Mint Podi / Pudhina Podi !

Refreshing, zingy and delightful, a dash of mint can set almost anything right. Mint is one of the oldest culinary herbs known to mankind. Its remarkable medicinal properties have made it one of the most commonly known and used herbs ever. Indians, especially are no stranger when it comes to mint.

There are numerous options to use mint. Mint Rice, raitha, chutney, thogayal, salad, vegetable pulao, tea (excellent digestive drink), buttermilk, and last but not the least, dry podi. A huge fan of mint, and being in a country where mint is similar to a jewel, you have to grow on your own to enjoy it whenever you crave for. I am a beginner in gardening and i seriously did not have any knowledge in it before growing it. So i thought i should start with a few "easy to grow" plants. I did some research online and listed down few plants which needs less maintenance. Everywhere, mint topped the list under the easy to grow and less maintenance plants. So, my joy knew no bounds. Because, a favorite herb which i can eat even almost everyday and takes very little effort to grow it on your own. I decided to start my gardening with "MINT". I bought a tiny plant for 3 dollars during the start of summer and planted it in my backyard. Mint is a weed, it spreads easily. Trust me, the whole summer , i used a lot of mint, made variety of dishes using it without buying it from shop even for a single time. Another amazing advantage is that, you can leave the plant without the leaves (the thick stalks) in the same place during the winter. It comes back again during summer. A perennial herb, which has so many types (sweet, pepper, cinnamon, lemon, apple, orange etc..) and amazing health benefits, from boosting digestion to keeping your breath fresh for long, mint is packed with a number of benefits and is a must plant in every garden. (Regular one is the sweet mint.)

Here are a few benefits from a doctor's blog :

1. Aids Digestion

2. Treats Asthma

3. Treats Common Cold

4. Cures Headache

5. Oral Care

6. Aids Weight Loss

7. Improves Brain Power

8. Skin Care

9.  Help ease symptoms Of Morning sickness or Nausea during pregnancy

10. Beats stress and depression

So, the season is going to end and I had to harvest all the mint leaves to prevent it from drying. I thought of making a staple which lasts at-least for a couple of months. Then, i got reminded of eating a delicious podi, a year back in my friend's place, here in Tulsa. She is our dear friend, her name is Brinda (Aunty). An excellent cook, who has so much passion in cooking. I called her immediately to get the recipe. She gave me the ingredients, measurements and the procedure. Thank you aunty for the recipe.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes + a day for drying the mint leaves

Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Ingredients : 

Mint leaves - 2 to 3 cups

Whole Urad dal - 1 cup

Channa dal - 1/2 cup

Whole black pepper - 1 tbsp

Tamarind - lemon sized ball

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Salt - as per taste 

Dry red chili - 7 to 8 long chilies (low to medium spice, increase or decrease accordingly)

Oil - 2 tsp 

Method :

Wash and dry the mint leaves. Mint will have sand. I washed it 4 to 5 times by soaking for 5 minutes each time until the sand gets deposited at the bottom. Repeat this process until the mint is completely sand free and is safe to consume. 

washed mint leaves!

Put it in a dry towel and allow it to completely dry. It might take 24 hours or at-least an overnight.

You can even sun dry it. That should take just half a day. I did not do it.

drying in a towel and close it with another towel , leave it for a day!

Now, start dry roasting the ingredients.

 

Ingredients before roasting!

Dry roast urad dal, channa dal , pepper, dried mint leaves separately and keep aside to cool.

Black pepper will crackle. Once it starts crackling, remove it from pan. Otherwise it will alter the taste.

In the same pan, add a tsp of oil and roast dry red chilies. Remove it and keep aside in the same bowl.

Again, add a tsp of oil, add hing and tamarind. roast it for a couple of minutes. Add salt to the hot pan. Keep it aside in the same bowl.

Roasted ingredients!

Allow the ingredients to cool down completely.  

Blend it to a fine powder. I prefer a finely ground powder rather than coarse one for this podi.

