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Are you bored of your usual cooking? Or have your taste buds been craving for something new? Let’s spice it up! We are here to talk about making food better and tastier with some common herbs and spices. In most indian homes spices are used generously on low flame to provide color, texture and an aroma to food that is always inviting. Spices are usually dried up before using for cooking. Aromatic spices add flavor and bite to curry dishes and many of these spices also offer you health benefits.

Did you know Indian cooking can use upto 36 different types of spices?

These spices are not only used for seasoning food but also are packed with solid healthy benefits, right in your kitchen.

So to lead a healthy and balanced life by avoiding ailments and lifestyle diseases, a nutritious diet rich in spices can be the way to go.

Shastha Foods has a great collection of pure and healthy spices that will make your normal food more tasty, aromatic and flavorful

SHASTHA IDLI CHILLI POWDER:

A delicious preparation of careful blends of lentils, spices and red chilies to give the right flavor and taste. It is a great combination for idly, dosai, oothappam and even for adai. Made from the finest quality Pulses and Spices. 100% Authentic Traditional South Indian Recipe. Pure Vegetarian Home made Tasty Flavour.

SHASTHA PARAPPU PODI:                                                                                                 A lip-smacking spice powder recipe mainly served as a condiment or as a side dish to rasma rice or sambar rice for lunch and dinner. it is mainly prepared from the combination of lentils and roasted chana dal mixed with dry spices.
This spicy condiment is typically used as taste enhancer when served with breakfast or with meals and is filled with spices and garlic flavours.

SHASTHA KULAMBU MILAGAI THOOL: 

SHASTHA SAMBAR POWDER:                                                                                    Fresh, aromatic, homemade sambar powder that adds flavourful addition to all the South Indian Sambars.It is an important ingredient in making “Sambar”. This spiced powder is made with a blend of roasted coriander seeds, toor dal, chana dal, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and few more which adds to this unique taste and exemplifies the taste sambar.

We can already see the benefits from Turmeric or Nutmeg that are getting popularized in form of supplement powders and tablets in super markets. But there are spices like fenugreek, fennel, corriander seeds, star anaise and many more in Indian spice cabinet that have huge health benefits but are not so popular.

At Shastha Foods, we are happy to bring those spices in forms of podis and powders to our customers in US and Canada.

Order online from https://shasthaonline.com

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Remember our grandparents/parents telling us about how they used to go to the store with an empty can to purchase chekku ennai?  In South India, chekku ennai was a way of life until 50 years ago. “Chekku ennai” is the local name for cold pressed sesame oil.

Cold pressed oils produced using low-heat methods are superior in quality compared to regular oils and are healthy alternative to cooking oils. Our ancestors primarily consumed cold pressed oils until about 50 years ago, when large-scale manufacturers of refined oils took over the market. Known to be cholesterol free, these oils are unrefined or unprocessed, free from harmful solvent residues and contain natural antioxidants that are beneficial for the body.

Cold pressed oils are one of Ayurveda’s best secrets. If stored in clay utensils, chekku oil lasts for almost a year. Chekku oil is traditionally supplemented with palm sugar or jaggery, which heightens its flavor and also its nutritional value. Benefits of cold-pressed oils to your heart health and internal well-being are many , these oils can also be a healthier and safer source of nourishment

Cold pressing method is the process involving crushing seeds or nuts and forcing out the oil through pressure.

In olden times, a long cylindrical contraption known as 'ghani' was used to extract oil from oilseeds. Ghani is a long cylindrical chamber made from wood, with a pestle in the centre. Oil seeds are poured in the ghani and are gradually crushed by the rotating pestle till most of the oil comes out through the opening at the base. .

This was the simplest method for cold pressing oils out of a seed as it didn't involve generating too much heat.

Rich in vitamin E and having anti-inflammatory and healing properties. They are also rich sources of oleic acid that help boost your immune system. They are not only good for a healthy heart and your well-being, but they are also a healthier and safer source of nourishment for your skin.

You can use them on top of salads and breads for a combination of flavour and health.

At Shastha Foods we have a wide range of cold pressed oils that has been made with the same “Wooden pressed” method of extracting oil in its purest form thus maintaining its goodness. These include Sesame Chekku Oil, Peanut Chekku Oil and Coconut Chekku Oil.

Sesame Chekku Oil: Used for oil pulling, swishing or gargling it assists with strong and white teeth and gum. This oil is used as a carrier oil or base oil for preparation of herbal oils in Ayurveda.In Ayurveda sesame seed oil is used for Shirodhara, Abhyanga and Head Massages.

