DAL SUKKA | MOONG DAL SUKHI RECIPE

Yesterday i tried this dal sukka from Mallika badrinath’s Kurma varieties book.It was very nice..We all liked it..My hubby had this with chapathi , My doter savored this with dosa and me with curd rice..This dal tasted best for everything.If u’ve got bored by making the same Veg / Aloo kurmas , i would say this dal sukka is a nice replacement.Healthy & Easy too..Try this and let me know ..

Ingredients:

• Moong dal – 1/4 cup
• Big onion – 2nos (chopped finely)
• Ginger ,Garlic – A few pieces or u can use G &G paste of 1 tsp
• Green chilly – 1 no (long one) (adjust)
• Jeera /cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Red chilly powder –1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Salt & water – As needed
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves – to garnish
• Lemon Juice – A few drops

Method :

• Grind ginger , garlic and green chilly to a paste and set aside.
• Take a broad kadai ( i did it in the cooker base directly).Add a tbsp of oil and add  the paste to it.saute for sometime and then add the onion julienne's.
• Saute till it turns transparent.
• Then add all the powders and mix well.Do not add water ..All the masala get cooked in the oil itself.A nice aroma wafts around.
• Now add the moong dal and fry for a minute.
• Add the water , required salt and close the cooker .
• Cook till the moong dal gets cooked.I kept for one whistle.
• Now open the cooker and mash the dal a little with ladle.
• Roast the jeera in little oil and add it to the cooked dal.
• Add few drops of lime juice and mix well.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with chapatti , curd rice. dosa/idly and NJOY !!
KITCHEN CLINIC :

Moong dal : Description: A tiny, round dried bean (about 1/8 inch in diameter) with a thick outer skin that may be green, brown or black in colour. When peeled, the inside of the bean provides a golden yellow or mustard-coloured, soft-textured meat that is somewhat sweet in flavour, tender when cooked and easily digested. Originating in India, the bean is referred to as Yellow Moong, Yellow Split Mung or Moong Dal, where it is often used to make curries and a food dish referred to as "Dal." making batters for pancakes and fritters. How to select: whole moong dal or green gram, are small, oval and olive green in colour. When split, they are small, flattish and yellow. Use: Moong beans are prepared as whole, peeled, or split for use in pilafs, soups, stews, and bean dishes. They are also ground for use in flours and as an ingredient for various food mixtures. When made into flour, the starch in the ground bean enables it to be used to make very thin noodle known as bean-threads or cellophane noodles. The flour also is used to make breads and sweets. Another common use for this bean is to produce transparent bean sprouts, which become a crunchy and flavourful ingredient for salads, egg dishes, stir-fried dishes, and sandwiches. Moong dal is popularly cooked with generous amount of clarified butter or ghee, sugar, nuts and spices to make the delicious sweet "Moong Dal Halwa". It is also used in Spiced rice and moong dal is one of the most complete and quick meals you can make. How to store: The bean can be easily sprouted in approximately 2 days by dampening cheesecloth and placing the beans between the layers of the cloth, kept in a darkened room or area. After sprouting, place the bean sprouts in a plastic bag, refrigerate and use soon after being grown. If not using them soon after sprouting, blanche the sprouts for 30 to 45 seconds in boiling water, then place the sprouts in ice water, refrigerate, and keep immersed in water. They can then be kept refrigerated for approximately 1 week. Health benefits: Whole yellow lentils are split to obtain moong dal. They are extremely easy to cook, need little soaking and are easy to digest. Its low in fat & cholesterol, high in dietary fiber & rich in protein, making it an excellent heart healthy food choice with established health benefits. Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Energy - 1,452 kJ (347 kcal) Carbohydrates -62.62 g Sugars -6.60 g Dietary fiber - 16.3 g Fat - 1.15 g Protein - 23.86 g Vitamin C - 4.8 mg (8%) Calcium - 132 mg (13%) Magnesium - 189 mg (51%) Phosphorus - 367 mg (52%) Potassium - 1246 mg (27%) Sodium - 15 mg (1%)

