The South Indian food is loved by folks because of their simple preparation techniques and the nutrition value which remains intact in their recipes. You can prepare quickly some South Indian recipes without compromising the taste, aroma and nutrition of food. All you need is to arrange the ingredients of the required recipes. Remember, the South Indian Food are very much taste oriented and if you minus one ingredient, perhaps there may be some chance of mission the origin flavor of it. For example a lot people prepare dosa a popular dish of south India without fenugreek seeds in them which reduce the taste of the dosa to a large extent.

Here are few simple yet healthy recipes of South India Food which you can prepare in your home in no time.

Carrot Rice

This is a yummy dish of South India Cuisine and served as quick breakfast or lunch at homes.

The ingredients:
2 cups of basmati rice cooked well. 1 cup of fresh carrot grated and 1 onion chopped finely. 2 green chillies, ½ cuped boiled peas, 1 tabsp urad dal, 1 tbsp cashew nuts, 1 tbsp mustard seeds, salt to taste, ½ tbsp red chilly powder, ½ tbsp turmeric powder, 4 tbsp lemon juice, coriander leaves, oil for cooking and little bit of cumin.

Take a shallow pan and heat 2 tbspoon of oil. Add the mustard seeds, when they strart spluttering add the urad dal and cashew nuts. Sauté the mixture in oil in low flame till they are brown in color and add turmeric powder, chilly powder, and salt. Now mix the grated carrot and boiled peas and sprinkle with water. Keep the pan cover in low flame till the carrots are tender. Now add lemon juice and add the boiled rice to the pan. With a cooking spoon mix the rice well with the stuff in the pan. Cook for another 3-4 minutes in medium flame. Garnish with coriander leaves. The delicious carrot rice is ready.

Chettinad Chicken

This chicken recipe is very popular throughout India because of its preparation style and nutrition value.

The ingredients:
1 kg of chicken washed can cut into bite pieces. Ginger garlic paste, 2 onions chopped, 1 ½ tsp black peppercorns, 1 ½ tsp white poppy seeds, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 twigs of curry leaves, 2 tbsp fennel seeds, 4 green chillies, salt to taste, 1 tbsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp chilly powder, cooking oil, 1 tomato mashed properly and coriander leaves for garnishing.

Smear the chicken pieces in salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder and little oil properly. Heat the oil in a large shallow pan, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, chopped onion, and fry till they are brown in color. Add the black peppercorns, poppy seeds, green chilies, curry leaves to it and sauté the spices properly. Keep the mixture aside and now add the remaining onion and ginger garlic paste to the oil and fry till they are brown in color. Add the smashed tomato, coriander powder, sauted spices, and rest of powders of turmeric and chilly. Mix the mixture well and if require sprinkle water over it. Now add the chicken and add salt for taste. Fry the mixture in medium flame for at least 6 minutes. Pour some amount of water and cover the lid of the pan and cook for 15 minutes. The gravy would turn almost dry. When the chicken becomes tender and the gravy quite thick put off the flame and cover the lid for another 5 minutes. The Chettinad chicken is ready to be served with hot bun or rice.

Protein rich pulses are a must in the Indian meal because they offer much of the nutritional material required for the upkeep of our body system at a lower cost-they are substantially cheaper than meats. you will find all variety of pulses, here in India, from whole to spilt pulses like sabat urad (whole black gram), chana dal (spilt Bengal gram) with or without skin, lentils like arhar dal (red gram) and dried beans like rajma (kidney beans).listed below are some delicious recipes made from such pulses which forms a very part of Indian culture.

Tuvar dal (red gram) in Gujarati style

Ingredients:
7 cups water;1 ½ cups oily red gram washed;1 tsp turmeric powder;5 ½ tsp salt;1 tsp red chili powder;1 ½ tbsp coriander powder;65 gms jaggery crushed;1 medium chopped tomato;5 green chilies slit;7 pieces cocum washed;2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped

For tempering:
2 tbsp vegetable oil;1 tsp mustard seeds; ½ tsp cumin seeds;2 whole dry red chilies; 1 sprig curry leaves ;1 large pinch of asafetida

Method:

1. Pour 4 cups water into cooker. Add red gram, turmeric powder and salt. Stir once.

2. Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally.

