Ajwain biscuits/Sweet and salt crackers

Ajwain biscuits  always reminds me of my childhood..There was a small shop opposite to my house,there we used to get this biscuits which are ,small sized but very tasty,for 50p we used to get 30 -35 small biscuits.Me and my brother used to buy this biscuits often.After so many years now,while cooking whenever I opened a ajwain container I remember those biscuits which smell the same..At that time I did not know it was ajwain or not but now I am sure to tell they are made out of ajwain as I still remember the smell of those biscuits.So thought of making them on my own,so with little bit of experiments :) I came out with this recipe which turn out to be a big hit in my family,not single biscuit was left and my little one love them...This recipe yeilds 20 -25 biscuits,I made them normal cracker size.These are sweet and salt in taste...So perfect for afternoon tea or as snack..You can store them in a airtight container.

Ingredients:
All purpose flour-1cup
Butter-25 gm
Ajwain seeds(Oma kaalu)-1tsp
Salt-1/2tsp
Sugar-1tbsp
Milk-4tbsp


Method:
In a mixing bowl, add flour,ajwain,salt and sugar,mix well.
Add cold butter rub into flour wntil it become crumbs.
Add milk and knead into a stiff dough like chappathi dough.
Lightly flour the surface and roll the dough thin and evenly into 
large chappathi.Take cookie cutter of your desired shape,Cut the 
discs and place on a baking sheet,repeat this process until you are 
finished with the dough.Prick the disc's so they don't puff up.Bake in the preheated oven at 180'C for 15 to 20 minutes.Cool and serve.


Note:This biscuits will be soft when you take out of oven,they will become crispier and hard when they are cooled.

Carrot and Peanuts Kosambari

Ingredients:
Carrots-2,grated
Moongdal/hesarubele-2tbsp
Roasted peanuts-2tbsp
Fresh coriander-1tbsp
Green chillies-1,finely chopped
Fresh coconut,grated-2tbsp
Pepper powder to taste
Salt to taste
Lemon juice-1tsp
Oil-1tsp
Mustard-1/2tsp
Hing-pinch


Method:
Wash and soak moongdal in half cup of water for 1hr.
Roughly crush the roasted peanuts and keep aside.
In a bowl mix grated carrot,moongdal, fresh coriander,grated
coconut,Lemonjuice and seasonings to taste.
Heat oil in a pan add mustard,when they begin splutter add
green chillies and hing and take out of the flame.
Add the tempering to carrot mixture and mixwell.
Add crushed peanuts before serving.

Serve as a side dish.

Magical Banana Flower

After so many days I am posting,because of my health problems I am not able to interact with you guys,I felt like its been ages I haven't sit before my pc.Any ways I  am very exicited it is my 100th post !!.My 100th post is all about womens health.All these days I was worrying about my health so much and atlast I got solution for that I am very happy and I want to share my story with all of you.This post is dedicated to those ladies and girls who suffer like me,it is common problem of ladies...which is irregular periods and heavybleeding, it is also called Menorrhoea.I was struggling from 6months with irregular periods but from last 2months,when I got my periods the periods last upto 20 -25 days, it really made me worry,because it was very heavy I need to change every hour,you can imagine how much I have suffered.I consulted doctor,he prescribed me Norethisterone tablets 3-4 a day and told me to get pelvic scanning and to take tablets until my scan is done.The problem of sterone tablets is, as you take tablet immediatly the flow will stop but if you skip one time also within an hour you will start to bleed again and you will bleed more than normal,in the sense HORRIBLE!.As you all know in U.K.health service is free and good but you have to wait for your term so I had to wait for atleast 4weeks until I was told  to take tablets.I was horrified by the thought of taking so many tablets for a month.I wanted natural solution, I searched the internet  for natural remedies and got a solution for heavy bleeding.Luckily! found out solution which is eating cooked banana flower with curds,which helps to stop bleeding and it is referred as effective medicine for menstrual disorder in Ayurveda, really it works amazingly!!!,luckly I got banana flower in a Srilankan grocery shop which I usually visit.I bought it and cleaned[for cleaning atleast you need four hands:))] and I simply made a stirfry and ate it with yogurt, I ate little by little throughout the day but finished the whole prep.A day before  doing this I  stopped taking tablets completely.I admit it was very bitter and astringent in taste but it worked amazingly,gradually my flow reduced and stopped within 2 days and this month I got my periods and my flow was normal and stopped within 5 days so my friends if you come across this type of situation please try this remedy, really it works naturally because banana flower is said to increase the quantity of progesterone and hence reduces the bleeding.I hope this will help you..If you have any queries regarding this remedy please feel free to ask.I will be posting recipe in my next post.


