KODO MILLET CRISPY DOSAS AND MILLET MASAL DOSAS/வரகு முறுகல் தோசை

 

Kodo millet has a considerable amount of Lecithin that is strengthening the nervous system. It is rich in vitamin B components, that are niacin, B6 and folic acid and minerals such as Iron, Potassium, magnesium, zinc and Calcium. It is high in fiber, rich in amino acids, naturally gluten-free, non-allergic and easily-digestible. It is an ideal substitute for rice, wheat. Good for cholesterol, diabetes and weight loss.

Traditionally speaking, Kodo millet improve appetite, nourish prana and blood deficiencies, improve insulin response, regularise the speed of digestion, helps in absorption of nutrients and fills you up feeling comfort and light. It detoxifies and cleanses the whole digestive system. 

All the ancient old millets are becoming trendy again. They are highly recommended as a great source of iron and dietary fibers.

Here is the breakfast or dinner recipe that might be your tasty and healthy option of replacing rice and wheat.

Kodo Millet Crispy Dosa /Masal Dosa

How to make

Ingredients:

Kodo millet 1.5 cups

Urad dal 0.5 cup

Chana dal 0.25 cup

Fenugreek seeds 3/4 tsp

Beaten rice/poha/Getty aval 2 tsp

Water as needed for soaking

Rock salt 1/2 tsp 

Potato masal one bowl

Groundnut oil/ghee 25 ml

Procedure:

Soak Kodo millet, urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Chana Dal, poha/beaten rice in water separately.

Let them soaked in water for three hours. 

Rinse them thoroughly.

Grind the urad dal and fenugreek seeds with 50 ml water until smooth and fluffy batter.

Transfer the batter to a large vessel.

Transfer the drained Kodo millet, Beaten rice or Poha, chana dal with 100 ml water to the same mixer jar.

Grind to a little bit thin and smooth batter.

Add Rock salt and grind again to combine well.

Transfer the batter to the vessel containing urad dal batter.

Stir well to combine the batter,

Cover and set aside for 7 hours to ferment well.

Mix well before making dosas.

Heat the dosa tawa on a medium flame for one second

Take a ladleful of batter and pour in the centre of the tawa.

Spread the batter in a circular motion to form a thinner dosa.

Once air holes appear on the surface.

Drizzle one or two tsps of groundnut oil or ghee as per your choice.

Level the surface of dosa.

Let it cooked until the golden spots appear. 

There is no need to flip the dosa.

Roll the crispy dosa and take out.

To make masal dosa,

Pour and spread the batter.

Once air holes appear, drizzle oil or ghee one or two tsp.

Place the Potato masal in the centre and spread into a form of a thick and even disc.

Once dosa turns golden and crispy, cover the ends 

Serve hot or warm with Garlic chutney and Coconut chutney.

GARLIC CHUTNEY/பூண்டுச் சட்னி

Garlic chutney is one of the most flavourful chutneys. It becomes the all-time favourite chutney to those people who love garlic and spicy flavours. This chutney is more popular among Indian food lovers. The version is different in each state of India. This accompaniment is tasting great with many other main dishes like Dosa, Idli or uthappam and so on. A perfect blend of red chillies, tamarind, cane sugar or jaggery powder, rock salt with lots of garlic cloves, peeled and Cold-pressed Gingelly Oil contribute the fantastic flavour and taste to this accompaniment. 

Garlic is good for diabetic people.  It eases digestion. It controls blood pressure and treats cardiovascular diseases. It boosts the immune system.

Easy to make!

 

 Ingredients:

Garlic cloves peeled one bowl or 250 gms

Red Chillies deseeded 6-8 pcs Optional

Groundnut Oil 2 tbsps

Curry leaves 10-15 pcs

Tamarind a small piece

Chopped tomato half.

Himalayan pink rock salt 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida one pinch

Jaggery powder 1 tsp

Soaked red chilly water1/2a cup

Cold-pressed Gingelly Oil 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves 8-10 pcs

Procedure:

Separate the seeds from the red chillies.

Soak the deseeded red chillies in water for 10 minutes.

