Cracked wheat / Samba Ravai Idly

The first thing I did when I thought of doing this dish was google about whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains have amazing heath benefits. Happy to have learnt something new.I tasted samba rava for the first time only after marriage. My father(in law) who is an excellent cook and an expert in deep fries did this one day and called it "kazhuda upma"(not sure about the etymology though). Since then it used to be samba rava upma / kichidi at home for breakfast once in a whole

Now that both K and I are in a weight losing spree ; I am trying to cook food with less calories.  In the past I have never been very conscious on what I eat(except oily stuff and sweets). As I started exploring I realised there is more to it than simply cooking delicious food.

Cooking time : 12 - 15 minutes

Prep time  : 5 - 8 minutes
Source : Adapted from many fellow blogger's post.

Ingredients

1 cup Samba Rava / broken wheat

1 cup curd

2 carrots grated

2 tsp grated ginger 

1 tsp hing

A pinch of turmeric powder for the color

A bunch of mint leaves chopped(optional)

A bunch of coriander leaves chopped.

Salt

Water as needed

For Tempering

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp cumin seeds / Jeera

2 tsp urad dal

1 tsp channa dal

1 tsp hing

2 green chillies finely chopped

Method

1. Dry roast samba rava for few minutes until it turns hot.

2. In a pan add oil and once it is hot ; add mustard . Once it splutters add jeera,urad dal, channa dal ;hing; grated ginger ,turmeric powder and green chillies.Saute for a couple of minutes. 

3. Add grated carrots and saute until it becomes soft.Add mint leaves and saute for 2-3 minutes.

4. Once the mixture cools down, In a large mixing bowl ; add roasted broken wheat; the veggie mixture; some coriander leaves ; salt ; curd.

5. Add water until you get pouring consistency.

6. Grease the idly plates with oil and fill it with the prepared batter.

7. Steam it for 12-15 minutes . Insert  a tooth pick at the centre of the idly and if it comes out clean;we are good to go.

Notes

1. Do not keep the batter for a long time. Steam it quickly. Otherwise the water will be absorbed and the batter will thicken again.

2. The left over idlies can be made into upmas
3. Replace cracked wheat with semolina for rava idly

Tidbits

Did you know?

Cracked/broken wheat

1. Is rich in fibre content

2. can fight cancer

3. Has anti oxidants

Banana stem fritters / vazhaithandu vadai

Banana stem is something I disliked the most as a child. During pregnancy when I was down with severe constipation my doctor suggested to eat fibrous food. Banana stem is one such vegetable which is rich in fiber content. It surely helps!

I have eaten only 2 dishes out of banana stem. One is the usual dry curry with coconut topping and the other one is "more kootu" ,a gravy done with curd. My friend suggested raitha with banana stem.But I was looking for an interesting recipe and luckily I saw a chef named Malgudi Kavitha doing it in a TV show. This banana stem fritters cannot be done very often as it is deep fried ; however we can surely enjoy this once in a while.

No one guessed that these crispy delicious fritters were made of banana stem ! This is one way to hide veggies!So go ahead and surprise people at home. :)

Recipe:

Cooking time : 15 minutes
Makes 10 vadas
Prep time : 20 minutes
Source : TV Show

Ingredients

1 cup banana stem
1 onion minced
1 cup channa dal / Split Bengal gram
4 red chillies
8 garlic cloves
2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp hing
Baking soda a pinch (optional)
Curry leaves a small bunch
1/4 cup Rice flour
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Prep steps:

1. Soak channa dal in warm water for 20 minutes.
2. Finely chop banana stem after discarding the thick outer layer.
3. Mince the onion.

Method:
1. Squeeze out the water from banana stem.
2. Drain water from channa dal and grind it coarsely with garlic , fennel seeds, and dry red chilli.
3. Mix finely chopped banana stem with the ground paste ; rice flour; hing ; salt ; baking soda;  minced onion and chopped curry leaves.
4. Pour oil in a deep skillet and wait until the oil turns hot.  Turn down the flame to low.
    Shape up the vadas and put 2 or 3 at a time in the skillet.
5. Wait until they turn into golden brown and get a crispy texture.
    (Hint: Bubbling of oil will subside in a while )
6. Drain the oil in the vadas by placing them on paper towels or tissue papers.
7. Serve hot with any chutney. I did Coriander Chutney.


Note:
1.Keeping the heat in low flame is very important otherwise the outer layer darkens soon with out the stuffing getting cooked.
2. Don't discard the water squeezed out from banana stem in step 1. You can consume it like juice as it is packed with nutrients and can contribute to weightloss.

Tidbits

                                           Picture Courtesy : http://distantdrumlin.wordpress.com

Did you know banana stem

1. can ease out constipation.
2. is rich in fibre content and can help in weight loss.
3. can prevent formation of kidney stones.
4. is anti-diabetic as it produces insulin

Burnt Garlic and Whole Wheat Pasta

Back to my blog after a while. Things  have been crazy at my end. I was super busy cleaning ; cooking; house keeping; and taking care of my baby. Now back to my mom's place for a break!

PASTA  - Had an instant liking towards this dish. The colors on the plate ; the aroma of the italian herbs; the texture of the pasta; the fragrance and taste of olive oil was very new to me. I tasted it for the first time only during my college days.

Never thought I could do pasta at home. I thought preparation of red or white sauce is Cumbersome and I might not get the right  consistentency;  My best friend A taught me a simple recipe called Aglio Olio with pasta minus sauce and I tried that at home. Both K and I liked it. This is a small enhancement to that recipe.

K & I simply love garlic. Both it's flavour and aroma ! So decided to do something with burnt garlic.

Recipe:

Serves 3
Prep time : 10 mins
Cooking time : 15 mins

Ingredients

1 cup pasta (I used fusili ; wheat pasta)
2 or 3 garlic pods chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
3 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 cup capsicum
1 tomato
5 or 6 broccoli florets
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cheese cube grated(I used amul)(optional)
2 tsp Italian herbs (I got keya pasta seasoning)

Method

1. Pressure cook pasta with salt for 1 whistle.
2. In a deep skillet add 1 tbsp olive oil add ginger garlic paste and the garlic pods and sauté it until the raw smell disappears and garlic turns golden brown.
3. Add the diced capsicum; tomatoes and a pinch of salt and saute in a high flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Let the capsicums remain crunchy.
4. Cook broccoli separately in hot water with just a pinch of turmeric n salt. Drain it and add it to the skillet.
5. Drain the pressure cooked pasta in a colander and add it to the skillet.
6. Drizzle 1tbsp olive oil and shower some chilli flakes ; italian herbs and toss it for a couple of minutes.
7. In the end , top it with grated cheese and serve hot.

IMHO this doesn't require sauce or any other accompaniment.

Note:
1. Chilli flakes can be varied based on your spice levels.
2. Since pasta and veggies are cooked separately beware of the amount of salt that goes in.
3. You can replace wheat pasta with millet or normal pasta
4. Garlic's skin can be peeled easily if they are microwaved for 30 to 40 seconds.
5. The veggies that goes in can vary depending on your palette
6. For a vegan recipe ; simply avoid adding grated cheese.
7. Chilli flakes can be made at home. Microwave 3 or 5 chilli for 30 seconds and grind it coarsely


Tidbits

Did you know Garlic

1. Has anti virus and anti bacterial property.  Helps combat food poisoning

2. Reduces blood pressure and cardiovascular problems like heart attacks

3.has anti cancer property