Moong Dal - Millet Flour Dosa (Jowar Flour)

Moong Dal - Millet flour Dosa is good for breakfast, evening snack and for dinner. Moong Dal and Millet Dosa can be done easily and we do not have to wait for ferment.  I have added carrots, coconut and ginger with pepper pods. This dish is on healthy side I can surely say. Neither Onions nor Rice flour is used here, so it can be a choice for fasting or special days also. The food is 100 % Gluten free.

 Now Lets see some benefits of eating Millet and Moong Dal in our daily diet.
Jowar (Sorghum) has a higher content of calcium and packed with iron, protein and fibre. They are loaded with antioxidants. They are helpful to lower the cholesterol levels. They are gluten free.

Moong Dal is a healthy bean and good for weight lose. Moong Dal contain High Protein and low fat and relatively low calorie count. Moong Dal is rich in Vitamins like Vitamin B 1, B5 and Vitamin B6. and minerals like iron, magnesium , manganese, phosphrous and zinc.

Here is a recipe of " Moong Dal - Millet Flour Dosa ,  a simple - simply healthy and tasty Dosa. I am sure each and every family member will surely love it and it fits to all age group.

Things Needed :

Moong Dal : 2 Cups
Millet (Jowar  or Sorgham) flour : 1 Cup
Carrots : 2
Ginger : an inch
Coriander leaves : Handful
Curry leaves : Handful
Pepper Pods : 5 to 6
Salt : to taste
Oil : 4 to 5 Table Spoons

 Method : 

1. Wash and soak moong dal for 4 to 5 hours or over night.  Grind Moong Dal with little water.  Remove from the jar and put it in a big bowl.

2. Wash and grate carrots and ginger, cut coriander and curry leaves. Keep it aside. Grate or scrape coconut. Powder or crush pepper pods and keep it aside.

3. Now mix millet flour and ground moong dal nicely. Add salt, grated carrots, coconut, cut coriander, curry leaves and ginger. Add crushed pepper pods. Mix it nicely and prepare dosa consistency dough.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle oil on the tava. When it is hot take a spoonful of  moong dal - millet dough and spread it in circle shape ( dosa shape).

5. Cook for a minute and sprinkle 1/2 Tea spoon of oil on the top. Turn the dosa on the other side and cook for 10 to 15 seconds.

6. Remove from the pan and serve Hot Moong Dal - Milet Dosa with the side dish you have prepared.
7. Add a spoon of ghee on the top of dosa before serving

8. We had " Moong Dal - Millet flour Dosa with Beetroot Curry and Ground Nut  Chutney Pudi.

Note :

Do not add lots of water while grinding. You can add it when you are mixing the flour. You can also add grated bottle gourd along with carrots. But the taste differ. You can also use ghee instead of oil. Better use oil while cooking to be safer on healthy side. You can also add cut onions if you wish. (optional). Moong dal takes less time to be soften . 3 to 4 hours will be more than enough. Do not add cooking soda or fruit salt to this dosa dough.
Time : 20 minutes.
Soaking time : 3 to 4 hours.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Moolangi (Raddish) Dry Palya + Paratha

Moolangi  (Kannada) is nothing but Raddish. Raddish  dry palya can be prepared quickly and easily. If it is left out you can prepare Paratha  for the night. Raddish Palya goes well with plain rice, chapatis, pooris and rotis. We do prepare different types of curries and dry curries even Parathas. Trying this way of curry will help you when you are really in a hurry to have something which is healthy too.

Now lets see some benefits of eating Raddish. 

Raddish helps to keep your blood pressure in control. It is good for diabetics. It helps to beat cold and cough. Helps to recover from Jaundice.  It fights against constipation and helps to reduce the weight. it is good for digestive system.

Here is a recipe of Moolangi (Raddish) Dry Palya + Paratha",  which is very very easy to prepare and will be liked by all the age group and the whole family.

