Bamboo Rice Pongal / மூங்கில் அரிசி வெண் பொங்கல்

Bamboo Rice Pongal 

மூங்கில் அரிசி வெண் பொங்கல்

Ingredients:

Bamboo rice ( மூங்கில் அரிசி) - 1 cup

Moong Dhal / Split green gram (பாசிப்பருப்பு) - 1/3 cup 

Ginger (இஞ்சி) - 1" finely chopped

Black Pepper (மிளகு) - 1tsp

Cumin seeds (சீரகம்) - 1tsp

Cashew nuts (முந்திரிப்பருப்பு) -6 to 8

Ghee(நெய்) - 4 tbsp

Curry Leaves (கறிவேப்பிலை) - 1 twig

Salt to taste (தேவைக்கேற்ற உப்பு) 

Steps:
In a heavy bottom pan dry roast the rice until you get the aroma. Remove. In the same pan dry roast the moong dhal. Soak the rice and dhal in water for a minimum of 30 minutes.

In a pressure cooker add 2 tbsp of ghee. When hot, add pepper and cumin seeds. As they crack add the chopped ginger and curry leaves. Add the cashew nuts and saute well.

Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste.

When the water is boiling add the rice and dhal. Cook in medium flame. Let it cook for 3 whistles and continue cooking in low flame for 5 more minutes. Switch off the flame. After the standing time, open the cooker add the remaining ghee and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve the hot pongal with coconut chutney and sambar. 

My Notes:

This is an amazing rice variety high in fibre, protein and vitamin. Low in GI, Bamboo rice has many health benefits. 

Its benefits aside, try this recipe if you are looking for a change from the regular savoury rice pongal / venn pongal made with white ponni rice.

Bamboo rice takes a longer time to cook, so soak the rice in hot water and use the same water while cooking. Alternatively, rice can be broken into halves in a processor and then cook. 

Olive & Sweet corn Brown rice./ ஆலிவ் சோள உணவு

Olive & Sweet corn Brown rice.

ஆலிவ் சோள உணவு 

Ingredients:

Brown rice (பழுப்பு அரிசி) - 1 cup

Whole Olives (ஆலிவ் பழங்கள்) - a handful

Green Capsicum( பச்சை குடைமிளகாய் ) - 1/2 

Red Capsicum( சிகப்பு குடைமிளகாய் ) - 1/2

Garlic ( பூண்டு) - 5 cloves

Boiled Sweet corn (வேக வைத்த சோளம்) - 1/2 cup 

Olive oil ( ஆலிவ் எண்ணெய்) - 2 tbsp

Steps:

Rinse the rice and soak in 2 cups of water for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Pour a tbsp of olive oil, saute the finely chopped garlic. 

Add the sauteed garlic to the soaked rice and cook in an electric cooker.

In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil, saute both the capsicums. 

Dice and add the olives to the cooking rice. Mix well.

Finally, add the sauteed capsicums, the boiled sweet corn and salt to taste. Mix well. Serve hot. 

My Notes:

Garlic cooked together with the rice is the uniqueness of this recipe. The garlic flavour infused while cooking gives an amazing taste to the brown rice. Capsicums added at last so that they are not fully cooked retaining their crunchiness. We always prefer capsicums to be half-cooked and not soft.  

In this recipe, I have used canned sweet corn which is unlike our way. I had received this with a hamper and just used it.  But quite a few prefer a canned product to avoid the hassle of removing the kernels from the corn' cob. 

Those who do not prefer brown rice will think twice after eating this dish. 

Avocado dip

Avocado dip

அவகோடா  ஸாஸ் / சட்னி

Ingredients:
Avocado( அவகோடா) - 2
Red Capsicum ( சிகப்பு குடைமிளகாய்) - 1/4
Green Capsicum ( பச்சை குடைமிளகாய்) - 1/4 
Garlic( பூண்டு) - 4 cloves 
Lemon juice ( எலுமிச்சை சாறு) - 1 tsp
Olive oil ( ஆலிவ் எண்ணெய்) - 1 tsp
Salt to taste ( தேவைக்கேற்ற உப்பு)


