Jade Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken - 50 gms
Egg whites - 2 or 3 (based on individual liking)
Spinach leaves - 1 handful(can use any odorless, used ponnanganni keerai (green copper dwarf leaves))
Cornstarch - 1-2 tablespoons (as thick required)
Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
White or black pepper powder - 1 -2 teaspoon (as spicy required)
Salt  to taste
Oil - 2 tablespoons

Method:

Boil a cup of water, when it boils, add spinach. Cook it for 2 minutes, and keep it closed for 10 minutes.

Once it is cool, drain water, blend it as a paste and keep aside.

Chop chicken to small pieces. Saute it with little oil, 1/2 tablespoon of garlic and salt to taste.

Cook it for 10-15 mins, until the water oozes dries up.

Allow it cool and shred it to pieces.

Beat egg whites and keep it aside.

Mix cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and keep aside.

Heat a wok with little oil. Add rest of the garlic paste, and shredded chicken and saute it for 2 minutes.

Add spinach paste, salt and pepper powder. Saute it until raw smell goes off.

Add 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

Reduce flame and add dissolved cornstarch, carefully stirring it.

Depending on the thickness you require, can adjust the cornstarch.

Cook for 5 more minutes and then add beaten egg whites little by little.

Mix it with ladle, so eggs would be into pieces.

Garnish with pepper powder and serve hot.


Variations:
Can add vegetables like sauted carrot, lettuce, etc.

Chopped spinach can be added instead of making it paste. Kids might not like it;-)

Chicken stock can be used instead of water.

Bubble tea pearls

Circuit breaker leads to create all recipes at home. Bubble tea shops closed, so found a way to do it at home. Check the recipe in the below video:

Used Sago pearls to make it easy and quick. Can also made more chewy with tapoica flour. Will share that recipe soon.

Jigardhanda

Jigardhanda is a famous drink, a delicacy originated from Madurai, Tamilnadu. Many think that it is made from crushed idli, but the main ingredient is Badam pisin or Almond gum.

Badam pisin or Almond gum is the natural edible gum obtained from almond trees. It's the best ingredient to keep our body cool. Good healing for stomach ulcers or burn. We can get it from provision stores, looks like small brown rocks.

Adding nannari (Indian sarasaparilla) syrup makes it a coolant to escape from hot summer days. It is obtained from the roots of nannari plant. Also, it is a blood purifier and good home remedy for constipation and urinary infection.

Try this healthy drink on a hot day to avoid dehydration. Check out my simple version of the recipe.

Ingredients:
Badam pisin - 1/2 tablespoon or 5-6 small pieces
Nannari syrup - 6-8 tablespoons(adjust accordingly for the sweetness)
Milk khoa - 3 -4 tablespoons (sweetened or unsweetened)
Milk - 3 cups, boiled and chilled

Method:

Wash the gum rocks and soak it in water overnight. Place it in big cup as shown in the picture below. It will expand drastically.

Drain excess water and crush big lumps gently with hand or a spoon.

Mix the crushed gum, khoa, syrup and chilled milk.

No sugar is needed as nannari syrup is sweetened. Adjust accordingly to your taste.

Serve it cold and relish it.

Note: Can do some variations for a different taste, like adding almond or cashew paste. Few add vanilla icecream to have a creamy texture.

Preparation time : 5 minutes
Serves 3 persons