FINGER MILLET-BARLEY-ALMONDS NUTRI-PORRIDGE/கேழ்வரகு-பார்லி-பாதாம் கஞ்சி/கூழ்

                                                             

Finger millet is a rich source of calcium that is good for strengthening the bones for growing children and old people. Regular consumption of Fingermillet in any form is good for bone health and keeps osteoporosis at bay thereby reduce the risk of fracture,  It is gluten-free and packed with the richness of fibres, good carbs, amino acids and vitamin D. Finger millet is packed with a good amount of Vitamin D that is mostly derived from direct sunlight.  Vitamin D is a carrier of calcium which is a vital source of our body.

Since it is naturally loaded with calcium, it is one of the best non-dairy sources of calcium. It is extremely a healthy option for growing kids and can be given in the form of Ragi porridge.

The low glycemic index maintains the blood sugar levels within the safe range. Finger millet is working magically for maintaining the youthful skin. There are vital amino acids like Methionine and Lysine in finger millet maintain the skin wrinkle-free and sag-free.

Finger millet is well known for the natural source of iron content and hence it is a boon for anaemic pregnant mothers and people who suffer from Jaundice.

The high amount of dietary fibres present in the Fingermillet cereal keep the stomach full for a longer time and prevents unwanted cravings. If we want to get its all the essential contents of finger millet it is advised to consume in the morning and track the whole day energetic.

Almonds are richly packed with healthy fats. antioxidants, vitamins and minerals Its nutritional profile state " Every one ounce about 20-23 almonds provides  6 grams of protein and 4 gms of fibre, vitamin E 35%  magnesium 20% riboflavin 20% Calcium 8% and potassium 6% They are sodium-free so that it is highly beneficial for the people with hypertension. Vitamin E present in almonds supports immune function since it confers antioxidant properties, Moreover, it contains 6 per cent of the daily recommended iron that helps in the production certain hormones and works as the carrier of oxygen to the muscles.

Barley contains a considerable amount of vitamins especially vitamin B compounds such as niacin, thiamin, and pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) and beta-glucans, minerals, rich content of fibre, molybdenum, manganese and selenium. It acks folate and riboflavin.  All these enhance the production of new cell formation.

It supports weight loss.

It contains Zinc, phosphorous, copper, magnesium and calcium which are contributing to bone health and maintaining a strong skeletal system.

Soaking these cereals overnight increase the richness of vitamins and minerals.

Now let us make this nutritious and delicious Finger millet-Barley-Almonds Porridge/Koozh

Ingredients we need:

Finger millet one cup

Barley 1/2 cup

Almonds 20-23 pcs

Water for soaking

Procedure:

Soak the Finger millet, Barley and almonds in water overnight.

Rinse thoroughly and drain the excess water.

Grind to a smooth paste adding sufficient quantity of water.

Strain the ground millet contents through a strainer 

Heat the millet milk on medium flame.

Keep on stirring to avoid lumps.

The milk is fastly transformed into porridge.

Turn off the heat.

Porridge is ready to serve either with milk or buttermilk.

If you want to have with sweetness, add cane sugar and crushed cardamom and 25 ml milk

or you can have it with buttermilk or milk, adding 1/2 tsp salt and grated ginger.

Both are tasteful and optional.

Cooking time 8 minutes

Yield: Four persons

BADAM KHEER/ALMOND KHEER/RABADI/பாதாம் பாயசம்

Just greet your dearest friends and lovable relatives with this irresistible Almond Kheer. This is one of the most delicious desserts across all the states of India. For any special occasions like wedding, marriage parties loved ones' Birthday Celebrations, Family get-together or friends meet, Almond kheer is a must and the most loved drink by all. 

Kheer is widely known as Payas/Payesh in Northern states of India whereas it is known as Payasam in Tamilnadu.

The kheer can be served hot/warm or chilled. 

Cooking Time 45 minutes 

Yield:  four servings

Ingredients:

Almonds 100 gm

Boiling water as needed for soaking.

Fresh cow milk 750 ml

Cold milk 50 ml

Cardamom seeds crushed 1/2 tsp

Saffron strands 15-25 pcs {not mandatory}

Sugar 200 gms

Cashew flakes 2 tbsps

Raisins 15-20 pcs

Fresh Cow ghee 2 tbsps

Procedure:

Soak almonds in boiled water for 30 minutes.

Blanch the outer skin and keep ready to grind.

Bring to boil 750 ml of fresh cow milk on medium heat.

Lower the flame and let boil until the milk reduced to 500 ml.

Keep on stirring.

Add saffron strands

Add 200 gm sugar. Once the milk reduced to 500 ml, 

add fried-cashew flakes and raisins in fresh ghee.

Add freshly crushed cardamom seeds 1/2 tsp and stir to infuse the flavour.

