NATURAL ROSE MILK ( Dev )

A simple recipe: Natural rose milk
This is a recipe I madeup - my kid loves rose milk and I don't like giving her stuffs with artificial flavor and color.So I used rose gulkand and beetroot to make this rose milk.

Rose Gulkand is nothing but rose petals preserved in sugar...These are available easily even in small dept stores... Rose Gulkand is said to have a cooling effect on the body, reduces pittha and also has many medicinal properties... You can have the gulkand as such( 1 or 2 tsp a day)...very tasty...Don't eat too much as it is a mild laxative too... rose gulkand is commonly used in beedas...

I personally HATE rose milk and so I din't taste it... but the lil one loved it...So I guess it tastes good... all I can say is the flavour was superb and the color too...

Natural rose milk
To 3/4 cup of milk add1 thin medium slice of beetroot chopped roughly and bring it to a boil. Once the desired colour is reached( baby pink is what we are looking for here), switch off flame and let it cool down.
In a mixie grind together 1 tsp(or more) sugar, 1/4 cup water and 1 heaped tsp of rose gulkand. You can add more or less depending on how flavorful the gulkand is.
Add this mixture to completely cooled milk. Mix well and then strain.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.

HERBAL DETOX DRINK

I had few visitors from India.
One of them was an very elderly lady.
She saw a packet of detox tea on my table.
She advised me, and gave me a recipe for herbal detox drink.
She said not only it gets rid of the toxin in your body, it also
slims your body. Thanks. Kugan98



HERBAL DETOX DRINK.

Ingredients:
1 tsp aniseeds
1 tsp coriander seeds, pound a little
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger grated
1 tsp tulasi leaves.
2 litres of water

Method:
Boil 2 litres of water in a pot.
When it is really boiling , add in all the spices.
Close the pot with a thick cover.
Off the fire, and let the spices infuse
in the boiling water for about 10 minutes.
Later strain the water and use it to drink the whole day.
You can even keep it in a flask to keep it warm if you like.
Try it for a month and see.

HEALTHY OATS DRINK (SUMI SENTHIL )

HEALTHY OATS DRINK

Ingredients:

2 cups mooru

3 cups water

1/2 cup cooking oats

2 tbs grated carrot

2 tbs finely chopped onions

A pinch of cumin powder

Little cut coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Method:

Add the oats to a pot. Add in the water.

Cook on medium heat stirring all the time till it is cooked well.

Let it cool first, add in the butter milk, salt, cumin powder,

Grated carrots, chopped onions, and coriander leaves.

Mix it well, and enjoy the healthy drink.

Kambu Kali And Khool

                                                   THE KAMBU COARSELY GROUND

 

 

                                            THE KAMBU BALLS SOAKING IN WATER

                                                               THE KAMBU KOOL

 

Kambu Kali And Khool (kugan)

Today my topic is kambu.
This again brings back thoughts of my dear Suvai.
She was asking me all the recipes for kambu.

First you have to clean the kambu of its skin.
You can get cleaned kambu in the shops.
Then grind coarsely the kambu in your blender.


Now the kambu Kali and kool

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely ground kambu.
4 cups of water
little salt.

Method:
Take 2 cups of water and mix the kambu and keep aside.
Boil the other 2 cups of water in a deep pot.

When the water boils, add the mixed kambu little by little,
and keep on stirring. Make the flame very low.
keep on strring until the kambu kali is cooked.
It will not stick to your finger when you touch it.

Remove and let it cool.

you can add any kulambu and eat it as kali.
or you can cut one small onion, little green chillie,
little curry leaves, add enough mooru, salt and mix
it into kool.
A very refreshing and filling drink.

The remainder kali can be made into a ball and
put in a container of water, to be used the next day.

Later I will post how to make dosai and idli with the kambu.

SOYA BEAN JELLY

SOYA BEAN JELLY

Ingredients:

1 litre soya bean milk
250 grms rock sugar
30 grms agar agar strips soaked
1 litre water
¼ cup evaporated milk.
Little nata de coco for decoration

Method:
Soak the agar –agar strips in water for 30 minutes.
Squeeze out the water.
Boil 1 litre of water, add in the soaked agar-agar strips.
Bring to boil in a low fire. Cook till it dissolves completely.

