Thursday, August 26, 2010

Thari kanji / Semolina Payasam(Kheer)




















Every one surely would be confused with the name of this dish. It is not an actual porridge (kanji) but is a special type of lightly sweetened drink made from rava (semolina), milk and a little sugar and seasoned with shallots (small onion ), nuts and raisins. This is mostly taken for breaking the Ramadan fast. Adding fried shallots gives immense taste to thari kanji.

Ingredients
Semolina (rava) -1 ½ tsp
Milk – 1 ½ cup
Sugar – 2-3tsp
Sliced Shallots (small onion) – 2-3nos
Cardamom powder (optional) – a pinch
Nuts & raisins – a few
Ghee -2tsp

How to Prepare
=►Dilute milk with 1 cup of water (if the milk is thick).
=►Boil 2 ½ cups of diluted milk in a pan, once it is boiled add 1 ½ tsp of semolina,
a pinch of cardamom powder and 2tsp of sugar into it.
=►Allow it to cook for 10-15min on medium flame and stir it occasionally.
=►Heat 2tsp of ghee in a pan and fry raisins, nuts and sliced shallots.
=►Pour it over the milk mixture.

Note: If u are using skim milk (low fat) no need to add water (use 2 ½ cups of skim milk). If You want the thari kanji to be thick then add one more tsp of semolina.


Saturday, August 21, 2010

Palada Pradaman (Rice flakes kheer)


























It is a sweet dish made of rice flakes (ada),sugar and milk. Instead of sugar we can usejaggery(shakara). Pradaman has its own role in any sadhya.
Ingredients
Rice ada -1/2cup
Milk – 4cups
Sugar – as rqd
Ghee -1tsp
Cashews & Raisins – a few

How to Prepare
=►Soak rice ada (readymade ada) in hot water for 15min.
=►After that wash rice ada in water (It helps to make it smooth & smell free).
=►Heat a pan, add 4cups of milk into it and allow it to boil.
=►Keep stirring till it becomes light brown. It would become condense(thick) by now.
=►Add drained ada into it and keep on stirring until the ada becomes soft.
=►Add sugar to taste, stir it so that it mixes well and switch off the flame.
=►Add resins and cashew fried in ghee into it.

Note: You can get readymade ada from Indian stores. The whole process can take 1hr.Make sure that you are putting ada only after the milk has become thick after stirring (step 4). If you want to make it more thick add condensed milk (milkmaid).

Friday, August 20, 2010

Sambar

Sambar is a vegetable stew made with dal and vegetables in a spicy tamarind base. It is usually poured alongside rice, idly, vada. In Malabar region fried coconut is a main ingredient in Sambar.

Ingredients
Toor dal (sambar parippu) -3tsp
Ladies finger – 4nos
Drumstick -1medium size
Ash gourd (kumblanga) slices -1/2cup
Beans slices -1/4cup
Carrot -1no
Tomato – 1 small
Onion – 1 medium
Potato – 1 small
Green chilies - 4nos
Tamarind juice – 1/4cup
Hing (kayam) powder - 1/4tsp
Cilantro –A few
Salt – As rqd
Ladies finger, carrot, drumstick and beans cut to pieces lengthwise 1 1/2inch.
Ash gourd, tomato, oinion, potato cut to small slice.

For frying & Grinding
Grated coconut – 1/2cup
Urad dal (uzhunnu parippu) – 1/2tsp
Fenugreek seeds (uluva) – 1/2tsp
Coriander powder -1 1/2tsp
Red chilly powder -1tsp
Sambar powder – 1tsp

For Seasoning
Mustard seeds -1/2tsp
Dry red chilies – 2nos
Curry leaves –a few
Oil – 4tsp

How to prepare
=►Heat 1/2tsp of oil in a frying pan, add ladies finger and sauté it 2-3min on medium flame and keep it aside.