Done.

Turn off the heat.

Almond kheer is ready to enjoy.

அவல் கேசரி/AVAL KAESARI/POHA SHEERA/BEATEN RICE SWEET

Aval kaesari is an easy to make delicacy that can be served as offering during festival celebrations or family get together or any other auspicious family occasions.

Ingredients we need:

Aval/Poha/Beaten rice 200 g
Sugar 175 g
Fresh Ghee 4 tbsps
Freshly cardamom seeds crushed 8 pods
Edible camphor a tiny bit crushed
Raisins 10 pcs
Broken Cashews 20 pcs
Saffron strands 8 pcs
Water 500 ml

Procedure:

Dry roast Aval/Beaten rice/Poha
for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Set aside to cool down.
Grind to a coarse textured powder (Rava texture)
Bring water to a rolling boil on medium heat.
Add one tbsp ghee, kaesar powder and saffron strands.

Once the water starts boiling, add poha powder keeping on stirring constantly.
Let the powder cooked soft.
Add sugar and fold several times to combine.
Add 2 tbsps ghee and cook all the ingredients combine and non sticky on low heat.
Fry the cashews and raisins in one tbsp ghee until golden brown in a separate tempering pan.
Transfer the fried  ingredients to cooked poha.
Fold to incorporate.
Final touch of adding flavour is the sprinkling of cardamom seeds powder to be given.

Poha kaesari is ready to be served.

POTATO SAMOSA

Samosa is the most popular snack loved by all people.  Samosas are made with all-purpose flour locally named as Maida mixed with ghee, and ajwain seeds, salt to form a triangle shell filled with spiced potato mixture and deep-fried until golden brown.  

They are flaky and crispy and the best snack to be served with tea or as a starter before meals.

Come on, let's make it!

This recipe involves four steps.that are easy to follow and enjoy homemade samosas.

Step one:

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour 250 gms.

Clarified Butter/Desi Ghee/Fresh Cow ghee 4 tbsp

Ajwain seeds/Omam 3/4 tsp

Water approximately 125 ml that depends on the quality of Maida.

Salt 1/2 tsp  

Procedure:

Add All-purpose flour, salt, Ajwain Seeds and Ghee in a dry mixing bowl.

Rub the flour with hands to form a crumbly texture.

Add water little by little and knead to form a tight and firm dough.

Be careful while adding water. 

Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Step Two

Ingredients:

Ghee 2 tbsp

Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp

Fennel Seeds1/2 tsp

Chopped green Chilly 3/4 Tsp

Chopped Bellary onion 1/2 cup

Coriander greens chopped 1/2 cup

Grated Garlic 1 tsp

Grated Garlic 1tsp

Turmeric 1/4 tsp

Coarse Red Chilly Powder 1/2 tsp

lemon juice 1 tsp

Boiled Potatoes 500 gm+1/2 tsp salt

Salt 1/4 tsp

Procedure:

Mash the potatoes with added Salt 

Heat the pan with Ghee on medium heat.

Adjust the heat then and there to avoid burning.

Add fennel seeds and cumin seeds to fry.

Reduce the flame.

Saute to fry 

Add garlic and ginger.

Saute for a while until a nice aroma.

Add green chilly and Bellary onion.

Saute until transparent.

Add turmeric and red chilly powder.

Add mashed potatoes and coriander greens.

Mix to combine on low heat.

Pour 1 tsp Lemon Juice and 1/4 tsp salt.

Mix well.

Spicy Potato stuffing is ready.

Step Three.

 Little Water to wet the edges.

Procedure:

Divide the Dough into 8 Lemon balls.

Flatten the ball and make chappati.

Cut the chapati into equal halves.

Fold like triangle cone as shown in the video.

Fill the cone with potato stuff and seal it 

Do refer to the video.

Do the same for the remaining balls.

shells are ready to deep fry.

Step Four

Ingredients:

Cold-pressed  Groundnut oil 500 ml

Procedure:

Heat the pan with Groundnut oil to Deep fry temperature on medium flame.

Reduce the flame to low.

Now Lower the samosas one by one carefully.

Let them deep fry evenly on all sides by turn-over the samosas for 5 minutes.

Now increase the flame to high to get golden brown and crispy Samosas.

Take out the samosas by a slotted spoon and drain the oil.

Place them on an oil-absorbent tissue paper.

We can get 16 Samosas out of the given quantity of ingredients.

Cooking Time one hour including the resting hour of the dough.

Servings: 4 persons.

FOXTAIL MILLET PONGAL

Foxtail millet is rich in iron and minerals and dietary fibre.  It is totally pest-free. It lends a yummy taste in Upma, Kichadi, meal and Pongal. It is a very healthy alternative to rice and wheat. Diabetic-friendly food. Low glycemic food; We can make so many healthy twists using this wonderful millet. foxtail millet Pongal is easy to make.

