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.

Murungai keerai adai (Moringa leaves and rice,pulses pancake)

 Murungai keerai adai (Moringa leaves and rice, pulses pancake) - preparation time 3 hrs 

According  to me adai is a wholesome food or tiffin because it is rich in protien content due to the pulse which we include while preparing the batter. Also lots of small onion which is added for taste and richness to adai. To all this now in this recipe i am adding fresh moringa leaves while making the adai. Surely you will love the taste of the adai.
This adai is packed with health benefits so don't leave without trying this when you get fresh drumstick tree leaves.

Ingredients:-
Boiled rice - 2 cup (wash rice and soak for 2 hrs)
Bengal gram(Kadalai paruppu) - ½ cup (wash dal and soak for 2 hrs)
Toor dal (Thuvaram paruppu) - ½ cup (wash dal and soak for 2 hrs)
Mustard seed - ¼ tsp
Sesame oil -4 tsp
Urad dhal - 3 tbspn
Chili - 8 (can increase according to your spice)(soak in water)
Coriander seed (Dhaniya) - 2 tbsp
Cumin seed (Jeera) - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water - to grind
Asafoetida - ¼ tsp
Curry leaves - 10 (finely chopped)
Moringa leaves (Murungai elai) - 1 cup 
Small onion - 20 (peeled and chopped fine)

Preparation method:-
In mixer grind little rice along with coriander seed, cumin seed, chili, required water (don't add too much water) to coarse paste (like rava).
For detail refer adai making
Likewise grind the soaked dal's and mix with ground rice mixture. We have to be careful while grinding the dal else it will become like a paste.

Now in a kadai heat oil and add mustard seed. Once it splutters add urad dal and roast till golden brown.
Add asafoetida, chopped small onion, curry leaves and fry till onion is cooked.
Add the garnishing ingredients to ground rice & dal mixture along with required amount of salt.
Mix all the ingredients well.  
Take required amount of adai flour, add required amount of water, add the moringa leaves as you like (some might like large amount some like just few leaves) to make adai in tawa.

Use this adai flour (mavu) and make adai in heated tawa. You can use sesame oil or coconut oil to cook adai.

It will be soft to eat. Goes well with coconut chutney.