Dec 29, 2012

Spicy Pongal

Pongal - a Sankranthi Festival flavor. This Huggi / Khara /Ven Pongal is the traditional recipe made in almost all homes in South India during Makara Sankranthi.  

It can also be enjoyed during cold chill weather and see how it will warm you up!  Enjoy pipping hot. 


Spicy Pongal,Moong,Sankranthi special
Spicy Pongal

Ingredients

Raw rice 1 cup

Moong dal- 1/4 cup

Water 4 cups

Salt as needed

Ginger chopped 1 tblsp optional

Asafoetida 1 pinch

Boiled Avarekai/Peas-1/2 cup special flavor

Gojju
Seasoning

Ghee 2 tblsp

Pepper 2 tsp

Jeera 2 tsp
Curry leaves few

Hing a pinch

Cashews 5-6

Dry coconut-1/2 tbsp

Green chillies-3-4 unique spicy flavor

 Method

Fry Moong dal and rice with ginger in ghee. 
Cook in pressure cooker along with little jeera, pepper and green chillies with water.
Allow it to cool and mash well.
Add boiled avarekai or peas.
Season with the items given. Heat little ghee, add pepper and let it start splutter. 
Add cashews and jeera. Add green chillies curry leaves and hing.
Once done  add it to pongal and mix well.
Add grated dry coconut.
Serve hot with tamrind gojju.



Enjoy other interesting recipes with "Moong" under Ingredients search.

May the sunshine surround you each day!

Tomato Rice

Tomato rice is quick and easy to make-spicy and tangy to taste


Ingredients

  • Basmati rice 1 cup
  • Tomato 2 chopped
  • Onion 1 chopped
  • Ginger garlic paste-1/2 tsp
  • Peas-1/4 cup steamed
  • Green chillies-1-2
  • Red chili pwd-1 tsp
  • Garam masala-1 tsp
  • Dhania Jeera pwd-1 tsp
  • Salt
  • Water

Seasoning

  • Oil + Ghee 2 tblsp
  • Elachi 1
  • Cinnamon 1 piece
  • Clove 1
  • Bay leaf 1
  • Cashew nuts-few

Method-Soak basmati rice for at least 1 hour.(follow instructions on pkt).Heat a pressure cooker/pan  with oil and add all items under seasoning. Add green chillies, onions and fry well. Add ginger garlic paste, green peas and fry for a minute. Then add tomatoes.  Add salt, tumeric,masala powder,fry till tomato becomes soft.Add rice and water and pressure cook.Serve hot with raita .


South Indian touch-----


Alternatively you can add the South Indian style seasoning and masala powder (Bhath Pwd)-mustard,chana dal,urad dal,hing, jeera ,groundnuts,curry leaves.Garnish with coriander leaves and coconut.


Thanks for stopping by..

Also check other easy one pot meals under "Rice" in Menu Planner.



'It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles'-Buddha

Dec 24, 2012

Poori Saagu

Poori/Puri is a popular Indian recipe enjoyed by all. Enjoy this puffed fried bread sizzling hot with chutney or sabzi / Saagu of your choice.


Poori 

Ingredients for making Pooris
Poori,Puffed fried bread

  • Wheat Flour : 2 cups
  • Maida-2tbsp
  • Chiroti Rava/-2tbsp
  • Salt, Water
  • Oil

Mix all ingredients with water and make a stiff dough. Make puris and deep fry them in hot oil. Serve pipping hot with saagu or chutney

Saagu 

Ingredients for Saagu

Mixed vegetables -washed and chopped 
Carrot, Beans, Potato, Onion, tomato, semebadnekai (ChowChow)
Peas : 1 cup
Saagu

Pressure cook all vegetables with 1/2 tsp salt.  