Store it in an air tight container. The shelf life is similar to idli podi and other dry podi's.

This podi is similar to paruppu podi. You can mix a tbsp of it with hot rice and ghee. Mint podi rice along with a fried curry or papad ! Awww.. Yumm :) 

You can use it like idli podi too, pairing it up with dosa, idli etc..

Enjoy !!

Kumbakonam Kadappa - a recipe associated with culture and history!

A classic recipe, getting its origin from Kumbakonam and Tanjore side, this recipe got the unusual name "Kadappa".

Before moving on to the narrations, I should mention the source of the recipe - "Puliyogare Travels" by Rakesh Raghunathan, who is a food raconteur, with a deep interest in food history and practices, and its interaction with cultural norms. He is a full time food traveler and a historian. The way he explains the recipe, including its history, significance and background, is amazing. My writing can never do justice to his video explanation.

Why did i chose his version for this recipe? Obviously the history. This recipe is very unique , and got famous because of its history. There may be so many versions for this recipe in so many blogs, but i wanted to try the version from an avid food researcher. Personally, i have tried 5 to 6 versions of kadappa. For some reason, i did not get full satisfaction after cooking. After carefully watching and listing out the ingredients, measurements and Rakesh Sir's method of cooking, I have documented his version here. There are no changes in the ingredients, not even the measurements. 

After watching his video, i wanted to just explore why the name Kadappa? There is no specific reason for it, but this recipe was created by Maratha community who ruled the Tanjore kingdom for a period of time. This recipe is neither a sambhar nor a kurma. It can only be called as "Kadappa", a blend of Maratha's (potatoes and other spices) and South Indian community (moong dal). The Thanjavur Maratha Rajas favored Sanskrit and Telugu to such an extent that classical Tamil began to decline. That's why many dishes during their period doesn't have proper Tamil names. For instance, Rasavangi, Pitlai, kadappa etc.. That's why the name was born without any reason. 

According to him, many marriages have been stopped if Kadappa was not served along with Rava dosai during the "Jaanavaasam (Evening Engagement before wedding day)". Rava dosa and Kadappa or Idli and Kadappa are the perfect couple, can be called as "ஜாடிக்கேத்த மூடி". 

Link for his version : https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=231114161284465&extid=TjokLR4L6zjSzwWc

Please try to watch his video for getting the real essence of the history behind this dish.

Let's move on to the recipe !

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time      : 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients :

Moong Dal / Pasi Paruppu - 1/4 cup

Potatoes - 4 small to medium 

Onion - 2 medium 

Tomatoes - 2 medium 

Green chilli - depends on the spice, i used 6 since mine has very less spice. adjust accordingly

Salt - as per taste

Water - as required

To Grind :

Grated Coconut - 3 tbsp

Poppy seeds (Khus Khus) - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

To Temper :

Bay Leaf - 2

Cinnamon - 2

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

To Garnish :

Lemon juice - juice from 1 lemon filtered

Cashews- 1 tbsp , roasted with ghee

Cilantro

Garlic - 3 to 5 , roasted in ghee ( optional , i skipped)

Refer the below image for your reference : 

Ingredients for cooking!

Garnish!

Method :

Do the preparation part :

Pressure cook the moong dal and keep aside. Pressure cook the potatoes , peel the skin and mash it 50 percent. Allow crumbled pieces to remain so that it gets caught in your tongue and you get the opportunity to bite it.

Pressure cooked moong dal

Pressure cooked "crumbled-mashed" potatoes

Slice the onions and green chilis, chop tomatoes.

sliced onions & green chilis and chopped tomatoes

Soak the poppy seeds for 5 to 10 minutes (when you start doing the preparation). Soaking process will help in grinding it to a fine paste. Grind the coconut, soaked poppy seeds and fennel seeds to a very fine paste.

Soaked poppy seeds!

Now the cooking part starts.

