Sunday 28 February 2016

CHICK PEAS AND POTATO GRAVY

This is an upscale version of kurma, pairing chick peas with potatoes. This dish is loaded with rich nutrients. We, the Kongu folks are not really heavy eaters, so we never do the eggs, chicken or mutton often rather we use veggies and high proteinous peas or dals .

This side dish will give a fantastic treat with hot steamed rice/Idli/Dosai/idiyappam/any plan Puttu/Chapathy/ poori.

How to make potato-chick peas kurma?

Ingredients:

Chick peas 100 gm.
Potatoes five
Shredded coconut one cup tightly packed
Garlic pods four
Ginger grates one tablespoon
Fried gram one spoon for thickening gravy and super taste
Shallots half cup
Curry leaves half cup. 
Tomato one medium size
Chopped coriander leaves one cup.
Coriander seeds powder one spoon
Curry masal powder one tablespoonful
Red chilly powder one spoon
Salt required
Cloves five
Cinnamon two or three sticks
Turmeric powder one spoon
Mustard seeds one spoon


Procedure:

Soak the chick peas for three hours.
Pressure cook the chick peas and set aside to cool.
Blend the coconut grates, garlic pods with fried gram into a fine paste.
Wash the potatoes and cut into halves and pressure cooker.
Allow to cool and peel off the potatoes.
Heat the dry pan with cooking oil.
Add mustard seeds to crackle.
followed  by cloves , cinnamon bits and bay leaf (optional)
Add shallots, curry leaves, 
Then tomato chopped, turmeric, curry masal powder, coriander powder and chilly powder.
Let the flame be low level.
Then ginger grates.
Followed by cooked chickpeas and potatoes.
Saute for a while and add coconut paste.
Add salt.
Pour two cups of water.
Bring to boil and cook for six to eight minutes until the gravy thickens.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Chick peas with potatoes gravy is ready to serve.

Very delightful, indeed..!

Just sayin' Enjoy :)













Thanks for stopping by..
I'd love to hear from you, Dears..!!

Friday 26 February 2016

THUTHUVALAI RASAM

This is an authentic herbal soup or rasam
of kongu people during winter and rainy seasons. It treats cold and cough very well.

Ler us know how to prepare this cold special soup/rasam.

Ingredients:

Thuthuvalai leaves 20 (thorns removed)
Coriander seeds two spoons
Cumin seeds two spoons
pepper seeds two spoons
Garlic pulses two or three
Horse gram two spoons
Asafoetida one pinch
Turmeric one spoon
Long pepper one spoon
Sesame oil one spoon
Red chilies split one or two ( choice)
Curry leaves half cup
Crushed shallots four
Cilantro leaves chopped one cup
Salt required
Tamarind extract three cups

Procedure:

Dry roast corianderseeds, cumin seeds, pepper, horse gram, long peppper in a pan for two minutes and set aside to cool.

Soak tamarind in three cups of water for half an hour and strain.

Remove the little thorns from the leaves
and wash them and saute for a while in a half spoon of gingelly oil.

Keep aside.

Grind the seeds into a coarse powder.

Add thutthuvalai leaves and little waterm

Grind them again for a minute.

Heat the dry pan with one spoon of sesame oil.

Add mustard seeds to splutter.

Followed by curry leaves, crushed shallots and red chillies.

Add turmeric and tamarind extract.

Add Salt required

Allow to boil.

Finally transfer the ground ingredients.

Mix well and let the rasam get boiled.

Finally enrich with  finely chopped coriander leaves and grated garlic pods.

Thuthuvalai Rasam is perfectly made and ready to intake.


Wednesday 24 February 2016

KODO MILLET PEPPER PONGAL

The healthy open secrets behind Varaghu rice consumptions are:
Varagu rice is gluten-free and packed with vitamins and minerals.
High in Nutrition which is good for children.
High fiber content.
Varagu rice helps hydrate your colon to keep your system regular and keep you from being constipated.
Digestion friendly.
Rich in photochemical, phytic acid, which lowers cholesterol, and phytate, and that helps in reduction of cancer risks.
High antioxidant activity.
Vargu Rice helps in controlling Blood sugar and Cholesterol.
Great energy source especially good for athletes.
Complete protein source when combined with legumes - ideal for a vegetarian diet.
Varagu rice consumption decreases Triglycerides and C-Reactive Protein.
Serotonin in the Millet calms and soothes the mood
Varagu rice acts as a Prebiotic feeding microflora in your inner ecosystem
Millet is full of nutrients your body needs, such as:
Magnesium, Fiber, Antioxidants,Tryptophan,Phosphorus,Calcium, Vitamin B and Manganese
It fights with obesity and diabetes

.......Google source

Let us make kodo millet pongal....

Ingredients:

Kodo millet 200 gms
Moong dal 50 gms
Pepper two spoons 
Cumin seeds one spoon
Curry leaves half cup
Cashews split one tablespoon
Ginger grates one spoon
Green chillies cut halves two
Cooking oil one tablespoon
mustard seeds optional one spoon
Asafoetida half pinch optional
Salt required


Procedure:

Heat the small pressure cooker with cooking oil.
Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, pepper, cashews, curry leaves and green chillies and ginger grates.
Fry them for a while.
Add kodomillet and moongdal mix into the cooker.
Add salt required.
Wait for boiling.
Check the salt taste.
Then Close the cooker lid and place the weight.
Wait for one whistle.
Simmer the flame.
After three minutes, turn off the heat.
Remove from the burner and keep aside to cool.
Open the lid and serve the kodo millet pongal with your optional side dishes i.e., chutny, sambar as an excellent breakfast.









You can have this millet during summer to reduce the heat and obesity weekly once or twice .

RED RICE PUTTU


The basic ingredients used in this recipe make the food delicous and nutritious. It can be served as an evening tiffin or breakfast. Very easy and simple to make. Quick method too.


INGREDIENTS:

Red rice 200 gm
Flattened red rice 50 gm
Coconut grates two cups
Salt required


PROCEDURE:



Dry roast the red rice and red flattened rice
Grind them into a fine coarse powder together.
I follow the Kerala method to steam the puttu.
Wet the mix with one cup of boiled water little by little.
The consistency should be bread crumb texture.
Refer the image. 





Now in kongu method.
Steam all the puttu mix with coconut grates in a idli mould.
Temper the puttu with mustard seeds, shallots, green chillies curry leaves and coriander leaves
This is spicy soft red rice puttu.

Sweet version:

We can enjoy this steamed puttu with jaggery powder and ghee. 











Now we will follow Kerala method of cooking Red rice puttu by using Puttu mould vessel :

This method is presented here for those people who like Kerala Special Kuzhaiputtu.

Add two cups of water to the bottom vessel of the puttu maker
Grease the cylindrical puttu mould with few drops of oil inside around.
Place the round perforated disk in the bottom of the puttu mould so that it fits well in the bottom.
Add three teaspoons of shredded coconut to the bottom of the mould with the help of a spoon.
Followed by six teaspoon of puttu mix and again three spoon of coconut grates and six teaspoons of puttu mix. 
Add another layer of coconut grates on the top of the mould.
Close with the lid .
Steam for seven minutes.
Turn off the heat and wait for five minutes.
Now, with the help of a ladle, push the puttu outside of the mould keeping it in a plate.
It will lay on the plate as a well cooked cylindrical shaped puttu.

This puttu can be served with chenna dal curry. 






























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