 Peanut Chekku Oil: Wonderfully pleasant, sweet-flavored peanut oil is low in saturated fats, free from cholesterol, contains essential fatty acid. It has deep yellow color with a pleasant nutty aroma and sweet taste as compared to refined oil with light-yellow color and neutral taste.

Coconut Chekku Oil:The purest form of coconut oil  is with water white colour and contains natural vitamin E that suggests that the oil has been subjected to less intense refining, lower temperature and no chemicals and thats why it makes the most amazing multi-tasker in your vanity dresser. Known as Gandusha, it is a fantastic oral detoxification procedure that’s simply done by swishing a tablespoon of pure coconut oil in your mouth for 10- 20 minutes that removes bacteria and promotes healthy teeth and gums.

Order online from https://shasthaonline.com/collections/oil

Finally winter has knocked North America. Best time to enjoy a hearty meal of hearty soups, Rasams, moong dal halwa, ladoos etc as these provide the much needed warmth during this nippy weather.

Winter is the best season to binge on seasonal delicacies that are not only finger-licking good, but are also packed with multiple benefits that help you stay warm and strengthens your immunity.

Shastha Foods brings you variety of winter specials - tasty and nutritious

An authentic South Indian recipe, Rasam is a flavourful dish ideally served before main course. Made with tomato, curry leaves and asafoetida powder, it is an ideal appetizer recipe. Rasam tastes the best when served with crispy papads.

A blend of roasted spices that is full of fresh flavors and aroma, podis are very traditional to the south Indian cuisine. Serve the Podi along with hot steamed rice and ghee or sesame oil, or add it to any vegetable curry.

Casted with dry groundnuts with a drip of hot jaggery syrup this groundnut candy is a crunchiest treat for your taste buds and heart. This sweet snack has a telling taste which is delicious and at the same time healthy.

A delicious snack liked by both elderly as well as younger generations.Kids love it as its soft and has a melt in the mouth texture. It is made with peanuts and jaggery as main ingredients and is very easy to make, tastes delicious and healthy too.Manoharam Urundai is basically making thenkuzhal and putting it in jaggery syrup and make balls out of it.

Ellu Urundai is a kongunadu special sweet made with sesame as its main ingredient. Its healthy and has very minimal ingredients. Ellu urundai is extremely nutritious as sesame contains several B vitamins, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc which is good for health.

Festival celebrations come alive when delicious rava laddu prepared with coconut, saffron and dry fruits is served. It is a traditional Indian sweet suitable for all occasions and festivals. A sweet recipe that is aromatic and tastes delicious with the slight crunch that comes from roasted semolina. These are sweet balls made using semolina (sooji/rava), ghee (clarified butter) and sugar.

Order online from https://shasthaonline.com

Navarathri or Navratri literally means 9 nights and 10 days in Sanskrit, and is usually celebrated as a post-monsoon autumn festival across Indian sub-continent. But for most of us it’s time of the year that kicks start Indian festival season, bringing people of all ages together to share traditions and customs, worship and pay gratitude to all, and enjoy good food, fun and laughter with family and friends.

You might recollect seeing your naani or daadi busy preparing yummy snacks and hand rolled delicaies just before the start of Navratri festival. As tradition has it, from cleaning and decluttering to buying new and attractive things to decorate the houses, all forms of Mother Goddesses are heralded, worshiped and adorned with flowers, beautiful clothes and offerings during these 9 days. But the mode of celebration differs across states and among communities in India. In Gujarat it is celebrated with great pomp and show. Communities come together to dance in unison during their dancing festival call Garba. Garba raas and dandiya raas are the two beautiful form of Gujarati dance. Navratri is known as Durga Puja in West Bengal. For South-Indians, Navratri is the occasion to invite friends, relatives and neighbours over to look at the Kolu, which is basically an exhibition of various dolls and figurines. And with these decorations, they make special snacks like Sundal and Pongal that are just mouth watering.

A common thread that binds these celebrations and brings families together is ‘Food’. The saying ‘Food brings people together’ cannot be more true than during this period. Delicacies like Sweet Pongal, Sundal, Rava Laddoo, Coconut Rice, Curd Rice, Payasam etc are made in most South Indian homes to mark this occasion and make this festival special and loving for everyone.

Check out this traditional recipe that is flavorful, mouth watering and will leave everyone asking for more. Lets make this easy, healthy recipe of Samwat Ke Chawal Ki Kheer on this Navratri and continue enjoying the festivities.

