Carrot Verkadalai Kalavai / Carrot Peanuts Salad
I am planning to post recipes of my raw food food feast one by one.
Carrot peanuts salad is very simple to make. The raw peanuts are soaked in water for 8 hours/overnight to give a crunchy taste.
Carrot Verkadalai Kalavai / Carrot Peanuts Salad
Ingredients:
2 – 3 medium sized carrots
A handful of raw peanuts
Juice of half a lemon
2 tsp shredded coconut (optional)
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves
Salt as required
Method:
- Soak the peanuts in water overnight/8 hours.
- Wash the carrots, peel them and grate.
- Grate the ginger.
- In a mixing bowl add grated carrots, soaked peanuts, grated ginger, coriander leaves and shredded coconut.
- Add lemon juice and salt. Mix gently.
- Serve fresh or chilled. Serve as a light meal or an accompaniment to rice or roti.
Raw Onion Chutney / Pachai Vengaya Thuvaiyal
This chutney is very simple to make and needs very few ingredients and can be done in a jiffy.
Onions have a lot of health benefits, especially when eaten in raw form, because of the organic sulfur compounds present in it. Onion is considered anti bacterial. In olden times they used to keep cut onion in the room corner of a sick patient, the onion will absorb the germs and is then discarded. Eating raw onions is good for developing the immunity. This chutney is a good way for the intake of raw onions. Since this recipe uses raw onions, it is a little pungent. Those who do not like the strong taste of raw onions can add a tea spoon of gingelly oil to the chutney before consumption. This chutney can be made with shallots/sambar onions too, which gives a unique flavor.
Raw Onion Chutney / Pachai Vengaya Thuvaiyal
Ingredients:
2 large onions / 20-25 no shallots
3-4 red chillies (Adjust according to taste)
Salt as required
2 flakes garlic (optional)
A large marble size ball of tamarind
Method:
- Soak the tamarind in little water for 2 minutes.
- Chop the onion into big pieces.
- Blend all the ingredients in a blender/mixie to get a smooth paste. Add little water if required to get a smooth mix.
- This chutney can be had with any type of idli or dosa but tastes best with ragi dosai/fingermillet dosa and kurunai dosai/whole blackgram dhal dosa
Cucumber Chutney / Vellarikkai Thuvaiyal
My MIL saw this in a cookery program in Jaya TV and asked me to give this a try. I tried this…and I thought it was a ‘cool’ way to add cucumber to our diet in this scorching summer. This chutney tasted too yummy…
Cucumber Chutney / Vellarikkai Thuvaiyal
Ingredients :
1 medium sized cucumber-deseeded
1 tomato
1 onion
3 tsp gingelly oil
3-4 red chillies
1 tsp urad dhal
Few coriander leaves (optional)
salt as required
Method:
- Chop cucumber into large pieces. Make sure that the cucumber is not bitter before you go ahead with the recipe.
- Chop onion and tomato into large pieces.
- In a pan add 3 tsp oil. Roast the chillies and urad dhal and keep aside.
- In the same pan saute onions, cucumber and tomato one by one.
- Cool and grind in the mixie into a smooth paste. Serve with idly/dosa.
Kondaikadalai Theeyal -Nagercoil style
I first tasted this delicious dish when I was residing in nagercoil. My mom learned it first, later I learnt it from her. This is more or less similar to puli kuzhambu but the major difference is that lots of roasted coconut is ground and added to this curry giving a distinct flavour. Theeyal is also made with garlic-shallots or other vegetables combination, but this is our favourite.
Kondaikadalai Theeyal
Ingredients :
1 cup white chick peas/garbanzo beans/kabuli channa (soak for 8 hours)
A small lemon size ball of tamarind
2 tsp of gingelly oil
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
salt as required
To roast and grind into paste:
5-6 red chillies (adjust according to taste)
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp gram dhal
few sprigs curry leaves
1/2 tsp raw rice (optional)
1 cup shredded coconut
For tempering :
1 tsp gingelly oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dhal
2 sprigs curry leaves
Method:
- Cook the soaked chick peas in pressure cooker for 3 to 4 whistles. Add required salt to chick peas after it is being cooked.
- Extract the juice from tamarind and keep aside.
- In a pan dry roast all the ingredients given under roast and grind, one by one separately. Roast the shredded coconut in a tsp of oil till golden brown in colour.
- Grind all the roasted ingredients into a smooth paste.
- In a pan heat a tsp of oil and add fenugreek seeds. After they sizzle add tamarind juice, ground paste with required salt. Bring to a boil.
- Now add the cooked chick peas and allow to simmer for 7-10 minutes. Do the tempering. Serve with rice, any vegetable kootu and appalam.
My blog featured in snehidhi
Hi friends, I am happy to share the news that my blog has been featured in current issue of kumudham snehidhi dated 14 may 2015…food special issue..under the heading blogil kalakkum samaiyal ranigal…thank you wonderful people for all your support.
Sundakkai Pachadi/Turkeyberry Pachadi
Sundakkai also known as turkeyberry is a plant commonly grown in the backyard. It has small green colored berries which can be cooked fresh or dry. The berries are soaked in salted buttermilk and sun dried to get the dried version called as sundavathal.
Many people do not like sundakkai due its bitter taste. But it has lots of health benefits. Our diet should be a balance of all the six tastes…including bitter foods. So let’s include bitter tasting foods in our diet too for optimal health. Moreover if cooked in certain ways…by adding proper combination of sweet,salt and sour ingredients the bitter ness of this vegetable is reduced. One such recipe is sundakkai pachadi. Before going to the recipe let’s learn about the health benefits of sundakkai.
