Pachai payaru kuruma

Pachai payaru kuruma ( Green gram gravy)  Preparation time 20 mins

Updating this new recipe after a very long time. I am trying many new dishes but haven't updated in the blog. 

One day i soaked green gram for making sundal during evening. As everyone had a very late lunch no one will eat the sundal so I thought of trying a sidedish for chapati. It was tangy, spicy so they loved the dish. 

This is a very simple, healthy and easy sidedish you have to soak the green gram for 4 to 5 hours is the main requirement. 

Ingredients:-

Soaked and boiled green gram - 1 cup ( 100 /150 gms)

Onion - 1(Big and finely chopped)

Tomato - 1 ( medium size, finely chopped)

Ginger - 1 inch ( grated)

Garlic pods - 6 -8 ( chopped) 

Mustard - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Oil - for tempering 2 tbsp

Coriander leaves - chopped 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Gramasala - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Chili powder 1 tsp ( to your spice level) 

Bay leaf, clove-2 and small piece of cinnamon

Water as required

Preparation method:-

Soak green gram for 4 to 5 hours and cook softly with required amount of water ( cook in a vessel because pressure cooking soaked gram might be very mushy or will be over cooked) and keep. 

In a heavy bottom kadai add oil and heat. 

Add mustard to splutter, roast urad dal to light brown. 

Add bay leaf, clove and cinnamon toast till nice aroma comes. Include the garlic and ginger and roast few seconds

Now put finely chopped onions in kadai and sorte for few minutes. Tomato is added and fried well. 

When the tomato is cooked add the turmeric, chili powder and salt to the mixture. Now add the softly cooked green gram with little water ( according to your gravy consistency). 

Add the gramasala now and let the gravy boil for few minutes. 

The gravy will turn little thick. Check the spice and salt  adjust according to your taste. 

If it is too thick you can add little hot water and adjust. 

Transfer to serving bowl. Add the chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot chapathi Or paratha. 

Happy and Healthy cooking. 

Varagu arisi upma

Varagu arisi upma - Preparation time 45 mins

When i tried varagu arisi upma for the first time it was bit sticky.  Afterwards i soaked the varagu rice for half an hour and tried making upma it came out well. When this  upma is consumed it should be consumed hot with coconut chutney you will love it.

Ingredients:-

Varagu arisi - 1 cup 

Water - 2 and 3/4 cup

Carrot - 1 (chopped to small cube)

Small Onion - 10 (chopped to small strings)

Green chili - 2 finely chopped

Curry leaves - 2 strings (finely chopped)

Sesame oil - 5 to 6 tbsp

Ginger - finely chopped 1 or ½ tbsp

Asafoetida - ½ tbsp

Mustard seed - ¼ tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Grated coconut - 3 tbsp (optional)

Preparation method:-

Wash and soak varagu rice for half an hour.

In a pan add oil, mustard, urad dhal and fry till mustard splutters and dhal turns golden brown.

Add asafoetida, curry leaves, chili, ginger, onion, carrot, salt and fry till the color changes slightly.

Add water to vegetables when it is boiling add the varagu arisi rava and stir till half the water is absorbed.

Close the pan and cook in low flame or keep the vessel in pressure cooker and cook for 4 whistle and  slow the flame and cook for 5 to 10 mins.

Serve hot healthy varagu rice upma with coconut chutney or pulikachal or pickle. 

Making of kanchi flour using rice for infants

Making of kanchi flour using rice for infants

We used to get healthy home made kanchi and snacks before. Now most of the time we are held up with lots of work and ending up in buying products from store. I used to prepare kanchi mavu in home for my son which he used to love to take. 

This is healthy and light to eat because it is made using boiled rice, roasted gram and jeera or ajwain..

Process is bit long but worth doing it.

Ingredients

Boiled rice - 3 cup

Roasted gram - 1/4 cup

Cumin - 2 tbsp or Ajwain (omam) - 2 tbsp

Preparation method:

Soak the rice for 4 hours. Drain the water and grind using the mixer to slightly coarse powder (idli rava  consistent or little bigger).

Transfer the ground powder to a vessel, sprinkle water and mix well. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistle and switch off.

Once the pressure got released dry the powder in sun. When it is completely dry, roast the powder and   spread in a plate.

Roast the roasted gram (pottukadalai), cumin and ajwain separately and keep separately.

Take half the dried and roasted rice powder, half of the roasted gram and cumin. Grind these ingredients coarsely and store in airtight container. 

Add remaining rice, roasted gram and ajwain. Grind these ingredients coarsely and store in airtight   container.

Now for preparing kanchi add 1 tbsp. of kanchi flour with little water

and mix well (without any lumps). Boil this with little more water, required salt and make to thick  consistency.

This kanchi will be easy to digest, will be very flavorful and tasty to eat. You can make cumin flavor    kanchi one day and ajwain flavor one day.

Bengal gram flour and coconut cake

Bengal gram flour and coconut cake - Preparation time 45 mins

I first made this cake during deepavali. It came out well and the taste was tempting. People won't stop with one piece. Actually i got this recipe from internet only. But added cashew and saffron strands. I used fresh grated coconut and finely chopped cashews.

Ingredients:-
Bengal gram flour - 1 cup ( use the same measurement cup for flour, sugar, milk & ghee)
Sugar - 2 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 cup (keep little more if required you can add)
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Cardamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Saffron strands - few (soaked in little milk) 
Cashew - 10 to 15 ( finely chopped)

Preparation method:-

Roast bengal gram flour along with little ghee (2 tbsp) till slight aroma comes and raw smell goes off. To this add grated fresh coconut and sortae for few mins.

To this roasted mixture add milk and and boil. Keep on stirring the mixture till it is thick and doesn't stick to bottom of the pan. 

Now add the sugar to bengal gram flour, coconut, milk. Keep on stirring and slowly add the ghee, cardamon powder and saffron soaked in milk .

The mixture will become thick and white bubbles will appear on the edges. 

Add remaining ghee little by little. Till the ghee cake consistency comes. Also the ghee will seeps on the edge.

In a plate coat 2 tbsp of ghee both in the base and side of the plate. While slightly liquid and thick pour into the plate (don't wait till ball consistency because it will become more rough after cooling).

In a big plate pour little water and keep aside. After pouring the cake dough using a flat laddle or spatula (coated with ghee) flatten the dough quickly else it will start ticking to the laddle.
Keep this plate in the bigger plate with little water so the cooling process will be quick. When slightly cooled coat a knife with little ghee (to avoid sticking) and make pieces on the cake dough.

Don't disturb the cake till it cools completely else the cake will break. 
Enjoy this yummy, tasty and easy to make delicious cake.