Sunday, November 30, 2008

Spicy Rava Vaanghi Baath

Spicy Rava Vaanghi baath is made of Samolina (Rava or Sooji). Vanghi means eggplant/brinjal/badane kai/kattari kai/Aubergine.
This particular dish is prepared using a type of brinjal. The long brinjals are good for preparing Vanghi baath. We can prepare vanghibath with rice/rava/broken wheat/Vermicelli (Semiya/Shavige) etc.
Here I have used Rava as main ingredient and the spices are freshly roasted and dry ground.

Lets see some benefits of having "Brinjals" in our diet.
Eggplant is very low in calories and fats. It is rich in fiber content. It is good very good for controlling high blood cholesterol. Brinjal has rich source of anti oxidants and good for inflammation and neurological disease. Eggplant is one of the low glycemic index vegetable. It contain good amount of essential B -complex group of vitamins. It also contain minerals like manganese, copper, iron and potassium.
No onion or garlic is used in this Spicy Rava Vaanghi baat.
Lets see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Rava/Samolina : 2 Cups (Medium size)
Brinjal/Eggplants : 4 to 5
Green Chilly :2
Masala Powder : 2 Tablespoon
Salt : to taste
Oil : 1/4 cup
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urd daal : 1/2 teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 2 to 3 sticks
Coconut : 3 to 4 Tablespoons.
Cashew nuts : 2 Tablespoons
Lemon juice " 1 Teaspoon (1/2 of one lemon)
Water : 4 Cups

Method :

1. Wash and cut brinjals and put in a bowl of water. 
2. Wash and cut green chilly and coriander leaves and keep it aside.
3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Let it heat.
5. Add mustard seeds, urid dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add cut green chilly and curry  leaves.
6. Fry for 10 seconds. Add cashew nuts. Let it turn golden brown.
7. Wash brinjals and squeeze out the water and add brinjal pieces to the seasoning and fry. 

8. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and cook on low flame till it turns soft. (Stir inbetween). Add salt.
9. Now dry roast Rava till the raw smell goes off. (2 to 3 minutes).
10. Keep water for boiling.
11. Let rava be roasted nicely.
12. Add boiling water and mix it well.
13.Add cooked brinjal to rava mixture.

14.. Stir nicely and Let it be on low flame. Add coconut, fresh ghee and mix it well. Add ground spice powder.  Add required salt.

15. Mix it thoroughly and shift it to the serving dish. Add lemon exract and mix it well again.
16. Add a spoon of ghee/coconut oil on the top and put curry leaves.
17. Rava Vanghi baath is ready to serve.

Note : 

Rava/Semolina should be roasted well. Dry brinjal curry can be prepared and then added to the rava mixture. (Optional). Adding more spice is optional. Adding little ghee adds to the taste.
Time : 25 to 30 minutes.
Serves: 2 to 3.


Things Needed for Vanghibaath Masaala powder :
Channa Daal : 2 table spoon
Urd Daal : 2 table spoon
Red chillies : 6 to 8
Coriander seeds : 1 Table spoon
Cloves : 3 to 4
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Asafotodia : a pinch
Coconut : 2 Table spoon
Method :
Roast all the ingredients one by one till golden brown , add coconut and dry grind to get masaala powder.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Vegetable Jal Frizy.

Vegetable Jal Fryiz is a side dish/curry.  Vegetables fried with tomato sauce and mixed with  mild spices is known as Jalfrizy. This is my style of preparing Jal Frizy. I have used less oil and less spice.

Vegetable jalfrizy goes well with chapatis or any type of rotis, kulcha, poori etc. It is easy to prepare and you can add your own spices. Let the spice be mild. You can use tomato ketchup. It is said that tomato ketchup addto the taste. (More tasty). But I am not a big fan of any ketchup or sauce.
I have used two tomatoes, and no onion or no garlic in this Curry.
Boil one tomato for 1 to 2 minute and leave it for cooling. Remove its skin and grind it till paste and add this tomato paste while cooking. It helps the curry to be thick and tasty. I have used 1 tablespoon of jaggery instead of sugar. Very little garam masala is used. Try it out and enjoy. If you feel the curry is dry add some water to it and bring it to boil.
Let us see the recipe Now;

Things Needed :

Carrot : 2
Capsicum :1
Tomato : 2
Green chilly : 2
Peas : 1/2 Cup ( I have used Pigeon pea pods)
Ginger : a small piece
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 sticks
Garam Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon
Turmeric powder : a Pinch
Jeera : 1/3 teaspoon
Salt : Required Salt
Oil : 1 Teaspoon

Method :
1. Wash and cut vegetables and keep it aside. Wash and cut coriander leaves and green chilly.

2. Boil pigeon pea pods and keep it aside. Wash and cut another tomato into small pieces.
3. Boil a  whole tomato for 1 minute and remove its skin and grind it to a paste consistency.
4. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again and grate it.
5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and put jeera/cumin seeds.


6. Fry nicely for 10 seconds. Add carrots, capsicum and fry nicely. Add tomatoes and fry for a minute. Add cooked pigeon peas. Add grated ginger and green chilly.