Saute the peeled garlic cloves until they are shrunken.

Add fresh curry leaves and saute for a while.

Add drained soaked red chillies and saute until they puffed up

Add Rock salt, Jaggery powder and tamarind.

Saute for a few seconds on medium heat.

Turn off the heat.

Set aside to cool down.

Grind to a smooth paste.

Heat the Gingelly Oil (be generous to add) on medium flame.

Add mustard seeds.

Once they start crackling, add cumin seeds.

Add curry leaves to fry. Now transfer the garlic paste until the gingelly oil combined.

Garlic chutney is ready to store and enjoy.

Cooking Time 30 minutes

Yield: 2 persons.

Shelf life: 15 days.

Use dry spoon always.

 

VENDAIKKAI MORE KUZHAMBU/OKRA MORE GRAVY/வெண்டைக்காய் மோர் குழம்பு

A simple yet delicious kuzhambu with diced lady's fingers/bhindi/okra/Vendaikkai in a creamy and flavoured sour curd sauce using yesterday's curd.

Usually, it is served after Rasam in the wedding feast of Lunch, We use the leftover curd, if available in our home, by making this more kuzhambu, adding one vegetable. Normally Lady's finger, Cucumber, Aloe vera or White pumpkin, Brinjals, ash gourd and chayote and so on. 

More kuzhambu is perfect for easy digestion and better to beat the heat during summer. Buttermilk is versatile so that it can assume different unique versions to satisfy our tasty expectations. Moreover, it is light and comfort and extremely good for the digestive system.

This is the traditional south Indian delight with the goodness of sour buttermilk laced with indigenous spices. It is not too sour or too spicy. It tastes great with hot steamed rice.

                                                                                                 

Ingredients:

Sour Curd churned with one cup of water. 3 cups

Lady's finger vegetable 250 gms

Groundnut oil 1.5 tbsp

for grinding masala paste:

Country Coriander seeds powder 2 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Garlic 4 pcs

Grated Coconut 3 tsp

DryGinger 1/2 tsp

pepper 1/4 tsp optional

Green gram lentils 1.5 tbsp

Red Chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Water 50 ml

For tempering:

Groundnut oil 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Shallots chopped half cup

Red chillies 2 pcs

Curry leaves 10-15 pcs

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida one pinch

Rock salt 3/4 tsp

Chopped Coriander greens a fistful

Procedure:

Fry diced veggie in groundnut oil on medium flame until shrunken

Set aside to cool down.

Whisk the yesterday's sour curd into thick buttermilk adding one cup of water.

Grind the above masala ingredients into a smooth paste,.

Mix the masala paste with the buttermilk.

heat the wok with groundnut oil.

add mustard seeds to crackle.

once they start crackling, add chopped shallots, slit red chillies and curry leaves.

Saute until the shallots turn translucent.

add turmeric and asafoetida.

Now add the buttermilk mixture.

Add salt and let it boiled.

Transfer the fried ladysfinger chunks.

Stir to combine.

Let the okra or veggie cooked soft.

Add Chopped coriander greens.

Turn off the heat.

Vendaikkai more kuzhambu is ready.

It tastes great with hot steamed rice.

Enjoy.

CORN FLOUR HALWA/BOMBAY/KARACHI HALWA/பாம்பே அல்வா/कराची हलवा/

Ingredients:

Corn flour 225 gms or one cup

Sugar 250 gms/1.25 cups

Cashew/Almond/Pistachio pieces 2 tbsp

Ghee 25 ml

Water one cup/200 ml+150 ml

Crushed Cardamom seeds 1/2 tsp(optional)

Saffron Strands 10 pcs (optional or your choice)

Kaesar Powder or food colour as per your choice. 

Procedure: 

Heat the non-stick pan with sugar as measured above with 200 ml water.

Bring to boil until a sticky consistency.

Medium heat is always recommended.

Add kaesar powder any colour you want.

While boiling, add saffron strands.

Once a sticky consistency achieved, turn off the heat for a while.

In a mixing bowl, add corn flour as per above measurement and water 200 ml.

Mix until the milk consistency using a spoon.