For grinding
=►Heat 1tsp of oil, add fenugreek and allow it to splutter.
=►Add Urad dal, red chilly, coriander, sambar powder & grated coconut in to it and fry it.
=►Sauté it till the coconut turns golden brown.
=►Once it gets brown color, remove it from the pan and let it cool for 10 min.
=►Grind the above mixture to thin paste and keep it aside.

=►Cook all other vegetables (except ladiesfinger & drumstick) along with toor dal,
green chilies, turmeric and salt. (Should not be overcooked)
=►Once it is cooked add fried ladiesfinger and drumstick into it and cook it for 2-4min.
=►Add tamarind juice into it and allow it to boil for 4-6min on medium flame.
=►Add grinded coconut paste after the tamarind juice boils and cook it for 2-3min.
=►Season it with mustard, dry red chilly and curry leaves.
=►Add finely chopped cilantro for garnishing.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Dates Pickle (Eethapzham achar)

Dates are sweet by nature and are rich source of vitamin C. Below is the receipe of how to prepare dates pickle. This is best when served as a side with Biriyani. Date pickle is a sweet and lightly sour dish.

Ingredients
Dates(seeds removed)– 20nos
Finely chopped garlic -1/2tsp
Finely chopped Ginger – 1/2tsp
Green chilies – 2nos
Turmeric powder – 1/4tsp
Red chilly powder – 1tsp
Hing (kayam) – a pinch
Salt –a pinch
Vinegar -1/4cup
Oil – 4tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2tsp
Fenugreeks (uluva) -1/4tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Dry red chilly – 2nos


How to Prepare
=►Chop dates into small pieces (4pieces).
=►Heat 4tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard& fenugreek. And allow them to splutter.
=►Add finely chopped ginger, garlic, curry leaves, dry red chilly and green chilies.
=►Saute them till all the raw smell of garlic goes off.
=►Add turmeric, red chilly, hing powder ,salt and 1/4cup of vinegar into it.
=►Allow them to boil for 1-2min. And add chopped dates and sauté them for
another 2min.

Note: If u want loose texture, add boiled water.
You like more sourness add more vinegar.

Bread balls

This is a tea time snack and is very tasty. Children will surely like this bread balls. All the ingredients are readily available ones and the preparation is also very easy. This can also be served as an appetizer in any party.

Ingredients
Bread – 3 pieces
Milk – 1 1/2tsp
Cardamom powder – a pinch
Sugar – 1/2tsp
Grated nuts (optional) – 1tsp
Oil for deep frying



How to Prepare
=►Remove the 4 sides(brown color border) from the bread (I used wheat bread).
=►Make a dough along with bread pieces, milk, cardamom, nuts and sugar.
=►The dough should be softer than chapatti dough and make small balls (like small gooseberry).
=►Fry each bread balls in oil. Fry it till the balls turns brown color.
=►serve hot with tea or coffee.

Yellow Pumpkin Erisseri

Erisseri is a kerala dish and it is also a part of feast, be it onam ,vishu or marriage .Here I have used yellow pumpkin but it can be made with papaya also.

Serving:4 Adult
Ingredients
Sliced yellow pumpkin - 2 cups
Black-eyed beans (Van Payar) - 1/2cup
Chilly powder - 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Salt - As rqd




For Grinding
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Garlic Pods - 3nos
Sliced green chilly - 3nos
Cumin(jeerakam) - ½tsp

For seasoning
Oil -4tsp
Dried chilly - 2nos
Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Grated coconut - 1sprig

How to Prepare
=►Soak black-eyed beans for 1hr and Cut the pumpkin into small cubes.
=►Cook pumpkin & red beans together along with enough water and salt
(Use cooker-3-4whistle is enough).