 7. Now mix all the vegetables nicely and add 1/2 Teaspoon of garam masala and fry for a minute.
8. Add garam masala, jaggery and turmeric. Mix it well and stir for 2 minute.

9. Add 1/2 cup of water and mix it well. Let it cook on low flame for 2 minutes. Add ground tomato paste.

10. Add salt and mix it well. Let the curry boil for a minute. Put off the fire and shift the curry to a serving dish.


11. Add cut coriander leaves and 1 teaspoon of butter. Mix it well
12. Serve the curry with a roti/naan/parota/chapati or any of your favourite choice.

Note : 

Do not cook vegetables till soft. Let it be crunchy. You can also fry them in oil. It taste best but it is not that good for health. Adding onions and garlic is optional. I have not added. Adding more vegetables is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4.

Jat Pat Pineapple & Capsicum Curry

Jat Pat means quick and this Pineapple & capsicum curry can be done within 10 minutes if you have all the ingredients that is needed.

I had a pineapple and capsicum so thought of doing some quick curry. This curry goes well with all most all the main dishes like plain rice, chapati, any type of roti or rotti, bread or even dosa and idli.
No onion or no garlic is used in this curry as usual and the curry will be definitely liked by all age group.
Let us see the recipe :

Things needed :

Pineapple : 1 ( Small one)
Tomatoes : Green  : 5 to 6 ( I used very small )
Capsicum : 1
Rasam Powder : 1 Tablespoon
Hucchellu /Niger seeds chutney powder : 1 Tablespoon
Jaggery : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Seasoning :
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
coconut oil : 1 Tablespoon

Method : 

1. Wash and remove the outer layer of pineapple and cut into small pieces. ( As you wish).

2. Wash and cut capsicum and tomatoes into small pieces.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and add oil. Add mustard seeds and jeera. Let mustard seeds splutter.
4. Add ingh and curry leaves. Add cut pineapple and tomatoes. Mix it well and stir.

5. Add required water and let it cook till soft. ( 5 to 6 minutes ).
6. Add a pinch of turmeric, salt and add jaggery.


7. Add rasam powder and hucchellu/Niger seeds chutney powder.
8. Stir nicely and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Shift the curry to a serving dish.

9. Keep a small pan on the fire and put 1 tablespoon of oil.

10. Add cut capsicum and fry nicely till they turn soft.
11. Add this already cooked Pineapple curry.\

12. Mix it well and serve with the main dish you prefer.

Note :

Cutting pineapple helps to cook the pieces quickly. Adding tomatoes is optional.  Adding onions and garlic is optional. It does not suit well in this particular curry. Adding jaggery is optional. You can add roasted sesame seeds powder instead of Hucchellu/Niger seeds. Use of any brand rasam powder is optional. ( I have used home prepared rasam powder).
Time : 10 minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 .

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Avalakki( Beaten Rice ) Chat

Awalakki ( Povva in gujarati, awal in tamil ) /Beaten rice, chat is a snack..and you can enjoy this dish in the evening with Tea. We call it as avalakki oggarne.
Awalakki is one of the handy grain I can say because we can prepare so many dishes by using Awalakki.
I have used Oganic Avalakki, little organic jaggery, green chilly and the seasoning. You can create your own chat with using vegetables, peas, or any fried dishes like ompudi, khara seve, Sev or even potato chilps.
Let us see the recipe now : As I said it is simple and no onion or garlic is used here, one can have this avalakki during their fasting time. You can prepare as snack for ladies get together or party.

Things Needed:
Thin Awalakki : 1 cup
Green chillies : 2
Salt : to taste
Coriander leaves : 4 sticks
Jaggery : 1 Tablespoon
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seasoning : 1 Tablespoon

Method:
1. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
2 Wash and cut green chilly into small.
3. Clean Awalakki/poha/ pova/beaten rice and keep it aside.

4. Take a big bowl. Add coconut, awalakki, salt, jaggery and mix it nicely.
5. Keep a small pan and add coconut oil and heat. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
6. Add cut green chilly and fry for 10 seconds. Add curry leaves.
7. Now put this mustard seeds seasoning to awalakki and mix it nicely.
8, Shift this to a serving bowl.
9. Top up with your own creation and serve.

Toppings : 
Grated carrots. cut cucumber, cut onions, cut or grated mango or goose berry (Nellikai), roasted or fried ground nuts, Fried Sev (any variety) or potato chips.

Note : 

Top up awalakki with your own creative and yummy toppings. The healthy way is to top up with onions, grated carrots and little Goose berry grating/raw mango gratings.
Use of coconut oil is optional. Use of more/less spice is optional. Use of any spice like garam masala, chat masala, coriander powder, jeera powder is optional.
Serves :2 to 3 
Time : 20 Minutes.

Jack fruits Seeds Tikki

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About

author
My name is Nalini Somayaji. Teaching is my profession. Cooking is my passion. Reading, travelling, visiting new places, having fun with kids are some of the hobbies I can say. My recipes are Healthy, quick, easy and simple. Grown up being a traditional family member I love and respect Indian culture and traditions. Love classical dance and music.
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