May 8, 2014

Ragi Rotti | Finger Millet Falt Bread


"Ragi Rotti" is a traditional breakfast recipe in the state of Karnataka. Ragi is an extremely nutritious millet with an great source of carbohydrate, protein, fiber and calcium.  It is also an excellent food for weight loss program and for those who have diabetes. It is given to kids between the ages 1.5 yrs to 5 yrs in the form of ragi seri for development of bones.

Even today, consumption of ragi has been a staple diet in my house and it is prepared in the form of flat bread (rotti), ragi ball, Dosa, idli or Ragi kanji.  

This recipe is made with ragi flour combined with onions, dill, green chilies, cilantro and  cumin. It is quiet filling.


Ingredients

2 Cups of Ragi flour
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Carrot, shredded (optional)
1 bunch of Dill, finely chopped
Handful of cilantro, finely chopped
5 Green Chilies, finely chopped
1 tsp Cumin seeds
Salt

Method

  • In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Add enough water to knead it into a smooth dough 
  • Now divide the dough into equal portions and roll it into balls. About 3 inches each
  • Smear few drops of  oil on a full flat pan. Take a portion of ragi ball, place it at the center,  start patting along the edges and  flatten it into a circle 
  • Cover the pan and  fry evenly on both the sides. Add a little oil on the sides if needed
  • Serve hot with coconut chutney and Ghee

May 7, 2014

Idli Podi


Idli podi other wise called chutney powder is a great combination with steamed idli's. This idli podi is an exotic combination of lentils and spices like urad dal, Bengal gram, pepper,  red chilies, sesame seeds, coriander seeds and curry leaves which are roasted and ground into coarse powder that can last to several months. 

Idli powder is mixed with sesame seed oil or any oil and it is served with idli. Also, you can serve this idli podi with dosa or any south Indian breakfast dishes. This podi has a vibrant color and a great aroma.



Ingredients

1 cup Urad Dal
1 cup Channa Dal
3 tsp Pepper
10 Whole red Chili
2 tsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds
A Bunch of Curry Leaves
Salt

Method

  • Dry roast all the ingredients seperately. Make slightly coarse powder using a blender
  • Season it with salt
  • Sore in an air tight container up to 4 months

May 6, 2014

Spicy French Toast


Its nothing better than  to have a French toast for breakfast. A very simple and easy breakfast recipe; and off course my favorite breakfast dish.

Best part of this recipe is.. you don't have to be an expert or a chef to make this recipe. 3 basic ingredients from your kitchen pantry- eggs, bread and milk. And how simple is that!! Bring all these 3 ingredients together to make this delicious English breakfast. Well, I added more pepper to give a kick and make it spicy.

Ingredients

4 Slices of Bread (any choice, French bread is more tasty!!!)
2 Eggs
2 Egg whites
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Milk
Butter

Method

  • Whisk together eggs, pepper, salt and milk 
  • Soak a slice of bread in eggs and gently place it on a preheated griddle having butter on it. Add more butter on both the sides if needed to boost flavor
  • Toast on both the sides 
  • Serve hot with some fresh fruit on side

Vazhaipoo Kootu | Plantain Flower Stew


Vazhaipoo Kootu is a traditional tamil recipe  made exclusively from plantain flowers. 
Vazhaipoo is extremely tasty, but cleaning the flower is a laborious process. Specialties of  plantain flowers are vada (deep-fried fritters), kootu (stew), or poriyal (stir fry). 

Whenever I bring this flower, after removing the style I divide it into two portions to make two different recipes.

Vazhaipoo kootu is prepared with bengal gram and plantain flowers which is immensely flavored with garlic. It is served with white rice or chapathi.




