Orange Skin Kuzhambu – Orange Peel Kulambu Recipe

Orange skin/peel kuzhambu has become my most favorite dish among all the orange skin recipes I had tried so far. Yes, for the last 2 weekends I shared recipes using kamala orange skin like orange peel sweet pachadi and orange peel spicy pachadi. Today I thought of sharing this yummy vatha kuzhambu recipe with orange skin.  I am yet to post orange skin pickle and orange juice rasam recipes. I will try to do it in this weekend. The method of preparation of orange skin kuzhambu is very similar to Brahmin style vatha kulambu without onion and garlic. 

When I tried this kulambu, I was doubtful whether it will taste bitter. But to my surprise, it came out really tasty without much bitterness. I loved it a lot with plain rice topped with sesame oil. My MIL also liked it very much and told that she will be making it regularly at home. 

Friends, do try this orange peel kuzhambu next time when you buy oranges. I hope you all know about the amazing health benefits of orange skin. So do not discard the skin. Try this orange peel kuzhambu, you will love it for sure. So lets see how to make kuzhambu using orange skin with step by step pictures.
Check out my other orange recipes below :

• Orange peel sweet pachadi

• Orange peel spicy pachadi

• Eggless Orange cake

• Orange Mocktail

• Eggless orange biscuit cake

Orange peel / Orange Skin kuzhambu for rice

How to make gravy with orange skin

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Orange peel recipes

Serves: 4

Prep time:5 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Orange skin – 1/4 cup Tamarind – a big gooseberry size Sambar powder – 1 tbsp Jaggery – 2 tsp Salt - as needed Water – as required ( I used 1 cup) To temper Sesame Oil  / gingely oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Methi seeds - 1/8 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Green chilli - 1 no Red chilli - 1 no Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE ORANGE SKIN KUZHAMBU

1. Wash and chop orange skin into small pieces.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Temper all the ingredients given under “To Temper”.
3. Saute orange skin for a minute. Add sambar powder and mix well in low flame.
4. Add tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder, jaggery and boil till gravy thickens & oil floats on top.
5. Serve hot with plain rice adding sesame oil.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and chop orange skin into small pieces. Set aside. Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes and take the extract with 1 cup of water. Keep it ready. Heat oil in a kadai.Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, urad dal, pinched red chilli, slit green chilli, curry leaves. Add the orange pieces. Saute for a minute till it becomes soft.( Actually I forgot to add orange pieces along with seasoning.So I sautéed it separately and added to tamarind extract.Hence the stepwise pictures distract from the instructions). Add sambar powder, saute in very low flame for few seconds.Quickly add 1 cup of tamarind extract, turmeric powder, salt and jaggery. Mix well, check for taste. Add more water, sambar powder if needed. Roll boil the kuzhambu till  orange pieces cook and oil starts to float on top. Remember, this kuzhambu thickens once it cool down completely. So do not boil till too thick. Remove when its semi gravy. Transfer the kuzhambu to a bowl and serve hot with plain rice. Top with sesame oil for more flavor and taste. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of sambar powder as per the tanginess of tamarind. Do not add more orange pieces, it may make the gravy bitter in taste. Adjust the quantity of water based on the consistency you like.

Try this easy, yummy Orange skin kuzhambu just for a change and enjoy with plain rice topped with sesame oil. Serve with any kootu and papad !

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Millet Pongal Recipe Using Millet Ven Pongal Mix

Recently I got a packet of Millet Ven Pongal Mix / Siruthaniya pongal mix & Millet Sambar rice mix from Native Food Store. I tried Pongal mix for my weekend breakfast as I got up late. Its so easy and quick to make.  Our breakfast got ready under 15 minutes. This millet pongal mix is a combination of roasted moong dal, varieties of millets, pepper corns, jeera, salt and cashews. I just followed the instructions given in the pack. 

All we need to do is to add the mentioned amount of water and cook this mix in a pressure cooker. We can also season it with curry leaves and hing in ghee at the end to make it more flavorful. It came out very soft, flavorful & tasty just like homemade ven pongal. Sendhil & Myself loved it very much. We enjoyed it with coconut chutney. 

