Palak - Tomato Soup

So what did I learn new this time? - "Pressure Cooking!"
I have heard people say dishes will lose its nutrients when pressure cooked and I had my doubts too. But didn't bother too much because it helped me to cook faster and that's how I was taught to cook. Few months back I joined a FB group called UBF - United by Food. This group led by Rama Krishnan experiments many recipes by pressure cooking. Now that I have time; I followed their recipes and did a bit of google search too. I gave some flopped; average and good shows ;). 

Putting into a nutshell pressure cooking

1. Retains the nutrients and flavor intact.
2. Transfers the nutrients to the liquid but is not lost. 

    Do retain your veggies broth and substitute water with the broth in soups
3. Increases the boiling point of water and hence cooks faster.

4. Saves fuel

Recipe

Prep Time : 2 minutes
Cooking Time : 8 minutes.
Serves : 2
Source : Inspired by OPOS Theme from UBF FB page.

Ingredients

6-7 garlic cloves
1 medium sized tomato
2 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
15 palak leaves(wash them thoroughly)
Salt as needed
Water as needed
Cheese topping (optional)

Method

1. Take a pressure cooker and add 1 tsp olive oil.
2. Add cumin seeds and once they splutter add garlic and saute until they turn brown . Then add tomatoes,spinach and salt. Saute for 2 minutes and add water.
( depending on how u want your soup - thick/clear)
I liked the thick creamy texture of the soup.
3. Close the lid and leave it for a whistle.
4. Once the pressure subsides blend it in a mixie and add pepper according to your spice level.
5. Serve hot

Note
1. Get rid of the garlic's skin by microwaving it for 30 seconds.
2. Instead of adding water you can add veggies broth or dal water too.

Tidbits:

Did you know Spinach 

1. is packed with nutrients (has loads of Vitamin A and C) that is good for hair and skin.

2. is anti - diabetic and has anti-cancer substances

3. can be your friend if you're trying to shed that extra flesh because of it's low calorific value.

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

Multi Millet Pongal

I'm on a "millet cooking" spree. This time it is pongal with assorted millets.

Of all the south indian tiffin varieties, I love Pongal the best. Especially the one from Saravana Bhavan. Yum!

During my semester holidays my mom and her colleagues use to take me on a "so-called-vacation-turned-into-a-complete-temple-trip".Grrr.... My friend S and her mom use to tag along. S , her mom , my mom and I have had numerous funny experiences together. Every semester there will be at least one paper that will threaten us and I'll keep cribbing about it to S. Poor soul had to bear that all the time! We use to write the names of all our friends and put it in the hundial (A collection box used in Hindu temples) assuming God will read our petition :-P and help us pass the subject.(lol!) Dhanushkodi-Rameswaram trip was one of a kind. 2 other friends of mine SG and GR joined the trip and it was such a fun filled memorable vacation. Most girls never get a chance to go on a trip on their own. But with super chillax mommies around, we had no restrictions and enjoyed as much as we could.

Starting with the jeep safari from Rameswaram to Dhanushkodi, the photo sessions inside the dilapidated buildings of Dhanushkodi, the beautiful sight of Srilankan border and Ramar palam, the car chase to catch the train (due to the change in train timings that we noticed in the last minute), the midnight drive on the rameswaram bridge, the giggling and gossiping all the time with our best pals.....  Aw...Miss those lovely days!I was reminded of these because of the food I ate for breakfast during these trips. It use to be Pongal always!


Here is the multi millet pongal recipe

 

Serves 2-3
Prep Time : 5 minutes
Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup assorted millets (little,pearl,foxtail, kodo,proso millets,bajra,jowar,black sesame seeds 2 table spoon each)
(I used the assorted millets packet from NallaKeerai . This packet had mung dal as well)
1/4 cup Mung Dal
4  cups of Water

To Temper
2-3 table spoon ghee 
3 teaspoon grated ginger
A bunch of curry leaves
10 peppercorns  or 3 teaspoons pepper powder
2-3 teaspoons Cumin seeds/Jeera
Salt as needed
A pinch of Asafoetida
5-6 Cashew nuts

 Method:

