PONNANGANNI KEERAI MOLAGOOTAL/KOOTU

PONNANGANNI KEERAI MOLAGOOTAL/KOOTU
Being brought up in a North eastern suburb of Mumbai, I hardly got to see many varieties of Greens. Moving to Singapore post marriage exposed me to a whole new world of Greens, not only greens that came from China which I had never seen in my life, but greens that came from India and Malaysia which are actually consumed by people who hail from Southern India, one such greens is the Ponnanganni Keerai, This is the simple molagootal also known as kootu in Tamilnadu, that is made with the Ponnanganni Keerai. Including greens in your daily diet is very good. Ponnanganni is the tamil word for this variety of the greens. It is known as Mukunawanna, Water amaranth in English, In Malayalam as coluppa, koluppa, minannani, ponnankannikkira, ponnannani. In Kannada as Honagonne/ honagone soppu, In Telugu as ponagantikura, ponna ganti-kura, In Marathi as Kanchari. And In Hindi as Gudrisag.
Every green leafy vegetable has certain nutritional and medicinal values. The Ponnanganni Keerai I learnt improves eye sight, is good for people suffering from Piles, It is good for improving complexion of the skin, Good for loosing weight and general flabbiness. I have clicked a picture of the Ponnanganni keerai for easy identification. Below is the recipe for this nutritious green leafy vegetable.

Ingredients
Ponnanganni Keerai – 1 bunch
Toor Dal – ½ cup
Fresh Grated Coconut -- 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.
Red chillies - 1-2
Tamarind extract - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric – 1tsp
Asafetida - a pinch
Coconut Oil - 2 tsps
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Udad dal – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

Method
Rinse the toor dal well. Pressure cook it until its soft and keep aside. Pluck out the leaves of the Ponnanganni from its stems. Rinse it well in a colander and chop the leaves.
Heat a kadhai (wok), Add one tablespoon of the coconut oil, when the coconut oil is hot, add the ponnanganni leaves, salt, asafetida and turmeric powder and sauté till the leaves shrink in size, mash well with a spoon, now add the cooked toor dal, mix it well with the cooked ponnanganni leaves, Add some water if required at this stage, let it come to a boil.
In a mixie, blend the freshly grated coconut, cumin seeds and red chillies, Grind until the coconut starts to release the milk. Pour this grounded mixture into the Keerai and toor dal mix. Stir well, allow it to simmer for a minute on low flame. Stir once more. Now, in a small pan, take some coconut oil, add the mustard seeds and when it begins to crackle, add the udad dal, when the dal turns pink pour the seasoning on top, mix well and serve hot with Rice.

Tip : Sautéing the greens in coconut oil enhances its taste.

MATTHA (Spiced Buttermilk from Maharashtra)

MATTHA
Mattha is a spiced buttermilk, this is again another Maharashtrian speciality. The main ingredient of the Mattha is buttermilk. People who save the cream obtained from milk, usually churn the cream to obtain butter, once the butter is scooped out, what remains is the buttermilk, this buttermilk has a unique taste and is not liked by some people, but it is very nutritious, So, spices are added to this buttermilk and lo and behold it becomes the Matttha. The Mattha is generally served before or after a meal, though it can also be had with the meal, and it is thought to help with digestion. It is very good for soothing an upset stomach because it has lactobacilli and it is lower in fat than yoghurt. The Mattha acts as a coolant for the body. It is good to have after a heavy meal, a wedding feast or in hot summer days, to cool your system and help with digestion.

For those who don’t save cream and make butter at home. We can still have mattha by mixing yogurt with water and the spices. Here is the recipe of the Mattha. I have had Mattha in my house which we call as “Kadanja Mor”(Churned Buttermilk) down south. But I got to taste the authentic Maharashtrian Mattha in Pune, thanks to my husband, it was served in earthern mugs, cool and oh so delicious!!!! Here is the recipe for all of you to enjoy.