Friends, Native food store products are available online and they deliver their products all over India. I would strongly recommend to buy this pongal mix from them. I am sure you will love its taste and buy it often. Working women and bachelors can buy this product to make a quick and healthy breakfast/ dinner. Ok, now lets see how to make Millet ven pongal using Native food store’s millet pongal mix.

Click this link to buy millet pongal mix.

Check out their varieties of millet products & rice mix, cold pressed oil in their website.

Also find my post on their Millet Noodles .

Millet Pongal Using Pongal Mix

Millet Ven Pongal recipe using Pongal mix from Native food store.

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Millet Recipes

Serves: 2

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 25 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Millet Pongal Mix - 1 packet ( 200gms)   Water - 4 cups To season Ghee - 1 tbsp Curry Leaves - Few Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp  Hing - a pinch

METHOD

1. In a pressure cooker base, take the millet pongal mix.
2. Add the mentioned amount of water given in the pack.
3. Cook for 2 whistles in very low flame.
4. Open the lid after steam is released. Mix well.
5. Season curry leaves, ginger and hing in ghee. Add to pongal.
6. Mix well and serve hot with coconut chutney !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Take 1 cup of pongal mix in a pressure cooker. Add 4 cups of water, mix well. Close the lid. Pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles. Remove the lid after steam is released. Mix well. Its consistency would be just right. Heat ghee & temper ginger bits, curry leaves & hing. Add to pongal, mix well. Serve hot immediately with coconut chutney. You can add a tsp of ghee while serving If you like. This pongal tastes very soft & flavorful ! Enjoy !

 

Try this healthy, yummy, quick millet pongal with pongal mix. You will love it.

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Goan Kormolas Recipe – Eggless Kormolas - Goan Christmas Recipes

Kormolas is a Goan special Christmas sweets recipe. Traditionally the Christmas goodies, called kuswar are specially prepared by the Catholics in Goa and are distributed to neighbors, friends and relatives during Christmas. It is very similar to Kulkul/ Gala Gala in ingredients and the method of preparation. But its shape is different. Authentically Kormolas is prepared with all purpose flour, sugar, egg, semolina and coconut milk. 

But I tried an eggless version following the recipe of Hilda’s Touch of Spice. It came out really well with a crunchy taste even without egg and tasted mildly sweet. Though I couldn’t make proper shapes, we loved its taste very much. Friends do try this easy, yummy Kormolas recipe during this Christmas. I am sure your family members would enjoy it to the core. Lets see how to make this Goan special Christmas sweet recipe – KORMOLAS with step by step pictures.

Check out my Kerala special Achappam/Rose cookies recipe and Goan KULKUL/KALKAL too. 

Kormolas Recipe - Eggless Version

How to make Goan special Christmas sweet KORMOLAS without egg

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: 30 

Prep time: 15 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 35 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml , 1 tbsp - 15ml , 1 tsp - 5ml All purpose flour/Maida - 1 cup (Levelled) Sugar - 1/3 cup ( Powder the sugar) Melted butter or melted ghee – 1.5 tbsp Salt - a pinch Water or coconut milk - as needed Vanilla Essence - Few drops Cooking oil - to deep fry

HOW TO MAKE EGGLESS KORMOLAS - METHOD

Powder the sugar and keep aside. Take a wide bowl and add maida, salt and powdered sugar.( If you powder 1/3 cup of sugar, you will get around 1/2 cup. Use all the sugar.) Mix well and check for taste. If sweetness is less, add more powdered sugar as per your taste. Melt the ghee and let it become warm. Add it to the maida mixture and make a crumbly mixture. Ghee should spread all over the maida. Now add milk little by little( I used 2 tbsp) and make a dough like a thick, non-sticky roti dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Keep it covered.( Suppose if you have added more water, add little maida and correct the dough) Divide the dough into 2 balls. Take one ball and dust it lightly with maida. Roll it thin to a circle. Trim the edges to bring square shape. Cut into small squares. Make shapes immediately. Do not dry it for long time. Take one square and join one of the opposite edges. Pull the other two edges in the opposite direction and join them. Make a twist at both the ends to give a bud like shape. If you don’t twist it properly, it will open up while frying. Please refer the pictures below to get the idea. Heat cooking oil and test it by dropping a pinch of dough.It should rise on top immediately.( If you are a beginner,make a trial by frying 1-2 before you put them in batches. Check whether it breaks in oil. If it breaks in oil, add little more maida and make the dough.) Lower the flame completely and drop a batch of kormolas at a time.Flame should be low to medium.Let them cook for few minutes till one side turns light golden brown. Flip it and cook the other side till light golden brown. Don’t wait for all the bubbles to cease because kormolas will cook even after removing from the oil. So remove it as soon as it turns golden. While you take out from the oil,it looks & tastes soft.  But when it cools down completely, it will become super crunchy and becomes dark in color too. So please wait till it cools down to enjoy its best taste. Cook the remaining kormolas in batches. Adjust the flame from low to medium whenever needed. Store in an air tight box after it cools down completely. It stays good for a week or two.Enjoy this crispy and yummy snack with your family !

