Mint Lime - Refresher

Lemon Juice - 4 table spoons
Mint leaves - 1 handful
Salt - one pinch
Sugar - 2 table spoons
Cold Water - 1 glass

Blend glass of water, lemon juice and mint leaves in a juicer on high for two minutes. Add salt and sugar and blend for one more minute. Pour into a juice glass. Granish with fresh mint and serve.

Mint is a breath freshner and is also good for health while lemon is rich in vitamin c.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Strawberry - 6-7 medium sized
Hill Banana - 2
Sugar to Taste
Milk - 1 cup
Ice cubes
Chopped strawberry and banana 2 table spoons for garnish

Method

Blend strawberry with sugar in juicer until it makes a smooth paste. Cut the banana into chunks and add it with the strawberry and blend until it is completely mashed. Add milk little by little and blend. Add ice cubes and run the juicer on high for 1 minute. Serve in glasses and garnish with Chopped strawberry and banana.

Peppy Cauliflower

Cauliflower - 1 medium size
Onion - 2 medium size, finely chopped
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Ginger/Garlic paste - 1/2 tea spoon
Spring onion -2 table spoons finely chopped
Corriander - Finely chopped
Turmeric Powder 1 pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 Table spoons
Pepper powder - 2 tea spoons (coarsely ground)
Water - 1/2 cup

Cut the cauliflower into medium size flowrets and clean them. Heat the frying pan and add two tablespoons of oil add cumin seeds, onions and saute till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and turmeric power and saute. Add the cauliflower, salt and water. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Once the cauliflower is cooked add sprinkle the freshly ground pepper powder and saute for two mins. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with spring onions and corriander. Serve when hot.

Peppy cauliflower can be had as a side dish for roti's. It serves as a good snack item also. As this dish does not contain much of oil weight watchers can have generous portions.

Green Gram Dhal

Ingredients
Green Gram - 100 gms
Oinion Finely chopped - 1
Tomato Finely chopped -2 nos
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Green chilli -2 nos
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Dry Mango powder - 1 teaspoon (optional)
salt as per taste
Oil- 3 tablespoons
Corriander - finely chopped.
water - 200 ml
Soak the green gram for about 6 hours in water. Drain water and allow to sprout over night. Take a thick bottomed pan add oil and heat it. Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds and allow to splitter now add the onion and green chilli and saute until done. Add the ginger garlic paste and tomatoes and add salt and saute until the tomatoes soften. Now add dry mango powder and the sprouted green gram and water and cover with a lid. Cook until the green gram gets cooked.
Once the green gram is cooked put off the stove and garnish with corriander leaves.

This dish is high in protein content and serves right for roti.

Buthi Vankai Koora- Brinjal delicacy

Buthi Vankai Koora, is a Andhra speciality. This is a tasty spicy curry made out of brinjal.
Ingredients required:
Brinjal - 250 gms
oil - 100ml
Ground nuts - 50 gms
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 6 pods
1/2 Desicated Coconut
Jaggery - 25 gms
Onion - 2 nos finely chopped
Tomato - 3 Nos

Garlic Rasam

Garlic Rasam is good for commom cold and relieves gastritis.
Ingredients Required:
Garlic - unpeeled 5 pods
Curry leaves
Pepper Corns - 3 table spoons
Cumin seeds - 1 Table spoon
Garlic peeled - 10-15 pods
Red chilli - 4 nos
Tamarind paste 6 table spoons
Tomatoes - 2 finely chopped
Mustard seeds - 1 table spoon
Asfotedia - For seasoning
Corriander for garnishing
Oil - 3 tables spoons
salt to taste
Turmeric - one pinch
Water -400 ml
Method
Dry Grind the curry leaves,red chillies, unpeeled garlic pods, pepper corns, cumin seeds into a coarse powder. The rasam should be made preferably in a copper bottom vessel. Heat oil in the vessel and add mustard seeds and asfotedia. Once the mustard seeds crackle add the coarse masala powder and stir for few minutes. Add a pinch of turmeric, tomatoes and salt and cook till the tomatoes are done. Now add the tamarind paste, water stri for a while and add corriander leaves and simmer for until it starts to froth. Do not allow the rasam to boil. Once the rasam starts frothing put off the stove and cover with a lid. Serve hot with rice.

Green Peas Masala

Ingredients Required:( Serves 4)
Fresh Green Peas : 250 gms
Onion :2 nos finely chopped
Tomato : 5 nos
Oil : To saute
Salt To taste.
Red Chilli Powder : 2 Table Spoon
Corriander : Finely Chopped.
Turmeric : one pinch
For Masala
Desicated Coconut : 100 gms
Cloves : 4 nos
cinamon : 4 small sticks
Ginger : 1 inch piece
Garlic : 4 pods
Method
Heat oil in a pan and add the onions. Saute onions till golden brown. Grind the masala ingredients in a mixer into a fine paste. Add the ground masala and turmeric to the onions and stir fry till the raw smell goes. Now add the tomatoes and salt and cook till the tomatoes are done. Add chilli powder to the mixture and stir for a few minutes. Finally add the green peas with about 100 ml of water and cook on low flame for about ten minutes until the peas is done.
Put off the stove and garnish with corriander. This side dish goes well with parathas and roti's.

Methi seeds Salad

The 'Methi Seeds Salad' helps to overcome ailments like diabetes , hairloss etc., This salad should be consumed in empty stomach twice a week.
Ingredients Required
(serves 2)
Methi Sprouts - four table spoons
lemon juice - one table spoon
Salt - to taste
Finely chopped Onions, carrots, cucumber - 4 table spoons
Finely chopped Corriander leaves - 1 tablespoon

Gently blend all the said ingredients in a salad bowl and serve at room temperature.

Plantain Pith Juice

Ingredients Required:
Serves 1
Plantain Pith - 100 gms
Lemon Juice - 1 Table spoon
Salt to taste.
Water - 50 ml.
Method
Clean and cut the plantain pith into slices. Blend the sliced plantain pith with water in a mixer.
strain the juice into a container add salt and lemon juice.
This juice should be consumed immediately on preparation. It has no shelf life. Plantian Pith juice helps reduce the fat accumulated in the tummy and also is said to be a good medicine for kidney stones.

Plantain Pith Salad

'Plantian Pith' is the edible part of the stem of the banana tree. Plantain Pith is rich in fiber content and helps reduce the excess fat accumulated in the body. Regular consumption helps reduce the tummy. This salad can be served at room temperature.
Ingredients Required:
(Serves 2)
Plantain Pith -100 gms
Lemon Juice - 3 Table spoons
Asfotedia / Mustard seeds - For Seasoning
Green chillies - 1 finely chopped
Oil -1 tea spoon
Salt -1 Tea spoon.
Method
Cut the plantain pith into one inch long thin pieces and put them in a bowl of water else it would start turning brown. Drain the water completely and transfer it to the salad bowl. Add lemon juice and salt and toss the contents gently. Take a frying pan and add oil and once the oil is hot add asfotedia and mustard seeds and finely chopped chillies. Once the mustard starts to crackle remove the pan from the stove and after a minute add the seasoning to the salad and toss the contents.