TRIED & TASTED :
MUTTER PANEER FROM MY DHABA
I tried this mutter paneer for chapathi last month .Sorry for delayed posting. It was very nice , yummy and we enjoyed it.I rarely buy &  make side dishes with paneer and we are not very much fond of it too..But this gravy was really good and if i make any paneer dishes in future i will surely keep this kurma as first choice.Thanks a lot VKN :)

SAMOSA

I am a big fan of samosa.Whenever  i go to chat shops /Bakeries or theatres , i surely have a samosa without fail.I really wanted to try triangular shaped cripsy  samosas for a long time. After seeing this post ,I got the confidence to prepare samosa .Thanks a lot sailu for giving clear step by step pics.I tried my own by making slight changes in the actual recipe..It came out very well.I just relished it with tomato sauce.I am posting this delectable samosa for u all and for my future reference ..

Ingredients :

For dough :

• Maida – 1 cup
• Rava / Semolina – 1 tsp
• Ice cold water – As required
• Salt – As needed.
• Baking soda – a pinch (optional)
• Jeera – 1/2 tsp

For stuffing :

• Potato – 4 nos (Boiled and mashed)
• Green peas – 1/2 cup (cooked)
• Big onion – 2 nos (finely chopped)
• Ginger & garlic paste -  1 tsp
• Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1.5 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves – a few (chopped )
• Lemon juice – a few drops
• Salt – As required.
• Oil – 2 tbsp

Method :

• Knead the dough with the above said ingredients and keep it closed with a wet cloth for 20 mins.
• Prepare the stuffing by keeping  a kadai with oil.
• Add the onions, G& G paste and saute well till raw smell disappears.
• Then add the spices given in the same order and mix well.
• Finally add the crumbled potato pieces and green peas.
• Add the required salt and mix well to become a whole mass.
• Add water if necessary.Switch off the flame and add the lemon juice & coriander leaves.Remove the stuffing and set aside.
• Take the dough and make small balls of equal size.
• Shape it as given here and fill the stuffing.
• Make the samosas and deep fry both sides till golden brown.

Enjoy with tomato ketchup / sauce.

KITCHEN CLINIC :