Note

Suppose if you add excess milk and make the dough very sticky, add some more maida to it. If you add more ghee, Kormolas will break in oil. So add the mentioned amount. If the heat of oil is more, the color of kormolas turn golden brown quickly without cooking inside. So deep fry them in low to medium heat oil for uniform cooking. Kormolas will absorb more oil if you fry them in low insufficient heat. So deep fry in proper heat.

Enjoy this crispy Goan special Christmas sweet at home !! Merry Christmas !

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Avarekalu Mixture Recipe – Hyacinth/Field Beans Snacks - Avarekalu Recipes

Avarekalu season is started in Bangalore. Every year I never forget to try some interesting avarekalu recipes during this season. My School moms friends are the biggest inspiration & source for my Karnataka recipes. This year they suggested me to try Avarekalu uppittu & avarekalu mixture recipe. Avarekalu mixture is an yummy South Indian mixture recipe prepared with the combination of deep fried avarekalu(Hyacinth beans / Flat beans/ Indian lilva beans in English, Mochakottai in Tamil, Surti papdi in Hindi), poha, peanuts, nuts and raisins.

 One can find it easily in most of the snacks and savory shops in Bangalore at this time. In many places, people make this mixture only with avarekalu. But I like to add all the other ingredients to yield more quantity and taste. Hitikida avarekalu (Skinless beans) works well for this mixture recipe. It was so good and crunchy to taste. I am sure kids and adults would love to munch it during tea time. It would be ideal for their snacks box as well. Even though its high in calories, its a very tasty indulgence. You can also make this mixture with dry avarekalu/ dried beans by soaking overnight in water. 

Do try this yummy mixture recipe in this avarekalu season. You will love it. Ok, lets see how to make Avarekalu mixture recipe with step by step pictures.

Check out my other Avarekalu Recipes below

1. Avarekalu Saaru
2. Avarekalu pulao
3. Avarekalu sagu for poori, roti 
4. Avarekalu huli

Avarekalu mixture recipe

How to make South Indian style mixture recipe with avarekalu / Mochai / Hyacinth beans

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Snacks

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Hitikida Avarekalu / Skin less Field beans / Hyacinth beans / Pachai mochai kottai - 1 cup Thick poha - 1/2 cup ( Use 1/4 cup for less poha) Peanuts – 2.5 tbsp Fried gram dal - 1 tbsp Cashew nuts - 5 nos (Break into two) Dry grapes/ Raisins - Few (Optional) Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Curry leaves – few Cooking oil – to deep fry Salt - as needed Sugar – 1/4 tsp (optional) Dry coconut pieces – Few (Optional, I din’t use it) Hing / asafetida – A big pinch

