உடம்பின் கால அட்டவணை

நம் உடலுக்கும் கால அட்டவணை உண்டு. இதை நாம் முறையாகப் பின்பற்றினால் டாக்டரிடம் போக வேண்டிய அவசியமே இல்லை. இதோ கால அட்ட வணை:

  விடியற்காலை 3 முதல் 5 மணி வரை - நுரையீரல் நேரம். இந்த நேரத்தில் தியானம், மூச்சுப் பயிற்சி செய்தால் ஆயுள் நீடிக்கும்.

  காலை 5 முதல் 7 வரை பெருங்குடல் நேரம். இந்த நேரத்தில் காலைக்கடன்களை முடிக்க வேண்டும். இதனால் மலச்சிக்கலே ஏற்படாது.

  காலை 7 முதல் 9 வரை வயிற்றின் நேரம். இந்த நேரத்தில் சாப்பிடுவது நன்கு ஜீரணமாகும்.

  காலை 9 முதல் 11 வரை மண்ணீரல் நேரம். வயிற்றில் விழும் உணவைச் செரிக்கச் செய்யும் நேரம். இந்த நேரத்தில் எதையும் சாப்பிடக் கூடாது. தண்ணீர் கூடக் குடிக்கக் கூடாது.

  காலை 11 முதல் 1 வரை இதயத்தின் நேரம். இதய நோயாளிகள் கவனமாக இருக்க வேண்டிய நேரம். சத்தமாகப் பேசுதல், படபடத்தல், கோபப்படுதலை அறவே தவிர்க்க வேண்டும்.

  பிற்பகல் 1 முதல் 3 வரை சிறுகுடல் நேரம். மிதமான சிற்றுண்டியுடன் ஓய்வு எடுக்க வேண்டும்.
 

 பிற்பகல் 3 முதல் 5 வரை சிறுநீர்ப் பையின் நேரம். நீர்க்கழிவுகளை வெளியேற்றச் சிறந்த நேரம்.

  மாலை 5 முதல் 7 வரை சிறுநீரகங்களின் நேரம். தியானம், இறைவழிபாடு செய்வதற்கு ஏற்றது.
 

 இரவு 7 முதல் 9 வரை பெரிகார்டியத்தின் நேரம். பெரிகார்டியன் என்பது இதயத்தைச் சுற்றி இருக்கும் ஒரு ஜவ்வு. இரவு உணவுக்கேற்ற நேரம்.
 

 இரவு 9 முதல் 11 வரை - உச்சந்தலை முதல் அடிவயிறு வரை உள்ள மூன்று பாதைகள் இணையும் நேரம். அமைதியாக உறங்கலாம்.
 

 இரவு 11 முதல் 1 வரை - பித்தப்பை நேரம். அவசியம் உறங்க வேண்டும்.
 

 இரவு 1 முதல் 3 வரை - கல்லீரல் நேரம். ரத்தத்தை கல்லீரல் சுத்தப்படுத்தும் நேரம். கட்டாயம் தூங்க  வேண்டும்.

 தகவல்: தமிழர் உலகம்

Vadas.... Vadas....And Only Vadas...

Moushmikishore  TH  20 Feb 14

Vadas are a popular snack countrywide. 

Try your hand at these tasty variations

Crisp on the outside and soft inside, vadas served with chutney, taste delicious. Dahi vada is popular everywhere in India.

Different communities have their own variation of this recipe. Dahi vadas can be eaten separately or as part of a meal. The vadas can be made in advance and refrigerated.

You need to soak them in hot water before serving. The curd has to be fresh. Some like to add sugar to the curd, or temper it with curry leaves and mustard seeds, or garnish it with tamarind chutney. Vadas are part and parcel of south Indian cuisine.

 You may use moong dal instead of urad dal, or a combination of different dals for making them. Grind the batter with enough water to make a soft, but not watery, dough. It’s the consistency of the batter that determines how soft and shapely the vadas turn out. Take care to make vadas as soon as the batter is prepared, as they will take in too much oil if left to ferment. You may add a little maida while preparing the batter.

 The vadas will be soft. While frying these, you have to start with hot oil and then reduce the flame, to cook the dal without scorching the outer surface.

Here are a few easy-to-prepare vada recipes.

