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

Dried Citron Spicy Gravy / Narthangai Vethakuzhambu

This citron spicy gravy has a tangy and a unique flavor of the citron. Especially "mommies-to-be" in their first trimester will love this as it combats nausea.

For me, the first trimester was very difficult. I had to fight the morning sickness and nausea  every single day. I couldn't take the fragrance of few dishes that I used to like. I had a tough time in the kitchen wondering what I should cook to suit my palette. These gravies can come to your rescue if it is made less spicy and consumed in small quantities.(Spice and citrus fruits can cause acidity/heartburn).

 

The little pleasures in life is when you spend time with your besties from school and college and your Family. The amazing feeling you get when you know they are there during the important facets of your life. The little cute sweet niece and nephew gifting me, kissing me, running behind me, feeling the baby inside my tummy, the super innocent questions they asked me , the dance and music performances they did for me, their contribution in decorating the party hall for my baby shower ... WoW , I was a VVIP! 

These people organized some funny games that K and I had to play; - a rapid fire round about baby care in the first few months ; projecting the baby pictures of our friends and families and asking us to guess; match the following game where we had to match the celebrity and their kids. I gave an average performance. :-)

To top this all , they ordered a yummy food from sarvsri and a delicious cake from Linuskitchen 

My blogs are like a not-so-personal-diary where I can share the beautiful moments I have had. And you may get some ideas from here that you can use it for your loved ones. :-)

Serves : 3
Cooking time : 15 minutes
Prep Time : 5 minutes

Ingredients:

3-4 pieces dried unriped citron / narthangai (in tamil)
2 table spoon sesame oil
½ tea spoon turmeric powder
2 cups tamarind water extract
(soak 2 goose berry sized tamarind balls in hot water for 2-3 mins and get a thin extract out of it)
Salt as needed
2 tablespoon sambar powder
1 tablespoon Jaggery
Rice Flour (optional)

To Temper
 ½ teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon urad dal
1 teaspoon split bengal gram
½ tea spoon Fenugreek seeds
3 red chillies 
A pinch of asafoetida
A bunch of curry leaves

Method
1. In a deep pan add 1 table spoon sesame oil and add everything under To Temper and saute for a minute.
2. Add the dried citrons and saute for a 2-3 minutes in a low flame.
3. Add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt.close the lid and allow it to boil until the gravy thickens and the raw smell disappears.
4. After 10 minutes, add jaggery little by little to balance the tangy flavor from tamarind and citron.
5. If it is watery, mix rice flour with water and add it to the gravy.
6. Drizzle 1 tablespoon sesame oil in the end . This gives a nice aroma to the gravy.
7. Serve hot with rice or as an accompaniment to any upma , idly, dosa.

Tidbits
 

                                          Pic courtesy : Shanthisthaligai.blogspot.in

Did you know dried citron

1. is used to treat nausea , sea sickness , dysentry and vomiting
2. is a rich source of vitamin c
3. can improve appetite , relieve from stomach ache and treat intestinal ailments.

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

Paal Kova

100 days with my little  "U".   Calls for a celebration !

"U" can now give a brilliant smile; hold things on her own ; observe moving objects; recognize my voice; respond to us by making a cooing sound ..............Something new happens every single day :-)

I decided to celebrate the 100th day with a simple dessert.  My mom use to prepare this dessert very often.Either as pal kova or just the home-made condensed milk with sugar (w/o adding curd) is frozen which tastes like ice-cream!

Lot of things have changed in the last 100 days...Time management is the foremost thing. I am trying to become more organized,efficient and focused. To be precise, turning into a real mommy!

On to the dessert,
Many blogs suggested that Pal Kova can be cooked under 10 minutes if microwaved. However on the flip side, it had few problems too. So I decided to go the traditional-stovetop way. And this was the only dessert I could think of with the ingredients available at home. 

So the main ingredient for this recipe is  PATIENCE  PATIENCE & PATIENCE :-)

Source : My Mom
Cooking Time: 2 hours
No Prep Time :-)

Ingredients:
1 liter milk
2 teaspoon cardamom powder
3 tablespoon sugar
Few saffron strands
3-4 teaspoon curd
1 tablespoon ghee

Method:

1. Take a heavy bottomed vessel and boil the milk in a low to medium flame.
2. Wait until the milk reduces by half and then add 1tea spoon of curd.
3. Keep stirring occasionally and add another teaspoon of curd after 20minutes.
4. The milk will get a curdled texture after a while ; well don't stop keep stirring for another 20 minutes and add another teaspoon of curd.
5. Repeat step 3 until you get a thick curdled consistency.
6. Towards the end, the milk changes into a pale yellow color. At this stage add cardamom powder, saffron and sugar. The water content in the milk evaporates rapidly ; it requires frequent stirring so that the bottom doesn't get burnt.
7. I decided to retain some moisture (didn't want it to become very dry) because it gets harder when refrigerated.
8. Sprinkle some ghee on top; soft,hot pal kova is ready to be served.

Tidbits:

 

 
                                                      Picture and information courtesy : The Internet

Did you know Saffron

1. inhibits the growth of tumours
2. reduces insomnia
3. alleviates gastric problems

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)