Immunity booster Series -3 Pepper Rasam

When you are down with a cold or flu, all you need is some magic portion to get you back on your feet. This used to be the go-to thing as it has all the secret ingredients you need to cure all the ailments relating to cold and/or flu. By the next morning, all the discomforts are all behind you and you feel as fresh as ever all over again.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time- 10 min
Cooking time- about 45 min

Ingredients

Dry tamarind- 1/4 cup, packed
Ginger- 2 inch square chunk, skin on
Garlic- 5 small or 2 big cloves, skin on
Whole black peppercorns- 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies- 3
Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
Salt-to taste

For spluttering:

Organic virgin coconut oil- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies- 2
Curry leaves- 1 sprig


Soak the tamarind in 5 cups of warm water for about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, use a mortar and pestle to crush most of the other ingredients in 2 batches. First crush the ginger and garlic with their skins on. Transfer to another bowl and crush the peppercorns, curry leaves, cumin and red chillies in the same mortar and pestle. Crush them and add to the earlier batch.

Squeeze the tamarind well and dispose of the waste. To this water, add the crushed items and a pinch of salt. Let it come to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer away for atleast 15 min allowing all the flavours to marry together and turn it into a magical concoction. The water should have reduced to three-fourths its original quantity. Keep aside.

In a small fry pan, add 1 tsp of organic virgin coconut oil and add the mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add the red chillies and curry leaves. Mix everything well and pour it right on top of the rasam prepared. Cover and set it sit for atleast 2 minutes. Make sure you drink just the top portion only. Serve warm with rice or drink it as it is to feel better. 

Spicy Artichoke Wraps

Artichokes have a very subtle taste and flavor. It is a seasonal vegetable, except may be not in California. 

Even though subtle, it really comes through when you combine it with a mild cheese and may be some bread crumbs. I always indulge in the fresh ones when it is available. During the rest of the months, I keep a couple of canned artichoke hearts handy in the hope of transforming them into something yummy.

Here I made the artichoke hearts which is originally from USA with Indian spices and combined it with Middle-eastern tahini sauce and kaboos(Arabic bread) pairing it with Peri-peri sauce for the spread. It also adds in a Mediterranean touch with Kalamata olives and onions, making it a truly International dish. You can substitute the peri-peri sauce with any spicy sauce and kaboos with tortilla or chapathi, depending on what is available to you. 

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 20 min


Ingredients
Artichoke hearts- Canned, in water- 1(240 g ,drained)
Cooking oil- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Red chilly powder- 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt-to taste
Tahini sauce - 2 tsp
Peri-peri sauce- 1 tsp
Red onion- half of an onion, cut into long strips
Kalamata olives- 10 nos., pitted & cut into long pieces





Chop up the well-drained artichoke hearts roughly. Heat oil in a pan and add the spices. Stir for a minute and add the chopped artichoke hearts. Add salt to taste . Mix well and cook for a few minutes on a low flame, until the water is all gone and it gets the artichoke gets a good coating of the spices all over it.

In the meantime, warm up a large kaboos. In a small bowl, mix the tahini with the peri-peri sauce well. Pour the mix on the kaboos and spread uniformly all over it. Spread a layer of the onions and olives in a single line . Add the cooked artichoke right on top. Tightly roll the kaboos into a tight log making sure everything can be tasted in every bite. Enjoy the wrap warm right away, as it gets soggy if left assembled for a long time.

Immunity Booster Series- 2 Gooseberry Chutney

Indian gooseberry or Amla is another nutrient-packed food that can be eaten fresh, as nature delivers it to you.  It is a very seasonal fruit. Traditionally, we have the practice of preserving it in brine or in the form of pickles (with both salt and oil acting as preservatives).  

It is a superfood for the whole body from hair ( I really mean it, it is SO SO good for your hair) to toe. Whenever I can find it here, I buy it and preserve it in some water  with a generous amount of salt and a few spicy green chillies slit in half. It lasts forever and it can be had even as a snack, when you want something different. In the recipe, I have used the ones in brine, but you can always substitute for the fresh ones. 

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 0 min


Ingredients

Gooseberry (or Amla) - 8 or 9, big ones pitted
Dry red chillies- 3 or 4, to your liking (I use a skewer to roast them on a flame for that smoky flavor)
Grated coconut- 1/8 cup
Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
Salt- to taste
Organic Virgin coconut oil- a few drops(optional)

In a mixer grinder, add the grated coconut, dry red chillies(roasted or not), salt and curry leaves. Grind until it's almost fully smooth. Add the pieces of amla and continue grinding until everything is uniformly smooth. Check salt at this stage and add more if needed. Drizzle a few drops of organic virgin coconut oil for added aroma and goodness. Enjoy right away or keep it fresh in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days.

