Cooker Halwa

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 1 Cup
Sugar - 2 Cups
Ghee
Vegetable Oil
Cashew - 10 pieces
Kesari Colour - 1 Pinch

Preparation Method

1. Sieve(Jalikkanum) Wheat flour well.
2. Mix water in the flour to get a thick Idli Flour consistency.
3. Steam in Cooker for about 2 whistles, and allow the flour to cool down.
4. After it is cool, mix well in mixie, or with a egg beater.
5. Add 1 cup water (200 ml), Kesari Powder and Sugar and mix well and heat the contents.
6. Heat oil in another container in the next stove and keep in low heat.
7. Now add ghee to the mixture once it boils and keep stirring well, so that it does not stick to the bottom.
8. Once the ghee is all absorbed, keep adding the oil slowly and stop when the oil starts separating to the side.
9. Add roasted cashews and pour it to a greased pan and allow it to cool.
10. Tasty halwa almost similar to Thirunelveli Halwa is ready.

Pavakkai Sadam – Spiced Bittergourd Rice

Pavakkai Sadam – Spiced Bittergourd Rice
(serves 2)Rice – 1 cup
Bittergourd – 8, about 6 inches long
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp, divided
Tamarind paste – 1 tbsp, divided
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Jaggery – 1 to 2 tsp
Salt
Oil

Spice Mixture Urad dal – 1 tbsp
Bengal gram – 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
Dried red chillies – 6 to 8
Cardamom – 1
Clove – 1
Cinnamon – ½ inch piece

MethodCook rice with 3 cups of water and ¼ tsp of turmeric powder. Adding turmeric powder gives a golden hue to the finished recipe, which may otherwise be a dull brown. The rice grains should be separate after cooking. Fluff and cool.

Cut the bittergourd into half moon rings. If the seeds are very tough and mature, scrape and discard. Otherwise retain the seeds; they add a mild crunch to the rice.

In a wide, deep skillet, roast the ingredients for the spice mixture in a tsp of oil. Cool and grind to a fine powder.

In the same skillet, boil bittergourd in 2 cups of water along with salt, turmeric powder and ½ tbsp of tamarind paste. When the gourd has turned soft (but not mushy), drain and discard the liquid. Return the skillet back to heat. In a tbsp of oil, splutter mustard seeds and roast curry leaves. Add the cooked bittergourd, along with ½ tsp of turmeric powder, jaggery and rest of the tamarind paste. On a medium fire, gently roast the gourd. When they start to caramelize, add the spice powder, rice and salt. Mix thoroughly and heat through.

If the rice seem very dry, drizzle a tsp of oil. Check for seasoning and serve hot with raita and chips.

Ragi Kanji

Sprouting Ragi

http://chefinyou.com/2009/05/how-to-sprout-raagi-finger-millet/

Sprouting Wheat

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Sprout-Wheat-Berries

Sprouting Moong Dal
http://www.indiacurry.com/healthycooking/beansprouts.htm
http://madhusvantalu.wordpress.com/2006/12/21/green-moong-dal-sprout-salad/

Ingredients:

Ragi - 1 cup
Wheat grains - 1 cup
Green Moong Dal - 1 cup

Almonds - 3
Cashew - 6
Pottu Kadalai - 2 Spoons
Ground Nut - 1 Spoon
Pinch of green cardamom powder

Method:

1. Soak ragi. Leave till sprouts come out.
2. Dry roast the sprouted ragi on a girdle ( tawa ).
3. Also roast wheat, green moongdal, almonds.
4. Mix all the roasted items.
5. Grind these to a fine powder Add green cardamom powder for flavour. Store in an airtight container.
When ready to use just add milk and sugar/salt to 2-3 spoonfuls of the powder to make a tasty and highly nutritious meal for your baby.

Can add a little ghee for taste.

For Infants (less than 1 year)
In 2-3 spoons above Ragi powder, add a glass of water, a pinch of salt, pepper and boil, for 5 minutes, when cooked add formula to thicken and give to baby.

Bisi Bela Bhath

Ingredients:
• 100 gms Rice
• 75 gms Tuar Dal (Arhar Dal)
• ½ cup Frozen Carrots
• ½ cup Frozen Beans
• ½ cup Frozen Potatoes
• ½ cup Frozen Peas
• 1 Tomato
• 2 tsp Oil
• A little pulp of Tamarind (Imli)
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
• ½ cup Coconut (desiccated)
• 1 tsp Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
• 2 Onions (sliced)
• Salt to taste

Spices To Grind
• 6 Curry Leaves
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds (Dhania)
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
• 3 Dry Red Chilies
• 1 tsp Aniseed/Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
• 1" stick Cinnamon (Dalchini)
• 4 pods Cardamom (Elaichi)
• 6 Cloves (Laung)
• 8 Peppercorns (Kali Mirchi)
How to make Bisi Bele Bhath:
• Wash rice and dal separately, and soak them for 10 minutes.
• Put the dal on heat till half cooked.
• Soak the tamarind pulp and keep it aside.
• Roast all the spices. Mix them with coconut, turmeric powder, ginger and garlic paste.
• Now grind the mixture into a thick paste using a little water. Keep this masala aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves to it.
• When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the sliced onions and fry till soft.
• Add tamarind juice and 1 cup of water to the onions. Let the water boil.
• Now add the rice, frozen vegetables, tomatoes, half-cooked tuar daal, masala and salt to the boiling water. Cook it on a low flame till done.
• Garnish Bisi Bele Bhath with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with a dash of pure ghee.