LEMON RICE

This is a very easy recipe to make in 10 mins. If you have cooked rice it's even more easy to make.

Ingredients :

Cooked rice – 2 cups

Lemon juice – 3 tbps

Seasoning :

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 2 tsps

Chana dal – 2 tsps

Green chilies – 2

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Oil – 3 tbps

Salt to taste

Method :

1. Spread the cooked rice to cool down for about 15 – 20 mins.

2. Add oil in a pan and add all the seasoning items one by one.

3. Once everything started to splatter turn of the heat and add the lemon juice.

4. Pour this mixture to the cooked rice and add salt.

5. Mix well and serve with masala vadai or chips.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Crying over Onions :

If your onions always make you cry, next time stick them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before you chop or slice them. Also don't cut through the root part of the onion as it releases most of the tear-producing odor.

NEWS FOR THE MONTH

Apples:

History:

The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family Rosaceae. It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. The tree is small and deciduous, reaching 5 to 12 meters (16 to 39 ft) tall, with a broad, often densely twiggy crown. The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged in a five-point star, each carpel containing one to three seeds.

The tree originated from Central Asia, where its wild ancestor is still found today. The wild ancestor of Malus domestica is Malus sieversii. It has no common name in English, but is known in Kazakhstan, where it is native, as Alma; in fact, the region where it is thought to originate is called Almaty, or "reach of the apples". This tree is still found wild in the mountains of Central Asia in southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Xinjiang, China.

Apple cultivars:

There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples resulting in range of desired characteristics. Cultivars vary in their yield and the ultimate size of the tree, even when grown on the same rootstock.

At least 55 million tons of apples were grown worldwide in 2005, with a value of about $10 billion. China produced about 35% of this total. The United States is the second leading producer, with more than 7.5% of the world production. Turkey, France, Italy and Iran are among the leading apple exporters.

Storage:

Commercially, apples can be stored for some months in controlled-atmosphere chambers to delay ethylene-induced onset of ripening. Ripening begins when the fruit is removed. For home storage, most varieties of apple can be stored for approximately two weeks, when kept at the coolest part of the refrigerator (i.e. below 5°C). Some types of apple, including the Granny Smith and Fuji, have an even longer shelf life.

Health benefits:

The marketing slogan and proverb addresses the health effects of the fruit: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and cancer. Compared to many other fruits and vegetables, apples contain relatively low amounts of Vitamin C as well as several of other antioxidant compounds. The fiber content, while less than in most other fruits, helps regulate bowel movements and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer. They may also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol, as they do not have any cholesterol, have fiber, which reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption, and are bulky for their caloric content like most fruits and vegetables.

There is evidence that in vitro apples possess phenolic compounds which may be cancer-protective and demonstrate antioxidant activity. The predominant phenolic phytochemicals in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2.

The seeds are mildly poisonous, containing a small amount of amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside; usually not enough to be dangerous to humans, but it can deter birds.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Cutting fish :

Rub your hands with salt and lemon juice to remove fish odors.

VEGETABLE PULLAO

Tehri is the name given to the vegeterian version of the dish and is very popular in Indian and Pakistani homes. Vegetarian version might have some textured vegetable protein based protein balls give a meat-like texture. The difference between biryani and pullao is that while pullao may be made by cooking the items together, biryani, is used to denote a dish where the rice is cooked separately from the other ingredients.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 2 cup

Onion - 1

Ginger - ½ Inch

Garlic - 7 cloves

Green chilies - 4 (or to your taste)

Vegetable - potato, carrot, capsicum (bell pepper), green beans, peas (any vegetable you like)

Cashews – 7(soaked for about 15 mins)

Salt – to taste

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Curd - ½ cup

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Chillie powder – 2 tsps

To seasoning:

Cloves - 5

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Cardamom - 2

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Bay leaf – 2

Method:

1. Make a paste out of ginger, garlic, green chillies, curd, cashews and turmeric.

2. Cut the vegetables in cubes. Mix with half of the paste and set aside for ½ hour.

3. Soak the rice for ½ hour.

4. Now in cooker or big pan heat oil add all the seasoning. Once it starts to splatter.

5. Add the onion and sauté for 5 mins or until it becomes golden brown.

6. Now add the remaining paste and mix well. Occasionally stirring.

7. Now add the vegetable mixture and add 1 cup of water and cover with a lid for 10 mins.

8. Now add the salt, chili powder, pepper powder, cumin powder. And let it cook for about 10 more mins.

9. Now drain the excess water from the rice and add the rice slowly.

10. Cover with a tight lid. And cook in med low flame for about 30 mins or until the rice is cooked well.

11. Serve hot with raita and salads.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Little snack on the go :

Carry an orange with you wherever you go, they come in their own covered container so you can just peel and eat orange segments whenever the snack craze occurs.

SAMBAR

This is an Indian dish made out of lentils. You can either eat with breakfast like (Dosai, idli,vadai, etc) or with white rice.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal - 3/4 cup (pressure cooked)

Onions - 1

Tomato - 1

Green chilies - 2or up to your taste

Vegetables - Pumpkin, carrots, bell pepper, radish, potato , etc ( any vegetable u like)

tamarind paste - 2 tsps

chili powder - 2 tsps

TO SEASONING :

mustard - 1 tsp

urad dal - 1 tsp

curry leaves - few sprigs

dry red chilies - 2

1. First pressure cook the toor dal(lentils)

2. In a pan pour 3 tsps of oil and then add mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chills, curry leaves and wait for one minute.

3. Add the sliced onions, tomatoes and green chilies.

4. Saute for 5 minutes. Add all the cubed vegetables.

5. Saute for 10 minutes and then add the tamarind paste with 1 cup of water. Add salt.

6. Close with a lid for 15 mins.

7. Take the pressure cook lentils and just viper it in the blender for 30 secs.

8. Now add the lentils to the boiling mixture. Set in med low for 15 mins. Garnish with cilantro.

9. Serve hot with idli, dosai, vadai or with white rice.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Stainless steel sink:

Use vinegar to clean the stainless steel sink. It will really make it shine.

EGG PLANT(BRINJAL) GRAVY

This is famous egg plant(brinjal) gravy for briyani.

Ingredients:

Egg plant - 5

Onion - 1/2 Medium

Tamarind paste - 1/4 cup

Chili power - 2 tsps (or) depends on how spicy you eat.

pepper corns - 2 tsps

Salt

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 4 tbsps

Water - 1 cup

Method:

1. Add 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and add sliced onions, saute for 2 mins.

2. Add the egg plant and fry for 10-15 mins.

3. After that add the tamarind paste with chili power, salt, turmeric and then add 1 cup water.

4. Let it boil and until it makes a gravy form.

5. After that in a separate pan add 1 tbsp of oil add the peppercorns let it sizzle and then add it to the gravy. Stand for one 1 min. Serve hot with white rice or Briyani.