Bell Pepper / Capsicum Soup

Bell Pepper or Capsicum can be consumed raw or cooked. It adds a unique flavour and color to a dish to which is added. They come in variety of colors.  

Bell Peppers are rich in Vitmain C and is a low calorie vegetable.

How to select :-  Bell Pepper / Capsicum - Should be blemish free, firm.  The bottom part differs in bell pepper. Some has 3 bumps and some has 4 bumps. The Bell Peppers with 4 Bumps will be little sweet and hence suitable for use in Salads. Bell Peppers with 3 Bumps are suitable for cooking.

Today sharing a soup recipe using the Bell Peppers or Capsicum. You can use a mix of yellow, red and green or you can use any one of them in this recipe as per your choice or it's availability.

This is a nice, satisfying and lightly creamy recipe as we will be adding little fresh cream.

You will need :-

1. Bell Peppers of your choice - 2 Nos. (diced)
2. Onion (big) - 1 No. (diced)
3. Tomato - 1/2 a tomato or 1 small  (Diced)
4. Oil - 4 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Crushed Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp  or as preferred
7. Water - 2 cups
8. Fresh cream - 2 tbsp

Procedure :-

1. Heat Oil and saute the diced onions. 
2. Add diced Bell Peppers (Capsicums) and tomato, saute for a minute on high flame.
3. Bring it to room temperature
4. Grind it to a coarse paste (not fine) adding salt
5. Add the crushed black pepper and heat it
6. Switch off the flame and add 2 tbsps of fresh cream
7. Serve it hot!

Relax and enjoy the yummy Bell Pepper Soup.

Turmeric Milk - Manjalpodi Paal - Haldi Doodh - Haridra Dugdham

Hello,

We are experiencing winter here.. Yesterday after dinner, I drank some cold juice and my throat was affected a bit and also had ligt cold. So I gargled some salt water and was having my regular golden milk - Manjalpodi Paal. While I sipping it, I remembered that I have not shared this recipe here.  I am feeling much much better now as no more cold and throat will be alright by tomorrow.

So posting the precious traditional recipe for a home remedy.

Turmeric Milk / Haldi Doodh / Manjal Podi Pal / Haridra Dughdam (Ksheera)

Turmeric is in use in our land "Bharat" from ancient times. Most of the dishes are prepared using this wonder spice "Turmeric" / Haldi (Hindi) / Haridra (Sanskrit) / Manjal (Tamizh).

Turmeric has anti microbial and anti inflammatory properties and is used in traditional Medicines and also in Home Remedies.

Today I am sharing with you one such home remedy that is practised from ancient times, when you have common cold issue.

I used Palm Candy (Panam Kalkandu) as it has gives you lot of health benefits. It is a good sweetner and considered more beneficial to use rather than sugar.

It is easy to make.

Ingredients :-

1. Boiled Milk - 3/4 Cup
2. Turmeric Powder - less than 1/4 tsp
3. Water - 1/4 cup
4. Palm Candy - 1 tsp (optional) (you can see it in the pic below)

Procedure :-

• Boil water adding turmeric powder. 
• When it starts boiling, add the Palm Candy and mix so that it dissolves.
• Add a cup of boiled milk and stir in for a minute
• Serve hot

Suggestion : You can add a pinch of black pepper powder or crushed black peppercorns which adds more medicinal value to this drink.


Note : This is a home remedy. Which will help you recover fast. If you have allergy towards any of the ingredients please avoid. In case if you have any serious viral infected cold, you can take this as a parellel medicine along with your prescribed medicines.

Stay Healthy!

Wish you a Pleasant Evening!

Ash Gourd Soup / Elavan soup / vellai poosani soup

Glad to meet you all so soon. Since my resting days are over, now I am trying to get myself engaged completely like before and that made me make and share this wonderful soup of today the 'Ash gourd Soup'

Ash gourd or Winter Melon (English) /  Safed Bhopla (Marathi) / Elavan (Malayalam) / Vellai Poosani (Tamizh) /

This vegetable is low in calorie and fats. More of watery type. Hence when cooked adding salt, they tend to leave water. They have Carbs, Protein, Fiber, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorous, Thiamin, Vitamin C etc.  The vegetable also help in weightloss.

They are used in cooking as a vegetable and also used in making a sweet called Petha  (Agra Petha).

The soup can be spiced up using green chilli or Black Pepper corn as per your preference.

To make the soup, you need:- [Serves : 2 ]

• Ash Gourd - 1/4 kg
• Green Chilli - 1 No. (or  few black peppercorn as per your preference)
• Curry Leaves - 3 Nos.
• Sugar - less than 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Water

For Garnishing :-

• Coconut oil - less than 1/4 tsp
• Milk - 1 tbsp

• In a pressure cooker put the diced the Ash gourd along with other ingredients and pressure cook for 3 whistles. 
• Once the pressure settles down, let it cool and then blend in a mixer
• Heat it
• Mix in the garnishing ingredients and then serve hot.

A simple and Humble soup to satisfy the soul!

Important to note :-

1. Those who have lactose intolerance, can avoid milk and can supplement it with coconut milk (which is also good for stomach). 
2. Coconut oil adds a nice flavour to the soup. (do not add any other cooking oil. If you don't like flavour of coconut oil, just omit it from the ingredients list while you make).
3. If you are adding black peppercorn, add it while serving.
4. Diabetics can avoid adding sugar and Milk and enjoy the soup with rest of the ingredients.