4. Open cooker. Mash dal well with back of a ladle to blend with liquid.

5. Place cooker with dal on high heat. Add remaining water (3 cups) and all other ingredients except those for tempering.

6. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. For tempering, heat oil in a pan for about 1 minute. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When crackling, add red chilies, curry leaves and asafetida. Stir for a few seconds and pour over dal. Stir and serve hot.

Sambhar

Ingredients:
11/2 tbsp vegetable oil;6 whole dry red chilies;3 whole dry red chilies(Kashmiri);1 tbsp Bengal rgam;1 cm. piece asafetida;1/2 cup grated coconut grated;2 sprigs curry leaves;1/4 cup coriander seeds;1/2 tsp cumin seeds;1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds;5 ½ cups water;1 cup red gram washed;1/2 tsp turmeric powder;4 tsp salt;25 gms tamarind soaked in 1 cup hot water for 15 minute and pulp extracted; 1 medium onion chopped into 5 pieces;2 drumsticks peeled and cut into 5cm.long pieces

For tempering:
2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan for about 1 minute and roast together whole chilies, Bengal gram,asafetida,coconut,1 sprig curry leaves, coriander, cumin and fenugreek seeds till coconut turns golden brown.

2. Grind roasted ingredients into a paste, adding a little water (1/2 cup) from time to time. Now pour 3 cups water into cooker. Add red gram, turmeric powder and salt. Stir once. Close cooker .bring to complete pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 4 minutes. Then remove cooker from heat .allow to cool naturally.

3. Open cooker. Mash dal completely with black of a ladle to blend with liquid. Add round paste, tamarind pulp, onion, drumsticks, remaining curry leaves (1 sprig) and water (2 cups).stir once.

4. Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Remove cooker immediately from heat. Reduce pressure by placing cooker in a basin of cold water for about 2 minutes. Open cooker.

5. For tempering, heat oil in a pan with mustard seeds, when they starts to crackle, pour into sambhar. Stir and serve hot

Here are some refreshing and mouth watering soggy cheesy salad recipes for all food lovers.

Marinated mushroom salad

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced fresh button mushrooms;2 tbsp olive oil;1 tsp(chopped)garlic;1 tsp(chopped)ginger;1 (chopped)onion;1 tsp paprika flakes;1 tsp Soya sauce; 1 tsp red chili sauce;1 tsp green chili sauce;1 tbsp tomato ketchup;1 tbsp white wine(optional);red and yellow capsicums shredded;1 cup lettuce leaves; salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Clean the mushrooms well using Maida and then wash under a running tap slice each into 3-4 slices and keep in cold water. Heat olive oil in a pan, sauté the garlic and ginger in a pan, add the onion and the mushrooms and toss well. Cook for just about 2 minutes and remove. Cool and mix all the sauces and paprika etc, season well and chill the same. Arrange the assorted lettuce leaves on the serving plate and arrange the chilled marinated mushroom salad on it. Top with red and yellow capsicum juliennes.

Baby corn and Soya chunk salad

Ingredients:
1 cup baby corn sliced;1 cup soyabean chunks soaked in hot water for 20 minutes;1 tsp garlic (chopped);2 tbsp olive oil;1 tbsp red chili sauce;1 tbsp imli chutney;1 tsp chaat masala;1 tsp lime juice;1 tbsp peanut butter dissolved in 3tbsp water; salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat olive oil in a pan, sauté the garlic for a few seconds, add the baby corn and toss well. Add seasonings to taste and the peanut butter, soyabean chunks which have been soaked and then drain. Toss well for 10 seconds and remove. Serve the salad chilled over a bed of lettuce leaves. Drizzle with the sauce and chaat masala.

Mix vegetable salad with coconut dressing

Ingredients:
1 carrot peeled and diced;2 capsicums diced; 2 cucumbers peeled and diced;1/2 cup cherry tomatoes;1 white radish peeled and cubed;4-6 baby corns sliced;1/2 cup small onions peeled; 1 cup iceberg lettuce eaves

For dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise sauce;1/2 tsp mustard paste;1 tbsp peanuts(chopped);1 tbsp tomato ketchup; ½ cup sliced tender coconut

Method:

Prepare the veggies for the salad. Chill until tossed in the salad. For the dressing mix all the ingredients and toss with veggies and arrange the salad on a bed f crisp lettuce leaves and garnish with roasted peanuts. Serve chilled.

