Diwali

The biggest festival of Hindus, Deepavali or Diwali as they shortly term it, is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy. This festival of lights brings together family and friends as they rejoice with special homemade milk sweets and ghee sweets adding to the spirit of the festival.

Diwali Legiyam Ancient Healthy Tamil Recipe

A Short Description about Tamil Recipe Diwali Legiyam

Diwali Legiyam is an Ancient Tamil Healthy Recipe which looks like a Jam has a combination of natural medicinal spices. People used to take this Legiyam on Diwali after taking bath and before having sweets and savouries. It is used to digest all the sweets and oily snacks you are going to have on the festival season. So what are you waiting for. All the ingredients used in this recipe will be available at all Ayurvedic medicinal shops(Naatu Marunthu kadai). Celebrate your Diwali with Diwali Legiyam an Ancient Healthy Tamil Recipe and have your heart filled Sweet and Savouries without any worries. Wish You a Healthy Diwali.

Ingredients Required for Diwali Legiyam an Ancient Tamil Healthy Recipe

Sukku - 50 gm
Chitharathai - 50gm
Kandanthippili - 50gm
Arisithippili - 50gm
Jadikkai -1
Jadi pathiri - 1
Omam - 100gm
Milagu - 200gm
Cummin Seeds (Jeeragam) - 50gm
Cloves (Krambu) - 1
Cardamom(Elakkai) - 6
Virali Manjal - 4 nos.
Jaggery - 500 gm
Gingelly - 1 tablespoon
Ghee - 1 tablespoon

Method: How to Make Diwali Legiyam an Healthy Tamil Recipe

1. Dry fry Sukku, Chitharathai, Kandathippili, Arisithippili, Jadikkai, Jadi Pathiri, Omam, Milagu, Jeeragam and Cloves one by one and make it to a fine powder, sieve it well and keep it aside.

2. Heat the fry pan and make Jaggery syrup (Jaggery should be in equavelent ratio with that of the powdered ingredients)to a sticky level (pisukku padham) and not to the level of string consistency.

3. Now add the sieved powder to the jaggery syrup and stir continuously keep adding gingelly oil and ghee little by little till the paste does not stick to the pan. A small amount of honey may be added to enhance the taste but it is optional.

4. Remove from heat and allow it cool.

5. Now your Tamil Recipe Diwali Legiyam is ready and celebrate your Diwali in a healthy way. 




BADAM KHEER RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Almonds(badam) • 6 Cups Milk • 1 Cup Sugar • 1/2 tsp Saffron Strands • 2 Cup Water

How to make Badam Kheer:

• Soak badams in a hot water for about an hour. • Drain the water, peel off the skin of almonds and make a fine paste in a grinder using milk if necessary. • Cook badam paste for about 5 to10 minutes in a heated pan over low flame and stir it continuously. • Add sugar and keep stirring the mixture. • Pour the remaining milk and boil it for about 15 minutes. • Garnish it with a few saffron strands and serve.

CARROT HALWA RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 kg Carrots • 200 gm Sweetened Condensed milk • 2 tbsp Ghee • Handful grated cashew nuts and almonds • 2 tsp Cardamom Powder

How to make Carrot Halwa:

• Wash and grate the carrots finely. • Transfer the grated carrots to a pressure cooker. • Cook for about two minutes. • Remove the lid from the cooker. • Allow excess water to evaporate. • Keep churning the carrots occasionally. • Pour milk and ghee over the cooked carrots. • Simmer till all are well blended. • Remove from the flame. • Sprinkle with grated cashew nuts, almonds and cardamom powder. • Carrot Halwa is ready to serve.

DIWALI SWEET.....
Kaju KatliIngredients: 200gm Kaju (cashews)
100 gm sugar
1 tbsp ghee
¼ cup milk
7-8 saffron strings
Method:
Step 1: Soak kaju in water for one hour.Step 2: Soak the saffron strings in one tbsp water and keep aside.

Step 3: After one hour drain the water and spread it on the paper towel.

Step 4: In a mixture bowl take sugar and then cashew.

Step 5: Crush it to powder.
Step 6: At this stage if you find it is hard to crush it smoothly then add milk. Don’t add water to it.Step 7: Grind it in mixture until you get powder like consistency.

Step 8: Heat one tbsp ghee in pan or kadhai.

Step 9: Add the mixture in it.

Step 10: Stirring continuously.

Step 11: Stirring until it get soft bubbles formed in it. It will take 9-10 minutes approximately.
Step 12: Spread this mixer into big plate evenly.

Step 13: Pure the saffron water over it and add some of the strings for decorate the kaju katli. If you like then apply Varak (pure silver foil). Many jains do not use varak.

Step 14: Let it cool for half an hour and after that cut it in diamond shape.

Step 15: Store in container.