Menstruation treatment with Banana Flower: Home Remedy for Heavy Menstruation
One banana flower should be cooked and consumed with one cup of curd. This will increase the quantity of progesterone and decrease the bleeding.

Menstruation treatment with Coriander Seeds: Home Remedy for Heavy Menstruation:
Coriander seeds are also helpful in the treatment of excessive menstruation. Six grams/1tsp of these seeds should be boiled in half a litre of water/3cups water and this decoction should be taken off the fire whenonly half the water left. Add sugar to it and the patient should drink it when it is still warm. One of the popular home remedies for menstruation.

Green Pulao

Ingredients:
Copra/dessicated coconut/Kobari turi-1cup
Fresh pudina-1/2cup
Fresh coriander-1/2cup
Onion-1
Green chillies-6
Poppyseeds-1tsp
Cinnamon-2sticks
Cardamom-4
Cloves-4
Ginger-1inch
Green peas(frozen)-1cup
Salt to taste
Rice-2cups
Oil/ghee-2tbsp
Mustard-1tsp


Method:
Cook the rice nice and fluffy and leave to cool in a wide mixing bowl.
Grind,Copra,pudina,coriander,poppyseeds,onion,green chillies,cardamom,
cloves and  ginger into a fine paste.
Heat a oil in a pan,add mustard when they begin to splutter add grinded paste
and saute for 3-4 minutes,then add green peas,add salt  and simmer for 5minutes.
Mix the gravy to rice and mixwell.Serve hot.

Majjige Kodubale

Majjige kodubale is similar to  peragu poori of  Andra. This can be served as breakfast as well as snacks.They are crispy and yummy...Lovely served with coconut chutney.This is  dish popular of vyshya community of karnataka.

Ingredients:


Rice flour -1cup
Sour buttermilk(Huli majjige)-2cups
Onion-1 small,finely chopped
Green chillies-2-3,finely chopped
Cumin seeds-1tsp
Curry leaves-1 sprig,finely chopped
Chopped coriander-2tbsp
Oil-2tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying


Method:
Take buttermilk in a sauce pan,add  all the ingredients to buttermilk except rice flour,mix well.
Put the  pan on a heat and bring the buttermilk to boil,now add rice flour part by part with stirring cook until 
all the dough come together,take out from the heat,leave it to cool for a while (not too cool).When the dough is still warm Knead the dough with little oil until it becomes smooth.Now take lemon size ball and roll a tube evenly  and join the ends like ring(Kodubale or bangle shape),follow the same for the rest of the dough.
Heat a  oil in a kadai and deep fry the kodubale's on a medium flame.Drain excess oil on  paper towel.

Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Apricot Bars

Ingredients:

Dried apricots,chopped-175g

Unsweetened orange juice-4tbsp

Margarine,melted-6tbsp

Honey-6tbsp

Semolina flour or fine semolina-50g

Plain flour-125g+2tbsp

Method:

1.Cook chopped apricots with orange juice in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes,drain if the juice is not absorbed by the fruit.

2.Heat the margarine and honey in a pan until melted,add semolina and plain flour and mix well.

3.Lightly grease a small square cake tin or loaf tin,press half of the semolina mixture into the base of the prepared tin.

4.Spoon on the fruit mixture evenly and top with the remaining semolina mixture,covering the fruit completely.

5.Bake at 200'C/400'F/Gas6 for 35minutes until risen and golden brown.

6.Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then cut into bars,again leave the bars to cool on a wire rack completely and serve.