Kerala MurungaKkai(drum Stick) Sambar

Murungakkai Sambar

Ingredients:

1. Murungakkai : 2 
2. Tur Dhal : 1/2 cup
3. Onion :1 big
4. Shallots: 4
5. Tomato: 1
6. Oil: 3 tsp
7. Red chilli powder: 1tsp
8. Coriander powder: 2 tsp
9. Asafoetida : 1/4 tsp
10. Garlic: 3 cloves
11. Tamarind: little
12. Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
13. Coconut : 1/2
14. Cumin seeds: 1.2 tsp
15. Mustard Seeds: 1.4 tsp
16. Curry Leaves: few

Preparation Method

•  Pressure cook tur dal and keep aside
• Take a pan to make sambar. Heat oil and put some cumin seetds and asafoetida followed by onion and garlic and saute.
• Add sliced tomato and saute for a while.
• Add the chilli  powder ,coriander powder and turmeric powder and pour water. 
• Now add the drumstick and cooked dal and let it cook for a while. 
• Mean while take another pan and saute grated coconut and few shallots with cumin seeds. Remove when saute and grind to a fine paste.
• Add salt and tamarind water .
• When the sambar is almost cooked you may add the paste and remove the sambar after 3 mins.
• Now transfer sambar to a serving bowl.

Chicken Masala(semi gravy)

Chicken Masala Semi Gravy

Ingredients

• Garam Masala(Cloves, back cardomon etc)
• Chicken : 1/4 kg
• Onion: 1 big
• Tomato : 1
• Cilantro: few
• Mint leaves: few
• Oil: As reqd
• Salt : As Reqd
• Ginger Garlic paste : 1 tsp
• Lemon Juice: 1tsp
• Green Chilli: 1
• Red Chilli powder: 1tsp
• Coriander powder 1tsp
• Turmeric Powder: 1tsp
• Pepper: 1/2 tsp
• curd: 2 tsp

Preparation Method

1. Marinate chicken with lemon juice, red chilli powder,, pepper, salt and turmeric powder for 8 hrs
2. Take oil in a pan and saute garam masalas
3. Add green chilli and chopped onion and saute till the onion turns golden brown
4. Now add ginger garlic paste, mint and cilantro leaves  and saute for a while
5. Add chopped tomato and saute till oil gets separated
6. Now add the marinated chicken to the mixture and saute for a while. Add very little water to get chicken cooked.
7. Close the lid and cook chicken.
8. After a while and all water gets evaporated, you may remove chicken masala from fire and transfer to a serving bowl .

Idiyappam Sevai

Idiyappam Sevai

Ingredients

1. Idiyappam: 2 cups
2. Onion: 1
3. Mustard: 1/2 tsp
4. Red Chilli: 2
5. Channa Dal: 1/4 tsp
6. Urad Dal:1/4 tsp
7. Curry leaves: few
8. Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
9. Salt: As reqd
10. Oil : As reqd

Preparation Method

• Make Idiyappam using the tool or get readymade idiyappam from shop.
• Take a  pan and pour oil and season with red chiili, mustard seeds, curry leaves , Urad dal and channa dal.
• Put Idiyappam into this and add salt and turmeric powder . Mix well in low heat.
• Transfer Idiyappam sevai to serving bowl and have with coconut chutney.

Vellarikka moru curry

Vellarikka moru curry

Ingredients

1. Vellarikka : 3 cups sliced as cubes
2. Shallots : 7 to 8
3. Curd: 1 cup
4. Green Chilli: 6
5. Red chilli 1 or 2
6. Red Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
7. Fenugreek Seeds: 1/4 tsp
8. Mustard Seeds: 1/4 tsp
9. Cumin Seeds: 1/4 tsp
10. Coconut : little
11.  Curry Leaves : few
12. Salt: As Required
13. Oil : 2 tsp 
14. Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

Preparation Method

• Take vellarikka in a cooking bowl and add water ,shallot, salt, turmeric powder, green chilli, red chilli powder and cook.
• Grind the coconut with cumin seeds and 3 shallots.
• Once vellarikka gets cooked add the paste and allow to cook for few more mins.
• Now add the sour curd and mix well and remove immediately from fire.
• Season with red chiili, curry leaves, mustard seeds  and fenugreek seeds.
• Have this with rice.

