Indian planning commission is planning to announce Tea as the national drink of India and already it is the state drink in many Indian states. The love of Indians with Tea is unexplainable. Though Tea is available throughout all seasons, some seasons are not suitable to have a cup of hot tea. During those times, chilling Ice Mango tea comes as a rescue, to those who do not want to give up tea.

Since summer is the mango season in India, you can make the ice tea using mangoes. And it is best combination for making ice tea. Also you can use, peaches, apple or hibiscus to make ice tea.

INGREDIENTS:

2 to 3 tea bags (I used Ceylon tea bags)

1½ cups mango pulp

Juice from ½ lemon

3 to 4 cups water

4 tablespoons sugar (adjust to taste)

Few ice cubes

Mint leaves for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS:

Bring water to boil, turn off heat and add tea bags to it. Let it steep in for 5 min .

Remove the tea bags and refrigerate the tea till it is cooled.

Peel and chop the mangoes. Add it to a blender and pulse it for 2 min, till it is pureed.

Then add in the cooled tea, lemon juice and sugar to it. Blend it again for a min, till everything is mixed together.

Serve the mango tea in glasses with ice cubes, garnishing with mint leaves.

Onion thokku is a simple and delicious pickle recipe, which goes excellently with Idly, Dosai and Curd rice. This thokku stays good for a long time, if it is properly handled.

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

10 dry red chilli

3 big onions

2 tablespoons tamarind extract

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon red chilly powder

1″ palm sugar

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons gingelly oil (Indian sesame oil)

½ teaspoons mustard seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

INSTRUCTIONS:

Dry roast the fenugreek seeds in medium flame for 2 min. Let it cool and grind it to coarse paste. Keep it aside.

In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of gingelly oil and add dry chillies. When it slightly changes in colour, remove from oil and grind it to smooth paste along with onion.

To the same pan, add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add asafoetida.

Then add in the ground paste, red chilly powder and salt. Cook it in medium flame till the raw smell goes off completely.

If it is too dry, add a tablespoon of gingelly oil.

Then add in the powdered fenugreek seeds and palm sugar.

Mix well, till the sugar is melted and combined.

Switch off the flame and let it cool. Store in a clean, air tight, glass container.

Serve with curd rice or chappathi.

This yummy sea food dish can be prepared in minutes without any complex marination. Try this tasty starter with fried rice for a main meal.

INGREDIENTS:

500 gms prawn (cleaned & de-veined)

2 tablespoons fiinely chopped garlic

2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger

2 tablespoons finely chopped green chilies

1 teaspoon dry red chili flakes

1 onion (diced)

2 teaspoons dark soya sauce

2 teaspoons tomato chili sauce

1 cup water

Few chopped coriander leaves

2 teaspoons cornflour dissolved in 50ml water

2 tablespoons oil

Salt to taste

TO MARINATE & FRY:

1 egg (beaten)

3 to 4 tablespoons corn flour

2 teaspoons dark soya sauce

Salt

Oil for deep frying

INSTRUCTION:

Take the prawns in a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients given under “to marinate & fry”. Mix well and keep it aside for 15 min.

Heat oil for deep frying. Fry the marinated prawns and drain on paper towel. Keep aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide pan. Add finely chopped garlic, finely chopped ginger, finely chopped green chilies, diced onion and saute well on high flame for a min.

Then add in the dry red chili flakes, soya sauce, tomato chili sauce, chopped coriander leaves, salt and 1 cup water. Mix well and cook for a min.

Then add the fried prawns and corn flour mixture. Stir fry on high flame for 3 min. Remove from heat.

Garnish with spring onions and serve hot with fried rice.

Kheer is a traditional Indian dessert that is served in festivals. It is the simplest dessert recipe which can be prepared in minutes, when you receive an unexpected guests. I have added the grated apples as an healthier option. Do try this recipe and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup apple (grated)

½ cup oats

2 to 3 cups milk

2 tablespoons ghee

4 tablespoons brown sugar (adjust to taste)

A pinch of cardamom powder

Fried cashews and raisins

INSTRUCTIONS:

Roast cashews and raisins in a tablespoon of ghee. Take out and set aside. Next roast oats in the same ghee and set aside.

To the same, add 1 tablespoons of ghee and fry the grated apple. Once they are cooked, add milk and allow it to boil.

When it begins to boil, add roasted oats and sugar. Stir continously . Add cardamom powder.

When the mixture begins to thicken, add fried cashews and raisins, mix well and switch off the flame.

Serve warm or chilled.

Coriander Mint pulao is an easy to make rice recipe which would be perfect for bachelors and busy women. With the aromatic paste of mint and coriander along with coconut, ginger, garlic and whole spices is sauteed with onion, tomato and then cooked with basmati rice. Definitely your house would be filled with the aroma of these herbs. You can also add the veggies like peas, carrot and potato to make this dish more healthier and this will be a perfect lunch box recipe loaded with nutrients.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups basmati rice (washed and soaked)

1 onion sliced

1 tomato medium sized

1 tablespoon groundnut or cashew (optional)

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

Salt to taste

Oil

TO GRIND:

1 cup coriander leaves

½ cup mint leaves

¼ cup  grated coconut

5 to 7 green chilly

3 garlic cloves

1″ ginger piece

whole spices (2 clove, ½ star anise, 1 cardamom, small cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make paste of all the ingredients given under “to grind’.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add in sliced onion,groundnuts and saute till the onion turns golden brown. Add chopped tomato, turmeric powder, garam masala and saute for few more min.

Add the ground paste. Saute on medium flame for 2 to 3 min or till the raw smell of paste goes off.

Add 3 cups of water and salt(I counted 1½ cups water for 1 cup rice).  When it comes to single boil, add the soaked basmati rice.

