Thursday 17 October 2019

FOXTAIL MILLET KICHADI



Fox tail millet is a gluten free millet, rich in dietary fiber,  packed with minerals and vitamins  in considerable amount..

Fox tail millet lends itself in kichadi as a traditional blend of vegetables with the spices in perfect proportion. 

INGREDENTS WE NEED;

Fox tail millet 200 gm
Groundnut oil  2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal 1 tsp
Chana Dal 1 tsp
Chopped Shallots 1/2 a up
Slit green Chilly 1 pc
Fresh Curry leaves 25 pcs
Grated Ginger 1 tsp
Chopped beans 3/4 cup
Chopped Carrots 3/4 cup
Peeled potatoes 1/2 a cup
Tomato medium size 
Ghee 1 tsp
Mint Greens, a fistful
Coriander Greens, a few
Rock salt 3/4 tsp
Water 3 cups

Procedure:

Heat the 3 lit pressure cooker on medium heat with 2 tbsp Groundnut Oil.
Add Mustard seeds.
Once they start to crackle, add urad dal and chana dal.
Add shallots, green Chilly.
Add ginger grates
Once the shallots turn transparent, add vegetables and curry leaves
Add turmeric and saute on medium heat
Add 3 cups of water.
Add rock salt.
Allow boiling
Throw miint greens.
Transfer the drained millet contents.
Close the cooker and place the weight
Allow 2 whistles. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Let it set aside to cool down.
Open the cooker and add coriander greens and ghee
READY.
Serve hot with coconut chutney/ curd pachadi

Cooking time 20 minutes
Yield: 3 servings

Sunday 13 October 2019

MINT FLAVORED CASHEW NUTS PAKODA







Check out youtube video


Have you ever tried this crispy outside soft inside cashew nut pakodas with a fantastic mint flavour during the rainy day evening?
If not, this is the perfect season for enjoying this great accompaniment with hot piping Ginger tea in the evening. Just give a try!

Hot Cashewnut Pakodas are very crisp and crunchy-munchy when compared to other variations because the dough should be consumed very less water.

How to make?

Whole cashew nuts 75 grams
Besan flour 200 gms
Raw rice flour 100gms 
Cooking Soda /4 tsp
Rock sal 3/4 tsp
Fennel seeds 3/4 tsp
Water 50 ml
Grated ginger 1 tbsp
Chopped Bellary onion 3/4 cup
Finely chopped green chillies 2 pcs
Chopped fresh curry leaves 15 pcs
Mint green leaves, a fistful
Coriander greens,  a few
Groundnut OIl 400 ml to deep-fry

Procedure:

Mix all the ingredients into a semi-dry dough in a dry mixing bowl.
Heat the oil to deep-fry temperature.on medium heat
Check by dropping a diny bit of the dough. If it rises up, the temperature is perfect to deep-fry.
Now, drop the dough portions roughly shaped into the oil.
Allow deep fry until oil bubbles subside.
Take out and place them on oil absorbent tissue towels.
Deep fry the remaining dough in batches.( 6-7 pcs per batch)

Ready!
Enjoy with a hot piping Ginger Tea!

Cooking Time 10 minutes
Preparation time 10 minutes
Yield: 2 generous servings

Procedure

Tuesday 8 October 2019

COZY BARNYARD MILLET PONGAL











Millets are a great source of iron and fibre. They are the healthy alternatives of rice and wheat. These ancient grains are trending again in Indian Cuisine.

Barnyard millet Kuthiraivali in Tamil/Odalu in Telugu/Kavadapullu in Malayalam/Sanwa in Hindi/Oodhalu in Kannada is one of the tastiest and low glycemic variety which is suitable for Pongal.

Barnyard millet 150 gms
Moong Dal           75 gms
Green chilly  1 pc
Curry leaves 20 pcs
Whole Cashews 15-20 pcs
Cumin Seeds 1 Tsp
Peppercorns 1 tsp Water 600 ml
Rock Salt 3/4 tsp
Asafoetida one pinch
Groundnut oil 2 tbsps
Ghee 20 ml

Procedure:

Roast moong dal and barnyard millet in 1 tsp ghee on a medium flame for 2 seconds.
Set aside to cool down.
In a pressure cooker, add 2tbsps groundnut oil.
Add cumin seeds and peppercorns.
Once the cumin and pepper start frying turn the heat to low.
Add green chilly (Slit) and curry leaves.
Sprinkle one pinch asafoetida. 
Add 600 ml water.
Now, turn heat to high.
Transfer the roasted millet-dal contents.
Add rock salt.
Bring to boil.
Check the salt-taste. Add a little salt if needed.
Close the cooker and place the weight.
Allow one whistle.
Switch off the flame.
Wait for 10 minutes.
Heat the tempering pan with 2 tbsps of ghee on medium flame.
Add whole cashews and fry until golden brown.
Open the cooker and transfer the fried cashews along with ghee.
Fold several times to combine.

