Milaga (Pepper) Kozhambu

Ingredients

Tamarind: Approximately of size of a lemon
Pepper: ~5 -10 grams
Red chilli: 3-4
Urud Dhal: ~1 tsp
Toor Dhal: ~1 tsp
Asafoetida: A small amount
Salt: As appropriate
Curry leaves: A few
Musturd: ~1 tsp
Jaggery (if needed): ~25 grams

Method:

Soak tamarind in ~250 ml of water for few minutes. Extract tamarind extract. Add salt and curry leaves. Add pepper, red chilli, urud dhal, toor dhal, and asafoetida to a hot pan and fry until the dhal turns golden brown. Cool the contents and then grind it well. Add the ground mixture to the tamarind extract and boil until the contents reduce to 1/3th of the quantity. Garnish with fried musturd. (Adding small amounts of jaggery might taste better.)

Good remedy for common cold.

Kashayam after Oil Bath

"Kashayam"  in ancient terms is known as medicinal drink. There are more than 50+ kashayam varieties, which are used for range of diseases.  In this post I shall particularly speak about a very simple Kashayam that should be consumed soon after you have Oil Bath, particularly in an empty stomach.

Ingredients:
Ginger                         :  20 gm approx (fresh)
Garlic                          :  5 flakes (fresh)
Jeera                           :  1/2 tsp
Pepper                        :  1/4 tsp
Thipilli (Long pepper)  :  1/2 piece
Tulsi                            :   3 leaves
Anju Uppu                   :  as required

Method:
Dry grind Ginger, Garlic. Jeera, Pepper, Tulsi, and Thippili into powder.  In a bowl heat 100 ml of water and add the contents to it. Leave it to boil until the contents reduces to half (approx). Filter the contents and add 'Anju uppu' to it. Have it hot, sip by sip, by mixing every sip in your saliva.

It is ideal to have Kashayam to have without sugar.
I presume that everybody is known of the medicinal value of the contents. Yet I shall give a brief description of the same in my next post. 

Ginger Pachadi

I have a vision to live with nature and I always love to. Though a bit tough job, it keeps you healthy both internally and externally. The writing on medicine by Siddha's of ancient India says "Food is the first medicine". Yes, its true. Food is the primary medicine with no side effects and all my posts would be more focused towards maintaining good health.

Ginger (Adhrak) is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. One should make it a habit of consuming Ginger, daily, in smaller quantities, in any of the dishes being prepared.

Ingredients Required:
Ginger (fresh, skin peeled off and chopped)     :   3 tsp
Coconut (scraped)     :  1/4 cup
Curd     :     50 gm
Oil     :    1/2 tsp
Mustard    :   1/2 tsp
Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)   :   as required (for dressing)
Asafoetida    :   1 pinch
Salt : to taste

Method of Preparation:
Blend curd, ginger and coconut in mixie to thick paste.  Add asafoetida and salt to it and mix well.  Heat oil in frying in pan and add mustard to it. When mustard pops up fully, add it to the contents.  Dress it with fresh coriander and serve.

Pudalangai (Snake Gourd) Pachadi

Pachadis made with curd are one of the all time favorites that can be had "just like that" or can be used as side dish for variety of items. There are quite a lot of pachadi varieties and in this post I will tell you about Pudalangai pachadi, which is excellent in taste.


Ingredients:
Pudalangai (Snake Gourd) : 150 gms (finely chopped)
Oil   :  2 tsp
Curd   :   150 gms
Coconut (scraped) : 1/4 cup
Mustard   : 1/2 tsp
Urad dal  : 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida (powdered)  : a pinch
Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) for dressing.

Salt to taste.

Method of Preparation:
Heat frying pan and add oil to it. Add mustard to it. When it starts popping add urad dal and fry till golden brown. Add finely chopped pudalangai (snake gourd) and fry till it cooks well.
Blend coconut and 50gms of curd in mixie and get it to paste form.
Add the fried pudalangai and asafoetida to it.  Add salt to taste.
Mix well.  Add chopped coriander on top.

Milagu Pongal

Ingredients Required:

Rice   :             200 gms
Moong Dal  :   100 gms
Pepper (powdered) : 3/4 tsp
Ghee  : 4 table spoon
Ginger : 20 gms (minced)
Cashew nut  : 10 pcs
Salt : as required

Preparation Method:
Pressure cook rice and moong dal in 800 ml of water (4 to 5 whistles approx).
Fry cashew nuts and ginger in ghee and add pepper powder when removed from stove.
Add the fried contents to boiled contents and stir well. Add salt to taste.

Note: Maintain rice and water in 1:4 ratio for larger quantities.

MILK PAYASAM (PAAL PAYASAM)

Ingredients Required:

Milk                         1 Litre (4% milk)
Rice                         1 Table Spoon
Ghee                        1/2 Tea Spoon
Sugar                       150 grams
Saffron                     1 Pinch (15 flakes approx)


Preparation Method:

Heat the Ghee in kadai keeping the flame simmer, and fry the rice for one minute.
Grind the Rice coarsely.
Place Cooker at stove and pour milk, then add the rice.
Bring into Boil. Leave till one sound and sim it.
Open the lid, Stir continuously, till the rice cooks well.
Now add Sugar and stir for 5 minutes.
Add saffron to 25ml of milk and mix well till the saffron gets dissolved.
Add the mixture to the boiling content.
Stir for two minutes.