Panaka | Panakam | Panangam

"Panaka | Panakam | Panangam" is a sweet drink prepared on Sri Rama Navami festival. Sri Rama Navami is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Rama. This festival is celebrated on 9th day of Chaitra month according to Hindu calendar. 

 It is also a summer beverage made with jaggery, pepper, cardamom and lemon.

Ingredients

3 cups water

6 tsp Jaggery | Gur | Brown sugar

1/4 tsp Cardamon

Pinch of pepper powder (optional)

3 Lemons

1/4 tsp Ginger Powder

Method

• In a pot, mix water, jaggery, cardamom, pepper powder, ginger and juice of 3 lemons. Stir until jaggery completely dissolves
• Refrigerate for 1/2 hour and serve cold

Lemon Rice | Chitranna

An age old recipe from South India, yet enjoyed by people from different age groups. Its the most commonly served temple prasadham, to festival, breakfast and lunch box recipes. 

My love for this recipe is so immense that I want to share this recipe to everyone. Lemon rice used to be my lunch box recipe atleast once a week until I graduated. And the joy cannot be expressed when I used to shared my food with the friends @ lunch time ....

A very simple seasoning comprising of oil, mustard seeds, bengal gram, peanuts, curry leaves, onions, turmeric and lemon juice is integrated with warm white rice. A dash of lemon juice and turmeric highlights this  lemon rice recipe and to add a little crunch peanuts and channa dal are incorporated.

Ingredients

2 Cups of Rice

1 Lemon

Few sprigs of Cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

For seasoning

4 tsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Bengal gram

4 tsp Peanuts

2 sprigs of Curry leaves

5-6 Green Chilies, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Method

• Cook rice with 4 cups of water. Allow rice to cool and separate the rice using a fork or ladle
• In a sauce pan, heat oil. When it is smoky, add mustard seeds, bengal gram & peanuts. Saute until it turns light brown
• Then add curry leaves and green chilies. Give it a little stir
• Add onions. Saute until it turns transparent. Then add turmeric powder. Stir for few seconds. Pour this seasoning on top of freshly prepared rice
• Squeeze lemon juice and add cilantro. Adjust salt as per taste. Mix well
• Serve immediately

Carrot - Celery Juice

An amazing weight loss recipe to start in morning. Its not only nutritious but also delicious. 
When I was watching a show in food channel, the chef mentioned that 24 stalks of celery is equivalent to 200 calories. This stuck me up to make this juice recipe with 2 ingredients.

Ingredients

2 Carrots, finely chopped

2 Stalks of Celery, cut into squares

Orange Juice, (as needed)

Method

• Puree carrots first in a electric blender or a food processor. Then add celery and puree
• Add orange juice to adjust thickness
• Chill until needed

Also, check for more juicing recipes - Kale - Carrot Juice

Pudina Chicken Fry | Mint Chicken Fry

Chicken is slow cooked in mint puree until it is juicy and tender. This recipe has bursting flavors of mint, cinnamon, cloves, green chilies, onion, ginger and garlic.

Pudina chicken fry is refreshing with flavors and is fried succulent to perfection. 

Ingredients

1 Kg Chicken, cut into bite sized pieces 

1 Onion, thinly sliced

2-3 sprigs of Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Pepper powder

4 tsp Coriander powder

4 tsp oil

For Masala - 

1 Large bunch of Mint (pudina)

8 - 10 Green Chilies

2 Medium sized onion, cubed

1 Cinnamon stick

4 Cloves

1 inch piece of Ginger

4 Garlic cloves

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

Method

• In a heavy bottomed dish, heat oil. Add onions, curry leaves; and saute until it is transparent

• Add turmeric powder,  and pepper powder
• Add Chicken and mix well

• Make puree of all the ingredients listed under Masala

• Return the masala to the dish and add coriander powder. Mix well until masala is coated over chicken.  Cover the dish and cook in low heat for 30 min. Adjust salt as per taste and cook for another 30 minutes

• Serve hot with rice or roti 

Fish Pakoda

A dinner party recipe to cook for a small gathering. This is seafood platter  is crunchy on the outside and moist  inside. 

Any kind of fish can be used to make pakoda like ocean perch, tilapia, salmon, white fish fillet, catfish and so on. 

Long strips of fish is marinated in a spicy batter of corn flour, ginger-garlic paste, pepper and red chili powder which is then deep-fried until it is crunchy.

                       

Ingredients

1 kg Fish fillets (ocean perch, salmon, catfish..)

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp red Chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1 cup of Corn flour

Salt

Oil for deep frying

Method

• Into a large bowl, mix corn flour, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and pepper powder. Season it with salt. Add little water to make thick paste
• Apply this spice mix on fish fillet on both the sides. refrigerate for 30 minutes
• Heat oil for deep frying
• Gently drop fillets in oil. Fry in medium heat until it turns deep red color. Use an absorbent paper to drain excess oil
• Serve hot 

Zucchini Sabji

Zucchini is used in almost everything from breakfast to dinner. It is a summer squash vegetable which is very easy to work with. The most easy way to work with zucchini is sauteing with some seasoning. 

This recipe is a quickest approach to fix your lunch or dinner served with bread. Zucchini is sauteed with onions and tomatoes , then added Indian spices for flavoring. 

Ingredients

4 nos. Zucchini, 

1 Medium Sized Onion, finely chopped

1 Tomato, finely chopped

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

Salt

2 tsp Ghee

Method

• Heat ghee on a preheated sauce pan. Add onions and saute until it turns brown

• Add tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala. Cook until tomatoes are completely cooked

• Add zucchini and mix well. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt

• Serve hot with Roti or chapathi

Pesarattu

A  breakfast recipe represents  Andhra's delightful cuisine. I learnt this recipe from my friends who hail from Andhra Pradesh. Other varieties include "Moong Dal ka Cheela" , "Besan Ka Cheela"  from North Indian Cuisine.

Pesarattu is prepared from ground batter of  green gram, green chilies and ginger.
Green Gram is highly nutritious as it is a good source of protein, thiamin, Niacin, and dietary fibers. Due to its rich protein content, it is served for breakfast. 

Ingredients

1 cup Green Gram

6 Green Chilies, divided

1 inch piece of Ginger

1 red onion, finely chopped

handful of Cilantro

Salt

Oil

Method

• Soak green gram for 6-8 hours

• Grind green gram, chilies, ginger, coriander into a smooth thick batter. Add water for grinding as needed. Then add salt as per taste

• Separately mix onions, chilies and salt in a bowl

• On a preheated flat pan, pour a ladle of batter in center and spread it into thin circle from inside to outside. Sprinkle onions on top (it should stick to the crepe). Drizzle few drops of oil in edges. Wait for 30 sec until the edges starts turning brown

• Flip over other side and cook for another 30 seconds

• Serve hot with coconut chutney