Things Needed :

Moolangi (Raddish): 4 to 5
Green Chilly: 2
Coconut : 2 Table spoons
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Salt : to taste
Oil : 1 Table spoon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoons
Turmeric Powder : a  pinch

 Method :

1. Wash and remove or scrape out the outer layer of Moolangi and grate it. Keep it aside.
2. Wash and cut green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Now  keep a pan on the fire and add oil. Heat and put mustard seeds and cut green chilly. Let the mustard splutter.

5. Add jeera and fry for 10 seconds. Add curry leaves and grated Moolangi. Mix it well and add turmeric powder.

6. Mix it well and fry on low flame till all the moisture disappear. Add salt and mix it slowly.

7. Stir in between and add grated coconut once the moisture disappear. Add coriander leaves and remove from the pan and shift it to serving bowl.
8. Serve as one of the side dish along with other dishes.

 Note : 

Let it cook slowly on low or medium flame. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt. Adding other spice is optional.. Adding onions or garlic is also an optional. You can also add a cup of curd and prepare moolangi raitha with this dry curry. Do not add any water while cooking the curry.
Do not use the stale or spoiled dry curry since it bad for health. You may get infected or food poison if you consume the stale food.

Time : 10 minutes 
Servings : 2 to 3.

2.Moolangi Paratha :

Things Needed :

Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Ready Mooli Palya : 1 Cup
Oil or ghee : 3 to 4 table spoons
Garam Masala : 1/2 tea spoon (optional)
Salt : required

Method :
Mix wheat flour, garam masala and ready palya nicely in a big bowl. Add a table spoon of ghee or oil and mix it again.. Divide the dough in to small portion. Take each portion and make a ball shape, dip in dry wheat flour and roll as chapati and cook on medium flame on a tava. Sprinkle oil or ghee on the top after both sides are cooked.  Remove from the fire and serve with a cup of curd or the curry you have prepared. Add water if it requires.

Time : 15 minutes.
Serves : 2 

Bitter Gourd Curry

Bitter Gourd is a vegetable with bitter taste. Many people do not like because of its bitter taste and many like this vegetable because of its medicinal value in it. We can prepare many dishes, using this Hagala kai (Kannada). Haagala kai palya, gojju, chutney, stuffed bitter gourd..etc.

Bitter Gourdis called haagala kai in Kannada, Karla- Marathi, Karela - Gujarati. Kayppaka- Malayalam, Kakarakaya - Telugu, Paagarkai in Tamil.Korolla -Bengali, Karle, Karali Kareti in Marathi . Kalra or Changkha - Oriya and Karela in Urdu & Punjabi.

Now Lets see the benefits of eating this vegetable in our daily life.
Bitter gourd is an excellent remedy for diabetes. It helps to lower blood and urine sugar level without increasing blood insulin levels. The blood purifying properties of bitter gourd is ideal treatment for blood disorders. The vegetable is very low in calories and excellent source of folates. Bitter gourd contain Vitamin C , which is a natural source of anti oxidants and Vitamin A. It stimulates easy digestion since it contain fiber. It is also good source of Vitamin B-3 and Vitamin B -5 and Vitamin B - 6. Bitter gourd contain minerals like iron, zinc and potassium. Bitter gourd helps to maintain healthy liver and bladder. It is also useful in curing kidney stones.

Here is a recipe of Bitter Gourd Curry, which I used Puliyogre gojju and prepared it bit spicy with sweet by adding jaggery. It is easy and quick and tasty too. We can have this " Bitter Gourd Curry " with Chapatis, Pooris, Roti, Idli, dosa and with plain rice .

