An easy to make popsicle which can be made by extracting orange juice or by using its flavoured version. I have tried one of each and both taste equally good. Of course, nutrition wise the flavoured one holds no value, it’s just a thirst quencher.
Ingredients:
Juice extracted from two oranges. Sugar added as per requirement.
Method:
Strain the juice and pour it into moulds. Freeze overnight. Unmould and enjoy.
The flavoured version of the popsicle prepared is even easier. I prepared it with Orange flavoured Tang. Just mix required amount in a glass of water, pour into moulds and freeze. Unmould and enjoy.
A fragrant Onion rice which is served with a Korma and a raita. It is invariably garnished with Beresta/ fried onions, cashews and raisins.
Ingredients:
250 gms Basmati rice
5 tbsps ghee
1 bay leaf
5 black peppercorns
2 green cardamom
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion sliced
300 ml water
Salt
15 cashews split in half
15 raisins.
Method:
Heat ghee in a pan. Add the bay leaf, cardamom, peppercorns and cumin seeds. Toss. Tip in the onions and saute until the onions are golden brown. Add the halved cashews and saute until they are golden brown. Drop in the raisins and saute till they fluff up. Add the rice and saute for a couple of minutes. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook till done. Garnish with Beresta and serve with raita.
An extremely filling and delicious smoothie which serves as a quick breakfast when in a hurry. Greek yoghurt is a must to lend it it’s creamy texture.
Ingredients:
3 oranges peeled
½ tablespoon orange zest
1 banana chopped
2 cups Greek yoghurt
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
2 1/2 cups ice.
Method:
Zest about half an orange. Add the peeled oranges, orange zest, banana, Greek yogurt, vanilla essence and ice to a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Every household in the South of India has its own variation of the Okra rice. Today I am posting the one my mother always made with leftover rice.
Ingredients:
4 cups of left over rice
15 okra chopped as per one’s choice
5 green chillies
3 medium sized onions sliced
6 garlic cloves
1 inch piece of ginger
2 cardamoms
1 inch piece of cinnamon
3 cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt
4 tbsps oil
1 tbsp Ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds.
Method:
Crush the green chillies, ginger and garlic coarsely. Keep aside. Crush the cardamom , cinnamon and cloves coarsely as well. Heat the oil and ghee in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and after they splutter add the cardamom , cinnamon and clove mixture. Saute for a minute on a very slow flame. Add the sliced onions and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the crushed ginger, garlic and green chilly and keep tossing till the onions turn translucent. Add the chopped okra and salt and keep tossing till it wilts. Add turmeric powder. Give it a good mix. Add the cooked rice, adjust salt and mix thoroughly. Cover and heat till done. Serve with raita of your choice.
When oranges are in season, I make the best use of them by making a variety of preparations which the family loves. Here is an extremely simple salad which is best made with the Valencia variety of oranges. These oranges are so fragrant and have the right amount of tartness which is ideal for a salad.
Ingredients:
Two oranges peeled and sliced thinly
One tbsp olive oil
1 green chilly
1/2 inch piece of ginger
2 tsps sesame seeds dry roasted till they splutter
Salt
1 tsp honey.
Method:
Mince the green chilly and ginger. Add salt and crush them well. Squeeze the juice released into a bowl. Add the olive oil and honey and give it a good mix. Pour it over the slices of orange that have been arranged on a plate. Chill. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and serve.
Chakko is a coconut based preparation very popular with the GSB community. It is prepared using tender jackfruit when it is in season. One can also make it with tender okra. The baby ones are ideal since they need no prior cooking.
Ingredients:
1/2 kg tender okra Half a coconut grated 6 roasted Byadgi chillies 6 roasted Guntur chillies 2 tbsps coriander seeds 1 tsp urad dal 1 tbsp tamarind paste Salt
Wash and pat dry the okra. Snip off the edges and either keep them whole or cut them into two. Roast the coriander seeds and urad dal in a tsp of oil till they give out their aroma. Tip them along with the grated coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind paste into a blender and grind to a semi coarse paste. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard seeds. After they splutter add the urad dal. Once it changes to a golden yellow add the Fenugreek seeds. Toss. Add the curry leaves. Sautee for a couple of seconds and then add the okra. Gently mix for a couple of minutes and then drop in the ground masala. Add salt, 100 ml water, mix well and cook and cover till it turns dry. Drizzle with coconut oil and serve hot with dal and rice.
A sorbet is a frozen dessert made with fruit juice or purée, sugar, and sometimes other flavourings , but without any dairy products. It’s known for its refreshing, icy texture something akin to the ‘Gola’ which is a very popular street food in India .
Ingredients:
1 orange per person
1 tsp sugar or you may skip it.
Method:
Peel the orange. Remove seeds if any. Place the segments in a plate and freeze them overnight. Blitz them in a blender. They turn into soft fluff which can be scooped up. Serve immediately.
These are not the onion rings that are served in all the cafes and fancy outlets today. These are the traditional ones made by our mothers and grandmothers when we craved for a quick snack during the summer holidays.
Ingredients:
3 large onions peeled and washed
250 gms besan/ chickpea flour
1 tbsp chilly powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp ajwain/ caraway seeds
Salt
1 tbsp hot oil
Oil to fry .
Method:
Pat dry the onions and slice them thinly. Separate the rings. Tip the Besan, chilly powder, salt and asafoetida into a bowl. Crush the ajwain a little between your palms and drop it in too. Add enough water little by little to make a batter which is neither too thick nor flowing. The onion rings should be able to hold the batter when they are coated with it. Drop a tbsp of hot oil into the batter and whisk well.
Heat oil in a pan. Dip the onion rings in the batter and drop them into the hot oil. Lower heat and fry them to a golden brown and crisp. Remove, drain and serve hot.
Rasam is made with lemon, pineapple, tomatoes or with tamarind. Spices and condiments are added to enhance the flavour. Today I have used orange zest and orange juice to give that necessary tang which is the hallmark of a Rasam.
Ingredients:
Juice of one large orange
4 tbsps arhar dal
1 large tomato
Orange zest
Salt
A pinch of jaggery
To be roasted:
1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
10 pepper corns
1 tbsp chana dal
3 dry red chillies
For tempering:
1 tbsp ghee
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
For garnish:
Finely chopped coriander leaves and a juice of half a lemon.
Method:
Pressure cook the arhar dal. Mash it and keep it aside. Chop the tomato fine. Tip it into a pan along with a glass of water, grated orange zest and a sprig of curry leaves. Roast the ingredients mentioned under the ‘to be roasted’ section till they give out a good aroma. Cool and powder. Drop this powder into the boiling rasam. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. Add the cooked dal, salt , jaggery and orange juice. Bring to a boil. Lower heat. Heat ghee in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and after they splutter add the cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves in that order. Toss. Drop in the seasoning into the simmering rasam. Stir, add the finely chopped coriander leaves, and the lemon juice. Switch off and keep covered for about fifteen minutes for the flavours to infuse. Serve as an appetizer or over rice .
