Majjige Neeru | Spiced ButterMilk | Masala Majjige

"Majjige Neeru" or "Spiced Buttermilk" is a traditional beverage made during festivals especially for Sri Rama Navami festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama. It is also a summer refreshing drink. It helps to cool off body on a hot sunny day.

I learnt this recipe at my maternal grandparents house where I spent my summer vacations here. Me and my cousins used to help our mothers in kitchen in making lemonade and buttermilk in mid mornings. We learnt how to make butter and buttermilk in traditional way using rope and a butter churner tied to a pole. I miss those days, just leave behind our memories. 

The recipe is simple and very easy.

Ingredients

1 cup yogurt

2 cups water

1 Green Chili, minced

1 sprig of Curry leaves

1 sprig of Cilantro

1 small piece of Ginger, grated

1/2 tsp Salt

Method

Method 1 -

• In a pot , mix water and yogurt. Use a butter churner to churn. Churn for 2- 5 minutes
• Crush green chili, curry leaves, cilantro, & ginger. Add it to the buttle milk. Adjust salt as per taste and mix well
• Strain the butter milk and discard if any thing is left in strainer
• Refrigerated for 1 hour. Serve chilled

or

Method 2-

• In a blender, add water, yogurt, green chili, curry leaves, cilantro, ginger, cumin seeds and salt. Blend for 1 or 2 pulses
• Strain the butter milk and discard if any thing is left in strainer
• Refrigerated for 1 hour. Serve chilled

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