In a heavy bottomed pan, add cooking oil. Once hot, add bay leaf, cinnamon and fennel seeds. Let them crackle. 

                                                                        Tempering!

Add in sliced onions. Saute for a minute. Add salt (just enough for onions) and saute until it gets cooked. Be very careful , the onions should not turn brown. Add in green chili's. Saute for a couple of minutes. 

Now add chopped tomatoes. Add salt (just enough for tomatoes) and saute it. It doesn't have to become mushy. Let it cook until the raw smell goes off. 

Now add crumbled-mashed potatoes. Add salt (for potatoes). Mix the ingredients well. Add a cup of water, give a gentle mix. Close the lid and let it boil. 

                                                           

Once it starts boiling, add cooked moong dal. Add salt (for the moong dal and the paste, final salt for the dish) and mix it well. Add a cup of water. Allow it to boil.

                                              Potatoes , not to be disturbed while mixing!

Once the gravy comes to a quick and gentle boil, add the grounded paste. Allow it to boil. The gravy can be watery (not too much though). If it's thick, the taste won't be good. Add enough water to make it light, without affecting the taste. Once it boils, turn off the flame.

                                               Boiling Kadappa - Time to turn off the flame !

Add the garnishing - cilantro, lemon juice, ghee roasted cashews.

                                                                       Garnishing!

Yummmmm......!!!! Pair it up with idli / dosa / rava dosa. Don't make it angry by separating it from it's partner. Trust me... They definitely go together like COPY and PASTE !

Pillayar/ Ganesh Chathurthi 2020 - Happy birthday Lord ganesha !!

My second post under the label "Festivals" - Ganesh Chathurthi. 

Lord ganesha is one of my favorite. Obviously, as a universal rule, be it anything and everything, we start the task by invoking the blessings of him. That's why the first label in my blog is "Mudhakaram", symbolizing lord ganesha. 

This festival is close to my heart and ironically, the first festival that we celebrated last year (infact the very next day) after moving to our new house. I thought that as a very good sign , as Lord Ganesha is the god of new beginnings, we welcomed him to our newly built home, back in 2019. So, this is my second chathurthi in my new home.!

Baby ganesha and mouse (his vehicle)

Ganesh Chaturthi, one of the most sacred Hindu festivals, celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha - the supreme God of wisdom and prosperity. This annual occassion is observed by the whole of Hindu community with great fervor and piety. Do you know how this festival came to be practiced?

Ganesh Chaturthi or "Vinayak Chaturthi" is one of the major traditional festivals celebrated by the Hindu community. It is believed that Lord Ganesh was born on a fourth day (chaturthi) of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Magh. So, it is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). Typically the day falls sometime between August 20 and September 15. Since then, an association between Ganesha and chaturthi has been established. Thus the festival dedicated to the worship of Lord Ganesha on this chaturthi day is named as Ganesha Chaturthi.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha is the son of Shiva (The God of Destruction in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) and Parvati (Shiva’s consort). The cutest and most lovable Indian God, Ganesha or Ganapati has the head of an elephant on which rests an elegant tiara, four podgy hands joined to a sizeable belly with each hand holding its own symbolic object - a trishul or a trident in one, an ankush or goad (made from his very own broken tooth) in another, a lotus in the third and a rosary (which is sometimes replaced by modaks, his favorite sweet) in the fourth. Revered as the deity of auspiciousness and wisdom, Lord Ganesha is also famous for being a trickster and for his profound sense of humor.

There is a curiously interesting story about the birth of Lord Ganesha. 

It is believed that once while Parvati was bathing, she created a human from turmeric powder (some books mention clay), gave him life, accepted the boy as her own son and asked him to guard the door while she bathed. She mentioned not to let anyone enter till she comes out from bath. Incidentally, after a long period of meditation on Mountain Kailash (Lord Shiva’s abode), Shiva chose that very moment to drop by to see Parvati, but was abruptly stopped by the boy from entering the house. When asked, he told him that his mother was bathing and had asked him to not let anyone pass through the doors. Little did the boy know that Shiva was his own father. Lord Shiva too, was not aware of the true identity of the boy guarding the gates. He turned furious on being stopped from entering his own house. In a fit of rage, Shiva lifted his trident, severed the little boy's head and entered the house. 

