Banana Chocolate cake

A magical combination of Robusta Banana and Chocolate made cake well enriched with it's nutritional value and so yummy for our kids ...

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 1cup

Robusta Banana- 2

Egg -2

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Vegetable oil - 1/3 cup

Choco powder- 2 table spoon

Baking powder - 1 table spoon

Baking soda - 1 teaspoon

Water -1/2 cup

Salt - a pinch

Vanilla extract- 1teaspoon

Procedure

* Onto a mixer blender add the eggs, sugar, finely sliced bananas and oil.

* Blend well for 3 to 5 minutes until it becomes fine smoothie.

* Pour the mixture into a bowl and place a seive just above it and add the flour, choco powder, Baking soda, Baking powder, and salt.

* Seive and add the powdered contents onto the smoothie and fold  it well by using spatula.Add water and vannila extract to it and mix thoroughly.

*Pour the mixed batter onto an oil greased bread mould and place it in the preheated oven and bake at 180 degree for 35-40 minutes

* After baking cool it, slice and have it.

Orange Peel Chammanthi ( Chutney)

Orange peel contains compounds that lower blood pressure. The bitters in the herb stimulate appetite in people who have been confined to bed for long periods. Orange peel powder is a better source of pectin that nourish symbiotic bacteria in the large intestine than whole orange peel, but whole orange peel is a better source of the compounds that lower blood pressure.So now let's think of whether to throw it away or to make it use by preparing this variety side dish.

Ingredients:

Ripened Orange peel ( Dried) - 6 Oranges

Red Chillies - 6

Salt - 1 teaspoon

Tamarind - 25 gram

Asafoetida - a pinch

Procedure:

• Chop the dried Orange peels into half the finger size.
• On to a frying pan add 25 ml of sunflower oil and when it gets heated add the chopped Orange peels and roast it for 2-3 minutes .
• Then to that add raw chillies and turn until it gets half fried.
• Add tamarind to the above contents and heat it well.
• Finally add salt and Asafoetida and allow the contents to cool.
• Grind the above contents in a mixer , in oder to get fine Chammanthi powder.

As this is a dry Chammanthi / Chutney powder this can be taken along with hot idli, dhosa and even with rice. Wow !!!.. the orange flavour and it's taste makes you to take more food. Try it!.

Thazhuthama Ella Thoran

 
Thazhuthama Ella Thoran
Punar nava is the name given to the herbal plant thazhuthama (mookarattai in Tamil, hog weed in English). Our ancestors used to prepare delicious dishes using thazhuthama. The medicinal value of thazhuthama is quite incredible.

It functions as a rejuvenating agent for crucial organs like the liver, kidney and lungs. Thazhuthama mezhukkupuratti (roast), a popular dish among the old generation, is prepared by mixing thazhuthama with coconut, turmeric powder and pepper. Medicinal plant herbs expert says the leaves of thazhuthama gives a new lease of life to kidney, liver and eyes. Its leaves are rich with vitamins and roots are used to cure Asthma.

Ingredients:
Thazhuthama leaves- cut into very small pieces ( to be contained in a full plate)
Coconut - 1 cup grated
Greenchillies 5-6
Small onion chopped 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Oil 2 tablespoons
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds.

Add the chopped onions and stir for a minute.

To this add the turmeric powder, green chillies, thazhuthama leaves and salt.

Stir it well and cook for a minute.

Now add the grated coconut, stir again well, and cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.

There is no need to add water while cooking.Open the lid in between or every one minute and stir the mixture well. When it is done add the curry leaves.

Thazhuthama thoran can be served with roti or rice .

Pavakka Achar (Bittergourd pickle)

When we think about Bitter gourd ahh…it tastes bitter than any thing. But it is the vegetable packed with nutrients and health benefits. It contains essential minerals such as calcium, potassium, copper, iron, and also vitamins A, b1 and b2. Bitter gourd has many therapeutic properties and so it is widely used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Research studies have shown that bitter gourd contains hypoglycemic principles in it and thus it helps to lowers the blood sugar levels just like insulin. It is noted to be an effective component in ayurveda herbal medicine, and so it is known to treat the symptoms of rheumatism and gout and ailments of the spleen and liver. Bitter gourd is a blood purifier, activates spleen and liver and is highly beneficial in diabetes. It is useful in reducing hypertension, eye disorder and cough and enhancing digestion, metabolism and immunity. The juice of bitter guard is used for relieving constipation.

