Spinach/Palak Saambaar. (Curry)

Spinach/Palak  Saambaar is a gravy dish. You can have this curry with plain rice, chapatis, rotis, dosa or idli.
Spinach is loaded with minerals and vitamins. Fresh palak leaves invite you to buy them and you think of preparing many dishes using them. Fresh and green Palak leaves are available in the market always. Eating leaves is always a healthy habit that every one knows.

Lets see some benefits of eating Palak/Spinach in our diet.
Spinach is one of the wonderful green leafy vegetable for its wholesome nutritional, antioxidants and anti cancer contents. They are low in calories and fat. They are loaded with soluble dietary fiber and good for weight loss. They are rich in iron and good for producing red blood cell productions. They contain Vitamin A and Vitamin C. and anti aging properties. Spinach leaves are excellent source of vitamin K and it helps in body building. They are also rich in Vitamin B complex and Vitamin B6.They have good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc. They help to control heart rate, blood pressure. Palak leaves are good source of omega -3 fatty acids. It is said that regular eating of palak leaves helps in prevent osteoporosis (weakness of bones), iron deficiency anemia. The soft leaves protect human body from cardovascular disease and cancers of colon and prostate.
I have used Palak/Spinach leaves and some spices to prepare this Spinach Saambar. It is easy to prepare and anyone can try preparing this sambaar.
No onion or garlic is used in Spinach/Palak Sambar.
Things needed:

To Cook
Spinach : 1 bundle


Methi/ fenugrik seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon

To Grind :
Coconut : 1/2 Cup ( fresh and grated )
Red chillies : 4 to 5
Coriander Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Jeera ( cumin ) seeds : 1/4 tea spoon
Pepper pods : 2 to 3 
To Add : 
Tamarind juice : 1 table spoon.
Turmeric a pinch
Salt : to taste.
For seasoning : 
Mustard seeds : 1/4 tea spoon
Urd daal : 1/4 tea spoon
Curry leaves : 6 to 8 leaves
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Asafoetida : a little

Method :

1.Wash spinach cut into small and cook with little water.Add methi seeds while cooking.

2.Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out the pulp and keep it aside.
3.Grate coconut and grind with coriander seeds, red chilly, jeera and pepper

4.Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked palak, dal and turmeric powder.
5.Add soaked tamarind pulp, salt and mix it well and cook for a minute.
6.Add ground coconut mixture and stir well. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes.

7.Shift the Sambar to a serving dish and add mustard sees, urid dal, curry leaves, ingh seasoning.
8.Spinach saambaar is ready to serve.

Note : You can add a potato and any cooked dal to the sambar. You can add little water to the sambar and make it more liquid consistency. Use of onions and garlic is optional. You can also add other vegetables like carrot, beans or any other vegetables.You can use any market bought sambar powder instead of grinding. Use of toor dal and coconut is also optional. You can use moong dal instead of toor dal. Use of dal gives a good thickness to the sambar.
Time : 25 to 30 minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3

Baadam( Almond ) Carrot Kheer

Baadam And Carrot Kheer is a sweet dish and can have it any time of the day. Easy to make and full of vitamins. It is always healthy to have  home prepared drink or eat.
Badam  & Carrot Kheer can be cooled and then used as cool drink. It is delicious, soothing to our mind and body.

It can be served as welcome drink or you can have it at any time of the day or after lunch or dinner. It helps to keep the body cool.
Things needed :
Almond ( Badam) :  6 to 8
Carrot : 2 ( medium sized )
Milk : 2 to 3 cups.
Cardamom : 3 to 4
water : 2 to 3 Cups
Honey : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :
1 Wash and scrape out carrot outer skin and cut them into pieces and pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Allow it to cool.

2. Soak almonds in hot water for 5 minutes and remove the outer skin and keep it aside.
3. Grind cooked carrots, cardamom pods and almonds into thin paste.