COOKING OIL : Cooking oil is purified fat of plant origin, which is usually liquid at room temperature (saturated oils such as coconut and palm are more solid at room temperature than other oils). Some of the many different kinds of edible vegetable oils include: olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, pumpkin seed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil, argan oil and rice bran oil. Many other kinds of vegetable oils are also used for cooking. The generic term "vegetable oil" when used to label a cooking oil product may refer to a specific oil (such as rapeseed oil[1]) or may refer to a blend of a variety of oils often based on palm, corn, soybean or sunflower oils. Oil can be flavored by immersing aromatic food stuffs such as fresh herbs, peppers, garlic and so forth in the oil for a period of time. However, care must be taken when storing flavored oils to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum (the bacteria that produces toxins that can lead to botulism). Health and nutrition The appropriate amount of fat as a component of daily food consumption is the topic of some controversy. Some fat is required in the diet, and fat (in the form of oil) is also essential in many types of cooking. The FDA recommends that 30% or less of calories consumed daily should be from fat. Other nutritionists recommend that no more than 10% of a person's daily calories come from fat.In extremely cold environments, a diet that is up to two-thirds fat is acceptable and can, in fact, be critical to survival. While consumption of small amounts of saturated fats is essential, meta-studies conducted by several scientists find high correlation between excessive amounts of such fats and coronary heart disease. Mayo Clinic highlighted oils that are high in saturated fats include coconut, palm oil and palm kernel oil. Those of lower amounts of saturated fats, and higher levels of unsaturated (preferably monounsaturated) fats like olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocado, safflower, corn, sunflower, soy, mustard and cottonseed oils are generally healthier.The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and World Heart Federation have urged saturated fats be replaced with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. The health body lists olive and canola oils as sources of monounsaturated oils while soybean and sunflower oils are rich with polyunsaturated fat. Results of research carried out in Costa Rica in 2005 suggest that consumption of non-hydrogenated unsaturated oils like soybean and sunflower are preferable to the consumption of palm oil. The labeling of the cholesterol content of foods on the basis of their total saturated fat content is unjustified because not all saturated fats have negative effects on cholesterol.Palmitic acid in palm oil, does not behave like other saturated fats, and is neutral on cholesterol levels because it is equally distributed among the three “arms” of the triglyceride molecule. Studies have indicated that palm oil consumption reduces blood cholesterol in comparison with other traditional sources of saturated fats such as coconut oil, dairy and animal fats. In 2007, scientists Kenneth C. Hayes and Pramod Khosla of Brandeis University and Wayne State University have indicated that the focus of current research has shifted from saturated fats to individual fats and percentage of fatty acids (saturates, monounsaturates, polyunsaturates) in the diet. An adequate intake of both polyunsaturated and saturated fats is needed for the ideal LDL/HDL ratio in blood, as both contribute to the regulatory balance in lipoprotein metabolism. Oils high in unsaturated fats may help to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and may also raise "good" HDL cholesterol, though these effects are still under study. Peanut, cashew, and other nut-based oils may also present a hazard to persons with a nut allergy. A severe allergic reaction may cause anaphylactic shock and result in death. Cooking with oils Heating an oil changes its characteristics. Oils that are healthy at room temperature can become unhealthy when heated above certain temperatures. When choosing a cooking oil, it is important to match the oil's heat tolerance with the cooking method. A 2001 parallel review of 20-year dietary fat studies in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Spain found that polyunsaturated oils like soya, canola, sunflower, and corn oil degrade easily to toxic compounds when heated. Prolonged consumption of burnt oils led to atherosclerosis, inflammatory joint disease, and development of birth defects. The scientists also questioned global health authorities’ recommendation that large amounts of polyunsaturated fats be incorporated into the human diet without accompanying measures to ensure the protection of these fatty acids against heat- and oxidative-degradation. Palm oil contains more saturated fats than canola oil, corn oil, linseed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil. Therefore, palm oil can withstand the high heat of deep frying and is resistant to oxidation compared to highly unsaturated vegetable oils.Since about 1900, palm oil has been increasingly incorporated into food by the global commercial food industry because it remains stable in deep frying or in baking at very high temperatures. and for its high levels of natural antioxidants. Oils that are suitable for high-temperature frying (above 230 °C/446 °F) because of their high smoke point include: Avocado oil Rapeseed oil (marketed Canola oil or, sometimes, simply "vegetable oil" in the UK) Corn oil Mustard oil Palm oil Peanut oil (marketed as "groundnut oil" in the UK) Rice bran oil Safflower oil Sesame oil (semi-refined) Soybean oil Sunflower oil Oils suitable for medium-temperature frying (above 190 °C/374 °F) include: Almond oil Ghee, Clarified butter Cottonseed oil Grape seed oil Lard Diacylglycerol (DAG) oil Olive oil (Virgin, and refined) Walnut oil Mustard oil Unrefined oils should not be used for frying, but are safe for simmering. Storing and keeping oil Whether refined or not, all oils are sensitive to heat, light, and exposure to oxygen. Rancid oil has an unpleasant aroma and acrid taste, and its nutrient value is greatly diminished. To delay the development of rancid oil, a blanket of an inert gas, usually nitrogen, is applied to the vapor space in the storage container immediately after production. This is referred to as tank blanketing. All oils should be kept in the refrigerator or a cool, dry place. Oils may thicken, they will soon return to liquid if they stand at room temperature. To prevent negative effects of heat and light, oils should be removed from cold storage just long enough for use. Refined oils high in monounsaturated fats keep up to a year (olive oil will keep up to a few years), while those high in polyunsaturated fats keep about six months. Extra-virgin and virgin olive oils keep at least 9 months after opening. Other monounsaturated oils keep well up to eight months, while unrefined polyunsaturated oils will keep only about half as long. In contrast, saturated oils, such as coconut oil and palm oil, have much longer shelf lives and can be safely stored at room temperature. Their lack of polyunsaturated content causes them to be more stable.

JAVVARISI/SABUDANA PAYASAM

Hello everybody ,

How r u all ? Sorry for absconding these days .I had an unexpected trip to my native and i was there for the past one week.Some of my readers have asked me why i am not regular in my posts .Actually  i felt happy that there are some friends who visit my blog regularly and care for me..plz be around and encourage me.Hereafter I’ll try to be in par & will come out with nice recipes..

