What is Coconut Sugar?

Coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar is made from the dried sap of the coconut palm blossom. the coconut blossom sugar is obtained from the sap of the coconut flower. A cut is made at the base of the flower and the sap that oozes out is collected, allowed to evaporate and the residue from that is the natural sugar. It contains Iron, Zinc, Calcium and Potassium, along with antioxidants that provide health benefits. It contains a fiber called Insulin, which may slow glucose absorption and this explains why coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular table sugar.

The taste of it by itself is very clean and fresh, with an unmistakable sweetness of the elaneer.

It is low on the glycemic index, which makes it ideal for those suffering from diabetes. Besides, this new entrant to the world of natural alternative sweeteners has neutral pH, which helps retain the body’s alkaline state. Apart from all this, coconut nectar also contains 17 amino acids, minerals, vitamin C, and B.

A natural sweetener, coconut sugar has a low glycemic index of 35 which leads to favourable blood glucose readings. Consumption of coconut sap sugar helps reduce and maintain weight, control and manage diabetes. It may also help lower serum cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease.

A low GI means that there is a slow release of sugar into the blood and does not lead to spikes in the blood sugar, if taken in reasonable quantities. The calorific count however is the same to refined sugar.

Coconut sugar is great for baking too. You could add it to your dark chocolate cake batter. Don’t forget to grab a sample when you visit Dhanyam stores next!

Posted in Health, Health Food, Medicinal Products, Natural Sweetners, naturally processed food, Safe food for India | Tagged , , , , | 887 Comments

“Modak (kozhukattai)” – for Ganesh Chathurthi

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great devotion all over India and we welcome our முழு முதற் கடவுள் with the delicious kozhukattai/modak he likes!

Ingredients:

  • Rice flour -1 cup
  • Water – 1 ¼ cup
  • Oil -1 tsp
  • Jaggery – 1 cup
  • Grated Coconut -1 cup
  • Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
  • Ghee -1 tbsp

How to Prepare:

  • Heat 1¼ cup of water with a tsp of oil. Add the rice flour little by little stirring continuously with a ladle so that there are no lumps.
  • Cook on a low flame for 5 to 7 minutes stirring frequently. (Note: The quantity of water may range from 1 cup -1 ½ cups for a cup of rice flour).
  • Switch off when the rice flour water mixture turns to a dough like consistency. Transfer the dough to a plate and let it cool. Keep a small bowl of warm water mixed with 1-2 tsp of oil.
  • Once the dough is warm, dip your finger in the water – oil mix and knead it to a smooth dough. If you feel that the dough is too dry and can break, then sprinkle a little of the water – oil mixture and then knead the dough. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside.
  • For the sweet poornam, melt the jaggery on a low flame in half a cup of water and filter it to remove impurities.
  • Heat the filtered jaggery syrup and when it starts boiling, add grated coconut and mix well.
  • Add a tsp of ghee and cook until it starts to thicken.
  • Add cardamom powder and mix well. Allow it to cool. Check if you can make balls out of it. If not, cook for a few more minutes and keep it aside. Make small balls out of it.
  • Grease your palms with oil, place a ball of dough and flatten it into a small circle. You can dip your fingers in water if required.
  • Place a ball of the jaggery poornam, bring all the corners together and close it. Make it into a shape of a ‘choppu kozhukattai’.
  • Repeat the process for the remaining dough.
  • Steam the Kozhukattais on a greased idli plate for 10-12 minutes. Do not overcook because the the rice flour covering may break.
  • Switch off and open the cooker after 5 minutes.

Offer it to the Lord and enjoy!

Posted in Culture and Tradition, recipes, Safe food for India, Snacks | Tagged , , | 317 Comments

Do you know the history behind offering the “Modak (kozhukattai)” is offered during Vinayagar Chathurthi!

There is an interesting history why the “Modak (kozhukattai)” is offered during Vinayagar Chathurthi!

In the Puranas it is describe that when Lord Ganesha was a baby, his grandmother would pamper him by preparing delicious laddoos. As baby Ganesha grew older, his appetite for laddoos also grew. Once, Mother Parvati realised that she would not be able to prepare laddos in a short span and hence decided to make something else for him that he would relish. Thus, she came up with the recipe of Modak, a dessert made of rice flour, coconut, jaggery and ghee. Lord Ganesha, who wanted to have laddoos, laid his eyes on the Modak and ate them happily. Soon after having it, Lord Ganesha burped and said that he was extremely pleased. The Modak became Lord Ganesha’s favourite food. Thus, Mother Parvati said that those who would offer Modak to her son Ganesha, will be blessed by him!

