Coarse Wheat grain pudding (கோதுமை ரவை கருப்பட்டி பொங்கல் )

Coarse Wheat grain pudding 

 ( கோதுமை ரவை கருப்பட்டி பொங்கல் )

Ingredients:

Coarse Wheat grain /Wheat rava (கோதுமை ரவை )  - 1 cup

Moong Dal ( பாசிபருப்பு )  - 1/4 cup

Palm Sugar ( கருப்பட்டி )  - 1 1/2 cup (pounded)

Ghee  ( நெய் )  -  4 tbsp

Cashew nuts ( முந்திரிபருப்பு ) - 6 to 8 ( halved )

Steps:

Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan. Fry the cashew nuts and keep aside. In the same ghee, roast the wheat rava and the moong dal separately until fragrant.

Transfer the wheat rava and moong dal to a container, add 3 cups of water. Close the vessel and place it in a pressure cooker and cook well.
Once cooked and still warm, mash the wheat rava and dal together. keep aside.
Add one cup of water to the pounded palm sugar. Heat and allow it to melt completely. Strain to remove the impurities and bring back it to boil. Boil for 3 to 4 min.
Add this syrup to the cooked wheat rava and mix well. Add in the remaining 2 tbsp ghee and cook in a low medium flame for another 3 to 4 min.
Finally add in the fried cashew nuts and serve this as a starter for a lunch or as a dessert.

My Notes:

Way back in mid '90 s, my Mother got the recipe of  wheat rava venn pongal ( savory pongal with pepper and cumin) from one of the cookery show in Doordarshan channel, Pothigai and used to prepare that as an alternative healthy version and also when we get bored with the rice venn pongal. Later on, we felt why not the sweet version as well instead of the regular rice sakarai pongal.

In the last few years, I have substituted the jaggery for palm sugar as the later is more healthy and gives an authentic flavor.

I prepare this often as an offering for Shridi Sai Baba at the temple as well as to our satsangh. Food with wheat products are specially offered to him.

It is a hit at one of the Lalitha Sahasranamam Parayanam session at a friend' place.

It is easily cooked and liked by all. 

I include moong dal mostly in my sweet pongal recipes so as to have the protein part in the dish and also it enhances the pongal' taste. 

The seasoning - cardamom and camphor which is synonymous with sweet pongal is not used here as I feel that both over powers the unique flavour of palm sugar. So this dessert is relished with the simple yet striking flavour of palm sugar. But it is a personal choice. If you feel, an Indian sweet is incomplete without cardamom , just go ahead and add. 

Elephant foot Yam Fry ( சேனை கிழங்கு சாப்ஃஸ் )

Elephant foot Yam Fry  ( சேனை கிழங்கு சாப்ஃஸ் )

                                

Ingredients:

Elephant foot Yam ( சேனை கிழங்கு )  - 200g
Dry red chilli  ( மிளகாய் வற்றல் )  - 2
Coriander seeds  ( தனியா )  - 1 tbsp
Garlic ( பூண்டு ) - 3 cloves
Turmeric powder ( மஞ்சள் தூள் )  -  1tsp
Tamarind  ( புளி )  - a small portion
Fennel seeds  ( சோம்பு )  - 1 tsp
Curry leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை )  - 1 twig
Coconut oil ( தேங்காய் எண்ணெய் )  - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste ( தேவையான அளவு உப்பு )

Steps:

Peel, wash and slice the yam into thin small squares .
Boil water in a pot, add the tamarind shredded into pieces followed by turmeric and yam.
Add salt and let it cook.
Half boil the yam, remove from fire, drain the water.
Dry roast red chillies, coriander seeds and garlic. Allow it to cool, grind to a fine powder.
Coat the yam slices with this powder. Mix well and allow it to stand for 10 min.
In a pan add coconut oil and season with fennel seeds and curry leaves.
Add the marinated yam. Fry until golden brown.
Serve the finger licking Yam fry with steam  rice and sambar. It goes well with curd rice or just snack it ;)

My Notes:

Elephant foot yam' skin is thick and  muddy. Slice off the thick skin, wash well.

Grease your palm with oil and then clean the yam. This is a precaution to avoid itchiness one may experience while cleaning and slicing.Also after slicing, soak in salt water for few min before boiling.

While boiling yam, tamarind is added to get the tangy taste.

There are many recipes related to this yam. Mostly it is prepared with onions, tomato and spices added to it.
The coconut oil used in this recipe gives an added flavour to the fry. Yam and coconut oil is a great combination.
Frying is alternatively done on a hot tawa ( flat griddle pan ) for uniform roasting.
I learnt this simple, tasty version from my friend.
I remember tasting such at my aunt' place in Chennai though haven't learnt the recipe from her.

