All about EGGS

Here are a few tricks and tips on eggs:
1. HEALTHY SALAD
For a lighter egg salad, replace mayonnaise with plain low-fat yogurt. You could also spice it up with a spoonful of Dijon mustard, freshly ground black pepper and chopped fresh herbs. Use only as much dressing as needed to bind the chopped eggs together.
For an easy and colourful brunch, lunch or spring dinner, first scoop out the flesh from a big ripe tomato, place it on a bed of lettuce on a plate and fill with a salad made with two eggs per serving. Garnish with a few asparagus tips and serve with crusty whole wheat bread.
2. GARNISHING WITH EGGS
If you have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, you can use them to make a nutritious garnish. Simply chop finely and sprinkle over soups, salads, pasta dishes such as macaroni and cheese, and cooked vegetables. A chopped egg garnish is particularly good with asparagus, broccoli or cauliflower.
Add one of the following ingredients to your favourite egg salad recipe for filling sandwiches, spreading on crackers, or stuffing celery sticks: crumbled cooked bacon and chives; well-drained crushed pineapple; grated carrots and chopped nuts; salad shrimps and chopped green pepper or chives; curry powder and diced celery.
3. FUNNY SANDVICHES FOR KIDS
Use egg salad to make funny face sandwiches for the children. Spread egg salad on a slice of bread or a toasted English muffin half. Use alfalfa sprouts or grated carrots to make hair. For the eyes, use halved cherry tomatoes or radish slices. A piece of cucumber or a baby carrot will make a fine nose and, for the mouth, a tomato wedge or a piece of carrot or celery will be just dandy.
4. STORING EGGS
In the refrigerator, keep your eggs in their original container which holds them more securely and protects from absorbing odours. Eggs should be stored large end up to help the yolk remain well-centered and keep eggs fresher longer.
When you plan on bringing egg salad, egg sandwiches, or hard-boiled eggs to work or school for lunch, remember that eggs are perishable and should be handled with care. Prepare salads, sandwiches or hard-boiled eggs in a sanitary environment. Carefully wrap food in plastic wrap or put in plastic bags or recyclable air-tight containers and place in the refrigerator. When it's time to go, put a box of frozen juice or an ice pack in the lunch box to keep eggs cool till lunchtime.
Egg-based dishes (quiches, soufflés, omelettes, etc.) and hard-boiled eggs must be refrigerated as soon as possible and used within 3 to 4 days after cooking.
Eggs and mayonnaise sandwich fillings and spreads can be made the day before and refrigerated.
5. EGG FRESHNESS
There are two very simple ways to check eggs for freshness. The first is to shake the egg close to your ear: if it makes no noise, it's fresh. The second way is to place the egg in water. If the egg sinks and remains on the bottom, it's fresh; if it floats, it has lost some freshness. In that case, check the "best before" date on the carton. Did you know that at room temperature, eggs deteriorate as fast in one day as eggs kept in the refrigerator do in a week?
6. EGG FLAVOURING
It's easy to give eggs a deliciously different taste. Simply wrap fresh eggs in aluminum foil with tarragon, thyme or laurel leaves. Leave in the refrigerator from 24 to 48 hours then cook as usual.
7. HARD-BOILED EGGS
Cooking eggs in salted water will make your hard-boiled eggs even more delicious. And salt also helps keep shells from cracking.
Using older eggs to make hard-boiled eggs will make them easier to shell.
8. POACHED EGGS
To poach eggs, fill a saucepan two-third full with water. Add 15 mL (1 tbsp) vinegar for each litre of water and bring to a boil. Make sure the eggs you use are fresh: fresh egg whites will spread easily and will not cling to the yolk. Gently simmer 4 to 5 eggs at a time from 3 ½ to 4 minutes, then drain.
9. SCRAMBLED EGGS
To make light and foamy scrambled eggs, separate the whites from the yolks. Whip the whites until soft peaks form. In another bowl, beat the yolks with a fork. Fold the beaten yolks into the whites and cook as usual.
10. OMELETTE
There's something irresistible about a good omelette. We recommend that you beat the eggs just before cooking. If you let the eggs rest before cooking, even briefly, your omelette won't be as deliciously spongy.
11. Bubble Bath
Whisk two egg yolks with six tablespoons of baby shampoo. Pour this mixture under the tap while filling the bath. Source: Filles: Clin d'œil, March 2006

Tomato Pickle 1

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 1 Kg
Turmeric powder - 1 tspn
Vinegar - 1 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

For paste:
Ginger - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 1/2 cup
Dry Red Chillies - 15-20 Nos.