1. Dry Roast the assorted millets, and mung dal separately for few minutes until they are hot.
2. Take a pressure cooker and add these millets and dal and pour 4 cups of water.
( I generally add cumin-pepper powder along with the pongal because most of us don't eat the peppercorns)
3. Leave it for 4-5 whistles until it gets a mushy texture and open it after the pressure subsides.
4. In a separate pan add 1  tablespoon ghee and once it is hot add grated ginger and asafoetida and saute it until the raw smell disappears and add it to pongal
5. Again in the same pan, add 1 tablespoon ghee add peppercorns wait until it splutters, then add cashewnuts, jeera and curry leaves in that order and mix it with pongal.
6. Finally drizzle 1 tablespoon of ghee over the pongal and serve hot with coconut chutney.


Note: This is no different from the normal pongal we do.

Tidbits

Did you know curry leaves

1. are good for eye sight
2. reduce hair fall and improves hair growth
3. can relieve from indigestion

Varagu Upma Kozhukattai / Kodo Millet Dumplings

Back again with a millet recipe!

When "R" introduced me to organic millets, I didn't have a clue on what can be cooked with them. In the past, there have been several occasions where I grabbed a lot of "good-for-your-health" items from the supermarket, stocked them and in the end discarded them because they expired! This time, I didn't want to repeat it. Many blogs, FB pages have motivated and inspired me to cook,innovate,experiment more with healthy cooking ... and cooking with different techniques.

Before going to the recipe,
A peep into a small amateurish party that I hosted a couple of years back. (That's when I got married and started cooking)The guests were aged between 6 and 60 and I had absolutely no idea what should be on the menu. I ended up cooking bisibelabath, bagalabath, spicy potato curry, cottage cheese fritters, vegetable fried rice, Gobi manchurian, Thanks to all XXXKitchen blogs!(And my aunt prepared roti and channa ; "S" prepared the soup).Bought some ice-creams and cake for dessert. (now, should I call it a pot luck? :-P )

That was a surprise baby shower party for my Sister-in-law. She was (genuinely?) surprised to see her best friend "S's" family at my place ; We decorated our house with lots and lots of tiny stuffed dolls and baby clothes; posters of super cool testimonials from her school,college,office besties and relatives; a beautiful poem handwritten by his son "G" ; a photo booth reminding of her good old times. Surprised her a little more with some fabulous gifts too! We had a terrific get together that day.

FAMILY,FRIENDS & FOOD - what else can we ask for ?
Today's generation is missing out the beautiful culture of being in a joint family.Only these family gettogethers can compensate for it.

To the recipe now,

Source : Adapted from Jeyshri's Kitchen's Upma Kozhukattai
Cooking time : 15mins

Serves : 2 people

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Organic Varagu / Kodo Millet from  NallaKeerai
3 cups of water
2-3 tablespoon Moong Dal / Green gram
1 teaspoon cumin/jeera seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper

1 inch grated ginger
1/2 cup Grated Coconut
2-3 red chilli
2 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
A handful of Cow peas (karamani in tamil)
A bunch of curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida

A pinch of turmeric powder
salt as needed

Method:

1. Soak the cow pea for 5-6 hours ; drain the water and keep it aside.

2. You can grind the kodo millet rice coarsely(optional) 

3. Grind Jeera, pepper and moong dal and keep it aside

4. In a pressure cooker, pour 2 table spoon oil and once it is heated up add mustard seeds, red chilli, curry leaves,asafoetida and grated ginger. Sauté it for a minute and then add 3 cups of water. 

5. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add cow pea, kodo millet, salt, turmeric powder, grated coconut ;close the lid and leave it for three whistles. Wait until the pressure subsides.

6. You can stop here and serve it as upma or make small dumplings and steam it in an idly cooker for 5 more minutes.

You can try Orange Peel Spicy Gravy as its accompaniment. 

Note: 

• Ensure you don't add too many red chillies because we have already added pepper and it might turn too spicy.
• Instead of 3 cups of water and grated coconut,  you can add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of coconut milk 

Tidbits:

Did you know, Cumin seeds are 

1. very good for digestion , nausea and morning sickness.

