Idly with Idly Rice, Sprouted Quinoa and Urad Dal / Quinoa Idly

Its an evident fact that nowadays people are looking at various ways to stay fit, grow younger and maintain a healthy living. They have started considering options and try to incorporate the new findings in our Indian cuisine. Recent additions in the present Indian Kitchens include Quinoa, Oats, old style millets, etc., I have never withdrawn myself from trying out new healthy options in my kitchen. Recently, one of my good friend hema treated me with her homemade sprouted quinoa idlies and horsegram dosai. I loved the texture and taste of her quinoa idlies and felt better than the quinoa idlies i was making then. I tried her recipe and came out with fluffy quinoa filled idlies. She made her idlies with sprouted quinoa and grinded them along with the Idly rice, Urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Generally I notice a slight aroma in quinoa idlies which some people might like or dislike. But in her version, that aroma was missing though which was perfectly fine for me.

Try this recipe with Idly rice, Urad Dal, fenugreek seeds and sprouted quinoa. Serve with any spicy chutney of your choice and sambar. An ultimate breakfast to kick start the day.

Ingredients

Idly Rice - 1.5 Cups
Urad Dal - 1.5 Cups
Sprouted Quinoa - 1.5 cups
Fenugreek Seeds - 2 tsp
Water - Enough to grind the Idly batter
Salt - As Required
Gingelly Oil - Enough to spread over the Idly Moulds

Method

• Wash the Quinoa twice and allow them to sprout by covering them for a day or two. Make sprouts just like how you make sprouts with other beans and lentils. It might take a day or two to get some good quinoa sprouts.
• Wash the idly rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds thoroughly and soak them together for 4-5 hours.
• Grind them in a mixer grinder along with the sprouted quinoa seeds together into a thick fluffy Idly batter.
• While grinding, add little water at intervals so that the batter gets fluffy and grinded properly.
• Once you notice a good fluffyness in the batter, transfer them to an airtight container for fermentation. Add required amount of salt at this stage.
• After 6-7 hours of fermentation, gently mix the fermented idly batter.
• Pour them over the oil smeared Idly moulds and steam them for 6-7 minutes.
• Switch off the flame. After 4-5 minutes, carefully take out the idlies from the moulds and serve them with spicy chutney and a cup of sambar.

Tips / Observations

• Soak them together and grind them together in this version. It eases the process and also the helps with the cleaning part.
• Do not add more water while grinding which might make the batter watery. In this way, your idlies might be flat and not fluffy.
• Good fermentation really helps in getting softer, fluffy idlies so try to ferment them in a good air tight vessel.

Ugadi Subhakanshalu - 2015

Ugadi Thali : Ugadi Pachidi, Garelu, Paramannam, Sundal, Puliodara, Kobbari Mammidikaya Pachidi, Pappu Charu, Aloo Koora, Guthu Vankaya.

Manmada Nama Ugadi Subhakankshalu

Every year Ugadi energizes the mind as it almost comes during the start of Spring season here. Our Ugadi started with prayers, pooja and we offered the first prasadam "Ugadi Pachidi" to God. Thanks to my cousin Latha, I was able to get some fresh neem flowers this time for the Ugadi Pachidi. After enjoying the Ugadi Pachidi, I started making all the other delicious food for the Ugadi Special Lunch. Somehow we invite atleast a friend family to join with us during this special occasion. 

I already posted a recipe for making few Ugadi special dishes which include Ugadi Pachidi, Puliogare, Etc., Please enjoy the visual treat of  our Ugadi Special Lunch Thali above. 

My hearty Ugadi wishes to all my dear family, friends and bloggers from all over the world. 

"Andhariki Manmadha Nama Subhakankshalu"

Let us all pray to all our favorite gods to give us strength to face the reality, give us courage to stand against the evil, give us positive thinking to work towards the right path and give us peace by stopping the unwanted inhuman things that happen across this world.

Broccoli Curry

Broccoli, also called as popularly "Green Cauliflower"  is a powerhouse of nutrients. Broccoli is  a major cancer fighter and boosts the immune system of our body. It is a good source of Potassium, folate and fiber. Its good for Bone Health, Heart Health and Cholesterol reduction and in weight reduction. Broccoli is getting popular in Indian Cuisine these days. In my kitchen, I have made many Indian dishes with broccoli like Broccoli curry, Broccoli Aloo Paratha, Broccoli Pakoda, etc., Out of all, this version of Broccoli curry is very simple and takes less preparation time.

This Broccoli curry is just like how to make the Beans thoran or Cabbage Poriyal. The tiny green florets always attract the kids and they will love to bite them.

Ingredients

Broccoli Florets - 5 cups

Oil - 3 tsp

Hing - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Urad Dal - 2 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 3 or 4 

Curry Leaves - 1 stick

Salt - As Required

Fresh Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp

Method

• Wash the green tiny broccoli florets, drain them and keep ready.
• In the cooking vessel, add oil first. When its heated, finish the tempering process by adding the hing, mustard seeds, urad dal , dry red chillies and curry leaves. 
• When its done, add the green florets and add little water for them to cook with the steam inside.
• Close the lid and let them cook for 3-4 minutes on medium flame.
• When they are cooked to your desired level, add required amount of salt and fry them openly for a minute or two.
• Finally add the coconut flakes to the broccoli florets. Switch off the flame.
• Enjoy this curry with sambar, rasam or in any south indian meal.

