Sunday, February 08, 2009

Yogurt Indian dessert - Srikhand or Shrikhand

This dish is delicious, cooling and simple to make. It makes a great sweet yogurt snack, dessert or fruit topping.
Ingredients
4 cups thick natural yoghurt, drained.
10-12 tbsp. of Ajika Almond, Cardamom, Saffron Sugar
A few strands of saffron, soaked in 1 tbs. of warm milk or water (optional)
A few pistachio's crushed
Method:
If using home made yoghurt, hang it in a muslin cloth for 2 hours, allow the whey to drain.
Mix the yogurt and all the rest of te ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Serve chilled garnished with pistachio and rose petals.

Vegetables curry

Ingredients:
Choose from fresh green beans cut into 1 inch lengths or any other vegetable like 1 cup cauliflower florets or c arrots and peas.4 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 tbsp. black mustard seed4 curry leaves 1 cloves garlic (peeled & finely chopped)1 inch ginger paste1 hot red dried chili (crushed) 1 tsp. turmeric1 tsp. salt ½ tbsp. coconut flakes
lime juice to taste
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium flame. When hot put in the curry leaves and mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop add the garlic/ginger and stir until lightly brown. Add the crushed red chili and stir for a few seconds. Add the green beans, salt and jaggery and coconut. Stir to mix.
2. Turn heat to medium/low. Add 1/4 cup water. Stir and cover the beans for 7-8 mins until they have absorbed the spiced flavors. Pay attention to the water there should be enough for a good steaming.
3. Add lemon juice, mix and serve

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Chicken Koruma


Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger,
  • finely minced 4 cloves garlic,
  • finely crushed 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground almonds
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground garam massala
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1½ cups low fat yoghurt or 375 g
  • 1 kg skinned chicken drumsticks
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 medium onions or 300 g, cut into thin slices
  • 1 cup water or 250 ml
  • 2 cubes MAGGI Chicken Less Salt Bouillon
  • 1 tablespoon coriander leaves

  • Preparation--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Combine ginger, garlic, spices and yoghurt in a bowl. Add chicken drumsticks, set aside to marinate for 1 hour.
    Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onion and cook until golden brown, add the marinated chicken to the pan and fry for 10 minutes.
    Add water, MAGGI Chicken Less Salt Bouillon cubes. Cover and simmer for 20–25 minutes. Add coriander leaves and cook for another 10 minutes stirring gently from time to time until chicken is cooked.
    Serve with boiled rice

Monday, August 25, 2008

Ramadan Fasting: Health Benefits and Problems

Muslims from across the world stay ordained to the Quran and fast for the whole of Ramadan month. Fasting is a part of pleasing God, in almost all religions. Probably, the health benefits of fasting were known to our forefathers several centuries ago.

Though the primary aim of fasting by Muslims is to conform to religious norms, fasting brings in several health benefits too. While considering health benefits, there are also a few problems to consider and precautions to take while fasting.

Those who suffer from medical conditions like coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc are exempt from fasting. The negative effects of total fasting include hypokalemia (drastic drop of blood potassium levels), cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart beat), etc. Ramadan fasting is not total fasting and believers take nutrients needed for the body, through the systematically planned early morning and evening food.

Lowering of blood sugar levels, cholesterol and blood pressure are the first notable physiological changes.

Diabetes patients need to take extra care while fasting. Hypoglycaemia, a condition characterised by abnormal drop of blood sugar levels can cause health problems. Diabetic patients should reduce intake of medicines or insulin injection during fasting. Monitoring of blood sugar levels is also desirable. Conditions like tiredness, sweating, headaches, unconsciousness, etc are the symptoms of abnormally low levels of blood sugar levels.

Hyperglycaemia- this is the reverse of hypoglycaemia, characterised by increase of blood sugar levels. This is mainly due to the medicines you take to sustain blood sugar levels. Increase in blood sugar levels can cause problems to kidney and eyes.