For Grinding

1.Hurigadale/Dhalia dal - 2 tbsp
2.Chakke/Cinnamon stick -1"piece
3.Star Anise-1 petal (1/4 tsp powder)(opt)
4.Lavanga/Clove - 2
5.Khus Khus
6.Green Chillies-5-6
7.Coriander leaves - 1tbsp (chopped)
8.Salt
9.Fresh grated coconut-2-3 tbsp


For Seasoning

Mustard, Chana Dal, Urad Dal, Curry leaves ,Hing and turmeric powder 

Method 

Roast the ingredients from 2-5 with little oil. Next grind all ingredients along with spices.In a pan heat a tsp of oil and add mustard,chana dal,urad dal once done, add curry leaves,hing and turmeric. Next add the vegetables. Mix. Add the grounded paste and mix well. Bring it to boil. Add salt. Simmer on low heat for 3-4mins. Cover and let the vegetable saagu blend well. 
Enjoy the hot pooris with your handmade Vegetable saagu.


'The homemaker has the ultimate career.All other careers exist for one purpose only-and that is to support the ultimate career' C S Lewis

Dec 10, 2012

Akki Rotti

Akki Rotti

Akki Roti is made from Rice (akki in Kannada) flour-breakfast speciality of Karnataka. Enjoy these pipping hot Akki rotis with butter, chutney of your taste...a perfect heavenly and healthy morning breakfast.


Ingredients 
  • Rice flour 2 cups
  • Onions 1 finely chopped
  • Capsicum 1 finely chopped
  • Coriander leaves -few chopped
  • Coconut little
  • Green chillies 7-8(as per taste)
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Oil 2tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Water 1 cup or according to required consistency
Method- 
In a bowl mix rice flour with chopped and grated veggies, chilies, Cumin /jeera ,coriander leaves, coconut, add salt. 
Add boiled water, mix well to a soft dough. Keep covered for 10 mins. 
Take 1tsp of oil, smear around a tava. Now take dough and spread around it. 
Keep this on medium heat, cover and after minute, add oil around sides also. 
If you want more crispy leave it of little longer. 
Once done, roti comes out easily from pan.(to make it more soft you can cover it with a plate on the tava/griddle)

To make another roti, hold the pan upside down and run cold water all around it, pan will be cool to make another roti by this time.
Serve this hot Akki Roti -Karnataka Breakfast with chutney of your choice and dash of butter.
Also note:
  • Adding little cucumber shreds makes the rotis soft.
  • You can also add little curds to make the rotis soft.

Thanks for stopping by..



Do try out Methi Rava Rotti or the Cabbage Akki Rotti for breakfast.

Jun 17, 2012

The Me-Time

Life is busy. Everyone around us is occupied as well. Being involved every minute of the day 

has become the latest trend. 


Let's ask this question - Do we give time to ourselves? 


Life keeps adding on activities one after the other; there is no running away from that. Each activity is critical that needs to be completed. By the end of the day, we are exhausted. This routine keeps on continuing for months and years! Slowly health issues crop up.


The more challenging life becomes, one needs to work it out harder and solve issues. 

The need for the break becomes inevitable. 


When we are thirsty, we immediately drink water. Our body gives us the signal. Similarly, with hunger pangs, we cannot tolerate it so we have to eat. 


But do we give our mind the time-out till we go on a vacation? No, we are stuck in our daily rut. 


So how do we manage this?


We cannot wait to go on vacations or holidays to take a break. We need it now and on an everyday basis. 


  • We need to challenge ourselves at the beginning of the day and tell our minds to take a break from today and give ourselves the time! 
  • Next, strive to get that hour and enjoy it! 
  • Switch off from everything and everyone. 
  • Just relax and see how your mind starts getting creative, explore your interests, the things that bother us become clear, we can dream or plan for our future. 
  • Just being away from the routine will show a significant change in health too. 


By having this me-time, we can understand ourselves and learn more about what makes us happy. 


How do we get this hour for ourselves?


Take help from family, try to follow this practice with your partner. Everyone needs a break! They will follow suit.


It’s just an hour from 24 hours that we keep doing things for everyone around us. 

Time will help you! Begin Now! Become a better you!



Best Regards

Healthy Platter

Healthy Platter
Eat Healthy Stay Cheerful