Rajgira Halwa | Amaranth seeds halwa | Keerai Vidhai Halwa

Hare Krishna!

A sweet start for this year!

Rajgira - in Marathi means Royal Grain Raj - Royal Gira - grain Rajgira - Marathi English - Amaranth Seeds (Amaranth means immortal) Tamizh - Keerai Vidhai (கீரை விதை) A sathvic Halwa that can get consumed on Ekadashi day by to hose who don't follow complete fasting. Since it is not a whole grain, it is allowed in Ekadashi recipes.

This grain has highest content of calcium, rich in iron, phosphorus, magnesium. This is the only grain that has Vitamin C. Easily digestable. It reduces hunger pangs and is believed to improve eyesight. I used Jaggery. In case if you want to use sugar, then you may use upto 3/4 cup of sugar replacing jaggery.

Video Recipe is here :-

Ingredients :-

• Rajgira flour - 1 cup
• Jaggery - 1 Cup (If sugar, use 3/4 cup)
• Ghee - 1/2 cup (melted)
• Water - 2.5 cups
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Procedure :-

• In a vessel add the jaggery and water. Heat it till the jaggery dissolves.
• Filter for removing impurities.
• Heat a wok
• Add the melted ghee
• Add the flour and roast "ONLY IN LOW FLAME", till golden brown (approx 5 to 7 minutes)
• Add the filtered jaggery water, keep stirring without lumps.
• In medium flame cook, till it thickens and start leaving the sides.
• Switch off gas. Add the cardamom powder and mix well.
• Delicious and healthy Rajgira Halwa is ready to be offered or relished.

You may check the video recipe given above.

Hare Krishna!

Kada Prasad | Atte Ka Halwa

Kada Prasad | Atte ka Halwa is the Prasad made using whole wheat flour and is distributed in the Holiest Gurudwara - Darbar Sahib situated in the Holy City of Amritsar. Also known as Golden Temple.

The best flour to be used is "Whole Wheat Flour" that is freshly ground as it enhances the flavour. The Flour should be coarse so that it gives the exact texture as given in Gurudwara. However, we can also use the normal Whole Wheat Flour, that we use for making chapatis. Only the texture differs.

It is a simple recipe as only Four ingredients are there and also there is no sugar syrup consistency required. Only care is on roasting the Flour to right colour.  

 A video is also published in "Mira's Akshaya Patram". So you may also check there.

Ingredients  :-

1. Whole Wheat Flour - 1 Cup
2. Ghee - 1 Cup [Clarified Butter]
3. Sugar - 1 Cup
4. Water - 2 Cups

Procedure :-

• To a vessel, add sugar and 2 cups of water. Heat and dissolve the sugar. Just bring it to boil. No Syrup consistency required. Once it starts boiling, switch off the gas.

• Heat a wok and add Ghee [Clarified Butter] to it. Once the ghee has melted, add Whole wheat flour and keep stirring till it changes light brown in colour.

• Keep in low heat only as the color changes quickly once it reaches golden color and it may get burnt. So keep in low flame and keep stirring and watching the colour. 

• Once the light brown color comes, add the sugar water and keep mixing. It will quickly start thickening. Keep mixing in low flame only. 

• The moment you see ghee start oozing out lightly on the sides, immediately switch OFF the gas and transfer it to a plate. (No need to grease the plate).

• Delicious Kada Prasad | Atte Ka Halwa is Ready!

Notes :- If you are trying it for the first time, you can switch OFF the gas once the light brown colour is achieved during roasting of flour in ghee. Then add the sugar water, mix it and then switch ON the gas again. Start cooking in low flame only.

Thenga Manga Pattani Chundal

Thenga Manga Pattani Chundal is not only a healthy nevedhyam for Navaratri but also a very Popular snack that is available in Chennai's "Marina Beach".

Thenga = Coconut , Manga = Raw Mango, Pattani = Dried Yellow Peas, Chundal = Stir Fry

Thus this makes a Healthy Evening Snack or a Morning Salad which is also a filling one. During Off Season, lemon juice can be used instead of raw mango.

