Chicken chettinad (Dry)

Ingredients:

Chicken  -1 kg                                            
Onions(big) - 2 (finely chopped)
Onions(small) - 10 nos                                  
Tomatoes Big - 2 (finely chopped)
Chilly Powder - 1 Tablespoon
Coriander Powder - 1 Tablespoon
Green Chilies  - 4 - 5 slit
Salt - To Taste
Coconut - 2 tbsp (grated)
Khus Khus/ poppy seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Ginger - 2 Inch Piece
Coriander Leaves - 1 small bunch
Mint Leaves - 1 Small Bunch
Curry leaves - 20 nos
Garlic - 10 cloves
Sesame oil or sunflower oil - 20-30 ml

Method:

1. Fry the (big)onions, curry leaves, green chilies, bay leaf and tomatoes in oil (10 ml). 

2. Now add the chicken pieces and cook till the chicken gets brown in color.

3. Add chilly powder, coriander powder, salt and add enough water for the chicken to cook.

4. Grind coconut, poppy seeds, ginger, garlic, pepper,cumin seeds, fennel seeds and mint leaves.

5. Heat the frying pan and add the remaining oil. Fry the chopped (small) onions till it gets brown. 

6. Add the ground masala in the frying pan and cook them well till the raw smell goes away. 

7. Then add the cooked chicken to the masala and mix them together. Cook them for 10 mins in low flame.

8. Finally garnish with coriander.

Vegetable Pulao Recipe (Tastiest pulao recipe)

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 3 cups
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Cloves – 6
Brown or green Cardamom – 3
Cinnamon – 1
Bay Leaf – 2
Beans – 50 gms
Carrot – 2
Green peas – 1/2 cup
Cauliflower – 1 cup, coarsely chopped
Onion – 2, chopped
Garlic – 8 cloves
Ginger – 1 (two inch piece)
Coriander - 1 cup
Mint - 1 cup 
Green chillies - 3
Curd - 2-3 tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Salt to taste


Water measurement:  (Measurements may vary)

FOR PRESSURE COOKER: For 3 cups of soaked rice, add 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 cup of coconut milk.
FOR ELECTRIC RICE COOKER: For 3 cups of soaked rice, add 3 1/2 - 4 cups of water and 1 cup of coconut milk.

Method:

1. Soak the rice for 30 mins.
2. Chop all the vegetables into small pieces and parboil them with salt, turmeric powder and water.
3. Pour 1 tbsp ghee and 2 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds, Cinnamon and saute them for a minute.
4. Now add onions, ginger& garlic paste, green chillies and saute them till it become little brown.
5. Now add all the parboiled vegetables, mint, coriander and sugar to the onions and saute the vegetables for few minutes.
6. Add the soaked rice, vegetable mixture, curd, salt (if required), coconut milk, 1 tbsp of ghee and water to the pressure cooker.
7. After 1 whistle switch off the flame.
8. When the pulao is ready, serve hot with onion raita.

 

Valaipoo vadai chettinad recipe (mouthwatering starter)

Authentic Chettinad recipe. Banana flowers combined with Bengal gram and deep fried to make this mouth watering starter.

INGREDIENTS:   

1. Banana flower- 1(small)
2. Bengal gram/ Channa dal- 200 gms
3. Onion (finely chopped)- 2
4. Green chilli- 1
5. Red chilles- 2 
6. Curry leaves and coriender leaves- as required
7. Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp
8. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tbs
9. Asafoetida powder- 1/2 tsp
10. Salt  to taste)
11. Oil (for deep frying)

12. Buttermilk (diluted)- as required

How to clean the banana flower?

1. Apply oil to both hand to avoid sticking.Take off the purple outer covering and remove the bunch of florets. Repeat the process until you reach the center.

                       FLORETS WITH STAMEN

                                                                         STAMEN

                 FLORETS WITHOUT STAMEN

2. Separate each flower from the bunch and remove the stamen. Chop the florets and soak them in buttermilk with a pinch of salt to avoid discoloration.

To make the vadai:

1. Soak bengal gram for at least 3 hrs.

2. Grind the bengal gram with chopped banana flowers, fennel seeds, asafoetida powder, green chilli and red chillies and salt. Grind them coarsely without adding much water.

