Thinai Mavu (Foxtail Millet Flour) kozhukattai

      Kozhukattai is always prepared using rice or rice flour. But in villages it prepared using millets also. This foxtail millet kozhukattai recipe is also a village recipe (from my great grand mother).

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Desserts

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Yields: 10 nos.

Ingredients:

Foxtail Millet Flour / Thinai Maavu	1/2 cup (1 cup = 200 ml)
Grated Coconut	1/4 cup
Jaggery Syrup	¼ cup
Water	1 cup
Cardamom Powder	¼ tesp
Sesame Oil	1 tesp

 Procedure:

1. Dry roast the foxtail millet flour till nice aroma comes out. Allow it to cool down completely and keep it aside.

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, add water, oil and cardamom powder. Bring this to boil.

2. Then add the jaggery syrup and grated coconut. Mix them well and keep the flame at low (simmer).

3. Now add the foxtail millet flour and mix them well.  Mix it continuously to avoid forming lumps. At one stage you can get soft and pliable dough like chapathi dough. Now switch off the flame and keep it aside for cool down.

4.  Then you can divide the dough into small lemon size balls. Place the ball in your palm and press using your fingers (just close your fingers tightly). Do it for all the balls.

5. Steam cook the kozhukattai using idli pot for 15 mins or till they turn into glassy look at medium flame. Allow it to cool down and then serve.

            Tasty and healthy kozhukattai is ready for Neivediyam.

Note:

1.You can use small coconut pieces instead of grated coconut.

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Health Mix Porridge with Homemade Health Mix Powder

    Health mix porridge is a good healthy replacement for tea and coffee, especially at early morning and late evening. Health mix porridge and a banana is quite filling for kids and gives enough nourishments of a quick breakfast.

     I have already posted on how to prepare homemade health mix powder at http://www.kurinjikathambam.com/2015/04/homemade-health-mix-powder-sathu-maavu.html

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Breakfast

Preparation Time: 5mins  | Cooking Time: 5 mins | Yields: 1 cup (200 – 250 ml)

Ingredients:

Health Mix Powder / Sathu Maavu	2 tbsp
Palm Sugar Candy / Nattu sakkarai/Sugar	1 tbsp
Milk	½ cup
Water	1 cup

 Procedure:

1. Take health mix powder in a small bowl and add ¼ cup of water. Just leave it for 2 mins. Then mix with spoon or small wishk without any lumps.

2. Meanwhile, mix palm sugar candy and the remaining water. Heat this mixture at medium flame and bring it to boil. When it starts boiling add the health mix mixture and keep the flame low. Mix them well and stir continuously till the mixture becomes thick.

3. Now switch off the flame and add boiled warm milk and mix well without lumps.

       Serve it either hot or warm.

Note:

1. Sugar is optional, you can also add salt instead of sugar.

2. Milk is also optional. Either increase or decrease the milk quantity as you like.

3. Add buttermilk instead of milk after the porridge cool down completely.

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Homemade Peanut Butter

      Peanut butter is a very useful add-on for chapathies, breads, dosas etc., It is also an ingredient for cookies.

     It is very costly if you buy off-the-shelf. But it is very easy to prepare within 5 mins. You can help you save ¾ of the cost of the off-the-shelf product.

 

Video Summary: Latest Update on 2/3/2017

 Recipe Cuisine: India | Recipe Category: Homemade

Preparation Time: 2 mins | Processing Time: 3 mins | Yields: ½ cup

Ingredients:

Roasted Peanuts	1 cup
Peanut Oil / Olive Oil / Cooking Oil	1 tbsp
Sugar or Honey	1 tesp
Salt (optional)	A pinch

1 cup = 200 ml

Procedure:

1. Powder the peanuts using the mixer. This takes few seconds only.

2. Then add the sugar or honey, and process them again till it becomes thick paste.

3. Now scrap the down the sides of the mixer and add oil.

4. Again process till you can get soft, smooth and paste like consistency.

   Now you can get yummy and tasty homemade peanut butter.

Note:

1. You should use well roasted and de-skinned peanuts.

2. Use this for 15 days even without keeping in  fridge. You can also store it in a fridge use for longer time.

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Custard Powder Cake

     I have made this cake using strawberry custard powder. With the strawberry custard powder we can get flavor and color of strawberry. The color, texture and taste had come out very well.

I have made this for my 5^th Blog Anniversary.

 Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Baking

Preparation Time: 15 mins  | Cooking Time: 35 mins | Yields: 15 pcs(1 inch square)

Ingredients:

Madia	1 cup minus 2 tbsp
Strawberry  Custard Powder	2 tbsp
Sugar	¾ cup
Oil	¼ cup
Milk	2/3 cup
Egg	2 nos
Baking Powder	1 tesp
Salt	A pinch
Vannila Essence	1 tesp
Pink Food Color (optional)	3 drops

 Procedure:

1. Sieve the maida and custard powder together for 5 times.

2. Then add the baking powder with the flour mixture. Again sieve them for 3 more times. Keep it aside.

3. Powder the sugar using the mixer and keep it aside.

4. Grease the cake pan with oil and dust it with the flour.

5. Meanwhile, pre heat the oven for 10 mins at 200⁰ C.

6. Break the eggs one by one and pour it in a small bowl. Check if it is good or not. If it is good then pour it in a wide bowl. Do this step for all the eggs. Then beat the eggs till it becomes frothy.