Problems of Acidity and Ulcer – bile can get filled up in stomach, which causes acidity and ulcer.

Healthy individuals have considerable health benefits from Ramadan fasting. It is an effective detoxification therapy. Toxins accumulated in the body break down and pass out of the body.

Fasting is ideal for both overweight and underweight persons. It is commonsense how fasting works to reduce weight. During fasting, deposited fat gets used and burns down and facilitates weight loss.

Fasting also normalizes the digestive system of underweight persons, and equips body to digest and assimilate nutrients from the food they eat.Fasting can also clear many skin problems. This is because of the elimination of toxic materials from the body and generally cleansing the blood.

Fasting has advantages in getting rid of addictions and unhealthy habits like smoking and taking alcohol.
Ramadan fasting improves the health condition of healthy people. But for people who suffer from any medical condition should monitor their body and physiology more closely.
Pregnant and feeding women are exempted from fasting and they shall not attempt fasting, as it can deprive nutrition to both mother and child.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Vermicili Biryani.

Ingredients Needed:
1. Vermicili (Semiya) 1 cup
2. Cubed Vegetables (Carrot, Beans, Peas, Cauliflower, Potato, peas) 2 cups
3. Onion - Sliced lengthwise 1
4. Salt to taste
5. Water 1-3/4 cup
6. Ghee - 1 tsp
7. Oil - 3 tsp
8. Chopped Tomato - 1

Grind into Paste
1. Onion - 1/2
2. Ginger - 1inch Piece
3. Garlic Pods - 2
4. Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Green Chillies (According to taste)
6. Fennel Seeds - 1/4 tsp
7. Garam Masala - 1 tsp
8. Grated Coconut - 2 tsps
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Grind the above items into paste.

Ingredients for Tempering
1. Bay leaf - 1
2. Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
3. Pepper - few

Method:
1. Heat Ghee in a pan and fry semiya till golden brown and keep it aside.
2. Heat Oil and add tempering Ingredients.
3. Fry Onions till golden brown.
4. Now goes the Paste, Cubed Vegetables and fry in slow fire for 5 minutes or till Oil floats on top.
5. Now add water and chopped tomatoes, let it boil.
6. Add Semiya and Cook till done.
Garnish with Coriander and Mint leaves

Semiya Payasam Onam special

Sago 1 cup
Water 2 cup
Vermicelli 1/2 cup (broken into small pieces)
Milk 2 1/2 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Ghee 3 tablespoon
3 Cardamom pods
Cashew nuts
Raisins

Soak the sago in water for an hour. Boil it with water. Stir constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until it becomes translucent. Lower the heat and leave it for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Heat the ghee in a pan. Fry the cashew nuts & cardamom pods in it. Add vermicelli and fry until golden brown.

Add this to the Boiling sago. Then add sugar, milk & raisins. Stir for few minutes until the sugar dissolves. Serve hot.

Vegetable Cutlet Onam special

Potatoes- 3 (boiled & mashed)
Carrots- 1 (grated)
Fresh Green Peas- 1/4 Cup
Onions- 1big (chopped)
Red Chili Powder- 1 tsp
Salt
Maida- 2 tablespoon
Oil
Garam Masala Powder- 1 tsp
Rusk Powder- 1/2 Cup
Steam the grated carrot & peas in a pressure cooker.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped onions until golden brown. Then add mashed potatoes, steamed carrots and peas. Fry for 10 minutes & add garam masala, chili powder & salt and saute well. Remove from heat and let it cool down. Make lemon sized balls out of this veg mixture.

Add some water to maida and make it as a paste. Dip the vegetable balls in the maida paste and coat with rusk powder. Flatten this into thin patties.

Heat 2 tbs of oil in a shallow frying pan and fry few cutlets at a time until both sides becomes brown (turn it once). Repeat this until all the cutlets are fried (Pour some oil every time you replace the cutlet). Serve hot. Green Chutney (Mint) & Tomato Ketchup makes a good accompaniment.