Avakkai recipe

k Time	:	15 Minutes + Keep for a week
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Avakkai is a type of Andhra pickle. Along with a mix of spices, this recipe also used black channas.

Ingredients

• 3 raw mangoes
  
  8 tsp red chilli powder
  
  2 tsp turmeric powder   
  
  1 tsp fenugreek powder
  
  2 tsp mustard   
  
  Salt to taste
  
  1 tsp asafoetida
  
  3/4 sesame oil
  
  4 tsp black channa     

Method

Choose solid,firm and good variety mangoes.Wash,pat dry and cut in to cubes as shown.

Take mustard in a blender and powder nicely.

Place cut mangoes in a clean vessel.Add red chilli powder,turmeric powder, fenugreek powder, asafoetida, mustard powder and salt.

Add sesame oil and black channa.

Mix well. Keep it covered in a clean jar and use after a week.

The peculiarity of this pickle is addition of black channa and it gives a good aroma to the pickle, so don't avoid it.

Adding red chilli powder is up to you, you may reduce it if you want.

Do mix the jar daily once and keep it in sun light with a cloth tied to the jar. This increases the shelf live of the pickle.

Key Ingredients: mango, red chillies, asafoetida, sesame oil, salt, mustard, fenugreek powde

Top 10 Cooking Tips For Indian Recipes

(Indian Cooking Tips, Kitchen Tips, Cooking Tips and Tricks)

1. When frying, the oil should be in the correct temperature. If its too hot, the outside will get browned up too quickly before the inside gets cooked. If its not hot enough, the fried food will absorb too much oil before getting cooked.
2. To make crispier puris, add a little rava to the wheat flour while kneading.
3. To make crispier bajjis add a little corn flour to the gram flour to make bajji batter.
4. Use a deep vessel to fry chicken to avoid the splashing of oil and juices all around the place.
5. To knead chapattis, add 1/3 cup of warm water for 1 cup of flour approximately. To make softer chapattis, add warm milk or curd while kneading.
6. Use heavy bottomed vessel to make upma, kheer etc to prevent burning. 
7. Toasting nuts, rice, rava and dal before cooking with it increases its flavors considerably.
8. Adding few drops of oil to the rice before cooking it will prevent it from becoming sticky.
9. Do not wash the mushrooms with water. Clean it with a damp cloth. Add salt to the mushroom only after it has browned.
10. Similarly adding salt to the chicken also slows up the browning. 

Top 10 General Cooking Tips:

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1. To peel the skin of almonds, tomatoes or peaches, simply soak in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. The skin can be easily removed.
2. To remove the corn from its cub, hold it straight with one end on the bottom of a big vessel. Then strip the corn with a knife. This will prevent messing up of the entire place.
3. When cutting raw banana, potatoes or eggplant, soak it in water to avoid discoloration. Similarly, to prevent apples, bananas or peaches from browning, add lemon juice.
4. Use the excess dal water from boiling dal to make rasam.
5. While adding curd to gravies or biryani, break it nicely before adding.
6. While boiling milk, a little water can be added to the vessel before adding the milk to avoid the milk from sticking to the bottom.
7. Store nuts in the refrigerator to increase their shelf life.
8. To separate each string of noodles or any thin pasta, run it under cold water immediately after boiling and draining the water.
9. Curd in winter - Set in a ceramic container and place it on the voltage stabilizer of your refrigerator. 
10. To cut meat easily, freeze it for some time before cutting.

Top 10 Quick Fix Tips (Busy Day Fast Cooking Tips) :

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1. Tomato paste or sauce can be used instead of fresh tomatoes. This saves a lot of chopping time.
2. Soak chik peas in boiling water. In this way only 1-2 hours of soaking in needed.
3. Make ginger garlic paste in bulk and put it in the fridge.
4. Similarly, make green chilly paste and keep in the fridge. This saves a lot of cooking time.
5. While chopping vegetables, chop in a bulk, use what is needed and put the remaining in the fridge for later use. Chopping a vegetable at a stretch saves a lot of time.
6. Have lots of peeled garlic in an air tight box in the refrigerator.
7. Grate a whole coconut at a time and refrigerate it so it can be used easily whenever needed.
8. Fry grated coconut in bulk with curry leaves and store it in the fridge. This can be used easily whenever gravies have to be made.
9. Whenever you boil potatoes or cauliflower make some extra and put it in the fridge. This can be used to make stuffed parathas, cutlets etc.
10. Use the microwave to saute onions, tomatoes and to cook up the vegetables.

Top 5 Healthy Cooking Tips:

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1. Do not wash the vegetables after peeling or chopping. This will wash out all the water soluble vitamins.
2. Whenever vegetables or dal is cooked in water, many nutrients are left back in the water. So do not throw it away. Instead use it when making some gravies or soups.
3. Potatoes have their nutrients in their skin. So try using potatoes without peeling it.
4. Eat fruits like apples along with its skin.
5. Tamarind can be substituted with raw mango powder.

