Red Pepper Chutney

Ingredients

• Red Pepper - 1
• Medium Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Red chilli - 1
• Ginger - 1/4 inch(optional)
• Hing - pinch
• Tamarind - 1 inch piece
• Sesame oil - 3tspn
• Mustard & Urad dhal for seasoning

health tip

Tomato & red pepper are rich in Vitamin C. An anti-oxidant in tomato called lycopene gets concentrated after cooking the tomato. Anti-oxidant helps to prevent cancer.

Red Pepper Chutney

method

Red pepper chutney is a slight twist to tomato chutney. Red pepper adds unique flavor, color & sweetness to the chutney. The flavor & color gets intense when the pepper is roasted in the oven. Halve the pepper & remove the seeds. Place the halved peppers skin side up in a baking sheet & broil them till the skin gets blisters & charred. Put it in a bowl and cover it with a lid till the roasted pepper gets warm to handle. When it is warm remove the skin & dice it to make chutney. Since I had lot of red pepper sitting in my fridge, I wanted to adopt easier version & used fresh ones instead of roasting them. Though the color and flavor was little lighter, it tasted equally good as the roasted version. This chutney can be used as a spread, dip or as a side dish for dosai & idli. I usually freeze the extra chutney for later use.

1. Remove the seeds from the pepper and dice the pepper(if not using roasted ones), onion and tomato.
2. Heat some oil in a pan (reduce the oil if planning to freeze) & season it with mustard, urad dal & hing.
3. Add the diced veggies along with red chilli, ginger & tamarind. Saute the mixture till the veggies get tender. Let it cool.
4. Grind to a fine paste when cooled. Add salt to taste and the chutney is ready to serve.
5. This recipe is little milder. You may want to adjust the number of chilli to suit your taste.

Summer Garden

Mint Plant

Following is what I learned with gardening my mint plant. I started by rooting the stem (You may use your store bought mint plant stem for this) by putting it in water for a week. As of now, I am growing this plant organically by adding organic miracle-gro fertilizer. Mint plant dies down in winter & comes back every spring. Mint loves part shade. It is better to grow mint in a container to control its growth. Otherwise, it will spread all over the place. It is really a low maintenance herb.

Curry plant

My curry plant is actually three years old. It gave out sucker plant this spring. I pruned it to make it bushier. It loves full sun. As for as the soil goes, curry plant loves acidic soil. Adding used coffee grounds makes the soil acidic. It needs nitrogen rich fertilizer for luscious leaf growth. In addition to feeding organic fertilizers I also add at times egg shells & Pistachio shells to prevent the soil from drying out. I also add vinegar at times especially during summer to make the soil more acidic & diluted butter milk in summer too to impart flavor. As the root will rot easily, I will never over water. This plant can withstand up to 2 inches of dryness.

Banana Plant

I bought it last summer from Lowe's. Its a dwarf variety, never bore fruit & gave out sucker plant this spring. It needs full sun & well drained soil. It is a heavy feeder. I water it regularly & fertilize it every other month during growing season.

Jasmine Plant

Three year old Sambac variety. Blooms continuously from spring to fall. Needs full sun & well drained soil. It is a heavy feeder. So I fertilize it regularly. During blooming season, I use bloom booster. Flowers may become smaller if temperature fluctuates or drops below 70 degrees. Pruning every spring helps to maintain a bushier plant. Leaves can also be removed to channelize the plants energy to produce bigger flowers. Never had problems with it in the past three years.

Adukku Malli

Garlic Pickle

Ingredients

• Peeled Garlic - 1 1/2 cups
• Lemon Juice - Little less than 1/2 cup
• Chilli Powder - 2 1/2 tspn
• Salt - 2 tspn
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tspn
• Coriander seeds - 1 tspn
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tspn
• Hing - 1/4 tspn
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tspn
• Sesame oil - 8-10 tspn
• Jaggery - 1 1/2 tspn

health tip

Garlic is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6, Selenium and has anti-microbial properties. Garlic boosts the immune system, helps control cholesterol and also helps in preventing cancer. Garlic is used as a home remedy to cure gas and stomach bloating.

Garlic Pickle

method

Pickling is one of the way to preserve the vegetables we get in abundance. The acidity of Lemon Juice or Vinegar is the primary ingredient that keeps the bacteria and fungus away from the pickle. Salt also plays a key role in preserving food by its anti microbial properties. Salt has the ability to draw water away from food and keep them dry for longer time. It is not advisable to store pickle in a metal container since the salt combined with the acidity in pickle corrodes the metal. Also, for longer shelf life, remember to store them away from moisture.

1. Peel the garlic pods. You may also do the peeling ahead of time & keep them refrigerated.
2. Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds & fenugreek seeds till they turn golden color. Let the dry roasted ingredients cool for some time.
3. Squeeze juice out of lemon as per the above measurement.
4. Grind the dry roasted ingredients above to a coarse powder.
5. Heat sesame oil in a deep vessel (to prevent splattering all over the counter top). Season it with mustard seeds & hing. Add the peeled garlic and saute it for 2 minutes.

   There is no need to saute the garlic for more than two minutes since sauteing more will over cook the garlic & will make the pickle mushy.

6. Add salt & ground ingredients to the garlic & saute them for one more minute. Finally add the lemon juice & let it cook with lid open till the lemon juice condenses to half the quantity. When the lemon juice is condensed & oil starts to separate add the jaggery & turn off the heat. Let the pickle cool. Bottle the pickle when cold. Adding some hot oil at the top acts as a barrier for moisture. Let them completely cool to prevent condensation & then cover it with a lid. Store the pickle in a cool dry place. The picture shown above is not the actual yield for this recipe.
   

