Poha Chat - Healthy evening treat

After I put a lagan on my drooling & craving (Believe me. it is a very hard test for an ardent Foodie - though temporary he.he.....) choosing a healthy evening snack always ended on fruits. As it was raining I preferred to say  inside cozily - result my fruit basket stayed empty for the day.  I went into the kitchen searching and searching.... thinking and thinking ... finally hit upon a mouth watering idea which seemed to be a feast for eyes too Hurray! I am happy! got an idea for a quick evening treat that will make me stay cool till dinner time.

A healthy & tasty chat recipe :- Serves : 1

1. Red Flattened Rice - 1/4 tea cup (red poha / red avil)
2. Beaten curd - 3 tbsp
3. Grated carrot - 1 tbsp
4. Grated cucumber - 1 tbsp
5. Finely chopped Onion - 1.5 tbsp.
6. Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
7. Finely chopped Green Chilli - 1/4 tsp
8. Roasted cumin seed powder - 1 pinch
9. Black salt to taste
10. Red Chilli Powder - 1 pinch
11. Chat masala - 1 pinch
12. Tamarind chutney - as preferred 
13. Sev - 1 tbsp  (optional)

wow! isn't it a colourful

 

Procedure :-

• In a sieve put the flattened rice, wash it under running water and keep it aside to drain. This is sufficient for the poha to become soft. No need to soak in water separately. By the time you chop & prepare other things, the poha will be ready.

• Take a serving bowl

• Spread the soaked poha first

• Over it put a layer of beaten curd

• Sprinkle the grated carrot, cucumber, coriander leaves, finely chopped onion, coriander leaves, green chillies

• Sprinkle black salt, roasted cumin powder, chat masala powder, red chilli powder, Sev

• Put a dollop of tamarind chutney over it

• Serve as it is. While eating, it can be mixed.

This vibrant chat is a feast to eyes and a treat to taste buds. A soothing snack to satisfy the soul.

 Variation suggestions for different days :-

1. Add fried ground nut one day instead of sev
2. Add fried ladies finger 
3. Add fruits like black grapes, pomegranate pearls
4. Add crushed puri pieces or crispy dry roasted leftover chapathis
5. tap your creative mind and sprinkle your creative ingredients into it

 Have a wonderful day

Vazhapoo Thoran

Vazhapoo / Vazhai poo / Plantain flower  is good source of fibre, helps control heavy bleeding during menstural cycle. It is rich in iron content and antioxidants. Believed to be good for diabetics.

This wonder flower can be taken in various forms. As a dry curry or can be cooked and added to the lentil pancake called 'adai', mixed with vadai batter and made as vazhapoo vada etc.

Now I am sharing with you the dry curry recipe called 'vazhapoo thoran' using a combo of tuvar dal and is served as a side dish in dry form.

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How to seclect a flower : If you open the petal, the bunch inside should be fresh i.e. it should not be dull or dark in colour.

How to clean the flower : Cleaning the flower may sound tedious but it is not so. It may also stain your palm. But you can remove those stain by following tips given below :

1. rub oil in your palm and clean the flower (or)
2. after cleaning put some tablesalt and gently scrub it with the regular vessel scrubber sponge (or)
3. Keep washing your palms & fingers in between. That's all

The outcome after a hard labour will always be very good. So is this dish.

Now roll up your sleeves and let us get into cleaning the flower :-)

Open the pink petals and take out the bunch of florets. Remove the florets till it become too much brittle to remove. (about 7-8 layers will come intact)

Take the bunch and rub it over your palm. The florets will be open now. Inside each floret you will see the black stamen. Hold the staemen (black in colour) and remove it. It is difficult to digest hence it need to be removed. The petal, if not tender also need to be removed. (shown in the picture below)

cleaned florets

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Ingredients :-

1. Plantain flower - 1 No.
2. Toor dal - 1/4 cup
3. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Grated coconut - 4 tbsp
6. Green chilli - 2 Nos. 
7. Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
8. Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
10. Urad dal - 1 tsp 

Procedure :-

• Boil toor dal adding a pinch of turmeric powder, till it is done. The dal should not turn mushy but only to be cooked till it become soft. Drain and keep aside. (the water can be used in rasam making or to cook any gravy / sambar)

•  Finely chop the cleaned plantain florets.

• Heat a wok, add oil.  Now throw some mustard seeds into it. When it starts spluttering, add a pinch of asfoetida powder.