For Tempering:
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves few
Red chillies - 2 nos.
Sesame Oil - 1/4 cup

Preparation:
Cut the tomatoes put it in a bowl along with turmeric, 1 cup of vinegar and salt. Let it soak for 2 hrs. Meanwhile make a paste with ginger, garlic and redchillies. Now take oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, redchillies, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, add in the paste, saute it for a while then add in soaked tomato mixture and rest of the vinegar. Cook it till it achieves a thick paste kind of consistency and oil floats on top. Store it in a jar. This one goes well with Dosas, Idlies, Pongal, Chappatties, Curd rice, any kind of roties.

Food Facts File

Iam opening this file to give out information more about food rather than just to satisfy our taste buds. Food is the source of energy, safe guards our immune system, provides us to stay healthy in the long run. Apart from that, it gives us healthy skin, hair even healthy mind. It beautfies us from inside out. So, I want every one to know We are what We eat - Healthy body, Healthy Mind and Healthy Living. And so you can modify your eating habits, and see to that you get a balanced diet by feeding each and every cell of yours with good nutrition. For this reason I keep collecting lots of information from various sources and giving it here.

Tomatoes:
Tomatoes are high in lycopene, which helps to flush out free radicals in our body. These lycopene also fights against several types of cancers.
Cooked tomatoes are richer than raw ones. Cooking tomatoes in oilive oil allows your body to absorb the lycopene better. They are rich in potassium and conatins niacin, vitamin B6, and folate, which are great for the heart. Tomatoes are rich in two antiageing free-radicals lycopene and beta carotene. While picking up tomatoes make sure you choose the ones that come in the brightest shades of red as these have high amounts of betacarotene and lycopene.
Since they contain lots of fibre and are low in calories, tomatoes are a great food to include in your diet if you're keen on losing some weight. Beta carotene gets converted into vitamin A once you eat it. Vitamin A helps in the development of healthy skin, hair and aids vision and development of bones and teeth.

Cabbage Poriyal

This is an simple yet healthy cobination of vegetable with dal and coconut. Easy to prepare and healthy as well as tasty combination with your meal.
Ingredients:
Cabbage - 1/2 kg (serves 4-5)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Green chillies - 1-2 nos.
Channa Dhal / Moong Dal - 2 tbspn (Soaked for 10 mins.)
(its an variation either one you can use. Taste differs with each one)
Coconut grated - 2 tblspn.
Oil - 2 tblspns.

Preparation:
Wash and chop the cabbage finely. Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds, when it spultters add slit green chilles, curry leaves and goes the soaked dhal with some water. Let it boil for a while till dhal is almost cooked add in the cabbage, salt mix it and cover it with a lid. When the vegetables are cooked and still crunchy sprinkle grated coconut and some chopped coriander leaves mix it and serve.

Ripe Mango Curry

Ingredients:

Ripe Mango - 2 nos. (cut in to pieces)

turmeric - little

Salt little

Curd - 2 cups

For masala paste:

Coconut grated - 1 cup

turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Green chillies - 3-4 nos. (according to your spice requirement)

Cumin seeds - 1 tbspn

Ginger - little (optional)

For tadka:

Oil - 2 tblspn

mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tspn

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Dry red chillies - 2 nos.

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation:

Boil the mangoes with some water, little turmeric and little salt. Boil it till its well cooked and slightly mash some pieces. mean while prepare the masala paste, beat the curd mix it with the masala paste. Now add this curd and masala mixture to the boiling mangoes. Don't let the mixture boil. Take it off the flame when it is about to boil. Make the tempering and pour it over the curry. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Tomato Kulambu

Ingredients:

1. Onion (big) - 1 no
2. Tomatoes - 5 nos.
3. Vegetable: 2 nos(Drumstick / potatoes)
4. Garlic - 7 pods
5. Ginger - 1 inch piece (chopped)
6. Tamarind - Gooseberry size (soak and extract the juice
7. Kulambu milagai podi - 2 teaspoon
8. Green chillies - 2 nos. slit
9. Coconut milk - 1 cup
10. Salt to taste

For the masala paste:

1. Coconut - 2 tablespoon
2. poppy seeds - 1 table spoon
3. fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon

for tempering:

1. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
2. Urad Dhal broken - 1/2 teaspoon
3. Channa Dhal - 1 teaspoon
4. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Garnishing : Coriander leaves chopped

Preparation:

Wash and cut the drumstick in to 11/2 inch pieces. For potatoes peel the skin and cut into 1 inch cubes. Chop the onions length wise. Chop 3 tomatoes length wise and 2 cubed. Heat oil in a pan, add ingredients for tempering . When the mustard seeds splutters, add garlic, ginger, onions and greenchillies fry for a while then add in vegetables, fry for a minute, then goes the tomatoes, fry for a while, then add in kulambu chilly powder and salt fry for a minute or two. Now add the tamarind water and let the vegetables get cooked. Now add in the ground paste and coconut milk, little water, let the gravy come to a boil then garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot. you can also make this gravy without the vegetables.