Carrot Raita

Carrot Raita

Ingredients

1. Carrot : 2
2. Curd : 2 cups
3. Onion : 1 Chopped
4. Green Chilli: 1 Cg=hopped
5. Salt: As required

Preparation Method

• Take curd, carrot, onion and green chilli in a bowl.
• Mix them well with salt .
• This makes a very good combination with any type of biriyani. You may also have this side dish for Chicken Biriyani.

Cranberrry Juice

Cranberry Juice

Ingredient

1. Cranberry
2. Sugar
3. Cinnamon

Preparation Method

• Boil 3 cups of water.
• Empty out a full bag of cranberries in the pot you're boiling the water in.
• Stir constantly, every 4 minutes should do.
• Drain after 10-20 minutes.
• Pour the cranberries in a very big bowl.
• Add some cups of sugar and pinches of cinnamon
• Pour into the blender until it becomes liquid. 

Keerai(Spinach) Poriyal

Keerai(Spinach) Poriyal

Ingredients

1. Spinach: 2 cups  chopped
2. Onion : 1/2
3. Mustard Seeds: 1/4 tsp
4. Urad Dhal: 1/4 tsp
5. Red Chilli: 2
6. Coconut Grated: 2 tsp
7. Oil: 2tsp
8. Salt: As reqd

Preparation Method

•  Take oil in a pan and let it heat. 
• Add mustard seed , red chilli and urad dhal . Once it splutters add onion and saute for few mins.
• Add spinach to this mixture with salt and let it cook. Don't add water.
• When you find the spinach is getting dries you may add coconut and saute till it get completely cooked.
• Finally transfer this to a serving bowl to serve with rice.

Dry fish curry with Brinjal

Dry Fish curry with brinjal

Ingredients

1. Dry fish : 5 Pieces
2. Brinjal : 2 sliced
3. Tamarind : One lemon size ball soaked in water
4. Oil: 5 tsp
5. Fenugreek Seeds: 1/4 tsp
6. Onion : 1 (Sliced)
7. Tomato: 1(sliced)
8. Green chilli :2
9. Chilli powder: 1 tsp
10. Coriander Powder: 1 1/2 tsp
11. Turmaric Powder: 1/4 tsp
12. Ginger : A Piece
13. Garlic: 2 Piece
14. Curry leaves: few
15. Salt: As required

Preparation Method

• Take a mud fish curry pot or a pan and ad oil
• Put fenugreek seeds and add onion and saute for a while.
• Now add tomato and green chilli and saute till the oil separates. To this add brinjal and saute for a while. 
• Then add tamarind water and ass chilli powder,coriander powder, turmeric powder .
• Add dry fish , ginger, garlic, salt and curry leaves .
• Close the lid and let to cook with low flame till the gravy gets thick and oil separates.
• Server hot with white rice or brown rice.

Rice Puttu

Rice Puttu

Ingredients

1. Rice: 2 cup
2. Coconut Grated: 1cup
3. Water: 1/2 cup
4. Salt to taste

Preparation method

•   Soak rice in water for 4 hrs, then drain it and grind it to make fine powder
• Roast the powder for 5 minutes. Stir it well, while heating.Remove and keep aside for cooling
• Add salt to the powdered rice and mix well, then add water little by little to make the powder wet
•  Take water in puttunkodam and heat well
• Take puttunkutti and add a tsp of grated coconut and then fill a handful of powder . Do this alternatively till it get filled.
• Now place the puttunkutti on the puttunkodam and let it cook till the steam comes out on top.
• Remove after 5 to 10 mins and serve hot with kadala curry or banana and suger.

