. I liked that idea. 

It was a good occasion to try that today. You can use any of your favourite brownie recipe. 

I have a made eggless brownie cups today which I served with chocolate ice cream with a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce:)

  

Ingredients 

Butter ( at room temperature) – 1/2 cup

Dark Chocolate – 1 cup

Instant coffee powder- 1 tsp

All purpose flour ( Maida)-1/2 cup

Cocoa powder- 1/3rd cup

Condensed milk- 1 tin ( 400gms)

Baking powder- 1/2 tsp

Salt- 2 pinches

Method 

Grease 2 muffin trays which has 6 moulds each.

Grease another 2 muffin trays on the outerside and kept it aside.

Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler or microwave.

I microwaved it for 1 min 30 secs.

Blend it well till it becomes very smooth.

  

Dissolve the instant coffee powder in 2 tbsps of water, add to the chocolate mixture and mix well.

Add the condensed milk and mix well again.

Preheat the oven to 180 deg cel.

Sieve the maida, cocoa powder and baking powder. Add this along with 2 pinches of salt to the chocolate mixture and mix well again.

  

Pour in greased muffin trays and bake in preheated oven for 30- 35 mins.

It’s done when a tooth pick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

   

 

Remove the trays from and immediately press the second muffin tin into the brownies. Keep both tins pressed together until the brownies are cool.

Add a scoop of ice cream and top with chocolate sauce and serve immediately:)

 

 

  

  

Iced Orange Tea

There can nothing more soothing and refreshing than Iced Tea during summer.

Today I have made one of my most favourite, Iced Orange tea 🙂

  

Ingredients 

Oranges- 2 ( 3/4th cup of juice)

Lemon juice- 2 tsp

Dry Ginger powder- 1/2 tsp

Water- 2 cups

Tea powder- 1 tsp

Sugar- to taste

Ice cubes- 10-15

Chopped coriander leaves- 1/2 tsp

Method

Squeeze the oranges the get the juice.

Boil the water with dry ginger powder. 

When it starts boiling vigorously, add the tea powder and take off the gas.

   

 

Let the tea brew in the hot water for few mins.

Strain the tea, add sugar to taste and mix it well.

Let it cool.

Once it’s cooled add the orange juice and and lemon juice and mix well.

Put lots of ice and lemon slices in a tall glass, pour the orange tea, garnish with coriander or mint leaves and serve chill:)

   

 

Biscuit Chaat

Summer snacks should be light, healthy and pertinently, hydrating and something that will cool down the body. Of course, it has to be interesting and tasty.

  

What can be better than a light, fresh and healthy Biscuit Chaat ( my creation) served with Iced Orange tea?

And the best thing about this is that it can be made in a jiffy:)

  

Biscuit Chaat

Ingredients 

Small sized salt biscuit- 11/2 cups

Moong sprouts- 1/2 cup

Chopped onions- 1/2 cup

Grated carrots – 1/2 cup

Chopped tomatoes- 1/2 cup

Dates and tamarind chutney- 2 tbsps

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Chat masala powder- 1/2 tsp

Roasted jeera powder- 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves- 2 tbsps

Method 

Mix everything , garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately:)

Can’t get easier than this, isn’t it? 🙂

 

Recipe for Iced Orange Tea

 https://anubala29blog.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/iced-orange-tea/