Useful Refrigeration tips:

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1. Keep coriander leaves in a air tight plastic box in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for a long time.
2. Remove the stem of the chilly while storing them whole. Another method is to make chilly paste and store it for a long time.
3. To store fish longer and fresher, clean it, apply turmeric and salt and put it in the freezer.

Cherry Lassi

Ingredients 
Yogurt - 1 cup
Water/milk - 1/2 cup
Sweet Cherries (or any other fresh fruit) - 1 cup (deseeded)
Sugar - 2-3 tblsp (or to taste)

Method 
1. Blend together the cherries, yogurt, water/milk and sugar in a blender till it becomes frothy.
2. Pour into individual glasses and garnish with some fresh cherries.
3. Chill and serve. This can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

chettinad chicken curry

Chettinad Chicken Curry

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Chettinad is a region in southern Tamil Nadu- India and among other things, is known for it's deliciously spicy and scrumptious culinary delicacies. The first time I had a Chettinad style dish was when I visited the city of Coimbatore with my family as a teen. My uncle, who was a die-hard foodie, took us to this famous restaurant known for its Chettinad style preparations and I can still remember the unique yet amazing taste of the chicken curry we had that night. Some of you might think it rather odd for me to remember such intricate details about what I ate ages ago - well I guess my brain just stores away those memorable experiences and tastes someplace, and it still remains as a muse that inspires me at times. Talking about long-term memory though,  if you ask me a basic theorem in Math or a simple equation from high-school physics that I had to learn in school,you will find me as lost as a puppy ;) LOL! The human brain processes and stores only things of deep interest I guess - at least in my case it seems to be so ;)

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Whole Spices

The second time I had the opportunity to taste this wonderful dish was about 10 years ago, when I visited Chennai for my Visa interview at the U.S Consulate and my friend introduced me to 'Ponnuswamy', another popular restaurant known for their non-vegetarian Chettiand dishes. Again a couple of years since then, I was working in Bangalore and the Ponnuswamy restaurant chain opened up a branch near my house. Lucky, right? You bet, and I made sure that I had enough meals there to never ever forget the taste of Chettinad cuisine.

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This particular dish is supposed to be characteristically hot and spicy with the primary source of heat coming from the peppercorns and red chilies used in it but you can definitely tone it down to suit your taste. The spices are first dry roasted and then cooked with the chicken, to give it its bold yet delicious flavors.

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Roasted Spices

Serves 8
Ingredients
Marinate
5 lbs (2.25Kg) - Chicken (1 whole chicken)
3.5 Tablespoon - Ginger-garlic paste
3/4 Tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt

Dry Roast
2.5 Tablespoon - Whole peppercorns
6 -Whole dried red chilies
1.5 Tablespoon - Coriander seeds
1/2 Tsp - Fennel seeds
3/4 Tsp - Cumin seeds
1 - Bay leaf
2 Tsp - Poppy seeds
6 - Cardamom
6 - Cloves
2 inch - Cinnamon stick
2 - Star anise
2 sprig - Curry leaves
1/2 Cup - Coconut, grated

Gravy
3 Cups - Red Onion, chopped
3 - Tomato
2 Sprig - Curry leaves
Coconut Oil
Salt per taste

Directions

• Marinate the chicken with fresh ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt.
• Set it aside in the refrigerator for atleast 1 hour
• Meanwhile, take a heavy bottom pan and add all the ingredients under 'Dry Roast' and keep stirring for 5-8 minutes.
• Take the spices off the heat and let it cool
• Once cooled transfer it to a blender, add water to it and grind it into a fine paste.
• Heat some coconut oil in a large saute pan and add onions and curry leaves and season with salt
• Saute until the onions are golden brown.
• Mix in chopped tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes are soft and mushy
• Stir in the marinated chicken and cover and cook for 20 minutes stirring in between to make sure that chicken is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Open the lid and add the ground spice mixture
• Add water and adjust the salt and cook until you the gravy reaches the desired consistency

Notes and Tips

• Use fresh Ginger Garlic paste
• Let the chicken marinate at least for an hour
• This dish is very hot and spicy. (That is how it is meant to be). But you can adjust the peppercorns and red chilies in the recipe to tone down the heat to suit your taste
• Serve warm with Rice, Roti, Appam or Dosa

Kappa Kuzhachathu (Kerala Style)

Kappa Kuzhachathu

(Kerala Style Mashed Tapioca, Kappa Puzhukku, Boiled and Mashed Cassava Root)

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Kappa (Tapioca) - 1 kg
• Salt – to taste
• Coconut oil – 1 tbsp

For grinding

• Coconut - 1 cup
• Sambar onion (Shallots) - 2
• Green chili – 1
• Dry Red Chili - 1
• Garlic – 3 cloves
• Cumin seeds - a pinch
• Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
• Curry leaves – 5-6 leaves