   Room-temperature lemons or limes will yield more juice than those that are refrigerated. Microwaving the lemon or lime for a few seconds before squeezing will help extract more juice. Don't overdo it. You don't want to boil the juice. You may also use your palm to roll lemon or lime on your counter top a few times before squeezing to extract more juice.

Homemade Granola

Ingredients

• Rolled Oats - 2 cups
• Chopped almonds - 1/4 cup
• Chopped cashews - 1/4 cup
• Raisins - 1/4 cup
• Dried cranberries - 1/4 cup
• Brown sugar - 1/4 cup
• Honey or Maple syrup - 1/4 cup
• Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup
• Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tspn
• Salt - 1/2 tspn

health tip

Granola is packed with vitamins, minerals & fiber. It is a wholesome meal for breakfast.

Homemade Granola

method

1. Mix the brown sugar, honey & vegetable oil in a large bowl until they blend together
2. Add the oats, chopped nuts, salt & cinnamon powder to the liquid mix & toss them all together.
3. Spread the mixture evenly in a cookie sheet & bake it in the oven at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
4. At every 10 minute interval take the cookie sheet out of the oven & flip the granola using a spatula.
   

   Dry fruits & nuts of any choice can be added. Exclude fruits & nuts from this recipe if you are planning to have the granola as a topping for your yogurt.

   
   
5. The granola will still be soft after 25 minutes, but will turn crispy when cooled. Finally, mix in the dry fruits & store it in an air tight container. It will be fresh for 1 week when left outside & for a month when stored in a freezer.
   

Baba Ghanoush

Ingredients

• Medium Eggplant - 1
• Tahini - 1 1/2 tbspn
• Lemon Juice - 2 tspn
• Garlic - 2
• Pepper - 1/4 tspn
• Salt to taste
• Paprika, parsley & olive oil for serving

health tip

Eggplant is an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin B1, B6 and potassium. It is also a good source of copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, niacin and folic acid. The skin is rich in antioxidant called Nasunin which helps nourish the brain cells.

Baba Ghanoush

method

1. Roast the eggplant on the stove top till the skin is charred.
2. Place the roasted eggplant in a cookie sheet & bake it at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.
3. Peel the skin & dice the flesh when the eggplant is cooled
4. Roast the garlic & place it in the food processor along with diced eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, pepper & salt. Blend it till smooth. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl & drizzle it with olive oil, paprika & chopped parsley.
5. Serve the Baba ghanoush with pita bread or with falafal.

Cranberry Thokku

Ingredients

• Cranberries - 1 1/2 cups
• Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tspn
• Jaggery - 2.tspn
• Salt - 1 tspn
• Mustard & Cumin seeds- 1/4 tspn each
• Asafoteida(hinge) - 1/4 tspn
• Methi powder - a pinch
• Sesame oil - 3 tbspn

health tip

Cranberries are rich in Vitamin C. Studies show that Cranberries lowers LDL (Bad cholesterol) & increases HDL (good cholesterol) & also prevents urinary tract infection.

Cranberry Thokku

method

Cranberry Thokku is a blend of sour, sweet & spicy taste. You can extend its shelf life by refrigerating it. Because of its health benefits, I usually freeze them up & use it year around to make cranberry rice or to use it as sides for other dishes. I have re-posted this recipe for the "Think Beyond the Usual - Fruits" event.

1. Dry roast the mustard seeds & cumin seeds. Grind it into coarse powder when it is cool.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a deep pan.
3. Add the cranberries, chilli powder & salt. Stir constantly. Cranberries will pop open when exposed to heat. When it starts to get mushy add other ingredients except jaggery.
4. When the oil starts to separate, taste it & add some more salt if needed.
5. Add the jaggery finally & stir it till the jaggery mixes well. Turn of the heat & let it cool before bottling. Keeping the stove on for long time after adding the jaggery results in chewy consistency and is not recommended.
   

   It is always recommended to bottle the thokku soon after it is cooled. If not, cranberry's acidity may etch the metallic pan.

   
   

Cranberry Rice

Ingredients

• Cranberries - 1/2 cups
• Green chillies - 2
• Mustard & Cumin - 1/4 tspn each
• Asafoteida - 1/4 tspn
• Rice - 1 cup
• Salt - 3/4 tspn or to taste

health tip

Cranberries are rich in Vitamin C. Studies show that Cranberries lowers LDL (Bad cholesterol) & increases HDL (good cholesterol) & also helps prevent urinary tract infection.

Cranberry Rice

method

I have re-posted this recipe for the "Think Beyond the Usual - Fruits" event.

1. Dry roast the mustard & cumin seeds & grind them to powder.
2. Grind the cranberries & green chillies into a fine paste.
3. Heat some oil in a pan & season it with curry leaves & asafoetida. Add the ground cranberry chilli paste & saute it along with some turmeric powder(turmeric powder is optional).
4. Cook the rice separately. It should not stick to each other.
   

   Using basmati rice enhances the flavor of this dish.

   
   
5. When the oil separates from cranberry mix add salt, mustard & cumin seed powder.
6. Mix the rice with the paste & garnish it with coriander leaves or green onions.
   

   You may also freeze the cranberries to get their benefits all year around.