Ingredients
Bitter gourd - 3 nos
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Garlic pods - 7-8 nos
Ginger - 2" piece (cut finely)
Red Chilly- 10 nos
Green chillies - 7 -8
(cut lengthwise)
Fenugreek - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - A pinch
Tamarind juice (concentrate) - 1 tbsp
Vinegar – 1 tbsp
Oil - 5 tbsp
Salt - As reqd
Curry leaves- As reqd

Method of Preparation

• Cut bitter gourds into thin round pieces and to it add a tbsp of salt and a tbsp of chilly powder. Mix it well and keep it over night.
• Drain the water and squeeze out the excess water from the bitter gourd and keep it in sun light for a day.
• Fry fenugreek and red chilly without oil. Grind it and make the masala powder.
• Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves.
• Then add green chilly, ginger and garlic.
• When it gets half fried add the masala. Powder.
• To it add the bitter gourd pieces and vinegar and mix well.
• Add salt as required.
• Finally add Asafoetida and heat till bitter gourd is cooked.
• Remove from flame.

Bitter Gourd Pickle

Now it’s ready. Eat along with steamed rice.
Mmmmm………what a taste. I am sure that you will like it.

Christmas Special Red Grape Wine

Wine is the important part of drinks with delicious foods in many memorable occasion or celebration. And when your food has matching wine the dinner will be delicious and colorful. Red wine has an antioxidant called resveratrol which is found in the skin and seeds of red grapes. Both red wine and grape juice do contain antioxidants called flavonoids, which have been shown to increase your high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good") cholesterol and lower your risk of clogged arteries (atherosclerosis) and also helps to lower blood pressure.

Ingredients:

Black grapes-1 kg
Sugar-3/4 kg
Boiled Water-6 bottles
Cinnamon-2 pieces
Clove- 5 nos
Yeast- 5 gm
Egg white -1

Method of Preparation:

Clean and wash the grapes. Dissolve 5 gm yeast and 10 gm sugar in 100 ml lukewarm water and keep it for half an hour.

Smash the grapes with a wooden ladle.
Add the remaining sugar, water, prepared yeast, cinnamon and clove and stir well.

Store in a mud vessel (only up to 3/4 level) and tightly close the mouth of the vessel.

After 10 days filter the wine.
Beat egg white and add to the wine.

Keep this again in the vessel for 12 more days and stir the content once in four days.

Filter it and add 250 gm caramelized sugar to the content.
Dissolve it thoroughly.
Now its ready to use.

PS: To prepare the caramelized sugar, spread the sugar evenly in the fry pan and heat with low flame. After the sugar begins to melt, watch carefully the liquefied sugar is turning from golden to brown, remove the pan from the heat. Over heating the sugar will quickly turn too dark and taste bitter.

Spicy Garlic Pickle

Introduction:

Garlic contains a chemical called Allicin, which has already proved to have numerous health benefits. When garlic is added to a dish, any parasites, bacteria or other microbes get killed even before the temperature kills them. Garlic is a natural antiseptic, and eating a clove of garlic a day also helps ward off most infections. Spicy Garlic pickle is very delicious and a salubrious dish.

Just try on, you will like it !

Ingredients:
Garlic flakes - 2 cup
Red chilly - 15 nos.
Fenugreek - 2 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1 table spoon
Grated ginger - 2 table spoon
Turmeric powder- a teaspoon
Asafoetida- a teaspoon
Mustard - 2 teaspoon
Gingelly oil (sesame oil) - 3 table spoon
Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves
Salt - as required

Method:

Fry red chilly and fenugreek seeds in a pan without using oil.
Partially grind the fried contents in a mixie. Keep this masala powder separate.

Squeeze the lime fruits to extract the juice.
Filter the juice and add salt to it.

Heat gingelly oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
When mustard seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves and ginger, when it half fried add garlic flakes.

Add lime juice when the mixture becomes 1/4th cooked.

When the garlic is half cooked, add turmeric powder, masala powder and salt.

Cook for few minutes and add powdered asafoetida.

Keep on the stove for about 5 minutes and finally add vinegar. Allow it to cool.
Spicy Garlic pickle is ready.