Cantaloupe Smoothies

Just be sure that all fruits are ripe before making a smoothie!!!
Cantaloupe. It has Vitamin C.

Ingredients:
Cantaloupe - half fruit
Frozen banana (peeled) - 1

Method:
Cut the fruits into pieces.
Throw them in the blender.
Blend till smooth!

Here is another type of smoothie.
Use half fruit Cantaloupe, one frozen banana, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, ice and little honey. Blend them all and you will have a great drink!

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Water Melon Smoothie

This was a breakfast on a Sunday.

Ingredients:
Water Melon - ½ fruit
Vanilla Low Fat Yoghurt - ½ cup
Ice - as required.


Method:
Toss in everything in the blender and blend until smooth!

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Cassava Chips

Cassava Chips

I found most of the local grocers in Miami sell yucca root. They also call it cassava. The familiar names are maravalli kizhangu, kappa, tapioca. The tapioca chips are popular at hot chips outlets.

Peel the skin from root. Slice them in desired shapes. Pat dry both the sides. Deep fry them. Make sure to slice thinly and don’t overcrowd the fryer with cassava chips. Crispy chips are ready. Sprinkle some spices and fried curry leaves if you like.

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Prawn/Shrimp Ghassi

Several years ago, me and family used to visit Mahesh lunch home in Bombay. They used to serve great sea food. At the first visit, I tried King fish fry. It is called “surmai” in local language. The fish was very large sized about ¾ inch thick slice. I tried fish curry the next time. It was totally different with fenugreek seeds and tamarind. No spices were used.
This is how I tried to replicate the same dish. To enhance the color and make it spicy, I added 1 teaspoon red chili powder. For me, this dish will go with any item (rice, chappathi, poori, idli, dosai, even the ones I don’t like….Bread, Pav, Roti, Naan,etc.)


Ingredients:
Shrimp (cleaned and deveined)– 500 gms
Coriander seeds – 2 teaspoon
Whole dry red chilli – 4
Black pepper – 8 – 10
Fenugreek seeds– ¼ teaspoon
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Coconut ( grated ) – 1 cup
Onions (big)- 1 (chopped)
Garlic – 3 big cloves (crushed and minced)
Red chili powder – 1 tea spoon (mild – optional)
Tamarind - walnut size.
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Salt as required.
Oil for cooking.

Method:
Soak the tamarind in little water. Extract the pulp out.
Sauté coriander seeds, whole red chili, black pepper, Fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds in teaspoon of oil. Allow to cool.
In a mixer/grinder add the sautéed items ,grated coconut, turmeric powder, tamarind pulp and grind into paste.
In a kadai heat the oil and add the chopped onion and fry till it become translucent.
Then add the minced garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the shrimp and sauté.
After 2 to 4 minutes add the ground paste,salt and add 1/2 cup of water.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes or till the gravy thickens.

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Plain dosai and variety toppings

Here are few of the many ways of topping dosai. The choice of topping is up to anyone's imagination.

How to prepare the dosai batter ?
Ingredients:
Parboiled rice – 3 cups
Urad dal – 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds – 1 teaspoon
Salt

Method:
Soak the rice in water for 6 hours.
Soak the urad dal & fenugreek in water for 4 hours.
Grind them into a soft batter.
Ferment for 8 to 10 hrs. You may want to transfer the batter to a bigger container.
After fermentation add required salt and mix well.



How to make Pudina thuvaiyal?


Ingredients:
Pudina - 1 bunch ( 100gm)
Channa dal – 2 tablespoons
Urad dal – 2 tablespoons
Tamarind – 1 teaspoon
Whole dry red chilli – 4
Asafoetida
Salt
Oil
Seasoning:
Mustard seeds and cumin seeds

Method:
Heat the oil in a kadai and add the channa dal, urad dal.
Fry the dals till golden colour.
Remove the dals and keep in a plate or bowl.
Add whole red chilli and tamarind and fry for 1 minute.
Finally add pudina leaves and fry for 4 minutes in medium flame.
Let it cool.
In a blender add channa dal,urad dal,whole red chilli,tamarind,salt,pudina and grind.
Season it with mustard seeds ,cumin and asafoetida.

Moong sprouts Dosai



Chocolate Dosai




Papad dosai



Cauliflower Tomato Dosai



Semiya Channa Dal Dosai



Mozzarella Cheese Dosai



Chettinadu Dosai
This topping is made using saunf, cinnamon, clove,whole pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Sauté d and ground.



Corn Dosai



Podi Dosai



Pizza topping dosai



Egg Dosai

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Whole wheat chappathi with mixed vegetables

Mixed Vegetables

It is my wish to have strictly healthy diet. But never succeeded in having a healthy diet. Everytime, I cook a healthy food, kids refuse to take that food. I end up cooking spicy and tasty food all the time. Yesterday, I made chappathis using whole wheat flour. Kids ate them up.

Ingredients:
Mixed vegetables (cut) – 1 cup (I used beans, carrot, zucchini, capsicum, potatoes)
Onion – ½ (chopped)
Grated garlic – ½ teaspoon
Grated ginger – 1 teaspoon
Tomatoes – 2 (small – chopped)
Red chilli powder – 1 ½ teaspoon (mild)
Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) – 1 teaspoon
Amchur powder – ¼ teaspoon
Cumin powder- ¼ teaspoon
Salt as required.
Oil.
Mustard seeds – ¼ teaspoon
Cumin seeds – ¼ teaspoon
Chopped coriander leaves – 2 teaspoons
Garam masala – ¼ teaspoon
Method:
Heat oil in kadai and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When the mustard seeds crackle add the onion and sauté till it turns light brown.
Add the grated garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes , salt and mix.
Add the cut vegetables except capsicum and mix well.
Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and sauté well.
Cook by adding water.
When half of the water is absorbed add kasoori methi, cumin powder, amchur powder and mix.
When vegetables become dry add garam masala, capsicum pieces and coriander leaves.
Mix for 2 minutes in simmer.
Serve with chappathis or rotis.

Whole wheat chappathi
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour – 2 cups
Water as required
Salt
Oil
Method:
Make the dough.
Run the roller pin over small ball.
Cook in a chapathi maker or flat tawa.

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