While the above ingredients are being cooked do steps 3&4.
=►Heat 2tps of oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and allow it to splutter.
=►Add grated coconut, turmeric, chilly powder, green chilies and garlic podes.
=►Fry it until coconut turns brown and grind it (make a fine paste).
=►By this time water would have evaporated from the boiling pumpkin.
And add grinded paste into it.
=►Mix it properly and let it stay in a sim flame for 4-6min.
For seasoning
=► Heat 2tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
=► Add dried chilies, curry leaves and 2tsp of grated coconut and fry it.
=►.Pour these fried mixture into the cooked pumpkin & black-eyed beans and mix well.
=►Serve hot it with plane rice.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Spicy Cauliflower (Gobi Masala)

Ingredients
Cauliflower florets – 2cups
Onion finely chopped – 3/4cup
Tomato finely chopped -1/2cup
Green chilies – 3nos
Grated ginger – 3/4tsp
Grated garlic -3/4tsp
Cumin seeds (jeerakam) -1/2tsp
Cardamom (elakka) – 2nos
Cinnamon (karuvapatta) – 2small pieces
Cloves (grambu) – 4nos
Cilantro (malliyila) – a few
Curry leaves – a few
Oil – 4tsp
Water -1cup
Salt –as rqd

Spice Powders

Turmeric powder – 1/2tsp
Red chilly powder – 1tsp
Coriander powder – 2tsp
Garam masala – 1/2tsp

How to Prepare

=►Heat 4tsp of oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and allow it to splutter.
=►Add cardamom, cloves, grated ginger and garlic into it (medium flame).
=►Sauté them till all the raw smell of garlic goes off.
=►Then add all spices (except garam masala) one by one into it (sim flame).
=►Sauté it for 30sec (be careful that it doesn’t get coated because of over burning).
=►Next add chopped onion, curry leaves and green chilies in to it.
=►Fry it till the onion turns brown and add garam masala powder, tomato and
Cauliflower along with one cup of water and salt.
=►Close it with a lid and allow it to cook for 15 min on medium flame.
=►Stir it occasionally .If you want more gravy then add more water.
=►Once it is cooked, add finely chopped cilantro in to it (optional).
=►This is very tasty with poratta and also rice.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Pappada Vada




















This is a tea time snack which is easy to make and tasty, Pappad is dipped in a special batter of rice and is deep fried to make this salty crispy snack.

Ingredients
White Rice Powder – 1/2cup
Cumin seeds – 4tsp
Sesame seeds (ellu) -5tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2tsp
Red chilly powder – 3/4tsp
Pappadam - 10
Salt – a pinch
Oil – 1cup
Water – 1cup

How to Prepare
=►Take a vessel and pour 1/2cup of nice rice powder along with water and salt.
=►Mix it properly and make sure that the batter consistency is thinner than dosha batter.
=►Add turmeric pwdr, red chilly pwdr, cumin and sesame seeds and mix well.
=►Heat one cup of oil in a pan and dip pappad in the above mixture.
=►When it turns golden brown and crips remove and is ready to serve with tea.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Avial

It is a semi dry stew made of lots of vegetables. It is very tasty dish and can be served with plane rice and rice puttu.

Ingredients
For serving : 6-8 People

Yam (chena) – 1/2cup
Raw banana – 1/2cup
Carrot – 1no
Drumstick (muringakaya) – 1cup
Ash gourd (kumblanga) -1/2cup
Long string beans (achinga payar) -1/2cup
Bitter gourd (kaipakka) – 1/4cup
Green chilies – 6nos
Curd -1 1/2cup
Turmeric powder -1/2tsp
Curry leaves – 2sprig
Coconut oil - 2tsp
Salt –as rqd

For Grinding
Grated coconut -1 1/2cups
Curry leaves –a few
Green chilies – 3nos
Cumin seeds – 3/4tsp

How to prepare
=►Peel and cut the above vegetables to half a finger length and 1/2inch thickness.
=►Cook above cut vegetables after adding required water, salt and green chilies. Make sure that it is not overcooked. (1 whistle in a pressure cooker)
=►Drain if there is any water and pour it to a cooking pan.
=►Add turmeric and mix it properly.
=►Add mashed curd into it. Stir and allow it to cook for another 5-8 min on sim flame.
=►Stir it occasionally so that the curd do not form lumps.
=►Grind together the coconut, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and green chilies.(1min in blender) .Don’t need to make a fine paste.
=►Once the curd starts boiling, add above grinded coconut paste in to it and stir it for
3-4min.
=►Add curry leaves and oil for garnishing.