Video Published in Mira's Akshaya Patram : 

You will need :-

1. Dried Yellow Peas - 1 Cup
2. Raw Mango - 4-5 Tbsp
3. Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
4. Green Chillies - 3 -4 Nos. (crushed)
5. Curry Leaves - 13 Nos.
6. Asafoetida Powder - less than 1/4 tsp
7. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil for Tempering - 2-3 Tbsp
10. Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Procedure :-

• Soak dried peas for 10 hours or overnight. Discard the water, fill fresh water, add turmeric powder, Salt and Pressure cook till 5 or 6 Whistles

• Drain and keep it aside.

• Heat a wok, add oil for tempering. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida and then curry leaves.

• Add the pressure cooked peas, crushed green chillies and adjust the seasoning.

• Switch OFF gas and then add grated coconut, raw mango and give it a mix.

• Healthy Khatta Tikha and Yummy Chundal (Stir fry) is ready!

Yaa Devi Sarva Bhutheshu, Lakshmi roopena samasthithaa

Namastasyay, namastasyay, namastasyay namo nama :

Jai Ma Ambe!

Ellodharai - Ellu Chadham - Til Chaval - Sesame Rice

Hi There!

Today I am sharing with you a healthy rice recipe made using black Sesame seeds / Til (hindi) / Ellu (Tamizh)

Sesame seeds are good source of Calcium, Iron, Magnesium etc.

Traditionally this rice is made on Saturday and offered (Neivedhyam) to one of the Navagraha Bhagvan  - Shanishwaran (Shanishwar).

For Shani Bhagavan Slokams you can click "Here"!!

Sesame oil is considered as the best oil and good for heart health. Using sesame oil (til oil) will enhance the flavour and taste of this rice.

Here is the recipe for this quick and easy rice variety.

You will need :-

1. Cooked Rice - 1 cup

For powdering :-

1. Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp
2. Urad Dal - 1 tsp
3. Red chillies - 1 No. (or as per your preference)
4. Black pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
5. salt to taste

For tempering :-

1. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
2. Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Curry Leaves - 5 nos.

Procedure :-

• Heat a wok, dry roast the ingredients given for powdering and coarsely powder them.

• Heat sesame oil and add mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the asafoetida powder and then the curry leaves.
• Switch off the gas and add the ground powder, salt and then the cooked rice.

• Mix them well

Ellodharai is Ready!!

Venpongal / Pongal / Southindian Kichidi

Hello,

Here I am again, after a long break......  with a yummy dish... A colleague of mine asked for this recipe. I noticed i have not made a post on Pongal making........

Pongal - falls into Breakfast Menu of Tamizh Nadu. It is one of my favourite. I love to have Hot pongal and Meduvada with chutney and sambar followed by a cup of Filter Coffee to complete the ritual! A good start of the day with a Foodie Bliss!

It is a form of kichidi made in the state of Tamizh Nadu.  This is salt version hence the name 'Ven Pongal' (ven means white in tamizh). The sweet version is known as 'Sakkarai Pongal' which is made using jaggery hence little brown in color. The famous Harvest festival of southern india during Makarasankaranti - called 'Pongal' when the Salt as well as Sweet version is offered to the Sun God. Pongal also means rising... i.e. when you cook rice, when the water start boiling it rise and flow out.... it is considered auspicious on pongal day ... it is believed that "like the overflowing water happiness and prosperity should overflow in one's life".

Let's go ahead with the pongal making. It is very easy to make this dish. 

Ingredients :-

1. Rice - 1 Cup
2. Moong Dal - 1/4 Cup (split and deskinned green gram)
3. Water - 3.5 to 4 Cups
4. Milk - 1/2 Cup (optional)
5. Salt to taste

For temepering :

1. Curry leaves - 1 Sprig
2. Black Peppercorns - 1 to 2 tsp
3. Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Asafoetida - One pinch
5. Cashew Nut - 6 to 8 nos. (Broken) - (optional)
6. Ghee - 3 Tbsp

Procedure :-

• Lightly dry roast the Moong Dal (split deskinned green gram) till nice aroma comes. Color should not change.