Steps:
Scoop out the avocado fruit and mash it using a fork, so that it is not very smooth and buttery. If you prefer, you can use a potato masher.
Chop both the capsicums into bite-size tiny cubes. 
Finely chop the garlic or you can even use a garlic/cheese shredder. This is to ensure that you get the flavour but not the bite of fresh garlic. 
Mix all the ingredients. Add salt and lemon juice. Mix well and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving. 
My Notes:
This dip is everyone' favourite. Easy to make, excellent in taste.
A dip for tacos, nachos or for the health-conscious people for their celery sticks, a spread for a toast or just eat as it is. 
This is a thick spread, if you want a drizzly thin sauce there is another recipe for a smooth creamy thin sauce. 
I found this tip, to retain the colour, very useful -  Leave the seed within the dip if you are refrigerating the avocado dip. A wonderful tip as I had found challenging to retain the colour of the dip for long.

Mukkani Payasam / முக்கனி பாயாசம்

Mukkani Payasam ( ma, Pala & Vazhai)

முக்கனி பாயாசம் ( மா, பலா & வாழை)

                                    
Ingredients:
Ripe Mango ( ஒரு சிறிய மாம்பழம்) - 1 medium size
Banana ( இரு நடுத்தர அளவு வாழைப்பழம்)  - 2 medium size
Jack fruit lobes/bulbs ( பலாப்பழ சுளைகள்) -  6
Coconut MIlk or Fresh Milk ( தேங்காய் பால் அல்லது பசும்பால்) - 1 cup
Sugar ( சக்கரை) - 4 tsp
Ghee (  நெய்) - 1 tbsp
Cashewnuts ( முந்திரிப் பருப்பு) - 7 pieces (split into halves)

Steps: 
Peel and slice the ripe banana and fine chop the Mango. Remove the seed and slit the jackfruit lobes lengthwise. 

In a saucepan add ghee, fry the cashew nuts, remove and keep aside.
 In the same pan add the jackfruit pieces and saute for 2 minutes.

Toss in the banana slices and continue to cook. 

Both the fruits become a bit caramelised with the sugar content in them. 

Let the fruits cool, blend in a blender to a coarse mix. Bring back to boil, add sugar and finely chopped mango bits. Switch off the flame. Pour in the coconut milk and add the fried cashew nuts. Mix well and serve hot or chilled. 

My Notes:

The three fruits or the mukkani, as it is called in our Tamil language has a special place in Tamil culture. Banana and Mango are often offered at temples while jackfruit gets its attention during festivals and ceremonies. Serving all the three fruits is considered as an honour to the guest.

All three fruits are available during the summer season. 

On the Chitrai varuda pirappu, the Tamil New year, these 3 fruits find their place by default for prayers. After the prayers, mostly it is cut and served during the feast. Sometimes the dessert, mukkani payasam is prepared which I have posted here.

I have not included cardamom flavour as I wanted to keep the dessert to its original fruit flavours. I have just added fried cashew nuts for that crunchy bits here and there. Do not blend the fruits to a fine paste. You can substitute the coconut milk with fresh milk. Sugar can be adjusted based on the sweetness of the fruits. 

On the Tamil New Year day, Vishu kani is viewed ( fruits, vegetables, rice, dhal, currency and jewellery ) followed by eating a mixture of raw mango pieces mixed with neem flowers and jaggery powder first thing in the morning. Eating this symbolises that life is a mixture of sweet, sour and bitter experiences and one should have a receptivity for all. 

Food with a taste of each of the six tastes is cooked and served on this day. I had prepared Mong dhal jaggery payasam and Channa dhal fritters for the offering. I had also cooked banana flower stir fry, which is one of the six tastes, to go with sambar, rasam, kootu and pachadi.

Raw Mango, neem flowers and Jaggery signifying sweet, bitter and sour experiences in life. 