Prep Time : 16-20 minutes

Cook time : 41-50 minutes

Serve :

Level Of Cooking : Easy

Taste : Sweet

Ingredients for Samwat Ke Chawal Ki Kheer Recipe

• Samwat ke chawal 1/4 cup
• Milk 5 cup
• Almonds 10
• Raisins 10
• Sugar 1/2 cup
• Green cardamom powder 1/4 teaspoon

Method
Step 1

Soak almonds in half a cup of hot water for five minutes. Drain, cool, peel and shred. Keep aside. Wash rice thoroughly in plenty of water. Drain. Wash and drain raisins. Take rice and milk in a deep pan and bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, till the rice is fully cooked and the milk has reduced to half.

Step 2

Add sugar and cook till the sugar has fully dissolved. Add raisins and cardamom powder and cook for another ten minutes. Garnish with shredded almonds and serve hot or chilled.

Nutrition Info

• Calories : 1902 Kcal
• Carbohydrates : 211.9 gm 
• Protein : 49.4 gm 
• Fat : 71.5 gm 
• Other : 0

Link:

https://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/recipe/Samwat-Ke-Chawal-Ki-Kheer.html

If you are looking for a special ingredient for your traditional recipe, get in touch with us through shasthaonline.com and we can help you find the right ingredients.

     India has unique traditions that have been passed on through generation and it is the warm bond that brings people together and keep sharing those with their children. SEER is one of such beautiful tradition practised in South India to maintain a lovable bond between relations through multiple customs & occasions. It is exchange of presents, pleasantries and pay-return respect between relations.

SEER VARISAI  bonds  a boy child or a girl child , throughout his/her entire life, with his/her parents, brothers, sisters, maternal uncles and paternal aunties.

The bride’s parents prepare mouth watering sweets and savouries for the bride to take back with her to her husband’s home. These are known as ‘seer bakshanam’ and are stored in decorated containers by the groom’ family and later distributed amongst friends and relatives.

Seer is an  integral part of South Indian wedding celebrations, the plates of seer varisai for wedding are displayed in an eye-catching array to showcase the grandeur of the ceremony. In any marriage in Tamilnadu, one of the most important things is the seer thattu - A ritual that welcomes the groom into the family, becomes the focus. A lot of emphasis is placed in the decoration as also in the presentation of the Seer varisai.

Aesthetically mesmerising, seer varisai for wedding abound in bling and ensure a rich display of colours. The traditional with contemporary packing techniques are creatively blended to create customised seer thattus. Unique ethnic designs and colours lend a graceful and personalised touch to wedding celebrations and redefines traditional wedding opulence thus marking the affluence of the family.

Shastha Foods brings you variety of Seer Items to make your event special and memorable.
Jangiri, Badhusha, Seer Athirasam, Seer Special Mixture, 5 Spiral Seer Hand Murukku, Seer Mysore Pak, Groundnut Koodu (Cone), Cashewnut Parappu Thengai Koodu (Cone) etc. Living far from home, you can still pass on the traditions and customs to your children and help them develop the bond of belonging and love.

Visit us at https://shasthaonline.com/collections/seer-items to buy your favorite items for your occasion.

Golu is the unique festival of dolls. Golu, also known as Kolu, Bombe Habba (Kannada), Bomma Gullu (Malayalam), Bommai Kolu (Tamil) or Bommala Koluvu (Telugu), is a toy festival celebrated during the time of Navratri in Southern India. Navaratri is a time during which many homes in India are full ofcolors, light, music, and food. People greet their loved ones with gleaming dolls, colorful Kolam (Rangoli), lighted lamps, and traditionally dressed women and girls chanting slokas and singing.

As per the traditions, the first dolls to adorn the Golu should be “Marappacchi”, a pair of male and a female dolls. There are many stories on Golu festival. In earlier days it was done to make adolescents aware of gender morphology.

It also has a significant connection with agriculture in order to encourage desilting of irrigation canals, Golu was celebrated to create demand for clay materials. It is symbolic of the feminine power and symbolizes that everything on earth has one creator. This festival is celebrated to acknowledge their sacrifice. A very important occasion that promotes creative expression for women and for the family to work together on an aesthetic aspect

Golu dolls are made, by moulding a clay model of the sketch from the book with a knife-like tiny but thick ‘tools’ made of bamboo and rosewood. The tools are used to make the sharp features and sculpt the jewels and attire of the gods. The tiny clay dolls with chiselled nose and well-defined features are readied to make moulds for the festive season. Each year moulds for unique dolls are made and sold  to doll makers. From these moulds, thousands of dolls are made.