3. Add the finely chopped onion and chopped curry leaves to the thick dough.

 4. Heat oil and deep fry them in batches. Drain excess oil and serve.

SERVES - 6-8 members

Apple chips (Healthy snack)

Ingredients:

1. 5 small to medium apples
2. 2 tablespoons cinnamon
3. 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:
   

                                  PARCHMENT SHEET

 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two (or more) large cooking trays with parchment paper.

2. Wash the apples well. Carefully cut out the cores with a sharp paring knife.

3. Slice the apples finely and place them on the sheets( trying not to overlap too many apples).

4. Sprinkle with salt, and dust with cinnamon. Bake for 2 1/2 hours, until the apples have curled and the skin has wrinkled slightly. Apple chips will crisp as they cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate or freeze if planning to keep longer.

Worst foods you should NEVER EAT for breakfast

You know that eating breakfast is very important. Eating a healthy breakfast every morning can reduce the risk for diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Here you will get the scoop on which breakfast foods to avoid.

Bacon, ham and sausage

Processed meat has nitrates that are associated with colorectal cancer. In fact, the Institute for Cancer Research published a list of the top ten things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer. Avoiding nitrates is a number one of them. What does that mean for morning meat eaters? It is time to find a different breakfast option..

Packaged pancakes with artificial maple syrup

While natural maple syrup is a healthy sweetener, there are many artificial types of syrup on the market that are full of high fructose corn syrup. The sweetener, which is derived from corn, is also present in most processed and packaged foods. High fructose corn syrup can lead to more abdominal obesity and visceral fat, which is stored between the organs. This is the fat that leads to cancer. A recent study in one journal also linked high fructose corn syrup consumption to diabetes.

Supermarket Boxed sugary Cereals

Fruit Loops, Cocoa Puffs, Honey Nut Cheerios, you’re familiar with the store-bought cereals that are meant to appeal to the sweet teeth of big and little kids as they wander the grocery aisles. Most of these processed cereals are jam-packed with sugar and will only lead to an energy crash sometime after 10:30am. Plus, the recommended serving size of ¼ cup will never satiate your appetite. You’re bound to consume double or triple the amount of empty calories and sugar in your bowl.

Smoothies 

Do you ever wonder why breakfast smoothies are so sweet? Well, because they are full of refined sugar—that’s why. Most store-bought varieties contain full fat milk, or worse, cream or (gasp) ice cream, so it’s really more of a dessert shake than a breakfast beverage. Instead of buying your smoothie at the local café, blend a healthy version up at home using Greek yogurt, unsweetened almond or skim milk, fresh fruit and a handful of mixed greens (i.e., like baby spinach).

Donuts

Regardless of if your favorite breakfast donut is jam-filled, sugar-coated, or honey-glazed, they are full of fat and sugar, and will hardly satisfy anything but your morning sweet tooth…and an eventual trip to the dentist. Especially considering an average old cake donut contains about 6 grams of fat and 250 calories. While the average apple fritter or cream-filled goodie contains at least 9 grams of fat and over 300 calories—and one is hardly enough to get your through until lunch. Do yourself and your waistline a favor and opt for a whole wheat bagel that you toast at home.

Granola's 

Sure, it looks like a health mixture of honey, brown sugar, oats, and dried fruit, but think again. Most store-bought boxes of granola contain up to 10 grams of fat and 400 calories per serving, which outweighs a glazed donut. Many boxed granola's contain a whole whack of hidden sugar, unless you’re reading labels and consciously buying an organic or natural variety made with simple sugars, or making your own at home. Otherwise, you’re basically eating dessert for breakfast!

Take-Away Breakfast Sandwich

Sure, it has the makings of a balanced breakfast—with egg, meat, cheese, and toast—but when you really break down that breakfast sandwich or croissant, you’re getting a greasy fried egg, processed ham or bacon, full fat cheese, butter, and a biscuit with no fiber whatsoever. Instead, make one at home using a poached egg, low fat cheese, and two slices of dark rye toast, no butter!

Burritos 

Microwavable, munch-while-you-drive appropriate breakfast burritos sure do seem convenient. However, most contain an entire day’s worth of saturated fat regardless of the fact that you need more than one to satisfy your breakfast hunger. Did you really think there was any nutritional value to that massive tortilla stuffed with half a processed pig, full fat processed cheese, fatty egg substitute, and, yuck, hash browns?

FACTS ABOUT SYNTHETIC ARTIFICIAL FOOD COLORING "MUST READ BLOG"

"Food dyes or synthetic artificial food coloring are added to many products to make them appealing to our eyes and taste buds, but they are not as desirable as we might think".

