Thoushe Koshimbir (with Moong Dal)

Thoushe Koshimbir, which is an Indian Cucumber Salad is one of the healthy side dishes served at every meal in Indian households. I got this recipe from my mom-in-law and it tastes great with Chapathi or rice.

Recipe: 

Ingredients:
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup (~ 1 small idli vati) - Soaked for 30 mins
Cucumber - 4 small
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 handful
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies - 1
Lemon - 1/2

For Tadka:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Hing - Pinch
Ghee - 1 tsp
Red Chilly - 1

Preparation:

1. Soak moong dal for 30 mins.
2. Chop cucumber into small pieces.
3. Take grated coconut, coriander leaves, green chilly, salt, a pinch of sugar and make a paste (without water).
4. Put this into the chopped cucumber.
5. Squeeze lime juice to this.
6. For tadka, heat ghee and add mustard seeds, hing and red chilly.
7. Put the tadka to the cucumber mix.

Kurma Bhaji

Kurma Bhaji, a dish I fell in love with the first time I tasted it and I instantly got my notes ready to take this recipe down from my mom-in-law. The green color bhaji was so flavorful and infused with all the spice and goodness. Here is the recipe for this amazing dish.

Recipe: 

Ingredients:
Oil - 4 tbsp
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Potato - 1
Peas - 1 bowl
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Ginger - small piece
Garlic - 4
Green Chilly - 2
Coriander leaves - 1 small cup
Salt - to taste
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add onion and fry till the raw smell goes away.
3. Add tomato and let it fry for 5 mins.
4. Add chopped potato and let it cook well.
5. Then add peas.
6. In a mixer, take coconut, ginger, garlic, green chilly, coriander leaves and grind it well with some water.
7. Put this ground mix to the potato-peas mixture and season with some salt as per your taste.
8. Mix well and let all of this cook well until the bubbles come.
9. Finally add garam masala, turmeric powder and salt to this mixter. Mix well and serve.

Kurma Bhaji is ready to be served along with Puri or Chapathi. It goes great with rice too.

Cabbage Koshimbir

Not a big fan of eating raw vegetables, but when you make salads the way its done in India, then no doubt any raw vegetable tastes great! Koshimbir or salads are a mandatory accompaniment to meals at many households in India. I got this recipe from my mom-in-law and Kaku and it tastes great with Chapathi or rice.

Recipe: 

Ingredients:
Cabbage - Half (1 bowl)
Onion - 1
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 handful
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies - 1
Lemon - 1/2

For Tadka:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Hing - Pinch
Ghee - 1 tsp
Red Chilly - 1

Preparation:

1. Finely chop or grate cabbage and onion and mix them together.
2. In a mixer, grind coriander leaves, coconut and green chillies together. Add it to the mix above.
3. Now we can give tadka to this - To do this, heat ghee in a pan, add mustard seeds, hing and cut red chillies. Add this to the above mixture.
4. Add salt, sugar and lemon juice to the above and mix well.

Cabbage Koshimbir is ready to be served as a side for Chapathi or rice.

Ananasache Jam (Pineapple Jam)

Ananas (i.e., Pineapple) Jam is a side that always used to be available at my aunt's home. As kids, we used to relish this with Chapathi. When my mom recreated this for me, it took me back to my childhood relish. A very simple recipe which you'll definitely love!

Recipe:

Ingredients:
Pineapple - 1 (Medium size)
Sugar - 2 cups (Indian teacup size)
Cardamom Powder - 8 (powdered)

Preparation:

1. Cut pineapple into very small pieces. Mix sugar and keep aside for 10 mins.
2. Put the mixture on the stove and keep mixing every now and then in between so that it does not stick to the pan.
3. When the sugar becomes syrupy and the pineapple is cooked very well, add the cardamom powder, mix well and switch off the stove.

Pineapple Jam is ready and can be eaten with Chapathi.

Kadgi Suki Bhaji (Raw Jackfruit dry curry)

Raw Jackfruit (Kadgi) is widely used in Konkan cuisines. They call it the vegetarian version of Chicken. This is my mom-in-law's speciality and it goes great with Chapathi or even rice.

Here is the recipe for this yummy and simple dish.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

Raw Jackfruit (Kadgi) - 1
Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Tamarind water - (soak a small ball in 1/2 cup warm water)
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Oil - 3 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Hing - pinch
Red Chilly -1
Curry Leaves - 8
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup


Preparation:

1. Cut the raw jackfruit into small pieces and boil it in the cooker for 3 whistles.
2. Crush it with hand once its cooled, then add red chilly powder, salt, tamarind water, garam masala and mix it well. Keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Once heated, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add hing, red chilly, curry leaves and put the above raw jackfruit mix to this.
4. Then adjust the salt and add jaggery and mix well. It should cook on low flame.
5. Finally add grated coconut and serve.

Kadgi suki bhaji is ready to be served with Chapathi.

Ragi Seviya Upma

Ragi vermicelli is available in most of the India grocery stores and is a very healthy choice for breakfast. When stumbled upon this very healthy ingredient in one of the stores, my mom & mom-in-law picked it up for breakfast and made this amazing Ragi Seviya Upma. Here is the recipe that my mom shared of this dish. Hope you find this yummy.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

Ragi Vermicelli- 1 small packet
Oil - 3 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Curry Leaves - 5
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) - pinch
Onion - 1
Green Peas - 1 cup
Green Chilly - 4 (slit)
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Ghee - 4 tsp
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut - 1 cup (1/2 packet )

Preparation:

1. Add Ragi Vermicelli to warm water and mix well. Remove immediately and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3. Then add curry leaves, cumin seeds, asafoetida (hing) and let it fry.
4. Next add onion, green peas and fry it well.
5. Add slit green chillies, ragi vermicelli, turmeric powder, salt, sugar and ghee. Mix well 
6. Add coriander leaves and grated coconut and mix well.

Ragi Seviya is ready to eat.

Homemade Remedies

I believe in curing common illnesses naturally via Ayurveda remedies instead of allopathy. Here are some of the homemade remedies for some of the problems that has been passed down from generation to generation. Hope you all find them useful.

Remedy for Diarrhea:

• Drinking arrowroot powder mixed in 1 glass of water. (or)
• Mix Arrowroot powder in curd and add a pinch of salt. (or)
• Add hing to buttermilk and drink. (or)
• Add lemon to Tea liquor and drink.

Remedy for Stomach ache:

• Extract juice from ginger and add a pinch of salt and drink.

Fasting Food:

• Add arrowroot powder (Kathre Pitto) to milk and some water and drink it.

Remedy for toothache:

• Put cloves between the affected area and keep it there. The clove juice helps cure the gum infection and relieves you of toothache. This has worked for me every time.