Add in the rock sugar, evaporated milk and soya milk.
Boil once, pour the mixture into cups, or in a tray.
Sprinkle the nata de coco here and there.
Leave to set, and chill well before serving.
You can even use mixed fruits to decorate instead of the nata de coco.

Note: Here is the definition for nata de coco.
You can get it in small cups too


Nata de coco is a chewy, translucent, jelly-like food product produced by the bacterial fermentation of coconut water. Nata de coco is most commonly sweetened as a candy or dessert, and can accompany many things including pickles, drinks, ice cream, puddings and fruit mixes. The product originates from the Philippines.
Nata de coco is highly regarded for its high dietary fiber, and its low fat and cholesterol content. No preservatives or other chemicals are added to Nata de coco. A researched by Japanese Food Scientists has proven Nata De Coco is an excellent deterrent of intestinal cancer and many other gastrointestinal disorders.
Beside the original flavor, there are other taste in a mixture of various fruit/flower juices like mango, lychee, pineapple, kiwi, orange, syrup and rose



Nata de coco, you can get in different colours
and different flavours.

BARLEY DRINK

Barley being a grain, has soluble fibre that regulates our stomachs,prevents water retention and cleanse our urinary system by flushing out all toxins from our body.
Barley water is the best supplementary drink when our children are unwell. When they are down with fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

Its so hot in Malaysia now.
This is a very cooling drink.

BARLEY DRINK

Ingredients:

100 grms pearl barley
3 screw pine leaves for flavouring
1500 ml water
Rock sugar to taste

Method:
Wash the barley well to remove the white powder.
Bring the water to boil in a big pot.
Add in the washed barley and bring to boil again.
Simmer till the barley becomes soft and the water turns
slightly milky. It will take about 40 minutes.
Add in the pandan leaves and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and discard the pandan leaves.
Drain and keep the cooked barley separately.
( the cooked barley will make the drink slimy, if you do not
remove immediately)
Add rock sugar to taste. Add 1 tbs of the cooked barley into
a glass and pour the chilled or warm barley and serve with a straw.

Ice Kacang

Ice Kacang (kugan)

  falooda and jigar thanda are cousins
In the jigar thanda jelly is added, that makes the difference.
Also nannari syrup. try panni paarungga.

In Malaysia we have a super cooler called ice kacang.
In a bowl, they will add a tbp of cooked red beans, 1 tbp of sweet corn kernels, 1 tbp of jelly strips, boiled sago. tender coconut strips, some cendol, one tbs of roasted peanuts then they will heap up the bowl with ice shavings.
On top of that they will drizzel with evaporated milk, again they will drizzel with either rose syrup or brown sugar syrup.
The last will be a scoop of ice cream.
Appadi vairu neranjidum.

Thanks. Kugan98

JIGAR THANDA

Jigar means heart, thanda means cold.
This drink is meant to cool our hearts.
The milk consistency should be thick, then only the Jigarthanda
will be tasty.


JIGAR THANDA

Ingredients:

4 cups of fresh milk
½ cup sugar

5 grms of soaked china grass
200ml water
1 tbs sugar

2 tbs nannari syrup store bought
2 tbs soaked sabja seeds
1 big scoop of ice cream for each glass

Method:
Boil the milk with the sugar till it reduces to half the volume.
It will have a faint pink colour. Refridgerate till chilled

Add 200 ml of water, 1 tbs sugar and 50 ml milk and boil the china grass. Pour it into a flat container. When cold cut into cubes

Take a tall glass, pour 2 tbs of the nannari syrup.
Pour two big ladles of the cool milk.
Add in the 2 tbs of the soaked sabja seeds.
Add about 2 tbs of the jelly that you have cut into cubes.
Top it up with a scoop of any ice cream of your choice.


Note: Some like to add boiled sago instead of the sabja seeds.
Also some like to use rose syrup instead of the nannari syrup.

KEZHVARAGU KOOZH / Ragi Koozh

KEZHVARAGU KOOZH

Ingredients:

1 ragi kali ball soaked in water overnight
1 cup of yogurt
Salt to taste
Water

Method:
Take the ragi ball in a container.
Add enough yogurt , water and salt.
Using your hands mix the ragi ball to the
thickness to that of a smoothie.
Chill it or you can drink it as it.
Lemon pickle or fresh small onion will
Add oomph to the koozh.

