Grilled Veggies are healthy and delicious. Brinjal, Tomatoes, Large Onions, Capsicum, Cauliflower etc. are generally put and BBQ and eaten with Roti/Nan/ Chappathi. A little Sauce either Tomato or Chilli will add the taste. Sqeeze half a slice of Lemon and pepper powder on the veggies to make it taste even more better.
You can also marinate the Brinjal, Caulflower etc. with some Corn flour, MDH Masala and little salt before BBQ.
Garnish with Coriander or Parsley leaves. Add a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil as well. This will be a perfect Spanish or Italian Veg BBQ platter.

Potatoes, Corn, Tapioca, Cucumber and any other veggies can be grilled. Potatoes are excellent with a little spice like Red Chilli powder, Pepper powder and salt. Dipped in Tomato sauce, it is better than French fries. 

Food so Good

The food consumed by the Muslims in India during the time of the Mughals and crossing to Pakistan, NW Frontier food, Afghani, and the whole of the Gulf (Persia in the olden days) extending to the Lebanese and Turkish recipes and all the way to the coast of Italy and Spain where of course Catholics relish on the Mediterranean Cuisine are the best healthy food. The Muslim population eat a Menu which is mostly Non-veg like Kebabs, Tandoori, Grilled style. So are the population in Gulf and Middle West. The Spanish and Italian cuisine have the whole spectrum of Non-Veg, Veg and Fish cooked with moderate and mild spices and herbs and lots of Olive Oil. Of course Garlic in Italian food is a very very healthy item I love these food and try to imitate their styles in my cooking. Cut down Masalas in our Indian food. Turmeric is a good spice powder. Ginger and Garlic are Welcome. Moderate use of Pepper powder and Kashmiri Chili powder will give the spicy taste and colour to our food.  

Juice of Babloos or Green Big Orange of Kerala

A Light green Big sized Orange (The size of a Football) seen in many Kerala households are not much favored by Mallus. They mostly fall down and decay. This is wonderful Citrus fruit but with a slight bitter taste.

I tried this Orange with Grapes and it it came up very very good. Put equal quantities of Grapes and Orange in a Blender along with some Sugar, Crushed Ice and Water. Blend it for 2-3 minutes and you get a refreshingly yummy Juice without that bitterness. Try it if you get hold of the fruit.

Organically Grown Banana

It feels great to look at such a beautiful bunch of green Bananas (we call it Robusta here in Thrissur) grown by us in pure Organic way in our backyard. We have two Plantains infact. They grew up very healthy and it will be lovely to have them for break fast with soft white Puttu.....
We bought the Tissue Culture saplings in a very small Polythene bag and it is surprising to see them growing to this size. I counted the Bananas and it was almost 100 Nos. Thank God.

Recession Proof your Food Budget

The world is heading for a major recession. No bail outs, stress tests and rate cuts could save the mankind. It is going to be hard and fatal this time. It is a clear and present danger.
Everyone needs to tighten their purses and especially the food expenses. Food is going to be short as well. Prices will shoot up. Europe and US will get the hit harder and it will  spill over to Asia and Middle East pretty soon.
Try to be creative and find out ways to eat smart. Pay less and get more. My earlier posts have some hints on how to multiply the food for 1 into 4 people. That way you will save a lot on the food bills in the long term. Hotels can very expensive. So try the reliable fast food joints. Buy 1 or 2 portions take away and then add some appropriate ingredients to multiply the quantity to 4 or 6 people. This can be done by not compromising on the original taste. All you have to do is stock some groceries and fresh veggies etc. @ home.

Breakfast for School Kids

Plum Cake slices are just that good for anytime of the day. Apply some butter or cream on it. Pour some Honey on top and make a Sandwich. You can garnish it by adding some Cashew Nut or Badam pieces on top of the cream spread. This will give extra energy to the kid. Give a Glass of warm Milk with any choice of flavour. Vanilla, Badam etc.

Quick Breakfast for School Kids

School Kids are reluctant to eating break fast when they are still sleepy at 7 or 8 am in the morning. Parents need to experiment different items in a creative way to allure them to the break fast table.
Here is some tips.
Buy a bottle of fresh cream. Amul has good quality cream.
Spread cream on a slice of bread. Sprinkle some sugar on top. Spread some butter on another bread slice. Pour some Honey on it. This bread sandwich will be a sure winner among kids due to its mouth water sweetness.
You can sprinkle some Chocolate powder or Maltova, Boost etc. on top of the fresh cream. This will be a high energy breakfast along with a glass of chocolate, badam or pista flavoured milk.

Peanut butter can be also used.