Let us prepare the age old recipe and offer it to Lord Ganesha on the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi.

Posted in Culture and Tradition | Tagged , | 444 Comments

Seeraga samba

Seeraga samba is as fragrant as its distant cousin, the Basmati!

This word brings mouth-watering memories of the delicacy, Biriyani or Pulao we prepare at home. The fragrant and scrumptious dish is prepared with a mixture of spices and condiments, rice (usually basmati rice) and vegetables. Have you prepared this favourite food of all using one of our traditional varieties of rice, the Seeraga Samba? It tastes great!

Seeraga Samba, is a long duration aromatic rice traditionally grown in Tamil Nadu. It derives its name because the small white grains resemble seeds of Seeragam/Jeera/Cumin and it is mostly cultivated in the Samba season (August to January). The rice is easy to cook, delicious, aromatic, easy to digest and rich in vitamins. The most important characteristic of this rice is that it has low glycemic index than the short variety ‘Ponni’ rice. Traditionally, Seeraga Samba rice was used in the preparation of biriyani, lemon rice, tamarind rice, tomato rice, etc.

Posted in Culture and Tradition, Safe food for India, Traditional Rice | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

A few reasons to crack that tough nut!

Jack of all trades is a way to describe walnuts. Known to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad kind), decrease blood pressure, improve heart health, cognitive function as well as boosting hair and skin health, there are a number of health benefits to be reaped from eating just a handful of walnuts every day.

Eating walnuts, which are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, antioxidants and other plant chemicals – decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Walnuts can be included in just about any dish and fit any cultural cuisine. Eat them as they are or blend them into your smoothie; top your breakfast cereal with crushed walnuts or make a delicious curry with walnut paste gravy!

Eating walnuts can positively affect various heart health markers. For example, consuming walnuts can reduce total cholesterol, raise HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce inflammation. Walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fats and alpha linoleic acid (ALA) that are known to improve artery function.

Consuming walnuts has been shown to be beneficial in helping stabilise blood sugar levels in older adults and decrease the number and size of tumours in breast and prostate cancer.

You can consume a serving of walnuts every day. It’s better than eating a huge bowl in one sitting. Bake them into breads, use them as toppings or sprinkle chopped walnuts on your salads or just eat them as a mid-morning or afternoon snack.

A simple way to boost male fertility, a major problem across the world, could be gobbling a handful of walnuts, researchers say.

Use it to make some rich masaledar Indian gravies! You can use walnut paste in your shahi paneer or paneer butter masala.

Coarsely grind the walnuts and cook it with a generous helping of ghee, milk, sugar and cardamom. Your instant Halwa is ready!

Posted in Health, Health Food, Nuts and spices, Raw Food, recipes, Safe food for India, Snacks | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Neiappam for Janmashtami and AvaniAvittam.

Neiappam is a must to be offered sweet to the Lord on festivals. It is made on the occasion of Janmashtami and AvaniAvittam.

Ingredients:

  • Raw Rice – 1 Cup
  • Grated Jaggery – ¾ -1 Cup
  • Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp
  • Banana – 1
  • Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Method:

  • Wash and soak the rice in water for an hour. Drain the water and grind it in a mixer to a fine paste without adding water.
  • Add grated coconut, banana and cardamom powder to the mixer.
  • Grind it to a fine paste. Finally add jaggery and give just a pulse. If you grind it more, the jaggery will dilute the batter.
  • Heat the kuzhiappam pan and add little ghee to each kuzhi. When the pan is hot, take a small ladle and fill ¾ th of each hole with the batter.
  • Let the appam cook for a while and when it turns golden brown color, flip it and cook for half a minute.
  • Remove the appam from the pan and offer it to your laddu Gopal!
Posted in Culture and Tradition, Sweets | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Let’s embrace Desi milk!

Milk that is obtained from cows that are fed with organic fodder grown on chemical-free soil, and that are not injected with antibiotics and hormones, qualifies as organic milk. This process ensures that the milk these cows give is completely free from any residues of pesticides, fertilisers, adulterants, antibiotics and hormones.

Additionally, to be truly organic, milk should be obtained from one source, say one farm, as one can have complete control over the cows, their health, their feed, the milk production, etc. If the product is collected from various farms, it is highly difficult to maintain a certain level of quality and uniform organic standards.

