Ingredients

Ash Gourd (grated) – 2 cups

Cucumber (grated) – 1 cup

Gooseberry (grated) – 2 medium sized

Ginger (grated) – 1 tsp

Spinach leaves (roughly chopped) – 1/2 cup

Salt – a pinch

Curry leaves – a few

Black pepper powder – a pinch

Honey – 2 tbsp

Water – 400 ml

Yield
750 ml    (Serves 3)

Prep time
25 mins

Method

1)   De-skin and remove the seeds from the ash gourd and grate.

2)   Grate cucumber, ginger and gooseberry. Clean spinach leaves and chop roughly.

3)   Refrigerate all the above grated/chopped ingredients for an hour. After an hour, transfer everything to a blender. Add all the other ingredients and blend until smooth.

4)   Serve immediately and enjoy this nourishing Green Smoothie.

Notes

1. I’ve used gooseberry for its nutritional value and the tinge of sourness it brings to the juice. If you don’t have gooseberry, you can go for lemon, lime or even a slice of unripe mango as an alternative.
2. For similar healthy drinks, check out my other recipes like Cucumber Chaas and Bloody Healthy Halloween Juice.
   

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I remember my grandmom making coffee. Those days filter coffee powder was made at home once in 2 or 3 days. She used to carefully roast the selected coffee beans (a blend of the two main coffee varieties – Arabica and Robusta), grind it in a hand grinder, then make strong, aromatic coffee decoction using a thick cotton cloth stitched just for this purpose (coffee filters were very rare those days). Then she used to boil the milk until it reduced a bit and became frothy and creamy, mix the decoction and milk, added enough sweetness, and served the best coffee. Thankfully, nowadays filter coffee powder and the metal coffee filter are readily available in stores!

Coffee making is an art. It’s not just mixing coffee decoction/instant coffee powder with hot milk and drinking. There is definitely much more to this. There are two varieties of filter coffee powders available. One is pure coffee powder, just the blend of Arabica and Robusta. The second variety is a blend of coffee powder with a small component of chicory. Chicory is a herbal root, considered a coffee substitute. It helps reduce the caffeine content and bitterness in coffee, while at the same time increases the thickness and strength of coffee. The ratio of coffee to chicory varies in different brands ranging from 60:40, 70:30, 80:20 or 90:10. A blend of 80:20 is generally considered the most balanced, but this ratio is purely a personal choice and depends on how thick and strong you want your coffee to be.

Happy to share and dedicate this Filter Coffee blog post to my awesome, coffee loving Irish son-in-law.

Ingredients

Water – 250 ml

Filter Coffee Powder – 5 heaped tsp

Full cream milk – 250 ml

Sugar – 2 1/2 tsp (or to taste)

Yield
320 ml
(serving size 150 – 160 ml)

Prep time
20 mins

Special Equipment
South Indian Coffee filter

Cook time
5 mins

Method

1)   First, take the coffee filter, keep the collecting vessel down and fix the perforated vessel on top. Put the coffee powder inside the perforated vessel. With the back of a spoon (or with the plunger attachment that comes with the filter), press the coffee powder and pack it tightly (see note 1). Then add 1/2 tsp of sugar on top of the coffee powder.

2)   Carefully pour 75-80 ml of near boiling water on top of the coffee powder-sugar mixture. Close the filter with the lid and let it sit for 10-12 mins.

3)   After 10 mins open the filter, add another 60-70 ml hot water and close the lid of the filter. The coffee decoction drips down slowly into the bottom collecting vessel.  

4)   After 10 more mins, check the bottom vessel of the filter. You will have around 70-80 ml of thick, strong decoction collected. Take this coffee decoction in a tumbler and davara. Pour from tumbler to davara and back into the tumbler to froth up the decoction. Skim the froth with a spoon and set aside. Cover the decoction with a lid and set aside.

5)   Take full cream milk in a pan and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, simmer and keep stirring the milk for a further 2 mins. Pour this hot milk in the tumbler and froth up the milk by pouring into the davara a few times (you could also use a milk frother if you have one!). With a flat spoon, skim the milk froth and keep it aside. Add around 35-40 ml coffee decoction on top of the milk.

