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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 Neer is water and Aagaram is food ,so basically NeerAagaram boils down to Watery Food or put it simply,  a liquid diet . Neeragaram is very popular in the Southern part of India and also in Orissa, Bengal, Bihar ,chattisgarh as well . Partaking Neeragaram on a daily  basis prevents malnutrition and also improves our immune system .

Now,if you are wondering what is this  Neeragaram ? The answer is very very simple and will leave you amazed .

Neeragaram is just left over cooked rice soaked in water overnight and the next morning it is mashed well and mixed with buttermilk ,rock salt and consumed with shallots and some green chillies .

Neeragaram is also known as Pazhaya Saadham , Saadhertham , pazhaya sor Kanji in South and in the North it is called as Pakhala, Paani Bhaat,Panta Bhaat etc . Orissa celebrates this health rich food as Pakhala Dibasa in the month of March every year .

Neeragaram is a powerhouse of nutrients for the benefit of good gut health . It's a natural probiotic just like home set curd .

The overnight soaking of cooked rice helps in the activation of good bacteria which is very beneficial on consumption for good gut /intestinal health.  You may need not take probiotic supplements if you have this pazhaya saadham regularly.

Consuming Neeragaram early in the morning is an age old practice followed by ancestors especially during the hot summer months when the sun is blazing. The soaked rice acts as a natural coolant and also keeps us full for long hours due to the absorption of starch content in the rice and most importantly prevent us from dehydration. 

Neeragaram can be had with some pickle , fried curd chillies (mor milagai) or with chopped shallots /onions . If you are pairing pazhaya saadham with onions you must definitely try it out with Srilankan Seeni Sambol - get the recipe from my fellow blogger Priya's blog.

You may adjust the quantity of buttermilk as per your preference. I like my neeragaram watery,so I add more buttermilk, if you like it thick like a porridge, you can adjust accordingly. 

Ingredients 

Method 

• Soak the rice in 2 cups water overnight . Use an earthen vessel if you can else regular steel bowls will work.
• The next morning, mash the rice well with your hands or use a masher . The rice when mashed should resemble porridge /gruel like consistency.  Mashing the rice with your hands is always a good choice .
• To this now add the buttermilk ,rock salt and mix well . Pour it into glasses and serve with the accompaniments of your choice .
• You may also add 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds while soaking the rice previous night. 

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 Cucumbers are my best friend in summer . I love to munch on some juicy Cucumbers as is or use them in salads or raitas .

Raitas or pachadis are a must have in summer as they cool down the body heat and are comforting on our stomach aiding digestion. 

Across the length and breadth of India ,Cucumbers are an integral part of summer meal be it the Khamang Kakdi of Maharashtra ,Southekaai kosambri from Karnataka ,Vellarikai Kichadi of Kerala or Pahadi Raita from Himachal Region . 

Today , I shall be sharing another favorite recipe using cucumber.  Thayir Pachadi is the South Indian version of raita . We can make thayir pachadi with many vegetables like tomatoes,  sweet potatoes,  ladies finger,ginger etc .

• Sweet potato thayir pachadi
• Dangar Pachadi
• Inji (Ginger) Thayir Pachadi 
• Thakali (Tomato) thayir pachadi 

Inji Vellarikaai thayir pachadi ,is very easy to make and is a No cook recipe.  We will need fresh and tender cucumbers to make this raita . Donot use an over ripe cucumbers as the cucumber won't be juicy and also the seeds will be too mature and rough.

Spice level can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the number of chillies used .I prefer to keep the pachadi mild so that the flavor of ginger is lifted up. 

Ingredients 

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Literally as simple as putting together peaches and cream this no-bake dessert is one that you will love for its simplicity. Enjoy this popular 90’s restaurant dessert, an under-10-minute dessert that can feed a crowd.

When it comes to any fruit, the simplest way appeals to the lazy me. Mostly it is cut and eaten. Otherwise, do something simple with it like add it to a salad. This is exactly what I plan with the first batch of peaches I have hauled. Once the first two or three peaches satisfy my appetite, I need to determine the future for the rest of them. The dessert that easily comes to my mind is peaches and cream.

Choosing the peaches

That perfectly ripened peach is an absolute must for this dessert as it relies on the lovely flavour of the peaches. Look for the round peaches as the tree-ripened ones tend to go round. Smell them! The aroma of that fruit permeates through the soft skin. Then, gently press them. If the fruit yields gently it is ready and juicy.
For this dessert, you can choose white or yellow peaches. yellow peaches give a classic look, that’s all. Flavour wise they are the same.

How to remove the pit from a peach?