Beetroot Vadas

Ingredients:

Beetroot: 250 gm

Channa dal: 125 gm

Cashew nuts: 50 gm

Onion, minced: 1

Coriander leaves, chopped: a handful

Green chillies, minced: 2

Ginger, minced: 1-inch piece

Garam masala: quarter teaspoon

Cooking soda: a pinch

Oil: For cooking

Salt: To taste

Method:

Peel and grate the beetroot finely. Fry the dal in a little oil to a golden colour and grind it to a paste. Fry the cashew nuts and pound them coarsely. Mix this with the rest of the ingredients in a pan, except the soda, and cook on a low flame, till the mixture turns thick. Remove from fire, cool, add soda, and knead to a smooth paste. Divide the paste into small balls and form each one into a round vada. Deep-fry in oil till golden in colour. Drain thoroughly and serve hot with chutney.

Banana Flower Vadas

Ingredients:

Banana flower: 1 small

Channa dal: one-and-a-half cups

Moong dal: quarter cup

Urad dal: quarter cup

Coriander powder: 2 tsp

Cumin powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder: quarter tsp

Chilli powder: quarter tsp

Garam masala powder: 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp

Green chillies, finely chopped: 4

Onion, chopped: 1

Coriander leaves, chopped: A handful

Oil: For cooking

Salt: To taste

Method:

Clean the banana flower by removing the thick stalk at the centre of the flower. Finely chop the flower and soak overnight in thin buttermilk. Soak the dals overnight. Grind them in a blender coarsely. Mix the chopped flower. Add green chillies, coriander leaves, ginger-garlic paste, chopped onion, all masala powders and salt. Make a batter thick enough to make vadas. Divide the portion into small balls and flatten with palms. Heat oil in a pan and deep-fry vadas till golden brown in colour. Serve hot with sauce or chutney.

Masala Vadas

Ingredients:

Urad dal: 200 gm

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Green chillies, minced: 3

Ginger, finely minced: 1-inch piece

Curry leaves: A few

Onion, chopped: 1 small

Boiled vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, shelled peas, French beans, tomato: 100 gm

Asafoetida: A pinch

Chilli powder: half teaspoon

Oil: For cooking

Salt: To taste

Method:

Wash and soak dal in lukewarm water for two hours. Then drain and grind dal to a smooth paste. Slice all the boiled vegetables and mix in the paste, along with the rest of the ingredients. Form vadas out of the paste mixture and deep-fry to a golden brown colour. Serve hot with green chutney.

Dahi Vadas

Ingredients:

Urad dal: half cup

Ginger, minced: A half-inch piece

Coriander leaves, chopped: A handful

Green chillies, chopped: 2

Raisins: half tbsp

Almonds, sliced: 3

Pistachios, sliced: 6

Baking powder: A pinch

Fresh, thick curd: 2 cups

Garam masala: 1 tsp

Roasted and ground cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Chilli powder: half tsp

Chaat masala: quarter tsp

Oil: For cooking

Salt: To taste

For garnishing: Tamarind chutney

Method:

Soak dal overnight in water. Drain and grind to a fine paste. Mix in baking powder, chillies, ginger, coriander leaves, salt and chilli powder and knead to a smooth mixture. Shape the mixture into small round balls or vadas, around a couple of nuts and a raisin. Heat oil in a pan. Deep-fry the vadas till golden brown in colour. Drain and then soak in hot water. Squeeze out water and place them in a deep, glass dish. Cover with chutney, then pour beaten curd on the top. Sprinkle garam masala, ground cumin powder, chilli powder and chaat masala. 

How to make… Naal suvai gosthu

Nandhini K TH 20 Feb 14

A tasty side dish for a South Indian breakfast

This gosthu tastes good with idli and dosa and is hot, sweet, sour and salty at the same time. It stays fresh for 2 to 3 days. I learnt this recipe from my grandmother.

What you need

Brinjal -1 cup

Small onion - 1 cup

Red chillies - 2

Split Bengal gram - 1 tsp

Mustard - 1 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp

Black gram -1 tsp

Tamarind - Small lemon size

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Jaggery - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil – 2-3 tbsp

Coriander leaves - a few

For grinding

Red chillies – 4

Split Bengal gram – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Cooking instructions

In 2 tsp of oil sauté the ingredients for grinding.

