Harmless Home Remedies.

dear chitra,

No this is not impractical. I wish to try this since my cousin has runny nose every moment. Mylapore is my back yard, though I live in Bangalore. Thanks for suggesting Singapore Sambrani. Can u suggest brands for Kasturi manjal podi & where I can get it? Also thanks for irupuli method.

Can you give tomato ketchup made at house?

thanks

Dear Jana,
Kasthuri manjal is available everywhere - few are Srividya, Dabbachetty etc.
Please don't use it in a regular basis - " alavukku meerinaal amirthamum nanju" !
May be once in 3,4 days should be fine. Not very frequently, for sure.
I can post the tomato ketchup recipe, no problem. I was making it at home for many years . But now with so many brands available, I am surprised that you prefer to make at home rather than buy !
Also, moong dhal halwa _ I tried today. It does take time & so I made it in microwave. So it was less hassel for me. Please confirm whether you still want to make it - there is no shortcut. You can also try Ashoka halwa given in sweets, which is similar. After hearing from you, I shall post it.
Regards,
Chithra.

Chitra,

Sorry that I am mailing ten mails in a day (first day), pls get used to me. Ketchup- homemade is best and cheap for my very big joint family. Can you post moong dal halwa, it is prestige question for me. Nobody teaches me this. I will make Asoka also by yr method. I am sorry that you had to make moong dal halwa for my sake. I wonder is this not expensive for you, trying a new dish for this forum everyday. I must not keep asking you new dishes.

dhanyavaad
Jana

Hello Jana, First of all, don't feel sorry for many mails. I am ready to answer any no: of queries, so long as I know them ! I did'nt make moong dhal halwa for your sake - I was planning to call on a friend. Since you had asked this, I decided to make it & take it to her house. You solved my problem of deciding what to make !
Please feel free with me, that is what I want.
Since I have made ketchup many times, it is easy to post that recipe.
Regards,
Chithra.

This is ideal to take when one has body pain or is feeling tired.

Marunthu Rasa Powder:

Kandanthippili - 50 gms

Arisithippili - 10 gms

Pepper - 3 tsp

Jeera - 4 tsp

Tur dhal - 4 tsp

Gram dhal - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 2

Dry ginger - 1’’

Curry leaves - few

Heat 1 tsp ghee, roast all ingredients one by one & finally dry curry leaves.

Powder everything together.

Rasam:

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Rasam powder - 3-4 tsp.

Salt

Add ½ cup water & boil together.

When it boils, add 3 cups of water & remove when it froths.

Temper in 1 tsp ghee with 2 pieces, garlic crushed.

This is different from angayapodi & is used when there is indigestion, diorrhea etc.

Ideal to give to nursing mothers, immediately after delivery.

Good for those who have stomach ulcers.

This should be eaten with rice & ghee & for side dish, use fresh curds, not at all sour.

Roasted sundakkai - 1 cup

Roasted manathakkali - 1 cup

Dry neem flowers - 1 cup

Hing - 2 tsp

Dry ginger - ½ cup ( crushed)

Pepper - 2 tsp

Salt

Roast the first 3 ingredients, lightly in very little oil , individually, to make them crisp.

Remove.

In the same kadai, roast the other ingredients one by one.

Cool & powder.

Chop 4, 5 peeled small onions into pieces.

Heat 4 tbsp coconut oil in a small kadai.

Add the onion pieces & fry till they become brown & crisp.

Cool with the oil & preserve in a bottle.

Apply for burns, boils, wounds, itching, insect bite etc as a first aid.

In tamil it is said “ than kaayam pokka vengayam uthavum”.

Pepper - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - ½ cup

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp ( to taste)

Oil -- 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Salt.

In I tsp oil, fry pepper, jeera & curry leaves.

Grind fine with tamarind paste, salt & enough water.

Heat 1 tsp oil, temper mustard seeds & add the ground paste with 1 cup of water.

When it starts boiling, simmer & cook till thick.

Mix with hot rice & serve with roasted appalam.

15 gms each of:

Dry ginger

Chitharathai

Pepper

Jeera

Cloves

Parangi chakkai

Thaaleesha pathri

Chiru thekku or gindu bhirangi

Dhaniya

Kandathippili

10 gms of:

Vayu vilangam

Naatu sakkarai - ½ kg.

Powder all ingredients.

Sieve & add Naatu sakkarai as per taste.

A pinch taken in the morning twice or thrice a week,is very good for overall health.

This is a very common combination, considered very easily digestible & light on the stoamach as well, to be taken for dinner.

Kanji:

Podiarisi means broken boiled rice.

In Kerala & now in Tamil Nadu we get “ mattarisi” which is pink in colour & is ideally suited for this with a characteristic flavour.

Otherwise you can use plain boiled rice.

Rice - 1 cup

Lightly roasted moong dhal - 1 tbsp

salt

To temper:

Ghee - 2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Cook rice-dhal mixture in 5-6 times the volume of water in a pressure cooker till soft.

Cool, open, add salt, temper as given & serve hot with any of the following “ chutneys”.

You can aso eat the kanji with “ manathakkali vahal” deep fried in ghee.

Manga chammandi ( mango chutney):

For this fairly sour mango is only suitable.

Grated mango - 1 cup

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Red & green chillies each - 2 ( or either one variety chilli can be used)

Salt, hing

Curry leaves & coconut oil

Grind coconut, mango, chillies, hing & salt to a thick paste, adding minimum water.

Add curry leaves smeared with coconut oil.

Some prefer to add 4,5 small onions in the “ last round of grinding “ – this is optional.

Thenga chutta sammandi ( roasted coconut chutney)

Big pieces of coconut,removed from the shell - half a coconut

Red chillies - 5,6 ( lightly roasted in ½ tsp oil)

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp ( or more to tase)

Salt, hing

Curry leaves & coconut oil

Roast the coconut directly in the flame, holding it with a pair of tongs, till it gives a nice flavour & looks light brown.

Grind with roasted red chillies, tamarind, salt & hing.

Add curry leaves smeared with coconut oil.

This can be made as spicy as you prefer.