Note: we don’t add vegetables like beetroot, as it completely changes the color.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Pottukadala Chuttni (Roasted Gram)




















Ingredients
Pottukadala – ½cup
Grated coconut -1/4cup
Green chilies – 4nos
Water – 1/2cup
Salt– As rqd

For Seasoning
Oil – 1tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Dry red chilly – 2nos

How to prepare
=►Wash and grind pottukadala with grated coconut, green chilies and little water.
=►Make fine paste and add salt to taste. If we want loose chutney we can add more
water.
=►Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and allow it to splutter.
=►Add dry red chilies and curry leaves.This mixture add in to the grinded mixture (don’t need to boil)

Note: If u like ginger taste, u can add ginger into it. Here I have added more pottukadala than coconut. The quantity can be varied based on how you want it.

Wheat Flakes Upma (Samba Broken Wheat)

Upma is south Indian breakfast dish. This is a healthy recipe and has very higher nutritional value than the normal Rava upma.

Ingredients

Wheat flakes(sooji gothambu nurukku) - 1cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Green chilies - 3nos
Grated coconut, any nuts (optional) - 4tsp
Water - 2cups
Salt - As rqd
Ghee - 2tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4tsp
Dry red chilies - 3nos
Curry leaves - A few
Shallots(cheriya ulli) - 5nos


How to prepare

=►Soak Whet flakes (sooji gothambu nurukku) for 5-10min.
=►Heat 2tsp of ghee (oil) in a pan, add mustard and allow it to splutter.
=►Add dry red chilly, curry leaves, green chilies in to it.
=►Then add drained wheat flakes and sauté for 3-5mins.
=►Add two and half cups of water, turmeric powder and salt into it.
=►Close it with a lid and allow it to cook for 10-15min on medium flame& stir it occasionally.
=►Once the water is completely evaporated from the wheat, we can switch off the flame.
=►Add coconut and nuts for garnishing (optional)

White Rice Dosha (Appatti)






















If the household members want dosha for breakfast but there is no urad dal in your house then don’t worry. White rice dosha will fill its place. This dosha is specifically seen in Malabar region
.

Ingredients
White Rice – 2 cups
Coconut – 1cup
Green chilies - 6
Cumin seeds – 1tsp
Curry leaves – A few

How to prepare
=►Soak rice for 5hrs and grind with green chilies, cumin seeds, curry leaves
,½ cup of coconut and water.
=►Pour the Grinded batter (loose dosha batter) into a vessel.
=►Add ½ cup of grated coconut, Mix well and keep it aside for 10 min.
=►Preheat a tava or griddle, pour one and half ladleful of batter into it.
=►Rotate the tava so that the batter becomes round in shape.(Don’t use ladle)
=►Close it with a lid and cook for 2-4min.
=►Hot dosha is ready to be served with chutney or any curries.
=►We can make8- 10 dosha from the above mixture.

Note: - If you are making it specifically for children then don’t add chilies and add a little sugar. The dosha batter should be very loose

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Olan



Olan is served as a part of Onam Sadhya and the sadhya is not considered complete without this white looking dish.


Ingredients
Bottle gourd (Chiranga,Churakka) – 1 small size
Green chilies – 4 or 5
Coconut milk – 2tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Coconut oil – 1/2tsp
Water – ½-1cup
Salt – As rqd







How to prepare

=►Cut the bottle gourd to small slices.
=►Cook it with green chilies with enough water and salt for 10-15 min.
=►Once it is cooked, add coconut milk and mix it properly and boil for another1-2min.
=►Switch off the flame, add oil & curry leaves for garnishing.


Note: Olan is made differently in different parts of Kerala.
1) Green pumpkin & ash gourd are added instead of bottle gourd in many places.
2) Boiled red beans can also be added.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Beetroot Pachadi



Another yogurt based pachadi which is very simple and healthy. Beetroot has a good nutritional value. It is low in calorie and fat and is a good source of fiber.


