PALAK PANEER

Palak paneer is one of the delicious North Indian food.
Serve with roti, parata, biryani and rice.



Ingredients:

15 Paneer cubes
1 Bunch spinach
1 Big Onion
2- 4 Flakes garlic
3 Cinnamon small pieces
4 Green Chillies
1 inch ginger piece
1/2 tbs red chilly powder
2 tbs Coriander powder
1 tbs cumin powder
1 tbs sugar (optional)
Below 1/4 tbs turmeric
2 tbs butter
Salt to taste


Advantages of Spinach:


The health benefits of spinach are numerous and its ability to help prevent
or control diseases and health conditions. Spinach, like most green
vegetables,contains Lutein which is protective against eye diseases.
Researchers have identified compounds in spinach that function as
antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents. Another study has revealed that
spinach contains protein components which are used to lower blood
pressure. Apart from this Spinach is also good for bone health as it
contains bone-building nutrients including calcium and magnesium.
Spinach is said to be good for those with heart disease, arthritis, Anemia,
Tumors, Constipation, Insomnia, Obesity, Neuritis, High blood pressure,
Bronchitis, Colon cancer, Prostate cancer, Breast cancer, Osteoporosis,
Dyspepsia and diseases of kidneys, bladder and liver.

If served raw, Spinach is a good source of vitamin C. By overcooking it
important Vitamins may be lost. Cooked spinach is a good source of iron.
Iron is a mineral that it particularly important for Women and Children who
have increased needs for iron.

***********************************************************************************************

Health benefits of Paneer:

Indian cheese is a rich source of calcium. This helps in building strong teeth
and bones. Paneer has the health benefit of preventing osteoporosis, which is a
curse of old age. Women who have attained menopause and men above the age
of 65 should make it a rule to include it in their diet to get 25% of calcium through
food.

Paneer taken in moderation could help reduce weight. It is good to note that many
people who wish to lose weight take to including Indian cheese or paneer in their
daily diet.

Paneer also gives the health benefits of reducing the development of insulin
resistance syndrome. Hence it is all about tackling the problem of insulin
dependent diabetes.

Including paneer in one’s daily diet helps to give the health benefit of providing
the protein required by the body for growth and renewal. It is, however, also
interesting to note that Indian cheese provides the protection against cancer.

Equally interesting is the fact that paneer helps prevent stomach disorders in
people as they grow older.

Paneer is the storehouse of calcium and has health benefits of making your
bones stronger and helps men and women as they age against brittle bones.
Since it promotes strong bones paneer also helps to prevent and reduce back
and joint problems.

***************************************************************************

Preparation:

1. Cut the paneer into small cubes. Heat oil in a pan and then deep fry
the paneer cubes, till it is light brown. Takeout Paneer cubes from oil
and keep it aside.
2. Boil water in a big vessel add spinach and green chillies.
3. When done,Cool and grind them coarsely to make an even thick paste.
4. Heat butter in a pan. Add the cinaman, ginger, garlic fry for a minute.
5. Add the chopped onions fry till the onions turn into light golden brown.
6. Add red chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric and fry
for about 1min.
7. Now add the spinach paste and fried panner cubes.
8. Add water to get the required consistency.
9. Add salt and sugar.Cover to cook on medium heat up to 10min.
10.Finally garnish with grated paneer.
11.Mouth watering palak panner is ready to serve.

DOSA

Dosa (crispy savory pancakes) from South India is a staple food in its home region. Especially South Indians everybody likes to eat dosa....

Ingredients:

1 Cup urad dal

2 Cups Brown/unpolished rice

1 & 1/2 tbs fenugreek seeds/methi seeds

10 tbs poha (Atukulu)

Salt to taste

Oil

Health Benifits of Unpolished/Brown Rice-Unimaginable Uses:

The rice that is not polished after removing the outer layer is called unpolished rice.

All the nutrients available in the rice continue to remain in the unpolished rice

whereas you don't find any in the polished rice. All the useful ingredients are available

in the outer layer but once you clean then they are all washed out. So the useful

minerals and vitamins are driven away leaving behind useless carbohydrate.

