Raw vegetables in coconut-garlic curds/yoghurt.  Tastes good with Pulao.

Time Required: 20 Minutes
Serves: 4

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Raitha | 2 Comments »

Time Required: 10 Minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
4 Bread Slices
8 Garlic Pods, Crushed
2tbsp Butter

Method:
Heat Butter and add Garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Spread a spoonful of this over each of the bread slice. Toast in a preheated oven or on a tava/griddle for 3 minutes. Serve hot with your choice of soup.

Variation: Add some grated cheese over each of the bread slice after spreading the garlic mixture and then toast until the cheese melts.

Filed under: Toast n' Sandwiches | No Comments »

This chutney powder is prepared in North Karnataka and Maharashtra and is served with Bhakri or Chapathi.

Time Required: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:
Half Desiccated Coconut, Grated
7 – 8 Red Chilies
10 Cloves Garlic
1 tbsp Tamarind
Salt to taste

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Chutney Powder | 3 Comments »

Time Required: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 Cup  Broccoli florets
3 Garlic Cloves
2 Red Chili flakes
Few Cherry Tomatoes
1tsp Olive Oil / or any other refined Oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Blanch Broccoli and keep it aside. Heat Oil and add Garlic and Red Chilies and stir in the Broccoli. Add salt and Tomatoes and stir for a minute and serve it on top of Pasta or along with Indian Bread.

Filed under: Side Dishes | 2 Comments »

Time Required: 25 Minutes

Ingredients:
10 Dry Red Chilies or 1tbsp Red Chili Powder
10 Flakes of Garlic
Salt to taste

Method:
Soak the Red Chilies in water for 15 minutes. Drain the water and grind the Chilies along with Garlic and Salt. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Method 2:
Grind Garlic and Red Chili Powder to a paste and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Chutney | No Comments »

“Eat onions in March and garlic in May -
Then the rest of the year, your doctor can play”. This Old Rhyme sums up the health benefits of garlic. Although, Garlic is known for its distinct odor, the flavor produced by it is simply divine.

The botanical name Allium sativum belongs to the mother of all cures: Garlic. The name Garlic is of Anglo-Saxon origin, being derived from gar (a spear) and lac (a plant), in reference to the shape of its leaves. The leaves are long, narrow and flat, like grass. The bulb is the edible portion of the plant, which grows underground and is of a compound nature, consisting of a dozen or more discrete cloves.

Some of the types of Garlic, that are cultivated, are Crow Garlic, Ramsons and Field Garlic. Garlic was worshiped by the ancient Egyptians and largely consumed by the workers employed by King Khufu, who built the pyramids to keep them strong and healthy. The Greek Olympian athletes ate Garlic for stamina and the Lebanese used it widely in their cuisine. The Roman soldiers, sailors and rural classes also consumed Garlic. Alexander Neckam a writer of the 12th Century recommends it as a palliative of the heat from the sun for the field laborers. It was believed that a Garlic clove worn on one’s person would ward off any evil and keep the vampires at bay.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Goodness of Nature | No Comments »

Time Required: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 Cup fresh grated Coconut
6 – 7 Green Chilies
5 – 6 Red Chilies
8 Cloves Garlic
1tsp Tamarind Pulp
Salt to taste

For the Seasoning:
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds

Method:
Heat 1tsp Oil and roast the Chilies until they are crisp. Remove and keep aside. Crush the Garlic pods and fry them until they turn brown in the same Oil. Drain and keep aside. Grind the Coconut along with the Chilies and Tamarind to a smooth paste using as little water as possible. Add Salt and the roasted Garlic and grind to a paste. Remove the chutney to a bowl.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Chutney | No Comments »