Its always raining here, this entire month and am finding it difficult to dry all the clothes. This is the best season to get cold, cough etc. Manja Paal is the one, we often prepare at home as one or the other one will have some throat problem. This drink will be very soothing to the throat and you can get good sleep after drinking this without any dry coughs. When i came to know about the event Think spice - Think Turmeric, this one flashed my thought immediately. My FIL is having a slight cold and he drinks it for the past two days.

Here are few medicinal values of turmeric

It is a natural antiseptic, antibacterial, anti inflammatory, stomach soothing agent

Is a natural liver detoxifier.

Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.

Used to heal any cuts on skin

It plays a mjor role in anti cancer activities

Ingredients

Milk - 1 cup

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Pepper crushed or powdered - 1/2-1 tsp

Palm Sugar - 1 tsp

Method

No specific preparation done here.

In a cup of hot milk, add all the ingredients and mix well.

Drink before going to bed. Thats all.

I am sending this to Think Spice - Think Turmeric hosted by Sudhesna

and also to Healing Foods hosted by Yasmeen

Summer have started here and we started sweating a lot, even here in Bangalore. This time it has been predicted that summer will be too hot, like never before. In Tamilnadu, people will start consuming all coolest food items. At some places, few NGOs or group of people will organize "Thanner Panthal"(refreshment stalls) where in they have water filled mud pots, kept on wet sand. This is the most healthy way to get a chill water, which we don't get by cooling in a fridge. This water will be so tasty, quenching the thirst very well. Some places they serve seasoned buttermilk, koozhu also. This is mainly to quench the thirst of passersby in the hot summer.  

Raagi can be consumed in many ways like adai, dosa, puttu, and koozhu. This will suit both kids and elders and specifically for diabetics. Lets see how to prepare fermented Raagi Koozhu. 

Ingredients:

Raagi Flour - 2 cup

Curd - 1 cup

Cooked rice - 1 cup

Method:

Prepare a batter out of raagi flour by adding water. The consistency can be similar to the dosa batter. Let it ferment for at least 8-12 hrs. The more it ferments more the taste will be. 

Take a heavy bottomed vessel and add 8 cups of water and boil it. when it starts boiling, add the fermented batter slowly, by stirring continuously. It should not form any humps. 

Keep it in a lower flame and stir often till the raagi gets cooked well. Add the cooked rice to it and mix well. 

After it is cooled down, add the curd/buttermilk and salt to it. Its up to you to decide on how much curd should be added, according to your taste. 

Serve it with side dishes like Pearl onions, Curd Chilly(Mor Milagai), Pavakkai Vathal, Salted Mango, any veg or non veg side dish. Out of these pearl onion is the best. Because Raagi will tend to increase the internal body temperature, so pearl onion will give you the reverse effect by cooling down. So whenever you prepare any dish(spicy) out of raagi, see to that you add more of pearl onions. 

I am republishing it for Festive Food: Summer Treat event conducted by Priti