Goddess Parvati came out and was shocked to see her son lying dead before her eyes. She revealed the true identity of him and implored Lord Shiva to bring him back to life. Shiva, filled with remorse and guilt, agreed to bring the boy's life back. But it was not possible for him to join the severed head to the body as the impact of his trident was irreversible. But, he knew that the boy lost his life while keeping his word to his mother, proving his unconditional love. So, he called his Nandhi (Bull), ordered nandhi to bring back the head of the first creature that he sees (away from its mother). Nandhi saw an elephant calf first which was away from its mother. So he brought the head of an elephant calf. Shiva placed the head of the elephant calf on the boy and brought him back to life. Though Parvati was happy to see her son alive, she feared that the boy will be mocked for his unusual presence. So, shiva invoked all gods, and asked them to bless their son. He then named him "Ganesha" and introduced him as his own son. 

Shiva blessed Ganesha with a boon stating that he would be the first recipient of people's prayers and offerings. No puja can begin without paying an ode to Lord Ganesha. Ganesha is the foremost god of the Hindu pantheon. This brave guardian of the door to Parvati’s bath is beheld today as the most auspicious God of new beginnings. He is worshiped during every festival and before people undertake a journey or embark upon a new venture. You will also see him carefully guarding entrances to temples and homes, peeping out of calendars and happily gracing marriages and other such occasions.

Coming back to "Ganesh Chathurthi" festival, people buy lord ganesha made out of clay (some make home made pillayar out of turmeric powder), since goddess parvati made out of clay/ turmeric powder and gave life to it. They decorate him with umbrellas, flowers, poonal, and so on.. Pillayar loves flowers especially Arka/ Giant Milkweed (எருக்கம்பூ), Arugampul / Bermuda Grass / Durva (அருகம்புல்). 

Arka means "Ray of hope" in Sanskrit. 

Erukkam Poo / Arka

I was so curious to find the reason behind the liking towards Bermuda grass/ அருகம்புல். I read a couple of stories from an online blog.

Once there was an Asura (demon) named Anal Asura. He was terribly dangerous and enormous. He used to emit fire from his eyes and had a raucous voice. Whenever he used to speak, people used to tremble just because of his voice. All the Gods were petrified of him. Everybody went to Lord Ganesha and requested him to slay the demon. Ganesha disguised himself as a child and went to deal with the demon. Ganesha confronted the demon, and a Sarvaksha (a form of war where the opponents fight by using their eyes as weapons) started between them. The demon burnt everything around Lord Ganesha. Anal Asura’s eyes were oozing fireballs, and after many efforts he tried to gulp Lord Ganesha.

In the meantime, Ganesha took his ‘Virat Roopam’ (disguised himself as a giant). Instead of Anal Asura trying to gulp Lord Ganesha, Ganesha gulped Anal Asura. Due to the increased heat in his body he laid on the ground. He tried hard to control and beat the heat, but each passing minute was making him uncomfortable and the heat was becoming unbearable for him. He applied a massive amount of Chandan (sandal paste) on his body, but even that did not help. All Gods put their heads together to find a solution that would make Ganesha better. They finally decided to make a foundation of the Moon, and apply it on Ganesha’s head. Hence, Ganesha is often known as ‘Balachandra’ (the one who has a crescent moon on his head). Lord Vishnu gave him his Lotus, thus lending the name ‘Padmapani’(the one who holds the Lotus flower). Lord Varuna (Rain God) showered plenty of water on him; but all in vain. Everybody tried to calm Ganesha, but everything was proving fruitless. Sages who came there with a bunch of 21 Durvas, tried to put on his head and immediately, a miracle happened. Ganesha became normal. Ganesha uttered only ‘Durva’ a simple grass made my agony into normal. So it is believed that offering Durva to lord ganesha brings positivity and peace.