Things Needed :

Bitter gourd : 2 (medium or small size)
Jaggery : 2 to 3 Table spoons
Puliyogre gojju : 1 Table spoon
Tomatoes : 2
Rasam Powder : 1 Tea spoon
Oil : 2 Table spoons
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urid Dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Methi Seeds : 5 to 6
Asafoetida (Ingh) : a pinch
Salt : To taste
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoons
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves 

 Method : 

1. Wash and remove the inner pulp of the bitter gourd and cut it into small pieces.

2. Wash and cut coriander leaves and  tomatoes and cut them into small.
3. Put cut bitter gourd pieces in a big bowl, put 1 tea spoon of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Keep it aside.
4. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and cut it into small pieces.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and put 2 tea spoons of oil and heat.
6. Squeeze out the extra water from salt soaked bitter gourd and put it in a pan and fry them till they are soft. (3 to 4 minutes).

7. Remove the fried bitter gourd pieces from the pan and keep it aside. (Do not use the oil which is already used for frying).
8. Keep a big pan on the fire, put oil and heat. Put mustard seeds, methi seeds and urid dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter.
9. Add ingh and curry leaves to it. Add cut tomatoes, fried bitter gourd and stir for 1 minute. Mix it well.

10. Add required water, salt, turmeric powder, jaggery  and cook nicely for 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Add puliyogre paste (gojju) and a spoon of rasam powder, mix it well and let it boil for 2 minutes.

12. Put cut coriander leaves and shift "Bitter Gourd Curry " to a serving bowl.

          Serve with the main dish you have prepared

Note :

 Do not use the fried oil to the curry. (It taste bitter and fried oil is not good for health). Soaking bitter gourd pieces in salt water, helps to reduce the bitterness in the vegetable. Adding more or less jaggery is optional. Adding tomatoes also an optional. You can add cut onions.  (Optional).  You can use MTR or Mayyas  puliyogre gojju.
Time : 20 minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5 

 Recipe for making  Puliyogre gojju : 

 Soak handful size tamarind in hot water. Squeeze out the pulp after 5 minutes. Add 4 to 5 table spoons of jaggery and required (1 handful) salt and let this mixture boil nicely till it get thick. Stir in between and be careful when you stay near by. (It splashes all over) . Do it on medium flame. Add a tea spoon of oil while boiling. Add 2 to 3 table spoons of rasam powder to it and mix it well. Roast 2 table spoons of sesame seeds, powder it and then add it to the tamarind mixture. Add little ingh  and turmeric powder and stir nicely till it thickens. Remove from the fire and store it when it is cooled. You can use this gojju for  mixing puliyougre, Awalakki (beaten rice) preparation and even while preparing Semiya (vermicelli ).  It taste very nice.

Sweet Shavige

Shavige is nothing but vermicelli. I use Anil Shavige for many preparations. Here  I have a Recipe for you " Sweet Shavige ". This Sweet dish recipe appeared in " Vijaya Next "  Food Court. Thanks to F.B. friend  Babitha Salian, who motivated me to write up the recipe.
Sweet Shavige is a sweet dish as the name says and it is really very tasty dish and we can prepare it for festival or feast. Any quick parties or eve.

 Shavige is a type of thin noodle and we can prepare many dishes as I said earlier. Payasam, burfi, different types of Shavige baat ..so on the list goes on. Here I have tried this sweet shavige with jaggery and an apple which adds the taste and flavour to the Shavige.
Lets straight get into to the recipe which is easy to prepare and tasty as well as healthy too. Since jaggery is used instead of sugar and not much of ghee. It will be loved by all the age group and the all the family members.

Things Needed : 

Shavige  :  2 Cups .( Used Anil Shavige )
Jaggery : 3/4  Cup
Ghee : 1/2 Cup ( or less )
Apple : 1
Coconut : 2 Table spoons
Cardamom : 4 to 5
Cashew Nuts : Handful ( as you wish _
Saffron : a pinch or 2 to 3 rakes (small sticks)
Water : 4 Cups 

   Method : 

1. Keep water for boiling .
2. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.

3. Keep a pan on the fire , put a table spoon of ghee and fry cashew nuts nicely till they turn slightly brown. Take it out and keep it aside.

 4. Add shavige to the ghee and fry nicely. Grate apple (with its skin) add it to the shavige and fry again for 2 minutes.

