April 28, 2015

Sundal / Channa Biriyani

     The sundal gives a slightly different taste to the normal plain biriyani. This is a healthy and vegetarian biriyani which can be tried for vegetarians especially.



Ingredients:
Basmathi / Seeraga Samba /
Normal Rice
1 cup
Channa / Sundal / chickpea
¾ cup
Onion
1
Tomato
1
1 tesp
1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder
½ tesp
Garam Masala Powder
½ tesp
Mint / Puthina leaves
Handful
Coriander Leaves
Handful
Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tbsp
Salt
As required / 1 1/2 tesp
Water
2 cups
To Temper:

Oil
1 tbsp
Ghee
1 tbsp
Cinnamon
1 inch
Cloves
2
Cardamom
1
Bay leaf
1

Procedure:
1. Wash and soak the chickpea/sundal for 8 hrs or overnight.  Pressure cook for 1 whistle and keep it aside.
2. Wash and soak the rice for 15 mins and drain the water completely.
3. Peel, wash and cut the onion into small pieces.
4. Heat the oil and ghee in a pressure cooker, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Fry them for a min.
5. Then add the chopped onion and fry till it becomes translucent.
6. Next Add the chopped tomato and fry till it becomes mushy.
7. Then add chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves and fry for a min. Now add the soaked rice, red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix them well.
8. Add chickpea and 2 cups of water-  (you can use rice soaked water also). Mix them well and add garam masala.  Again give a stir and close the lid of the cooker.
9. Put the whistle and keep it in full simmer after the steam has come out. Cook for 10 - 12 mins.

10. Open the cooker after the pressure has gone. Give a gentle mix with fork and serve with raitha.

April 26, 2015

Homemade Coriander Powder / Malli Thool / Dhania Powder

     I have been posting homemades for sometime. Homemades are anytime better than off the shelf powders due to health reasons. Coriander powder is also called kotha malli thool and kotha malli podi in tamil or dhania powder in Hindi.



Ingredients:
Coriander seeds
1 kg or as required

Procedure:
1. Dry roast the coriander seeds till a nice aroma comes out and also they turn into golden in color.
2. Spread it on the paper and allow them to cool down.
3.  Grind them into a fine powder using mixie if the quantity is small. Otherwise grind them in a flour mill shop.
4. After having grounded it, spread the powder on the plate or paper and cool it down completely.
5. Store it in an air tight container. For daily use store a portion in a small air tight container.

      Use this powder to make gravies, curries etc.,

April 25, 2015

Flower Shape Pizza

      In order to make the kids like any food item, decoration is a must. Flower shape is a simple but interesting way to decorate a pizza.




 Ingredients:
Pizza Base
1
Pizza Sauce
1 tbsp
Onion
½
Capsicum
½
Tomato
½
Pizza Cheese
As required
Oregano / pizza seasonings
1 tesp

Procedure:
1. Cut the onion, capsicum and tomato into lengthwise pieces (julienne cut).
2.  Spread the pizza sauce on the pizza base.
3. First arrange the capsicum pieces as shown in the pic.
4. Then arrange the onions like petals after that arrange the tomato strips.
5.  Sprinkle the grated cheese on the topping.
6. Preheat the oven at 200 deg Celsius for 10 mins.
7. Now bake the pizza at 150 deg Celsius for 10 mins or till the cheese melted completely.
8. Now sprinkle the seasonings and serve.

Note:
I used store bought pizza base. You can use homemade also.

April 23, 2015

Pineapple Granita

     Granita is a frozen dessert made from sugar, water and assorted flavors. Some common granita  flavors are fruit puree, juices, etc., This is similar in texture to sorbet. I have made pineapple granite for this summer season.



Ingredients:
Pineapple chunks
1 cup
Sugar
¼  cup
Water
1 cup

Procedure:
1. Blend the pineapple chunks with ½ cup of water using the blender or mixie.
2. Then extract the juice using the strainer.
3.  Now add the sugar and remaining water, mix them well till the sugar dissolves completely.
4. Transfer this juice into freezer proof container and freeze it for 2 hours.
5. Then take it out, stir the mixture thoroughly with fork and allow it to freeze for 6-8 hours.
6.  After 8 hours, scrap the frozen fruit mixture using the fork and serve it immediately.
      Lovely granita is ready to have it for this summer.