Badam Kheer

I was able to get only half a glass to take a picture.
Ellameh vanished in a moment. Hot season has started.


Badam Kheer.

1 cup almonds soaked for about 1/2 an hour.
6 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of saffron
chopped pistachios for garnishing.

Method:
Remove the brown skin of the almonds.
Use little milk and grind it to a little coarse paste.
Then boil the remainder milk.
Add the almond paste, sugar and safforn
and boil for about 15 minutes, till the raw smell goes.
Add in the cardamom powder. Remove and chill.
Serve with the chopped pistachios.

FILTER COFFEE

FILTER COFFEE

Ingredients:

2 heaped tbs of coffee powder
2 cups of boiling fresh milk
¾ cup of boiling hot water
2 tsps of sugar.

Method:
Remove the lid and umbrella.
Put the 2 tbs of coffee in the upper compartment.
Press with the umbrella.
Gently pour the boiling water over the umbrella in the top container.

The decoction will collect into the lower container.
In a tumbler pour up to ¾ level hot milk.
Add decocotion with constant stirring to make coffee to suit your liking,
mild or strong. Add in 1 tsp of the sugar. (more if you like)
Swish the coffee between the tumbler and the davaraa.
You will get delicious foam on the top.
Sip and enjoy the steaming coffee.

Coffee expert Sudhaka says:
I put the required coffee powder and will not press. Just put the powder and pour boiling water to it. There will be bubbles when the water goes a bit down and I pour more water and close the filter.

Good coffee depends on the powder also.

100% pure coffee will not be strong and you need more dicoction to get the right strength and colour.

My uncle was working as factory manager in one of the coffee plant. he used to say that a blend of 85% pure coffee and 15% chicory will give you a super coffee, and thats true.

I get the coffee powder from Coffee day with the above blend.

Another idea is, get 1/4 kg of the available coffee powder from shop (Green label which has more chicory) and also get pure coffee powder like Narasus, etc. and mix both.

MASALA TEA

Friends once in a way, I like to relax with a cup of steaming
masala tea. What about you all?


MASALA TEA

Ingredients:

2 cups of water
1 cup whole milk
3 tsp tea leaves
1 small piece of dry ginger mashed a bit
2 cardamom pods crushed
2 cloves
1 piece cinnamon stick crushed
4 pepper corns
Sugar as desired

Method:

Put the water on the stove and add the spices.
Bring to boil, cover and simmer for few minutes.
Add tea leaves, cover pot, remove from heat.
Steep for 5 minutes.
Strain and pour the tea to 3 cups equally.
Add milk and sugar as desired.
Your masala tea is ready to serve.

CUMIN WATER / Jeeraka thanni

I am sure all will be having indigestion problems, after taking too much of the Deepavali goodies.
Here is a simple home remedy. It will also help
to loose weight if consumed daily in place of normal drinking water.


CUMIN WATER

Ingredients:
2 tbs cumin seeds
1 litre water.

Mehod:

Heat a pan and dry roast the cumin seeds till you get
a good aroma. Do not roast till black.
pour in slowly the water and let it come to a boil slowly.
keep it in the sim for about 10 minutes.

The water will turn yellowish in colour.
Remove and strain, you can drink it while still warm or cold.
Dilute it if you find the taste a bit bitter.
For indigestion drink it as it is.

MANGO LASSI

Another cool drink to serve.


MANGO LASSI

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups diced fresh mangoes
½ cup fresh orange juice
1 ½ cups fresh yogurt
2 tbs honey
½ cup ice cubes
¼ tsp rose water.

Method:
In a blender, combine the mangoes, orange juice, honey,
Rose water and the ice cubes.
Process on high speed until well combined.
Add in the yogurt and process until frothy.
Garnish with a mint leaf and serve.

Note: Sorry I did not have mint leaves.

PANAKAM

Panakam is a drink made as a Neivedhyam
For Rama Navami.
Modern children would not know what panakam is.
In my house we make panakam and neer mooru during
the hot sesaons for the children. We also make raagi kool.
They also like the raagi kali with hot sour puli kulambu.


PANAKAM

Ingredients:
250 grms vellam
5 cups of water
¼ tsp pepper powder
Little cardamom powder
¼ tsp dried ginger powder (sukku)
Lime juice to taste.

