Sweet lime salad- quick & easy dessert

Here's wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous new year :-) A quick and simple fruit dessert to finish off the day. This is so refreshing and can be made with any fruits of your choice. Sweet lime is usually had as a fresh juice by most however, since childhood I have always eaten it as a fresh fruit. When I told this to my hubby he was quite taken back and tried it for the very first time....and....he simply loved it. So, now, the fruit has become a regular after dinner. Now, being december, its raining oranges of all flavours in the market. While I was looking for different ways to savor this fruit...I happened to think of this simple way to relish the fruit...

Ingredients:
- 1or 2 sweet lime
- 1 orange
- 4-5 almond nuts
- 1/2 tbsp honey

Prep time: 10 mins

Preparation:

- Peel the sweet lime off its green skin. Now, with a smooth peeler, remove the white layer of skin on the fruits.
- Now, make round slices of the fruits and arrange them on a bowl or plate.
- Slice the almonds into small pieces and spread it on the sliced sweetlime and drizzle the honey over the fruit.
- Add colour to the salad by arranging the orange pulps by the corners.

- You can use strawberries or grapes too to add some more color and flavour to the dessert:-)

Lentil Salad - Moong dhal - Paasi paruppu Sundal

After thinking, talking and writing so much about how special Navarathri is...it would not be right if I do not do a post on a "Sundal"! Being the 1st day of Navrathri, I thought of making a sundal (as it is called in Tamil)...it is basically any lentil, that has been boiled and given a tadka or tempering.....how simple can that be:-)?!

These are very healthy and each day a different lentil is used and is offered as Neivedhyam or Prasad. Later, these are distributed to all those who come home for chandan kumkum. That is as far as the Navarathri connection goes. But in terms of the health connection, you can make these any time of the year and is a healthy snack for kids and adults as well!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup moong dhal
- 2 green chillies
- 1/2 tsp grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp hing or asafoetida
- 2 tbsp grated carrots (optional)
- 1 or 1 1/2 tbsp shredded coconut
- few curry leaves
- 1 tsp oil and mustard for seasoning

Prep time: 1 hour          Cook time: 20 mins

Prepapration:

- Soak the moong dhal an hour before you would like to make these. Soaking helps to cook the dhal faster. If not, you can directly boil them too.
- In a deep pan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add the turmeric and then the soaked moongdhal. Let this boil for about 10 mins.

- After 10 mins, check if the dhal has cooked. You need to be able to mash it lightly with your fingers. It is enough to cook them al dante. Do not cook to a mashing consistency.
- Remove form heat and drain the dhal on a strainer. Store the strained water to be used later while cooking. I usually make rasam with this water. Why waste its goodness:-)
- After 5 minutes, in a pan, heat the oil, allow the mustards to splutter and add the green chillies, curry leaves, ginger and carrots. Fry them on low heat for a couple of minutes.

- Now, add the  drained moong dhal, coconut and hing and give everything a toss for a couple of minutes and remove from heat.

- Sprinkle the lemon juice over and give a toss before serving!
-Tasty and healthy moong dhal sundal, ready in under 30 mins...enjoy!

Linking this recipe to Heart & Soul Co-hosted by Alea of Premeditated Leftovers:

Peanut Masala - Beach Style

Its been rainy days since weekend and rains always call for spicy, crunchy evening snacks and a steaming hot cup of chai! I picked some fresh groundnuts(with the shell) from the Indian grocery store last evening to make அவிச்ச கடலை(boiled nuts). However, after boiling them, I wanted to dress them up in color and so it turned out into a spicy, tangy beach style peanut masala...

Ingredients:

- 1 cup boiled peanuts

- 1 tbsp finely chopped onions

- 1 tbsp finely chopped tomato

- 1 tbsp finely chopped cucumber

- 1 tbsp finely chopped raw mango

- 1/4 tsp chat masala

- 1 tsp lemon juice (optional if mango available)

- 1 tbsp churmur/பொரி or bhel mix

- Salt to taste (optional)

Prep time: 15 mins         Cook time: 10 mins

Preparation:

- Pressure cook the groundnuts, with salt added, to 2 whistles.

- On cooling, open the cooker and break open the groundnuts to remove the outer shell. This process takes about 10 mins.

- To the boiled nuts, add the chopped onions, tomato, cucumber, raw mango, chat masala and salt if needed. Mix all together.

- Finally add the churmur or bhel mix and coriander. Give them a toss and serve immediately.

- Tasty, tangy peanut masala is ready to eat!

Foot note:

- If you do not have fresh groundnuts, you could use the peeled peanuts too. Soak them in water for 5-6 hours and pressure cook them for about 8-10 whistles.

- If you add chopped raw mango, do not add lemon juice as it will make the snack too sour.

- You could add chilli powder too if you like more spice

Simple salad with peanuts

A quick to make salad for your lunch box while you are in a hurry, still not giving in to the temptation of picking a wrap for to-go!

Ingredients:

- a handful of peanuts soaked overnight

- 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumbers

- 1/2 cup finely chopped tomato

- 1/4 cup finely chopped onions

- 1/2 cup thinly grated carrots

- 3/4 tsp lemon juice

- a pinch of salt to taste

- 1/8 tsp chilli powder

- 1/8 tsp crushed black pepper

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: Almost NIL

Preparation:

- while you are doing the honors of chopping the veggies, pressure cook the peanuts for 3 whistles

- Chop and mix all the veggies and the rest of the ingredients

- In the end, add the boiled peanuts and toss it around...

Your box of fresh and healthy salad is ready to-go!