• Add to the raw rice and wash it well.  Drain.

• Add Water and Milk to it. mix. (If you are not using milk, then you can add upto 4 cups water). If using milk, add 3.5 cup water and half cup milk.

• Pressure cook till it turns mushy. (I never let the whistle come. When the first whistle is about to come, i lower the flame and cook for 10 minutes).

• Add salt to taste.

• Crush the pepper and Cumin seeds coarsely using a mortal and pestle (this is to make the aroma blend well with the pongal. If you don't have one, no problem, crush the black pepper corns very lightly so that it will not burst while tempering)

• Now heat a tempering pan, add ghee, When it is heated, add the coarsely crushed black pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, cashew nuts. Roast in low flame till cashew turn light golden in color.

• Add this tempering to the rice dal mix.

• Once done, mix it well when the pongal is still hot.

• Relish it with coconut chutney / sambar.

I enjoy the pongal even without any side dish.

I remember the yummy pongal prashad we get at vishnu temples in the month of Margazhi. This month which falls during winter season air is cold in the morning and the hot hot  prashad just slips in spreading the warmth and soothe the hungry stomach. Makes the early waking and visit to temple in the cold morning an interesting one!

It is an excellent Food and is very good to consume when you have cold / cough / sore throat. In monsoon, it is apt to have a bowl of hot pongal followed by a cup of coffee watching the rains pitter patter near the window sil......

I am not getting much leisure hours now but still i have very good memories of my favourite time and pongal breakfast is one such gastronomically nostalgic moment! - to cherish for the life time.

Here is a hot cup of virtual Filter Kaapi (coffee) for you......

Enjoy!

Brown chickpea chundal / Brown channa / Brown kondakadalai sundal

A nurtrient legume chundal that supply good amount of energy. The brown variety chickpea is used in the traditional chundal making during navaratri celebrations as it  is "desi" / country variety. But you can make using Kabuli Channa as well. You can see vido of this in Youtube - Mira's Akshaya Patram - https://youtu.be/euCVGABBrWE

You will need :-

1. Brown chickpea / channa / kondakadalai - 1 cup
2. Salt to taste
3. Turmeric powder - a pinch
4. Oil for tempering - 2 tbsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Curry leaves - 10 Nos.
7. Asafoetida - a pinch
8. Green chilli - 2 nos
9. Grated Coconut- 1/4 cup
10. Dried red chilli

 Procedure :

• Soak chickpea for 8 hours or overnight. Adding salt and a pinch of turmeric powder, pressure cook tilll done.

•  In a mixer dry grind grated coconut, green chilli and few curry leaves. This is the masala that is going to add taste & flavour to the chundal.

•  Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds. After they start spluttering, add remaining curry leaves, dried red chilli and asafoetida powder

• Add the cooked chickpeas, ground coconut mixture and mix well. switch off the gas.

• Brown chickpea chundal is ready! 

Other sundals that you may like to have a look :-

Sweet Cowpea / karamani / lobia chundal 

Cowpea / Karamani payaru Chundal - sweet version, for Navaratri

A Festive period which I long for, every year is Navaratri. It had always been a very pleasant and joyful experience as we have the opportunity to visit golu kept at other's place, hear devotional songs sung by guests - sometimes by hosts, get variety of chundal prashad and what not!

Finally navaratri has arrived.....  My 500th Post! celebrating it with a sweet offering!

Elders say 'start with a sweet', which is considered as a good sign for starting good things. So here I am making Sweet Chundal and sharing with you the procedure using cowpeas (chawli bean / Karamani payaru). Chundal is a very healthy snack as it contains legumes rich in nutrients. Our ancestors always included healthy dishes specially on festive occasions. Cow peas supplies Proteins, Carbs, Vitamins and minerals. You may use the white or the red colored cow peas for this recipe.

Ingredients :

1. Cowpea - 1 Cup
2. Jaggery  - 1/2 Cup (shredded)
3. Coconut - 1/4 Cup (grated)
4. Ghee - 3 tbsp

Procedure :-

Lobiya | Karamani | Payaru | Chavli | Cow Pea (Black eyed Pea)

• Soak cowpea for 8 hours (or overnight). Discard that water and fill with fresh water. Pressure cook adding a pinch of salt, till done

• Mix jagery with little water and dissolve it. Filter to remove impurities.

