Kuthirai vaali VenPongal / Barnyard millet Pongal

Millets are getting popular these days. I came across a comparative food chart in a book which showed the nutritious benefits of millets n rice. Then I decided to include each variety of millet every week. There are lots of things we can do to make our younger generation healthy. For example, we can make payasam with thinai(foxtail millet),saamai (little millet)curd rice , varagu rice (kodo millet)with kathirikai kuzhambu(brinjal gravy) , sola paniyaaram etc . Pongal is one of my husband's favourite dish. And after having millet meal , he encouraged me to try all millet recipes. This is the first time that Im trying this pongal. And it was a big hit in my house. It is too healthy and delicious too...just give a try and for sure u will love it too..  

Ingredients :

1.Barnyard Millet                          - 1 cup
2.Split green gram/ Moong dal  - 1/4 to 1/2  cup
3. Salt to taste

To Temper :
 
1.Finely chopped ginger              - 1 tbsp
2.Pepper                                          - 1tbsp
3.Cumin seeds                                - 1 tbsp
4.Curry leaves                                - 1 sprig
5.Asafoetida                                   - 1 pinch
6.Cashews                                       -  6 to 8
7.Ghee                                             - 2 tbsp.

Method  :
 
1.  Wash the Millet and soak it along with moong dhal in water for 20 mins.



2.  Add 4 cups of water,salt,1 tbsp of ghee and cook in open until the water boils.
3.  Then close the lid and cook for 12-15 mins in low flame.
4.  The whistle may come, if not, switch off the flame.


5.  Take a pan and add ghee and add the items given under "To temper".

 
6.  Then add this to the pressure cooked millet and mix well.
7.  Serve with coconut chutney or Sambar.

 

 

Paasi paruppu maa ladoo

 

 

                              Paasi paruppu Maa laddo is one of the simplest sweet recipe one can prefer to do. It wont take more than 10 mins to do.. At the same time, it is very healthy and nutritious too. Green gram is rich in protein and fiber content. Medical surveys say that more than 70 % of the female population is anaemic.. If we use organic or palm jaggery in the following recipe, it would be a rich source of iron too. If you just feel that your kidoo seems thin then this would be a best recipe for you...you can even make it once in a week and keep it in a air tight container.. I would post the same recipe using ragi  next time..

                              I came across this recipe from a book "Aaram thinai"...I would say it is a must read book for anyone born in Tamilnadu...The author's deep sorrow is that we are losing all our traditional recipes and foods which are so healthy and nutritious...Really hatsoff to this author for this book (was a real eye opener!!!)...and a great applause to our grandmas n their great grandmas for carrying on these treasured secrets to the generations to come...:)... 

  

Ingredients :

 

1. Broken green gram(Paasi paruppu) - 1 cup
2. Jaggery - 1/2 cup
3. Badham n cashew - 1/4 cup
4. Ghee - 4 Tbsp

 

Method :

1. Dry roast green gram and grind it into a powder.

 

2. Make jaggery into a powder and add elachi powder to it. Meanwhile chop the nuts.

3. Mix both the powders well.
4. After mixing, add the nuts as well.

5. Heat ghee and add to this mixture.
6. Make small balls when the mixture is still hot.

 

Note :

 

1. Don't grind the jaggery with a mixie.

 

 

Black channa kuzhambu

Ingredients :
1. Black channa- 2 cups
2. Brinjal - 4 to 5
3. Small onions
4. Red chilli
5. Jeera - 2 TSP
6. Curry leaves
7. Coconut
8. Coriander powder- 2 tbsp
9. Tamarind

To temper :

1.Mustard seeds- 1 TSP
2. Chopped small onion
3. Curry leaves
4. Red chilli
5. Tomato - 1/2

Method :

1. Soak channa in water overnight.
2. Pressure cook the channa and keep it aside.
3. In the meanwhile take a pan and pour oil into it.
4. Keep the flame in medium and then add red chilli,curry leaves and jeera and after frying it , take and keep it aside
5. Now take a pan and pour oil into it and then add the onions and fry until they turn translucent.
6. Then add the grated coconut and fry for a minute.
7.switch off the flame and add coriander powder.
8.After cooling it for sometime grind them(don't grind it too fine) along with the jeera redchilli fried mixture

9.Now take a Pan and pour oil and temper the items given under " to temper".
10. Then add brinjal and fry for a while .
11. Now add the tamarind paste and the channa.
12. Let it cook for a minute and then add channa and water(according to the consistency u want) and then cook covered for 10 to 15 mins in low flame.
13. Serve it hot with rice roti

Paneer Mutter Masala

Mutter paneer masala is a very good alternative to the usual paneer butter masala and chana masala too . And it has added nutrients too as we add peas here. It goes well with naan , roti or chapathi. I like to have it with  Kashmiri pulav. Many of us think that paneer gravies cant  be made at home just like the restaurant .But that is absolutely wrong and you would feel it once you try it…have fun enjoying it..