Ingredients
Grated Beetroot – 2nos(medium size)
Coconut – ½ cup
Curd – 1/2cup
Turmeric powder – 1/4tsp
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Green chilies – 4

For Seasoning

Mustard seeds – 1/4tsp
Red dry chilly – 2nos
Curry leaves – a few




How to prepare

=►Cook finely grated beetroot with turmeric powder and salt with required water
on medium flame for 10-15 min.
=►Grind coconut, 1tsp of mustard and green chilies and to make fine paste.
=►Add grinded paste into the boiling beetroot and allow it to cook for another 5min..
=►After that add 3/4 cup curd (diluted with ¼ cup water) into it and stir it continuously on a sim flame for 1-2 min.
=►Season it with mustard seed, dry red chilies, shallots and curry leaves.
=►Serve with Plane rice..

Ottada


















This is special breakfast dish in malabar region made of rice flour and coconut.

Ingredients
White rice (pacheri) – 1½cup
Coconut – 1cup
Hot water – ½-1cup
Warm water - ½-1cup
Salt – as rqd

How to prepare
=►Soak white rice for 3-4hrs and grind it with warm water(as rqd) to make thick paste.
=►Pour this batter into a vessel and add hot water slowly stirring continuously.
until batter becomes like loose dosha batter.
=►Add coconut and salt to taste and mix it properly & keep it aside for 10-20min.
=►Preheat ottada tava (ottada chatti) and pour two and half ladleful of batter into it.
(I used big ladle what I use for dosha )
=►Cover it with a lid and cook it for 5-7min in medium flame.
=►Once it is cooked we can see small small holes (otta) will be appearing.
(No need to turn other side)
=►The cooked ottada can be takeout from the pan using ironspatula.
=►Serve hot ottada with chana masala or any other gravy.

Note: One and cup rice enough for making 5 or 7 ottada.
Batter consistency is very important .If we add lot of grated coconut it will
Increase the add to the taste. If you are making ottada for the first time using the ottada chatti then it may not come good.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Cabbage Upperi (Thoran)



Ingredients
Grated cabbage – 1cup
Green chilies – 3nos
Grated Garlic – 2nos
Finely chopped Onion – 3tsp
Grated coconut – 2tsp
Dry red chilies – 2nos
Curry leaves – A few
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4tsp
Oil – 1tsp
Salt – as rqd

How to Prepare

=►Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
=►Add dry red chilies, curry leaves, green chilies, turmeric powder
and grated garlic.
=►Add onion, sauté till the onion become tender.
=►Finely add the grated cabbage into it. Cover it with a lid allow
it to cook for 5-10min on sim flame (without water).
=►Add grated coconut into cooked cabbage.

Rice Puttu




Puttu called as cylindrical steam cake is common and favourite breakfast of keralites. People have their own combination to take puttu with. It is taken with potato ishtoo, banana -Pappad, kadla curry etc...



Ingredients
Rice flour - 2cups
Water - ¼-1cup
Grated coconut - 3tsp
Salt - As rqd




How to prepare

=►Wet rice flour with required quantity of water(add water little by little slowly)and salt mix for 5 min. to obtain desired consistency.
=►Transfer the mix into puttu maker with cocnut gratings alternatively.
=►Place the maker on steaming vessel & staem for 5-10min.
=►When it is finished cooking,remove the cylindrical portion and push out the cakes with stick from the maker to plate and serve with curries or sugar.

Note: I used packet roasted rice flour. If u want to make fresh flour follow this procedure
Soak rice in water for 5-6 hrs. Drain and grind it to make puttu powder
Preheat a pan, add grinded powder, carefully roast it for 5-8min, stir continuously.

Parippu Payasam ( Moong Dal Kheer )



One of the sweetest dish of south India, easy to make and readily available ingredients makes it a flavor to cherish. A very good healthy payasam.

