NOTES :

• Ragi has a high fibre content.
• Ragi has a rich source of Minerals like Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Iron.
• Calcium in the cereal helps to strengthen the Bones.
• Iron and other Minerals in Ragi helps to fight against Osteoporosis and helps to improve the haemoglobin level in the body.
• Ragi is one cereal grain which has high Protein Content.
• It is also one of the cereal grain which is gluten-free.
• As Ragi has highly complex Carbohydrate and high fibre content, it is suitable to control Diabetes
• It regulates blood sugar levels.
• Ragi also has antimicrobial properties and fight against Bacterias which causes Food Poisoning, Typhoid.
• It also helps to fight against soft tissue infections.
• Ragi helps to maintain a healthy skin and also helps to keep you young.
• The Anti-oxidants in Ragi helps to fight against Cancer.
• Ragi reduces Bad Cholesterol and also prevents from Cardio-vascular diseases.
• Ragi drink is a great recipe for Kids.

HOW TO MAKE RAGI HEALTH DRINK/ RAGI MALT

RAGI HEALTH DRINK/RAGI MALT - SWEET VERSION

INGREDIENTS :

METHOD :

• Mix Ragi Flour with few teaspoons of cold Water and make a paste out of it.
• Mix well until there are no lumps.
• Pour in the remaining water to the Ragi paste and mix well.
• Add the sweetener of your choice along with a pinch of Salt and mix well.
• Boil this mixture on a low flame stirring continuously.
• After few Minutes pour in the Milk and mix well.
• Cook for another few minutes until the Ragi Malt boils.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Serve the Sweet Version of Ragi Health Drink hot or cold.
• Can sprinkle few teaspoons of grated Coconut and a pinch of Cardamom powder to the Ragi health drink, if preferred.

RAGI HEALTH DRINK/RAGI MALT - SALTY VERSION

INGREDIENTS :

METHOD :

• Mix Ragi Flour with few teaspoons of cold Water and make a paste out of it.
• Mix well until there are no lumps.
• Pour in the remaining water to the Ragi paste along with Salt and mix well.
• Boil this mixture on a low flame stirring continuously.
• Cook the Ragi Malt until it boils.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Once the Ragi has totally cooled, pour in the Curd/Yoghurt/Buttermilk to the Ragi health Drink and mix well.
• Serve the Salty Version of Ragi Health Drink, cold.

RAGI PORRIDGE/RAGI HEALTH DRINK FOR WEANING BABIES :

INGREDIENTS :

To Soak :

To Cook :

To Serve :

METHOD :

• Clean for any impurities and wash the Ragi Grains.
• Soak Ragi overnight or at least for 8-10 hours with ample of water.
• Drain the Water and wash the Ragi Grains well.
• Grind the soaked Ragi Grains with few teaspoons of water in a blender into a fine paste.
• Collect the ground Ragi Paste and sieve it through a clean Muslin Cloth or a fine-meshed colander.
• Squeeze the Ragi paste and collect the Ragi Milk in a bowl, add water accordingly.
• Repeat the process until you could squeeze out all the extract out of the Ragi Paste.
• Pour fresh Cow Milk to the drained Ragi milk extract along with Rock Sugar and mix well.
• Boil this Ragi Mixture on a very low flame stirring continuously.
• Allow it to boil.
• Adjust the consistency of the Ragi Drink.
• The consistency of the Ragi Drink should be thin if you are feeding it for weaning babies.
• Allow the Ragi Drink to cool down.
• Serve it warm with a drizzle of Ghee, if preferred. 

NOTES :

• If using Ragi Flour, mix it with water to make a paste and sieve it through a clean muslin cloth and extract the milk.
• Follow the rest of the steps above.
• There should be no lumps in the Ragi Paste. Mix well with cold water.
• Can sweeten the Ragi Drink with Sugar too.  Adding Palm Sugar/Rock Sugar is a healthier option.
• Serve the Ragi Drink Warm to weaning babies, this will aid easy digestion.
• Serving the Ragi Drink with a drizzle of Ghee is purely optional.
• If you are feeding this Ragi Drink to kids of 1 year of age, there is no need to sieve the Ragi paste.
• Also can add few Roasted Gram Dhals(Pottukadalai) while grinding the Ragi Grains.
• Adjust the consistency to suit your preference.