Fish Fry

Fish fry

Ingredients

1. Fish : 4 Piece
2. Red chilli powder : 3 tsp
3. Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
4. Corn flour : 1/2 tsp
5. Salt: As required
6. Oil: 5 tsp

Preparation Method

• Marinate fish with the ingredients said above and keep aside for 15  to 20 mins.
• Take a frying pan and add oil to it.
• Fry fish with enough space between them.
• Remove once cooked and serve hot.

South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet plan was created by cardiologist Dr Arthur Agatston based at Mount Sinai Hospital – in South Florida. The diet was originally developed for overweight heart patients. The patients experienced excellent results, not only in their general health but also lost weight.

Since hitting the shelves, Agatston’s book The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss has remained a bestseller (despite a pretentious subtitle). The diet is becoming known as the “healthy” version of the Atkins diet. This diet is good – very good, and includes foods such as whole grains, healthy fats, fish, chicken, fruits and vegetables.

Phase1

Breakfast Tomato juice, 6 oz Scrambled eggs with fresh herbs and mushrooms Canadian bacon, 2 slices Decaf coffee or decaf tea with fat-free milk and sugar substitute

Snack Part-skim mozzarella cheese stick

Lunch Chicken Caesar salad (no croutons) Prepared Caesar dressing, 2 Tbsp

Snack Low-fat cottage cheese (½ cup) with ½ cup chopped tomatoes and cucumbers

Dinner Mahi mahi Oven-Roasted Vegetables Arugula salad Low-sugar prepared dressing

Dessert Lemon Peel Ricotta Crème

Phase 2

Breakfast Berry smoothie (8 oz Dannon Light ‘n Fit fruit-flavored yogurt, ½ cup berries, ½ cup crushed ice, blended) Decaf coffee or decaf tea with fat-free milk and sugar substitute

Snack 1 hard-boiled egg

Lunch Lemon Couscous Chicken Tomato and cucumber slices

Snack Dannon Light ‘n Fit yogurt, 4 oz

Dinner Meat Loaf Steamed asparagus Mushrooms sautéed in olive oil Sliced Bermuda onion and tomato with drizzled olive oil

Dessert Sliced cantaloupe with 2 Tbsp ricotta cheese

Phase 3

Breakfast ½ grapefruit Tex-Mex eggs (2 eggs scrambled with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and salsa) Whole grain toast, 1 slice Decaf coffee or decaf tea with fat-free milk and sugar substitute

Lunch Roast Beef Wrap Nectarine

Dinner Grilled salmon with tomato salsa Tossed salad (mixed greens, cucumbers, green bell peppers, cherry tomatoes) Olive oil and vinegar to taste or 2 Tbsp low-sugar prepared dressing

Dessert Chocolate-Dipped Apricots

                              

Vegetable soup diet

DAY 1

Except bananas you may take all fruits along with soup.

DAY 2

Add vegetables in your diet, especially leafy green ones rather than starchy ones. You can even have one baked potato, without butter, and vegetable soup.

DAY 3

Stick to fruit and vegetables only, with no potato. Vegetable soup can be taken as much as you want.

DAY 4

Take bananas and skimmed milk. You can take up to eight bananas and as much skim milk as you want. This will provide protein, carbohydrates, calcium and potassium to your body, lessening your cravings for sweets and fatty foods. This is once again teamed with the veg soup, in desired quantity.

DAY 5

It’s the day for meat and tomatoes. However, limit the quantity of meat, resorting to red meat for the iron. Ensure you drink plenty of water to wash out the acid from the tomatoes. The soup is to be taken according to your discretion

DAY 6

Once again it’s the day for meat and vegetables.  Limiting the meat, soup and vegetable can be taken in any ample quantity.

DAY 7 

Take Soup, brown rice with vegetables and fruit juice.