Add this cornflour milk to the sticky sugar syrup and stir well.

Now turn on the heat to low-medium flame.

Keep on stirring fast.

The mixture turns slowly into a gelatinous form.

Add Desi ghee and stir continuously.

While the halwa consistency reached, add crushed cardamom seeds (optional) and crushed nut flakes.

Incorporate all the things together.

Observe the glossy and gelatinous halwa.

Transfer the halwa to a greased tray and mark the shape of your choice.

Set aside to cool down.

Just tilt down to a dry plate.

separate each piece and arrange into a fine row.

Serve warm or cool.

cooking time 15 minutes

Yield around 20 pieces..

VEGETABLE KICHADI/காய்கறி உப்புமா/सब्जी उपमा / खिचड़ी

•    

               Upma or kichadi is one of the most loving treats either for the breakfast menu or dinner or even evening tiffin with coffee.

It gets a high score not only for its light and comfort meal but also for its unique flavour. Usually, we prepare Upma using  Semolina or Samba Rava or vermicelli. But I prefer the equal mixture of Semolina and Vermicelli works very well to make the vegetable Upma/kichadi.

The tempering of Upma using mustard seeds, green chillies, shallots, Urad dals, Ginger, grated and curry leaves along with the host of the certain vegetables such as carrot and Bush beans in an orderly manner that works wonderfully delicious in transforming the simple Upma to a delightful and wholesome vegetable Upma.

The making of this vegetable Kichadi/Upma is rather easy and takes very little time for about 15  minutes.

It is advisable that the roasted Semolina and Vermicelli available in the stores that are already in roasted form, we should also roast again mildly to get good flavour.

Ingredients:

Step one:

Groundnut Oil 1 tbsp

Semolina  75 gm/3/4 cup

Anil Vermicelli 75 gm/3/4 cup

Procedure:

Roast both the above Semolina and Vermicelli on medium heat mildly.

Step Two:

Groundnut Oil 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies 1 pcs slit optional

Whole Urad Dal 1 tsp

Chopped Bellary onion 1/2 cup

Grated Ginger 1 tbsp

Curry leaves15-20 pcs

Carrot pieces 3/4 cup

Chopped Bush beans 3/4cup

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Lemon Juice  (half lemon)

Rock Salt 3/4  tsp

Coriander greens a fistful

Water 3 cups

Procedure:

Heat the non-stick pan with groundnut Oil on medium flame.

Add mustard seeds to crackle. 

Once they start to crackle, add Urad dal and let them fry until golden brown.

Add Bellary onion chopped, green chilli.

Saute until the onion turns translucent.

Add curry leaves and ginger grated.

Saute until fine aroma.

Add vegetables and turmeric.

Saute for a while.

Add water.

Add Salt 

Cook until the veggies cooked soft.

Squeeze lemon.

Now add Semolina and vermicelli mixture.

Keep stirring to avoid lumps while adding the mixture.

Add chopped coriander greens.

Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.

Let it rest for 2 minutes on low heat.

Vegetable Upma/Kichady is ready to enjoy.

Cooking Time 15 minutes

Yield: 2 persons.

                                                     

KHUSKA/PLAIN BRIYANI/EMPTY BRIYANI/குஸ்கா/खुस्का बिरियानी ( PRESSURE COOKER METHOD)

   

                                                                                                               

A simple yet the most flavourful one-pot meal with an array of spices, onion and tomato base without vegetables or meat or chicken or egg.  The meal is wonderfully complete even with simple onion raita as Lunch or Dinner. It can be enjoyed in the family get together, Birthday party and other special family occasions.

STEP ONE;

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 2 cups

water as needed for rinsing and soaking

Procedure:

Rinse the basmati rice until clear water.

Soak the rice for 30  minutes.

Drain the water completely.

Set ready.