HOW TO MAKE AVAKKAI MANGO PICKLE

INGREDIENTS :

METHOD :

• Wash the Mangoes and pat dry them with a clean kitchen towel.
• Chop the Mangoes into cubes having the shell intact.
• In a large mixing bowl/jar, add the chopped Mango pieces along with Salt and mix well.
• Cover the bowl/jar and leave this aside for a day.
• Next day, the water would have released from the Mangoes.
• Meanwhile, dry roast the Fenugreek seeds on a low flame until it splutters and turns fragrant.
• Grind the roasted Fenugreek Seeds into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Dry roast the Yellow Mustard seeds on a very low flame for a few minutes.
  
• Coarsely grind or Crush the Yellow Mustard Seeds and keep it aside.
• Give a quick toss, add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Crushed Mustard Seeds, Fenugreek Powder & Asafoetida Powder to the chopped Mangoes and mix well.
• Finally, add the Black Chick Peas to the above and mix well(optional).
• Pour the Gingelly Oil into the Pickle and mix well.
• Mix all the ingredients until well combined, add a dash of Salt if required.
• Tightly cover the mouth of the jar and leave this in a cool, dry and dark place for about 5 days to 1 week.
• Mix the pickle every two days with a clean and dry spoon(preferably wooden spoon).
• After 5 days to a week's time, Avakkai Mango Pickle is ready to be used.
• The Avakkai Mango Pickle is ready once the spice mixture is well infused into the Mangoes.
• The Mangoes would have turned soft and tender, once the pickle is ready.
• Store the Pickle in a clean and dry Glass/Ceramic Jar.
• Avakkai Mango Pickle tastes great with Curd Rice and is the best accompaniment with Rice Gruel(Porridge).

NOTES:

• The mangoes should be absolutely dry & moist free before cutting them for the Pickle.
• Care should be taken while chopping the mangoes, keeping the shell and the kernel intact.  Once the Mangoes are cut, remove the kernels and discard them.
• If it is difficult to cut the Mangoes with the Shell intact, chop them into cubes without the shell.
• Care should be taken while dry roasting fenugreek seeds.  Do not burn them, which would totally spoil the taste of the pickle.
• Adding Black Chick Peas to Avakkai Mango Pickle is truly optional.
• Adjust the amount of Red Chilli Powder to suit your spice level.
• Pour ample of Gingelly Oil to the pickle.  This will prolong the shelf life of the pickle.
• If you feel that extra oil should be added, once the pickle is made, Heat the Sesame Oil, cool it and then pour it over the pickle.
• Avoid using steel/aluminium/copper container for preserving the mangoes, as they tend to react with the acidic nature of salt and mangoes.
• A suitable method is to store them in a clean and dry, sterilized Glass/Ceramic/Porcelain Jars.
• Always use clean & dry spoons while handling this Avakkai Mango Pickle. 
• Wet jars/spoon can spoil the pickle as the moisture in them helps in the growth of Fungus and that would spoil the pickle. 
• If stored properly,  Avakkai Mango Pickle can last for a year or so. 
• The Pickle should be stored in a dry and dark place.
• In humid climates, it is advisable to keep them refrigerated to avoid spoilage.    

RASMALAI WITH READY-MADE RASGULLAS

INGREDIENTS :

For Rabri/Rabdi:

For Garnishing:

HOW TO MAKE RASMALAI WITH READY-MADE RASGULLAS

RASMALAI WITH READY-MADE RASGULLAS

METHOD :

Rasgullas :

• Remove the Rasgullas from the Can and drain the Syrup.
• Gently press the Rasgullas between the palms and remove as much as sugar syrup from the Rasgullas.
• Keep them aside. 

Rabri/Rabdi:

• Boil the Milk along with Sugar, Cardamom Powder and Saffron Strands.
• Once it starts to boil, lower the flame and cook until it reduces to half the volume stirring occasionally.
• Add Condensed Milk and slivered Almonds, Pistachios and Cashew Nuts along with few strands of Saffron to it.
• Leave this on a low flame for few more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from fire and allow it to cool.

Ras Malai:

• Drop the ready-made Rasgullas into the Rabdi.
• Let the Rasgullas get soaked in Rabdi, leave this aside for at least 45 minutes - 1 Hour.
• Serve them chilled, garnishing with few more slivered nuts.

