Lemon Pickle Pressure Cooker Method / elumichai oorugai / எலுமிச்சை ஊறுகாய்

During my school days , I remember my mom making all types of pickle . We never had any store bought pickles at our home . This is one pickle that she makes often . When my parents visited us last summer , We got a good deal of limes , It was 28 big limes for just a dollar from farmers market . This post was in my desktop for a long time , So i thought of posting it today . My mom made this pickle for us . and I was just clicking pics .

Lemon Pickle Pressure Cooker Method / elumichai oorugai / எலுமிச்சை ஊறுகாய்

Ingredients:

• Limes or Lemon - 25 no
• Salt - To taste
• Water - 1/4 cup

To grind:

• Whole Red chilli - 20 no
• Mustard seeds - 3 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp

To Temper : 

• Oil  -2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds -3 tsp
• Hing - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Wash the limes in water . Do not cut them . Take the pressure cooker , add the limes and water and cook for 2 hisses .Do not  throw the drained water .Cut the limes , add salt and the drained water and set aside the contents for 3 days . Toss the limes occasionally each day at least once .

Take the heavy bottom wok , add the red chilli and dry roast for few seconds and remove it .

Now add the mustard seeds and dry roast it .

Now dry roast the fenugreek seeds and set aside .

Transfer the dry roasted contents to the mixer .

Run it to a powder .

Now add this powder to the limes on the 4th day .

Mix well .

The last part is tempering . Heat oil and add the mustard seeds and allow it to pop , and add hing .

Transfer these to the limes and mix well .

Store it in an airtight container and use as required . These pickles stay fresh for a long time . If it is kept in the refrigerator  could be used for a year .
Check out other pickle recipes by clicking here .

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Vanilla Muffins / How to make Muffins from Scratch Step by Step

My daughter Akshita loves cakes . She is on a spring break and she asked my husband to bake a cake for her . My husband baked this Vanilla muffin for her and this muffin turned out to be really yummy .This is one of the easiest muffin and a very basic muffin . I was clicking pictures when the recipe was being made  , and off to the recipe now .

Vanilla Muffins / How to make Muffins from Scratch Step by Step

Ingredients:

• Unsalted Butter - 4 tbsp ( 57 gms Or 1/4 cup ) , At room temperature
• Sugar - 65 gms
• Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp
• Eggs -  1 1/2 no
• Milk - 
• Orange skin crushed ( Orange Zest ) - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1 pinch
• Milk - 30 ml
• All Purpose Flour / Maida - 98 gms
• Baking Powder - 3/4 tsp

Vanilla Muffins / How to make Muffins from Scratch .

Method:

Keep the butter at room temperature . Seive  together All purpose flour , Baking powder and salt . Preheat the Oven to 350 F . Line the muffin cups with muffin paper liners .

Take the butter in a bowl and beat it till fluffy .

 

Add the eggs , Vanilla Extract and continue to beat .

 

Add the sugar and orange Zest and continue to mix . The mixture may look curdled .

 

Add the flour and milk alternatively and continue to beating in low speed .

 

Scrape down the sides of the  bowl using a spatula and mix well using  a spatula .

Fill the muffin cups using the batter and bake for 15 to 20 minutes .

Insert the tooth prick to check if it comes out clean . Cool them .

 

My Kid Akshita was very excited to eat is as soon as it was out from the oven . She loved it .

 Enjoy these Muffins

 

 

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Pomelo Juice

I was shopping in the farmers market and I found this fruit Pomelo , They looked similar to Sweet lime and oranges, but 3 times the size of oranges . I grabbed 2 of them and came home . I googled out about the fruit and was amazed about the health benefits . Its a citric fruit loaded with Vitamin C , similar to the Orange fruit juice .  It aids in weight loss .I made fresh juice with the fruit .

Pomelo Juice

Ingredients:

• Pomelo fruit - 2 no 
• Water - As needed
• Sugar / Honey - To taste

Method:

Take the fruit and Slice it up .

When I sliced it , the fruit was pink inside similar to the Grape fruit .

Squeeze out the juice using a juicer , by adding water as needed .

Transfer the juice to the blender , add the sugar or honey as needed depending on taste and run the mixer . The juice becomes frothy .

Serve with some Ice cubes .

This is a perfect and a healthy drink on hot summer days .