Note:
1. Use readymade pineapple juice instead of making juice from pineapple.
2. Adjust the sugar level for your choice.

April 22, 2015

Kodo Millet Curd Rice / Varagu Thayir Satham / Varagu Bagala Bath

Curd Rice is one of the staple food items in India Recipes. As I have been looking to find millet based replacements for traditional dishes, I wanted to find a good, near equivalent for Curd Rice. Curd Varagu has come very close to that. The look and taste is almost like Curd Rice. 

Curd Varagu is a good Recipe for those who want to move to healthy millet foods. If you try it, you might even not go back to Curd Rice at all.



 Ingredients:
Kodo Millet / Varagu Arisi
1 cup
Water
4 cups
Curd
2 cups
Boiled Milk
1 cup
Coconut Oil / cooking oil
1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds
1 tesp
Channa Dal
1 tbsp
Curry Leaves
1 spring
Cashew Nuts (optional)
15
Dry grapes / Raisins (optional)
15
Green Chilly
3-4
Ginger
1 inch
Asafoetida / Hing
¼ tesp
Salt
As required
Chopped Coriander leaves
1 tbsp

Procedure:
1. Wash and soak the rice for 5 mins. Then add 4 cups of water and pressure cook for 4 whistles in high flame.
2. After pressure has gone allow it into cool down.
3. Grind the green chillies and ginger into a coarse or fine paste without adding water.
4. Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and wait for popping. Then add channa dal, curry leaves and cashew nuts. Fry till they becomes golden color.
5.  Now add the ground paste and fry for a minute. Allow it to cool down completely.
6. Then mix this mixture with cooked varagu rice. Add curd, milk and salt. Mix them gently and garnish with coriander leaves.

    Healthy and tasty rice is ready. This goes well with spicy potato fry.

April 19, 2015

Flower Shape Dosai for kids (with video)

     This is in continuation with the cat shape dosai. This is much simpler and easy to try.




Ingredients:
As required
Oil
1 tbsp
For Decoration

Carrot strips
5
Coriander leaves or any leaves
5

Procedure:
1. First make the small circle for center of the flower.
2. Then around the circle, make 5 oval shapes for the petals. Oval shapes hould touch the center circle.
3. Pour the oil and allow it to cook. Then turn over carefully and cook.
4. Decorate with your choice.

  Super duper flower dosai is ready.

April 18, 2015

Homemade Health Mix Powder / Sathu Maavu

    If your kids are tired of commercial health drinks, homemade health mix drink is a good alternative. Because the health mix has more than 20 grains, it is definitely healthier than readymade. Procedure is also not very complicated. Though it takes a lot of time, you can prepare a six month quantity in one shot.
     This is my ammachi’s (grandma) recipe and no wonder she is still healthy at 85.










Ingredients:
Finger Millet / Ragi
1/2Kg
Pear Millet / Kambu
1/2 kg
Jowar / White Cholam
1/2 kg
Green gram / Pachai Payaru
½ kg
Channa dal / white sundal
½ kg
Corn Kernels / Makka cholam
½ kg
White Soya
¼ kg
Sago / Javvarisi
¼ kg
Roasted split gram / Pottukkadalai
¼ kg
Ground nut / Nilakkadalai
¼ kg
Red Rice
¼ kg
Wheat (samba kothumai)
¼ kg
Barley
100 gm
Rice Flakes / Poha / Aval
100 gm
Badam
100 gm
Cashew nuts
100 gm
Cardamom
10 gm
Dry ginger
15 gm
Ajwain / Omam
5 gm
Foxtail Millet / Thinai
100 gm
Kodo Millet / Varagu (optional)
100 gm
Little Millet / Saamai (optional)
100 gm
Barnyard Millet / Kuthiraivali (optional)
100 gm

Procedure:
1. Dry roast all the ingredients separately till they start to pop or nice aroma comes out.
2.  Mix the roasted ingredients together and spread them out on the plate or paper.  Allow it into cool down completely.
3.  Grind them into a fine powder using mixie if the quantity is small. Otherwise grind them in a flour mill shop.
4. After having grounded it, spread the powder on the plate or paper and cool down completely.
5. Store it in an air tight container. For daily use store a portion in a small air tight container.
      Use this powder to make porridge, ladoo, cookies and etc...,

Note:
Ensured that the flame is in medium while roasting. 
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