STEP TWO:

Ingredients:

Black Cardamoms 2 pcs

Green Cardamoms 2 pcs

Groundnut Oil/any cooking oil 1 tbsp

Fresh Ghee 1 tbsp

Bay leaves 5 pcs

Cinnamon 1 inch 4-5 pcs

Cloves 5 pcs

Mace and Stone flower 1/2 pc each

Star anise 1 pc

Chopped Bellary onion 1/2 cup

Slit Green Chillies 2 pcs

Curry leaves 20-25 pcs

Grated Ginger 1 tbsp

Grated Garlic 1 tbsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder 1/2 tsp

Tomatoes medium-sized 3 pcs chopped

Himalayan Pink Rock Salt 3/4 Tsp

Lemon juice (half  lemon)

Water 2.5 cups

Procedure:

Heat groundnut oil and ghee on medium flame.

Add black cardamoms, green cardamoms.

Next, add cloves, cinnamons, mace, stone flower, star anise and bay leaves.

Let them fry for a while.

Add onion, green chillies and curry leaves.

Saute them until the onion fried transparent.

Add grated ginger and garlic.

Add turmeric and red chilly powder.

Transfer tomato and saute until mushy.

Transfer the drained rice. 

Saute for 5 seconds on low heat.

Squeeze the lemon juice.

Add 1/2 tsp ghee again.

Saute to mix.

Pour 2.5 cups of water

Add rock salt and stir well.

Give stirs several times.

STEP THREE:

Ingredients: 

Mint greens a fistful

Procedure:

Once the rice contents start boiling, close the cooker.

Place the weight.

Reduce the heat to simmer.

Let it cooked in simmer heat until one whistle.

Turn off the heat.

Set aside to cool down.

Open the cooker

Throw mint baby leaves.

Wait for 10 minutes to retain the good shape of the cooked grain.

Stir a couple of times and serve with onion raita.

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 4 persons adjustably. 3 persons generously.

       

BARNYARD MILLET IDLIS/குதிரைவாலி இட்லி

Barnyard millet is known as குதிரைவாலி in Tamil, Udalu in Telugu, Oodalu in Kannada, Sanwa rice in Hindi, Shyama in Bengali, Moraiyo in Gujarati. It tastes like broken rice when cooked.

Barnyard millet is a good source of low caloried protein.
Since it is a low carbohydrate content, it is highly recommended as the best cereal for the patients suffering with cardio vascular disease and type 2 Diabetes.

This millet is also a gluten free cereal like all the millets.
It is a great source of iron.
Since it consists of the good source of dietary fibers, it prevents bloating and Cramping and constipation.


Ingredients:

Barnyard millet 3 cups/500 g
Whole urad dal. 3/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
Castor seeds 6-7 (hull removed)
Water as needed to soak the lentils and rice.
Coldpressed gingelly oil 1/4 tsp
Himalayan pink rock salt 3/4 tsp
Water as needed to grind.

Procedure:

Soak the millet and urad dal+Fenugreek seeds separately in water for three hours.
Rinse them until clear water.
Grind the urad dal and fenigreek seeds adding 1/2 a cup water until smooth and fluffy.
Tranfer the thick urad batter to the larger vessel.
In the same mixer-jar add the soaked and drained millet.
Remove the hulls of castor seeds.
Add the castor white pulps.
Grind using one cup of water until thin smooth runny Batter.

Add salt and grind again to mix well.
Now transfer the batter and mix with Urad dal batter.
Mix well in one direction.
Cover and set aside for overnight or 7 hours
Let the batter gets fermented for more than seven hours.
Mix the fermented batter again.
Pour one lit water in idli steamer.
Heat the steamer to the boiling point.
Place the idli-mould plat and apply gingelly oil in each mould using a brush.
Now pour the batter in each mould.
Cover the idli steamer and steam Cook for 8-10 minutes.
Splash some water and set for a while.
Renove the idlis gently.
Serve hot or warm...

Note:

Since the time immemorial, we, Kongu Folks have been adding a lumited no of castor seeds for making Idlis, Fenugreek idlis and millet Idlis. We remove the hull (toxic) and grind the white pulp with the rice. Don't add the castor seeds while grinding the urad dal batter. It reduces the fluffiness of urad batter. Add with the rice while grinding.
The benefits include
- make idlis softer and spongy.
- since it contain castor oil, it supports to lubricate the digestive tracts entirely.
It relieves the constipation.