Ingredients
Low fat Yogurt – 250 ml
Water – 250 ml
Green chillies – 2-3
Ginger – a small piece
Mint – 4-5 leaves
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coriander leaves – ¼ cup
Salt as per taste
Sugar – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp (preferably use freshly roasted and powdered cumin)
Asafetida – a pinch
Chaat Masala – ½ tsp

Method
Finely chop the green chillies, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Keep aside. Finely grate the ginger. In a jug, blend the yogurt and water. Add the finely chopped, green chillies, coriander leaves and mint leaves, break some curry leaves into 2, for the essence to enter into the Mattha and some you can add as a whole. Add the finely grated ginger. Now add salt, sugar, asafetida, Freshly, roasted and powdered cumin powder and chaat masala. Mix everything well with a hand churner or a big spoon. Taste the Mattha, if anything needs to be added, add it and refrigerate it. It tastes better if kept for a while as all the spice enters into the Mattha and enhances the taste
Serve cool. If you want to serve immediately to the guests, you can add icecubes and serve chilled. It would be ideal to make and serve the Mattha in earthernware.
Cool down with Mattha.

SUNDAKKAI / MANATHAKKALI VATHAL RICE

Sundakkai /Manathakkali Vathal Rice
Sundakkai and Manathakkali Vathal are available in South Indian shops. They are already dried and salted. The vathals have to be simply fried, once fried, coarsely powder them in a mixie and you can mix this powder with rice and ghee or gingelly oil. As these vathals are usually heavily salted you don’t need to add salt.
The bigger balls are the fried Sundakkai and the smaller balls are the fried Manathakkali vathals.

Below are the close up photos of both the salted and fried vathals .

TEETH AND GUMS

TEETH AND GUMS

Tooth and Gum Health

Why go natural for tooth and gum health?

Isn't it a wonder that despite the advent of latest tools for oral hygiene such as toothpastes and mouthwashes and the advancement in dental science, more people suffer from tooth and gum related diseases today than ever before?

It is now a widely recognized fact that tooth decay is really a disease of the modern civilization. Modern diet and an overemphasis on refined foods, cereals, processed or synthetic foods lead to a condition of spongy and receding gums. Various gum diseases such as pyorrhea and gingivitis are also a direct consequence of our modern living habits.

Processed and synthetic formulations such as mouthwashes and chemical-based toothpastes most often aggravate the problem that they claim to correct. Very often the consequences can be even more severe. The Dept. of Health and Human Services (USA) has issued warnings that alcohol in mouthwashes is linked to both oral and throat cancer. Fluoride in toothpastes has already been linked to cancer.

The bottom line is why use these toothpastes and mouthwashes, when in fact nature has provided a wealth of herbs and fruit that have a phenomenal effect on oral health with absolutely no side effects. These "miracles" of nature are so powerful that our forefathers have used them for thousands of years. As an example, just try pressing a clove between your teeth in cases of toothaches and feel the pain vanish!!

"Mother Nature's Gift" for Oral Health and Hygiene

• Neem : In a study to determine the most effective method for reducing plaque formation and the level of bacteria on teeth surface it was found that micro-organisms found in inflamed gums are resistant to antibiotics but not to antibacterial plant extracts like Neem. And unlike antibiotics, antibacterial plant extracts produced no allergy in the gingival that could inhibit their effectiveness. Neem extracts have been very effective in destroying cavity-causing bacteria, enhancing mouth immunity and preventing tartar and plaque buildup. They have helped millions of people avoid cavities. Neem can be a painless way to avoid severe dental problems. In a German study, 70 patients with pyorrhea in varying stages showed significant improvement after just 5 to 10 treatments with neem-based products. Bleeding gums had healed and the secretion from pockets around the teeth had stopped. The bluish-colored gums returned to a healthy pale pink color. Neem Twigs have been used by thousands of people for hundreds of years as an extremely effective method of total oral hygiene.
• The Ayurvedic and medicinal properties of the Babul tree (Acacia Arabica) are also well known. This natural ingredient strengthens the root of the teeth, cleans and maintains the whiteness of the teeth.
• Clove and its oil is an absolute wonder therapy for toothaches and gum disorders. It is an excellent pain reliever and often dentists use it to numb the gums prior to administering a shot. Besides this clove oil is also useful in relieving sore throats and is a powerful breath freshener.
• Besides, neem, babul and clove, there are several vital herbs and natural oils that work wonders on tooth and gum health. A mixture of Eucalyptus, clove, and Spearmint is extremely potent in eliminating harmful bacterial build-up in the mouth and a very good cleansing agent.
• Majuphal is a fruit that has a remarkable astringent property and it reduces over secretion of mucous. It's haemostatic property ensures its beneficial effect on bleeding gums and on gingivitis.
• The Catechu (Khadir) bark is extremely beneficial in cases of toothache and spongy gums.
• Ginger oil is an astringent for teeth. Ginger is an excellent astringent wash for the teeth while lemon is a good whitener.
• Herbodent (Orohyi) Herbal Toothpaste is a potent formulation that uses the power of these natural herbs to stimulate oral health.