Thiamin is an important 'B' Viatamin. If it is not supplied preperly through food, the

legs become weak. The face and the feet get swollen. Only 20% of this Thaimin is left

in polished rice. The same way 50%of Riboflavin, 50% of Pairidoxin and 75% of Niacin

are lost in polished rice. Thiamin is available in scrutulam(outer layer) of rice.

This is separated in the rice mills and is used for vitamin tablets. Along with thiamin,

the most important vitamin E and proteins are also lost. Vitamin 'E' helps to strengthen

your nerves to keep your glands healthy and to keep you young and energetic.

Health & nutritous benefits of unpolished/Brown rice:

1. You don't put on weight. This food doesn't change much into carbohydrate due to

the fibrous material and the licithin present in it. Whereas the white rice which is

devoid of these, makes you fat quickly.

2. The white rice makes sugar patients suffer more! The white rice gets digested

quickly,turns into glucose thereby increasing the quantity of sugar. On the

contrary you can't eat plenty of unpolished rice! It also gets digested slowly

due to the fibrous material in it and so glucose joins slowly into the blood.

so sugar doesn't increase quickly. So relatively unplished rice doesn't increase

much the quantity of sugar in the body.

3. This unpolished rice helps in a free motion. That was the secret behind the

free motion of our elders.

4. You feel energetic the whole day because of the vitamins and minerals available

in them. So you don't feel tired at all.

5. You don't have to face heart trouble too due to the 'E' vitamin, licithin and the

fibrous material in it. All these act as antidotes to cholesterol. They drive out

the cholesterol from the body without giving it a chance to stagnate at the blood

vessels.That's why though our elders used penty of ghee, they were hale

and healthy. They also keep the blood vessels in good condition.

6. The nutrients in the food make the body strong. It prevents the obesity.

7. You long for ruchis only when the nutrients are not supplied preperly to the body.

Since this rice supplies all these, you don't long for ruchis or snacks. This is a time

tested theory. You also acquire a control over your senses.

8. Iron is missing in polished rice whereas it is available in plenty in unplished rice.

So this clears the problems in blood and increases the resistance power.

9. Unpolished rice has silicon which keeps the skin healthy.

Preparation:

1. Wash the rice and urad daal well. Add the fenugreek seeds to the mix and fill

enough water in the rice,dal bowl. Soak it at least 8 hours or overnight in water.

2. Take a small bowl add 10tbs poha and water. Keep it aside atleast 3hours.

3. The next morning, drain all the water from the rice and urad dal. Now put

some dal, rice, methi seeds,poha,salt in a food processor/Grainder and grind well.

Adding very little water if necessary. Make it like a smooth paste.

4. Leave the dosa batter in the room temperature overnight.

5. Heat the iron griddle or non-stick pan with little ghee or oil.

6. Now begin to spread the batter in sweeping circular motions to form a pancake

of roughly 8" diameter.

7. When the upper surface begins to look cooked (it will no longer look soft or runny),

flip the Dosa. By this time, ideally, the surface that was underneath should be light

golden in color. Allow to cook for 1 minute after flipping.

8. Dosa is ready. serve with sambar, peanut chuney, coconut chutney, karapodi....

VEGETABLE SALAD WITH SPROUTS

The special food offered to man by Nature is sprouts. Of all the food items 

man eats, sprouts are undoubtedly the best, the purest and the ones with 

the most nutritious value. This type of food can supply you plenty of all 

types of vitamins and minerals. This is a natural food to enable you to lead 

a natural life. This is a natural food filled with pranic energy. It is very difficult 

for man to survive exclusively on fruits and vegetables but if he can eat 

sprouts plentifully, he doesn't have to eat anything else.

Health benefits of sprouts:

1. At the time when the seeds start sprouting, the percentage of vitamins,
    minerals and proteins increase enormously. The same way carbohydrates
    reduce to a certain percentage.

