Nature Watch - Mango Mania!

Nature Watch - Mango Mania!

 It's end of May.. summer is in its peak. Nature never let us hate summer all together. It gave us mangoes and jack fruits to anticipate summer. Because of the heat, we really are waiting for the summer to go away as fast as possible. But that will take away mangoes too with it..!! And along with it goes jack fruit.

Ulundhu Kali ( Urad Dhal Halwa ) - Healthy Traditional Food

Ulundhu Kali - Healthy Traditional Food

Ulundham/Ulundhu kali is a healthy food traditionally cooked in Tamil Nadu with black whole urad dhal and palm jaggery. These are the two main ingredients plus water. That is all..! you can also do this with whole white urad dhal. But whole black urad dhal is more nutritive and has more fibre and above all more flavour than the whole white urad dhal.

Since I did not have whole black urad dhal today, I used whole white urad dhal.

Gala-gala (Kalakala) - Gala Time Snack !

Gala-gala (Kalakala)

Galagala is another snack with my childhood memories. I very well remember.. that day.. Jurassic Park movie was released. My uncle took us kids to the movie in a nearby theatre at a walk-able distance (Muralikrishna Theatre, Shenoy Nagar, Chennai. The theatre is now demolished and been built into a wedding hall). We enjoyed the movie. When we returned home, my auntie made this gala-gala and kept ready for us to munch.

"செம்மை" Murungai keerai & Vaazhaipoo Rasam (Soup)

"செம்மை " Murungaikeerai & Vaazhaipoo Rasam / Moringa Leaves & Banana Blossom Soup

"Semmai" murungai & vaazhaipoo rasam is the healthy soup recipe which I learnt in the வாழ்வியல் மருத்துவம் - seminar by Semmai Vaazhviyal (செம்மை வாழ்வியல்). Rasam (ரசம்) means soup. They recommend different soup varieties with base as moringa leaves and other vegetable or greens of your choice being any one of - plantain stem, banana blossoms, drumstick, முடக்கத்தான் கீரை (balloon plant) etc. They recommend us to have any one of this soup in the evenings around 4 to 6 pm. Depending on your medical requirements you can choose these greens or vegetables for soup.

Sesame Seeds Balls - Keep it Simple, Keep it Healthy.

Sesame Seeds balls - Healthy and Easy Snack

Sesame seeds jaggery balls is a sweet laddu which is easy to make and good to eat. I remember my grandmother making it.. pounding the roasted sesame seeds manually with jaggery. But now.. all the hard work is saved. Use a mixer or blender. But taste - I can say we have compromised. The taste and flavour we get by manually pounding the sesame seeds and jaggery is incomparable. But now we cannot think about traditional manual gadgets. We have lost them! But, something is better than nothing. Use a mixer. That is all 😁.

Garlic / Poondu Kadayal - Healthy Country Food

Poondu Kadayal - Healthy Country Food

Poondu or garlic kadayal is a thick gravy or sauteed garlic mash which is famous in my grandparents village. My grandmother used to peal lots of garlic.. for almost half a day.. half-a-kilo garlic for the next days' poondu kadayal.

Kothamalli Chutney / Coriander Leaves Chutney - Flavoursome

Coriander Leaves / Kothamalli Chutney

Coriander is considered both an herb and spice since both its leaves and seeds are used as a seasoning condiment. Coriander leaves contain powerful detoxifying abilities. Happy to be born in a world where coriander grows. 😁

Maangaai Pachadi / Green Mango Pachadi - Use the Season - Summer's Sweet-Sour-Spicy

Green Mango Pachadi - Sweet-Sour-Spicy

This green mango sweet-sour-spicy pachadi is the seasonal dish. Summer comes.. mango comes.. this mangaai pachadi also comes!! Maangaai pachadi has sweetness from jaggery, sourness for mango, and spiciness is contributed by chilli powder.

Vaazhaithandu Koottu / Plantain Stem Dhal

Vaazhaithandu Koottu / Plantain Stem Dhal

Vaazhai thandu kootu or the plantain stem dhal is a tasty and easy way to consume the vaazhaithandu. It is one of the cheapest item available in any vegetable shop and yet it possesses amazing goodness.