Immunity Booster Series-1 Moringa Stir-fry ( മുരിങ്ങ ഉപ്പേരി)

There is always a need to boost one's immunity for healthy living. Here is a series of recipes to keep your immunity up.

People have talked on and on about the benefits of Moringa. It is a miracle food. Here I have made one of the easiest stir-fry you can have using minimum ingredients.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 30 min
Cooking time: 15 min

Ingredients

Moringa leaves (washed & stemmed) - 3 cups
Oil - 1 tsp ( I use Extra virgin coconut oil, but you could use any neutral vegetable oil)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Dry red chillies - 2-3
Shredded coconut(optional) - 1 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Once done, add broken dry red chillies and the sprig of curry leaves. Add turmeric powder and red chilly powder and saute for another minute. Add the moringa leaves, sprinkle salt on top, mix everything well to get all the spices uniformly distributed . Cover and cook on medium-low flame until the leaves shrink and gets cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes. Mix well and sprinkle the shredded coconut, if you decide to add that in. It is completely optional and even without the coconut the dish tastes great. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve warm with rice or roti.

Peanut Laddoo

I was looking for some easy sweets to make for Saraswathi Pooja (Navrathri). A friend of mine, Arathy, was telling me how her mom used to make this for her daughter every day as tea-time snack (right as she came back from school).

This is perhaps the easiest laddoo I've ever known. The moisture from the brown sugar is the binder here.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: Nil
Makes: 13 small laddoos

Ingredients:


Peanuts: 1/2 cup
Brown sugar: 1/2 cup

Coarse-grind the peanuts and keep aside. Add the brown sugar and mix well. Shape into small laddoos. Dig in.

Granny Smith Apple Pickle

Usually when I make pickles at home, I use mangoes (see an earlier post of mine). I just wanted to see if I can experiment with something else. Granny Smith apples apparently are good too.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time:  2-3 min
Makes: 1 1/2 cup

Ingredients:


Granny smith apples, chopped in to small pieces: 1 1/2 cup (1 medium)
Oil: 1 tsp
Chilli powder: 2 tsp
Asafoetida powder: a pinch
Salt: to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet. Keep it aside once it gets very hot. To this, add the chilli powder and asafoetida powder. Mix well until the raw taste of the spices have gone (about 2 min). Add the chopped apple along with enough salt and mix well. Allow to cool completely before transferring to a bottle.

Easy Gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian

I think I have mentioned before that I am not a fan of Cauliflower. But in an attempt to get my kids to eat vegetables, I seem to end up with a lot of left over vegetables. Here is a handy dish if you ever are,by chance, holding a lot of cauliflower.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Makes: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:


Cauliflower florets: 1 cup
Onion: 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup, thinly sliced
Green chillies: 2, cut into thin rounds
Cornflour/ cornstarch: 4 tbsp
Soy sauce: 2 tsp + 1 1/2 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste: 3/4 tbsp
Powdered black pepper: 1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Chilli paste: 1 1/2 tsp
Tomato ketchup: 2 1/2 tbsp
Oil: 1 tbsp + for deep-frying

Heat oil in a skillet. In the meantime, mix the cauliflower florets,1/2 cup sliced onions, green chillies, cornflour, 2tsp soy sauce, ginger-garlic paste, salt and pepper to form a tight batter (tight enough to form balls). Make small lime-sized balls and deep fry them until golden brown.

In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil and saute the rest of the onion until light golden brown. Add the rest of the soy sauce, chilli paste and tomato ketchup and mix well. Add the fried cauliflower balls and mix well, so as to coat the balls with the sauces. Serve warm.

Stuffed Okra/Ladysfinger(വെണ്ടക്കായ )

I used to make this dish all the time. But given the fact that it is difficult to get good fresh okra these days, I pounced on the opportunity when I got some fresh okra from my own vegetable garden.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 10min + 30 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Makes: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:


Young tender okra: 8 big
Chilli powder: 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/8 tsp
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp, heaped
Coriander powder: 2 tsp, heaped
Cuminpowder: 1/2 tsp, heaped
Oil: 1 1/2 tbsp
Onion: 1/2 of a medium, finely chopped
Tomato: 1/4 of a medium, finely chopped
Water: 1 cup
Salt to taste

Carefully make a slit on each okra in the middle, taking care not to cut both the tips apart (you will need this to retain the shape while cooking).

