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Showing posts from August 2, 2015

How to Make Sambar Masala Powder at Home: Authentic Recipe from South India

sambar masala Sambar Masala Powder 1 cup- coriander seeds 1/4cup- Bengal gram (chana dal) 1/4 cup- Split black gram (urad dal - you may skip this, but I added) 1 tsp- methi dana 2 sprigs- curry leaves 1tsp-mustard seeds 2tsp- cumin seeds (jeera) 2tsp- black pepper corns 3 - cinnamon sticks (dalchini) 1/2-1 cup- dry red chilli ( I added 1/2cup) 1 tsp- turmeric (haldi) sambar powder Roast coriander seeds.  Then roast dals separately.  Roast curry leaves.  Roast all the remaining spices (except haldi).  Let the roasted spices cool down.  Grind all spices together.  Add haldi.  Some sambar recipes use dry coconut as well.  If you want, you can add 4 tsp dry coconut powder to the sambar masala. I did not add coconut. The authentic sambar masala recipes use coconut. I prefer to add fresh coconut along with sambar powder to the recipe. Sambar is a delectable blend of vegetables and lentils. It is a health food, since it uses little oil and is a blend

Home Made Garam Masala North Indian Style

Home made garam masala of north India is different from that of south and east India. I have shared the recipe of Odiya garam masala , which is my MIL's unique recipe. It tastes different and much better than the one bought from market!! North Indian Garam Masala Ingredients 1/2 cup coriander seeds (sabut dhaniya) 1/4 cup fennel seeds (saunf) 3 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera) 3 Tbsp green cardamom (hari elaichi) 5-6 black cardamom (badi elaichi) 2 inch cinnamon stick (dalchini) 1 tsp cloves (laung) 1/2 tsp black peppercorn (sabut kali mirch) 2 red chilies (lal mirch/kashmiri mirch) 1/2 star anise (chakri phhol ) 1 nutmeg (jaiphal) 1 javitri phal 1 bay leaf (tej patta) How to make garam masala north Indian style Roast all the ingredients on a low flame one by one. Let them cool down and then grind. Keep in an airtight container and enjoy the real taste of food cooked in home-made garam masala! Yumminess in a bowl!

Punjabi Besan Sheera Recipe: Flavorful, Gluten-Free Home Remedy for Cold

Whether you are looking for home remedy for cold or cough, this post can come in handy. What's so special about besan sheera, you might wonder. Well, the besan ka sheera is an authentic recipe from my grandmom's recipe book. I love everything about this besan halwa, which is made using gluten-free chickpea flour. Home remedies for common cold and cough are tried and tested and shared by our grandmoms. These home remedies of nanis and dadis are both effective and yummy. The monsoon is a time to enjoy rains 'n fall ill! Ooops, sorry but it's true for most of us! This is that time of the year when a number of us suffer from a severe bout of cold (yea - you may count those low on immunity). Yes, common cold can bring quite irritating symptoms.  The changing weather also has an impact n our health. When autumn knocks at our doors, most of us tend to fall ill, especially those with low immunity.  Nevertheless, I have come up with a delectable home

Bitter Gourd Recipes: Bharta, Baked Karela Chips in Airfryer

Looking for easy yet yummy bitter gourd recipes?  I understand this humble green vegetable is not a favorite at your home, especially with little kids and the adults too. But I love bitter gourd recipes like anything - whether it is karela fry, karela bharta, karela chips, chatpata karela, or bharwan/stuffed karela that mom specializes in. I make it healthier - my MIL's way - just like a stir fry vegetable. It tastes equally yum. I thank my neighboring Bengali aunt for introducing me to karela bharta recipe. It gave me inspiration for replicating the recipe and combine it to make karela and kheera bharta.  I thank Chitra B for introducing khatta meetha karela recipe to us all. It is a tangy, sweet bitter gourd recipe loved by one and all. Additionally, Karela or bitter gourd chips are a favorite this side. Crispy KARELA Chips (Diabetics, it won't hurt having a bite too) A few years back when I relocated to my present residence, I came across a south Indian c

Eggless Olive Oil Cookies

Add caption When health is your top priority, taste can definitely take a back seat. But with a little twist and experiment, you can make a perfect match between taste and health. These olive oil cookies are a typical example of the marriage of health and taste. Having baked these olive oil cookies successfully, I feel on cloud 9. But with the goodness of olive oil and aroma of fennel (which is a loaded with health benefits), there is no comprising the taste! Give these crunchy cookies a try for health sake and enjoy a taste you have never had earlier! As someone who is a strict disciplinarian as far as health is concerned, I keep experimenting with cookie recipes - just trying to find a perfect match between health and taste. After having tried cookie recipes with clarified butter (which isn't too good for cholesterol), I experimented with olive oil. Voila. This doesn't disappoint either. Happy me!! Happy to share the recipe here: 1 cup sugar (I used half cu

Home made Kalakand

In my endeavor to promote healthy living, I have decided not to buy any sweet from the market. So tried making this Kalakand (milk sweet from cottage cheese) at home. It's better to get going in the kitchen than marketing for the same stuff outside. 1 cup panner (cottage cheese) 3 tbsp - milk powder 1 cup milk sugar as per taste 1/2 tsp ghee for greasing the plate (keep the plate greased before you begin the entire process) Mix milk powder with milk, sugar, and boil in a heavy bottomed pan. Let it simmer on low flame until it becomes dense and the milk is reduced to half. Stir well so that it does not stick to the bottom or sides of the pan. Then add paneer to the mixture. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes dense and leaves the sides of the pan. When it solidifies. Switch off the flame. Pour the thickened mixture over the greased plate. SMoothen the top with a spatula. Let it cool for a while. Once it cools, cut and serve.

Have You Seen Blue Garlic Color; What Are the Reasons

garlic changes color We associate garlic with an off-white, uninteresting color. Have you ever noticed a COLOR change in garlic, when it turns to turquoise, blue, or green color, especially when pickled or baked? Why does the garlic change color? More often that not, most people throw away this type of garlic, fearing health risks. But the color change in garlic is no reason not to use this immensely beneficial herb. garlic color change The colors occur as a result of the reaction of enzymes and amino acids with the sulfur compounds present in garlic. So the next time your garlic cloves turn bluish-green, do not be surprised. It's simply the sulfur in garlic reacting in an acidic environment with natural amino acids to form the harmless colored pigments. The age of the garlic may determine whether it will change color when pickled or cooked or even kept in sunlight.  The garlic is perfectly safe to eat, and will retain the same taste. So the next time yo