Summers are back here again. If on one end you find sweltering weather with blazing sun rays heating you up, leaving you with sweaty body and dry lips, then on other end, you find surrounded by enormous variety of juicy and sap full fruits and vegetables that help you to beat this sultry weather.

The salads prepared from such luscious fruits and vegetables provide us relief in this stifling climate. Salads form the best form of appetizers, falling under the lightest form of food groups.

The intake of fibrous fruits, vegetables eases out the digestive system and accelerates the metabolic rate, thus improving our energy levels, regulating bowel movements, digestion, increasing our concentration and clarity of thoughts and providing us clearer skin. Here are some sumptuous, refreshing salads recipes for all food lovers.

Chilled bean salad with pickles

Ingredients:
1 cup chauli boiled; 1 cup French beans boiled; 2 tbsp mango pickle (chopped) with masala; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp chaat masala

For garnishing:
1 tbsp red capsicum diced;1 cup green lettuce leaves;2 tbsp lime juice; salt to taste

Method:

In a mixing bowl combine the boiled chauli beans and the French beans along with the mango pickles and the salt, lime, chaat masala and olive oil and toss well. Serve chilled on a bed of the chilled crisp lettuce leaves lined on the serving platter. Garnish the salad with the chopped red capsicum and serve immediately.

Cucumber and pepper salad with honey

Ingredients:
2 cucumber peeled and diced;2 red capsicum diced;2 yellow capsicums diced;2 green capsicum diced;2 onions diced;8-10 cherry tomatoes

For the dressing:
1/3rd cup honey;2 tbsp lime juice;2 tbsp olive oil;1 tsp chaat masal;1 tsp green chilies chopped;1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tsp ginger juice; salt and crushed pepper to taste

Method:

Cut up all the veggies for the salad and keep them in ice-cold water until tossed. To prepare the dressing, mix the ingredients in a bowl and whip them up well. Toss the salad in the dressing and serve immediately on a bed of crispy iceberg lettuce leaves and garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Long before the chowmein conundrum congested our collective consciousness, the only smoodle of a noodle we could boast of in India was the simple sev and seviyan. The noodle have been slurped, gulped and twirled for centuries by cultures around the world but as for now, it won’t be wrong if I say that indeed, India has been totally noodle-ified today.

Noodles vary in width-they can be as thick as coffee stir sticks or as thin as thread. When it comes to length, however, they are usually served long and uncut in the belief that long noodle symbolize a long life. This is one reason why, in keeping with Chinese tradition, noodles are commonly served at birthday celebrations. noodles ,collectively known as mein, can be made from just about anything-wheat, mungbean, cornflour, rice, soyabean…..interestingly what we refer to as chowmein in India is actually lo mein-a dish in which boiled noodles are tossed in the work and mixed with other ingredients. Chowmein, on the other hand, have stir-fried ingredients served over noodles!

Below are some lip smacking noodle recipe that you can try out.

Manchurian salad with noodles

Ingredients:
2 cups boiled hakka noodles

For vegetable Manchurian balls:
1 cup grated carrots;1 capsicum(chopped);1 tsp garlic(chopped);1 tsp ginger(chopped);1/2 cup cabbage(chopped);3 tbsp maida;2 tsp Soya sauce;1 tsp chili sauce; oil to fry; salt and pepper to taste

To prepare the Manchurian dressing:
2 tbsp Soya sauce;1 tbsp chili sauce;1 tsp oil;1 tsp garlic(chopped);1 tsp ginger(chopped);1 tsp chilies(chopped);1 tsp coriander leaves(chopped);1/2 cup water;1 tbsp cornflour solution to thicken;2 tsp green spring onion(chopped);salt and pepper to taste

Method:

For vegetable Manchurian balls:
In a bowl mix the veggies with sauces and salt and Maida, and mix well, drop spoonful of the mix in oil and fry them until golden brown. Remove and keep aside.

To prepare Manchurian dressing:
Heat oil in a pan, sauté garlic, ginger, chilies, add the water, Soya sauce, chili sauce, seasonings, and bring to a boil. Add the cornflour solution and spring onion greens and coriander leaves. Mix well and remove. Cool and toss with Manchurian balls and noodles and serve chilled. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.