In 3 tbsp of oil add mustard, asafoetida, split Bengal gram, black gram, red chilli, curry leaves, onion, brinjal and sauté.

Once cooked add tamarind juice, chilli powder and salt. After 10 minutes add jaggery and the ground powder.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Nandhini K. is an engineer who loves to try her hand at traditional recipes.

The Heavenly Taste of Temple Food

Das Sreedharan IE: 16th Feb2014 06:00 AM

Stop! A loud voice was heard as we approached the big gathering on the left of the temple. The Pal Payasam caravan was on the march into the shrine from the auspicious kitchen, thousands of litres of boiling rice pudding making its way from the gigantic vessel into the God’s Altar for the sermon before getting blessed and distributed to the crowd.

In the heart of a chanting crowd, praying for many things in front of God, I was left ascertaining the white vapours of boiling milk and fragrance of sweet rice pudding, this’s the ultimate destination for the finest payasam in the world.

I began a journey with my friend Unni to this beautiful Krishna temple to offer a surprise visit to my father on his birthday. The historic shrine of Guruvayoor in Kerala has infinite stories connected with Lord Krishna, his miraculous power and favourite elephants. Devotees endow their faith in the Godly presence and unconditional love for this place. It’s a dream pilgrimage for many like my father on their birthday to savour the sweet stories of Krishna and surrender to the command of God.

You will find children and women of all ages clad in traditional Kerala attire of auspicious cream with vibrant golden borders. We grew up learning about young Krishna’s playfulness and stories of beautiful young girls following him everywhere, obviously girls believe in falling in love with Krishna even before dreaming of their own future husbands, so unsurprisingly you will find more happy girls in the vicinity.

When I looked towards the eastern part of the temple near the elephant’s corner, my inquisitiveness rocketed knowing the presence of the tantric chief priest and the whole clan of Namboothiri commune. Just like the Krishna stories these guys also have enormous influence in what goes on here, all rituals to preparing many offerings to God. So their cooking flair and gift of making food taste divine is known for generations. This will be the first hunting place for me, if I am looking for a vegetarian cook.

Apparently the senior priest doesn’t come everyday for the pooja other than for annual festivals, his assistants are hired on a monthly basis in a draw from hundreds of applicants and when chosen they will spend a month with in the shrine from 3am until late night.

I had long waited for this occasion to taste payasam here and I made most of it by having almost a litre by myself! Since then I have been contemplating everyday about that unbelievable taste and magic which came out of just three ingredients—rice, milk and sugar. I couldn’t forget my passionate dream 20 years ago about this payasam and attempted making it in the middle of the night without even knowing how to do it.

We stepped forward following a savoury scent from the other kitchen where they cook the well-known prasadam lunch for devotees. Folks generally sponsor these meals as their offering to Lord Krishna.  Originally this temple food was meant for Brahmin families in the area but in 1982 they opened the gates to the public.

During the annual festival, breakfast and lunch are cooked for up to 15,000 people. Unni reminded me that locals don’t cook anything at home during this period, and literally live in the temple compound. Unfortunately, it was too early for me to taste that divine meal on the day (since we had to leave early), however that aroma of the atmosphere still stay within and it’s a big reason to go back to this special place in Kerala.

I strolled towards the car with my smiling father after he recited his favourite poems to many in the temple. Looking at his face I could feel his happiness as he blessed me by putting his hand on my head.  I felt more zeal and serenity, the surprise really worked and maybe we need to repeat this farther in life for our loved ones.

The author is a London-based restaurateur who owns the Rasa chain

Discussing Idli-sambar, Chaat Papri at......... Karachi Luncheon

By Shilpa Raina | IANS - KARACHI:: 22nd Feb 2014 01:09 PM

Aamir Jaloti couldn't remember the name of a dish his friend had specially cooked for him when he visited Mumbai. Pinning all his hopes on me, he politely asked if I could tell him what it was he had that was like a soup with soft bread in it and sprinkled with "nimko".

Before this visiting IANS journalist could think of a name, she was stuck with the word "nimko".

Sitting in the conference room of Pakistan's iconic drama channel Hum TV, foreign delegates and employees of the channel were having lunch in what resembled a cultural roundtable conference.

And me being the only one from India, the talk invariably steered towards delicate relationship between the two countries - and the hassles of getting a visa. Delegates from the West were mere spectators!