NOTES :

• Try not to squeeze too much as Rasgullas may break or crumble. 
• This will help the Rasgullas absorb the Rabdi, and yield a juicy & creamy Rasmalai.
• Adjust the amount of Sugar to suit your taste.
• While simmering the Rabdi stir it occasionally, so that it doesn't burn which can spoil the overall taste of the dish.
• Keep the Rasgullas soaked in Rabdi for at least 45 Minutes to an hour to get it perfectly infused with flavours.
• Keep them refrigerated.  Stays good for three-four days.

HONEYDEW MELON SMOOTHIE

• Hydrate the body and maintain the body fluids, 
• High Potassium content helps to curb Hypertension.
• The high water content in the fruit proves beneficial for Weight Loss.
• The Calcium content in the fruit helps maintain healthy teeth and bones.
• Vitamin A in Honeydew Melon helps maintain a healthy Eye and vision.
• Vitamin C in the fruit proves beneficial for the skin.
• Essential Vitamins and Minerals boosts the overall immune system, 
• Helps to prevent & treat Diabetes,
• The soluble fibres in the fruit help to reduce high Cholesterol level.
• It soothes the stomach and promotes digestion.
• It also strengthens the Kidneys by flushing out the toxins.
• It is good for Pregnant Women.

HOW TO MAKE HONEYDEW MELON SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS :

METHOD :

• Peel, scoop out the pulp in the centre and discard the seeds.
• Cut the Honeydew Melon into cubes.
• Blend the Honeydew Melon Cubes, Milk, Ice cubes and Sugar in a blender. 
• Puree until all the ingredients are smooth, creamy, and sugar is well dissolved.
• Pour it out into serving glasses.
• Served chilled.

NOTES :

• Grinding the ice cubes with the fruit yields a perfectly chilled and thick smoothie.
• Can substitute Sugar with Honey.
• Honeydew Melons are naturally sweet, can prepare the smoothie without any additional sweeteners.
• Adjust the amount of Sugar/Honey to suit your taste preference.

How to select the Fruit?

• Honeydew melons should be slightly heavier than size.
• Choose a fruit that has a smooth, undamaged rind with a waxy outer texture.
• Avoid melons that are very soft or feel damp at the stem end.
• Smell your honeydew. It should give off a strong & sweet aroma.
• Touch the honeydew. It should slightly spring back when you press the blossom end (which is opposite the stem end).
• If the honeydew Melon isn't quite ripe yet, store it at room temperature. 
• Refrigerate it as soon as it ripens to avoid it from becoming overly ripe.
• After melon has been cut it should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and can last for a few days.

GOBI/CAULIFLOWER 65

HOW TO COOK GOBI/CAULIFLOWER 65 

INGREDIENTS :

To Clean & Soak :

To Marinate :

To Fry :

To Garnish :

METHOD:

• Clean and cut the cauliflower into florets
• Wash the Cauliflower florets and soak the florets in warm water with a pinch of Turmeric & a dash of Salt in it for few minutes.
• Allow it to dry in a colander.
• Mix all the ingredients mentioned under 'To Marinate'.
• Add the Cauliflower Florets to the Marinade and mix well.
• Leave the marinated Cauliflower Florets for at least 30 minutes - 1 hour.
• Heat cooking oil and deep fry the marinated Cauliflower Florets in small batches until they are well cooked and the sizzling stops on a medium-high flame.
• Remove the fried Gobi/Cauliflower 65 and allow it to drain on a paper towel.
• Serve Gobi/Cauliflower 65 hot as a starter or as any side dish for your preferred dish.

NOTES :

• Drain the Cauliflower Florets well, before marinating them.
• Instead of marinating the florets in the batter for 10 minutes, can directly dip them in batter and fry them immediately too.
• Adding MSG(Aji-no-moto) and Red food colour to the marinade is totally optional.
• Adjust the amount of spiciness to suit your taste preference. 
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder is less spicy and gives a fiery red colour to the dish, even without adding any food colouring.
• I have not used any food colouring in this recipe.
• For a total Vegetarian Version avoid adding Egg in the marinade.
• Can convert the same recipe into Gobi/Cauliflower Manchurian.
• Once the Cauliflower florets are deep-fried, add the sauces & Seasonings, toss them up on a high flame for Gobi/Cauliflower Manchurian Recipe.