How to prepare Raw Rice Flour for Kozhukkatai / Idiyappam / Murukku

How to make Raw Rice Flour for Kozhukkattai, Idiyappam, Murukku etc....

Rice flour! You may wonder what is special in rice flour? Yes! It is special. If the basic is not strong, then the whole building becomes weak! The same in the case of the recipes such as Kozhukattai (Modhakam), Murukku and Idiyappam. If the rice flour is not prepared properly, the kozhukkattai and Idiayappam and Murukku will not be that much taste as expected. This is the reason why  My Mom, Chithi, Mami and my Mother-in-law prepared it at home. Now-a-days, we get it in all super markets! I'm happy to give the preparation here which I learnt from my Mom and Mother-in-law and other elderly ladies in my home.

Raw Rice Flour

You may need a good quality Raw Rice for preparing this. I took 1cup of Ponni Raw Rice.

Wash and soak Raw Rice for 2 hours.

Drain the soaked water completely and allow it to dry for half-an-hour on a clean dry towel under shade.

The rice must be dry in such a way that, it must be wet but it must not stick on to our hands.

At this stage you can make it at home using mixie or get it done in a flour mill.

Dry the soaked Rice under shade

Dried (wet!) Rice

Nicely ground rice flour

Kolam with the prepared Rice Flour

For preparing at home using mixie: Dry grind the rice to nice powder using your mixie. You can use sieve (jalladai) to check for chunks!

Rice flour is ready!

It is understood that the rice flour prepared is perfect if you are able to draw kolam (rangoli) using that flour. If it is not perfect, you will not be able to draw kolam!

With this rice flour, we can prepare Kozhukkattai, Idiappam, Murukku etc as per you choice!

Raw Rice Flour

Will meet you all with yet another healthy recipe soon! Till then Bye friends!

Millet Oothappam

Millet Oothappam

Here yet another delicious millet recipe! Multi grain Millet Oothappam!

Ingredients

Ragi / Finger Millet - 1 cup
Thinai - Varagu - Saamai (Foxtail - Kodo - Little Millet) -  All the three equally measured and combined to make 1 cup
Idli Arisi / Par Boiled (Idli) Rice - 1/2 cup
Kaikuthal Arisi / Hand-Pounded Rice - 1/2 cup
Ulundhu / Black Gram Dhall - 3/4 cup
Aval / Rice Flakes - 1 scoop
Omum / Ajwain seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chilli - 2
Curry Leaves - 2 strands
Coriander Leaves - 2 strands
Salt - To taste
Cooking Oil - As required

Method

Wash Ragi, Thinai, Varagu, Saamai, Idli Arisi, Kaikuthal Arisi, Ulundhu, Aval and Omum and soak for about 2 - 3 hours.

Wet grind the soaked millets with green chilli, curry leaves, coriander leaves and salt to a dosa batter consistency.

Allow the batter to ferment for 4 - 5 hours.

Prepare Oothappam in low flame and serve hot.

Sambar and Idli chilli powder will be a perfect combination for this Oothappam.

Will meet you all soon with another healthy delicious recipe! Till then, have a healthy life! Bye!

Podi Varieties

Podi Varieties

Podi or Spicy readymix powders are always life savers on busy days and give a great helping hand when we feel lazy for cooking.

Here I have given some spicy podi varieties which I have learnt from my mother, mother-in-law and other elders of my family and friends all these years. I hope this post will be helpful for many young office going mothers and others. I will update the page as and when, I learn new podi varieties.

Kariveppilai Podi / Curry Leaves Powder

Kothumalli Podi / Coriander leaves Powder

Idli Milagai Podi / Idli Chilli Powder

Sambar Podi / Sambar Powder

Thengai Podi / Spicy Coconut Powder

Paruppu Podi / Dhall Powder

Angayapodi / Angaya Powder

Vazhakkai Podi / Raw Banana Powder

Kothavarangai Podi / Cluster Beans Powder

Ellu Podi / Sesame Powder

Dear Friends! Will be updating this post as and when I learn new Podi varieties! Live a healthy life! Take Care! Bye!

Millet Recipes

Millet Recipes

No matter what your age, your daily food choices can make a huge difference in your overall health and in how you feel and look. Eating a healthy, balanced diet daily provides the nutrients your body needs to keep your bones, organs and muscles in optimum shape. These nutrients include fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals. Healthy eating may also help you maintain a healthy weight, boost your heart health, prevent diabetes and improve your brain function. 