2. Once we soak them in water, 10% water increases in them(for sprouting).
    As a result there is a greater chance for the increase in the nutritious value.
3. If you reason out why the sprouts are appreciated as the best food, it is 
    only because they have an increase of proteins which protect the body. 
    During the period of sprouting, the carbohydrates are separated very 
    minutely, and the seeds suck the nitrogen prevalent in the atmosphere 
   around. The carbohydrate is now changed into amino acids which can be 
   digested very easily. This is the reason why content of carbohydrate is 
   reduced more in the sprouts than in the dry seeds. So the proteins formed 
   thus are more easily digested than the proteins we get in other food items.
4. The sodium(salt percentage) helps in a quick digestion at stomach and at
    small intestines. It also helps in driving out carbon dioxide in the body.
    Since this sodium content enormously increased in the sprouts, this food
    can easily be digested.
5. Vitamin 'C' content is very less in dry seeds and dry food material. But 
    when we soak the very same seeds in water, to give rise to sprouts, they 
    suck the atmospheic values. As a Result the percentage of 'C' vitamin is 
    vastly increased. Since vitamin 'C' is more in the sprouts, the proteins get 
   diffused quickly. also this vitamin 'c' hastens the movements of Iron in these 
   sprouts into blood from intestines.
6. When these sprouts are being formed the enzyme Amilaze available in them
    converts the carbohydrates in them into easily digestable sugar in the form 
    of glucose or sucroze. The same way proteins are divided into amino acids 
    and amides. Due to the enzyme - lipaze. Since these changes take place only 
    when the seeds start sprouting, this type of food easens the task of digestion 
    for the intestines, thereby reducing the effort of the body.
7. It is but natural to have some gas(air) in the intestines. It is a healthy sign 
    too! Oligosaccarides produce this gas in the intestines. These Oligosaccarides 
    are present more in the dry seeds. These Oligosaccarides reduce to 90% when 
    the seeds are soaked and when they are developing sprouts.
8. These sprouts contain more of fibrous material which in turn enables a free
    motion.
9. These sprouts by nature have more of water content as a result you don't feel
    thirsty while eating or after eating them. 

Note:


1. You may doubt how much quantity of sprouts you should eat per day.
There is no prescribed quantity as such. It depends on you!
You can eat as much as you can. It is better to eat a larger quantity.
But of course if you are a beginner, you increase the quantity slowly,
day by day. 
2. Other sprouted lentils can also be used in place of Channa.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup kala Channa sprouts
1/2 Tomato
1/2 carrot
1/2 cucumber
1 layer lettuce
1 green chilly
1 tbs lemon juice
salt to taste

Preparation:


1. Wash and chop the tomato, lettuce, green chilly.
2. Now take the carrot and cucumber, Peel off the skin and grate nicely.
3. Steam cook the sprouts by sprinkling water and adding a pinch of salt.
4. Take a bowl and add cucumber,grated carrot,lettuce,tomato,cooked 
    sprouts,salt, green chilly and mix well.
5. Finally add the lemon juice and mix well.

SEMIYA PAYASAM

We make this sweet for festivals. Kids like to eat payasam alot. Good for health too..


Ingredients:

1 Cup Vermicelli/Semiya
1 Cup Milk (I used whole milk)(If you want to use 2% milk then take 2 cups of milk.
No need to add water)
1 Cup Sugar/ Honey (Instead of sugar you can use honey)
1 Cup Water
15 Cashew nuts
15 Raisins
2tbs Cardamom powder
3 tbs Ghee


Health benefits of Milk:

Organic milk has more health benefits than standard milk. If you want to be
healthy, get organic or all natural. It is costly but healthier.

Health benefits of milk include good bone health, robust skin, good immune
system, prevention of illnesses such as hypertension, dental decay, hydration, respiratory problems, obesity, osteoporosis and even some forms of cancer.
The beneficial health nutrients obtained from milk are mandatory for
human body and for prevention of chronic ailments.

Health benefits of milk have always influenced people all over the world to
include it in diet. Milk is the best and complete food that is widely considered
a well-balanced diet. Many animals do provide us with this vital health liquid,
but cow’s milk is considered the best wholesome supplement to solid food
for infants, children as well as adults. Milk is an ideal source of nutrients
such as vitamin A & B, calcium, carbohydrate, phosphorous, magnesium,
protein, zinc and riboflavin.

Intake of fluid milk has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of
osteoporosis, hypertension,and colon cancer
(see Dairy Products in Human Nutrition).

Drinking milk may help to reduce the risk of kidney stones. A recent
epidemiological study of more than 81,000 women with no history
of kidney stones links intake of nonfat milk with decreased risk of
colon cancer.