Make a spice mix using all the dry spices (chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt). Mix well until everything is uniformly distributed. Now fill as much as the spice mix into each slit of the okra as possible, without  breaking it apart, and keep aside for at least 30 min (the longer it stays, the better).
Heat the oil in a skillet and put the okra, cut side down. Allow to cook on a medium-low flame until the green colour starts to fade or gets half-cooked, about 4-5 min. Keep aside. To the same oil, add the balance in the spice mix and saute until the raw taste is gone. Add the chopped onion and saute well until light brown, and add the chopped tomato. Saute until the tomato has cooked and the entire mixture has become a thick paste. Add the water and allow to boil. Now slide the half-cooked okra into this, cover and cook on a low flame, until the okra has cooked through (about 10- 15 min). Serve hot with rice or chapathi.

Corn & pepper Salad

We once had a salad from a chat place in California. It was a really simple, yet tasty one. Even my kids (who are usually not very fond of salads) loved it. So, I decided to re-create it at home.

When I made this for some friends of my husband's from work though, I skipped the chat masala and lime juice.

Difficulty level: Easy

Preparation time: 15 min

Cooking time: Nil

Makes: 8- 10 servings

Ingredients:

Cooked corn: 2 cups

Bell pepper: 1 big, diced to the same size as corn kernels

Salt, pepper: to taste

Chat masala: 1 tsp

Lime juice: 3/4 tsp

Mix everything well, and serve warm or cold.

Lentil dip (Urad dal Chammadhi)

This is also one of those dishes my mother-in-law makes for me all the time.

Difficulty level: Easy

Preparation time: 15 min

Ingredients

Urad dal: 1/2 cup

Dry red chillies: 3 or 4

Small onions: 5-6

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Salt: to taste

Oil: 1 tsp

Saute all the ingredients expect salt, in oil, until the dal is light brown. Grind to a fine paste after it is completely cool. Add salt and mix well.

You can serve it with any other dosa or idli.

Uthappam with Varutharacha Ulli chammadhi

Uthappam is a favourite dish of mine (In spite of an unfortunate experience at a Dallas restaurant that I will not elaborate on further), but I don't make it that often at home as my husband is not very much into it. But every so often, I make some for myself.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 10 min
Makes: 4 uthappams


Ingredients:


Dosa batter: to make 4 dosas
Onion: 1 medium, cut into small pieces
Green chillies: 3, cut into thin round pieces
Ghee: 1-2 tsp
Oil: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Curry leaves: leaves of 1 sprig

Heat oil in a skillet and saute the onions until they turn translucent. Mix in the green chillies, saute for 1 min and keep aside.

Spread the dosa batter, as you would make a normal thick one. After 1 min, add 2 tsp from the above prepared mixture in the middle. Press down firmly and flip so as to cook the other side.  Continue cooking for 2 more minutes and remove from fire. Serve hot with Onion/ Ulli chammandhi, which is posted separately.

Onion Dip ( Varutharacha Ulli chammandhi)

This is one of the easiest, yet the tastiest of chammadhis. This goes with any dosa or iddli.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 10min
Makes: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:


Onion: 1 big, thinly sliced
Whole red chillies: 6-7
Coconut oil: 2 tsp
Salt: to taste

Heat the oil and saute the onion and red chillies until the onion turns light brown. Grind to a fine paste after it is completely cool. Add salt and the remaining coconut oil. Mix well and dig in.

Masala Curry

This is one of my brother's favorite dishes. It is traditionally made with either potatoes or bread-fruit (കടച്ചക്ക) and is a great complement to rice. My husband likes it with chapathis though.           

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 10min
Cooking time: 20 min
Makes: 2- 3 servings

Ingredients:


Potato: 1 small, cut into small pieces and half-cooked with some salt & turmeric powder
Shredded coconut: 2 tbsp
Oil: 1 tsp + 1 tsp
Whole red chillies: 4
Asafoetida: 1/8 tsp
Coriander powder: 5 tsp
Turmeric powder: a pinch
For tempering: Green chillies: 2, cut in half, lengthwise
Onion: 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Curry leaves: of 1 sprig

Heat 1 tsp oil and roast the coconut until light brown and keep aside. In the same  skillet, saute the red chillies and saute until they turn slightly pale. Add the asafoetida and coriander powder. Continue sauteeing until the raw taste has gone. Cool completely and grind this together with the roasted coconut to make a fine paste.

Transfer the ground paste to a skillet along with the half-cooked potatoes and about 3/4cup water. Cover and cook for 5 min. Allow excess water to evaporate, if needed. Remove from the fire and add the tempering (heat 1 tsp oil and saute the onion, green chillies and curry leaves, until the onion turns light brown) on top. This curry with slightly thick gravy can be served hot with rice or chapathi.