Now coming to this post , every friday i do vilakku pooja at home and i usually make AVAL or  RICE payasam .Today for a change, i tried javvarisi payasam.I learnt this from my MIL.. It came out very well and tasted yum.. But i forgot to add cashews &  cloves..   ;)

INGREDIENTS :

• SABUDANA / JAVVARISI ( I used white ones ie..maavu javvarisi ) – 1/4 cup
• Powdered jaggery – 1/4 cup
• Cardamom – 2-3 nos (powdered)
• Cashew – 2 nos (fried in ghee)
• Cloves – 1 - 2 no ( fried in ghee)
• Ghee – 1tsp
• Coconut milk – 1/4 cup
• Milk & water – As needed

METHOD :

• Take a kadai and add a tsp of ghee..Fry the cashews and cloves.set aside.
• In the remaining ghee , fry the sabudana till it puffs up..(  the size of the sabudana gets doubled and becomes crispy) .Do it in medium flame.
• Now pressure cook the roasted sabudana with water up to one whistle or u can soak the roasted sabudana in hot water for half an hour and cook in a bowl..No need to pressure cook in this method.
• Make sure the sabudana is not over cooked and turns mushy instead it shud be visible & separate.
• Then in a wide mouthed bowl take the powdered jaggery and add water to cover it.
• Melt the jaggery to make a syrup and allow it to boil till the raw smell disappears.
• Add this syrup to the cooked sabudana and mix well.Let it boil for sometime..If u feel this mixture is very thick , add required water and boil it.Dont add Milk at this point becoz it may curdle.Always Milk should be added after removing from the flame.
• Then add the roasted cashews, cloves and cardamom powder.
• Remove from fire and add the coconut milk.
• Add milk if necessary to make it watery / thin.

Enjoy !!

TIPS :

• If u think, u have added more jaggery and if it is very sweetish , add milk to reduce the sweetness..
• Coconut milk gives  a nice  flavor & texture to this payasam , so dont forget to add it at the end.

SAGO / SABUDANA : Sago flour (from Metroxylon) is nearly pure carbohydrate and has very little protein, vitamins, or minerals. However, as sago palms are typically found in areas unsuited for other forms of agriculture, sago cultivation is often the most ecologically appropriate form of land-use, and the nutritional deficiencies of the food can often be compensated for with other readily available foods. One hundred grams of dry sago yields 355 calories, including an average of 94 grams of carbohydrate, 0.2 grams of protein, 0.5 grams of dietary fiber, 10 mg of calcium, 1.2 mg of iron, and negligible amounts of fat, carotene, thiamine, and ascorbic acid. Sago can be stored for weeks or months, although it is generally eaten soon after it is processed.

SWEET PUTTU

We prepare this puttu mainly on ‘shivarathiri day’…So we call this as Shivarathiri puttu ...This is made out of rice flour and jaggery.My mil makes home made rice flour by soaking raw rice etc. For the actual procedure , see here with pictures. U can try with good quality store bought rice flour too.. 

Ingredients :

• Raw rice / Maavu arisi  - 1 cup
• Jaggery – 3/4 – 1 cup (depends )
• Channa dal / kadalai paruppu – 1 handful (soak in water )
• Cardamom – 3-4 seeds (powdered)
• Salt – very little..
• Ghee – 1 tsp (optional )

Method :

• Soak the raw rice/Maavu arisi in water for 2 hrs .
• Drain the water and spread the rice on a news paper / cloth for 10 mins so that the excess water gets absorbed..
• Grind the rice in a mixie or processer to make powder..(rice should be little moist )
• Sieve and again grind it to make a fine powder.
• **If u use store bought rice flour , u can start from the next step..But u should add little water mixed with salt to make the flour a bit wet.
• Grease the idly plate with oil and keep the finely ground rice flour on the idly plate.
• Steam it for 10 to 15 mins..
• In the mean time take the soaked channa dal and pressure cook till it blossoms.
• Do not over cook the channa dal.Usually what we do is , we keep the channa dal in a bowl with water inside the idly pot and allow it to cook along with the rice flour..By the time the rice flour gets ready , the channa dal will also get cooked and blossomed..
• Mix the channa dal & rice flour .
• Take the jaggery in a wide mouthed bowl and add little water just to cover it.
• Melt the jaggery and strain the impurities if any..
• Allow the jaggery to boil till it becomes frothy..
• Now mix the jaggery syrup to rice flour mixture ..
• Add the cardamom powder .. Mix well and Njoy  by adding a tsp of ghee !!