Rasa Upma / Instant Upma with Leftover Rasam

My Mom invented this rasa upma during my childhood, I could say. While doing the so called "night study", I used to pester her to make something just to satisfy my late night hunger. She would do some magic and come up with a plate of hot rasa upma. Later she described us how she exactly made that tangy, spicy upma with the leftover rasam.!!! We requested her many times to make this special upma for us. With no chutneys or sides too, this upma tastes delicious and melts in your mouth. 

I decided to make this Rasa Upma today with my leftover tomato jeera rasam. It truly reminded me of my mom and my school days. 

Ingredients

Sooji / Rava - 1 cup

Leftover Rasam - Between 2 to 3 cups

Water - A Cup

Hing - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Peanuts / Kadalai - 1 handful

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Channa Dal - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - One Small Stick

Dry Red Chillies - 2 big ones

Salt - Little required as the leftover rasam itself contains good amount of salt

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

• In a cooking vessel, add oil and heat it on medium flame. When heated, add hing,mustard seeds into the oil. When they sputter, add peanuts and fry them on medium flame.
• Add urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves, dry red chillies into the oil and finish the tempering process.
• Pour the leftover rasam totally into the cooking vessel with a cup of water and allow them to boil.
• Add little salt if required. After 4 - 5 minutes, slowly add the roasted rava into the kadai. 
• Let it cook on low flame till the rava gets cooked and blends well with the leftover rasam.
• After its done, enjoy a plate of  hot rasam upma and stop worrying about leftover rasam. In fact, I started making little more rasam during mealtime especially to make this rasa upma.

Karadayan Nombu 2015 / Karadaiyan Nombu 2015

Wishing you all my dear bloggers "Happy Karadayan Nombu". This year Panguni Masam begins at 6:45 PM on March 14 Eastern Standard Time. Like every year, I made both sweet and Savory Adais and offered to Goddess Kamakshi for the well being of my mother this time especially, my husband, my dear family and my whole family in the universe. We celebrated with lots of prayers and tied the "Saradu" yellow thread and enjoyed the Adais with my good friend subha. 

For recipes of Sweet and Savory Adais, please see my previous posts.

Sweet & Savory Adais:

http://sribhojanams.blogspot.com/2012/04/karadaiyan-nombhu-adai.html

Gongura Pachadi / Gongura Pachidi / Gongura Thogayal - Andhra Style

Gongura ( Red Sorrel Leaves), a leafy green vegetable is very famous in Andhra cuisine. Its called as "Pulicha Keerai" in tamil. Red stemmed gongura is more sour than the green stemmed variety. Gongura is very rich in Iron, vitamins, folic acid and antioxidants that are required for nutrition. Gongura is widely used in many Andhra dishes. This version of the Gongura Pachidi was learnt in Bangalore couple of years ago from my daughter's nanny. It was very delicious and it had a nice punch in its taste and went along well with steamed white rice. I have been doing this pachidi ever since I learnt this from the nanny. This version also reminds me of the Gongura Pachidi that are served in many Andhra Restaurants in their special Andhra Thali Meals.

Try mixing few spoonful of this Pachidi in hot rice with few drops of ghee and enjoy with a side of fried Appalam.

Ingredients

Gongura Leaves - 1 Bunch

Red Onion - 2 Medium

Garlic Pods - 15.

Dry Red Chillies - 10

Coriander Seeds - 3 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Hing \ Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Gingelly Oil \ Nalla Yennai - 1 tbsp

Salt - To Taste

Procedure

• Wash and drain the Gongura leaves and keep them ready. Keep the garlic pods, red onion pieces ready for the process.
• On medium heat, add little oil into the kadai. Add dry red chillies,cumin seeds and coriander seeds first.  Roast them to golden brown and transfer it to the mixer grinder and grind them to a powder along with Hing / Asafoetida.
• Add red onion pieces and garlic pods to the remaining oil and fry them till they become translucent. Then, transfer the contents to the mixer grinder and grind them coarsely.
• Then, on the same kadai, add the washed gongura leaves with the remaining oil and fry the gongura leaves till they become soggy and mashy..After they get cooked, transfer them to the mixer grinder and grind them for just a round or two. That's it.  Add required amount of salt to the Pachidi and mix well.
• Gongura Pachidi is now ready to serve with hot white rice.

Variations

You can add more oil to the Gongura Pachidi if you want to keep it for more days.

You can add the shredded raw red onion pieces to the Gongura Pachidi. Some people like the taste of the crunchy raw red onion pieces in the gongura pachidi.
You can adjust the number of red chillies as per your taste buds.

Tips

While adding the red onion pieces for frying, keep aside 3 tbsp of the shredded red onion pieces. This could be added to the grounded gongura pachidi either directly or added to the tempered oil later.Don't grind the pachidi too pasty. It should be grinded coarsely with all the onions, garlic, gongura leaves to retain a special punch and texture in it.