HOME REMEDIES FOR TEETH WHITENING
Given below are a few important and useful tips/home remedies which will help in making your teeth sparkling white and your million dollar smile, a topic of envy for others who see it.

• Brushing teeth daily with powdered neem leaves not only makes them pearl white but also keeps them healthy.
• Brushing teeth twice regularly with a mixture of soda bicarb and powdered salt makes them sparkling white.
• Rubbing salt on the teeth and rinsing off after sometime, is equally helpful in making the teeth sparking white.
• Dry and grind orange peels to a coarse powder and brush your teeth daily with this powder for making them beautiful and sparkling white.
• You can even make dry powder and store pomegranate peels and brush your teeth every morning and night with this mixture for a good sparkle.
• Roast full turmeric and powder it. If this mixture is rubbed on the teeth daily, it not only stops and avoids any teeth related problems but also makes the teeth sparkling white.
• Another simple tip to make your teeth a topic of envy among others, is to eat sugarcane daily.
• If your teeth has tuned yellowish in colour, roast-ajwain and grind it to a fine powder. Rub this powder on your teeth and then rinse off after a few minutes. Your teeth will become sparkling white within just a few days.
• For yellowish teeth treatment, you can also rub together a mixture of turmeric powder, powdered salt and lime juice on it. Repeating this process for about 15-16 days, will bring back the natural glow.
• Boil fenugreek seeds in water, let cool and then gargle with the strained water inorder to make your teeth strong and sparkling white.
• Powdered cloves and lump sugar not only makes your teeth white but also keeps them healthy if used daily.
• After squeezing out juice from limes, do not throw away the peels. Instead rub them to your teeth well to discover a natural glow.

TOOTHACHE
A toothache is any pain or soreness within or around a tooth, indicating inflammation and possible infection. Generally a toothache happens if tooth decay penetrated the pulp chamber or is very close to it, which contains the nerves and tiny blood vessels. An improper diet favors the development of tooth disease and other maladies of the mouth. Food particles lodged in the area may provide a suitable place for the growth of bacteria, and these in turn produce a local acid reaction which then attacks the surface of the tooth. Once the enamel has been eroded away the body of the tooth is more easily damaged. Eventually inflammation develops in the pulp chamber of the tooth, resulting in the pain of tooth. At first the tooth may be merely sensitive to hot and cold substances in the mouth, or perhaps to pressure from biting. Later, as an abscess forms at the base of the tooth, the pain becomes more severe. It may be sharp, throbbing, shooting, or constant.
Some of the important causes of toothache are:

• Inflammation of the tooth pulp.
• Erosion exposure of sensitive dentine
• Involvement of peridental membrane
• Involvement of the periosteum of the jaw, traumatic, septic infection after tooth extraction
• Occasionally malposition of delayed eruption of a tooth or inflammation of the gum or the antrum.