Method

1. Wash the tapioca in running water to remove all the mud from the skin. Cut into big pieces. Peel the skin with a sharp knife and then cut the tapioca into small cubes.
2. Wash the cut tapioca pieces in cold water to remove any dirt from it.
3. Take these pieces in a big pot or pressure cooker with plenty of water. The water level should be at least 3 inches above the kappa pieces. 
4. Add some salt and let it cook till the pieces are soft. You can prick one piece with a knife to check if it is cooked.  If using a pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistles and let the pressure go down by itself.
5. Drain the excess water and mash it up partially using a potato masher or a thick ladle. 
6. Grind together grated coconut, shallots, garlic cloves, cumin seeds, green chili, dry red chili, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Grind it coarsely without adding any water.
7. Add the coarsely ground mixture to the mashed tapioca and mix well. Check for salt and add if needed.
8. Return this mixture to the stove top over low flame. Add 1 tbsp of oil and cook for 4-5 minutes till the raw flavor disappears.

Serving Suggestion

• Serve this tasty mashed and spiced tapioca with some spicy fish curry or beef curry.

Variations

• Some people like to add a seasoning to the final product. I usually add few curry leaves while grinding, so I do not add a separate seasoning. If you want a beautiful presentation or the aroma of the seasoning, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a small pan, pop some mustard seeds. Chop 3 shallots finely and fry it in the oil. Add dry red chilies and curry leaves to the oil and switch off. Pour this seasoning over the mashed tapioca.
• The leftover can be stored in the refrigerator for couple of days. If you plan to do so, it is recommended to add 2-3 drops of tamarind to the mashed tapioca along with the ground mixture while cooking. This will keep it fresh longer.

15 Herbal Skin Care Tips

Tip 1: Grapes:

To add glow to your face, take a few grapes and rub on your face. Or, make it into a pack by mashing the grapes.

Tip 2: Cucumber juice, glycerine and rose water:

Mixing together cucumber juice, glycerine and rose water is very effective. Use it before stepping out in the sun and after returning.

Tip 3: Sandalwood, turmeric and milk:

Make a fine paste of sandalwood powder, a little turmeric powder and milk. Apply this on face, leave on for a few minutes, and get natural glow and freshness.

Tip 4: Honey and cream:

Mixing honey and cream is a great way to keep the skin soft and glowing, especially during winters. 

Tip 5: Fresh milk, salt and lime juice:

Take some fresh milk; add a pinch of salt and little lime juice, it cleans and opens skin pores.

Tip 6: Tomato juice:

Tomato juice, mixed with lemon juice helps keep face soft and glowing.

Tip 7: Turmeric powder, wheat flour and sesame oil:

Make a paste using turmeric powder, wheat flour and sesame oil.Apply this on your skin to remove unwanted hair.

Tip 8: Cabbage juice and honey:

Cabbage juice when mixed with a little honey and applied on face prevents wrinkles.

Tip 9: Carrot juice:

Applying carrot juice on the face directly is a great way to get natural glow.

Tip 10: Honey and cinnamon powder:

Make a paste with 3 parts of honey and 1 part cinnamon powder. Apply it on pimples and leave it overnight. This shows a considerable effect in removing pimples and reducing the scaring.

Tip 11: Groundnut oil and lime juice:

Mix a little groundnut oil with fresh lime juice and apply on face to prevent pimples and blackheads.

Tip 12: Aloe Vera juice:

Applying Aloe Vera juice on the affected areas helps in reducing pigmentation marks along with hydrating the skin.

Tip 13: Ghee and glycerine:

A mixture of ghee and glycerine is a great home-made moisturiser.

Tip 14: MultaniMitti, rose petals, neem, tulsi and rose water:

Applying a paste using multanimitti, rose petals, neem leaves powder, tulsi leaves powder and a little rose/lemon water leaves the skin healthy and glowing.

Tip 15: Apricots and yogurt:

Mix apricots and yogurt to get a smooth paste. This enhances the skin and gives a fresh look. Add honey to the concoction if you have dry skin.

All these contribute to good skin health that results in glowing skin! Follow these herbal beauty tips and watch your craving materialize!

Thailand Tiger Temple: Forty dead cubs found in freezer

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Image copyrightAFP

Image captionThe temple recently made plans to operate as a zoo, but the government ruled against it

Forty dead tiger cubs have been found in a freezer at a Thai Buddhist temple accused of wildlife trafficking and animal abuse.

Police and wildlife officials started an operation on Monday to remove all the living tigers at the Tiger Temple.

Pictures from journalists at the scene posted to social media showed the 40 cubs lined up on the floor.

The site in Kanchanaburi is a popular tourist attraction but has been closed to the public since the raid.

Temple's long history of controversy

Police Colonel Bandith Meungsukhum told AFP news agency that wildlife officials would file new criminal charges after the discovery, and added that the cubs were just one or two days old when they died.

He said it was not yet clear how long they had been dead.

The dead cubs "must be of some value for the temple", Adisorn Nuchdamrong, from Thailand's Department of National Parks, told Reuters news agency. "But for what is beyond me."

Tiger bones and body parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Monks at the temple were not available for comment but have previously denied trafficking allegations.