7. Now add the food color (if used), powdered sugar, vanilla essence,milk and salt. Beat them again in a high speed till it reaches the soft peak consistency – similar to that of the consistency of urad dal batter for  idli.

8. Then add the flour mixture and mix it gently using the beater. Beat just for 30 seconds.

9. Now add the oil, give a fold and transfer it into greased pan. Bake it for 35 mins at 180⁰C or till the inserted tooth pick comes out clean. Allow it to cool down and  serve.

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Homemade Jaggery Syrup

     If you make the ingredients of a recipe and store it beforehand. It becomes easy to finish the recipe. Jaggery syrup is one of the ingredients which we use in many recipes like pongal, kozhukattai etc., It is good to prepare homemade Jaggery syrup for later use.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Homemade

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 5 mins | Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients:

Jaggery	1 cup (200gm cup)
Water	¼ cup

 Procedure:

1. Either grate the jaggery using the grater or break it into small pieces using the hand mortar and pestle. I have grated it using the grater.

2.  Take 1 cup of grated jaggery in a heavy bottomed pan, then add ¼ cup of water and keep the flame very low. If you can use grated jaggery, no need to mash it, otherwise add water and mash well using the masher or back side of the ladle, and then keep it on the flame.

3. When the Jaggery starts to melt, stir continuously with the ladle. Cook till the syrup becomes frothy. Switch off the flame and strain it immediately using the steel strainer into another bowl.  It looks like honey at this stage.

4. Allow it to cool down. Use it immediately or store it in a airtight container and keep in the refrigerate for later use. You can store and use it for till a month.

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Blog Anniversary!!!

    Today my blog turns 5. Its time to recollect my memories of the blog.

    During July 2010, I started first this blog to keep me engaged. During the first two years took photos using point and shoot camera. I also put lot of kolam which were good hits and brought lot if visitors. During the 3^rd year I have taken a break for as I had my baby. I restarted blogging again frequently one year back. During this year I also upgraded to a good DSLR camera. I also discovered Facebook and got lot of friends through it.

     The blog has made be explore new recipes using millets and I have learnt a lot due course. I take this occasion to thank my husband, family members, fellow bloggers and my friends.

   

      I have made this cake specially for this blog anniversary. I will post the recipe in the next post.

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Baby Corn Paratha

    We tasted baby corn Paratha in a mess near our home at Velachery, Chennai. I wanted to try it myself as it was really good.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Breakfast

Preparation Time: 15 mins  | Cooking Time: 30 mins | Yields: 5

Ingredients:

For Stuffing:
Baby Corn	10 nos
Onion	2
Tomato	1
Turmeric Powder	¼ tesp
Red Chilli Powder	1 tesp
Coriander Powder	1 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder	½ tesp
Salt	To taste
To Temper:
Oil	1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds	1 tesp
Curry Leaves	1 spring
To Garnish:
Coriander Leaves (optional)	Handful
For Paratha:
Wheat Flour	1 cup (200 gm)
Water	As required
Salt	As required
Oil	For making paratha

 Procedure:

1. In a bowl, take the wheat flour and salt. Mix them well. Then add water little by little and make it soft, non sticky dough. Keep it aside.

2. Pressure cook the corn pieces with little water, salt and turmeric for one whistle in high flame.

3. After the pressure has gone, drain the water and chop the corns into very very thin and small pieces. [or grate it using the grater]

4. Peel the skin of the onion and chop it into small pieces.

5. Wash and chop the tomato into small pieces. Then make a paste using the mixer.

6. Wash and chop the coriander leaves into fine pieces. [if used]

7. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, and add the cumin seeds. Then add chopped onion and sauté until it becomes translucent.

5. Add the tomato puree and sauté till the raw smell goes off.

6. Then add the chopped corns. Mix them well and allow it to cook for 2-3 mins. At this time, close the lid of the pan.

7. Next, add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt. Mix them well and cook. Finally add coriander leaves and mix it. Sprinkle water if you need to cook.

8. Now divide the dough into lemon size balls. Make the stuffing into small balls. But the stuffing ball should be smaller than dough ball.

9. Now dust the dough ball and roll it into small circle. Keep the stuffed ball in its center. Then bring the edges to the center.

10. Again dust the stuffed balls and roll it carefully.

11. Heat the tawa and transfer the paratha, sprinkle the oil and cook both sides till black spots starts.

   Yummy and healthy baby corn paratha is ready. Serve with garlic chutney.

   Click here for more interesting paratha recipes.

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