Turkey Berry Rice Mix / Sundakkai Vathal Kalathu Podi

Turkey Berry (Sundakkai in Tamil) is used both fresh and dried forms as it has many medicinal properties. It is rich in Vitamin A, Calcium, Iron and Fiber.It has bitter taste and is used in Sambar, Kootu as fresh berries. It is also sun dried by soaking it in curd and salt and stored for using later. The dried ones can be fried in oil and had as is with Curd Rice or it is made into Sundakkai Vathal Kuzhambu which is a tastiest version.

It is used in Ayurveda to cure Liver and Kidney disorders. It kills the intestinal worms and is used in controlling Blood Sugar Level. It is also to strengthen the bones due to the Calcium content.

Here am sharing an interesting Rice Mix using Turkey Berries and Peanuts.

Happy cooking :) 

Healthy Idly Dosa Podi Varieties - Green Gram / Black Gram / Horse Gram

Got bored with usual Idly Podi with Deskinned Urd Dhall ? Here are some healthy variations that I made using Horse Gram, Flax Seeds (Which I have posted here already), Whole Black Gram and Green Gram (??, Yes, you heard it right. Whole Green Gram which is a huge hit with my family and kids will sure love it).

Try these all healthy options and let me know your feed backs. Would love to hear.

Flax Seeds: 

Flax seeds are miraculous seeds with innumerable medicinal properties. They were originally used in Austrian Medicine and now it is slowly catching attention owing to the health benefits that it offers. It has lot of minerals and loaded with fibre. It has less Carbs and gluten free too. It promotes healthy Skin and Hair. It lowers Cholesterol and aids in Weight Loss. It has good amounts of antioxidants which acts as anti ageing and hormone balancing agent.

Green Gram: 

Green Gram is a high source of nutrients including: manganese, potassium, magnesium, folate, copper, zinc and various B vitamins.

They are high in protein, resistant starch and dietary fiber.Lowers Blood Pressure and helps with Weight control.

Black Gram:

Black gram has protein, fat, and carbohydrates which is required by our body. It is one of the richest sources of proteins and Vitamin B. It is also good for women as it has iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, potassium which makes it a healthy pulse. It is rich in fibre which makes it easy to digest and benefits the health as it is good for the heart. Consumption of Black gram helps to reduce cholesterol and improves cardiovascular health.

Horse Gram: 

The health benefits of this Pulse is in numerous...It is proven to have anti bacterial, anti fungal, anti oxidant properties.It is rich in protein, iron and calcium. It aids in Weight Loss and a great cure for cough and cold. It has less Lipid and Sodium content which is ideal for Obesity and Diabetic patients. By including this in our diet we can keep us Young and Vibrant

 

Happy Cooking :) 

  

Coriander Horse gram Spicy Powder / Kothamalli Kollu Podi

Coriander/ Kothamalli is very commonly used in Indian Cuisine. Used as a flavoring agent in many of the recipes. It has a unique flavour and has lots of health benefits too. It can be easily grown in kitchen garden with the seeds.
Coriander leaves aids in lowering blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.It promotes digestion fights against the Salmonella bacterial infections. It protects us from Urinary Tract infections and is an excellent anti-inflammatory food. Coriander raises good cholesterol (HDL) in our body.It is a great source of Vitamin A, C, K, dietary fibre, iron and magnesium. Coriander leaves helps for adequate menstrual flow in women and cures anemia.It also acts as brain stimulant and improves memory.

Here is a simple yet tasty recipe with Coriander and Horse Gram.

Step By Step 

The Recipe

Happy Cooking :) 

Andhra Parupu Podi / Spicy Dhall Rice Mix

It has been a long wait listed recipe and my family favorite too.  Have always relished this in all Andhra Meals Restaurants and started making my own when the day I realized my son loves it (still remember the small mess on Tirutani road where we happen to take our meals on the way to visit Tirutani Murugan, the very first time Kuttan had his meals out with this delicious Parupu Podi served by the Mess). Having this with hot steamed rice with a dollop of home prepared ghee or sesame oil is divineful for sure. A keeper recipe and simple to make too. All we need is the patience to roast the Dhalls in Low Flame separately till light golden brown.  (Low Flame is the Key here).

I usually make it for a week as I love having batches of fresh podi every week. I make each variety one week so we dont get bored with them and at the same time we get the benefits of all the ingredients added to various Podi Varieties. Check out the other Podi Recipes here.

Happy Cooking :) 

Flax Seeds Groundnut Idly Chilli Powder

Flax seeds are miraculous seeds with innumerable medicinal properties. They were originally used in Austrian Medicine and now it is slowly catching attention owing to the health benefits that it offers. It has lot of minerals and loaded with fibre. It has less Carbs and gluten free too. It promotes healthy Skin and Hair. It lowers Cholesterol and aids in Weight Loss. It has good amounts of antioxidants which acts as anti ageing and hormone balancing agent.

A best way to include Flax seeds into our day to day diet is to have it in a powder form, which can be added to Smoothies, Juice or salads. Today I tried making Flax Seeds Idly Chilli Powder where I have used Groundnut to enhance the flavour and taste.

A healthy podi to go with Idly and Dosa :) 

Healthy Rice Mix - Pepper Cumin Powder and Kalathu Podi / Digestive Powder

In this post I am sharing some interesting and healthy rice mix recipe which is a traditional recipe of many of the South Indian Households. Hailing from a family of people who believed that through food and some herbal mixes all kind of ailments can be cured, this is something which is used in treating indigestion. My grandma who seeks these kind of medicinal household recipes for every other system disorders, taught me some of her recipes and more the importance of them. I have personally relished these and found cure at times when needed. It might be unbelievable for the people of this antacid gel age.

Pepper and Cumin have proven to have properties that aids in proper digestion and curing gastritis issues. These two spices are considered as super spices. Just a spoon of this powder with a spoon of melted ghee added to hot rice when consumed do give us relief from indigestion issues and also improves appetite.

Kalathu Podi or Digestive Powder is something that is usually given to the newly delivered moms, or lactating mothers to get relief from indigestion and gastritis. We also call it as Pathiya Podi as it is given a must during the first three to four weeks after delivery. It helps in proper digestion and also stops vomiting in babies when they feed on the milk of the mom when she faces digestive issues. These are some recipes which I treasure and it has been transferred by my grandmom to my mom and I want to have it saved as already we are forgetting all our traditional recipes by now..Thanks to the fast food culture. I will also post the special Pathiya Kuzhambu and Pathiya Rasam for the newly deliverer moms in my upcoming posts.

Not only new moms, but anyone can take this podi with rice to get relief from indigestion and gastritis.

Will be happy to receive your feed backs...Happy Cooking :)