KITCHEN CLINIC :

JAGGERY : Hey folks, do you know that a single chunk of jaggery is rich in number of nutrients. It is popularly known as gur to all of us. Believe me, it is a wonderful tablet that can cure you from niggling health problems like cough, asthma, indigestion, fatigue, migraine etc. so never ever think twice for eating this nutritious food. You will be glad to read that a single small piece of jaggery helps in purifying your blood prevents mood swings. It helps in regulating one’s liver functions and preventing rheumatic afflictions. Always remember that regular intake of small chunk of jaggery in your diet helps in regulating your blood pressure and also helps in getting rid of the body toxins. So don’t think, just include this rich food in your diet for gaining all its benefits! All in all for maintaining the optimum health, including jaggery in your diet especially in winters can be the best thing that you can do. Nutritionally, jaggery is a storehouse of nutrients like proteins, minerals, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, vitamins, potassium etc, which are very much required for the normal functioning of your body systems. you will  be glad to read that consuming jaggery in winters helps in generating enough heat in the body, thus keeping you warm inside and warding off the cold temperature at the same time. In winter, there is a drop in our body temperature, and as a result we have to try harder to keep ourselves warm. Consuming jaggery not only provides you with much-needed energy but also keeps you warm. Great! Isn’t it? So what more are you thinking now, just gorge on chikki made of jaggery and nuts or small chunk of jaggery itself and enjoy this chilly cold weatherwithout getting affected from seasonal ailments.

Take care , catch u all in my next post

KASHMIRI PULAO

I tried this pulao from Mrs.Mallika badrinath’s “Rice delights” cook book.I wanted to try this pulao after tasting in a restaurant.I wont say this one tasted exactly as i had in restaurant.But it was good and tasted unique.. we all liked it.

A note to weight watchers :  Though this pulao is healthy with all fruits,veggies and nuts , its highly calorific!!! U can try this by avoiding paneer , butter & fresh cream.Replace fresh cream with condensed milk ..

This would be suitable for kids and slim people like me !!

Ingredients :

• Basmati rice – 1 cup
• Water – 2 cups
• Cooked Carrot – 2 nos (diced)
• Cooked Peas – 1/4 cup
• Pine apple  , Apple – 1 cup (diced )
• Capsicum –1 no (diced )
• Paneer  cubes – a few
• Saffron threads – a few (soak in warm milk )
• Big onions – 2 nos (sliced )
• Fresh cream – 2 tbsp
• Butter – 1 tbsp
• Sugar – 2 tsp ( if u want u can reduce the sugar by half)
• Salt – as required
• Rose water – 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Cloves & cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp (to get 1/4 tsp grind 3 cardamom seeds & 4 cloves together to make a powder )
• Bay leaf – 1 no
• Cashews, Almond and pista – 1 handful.
• Dry grapes – 1 fistful

Method :

• Cook the diced carrot and peas in a cooker and set aside.Take care they dont get over cooked.
• Wash and soak  the rice in 2 cups of water for 30 mins.(if u want u can fry the rice in ghee before soaking ). Pressure cook the rice by adding a tsp of ghee and salt. Rice should be separate and grainy.
• In a wide mouthed kadai , fry the onions till brown & crisp.Keep it aside.
• Also deep fry the paneer cubes and keep it in hot water .
• In a broad kadai take a tbsp of oil and add the bay leaf and cumin seeds.
• Then add capsicum pieces and saute till it becomes soft.
• Add the cooked peas , carrot , boiled rice , fresh cream , dry fruits , nuts ,sugar , saffron milk and required salt .
• Toss it well..Before  switching off the flame add the rose water , fruit pieces , paneer cubes , cardamom & clove powder and butter.
• Mix well and switch off the flame.

Serve hot with raita or any kurma of ur choice..

After a looooooooooong time i am participating in an event..

I prepared this pulao for my hubby’s lunch box..so i am sending this entry to Radhika Vasant’s lunchbox event.Hope she would accept this :) ..