All was fine, till "nimko" came into the picture.

"How to explain 'nimko' to her," said Jaloti from Dubai, almost giving up on explaining the word to me.

"It is like 'papri' of your chaat-papri," said a gentleman from the channel who has been to multiple Indian cities.

"It is crispy, namkeen (salty) and tasty," he added, telling Jaloti probably he had chaat-papri.

Nyet, said I.

"Chaat-papri has yogurt in it and it is no soup," I declared in an authoritative tone.

"Oh! Then it must be sambar. It too is like a soup," a journalist from Lahore said.

"The soft bread he is talking about must be idli. It is made of rice. It has to be idli-sambar. People in south India eat it every day," he added.

Interrupting his Indian food fantasy, I curiously asked about "nimko".

"Oh yes! Then probably he must have had bhelpuri (a popular Indian snack). It is pretty popular in Mumbai," said another young man who was from a trade organisation and had been to Mumbai several times.

"But bhelpuri doesn't have any soup," I retorted.

They all agreed. And Jaloti, hugely embarrassed by now, sheepishly said: "Probably she made something specially for me."

Not giving up on the subject so easily, I asked: "Was it sweet or sour?"

"It was sour," he said.

Thast was it! It couldn't be either idli-sambar or chaat-papri.

Was it panipuri or golgappa then, I asked, explaining what these popular Indian street foods looked like.

"No, it had soft bread in its centre," a disappointed Jaloti said firmly.

I too gave up, as my imagination couldn't think of anything.

So, as a minority sitting there, I asked them all: "Now please explain 'nimko' to me."

And then began round two of the food conference.

The hidden irony of this conversation is perhaps we all would have discussed the intricacies of Continental, Italian, Chinese or Japanese food but we were struggling to discuss cuisine of our neighbouring countries, which were once one nation.

This cultural ignorance will continue to grow and there will be a bigger chasm in future if the two nations at loggerhead stubbornly refuse to make peace or encourage cultural exchanges.

சமையலறை சமாளிப்புகள்

மகளிர் மணி

இட்லி மாவில் உளுந்து போதாமல், மாவு கெட்டியாயிருந்தால் பச்சை அப்பளங்களைத் தண்ணீரில் நனைத்து மிக்ஸியில் போட்டு ஒரு நிமிடம் ஓடவிட்டு மாவில் கலந்து விடுங்கள். இட்லி மிருதுவாகவும் மென்மையாகவும் இருக்கும்.

சமைக்கும்போது உருளைக்கிழங்குகளை மிக அதிகமாக வேகவிட்டு விடுவது உண்டு. இம்மாதிரி சமயங்களில் உருளைக்கிழங்குகள் மாவுபோல ஆகிவிடாமல் தடுக்க, பால் பவுடர் தூளைக் கொஞ்சம் கிழங்குகள்மேல் தூவி விடுங்கள் - சிறிது நேரத்தில் கிழங்குகள் கெட்டிப்பட்டுவிடும்.

"சொத சொத'வென்று சப்பாத்தி மாவு ஆகிவிட்டதா? கவலையே வேண்டாம். ஃப்ரீசரில் ஓர் அரைமணி நேரம் வைத்த பின் எடுத்து உருட்டி சப்பாத்திகளாக இடுங்கள். மாவு இறுகி விடுவதால் சுலபமாக இட வரும்.

கோதுமை, மைதா போன்ற மாவுகளைப் பயன்படுத்திப் பூரி, சப்பாத்தி செய்யும்போது, மாவு தேவையான அளவு இல்லை என்று தெரிந்தால், உருளைக்கிழங்கை வேக வைத்து தோல் அகற்றிப் பிசைந்து அதை கோதுமை அல்லது மைதாவுடன் சேர்த்துப் பிசைந்து பூரி, சப்பாத்தி செய்யலாம்.

சாம்பாரில் உப்பு கூடினால் ஒரு முள்ளங்கியை தோல் சீவி நறுக்கி சாம்பாரில் போட்டு 5 நிமிடம் கொதிக்க விடுங்கள். அதிகமாக உள்ள உப்பின் சுவை குறைந்துவிடும்.