Do follow the steps below:

Ingredients, we need:

Foxtail millet 150 gms
Moong dal 50 gms
Water 250 ml
Cashews 10 pcs chopped
Groundnut oil 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Pepper 1 tsp
Ghee 1 tsp
Green chilly  slit
Curry leaves 20 pcs
Rock salt 3/4 tsp

Procedure:

Wash the foxtail millet +Moong dal with water twice.
Drain the water. Add 250 ml water.
Heat 3 lit cooker with groundnut oil on medium flame.
Add cumin seeds and pepper 
Once they start to fry add green chilly, curry leaves.
Transfer the millet-dal contents 
Add rock salt/salt
Allow boiling. 
Check the salt taste. add if needed.
Close the cooker and place the whistle.
Allow 2 whistles and simmer it for 2 minutes.
Set aside to cool down. (15 minutes)
Heat the tempering pan with one tbsp ghee.
Add cashews and fry until golden brown.
Transfer the cooked millet Pongal and fold gently.
Pongal is ready to serve hot/warm.
Pongal tastes yummy and it goes very well with coconut chutney and sambar.
We like to have solo with one tsp ghee.

Happy and comfort cooking!

PODI IDLIES

For this Tiffin, fresh idlis should be prepared to get soft podi idlis. Fresh Idli podi should be prepared. Fresh cow ghee is needed. These three fresh ingredients transform the idlis into a delectable treat for your loved ones. Tossing the idli pieces with ghee and idli podi makes it spicy and delicious and ensures that it maintains softness and moisture for more than five hours. It is a perfect picnic packing.

Important note: Never heat the ghee or sesame oil to make this Tiffin. the rich taste of ghee and its nutrients destroyed while heating. Sesame oil should be consumed raw to attain its nutritional value. The fresh hot steamed idlis are tossed with fresh ghee and fresh idli podi.


Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 3 minutes
Servings: two
     

Ingredients:

Fresh Idlies 8 nos
Fresh Idli Podi 3 tablespoons
Ghee Three tablespoons

Procedure:

Cut each idli into six pieces using a knife dipped in water.
Collect them in a broad bowl.

Sprinkle the Idli podi over the idli pieces.
Pour the fresh cow ghee over the idli pieces.

Waggle the bowl so as to mix podi and ghee with idli pieces evenly.
You can substitute sesame oil instead of ghee.

Serve hot! 
This can be served during monsoon as evening tiffin.
Kids will love to eat!
It can be packed for picnics, lunch of kids.

CHANADAL WONDERS

This is an easy and simple sweet for festivals.



Ingredients:

Chana dal 250 gms
Jaggery 200 gms
Cardamom crushed 8 nos
Fresh cow ghee 20ml
Cashews 10 nos
Water to cook chana dal two cups

Procedure:

Wash the chana dal several times.
Pressure-cook the chana dal with two cups of water for two whistles.
Set aside to cool down.
Powder the jaggery.
Crush the cardamoms into a fine powder.
Drain the excess water from cooked dal. 
Mix the cardamom powder jaggery powder with dal.
Grind the mixed ingredients to a coarsely textured mass.
Transfer the ground dal mix in a dry bowl.
Heat the ghee in a tempering pan.
Add broken cashews and fry unril golden brown.
Pour the hot ghee over the mass.
Add the remaining ghee to the mass and knead.
Make lemon sized balls.
Chana dal delight wonders are ready to enjoy!

              

ONION SAMBAR

Ingredients:

Toor dal one cup

Tamarind one goose berry size

Sesame oil or Peanut oil one tablespoon

Mustard seeds  one spoon

Bellary onion two nos medium size

Curry leaves 10 nos

Sambar powder three spoons

Turmeric powder one spoon

Salt to taste

Asafoetida one pinch

Cilantro leaves chopped one tablespoon

Procedure:

Soak tamarind in two glasses of water for half an hour and get the extract.

Wash the Toor dal several times with water and add two cups of water, one spoon of turmeric and few drops of castor oil.

Chop the Bellary onion longitudinally.

Pressure cook for three whistles.

Set aside to cool down.

Heat the pan with oil and add mustard seeds.

Once they start to crackle, add Bellary onion and curry leaves.

Saute for a while until the onions get transparent.

Add tomato.

Add asafoetida, sambar powder and saute for a second in low flame.

Now pour the tamarind extract and add salt.

Allow boiling for few minutes.

Transfer the cooked dal contents with water.

Allow boiling for another five minutes.

Now the onion sambar is ready to have. 

This simple and tasty sambar goes very well with idlies, dosas and hot steamed rice.

  

                                   

BEETROOT CURRY KUZHAMBU

Beetroots are packed with powerful antioxidants and rich in fibre, low in fat, high vitamin source. There are a lot of variations of recipes using beetroots in Kongu region. One of them is the beetroot curry kuzhambu.

