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I am posting this recipe again as the pictures went missing during words edit: My fingers are still not listening

Three Greens Spicy Thokku with Kokum

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I made thokku with the memory enhancing Brahmi/Vallarai leaves, healthy Curry leaves and Cilantro.

Use only sesame oil:

To saute:

Remove stems and rinse Brahmi leaves in water and drain.

Chop the cilantro stems separate , wash and drain.

Wash cilantro, drain and chop.

Remove the curry leaves from stems , wash and drain.

In a few tsp of sesame oil, saute the curry leaves, brahmi leaves and the cilantro stems together. Once they wilt and become soft add the cilantro and a few spicy chopped green chillies. Saute just enough taking care not to lose the green colour. Leave it to cool.

All the wilted leaves together yielded 2 cups.

Roast 3 tbsp of split urad lentils to golden. If needed roast a few red chillies.

Take 8 to 10 kokum depending upon your tangy requirement.

1/4 tsp of black pepper.

2 tsp or more of crystal salt.

Grind everything together with as little water as possible to a paste.

In a wide pan add a few tsp of sesame oil and temper mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp asafoetida. Add the paste and saute till the oil gets separated. Add 1/4 tsp of dry roasted fenugreek powder and 1 tbsp of brown sugar. I added Kittul Jaggery. Mix well. Let it cool. Transfer to a glass bottle and store it in the fridge.

Brindha's tips:

Use dates or plumped figs instead of jaggery. In that case grind them together with the other ingredients.

You can add fresh moringa leaves and fresh ginger.

Can be used as a spread on your toast or roti or on your tortilla wraps.

Can be used as a side dish for idli , dosai or uppuma.

Can be mixed with plain hot rice and sesame oil and eaten.

Substitute the pickle with the healthy 3 greens thokku.

Too much Vallarai may constipate. Rather this can be eaten if one has diarrhea.

Eating healthy is easier than you think.

Banana Appam

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1cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp rawa

2 tsp almond flour

3 tsp rice flour

1 tsp unsweetened dessicated coconut (store bought)

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup Punjabi shakkar/powdered Indian sugar/golden brown sugar

2 large bananas mashed

1/2 to 3/4 cup water /as needed

1tsp melted ghee

Yield is 22 Appams

Tools used:

Cookie dough dispenser for Appam drop

A pair of Wooden chop sticks to flip and pick the Appams

#cbkt #canbrindha #cbkt #appam #kitchenchronicles

#banana #dessert

Minty Dinner Soup: Spicy South Indian Style

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I have uploaded a lot of pictures that are self explanatory. 🥰🥰

Ingredients:

Marrow squash: Wash ,peel and chop. Save peel.

Sweet potato and carrots: Wash peel and chop

Sprouted Black Urad lentils. (Need to start sprouting a few days before. )

Vegetable Broth:

I used Campbell vegetable broth.

Rice Noodles:

Handful of rice noodles per two persons, cooked as per packet instructions and drained. Saute with sesame oil and home made tomato thokku. I used the thokku I made with the store bought tomato paste, home made red chilli powder and salt.

To grind:

Microwave vegetable peels of Opo squash (சுரைக்காய்) and the peel from the Marrow squash using for the soup.

Grind this with coconut and green chilli .

A ladle or 2 of cooked soup towards the end to be grinded and added back to the soup to thicken.

Steps:

Keep everything ready. In a pan add sesame oil, temper mustard seeds and asafoetida Add 2 tsp or more of mint leaves , sweet potatoes ,carrots and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle water and cover . When half cooked add the marrow pieces and saute. Add the vegetable broth and some tomato thokku.

When the soup starts boiling check the salt. Wash and add the sprouted Urad lentils. Broth and the thokku have salt. So add accordingly. When everything boils together, simmer the soup. Take out one or two ladles of the vegetables and lentils and let them cool. Grind coarsely and add it back to the soup.

Leave it to simmer for some more time. Remember to stir. Turn of the stove when the soup is a bit thick.

To serve:

Scoop the soup to bowls. Add some prepared tomato noodle on top, garnish with nuts and mint leaves.

Serve hot.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🌶🌶🌶🌶♨♨♨♨

Very filling and nutritious.

Brindha's Tips:

*Use any sprouts . If using store bought ,buy from reliable source, wash in vinegar water and add.

*Any combo vegetables will work. Try with potatoes or yam

*Use Zucchini or Opo squash or Coyote squash.

*Microwave a chopped tomato . Let it cool. Grind with Kashmiri chillies soaked in hot water and add it to the soup if you don't have tomato paste thokku

*Spice up the noodles just with salt and chilli powder or with grated ginger and black pepper

Gooseberry Vethakkuzhambu with Sweet potato and Eggplant

Vethakkuzhambu: Gooseberry & Tamarind

நெல்லிக்காய் & புளி வற்றல் குழம்பு

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I love to make traditional food using different and healthier ingredients. Here is an attempt using gooseberry for Vethakkuzhambu.

I freeze fresh gooseberries. I use them for making rasam, rice, sambar, pickle, etc. I use them to add to chutney/thogaiyal for the sourness. Well it's time to make Vethakkuzhambu with gooseberries.

Ingredients:

2 big gooseberries. Wash and microwave them upto a minute to make them soft. When cool, remove seeds and chop them to pieces.

Take 2 to 3 heads of garlic, wash and microwave them for a minute. When cool , squish Peel the garlic.

Soak 1,25 " ball of tamarind in hot water and extract a cup of juice.

Grind, 2 to 4 roasted red chillies, 2 green chillies, chopped gooseberries and garlic to a smooth paste.

Mix it with the tamarind extract, add salt, sambar powder, turmeric powder and add more water. Taste for the salt and spice and adjust. The mix can be a bit dilute and it will thicken because of garlic and gooseberries.

Wash , peel and chop sweet potatoes to big pieces. Wash and chop small Indian 🍆 to big pieces.

In a heavy bottomed pan, add sesame oil and temper mustard seeds ,gram lentils, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add the sweet potato pieces and saute for a few minutes to cook them a bit. Add the eggplant pieces and saute for a minute. Add the spice water mix and let the mix boil.

When the vegetables are cooked, simmer for a few minutes. Add a few tsps of sesame oil and dry roasted fenugreek powder. Add 1/4 cup dry roasted redskin peanuts. Garnish with some more curry leaves.

Divine Gooseberry Vethakkuzhambu is ready!

Brindha's Notes:

Add a lot of different vegetables to Vethakkuzhambu or Sambar. This way you can eat more vegetables.

Gooseberries, like Kokum, will turn more sour after some time. So, make the kuzhambu a bit spicy. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes at least.

Enjoy with hot Paruppu Sadam and ghee.

#vethakkuzhambu #sweetpotato #eggolant #kitchenchronicles #tryitdifferent #brindhastips #cbkt #canbrindha

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