Horse gram steamed cake ( கொள்ளு இட்லி )

Horse gram steamed cake

கொள்ளு இட்லி

Ingredients:

Parboiled rice ( புழுங்கல் அரிசி )  -  2 cups

Horse Gram  ( கொள்ளு )              -  1/2 cup

Fenugreek seeds  (  வெந்தயம் )   - 1 tsp

Salt                                                     - 3 tsp

Steps:

Horse gram will have impurities like small stones. Clean and soak it separately for minimum 3 hours.

Wash and soak the rice as well. It needs minimum 2 hours but no harm in soaking an additional hour.

In a wet grinder, grind the horse gram first together with the fenugreek seeds to a very fine paste. 

You will get a fluffy texture similar to the urad dal batter.

Remove and then grind the soaked rice until a fine texture. This is done as you would do for normal idli batter.

Add salt and mix both horse gram and rice batter into an uniform consistency.

Mixing well plays a part to get  soft idlis. 

Leave the batter undisturbed to let it ferment overnight or minimum 6 hours. 

grinded horse gram 

horse gram & rice batter

Mix the fermented batter to get an uniform smooth consistency. Scoop out and pour in the mold ( idli plate) and steam . The time taken to cook is the same as normal idli, around 4 to 6 min. 

Serve the hot horse gram idli, as the steam cake is called in tamil, with sambar and coconut chutney.

My Notes:
Horse gram is a protein rich healthy lentil.
The steam cake is slightly dull in colour not as white as the normal idli. A slight differ in taste as well.
It is an excellent breakfast together with sambar ( lentil curry ) and coconut chutney.
Eat while it is hot.

Red Radish Avocado Salad ( சிவப்பு முள்ளங்கி அவகோடா சாலட் )

Red Radish Avocado Salad ( சிவப்பு முள்ளங்கி அவகாடோ சாலட் )

Ingredients:

Red Radish  - 1

Snow Peas  - 8 to 10

Avocado -  1/2

Cabbage leaves  - 2

Carrot  - 1/2

Almonds  - handful

Garlic  - 5 cloves

Butter  - 1 tbsp

Salt & pepper  -  to taste.

Steps:

Wash all the vegetables.

Slice the radish thinly.

Peel and fine chop the garlic cloves.

Remove the strings along the edges of snow peas and trim at ends.

Cut the carrots and almonds into thin strips.

Cut half of the avocado into bite sized pieces.

In a skillet add butter. 

As it melts, saute the snow peas for 1 to 1 1/2 min until it is crisp tender.

Transfer the snow peas to a plate and using the same pan roast the garlic. 

Roast until fragrant and toss in the radish pieces. 

Saute for a min. Remove from fire. Mix with the other ingredients . Add pepper and salt.

In a serving bowl, spread the cabbage leave and add in the salad.
A hearty salad is ready.

My Notes:

Snow pea is eaten fresh as a whole with the pod when it is still unripe. It's an excellent source of dietary fiber loaded with vitamins and minerals.It is used in stir fry recipes as well.

The raw flesh of radish has a crisp texture with a pungent and peppery flavor. Radishes owe their sharp flavor to the various compounds produced by the plant like glucosinolate, myrosinase and isothiocynate.

Avocado is not sweet, but it is distinctly and subtly flavored and has a smooth texture. It is popular as a dessert but also used in savory  dishes.  It has a high calorie count but is balanced with high healthy monounsaturated fats and thus can be consumed in moderation.

My memory of avocado brings me back to my teenage days where I remember tasting it in Kodaikanal(Tamilnadu) back when i was 15. It was referred to then as the butter cup fruit.

Green Apple Pomegranate Salad with Honey ( பச்சை ஆப்பிள் மாதுளை காய்கறி கலவை )

Green Apple Salad with Honey 

( பச்சை ஆப்பிள் காய்கறி கலவை ) 

Ingredients:

Green Apple ( பச்சை ஆப்பிள் )  - 1
Pomegranate seeds (மாதுளை முத்து )  - 1/2 cup
Cucumber ( வெள்ளரிக்காய் )  -  1 (small)
Baby Carrots ( கேரட் )  -  5
Honey ( தேன் )  - 2 tsp
Lemon Juice ( எலுமிச்சை சாறு )  - 1tsp
Olive oil ( ஆலிவ் எண்ணெய் )  -  1tsp
Walnuts ( வாதுமை கொட்டை)  -  a handful
Salt & Pepper to taste.  ( சுவைக்கேற்ப உப்பு , மிளகுதூள் )

Steps:

Wash the fruit and vegetables.

