Category Archives: Heath & Fitness

South Indian recipes like idli, sambar, etc are very healthy and easy to make using method given. The south Indian recipes include idlis, dosaii, rasam, sambar, uttapam, Seeralam, etc.

Idli is a favorite dish of South Indians. It is eaten with sambhar or chutney. South Indian dishes are liked not only throughout India but also the world over.

Recipe type: South Indian, cholesterol free
Preparation time: 40 minute

• Ingredients
• For Idli
• Rice Rava 3 cups
• Urad Dal (Split black gram) 1 cup
• Canola oil 1 Tbsp
• Water
• For Sambhar
• Arahar/Toor Dal 1 cup, washed and soaked in water for 1/2 hour.
• Carrot 1/2, chopped thin 1 inch size
• Green chili 5, chopped
• Okra (Ladies fingers, bhindi) 5, chopped thin 1 inch size
• Egg plant (Baingan) baby , tubular type 3 small size, chopped thin 1 inch size
• Tomato 1, chopped
• Ginger 1/2 inch chopped
• Coriander leaves, chopped 1 cup
• Curry leaves (curry patta) 8-10
• Lemon/Lime juice 1 tsp
• Tamarind (imli) 1 tsp soaked in water and crushed
• Water 4-5 cups
• Spices For Sambar
• Salt to taste
• Red chili powder 1 tsp
• Coriander powder 1 tsp
• Cummin seeds 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp
• Hing (Asafoateda) powder 1/8 tsp
• Mustered seeds 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek (Methi) seeds 1 tsp
• Canola oil 3 tsp

Preparation of Idli
Wash rice rava. Soak in water for 8-10 hours.
Wash dal. Soak in water for 8-10 hours.
Drain all the water from the dal and grind in a grinder to get a fine thick paste.
Drain all the water from the rice rava and add rava to the dal of step 3. Add salt to taste (about 1 tsp). Mix well.
Transfer the mixture of step 4 to a deep skillet, whose size should be such that its more than half portion remains empty. You can take mixture in two skillets of smaller size. Cover the skillet with a plate.
Place the skillet in a warm place for 8-10 hours to let the mixture ferment. The mixture will raise and fill the skillet. In winter, you can place it in oven (switched off).
Grease the idli maker plates with the oil and fill with the mixture of step 7. Cook for about 10 minutes.
OR if you do not have idli maker,

Take a flat bottom wide skillet. Pour 2 cups of water. Invert a round cake making empty dish on the base of the skillet.

Take another round cake making dish, lightly grease it and fill it to a height of about half centimeter with the mixture of step 6.

Place this dish on the inverted dish in the skillet. Cover the skillet with a plate.
Put the skillet on medium heat. Let the water in the skillet boil for 8-10 minutes. Switch off the heat and let the skillet stand for another 10 minutes.
Remove the lid of the skillet, take out the idli dish, invert it to remove the idli. cut into smaller pieces and serve hot.

Preparation of Sambar
Take dal in a pressure cooker and add 2 cups water and 1 tsp salt. Cook for about 8-10 minutes after the pressure is reached.

Take methi seed in a frying pan and place it on medium heat. Roast the seeds until turn dark. Remove the seeds and let them cool. Grind in a grinder to make powder.

In a deep skillet take 2 tspn oil and put on medium heat. When the oil gets hot, first add cummin seeds. When the seeds pops up, add all the spices including methi powder. Fry the spices for a while and add all the vegetables including coriander leaves and curry leaves. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cup water. Boil for 10 minutes. Add dal of step 1 and mix well.
Serve idli and sambhar hot.

Tips

Fermentation is the key steps in making idlis. The softness of idlis (like sponge) depends on proper fermentation. After fermentation, the dal-rava mixture should increase to at least double the volume. The fermentation is slow in winter and quick in summer.

Ferment only the required quantity of dal-rava mixture and store the rest in the refrigerator. Take it out 4 hours before putting for fermentation.

The typical flavour of sambar will come from methi powder.
If you have made too many idlis, store them in the refrigerator. When required, take out and microwave them for a few seconds to get idlies as good as fresh and serve with hot sambhar. Actually no body will know that they are not freshly made.

It is a good idea to make methi powder in advance and keep it in air tight bottle.
Spicy Idli Recipe

Spicy idli is a modification of south Indian idli recope as given above.
Recipe type:, cholesterol free
Preparation time:30 minutes
Ingredients:

Rice Rava 3 cups
Urad Dal (Split black gram) 1 cup
Canola oil 3 tsp
Water
Onion 2 finely chopped
Green chili 2 finely chopped
Coriander leaves chopped, 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Red chili powder 1/2 tsp
Cummin seeds 1/2 tsp
Preparation

Wash rice rava. Soak in water for 8-10 hours.
Wash dal. Soak in water for 8-10 hours.
Drain all the water from the dal and grind in a grinder.
Drain all the water from the rice rava and add rava to the dal of step 3. Add 1 Tbsp oil and salt to taste (about 1 tsp). Mix well.
Transfer the mixture of step 4 to a deep skillet, whose size should be such that its more than half portion remains empty. You can take mixture in two skillets of smaller size. Cover the skillet with a plate.