Shastha Foods is organising Golu exhibition in its warehouse from Sep 15 - Oct 10. It is a unique display of Golu dolls for the coming festive season. We welcome you all to a grand show of golu dolls and navratri fest.

Please visit our website ..

https://shasthaonline.com

Are your mornings crazily busy, in a hurry to drop the kids off, get ready for work and run out of the house, always. I am sure breakfast is the last thing on your mind, especially a healthy one to give you that energy boost. And finally when the stomach is growling you quickly scramble to find something quick.

The good news is, Shastha Foods brings healthy, wholesome and homemade style breakfast choices that can be prepared within minutes and you can have a hearty start to your day too.

DOSA BATTERS- We have wide range of Ready to cook Dosa Batters, which are higher in nutrition and better in taste. All the batters are Naturally Fermented, gluten free  with No Preservatives. You can enjoy the batters in different healthy flavors like Ragi, Adai, Brown Rice, Quinoa, Oats etc. No need of any preparation just open the jar and enjoy quick health breakfast with real homemade flavors. You can store the batters for 4-5 days in refrigerator and make them in less than 10 min.

IDLY BATTERS- Shastha brings you nutritious and ready to cook Idly batters, Brown Rice Idly batter, Quinoa idly batter, Organic Idly batter. Now you can have a tasty and hearty breakfast everyday in no time. You can also eat this with our instant Rasams and soups and enjoy the real south Indian breakfast daily without any hassle. Idly’s are super simple to make, can be kept overnight and are a wonder food for kids of all ages.

MILLETS- Shastha brings you 20+ millets products that can be eaten in different forms for  breakfast, for a long and energetic day. We have 50+ easy, tasty and healthy millet recipes that you can enjoy in the morning. These gluten-free grains can be easily consumed by everyone. In grains we have Barnyard, Little, Kodo, Pearl, sorghum and Foxtail. Below are some of the easy breakfast recipes that you can try out

Barnyard Paniyaram:

Ingredients:

Shastha Barnyard Millet - 1 cup
Shastha Brown Rice - ½ cup
Black Urad dhal - ½ cup
Green chillies, chopped - 3 nos
Ginger, grated - ½ tsp
Asafoetida - small pinch
Salt as reqd

Preparation

Soak the Shasha Barnyard millet, Brown rice and dhal for 4 hrs. Remove water and grind to coarse paste by adding little water, add green chillies, ginger, salt. Mix well and let the batter ferment for 3 hrs. Heat the kuzhi paniyararn pan in rnediurn heat add few drops of oil pour the batter and cook on both sides. Serve with onion tomato chutney and a glass of filter coffee.

Little Millet Cutlet:

Ingredients:

Shastha Little Millet - ½ cup
Potatoes - 3 nos
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Ginger finely chopped - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt

Preparation

½ cup Shastha Little millet add 1.25 cups of water and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. Then add 3 Boiled and mashed potatoes, mix well all the ingredients. Make patties out of this mixture. Heat the pan with 2 tsp oil then shallow Fry culet till they are golden brown and crispy.

Download our recipe book from  https://shasthaonline.com/blogs/news/millet-recipes

COFFEE- We have 30+ coffee flavors to have with your nourishing and rich breakfast. You can enjoy the same flavor of real coffee beans in morning to remain lively always. A healthy combination of idly, Dosa and Coffee with make to feel light and energetic the whole Day. Check out https://shasthaonline.com/collections/coffee-products for different coffee flavors...

Instant food, in almost all cuisines, has become popular with time because of less cost, time and energy savings, and convenience of preparing it. This is even more true for homemade recipes that require grinding, cooking or fermenting for hours. That’s why many of us shy away from making these dishes on weekly basis and they get restricted to special occasions only.
If you love South Indian cuisine and want to enjoy the hearty soups, stews like Sambhar and coconut chutney for everyday meal, then you need to try out our instant mixes that combine the flavor and taste of almost homemade authentic taste of these recipes.

Advantages of having Instant foods:

1. No extra labour as processing is carried out through specially designed, minimum exposure equipment, keeping it safe and maintaining freshness.
2. Enjoy a consistent flavor and taste, and you can save the packet in your pantry for a long time.
3. Preparation is very convenient as many of these foods do not even require any pre-treatments, thus making them ready-to-eat.

