Kashayam for cold and cough

This is a simple yet very effective drink that you can have when you fall sick with cold or sore throat. This not only relieves the cold or cough, it also helps in increasing the immunity of the body. This can also be given for small children above the age of 1 year but for small children you have to reduce the amount of pepper used. 

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Curry Leaves Idli Podi

Idli podi is always handy to have. During the early morning rush, instead of making chutney, it is easier to eat idli or dosa with idli podi. Every home in Tamil Nadu will have a variety of idli podi. Similarly I also have my own version of idli podi. I have already posted a few of my favorites. 
Curry leaves are full of iron and I hate to waste the curry leaves. Every time I get so many curry leaves for free and I try to use it up in some way without wasting them. This time I made this curry leaves idli podi and it came out tasty!

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ABCO Juice

Everybody knows of the wonderful benefits of ABC juice which is made of Apples, Beetroots and Carrots. This juice is called a Miracle Juice due to it's many nutritional benefits. This juice has become quite popular recently. Usually people drink ABC juice but my dear friend Senthil Kumari suggested to drink this juice along with 'O', the Oranges! Adding oranges to this drink, increases the Vitamin C in the drink which helps the iron from the beetroots to get absorbed more easily and also the oranges increases the overall taste of the juice.

Some of the benefits of this juice are - it is heavily loaded with vitamins and minerals. You get Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, C, E and K and also minerals like iron, folate, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium among others!
- It delays the aging process
- Improves vision and strengthens eye muscles
- Boosts memory
- Fights common diseases
- Slows cancer cells
- Improves complexion
- Helps weight loss
- Detoxifies the body

And many more!! Drinking this juice atleast once a week is very healthy for the body.

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Paneer Paratha

I make this paneer paratha for my kids lunch box. It's tasty, healthy and very easy to make. My kids like to take parathas or pulaos for lunch and I make this paneer paratha and aloo paratha often. I make these paratha and cut it into small pieces which makes it easier and quicker for them to eat!

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Sprouts Salad

This sprouts salad is an easy, simple and healthy salad recipe that you can have anytime of the day! We love this as snacks and sometimes we even have this for a light dinner. It is not only easy to make, this is also a very filling salad with the goodness of green gram and chana. You can even add this to a sandwich and have it for breakfast.

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Methi Peas Pulao

Pulao's are light and aromatic rice dish made with fragrant basmati rice. My kids love to eat pulao and this is another combination I tried for their lunch box. Adding methi leaves can be tricky, sometimes it can turn your pulao extremely bitter which will not go well with kids. So make sure you cook the methi leaves well while making a methi pulao. You can also add some curd to cut out the bitterness. I have used tender methi leaves which were not so bitter and it tasted very well with the peas.

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How to make a soft Chapathi

I am a South Indian and I was never good at making soft chapathis!! I can make super soft idlis and cakes easily but I always faltered when it came to chapathi and somehow I never liked making it. But, now I can happily say that I've mastered the art of making soft chapathi!! If you are a beginner then all I can say is, never give up. Keep practicing and you will end up making lovely soft chapathi!

Few tips
There are many aspects to making a soft chapathi. Here is a list that I have learnt from my trial and error.
1. Add warm to hot water to the flour. Adding hot water makes the dough soft and pliable. Add water little by little and knead till the dough comes together.
2. You can also add warm milk to make the dough. Milk also makes the dough soft.
3. Add a tsp of oil to the flour while kneading. That also makes the dough soft.
4. Knead the dough well so that gluten is formed. Use your knuckles or the palm of your hand and knead the dough atleast for 10 minutes. 
4. Roll the dough evenly. The chapathi should not be too thick. Also it is important that the rolled out dough is not thick at one end and thin at the other. It should be of even thickness to get a nice puffed up chapathi.
5. Let the dough rest for atleast 45 minutes to 1 hour.
6. It is best to cook the chapathi as and when you roll it out rather than to roll out all the chapathi and cooking it one by one. If your not confident in this, then cook 3 or 4 at a time.
7. Cooking the chapathi is also important. Make sure the tawa is heated up before you place the rolled dough. Do not keep flipping the chapathi many times and burning it. Wait for the bubbles to appear and flip just a few times. 
8. Place the cooked chapathi in a hot pack. You can apply some butter or ghee over it. 

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Chocolate Banana Zebra Cake

This is a soft and moist cake made with ripe bananas. This recipe uses oil instead of butter and that makes the cake more moist. I love the combination of chocolate and banana, there are too many recipes in this blog with a chocolate and banana combination and it is a never fail combo especially with a hint of cinnamon. Top it with some chocolate ganache and you have a treat in your hands!

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Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake is a delicious three layers of chocolate goodness! There is a dark and rich dark chocolate mousse layer, a smooth milk chocolate mousse layer and a soft white chocolate mousse layer! All three layers together make this cake rich, tasty and divine! When you take a spoonful of this cake, it simply melts in your mouth! I love mousse cakes and make it quite often. I have posted a few mousse cakes earlier and I made this to celebrate our wedding anniversary and we all loved it.

The cake is actually pretty simple to make but it involves a few steps and it takes a little while to get it all done. For me, I love baking cakes and I thoroughly enjoyed making this cake!

I used an eight-inch springform pan to make this cake and I built the sides of the pan with baking paper as I was not sure if the whole cake will fit in my pan. If you pan has tall sides, you can skip this step.

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Black Eyed Peas Curry

Black Eyed Peas is also known as Karamani in Tamil and Lobia in Hindi. This is a thick and rich gravy made with and it goes well with chapathi. Black eyed peas are rich in protein and fibre. I mostly make a lobia biryani for my kids lunch box and I make a lobia sundal too with these legumes for their snack boxes.

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