Millet Idli(with millet flour)

Tags

how to make millet idli, how to make millet idli with millet flour, Idli batter, idli recipe, Millet Flour, Millet Idli, Millet Idli with Millet flour, Millet recipe

Most of my blogger friends have been posting on this millets idli, dosa. I was so impressed and wanted to try it. I somehow couldn’t find millets in market. Maybe I am not looking at the right place. Or I would forget to buy it.

But when ever we visit Indian store we always find the millet flour pack readily available. When Ragi idli/Dosa can be made with ragi flour, why not millet idli with millet flour. So I gave it a try and we liked it. Here is the recipe..

Ingredients:

Millet Flour : 1 cup

Idli Rice : 1 cup

Urad dal : 1/2 cup

Salt : 1 tablespoon

Water : as needed to grind batter

Method:

• Soak idli rice for 5 hours. Urad dal for 45 mins to 1 hr.
• In a grinder or mixer, grind urad dal to a fine batter. Then add rice and grind it. (make sure water is used as required for idli batter)
• Once it turns to be a soft batter, remove and in a medium mixing bowl, add the batter with millet flour, salt.
• If needed mix water and make sure not to have lumps. Also make sure the batter is not too thick nor runny.
• Allow it to ferment for 8 hours in a warm place.
• In a idli maker, grease idli plates with oil. Pour batter and steam for 10 to 12 mins in high.
• Remove idli’s from idli plate and serve.

Serve it with any gravy or chutney.

I served with Vengaya kose, a chettinad gravy which is prepared for breakfast. Recipe to follow soon.

Ragi Kaara Biscuits (savory)

Tags

cracker recipes, easy cracker recipes, Finger Millet buscuits, Finger Millet crackers, Finger millet recipes, healthy cracker recipes, Ragi Biscuits, Ragi crackers, Ragi Flour recipes, Ragi Kaara buscuits, Ragi Khara buscuits, Ragi recipes, Ragi salt biscuits, Ragi savory biscuits, savory biscuits

It has been really long since I used my oven to bake something. Guess it is almost 3 months now. Finally few days back I tried to make a beetroot cake, guess what it turned out to be the worst I had ever tried 😛 We threw the complete cake in trash 😦

Coming to this post, yesterday I tried these biscuits and turned out super awesome.These Ragi biscuits are very famous in Bangalore. My usual snack during my spinster Bangalore days used to be these. One pack would cost around 20 to 30 rupees. My friends used to make fun of me on why am I having these biscuits. But I love these biscuits so much, specially the savory biscuits. I wanted to try and turned out well. My hubby will pick up only one piece of any snack that I make, at the max 2. This time he had 3 at a time and he said everything was perfect and Malar is very happy now 😀 Hope everyone likes it too 🙂

 

 

Ingredients:

Ragi Flour/Finger Millet Flour : 1 1/2 cups

Whole Wheat Flour : 1/2 cup

Oil : 1/4 cup +1 tablespoon

Salt : 1 1/2 teaspoon

Sugar : 1 teaspoon

Red Chili Powder : 2 teaspoon ( can increase to 3 teaspoons)

Yogurt/Curd : 4 tablespoons

Water : 1/4 to 1/2 cup(adjust accordingly)

Method:

• Dry roast ragi flour for 5 mins. (3 mins in medium and 2 mins in low medium)
• Make sure not to burn the flour, keep stirring. Leave it to cool after roasting.
• Next in a medium bowl, sieve the roasted ragi flour. Add wheat flour, red chili powder, salt and sugar. Mix well.
• Now add yogurt, oil to the flour and mix. Then slowly add water and make a soft dough.
• Let it rest for 10 mins.
• Meantime preheat oven to 400F and line the baking tray with parchment paper. Spray with cooking oil.
• Now in a surface sprinkle some flour. Divide the dough to 3 parts. Roll the dough on the surface and take a cookie cutter ( I used just a small bowl to make round shape) and cut the dough to desired shape.
• Place on the baking tray. I baked it for 23 mins. ( First I tried with 18 mins, didn’t feel the crunchiness, so added 5 more mins)

This is a great tea time snack. Serve with a cup of tea or coffee 🙂

Notes:

I could get around 20 pieces. It depends on the size and shape which you are preparing.

Oil can be replaced with butter. Red chili powder can be replaced with green chili paste.

If desired instead of yogurt, egg can also be added.

For sweet version add sugar more with just a pinch of salt and cut down chili powder.

If you want a gluten free, cut wheat flour and add ragi flour instead.

 

Green Chutney(Dip) with Avocado

Tags

Avocado dip, Green CHutney dip, Green Chutney recipe, Green Chutney spread, Green Chutney with avocado, Mint Cilantro chutney, Sandwich chutney, Sandwich chutney recipe, sandwich spread

Who doesn’t love green chutney? I hope I am not biased 😉 , but as far as I have seen many of us love this chutney. It goes great as a sandwich spread, dip for chaat, samosa, pakora. I tried it with an addition of avocado. It came out really well.