2. excellent source for lactation

3. best home remedy for common cold.

4. used as drinking water (Jeera water) (most hotels that I visited in Kerala served Jeera water instead of plain water)

Kodo Millet Mixed Veggie Rice

Happy New Year !

New Year is the time when people tend to take resolutions. But, Resolutions are meant to be broken .Isn't it? I am not keen in making and breaking resolutions. However this year , I have decided to write and read a lot (about anything and everything under the sun). Many fellow bloggers have been a source of inspiration to me. 

Looking at the year gone by, 2013 has been a terrific year for both my family and me. 

I completed my executive MBA from XLRI . Had some good progress on the job front. Then the arrival of our little angel "U". All of us were super thrilled and excited to welcome the baby. And to our surprise she was born on her Dad's B'day! That's the best gift I could give "K".

Being a mommy to a new born was a Herculean task. I had PPD ,mixed emotions running through my mind during the first 2-3 weeks. Then things settled down a bit and I started enjoying being with the baby, Admiring her all the time! Well, time flies and she is almost 3 months now.

 This year I'm looking forward to all her "FIRSTs" - First Smile, First Crawl, First Walk, First Word ..bla bla

So, Making my début here with the first food blog - Kodo Millet (Varagu in Tamil ) Mixed Veggie Rice. Kodo Millet was introduced to me by "R", a friend of mine . 

You can reach out to them through their FB Page NallaKeerai

I quickly browsed the origin, health benefits and recipes that can be done with Kodo Millet.

Here is the quick summary of what I browsed through:

Health Benefits:

1.  Rich in fibre

2.  Keeps Diabetes under check.

3.  Excellent substitute for Rice and Wheat.

4.  Can help in weight loss as it helps to combat the feeling of hunger.

Recipe: Kodo Millet Mixed Veggie Rice

Source:  From a TV Show

Prep Time : 10 - 15 mins

Cooking Time  : 20 -25 mins

Serves 3 people

Ingredients:

Veggies:

1 Tomato Medium Sized

1 Onion Medium/Big Sized

1 Capsicum Big

4-5 Cloves of Garlic

1 inch Ginger

1 Carrot small sized

1 cup Peas

1 Green Chilly - Slit Vertically

Bunch of Coriander leaves

Bunch of Mint / Pudina Leaves

Spices:

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1½ teaspoon Chilly powder 

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1½ teaspoon Garam Masala powder 

1 teaspoon Jeera/ Cumin seeds

1 teaspoon Saunf/Fennel Seeds

½  inch Cinammon stick

1-2 Cloves

Salt as needed

Rice:

Kodo Millet 1 Cup - Washed and  drained

Coconut Milk 1 Cup

Water 1 Cup

1tablespoon Ghee

3 table spoon refined oil/olive oil.

Method:

Rice:

1. In a  pressure cooker add ghee and 1 table spoon oil. Once they get heated up add cumin, fennel seeds, Cinnamon ,cloves and green chilli and sauté it for few seconds

2. Add Kodo Millet and sauté for a couple of minutes.

3. For one cup of Kodo Millet , add 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water.

4. Throw in some mint leaves to get nice aroma and flavour

5. Finally a pinch of salt and close the lid and leave it for 3 whistles and allow it to rest for 10 minutes(until the pressure subsides)

Veggie:

1. Heat the cooking pan, add some cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears

2. Add all the powders under the spices section and give it a stir.

3. Add the onions and allow it to caramelize

4. Next add the tomatoes and wait until it softens

5. Finally add capsicum and semi cooked peas and carrot to retain the crunchiness (and nutrients) in the dish.

6. Add a pinch of salt. Ensure you don't add too much of it as you have already added some salt to the rice.

7. Mix it with rice and serve hot.

8. Garnish it with some coriander leaves 

Note:

I add turmeric in most of my dishes(just a pinch) as it has antimicrobial property.

You can add as many veggies as you want. The next time I prepare this recipe, I am planning to include corn, french beans, broccoli ,Cottage Cheese,Methi leaves etc

Spice Levels can be adjusted to suit your palette.

Tidibits:

Ref : http://www.earth360.in/web/Millets.html