Cover the pan and pressure cook it for 2 to 3 whistles till the grains are cooked well. When the pressure released on its own, open the cooker and gently fluff the rice.

Serve hot with raita or chicken curry. I served the pulav with roasted beetroot raita.

During rainy evening i really love to make this garlic bread recipe to serve with hot masala tea. It is a very easy bread toast recipe which can be prepared in no time with easy ingredients. Even when  you don’t have any idea for breakfast or when you receive guests suddenly, you can make this quick toast and serve.

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices of wholemeal bread

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1 tablespoons crushed or chopped garlic

1½ tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

½ teaspoon mixed Italian herbs

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a bowl, take olive oil, butter, garlic, coriander leaves, chilli flakes, herbs and salt. Mix well.

Trim the edges of the bread and spread small spoonful of mixture to both sides of the breads. Keep it ready.

Heat the pan and grease with butter. Place the bread slices on tava and roast till they turn golden brown. Flip to another side and roast till golden brown.

Serve hot with sauce.

A plate of biryani served with the accompaniments such as thaalcha, onion raita and chicken fry would definitely makes my world better. Like Dindigul Thalapakatti biryani, this Coimbatore’s Angannan biryani(from Angannan, the oldest biryani house in coimbatore) is one of the greatest gift from Tamilnadu to biryani lovers. For many decades, this restaurant has served only biryani and its accompaniments. Seasoning the biryani with garlic and green chilies is their signature touch which is good for digestion.

I learned this recipe from a cooking show in a tamil channel. I noted it down in my diary long before and just today thought of making it. It came out extremely delicious and I served it along with chicken tikka and onion raita.

INGREDIENTS:

½ kg chicken

½ kg basmati rice

3 large onions (thinly sliced)

4 to 5 green chilies

Handful of chopped coriander leaves

Handful of chopped mint leaves

Whole garam masala (1 bay leaf, 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, 2 cardamom, 1 star anise, little nutmeg)

TO GRIND:

1 cup pearl onion (shallots)

6 to 8 green chilies

Juice from ½ lemon

1″ ginger piece

4 to 5 garlic pods

Whole garam masala ( 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 clove, 2 cardamom, 1 star anise)

2 tablespoons thick curd

A pinch of turmeric powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

Boil the water, required for cooking the rice. Follow the instruction given in the rice pack for cooking the rice. I used 1½cup water for 1 cup rice.

Soak the basmati rice in water for half an hour.

In a blender, add all the ingredients given under “to grind” and blend it to smooth paste. Add this blended paste to chicken, mix well and marinate it for atleast half an hour.

In a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons of ghee and 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the whole garam masala items and fry for a min.

Add the sliced onions and fry till it becomes golden brown. Then add the marinated chicken, green chilies, chopped coriander leaves, chopped mint leaves and salt. Mix well and cook for 5 min (chicken may leave water).

Then add the hot water(required amount to cook the rice) and set the flame to medium. When the water comes to single boil, add the soaked rice, mix well, close the pan tightly and cook for 10 min.

When the rice is half cooked, place the pan on dosai tava and keep the tava on low flame. Dum cook it for 10 more min or till the rice is cooked fully.

Serve hot with raita and enjoy.

Quench your summer thirst with the juicy watermelon,which is blended with lemon juice, water and sugar. Then the soaked basil seeds is added before serving. The finished beverage is a light, refreshing drink perfect for warm afternoons. It is an incredibly refreshing, cooling and hydrating drink which is a best replacement for store bought drinks.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups watermelon chunks

Juice from ½ lemon

2 tablespoons sugar

½ tablespoons basil seeds (soaked in 1/4 cup water)

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a blender, add watermelon chunks, water, lemon juice and sugar.

Pulse on low until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Strain the blended juice through a fine strainer and discard the pulp.

Transfer the juice to a serving glass and add 2 teaspoons of soaked basil seeds.

Serve chilled!!!

Notes:

You can replace sugar with any other sweetener.

If you love, you can also add basil leaves for blending.

Here I have used yellow watermelon to make it more contrasting with basil seeds. But you can also use red watermelon.

Poricha kuzhambu is a delicious and mouth watering curry recipe from Tamil Brahmin cuisine. It can be quick prepared without any complex ingredients. And no need to add tamarind juice at all. Though it is easily prepared, it is a very healthy curry with the combination of lentils and vegetables. This kuzhambu can also be prepared with chow chow or pumpkin. This curry goes excellent with plain rice, papad and coriander or mint thogayal (chutney).

INGREDIENTS:

2 or 3 Drumsticks

¼ cup Moong dhal

1 teaspoon Sambar powder

1 teaspoon Red chilly powder

¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder

3 to 4 Green chilies

6 to 7 Pearl onions (shallots)

1 Tomato

Salt to taste

TO GRIND:

½ cup grated coconut

1 teaspoon rice flour

TO TEMPER:

2 tablespoons gingelly oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon urad dhal

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 pearl onions (finely chopped)

Few curry leaves

A pinch of hing

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut the Drumsticks into finger sized pieces and set aside.

Grind the coconut and rice flour to a smooth paste by adding required water. Set aside.

Add moong dhal, chopped tomato, peeled pearl onions, green chilies, sambar powder, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt & enough water to a pressure cooker. Cook it for 3 to 4 whistles and remove from fire.

Once the pressure has released, open the cooker and add drumstick pieces and continue to cook for 3 to 4 more min (without covering the cooker).

Add the ground coconut mixture, mix well and continue cooking for 3 more min. Remove from heat.

Temper the items that are given under “to temper” and add to the prepared curry. While tempering, fry the onions till they turn golden brown.

Serve hot with plain rice and enjoy !