Eating the right foods can help you manage your weight better. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating a healthy diet that is low in saturated fats and includes lots of fruits and vegetables and a moderate amount of unsaturated fat can help maintain a stable weight. Further more, foods that have a gentler effect on blood sugar, such as steel-cut oats, whole-grain breads, beans and wheat berries, may be beneficial for weight control. Moreover, choosing the proper portion sizes of the foods is also important when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. 

So, talking about healthy food, we can turn back to our ancestors, about their food. We have forgotten the tiny grains, Millets.

Courtesy: Internet

Millet may not be the most common type of seed crop that you’re expecting on your table, but in fact, this group of highly variable seeded grasses are cultivated throughout the world, both for livestock feed and human consumption. These small grain plants are primarily produced in India, who cultivates over 8 million tons every years, followed by a number of larger African countries and China. Millet can be used as a traditional cereal, but can also be used in porridge, snacks, and other breads, as it is very high in starch, like most other grains. Millet is also a very good source of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and organic compounds that can significantly boost human health in various ways. Some of the best health benefits of millet include its ability to protect your heart health, protect yourself from diabetes, improve your digestive system, lower your risk of cancer, detoxify the body, boost respiratory health, optimize your immune system, increase your energy levels, and improve your muscle and nerve health.

Millet provides a host of nutrients, has a sweet nutty flavor, and is considered to be one of the most digestible and non-allergenic grains available. It is one of the few grains that is alkalizing to the body.

Health Benefits:

• Millet is alkaline and it digests easily.
• Millet will hydrate your colon to keep you from being constipated.
• Millet acts as a prebiotic feeding microflora in your inner ecosystem.
• The serotonin in millet is calming to your moods.
• Millet is a smart carb with lots of fiber and low simple sugars. Because of this it has a relatively low glycemic index and has been shown to produce lower blood sugar levels than wheat or rice.
• Magnesium in millet can help reduce the effects of migraines and heart attacks.
• Niacin (vitamin B3) in millet can help lower cholesterol.
• Millet consumption decreases triglycerides and C-reactive protein. 
• All millet varieties show high antioxidant activity.
• Millet is gluten-free and non-allergenic. A great grain for sensitive individuals.
• Millet’s high protein content (15 percent) makes is a substantial addition to a vegetarian diet.

I'm happy to share some millet recipes. I've compiled all my millet recipes under one page for my friends' comfort! Here We go!

Ragi - Thinai Idli 

Thinai Pongal

Ragi Doasi

Veg - Kambu Chappathi

Kambu Kara Appam / Dosai

Ragi Pidi Kozhukkattai

Millet Oothappam

Kollu / Horse Gram Paratha

If you feel, you like these recipes, please post your valuable comments. Thank you all for your continuous support and encouragement. Will post more millet recipes soon. Till then, bye! Have a healthy life.

Kezhvaraghu / Ragi Dosai or Finger Millet Dosai

Kezhvaraghu / Ragi Dosai or Finger Millet Dosai

Benefits of Kezhvaraghu or Ragi are numerous and it is a highly nutritious cereal loaded with calcium, proteins, iron and other minerals. It is rich in fiber and contains very less unsaturated fat that makes it a perfect food for weight loss.

Ragi is a powerhouse of health benefiting nutrients that help in reducing weight and also acts as a treatment for multiple diseases like Brittle Bones,

Osteoporosis, Anaemia and Diabetes. It is a natural relaxant that helps in relieving stress and anxiety. It is one such rare cereal that doesn’t need to be polished and, therefore, can be consumed in its purest form with all its goodness intact.

The benefits includes:

• Helps in Weight Loss
• Increases Bone Strength
• Controls Diabetes
• Reduces Cholesterol
• Aids Relaxation
• Good Source of Protein and Amino Acids
• Treats Anemia
• Helps Digestion
• Increases Lactation
• Reverts Skin Aging

Ingredients

Ragi / Finger Millet - 1 cup

Kai kuthal Arisi / Hand pounded Rice - 1/2 cup
Par boiled Rice / Idli Rice - 1/2 cup
Black gram Dhall - 1/2 cup
Aval / Rice flakes - 1 scoop
Salt - as required
Curry leaves - 2 to 3 strands
Coriander leaves - 2 to 3 strands

Method

Soak Ragi, hand-pounded rice, par-boiled rice, black gram and rice flakes for about 7 to 8 hours. If you are going to prepare dosa for breakfast, then you have to soak the above in the before night.

Wet grind the soaked rice and dhall with curry leaves and coriander leaves to a dosa batter consistency.

Add salt as per your requirement.

You can start preparing dosa as soon as you finish grinding. This dosa don't need fermentation.

Serve hot with coconut chutney and Sambar.

Have a happy and healthy life. Will post more healthy millet recipes soon. Till then, Bye!