Quick and Cheap Lunch Curry with Veg Cutlets

Today for Lunch, I bought a Packet of Chappathis. Rs. 20.00 (05 Chappathis). Also 02 Veg Cutlets. Rs. 16.00 Also some Eggs.
I prepared a curry with the cutlets. Chopped a red Onion large, 2-3 green chillies, 2 tomatoes. Sauteed these in a frying pan with little oil. When the Onion turned brown, added some water(1/2 glass) and some Soy sauce. Added the crushed Cutlets into the pan and added some salt. Left it to boil. Sprinkled some finely chopped coriander leaves. great veg curry for Chappathy.
I had it with a single egg omelet.
Total cost of the Lunch was around Rs. 40.00 (Egg included, 02 chappathis balance and some curry as well)
This is a cheap and quick meal for 02 Bachelors.

Items and Prices bought in Thrissur, Kerala.

Banana Fry and Fritters in new style for School Kids

Make Banana fry @ home for the kids for Tea time. It will be healthy with less oil and colour etc. which the Bakers add. Also you will be surprised to see the wafer thin banana slice with a fatty coating of unwanted Maida and Oil oozing out.....from the Bakery stuff..!!
Have a good thick slice of banana and coat it with little maida. Add sugar and little Vanilla essence to the Maida Powder. You can also try a little Custard powder. This will give a fresh taste and vanilla smell to the Banana fry. Fry it on a Pan or Tava with very less oil.
Experiment with some cardamom powder and corn flakes to the coating paste. If you need colour add a pinch of Turmeric powder.
It will sure taste different.

Ivy Gourd or Kovakka - A Life Saver

I am harvesting Ivy Gourd now a days. Thanks to the single stem I planted a year ago. I trimmed it twice now and it grows fiercely in my backyard. This time it had to fight with Bitter gourd on the same Pandhal. The Bitter Gourd yield was poor due to the constant attack of insects. I tried to cover them in Polythene bags but in vein. So I cut it down. The Kovakka plant can thrive now. Ivy Gourd is praised for its medicinal and health qualities by Ayurveda and even the US Healthcare officials for its power to bring down the Blood Sugar levels. The juice of the leaves are indeed a life saver.

Call 9895039531 for a Stem if you want to grow them..!!

Ivy Gourd - Kovakka Salad

Ivy Gourd or Kovakka is a miracle vegetable. Ivy gourd is very good for Diabetics and is rich in several other nutrients and vitamins. Slice Fresh Kovakka thin and mix it with Large onions also chopped thin with some Yogurt (Thairu) Add salt and lime juice as required to have a delicious uber healthy Salad.

The juice of Ivy Gourd leaves are No. 1 treatment for bringing down the Sugar levels. You can make a Spinach type curry with the leaves.

Eat Fruits and Poison also

Most of that Shining,  Sweet scented, Very attractive, but not so delicious, not so juicy Fruits you see or buy from the Super Markets, Groceries and Fruit Stalls are awash with highly Poisonous Chemicals and Pesticides that damage your taste buds, digestive tract, intestine, liver etc. The Shining Green and Red apples have some Wax coating on them. They are fed with Chemicals and Pesticides all throughout their sowing of seeds, growth, flowering, fruit bearing time, Harvesting and transporting time for Size, weight, shape, colour, shelf life etc. Taste is least considered. You might have noticed the recent changes in the original taste of a fruit. Say 20 years ago, Grapes, Oranges and Apples used to taste good. They were not that shiny, or were not that oversized. Now these fruits are beautiful in appearance but not that tasty. Prices are exorbitant. Do not eat these fruits and veggies or give it to your Children. Try to eat the fruits available in your home or even get some from your neighbours or relatives. A lot of house holds in Kerala still waste fruits like Mango, Jack fruit, Perakka, Chambakka, Loovikka, Sapota, Bananas, Passion fruit etc. They come 100 % natural, loaded with Vitamins and fibre plus tonnes of energy for the fast paced life today. Have you ever heard of some one applying pesticides or chemical to these fruits. People are stupid and lazy in some sense. They are willing to burn money and buy Poison in the form of these fruits and veggies. Grow fruits and veggies at home. Share the fruits that you do not need or waste from the trees @ home. I ask my neighbours for Mangoes and Jack fruit etc. or even strange people and they never refuse. I am willing to share what ever I have in my backyard. Call me 9895039531. Tomatoes ready for harvest fellas..!! Perakkas as well.

Chikkoo or Sapota Banana Smoothie

Chikkoo or Sapota is a humble but very good fruit. But it never sells more than 30 Rs. or so. The reason is Malayalees generally do not like the bitter taste of the fruit due to a type of resin inside. They love the Apple, Grapes and Mangoes loaded with Chemicals and Pesticides inside out which is much more expensive. They look beautiful in the shop. The simple Sapota is small and not shining like the Chinese and other imported Apple. That is why we can see lot of Mallu homes still have the Sapota tree loaded with fruits but no one interested in it.

