Tips for preserving Large Bottle Gourd

• First wash the Bottle Gourd.
• Peel the skin of it.
• Cut into big pieces.
• Remove the soft portion surrounding the seeds while cutting the Bottle Gourd into pieces.
• Also seperate the seeds from it.
• Cut some portion of Bottle Gourd into medium sized pieces and use in making Curry,Sambar or Pulusu or even you can use these while making Majjiga Pulusu.
• Cut the remaining Bottle Gourd into thin shreds and can be used in making Halwa,Kheer & Koftas.
• Place the Bottle Gourd pieces in Zip-Lock Bags.
• Similarly place the thin shredded Bottle Gourd also in Zip-Lock Bags.
• Place the soft portion of Bottle Gourd also in Zip-Lock Bag.But use this within 2-3 days.
• Take a mixie jar and add the peeled skin of Bottle Gourd.
• Grind it to a smooth paste by adding enough water.
• Pour this paste in Ice Cube tray.
• Again take a mixie jar and add seeds of Bottle Gourd.
• Grind it to a smooth paste by adding enough water. 
• Pour this paste in Ice Cube tray.
• Stack the Zip-Lock Bags in freezer.
• Once the paste in Ice Cube Tray is Frozen remove the cubes from the Ice Cubes Tray and store them in Zip-Lock Bags.
• Stack the Cubes Bag in Freezer & store.
• Remove the packets from Freezer & place them in Fridge the night before you plan to use them.
• Use the soft pulp of Gourd in 2-3 days of Freezing.Use them while making Dal.
• Use the seeds & peeled skin of the Bottle Gourd paste while making any sambar,pulusu or any gravy preparations.

Note :

•      We can use the soft portion of the Bottle Gourd while making Dal.

Tips on preserving Mint

• First pluck the Mint Leaves from Stalks.
• Fill basin with water.
• Add a tspn of salt and mix it well in order to dissolve it.
• Wash the Mint Leaves in salt water in order to remove the pesticides from it.
• Drain them in colander.
• Pour out the salt water and fill the basin again with fresh water.
• Once again wash the Mint Leaves in fresh water.
• Again drain them in colander.
• Now place a dry cloth in shade and place all the Mint Leaves loosely on this cloth .
• Dry Mint Leaves in the shade till all the leaves becomes crisp.
• Place the dried Mint Leaves in air tight glass jar and store it in fridge.
• It stays for longer days.

We can crush these dried Mint Leaves and use them in Curries.

Tips on preserving Green Chillies

• First remove the stalks of Green Chillies.
• Fill basin with water.
• Add a tspn of salt and mix it well in order to dissolve it.
• Wash all the Green Chillies in this salt water in order to remove the pesticides from it.
• Drain them in colander.
• Pour out the salt water and fill the basin again with fresh water.
• Once again wash the Green Chillies in fresh water.
• Again drain them in colander.
• Place them in a basket which contains wholes and store it in fridge.
• Green Chillies remains fresh for longer days when we follow this process.

Tips on preserving Curry Leaves

• String the Curry Leaves from stems.
• Fill basin with water.
• Add a tspn of salt and mix it well in order to dissolve it.
• Wash the Curry Leaves in salt water in order to remove the pesticides from it.
• Drain them in colander.
• Pour out the salt water and fill the basin again with fresh water.
• Once again wash the Curry Leaves in fresh water.
• Again drain them in colander.
• Now place a dry cloth in shade and place all the Curry Leaves loosely on this cloth .
• Dry the Curry Leaves till there is no trace of water on them.
• Take one air tight container and place a cloth on it.
• Sprinkle water on a cloth to lightly dampen it.
• Loosely pack the Curry Leaves in this cloth and close the cloth from all the edges.
• Close the container with a lid and place it in a fridge.
• Curry Leaves will remain fresh for nearly 15-20 days.

Tips on preserving Cilantro

• Fill basin with water.
• Add a tspn of salt and mix it well in order to dissolve it.
• Take out the Cilantro stems seperately from the bunch and put it in the salt water and wash it.Washing in salt water removes the pesticides in Cilantro.
• Take out the Cilantro stems and drain in colander.
• Now pour out the salt water and fill the basin again with the fresh water.
• Again wash the Cilanro stems in the fresh water.
• Again drain it in colander.
• Now take a plastic/glass jar and fill 3/4th bottle with water.
• Take the Cilantro and dip the roots of Cilantro in water.
• Place this bottle in fridge.
• Cilantro remains fresh for nearly 15-20 days.