There is one more tale attached to the same story. Once there was a Yakshini (semi-goddess) who loved Lord Ganesha and wanted to marry him. Ganesha too was interested in getting married to her. However, Parvati (Ganesha’s mother) did not want the alliance to grow, so she cursed Yakshini to take the form of Durva Grass. As it is a grass and no one will ever pay attention towards her, Durva asked for apologies and pardon. She asked Goddess Parvati to reverse the curse. Parvati told her even though she acquired the form of grass she will always remain an object of Ganesha’s affection.

Another tale which tells us the significance of Durva grass, which is as follows. Sage Kaundinya was telling the importance of Durva to his wife Ashraya. But Ashraya had a doubt about it. So sage Kaundinya gave a bunch of 21 Durva and told Ashraya to get the gold equivalent to Durva from Lord Indra who is God of all other Gods. She went to Lord Indra and asked about gold. Indra sent her to “Kubera” who is the treasurer of Gods. When Durva and the gold was measured simultaneously, the entire gold was kept and still, it did not match durva. All the other Gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva arrived and sat along with Gold but the weight of Durva was more. Everybody was perplexed. When all Gods went to see sage Kaundinya at his ashrama and confessed the importance of Durva. Kaudinya said that Ganesha is king of everyone and there is no one superior to him.

The minimum number of Durva to be offered to Lord Ganesha should be 21. Tie the Durva together and offer them to Lord Ganesha after dipping into water. The entire idol of Ganesha excluding the face should be covered with Durva. Thus the fragrance of Durva spreads around the idol.

Bermuda grass/ Arugampul

Usual Offerings on the day :

Flowers (includes Arka and bermuda grass)

Betel leaf and nut, Coconut, Fruits

Cooked Rice and Toor dal with a tsp of ghee

Appam

Sundal

Ulundhu Vadai

Payasam (Moong dal Channa dal payasam is preferred)

Modaks / Kozhukattai (Coconut Poornam, Urad dal, Sesame seeds)

So, make a pillayar and a cute mouse (his vehicle) out of clay/turmeric, decorate him according to your wish (you can keep idols along with the hand made ones), chant few shlokas of Lord Ganesha, sing few songs on him , offer food especially modak, invoke his blessings!!

He is definitely the remover of obstacles!  Let everyone's house be filled with positive energy..!

My Ganesh / Pillayar Chathurthi 2020 (Aug 22, Saturday) :

A simple pooja with the usual offerings! 

Vinayagar Chathurthi 2020!

How to send off Lord Ganesha ?

The next day, immerse him in water. He gets dissolved. The water can be used for the plants in your garden. 

Happy Ganesh Chathurthi everyone !! Stay blessed !!

A tribute to Lord Krishna - Gokulashtami 2020 !

Krishna Janmashtami / simply Janmashtami / Gokulashtami is an annual hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, 8th avatar of Vishnu. Krishna was born in the Rohini nakshatra, in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, on the 8th day of the waning moon (Krishna Paksha) at midnight.

I always had an interest in learning and understanding the Hindu festivals ! In fact, i have a separate notebook where i write down the history, significance behind the festival , the offerings to be done, the shlokas to be chanted etc...

This blog was not born on a single night! I always had the passion to write blogs (especially food and culture) ! Food - because, i loved to eat (when i did not know the meaning of cooking, now i love to cook). Culture - because, my family celebrated each and every festival in its own way and ensured the tradition is not forgotten and passed on to the next generation. That's what i am striving for right now, trying to teach my son the importance and significance behind each festival. 