Remove the skin of chikkoo. Add sliced bananas and boiled milk to the mixer bowl. Add some sugar and crushed cardamom. Blend it thoroughly and pour into a glass. The tasty, healthy smoothie is ready. Add ice if you like.

Cashewnut Chammanthy

Cashew nuts are delicious. So is its Chammanthy. In our childhood days, we collect Cashew nuts under the tree and fry it in the aduppu. The bursting cashewnuts are then beaten with some hard wood etc. to extract the nut inside.
It is then crushed on an Ammi Kallu with some water, red chilli powder, salt and Idicha Puli. Coconut oil is added into the chutney or Chammanthy. Superb taste.

You can add Sambhar powder to crushed nuts instead of the ingredients mentioned above. Add Salt, Puli and coconut oil. Also tastes very good.

Must Have things in your Kitchen

If you love cooking and want to do it quick and real delicious, you may have to stock these things in your Fridge or Kitchen.
Sauces: Tomato, Soy, Green Chili, Red Chili, Worcester, Italian Salad Dressing...
Oils: Olive Extra Virgin, Sesame, Peanut, Mustard etc.
Spices: Five spices, White Pepper powder, Garam Masala, MDH Chana Masala, Thandoori Masala, Chilli Chicken, Fish Masala etc.
Butter, Cheese....
Vinegar, Lemon crystal, MSG etc. for Chinese cooking.
Maggi Chicken Cubes, Maggi Noodles Masala, Knorr/Maggi Soup and Chinese Items which comes in Sachets.

You need all the other regular spices, oils and condiments plus good Cook/Recipe Books for easy reference.

Oats Variant with Knorr Soup and many other things

Today for morning break fast I tried Oats cooked with a mini satchet of Knorr Soup (Rs. 11) It came up very tasty. Like the Masala Oats sample satchet they give for Rs. 15. The Oats in it is only 2-3 small Spoons. Plain Oats is boring in the Long run. I try new new methods. Maggi Chicken cubes are also a good way to Pep up the Oats. You can even save the Noodles Masala coming along with Maggi etc and add them to your bowl of Oats while cooking. Try to add Kerala's own Mixture which comes with Salty Peanuts, Pottu Kadala etc. and other namkeens. That will give taste to the Oats.
Try Oats with Jaggery, some Cummin seeds, Cardomom etc. That will give it a sweet taste. Like Payasam.
You can garnish with Cashew Nuts and Raisins.

Add Sauteed Large Onion cut in very small pcs, Bread crump cubes fried in little Butter and Green peas boiled to the Oats. This will give it a Soupy twist.

Green or Raw Tomato

If you grow Tomatoes you can try the Green Tomato Chutney or Curry. Generally not available in the shops, Green tomato is a perfect veggie for Curry meant for Chappathi or Nan. Slices of Tomatoes with Onions, Garlic, Ginger and Red chilli powder when Sauteed in slow simmer for some time will make a nice and delicious paste for Chappathi or you can roll them in Tortillas. Add some Tomato sauce if you like that sweet taste a little bit.

Egg Plant or Brinjal

I know that Brinjal is an inseparable item of the Mallu Sambhar. Rarely they eat it as upperi. But Brinjal or Egg Plant is a favourite of the North Indians, Turks and the Westerners.
The Punjabis make the Baingan Bartha and other delicious dishes. The Turkish cuisine has this veggie grilled and skinned and mashed to make a mouth watering dish with Olive Oil and Tomatoes and chilies. The Westerners grill it in BBQ and eat it with other veggies.
I usually cut brinjal in round slices and then marinate with little salt, garam masala, corn flour and egg white. Then fry the brinjal on a Tava either with oil or dry. You can grill it as well. Sliced large Onions, green chillies, Garlic etc are sauteed on a Pan. Add the fried Brinjal slices and stir well to make it a dry curry for Chappathi.
Garnish with Olive Oil and fresh Coriander leaves.
Brinjal can be also be sliced in finger chip style. Marinate with Thandoori masala powder, cornflour, 2 Tsp of Soy sauce, salt and fry or grill it. Good to eat with Tomato Sauce or Chilli Sauce. Evening snacks for Kids... 

Ash Gourd or Kumbalanga

This summer season (May) I got a 2.5 Kg Ash Gourd from my Veg garden. Ash Gourd is a Fat buster and we added the green cubes of fresh cut Kumbalanga with Chicken curry. Wow baby, it was so delicious. Goes well with Beef and Pork. It will absorb a lot of that fat in Beef and Pork...!!

Vitamin C for School Kids who Eat Guava

Perakka or Guava is very rich in Vitamin C. But people are still reluctant to Perakka or Poor Man's Apple which is seen in many homes in Kerala. They are natural and loaded with Vit C and fibers minus the Poison in the fruits seen in the Fruit shop. Guava is very good for digestion and strength.
I give my children Guava by slicing it and giving a pinch of Salt and Red Chili powder. Children like it due to the spicy taste and unlike the plain Perakka, they are happy to eat 5-6 slices. This way they get lot of Vit C naturally.