6)   Add 1 tsp of sugar to this filter coffee. Again pour the coffee into the davara from the tumbler a few times to dissolve the sugar and froth up the coffee. Add the milk and coffee decoction froth, that you kept aside, on top of the coffee. 

https://www.thepearpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/WhatsApp-Video-2022-01-01-at-19.56.39.mp4

7)   Serve hot filter coffee in tumbler and davara (the typical South Indian style) or in a coffee mug. Serve along with some deep fried, salty snack, like crispy bajji or kunukku if you’re feeling naughty.

Notes

1. Pressing the coffee powder and packing it tight in the perforated top vessel is the first important step to get a thick, strong coffee decoction. If you don’t press the powder down in the filter, the powder-sugar mixture can get lumpy when you pour the hot water and block the tiny holes. The hot water might also drip down too fast if the coffee powder is not packed properly and will result in a watery decoction.
2. Use hot water, not boiling water, to make your decoction. Boiling water reduces the aroma of the decoction. 
3. Use full cream milk for a rich, tasty, filter coffee, rather than using low fat or skimmed milk. If you are using vegan milk alternatives, go for a thicker milk like soy or oat milk.
4. Once you boil the milk, make your coffee immediately. If you delay and allow a skin to form, the coffee won’t be as good. The skin that forms is actually a layer of fat and makes the rest of the milk thinner.
5. Adding sugar is completely optional. But to get the authentic taste of South Indian filter coffee, adding some sugar is important.

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Neer Aagaaram improves digestion, builds immunity, provides vitamin B6 and B12, enhances availability of micronutrients such as iron, potassium and calcium many folds and reduces many stomach related problems like acidity, bloating, heaviness, to name a few. It gives a lot of energy and cooling effect to those who go out in the sun for manual labour. The nutritional benefits of fermented rice is highly disproportionate to the effort it takes to make. And what’s more, it’s absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

Cooked rice – 2 cups

Plain yoghurt – 1 cup

Water – as required

Baby onions/shallots – 10 to 12 finely chopped

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Green chilly – 1 finely chopped (optional)

Ginger – 1 inch piece finely chopped or grated (optional)

Cooking sesame oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Sprouted fenugreek seeds – 2 tbsp (optional)

Dried curry leaves powder – 1 tsp (optional) or few fresh curry leaves finely chopped

Yield
Serves 3

Prep time
Overnight soaking

Making time
10 minutes

Method

1)   Soak the cooked rice in an earthen pot (if you have one) with enough water to cover the rice. Cover and leave overnight at room temperature.

2)   Next morning the rice will be fermented. Sometimes you may even see small bubbles from the fermentation process. Slowly transfer the excess water, if any, to a different vessel and keep it aside. With clean hands mash the rice slightly so it becomes like cooked porridge. 

3)   Add salt, yoghurt, dried curry leaves powder (or fresh curry leaves), sprouted fenugreek seeds and mix once. Set aside.

(See fenugreek grape pickle recipe and banana stem mung sprouts curry recipe for tips to sprout fenugreek seeds.)

4)   In a small pan, heat the sesame oil until medium hot and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Then add green chillies and ginger, fry for 30 secs. Immediately add the onions and fry just for 30 secs. Transfer this tempering to the rice-yoghurt mixture. Mix well.

5)   Now add back the drained fermented water to the rice mixture. Your Neer Aagaaram is ready. If needed, add more water to dilute and bring the Neer Aagaaram to drinking consistency. Serve immediately, it cannot be stored.

Notes

1. Green chilly, ginger, sprouted fenugreek seeds and curry leaves are optional ingredients. Neer Aagaaram tastes perfectly fine even without these four ingredients. But I personally prefer to add green chilly and ginger to give that extra zing to my morning breakfast. Curry leaves and sprouted fenugreek seeds are added purely to enhance the nutritional value of this dish.
2. You can ferment red rice, brown rice, traditional rice varieties or millets too in the same method. 
3. Using clay pots to ferment rice is the best option. The natural pores in the clay increases the air circulation inside the pot which helps better fermentation, and thereby increases the production of gut friendly bacteria. It also gives a pleasant cooling effect to the Neer Aagaaram without any refrigeration. If you don’t have an earthen pot, it’s fine. Go ahead and ferment the rice in a porcelain/stainless steel or glass container. Please avoid nonstick or plastic containers when fermenting.
4. Adding plain yogurt to fermented rice increases the probiotic content of this dish. For vegan options, you can either use vegan yoghurt or just skip the yoghurt.
5. Don’t ferment the rice beyond 12 hours. It might start to spoil beyond that, depending on the weather. 