HOME REMEDIES FOR TOOTHACHE

• Add a half tea spoon of salt to a glass of warm water and rinse your mouth with this solution every few hours as needed. This is very useful home remedy for toothache.
• For toothache treatment apply an ice bag to the side of the face where the pain is felt.
• If there is food debris in the cavity of the tooth, gently remove, and apply a small wad of cotton containing oil of cloves to reduce the pain.
• Prepare a paste by mixing oil of cloves with a small quantity of zinc oxide powder. Use this paste to fill the cavity in the aching tooth. This will prevent the food materials from accumulating in the cavity.
• Peel and crush a clove of fresh garlic and mix it with peanut butter. Apply it to the aching tooth and keep it there for some time.
• Add some limejuice to asafetida (hing) powder. Soak a piece of cotton and hold it on the tooth and gum.
• Burn some turmeric (haldi) sticks, make a fine powder and use as toothpowder.
• Chew a ginger piece slowly with the aching tooth/teeth to release its juice and leave there for half an hour. Repeat 2-3 times. This is also very useful home remedy for toothache.
• Drink the juice of 2-3 star fruit twice a day to get relief from the tooth pain.
• Boil 5 gram of peppermint and a pinch of salt in 1 cup of water. Drink it to relieve toothache and other pains.
• Pour a few drops of Vanilla extract on the paining tooth.
• For toothache treatment pour a few drops oil of oregano on the paining tooth or gum.
• Mix together fresh peanuts, shelled and crushed, and onion, peeled and crushed, to form a fine paste. The paste is smeared on one side of something, like a piece of bread. This is placed inside the mouth, pressed against the sore tooth. This is left for a few hours, and nothing is drunk or eaten etc.
• Chewing raw onion for three minutes is sufficient to kill all the germs in the mouth. Placing a small piece of onion on the bad tooth or gum often relieves toothache.
• Vitamin C, is useful in maintaining the health of the teeth and other bones of the body. It prevents decay and loosening of the teeth, dental caries, toothache, and bleeding of the gums
• The juice of wheat grass acts as an excellent mouthwash for tooth decay and cures toothaches.
• Prepare a paste of the bark of bay berry with vinegar. This paste, applied on the affected tooth, will relieve the toothache.
• Apply a mixture of a pinch of pepper powder and a quarter teaspoon of common salt on the affected tooth. Its daily use prevents dental cavities, foul breath, bleeding from the gums, painful gums, and toothaches
• It is important to restrict one's sugar intake, and to ensure that the diet includes plenty of raw vegetables and whole-wheat bread. Whole foods are ideal for the teeth. Fibreless refined foods allow particles to accumulate on the teeth in a sticky mass where they can do great harm.
• Prepare a paste by adding two teaspoons of activated charcoal powder with just enough water. Apply it to a piece of gauze and place the gauze on the tooth. Bite down.
• Boil 5-6 cloves and 2- inch bark of a Margosa tree (Neem) in 1 cup of water. Strain and bottle. Store this in the fridge. Smear this decoction on the affected tooth.
• A wad of cotton wool soaked in brandy can be squeezed against a cavity to numb the pain of toothache.

SUNDAKKAI CURRY

SUNDAKKAI CURRY
Sundakkai has excellent healing properties, due to this, it is excellent for the post partum period. My grandmother used to say that it can heal internal wounds and works well for children who are suffering from worms in the stomach. This curry doesn’t have many spices. Do try this recipe.

Ingredients
Fresh Sundakkai - 250 grams (Refer to photo on your right for a picture of Fresh sundakkais)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Udad dal - 1 tsp
Green chillies – 1-2 broken into 2 halves
Turmeric -1/4 tsp
Asafetida (Hing) - a small pinch
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste.

Method
Pluck our the sundakkais from the stem, so that u get only the sundakkai balls. Wash the sundakkai balls well.
In a Kadhai (wok), Add oil, when it is hot, Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to crackle, Add the udad dal, wait till udad dal is light pink in colour, then add the green chillies. When the green chillies are slightly fried, Add the sundakkais. Now add turmeric, asafetida and salt. Mix well and cover the kadhai with a lid. Don’t add water, let it cook in its own juices. Keep the gas on a low flame. Sundakkai has a tendency to cook very fast. To check if it done. Remove one sundakkai and press lightly, if it gets squashed, u will know that it done, let all the juices be totally evaporated and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Serve hot with Rasam and Rice.

