Thinai arisi, vellam payasam (Foxtail millet and jaggery sweet)

Thinai arisi, vellam payasam (Foxtail millet and jaggery sweet) - Preparation time 20 mins

As I started including millets in my menu i started trying some dishes using the same. I want to try payasam using thinai arisi and vellam. One evening i tried this new sweet dish. It came out well with creamy texture as i used milk also.

Ingredients:-
Thinai arisi - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 cup
Milk - 3/4 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup 
cardamon - 2
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Split moong dhal - 1 tsp
Cashew - 10 (broken to pieces)

Preparation method:-
Roast the cashew to golden brown with little ghee and transfer to serving bowl.
In the same kadai roast the thinai arisi (foxtail millet) till it get roasted . Finally add the split moong dhal roast with the rice and switch of the flame.

In a vessel take the rice and wash well. Now add the 3/4 cup milk along with 1 cup of water.

Pressure cook the thinnai arisi for 4 whistle, simmer the flame and cook for another 10 mins.
Meanwhile melt the jaggery with 1/2 cup water, remove the dirt in jaggery by filtering. Boil the jaggery along with grated coconut, roasted cashew, cardamon and little ghee.

When the jaggery syrup become thick syrup . Add the cooked and slightly mashed thinai arisi to the syrup and mix well. 
Now add the remaining ghee and switch of the flame when the payasam starts boiling. If you want you can add some milk to adjust the consistency.

This payasam will be thick with creamy texture. Happy and healthy cooking.

Healthy Spices in our daily life - Part I

Healthy Spices in our daily life
These spices will exist in our daily cooking. In our sambhar powder below spices and few other will be used to prepare. We will be using in the powder form or as a whole spice also for garnishing our dishes. All the spices have some unique medicinal properties which is essential for our health. My kitchen is not complete without these spices. Any spices added in little quantity is good. If you are allergic to any spices please consult your doctor for assistance. 

Pepper (Piper nigrum) - Pepper contains anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-oxidant also contains some vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium, manganese,etc. Pepper stimulates  digestion, removes the toxin from our body, brings down the respiratory problem, ulcer, etc. Still i remember during my childhood day when i went to my grandparents home some insect bit during night because of which my whole body got swollen rashes. When my grandfather took me to a person (some traditional doctor) he consulted and gave me 2 packets with some rice mixed with pepper. He asked me to take 2 times a day and said the rashes will go off (actually it worked as a wonder and rashes went off :-)). See pepper did the magic with some prayers. Now i realized that due to antibacterial properties of pepper the rashes went of. Don't forget to include pepper in your daily food even a small pinch is enough. Every 15 days ground some pepper and keep so that you will definitely include in your recipes. As i garnish rasam with pepper powder or grind some pepper and cumin with coconut to kootu or add in moor kozhambu or take in salad or in rice upma flour, etc.

Cumin - First spice we will go for any digestion problem is cumin. If you feel nausea, uneasy with vomiting sensation due to late food and indigestion i used to take on tsp of cumin chew well, eat and drink hot water this will bring out the gas formation. Add roasted and powdered cumin to your butter milk, gravies you make, roast the cumin along with other garnishing spices and add to rasam, kootu,etc. The flavour will be unique and tasty. For making rasam powder or moor kuzhambhu jeeragam (cumin) is a must spice. This spice got antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti fungal properties, increases immunity, contains b complex, E, A ,C vitamin, minerals such as calcium, manganese, iron, etc. Include this spices in your daily diet to keep you healthy.

Coriander -  This spice is rich in dietary fibre, vitamin K, A,C along with minerals like copper, manganese, iron, potassium,folic acid,etc. Also contains antiseptic, antibacterial and because of high iron content it will reduce the anemia. Regularly add fresh coriander in the diet (in limited quantity) to keep skin and hair healthy. Good for digestion and constipation problem. Coriander seeds brings down bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol. For diabetic patients it is good. Due to antiseptic property it reduces the mouth ulcer. The calcium along with other minerals keeps the bone healthy and helps in bone growth. Check for any allergic reaction with your doctor. In south indian cuisine it will get included in daily food as we used to prepare the sambhar powder and rasam with coriander seed.

Fenugreek - One of the good natural medicine for diabetes. Contains anti inflammation property, reduces cholesterol, improves digestion, immune system, dietary fiber, secrets insulin to keep blood sugar in control. It contains a slightly bitter taste but a best coolant to bring down the body heat. When suffering from body heat or sever stomach ache i used to soak a tbsp of curd overnight and eat early morning in empty stomach for 2 or 3 days which helped me a lot. Due to high dietary fiber content helps for constipation problem. Also soak fenugreek with little khuskhus for few hours. Grind to paste apply in head and keep for an hour and take bath it will cool your body and good for hair. Add fenugreek in garnishing sambhar, include in curries in little quantity, add in urad dhal and make idli or dosa batter,etc.
   
Mustard - In each and every recipe we prepare in south india garnishing the dish finally is a must and that enhances the taste of the recipe. In this garnishing almost every dish contains the mustard in it. Mustard is a rich source of minerals like calcium, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium also contains phytonutrients, vitamins like A, K , C, B complex, etc Mustard when dropped in hot oil it will splutter and releases

Ellu podi sadham (Sesame seed powder rice)

Making of Ellu podi sadham (Sesame seed powder rice) - Prepartion time 20 mins
I love to take ellu satham with moor kuzhambhu which is an excellent combination. Mom used to make this rice occasionally mostly it will be on a saturday of puratasi month. The taste will be good so you cannot resist this rice along with moor kuzhambu.

For so many years i thought of making this rice but my husband once told that he don't like ellu sadham. Once i even bought to make that but didn't try in my mom's home also my brother hate this rice and say some reason to avoid this rice. I tried in little quantity and came out well.

Now i thought of trying this rice atleast for me so bought sesame seed and kept. When my husband travelled for business i tried this podi and made ellu rice using the podi. It came out well. So now i am sharing this health and tasty recipe to you all. Another important health tip, Sesame seed (Ellu) is a very rich source of calcium. Do you know sesame seed per 100 gms contains more than 1100 mg of calcium i.e. the richest source when compared to milk, ragi, almond and chickpeas  

Ingredients:-
Sesame rice powder - 2tbsp (refer making of ellu podi)
Green chili - 1
Curry leaves - 1 string
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Rice - cooked and cooled (1 cup)
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Preparation method:-
In a vessel spread the cooked rice, add little sesame oil and leave it to cool then only the variety rice will not be sticky.
Take a kadai heat little oil. Add mustard to splutter, urad dhal to brown, green chili and curry leaves. Switch of the flame.

Add the rice to the kadai along with 1 tbsp of sesame rice powder and mix. If you want more rich you can add little more ellu podi  and mix. Check the spice level and salt.

Serve this variety rice with fried papad or as i said with delicious moor kuzhambu.