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Tender Coconut has a great cooling effect and several nutritional benefits. Go ahead and make this soothing drink and rehydrate yourself on a hot summer afternoon!

Ingredients

Banana (finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Mango (de-skinned and finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Grapes (pitted and finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Custard apple (pitted and roughly chopped) – 2 tbsp

Kiwi (de-skinned and finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Mandarin Orange (de-skinned, pitted and roughly chopped) – 5 tbsp

Cherries (pitted and finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Tender Coconut flesh (roughly chopped) – 2 tbsp

Lemon juice – 2 tbsp

Honey – 2 tbsp (optional)

Tender Coconut Water – 500 ml

Fresh mint leaves (washed and chopped) – 1 tsp (optional)

Yield
750 ml
(Serves 3)

Prep time
20 mins

Making time
5 minutes

Method

1)   Break open the tender coconut and collect the tender coconut water. In a tall blender/mixer, take this tender coconut water, add the roughly chopped mandarin oranges, lemon juice and honey (optional). Blend well. Keep it in the freezer for 10 mins.

2)   Wash, de-skin, remove seeds from all fruits and chop them finely. Also chop the tender coconut flesh roughly.

3)   Add the chopped fruits, tender coconut flesh and mint leaves to the coconut water-orange juice mixture. Mix well.

4)   Serve cold and enjoy this refreshing fruity coconut mocktail to nourish and rehydrate.

Notes

1. Consume any fresh fruit/vegetable juice immediately after it its made. It loses its nutrition and eye appeal with time.
2. Choose the right combination of fruits to make the juice as tasty as possible without adding extra sweeteners like sugar, honey etc. Here I’ve added 2 tbsp of honey to enhance the sweetness of the juice but this is totally optional and you can avoid it if you like your juice less sweet.
3. To get maximum nutrition from the tender coconut water, it should be consumed as soon as possible.

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This fruit/vegetable juice is a combination of beetroot, carrot, pomegranate, orange, ginger and celery. It’s so easy to make and takes just 20 mins. Beetroot helps lower blood pressure and reduces the chance of heart related diseases. The other ingredients in this drink are fibre-heavy and will keep you full till lunch time. This is also suitable for diabetic patients (beetroot is naturally sweet).

If you’re looking for a blood red alcohol-free drink to serve at Halloween, then you’ve come to the right place!

Ingredients

Beetroot grated – 1 cup (packed)

Pomegranate pearls – from one medium sized fruit

Carrot grated – 1/4 cup

Ginger – 1 inch piece chopped

Celery – 2 inch piece chopped

Fresh orange juice – from 2 medium sized oranges

Honey – 2 tbsp

Water – 250 to 300 ml

Yield
~700 ml
Serving size – 250 ml

Prep time
20 mins

Making time
5 minutes

Method

1)   Peel and grate beetroot and carrot, remove the pomegranate pearls, cut up ginger and celery.

2)   Squeeze the oranges and add honey. Mix well.

3)   In a tall blender/mixer, blend all the ingredients except water. When everything is pureed completely, then add water and blend again.

4)   Pass the juice through a strainer and squeeze out the pulp fully if you prefer your juice velvety smooth. Otherwise mildly strain/avoid straining the pulp. 

5)   Transfer the  healthy halloween juice to serving glasses and enjoy it fresh with or without ice cubes.

Notes

1. Consume any fresh fruit/vegetable juice immediately after it its made. It loses its nutrition and eye appeal with time.
2. Choose the right combination of fruits and vegetables to make the juice as tasty as possible without adding extra sweeteners like sugar, honey etc. Here I’ve added 2 tbsp of honey to enhance the sweetness of the juice (according to my taste). This is totally optional and you can avoid it if you like your juice less sweet. The natural sweetness from beetroot and carrot is enough for a healthier option.
3. As a variation, you can add few cubes of frozen strawberry or mango juice while blending or serving the juice.
4. Avoid straining out the pulp completely. It gives the necessary fiber to maintain good gut health.
5. Can be enjoyed by all above 3 years of age.

