Barnyard Millet Pongal

Usually Venpongal is made using rice and moong dal . To make it healthier and to cut out rice, I made this pongal using millet. Barnyard millet/kuthiraivaali/sanwa  is good source of highly digestible protein, excellent source of  dietary fiber and is one of the food with low glycemic index. Try this healthy barnyard millet pongal for breakfast .

Preparation Time: Under 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2 people

INGREDIENTS:

Barnyard Millet - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - 1/3 cup
Water - 3 cups
Salt - as required
Ghee - 2 teaspoon

SEASONING:

Ghee - 2 tablespoon
Cumin Seeds- 1 teaspoon
Whole black pepper - 2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - as required
Ginger - 1 inch size grated
Asafoetida powder - as required

METHOD:

1. Wash moong dal and barnyard millet separately. In a 3 liter pressure cooker, add 2 teaspoon of ghee, then add the washed moong dal and fry for sometime , till you get a nice aroma.

2. Now add the washed barnyard millet. Add 3 cups of water, salt.

3. Now cover the lid , cook in high for 1 whistle. Reduce the flame to low, and cook for 10 minutes and switch off the stove. Wait for the pressure to settle . In a pan, add 2 tablespoon ghee. Add the items mentioned in the "seasoning"  section and pour it over the pongal and mix well.

 4. Serve pongal with sambar or coconut chutney.

SEE ALSO: Kodo Millet Pongal, Ven Pongal, Quick Sambar 

Gobi Paratha

In this recipe, cauliflower is mixed with some spices and stuffed inside paratha. Similar to aloo paratha, this paratha is very tasty and doesn't require any special side dish to eat. 

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Yields: 6 no.s of parathas. 

INGREDIENTS:

FOR STUFFING:

Cauliflower - 2 cups grated finely

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon

Ginger green chilli paste - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Turmeric powder -1/4 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - as required

FOR ROTTI DOUGH:

Whole wheat flour - 1.5 cups

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Water - as required

Salt - as required

METHOD:

1. In a bowl, add wheat flour, salt and oil. Add required water and make a dough. The dough should not be too smooth or too hard. If too smooth, the stuffing will come out. If too hard, it will be difficult to roll with the stuffing. Hence make the dough at right consistency. Keep the dough covered.

2. In a vessel add sufficient water and salt. Once it boils, add big  cauliflower florets( do not chop the cauliflower . It will be easy to grate the big pieces. If chopped, small pieces cannot be grated properly) for 10 minutes. Then filter the water. This process is called "blanching". It helps to remove the small insects in cauliflower.

3. Now using a grater, grate the cauliflower florets very fine. There shouldn't be any big pieces. Else, when you keep the stuffing in  the dough. it will come out. So grate it very finely. In a kadai, add 1 table spoon oil. Add cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add ginger green chilli paste and fry for a minute.

 4. Now add the cauliflower  florets. Also add required salt, turmeric, red chilli, coriander and garam masala powder and mix well. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes and also mash if there is any big pieces, using the ladle. 

5. Now take lemon sized dough. Flatten it little bigger than your palm size. Take one table spoon of the cauliflower stuffing and place it inside.

6. Cover it on all sides and flatten it little bit.

7. Now , turn it to the other side . Sprinkle some wheat flour and flatten it gently . Do not give too much pressure, as the stuffing would come out Now flip the other side, and flatten gently. Use sufficient wheat flour for dusting.

8. Heat tawa and cook the paratha on both sides , by adding oil.

9. Serve gobi paratha with yogurt or any dry curry of your choice.

SEE ALSO: Aloo Paratha ,Spinach Paratha 

Shorba/ Biryani Gravy

This a tasty masala gravy, made with tomato, onion, peanuts ,sesame seeds, coconut and spices. This gravy goes well as a side dish for any kind of pulao . It can also be used as a side dish for rotti.

Preparation Time : Under 20 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 25 minutes
Serves: 2 people

INGREDIENTS:

FOR MASALA PASTE:
Peanuts -2 tablespoon
White sesame seeds - 2 tablespoon
Desiccated coconut powder -2 tablespoon
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Onion - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 no.
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Dried mint leaves -1 tablespoon
Water - as required.

FOR GRAVY:
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Cardamom - 2 no.s
Bay leaf - 1
Turmeric powder -1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - as required
Water - 2 cups

METHOD:

1. In a pan dry roast peanuts, till you see dark spots on it.

2. Now add sesame seeds and coconut powder and dry roast just for 1- 2 minutes, till you see it changes colour. Remember, coconut powder and sesame seeds gets burnt easily. So do not roast for a long time.

3. Now keep it aside and allow it cool down. Now , in the same pan , add 2 teaspoon of oil. Add onion and fry till they change colour.

4. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, till the raw flavor is gone.

5. Now add chopped tomatoes, dry mint leaves and saute till the tomatoes turn mushy.

6. Cool it completely and grind the tomatoes along with peanuts, sesame seeds which you dry roasted in step 2. While grinding, add required water and grind them to a smooth paste.