When you consider the toxic chemicals they contain, and the hidden health risks, especially to our children, the vibrant colors just might not seem so important.  Let me explain some important and beneficial information about food dyes, some facts, what are the health concerns, and some alternative solutions.

Food coloring is any dye, pigment or substance that adds colors to colorless foods, enhances the consistency, correct natural variations of color, or offset color loss due to exposure to light, air, moisture, temperature, and storage conditions  to any food, drink, or product. They come in many forms consisting of liquids, powders, gels and pastes. Food coloring is used both in commercial food production and in domestic cooking. 

Some interesting Facts:

1. Americans are now eating 5 times as much food dye as we did in 1955. The food industry has gone crazy with adding color to our foods anything from breakfast cereal to ice creams.

2.  Many of the synthetic dyes have dangerous health consequences, especially for children, according to a recent report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest.Research has associated food dyes with problems in children such as:

* Allergies
* Hyperactivity as according to the Washington Post
* Learning impairment
* Irritability and aggressive behavior
* ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
* ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)

3. “Food dyes are added simply for their color to make foods fun. They serve no health purpose whatsoever,” says Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 

 “Companies in Europe are managing perfectly well — people get used to a slightly different color, The CSPI
(Center for Science in the Public Interest) has petitioned the FDA to ban the artificial dyes.

4. A U.S. study published in Science found that when children who scored high on a scale measuring hyperactivity consumed a food-dye blend performed worse on tests that measured their ability to recall images than when they used a placebo.

5.  2007 a British study found that children who consumed a mixture of common synthetic dyes displayed hyperactive behavior within 1 hour of consumption. Please also understand that these children had not been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. In Britain this study prompted manufacturers to find alternative to food dyes. In July of 2010, the European Parliament’s mandated that food and beverages containing food dyes must be labeled as such which went into effect for the entire European Union.

Health Risks  of Specific Artificial coloring :

1.Red dye #3 has been named as a possible carcinogen
2.Red dye #4 can affect the adrenal glands and bladder
3.Yellow dye #10 can be contaminated with the carcinogen – beta-natphyhylomia
4. Some dyes can potentially have life threatening sensitivity responses to certain people 
5.Tartrazine, a yellow dye, has been known to cause reactions from hives to laryngeal edema.
The 3 most widely used culprits:

1.Yellow 5
2.Yellow 6
3. Red 40  

These all contain compounds, including benzidine and 4-aminobiphenyl, that research has linked to cancer.

Some alternative solutions to the toxic chemical dyes & helpful tips:

 While natural colorants made from foods like beets are available from pigments of vegetables, minerals, or animals. Some examples of natural and safe food coloring additives  include: beta-carotene,  grape skin extract, caramel color and saffron.

Use products bearing the green-and-white USDA certified organic label, but be aware that foods labeled “made with organic ingredients” may still contain synthetic dyes. 

When you see “artificial color”, “artificial color added” or “color added”  indicate that they are Natural — when synthetic pigments or dyes are used they must be listed by their names. (eg–Yellow 5 Red 40)

We need to check labels carefully do our research and make sure we are making the best choices possible for our families and their health. Living a green life and eating organically is one of the safest ways we can ensure a healthier life for our children. Many European countries have banned artificial chemical dyes.

For U.S. people:
 why don’t we in the U.S? Why are we letting the FDA tell us that these ingredients are safe when we see all around contrary evidence. It’s time that we take action and write to our senators, the FDA, sign petition to stop the toxic chemical poisoning in our foods. 

NOT ONLY IN U.S.A, BUT ALSO OTHER COUNTRY PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE ACTION AGAINST THIS ISSUE.

Creamy supreme honey conditioners for all types of hair

Try these supreme honey conditioners for Shinier, healthier and beautiful hair.   

 
1.
* Mix 10 teaspoons of honey with 2 teaspoon of water in a bowl (measurement depends on length of your hair).
*Use your fingers to rub the mixture directly on to your scalp and massage for 2-3 minutes.
*Once your scalp has been covered, pull the mixture through your hair, until it covers your hair from root to tip.
*Leave the solution on your hair for up to 2 hours, then rinse thoroughly with warm water (Hot water is not good for your hair. Always use Luke warm water for shiny and frizz free hair ).
 This treatment can be applied twice a month.