Low Fat Cream

Ingredients :

Low Fat Paneer - 100gms
Low Fat Milk - 100gms

Method :

• Take a mixie Jar.
• Crumble the Paneer and put that in the mixie Jar.
• Run the mixie to get the grated Paneer.
• Once we get the grated Paneer add the Milk to it.
• Run the mixie again to get the smooth cream. 

Low Fat Cream is ready for use:-)))

• Store it in a air tight container and refregirate it.
• This Cream is used instead of Heavy Creams while making many North Indian Dishes & Icreams.

Brinjal Ulli Kaaram

Ingredients :

Small Brinjals - 10(12)
Onions - 2 Big
Coconut Shredded - 1 Cup
Cilantro Chopped - 1 Cup
Oil - 3 tbspns

Method :

• Chop the Onions into small pieces.
• Blend the chopped onions,shreddedcoconut & cilantro.
• Slit the Brinjals into the salt water.
• Fill the blended mixture in the slitted brinjals.
• Put 3 tbspns of oil in a pan.
• When the oil becomes hot arrange all the filled brinjals one beside the other and mix it well and close the pan with a lid and cook the curry on a low flame.
• Stir the curry in between.
• When the curry is half cooked put the remaining blended mixture in the pan and mix it well.
• Put the lid and cook the curry on a low flame till all the brinjals become soft.
• Finally garnish it with cilantro.

Tasty Brinjal Ulli Kaaram Curry is ready:-)))

Ridge Gourd Salad

Ingredients :

Ridge Gourd - 1 cut into small cubes
Grated Carrot - 1/2 Cup
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tspn
Salt - as per taste
Roasted Peanuts - 1/4 Cup
Lime Juice - 1 tspn
Cilantro chopped - few

Method :

• First put the Ridge Gourd cubes in a bowl.
• Add the grated carrot,1/2 tspn of Pepper powder,Salt and mix it well.
• Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
• After that add a tspn of Lime juice,chopped Cilantro and roasted Peanuts and mix it well.
• Finally garnish it with chopped Cilantro.

Note :

• The taste of the Ridge Gourd should not be bitter.
• Lime Juice can be added along with the salt.If not add after 10-15 mins later.

Tasty Ridge Gourd Salad is ready :-)))

Kandhi Pachadi/Toor Dal Chutney

Ingredients :

Toor Dal - 1/2 Rice Cooker Cup
Dry Red Chillies - 3
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Tamarind - 2-3 pods
Coconut - 2 tspns
Salt - as required

For Seasoning :

Oil - 2 tspns
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tspn
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tspn
Hing - a pinch
Curry Leaves -  1 Spring

Method :

• Heat 1 tspn of oil in a pan.Add toor dal,cumin seeds,red chillies and fry on a low flame till toor dal turns into a light brown color.Let it gets cool down.
• Soak tamarind.
• Grind the fried items and tamarind with a little amount of water.
• Do the seasoning with the above ingredients and mix with chutney.

Toor Dal Chutney is ready.Serve it with hot rice.:-)))

Musk Melon Milk Shake

Ingredients :

Musk Melon - 1 small sized
Sugar - 2-3 tbspns
Milk - 1 Glass

Method :

• Peel out the skin of the Musk Melon and cut them into small pieces.
• Add sugar to this and blend it to a fine paste.
• Add the milk and blend it one more time.
• Transfer it to a serving bowl and refregerate it for an hour and serve it cool.

Tasty Musk Melon Milk Shake is ready:-)))

Dates Milk Shake

Ingredients :

Dates - 10 pieces
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 6 tspns

Method :

• Soak dates in cup of milk for 4-5 hours.
• Add sugar and the remaining cup of milk to the soaked dates and blend it well.
• Refregerate it for an hour and serve it cool.