HOW TO MAKE AVAREKALU MIXTURE

1. Wash and soak avarekalu in water overnight or for 6 hours.
2. Peel the skin and keep it ready.
3. Spread them in a cloth. Pat it dry.
4. Heat oil and deep fry avarekalu in batches. Cook till bubbles cease.
5. Remove them in a paper towel. Deep fry poha, peanuts, cashews, dry grapes and fried gram dal one by one and add to fried avarekalu.
6. Add salt, red chilli powder and hing. Mix well.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and soak avarekalu in water overnight or for 4 to 6 hours. Peel the skin by pressing the avarekalu between your thumb finger and pointer finger. Skin comes off easily. Collect them in a bowl. You can also split them into two halves if you like. Refer the picture below. Spread the peeled avarekalu in a cotton cloth and pat it dry to remove its moisture completely. Make sure its dry. Do not rest the avarekalu in the cloth for long time. It will become hard to eat after frying. So its enough if you just pat it dry nicely. Heat oil in a kadai to deep fry. Fry avarekalu in 3 batches. When you put the avarekalu in oil, it settles down in the bottom of oil with lots of bubbles. Once its cooked and becomes crispy, it will float on the top of oil without bubbles. You can remove them at this stage. Cook in medium high flame and keep tossing gently till its crispy else the entire mixture will become soggy the next day. So please be patient while frying avarekalu. Each batch takes nearly 5 minutes but its color won’t change. Drain the oil and Remove the avarekalu in a tissue paper. Now deep fry poha till crispy and add to fried avarekalu. Then deep fry peanuts, cashews till golden and remove them. Collect them in the avarekalu bowl.Deep fry dry grapes till puffy. Remove and add to the mixture. Lastly fry the fried gram dal just for a minute and remove it. Fry curry leaves and add it. Mix all the fried items in a wide bowl. Add salt, red chilli powder, sugar and a pinch of hing. Toss it to coat well. Serve with hot coffee/tea. Enjoy ! Store in an air tight box after it comes to room temperature. Enjoy up to a week!

Note

For variations, you can roast Kellogg's corn flakes in 2tsp oil and add to the mixture instead of poha. Frying the avarekalu properly is the key to make perfect crispy mixture. If you rest the avarekalu in the cloth for long time, it loses all the moisture and becomes very dry. So it will taste hard once you deep fry. So it is enough if you just pat it dry. Adjust the quantity of chilli powder as per taste. For variations, you can also add 2 pinches of chat masala powder and black salt.

Try this easy, yummy, crispy Avarekalu Mixture and enjoy with tea/coffee !

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Orange Peel Pachadi Recipe – Orange Skin Pachadi

Last weekend I had shared Orange peel pachadi in sweet taste. Today’s post is orange skin spicy pachadi prepared by my MIL. Basically pachadi is a South Indian style side dish recipe in which the ingredients are similar to pickle but slightly different in cooking procedure, taste and semi thick in consistency. We make pachadi with raw mango, ripe mango, citron fruit / narthangai. 

This recipe is very similar to my Narthangai pachadi but we used orange skin (kamala orange in Tamil). So the quantity of tamarind, green chilli and other spices vary slightly. Its so easy to cook as its done in a pressure cooker. If you have oranges at home, do not throw its skin. Make and consume it in the form of this pachadi and reap its health benefits. 

Next week I will share Orange skin kuzhambu and orange peel pickle. In the mean time, check out my orange skin sweet pachadi too. Ok, lets see how to make orange peel pachadi recipe in a pressure cooker easily !

Check out my mango pachadi recipe too !

Orange Skin Pachadi

Spicy pachadi recipe with orange peel.

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Pickle Recipes

Serves: 1.5 cups

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup – 250ml Orange skin/peel – 1 cup Green chilli – 12 nos ( use 10 for less spice) Tamarind – Big gooseberry size Jaggery – 1.5 tbsp Salt - as needed Water – as needed ( I used 1/2 cup) Hing - 1/2 tsp Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp To Temper Sesame oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE ORANGE SKIN PACHADI

1. Wash and chop orange skin into small pieces. 
2. In a pressure cooker base, take the chopped orange peel, slit green chilli, salt, hing, tamarind extract and jaggery.
3. Pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles. Remove the lid after steam is released.
4. Add roasted fenugreek seeds powder, mix well and boil for a minute.
5. Temper mustard seeds in sesame oil and add to the pachadi. Store in a box after it cools down.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and chop orange skin into small pieces. Set aside. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup water.Take the required green chilli and slit into two. Dry roast methi seeds and grind to powder.Keep aside. In a pressure cooker base, take the chopped orange, slit green chilli, 1/2 cup of tamarind extract, salt, jaggery and hing. Pressure cook in low flame for 1 to 2 whistles. Open the cooker lid after steam is released. Add roasted methi seeds powder. Mix well and roll boil for a minute. If the pachadi is too watery, you can boil for one more minute to make it slightly thick. Remember this pachadi thickens a bit after it cools down. Check for taste and add more salt if required.Let it cool down. The actual taste of this pachadi can be known after a day or two. Remove the pachadi from cooker to another vessel ( porcelain or glass jar) because it may react. Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves in sesame oil and add to pachadi. Mix well. Store the pachadi in a box only after it cools down completely. Refrigerate it. Stays good for 15 days. But you should reheat it once in 3 days to avoid pungent smell. Enjoy with curd rice!