There is a line running along the side of the peach. Cut the peach along this line. Now you have a cut to separate them into two halves. Twist one-half and gently pull it away from the other. That one-half separate. Now, wiggle the seed to loosen it. Pull it away from the other half. Remember not to squeeze the flesh much as the fruit is easily bruised.

Ingredients to make this peach dessert

The basic recipe for peaches and cream needs only 2 ingredients. However, this doesn’t do justice to the popular 90’s restaurant dessert. Hence here is my version
Peaches – Once you have chosen and pitted the peaches, slice them or dice them.
Sugar- unrefined sugar works perfectly fine in this case. It is only to keep the pears juicy while you get on further and prevent excessive browning.
Lemon zest-Thi is a small twist that adds a lot of freshness to the dish. As the cream can be pretty heavy the lemon zest helps to lighten the flavour.
Cream- Pouring cream is ideal in this recipe. We are not looking for soft whipped peaks, so no whipping cream is needed. If you want to cut down a bit the calories, try light cream or low-fat cream.
Vanilla- Scrape out a few bits from a vanilla pod and add to the cream. Without te addition of any sugar this gives the simple dessert a fantastic fragrance. 

Making it healthier

Honestly, this dessert is not for you if you are looking for a healthy dessert. I would rather dunk the fruit in chocolate tofu dip to keep it cleaner and simpler.

Make ahead

This is certainly an easy dessert to put together for a crowd. However, you cannot prepare and assemble this dish much in advance. Here is what you can do the previous day.

Prep the glasses ahead.

Cut the peaches, and mix in the sugar and zest. Keep them covered in the fridge.

Whip the cream with vanilla, slightly so you have a pouring consistency. Keep this covered in the fridge.

Once these are set it is as simple as spooning the fruit and cream into the individual glasses.

What other fruit can I try with the cream?

Given an opportunity, I wouldn’t hesitate to make the cream combo with strawberries, mango, grapes, bananas, melons etc. You can also mix a combination of fruits in this vanilla cream.

Stay connected

Hope you have a collection of recipes like this that hardly takes a few minutes but satisfies a crowd really well. In our attempt, the fruit salad with honey dressing and the peaches with cream are my top picks to share on a barbeque day. Let us know in the comments how we are doing with this blog. As usual, leave us a rating on the start system with 5 stars if you like this recipe. Don’t forget to subscribe or connect with us through Instagram or Facebook.

For now, enjoy the sun and the sunny peach season.

The recent India trip was fantastic. As much as we had fun, there are a couple of things that this India trip ruined for me. One was bread the other was rose milk. That was my simple pleasure which the milk booths used to keep in plenty. During this trip, I searched high a low for some but found none. As soon as we got back and the jet lag faded off,  I had to make some myself. Since it has become a kind of rarity, I guess it is best if it is on our blog too.

What is rose milk?

The gorgeous, pale pink, milk-based drink is a gentle lightly sweetened drink popular in summer. With the juicy crunchy basil seeds added, this summer drink is a popular one for the heat and humidity of the tropics. With flavours of extract of rose and the same as its fragrance, the cold, frothy milk drink is a relief from the heat. The drink Bandung in Malaysia and Thai Nom Yen are all versions of the same. However in this recipe today we have not used the rose syrup that gets utilized in most recipes, rather have gone in to create a natural alternate with fresh rose flower petals. 

Ingredients to make the rose milk

Milk : boiled and chilled milk is what we use traditionally for this recipe. However, over a  period of time, I find Evaporated milk gives a full-bodied thick frothy milk moustache-making consistency. You can use half-and-half or low-fat milk too.
Rose petals: nothing beats that fresh rose petal that gets blended in. Use known sources of pesticides free fresh rose petals or edible grade dried ones. The actual variety that we look for with its fragrance is the panneer rose, the one from which rose water is extracted. Make sure your source is from the edible roses as there are plenty that is just ornamental.
Rose water: since the rose petals may not be fragrant enough, edible-grade rose water is required. If you have plenty of rose petals you can avoid using this.
Red food colour: the pink colour is characteristic of this drink. A small drop or two of natural red food colour will do the job. You can use natural dried beet powder in its place too.
Sweetener:  is totally optional. Use honey or sugar to flavour if needed. Since the milk in Australia is much sweeter, I have not used any here.
Sweet basil seeds: this is the exciting part of this drink. Basil seeds are small black seeds often sold in Indian spice aisles as Sabja. This when added to water swells into small jelly globes. They add a lovely touch to the drink and also promote gut health. These are not chia seeds, however, if you cannot get there you can use some chia here.

How to make this drink?

Soak the basil seeds in about 3 times water. Once you gather the ingredients it is as simple as blending them together all except the basil seeds. Once frothy pour into tall glasses and top with the bloomed basil seeds. Check the recipe card below for detailed instructions and exact measurements. YOu can pin the same from th recipe card on to your board if saving for later.

