SWEETS:- Asoka Halwa

This sweet is named,  in remembrance of the "Great King Charavartin Samrat Asoka". 

Ingredients:

Moong Dal    50 gms

Wheat flour    50 gms

Ghee           100 gms

Sugar          150 gms

Cashews        10 gms (cut in to pieces)

Badam           10 gms ( cut into pieces)

Cardamom powder    2 tsp

Nutmeg powder       a pinch

Food colour          as required


Method:

 Dry Roast Moong  dal slightly, for few minutes, till the raw smell goes and soak for 20 minutes. Pressure cook the moong dal with 10 gms of ghee and mix it well together. Mash it well, when the pressure releases.

 Heat a non-stick pan, with 10 gms of ghee and roast the cashews and badams and keep it aside.

 In the same pan, heat 50 gms of ghee, and add wheat flour and roast it, till the flour changes to golden brown colour. Now add the cooked moong dal to this. Mix well, add the remaining ghee little by little, so that the mixture wont stick to the sides.

 Now add sugar, cahews and badams, food colour, Cardamom powder, and nutmeg powder one-by-one. Mix well till the ghee oozes out a little.

 Remove from the flame and transfer it to a bowl, which is greased with ghee.

Yummy and Tasty Ashoka halwa is ready to serve!!!

SEERAGA SAMBA VEGETABLE RICE

INGREDIENTS:

Seeraga Samba rice – 1 cup (250g)

            Onion – 2

Tomato -2

Carrot, Beans, Peas, Capsicum etc. – 150g

Ginger – 1 piece

Garlic cloves – 10

Lemon – ½

Salt

Oil – 3 tbs

Ghee

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Sambar Powder – 1 ½ tsp

Coriander,

mint  leaves – 1 handful

FOR SEASONING:

            Cinnamon – 1 piece

            Cloves – 2

            Cardamom – 2

            Fennel seeds or Sombu – 1 tsp

            Jathipathri or Mace – 1

            Star Anise – 1

            Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

 METHOD:

           

1.    Soak Seeraga samba rice in a bowl of water.

2.    Heat oil in a pressure pan and add the ingredients given for seasoning one by one. Saute for a minute and add onions.

3.    Crush ginger and garlic and add them and cook till the raw smell goes off.

4.    Add the vegetables and pinch of salt. The helps the water content to come out of the vegetables and lessen the cooking time.

5.    Add the powders and cook for a minute.

6.    Add 1 ½ cups of water, salt and allow it to boil.

7.    Add the soaked rice and stir gently till it is half cooked.

8.    Add lemon juice, coriander and mint leaves.

9.    Close the Pressure cooker and allow it up to 2 whistles on high flame and 5 minutes on low flame.

10.  After the pressure goes off, open the lid, add ghee and stir gently and close the lid.

11.  After 5 minutes aromatic vegetable rice will be ready.
12. Onion raitha with a pinch of chat masala will be a good side dish.

Health Benefits of Seeraga Samba rice:

1.    This rice variety resembles the shape of Jeera ( cumin) , it is called seeraga samba.

2.    It has its own aromatic flavor and small in size.

3.    It is easily digestable, prevents gastric disorders & increases the appetite.

4.    Hand broken rice contains Selenium which prevents the cancer of colon & intestines. This has got more fiber contents & also anti-oxidants. Hence it will remove the chemicals in colon & intestines, so they will not stay to create cancer of colon & intestines.

5.    It contains more Phytonutrients and Magnesium which preserves bone density.

6.    The Glycemic index (GI) is 56 to 58. It means food will be digested & absorbed slowly and glucose will be released more slowly and steadily (Glucose has a glycemic index of 100)

SIRU THAANIYA DOSAI / MILLETS DOSAI

INGREDIENTS:

            Thinai rice or Foxtail Millet – 100g

            Samai rice or Little millet – 100 g

            Varagu rice or Kodo millet – 100g

            Kudraivali or Barnyard millet – 100g

            Kambu or Pearl mittet – 50g

            Kezhvaragu or Ragi – 50 g

            Red rice – 100g

            Raw rice – 50g

            Fenugreek – 2 tsp

            Urad dhal – 250g

            Salt

METHOD:

1.    Soak Urad dhal and fenugreek separately and the other items separately for 1 to 2 hours.

2.    Wash the ingredients well before soaking because tiny sand particles and husk will be present. And also the soaked water can be used while grinding.