Barnyard millet Pongal is ready to be served.

Cooking time 15 minutes
Yield: 2 servings.

Monday 7 October 2019

CONVENTIONAL FOXTAIL MILLET PAYASAM/KHEER/SHRI KANDAR SASHTI VRATA OFFERING/THINA ARISAI PAYASAM



                                               FOXTAIL MILLET PAYASAM/KHEER

Ingredients we need:

Foxtail millet 200 gms
Crushed jaggery 300 gms
Water 500 ml
Fresh Cow ghee 3 tbsps
Whole cashews 10-15 pcs
Ankur Raisins 15 pcs
Crushed Cardamom Seeds 3/4 tsp
Strained coconut milk 200 ml

Procedure:

Heat the ghee 1 tbsp in a pan on medium heat.
Roast the foxtail millet until a nice aroma smells.
Set aside to cool down.
Cook the foxtail millet with 500 ml water for 15 minutes on medium flame.
Observe and check whether the millet cooked soft.
Add jaggery (crushed) and stir to combine.
Medium heat and utmost care should be maintained.
Heat a tempered pan with 2 tbsps of ghee on medium heat.
Add whole cashews and Ankur raisins to fry.
Transfer the frying ingredients to the cooking millet contents along with ghee.
Pour the strained coconut milk.
We can add boiled milk instead of coconut milk.
Final touch with the sprinkling of cardamom seeds crushed for the divine flavour.

Yield Six cups 
Cooking time 30 minutes

Tuesday 1 October 2019

PROSO MILLET SWEET PONGAL

Proso millet is packed with high amounts of calcium. It is learnt that it reduces cholesterol and so the risk of heart diseases. Moreover, millet is a high source of fibres and minerals like manganese and phosphorous.
Millets are being consumed during fasting/Vrata times around Navaratri festival celebrated in India and By Indians residing in all over the world. 
Such millet recipes are the best to have in hand. 
Proso millet sweet Pongal is such one of the best millet recipes enriched with organic jaggery that is rich in iron.

How to make sweet proso millet pongal?

Ingredients we need:

Proso millet 200 gms
Jaggery 200 gms
Moong dal 50 gms
Cardamom pods 8-10 pcs
Whole cashews 10 pcs
Raisins 20 pcs
Ghee 50 gms

Procedure:

Wash the millet+Moong dal contents twice.
Transfer the drained contents to the pressure cooker and cook until 3 whistles.
Set aside to cool down.
Meanwhile, let's make jaggery syrup.
Heat the jaggery powder in a saucepan with 100 ml water over a medium flame.
Bring to boil until thick syrup;  no consistency needed.
Strain the syrup and pour over the cooked millet contents.
Give multiple stirs to get well combined.
Crush the cardamom seeds into coarse powder and add to the mixture/
Heat the ghee and add cashews and raisins.
Fry until golden brown.
Transfer the fried contents to the millet mixture.
Mix well to combine.

Proso millet sweet Pongal is ready to offer Deities during Navaratri celebrations
Whenever we want to have something sweet, we may make this easy and healthy sweet Pongal and enjoy with our family members.


Monday 30 September 2019

PLAIN MILAKAI BAJJIS/PLAIN MIRCHI FRITTERS






Spruce up your Monsoon with plain Mirchi fritters/Bajjis!


Chillies have a specific flavour and heavy spiciness. But there are special chillies have very less spiciness along with the same flavour in the market. They are used to make milakai bajjis with chilly powder. They are long and pale green.

Using the special bajji chillies, we can make tasty bajjis by adding some balanced spices in a few minutes.


How to make?