Method:
Dissolve the vellam in the water.
Strain it, add in all the other ingredients.
Mix well. Chill and serve.


Note: Some people add tamarind juice instead of lime juice.

RIBENA LYCHEE DRINK

During festival time we will be serving all kinds
of cool drinks. try this ribena lychee drink.



RIBENA LYCHEE DRINK


Ingredients:

300 ml lychee juice
3 tbs concentrated ribena syrup
Few lychee fruits in syrup
Little cube ice.

Method:
Mix the lychee juice and the ribena syrup/
Add in the lychee fruits.
Add ice and serve in tall glasses with a spoon.

Dear friends, I opened todays newspaper, the Star.
I was really surprised to see the cendol on the foodies
coulmun. I am posting the picture from the paper.
This is how cendol is served in a bowl.

In Malaysia we have something called "cendol"
We use brown sugar syrup,
top up with our own method of making flour sev,
warmed cold coconut milk, and lots of ice shavings.
This is the basic, nowadays they add lots of trimmings on top.
such as steamed sticky rice (pulut) boiled red beans and so on.

                                                                    The Cendol Sev:

                                                                          The laddle:

MALAYSIAN CENDOL

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup corn flour
3 cups of water, (blend with pandan leaves to get flavour and colour.
1 tsp pandan paste or green colour
1 tsp alkaline water
1 tsp salt

Method:
Mix all the above ingredients untill well combined
Cook over low flame untill it becomes thick.
Prepare a container with ice cold water and ice in it.
( This helps the sev not to stick to one another)
Place a cendol sieve or a laddle like what I used.
over the container and pour the mixture over the sieve.
Press lightly with a big spoon until the mixture goes through.
They will form long strands of sev, and fall into the ice water.
Drain them and keep aside.

To serve, pour brown sugar syrup in a glass or bowl.
Add in the green coloured sev.
Add in the warmed cold coconut milk.
Top up with lots of ice shavings.
serve.


NOTE: If you are making for falooda do not add the colour or the pandan leaves.

FALOODA

Ingredients:
2 tbs of sabja seeds
1 ½ cups of boiled cold milk
4 tbs of rose syrup
4 tbs of falooda sev
2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
Little ice shavings

Method:

Soak the sabja seeds in a bowl with enough water.
The seeds will swell up in about an hour.
Break the sev noodles into small pieces.
Boil it in water till it is cooked. (do not over cook till soft)
Pour it into a strainer and wash in running water.
This stops the process of sev being over cooked
Beat the cold milk until it is frothy

Now take a tall glass, add 2 tbs of the rose syrup.
Now gently spoon in half of the noodles.
Slowly add in 1 tbs of the swollen sabja seeds.
Pour in slowly ¾ cups of the frothy cold milk.
Add in little of the ice shavings.
Lastly top with 1 scoop of the vanilla ice cream.
Serve with a long spoon. Enjoy the cool falooda

Note: The above measurement is enough for 2 tall glasses.

NANNARI ROOT JUICE

Making this sharbeth brings back old sweet memories.
My granny had a fan made of this root.
She would sprinkle little water and fan herself.
The air will have a sweet smell of the root.
She also had a very big earthen pot for drinking water.
(No filters that time)
She will crush a little root and put it in the pot. The drinking water will have the flavor of the root.
The roots have cooling effects.


NANARI ROOT SHARBETH

Ingredients:

100 grms of the nanari root ( veti ver )
½ litre of water
1 litre of warm water
2 kg sugar
2 tbs jaggery ( optional

Method:
Wash and clean the roots well.
Slightly crush the roots with a heavy object.
In a pot add the crushed roots and the warm water.
Keep over night. The water would have changed colour little.

The next day, add the ½ litre of water to the soaked roots.
Now you will have 1 ½ litres of water with the roots.
Now boil the water with the roots for about ½ an hour on sim.
Remove and keep aside.


Now in a different pot, add the sugar.
Add little water and keep on stirring.
The sugar syrup should have the consistency of honey.
Now strain the water boiled with the roots and add it to the syrup.
Give a good stir, keep aside to cool.

You can boil the jaiggery and add to the syrup,
Jaggery is added to get the hue to the syrup.

To prepare one glass of juice:
Put 1 tbs of syrup in a glass.
Add 1 tsp of lime juice.
Pour iced cold water.
Stir the contents and serve chilled.