Coconut BurfiIngredients:
250 gm coconut (dry and ground)
150 gm sugar powder
150 gm fresh mava
1 small cup fresh milk malai
1 tbsp Cardamom Powder
Method:Step 1: Take a flat pan and add desiccated coconut.Step 2: Add the sugar powder in it. If you like then add more sugar here as you add 250 gm sugar is best test but we use less sugar in our sweet.Step 3: Add the milk malai in it. Mix all these three ingredient properly then start the flame of gas.Step 4: Sauté it well in medium flame.

Step 5: Stirring continuously for 10 to 12 minutes. When mixer becomes thick and it doesn’t contains the water part then turn the flame in low. Mix the cardamom powder.Step 6: Add grated mava when the mixer thickens and becomes dry and firm (like a fudge consistency) but still soft.Step 7: Stir the mixer in low flame for 4-5 minutes.
Step 8: When mixer looks thick, remove from the flame.Step 9: Pour into a ghee-smeared plate.
Step 10: Flatten the surface evenly.Step 11: Cut it into square pieces. (Decorate with varakh (pure silver foil) if you like.)Step 12: After it is completely cool, put it in the refrigerator so that it sets in firmly and doesn’t break.Step 13: Remove after 6-7 hours. Coconut burfi is ready to eat.

Chocolate-Coconut burfi

Ingredients:
Coconut burfi
Hot dark chocolate
Method:Step 1: Take a plate of ready coconut burfi.Step 2: Melt the chocolate in microwave or over a pan of hot water.Step 3: Pour the chocolate mixer over the coconut burfi.

Step 4: Let cool for about 20 minutes until burfi is just look warm. Cut into square or diamond shape with knife. Don’t remove from the plate.Step 5: Put this plate into refrigerator for 2-3 hours so chocolate layer is becomes hard.
Step 6: After refrigerator remove chocolate-coconut burfi from the plate and serve.Step 7: Store in container and refrigerate for days.

Jalebi:

Ingredients:
2 cups All purpose flour (maida)
11/2 tbsp. fine grained semolina or rice flour
1/4th tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp curd (plain yogurt)
11/4th cups warm water
1/2 tsp. saffron threads, slowly dry-roasted and powdered
3 cups sugar
2 2/3rd cups water
1/2 tsp green cardamom seeds powder
11/2 tbsp. kewra water or rose water
Ghee or vegetable oil for frying
Method:

• Mix the flour, semolina or rice flour, baking powder, curd and 3/4th cup of the water in a bowl (preferably a ceramic bowl). Mix well with a whisk.
• Mix well and then add remaining water and 1/8th tsp. of saffron powder, and whisk until smooth.
• Set aside for about 2 hours to ferment.
• Whisk thoroughly before use.
• Prepare one string syrup by dissolving sugar in the water. Just before the syrup is ready add saffron and cardamom powder.
• Heat oil in a kadhai. Pour the batter in a steady stream ( or coconut shell with a hole) into the kadhai to form coils. Make a few at a time.
• Deep fry them until they are golden and crisp all over but not brown.
• Remove from the kadhai and drain on kitchen paper and immerse in the syrup.
• Leave for at least 4-5 minutes so that they soak the syrup.
• Take them out of syrup and serve hot.

Rasmalai:

Ingredients:
2 lbs Cows Milk or Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sugar
32 oz half & half milk
A pinch of saffron
1/4 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 tbsp crushed green pistachios
Method:

• Mix the cheese with sugar and little cardamom powder and spread out on a baking tray.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until it sets. It should not get brown.
• Remove from oven, cool at room temperature and cut into 2″ squares. Place them in a dessert bowl.
• Mix the other ingredients, except the pistachios well in a separate dish and pour over the squares.
• Decorate with pistachios, chill for 2-3 hours and then serve.

Healthy and quick snacks for kids after school By Pooja Biraia

Given their way, children would love to grow up on a diet of breads, biscuits and junk food which are often addictive and unhealthy. At such times, the challenge for a mother is, how to package healthy and nutritious foods, which kids often tend to avoid, in a sumptuous and tempting way that makes them ask for more and more…

The right time for healthy snacks is often the time after school, in the evenings, when kids are hungry and the body demands energy and nutrition. But if you indulge in preparing exhaustive and tedious varieties, that consume time to prepare, your kid will look for other simpler options like biscuits and wafers. Hence, just like it is important to prepare nutritious snacks, it is also important to do it quickly.

Here we bring to you a list of healthy snacks that hardly consume time to prepare and will keep junk food out of your kid's vocabulary.….

1. Paneer wrap  (Preparation time: 20min)

Ingredients: 100 gms grated paneer; 100 gms boiled French beans and carrots; one cup chopped coriander; one chopped onion; one tsp jeera; juice of one lemon; half tsp red pepperika (red shimla mirch); one tsp extra virgin oil; 100 gms whole wheat flour

Method: Make four rotis from the whole wheat atta. Grate the paneer and add all the ingredients to it besides oil. Sauté it in oil and place it on the roti and roll it. Have it with green chutney. The dough can be prepared the day before. All the ingredients can be chopped the day before.