BENGALI RASAGULLA IN KONGU STYLE/ இரசகுல்லா/रसगुल्ला

First step:

Ingredients:

Full fat milk 2 lit
Lemon juice1/2 cup

Procedure:

Bring milk to a boil on high flame.
Pour lemon juice.
Turn off the heat.
Stir to react.
Cheese separates from the milk.
Strain the cheese.
Tie it as a bundle.
Wash the cheese bundle with running water several times until clear water.
Hang it somewhere else to drip the water remains completly..(One hour)

Step two:

Cheese or chhena
All purpose flour 1 tbsp
Rock candy cubes 2 tsp

Procedure:

Take out the chhena from the cotton towel.
Place it on a clean surface.
Break it with hands.
Add all purpose flour.
Rub and knead the chhena to form a fine and smooth mass.
Take one spoon chhena and spread it.
Place 2 or 3 rock candy cubes in the centre.
Cover and roll out as a smooth ball using your palms.
Collect the chhena balls on a dry plate.

STEP THREE:

Ingredients:


Sugar 1 kg
Water 2 lit
Rose water 1 tsp or one rose 
Cardamom pods 8-10 pc
Saffron strands one pinch
Chhena balls about 40 pcs

Procedure:

Add sugar and 2 lit water in a heavy bottomed vessel.
Bring to a boil on high flame.
Add split cardamom ppods.
Add rose water or rose petals.
Stit multiple times to infuse the flavour.
Cover and bring the boiling point.
Add Chhena balls and stir gently.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes on high flame.
Cover and cook for another 8 minutes on medium heat.
Add one pinch of saffron strands.
Stir well for a while.
Open and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes.

Yummy Rasgullas are ready to enjoy

EGG FRIED RICE/ முட்டை காய்கறி கலவை சாதம்/अंडे के साथ तले हुए चावल

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice 225 gm
Water as needed.

Wash the rice thoroughly until clear water.
Soak the rice in sufficient water for 30 minutes.
Drain the water and keep ready.

Let's cook now.

Step one

Ingredients.

Water 450 ml
Soaked and drained rice 225 gm.
Ghee 1/4 tsp.

Procedure:

Pour water in a cooker.
Add ghee.
Bring to boil on medium heat.
Add drained rice
Once Rice contents starts boiling, simmer the flame.
Cover and pressure-cook until one whistle.

Set aside cool down.


Step Two

Ingredients:

Cold pressed Groundnut oil 2 tbsp
Finely chopped Bellary onion 1/2 Cup
Curry leaves 8-10 pcs
Lengthwise cut Green Chilly one
Grated Garlic 1 tsp
Grated Ginger 1 tsp
Lengthwise Carrot 3/4 cup
Chopped Bush beans 1/2 Cup
Chopped Cabbage 1/2 Cup
Salt 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice 1/2 tsp
Water 20 ml

Procedure:

Heat the groundnut oil on medium heat.
Add onion and curry leaves
Saute for a while..
Add green chilly. If you want, you may add one more.
Add grated ginger and garlic. Saute until nice aroma.
Now, add carrot, beans and Cabbage.
Sprinkle 1/4 tsp powder salt and saute to combine.
Splash some water and let them cooked on low-medium heat until the water remains no more.
Set aside.

Step Three:

Ingredients:

Eggs 3 pcs
Groundnut Oil 2 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Pepper 1/2 tsp (optional)

Procedure:

Heat the oil in a tempering pan.
Crack the eggs and pour the yolks.
Mix the yolks gently.
Sprinkle salt and pepper.
Scramble the egg yolks on medium heat.
Keep ready.

Step Four:

Ingredients:

Cooked rice
Cooked Veggies
Scrambled egg yolks
Coriander greens finly chopped

Procedure:

Set the low heat.
Mix the cooked veggies, cooked rice and scrambled eggs.
Combine all the ingredients together.
Add little salt say 1/4 tsp
Mix well.
Add finely chopped coriander greens.
Mix to infuse the aroma of the greens.
Turn off the heat.

Flavourful and fluffy egg fried rice is ready to be served.