வத்தக் குழம்பு மற்றும் காரக் குழம்பில் காரம் அதிகமாகிவிட்டால் கவலை வேண்டாம். சிறிது தேங்காய்ப்பால் விட்டு இறக்குங்கள். காரம் குறைவதுடன் சுவையும், மணமும் பிரமாதமாக இருக்கும்.

தக்காளி சூப் நீர்த்து இருந்தால், மாவு கரைத்துவிடுவதற்குப் பதில் அதில் ஒரு வெந்த உருளைக்கிழங்கை மசித்து சேர்க்கவும். சத்தும், ருசியும் அதிகரிக்கும்.

தோசை வார்க்கும்போது தோசை ரொட்டி போல் வந்தால், சாதம் வடித்த கஞ்சியைச் சிறிதளவு தோசை மாவில் கலந்து தோசை வார்த்துப் பாருங்கள். தோசை பூப்போல் மிருதுவாய் இருக்கும்.

Rise of the home chefs

Diners at the restuarant Photo: K.V. Srinivasan


Shonali Muthalaly :TH 2 Feb 2014

Ten talented home cooks, many diners, one long candle-lit table… 
Sandy’s hosted a memorable eating experience serving the best of traditional food

The best pop-ups tell a story. Chennai’s first pop up restaurant told twelve.

Temporary restaurants that spring up for a reason, and disappear soon after, pop-ups thrive on drama. They come in various guises. Some are seasonal restaurants; some exist for one night only. Whether they’re run by professional chefs or amateur cooks, their main aim is to create memorable eating experiences. Dinner, after all, is never just about the food.

Grandly titled ‘Kitchen Chronicles: Rise of the Home Chefs,’ this culinary event staged at Sandys (R.A. Puram) intelligently played on Chennai’s strengths. Hosted by restaurateur Sandesh Reddy and founder of the Home Chef’s Guild, K.P. Balakumar, the dinner showcased the specialities of 10 talented home cooks offering traditional South Indian food set in a slick big-city framework.

“Its food from home,” says Balakumar, in an attempt to explain why the dinner struck such a chord with the diners. (Limited to 40 seats, they sold out even before they had a chance to officially announce the event.) “When we started the Home Baker’s Guild, we found people who did a lot more than baking commenting on the forum. So 6 months later, we began a separate forum for them,” he says. While there are fewer home cooks than bakers, judging by the quality of the food at the pop up, their cooking is uniformly excellent. But that’s only to be expected: no short cuts, no cheats and lots of practice.

“We curated the event by simply picking people whose food we know and love. And each of them made the dish they are famous for,” says Reddy. As a special takeaway, the organisers have also put together all the recipes, and stories, and will be e-mailing them to each of the guests. “Perhaps that was one of the nicest things about this dinner,” says Balakumar, “Unlike many cooks who are secretive about recipes, all 10 of these women were happy to share their recipes.”

Although the food was homemade, with all the characteristic big, bold, straight forward flavours we associate with the cooking of our mothers and grandmothers, dinner was determinedly chic. In the spirit of big family dinners (and because it’s so much fun to be ‘ironic’ these days), this trendy ‘curated’ meal was served in the garden on one long candle-lit table, forcing bonhomie between strangers. It worked out rather well, despite the politely strained silence in the beginning. By the time the spicy fish curry arrived everyone was swapping stories. Pardon the cliché — but food clearly does bring people together.

It helped that most of the cooks were seated at the table too, and happy to chat about their food. As with all popular recipes, each of the dishes served came with a back-story. Aarthi Rajagopal reportedly netted her husband with her Andhra Chicken Fry, which began the meal. Shanti Balakrishnan (incidentally Balakumar’s mother) talked about how making fish cutlets always reminded her of packing school lunches for her kids. Nannu Bedi’s warm gajar halwa, which ended the dinner, was the first thing she learnt from her mother-in-law, a talented home cook, who always insisted on finding the freshest Delhi carrots for the dish.

Given the success of this event, the duo plan more pop ups through the year. “I have all these ideas that can’t be turned into full-blown restaurant — with a pop up you can give people an experience, even if it is for one night only,” says Reddy. “Next time maybe we’ll do a five course meal with professional chefs. Or something region specific… Or perhaps we can explore a less accessible, less popular cuisine.”

All money raised goes towards charity: “To feed the hungry and the homeless… Since the event is all about food, we decided to use the money to either feed children, or sponsor meals at an old age home,” says Balakumar.