Beetroot curry kuzhambu is one of the comfort gravy that goes very well as an ideal accompaniment with chapatis, pooris, idlies, Dosas, parathas, paniyarams, oothappams. 

How to make this amazing beet curry kuzhambu?

Ingredients:

Beetroot medium size one

Bellary onion pieces half     cup

Curry leaves 10 nos

Shredded coconut one cup

Fried gram one tablespoon

Mustard seeds one spoon

Star anise two nos

Cloves four

Ginger gratings one spoon

Garlic gratings one spoon

Coriander powder one tablespoon

Cumin powder one spoon

Pepper powder one spoon

Fennel seeds roasted and powdered one spoon

Salt to taste

Tomato one medium size

Coriander leaves (Optional)

Sesame oil one tablespoon

Turmeric powder on spoon

Green chilly one

Red chilly powder one spoon

Karam masal powder one spoon

Procedure:

Wash the beetroot and peel off the outer skin and chop them into cubes.

Blend the coconut gratings, coriander powder, cumin seeds powder, fennel seeds powder, fried gram into a fine paste using required water.

Heat the heavy bottomed pan with sesame oil over a medium flame.

Add mustard seeds to pop up.

Add star anise, cloves.

Reduce the flame.

Add onion, ginger garlic gratings, turmeric, green chilly, Curry leaves, red chilly powder, karam masal powder 

and saute well.

Once the onion turns golden brown and shrunken, add tomato.

Saute for a few minutes. 

Then add masal paste and let the masal paste be fried for a few seconds.

Add beetroot cubes and adjust the consistency with required ( three cups of water)

Add salt.

Allow boiling until the beetroot cubes turn soft and well cooked.

Check the salt.

Add coriander leaves and switch off the flame.

An attractive red coloured, aromatic curry kuzambu is ready to enjoy!

This side dish makes the every main dish as an amazing delicacy! 

Do try out!

PIRANDAI THUVAYAL

Adamant creeper/Devil's back-bone is called as Pirandai in Tamil and Hadjot in Hindi. Its scientific name is  Cissus quadrangularis belonging to the family Vitaceae. It is grown abundantly in the fences of village gardens and it can be grown in pots of the kitchen garden fora  frequent use because it is not available in the city market.

JUST COLLECT THE PIRANDAI NODES FROM ANY NEARBY VILLAGES AND GROW IN A POT. YOU WILL HAVE A FRESH SUPPLY OF THIS HERB, WHENEVER YOU NEED.

It has miraculous medicinal benefits. It is called as the herbal bone setter. It treats indigestion, lack of appetite and gastritis. It helps to treat the fractures and sprains. It is used for treating piles, menstrual cramps and related disorders and is also the best home remedy for ear pain. It is used externally and internally by adding some spices.

 First, you should be aware that  pirandai is of itchy nature. But it can be handled with sesame oil to get rid of itchiness. 

Smear your hands with a bit of sesame oil before handling pirandai. Choose tender pirandai always to use for food. There are multiple ways to consume this pirandai, to attain its medicinal benefits.

Pirandai thuvayal or chutney is popular in our villages. we used to consume pirandai chutney weekly once and it is one of the simplest recipes.

Poultice made of pirandai is used widely for treating sprains in my native place. Our great grand parents were aware that prevention is better than cure. They advised us if we include the medicinal greens and pirandai weekly once or twice in our regular diet, we can lead a healthy life. They practically experienced the method of making the dishes delicious by using the medicinal herbs like pirandai etc and introduced about the wonders of the herbs, so that  their beloved will consume them as food and enjoy the life healthily.

I follow the same method of our elders to the best of my knowledge and dedicate this medicinal and chutney recipe to our respected ancestors.

Hope you will be benefited with this pirandai chutney in your regular diet.

  

Ingredients:

Pirandai one bundle

Coconut grates three tablespoons

Fried Bengal gram two tablespoons ( try the fried Bengal gram to enhance the taste, I always use for thuvayal and chutney)

garlic pod two

peeled shallots one tablespoon

Red chillies three

jaggery a marble size

Tamarind one marble size

Asafoetida half pinch

Salt required

Procedure:

Rinse the pirandai stems and remove the angular ridges and nodes using a peeler.

Cut the stem into small pieces.

Heat the pan with sesame oil.

Saute the pirandai pieces until the colour changes into pale and shrink.

Set aside.

Saute all the ingredients in the same.

Set aside.

Blend all the cooled ingredients with a half cup of water into a coarse paste.

Pirandai chutney or thuvaiyal is ready to taste with hot steamed rice topped with  a spoon of cow ghee.

Eat the meals that heal..! Stay fit...
:-)