Note

Adjust the quantity of tamarind and green chillies as per the bitterness of skin. I hope the measurements I have given in this recipe works well. If you need it more spicy, add more green chillies sauteed in oil separately. Mix with pachadi . Boil for a minute. The next day, you can get the spicy taste. You may have to reduce the number of chillies if its too spicy. Addition of jaggery balances all the taste. So do not skip it. We like the pachadi to be slightly watery. If you want it thick, just boil for more time. You can use kolingikai or narthangai and make the same pachadi.

Try this easy, yummy, spicy pachadi with orange skin and enjoy with curd rice.

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Bread Rasmalai Recipe - How To Make Instant Rasmalai With Bread

 

Bread Rasmalai is an easy to make, instant rasmalai recipe. Even though its taste and texture cannot be compared with the authentic, traditional rasmalai prepared with rasgulla, it can satisfy our sweet cravings quickly. It takes very less time to prepare. Also it an yummy sweeet recipe that can be prepared using leftover bread slices. Kids would love it for sure.

Last week I made it using some left over dry bread slices at home. As I had already shared an instant rasmalai recipe using store bought rasgolla and condensed milk, I did not use condensed milk in this recipe. I just used sugar, nuts and prepared rabri in its usual method. This bread rasmalai tastes the best when served chilled. Friends, you can try this easy rasmalai recipe with bread for your kids and family to serve a quick dessert for an occasion or weekends. Ok, lets see how to make bread rasmalai recipe with step by step pictures and video.

Check out my gulab jamun and shahi tukda.

Bread Rasmalai Recipe

Easy, instant rasmalai recipe with bread

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: 6-7 nos

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Bread Slices - 6 nos Full Fat Milk - 1/2 litre ( 2 cups) Sugar – 2 to 3 tbsp (adjust based on your taste) Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp Saffron threads - Few Chopped nuts - 2 tbsp (Cashews & Badam)

METHOD

1. Take milk in a wide pan and boil till it reduces to 1.5 cups.
2. Add sugar, chopped nuts, cardamom, saffron.
3. Boil till it reduces to 1 cup. Rabri is ready. Switch off and keep aside.
4. Take bread slices and cut into round shape using a lid.
5. Dip the bread in rasmalai. Remove in a plate and garnish with nuts.
6. Refrigerate for an hour and serve chilled for best taste.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Heat 2 cups of milk in a wide kadai. Boil till it reduces to 1.5 cups. Scrape the sides, collect the skin and add it back to the kadai while the milk boils. Stir at regular intervals to avoid over flowing. After the milk is reduced, add sugar, chopped nuts, saffron threads and cardamom powder.Mix well, .Boil till milk reduces to 1 cup. So total milk should be half the quantity of original measure. Now check the taste. Add more sugar if needed and mix well. When you pour the milk, it should be slightly thick. Remove from the flame and let it become warm. Milk becomes thicker when it cools down.So do not reduce it too much. Now take the bread slices. Cut into round shape with a lid.Remove the sides. Dip the bread slice in thickened milk. Pour some thick milk over the bread. Remove in a plate. Garnish with chopped nuts.Refrigerate for an hour and serve chilled. Enjoy !

Note

Do not use very dry and old bread.Using fresh bread is also not advisable because it may dissolve in milk due to its softness. Use 2 days old bread for best taste. Adjust the quantity of sugar as per taste. You can also add at the end before dipping bread slices to increase the sweetness.

Try this easy, instant bread rasmalai and enjoy a quick dessert at home !

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