Milk intake may help to reduce the risk of tooth decay by acting as a
substitute for saliva. In addition to providing moisture which helps clear
cavity-promoting substances (e.g., simple sugars such as sucrose)
from the oral cavity, milk buffers oral acids, reduces the solubility of tooth
enamel,and helps to re mineralize tooth enamel.

There is no scientific evidence that intake of recommended servings
of dairy foods such as milk contributes to overweight. Weight loss is
achieved by reducing total caloric intake and/or increasing
physical activity.

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tbs ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Break the cashew nuts into small
pieces and toast the cashew nuts and raisins till golden brown. Remove from
pan, keep it aside.
2. Take the same pan add the remaining ghee and fry the vermicelli till it gets a
light brown color.
3. Now take a vessesl and add water. when water is boiled, then add semiya/
vermicelli and stir well.
4. When the semiya is cooked then add milk and stir occasionally, so that the
milk doesn’t get burnt nor boil over. If the vermicelli has absorbed all the milk,
add some more milk.
5. Add Cardamom powder, sugar and mix well.
6. Finally garnish with cashew nuts and raisins.
7. Delicious payasam is ready to serve.

SAMBAR

Sambar is a vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind

and toor dal, and is very popular in the cooking of southern regions of India

especially in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

South Indian food, people and culture are inextricably linked to a ubiquitous

dish as in idli and sambhar, sambhar and rice and so on. Each state in the

South prepares it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and environment.

A wide variety of vegetables may be added to sambar. Typical vegetables include

okra, carrot, radish, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes, brinjal and whole or halved

shallots or onions, but many different vegetables may be used with adequate

results.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tamarind paste
1/2 cup Toor Dal
1/2 tbs Turmeric
2 tbs oil
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
3 dry red chilies
8 Curry Leaves
1 medium onion
1 large tomato
1/2 tbs mustard seeds
1/2 cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 tablespoons sambar powder (homemade or store-bought, I used MTR brand )
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves/Coriander leaves
1 cup of a vegetable of your choice like drumsticks, egg plant, okra, Loki, pumpkin etc..

(I took loki)

Health benefits of Toor dal:

Toor Dal belongs to the category of Legumes. For over 10,000 years, legumes are a popular, healthful, and versatile food. Toor Dal come from plants with seed pods that

split on two sides when ripe. It provides many of the nutrients your body needs,

such as protein, fat, and carbohydrates. These foods serve as the best plant source

of protein. These legume contains building blocks of protein necessary for good

health. The iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins in these

foods help meet vitamin and mineral requirements. Legumes are high in dietary fiber,

low in saturated fat, and cholesterol free.

• Slightly sweet, nutty flavored lentil .


• An excellent source of protein and fiber.


• High in dietary fiber.


• Easy to cook .


• 100% all-natural.


• Low In Fat, Zero Cholesterol.


• A small, sweet bean good for soups, salads, and rice dishes.


• Delectable and very nutritious. So easy to make. Recipe for dal on the package

Preparation:

1. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water for 1hour. Squeeze it out,

adding water little by little to prepare 1 cup of juice.

2. Take 1/2 cup of dal and vegetables(Loki,onion,tomato).

Add 1 & 1/2 cup of water. Pressure cook until the dal is soft.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Add red chillies,cumin seeds,mustard. When mustard

starts popping add curry leaves.

4.Now add hing.

5.Takeout the dal from pressure cooker mash it coarsely.

6.Mix the cooked vegetables and dal into pan. Add turmeric, salt, sambar powder,

chilly powder stir well upto 15 min. If needed, add more water as it is boiling but

do not let it get too watery.

7.Sprinkle coriander/cilantro on top and mix well. Cover to Cook on medium heat

up to 10min.

8.Sambar is ready to serve with plain cooked rice, Idli, Vada, Dosa etc....

IDLY

Idli is a traditional south indian breakfast item. It is prepared by steaming the batter made with cream of rice and urad dal.

Ingredients:

2 cups Idly rava (cream of rice,rice suji)
1 cup Urad Daal (white)
Salt as per taste
Ghee for greasing

Advantages of Urad dal:

We offer urad dal, which is a bean popularly grown in southern Asia and

commonly used in culinary preparation like dosa, idli, vada, and papad.

