Beetroot-Halwa

#BeetrootHalwa : #Beetroot is a tap root vegetable and widely used in the preparation of Kuruma, stir fry, vegetable briyani and salads. Its attractive deep red color takes over the dish and transform into a red or deep pink color even though very small quantity is added to it. Apart from its color it is rich in fiber, Vitamin C and essential minerals.
I like to prepare beetroot halwa whenever I buy fresh beetroots. The dish was being prepared using microwave oven. Take a big microwave safe glass bowl and the ingredients taken should be filled till half of the bowl.
Here comes the method of doing tasty beetroot halwa.

Ingredients :
4 Cups	Beetroot grated
1 1/4 Cups	Sugar
1/2 Litre	Milk
1 Tsp	Almond grated [ optional ]

Method :

Take grated beetroot in a microwave safe glass bowl.

Add milk and a pinch of salt.

Microwave HIGH for 8 minutes.

Check whether beetroot has been cooked soft.

If not microwave HIGH for another 2 minutes.

Take out and add sugar.

Stir well to completely dissolve sugar.

Keep inside microwave and cook at High for 10 minutes.

At regular intervals take out and stir well and again microwave.

After 10 minutes the mixture would have turned into pale red color.

Stir well and again microwave for another 15 minutes.

At regular intervals take out and stir well and again microwave.

The watery pale red mixture got reduced and turned into deep red in color.

If the mixture is still watery microwave for another 1 or 2 minutes or till halwa becomes dry.

Take out and cool the halwa once it becomes thick and rolls over as a single mass while stirring.

Finally add grated almonds and stir well.

Store in a container with lid once halwa comes down to room temperature.

It can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 days and in refrigerator for a week.

Enjoy with ice cream or as it is.

[ Note : The time given here is only for guidance. It depends on the power setting of the microwave and also on the quantity of the ingredients. ]

Other sweets you might like to try

Carrot halwa

Gulab Jamun

dulce-de-leche

Rasagulla

Instant peda

For other sweet recipes

Sweet

For other recipes

Recipe Index

Vazhaithandu-Carrot-Soup

#VazhaithanduCarrotSoup : #BananaStem is called #Vazhaithandu in Tamil. It is rich in fiber and diuretic in nature. It is rich in potassium and Vitamin B6. It is very low in cholestrol so those who are on diet can consume lot. It is advisable to include vazhaithandu in our daily diet in some form.
I have prepared a tasty soup using vazhaithandu along with carrot.

Ingredients :
1/4 cup	Vazhaithandu nicely chopped
1/4 cup	Carrot grated
3 Tsp	Onion nicely chopped
1 Tsp	Garlic nicely chopped
1 Tbsp	Green peas boiled [ optional ]
1/2 Tsp	Ghee/Butter
1 Tbsp	Soft oats
1/4 cup	Thick coconut milk [ optional ]

Few stalks of spring onion.

Method :
Heat a kadai on a stove over slow flame.
Add ghee and crackle cumin seeds.
Then add chopped garlic followed by chopped onion.
Saute for a minute and then add grated carrot, boiled green peas and nicely chopped vazhaithandu.
Saute for half a minute and add 1 cup of water.
Simmer till carrot and vazhaithandu becomes tender.
After that add oats and allow to simmer till the liquid turns to porridge consistency.
Finally add coconut milk, salt and chopped spring onion.
Allow to simmer for a minute and then turn off the stove.
Serve hot topping with black pepper powder.

Note :
The quantity of vazhaithandu can be increased according to availability and taste.
A split green chilly can be added if you like it to be spicy.

Coriander soup

Papaya soup

Mushroom soup

Aam panna

Muskmelon juice

Vazhaithandu Chaat

#VazhaithanduChaat  [ #VazhaithanduBhel ] : Nowadays from old people to young ones crave for #Chaat [ #chat ] - a spicy mixture of grated raw vegetables, masala powders and puffed rice. Chaat lovers used to go to street shops to enjoy their favorite chaats. Venders are doing brisk business by selling different combinations of chaat items at street corners and road junctions. These chaat shops come alive only in the evenings and close by night. Actually chaats are more healthier food than vadai, bajji or bonda. This is also one of the ways to consume raw vegetables. We can easily prepare it hygienically at home from commonly availlable ingredients.
I have included #vazhaithandu [ #BananaStem ] along with carrot, onion, tomato and coriander leaves for its health benefits. Vazhaithandu is full of fiber and diuretic in nature. It is rich in potassium and vitamin B6.
So add vazhaithandu as much as possible to get the benefits.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup	Puffed rice [ arisi pori ]
1/2 cup	Puffed corn [ chola pori ]
1/3 cup	Carrot grated
1/2 cup	Vazhaithandu nicely chopped
1 small size	Tomato, chop nicely
1 small size	Onion, chop nicely
1/4 cup	Coriander nicely chopped
Powders & sauce :
1/2 Tsp	Coriander powder
1/2 Tsp	Cumin powder
2 pinches	Turmeric powder
1/4 Tsp	Red chilly powder
1/4 Tsp	Chaat powder
1/4 Tsp	Salt
1/2 Tsp	Rock salt
1/2 Tsp	Sweet & sour tamarind chutney
1/4 Tsp	Honey