Ingredients:

Cilantro Leaves : 1 cup (packed)

Mint Leaves : 1/2 cup(packed)

Ginger : 1 inch piece

Green Chili : 2

Salt : as required

Cumin Powder/Jeera Powder : 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice : 1 tablespoon

Avocado : 1 small

Method:

Clean cilantro leaves, mint leaves. Peel ginger skin. Cut the green chili. Scoop avocado.

In a blender, add all the ingredients and make it a fine paste.

This can be stored in refrigerator for 3 days. Lemon juice helps retain the color.

I served as a spread for bread toast. This is a versatile recipe which can be used as a side dish for any Indian items.

Spinach Phulka/Palak Phulka(with multigrain atta)

Tags

homemade multigrain atta, how to make homemade multigrain atta, Millet Flour, multigrain atta recipe, Palak Paratha, Palak Phulka, Paratha recipes, Spinach Indian recipes, spinach paratha, Spinach Phulka, spinach recipes

I have been asked to include more of spinach in my food these days. I have so many spinach recipes and always wanted to try spinach phulka’s. This is not a new recipe though 😉 Just that I have tried assembling multigrain atta with all the flours that I have.

I did some googling to find out how to make multigrain atta at home. Almost everyone gave the same proportion. I had all the flours available at home except for channa dal flour. I just replaced channa dal with Bajri flour/Millet flour. The proportion is whole wheat flour is 2.5 cups and other grains totaled to 1 cup.  So here is how I made it.

Wheat flour : 2.5 cups

Oats Flour : 1/4 cup

Maize flour :1/4 cup

Bajri Flour/Millet Flour : 1/4 cup (replace by Channa dal flour)

Ragi Flour/Finger Millet Flour : 2 tablespoons

Soy Flour : 2 tablespoons

Mix all these together to get multigrain atta at home 🙂

 

Now getting back to palak phulka

Ingredients:

I have not given measurements, as we can easily play around just like any other Phulka’s

Multigrain atta

Spinach

Garlic

Pepper Powder or Green Chili

Cumin Powder

Salt

Water

Method:

• Wash spinach , grind it with garlic and very little water to make a fine paste. If you are using green chili grind along. ( I have used pepper powder)
• In a medium bowl, mix multigrain atta, the ground spinach, pepper powder, cumin powder, salt.
• Make a soft dough out of it.
• Rest it for 15 mins.
• Next make balls out of this dough. Then roll the balls dusting a little flour into round shape with a rolling pin.
• Heat a griddle, when hot place these phulka’s and cook well on both sides.
• Transfer to the roti puffer and cook both sides.
• You can also use oil or butter to cook instead of roti puffer.
• Serve with any of your favorite gravy or yogurt.

 

Arisi Upma/Rice Rava Upma

Tags

Arisi Upma, how to make upma, Idli rava recipe, Indian breakfast recipes, Rice Rava upma, South Indian breakfast recipe, South Indian Recipe, upma recipe

Rice rava upma/arisi upma is one of my favorite. I used to love it when my grandma prepares it. My hubby somehow doesn’t like it, he used to say I make it very dry. So I changed my way of preparation and finally could make him say it is good 😀 YAY!!!

I used to make it in pressure cooker and it always used get a little dry and stick to the bottom. That is majorly because I use less oil 😛 So I tried the way my grandma makes it in normal pan rather than pressure cooker. That made a lot of difference. Also continuous stirring in medium low flame helps getting better result.

Ingredients:

Rice Rava/Idli Rava : 1 cup

Water : 2.5 cups

Onion : 1/4 of a large chopped

Green Chili : 2 slit in half

Ginger : 1 inch piece

Grated Coconut : 1 tablespoon(optional)

Oil : 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds : 1/4 teaspoon

Urad dal : 1/4 teaspoon

Cumin Seeds : 1/4 teaspoon

Channa dal : 1/4 teaspoon

Curry leaves : Few

Veggies : any optional

Salt : to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. When hot add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, channa dal. When it crackles and changes to golden brown color, add curry leaves. Let it splutter.
• Now add onions and green chili. Saute till translucent. In case you are adding veggies, add now saute till half cooked.
• Next add water and salt. Throw the ginger along with it. When the water boils well.
• Now add the rice rava and stir. Make sure to stir so that lumps doesn’t form.
• Cover the pan with a lid and cook for few mins.
• After 4 to 5 mins, reduce to heat to medium low.
• Open lid and make sure to stir for every one minute until the rice rava gets cooked well.
• It might start get stuck at the bottom, so reduce flame and cook.
• It should get ready in 10 mins.
• Finally add grated coconut and stir, this is totally optional. Leave over the stove top with closed lid for 15 to 20 mins (without heat).
• Serve with any chutney or sambar. I served with Peanuts Chutney which was a great combo 🙂

