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 :) 

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 :) 

Vallarai Spicy Rice Mix / Vallarai Podi

With North East Monsoons kicked off and Nada Cyclone Alert, we definitely are curious about the outcomes this season is going to bring about (remembering last year's disastrous period). Wanted to share some healthy spice mix powder, apt for this season to stock, with the very beneficial Vallarai Keerai / Pennywort Leaves, for this week's Organic Kitchen.

Asiatic pennywort or Indian pennywort / Vallari is another treasured herb which offers a bountiful of health benefits (often referred as Memory Booster). Botanically Centella asiatica . It can be easily grown in kitchen garden.

The Leaves are used in treating the problems like liver functioning,lungs and kidney disorders, and for regularizing blood circulation.

Since ages it has been considered as the best brain tonic for growing children. Presence of Nitric acid in the leaves is highly beneficial for brain activity. It aids in improving the concentration and helps to focus better.It also strengthen the optic nerves.

Vallarai extract is also used in treating Hair fall, hair thinning and other hair problems.It also helps to cure problems like indigestion, stomach pain or diarrhea.

Studies show that the extract of these leaves are helpful in treating hyperactivity in children and also to treat Alzheimer disease.

Used in treating Diabetes as these leaves has the potential to reduce the blood sugar level, and also used in treating constipation problem and stomach ulcers.

Taking 1tsp of shade dried and powdered Vallarai with warm milk before bed time will  kill the worms in the stomach.

Sharing a healthy rice mix with goodness of Vallarai, Horse gram, Pepper and Sesame Seeds.

Here you go for the recipe:

The Ingredients

Step By Step 

Recipe Card

Happy Cooking :) 

Angaya Podi / Angaya Rice Mix - A Must Have Medicinal Recipe

This week for Organic Kitchen, am sharing a very healthy, medicinal and must to have recipe in every household. If we have this on a regular basis, we can get rid off many of the health issues, be it digestion related or any bodily infections. Even it is good for Cold and Fever. I always stock this powder, and a spoon of this with a dollop of home made ghee or gingelly oil mixed to hot rice before we take our lunch, greatly improves digestion. This is one of the long forgotten recipes of Tamil Cuisine and it is an integral part of Pathiya Saapadu for women post delivery. It has all the herbally nutritive ingredients that helps to heal us internally and flush out toxins off our system. There are various versions of this recipe available with Manithakkali Vathal, Kandanthippili etc., I have given here a very basic recipe with ingredients that are easily available.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

 Step By Step 

Happy Cooking :) 

Thudhuvalai Podi / Thudhuvalai Rice Mix

Thudhuvalai is called Purple Fruited Pea Egg Plant and it has lot of medicinal benefits. I have already shared a flavourful Rasam Recipe in my page here. Its Botanically called Solanum trilobatum as it has three lobed leaves and belongs to the family of Brinjal. It is used in many Ayurvedic and Siddha preparations to cure Asthma and Tuberculosis, and prolonged cold and cough. It is also known to have antimitotic properties (preventing cell division in tumerous cells) and hence acts as anticancerous agent as well. It has well pronounced anti bacterial and anti fungal properties too.

For this week's Organic Kitchen, I am sharing a very easy yet healthy rice mix using this medicinal leaves. This can be taken with hot steamed rice as well as with Idly and Dosa. This can be sprinkled in any of your curries to get the benefits of this leaves.

Step By Step Pictures

Happy Cooking :) 

Parsley Mint Chammanthi

Parsley is a medicinal and culinary herb that is loaded with nutrients. It is an excellent of vitamin K and vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamin A, folate, and iron.It is considered as one of the world healthiest foods.

Parsley is an excellent immune system booster and improves bone health. It helps in proper functioning of the kidney by flushing out the excess fluids. It aids in better digestion and also relieves arthritic pain. It plays an essential role in inhibiting the tumerous cells. Also it promotes cardiovascular health.

I tried this chammanthi recipe with Parsley, Mint and Amla which is a unique nutritional mix, along with ginger and green chillies, this is quite a flavourful 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 :) 

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 :)