So, why am i starting the new label with Janmashtami? Obviously, the recent love and respect that i developed towards Lord Krishna. Growing up, i just know gokulashtami is Krishna's birthday and i can enjoy all the home made snacks and sweets. My grandmother would ask me to chant few shlokas which i obediently did (for the sake of eating bakshanams). So, why did i mention the word "recent"? During this lock down period , my husband and I watched the series "Mahabharath". This is not the first time for me though. I have read a book, watched different versions of it, but those times, it did not create any impact. This recent watch made an impact ; those sayings of Lord Krishna, the relationship between Arjuna and Krishna, between Draupadi and Krishna, between Pandavas and Krishna, the Bhagavad gita (without which Mahabarath doesn't exist, at least for me) etc.. I developed a strong respect and love for him, a single post is not enough to describe his leelas. 

The series had these lines in its title song which i loved the most :

"கிருஷ்ணரின் மகிமையும் கீதையின் பெருமையும் ஒன்றாக சங்கமிக்கும் புண்ணிய காவியம்...மஹாபாரதம் "

"Krishnarin mahimayum geethayin perumayum, ondraga sangamikum punniya kaaviyam.. Mahabharatham.." So true! 

I felt i wanted to do something special for his birthday (sincere offerings and prayers is the least that i can do). This is the first Gokulashtami after starting a blog and moving to our own house. So i thought i should not miss it. Without his blessings, nothing is possible is what my mind said.

Recently, i read an article regarding Lord Krishna and number 8. How krishna is associated with number 8? I wanted to share that here in this post.

Krishna and Number 8 :

He is the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. 

He is the 8th son of Devaki and Vasudeva. 

He took birth on the 8th day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight).

Krishna had mainly eight wives, he is called Ashtabharya (Ashta means eight, bharya means wife). He had 16100 gopis (1 6 1 = 8) He had 80(8 0 = 8) sons from his 8 wives. 

He lived for 125 (1 2 5 = 8) years.

In numerology, the number 8 represents infinity and everything good in the universe is infinite. It is the number, supplying infinity and abundance without any lack of infinite wisdom, infinite prosperity, infinite love, infinite joy, and infinite happiness. In other words, it is the number of completeness and unending abundance.

The number 8 have no ending and it loops back itself. No one knows where it starts and where it ends. Like number 8, no one knows what is hidden in the mystic smile of lord Krishna. Like infinity, lord Krishna cannot be understood.

Master of Rasaleela : 

There are 8 Rasas or emotions of drama (love, humor, sadness, anger, courage, fear, horror, and wonder). Lord Krishna is the master of Rasleela. The science of Yoga has eight limbs, the ashtanga yoga or the eight-limbed yoga. The ashtanga yoga is the considered the complete yoga. And he is known as Yogiraj . The best form of salutation to the deity is considered the eight-fold salutation (shashtanga namakaskaram). 

8 forms of Laxmi :

There are 8 forms of Laxmi. Laxmi is the consort of lord Vishnu. These eight forms of Laxmi are the eight Shaktis of Lord Vishnu. And in Krishna incarnation, these eight Shaktis became his eight wives. He is Pathi (husband/owner) of these eight forms.

Thus, duality - pain or pleasure, happiness and distress, victory or defeat, love or hatred, he is the complete. He is a know-er of the infinity, never bewildered with finite and its upheaval. His mystic smile expresses that. Thus, number 8 is the best suited indication of his personality.

Krishna takes up so many forms. Famous ones - Santhana gopala krishna (for pregnancy), sammohana krishna ( a very rare form of krishna for peaceful life), etc..

The rare form of Lord Krishna called Sammohana Krishna , who is half of lord krishna and half of rukmani. There is a shloka associated with this form of krishna which can be chanted everyday for pure marital bliss and to beget children.

It will be never ending if i have to write his entire story. A small video covering important phases of his life, at least the phases which i admired the most after hearing or reading! I have added my favorite title song as the music from the famous show "Nalam Tharum Narayaneeyam" (Doordarshan channel) - A tribute to Lord Krishna on his birthday! 