Soya / Meal maker Briyani

Soya / Meal maker Briyani

சோயா உருண்டை பிரியாணி 

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice ( பாசுமதி அரிசி) - 2 cups

Soya chunks ( காய்ந்த சோயா உருண்டை- சிறியது) - 1 cup

Ginger(இஞ்சி) - 1-inch piece

Garlic ( பூண்டு) - 8 cloves

Mint leaves ( புதினா இலைகள்) - a bunch / few stalks

Green chili ( பச்சை மிளகாய்) - 2

Onion ( வெங்காயம்) - 1

Cinnamon sticks ( பட்டை) - 3

Cloves( கிராம்பு) - 3

Bay leaves ( பிரிஞ்சி இலை) - 2

Shajeera ( சாஜீரா) - 1/4 tsp

Butter / Ghee ( வெண்ணெய் / நெய்) - 3 tbsp

Lemon Juice ( optional) தேவையென்றால் எலும்பிச்சை சாறு - 1/2 tsp

Pour boiling hot water to the soya chunks and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
Wash and soak the rice with 1 cup of water( 20 minutes before cooking)
Chop onions. Grind mint leaves, ginger, garlic and green chili with a pinch of salt to a fine paste.
Squeeze out water from soya. Add fresh water, rinse and squeeze out the water again. Now add the ground paste to the soya mix well and you may want to shred a few chunks using your fingers. Let it marinate for 15 minutes.

In a pressure cooker, add 2 tablespoons of butter/ghee.  Add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and cloves and shajeera.
As it splutters add onions and saute. After 2 minutes add the marinated soya. Add 3 cups of water and salt to taste. As the water boils, add the soaked rice with 1 cup of water. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Add the remaining ghee and toss the rice and mix gently.
Serve hot with a gravy of your choice or raitha.  

My Notes:

          Soya chunks or meal maker, as it is called in India, is a good source of protein for vegetarians. It is available in two sizes, one is big in size and the other is mini balls. I prefer the latter as it infuses well with the spices that are added into them. Marinating the balls and cooking lets that happen. Mint, chili, ginger all infused and cooked give a great flavour.

Soaking in hot water makes it softer and also further rinsing until the water is almost free of the frothy and sticky texture.

This briyani is balanced with the protein part and an interesting deviation from the regular vegetable briyani, peas pulav or the jeera pulav.  One of the good options to try and satisfy children's ever-demanding new varieties. 

Lemon juice lifts the taste of the dish to the next level. You may skip if you do not prefer it.  

I had made panner gravy to go with and also had leftover vegetable gravy ( chapathi' ) from previous day dinner. You can serve with any gravy or just fried pappads or chips. 

This plant protein obtained as a byproduct after the extraction of soybean oil. 

You can eat this protein in moderation, once in 10 days, as it is believed to have an effect on one's hormone level. 

Murunga Leave Powder

Murunga Leave Powder

முருங்கை இலை பொடி 

STEPS:
This is not a recipe but a very useful post.
Remove the stalk of the murungai leaves and dry the leaves in shade. I had left to dry inside the house, in a cool corner place.
Within 3 days, the leaves had dried as the weather was hot and windy.
Crush the leaves with the palm, you can feel the dryness of the leaves.
Dry grind the crushed leaves to a fine powder.
Add half a teaspoon of murungai leave powder to a cup. Add around 20ml of boiling water to the murungai leave powder. Let it stand until it is warm.
Add a few drops of lemon juice and honey. ( optional)
Take this concoction for a few months or at least for 48 days.
It has many health benefits. Treating Anemia, healthier bones, diabetes, cancer-fighting,..the list is countless.

My Notes:

Murungai is recently the talk of the town, with shops selling the dried seeds, the leaves in powder or capsule form.
It has many health benefits. This spinach is native to South India. A common dish for its high iron content. Recently I came to know that it has a good percentage of protein and vitamin C as well.
For my heavy menstrual bleeding with clots, one of my friend, Ramani, suggested this powder as a remedy.
She provided some homemade murungai leaves powder. It is working for me. I didn't add honey or lemon juice neither I strained the concoction. I stirred well and drank the warm liquid.
Do not boil the powder with water as it will lose its nutrients.

My childhood memory of murungai leaves links to the leaves dipped in hot ghee, while ghee is prepared by melting butter. The crisp ghee flavoured leaves is yummy to eat just like that. Sometimes it is mixed with hot steamed rice and a pinch of salt.
And secondly, murungai leaves with adai, the lentil pancakes, is one of the best combination that I have savoured since young.
Murungai leaves, as side dish for rice, is prepared as the dry stir fry flavoured with freshly grated coconut or as mild curry, kootu, mixed with boiled dhal.
Murungai leaves enhances the flavour of sambar rice as well.
In whatever way you prefer, include the whole leaves at least once a week in your diet.