The measurement of ingredients given above are  only for reference.

You can add according to your taste and availability.

Method :
Take all ingredients barring puffed rice and puffed corn in a wide mouthed vessel.
Mix well with a long ladle.
Finally add puffed rice and puffed corn and mix well.
Adjust salt and chilly powder.
Transfer into a serving bowl topped with coriander leaves.
Tasty n spicy vazhaithandu chaat.
Enjoy freshly prepared chaat.








You might also like to try

Bhel puri ragi chaat

Bhel puri puffed rice

Thattai

Thinai pidi kozhukattai

Kozhukattai - spicy

Sundakkai-Vathakuzhambu

#SundakkaiVathakuzhambu : #Vathakuzhambu is commonly prepared using brinjal   [ katharikkai ], drum stick [ murungaikkai ], yam [ senai kizhangu ], broad beans [ mochai ], cowpea [ karamani / thatta payaru ], chick peas [ kondakadalai ] and pea eggplant [ sundakkai ]. Generally dried sundakkai is used in the preparation of vathakuzhambu. But fresh sundakkai can also be used for the recipe.

It is called Devil's fig, Prickly nightshade, Turkish berry, Wild eggplant, pea eggplant in English. The scientific name is Solanum torvum.
#Sundaikkai tastes like brinjal but slightly bitter than that. It is commonly dried in the Sun to make vathal. 

Ingredients :
1/4 Cup	Sundakkai [ pea eggplant ]
1/4 Cup	Garlic peeled
1/4 Cup	Small onion peeled
1 small size	Tomato chopped
10 - 15	Curry leaves
Big Amla size	Tamarind
Powders :
3 Tsp heaped	Sambar powder
1 Tsp	Coriander powder
1/2 Tsp	Araithuvitta kuzhambu powder [ optional ]
2 pinches	Turmeric powder
2 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]
To temper :
3 Tsp	Gingelly oil
1/2 Tsp	Mustard seeds
small piece	Asafoetida
2 Tsp	Bengal gram
3 Tsp	Peanut [ ground nut ]

A small piece or 1/2 Tsp Jaggery [ optional ]

Method :

Soak tamarind in lukewarm water.

Wash sundaikkai and remove stem.

Cut into halves and put in a bowl containing water.

Chop garlic and onions nicely.

Heat a kadai on a stove over medium flame with oil.

After crackling mustard seeds add asafoetida piece, bengal gram and peanut.

Add curry leaves once bengal gram turns golden color.

Now add garlic and onion.

Saute for half a minute.

Now add chopped tomato and saute until soft.

Then add halved sundaikkai and turmeric powder.

Saute for two minutes.

Now add Sambar powder, coriander powder and Araithuvitta kuzhambu powder.

Mix well for half a minute adding enough salt and then add 1/2 cup of water.

Close the kadai and allow to cook sundaikkai till soft.

Finally squeeze out pulp from tamarind with half a cup of water and pour into boiling kuzhambu.

Add 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 Tsp of jaggery.

Mix well and allow to simmer till oil starts floating over the surface of the kuzhambu.

Adjust salt and mix well.

Transfer into a serving bowl.

An excellent accompaniment for paruppu sadham [ lentil mixed rice ] and keerai masiyal sadham.
It can also be mixed with rice adding a dash of gingelly oil [ till / sesame oil ] and relished with curry.
It tastes very good with curd rice.

Other related recipes you might like to try

Senai kizhangu vathakuzhambu	Manathakkali vathakuzhambu	Karamani [ cowpea ] masala curry
Vazhaipoo [ banana blossom ] Kuzhambu	Tomato bhindi curry

Other Dishes related to Lunch

Lunch Index

Curry Index

Different Kinds of Dishes

Recipe Index