MAG NI DAL NI KHICHDI (Spiced rice made with yellow lentils)

MAG NI DAL NI KHICHDI (Spiced rice made with yellow lentils)
Khichdi made out of rice and yellow lentils(mag ni dal). This is supposed to be very light on the stomach and is usually had when people are not feeling well, have stomach upsets. The khichdi is usually served with kadhi( a sweet think yogurt gravy). It’s very good for health.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice – 2 cups
Yellow Moong dal(Mag ni dal) - 3/4 cup
Ginger – A small piece
Green Chillies – 2-3
Peppercorns – 1 tsp
Freshly grounded pepper powder – ½ tsp
Freshly grounded cumin powder – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 ½ tsp
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Bay leaves -1-2
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Salt to taste
Ghee – 2 tbsps
Curry leaves – A sprig
Method
Wash and soak the rice and dal together for about an hour, this will ensure water retention and cook the khichdi better.
In a pan , Take some ghee, Add the cumin seeds and whole black peppercorns(while adding peppercorns, crush one or 2 peppercorns, cinnamon stick and Bay leaves and let them fry. When the peppers burst add the grated Ginger and finely chopped chillies and let it fry, add asafetida, Add the curry leaves and fry. Now pour this in the soaked rice and dal, add turmeric, salt, freshly grounded pepper powder and the freshly grounded cumin powder. Mix well. Add water to one inch above level of rice and pressure cook it upto 4 whistles. Once you open the cooker your Khichdi is ready. Serve it hot with some hot melted ghee and Kadhi.

GUJARATI KADHI

KADHI
The Gujarati Kadhi is a hot-sweet concoction and not very thick. It is most loved because of its unique taste and also because of its consistency. You can just drink it. The kadhi goes well with the Khichdi.

Ingredients
Yoghurt - 2 cups
Gram flour (Besan) - 2 tbsp
Ginger – A small piece
Green chillies - 2
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dry Red chilly- 1 (broken into pieces)
Asafetida – a pinch
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Salt as per taste
Sugar - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method
Grate the ginger and finely chop the chillies, alternatively you can even slice them.
In a vessel, Mix the yogurt and gram flour, ensure that there are no lumps formed, now add the grated ginger, chopped green chillies, curry leaves, sugar and salt. Now mix water and dilute this mixture. The Gujarati Kadhi is not very thick, it is usually very thin. Heat this mixture on low flame till it comes to a boil.
In a pan, heat the ghee, add the mustard seeds and when it begins to crackle, add the cumin seeds. Add the asafetida, red chilli broken into halves, and fry on low heat for a few seconds. Add the curry leaves and then pour this over the Kadhi. Finally garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves before serving.

BOONDI LADDOO

BOONDI LADDOO

Laddoo, I used to think is a sweet that is always bought from a shop and can be made only by experts, until my neighbour gave me some boondi laddoos made at home for Diwali. It immediately sent me into a quest on the art of laddoo making, which I discovered is not so tedious and tough as I thought it would be, the fruits of my labor were definitely sweet. Do try this at home and you will also enjoy the sweet of your labor. Yum!! Yum!!

Ingredients
Besan (Bengal gram flour ) - 1 cup
Sugar- 11/2 cups
Yellow food color- a pinch
Paccha Kalpooram – a pinch
Kalkandu (cubed sugar) : ½ tbsp
Ghee – 1tbsp
Cardomom- 5 or 6,
Cashewnuts - 10 ,
Raisins – 10
Cloves- 4
Few strands of saffron

Method
For Sugar Syrup
Make the sugar syrup by boiling 11/2 cups sugar in 11/2 cups of water (The ratio of ratio of sugar and water should be1:1). Add few strands of saffron to the syrup. (Saffron gives color to the syrup) Once the sugar gets dissolved and the syrup starts to boil. Keep stirring. and check until it comes to single thread consistency, remove from the fire. Add yellow food color or a pinch of kesari powder to this syrup. Keep aside. If you want to avoid food color, just saffron is enough, as saffron gives a faint yellow color to the syrup.