Masala Egg Fry

Ingredients:

1. Hard boiled Eggs - 4 Nos.
2. Red Chilli Powder - 2 teaspoon
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon
5. pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Black salt - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
8. Thick Curd - 1 Table spoon
9. Oil - 1 tablespoon + for frying
10. Salt to taste

Preparation:

Shell the eggs and cut it in to halves. Take a plate, put all the powders, Salt, curd and oil mix it all well into a paste, adjusting curd and oil if it is too thick. You can also use lemon instead of curd. Coat each piece with the masala mixture nicely. Keep it aside and let it marinate for some time. Now heat a pan with little oil spread over it, place all the pieces, pouring over the remaining masalas over the eggs. Drizzle some oil over all the pieces, fry on both the sides and take it out. Decorate it with some chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Vathakal chutney

Ingredients:

1. Onion big - 2 Nos. / Shallots - 15 Nos.
2. Tomatoes big - 1 No.
3. Dry Red Chillies - 3 Nos.
4. Mint leaves - Few
5. Garlic - 5 pods
6. Curry leaves - few (optional)
7. Coconut grated - 2 tablespoon
8. Tamarind - little
9. Rock salt to taste

Tempering:

1. Oil - 2 Tablespoon
2. Red chillies - 2 Nos.
3. Mustard Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
4. Asafoetida - little

Preparation:

Heat a pan with little oil, now add in Redchillies fry for a minute, add in onions, fry till transulent. Then add in curry leaves, mint leaves and garlic fry for a minute, then add in tomatoes, fry for a while. Then add the coconut, take it off the fire. Cool it and grind it along with tamarind and salt. Now heat the rest of the oil for tempering add mustard seeds, redchillies and asafoetida, when the mustard splutters pour it over the chutney.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

1. Coconut Grated - 1 cup
2. Fresh green chillies - 2-3 Nos
3. Tamarind - two pinch
4. Ginger - little
5. Rock salt to taste

Tempering:

1. Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
2. Oil - 1 tablespoon
3. Red chillies - 2 Nos.
4. Asafoetida - little

Preparation:

Place the coconut, green chillies, tamarind, ginger and salt in the mixer and grind it with little water. Take it out and temper it with oil, mustard seeds, red chillies and asafoetida. Serve with Idly, dosa, appam, adai, pongal etc. Most people add chutney dhal / Fried gram dhal for making cocnut chutney but I don't use it because it changes the taste.

Kara Chutney

Ingredients:

1. Onions (big) - 2 Nos.(cubed) / Shallots - 15-20 Nos.
2. Tomatoes - 2 Nos. (cubed)
3. Red Chillies - 3 Nos.
4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon.
5. Oil - 2 tablespoon
6. Asafoetida powder - little
7. Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Fry the redchillies for a minute and add in onions and fry till it become transulent. Now, add in tomatoes and fry for two minutes. Take it off the stove. Cool it and grind it in the mixer with little salt (preferably rock salt). I always use rock salt for making chutneys and podis. Now heat a pan with the rest of the oil, splutter in mustard seeds, two red chillies and asafoetida. Pour the tempering over the chutney and serve with Idlis, dosas and appams.

How to check and buy vegetables

Tomatoes : Tomatoes should be ripe, red and firm.

Potatoes : Potatoes skin should be clear without any shrink or green colour init.

Brinjal : Stem of the brinjal will be thick for good ones. Also check for holes init.

Ladies finger : Should select soft, fresh and tender ones. Tip of the vegetable will be tender.

Carrot : Select bright coloured ones without any green colour in it. Also take thin to medium sized for juicy and sweet carrots.

Beetroot : Make a pinch with your nails, to see the inner flesh colour. Rich colour shows the good ones.

Kathirikai Kulambu

Brinjals are one of the best vegetables which we can use for making gravies. It tastes yummy in which ever way your make, either it going to be any curry / avial / vathakal / kolambu / kootu / sambar any thing and it also goes well with any thing like tiffin, rice, chapatties, curd rice. Here comes a basic kolambu recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Tender Brinjal - 1/4 kg.


