Are you new to Chennai Moms?

Enakku therincha tips solluren.. Whatever I seemed to remember.. and this is my first blog in CMoms..

1) Drumsticks - hold it own hand, and gently twist with the other hand. The good ones are young and flexible and easy to twist. Old முத்தினகாய் will be hard to twist. So avoid.

2) egg plant / brinjal - you can see the stems. If it looks green and fresh, the vegetable is fresh. If it looks dull and lifelfess, avoid it. Dont buy.

3) All the leafy vegetables & cauliflower - you can see the leaves and stem; if it looks green and fresh you can select. Some times these people will remove top leaves and make it look artificially fresh. So see the stems and decide whether it is old or fresh. If you touch the cauliflower you can feel 'tough' if it is fresh. If it is old, it will become soft. ok?

4) Coconut - Just nock on the coconut. If you hear clear sound, the thengai is good. Or try this. when you play carrom board you hit a striker with middlefinger pressed against the thumb,no? similarly strike the coconut; you shoud hear a sound if you strike a table (tok tok)..
The more the sound the better is the coconut (do not break your fingers or break the coconut). And check all the 3
'kan' if it is dry, then thengai is ok. If it is wet, then smell it. If you find some bad smell, dont buy it.

5) Mangoes: Buying mangoes is an art. Don't squeeze it hard but hold it in your hands and slightly press.. If the Mangoes are firm and its good. If its over-ripe or going bad, it will feel like watery and 'loose'...better avoid. (The color of the skin is only a good indicator for certain mangoes. Some mangoes will have the green color, even when its ripe, and fall off the trees rotten. )

Also, Mangoes are typical tropical fruits. Once harvested, it would not stay in prime condition for longer than a week or ten days. Certainly after two weeks it will go bad. So, if you buy the mango fruits, better use it or eat it within 3-5 days.

If you buy kutti-mangoes (unripened ones, small sized for vadu maanga.. or to pickle it), it will stay for a week; but even that its best to salt it and let it become pickle.

6)Vendaikai: Okra: Just press in the middle..rombha azhunthuchinaa pinchidum :) dont damage the vendaikai by breaking the 'kambu'

7)Jackfruit: Check the gaps between the thorns....more the gap better is the taste. Ymmy !


8)Apple: There is to be a belief that darker the colour better is the taste...but recent findings proved that no such relationship exist. Just check the skin and buy if it is fresh.

9) Banana: Do you want it to eat in a day; get yellow one. If u want to have it after couple of days, then buy greenish yellow. It is better to hang banana in a rope or keep it upside down. so that the bottom will not get spoiled.

10) Permogranates and Guava: The harder is the better. Also make sure there are no damages and surfaces are free from dark brown colour.

11)Lemon: Should be yellow and without any black spots. Press it , should be hard. Just scratch the skin with your nail and smell the fragrance..A good and fresh lemon should have strong fragrance.

12)Potato, yam etc., (all vegetables that grow beneath the ground)
Free from surface damages.
Peel the skin should be hard again, and if u cud c some moisture its fresh potato/yam.

13)Carrot: For see the leaf portion ; the thick top; to check whether it is old. So also for radish and beetroot.

14)Bitter gourd: see not many thorny ones, better to select the medium green, young small ones. Don’t take pale one.

15)Snack gourd: PUDALANGAAI also to slightly twist and see for ''MUTTINADU ''. Also you can smell it. If it is fresh you will get good smell J

After bringing them., cut the top dark side of carrot, radish to make them fresh.


Always remove the top layer of cabbage once you bring home to prevent any infection[ many would have taken it in hand to see]


Never keep anything with brinjal or avrai kaai , as brinjal has the tendency to rotten other vegetables.

Remove the stem[ kambu] of green chilies and store them. It will stay longer.


Cutting drumstick into pieces will make it remain fresh.


Before cooking the vegetables apply salt and keep for 2,3 min..
If possible boil for 2 min in hot water, especialy vegetable like [kovaikai, cabbage, peerkankai or pudaklangai.]
For bitter gourd, cut them; remove seeds and put some salt and keep aside. After 10 – 15 min. squeeze them and use them. Please share your ideas here.