Usual Offerings on the day :

Flowers (Tulsi included)

Betel leaf, Paaku, Fruits, Coconut

Milk, Curd, Butter

Poha / Aval, Jaggery

Any Sweet 

Vadai

Bakshanams / Snacks

My Gokulashtami 2020 : 

This year i wanted to make it grand. Two reasons : One for Lord krishna and another one for my charming kutti krishna. He absolutely love Bakshanams and snacks. So, with full love, i made Ribbon Pakoda , Mullu Muruku, Seedai [happy that i got a few good ones for krishna(s), remaining burst]. 

A video of my little krishna chanting a sloka from Krishnashtagam (Dhyana sloka of bhagavad gita) ! Love his mazhalai :)

Other offerings:

Diary : Milk, Freshly prepared and fermented curd, Butter

Aval and Fruit : Aval panchamritham (just to include jaggery , poha, fruits and honey in a single dish)

Sweet : Appam, Milk Kheer (Paal Payasam), Karupatti Almond Burfi (Healthy)

Savory : Paruppu Vadai

Flowers : Flower maalai (made at home) and few tulsi leaves from my backyard.  

Betel leaf and nut , coconut and fruits!

The pooja is done in the evening (since krishna was born at midnight) by chanting few krishna shlokas.

A simple pooja at my house : 

May this Krishna Janmashtami bring happiness in your life! Let him come inside your house and take away all worries and sorrows..! Enjoy the festival with LOVE in your heart..!

Happy Gokulashtami everyone :) Stay blessed !!!

Nature Mills - Natural Food Products !

Nature Mills , an online shop that sells natural food products like Wood Pressed Oils (செக்கு எண்ணெய்), Natural Sweeteners, and many more.
I came to know about their products through Tulsa's local expo. Initially i was skeptical , thought they should be one among 100's who are selling with a fancy cover along with the name "Cold and Wood Pressed". They gave me 50 ml sample bottle of gingelly oil. Oh my..! The authentic sesame seeds flavor made me say sorry for my wrong thoughts without trying the products. Their name exactly defines the product. Natural and produced in a mill! So, to start with, i tried their cooking oil (Peanut Oil) for the first time and i started loving it. Gradually, i fell in love with their products. 

Now, i use their Peanut Oil, Sesame Oil , Raw cane Sugar (Naatu Sakkarai) and Palm Jaggery (Karupatti). Pictures for reference ! Trust me, the sugar and the Palm Jaggery is so pure that it curdled the boiling milk. (Pure Cane Sugar and Karupatti should be added after turning off the flame , otherwise it will curdle the milk. I consider this a proof). 

They have various spice powders, millets, organic flours etc.. As far as i know, they have their online shopping services in India and USA.

Indian Website : https://www.naturemills.in/

USA Website   : https://www.naturemills.com/

Please visit their website and use the following code to create an account (for free) and to get 10% off on your first purchase (The link should work for Indian websites too). USA residents will get free shipping for purchase above 50$. 

A small information to get the free shipping : Initially, when my purchase was limited to 20 dollars (trial phase), i coordinated with few friends in my area who buy from that online shop, order as a single invoice and get free shipping. 

https://a.marsello.com/l/5f1dc8f30880c01688193656

You can visit their website for additional information. I have been using their products for the past 6 months.

Please watch the full video! I am unpacking my order. I have shown the invoice too (payment that i made for ordering my products). The reason for attaching the invoice is to show that its not a paid promotion. Its a review for the products that i use. I get points if you use the link, create account and shop, out of all you get 10% off on your first purchase.

Thanks for reading the post. Please leave your reviews in the comments section of this post after using the product.

Be healthy ! Use natural products and stay safe! A healthy family is always a happy family!

Curry Podi !!

This is the powder that i prepare regularly in big batches. It can be stored in air tight container and has shelf life for months. I freeze a part of this podi and keep a month's quanity outside. This podi is used as a spice powder along with the traditional sambhar powder to the dry curries. This can also be used as additional powder along with the sambhar powder to make arachu vitta sambhar without coconut. 