Place the skillet in a warm place for 8-10 hours to let the mixture ferment. The mixture should raise and fill the skillet to double the height. In winter, you can place it in oven (switched off).
Add all the spices, green chili and onion, mix well.

Make idlies.
Serve with coriander-mint chutney.

Note: Spicy idlies are very tasty and convenient for picnics, outings as they are eaten with only chutneys and do not require sambhar. They are ideal for lunch boxes.

Adai Ingredients:

Par boiled rice- 2 cups
Red gram dhal- ½ cup
Bengal gram dhal- ½ cup
Green chillies- 6
Grated coconut- 3 tablespoons
Coarsely powdered pepper and cumin -1 teaspoon.
Chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves- 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste – optional
oil- for frying – use sparingly

Makes about 20 Adais

Directions :

Soak rice and dhal together for 2-3 hours. Grind it along with coconut and chillies till it becomes a thick paste. Mix in the other ingredients. Heat a heavy dosa pan and spread little batter on it using the ladle into a thick circular adai. Add a teaspoon of oil around and fry on both sides in medium flame. Serve hot with chutney or tomato sauce. Enjoy!

Health and physical fitness tips including information on men’s and women’s health and wellness, and all five components of physical fitness: strength training, weight management, cardiovascular exercise, nutrition, and flexibility training which are discussed in the Build Muscles: The Place to Start section of the site.

Don’t Smoke – One of the main reasons why people decide not to give up smoking, and sadly, the reason why some people take it up is the effect smoking supposedly has on weight gain or loss. It is true that smoking has been associated with an increase in metabolism it is a drug!! However it is a dangerous, addictive drug and surely the tiny effect it has on your metabolism is outweighed by the huge risk of dying from lung cancer.

Drink More Water – You can live three weeks without food, However you can only live for three days without fluid, just think 3 days and its all over, one could suggest that water is fairly important! Your body is anywhere between 60 and 70 percent fluid. The fluid in your body is responsible for helping to keep every system of your body in good working order, including all of your metabolic processes. De-hydrate and everything slows down. The fluid in your body will also ensure that you can move well and be active. If you start to dehydrate, your body’s ability to do basic activities will slow down and your ability to exercise effectively or even enjoy exercise will be reduced. You will feel tired, lethargic and will probably get a headache.

Eat A Variety Of Foods – For protection from the majority of illnesses such as heart disease and cancer you need a variety of foods that deliver that mix of nutrients and minerals. Aim to eat different colored fruits and vegetables. Try to eat a different food each month. Eat an apple a day as the apple pectin cleanses the body’s digestive system by removing toxins and therefore preventing degenerative health problems such as cancer.

Relax For 20 Minutes a Day – Relaxing for at least 20 minutes a day will go a long way to reduce blood pressure and your reactions to stress. Sit or lie somewhere comfortable, Breathe slowly in and out of the nostrils breathing deeply into your abdomen. Say HAM as you inhale and SA as you exhale. These suggestions are charged with positive energy and will help you control your emotions. Try once a day for fantastic results.

Floss Every Day – Flossing your teeth every day is the best way to prevent gum disease and protect your heart. Gum disease, which is left untreated, can lead to inflammatory reactions in the body that can trigger heart disease and stroke.

Drink More Tea – Try drinking more tea instead of coffee to help protect your body from damaging effects of free radicals. Tea is a rich source of antioxidants that play a big role in protecting against some cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Get Active – Aerobic activity not only burns calories but also increases your metabolism and can keep it elevated for several hours after a workout. You don’t need to spend hours each day on the treadmill or bike to reap the benefits. Exercising aerobically for as little as 20 minutes, three to five days a week will make a big difference. Extra movement throughout the day is also essential, take the stairs instead of the lift, lose the remote and move at every opportunity you can.

Get More Sleep – Lack of sleep changes your hormone levels and capacity to metabolize carbohydrates so less sleep = slower metabolism. Studies have revealed that deep sleep causes cell repair and cell growth, which will speed up the metabolism and burn calories. So aim to get at least eight hours sleep a night.

Eat More Protein – Protein stimulates the major brain chemical dopamine which keeps us alert, try chicken or tuna salads for lunch. Go for complex carbohydrates rather than white flour and sugar, as they will provide a sustained energy source as opposed to a quick hit. Another reason to leave simple carbohydrate out of the diet is that they have a negative effect on your skin and how it ages. The more sugar that is in the body the more you force a chemical reaction causing sugars to attach to proteins and this is very detrimental to your skin.