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The main ingredients  used in this recipe like cucumber, sabja (basil) seeds, yoghurt and cumin seeds are all naturally said to keep the body cool and help with better digestion. Sabja seeds especially are packed with nutrition and are a great addition to your diet. Keeping the body cool, aiding in better digestion, relieving constipation and helping in weight loss are few of the many benefits we get from these tiny beauties. This drink is so refreshing, it’ll become your go-to for the summer months!

Ingredients

Plain yoghurt – 250 ml

Cucumber – 1 large

Sabja (Basil) seeds – 2 tbsp

Coriander leaves – 1 handful

Lemon juice – 2 tbsp

Green chilly – 1 (optional)

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Sugar – 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Water – 750 ml

Yield
1.2 liters 
Serving size – 200 ml

Prep time
Sabja seeds overnight soak

Making time
10 minutes

Refrigeration
1 hour

Method

1)   Soak the sabja seeds overnight in 100 ml water.

2)   Chop the cucumber, green chilly, ginger and coriander leaves roughly.

3)   In a tall blender/mixer, grind to a paste the cucumber, chilly, ginger, coriander leaves, salt, sugar, lemon juice, asafoetida and cumin seeds.

4)   Now add the yoghurt and blend completely. Transfer this to a jar. 

5)   Add the soaked sabja seeds and remaining water. Mix thoroughly. 

6)   Refrigerate for an hour and serve.

Notes

1. Soaking the sabja seeds overnight helps in making them soft and easy to blend in any drink. Eating the seeds without soaking might cause mild stomach irritation for some. To avoid this and get the maximum nutritional benefit from the basil seeds, soaking it overnight is recommended. Soaked sabja seeds can be stored in a closed container for 2 to 3 days in refrigerator.
2. Grinding the cucumber and other ingredients before adding the yoghurt helps in getting a smooth paste. Once the yoghurt is added, cumin seeds, green chilly, ginger and coriander leaves might not grind to a fine paste.
3. I have given the option of refrigerating the drink for an hour to make it more refreshing. Alternatively, you can use a clay pot or clay jug to store the cucumber chaas for a couple of hours to get the same soothing effect. In fact this is the authentic way to store chaas throughout the day. If you do not have an earthen pot then you can refrigerate.
4. I have added coriander leaves in this recipe. Adding  mint leaves or curry leaves or lemon leaves are different options you can explore. If you go for any of these options then add only a few, as these have a very strong flavour.
5. It is better to use up the entire preparation in one day. If you are planning for a larger quantity, then refrigeration is a must to use it the next day.
6. Adding green chilly is purely optional. Personally I like the mildly spiced version, so I have added it. If you want to avoid using this, then don’t worry,  the taste will still be great.

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Ingredients

Full cream milk – 750 ml + 100 ml (to cook the quinoa) (see note 2 for alternative)

Ripe mango – 1

Quinoa – 2 tablespoons

Honey – 2 tablespoons

Chia seeds – 2 tablespoons

Slivered pistachios – 1 tablespoon (optional)

Saffron – a few strands (optional)

Water – 100 ml

Yield
1.2 liters 
Serving size – 300 ml

Prep time
20 minutes

Cook time
10 minutes

Method

1)   Soak the chia seeds in 100 ml water for at least 4 to 6 hours or overnight.

2)   Peel the skin of the mango and cut it into pieces.

3)   Wash the quinoa once and cook until mashable in an open pan. Use the 100 ml water and 100 ml milk to cook this, so that the cooked quinoa is soft and creamy. Let it cool completely.

4)   In a blender, take the mango pieces (reserve a few pieces for garnish), honey, cooked quinoa and milk. Blend until smooth and creamy. 

5)   Add the soaked chia seeds and mix well. Chill in refrigerator for an hour at least.