1. By regular intake of bitter foods like sundakkai, bitter gourd, neem flower etc. the germs in our intestines are killed. And our general immunity against diseases is improved.
2. If taken 4 times a week sundakkai helps to control diabetes.
3. Sundakkai improves digestion and relieves gas related problems.
4. Sundakkai is supposed to strengthen our bones and nerves if consumed regularly.
Sundakkai Pachadi
Ingredients :
1 cup fresh sundakkai
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
2 medium sized tomatoes finely chopped
1 tsp chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt as required
3 tsp oil
1 lemon sized ball of jaggery
To grind:
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 small onions (optional)
For tempering:
1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp urad dhal
Curry leaves
Method:
1. Wash the sundakkai thoroughly and chop in halves.
2. Heat 3 tsp oil in the pan. Add onions and saute.
3. Next add chopped sundakkai and saute till it softens.
4. Add tomatoes and saute till soft.
5. Now add chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt along with 1 cup water. Cover and cook in medium flame.
6. Grind coconut, cumin and small onions to a smooth paste.
7. After the sundakkai is cooked add the coconut paste and jaggery. Allow to boil and simmer for 5 minutes before removing from flame.
8. Do the tempering with mustard, urad dhal and curry leaves.
This pachadi tastes best with rice and rasam, but can also be had with rice and any other curry or even curd rice.
Green sprouts and pineapple salad
This is one of my favorite raw food recipe and very easy to make. The pineapple gives it a sweet and tangy taste and fibre in the salad makes it a very filling snack. This can be had as a light dinner or breakfast too. This will help in weight loss also.
Green sprouts and pineapple salad
Ingredients : (for 1 person, adjust accordingly)
1 handful or half cup raw green gram sprouts
1/2 onion chopped finely
1 tomato chopped finely
2 pineapple slices diced
1 capsicum chopped finely (optional)
A pinch of salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Method:
1.Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with salt and pepper.
2. Make few hours in advance so that the sprouts get soaked and taste better. You can also make it a day in advance and refrigerate it.
p.s. instead of tomatoes lime juice can be added.
You can also add chopped carrots or cucumber too.
Varagu Elumichai Saadham / Kodo Millet Lemon Rice
Normally I cook millets and have them with curry and vegetables. But for a change tried variety rice. It was very nice. I have used Kodo millet here, but any other small millet can be used. Peanuts are optional, but they add to the crunch.
Varagu Elumichai Saadham / Kodo Millet Lemon Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup varagu
1 large lemon
Salt as required
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 green chilly chopped finely
Few curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp urad dhal
1 tsp gram dhal
1 tbsp peanuts (optional)
3 tbsp gingelly oil
A pinch of asafoetida
Method:
1. Clean the millet, wash and cook in a pan with 2 cups water, so that the grains are separate. Be nearby, it will be done in 5 minutes.
2. Cool the cooked millet in a large plate with 1 tbsp of gingelly oil.
3. Squeeze the juice from one lemon and remove the seeds. To this add salt and turmeric.
4. In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard, urad dhal, gram dhal and peanuts. Add a pinch of asafoetida.
5. Now add chopped green chilly and curry leaves to the pan.
6. Pour this tempering over the cooled millet and add the lemon juice mix.
7. Mix well to get a uniform mix. Adjust salt if required.
8. Serve with choice of chips or vadaams.
Thinai Pongal / Foxtail Millet Pongal
Thinai tastes good when combined with moong dhal. Made venpongal with substituting thinai for rice. Tasted yummy with sambhar.
Thinai Pongal / Foxtail Millet Pongal
Ingredients :
2 cups thinai arisi ( dehulled foxtail millet)
1/2 cup split moong dhal
Salt as required
For tempering :
1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp oil
10 no cashews
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 green chilly finely chopped
Few curry leaves
Method:
1. Wash thinai arisi and moong dhal. Pressure cook the millet and dhal together with required salt and 3 1/2 to 4 cups water for 3-4 whistles.
2. Do the tempering with pepper, jeera, ginger, green chilly and curry leaves. Add fried cashews as a garnish. Taste with sambhar and coconut chutney.
Raw Food Feast / Iyarkai Unavu Virundhu
6 years back I had the chance to attend Isha yoga basic course. During the course one day full raw food meals were provided. I was very impressed by the fact that a full course of raw food could have so many varieties and so fulfilling. Even though we have salads and raw foods at home( from time to time, not consistent though 😦 ) I had always wanted to recreate the full raw food feast. Finally got a chance to do that. When my students arranged for the college culturals, they had asked for staff participation too. There was one event that suited my interest.NO FIRE COOKING – ONLY RAW FOODS. I devised a plan in advance and along with my two team mates prepared 18 dishes in one hour. The result was better than expected and we won the first prize. For now i have added the recipe names and pictures. Will explain the recipes in detail after some time.We prepared the following dishes.
2 WELCOME DRINKS
1. NEER MOR
2. PANAKAM
3 STARTERS
3. STUFFED TOMATOES
4. CABBAGE CHEESE ROLLS
5. MANGO FINGERS
10 MAIN DISHES
6. LEMON AVAL
7. SIVAPPU VELLA AVAL
8. GREEN SPROUTS SALAD
9. CARROT PEANUTS SALAD
10. VAZHAITHANDU THAYIR PACHADI
11. MADHULAI THAYIR PACHADI
12. VENPOOSANI THAYIR SAADHAM
13. NELLI OORUKAI
14. INJI THENOORAL
15. CUCUMBER KOSAMBARI
3 DESSERTS
16. DRY FRUITS LADDU
17. ILANEER PAYASAM
18. FRESH FRUITS SALAD
Chef Hema 