• Heat a wok, add the filtered jaggery water and bring to boil

• When it starts bubbling, add the cowpeas, boil till it becomes dry.

• Add grated coconut and ghee (Clarified Butter), Mix well.

• Cowpea | Karamani Payaru  | Lobia - Sweet Chundal is ready !

• Other legume / lentil that can be used for this sweet chundal recipe is Green Gram (Moong).

• Serve it with Ripe Banana - Best combo to enjoy this healthy snack. Can be given to children as a evening snack.

Jai Ma Ambe!

Sweet Rice Puttu

Today being friday, I decided to offer the Goddess, one of her favourite - the sweet puttu.

Puttu is a traditional dish made of pounded rice, which is steamed and consumed. Puttu means 'portioned' in Tamizh Language and the dish is prevalent in Tamil-speaking areas in South India and Sri Lanka.

Two varieities of puttu are there. One sweet and the other Salt. The salt version prevails both in the state of Tamizh Nadu and Kerala as a breakfast item, which is savoured with various accompaniments like Kadala Curry, Peas Curry, Coconut milk, Banana, Sugar and Fried Papad.

I have already shared the recipe for Salt Puttu with you long back. Here I am with the Sweet version of the steamed dish (puttu)

Sweet puttu is considered a favourite of the Devi and is prepared specailly during the Navratri Celebration.

You may use boiled rice or raw rice or a special rise available in southindian shop called as 'puttu arisi' (Rice used for puttu making).

You may need a clean muslin cloth (you may also use the cloth used for packing parcels like I did) and a idli steamer. If you don't have a steamer, you may use your pressure cooker (without weight) or a big vessel with lid.

Video of this recipe is published in Mira's Askhaya Patram. Link :- https://youtu.be/-kpU5M19hXI

  

Ingredients :-

1. Rice - 1 cup
2. Jaggery - 1 cup (shredded)
3. Turmeric Powder - a pinch
4. Green Cardamom - 2 Nos.
5. Salt a pinch
6. Water
7. Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
8. Ghee - 2 tbsp
9. Cashew nut - 4 nos.

 Procedure :-

• Wash Rice, drain. Let it rest for 10 minutes, covered.

• Heat a kadai (wok), roast the rice till it turns golden in color. Transfer to a plate or paper & let it come to room temperature. 

• Dry Grind it to little coarse texture and transfer to a mixing bowl.

•  Add a pinch of salt and turmeric to it. Mix well.

• Sprinkle water little by little while mixing it. Rice will keep absorbing water. So when it becomes little dry, keep adding tbsp of water till you feel it becomes moist, soft and like a finely grated coconut. The volume of the flour will double.

• When you get the crumbling texture (take a fistful of the flour. try crumbling it), close it and keep it aside for sometime (half hour for raw rice. One hour for boiled rice)

• As the rice flour stands for sometime, melt the shredded jaggery and filter it to remove any sediments / impurities. 

• Chop / break the cashewnut into small pieces, heat ghee in a small wok and fry them till golden brown. keep aside. 

• Powder the green cardamom. (I use a mortar and pestle)

• Now let us get back to the rice flour. Transfer the moist flour to the cloth.

• Heat a steamer and steam it for 10 minutes.

• Carefully lift the cloth (use a glove as it will be too hot) and open it.

• On a wok, heat the filtered jaggery water to a thick syrup. Keep a small bowl with water for checking the jaggery syrup ready.

• When the syrups becomes bubbly, thick, drop a little into the water kept. Take it with your fingers. If you are able to shape it into a ball, that is the right consistency for this dish.

• Now switch off the flame. Add grated coconut, ground cardamom powder, fried cashewnuts along with the ghee to it.

• Add the steamed rice flour. Mix well

• Let it stand for 20 - 30 minutes. 

• Delicious flavourful sweet puttu is ready!