Ingredients

1/2 cup Bengal gram
4 cups Plantain flowers, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Chili power
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt

 For seasoning
2 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 Whole Red Chili
1 Garlic clove, crushed

Method

  • How to clean plantain flowers-
    • Remove the petal from the flower. You can see a bunch of florets inside. They are very delicate and easily fall off from the flower. 
    • Repeat above step until you reach a stage where the florets are extremely tender. So retain the entire chunk of flower holder both the petals and florets

    • Now take a floret, remove the outer cover until the stalk. Inside the floret you can see the stamen. Remove the entire stamen by pulling it. Repeat this process for remaining florets
    • You can chop the tender florets, without removing the stamen
    • Remember to soak vazhaipoo in water. They discolor immediately

          Making of Kootu-
  • Cook Bengal gram in a pressure cooker upto 3 whistles with  1 1/2 cups of water
  • Add plantain flowers, chili powder and turmeric powder. Pressure cook again for 1 whistle
  • In a pan, heat oil. When it turns smoky, add mustard seeds, red chili and garlic clove. when it starts to sizzle, return the seasoning to the pressure cooker. Season it with salt and simmer for 5 minutes
  • Serve hot with rice or chapathi


Onion Juice


My first experience with Onion juice was weird and unusual because of it strong and pungent smell. We normally use onions in cooking for its taste and flavor. But I never taught of including raw onion juice in my diet. Recently, I was unwell due to cold, chillness and cough. My mother-in-law made a concoction of raw onion juice with honey and gave 50 ml of this juice for 3 days. I felt a lot better without taking any medications.

It not only helps to reduce chillness, cold and cough but after researching it further , I came to know that prevents graying of hair and has anticancer properties.  You can use any variety of onions to make this juice. Red onions and shallots are quiet spicy. If you cannot take the heat, then you can use white or yellow onions.


For adults 50 ml of this juice can be given and for kids upto 5ml can be given per day.

Ingredients

1 Onion (red/yellow/white), cubed
1 tsp Honey
1/2 cup of Water

Method

  • Grind onion into a smooth paste using a blender
  • Add water to it and use a strainer to extract juice
  • Add honey and well.
  • Serve immediately

Note: Do not throw the left over onion after straining. You can use it to make curries or soups

May 2, 2014

Barley & Horsegram Ganji


A phenomenal traditional protein drink to cleanse the digestive track. Roasted barley and horsegram are  powdered which is mixed with water and finely chopped vegetables. All these ingredients are pressure cooked. The end result is just as mellow and smooth. To add a little heat freshly ground pepper powder is added.

A regular intake of this porridge helps to reduce blood sugar and cholesterol. The horsegram also helps to remove kidney stones and lowers high blood pressure.

Ingredients

For ganji powder-
1 cup Barley
1 cup Horse gram 

For ganji-
2 cups of any kind of vegetables (carrots, onions, tomato, cucumber, radish...)
2 tsp Ganji Powder
Salt
Pepper
4 cups of water
Handful of cilantro, finely chopped

Method

  • For ganji powder-
    • Roast barley and horse gram separately. After it cools, make a smooth powder
    • You can store this powder upto 6 months in an airtight container
  • Preparing ganji-
    •  Mix all ingredients listed under ganji.  Adjust salt and pepper as per taste
    • Pressure cook upto 3 whistles
    • Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately

Kathirikai Podimas


An incredible sauteed brinjal recipe made with freshly ground spices. The podi (means "powder") is made from roasted bengal gram, pepper, cumin seeds and red chili. 
This is a slow roasted and time consuming recipe. But its worth  all the time spent on this recipe. The best combo are  when served with curd rice, chapathi and as a side dish with sambar rice. 

Ingredients

1 kg Purple brinjals, diced
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt
1/2 cup Oil

For podi - 
2 tsp Bengal gram
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Pepper corns
5-8 Byadgi red chilies

Method

  • Roast all the ingredients listed under podi together in a pan. Let it cool
  • Grind it into a smooth powder
  • On a preheated pan, add oil. When it turns smoky, add brinjal and turmeric powder. Saute on medium heat for 20 minutes until it is completely cooked and water is completely evaporates
  • Add the freshly prepared podi powder and season it with salt. Mix well and saute on low heat for 5 minutes
  • Serve with curd rice, chapathi or sambar rice