Potato Capsicum Curry

Ingredients:
Potato - 750 gms
Capsicum - 2 (finely chopped)
Tomato - 2 to 3 
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves (Kothamalli) - finely chopped
Jeera powder - 1/2 spoon 
Pepper powder - 2 spoons (use based on your taste)
Coconut Oil - 2 teaspoons (or any organic oil)
Mustard seeds (Kadugu) - for garnish (optional)

Preparation Steps:
1. Boil the potatoes and set them aside to cool
2. Use the same water to boil the chopped capsicums till they are cooked, drain the capsicum and set aside
3. Peel and chop the potatoes
4. In a big bowl add the potatoes, capsicum, jeera powder, pepper powder and mix well till the spices are completely mixed with the veggies
5. Take a kadai, heat some oil in it, add mustard (kadugu) and let it splutters 
6. Add chopped tomatoes and saute well till tomatoes are cooked
7. Add the finely chopped curry leaves and Kothamalli and saute for a few seconds
8. Now add the spiced veggies, saute for a while to mix the ingredients well
9. Switch off the flame, add salt and mix well so the salt is evenly distributed
10. Now add grated coconut and mix well

Sathvik Potato Curry is ready to serve! Goes well with rice and rotis. Enjoy!

Tips Corner:
Here are a few tips to ensure a healthy and Sathvik vegan dish, when food becomes the medicine that heals the body.

Choice of Vegetables:
You can increase or reduce the quantity of potatoes and capsicum as per your preference 
In this method a variety of other vegetables can also be cooked with the same taste as they will be preboiled

Raw vegetables have the highest nutrients when consumed. So do ensure the vegetables are not over cooked. Half cooked vegetables which need chewing are most ideal.

The garnishing with Mustard seeds (kadugu) is purely optional as raw food mixed with heated food reduces the true power of the raw food. So, if possible this step is best avoided as it tastes great even without the tadka

Salt and Spice can be avoided or used minimally if needed. However to make the dish enjoyable for your taste buds, if you do have to use them, please use them towards the end. When you add the salt and spice, switch off the flame. Salt should not be cooked along with the food.

Coconut is a wholesome nutritive ingredient and is not ideal when cooked on flame. So please ensure coconut is added after you remove the dish from flame.

Thakkali kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Ripe Tomatoes (as required)
Shallots (I used close to 10 shallots (small onion)... But it's optional)
Green chillies (as required,  I used 5 big ones for 4 people)
Sambar podi (this is home prepared without turmeric)
Salt (as required)
Cocunut milk extract - 1 small cup (u can add or reduce based on your taste)
Kothamalli (for garnish)

Preliminary Steps:

1. Take few ripe tomatoes (I took 7 big ones to serve 4 people)

2. Take water enough to immerse the tomatoes, and boil it, at boiling stage switch off the flame and soak the tomatoes in the water and let it be for 2 minutes... Then remove and peel the skin.

3. Now mash the tomatoes well with your hand to get puree consistency for kuzhambu

Preparation Steps:
1. Take a kadai, add 1 teaspoon organic oil (I used coconut oil)
2. Add Half teaspoon kadugu
3. When it sputters, add half spoon jeera and a pinch of vendayam, a sprig of curry leaves
4. Now add green chillies and saute..
5. Add onions and saute till golden brown
6. Now add tomato puree, half spoon sambar podi (use as per your taste), half cup water and let boil for ten minutes in medium flame or until desired thick consistency is reached.
7. Lastly add coconut milk and salt, garnish with chopped Kothamalli...

Super tangy spicy tomato kuzhambu is ready... Goes well with rice, dosas and even rotis...

Raw Tomato Chutney (தக்காளிச் சட்டினி)

Ingredients:
Tomatoes (chopped)
Corainder Leaves (Kothamalli)
Green Chillies (As required)
Ginger (1 inch piece, peeled)
Coconut (grated)
Salt (prefer induppu)
Oil (prefer organic) - optional
Mustard Seeds (Kadugu) - optional

Preparation Steps:

1. Add chopped tomatoes, chopped Kothamalli, grated Ginger, grated Cocunut and salt and blend well in a mixer to smooth paste

2. If required, garnish with Mustard seeds (kadugu) spluttered in oil

Serve with some hot sathvik Tiffin! 

Tips Corner:

Here are a few tips to ensure a healthy and Sathvik vegan dish, when food becomes the medicine that heals the body.