Fruit Salad for Ganpathy

This flavourful fruit salad is also made for Ganapathy Homam but with certain fruits (Havan performed for Lord Ganesha). It goes well as an offering, dessert and a nice fruit salad. You may add the fruits of your choice with the basic apple, sweetlime, Banana, Ghee, Flattened rice, Lemon juice and few Lemon pieces.

Ingredients :-

1. Apple - 1 No. (medium size)
2. Guava - 1 No. (Small size)
3. Banana - 2 Nos. (small elaichi variety)
4. Sweet Lime - 4 Pods (Mosambi)
5. Pear - 1 No.
6. Pomegranate- 1No.
7. Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
8. Ghee - 1 tbsp
9. Jaggery (shredded) - 2 tbsp
10. Cardamom powder - less than 1/4 tsp
11. Coconut pieces - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
12. Flattened Rice (poha) - 2 tbsp

Procedure :-

• Chop the fruits (apple, pear, banana, sweet lime) and put them in a bowl. Add the pomegranate pearls, Lemon juice, Ghee, Shredded Jaggery, Cardamom powder, Finely chopped coconut, Flattened Rice. You can add even finely chopped lemon pieces to it as they make it more interesting with their citrus flavour when chewed on. Otherwise you can even add lemon rinds along with lemon juice.

• Mix everything together.

• Let it rest for  minimum 10 minutes, covered.

• Mix and serve.

• You may also serve this chilled as a dessert.

Enjoy!

Pori Urundai (Sweet puffed rice balls) for Karthigai Deepam

A crunchy sweet shaped into balls made specially as a offering to Lord Muruga (Karthik) on the day of Thiru Karthikai. But it makes a good snack at anytime of the year.

You can use any variety of puffed rice viz., avil pori, nel pori, normal pori.

avil pori

Nel Pori

pori (nomal one)

Ingredients :-

Puffed Rice - 4 cups
Jaggery - 1 Cup
Coconut - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Cardamom - 4 Nos.
Dry Ginger Powder - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

Preparation:-

• The ratio of puffed rice to jaggery is 4 : 1 (Take a measure of jaggery which is 1/4th of the puffed rice)

• Small preparations will ease the process. Put the puffed rice in a sieve to get rid of sand or small stones & black over roasted particles and put it on a plate & clean them.

• Break a coconut (use only fresh ones). Make thin slices and chop them thinly. 

• Powder the cardamom and Dry ginger.

• Grate / slice with knife, the jaggery, melt it and strain it to remove impurities / sand particles.

• In a small bowl or plate, pour little water & keep ready (to check consistency of jaggery)

• Making the preparation & keeping them handy will ease the process.

Procedure :-

•  In a Kadai, pour the melted & filtered Jaggery water, Chopped coconut and boil till it becomes thick & froth well. Drop a little of that in the water kept in a bowl. Take it out with your finger and roll it. If you are able to shape it round like a ball that is the perfect stage. If you throw it on a plate, it will make a sound. Turn off the flame.

• Add Dry Ginger Powder, Cardamom Powder, mix well

• Add the puffed rice (pori), mix well and let it stand for two minutes (to cool down a bit).

• Start dividing them into equal portion. If it sticks to your palm, just moisten your palm with just few drops of water (or dip your finger tip in water and spread it to you palm) and start doing. don't dampen just moist.

• Take out each portion and shape them into round balls (at this stage too, you may moisten your hands)

• To further tighten the balls, grease your fingers & palm with ghee and tighten them once again. 

• Perfect pori urundai (sweet puffed rice balls) is ready!

• Store them in an air tight container.

Brought the karthigai Deepam Prashad for you

Nonbu adais - sweet as well as salt

This is a special adai prepared for Kaaradayaan nonbu. Everytime i miss to take snap shots hence this year, I decided I will keep my camera ready (battery charged) so that I can share the recipe with you. By god's grace this year pooja too went on well and the Offerings (neivedhyam) - adais came out very well.

Lets get on to common preparative procedure for both the dishes.

First seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha and then Nala raja that all the preparations go smooth. Then start the work....