2. Onion (big) - 1 No. chopped


3. Tomatoes - 2 Nos. Chopped


4. Green chillies - 2 Nos. Slitted


5. Garlic - 8 cloves


6. Tamarind - Lemon sized (Soak and take the pulp)


7. Kulambu milagai Podi - 2 tablespoon


8. Coconut - grated 1/4 cup


9. Poppy seeds - 2 teaspoon


10. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon


11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon


12. Red chillies - 2 Nos.


13. Curry leaves - few


14. Salt to taste

* If you don't have kulambu milagai podi, substitute it with 11/2 spoon Redchilly powder, 3 spoons of coriander powder and 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder.

Preparation :

If the brinjals are tender and small/medium in size, just cut the stem keeping the flower shaped part of the stem init. Just slit the brinjals to get four intact petals like cut. If the brinjal is big, cut it in to cubes.

Heat oil in a pan. Throw in mustard seeds, when it splutters, add fenugreek seeds, red chillies and curry leaves. Fry for a minute. Now add in garlic, onion and greenchillies, fry for a while till onion becomes soft. Now add in tomatoes, keep frying till it becomes soft and pulpy. Add the brinjals, keep frying till the colour of the brinjal changes. Add Kulambu milagai podi. Fry for a minute or two. Pour in the tamarind pulp with salt and some water. close the lid, let the vegetable get cooked in the gravy. Meanwhile grind the coconut and poppy seeds into paste. When the brinjals are cooked add in the coconut poppy seed paste. Boil it for some time. Serve with hot rice and any poriyal of your choice.

Idli Milagai Podi

Ingredients:

1. Urad Dhal - 1/2 Cup
2. Chenna dhal - 1/2 Cup
3. Red Chillies - 30 Nos.
4. Sesame Seeds - 1/2 Cup
5. Garlic - 1 Pod (big)
6. Curry Leaves - 1/2 Cup
7. Tamarind - Goseberry size
8. Asafoetida - Cherry sized cube / 1 tsp powdered
9. Rock salt - 1 Tablespoon

Preparation :

Heat oil in a kadai / wok. Add in Red Chillies, fry it for 2 minutes then add in chenna dhal, fry for a while, then goes Urad dhal fry for a while, and add in sesame seeds, curry leaves,garlic pods.If your adding asafoetida cube fry it before redchillies or else you can add the powdered one at this stage. keep frying till the dhal changes its colour and the curry leaves gets roasted/dried. put in the tamarind. Allow it to cool. Powder it coarsely. Store this in a container. Stays good for a long time. To serve mix it with sesame / sunflower oil. Usually this is relished with Idli, dosai, Adai, Pesarattu etc.

Tips: You can also sprinkle this podi on top while making dosas to get podi dosa or you can sprinkle on top of idli,drizzle some oil to make podi idli which will also taste yummy.

Mixed Vegetable Uppma

This recipe is simple, tasty and nutritious. My Kids and my husband love this receipe. Unlike the regular uppma which we make seems to be boring in many houses. A touch of vegetables brings a lively taste to uppmas. Here the recipe follows

Ingredients:
(Serves : 4)
Rawa : 1cup
Onion : 1 No. Chopped
Carrot : 1 No. Chopped
Beans : 10 Nos. Chopped
Potato :1 No. Chopped
Cabbage: 1/2 cup Chopped
Broad Beans : 1/2 cup Chopped
Cauliflower : 1/2 cup Chopped
Water : 3 1/2 cups
Salt to taste

For tempering:
Oil : 1/4 Cup
Mustard Seeds : 1tspn.
Red Chillies : 2 broken
Gram dal : 1 tspn
Urad dal :1 tspn
Curry leaves : 1 or 2 Sprigs
Ginger Chopped : 1 tspn

Preparation:
1. Take a broad kadai. Heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the rawa till raw smell goes or till light brown in colour (If you use roasted one, no need to roast the rawa, you can use it directly) remove from fire and keep it aside in a vessel.
2. Heat the rest of the oil in the same kadai, now add in the ingredients for tempering one by one. Fry till the dals changes to golden brown in colour.
3. Now add in chopped onions and fry till soft. Then add in the mixed vegetables one by one. Add in little salt for the vegetable alone and close it with a lid. Open and Stir it once in a while till the vegtable are cooked and stays crispy still.
4. Now add in measured water and salt(approximately 11/2 tsp.) let it boil.
5. When it start Boiling add in the rawa slowly taking care no lumps are formed. Keep stirring till the rawa get cooked completly. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with coconut chutney / sambar/ tomato thokku or as it is.