Fruitarian Diet

The Health Promotion Program states that fruitarian diet causes deficiencies in protein, calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin B and vitamin D and essential fatty acids. Food restrictions in fruitarianism may cause cravings, hunger, food obsession, social isolation and disruptions. 

A bacterial product like vitamin B12 is not found in any kind of fruit. Vitamin B12's natural sources are only animals. Therefore, fruitarians may need to include Vitamin B12 supplements in their daily diet.  

Fruit Diet Meal Plan

Early morning: upon waking, drink 3 to 5 lemons and make it as juice. Eat raisins and unlimited melon juice or melon.

Midmorning: unlimited apples, figs, pineapples, grapes, pears, lima beans, yellow plums, cucumber and kiwi.

Noon: oranges, apricots, peaches, and papayas in any amount.

Midafternoon: cherries, strawberries, mangoes, red plums, pomegranates, persimmons, tomatoes and watermelon.

Evening: blackberries, raspberries, and grapes.

Late evening: cherries, mango, strawberries, persimmons, plums, watermelon and tomatoes.

A lot of fruitarians gave up on Fruitarian diet after how many months or years because it is very difficult to maintain. Fruitarians have fruits 75% of their diet. Other than that, they eat vegetables, beans for protein, and some cooked foods like potato.

Rava Idli

Rava Idli

Ingredients

Rava - 2 cups Curd/Yogurt - 2 1/2 cups Green chillies - 4 nos Pepper - 1 spoon Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 1 spoon Bengal gram(Kadalaparippu) - 1 spoon Black gram(Uzhunnuparippu) - 1 spoon Ghee - As reqd Baking soda - 1/4 spoon Coriander leaves - As reqd Curry leaves - As reqd Salt - As reqd

Preparation Method

Heat ghee and saute pepper, cumin seeds, Bengal gram, black gram, chopped green chillies, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Add rava and fry well, remove from heat and allow to cool. Add baking soda and salt to curd and mix well. Add the fried items to the curd and mix well. Keep this for aside for atleast 15 mins to prepare rava idli. Steam rava idli with this batter for 10 - 15 mins

Chicken Biriyani

Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients

Chicken: 1/2 kg Basmathi Rice: 2 Cups Onion: 2  Tomato :2 Ginger paste : 2 tsp Garlic paste :2 tsp Coriander leaves : 1 cup(chopped) Mint leaves :1 cup  Cashew: 5 pieces Coconut grated 3 tsp Poppy seeds :1 tsp Curd :1 cup Salt: 1 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp  Green chilli: 5 Oil: 5 tbsp   Ghee: 2 tsp Cloves: 1/2tsp Cinnamon: 3 piece Bay leaves: 3 Black cardamom :2

Preparation Method

Marinate chicken pieces with curd , salt and turmeric powder and refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hr. Saute rice in Ghee for 10 mins in low flame. Heat oil and ghee in a pan and saute garam masalas(cloves,cinnamon,bay leaves,cardamom) for few secs. Add green chilli and sliced onion, saute till it turns golden brown. Now add Ginger paste and garlic paste . After 10-15 secs add coriander leaves and mint leaves fry this well . Add sliced tomatoes to this and saute till the tomatoes gets cooked Meanwhile, blend cashews, coconut and poppy seeds and make fine paste. Add the paste and marinated chicken with curd to the mixture and have it closed for few mins. Now transfer the contents to electric cooker or pressure cooker, along with this add rice and salt. Once cooked you may transfer Chicken biriyani to a serving bowl to serve hot with chicken kurma and raita.

Ragi Dosa

Ragi Dosa

Ingredients

Ragi flour - 1 cup Green chillies - 4-5 nos Rice flour - 2 tsp Salt - As reqd Ghee

Preparation Method

Mix together both the flours, chillies and salt. Add water and make it into a dosa batter. Pour 1 ladle full of the above batter onto a hot dosa tawa. When Ragi Dosa is brown in colour, remove it.