For the chutney:  (Preparation time: 10 mins)

You can either prepare the chutney with coconut, coriander, peanuts, green chilies, spices, and lime or you can also add onion and tomato in the same, and it would taste all the more good. Grind all the ingredients in a blender and add some water to make the right consistency.

But as coconut is high in saturated fats i.e. bad fats, you can replace it with chana dal or udad dal that are nutritious and healthy.

You must know: As this delicacy contains wheat, paneer and vegetables, it promotes growth and energy.

2. Moong dal chilla (Preparation time: 15 mins)

Ingredients: 1 cup moong dal (split, skinless green gram), 2-3 green chillies, 2-3 spring onions, 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped, 1 small piece of ginger finely chopped or paste, ¼ tsp of hing (asafoetida),
salt to taste.

Method:

1. Wash the moong dal and soak for at least 2 hours – longer if you have the time.
2. Drain the water and grind along with rest of the ingredients.
3. Use water as required – idea is to get a pancake type consistency
4. Heat a non-stick pan and spread just a little oil over it.
5. Keeping the gas on low flame, pour a tablespoon of batter in the centre and then spread the batter outwards in a circular motion into a thin circle.
6. Add just a drop of oil over the chilla and after it turns lightly brown turn it over to cook the other side.

Stuffing
Mash some fresh paneer (take the quantity as per your need) and add salt, lime and chopped fresh coriander to it. (You can even add chopped cabbage and grated carrots to the mixture).

You must know: The 1st chilla takes longer to cook than rest of the chillas. Also, keep the gas on very low flame when pouring the batter – it gives you a better chance to spread the batter and make the chilla thinner. Using a really good non-stick keeps the need for oil very low. One can also use different stuffings to make the chilla much more delicious.

3. Go Fruity (Preparation Time: 20 mins)

Ingredients: Apples cut in cubes, Banana cut in slices, Chikoo cut in cubes, Strawberry / Kiwi, Whipped Fresh Cream (easily available in India), Lemon, Mint leaves,Chocolate sprinkles, Milk, Sugar.

Method: After washing the fruits thoroughly, cut them into cubes (and in slices for bananas). Now mix all the fruit pieces in a huge bowl and add one tablespoon of milk to the mix with a teaspoon of powdered sugar. Now in the bowl full of fruits, add whipped cream as much as you think fit for your child. To garnish, decorate the dish with a mint leaf over the cream and you are set!

You must know: Don't add too many fruits as that will make it soggy. Fruits provide fibre which is a must for growing children and a preparation like this is the only fun way to make you child eat fruits!

4. Milkshakes (Preparation Time: 10 mins) 

• 2 fruits of your choice (Either bananas, chikus or mangoes)

• Milk (quantity that makes up for one glass)

• Vanilla/Chocolate Ice cream (one family pack)

Method: Grind fruit, milk and the ice cream in a blender. Serve it frothing and chilled with four to five ice cubes!

You must know: Milkshakes are an healthier option to soft drinks and other beverages which kids normally tend to consume. Fruit milkshakes provide a child with all the essential dairy nutrients and fibre content. You can treat your kiddo with this mouth-watering preparation twice a month.  

5. Spinach tikki with vegetables (Preparation Time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients: One bunch spinach finely chopped; half grated white radish; one grated carrot; two boiled potatoes; salt to taste; one-two tsp green chillies and ginger paste; quarter cup crushed peanuts, oil (either mustard or olive oil preferably).

Method: Mix grated carrots, raddish and green chillies with boiled potatoes and finely chopped spinach and add the ginger paste to the mixture. Now, make small tikkies (pattices) from the mixture and keep aside. Add a little olive or mustard oil on a pan, and keep it on low flame. The quantity of oil should be such that it is enough for the tikkies to be roasted, until they turn reddish brown

Chutney: (Preparation Time: 10 minutes)

You can either prepare the chutney with coconut, coriander, peanuts, green chilies, spices, and lime or you can also add onion and tomato in the same, and it would taste all the more good. Grind all the ingredients in a blender and add some water to make the right consistency.

But as coconut is high in saturated fats i.e. bad fats, you can replace it with chana dal or udad dal that are nutritious and healthy.

You must know: To save on time, potatoes can be boiled one day before and the vegetables can be cut and kept in the fridge.

6. Masala Idlis

Ingredients: 6-7 idlis; one tomato finely chopped; one cup capsicum finely chopped; one onion finely chopped; one tablespoon pav bhaji masala; salt to taste; one teaspoon chili powder; handful of chopped coriander leaves; one tsp olive oil.

Method: Cut each idli into four pieces. Saute all the vegetables in oil. Add the masala idli and coriander, mix well and serve hot.

You must know: Batter can be made the day before or at best it can be purchased from the market wherein it is being prepared freshly on a continuous basis, especially in Indian cities.

Next time, your kid asks you for vada pav or Maggi, you know what to do!