Lunch Ideas - Creating Balanced Vegetarian Meals

@sumanrathi what will you say if i tell you aloe vera (that too not so perfect. some of them are with black patches) is sold at 120/kg in some shops. there is a company that is promoting fresh aloe vera juice and there are stalls all over and another company that removes a slice of the flesh and packs it. at 25rs/100gms. i used to tell a relative of mine who was looking for business that the herbal juices will be the best business and he laughed at me then around 5-6 years back, and today i feel sad he lost the best opportunity.

I used to have a big garden on my roof. now in this place the roof is damaged and the other owners are not happy about me having a garden. i still have few herbal plants in my balcony. tulasi, betel, omavalli, aloevera (for emergency), and sometimes i grow mint, methi and now i have some ponnaganni growing. not much sunlight and it is just a very narrow balcony and used for more than just plants. so i wish i can go back to my own place and start gardening again.
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/gardening/76931-the-mini-pharmacy-your-garden.html

Both my husband and me want a small farm house with loads of land. he wants me to have a space to garden to my heart's content. let us see what the future holds for us..

 

@sumarathi lovely dosas.

and please some of us need to take care of that diet. especially me, i have fought lot of things to get back to a healthy weight, i know many wonder why i take so much pains to plan my meals, and looking at healthy alternative..well the battle with the buldge was not just for appearance, in my case it is more about health..and i wish i am able to be a little fit to manage things without upsetting my kids. you see thought we have many, there will not be somebody who can leave everything and help us other than my dh. and it puts a lot of strain on him too.
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/keep-fit-and-maintain-shape/226763-journey-so-far-3xl-m.html

 

@chillbreeze, we have local vendors bringing them in smaller 10rs bunches. i get those too. but when i visit my old place, i visit this pmc, and i find it beats most of the post ones too. though a little costly i find the vegetables and fruits and greens very fresh and the varieties.

and for the rava dosa to be crisp and with holes the ratio is usually 1:1 rice and rava . i get it milled in the ratio and send it to my husband and a friend too. the friend vouches on the crispness.

if you are doing it for the weekend try 1 quantity rice flour,with 1 quantity rava and a tbslp of maida(if you want even without it it comes crisp). soak the batter mix for 30 minutes to one hour..this will give you better consistency when you use regular rava. you like a little sourness add a little curd.add jeera and pepper with hing and salt. and you can sprinkle onions as you make it.

now keep the batter runny like sumanrathi says.. just take the same batter in a cup or a nice ladle,and splatter in the same on the tava..i swipe with oil and just add a spoon of ghee for the kids. for me i just make it without the oil..

you can also liberally add onions and more chilies and coriander once you splatter the batter.

and for the masala follow the same as regular masala dosa. all the best for a nice weekend tiffin. make coconut chutney and tomato.. makes it more yummy.

 

@chillbreeze the pazhamudir cholai is pmc for me..what did you think physics, maths chemistry.....there are lot of variants and branches. do try and bowl them over. with practice the best rava dosas from your own kitchen.tonight we had whole black urad dal+bajra dosas.

 

@priya16 how are you feeling and faring the winter.aloe vera has anti-inflamatory properties and also regulates insulin and is touted for the anti-oxidants and the ways it helps in skin rejuvenation

to juice it you can clean,scrub wash and pulse the leaf as such which will be too bitter to palate..and needs more guidance.

the simple way that i drink it i do drink it sometimes..(i hear you all saying inda ponnu edha vittu vaikira../ meaning what does the lady leave) i wanted to see what was so special.

shave of the top green layer and you get a white jelly like layer. scoop that out with the help of a spoon or butter knife. it takes patience to master it. take out gel like piece, wash it few times under running water and then keep it in a clean glass jar. if you have aloe vera in your garden then don't store.

now in a blender put these pieces,pulse it well, it will turn into a white foamy liquid with pieces of aloe in it.(it resembles litchi or the nongu/munjalu pieces, from the sweet palm tree ) you can add your orange, lemon juices in and pulse it again. have it. i say no sugar.

i do the simple indian or rather easy no messy way. pulse it, add some buttermilk to tamper that bitterness and just drink. no salt, no honey no sugar. i am used to this.

if you have a pot, grow your own aloe vera. it very easy. it just needs space...
As like any new food try it little watch out for any effects and then proceed. watch yourself observe yourself for any reactions.

 

@damini lovely combo.


@vanivyas effective weekend. i know you have a chaotic schedules on weekend. thanks for taking the pictures and posting it.