3.    Grind Urad dhal and fenugreek finer just as we grind for idly batter.

4.    Add the other items and grind along with urad dhal and grind together till smooth.

5.    Remove in a container so that there is space for fermenting.

6.    Add salt and  and mix well.

7.    Leave it to ferment for 6 to 8 hrs.

8.    Now the batter will be ready for making dosas.

9.    The same batter can be used for Kuzhipaniyaram varieties.

10. We add jaggery for sweet paniyarams.

11. Seasoning with mustard, cumin, urad dhal and adding onions and chilly, Kara Paniyaram can be made.

12. We can even add grated carrot, cabbage, capsicum to make the kara paniyaram more healthy.

Note:

            Now boiled varieties of millets are available in many stores. Boiled  millets are more healthier than raw millets.

Why to eat millets?

1. Millets are gluten free, rich in fiber and proteins.

2. Mostly they are grown organic without any pesticides and chemicals.

3.Millets are highly nutritious, non-glutinous and not acid forming foods. Hence they are soothing and easy to digest

4. Compared to rice, especially polished rice, millets release lesser percentage of glucose and over a longer period of time. This lowers the risk of diabetes. Much suitable for diabetic patients and people who are hoping to reduce weight

5. Rich in source of minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium. Finger millet (Ragi) is the richest in calcium content, about 10 times that of rice or wheat. 

Millet Varieties:

English	Tamil	Hindi
Pearl millet	Kambu	Bajra
Foxtail Millet	Thinai	Kangni
Kodo Millet	Varagu	Kodra
Barnyard Millet	Kuthiraivali	Jhangora
Little Millet	Saamai	Kutki
Finger Millet	Kelveragu	Mandua
Sorgum	Cholam	Jowar

Red chutney

Ingredients:-

Dry Red chillies = 22 nos.

Garlic cloves = 8 cloves

Tamarind = 1 small amla size

Salt to taste

For seasoning:-

Cooking Oil or Gingelly oil = 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds = 1 tsp

Asafoetida = 1/4 tsp

Method:-

Soak red chilies in hot water for 30 mins, soak to the level of red chilly only. And Soak tamarind along with red chillies.

Grind all items given under ingredients, to a fine paste, using mixie.

Heal oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Switch off the flame and add asafoetida and pour this seasoning on top of the cutney and give a gentle mix.

Method of Preparing DOSA BATTER( or Dosai in Tamil)

Ingredients:

Urid Dal = 1/2 cup

Idli rice = 2 and half cups

Raw rice = 1 and half cups

Fenugreek = 1 tsp.

Salt = to taste


Method:

Wash and soak urid dal for 2 hrs.

Wash and soak, Idli rice, Raw rice and fenugreek seeds for 3 hrs.

First grind the urid dal to a smooth paste and remove it from the grinder, and store it in a vessel. Now Grind the soaked Rice mixture to 90 percent (not fine paste).

Remove the batter and add it to urid dal batter and add salt.

Mix the batters together using hand only, because it helps in fermenting process. Ferment for 10 hours.

After fermentation, the batter rises to some extent, now mix well using a spatula ( or karandi), and refrigerate it. Batter is ready to make Crisp dosai.

PANEER PALAK (without masala)

Ingredients:

            Palak -  1bunch

            Tomato – 1

            Moong dhal – 50g

            Garlic cloves – 4

            Onion – 1

            Ginger – 1 small piece

            Paneer – 15 cubes

            Sambar powder – 1 tsp

            Cumin  - ½ tsp

            Oil – 1 tsp

            Salt

Method:

            Pressure cook Moong dhal, tomato, Palak leaves, ginger and garlic up to 2 whistles on high flame. After it cools down, grind the above to paste. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, onions and saute till light brown, add Paneer and saute for a minute. Add salt and Sambar powder. Add the palak paste to it and cook for 2 minutes.

            Spices and garam masala powder can be added if needed. To get a more thick consistency Cashew and poppy seed paste can be added at the end. Even without onion and garlic the receipe tastes good.