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Almonds Tea / Badam Chai / பாதாம் டீ

Almonds have got immense health benefits . After trying Almonds milk , I wanted to make tea using almonds since  I am a great fan of Tea . The Almond tea was really great , I found the Tea to be very thick and creamy  and yummy too . Off to the recipe now.

Almonds Tea / Badam Chai / பாதாம் டி

Ingredients:

• Almonds -  8 - 10 no
• Milk - 1 cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Sugar - To taste
• Tea powder - 1 tsp

Method: 

Soak the almonds in water for 2 hrs .

Grind it to a paste in a mixer by adding water .

In a heavy bottom vessel , add the pureed almonds , milk , water , tea powder and mix well .Bring the contents to a boil .

Filter using a strainer and add sugar if needed .

Creamy and Thick almonds tea is ready. Serve hot .

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Vegetable Korma / How to make vegetable Kurma / Vegetable Stew / காய்கறி குருமா

Vegetable Korma is a famous dish that can be serves with Appam , Parotta , Idly and Dosa varieties . This is a very healthy and a flavorful recipe . Now off to the recipe

Vegetable Korma / How to make vegetable Kurma / காய்கறி குருமா

Ingredients:

• Oil - 2 tsp
• Cinnamon stick - 1 no
• Star Aniseed - 1 no
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Cloves - 2 no
• Mint Leaves - Few leaves ( I used 1 tsp of Mint powder )
• Onion - 1 no , sliced
• Mixed Vegetable - 1 cup ( Carrot + Sweet corn + Beans + Peas )
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste

To Grind:

• Shredded Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Garlic pods - 3 no
• Ginger - 1' piece
• Green Chilli - 4 nos
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Method: 

Grind together all the contents under the to grind column ( Coconut , garlic , ginger , green chilli , fennel seeds ). Set aside

 In a heavy bottom pan , heat oil add the bay leaf , cinnamon stick , aniseed , cloves and fry for few seconds . Now add the onions  and mint leaves and cook till they become translucent .

Add the vegetables and fry for few minutes .

Now add the ground puree  ,turmeric powder and salt .

Add water and bring the contents to a boil .

 

Cook till the veggies become tender and till the raw smell goes away .

Serve hot with Appam , Parotta , Idly and Dosa varieties

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Soya chunks Biryani / Meal Maker Biryani / How to make Soya Biryani / சோயா பிரியாணி

Soya chunks is also called as Meal Maker . They are rich in protein . Its highly nutritious and very healthy . I wanted to make Veg biryani but i  did not have any veggies at my home to make Vegetable Biryani but had the nutritious soya to make this Soya Biryani . Off to the recipe now . I made this in pressure cooker and it was made in jiffy .

Soya chunks Biryani / Meal Maker Biryani / How to make Soya Biryani / சோயா பிரயாணி

Ingredients:

• Soya Chunks / Meal Maker - 10 - 12 no
• Basmathi Rice - 250 gms
• Onion - 150 gms , Chopped
• Tomato - 1 no , Diced
• Ginger garlic paste - 50 gms
• Green Chilli - 2 no , slit
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Yogurt - 2 tbsp
• Mint leaves - Few , Chopped ( I used Mint Powder - 2 tsp )
• Star Aniseed - 1 no,
• Cloves - 2 no
• Cinnamon stick - 1 no
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

For Marinating Soya chunks:

• Yogurt - 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Soya chunks Biryani / Meal Maker Biryani / How to make Soya Biryani / சோயா பிரயாணி

 

Method:

Soak the soya chunks in water for 30 minutes . It becomes bigger . Squeeze out the water from the soya chunks . Add the contents under to marinate column ( yogurt , ginger garlic paste , salt , red chilli powder ) to the soya chunks . Mix well . Set aside for 30 minutes .

Heat oil in the pressure cooker . Add the spices like cloves , cinnamon stick , bay leaf  and aniseed and fry . It gives a nice aroma . Throw in the onions and , mint powder  , green chilli and fry till they become translucent .

 

Now add the tomatoes and cook they are soft .

 

Add the ginger Garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes away .

Add  the marinated soya chunks , yogurt , salt , turmeric powder and red chilli powder and mix .

Now add the water ,   ( For 2 cups of basmathi rice , add 3 cups of water ) bring it to boil .

Add the rice and pressure cook for only 1 hisses . Allow the pressure to cool down and open the cooker .

Serve hot with Raitha .

 

This is a very easy and a quick biryani and it taste so delicious . The best part was my kids loved it a lot .

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