 

 

Sakkarai Pongal

Tags

CHettinad sakkari pongal, chettinad style of pongal celebration, pongal, pongal celebrations, Pongal in pongal paanai, pongal recipe, Sakkarai Pongal, Sarkarai Pongal, Traditional way of preparing sakkarai pongal

This has been the most delayed post from me. I wanted to do it last week itself but after pongal celebrations, I was totally tired and I am still having migraine headache from last week. Here is the traditional method of preparing pongal in pot(pongal panai). My pics are not so great this time 🙂

Also I got organic jaggery this time, it was absolutely tasty. Never got the sugary feeling in this pongal. So the end result was totally tasty 🙂

Ingredients:

Raw Rice/Pachai arisi : 1 cup

Moong Dal/Pasiparuppu : 1/4 cup

Jaggery : 1 cup

Milk : 1 cup (I used around 1 1/2 cup to make it rich)

Water : 3 to 4 cups (as required)

Ghee : 3 to 4 tablespoons(adjust according to your need)

Cashews : 2 tablespoons

Raisins : 1 tablespoon

Method:

• Wash raw rice with 1 cup of water and save the water in another vessel. If you find any impurities filter it.
• Set aside the rice.
• Heat 1 cup washed water+1 1/2 cup milk+1 cup normal water in the pot/pongal panai.
• When the milk boils and comes up to the rim of the pot/panai, we usually say “Pongal o Pongal ” and drizzle a bit of water over it.
• When it subsides, add the rice, moong dal and let it cook.
• In between keep checking if water is needed, in case it is needed we can add more.
• This rice has to be cooked more than the normal rice like a little mashed.
• When it is 95% done, in another pan heat jaggery powder with enough water to form a fine paste.
• Now filter it over the rice and mix well.
• Another small pan heat ghee and add cashews when it starts turning golden brown add raisins. When raisins pops, add this to the rice.
• By now the rice is fully ready and can be served.

This is how we celebrated pongal 🙂

Happy Pongal — Non food post

Tags

Chettinad nadu veetu kolam, Chettinad pongal kolam, Chettinad style pongal, Chettinad style pongal celebration, how to put nadu veetu kolam, nadu veetu kolam, pongal celebration, pongal kolam, pongal preparation in open space

Happy Pongal/Makara Sankranthi/Lohri to everyone. For Tamilians pongal is another major festival. I love this time of the year, never missed being at home with grandparents for pongal. For the past 2 years after marriage , I am away from them and miss them badly. Pongal brings us lots of excitement, starting with pongal kolam, preparation of pongal, offering to sun god, etc etc…. There is a slight difference in the way pongal celebration is done in my in laws place and my mom’s place. From my mom’s side it is quite hectic and in- laws way of celebration is a little simpler. I have to follow my inlaws way of celebration 🙂

One work that I totally love is the pongal kolam/rangoli that we put in the front yard of our home. This is the way we chettiars prepare pongal. This kolam is not done with the regular rangoli powder, instead we use raw rice paste. It stays for a week, if we don’t disturb it. Me and my grandma we used to do this on the evening of the day before pongal. Some pictures from my archive on how we do it at my hometown. Pongal is usually done in pongal panai in both my in laws and my mom’s place and not in pressure cooker. I follow that method. Will post this way of preparation soon.

In my in laws place, we make Sakkarai pongal, velai pongal. Kathirikai puli kuzhambhu, paruppu masiyal. Then we have parangikai, vazhakkai, avarakkai, sakaravali kizhanghu uppu poriyal.

In my mom’s place, we make sakkarai pongal, velai pongal. Kathirikai puli kuzhambhu, paruppu masiyal, palakai kootu, karunaikizhangu kuzhambhu. Then parangikai, vazhakkai, avarakai, sakarvali kizhanghu proiyal.

Usually at my hometown, after preparing all these, we make an offering to the sun god. Which is usually done at the front yard where we have some space. Then bring it to the pooja room and there we have one more kolam called nadu veetu kolam. We place these offerings on top of this kolam and pray. Then we happily eat them 🙂

Since we don’t have open space and it’s all carpet in my apartments here in US, I have planned to just do the nadu veetu kolam in our coffee table 😉 and do the offering to god. This is how it is.