Ingredients
Yellow split Moong dal – 1/2cup
(Cherupayar parippu)
Jaggery (Sarkkara) – 3-4cubes
Coconut Milk – ½ cup
Cashew nuts – 6nos
Cardamom – 3nos
Raisins – 6-10nos
Ghee – 3tsp




How to prepare

=►Preheat a tava, add ½ tsp of ghee and yellow moong dal into it on a medium flame.
=►Roast it until the color changes from yellow to light red and keep it aside.
=►Heat ghee in another pan, add and roast raisins & cashew nuts separately.
=►Cook moong dal with 1/4 cup of coconut milk and one cup of water.(I used pressure cooker and allow it to give 2 whistle).
=►Next take 4 cubes of jaggery in a pan and add 1/4 cup of water, allow it to melt properly and stir continuously.
=►Add melted jaggery in to cooked dal and allow it to cook for another 3-4 min on
a medium flame.
=►Reduce the heat and add cardamom, 1/4cup of coconut milk into it and mix it properly.
=►Finaly switch off the flame and garnish with raisins and cashew nuts…..

Friday, August 6, 2010

Malabar Kaalan





















Kaalan is a Keralite dish made using yogurt, coconut and vegetables. Kaalan is very thick and is served as a part of Sadhya. Whether it is Onam Sadhya. Marriage Sadhya or any Sadhya it is incomplete without Kaalan. The preparation of this sour dish differs in different part of Kerala. This was the first dish that my mother in law taught me to make.

Ingredients

Raw banana - 1no
Yam(Chena) - 1cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2tsp
Pepper powder - 2tsp
Salt - As rqd
Water - 3cups

For grinding
Grated coconut - 2cups
Green chilly - 6nos
Cumin (jeerakam) - 1/2tsp
Curd - 2cups
Fresh curry leaves - a few

For seasoning
Coconut Oil - 1tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4tsp
Dry Red Chilies - 3nos
Sliced Shallots - 3tsp
Curry leaves - 3nos

How to prepare
=►Peel the skin of vegetables ( Raw banana and Yam) and slice it into small pieces.
=►Take a vessal. Add 2 cup of water and little bit turmeric powder to it. Add the above cut vegetables and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
=►Grind separately 1 cup of coconut and 2 cups of curd.
=►Grind 1 cup of coconut, cumin seeds, green chilies and curry leaves. Add a little bit water to make a smooth paste.
=►Drain the vegetables from the turmeric water made in step 2.
=►Cook these vegetables in 3 cup of water and add the remaining turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt to taste.
=►Cook it for 20 minutes. Make sure that the vegetables are not undercooked. Mash the cooked vegetables.
=►Add the grinded coconut-curd paste (step 3) in to the cooked vegetables.
=►Mix it properly and allow it to cook for another 5-10 min in medium flame
and stir it continuously.
=►When it is boiling add coconut-cumin paste (step 4) and let it cook in low flame
for 3-5 min.
=►Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and once its splits add fenugreeks, dry red chilies ,
Shallots and curry leaves. Add this to above cooked mixture.
=►Thick sour kaalan is ready .

Note: Make sure that the curd being used is enough sour.

Onion-Tomato Uthappam

It is a south Indian dish and is a form of thick dosha(dosa).It is usually made with left over Idly or dosha batter. Let us see how Onion-Tomato Uthappam is made.


Ingredients
Idly or dosha batter - 2cup
Chopped Onion - 1/2cup
Chopped Tomato - 1/4cup
Sliced Green chilies - 6nos
Curry leaves&Cilantro - a few
Oil - 1tsp






How to prepare

=►Preheat tava or griddle and spread little oil on it .
=►Pour a ladleful of batter& spread the batter into a thick dosha with ladle.
=►And garnish with all other ingredients above(Onion,etc)
=►Cover it with a lid and cook for 2-3min in medium heat.
=►When it is cooked on one side, carefully turn over&cook for 2-4 min
=►Serve hot with any gravies or chutney.