For Boondi
In a bowl, mix Besan with required amount of water, the consistency should be of the dosa batter. It should not be too watery else the boondi will be flat nor should it be too thick then the boondi will be hard and won’t soak easily.
In a wok, take oil and when the oil is hot, lower the flame of the gas and pour the batter through a spoon with holes into the oil. While pouring move the spoon in a circular manner so that the batter falls evenly in the oil and the boondis get fried and are separate. Once the boondis are fried. Take it out and drain on a paper towel, so that the oil is soaked out.

To Prepare Laddoo
Drop the boondis into the sugar syrup and mix well. Fry the cashewnuts, raisins, cloves and cardamoms in ghee and add to the mix. Add a pinch of paccha kalpooram and a tablespoon of kalkandu to the mix as well. Let the boondi soak for around an hour. Stir occassionally. Spread and allow to cool. Wait until the mixture cools down to a temperature until your hand can with stand the heat. Now make into even balls by pressing lightly with hand. Try shaping it into balls. If the boondi is still crisp try after it starts soaking.
Makes about 15 small laddoos.

MANGO LASSI (A Mango Yogurt Smoothie)

MANGO LASSI (A Mango Yogurt Smoothie)
Mango lassi though an Indian beverage is extremely popular among the westerners. Most westerners when they go to an Indian restaurant order for a Mango Lassi. Since Mango lassi is not so easily available in the Bombay restaurants, I got to taste it when I moved to Singapore. Its one of the best Beverages to have, so yummy and so nutritious.

Ingredients
Thick Yogurt – 4 cups
Mango pulp – 1 cup
Sugar - 4 tsp
Ice cubes – 4-5

Method
Try to use the Indian Alphonso Mango pulp which has better color and flavor. In a mixie/blender, Pour the Thick yogurt, Mango pulp, Sugar and add in the ice cubes. Since the pulp usually has some sugar, you can go easy on the sugar, if required you can add some more sugar and run the blender. Run the blender for about 1 minute. Till all the ingredients mix well and become one uniform mixture. Add water to dilute the thickness, the lassi should be in pouring consistency. Pour into a tall glass tumbler. Add some ice cubes. Serve chilled. Enjoy this rich beverage which is not only nutritious but also a treat to your taste buds.

SALSA VEGETARIAN CLUB SANDWICH

SALSA VEGETARIAN CLUB SANDWICH
This is a highly nutritious sandwich, rich in proteins due to the black chickpeas used in the recipe.
Ingredients
For patties
4 potatoes (boiled)
1/2 cup Black chick peas (kala chana)
2 tbsp sago (sabudana)
3-4 bread slices
2 green chillies (chopped)
Some coriander or parsley or mint leaves(chopped)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp oil
Oil for frying the patties
Salt to taste

For Sandwich
Buns (the long ones, like hot dogs buns)
Lettuce leaves
Onions (cut into circles)
Cucumber slices
4-5 tbsp tomato ketchup

For salsa sauce
1 tomato (chopped into pieces)
2 green chillies (chopped)
1 tbsp olive oil
some coriander leaves (chopped)
½ tsp sugar

Method
For Patties:
Soak the black chick peas in water overnight. Boil in a pressure cooker till tender. Remove and cool and mash into a paste. Keep aside. Soak the sago in water for 15 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Peel and mash the potatoes. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add the mashed potatoes, sago, Black chick peas paste, green chillies, salt to taste, lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. Remove and cool.

Dip the bread slices in water for a few seconds. Squeeze out the water and add to the potato mixture. Divide into various portions and shape into cutlets. Heat oil and fry these one at a time, till golden brown.

For salsa sauce: Mix all the ingredients and season.

For Sandwich: Cut the bun into 2 halves. Spread the ketchup on one side and place a piece of lettuce or cabbage leaf. Place the onions and cucumbers on it. You can place tomato slices also if you like. Place a cutlet on top of this and top with salsa sauce. Cover with another portion of the bun. Heat in a microwave oven for one minute and serve.