Tasty Dates Milk Shake is ready:-)))

Mango Milk Shake

Ingredients :


Mango Pulp - 3 cups(2-3 Mangoes)
Sugar - 2 tbspns
Milk - 1 Glass
Ilachi Powder - 1/2 tspn


Method :

• Peel out Mangoes to obtain pulp.
• Add mango pulp,sugar & ilachi powder in a blender and make a smooth paste.
• Add the milk and blend it.
• Refregerate it for an hour and serve it cool.

Tasty Mango Milk Shake is ready:-)))

Strawberry Milk Shake

Ingredients :

Strawberries - 8-10
Milk - 1 Glass
Sugar - 2 tbspns

Method :

•  Cut the Strawberries into small pieces and transfer them to a blender.
• Add 1/2 cup of  milk & sugar and blend it until the strawberry pieces becomes into a smooth paste.
• Then add the remaining milk and blend it again.
• Refregerate it for an hour and serve it cool.

Tasty Strawberry Milk Shake is ready:-)))

Orange Yogurt Shake

Ingredients :

Oranges - 2
Yogurt/Thick Curd - 2 cups
Sugar - 2 tbspns
Water - 1 cup


Method :

•  Peel the skin of the Oranges to obtain the pulp.
• Add Orange pulp,sugar & curd in a blender and make a fine paste.
• Then pour a cup of Water in the blender.Beat the yogurt shake in the blender by using the whipper button of the blender.This will help yogurt shake turn thick and foamy.
• Transfer it to a container and refregerate it for an hour and serve it cool.

Tasty Orange Yogurt Shake is ready:-)))

Banana Milk Shake

Ingredients :

Banana - 4-5
Milk - 2 Glasses
Sugar - 2 tbspns

Method :

• Peel the banana and cut it into pieces.
• Transfer it to a blender.
• Add the sugar and blend into a smooth paste.
• Then add the milk and blend it for another 2 mins until the banana paste mixes well with the milk.
• Transfer this banana milk shake to the serving bowl and refregerate it for an hour and serve it cool.

Tasty Banana Milk Shake is ready:-)))

Menthi Majjiga

Butter Milk - 2 cups
Green Chilles - 2
Salt -  as required
Cilantro - 1 tbspn
Curry Lvs - 1tbspn
Turmeric - a pinch

For Seasoning :

Oil - 1tbspn
Chana Dal -1 tspn
Urad Dal - 1 tspn
Mustard Seeds- 1 tspn
Cumin Seeds - 1 tspn
Methi Seeds - 1tspn
Hing - a pinch

Method :

• Add salt,turmeric,cilantro,curry leaves to the butter milk and mix it well.
• In a vessel add a tbspn of oil.Add the seasoning.When the seasoning is well fried add this seasoning to the butter milk and mix it well.

Tasty Menthi majjiga is ready:-)))

Peach Pear Apple Juice

Ingredients :

Apple coarsed and sliced - 1

Peaches(Remove the seeds) - 2

Pear - 1 sliced

Method :

• Blend all the above in a juicer.
• Refregirate it and serve it cool.

Tasy Peach pear Apple Juice is ready:-)))

Blueberry Cherry Juice

Ingredients :

Blueberries - 3/4th cup                                                                       

Cherries pitted - Handful

Apple coarsed and sliced -1

Method :                                                                                  

• Blend all the above in a blender.                                           
• Refregirate it and serve it cool.                                       

Tasty Blueberry Cherry Juice is ready:-)))

Rice - Household tips related to cooking rice

• To stop grains of rice from sticking together, add a few drops of cooking oil or a teaspoon of butter or margarine to the cooking water.
• For snowy white rice, add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to the cooking water.
• Rinse uncooked rice in a sieve under a cold running tap before cooking.This removes excess starch, so preventing the rice from becoming sticky.

Beans Curry

Ingredients :


Beans - 1/2 Kg
Ginger - 1" Piece
Green Chillies - 8
Salt - as required


For Seasoning :


Oil - 3 tspns
Chana Dal - 1 tspn
Urad Dal - 1 tspn
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Red Chilles - 2
Curry Leaves - 1 Spring


Method :

• First grind the ginger and green chillies with a little amount of water and make a fine past.
• In a pan heat 3 tspns of oil and do the seasoning.
• Add the chopped beans,salt and mix it well.And cover it with a lid.
• When the beans is half cooked add the grinded ginger & green chillies paste and mix it well and cook till it becomes soft.
• Serve it with Rice or Chapathi.