• Add the chopped florets, turmeric powder, salt. Mix well. Add a tsp of water to it. Now place a deep dish (thali) over it. Pour some water into the thali. This will help the florets to cook without much water and prevent it from sticking.

• Keep stirring in between, lifting the plate.

• In a mixer, add the grated coconut, Green chilli and grind it dry (no water need to be added)

• When the flower is cooked well, add the  cooked & drained toor dal, ground dry masala. Mix well for two minutes. Remove from fire.

• Heat a tsp of oil in a small pan, add a tsp of urad dal and fry till it turns golden brown in colour.

• Add this to the prepared plantain flower, mix well. The crisp dal will make the preparation even more interesting.
• Serve as a side dish to sambar rice / curd rice / morkootan (morkozhambu) rice or just mix with the plain cooked white rice and have.

With tuvar dal (toor dal / arhar dal) it tastes even more yummy and makes it a good combo with rice.

Padi kolam

Design - 30

Mexican Corn Chilly Toast

A simple crispy toast which can make a good breakfast or a light snack with evening Coffee / Tea.

Makes : 8 toasts

Ingredients :- 

1. Onion - 1 No. (finely chopped)
2. Tomato - 1 No (finely chopped)
3. Capsicum - 1No.(finely chopped)
4. Green Chilli - 2 Nos. (finely chopped)
5. Sweet Corn - 1 No.
6. Coriander leaves  - 3 tsp (finely chopped)
7. Oil- 1 tbsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Cheese Cube - 1 No (finely grated)
10. Brown Bread - 4 Nos.
11. Butter to apply on bread slices

Procedure :-

• Remove corn kernels from the cob, steam it and keep aside

• Heat oil in a wok, add onions and fry well

•  Add capsicum and green chillies and fry for a minute

• Add tomatoes, boiled corn, coriander leaves and salt. Mix well. Cook for two minutes

• Remove from fire. Immeditely add grated cheese, mix well.

• Heat a non-stick tava

• gently Cut each bread slice into two

• Apply little butter and roast it on tava till it turn crisp.

• On a serving plate arrange the bread pieces, spread in a spoon of the prepared corn mixture. 

• Serve immediately

PS: 

1.  to avoid butter you can use pop up toaster and toast till crisp
2. You can cut the slices after toasting it on tava incase it breaks. in that case, use a kitchen scissor to cut it to exact shape.

Padi Kolam

Made this kolam today. Used white chalk.

Design - 29

Molagooshyam

It is raining cats and dogs here.

I cook traditional dishes that use black peppercorns (the king of spices) as it boost immunity and is good for health during this season.

Pepper a day boost immunity.. Pepper is orginally added to spice up all the native dishes.

Sharing with you today one such recipe from God's own country. 'Molagooshyam' that goes as an accompaniment to Rice. 

I used Elephant Yam (suran / Chenai / senai kizhangu) in this dish as this doesn't produce gas and is very safe to eat. As this is a traditional dish, coconut oil suits best for this.

Vegetables that can be used to prepare molagooshyam are Elephant Yam, Ashgourd, Raw Banana.

The Recipe video is now available in Youtube Channel : Mira's Akshaya Patram. Added below :-

Let's get into molagooshyam making.

Ingredients :-

1. Elephant Yam - 250 gm
2. Moong Dal - 3 tbsp
3. Curry Leaves - 6 leaves
4. Black Peppercorn - 7 nos.
5. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Green chilli - 1 No.
8. Coconut oil - 3 tsp

 Procedure :-

• Clean, peel the elephant yam (suran / senai kizhangau / chena) and dice it to medium sized cubes. Wash and drain.

•  Lightly dry roast the Moong Dal till nice aroma comes. Put it in a vessel for cooking.  Add washed elephant yam cubes, turmeric powder and salt to it. 

•  Coarsely grind the peppercorns. Slit the green chilli vertically

•  Add the green chilli, 2 cups of water to the yam+dal mix.

•  Pressure cook till done (5 whistles for hawkins, 3 whistles for prestige pressure cooker).

•  Heat oil in a wok for tempering, add curry leaves, coarsely ground pepper powder. Add this tempering to the cooked elephant yam gravy.

•  Mix well. Keep it covered for 5-7 minutes. 

• Serve it with hot cooked plain white rice or red rice.

The best accompaniment for this gravy is the humble "Arachukalaki" - a curd based raita recipe. It is avaialble in Mira's Askahaya Patram.- given below :-