Can this be a vegan drink?

It is a milk-based drink, however, using soy or almond milk gives a delicious vegan pink milk without a huge change in flavour. In fact, I love to use soy milk as my choice for the vegan version. The rest of the ingredients are the same.

Make ahead and storage

The freshly blended rose milk is certainly frothy. However, it is an easy drink to make and store in the refrigerator. It stays good for upto 3 days with regular milk and about 7 days with Evaporated milk. Keep it in a sealed bottle or a small covered pitcher to have on hot days. You can mix in the basil seeds too. They stay at the bottom, so stir well before pouring out the drink for yourself.

Easy summer thirst quenchers on this blog

Apple celery green juice
Nectarine fizz
Fresh fig milkshake
Strawberry lassi
Cherry watermelon smoothie

Stay connected

If you have spent your childhood in the tropics, I am sure you would have also had a version of this. Pink milk as it is fondly called us now revived for me. Try out this caffeine-free, afternoon pick-up and rate us using the star system below. Share in the comments your childhood experiences with the easy thirst quencher. Subscribe to us for new recipes or visit us often.
Enjoy your glass while I get some more. 

 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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 If you are a Chinese food lover, then Khimchi is not a new item.  I was introduced to khimchi when I first dined at Mainland China years ago. Mainland China is one of the most popular Asian Fine Dine restaurant in India that serves many authentic Asian dishes .

For the uninformed, Khimchi is a way of preserving veggies like a pickle and is served alongside the main course meal . Mostly when fresh veggies aren't available either due to weather or any other factor, then this Khimchi comes to the rescue. 

 I had Googled many recipes on how-to make Khimchi at home and had been wanting to try from a long time.  Finally I narrowed down on a recipe from a popular food channel and prepared using that recipe . I was quite happy with the outcome as it was just like the one I have tasted. I made it using cabbage but there are many variants where you can add carrots, daikons etc as well.

This month in our food bloggers' group Shhh cooking secretly Preethi Tandon suggested we explore jams,chutneys ,jellies or preserves from non Indian Cuisine and viola it was the best time to make and enjoy this yummy Khimchi which was a long over due to present itself on the blog.

My partner for this month is the enthusiastic blogger Seema who gave me the versatile ingredients soy sauce and sugar while I gave her  Cumin and lemon as the secret ingredients. with Seema has made a lipsmacking Quince Chutney.. If only I could lay my hands on that chutney now,I would be in the 7th heaven relishing it :-) 

Ingredients 

Method

• In a wide mixing bowl , take the cabbage and mix it with salt and some chilli flakes . Let this rest for 3 to 4 hrs 
• After 3 to 4 hrs the cabbage will appear wilted and soggy.Squeeze out  as much juice you can from the cabbage and transfer it to another bowl.
• In this bowl,now add in all the ingredients except the oil and mix it well.
• Store it in sterilized glass jar,cover it properly and let it ferment for 24hrs .this step is very important to get the perfect taste and texture. 
• Refrigerate after 24hrs and always use a dry spoon while scooping out from the jar.
• Drizzle some sesame  oil over the khimchi just before you serve.

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 Pineapples when combined with thick whisked yogurt makes a perfect accompaniment for any Indian Main course . 

The sweet and tangy flavors from the pineapple raita pair well with a spicy biryani or pulao and strikes a superb balance of taste and enhances the eating experience. 

Pineapples are a power house of nutrients and very healthy . Rich in vit C ,antioxidants and a very good anti inflammatory property due to the presence of Bromelaine, a very powerful enzyme that helps fight inflammation in the body .

Pineapple juice is very effective in treating the sinuses and eases symptoms of cold and allergies.  Bromelain in addition to help alleviate pain of osteoarthritis also helps in maintaining heart health by keeping the cholesterol levels under check .

If we want to keep up with a healthy lifestyle then fresh pineapples must be included as a part of our diet plan regularly.   Pineapple Punch Pineapple Salsa , Cuban Pineapple Salad (courtesy- sizzling tastebuds by Kalyani )are perfect choices for all age groups and can be easily made with available ingredients in our pantry . More so, these recipes are no cook recipes, hence even a beginner or a teenager can also easily rustle them up .

To make pineapple raita we can either use canned or fresh pineapples . If using canned pineapples then drain out the sugar syrup completely before chopping the pineapples .

When using fresh pineapples, please ensure the fruit is sweet and not sour.  Sour or tart pineapples when mixed with yogurt /dahi ruin the taste of the raita .

Pineapple raita is best served chilled ,hence keep it refrigerated until serving. 

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