1. For both sweet & salt adais, the preparation of rice flour & cowpeas are same. You can either purchase processed rice flour / idiyappam or appam podi (available in kerala stores) or follow the below method.
2. Soak the cowpeas / chawli / kaaraamani for 4 hours and pressure cook
3. Soak raw rice for 30 minutes
4. Drain the water
5. Spread the rice on a clean cloth & let it air dry
6. Powder it in a mill or using a mixer grinder, finely
7. Sieve and measure & keep ready in separate bowls
8. Heat a kadai / wok, dry roast this flour till nice aroma comes
9. Spread a paper, transfer the roasted flour to it and allow to cool

Let us start with sweet thing first :D

SWEET ADAI :-


Ingredients :

1. Processed rice flour - 1 cup (I used Melam idiyappam / appam podi which is too good for this purpose)
2. Water - 1.5 cups
3. Powdered Jaggery - 1 cup
4. Boiled cowpeas (kaaramani / chawli) - 1 tbsp
5. Coconut - grated - 3 tbsp (normally small shredded pieces of coconut is used in the recipe. But grated coconut has its own advantage as the fresh milky taste blends well and it is easy to chew for the children & aged people)
6. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
7. Ghee - 2 tsp (optional)

sweet adai

Procedure :

• Prepare the flour as mentioned above. If you are buying ready made flour, then just follow the process given for roasting the flour
• Heat 1.5 cups of water in a vessel
• In another vessel boil some more water (to use if needed)
• When the water in the vessel starts boiling, add the powdered jaggery.
• 
  
• Boil by keep stirring till the jaggery dissolves completely
• Remove from flame, using a fine strainer, strain for impurities
• Transfer the filtered jaggery water to a wok, add the boiled cowpeas, grated coconut and bring to boil (You can add the cardamom powder at this stage)
• Now while keep stirring add the rice flour little by little to the boiling jaggery water
• the mixture will thicken now. If you feel you can add some more water (say a tbsp or two) now (which you have boiled separately)
• Allow this mix to cool down a bit. (Add ghee now & mix well)
• In a bowl mix some ghee or (gingely oil) and some water to use as a greasing agent to prevent the dough sticking to your hands
• Divide the dough into small balls of equal portion (dip your hand inthe oil+water mixture to grease the fingers?)
• now gently knead each portion, shape into ball, flatten them into discs, make a hole in the centre.
• Same way prepare all the portions and in a steamer, steam it for 10 minutes
• Delicious, Soft & Sweet adai is ready!

SALT ADAI 

Ingredients :

1. Processed rice flour - 1 cup (I used Melam idiyappam / appam podi which is too good for this purpose)
2. Water - 1.5 cups
3. Salt to taste
4. Boiled cowpeas (kaaramani / chawli) - 1 tbsp
5. Coconut - grated - 3 tbsp (normally small shredded pieces of coconut is used in the recipe. But grated coconut has its own advantage as the fresh milky taste blends well and it is easy to chew for the children & aged people)  

Ingredients For tempering :-

1. Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. deskinned Black gram / white urad - 1 tsp
4. Curry leaves - 1 sprig (finely chopped)
5. Asafoetida powder - 1 big pinch
6. Green Chillies - 2 nos (finely chopped)

salt adai

Procedure :

• Heat oil in a wok.
• Add mustard seeds. When it start spluttering, add whole urad / black gram, asafoetida powder
• When dal turns golden borwn add chopped curry leaves, green chillies and fry for few seconds
• Now add 1.5 cups of water, boiled cowpeas and grated coconut, bring to boil
• Now add 1 cup roasted flour and mix well. If you feel you require some more water then add it little by little checking the consistency.
• Switch off the flame.
• Allow it to cool
• Shape them the same way as described for the sweet adai

Note :-

1. If the flour is fine, adequate water is used, the adais will remain soft even after several hours of preparation.
2. Knead each portion of dought lightly will remove the lumps & give smooth texture to the adais.
3. If you use grated coconut, it has two advantages. the freshly grated coconut will be juicy hence it blends well with the flour & gives added tastes and it makes the adai easily chewable for children and Old people

Serving suggestion :- Butter makes an excellent accompaniment for the dish