Ingredients :

1.Paneer                       - 1 packet

2.Peas                         - 1 cup

3.Big onion                   - 2

4.Ginger                       - 1 inch piece

5.Garlic                        - 4 pieces

6.Tomato                     - 3

7.Casher nuts               - 5

8.Kasuri methi              -1 pinch 

9.Red chilli powder        -1 tsp    

10.Coriander powder      -1 ½ tsp

11.Garam masala powder-2 tsp

12.Turmeric powder             -1/2 tsp

13.Green chlli               -1

        14.Jeera                      -1 tsp

15.Fresh cream             -1/4 cup

16.Salt and oil                     - As required

Method :

1.Boil the peas separately (If you are using frozen peas , soak in water overnight ).Chop onion and grind it along with ginger and garlic.

2.Boil tomato and peel off the skin. Let it cool and grind and then filter the seeds and keep it aside.

3.Grind the cashew nuts along with 1 Tbsp milk.

4.Take a pan and heat butter and fry the paneer cubes in it.(Be very careful not to overboil it).

5. Then immerse the paneer cubes immediately into warm water.

6. Take a pan and pour butter into it. Then add jeera . When it sputters, add green chilli.

7. Now add the onion,ginger and garlic paste to it.

8. Cook it in medium or lowflame until the raw smell goes off and the oil gets separated at the edges.(its colour also would change)

9. Add all the specified powders to it.

10.Then add the tomato paste or readymade tomato puree.

11. Cook it for few mins and then add the cashew paste to it.

12.Now add the boiled peas along with the boiled water(don’t add too much water).Then add the kasuri methi.

13.Allow it to boil until the fine consistency is reached. Just before switching off the flame, add the paneer cubes to it.

14.Add the fresh cream before serving.

Note  :

1.   If you want the paneer to be very soft, u can avoid frying it .

2.   You can also add milk to replace fresh cream(but be sure to add it while n low flame).

Vegetable Cutlet

 

 

It had been so long that I blogged. Got very much busy with my daily routines and thought of getting break (for sometime)from blogging. And now Im back with some recipes. One of it is my favourite dish "the veg cutlets ". It was raining heavily outside and I wished to make it for my family. Vegetable cutlets are one of the best evening snack recipes. This is the first recipe which I learnt from my mom. I love it bcos of its crunchiness on outside and the taste of the mashed aloo inside.U can add green chilli too if u want it more spicy. U can also deep fry the patties at last stage but this method of shallow frying will reduce the oil consumption. 

 

Ingredients    :

1.  Carrot                          -      2

2.  Beans                          -      5-6

3.  Peas                            -      1/2cup

4.  Big onion                      -      1

5.  Potato                         -      3-4

6.  Bread crumbs               -      made out of 5-6 slices

7.  All purpose flour/maida  -      2 Tbsp

8.  Red chilli powder           -      1-2 tsp

9.  Garam masala               -      1-2 tsp

10.              Salt                      -      As required

11.              Oil                        -      As required.

 

Method :

 

1.  Chop  the Onion, Carrot and beans very finely.

2.   Boil potatoes , carrot , beans and peas.(I boiled carrot,beans and peace in microwave with very little water. If you are boiling them in water ,don’t forget to drain water from it before use. )

3.  Take a pan and pour oil. Add the chopped onion.

4.  When the onions turn translucent , add the boiled carrot , beans ,peas and potato to it.

 

 

5.  Add red chilli powder, garam masala and salt to it and keep it aside it cool.

6.  Make small balls out of the above. In the meanwhile, add 2 tbsp of maida n water and make a nice paste out of it.

7.  Cut and remove  the brown  edge  of the bread. Then put the bread in a mixer and grind it to powder.

 

 

8.  Now take the balls one by one  and press them gently in your palm and make small patties.

9.  Now dip these patties into the maida paste and then into the bread crumbs.

10.  Heat a tawa and pour some oil to it.  Shallow fry the patties until they turn golden brown.

 

 

11.   Serve these sumptuous cutlets with tomato sauce n enjoy.

 

Radish roti

 

 If there is any vegetable which I hate the most in the whole world , it is none other than this smelly veggie (radish) just before I made this recipe. I started liking it once being coated with masala and being stuffed inside a roti..(like this)..For sure u too would love it. :) ..Here is the recipe for u :) ...
 

