Dry Okra Curry

(From Banu's Cookbook)



Ingredients:
4 cups of Chopped Okra
2 tsp of Olive Oil
Cumin seeds for Seasoning
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 - 3 tsp Cumin Powder
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Lemon Juice - about 2-3 Tbsp

Method:
1. Heat a heavy bottomed wide wok. Add the olive oil and cumin seeds.
2. Once the cumin seeds turn brownish, add the chopped okra and immediately add the lemon juice.
3. Mix well once. Reduce the flame to medium low.
4. Cook the okra until it starts to brown. Do not cover the pan. Cook it open.
5. Do not stir too many times otherwise the okra will get gooey. Just stir it one or two times.
6. Once the okra has started to turn brown, add the salt, turmeric, cumin and red chill powder.
7. Mix well and continue to cook on medium heat until it is well done. If you do not like it well done, you can switch off the heat earlier.

Notes:
1. You do not need too much oil for this curry as you are adding lemon juice. You can add bit more lemon juice than I mention if you like your curry tangy.
2. I just wipe the Okra and then chop it. I do not really wash it in a lot of water etc. This also helps in not making the curry very gooey.
3. You can add other powders per your taste like Garam masala etc. I like this combination and keeps it tasty and simple. 

My Version of Good Girl Moonshine

(From Banu's Cookbook)

I have always been a fan of Apple Cider Vinegar. I have used it in Salad Dressings or even just tossed with cucumbers and black pepper. I had heard of this Good Girl Moon Shine drink from several friends of mine but had never tried it. I read a lot of blogs and came up with my own version.

You can drink Natural Organic ACV with the Mother plain with some water or with some cinnamon or add it to any herbal tea. I use Bragg Organic Version. "Mother" is the most important part of the ACV that has all the good healing properties etc. But ACV is highly acidic so I would not recommend drinking it straight as it will damage tooth enamel and also your throat. You always mix it with water and drink it or do these different version of GGMS (Good Girl Moon Shine) recipes.

At the bottom of the post, I have given links to the Original GGMS and other blogs that I found helpful. You can use any tea that you like, my recipe uses the Mango tea bags as I like that flavor a lot, but as you can see from the different blog links, most any tea works good.

You might be wondering why even drink this - the benefits of ACV are numerous and ginger is just an amazing produce for your health. So combining these two and plus getting all your water intake for the day!! Win Win.

Ingredients:
4 bags of Mango Flavored Tea (I use Trader Joes brand)
3 bags pf Pukka Three Ginger Tea (Here is a link for it)
4 Tbsp of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother
3-4 Tbsp of Splenda depending on how sweet you like it.
1-2 tsp of Mango Flavor Fountain (I use Olive Nation Brand)
1/4-1/2 Tsp of Orange Extract (Olive Nation Brand Here)

Method:
1. Immerse the tea bags in 2 qt of cold water and leave it in the fridge overnight. This is what I call cold pressing or cold brewing of tea. Overnight works the best. Although I have soaked them for couple of hours in a pinch too.
2. Remove the tea bags, add the rest of the ingredients and Sweetener to taste and your GGMS is ready. I drink my 2 quarts throughout the day.

Notes:
1. You can use Ginger powder instead of the ginger tea bags, but I personally did not like floating powder in my drink, so I use the tea bags. Some of my friends even use Ginger Essential Oil. You can even skip Ginger.
2. I use Splenda as my choice of sweetener, but you can use any and you might have to experiment a bit to see how much sweetness you need.
3. I would also recommend that you start slow, maybe 2 tbsp per quart for the first week and then increase. Since I have been consuming ACV for a long while now, I had no problem with going with my 4 tblspn.
4. The extracts I have used are all optional. I just like how they make my drink taste.
5. I have bought my Pukka Three Ginger tea from Amazon.com, but I have seen them in Whole Foods and sometimes in Sprouts too.
6. ACV with Mother is available in all major grocery stores.
7. You can add some cinnamon too if you like.

Blog List:
1. Original THM (Trim Healthy Mama) GGMS (Good Girl Moon Shine) Recipe


2.  Hawaiian Punch GGMS


3. Another Version with Honey