Here is my preparation for tomorrow’s pongal 🙂

 

Peanuts Chutney

Tags

Andhra style Peanuts Chutney, easy peanuts recipe, how to make peanuts chutney, Indian style chutney recipes, Kadalai Chutney, Peanuts Chutney, peanuts recipe

I have never been liking peanuts until I started having this chutney. My hubby loves peanuts on the other hand. When ever we are on flight or any trips his major snack would be roasted peanuts. I somehow never developed that liking for peanuts. When I saw so many people discussing on this chutney, I felt I should give it a try some time. And I absolutely loved this chutney. Of all the chutney’s I prepare peanuts chutney has now become my favorite 🙂 A very simple chutney and goes well with any South Indian breakfast. I have adapted this recipe from vahchef.

Ingredients:

Roasted Unsalted Peanuts : 1/2 cup

Red chili Powder : 1 1/2 teaspoon

Tamarind paste : 1 teaspoon

Water : as per need

Salt : as per need

Mustard Seeds : 1/2 teaspoon

Urad dal : 1/2 teaspoon

Curry Leaves : Few

Asafoetida : 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin Seeds : 1/2 teaspoon

Oil : 1 teaspoon

Method:

• In a pan, heat half a teaspoon of oil, when hot add the roasted peanuts. Saute well for 3 to 4 mins.
• Soak tamarind in water and make juice.
• When it turn slight golden brown, stop heat and add red chili powder, tamarind juice.
• Allow it to cool.
• Next in a blender/mixer, add the above along with salt , water and grind it to chutney consistency.
• In a small pan, heat remaining oil. When hot add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, asafoetida. Let it splutter.
• Finally add curry leaves and stop, add this is to the ground chutney.
• You can serve this with Idli/Dosa, Upma, pongal.

 

Masala Vada/Paruppu Vadai

Tags

easy vada recipe, how to make masala vada, Indian Style tea time snack, Masala Vada, Paruppu Vadai, vada recipe

I always feel this is the easiest recipe of vada variety. It would never go wrong 😛 Any tea shops in Tamil Nadu, you can find masala vada at anytime. A great tea time snack. I can eat this even with yogurt rice 🙂 Lots of variation can be done with this. We can add spinach, veggies etc. This is the basic vada recipe.

Ingredients:

Channa Dal : 1 1/2 cup

Red Chili : 3

Fennel Seeds : 1 teaspoon

Onion : 1/2 of a large

Salt : 1 teaspoon

Curry Leaves : Few

Cilantro Leaves : Few

Ginger : 1 inch piece

Garlic : 4 to 5 pods

Asafoetida : 1 teaspoon

Oil : for deep frying

Method:

• Soak channa dal in water for minimum 4 hours or overnight.
• Then drain water and grind the dal with garlic, ginger, fennel seeds and red chili. Make it a coarse paste. Add very minimal water while grinding.
• When you are ready to fry the vada’s, add salt, asafoetida, chopped cilantro leaves, chopped curry leaves with the batter and mix well.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Make sure the oil is heated in medium flame.
• To check if oil is ready, put a small drop of batter and it should come up immediately.
• Now take a small ball of batter, flatten it between palms ,slide it in to the oil and deep fry it on both the sides.
• When you slide the vada, make sure the first side cooks for at least 2 mins, then turn over to the next side. There are chances that the vada might break, if turned without cooking properly.
• Drain in a paper towel and serve with a hot cup of chai 🙂

 

 

Onion Chutney/Vengaya Chutney

Tags

Chutney for oats dosa, easy onion chutney, how to make onion Chutney, Indian style chutney recipes, Onion Chutney, Vengaya Chutney

Recently we had a potluck at one of our friends house. As we are the only South Indians in that group, I usually prepare some thing in south Indian style. So this time it was adai dosa and onion chutney. Everyone absolutely loved it. Onion chutney was a super hit 🙂

This is one of the most simplest chutney that I love. This has the slight sweetish and quite a spicy taste. When ever you want a nice spicy chutney for idli/dosa/adai/oats dosa do give this as an accompaniment, it tastes best together.

Ingredients:

Shallots : 15 or Onion : 1 large ( I prefer shallots for this recipe)

Red Chili : 4

Tamarind Paste : 1 tablespoon

Sesame Oil : 1 tablespoon

Mustard Seeds : 1 teaspoon

Urad dal : 1/2 teaspoon

Curry Leaves : Few

Salt : 1 teaspoon (adjust accordingly)

Water : as needed to grind

Method:

• Peel the skin of shallots or onion and dice to small pieces.
• Heat half a tablespoon of oil in a pan. When it is hot add the red chili by breaking it.
• Next add the pieces of onion/shallots and mix.
• After 3 to 4 mins, add the tamarind paste and mix.
• Let onions turn translucent. When it is almost pink in color, stop and let it cool.
• Put it in a mixer and grind it well with water and salt to a fine paste. Check for salt and adjust accordingly.
• Now heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a small pan.
• When hot add mustard seeds, urad dal. Let it splutter and urad dal turns slight golden brown. Add the curry leaves and when it splutters, mix this in the chutney.
• Easy Onion chutney is ready 🙂