Corn Puluv

Corn Pulav

Hi Friends,

Almost after two years, I'm meeting you all. Hope all are Safe and staying Healthy. 

This Pandemic has changed all our lives upside down. But our food and food culture doesn't changed a bit. In fact, we have realised the importance and value of home-made food.

But, on the other side, we, the homemakers are overloaded with kitchen work and other house-hold chores. 

So, now, to make our cooking easier, I'm going to give some easy recipes. Here comes First recipe., CORN PULAV!

Corn Pulav

Health Benefits of Corn:

Courtesy: Internet

Corn has several health benefits. Because of the high fiber content, it can aid with digestion. It also contains valuable B vitamins, which are important to your overall health. Corn also provides our bodies with essential minerals such as zinc, magnesium, copper, iron and manganese. Corn is a good source of the antioxidants carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which promote eye health. Since corn is considered a starchy vegetable, people with diabetes need to keep in mind that a ½ cup of corn (or a small ear of corn) contains 15 grams of carbohydrate and counts as one carbohydrate food choice.

Now, lets move to the Recipe!

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Sweet Corn - 1 cup
Onion (big) - 1
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Bay Leaf - 1
Clove (Lavang) - 1
Salt - As required
Ghee - 1/2 tbsp
Cooking Oil - 1 tbsp

For grinding:

Onion (big) - 1
Green Chili - 1
Ginger - 1 small piece
Garlic - 4-5 units
Coriander Leaves (chopped) - 1 fistful
Mint Leaves (Pudhina) - 1 fistful

Method:

Wash Basmati Rice and soak in clean water for 20 minutes.

Wet Grind all the ingredients as a fine paste which are given for grinding.

Cut the Onion vertically,

In a pressure cooker, heat cooking oil! When it is hot, add Clove and Bay Leaf and saute for a second.

Add vertically chopped onion and saute till it becomes transparent.

Now add the ground paste and saute until the raw smell goes.

Now add Corn to it and mix well.

Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder one by one and saute well.

Now add soaked Basmati Rice to it and mix well.

Add rice : water in the ratio 1:2!

Add required salt and mix well.

Close the cooker and cook until 3 whistles.

Corn Pulav ready!

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Cucumber Raita or Onion Raita. 

Note:

If you want it more spicy, you can add  one more green chili or little more chilli powder!!

Will be back with yet another healthy recipe! 

Till then, Take Care! Stay Safe! Stay Healthy!

Kollu / Horse Gram Paratha

Kollu / Horse Gram Paratha

As we are in a faster Life Style, our food habits are becoming worse! So our health too!

To overcome our health issues, we are in a compulsion to have healthy food habit!

Today I'm going to give you a Very Very Healthy Recipe, yet a delicious one!

Kollu Paratha! Sounds great! Right? Come! Let's see how to make it!

Ingredients

For Chappathi:

Wheat flour / Atta - 2 cups
Salt - to taste.
Oil - 1 or 2 tsp

For Stuffing:

Kollu / Horse Gram - 1 cup
Grated Carrot - 1 cup
Grated Coconut (optional) - 1/2 cup
Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup
Curry Leaves - 2 strands
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Asafoitida powder - 1 pinch
Oil - as required
Salt - to taste
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Method

Kollu / Horse Gram Stuff:

Soak Kollu / Horse Gram for eight hours.

Pressure cook the soaked Kollu / Horse Gram up to 5 whistles.

Drain the water and allow it to cool.

(Don't waste the drained water! We can use this water in preparing soup, rasam, koottu, or just we can add it in Sambar! Nobody can find it!)

Grind the boiled Kollu / Horse Gram with Curry Leaves to a coarse powder.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a shallow bottomed pan!

Add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the coarsely ground Kollu powder!

Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, asafoitida powder and required salt!

Mix well and saute for 2 - 3 minutes.

Add the grated carrot and saute for another 3 minutes. If you wish to add grated Coconut, then add it now!

Switch off the stove and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

This is the stuff for our Paratha!

Paratha:

Prepare Chappathi dough using Wheat flour, Oil and Salt, in your method.

Make small balls of the dough.

Stuff the Kollu powder in those small balls and roll it.

Heat the Tawa! Prepare Parathas with very little oil!

Serve Hot with Tomato Chutney or Tomato Thokku!

Or a simple Dhall fry will go better with this Paratha!

Have a Healthy day! Will be back with yet another Yummy Recipe soon! Bye!

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!

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!

Thinai Arisi or Foxtail Millet Venn Pongal

Thinai Arisi / Foxtail Millet Venn Pongal

Pongal is a popular rice dish in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Sri Lanka. In Tamil, the root pong or pongu means to " boil over" or "spill over". We know that we do two types of Pongal, Cahkkarai Pongal, which is sweet made of using Jaggery and Venn Pongal, which is salty made of using pepper, ginger and salt! Here I'm giving a healthy Millet Venn Pongal, made with Thinai Arisi or Foxtail Millet, instead of regular Pacharisi or Raw Rice!

Ingredients

Thinai Arisi / Foxtail Millet - 1 cup
Pasi Paruppu / Green Gram Dhall - 1/2 cup
Milagu / Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Jeerakam / Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch
Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tsp
Salt - As required
Ghee / Oil - 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts - few

Method

Heat ghee or oil in a thick bottomed pressure cooker.

Add black pepper and cumin seeds one after another and when it splutters add chopped ginger to it saute for few seconds.

Add green gram shall to it and sauté for few minutes.

Add millet to it and sauté for few minutes.

Add asafoetida powder and salt to it and mix well.

Now add water to it in the following proportion.

1 tinai : 0.5 dhall : < 4.5 water (1 thinai + 1/2 dhall = 1 and a 1/2 cup. So more than 4.5 cup water. Rice and dhall must be so soft that it must be mashed!)

Mix the millet, dhall mixture to water well and close the lid. Pressure cook up to 3 whistles.

Season with Cashew nuts.

Thinai pongal is ready.

Serve hot with sambar and coconut chutney.

Will revert soon with another halthy dish. Have a great day! Bye!

Kezhvaraghu - Thinai Idli / Finger Millet - Foxtail Millet Idli

Kezhvaragu - Thinai Idli or Finger Millet - Foxtail Millet Idli

Courtesy: Internet

Here I'm giving the Ragi - Thinai Idli recipe. I've tried this and came out very well. I'm happy to share the recipe with you all.

Ingredients

Ragi / Finger Millet - 1 cup

Thinai Arisi / Foxtail Millet - 1 cup
Kai kuthal Arisi / Hand pounded Rice - 1/2 cup
Par boiled Rice / Idli Rice - 1/2 cup
Black gram Dhall - 3/4 cup
Aval / Rice flakes - 1 scoop
Salt - as required

Method

Soak Ragi, Thinai Arisi & both the rice as one group and black gram and rice flakes in another group for about 2 to 3 hours. If you are going to prepare idli for breakfast, then you have to soak the above in the before morning.

Wet grind the soaked rice and dhall separately to a idli batter consistency.

Add salt as per your requirement. Mix well and add required water at this stage itself.

Allow it to ferment for 7 to 8 hours.

Prepare Idli and serve hot with Sambar and coconut chutney.

Will meet you with yet another millet recipe soon. Bye!