5.  Keep a pan on the fire and put carrot and almond ground mixture to the bowl/pan.

6. Boil it for 3 to 5 minutes and put off the fire. Let it cool.

7. Add boiled and cooled milk and honey. Mix it well and serve.

Note :
Ground carrot and almonds nicely till paste. Do not add milk to hot carrot jaggery mixture. The whole sweet turns curdle. Using sugar or jaggery instead of honey is optional. Jaggery is always better option.
Adding more/less honey is also optional.  Use of fridge for cooling is also an optional.
Time : 20 Minutes
3 to 4 Servings.

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice is rice is an easy and yummy dish one can have at any time of the day. Most people do love lemon rice. It is easy and stomach filling.

I have used raw rice, coconut and some simple spices.
Lets see some benefits of having lemon in our diet.
Lemon is good for treating throat infections, indigestion, constipation. It is also good for people who suffering from fever, burns, obesity and respiratory disorders. It helps to reduce blood pressure and good for people who suffer from cholera. It is also good for skin care. Lemon helps to strengthen our immune system, cleanses our stomach and good blood purifier. Lemon contains many vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin A, Vitamin, Folate and minerals like acid, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus and protein. It contain antioxidant. It helps to prevent diabetes. It is also good for skin, hair and teeth.
No Onion or No garlic is used in this lemon rice recipe and it is easy to prepare. Good for kitty parties, feast or festival days.
Lets see the recipe now :

Things needed

 Raw Rice : 2  Cups (Cooked)
Lemon : 1 ( small )
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Salt : to taste
Green Chilly : 2
Ginger : 1 Teaspoon (Grated)
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Coriander leaves : 4 to 5 sticks
Fresh coconut : 1/2 cup ( grated )
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
urd daal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Oil and Ghee : 1 Tablespoon Each

Method :

1. Wash and cook rice and keep it aside. Let it become cool. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it and keep it aside.
2. Wash and cut (slit) green chilly and coriander and curry leaves into small pieces
3. Wash and cut lemon into two halves and squeeze out the extract. (juice from lemon).
4. Keep a pan on the fire and put 1 tablespoon of oil. Add mustard seeds, urid dal.
5. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add green chilly and curry leaves. Fry for a minute.
6. Now add cooked cool rice and a tablespoon of ghee. Mix it well. Add required salt.

7. Add grated coconut and a pinch of turmeric. Mix it slowly and nicely. (Let the flame be low).

8. Put off the fire and add lemon extract (juice) and mix the rice very well.
9. Now shift the ready lemon rice to a serving bowl. Serve with a cup of curd.

Note : 
Raw rice should not be over cooked. While preparing lemon rice the flame should be low. So that , the rice does not get burnt . While mixing also stir slowly . You can add more/less ghee to the dish.
Adding onions and garlic is optional. (I have not used). Adding more/less chilly is optional. Adding coconut is optional.
Time : 10 Minutes + Rice cooking time at least 25 minutes. Total time 35 minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 

Wheat - Rava Spicy Chapati

Wheat - Rava Spicy Chapati is good to have for breakfast /lunch or dinner. It is filled with spices and you can have them with any type of chutney/curry/curd.

I have used Chiroti rava/Thin variety of semolina, wheat flour, curd and some spices to give a spicy taste.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Chiroti Rava : 2 Tablespoons
Curd : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Garam Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red chilly powder : 1/4 Teaspoon
Turmeric powder : 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Water : As required
Oil : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Coriander Leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoon

Method :

1. Wash and cut coriander leaves and keep it aside.
2. Take a big bowl and put wheat flour, chiroti rava/thin semolina, turmeric powder, chilly powder, garam masala powder and jeera.
3. Add curd and salt. Add cut coriander leaves. Add ghee and mix it well.
4. Add required water and prepare chapati dough. (Leave it for 5 minutes).

5. Divide the dough into small portions. Keep one cup of dry wheat flour aside.
6. Take a small size of the dough and dip in dry flour.

7. Roll it as chapati and keep it aside.
8. Keep a tava on the fire and heat. Put rolled chapati on the tava. Sprinkle some oil on the top and cook on medium flame.