This is one of my favorite staple as i feel an incomplete cooking without the addition of this podi in my sambhar and dry curries. A healthy podi too, since one of the main ingredient is curry leaves. As i already mentioned, curry leaves is like gold and diamond for us and i try not to waste it. Whenever i get it from an Indian store or if someone gives me a handful, i keep few leaves for some dishes and use the remaining to make this podi. So the leaves are not wasted. I will never make this podi without the curry leaves. My previous batch got over, and i was waiting to make a new batch that is when my mom sent me stuffs from India that included powdered curry leaves. What else does my mind thinks? Obviously this traditional podi. 

 

Before moving on to the recipe, i should definitely mention the source of the recipe. Its my sister in law Archana who taught me this recipe. When we visited her house back in 2017, she made amazing kathirikai (eggplant) podi curry. She gave me a list of ingredients for the podi. I just added mustard seeds along with other ingredients. Let's move on to the recipe.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time      :  20 minutes

Yield                    : 1kg

Ingredients: 

Coriander Seeds          - 2 cup

Channa dal                  - 1.5 cup

Whole Urad dal           - 1.5 cup (white)

Toor dal                       - 1.5 cup

Peanuts                        - 1 cup (i used roasted)

Rice                             - 1 cup (i used sona masoori)

Cumin seeds                - 1/2 cup

Methi seeds                 - 1/4 cup

Pepper powder            - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds             - 2 tbsp

Hing powder               - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves                - a bunch ( i used 100g of powdered curry leaves)

Red chilies                 - as shown in picture (i used mix of kashmiri , gundu and long chilli)

Oil                               - 1tsp

Optional :

Turmeric powder        - 1 tbsp (mix with the entire batch , i did not add because i always use a tsp in my dry curries) 

    

 

 

Dry roast the ingredients :

Coriander seeds, Channa dal, urad dal, toor dal, rice - dry roast separately and keep aside. Refer pictures.

Peanuts - if using roasted , dry roast it for just a couple of minutes! if using raw , roast it until the skin removes itself. But i used roasted peanuts. For roasting raw peanuts, check my Nuts Powder recipe.

Dry roast cumin and methi seeds together. A couple of minutes before removing it from the pan, add pepper powder and roast it. Remove and keep it aside.

Dry roast mustard seeds. It starts to crackle.Roast it until the crackling sound stops. Quite similar to sesame seeds. I have attached the video. Please check out.

Dry roast hing for a minute and keep aside.

Add a tsp of oil. Roast the red chilies. For the quantity, refer the below picture. Once done, keep it separately since red chilies are to be ground first followed by the rest of the ingredients.

Reason to add a mix of chilies : Kashmiri gives the color (no spice at all), gundu variety gives the spice and the long chili has less spice than the gundu one. 

Finally, add the powdered curry leaves to the hot pan without turning on the flame. Leave it for sometime. If you are adding whole curry leaves, add a tsp of oil and roast the curry leaves for a couple of minutes and blend it along with the other ingredients. I had powdered one in hand, so i used it up. 

The final roasted ingredients , keeping the roasted chili separately! Allow to cool it down before grinding.

Grinding part starts. Grind the red chilies first.

Now add the remaining ingredients to the mixi batch by batch , blend it to an almost fine powder and the red chilies and give a quick blend . Now, gently mix the ingredients well since its a big batch. 

Curry Podi is ready! This won't be spicy. You can add 1 to 2 tbsp along with a tsp of sambhar powder to 2 cups of dry vegetable curry. This works well especially with eggplant, okra, tindora, potatoes etc.. 

Shelf life : 1 to 2 months in room temperature, 3 to 4 months in freezer!

Try to make big batches. Trust me , small batches will be done in a couple of weeks and we won't feel the urge to make it again within a month. So, make the specified quantity which yields 1 kg!