6)   Pour your cold mango quinoa smoothie into glasses, add a few strands of saffron, mango pieces and slivered pistachios. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. The mango should be perfectly ripe (slightly overripe one is also fine!). Semi ripe or sour mango does not suit this recipe at all. In case fresh mango is not available, then tinned mango pulp is also ok. In that case, around 200 to 250 ml of mango pulp should be enough for this.  
2. I’ve used fresh full cream cow’s milk. I usually use full cream milk for smoothies, instead of low fat or skimmed milk, for a creamier texture. But feel free to use almond milk, coconut milk or soy milk as alternatives if you want a vegan friendly version!
3. Quinoa generally takes 10 to 12 minutes to cook perfectly on an open pan with medium heat. Using a mix of water and milk is totally optional. If you want to avoid milk, then quinoa can be cooked in water alone also. But adding some milk while cooking gives a creamy texture and fragrance to the cooked quinoa, which ideally suits this recipe.
4. Adding a dash of honey is totally optional. If the mango is sweet enough, you don’t need honey. 
5. While blending everything, a handful of almonds can be added to make it richer.
6. You can adjust the proportion of milk to mango pulp according to your taste. Here I’ve just given an indicative proportion.

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Here is a simple recipe for a Ginger Kashayam. I’m a big fan of this because it requires only four easily available ingredients. This kashayam helps relieve digestive discomfort, flu symptoms, boosts immunity and has an overall positive effect on health.

Ingredients

Ginger – 5 cm piece

Whole black pepper – 1 tablespoon

Dry/fresh turmeric – 5 cm piece

Honey – 1 tablespoon

Water – 300 ml

Yield
150 ml (serving size – 75 ml)

Prep time
10 minutes

Cook time
30 minutes

Method

1)   Wash and peel the ginger. If you are using fresh turmeric, then peel that as well. 

2)   Toast your peppercorns in a dry pan on low to medium heat for about 3-4 mins until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them! Give them a stir a few times. 

3)   Then, crush the peppercorns, ginger and turmeric coarsely using a mortar and pestle.

4)   In a pan, start heating the crushed pepper, ginger and turmeric with 300 ml water and on a medium flame.

5)   Once it starts to boil, immediately bring the heat to a minimum and let it continue to simmer in very low heat.

5)   The ginger kashayam should reduce to approximately half the original quantity of water. This will take nearly 25 minutes. Now once the quantity has reduced to half, switch off the stove and cover the pan till it stops boiling.

6)   After five minutes strain the kashayam and add honey. Mix well and serve hot.      

Notes

1. Always simmer kashayam at low heat so you can get a strong infusion.
2. This kashayam is quite strong because the ginger and pepper pack a punch. Expect a good spice level! If you can tolerate this level of spice have it as it is like a shot. But if you find it difficult, add some more honey or hot water to dilute it. A tablespoon of whole milk can also be added to the infusion to reduce the spice level.
3. Ideally the serving size per person (above the age of 10) is roughly around 75 to 100 ml. However children from the age of 5 to 10 can be given 10 to 20 ml per serving.
4. You can use the dregs to make a dilute tea, don’t throw it away! This can be had once in the night before going to bed.

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Disclaimer: This recipe is not intended as a cure for any ailment. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard the advice of a medical professional, or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.

This is a very simple recipe, so go ahead and try this masala chai with some ginger biscuits and savoury Indian snacks!

Ingredients

Plain black tea (strong) – 2 teaspoons heaped

Full cream milk – 175 ml

Sugar – 2 teaspoons (to taste)

Water – 150 ml

Ginger – 2″ piece

Cardamom – 3

Cloves – 3

Cinnamon – 1″ stick

Bay leaf – 1

Black pepper – 4 or 5

Yield
300 ml
(serving size – 150 ml)

Prep time
2 minutes
(to crush the spices)

Cook time
10 minutes

Method

1)   First, crush the ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper with a small stone mortar and pestle.

2)   Keep a pan on the stove on medium flame, add the water and let it boil.

3)   When the water starts to boil, add the crushed spices and the bay leaf. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes on low flame.

4)   Now add the tea powder/leaves. Let this boil for another 2 to 3 minutes.

5)   Add the milk at this stage, let it boil further for 2 to 3 minutes.

6)   Now strain the tea in a pot and add the sugar.

7)   Serve hot!

Notes

1. The crushed spices have to boil in the water for at least 2 minutes for the strong flavour of all the spices to seep in before adding the tea.
2. Use full cream milk for a rich, tasty, masala chai, rather than using low fat or skimmed milk.
3. Adding sugar is completely optional. But to get the authentic masala chai, adding a little bit of sugar is important.

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