Chinese Chili Beef for Working Professionals

Hey Techies and other fast paced pros who respect and value money, here is a good tip to eat smart without going to the swanky restaurant out there.
Buy a single Beef Chili fry from the local fast food joint. Dash into the super market and buy a satchet of Knorr/Maggi Chinese Manchurian type soup satchet. Boil the contents of the satchet while stirring. Add some more water and then the beef . You can garnish with finely chopped Coriander leaves, green chili, garlic and spring onions. Store these stuff in the Ref. for quick availability. This will cost you less than Rs. 100 or so and the curry will be enough for 4-5 guys or girlz.

Eat along with ready to eat or cook chappathis. Another 40 rupees for a pack of 10.

Bachelor Cooking Quick Tips

Bachelors of today's modern professional world does not have much time to spend for cooking. Here are some tips that will make your dishes delicious and will not burn your pocket so much. Maggi's Soup mix and other Chinese ready to eat satchets are coming for Rs. 38.00 or so. There are Mandarin, Szechuan,  Hot & Sour, Spicy Garlic flavours are excellent for a lunch for two or even four.
Cut open the satchet and add the required water and bring it to boil by stirring. Cut fresh veggies like carrots, broccoli, garlic, green chili, capsicum, spring onions etc and add to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. This will increase the quantity of the curry. So for just Rs. 40 (plus ofcourse the cost of veggies..!!) you get great curry for 4-6 people. Recommended with Basmathi/white rice or chappathi and even bread.

Maggi Soup Mini Sachet for Monsoon

Maggi has come up with this Rs. 11.00 sample satchet and it is great for the Monsoon. I add some fresh cut garlic, green chili etc. to the boiling soup and add little more water to have a cup of soup for two. Maggi's regular soup also is great to serve for two or perhaps 4. I add some veggies like carrots, garlic, green chili etc. along with more water to make enough soup.

Quick Breakfast Cooking Tips for Bachelors

Bachelors who join their first job and settle away from home find it hard to join their room mates cooking stunts. Let alone cook themselves..... Most of the Guys (girls as well) know only to sit on the table and order, whether it is their home or a Hotel. If you have lot of pocket money, it is not a problem fellas....
But it is easy to learn and practice some quick cooking art. Making Tea is simple. Just put a glass of water on the stove and bring it to boil. Switch off the burner when the water just starts to boil. Add a Teaspoon of Tea powder and leave it for 4-5 min. Boil Milk separately and add it as per requirement to the Tea. Blend (Mix) both nice and you gotta your cup of Tea.
Making an Egg Sandwich is quick and simple. Buy a Pkt of bread. Take two slices. Split open an egg and add some salt, chopped green chillies, large onions and mix well. You can also opt for a Bulls eye or a scrambled egg. Fry the egg on a pan and place it between the two slices of bread. The sandwich is ready. You can garnish the egg with Tomatoes, Onion, Lettuce, Cucumber and some Pepper powder to make it more professional. Add some Tomato sauce and it becomes yummy guys... and girls..!! You can even roll the Egg Omlet in a Chappathi to make it a nice Dinner.
Banana Sandwich is another wonderful and energetic Breakfast item.
Slice thin Robust (Green) Banana some 5-6 pcs. Use any other banana as per availability. Take two bread slices and place them on it. Sprinkle some sugar and your Banana Sandwich is ready. This will go great with a Glass of fresh Hot milk.
Make it more Zappy by spreading some cream on the bread slice. You can try Butter or Jam as the base. Spread the Bananas on top of it. Don't forget to add some Chocolate powder to the Hot milk. You are then having a Deluxe Breakfast on the Table....!!

Tribute to Ambi Swamy

As a food lover (I do not eat that much.) Ambi swamy is remembered by me like many other Veg. and specially Payasam lovers through out Thrissur and elsewhere. He made the Veg Sappadu more popular long ago and the other "Swamis" like Kannan, Suresh... and scores of others followed his footsteps. His format was a huge success and the taste of his meals is undisputed. Let his soul rest in the sweet scent of the Ada Pradhaman and Paladas he made....

BBQ Chicken Home Made

Making BBQ @ Home is that easy. I used a Meen chutty for it. Bought some Chiratta Kari from Thrissur Aiswarya Jewellery Tools Shop. Rs. 30.00 for a bag. The BBQ Grill was Rs. 140 at the Pooram Exhibition. BAKERS Thandoori Chicken Masala and some Chicken will get things going.... My kids enjoyed the BBQ. We also made Tapioca BBQ. Great combination with Mulaku Chammanthy.