5. Add boiling water and cook shavige till the water dry and shavige softens. (2 to 3 minutes )

6. Add jaggery to the shavige mixture. It again turns watery. Stir slowly and let jaggery mix with Shavige.

7. Add another table spoon of ghee and stir slowly. Add saffron rakes . (you can soak them in warm milk and then add saffron).
8. Now put off the fire and add coconut and cardamom mixture to cooked Sweet Shavige , mix it well and shift it to the serving bowl.

Top up with fried Cashew nuts and serve " Sweet Shavige ".

 Note 

You can add more or less jaggery according to your wish. Adding more ghee adds to the taste. You can add a pinch of turmeric powder instead of saffron
Time : 15 minutes
Serves : 4 to 5.

Dates - Banana Rasayana

Rasayana is a sweet dish, which is normally prepared using Banana or Mango or both together. It is one of the traditional quick dish, and can be eaten with dosas , neer dosas, idli, poori and chapatis. Some people call this as Shikarane also. There are many ways to prepare this Rasayana.

Normally Dakshina Kannada people (Udupi , Mangalore or Malenaadu ), We take a fresh coconut, grate it and grind it with little water to get its fresh coconut milk, then add jaggery and cardamom, mix it well and serve with holige (Pooran Poli), Kadubu, Neer Dosa, Shavige (Home made Rice Vermicelly) and even it goes well with Uddina Dosa. During the mango season we add ripe mango pulp to fresh coconut milk and prepare Mango Rasayana. We can use ripe banans also instead of mangoes or use both the fruits and make it more delicious. Believe me this is the way how the Traditional Rasayana prepared in our homes.

Now a days  it should be quick, easy and bit of on the healthy side dishes are more famous and good for office goers and the house wives too.This dish can be prepared easily if you have ripe banana and the normal fresh boiled and cooled milk. Eating sugar one has to think twice.

Adding jaggery that is what I prefer but this time used Dates and Honey instead of jaggery. It is still easy, you do not have to think whether the jaggery melted and combined with the Rasayana well. Think of preparing when you have lot of  well ripened bananas. Children and even all age group will love to have this " Dates -Banana Rasayana ", and 100 % healthy and do not have to worry about the sweetness.
Lets see a few benefits of eating Dates in our diet.
Dates are one of the most popular fruits packed with essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well being. Fresh dates are soft, easy, digestible and simple sugar. When eaten they replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly. The fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which prevents LDL, cholesterol absorption in the gut. They contain anti oxidants, anti infective, anti inflammatory. They are moderate sources of vitamin A. Dates are excellent source of iron and potassium. Date fruits are also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper and magnesium.

Here is a recipe of Simple, Easy, Quick and Tasty  "Dates Banana Rasayana"  recipe which will fit into all age group taste and health.

Things Needed :

Bananas : 4 to 6
Dates : 6 to 8
Honey : 2 Table spoons
Cardamom : 3 to 4 pods.
Milk : 1 to 2 Glass  (Boiled and Cooled).

Method 

 1.Remove the skin of cardamom and powder it. Keep it aside
2. Cut dates in to small pieces and keep it aside.
3. Remove the banana skin and cut the fruits into small. Put them in a big bowl.7.

4. Pour 1 table spoon of honey on the top of banana. Put cut dates and add milk.

5. Mix all the ingredients nicely with the help of a big spoon or use hand. Squeeze bananas and dated in hand and let all the mixture mix it nicely.
6. Add cardamom and mix once again and shift  Dates - Banana Rasayana to a serving bowl.

7. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

 

8. We had " Dates - Banana Rasayana " with Neer Dosa.

 Note : 

You can use more bananas. Use of jaggery or sugar instead of honey and dates also an optional. You can add dry nuts to Rasayana.You can add grated coconut to the  Rasayana mixture. ( It adds to the taste). You can prepare Banana Dates Milk Shake with this mixture. Use boiled and cooled fresh milk.
Time : 10 Minutes.
Serves : 1 to 2.