Ingredients we need:

Bajji chillies 8 pcs
Besan flour 200 gms
Raw rice flour 50 gms
Cooking soda 1/4 tsp
Rock Salt 3/4 tsp
Chilly powder 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida one pinch
Water as needed to make idli batter consistency
Groundnut oil to deep fry 400 ml

Procedure:

In a mixing bowl, take besan flour or gram flour, Raw rice flour, Rock salt, Asafoetida, Chilly powder, cooking soda in above-mentioned quantities. 
Add water little by little and mix well until idli batter or thick consistency.
Set aside.
Wash the chillies and wipe them dry.
Heat the oil to a depp fry temperature on medium heat.
Dip the chillies one by one in the batter and drop it carefully one by one.
3  or 4 per batch.
Deep fry until golden brown and oil bubbles subside.

Your flavour-bursting Mirchi bajjis are ready to enjoy with hot tea.








Thursday 26 September 2019

SATIATING CARROT ICECREAM











Creamy chilled dessert, somewhat surprising, might just be your most lovable that's good for your eye health.

There are very few vegetables that lend themselves to pronounced scoops. Carrots are one of such veggies. Carrot stood out as a catchy ingredient in this ice cream with the predominant flavour.  


How to make?

Key ingredients:

Carrots 200 gms or two carrots
Heavy milk cream 40% fat 400 ml
(Milkymist fresh cream is used here)
Sweetened condensed milk 400 ml
Saffron strands 20 pcs
Fresh milk 100 ml

Procedure:

Wash the carrots. Cut the ends. Peel the skin.
Grate the carrots.
Cook the carrot flakes in 100 ml fresh cow milk on medium heat
Add saffron strands and cook for 8 minutes.
Set aside to cool down.
Blend the cooked carrots to a smooth puree.

Transfer the Heavy cream into a dry mixing bowl.
Beat until soft peaks.
Add condensed milk and carrot puree.
Mix well to combine.

Transfer the mixture to an airtight container.
Cover it and place it in the freezer compartment,
Let it freeze for 2 hours.

Take out and give fine stirs.
Keep it again in the freezer compartment for another 3 hours.

(Note: Stirring one time will break down the ice crystals and form into smooth textured 
ice cream)
Rich creamy carrot ice cream is ready to enjoy.

Four generous servings.
Give it a try.

Monday 23 September 2019

BEETROOT THUVAYAL/CHUTNEY


Beetroot chutney is a smart way to include the beet in your day to day diet. A fantastic accompaniment to hot steamed rice with a dash of fresh ghee. It is quite different from the usual thuvaiyals or chutnies, we made. This chutney stays fresh for 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How to make?

Ingredients, we need:

Groundnut oil 2 tbsps
Chopped shallots 20 pcs/3/4 cup
Red Chillies 2 pcs
Kokum Rind 1 pc
Chana dal 50 gms
Shredded coconut one bowl
Garlic gloves 5 pcs
Curry leaves 20pcs
Shredded Beetroot one bowl
Jaggery powder 1 tsp
Rock salt 1 tsp
Asafoetida 2 pinches
Water 50 ml

Procedure:

Heat the pan with groundnut oil on medium flame.
Add red chillies.
Add chopped shallots next.
Followed by curry leaves
Once the shallots turn translucent add, chana dal.
Saute until dal fried golden brown.
Add shredded beetroot and saute until the water content absorbed.
Add shredded coconut and kodampuli/kokum rind.
Saute for a second.
Jaggery powder and rock salt are to be added.
The heat should be reduced in this stage
Sprinkle 2 pinches of asafoetida.
Switch off the flame and set aside to cool down.
Transfer the contents to a mixer jar.
Grind with 50 ml water into a coarse paste.

There is no need to temper the chutney because we fried everything to make a delicious chutney

Enjoy with Id;lis or hot steamed rice with ghee.
.





Wednesday 18 September 2019

MANATHAKKALI KAI KUZHAMBU/WONDER BERRIES GRAVY



Black nightshade, Sun berries, Wonderberries are the names in English for manathakkali or karunjukkutti or Sukkutty keerai

MAKOI in Hindi
KAMACHI CHETTU in Telugu
NITNANI  in Sanskrit
KAKKESAPPU in Kannada
MANATHAKKALI in Malayalam


The botanical name of this greens is Solanum Nigrum. During this monsoon, these greens are growing lush. The tiny berries are abundantly seen everywhere in these plants. Kongu folks know about these berries work miraculously with the illness of ulcer.