When it comes to the breed of the cow, a large part of the milk produced in India and by several organic farms is from Jersey and Holstein Friesians (HF) cows, cross-bred with Indian cows. These cows are known to produce more milk than pure Indian humped breeds like the Gir, Ongole, Sahiwal and Tharparkar. While the former produce A1 milk, the pure Indian breeds produce A2 milk. Traditionally, the ilk from humped Indian breeds has always been considered to have medicinal properties and helps develop better immune system.

In India, we are fortunate enough to be blessed with 64 different primary breeds of native cows. Unfortunately, right now, only 32 breeds are alive and the rest are possibly extinct. There are different native cows for different states, which are well-adapted to their home climatic zone. Truly good milk is milk from cows of that region, or at least cows those are well-adapted and allowed to graze freely.

Scientific evidence suggests that milk from zebu (humped) cattle has several advantages over the milk of exotic European varieties of cattle like Holstein, which were introduced in India as a measure to enhance milk production through cross breeding. Milk from the European breeds like Holstein, which spread across the developed world due to their high milk yield, has been related to allergies and serious health conditions.

Farmers and cattle rearers across the spectrum vouch for milk from indigenous cows and its higher suitability for children’s growth, both physical and mental, than milk from high-yielding exotic varieties.

Posted in Culture and Tradition, Dairy Products, Health, Health Food, naturally processed food, Safe food for India | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

A great supplement to boost your energy!

Dry fruit milkshake with a dash of honey is an excellent source of iron and calcium and can be given every day to growing children. It is a healthy, nourishing and a protein rich delicious drink!

It is filling enough to be served as breakfast or as a refreshing evening drink. This also makes a perfect fasting food on ekadashis and for festivals like Navratri.

Dry fruit milkshake can be had as a perfect evening snack by pregnant women, who are usually advised to have small and frequent meals. This energy and nutrient dense drink will surely boost the growth of the foetus.

What you need (for 1 glass):

  • Walnuts – 2
  • Almonds – 4
  • Unsalted pistachios – 4
  • Cashewnuts – 3
  • Dates – 2
  • Raisins – 10 to 12
  • Chilled milk – ¾ cup
  • Honey – 1 tbsp
  • For The Garnish:
  • Almond and pistachio slivers – 1 tsp
  • Saffron strand – 3 or 4
  • How to prepare:
  • Soak all the dry fruits in little water.
  • Remove the skin of the almonds.
  • Combine all the ingredients and blend in a mixer with a small quantity of milk till smooth.
  • Mix in the remaining chilled milk and blend.

Serve immediately garnished with almonds, pistachios and saffron.

Posted in Culture and Tradition, Dairy Products, Health, Health Food, Nuts and spices, Raw Food, recipes, Safe food for India, Snacks | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Have you heard of Kullakar rice?

Kullakar is an interesting traditional red rice variety with a lot of health benefits. It possesses antioxidant properties, have higher zinc and iron content than the polished white rice.


Kullakar rice strengthens, regenerates and energizes the body, regulates blood pressure, prevents skin diseases and premature ageing.

This parboiled rice is great for making idlis, dosas and porridge. It has an advantage of its growing duration being short, and can therefore be grown throughout the year in all three seasons. Kullakar rice is also highly resistant to pests and diseases.

Posted in Culture and Tradition, Grains, Traditional Rice | Tagged , , , , | 36 Comments

More than just a spice!

Rightly called the king of spices, “pepper” is one of the oldest and most popular spices in the world. Discovered 4000 years ago; it is indigenous to the Malabar Coast in India. It was the search for pepper that drew early Western sailors eastwards. Called “black gold,” it was one of the very first items of commerce between India and Europe. It became so valuable that ancient communities used it as a currency to buy and sell goods! Taxes and rents were paid in pepper corns and the word “pepper corn rent” was coined. The name pepper comes from the Sanskrit word ‘pippali’ meaning berry.

The chemical, piperine is an active component in both black and white pepper and has numerous physiological and drug-like actions. Strong anti-oxidant activity has been found in black pepper extracts. This may render far reaching health benefits including cancer prevention by removing the harmful free radicals, anti-inflammatory effects and immuno-modulatory activity.

Black peppercorn, a common ingredient in your masala dabba, is roasted and ground with other ingredients to make powders like garam masala, rasam powder etc.

Posted in Culture and Tradition, Health, Health Food, Medicinal Products, Raw Food, Safe food for India, Spices | Tagged , , | 5 Comments