9. Turn the other side and cook for 30 seconds.
10. Hot " Wheat - Rava Spicy Chapati " is ready to serve.

11. Repeat the same and prepare remaining chapatis.

 12. Serve with your choice of curry.

Note :

Use of ghee is optional. You can use any cooking oil instead of ghee. (Ghee adds to the softness of chapati). Adding any other spice is optional. Adding more curd is optional. You can add any other edible leaves to the dough. (Example : dil leaves, palak leaves, methi leaves etc). Taste differ.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 .

Cabbage and Whole Moong Curry

Cabbage and Whole Moong Curry is a gravy dish. It is one of the side dish. We can have them with chapatis, rice, rotis, poori, dosa, idli ect.
I have used Cabbage, whole moong, green chilly and very little spices like ginger and pepper.

No onion or garlic is used in this curry and we can prepare them for any special day. It has mild spicy taste and kids can enjoy eating them. 

Things Needed :

To Cook 
Cabbage : 2 Bowls
Whole Moong : 1 Cup
Methi sees : 1/2 Teaspoon

To Add :
Green chilly : 2
Ginger : an inch
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : a pinch

Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons
Lemon : 1 Teaspoon (Extract)

For Seasoning :
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon
Pepper : 5 to 6 pods
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh : a pinch

Ghee : 1 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and pressure cook whole moong/ Green Gran and methi seeds for 5 to 6 minutes and let it cool. 

2. Wash and cut cabbage and cook with little water till soft.

3. Wash and cut green chilly in to two pieces, cut coriander leaves and squeeze out the lemon extract and keep it aside.

4. Keep a big pan on the fire and put cooked cabbage and cooked whole moong. 

5. Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix it well and let it cook nicely for 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Now add grated ginger and mix it well.

7. Add mustard seeds, jeera , green chilly, curry leaves and ingh seasoning and mix it thoroughly. Add water if required.

8. Put off the gas and add lemon extract and cut coriander leaves. Shift the curry to a serving dish. Add a spoon of ghee.

9. Serve with any main dish you prepared.

Note : 

You can add more/less chilly. Hot and spicy curry taste better but not healthy. You can also add 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric powder. Adding onions and garlic is optional. You can add tomatoes instead of lemon extract . It taste differ. Adding green chilly to a seasoning adds to the taste.
Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 2 to 3

Cabbage Dry Curry ( Palya )

Cabbage dry Curry is an easy dish and we can have them with rice, chapatis , parothas and even with bread. Now a days people prepare cabbage parata also. You can have them in chapati roll and eat it.

Cabbage is available in the market all around the year. One must take care of washing it thoroughly. Just wash and soak the whole cabbage at least two hours and then clean again to use it. So much pesticide is put on the cabbage because of worms.
I have used cabbage, chilly powder and little salt. You can create your curry by adding your type of curry powder or any other masala.
No onion or No garlic is added in this curry.
Lets see the recipe now:

Things needed :

Small Cabbage : 1
Green chillies : 1
Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Cumin Seeds : 1/4 tea spoon
Urd Dal : 1/4 Tea spoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/4 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 6 to 8 leaves.
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 sticks.
Red chilly Powder : 2 Teaspoons
Salt : to taste
water 1/4 cup
Coconut : 1 Table spoon ( fresh and grated )
Turmeric powder : a pinch

Method : 

1. Wash and cut cabbage and green chillies in to small pieces and keep it aside.
2. Take a pan , keep it on the fire. Put oil .Heat for a few seconds .

3. Put urd dal and mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add jeera ( cumin seeds ) and curry leaves and cut green chilly.
4. Add cut cabbage stir for 2 minutes. Add green chillies and turmeric powder.

5. Mix well and cook on low flame without adding water. Add salt and mix it well.

6.Add coriander leaves and grated coconut. Shift the ready curry to a serving bowl.

7. Serve with the main dish or one of the side dish.

 Note : 

1. You can add potato instead of coconut. Cut potato in to small pieces wash and add
You can use little water to cook cabbage. Cabbage requires very less water. Frying cabbage on low flame adds to the taste. You can add garam masala//vanghibath masala/rasam/sambar powder to the curry. Taste differ. Cutting cabbage into small helps the cabbage to cook fast. Adding green chilly adds to the taste.
Time :  15 minutes.
2 to 3 servings.