2. 
* 1/2 cup plain yogurt
* 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
* 2 tablespoon raw honey

Mix everything well and apply it on your scalp and hair from root to tip. Wait for 1 hr and shampoo your hair with Luke warm water.
Repeat this once a weak

3. 
Massage approximately: 1/2 cup honey into clean, damp hair, let sit for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
* You can also add 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil to loosen the honey for easier application.
* For extremely sun-damaged hair, try mixing honey with 1 to 2 Tbsp of a protein-rich ingredient, like avocado or egg yolk, which will help replenish the keratin protein bonds that UV rays attack.
This treatment can be applied twice a month.

The health benefits and some precautions while consuming green tea

Green tea, native to China and India, has been consumed and hailed for its health benefits for centuries globally, but has only recently gained popularity in the US.

Tea is considered the most consumed beverage in the world behind water, however 78% of the tea consumed worldwide is black and only about 20% is green.

All types of tea except herbal tea are brewed from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis bush. The level of oxidation of the leaves determines the type of tea.

Green tea is made from un-oxidized leaves and is the least processed type of tea and therefore contains the most antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols.

Green tea was used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine to control bleeding and heal wounds, aid digestion, improve heart and mental health and regulate body temperature. Recent studies have shown green tea can potentially have positive effects on everything from weight loss to liver disorders to type 2 diabetes.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF CONSUMING GREEN TEA


Unsweetened brewed green tea is a zero calorie beverage. The caffeine contained in a cup of tea can vary according to length of infusing time and the amount of tea infused.

In general, green tea contains a relatively small amount of caffeine (approximately 20-45 milligrams per 8 oz cup), compared with black tea which contains about 50 milligrams and coffee with 95 milligrams per cup.

Green tea is considered one of the world's healthiest drinks and contains the highest amount of antioxidants of any tea. The natural chemicals called polyphenols in tea are what are thought to provide its anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most studied and bioactive polyphenol in tea and has been shown to be the most effective at eliminating free radicals.

Green tea is approximately 20% to 45% polyphenols by weight, of which 60% to 80% are catechins such as EGCG.

POSSIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS OF GREEN TEA

1. Cancer:

In countries where green tea consumption is high cancer rates tend to be lower, but it is impossible to know for sure whether it is the green tea that prevents cancer in these specific populations or other lifestyle factors.

*One large-scale clinical study compared green tea drinkers with non-drinkers and found that those who drank the most tea were less likely to develop pancreatic cancer, particularly women, who were 50% less likely to develop the disease. The amount of tea required for cancer-preventive effects has also varied widely in studies - from 2- 10 cups per day.

Studies have also shown the positive impacts of green tea on breast, bladder, ovarian, colorectal, esophageal, lung, prostate, skin and stomach cancer.

2. Heart disease:

Green tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol. Even after the heart attack it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart cells. 

A 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that green tea consumption is associated with reduced mortality due to all causes, including cardiovascular disease.

The study followed over 40,000 Japanese participants between the ages of 40 and 79 for 11 years, starting in 1994.
*The participants who drank at least 5 cups of green tea per day had a significantly lower risk of dying (especially from cardiovascular disease) than those who drank less than one cup of tea per day.

3. Type 2 Diabetes:

Studies concerning the relationship between green tea and diabetes have been inconsistent. Some have shown a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes for green tea drinkers than for those who consumed no tea, while other studies have found no association between tea consumption and diabetes at all.

4.Weight loss:

Some studies have found that green tea is helpful in preventing dental cavities, stress, chronic fatigue, treating skin conditions and improving arthritis by reducing inflammation.

Green tea burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally. It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day.

Some precautions while consuming green tea

*There are little to no known side effects or contraindications to drinking green tea for adults. Those with severe caffeine sensitivities could experience insomnia, anxiety, irritability, nausea or upset stomach.

*Those taking anticoagulant drugs such as Coumadin/warfarin should drink green tea with caution due to its vitamin K content.

*If taken with stimulant drugs, green tea could possibly increase blood pressure and heart rate.

*Green tea supplements however, contain high levels of active substances that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. Green tea supplements are unregulated by the FDA and may also contain other substances unsafe for health or with unproven health benefits. Always check with a physician before starting any herb or supplement regimen.

*In particular, pregnant or breastfeeding women(because of caffeine in green tea), those with heart problems or high blood pressure, kidney or liver problems, stomach ulcers, or anxiety disorders should not take green tea supplements or extracts.