Ingredients :

For the stuffing :

Radish                        -           3

Mint                           -           2 sprigs

Red chilli powder   -           1 tsp

Turmeric powder   -           1 tsp

Salt                             -           As required

Jeera                          -           1 tsp

Oil                               -           As required

 

For Dough making :

Wheat Flour                        -           2 cups

Salt                             -           As required

Red chilli powder   -           1-2 tsp

 

Method :

Make a soft dough out of the ingredients  under “For Dough making” and keep it aside for two hours.

Grate the radish and add salt . Keep this aside for 10 mins.

Now gently squeeze the grated  radish and remove the extra water content in it .

Take a frying pan and pour oil in it.

Add jeera to it and then add mint and radish.

 

 

Fry this for a while and then add all the powders and salt.

 

 

 

Roll the dough into a very thin chapathi using the rolling pin.

Then place the stuffing over it and then place another thin layer chapathi over it.

 

 

 

Now fry this in a hot tawa with either ghee or oil .

Serve with your favourite side dish.


Enjoy yummy yummy pics  :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprouts chapathi

I always love to make a twist in the regular chapathis to make it much more healthy. I came across this recipe in a supplementary issue of aval vikatan and decided to try it the very next day . It is good to add sprouts to your food this summer as the sprouts are known  to reduce the heat of human body and it is very nutritious too.I wish to dedicate this recipe to parents(as most of the kids hate either salads or chapathi).One can add mint too which would add to the flavour. You can buy the readymade sprouts out there in the market or u can have the joy of growing the lentil yourself. I chose the later one. Here is the recipe for you.

How to grow green gram sprouts :

Take required amount of green gram and soak it in water overnight (in a hotbox).In the morning you can see some tiny gentle sprouts just starting to grow . Now instead of completely emptying water, just leave little water in it and close it. When you open the box in the evening or the following day, the sprouts would have grown to full extent (to your pleasant surprise :) :) :) ).
Caution : U cant make sprouts out of the roasted green gram.

Ingredients :

Green gram sprouts                -   1 cup
Coriander                               -    1 cup
Wheat flour                            -     2 cups
Corn flour                              -     1/4 cup
Garam masala powder           -    1 or 2 tsp
Red Chilli powder                 -    1 tsp
Salt                                        -    As required
Oil                                         -    As required

Method :

1. Grind  green gram sprouts and keep it aside.
2. Take a bowl and add wheat flour and corn flour .
3. Mix them and make a well at the center.
4. And pour oil into it and then add coriander,two powders ,sprouts paste and salt.

5. Mix them well and make it into a dough.
6. Make small balls out of it and proceed as like a regular chapathi .

7. Serve with raitha or any kurma n enjoy  :)

Fenugreek lentil Subzi

Ingredients :

       1.  Paasi paruppu                                     -              1 /  2 cup

        2. Fenugreek leaves                               -              As shown in picture

        3.  Turmeric powder                               -              1 tsp

        4.  Sambar powder                                 -              2 tsp

        5.  Salt                                                      -              As required

        6.  Coconut milk                                     -              1 / 2 cup

To Temper  :

        1.    Jeera                                               -              1 tsp

        2.    Ural dhal                                         -              1 tsp

        3.   Curry leaves                                     -              1 sprig  

        4.    Small onion                                      -              5 to 6

        5.    Tomato                                            -              1

Method :

1.      1.              Chop the methi and keep it aside.Take a pan and roast the lentil without any oil until                U get the fragrance of the lentil(Obviously in low flame).
2.   2.    Take a pressure cooker and boil the lentil in open with around 1 ¼ cup of water.

3.     When it is boiled, add fenugreek leaves.
4.  4.      Then add turmeric and sambar powder and also salt.
5.   5.     In the meanwhile,take a pan and pour oil separately.
6.   6.    Add the items under to temper.

7.       Then add this to the fenugreek  n  lentil in the cooker.
8.   8.     Finally add some coconut milk and leave for a minute .

9.       Serve with rice or roti.

                                      

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