Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie

There are sometimes hectic mornings when you just do not have time to cook an elaborate breakfast, but then how do we manage our regular intake of minerals and vitamins. Smoothies are the best way to kick start a day. They give you strength and energy for the whole day. I am starting this Blogging Marathon #19 with this healthy and tasty smoothie. I am doing Calcium Rich Foods for the first week. Yogurt and milk are rich in calcium and are a very essential part of the daily diet for any person.

Ingredients

Strawberries - 10 

Yogurt - 1 cup

Low fat milk - 1 cup

Honey - 2 tbsp

Ice cubes - 4

Method

Take all the ingredients in a blender

Whip the ingredients for 5 - 10 mins and serve it chilled

Vazhakai Puttu / Raw Banana Stir Fry

The dish I am presenting you today, is a specialty of my grandmother Janaki Paati. She often makes it as the Raw banana ( Naatu Vazhakai )required for this dish is abundantly available in Tirunelveli as opposed to our cities. So whenever we go to see her, this is prepared specially for us.This whole set of snaps were taken at my Paati s house. I had prepared it in her kitchen during my last year s visit to see her. 

Ingredients:

Country Raw Banana ( Naatu Vazhakai ) - 4 

Small onions - 1 cup

Green Chilies - 1/2 cup

Coconut scrapings - 1/2 cup

For tempering - mustard seeds, oil and curry leaves

Salt to taste

Method

Cut the head and tail of the raw banana and steam them for about 15 mins

Peel off the skin and set aside 

Using the slicer, make tiny pieces of the steamed raw banana just like you would scrape carrot for halwa

Cut small onions and green chilies into small pieces

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds followed by curry leaves

Wait till the mustard seed sputters and then add the cut small onions along with green chilies

Saute well, till the onions are translucent

Now add the raw banana scrapings and stir well. 

Adjust salt at this point

Switch of the flame and then add the coconut scrapings. 

Serve hot with sambhar rice