Known for its nutritional properties, our skinless urad dal is widely recommended

for diabetic patients. Whole urad dal possesses the properties of being

unadulterated and high on protein.

Preparation:

• Wash and soak the Dal overnight or for 8 hours.
• Soak Idly rava in water for about 5-6 hours.
• Drain the water from urud dal and grind it in mixe with water.
• Wash and drain the water from idly rava/cream of rice. Now add rava into uraddal batter.
• Add salt and keep it aside in a warm place for 8-9 hours or overnight for fermenting.
• Grease the idle holder and fill each of them with 3/4th fullof batter.
• Steam cook idlis on high flame for about 10 minutes or until done.
• Serve them with sambar and peanut chutney/coconut chutney/Channa dal chutney.

OATMEAL

Health is wealth. Live like a healthy person, better to eat healthy foods and eat
more vegetables & fruits. Now a days lots of people are suffering with cholesterol.
If you want to reduce your cholesterol!!!!! Everyday better to take 1/2 cup of
oatmeal and one cup of curry and one cup of dal and yogurt. i.e sufficient for lunch/dinner.

The real stuff is the plain oat flakes from Quaker Oats or a similar brand.
The benefits of oatmeal are due to the fact that it's made from oats and oats are
a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Oatmeal does not go through
any form of refined processing, which makes it an integral food because it does
not lose any of its nutritional value.


Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Plain oat flakes.
1 Cup water

Preparation:

1.Take a vessel add one cup of water. When water is boiling add oat flakes into

Vessel and mix well.

2. After 5 min your oatmeal is ready to eat.

Nutritional and Health Benefits of oatmeal:

Buildup of the body:

Oatmeal is full of proteins and minerals that help the body to build strong bones

and teeth as well as strengthen the connective tissue and stimulates

energy in general. Besides this, it also has a high content of calcium and

phosphorous. It is easy to digest and this is why it is considered a good food

for convalescing people, especially for women in postpartum situations since

it supposedly tones the uterus. It is known to strengthen the nervous system

and has tranquilizing and relaxing effects. Some studies have shown that these

effects happen to people that suffer the symptoms of smoking abstinence for

a long time, as well as with tranquilizers, medication or antidepressants.

A traditional way to overcome insomnia is by sleeping over a pillow

or in a mattress full of oatmeal.

The digestive connection:

Oatmeal contains a soluble fiber that acts in diverse ways on the digestive

apparatus. It gives volume to a diet, which improves the digestive process

and avoids and alleviates constipation. Oatmeal also helps to soften the

digestive tract, particularly for people that have gastritis and irritable intestine

syndrome. Besides this, since it drags the rest of the food on its way through

the intestines, eating it can be advantageous for preventing stomach cancer.

Oatmeal reduces the absorption of sugar in the blood and at the same time

is really good for diabetics. On the other hand oatmeal helps to improve

moody states in people. This is pretty useful when these mood swings

are part of PMS since oatmeal is able to stabilize the levels of estrogen and

diminishes liquid retention.

Soluble fiber:

One of the most significant advantages of oatmeal is that it helps to maintain

good cardiovascular health. The soluble fiber that it has helps to reduce

cholesterol and elevates cardiovascular health by diminishing arterial

hypertension. Oatmeal also contains high levels of oatmeal, which is essential

for the formation of red blood cells whose function is to bring oxygen to

the body, and it also avoids anemia that occurs when there is a lack of iron

in the body, particularly for women that have difficult menstrual cycles.

Selecting, storing and using:

Choose oatmeal flakes or oatmeal flour instead of getting the instant kind.

Store the oatmeal in a fresh place, away from the sunlight, preferably in

hermetic container and use it as soon as possible. Don’t use it anymore

if three months have gone by.

Oatmeal can be eaten raw or cooked and oatmeal with milk or water is

most known recipe. Besides this you can also add fruit juice to it.

if you add any fruit to it, it will turn into a super nutritious food and can be

used as an agent to thicken a large array of cooked recipes.

The advantages of oatmeal:

• Diminishes cholesterol.


• Stabilizes the levels of sugar in the blood.


• Alleviates and tranquilizes the body.


• Helps to build strong bones and teeth.


• Stimulates the thyroid gland.


• Avoids constipation.