These unripe berries and riped berries are more nutritious and healthy option to treat mouth and stomach ulcers. The fusion of all bitter berries, the sweetness of jaggery, sour of tomato and kudampuli/kokum rind and spiciness of country coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, red chilly powder and rock salt is the result of the perfect required consistency and delicious gravy.




I am using fresh raw berries and riped berries for making this dish. Those who can't get the fresh berries can make this gravy with dried and processed manathakkali vathal sold in all grocery stores.
Both are having the same taste and nutrition facts. but you have to wash several times the high salt content coated for preservation and use vathals.

How to make delicious manathakkali kai kuzhambu?

Ingredients:

Wonder berries unripe and riped 250 gms
Garlic cloves 3 pcs
Shallots 20 pcs
Coriander seeds 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Pepper 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 10-15 pcs
Coriander greens chopped 1 tbsps
Asafoetida 2 pinches
Roasted fenugreek seeds powder 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder1/2tsp
Coconut shredded 1 cup or 100gms
Roasted gram 1 tsp
Jaggery powder 1 tsp
Rock salt 3/4 tsp! tsp 
Poppy seeds +2 ml water 
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Kodam puli 1 pc/Kokum Rind
Tomato medium size 
Groundnut oil  5-6 tbsps 
Sesame oil to final touch 1 tbsp

Procedure:

Soak Poppy seeds in 2 ml water for 10 minutes.
Fry the coriander seeds, Cumin Seeds, Pepper, Garlic cloves, turmeric 1/4 tsp Red chilly powder 1/4 tsp, Shredded coconut, roasted gram, kodampuli/kokum rind in 2tbsp groundnut oil and set aside to cool down.
Grind at high speed to a fine paste adding 50 ml water.
Heat the pan with3 tbsps of groundnut oil on medium heat.
Add mustard seeds. 
Once they start crackling, add shallots, curry leaves.
Once the shallots fried translucent, add Turmeric powder1/4 tsp and red chilly powder 1/4 tsp.
Add berries and chopped tomato. Saute well.
Sprinkle asafoetida and add fenugreek powder.
Saute once again and transfer the ground spices along with its rinsed water250 ml.
Add salt and jaggery powder.
Stir to combine.
Allow cooking for 5 minutes. Add chopped coriander greens. 
Once the gravy thickens, pour one tbsp Sesame Oil over the gravy.
Turn off the flame.
Serve hot with hot steamed rice. 
It pairs very ell with Any South Indian breakfast main dishes like Idlis Dosas and so on.

Cooking Time 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings.














Saturday 14 September 2019

MELT IN MOUTH CARROT KAESARI



Are you craving for absolutely delicious sweet in this season
Then, choose this sweet to try out!
There are So many variations. This is one of the variations of kaesari calls in for Super veggie, Carrot making it as more relishable and natural and pure. While you doing this, you will get amazed about its crumbly and ultimately soft and melt-in-mouth texture. You cannot stop with one bowl. more and more, you want!

This is easy to make at home! You can do this within a few minutes.

How to make?

Ingredients needed:

Fresh Carrots 150 gms or two
Semolina 75 gms
Sugar 100 gms
Fresh cow ghee 75 ml
Cardamom pods 9 pcs
Whole cashews 8-10 pcs
Raisins 115-20 pcs
Edible camphor a tiny bit
Saffron strands 10-15 pcs optional

Procedure:

Wash the carrots thoroughly.
Peel off the carrots
Shred the carrots into fine flakes.
Grind it with 5ml water to a fine pulp
Roast Semolina in 2 tbsps ghee until creamy texture.
Set aside.
Bring to boil 250 ml water with one tsp ghee in a pan on medium heat.
Once the water starts to boil add roasted semolina little by little keeping on stirs.
Let semolina to cook well and absorbed water entirely.
Add one tsp ghee and stir.
Now add carrot pulp and mix to combine.
Add sugar and stir well to dissolve and concentrate on medium heat.
This will take 1 minute.
Pour 25 ml ghee and mix to combine.
Add crushed cardamom seeds.
In another pan, add 3 tbsps ghee and fry whole cashew nuts and raisins until golden brown.
Transfer the cooked carrot-Semolina contents to the frying pan and mix to combine.
Add saffron strands optionally
Let the contents cook until nonsticky
Ready to serve.









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