Peel the skin of cucumber.

Slice the vegetables into thin strips. Dice the green apple.

In a cup whisk honey, olive oil and lemon juice.

Pour the mixture over the vegetables.Add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine together using salad tongs.

Top it with halved walnuts before serving.

Crunchy,tangy, sweet salad is ready.

My Notes:

Prepare the salad and consume immediately. 

I like, the combination of honey, lemon juice and olive oil, dressing for this salad. A simple but taste bud stimulator. 

The apples get to  retain their colour with the lemon juice rubbed on it.

Walnuts give that nutty taste. It is the best nut that goes well with any salads. Highly nutritious as well.

Horse Gram Snack / Sundal ( கொள்ளு சுண்டல் )

Horse Gram Snack / Sundal ( கொள்ளு சுண்டல் )

Ingredients:

Horse Gram (கொள்ளு)  -  1/2 cup

Grated coconut  ( துருவிய தேங்காய் )  - 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds ( கடுகு )  - 1/2 tsp

Split urad dal  ( உடைத்த உளுந்தம்பருப்பு ) - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida ( பெருங்காயம் )  - a pinch

Curry leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை) - a twig

Dry red chilli ( மிளகாய் வற்றல் )  - 1 (halved)

Sesame oil ( நல்லெண்ணெய் )  - 1 tbsp

Steps:

                                        

Wash and soak horse gram overnight. Remove small stones or other impurities which may be present.

Boil in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles, turned down the flame and cook in low flame for 3 to 5 more minutes.

Strain the boiled water  and do not throw away as it has lots of nutrients. Reserve it to use as a stock for soup/ rasam. 

In a pan, heat a teaspoon of sesame oil. Add mustard seeds, split urad dal for seasoning. Add the halved dry red chilli followed by asafoetida and curry leaves.

Add the boiled legume, salt and coconut. Mix well. Switch off the flame.

An excellent, protein packed evening snack is ready.

Notes:

Horse gram took its English name from its usage as a staple food for the horses. It is called Kollu in Tamil.

Like other millets and legumes, it is an under utilized legume but getting its place on the dining table in the recent past.

It is a high powered, protein rich legume.

In addition to having the highest calcium content among the legumes, its benefits are wide varied ranging from relief for common cold to bronchitis, jaundice, ulcers to weight management.

It is a challenge to soft boil the legume and takes a lot of chewing and eating. So not a much preferred ingredient in cooking.

But with the right amount of time in soaking and cooking, it can be incorporated in various ways.

For easy digestion, it can be sprouted and cooked. It takes three days for the soaked horse gram to sprout.

Steamed horse gram cake, rasam, thuvaiyal, sprouted curry are some of the dishes that I have tried successfully.

Horse gram has the ability to generate heat for which it is consumed during winter days.

If you feel too much heat on normal/ warm days,  balance it by eating salads or drink buttermilk, both of which cools the body system.

I had prepared Green Apple salad with honey to complete the snack.

French beans & Carrot stir fry ( பீன்ஸ் கேரட் பொரியல் )

French beans & Carrot stir fry (பீன்ஸ் கேரட் பொரியல்)

Ingredients:

French beans  - 6 nos. or 100 g

Carrot  -  1 or 100 g

Grated Coconut  -  3 tsp

Dry Red chilli  - 1

Mustard seeds  -  1 tsp

Urad dal  -  1 tsp

Curry leaves  - a sprig 

Steps:

Wash and cut both the vegetables into small pieces.
Boil until tender, in small quantity of water. Add required salt.
In a colander drain the excess water.
In a pan, heat oil.
Add mustard seeds and urad dal. When it cracks, add in the red chilli halved and the curry leaves.
Add the boiled vegetable and mix well.
Finally add the grated coconut and switch off the flame.
Transfer to a bowl and serve.

My Notes:

French beans are excellent source of fiber, vitamins and folate. 

It is cooked alone or combined mainly with carrots. 

While boiling in water, use adequate water and not excess so that the nutrients are not washed away in the excess water.

Some prefer to do seasoning, add vegetables , sprinkle water , cover with a lid and cook stir fry style rather than boil it first. This method will give a  bit crunchy veggie.

Alternatively, we can steam the vegetables in a steamer like the  idli vessel. 

At my Mom' place, split green dal / Moong dal is half or 3/4th boiled and added to the dish.

It gives a shine through in your dish. Healthy and colourful. 

Select the bright colored, crisp beans for freshness. Avoid soft or pale ones.