Curry leaves (Karuvepillai)

Today I would like to discuss the benefits of Curry leaves and why should we take it in our daily food. 

Commonly used as seasoning, this leaf adds a special flavor to every dish. However many of us will remove the curry leaf from our food and keep it aside in our plate. Especially kids never like it may be because of the little hardness and time taken to chew it. If we know the complete benefits of curry leaf, I think we don’t throw it out. Every parent should educate their kids about the benefits and uses of curry leaves so that they can enjoy the benefits.

Siddha and Ayurveda tell about the magic of curry leaves in our day to day life. Research proves that Curry leaves hold many medicinal benefits. Recent research shows that the regular intake of curry leaf reduces the risk of Cancer. 

Curry leaves packed with carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, phosphorous, irons and vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, curry leaves help your heart function better, fights infections and can enliven your hair and skin with vitality.

Curry leaves help your blood sugar levels by affecting the insulin activity of the body and reduces ones blood sugar levels. Also the type and amount of fiber contained within the leaves play a significant role in lowering blood sugar levels. So, if you suffer from diabetes, a Curry leaf is the best natural method to keeping your blood sugar levels in check.

To help keep your blood sugars under check, you should ideally add curry leaves to all your meals. Alternatively, consuming fresh curry leaves on an empty stomach every day might do the trick as well.

If you suffer from diarrhoea gently crush some Curry leaves into a ball (the size of a Goose berry), and drink it with buttermilk. Do this twice to thrice a day for relief.

Curry leaves has always been known to prevent greying of the hair due to the presence of various nutrients in the body. But it also very effective in treating damaged hair, adding bounce to limp hair, strengthening the shaft of thin hair, hair fall and treats dandruff. The best part about this benefit is that you can either choose to eat the curry leaves to help with your hair woes or apply it to your scalp as a remedy.

To help strengthen your hair and fight dandruff, add the juice of Curry leaves, to 100ml of coconut oil. Heat this oil till it turns blackish and apply it to your scalp regularly

 

So, the next time you see curry leaves in your plate, don’t throw away but eat them to reap their amazing health benefits.

Uzhundu/Urad dal Kangi

I think, it’s been a long time that I posted any recipes in my blog.  Hi Friends, Today I came up with the traditional Uzhundu/Urad dal Kangi. This is tasty as well as healthiest one for all.  Especially in villages people will gives this to a girl child to strengthen the hip bones…. Every woman should have this healthy kangi once in a week to strengthen the bones...  Here I took ingredients for three people and adjust the ingredients according to the number of persons.

Ingredients

Urad dal- 10gms/ one handful

Karuppatti /Jaggery – 200 gms

Sukku / Dry Ginger -1 inch

Cardamon /Elaichi – 3 nos

Grated Coconut – 1 cup (1/2 coconut of small size or 2 inches coconut slice – 2 nos)

Water- 250ml

Preparation

Soak urad dal for 30 mins along with coconut.

In boiled water add karuppatti/ jaggery and mix it well until it melt.

Once the jaggery melts, strain the water to remove the dirt in it.

Now grind the soaked urad dal, coconut, dry ginger and ealaichi in a blender to a fine paste. 

Heat the jaggery water in a stove and slowly add the ground mixture.

Cook it in slow flame. Don’t let it boil. Cook it for 5 mins until the raw smell goes off.

Remove from the stove cool it serve it.

Medu Bonda / Urad dal bonda

Ingredients
Urud Dal /Black Gram – 1 cup
Small Onions – 6 nos
Curry leaves – 1 string
Corriander leaves – 2 tsp( chopped)
Coconut – ¼ cup cut into small pieces
Hing powder- ¼ tspn
Salt to taste
Green chilli- 2nos finely chopped
Cumin seeds – 1 tspn
Oil to fry
Preparation
Soak Urad dhal for an hour and grind it into thick batter.
In a vessel add finely chopped onions, green chilli, curry leaves, coriander leaves, coconut pieces, cumin seeds, and salt and hing powder. Mix all the ingredients well and then add the urad dal batter and mix thoroughly.

Heat oil in a kadai and pour the batter in small quantity like balls. Fry it until it turns golden brown.  

Here goes yummy Medu Bonda . Serve it hot with coconut chutney.
Note: - If you want, you can add grated carrot with the batter.

Idli Sambar

Ingredients
Thoor Dal – 1 cup
Tomato – 3nos
Small onion – 6nos
Curry leaf- 1 String
Corrinader leaves- 2tsp (chopped)
Turmeric powder- As reqd
Sambar powder- 3stspn
Salt – to taste
Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tspn
Garlic pods- 4nos (Smashed)
Green Chilli- 2 nos
Hing powder- Pinch
Gingely oil- 3 tspn
Seeragam/Cumin seeds – 1 tspn
Mustard seeds – 1 tspn
Preparation
Pressure cook the thoor dal along with tomatoes. Once it get cooled smash them using egg beater. (I used the hand one)

Cut the onion lengthwise. Slit the green chilli.

Heat a kadai and add gingely oil. Once the oil gets hot add fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. Once its pop out add seeragam/cumin seeds, hing powder and fry it for few seconds. Then add onions, curry leaves, smashed garlic and slit green chilli. Cook it for few seconds.

Then add the mashed thoor dal, salt, turmeric powder and sambar powder. Allow it to boil. Once it started to boil add chopped coriander and a spoon of gingely oil.

Serve it hot with soft idli.

Note: - Usually, I add 1 tspn of idli batter before I remove the sambar from the stove. This will thicken the sambar and tastes good.Those who deosnt like the taste of garlic in sambar, you can avoid it.