Milagu Kuzhambu / Pepper Sambar

Milagu Kuzhambu / Pepper Sambar or Pepper Gravy.

As the Name Suggest it is ofcourse a spicy dish that is also Tangy with a tinge of sweet & salt as well thus making it an Yummilicious dish that will make you crave for more.

This is a traditional recipe which is also given in "Kattu Chadham" - (for Food Parcels) given to the Bride & Groom's family and their relatives when they travel back to their place after the marriage Ceremonies are over.  They Food is put on a banana leaf and parcelled nicely so that it lasts during the travel!

In Olden days, the transport facilities were very minimal or almost none when people walk or travel in a Bullock Cart or by Train driven by Coal Engine / Steam Engine. It takes time for them to reach their place.

Hungry Stomachs eagerly look into the bag of food parcels.... Opening the food parcel itself is a nice experience. A Foodie always opens it with his / her mouth watering.... the yummy food on the green banana leaf.... what a bliss!

So, 'Kattu Chadham' i.e. food parcels are given to them to eat on the way till they reach their destination. This Milagu Kuzhambu is also made and packed with the food parcel.

If it has to be used for long journeys, then More Oil is used and the gravy is boiled till it is reduced to a thick paste. 

The Recipe video is now available in Youtube Channel : Mira's Akshaya Patram. Added below :-

Milagu Kuzhambu

A good accompaniment with hot cooked white rice. It can also be taken as a side dish with Dosa, Chapathi too. 

Ingredients :-

1. Black Peppercorns - 1 tsp
2. Red Chillies - 2 Nos. (or as preferred)
3. Black Gram - 1 tsp (urad/ulundu)
4. Split Red Gram - 1 tsp (tuvar/arhar)
5. Curry Leaves - 8 Nos.
6. Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
7. Jaggery - 1 tbsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Asafoetida powder -1/4 tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Sesame Oil - 3 tbsp + 1tsp for roasting
12. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
13. Rice flour - 1 tbsp (Added at the end for thickening)

Procedure :-

• Cook Tamarind till it is soft. Once it is cooled, Adding 2 cups of water, extract tamarind water from it. 

•  For Roasting masala :- 

• Heat a wok, add 1tsp of Sesame oil. When it is hot, add Urad and Tuvar dal and fry till they start changing color. Add the dried Red Chillies, Curry Leaves and the Black peppercorn and fry till the dals turn golden in color. Transfer to a plate and allow it to cool.

• Once the roasted items cools down, grind it to a nice paste adding little water. Mix this paste to the Tamarind Extract.

• Heat a wok, add 3 tbsp Sesame oil. Add the Mustard Seeds. Once they complete spluttering, add the Tamarind Extract + Paste mix.

• Add turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, Jaggery and Salt. Bring to boil

• Dissolve 1 tbsp of rice flour in little water and add it to the boiling gravy by stirring it simultaneously to avoid lumps formation.

• In slow flame cook this mixture for 10 minutes stirring in between. Then switch off the flame.

•  Yummy & spicy pepper sambar / milagu kuzhambu  is ready to be had with hot rice or as an accompaniment to tiffin item like dosa / upma or with chapathis.

Molagooshyam

It is raining cats and dogs here.

I cook traditional dishes that use black peppercorns (the king of spices) as it boost immunity and is good for health during this season.

Pepper a day boost immunity.. Pepper is orginally added to spice up all the native dishes.

Sharing with you today one such recipe from God's own country. 'Molagooshyam' that goes as an accompaniment to Rice. 

I used Elephant Yam (suran / Chenai / senai kizhangu) in this dish as this doesn't produce gas and is very safe to eat. As this is a traditional dish, coconut oil suits best for this.

Vegetables that can be used to prepare molagooshyam are Elephant Yam, Ashgourd, Raw Banana.

The Recipe video is now available in Youtube Channel : Mira's Akshaya Patram. Added below :-

Let's get into molagooshyam making.

Ingredients :-

1. Elephant Yam - 250 gm
2. Moong Dal - 3 tbsp
3. Curry Leaves - 6 leaves
4. Black Peppercorn - 7 nos.
5. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Green chilli - 1 No.
8. Coconut oil - 3 tsp

 Procedure :-

• Clean, peel the elephant yam (suran / senai kizhangau / chena) and dice it to medium sized cubes. Wash and drain.

•  Lightly dry roast the Moong Dal till nice aroma comes. Put it in a vessel for cooking.  Add washed elephant yam cubes, turmeric powder and salt to it. 

•  Coarsely grind the peppercorns. Slit the green chilli vertically

•  Add the green chilli, 2 cups of water to the yam+dal mix.

•  Pressure cook till done (5 whistles for hawkins, 3 whistles for prestige pressure cooker).

•  Heat oil in a wok for tempering, add curry leaves, coarsely ground pepper powder. Add this tempering to the cooked elephant yam gravy.

•  Mix well. Keep it covered for 5-7 minutes. 

• Serve it with hot cooked plain white rice or red rice.

The best accompaniment for this gravy is the humble "Arachukalaki" - a curd based raita recipe. It is avaialble in Mira's Askahaya Patram.- given below :-