7. In a pan, add 2 tablespoon of oil. Now add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf.

8. Now add the masala paste and also add required salt, turmeric, coriander, cumin,red chili and garam masala powder. Mix them well, and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, till the raw smell of the masala is gone.

9. Add 2 cups of water. Keep it covered and cook in low flame for about 10 minutes. Switch off the stove. Shorba/biryani gravy is ready. Serve it with any pulao of your choice. You can also have it as a side dish for rotti or even for plain white rice.

SEE ALSO: Coconut Milk Pulao, Vegetable Pulao. 

Coconut Milk Pulao

This pulao is made with rice cooked in coconut milk ,veggies and mild spices. Try this and you will definitely love this for its rich taste and flavor .

Preparation Time: Under 10 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes
Serves : 2 people

INGREDIENTS:
Basmati Rice - 1 1/4 cup (Soaked for 20 minutes)
Coconut Milk - 2.5 cups
Carrot - 1/2 cup
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1/2 cup
Cashews - 5 no.s
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch sized
Cardamom - 2 no.s
Cloves - 4 nos
Bay leaf -1 no.
Fennel seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Oil -2 tablespoon

METHOD:

1. In a 3 liter pressure cooker. Add oil. Then add fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom,cloves,bay leaf .

2. Now add onion, cashews and fry till they turn golden brown.

3. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry a minute .

4. Now add carrot , peas and mix well. Also  add required salt.

5. Now add 2.5 cups of coconut milk. You can add thin coconut milk. What i added was, i mixed coconut milk powder with water and added it to the rice. Either way is fine.

6. Now add basmati rice and mix gently.

7. Now cover the cooker lid and cook in medium flame for 2 whistles and switch off the stove. Open when the pressure subsides, and gently fluff it with a spoon. Garnish with coriander leaves. This pulao has a very mild and slightly sweet taste due to coconut milk. Any gravy with masala or a spicy curry would go well as a side dish with this pulao.

 SEE ALSO: Veg Kurma, Baingan Bharta, Aloo matar gravy

Vendaikkai Morkuzhambu (Iyengar Style)

Morkuzhambu is a tasty gravy made with sour curd or yogurt with coconut and spices . You can add any vegetables of your choice to this morzhuambu. I have added ladies finger to that and it taste delicious with rice and any vegetable curry as side dish.

Preparation Time: Under 30 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 people

INGREDIENTS:

Sour Curd/Yogurt - 250 ml
Water - 1 cup
Ladies Finger - 8 no.s
Oil - 2 teaspoon

For Grinding :
Toor Dal - 3 tablespoon
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Dessicated coconut  - 2 tablespoon
Ginger - 1 inch sized
Green chilli - 2 no.s
Dry red chilli - 2 no.s
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves - a handful
Water - a required

For Seasoning:
Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard -1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - as required
Dry red chilli - 2 no.s
Asafoetida powder- as required

METHOD:

1. Soak toor dal with warm water and turmeric for 40 minutes. Do not soak with more water. Just add required water , as we will grind it along with water.

2. In a pan, add some oil. Then add cumin seeds, ginger,fenugreek seeds,dry red chillis and green chilies and fry for few minutes.

3. Keep it aside. In the same pan , add some more oil, and fry the ladies finger, till they change color.

4. Now grind the soaked tuvar dal, along with items fried in step 2 , coconut powder  and coriander leaves into a smooth paste.

 5. In a large bowl, take 250 ml of sour curd or yogurt. Also add 1 cup of water and the paste prepared in step 4. Mix the contents well. Take it in a pan, and allow it to boil. Keep stirring constantly, else the curd will break.

6. Now add the fried ladies finger from step 3. Then switch off the stove.

7. In a seasoning pan, add coconut oil. Add the items mentioned in the "For seasoning" section. Pour it over the morkuzhambu  and mix well.

Paal Payasam /Rice Kheer

This sweet is very easy to make in short span of time. All you need is rice, ghee, milk and sugar. In no time, you get to eat this delicious sweet.

Preparation Time: Under 5 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 20 minutes
Serves: 2 people

INGREDIENTS:

Whole Milk - 1 liter
Sugar - 5 tablespoon
Basmati Rice - 3 tablespoon
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Saffron strands - as required

METHOD:

1. First, grind basmati rice coarsely in mixer. Remember not to grind it smooth. Just pulse for two to three seconds, and you get broken rice grits as shown in below picture. Breaking the rice like this, reduce its cooking time . If you add rice as such with milk, it takes longer time to cook.

2. Now in non stick pan, add ghee. Then add the rice grits and fry for a minute, till you get nice aroma.

3. Now add 1 liter of milk. Keep stirring occasionally.

4. Allow it to boil. Keep stirring occasionally , so that it doesn't get burnt. Every now and then, keep checking if the rice has cooked well.

5. In about 15 minutes, the rice would have cooked completely and also the mixture gets thicken. Now add sugar and also saffron strands. Adjust sugar according to your sweetness level. Serve hot ot cold !.