Rava Upma ( Uppumavu)


Uppumavu, as the name suggests is an amalgam of two words uppu (salt) and maavu (flour). This is a south Indian breakfast dish. It is a favorite among housewives as it is easy to be made.

Ingredients
Rava(sooji) -1cup
Choped onion -1/2cup
Green chillies -3nos
Grated ginger -1/2tsp
Grated garlic -1/2tsp
Grated coconut(optional) -2tsp
Mixed vegetables(carrot, beans,green peas,and corn) -1/2cup
Curry leaves -a few
Fried cashew nuts -6nos
Split(yellow) Moong dhal -1tsp
Turmeric powder -1/4tsp
Mustuurd seeds -1/4tsp
Ghee(optional) -1tsp
Dry red chilly -2nos
Oil -2tsp
Water -2cup
Salt -as rqd

How to prepare


=►Dry-roast rava until it just begins to turn brown, then keep aside.
=►Heat oil in a pan and fry cashew nuts keep it aside for garnishing.
=►Heat oil and 1tsp of ghee (optional) in big a pan, add mustard seeds and
allow them to splutter. Add moong dhal, dry red chilly and curry leaves.
=►Now add Grated ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2-3min.
=►Add sliced onion and green chilies and sauté till the onions become tender.
=►Add mixed vegetables and sauté for 2-3 min.
=►Add two cup of water, turmeric and salt . Allow it to boil.
=►Then slowly add roasted rava into the pan stirring continuously.
=►Mix quickly to avoid lumps forming.
=►Garnish with grated coconut, fried cashew nuts.


note:- If you are in a hurry and have to serve breakfast immediatley then you can remove steps 2 & 6. For a less calorious food remove adding ghee and cashews.

Ragi Puttu ( Finger millet )

Ragi(Finger millet) is a kind of millet and good for diabetics, cholesterol and general health. It is extremely rich in calcium and is very beneficial for women over the age of 35-40. It is also given to infants.

Ingredients
Ragi flour - 1cup
Water - ¼-1/2cup
Grated coconut - 3tsp
Salt - as rqd





How to prepare
=►It is as similar as preparing rice flour puttu. Instead of filling rice flour, we are
going to add ragi flour
=►Take wet ragi flour with required quantity of water (add water little by little slowly)
and salt. Mix for 5 min to obtain desired consistency. It should not be sticky like
chappati dough nor it should be very dry.
=►Transfer the mix into puttu maker with coconut gratings alternatively.
=►Place the maker on steaming vessel (puttu kudam) & steam for 5-10min
=►When it is finished cooking, remove the cylindrical portion (puttu kutti) and
push out the cakes with stick from the maker to plate and serve with curries or sugar…






note :- Dont be sad if you don't have a puttu maker. You can use idli cooker instead. Place the mix in the idli maker. Only problem is you will not get it in cylindrical shape.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Beans Thoran ( Upperi )


This is a simple & tasty side dish for lunch.I used here only a few ingredients.

Ingredients
Beans - 250gm
Garlic pods - 3nos
Green chilly - 2 or 3
Grated coconut - 2tps
Mustard seeds - 1/4tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Oil - 2tsp
Salt - as rqd



How to prepare

=► Cut beans into very small pieces.
=► Heat oil in a pan . Add mustard seeds and when they crack
add curry leaves, beans, salt and green chillies.
=► Cover the pan with a lid and allow it to cook for 10min in sim flame.
=► Add sliced garlic into it and allow it cook for another 5 min in sim flame.
=► Add grated coconut into cooked beans and stir well and off the flame.

Curd ( Yogurt )
















Ingredients
Milk - 1litre
Curd - 1tsp
Lemon juice - 1/2tsp

How to prepare
=► Boil milk without adding water. Let it cool a bit
=► When it is slightly warm, pour it into a glass or ceramic bowl. Add
1tsp of curd1/2tsp of lemon juice and mix well.
=► Close the lid and keep it aside for 8 hours in hot weather and up to 16 hours
in cold weather. We can get thick curd and keep it in refrigerator. If it is less
sour we can add a little bit lemon juice.