Karpooravalli / Omavalli / Ajwain patha /Indian Borage - are you hearing these names for the first time ? 

Well, this is a very traditional and medicinal herb used in Indian Cooking especially in the South.  This herb belongs to the mint family, but has a pungent and strong flavor resembling that off Thyme /Ajwain/ Omam.

A perennial plant and can be grown easily at home without any effort . The leaves are used in herbal drinks to treat indigestion, cold ,cough and also to boost overall immunity. 

Due to the pungent taste and the anti microbial properties possessed by Karpooravalli it is very effective to treat sore throat and sinusitis .

Also a mild diuretic , it helps in flushing out the toxins from the body and maintains good kidney health ,there by managing the body metabolism. 

As a kid ,I remember my mom would make me chew a small leaf especially in monsoon to keep me away from seasonal flu and stomach issues due to weather change . It is always good to incorporate such healthy and natural food in our day to diet to keep us safe and healthy.

When I found some fresh karpooravalli, I was intrigued to try Preethi's recipe of making karpooravalli Buttermilk/Neer Mor using this magical herb.

Preethi has used dried powder form of karpooravalli while I have used fresh leaves since I had an access to these . My friend's mom has it growing on her home garden and aunty was kind enough to get me some fresh and tender leaves .

Summer ,winter or monsoon buttermilk is a part of daily diet in our home and I keep experimenting with different flavors . If you also like buttermilk in various taste then you must try some of it 

Pudina Chaas 

Neer Mor  - Ramanavmi Special 

Vazhaithandu Mor (banana stem) 

Masala Chaas 

Ingredients 

Method 

• In a small blender ,blend the ginger ,karpooravalli leaves with little salt into a coarse paste.
• Whisk the curd using an electric beater or manual whisk till it appears creamy.  
• Add the ground paste, salt , black salt ,jeera powder and chilled water and whisk it again until it appears nice and frothy. Adjust salt based on your need.
• Pour into glasses and enjoy with your meal or keep it refrigerated until your lunch time.

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 Strawberry lemon soda is a very refreshing mocktail drink that can be served at any party.

Made from fresh strawberries ,flavored with fresh lemon juice and spiked up with either club soda or sprite ,this drink gives a nice zing with every sip. If using plain club soda we will need to add some sugar or sugar syrup to give the sweetness while we don't need extra sweetener if using sprite or 7Up. 

Preparing Strawberry Lemon Soda is actually a child's play as there is not much complexity involved.  Though at home we are a huge fan of Strawberry Milk shake , this refreshing mocktail was a welcome change and we all simply loved it . I have used sprite in my recipe, hence no extra sweetener added .

If serving for a large party ,you can mix the Strawberry syrup ,lemon juice along with some ice cubes and lemon slices in  a jar and keep it ready ..pour the Strawberry mix onto serving glasses and add in the soda /sprite just before serving along with some crushed ice .

If you love to spread some Strawberry Jam on  a warm slice of toasted bread,then Priya's Strawberry Chilli Jam is a must try .

Ingredients 

Method 

• Trim off the top part of the Strawberries and roughly chop them.
• Add them to a blender with 2 tsp sugar and blend it to a smooth puree .
• Divide the puree equally into 2 serving glasses , add 1/2 tsp lemon juice and a slice of lemon to each . Add some crushed ice before adding sprite/ soda .
• Slowly pour in the chilled sprite in both the glasses and serve immediately. 

Refreshing and classic welcome drinks on my blog 

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