ALMOND FUDGE/பாதாம் மென்பர்பி/बादाम ठगना

Almond fudge is so soft and chewy. Supremely delicious.

Let's cook now. This procedure involves five steps.

First step

Ingredients we need:

Almonds 250 gm
Boiled water 4 cups
Boiled and cooled milk 250 ml
Saffron strands 20 pcs

Soak almonds in boiled water for about one hour.
Soak saffron strands in cold milk for an hour.
Peel the skin. ( refer the video)

Second step

Ingredients:

Ssffron moll content
Peeled almonds.
Water if needed.

Procedure

Grind to a smooth paste with saffron milk and water as needed.

Third step

Ingredients:

Fresh Ghee  4 tbsp
Ground almond paste
Sugar 250 gm
Crushed Cardamom coarse powder

Procedure:

Heat ghee on medium flame.
Add almond paste and Sugar
Give constant stirs to avoid burning.
Stirring dissolves sugar and helps to combine with almond paste.
Cook until nonsticky and transparent.
Add cardamom powder and mix to combine the flavour.
Turn off the heat.

Fourth step

Ingredients:

Ghee 1 tsp
Almond flakes 2 tbsp

Procedure

Apply ghee on all the sides of a dry tray, using a brush.
Transfer the almond contents.
Level it up with a spoon and brush.
Let it rest for 5 minutes.
Add almond flakes over the surface of almond mass.
Give gentle press to embed the almond flakes evenly.
Let it cool down for another 10 minutes.
Cut into a desired shape and size of your choice.

Healthy and super delicious almond fudge is ready to be served.

Cooking time: 90 minutes
Yield.              : 15 Pcs

KADAI CHICKEN/கடாய் சிக்கன்/CHICKEN KARAHI/

Step one

For dry masala

Ingredients:


Organic coriander seeds 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Pepper 3/4 tsp
Cinnamon  2 inch 3 pcs
Fennel 1 tsp
Poppy seeds 1 tsp
Black cardamom 1 pc

Procedure:

Dry roast all the ingredients above mentioned on low-medium heat until pop up.
Set aside to cool down.
Grind to a fine powder.

Step 2

Ingredients:

broiler chicken with leg pieces 1/2 kg
Groundnut oil 2 tbsp
Cinnamon sticks 3 pcs
Star anise 1 pc
Cloves 4 pcs
Fennel 1/2 tsp
Bay leaves 2 pcs
Mace 1/2 pc
Stone Flower, a small piece
Finely chopped shallots one cup
Deseeded green chilly 1 finely chopped  ( your choice)
Grated Ginger 1tbsp
Grated garlic 3/4 tsp
Turmeric 3/4 tsp
Red Chilly Powder 1 tsp
Rock Salt 3/4 tsp
Finely chopped tomatoes 4 pcs
Finely chopped coriander greens a fistful
Butter 1 tbsp
Ground masala powder


Procedure:

Heat Kadai/wok/non-stick pan/copper pan/pressure pan or any heavy-bottomed pan with
2 tbsp Groundnut oil.(on medium heat)
Add cinnamon, star anise, mace, cloves and bay leaves respectively and saute on low-medium heat.
Add fennel seeds to fry.
Add finely chopped shallots, de-seeded and finely chopped green chilly, grated ginger, grated garlic.
Saute until the shallots fried translucent.
Add stone flower.
Add turmeric, red chilly powder
Saute on low flame to retain the colour of turmeric and red chilly powders.
Place the washed chicken gently and saute for a while on medium heat.
Cover and cook for 8 minutes.
Open the lid and turn over the chicken,
Add curry leaves and dry ground masala and mix to combine
Add Salt
Add finely chopped tomato and stir to combine.
Add one cup of water.
Cover and cook for 135 minutes on medium heat.
Open and check if the salt needed.
Add coriander greens.
Stir well and turn over the leg pieces for even cooking.
The water contents reduced to a thick gravy.
Add one tbsp butter and let it sit on medium flame until the butter melts and dissolves.
Turn off the heat.

Ready to serve.

Cooking time 30 minutes
Yield: two servings