Enjoy our instant mixes next time you are traveling, or had no time to cook on a busy weekday. Here’s why:

Preparation time is reduced to nothing.

No storing, buying or planning of ingredients.

Fulfill your hunger without much effort

Faster presentation and no cleaning required.

Easy and convenient on the go for college, outdoors and travels.

Cost efficient for mass production and distribution.

Our selective range of instant food mixes are made from delicious, homestyle recipes that are perfect for people on the go, students in colleges or frequent travellers. Even if you are a homemaker but your lifestyle doesn’t leave you time to cook, you need to try our mixes that will put your favorite meal on the table for your family.  Each of our instant mixes can serve you tasty food in minutes. No mastering of the culinary skills to cook our instant mixes; anyone can prepare it. Now you can enjoy your favorite flavors in your vacations.

They are as healthy as home-made food. The nutritional value remains almost the same because the way they are prepared and the original flavour of the food never goes missing.

The preparation time of our mixes is a matter of a few minutes; hence they are called 'Instant Happiness' packs.

All of our ingredients are natural; there are no added artificial flavours or colours that are harmful for health.

Instant Madras Sambar Mix with real vegetables- A quick instant sambar with no complicated  process of hunting for ingredients, running to stores etc…simply measure out tbsps of powder into water, boil and a delicious home made sambar,  just like mom made is ready in no time.

Instant Onion Sambar Mix- Made with authentic South Indian way and with the real taste of onions.

Instant Coconut chutney Mix- Coconut chutney provides a definite tang to many of the traditional South Indian delicacies such as idli, dosa, uddin a vada, bonda etc.

Instant Coconut chutney Mix with garlic- Without the seasoning effect of coconut chutney with real garlic tinge, many of south Indian products lose their traditional appeal.

         I remember eating jaggery after every meal when growing up and enjoying the sweet flavor that stays in the mouth for a long time. It is true that processed sugar is easy to mix and instant energy giver but natural sweeteners like jaggery are far better than white or brown sugar. Jaggery is made from the juice of sugarcane, heated to produce thick crystals. It contains sugar in sucrose form and is used in many food products as a sweetening agent. It is considered healthier than refined sugar as certain plant phytochemicals and minerals are preserved in it.

Apart from sweet brown colour crystals, people call it with different names in different languages.  The most commonly and popular names of jaggery are  “Gur" in Hindi, 'Bellam' in Telugu, “Vellam” in Tamil, “Sharkara” in Malayalam, “Bella” in Kannada, and “Gul” in Marathi.

Three step process - extraction, clarification and concentration

1. Press the Sugarcane through machines to extract all juice or sap from it. This process is termed as ‘Extraction’.
2. In Clarification’ process all juice is collected into large containers so that all thick substances can sit in the bottom and then strained to produce a clear liquid.
3. In Concentration stage, In a heavy bottom flat pan, the juice is boiled for hours and stirred continuously. While stirring, impurities are skimmed off the top until only a yellow, dough-like thick paste remains in the pan.
4. Now the thick paste is transferred into the moulds to get it cool and settle into a shape.

The colour of the jaggery ranges from golden brown to dark brown in colour, depending on the quality of sugarcane, juice and its clarification process. However, adding jaggery to your daily diet provides many health benefits and essential nutrients that you may not have thought of.

Benefits of Jaggery

Jaggery is considered as a natural and non-refined sweetener, which is far better than refined sugar from a healthy prospect. Since it is rich in many vital vitamins and minerals, jaggery boosts immunity, keeps the body warm or we can say control the temperature of the body. Apart from this, it helps to boost our immunity system and is a good source of energy.

Like sugar, jaggery is versatile. It can be grated or broken up, and then used as a replacement for refined sugar in any food or drink.

In India, it's often mixed with foods like coconuts, peanuts and condensed milk to make traditional desserts and candies.

These include jaggery cake and chakkara pongal, a dessert made from rice and milk.

It is also used to make traditional alcoholic drinks, such as palm wine, and for non-food purposes like dying fabric.

In the Western world, this sweetener is often used as a sugar substitute in baking. It can also be used to sweeten drinks like tea and coffee.

Not just after a meal, you can enjoy its timeless taste and sweet flavor in any of your favourite desserts.

NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS... NO CHEMICALS, JUST NATURAL SWEETNER

Shastha Foods is happy to bring “Jaggery” for you pure and natural in powdered form and in lumps.

To shop or to place online order, you can visit us at https://shasthaonline.com/collections/jaggery

For details, please write us your queries shasthonline@gmail.com.