Ghee Rice

Source:

Mrs. Bagyalakshmi Anandam


Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Carrot - 1 (finely chopped)

Fresh Green Peas - 1/4 cup

Ghee - 2 to 3 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

Cardamom - 2

Cinnamon Sticks - 2


Method:

1.  Wash and soak rice in 2 cups of water for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Then, drain the rice and save the soaked water.  Keep aside.

2.  In a pressure pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee.  Add cardamom (whole) and cinnamon sticks and saute.

3.  Add the drained rice and fry till light golden.

4.  Add the soaked water (used for soaking the rice) and salt, chopped carrots, and fresh green peas.  Close lid of the pan.  Put on the weight when steam comes out and pressure cook for 5 minutes on low medium flame.

5.  When the pressure is completely released, open the lid and add the rest of the ghee and mix until all the ingredients are uniformly spread over.

6.  Serve hot with mixed vegetable gravy.

Notes:

Seeraga samba/Jeerakasala rice (biriyani rice) or the regular rice can also be used instead of basmati rice.  Adjust water accordingly.

Vegetable Dhal Oothappam

Source:

Mrs. Saraswathi


Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 1 cup

Par Boiled Rice - 1 cup

Urad Dal - 1/4 cup

Thuar Dal - 1/4 cup

Salt - 2 tsp or to taste

Carrots - 2 (grated)

Cabbage (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup

Onions - 2 (finely chopped)

Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) - 2 tbsp

Idli Chilli Powder (Idli podi) - As needed

Oil - To fry oothappams


Method: 

1.  Wash and soak the raw rice, par boiled rice, and the dhals for at least 2 hours.

2.  Grind together to a smooth and thick dosa batter adding salt and water as necessary.  Allow to ferment for at least 6 to 8 hours.

3.  Just before making oothappams, mix together grated carrots, chopped onions, chopped cabbage, and coriander leaves.  Keep aside.

4.  Heat a dosa tawa and smear it with little oil.  Pour a ladle of the batter in the center of the tawa and spread around to 1 cm thickness to form oothappams.  Sprinkle the veggie mixture all over the dosa and then top it with the idli milagai podi.  Pour 1 tsp of oil all around and close with a lid.  After a minute, remove the lid and turn over the oothappam to cook on the other side.  Drizzle oil if needed.

5.  When done, serve hot with coconut chutney or any other chutney of your choice.  Generally, coconut chutney, tomato chutney, onion chutney, or a tomato onion chutney are the best combinations.  The oothappams can also be had as such as they have the spiciness and the crunchiness of the vegetables making it a complete meal to relish.  This dish is best for a healthy morning breakfast.

Oats Chocolate Cookies

Source:

Podhigai TV


Ingredients:

Powdered Oats - 1 cup

Maida - 3/4 cup

Ragi Flour - 1/4 cup

Powdered Sugar - 1 cup

Desiccated Coconut - 1 cup

Oil - 1/2 cup

Cocoa Powder - 2 tbsp

Golden Syrup/Honey - 2 tbsp

Water - 2 tbsp

Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 pinch

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp


Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees C for 10 minutes.

2.  Mix together powdered oats, maida, ragi flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and desiccated coconut until well combined.  Keep aside. 

2.  Mix together the wet ingredients of oil, golden syrup or honey, vanilla essence, and water.  Combine together.

3.  To the dry ingredient mixture, add the wet ingredient mixture.  Mix well and gather to form a nonsticky dough like a chappathi dough.  If the dough does not hold together, add 1 tsp more of water and mix to dough.

4.  Make small balls and flatten a bit to say about 1/4 inch thickness.  Place them on a baking tray approximately 1 inch apart so that they do not stick together in the baking process.  

5.  Bake at 170 degrees in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the base of the cookies turn golden brown.  Switch off the oven and allow them to remain in the oven for another 5 minutes.  Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Place the cookies on a wire rack and allow to cool.  Store in an airtight container.  When hot, the cookies would be soft but get crispier when cooled.

Channa/Kondai Kadalai/Chickpea Kuzhambu

Source:

Mrs. Ranganayaki


Serves: 2


Ingredients:

Chickpea/Channa/Kondai Kadalai - 1/8 cup (heaped)

Thuar Dal - 1/8 cup (leveled)

Tamarind - 1 Marble sized ball (5 gm)

Sambhar Powder - 2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida Powder - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - Few

To Garnish:

Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp


Method:

1.  Wash and soak channa overnight for a minimum of 6 hours.

2.  Pressure cook channa and thuar dhal with enough water until 3 to 4 whistles.

3.  Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water and take extract.

4.  In a kadai, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida (hing).

5.  Then pour the tamarind extract into the kadai and bring to boil.  Add salt and sambhar powder and boil for a minute.

6.  Add the cooked channa and thuar dhal and bring to boil adding the water used to boil channa and the dhal.  When the kuzhambu becomes thick and all ingredients are well combined, switch off the flame and transfer to a serving dish.  Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

This kuzhambu goes well with cooked rice, dosa, or idlis.

Ragi Banana Brownies

Source:

Podhigai TV


Ingredients:

Maida - 1 ½ cups

Ragi Flour - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 2 cups

Cocoa Powder - 1/2 cup or 2 tbsp

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 pinch

Ripe Banana - 1

Water - 1/2 cup

Oil - 1/2 cup

Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp


Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees for 10 minutes.

2.  Grease a baking tray with oil or butter and then line with butter paper cut to size of the tray.

3.  Mix together all the dry ingredients viz., maida, ragi flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until well combined.

4.  To the dry mixture, add oil and mix well using a whisker without lump formation.

5.  Mash banana to paste and add this to the brownie mixture and mix until combined.

6.  To this, add water and combine well to get a brownie batter consistency.

7.  Pour this batter into the greased baking tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 180 degrees C temperature or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

9.  Cut brownie squares and cool on wire rack.  Store in airtight container.

These are healthy brownies with the goodness of ragi and bananas.  You can relish them as such or have them hot with a scoop of icecream and hot chocolate sauce or in any style of your imagination as your taste buds ask for.  Maida can be replaced with whole wheat flour to make it guilt free and healthier.