Tomatoes, Kothamalli, Ginger & Cocunut in itself brings a lovely flavour and taste to the chutney. Green chillies and salt is more of a gratification for our taste buds, so use wisely and minimally if possible to help body enjoy the raw nature of the food

The garnishing with Mustard seeds (kadugu) is purely optional as raw food mixed with heated food reduces the true power of the raw food. So, if possible this step is best avoided as the chutney tastes great even without the tadka.

Fruits & Salads

Our body needs both Alkaline and Acidic foods for maintaining the PH level in the body.

In general, all vegetables are alkaline and all fruits are acidic in nature.

A meal could be substituted with either a fruit or vegetables, but not both together as eating both acidic and alkaline foods at the same time do not server the purpose of eating healthy.

It is advisable to have a single/mono fruit (not in quantity though) rather than mixing different fruits for a single meal.

Vegetable salads are healthier, nutritious and tastier when taken in the right form. We can substitute a meal with raw vegetable salads which gives us more energy than a cooked diet. It is better to avoid Onion, Garlic, Lemon, Salt & Pepper in the vegetable salad.

Mixing and matching of vegetable salad depends on one's creativity and acceptability towards eating the raw salads.

Note: BSD means Basic Salad  Dressing which is Tomato + Coconut + Coriander leaves (Kothamalli)

Carrot + Cucumber + BSD
Carrot + Capsicum + Cabbage + BSD
Carrot + Pudalangai + BSD
Carrot + Cabbage + BSD
Carrot + Zucchini + BSD
Carrot + Lettuce + BSD + Green Gram Sprouts
Cucumber + Capsicum + BSD + Green Gram Sprouts & Peanuts
Carrot + Beetroot + BSD + Green Gram Sprouts
Carrot + Cucumber + Palak greens + BSD
Beetroot + Chow chow + BSD + Ginger, Herbs
Pudalangai + Cucumber + Surakkai + BSD
Yellow Pumpkin + Coconut
Lady's Finger + Coconut + Green Gram Sprouts
Palak Greens + Cucumber + BSD
Carrot + Cauliflower + BSD

I will keep updating the different tried and tested salad recipes that are munchier, healthier and at the same time tastier... 

Thinai Kichadi (திணை கிச்சடி)

Ingredients:
Thinai (Foxmillets)
Oil (prefer organic)
Mustard Seeds (Kadugu)
Cumin seeds (Jeeragam)
Black Pepper (Milagu) - optional
Onion (chopped)
Tomato (chopped)
Green Chillies
Curry Leaves (washed)
Peanuts (roasted/ sprouted as required)
Carrot (chopped)
Cabbage (chopped)
Capsicum (chopped)
Potato (chopped)
Coconut (grated)
Salt (prefer induppu)
Water - As required (usually Thinai-Water ratio is 1:3, however it vary based on consistency of kichadi you would like)

Preparation Steps

1. Roast the thinai till aroma comes and set aside

2. Roast the peanuts and set aside

3. Boil chopped vegetables - carrot,  potato, cabbage and capsicum. When cooked, strain vegetables and retain water, this water can be used for making upma. If you like can also boil soaked or sprouted raw peanuts along with the vegetables

4. Take a kadai, add Oil, mustard seeds, chopped onions, washed curry leaves, green chillies & roasted peanuts

5. Now add the water strained from boiled vegetables to the kadai, add roasted thinai and boil till cooked

6. Now add chopped tomatoes, jeeragam and milagu (if required) and cook a little while

7. Add all boiled vegetables, salt and mix well

8. Remove from flame, add grated coconut and mix well

Serve hot with some good sathvik chutney!

Tips Corner:
Here are a few tips to ensure a healthy and Sathvik vegan dish, when food becomes the medicine that heals the body.

Raw vegetables have the highest nutrients when consumed. So do ensure the vegetables are not over cooked. Half cooked vegetables which need chewing are most ideal.

Salt and Spice can be avoided if you can. However to make the dish enjoyable for your palette, if you do have to use them, please use them towards the end. When you add the salt and spice, switch off the flame. Salt should not be cooked along with the food.

Coconut is a wholesome nutritive ingredient and is not ideal when cooked on flame. So please ensure coconut is added after you remove the dish from flame.

Note:
You can use any millet for this recipe like Thinai,Varagu Arisi, Kuthiraivali etc...