Baragu /Proso Millet Cripsy Masala Dosa

Use of millet is one of the healthy way to stay fit. It is said that in olden days people used to have millet as their staple food. Now people know the secret of taking care of their health. Here is a recipe of Proso Millet/baragu Millet Masala Dosa. Try and enjoy.

Millet helps to reduce the weight, take care of blood sugar level and they are free of gluten. They are best for diabetic people to control their sugar. They are fiber rich, filled with vitamins and minerals. They are digested slowly and one will not feel hungry for a long time.

Here I have used Baragu/Prosso Millet, Urid dal and a tablespoon of toor dal with little methi seeds. I have used mixi jar this time to grind the ingredients. The batter has to be well fermented to get good dosa.

Let us see the recipe Now :

Baragu Dosa :

Ingredients "

Baragu /Proso Millet : 2 Cups 

Urdi dal : 1/2 Cup 

Toor Dal : 1 Tablespoon full

Methi seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Avalakki /Poha : ( Any type ) : 2 Handful 

Salt : As required

Method :

1. Wash and soak Baragu Millet separately for 3 hours.

2. Wash and soak urid dal, methi seeds together for 3 hours.

3. Wash and soak avalakki separately.

4. Grind all the ingredients and put it in a big bowl to ferment. (Over night or 6 to 8 hours).

5. Prepare Palya /Dry curry of only onions and potato. Keep it aside.

6. Grate fresh coconut and prepare coconut chutney with 2 green chilly, very small quantity of tamarind and required salt. Keep it aside.

7. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle little oil on the pan and clean it out with a kitchen tissue.

8. Mix well and take a ladle of dosa batter and spread it on the tava in circle shape. ( Let the flame be low).
9. Sprinkle a teaspoon of oil on the top. Let dosa cook on low flame till it turns slightly golden brown.

10. Add a tablespoon or little more of palya/dry curry in the middle of dosa and roll the dosa and remove it from the pan.

11. Baragu /Proso Millet dosa is ready to serve. Serve with  coconut chutney and little ghee /butter on the top.

12. Repeat the same with remaining batter and prepare dosas.

Note :

Do not add more water while grinding. Let dosa batter ferment well so that dosa turns best.
Do not add oil before pouring dosa batter. Sprinkle little water and clean the top of the pan each time you prepare dosa. Adding toor dal helps dosa to turn crispy and tasty. Do it on the low flame.
Serves : 4 to 5
Time  : Soaking the ingredients 3 hours + Grinding 5 Minutes + Fermentation : 6 to 7 Hours.
Aloo Dry curry :
Aloo Payla
Ingredients :
Potatoes : 2
Onions : 2 to 3
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Ginger : 1 Teaspoon ( Grated)
Curry leaves :  5 to 6
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : 1/4 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and pressure cook potatoes. Remove its outer layer once it is cooled. Smash potatoes and keep it aside.
2. Wash and cut green chilly, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Cut them into small. Remove the outer layer of ginger and wash again. Grate it and keep it aside.
3. Keep a pan on the fire, add oil and heat. Add little mustard seeds and urid dal. Add green chilly once the mustard seeds splutter. Let it fry nicely. Add cut curry leaves and cut onions.
4. Fry nicely till the onion turns slightly brown. Add smashed potatoes and mix it well.
5.Add required salt and mix it well. Add cut coriander leaves and put off the fire.

Coconut Chutney :

Grate coconut, and grind it with 2 green chilly and little tamarind. Add salt and mix it well. Add mustard and curry leaves seasoning to chutney and serve.

Raw Tomato Spicy Curry

Raw tomato Spicy Curry is mild spicy and goes well with all most all the main dishes.

These tomatoes are home grown. We do try and grown some of the easy veggies on the terrace in pots. Some time they grow nicely and some time some insects will spoil the whole plant. This Time we could get some large bunch of tomatoes and I decided to remove it when they are raw. I have prepared the spicy curry using these raw tomatoes and some cherry tomatoes are dipped inside the curry. Cherry tomatoes are given by our friends who stays very close to us and they do have a big space for gardening and work hard in their garden.
I have also used a handful of  ಹೊನೆಗೊನೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು /Sessilis Joy weed/   Alternanthera sessilis. These leaves are grown plenty in our pots and it is said it is very good for health and keeps our body and mind cool.
Let us see the benefits of eating Honegone Soppu in our diet.
Honegone soppu ( In Kannada language) is known as Sessile Joy weed /Dwarf copperleaf /Joy weed in English. Garundi in HIndi, Kanchari in Marathi, Ponnanganni in Tamil. In Malayalam it is known as Ponnakannikkira and in Telugu Ponnagantikura. In Konkani - Koypa , Sanskrit - Matsyakshi.
Honegone Soppu/Sesssile joy weed is loaded with nutrients and lot of medicinal benefits. The leaves contain anti-fungal and anti bacterial properties. The leaves helps to soothe the wounds and helps in reducing the acidity level in our body.They help to improve our vision. It is good for people who suffer from night blindness. Eating its flower continuously helps to improve the eye sight. It cools down the body and strengthens the eye nerves and muscles and improves the vision power. It acts as the best medicine for eye disease. It is good for people who suffer from piles and helps to cure jaundice. It is good for treating hepatitis, chest cold, asthma and liver disease. It helps to regulate the nervous system and helps to reduce weight. It helps to cure infertility. It provides energy to diabetic people and maintain the blood sugar level in our body. It is good for hair care and helps in cooling the body heat, eye irritation, knee pain, white discharge. It also helps in getting back to good appetite.  It prevents headache due to summer heat and helps in boosting milk production in  breast milk feeding mothers.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this Raw Tomato Spicy Curry.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients.

Fresh Cow Peas : 1 Cup
Toor Dal : 1/2 Cup
Raw tomatoes : 10 to 15 or little more. ( I have used small size tomatoes).
Honegone soppu/ Sessilis joy weed : One handful (Optional).
Spice powder  :  2 Teaspoons
Tamarind pulp : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Seasoning : 1 Tablespoon
Cherry Tomatoes : 12 to 15 (Optional)

Method :

1. Wash and clean Honegone soppu and cut into small. ( Tender stem easily breaks ).
2. Remove the pods from cow peas shell. ( Outer layer).

3. Wash and cut raw tomatoes into small.

4. Wash toor dal and put it in a pressure cooker. Put cow peas, cut Honegone soppu, tomato pieces.
5. Add little water and cover the lid. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes and put off the gas. ( Use weight).

6. Remove the pressure cooker lid and mix all the cooked mixture nicely. Soak marble size tamarind in hot water. Squeeze out the pulp and keep it aside.
7. Keep the cooked mixture on the fire and add l/2 cup of water. Add tamarind pulp.
8. Add salt, and little turmeric powder. Mix it well and let it cook for 2 minutes.
9. Now add spice powder/Rasam powder/Sambar powder and mix it well.

10. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Put off the gas.  Put cherry tomatoes as they are. ( Optional).
11. Shift the ready Raw Tomato Spicy Curry to a serving dish.

12. Add the seasoning with mustard seeds, ingh and curry leaves and serve with the main dish of your choice.

Note :

Do not pressure cook the ingredients for a long time. It might get smashed. And the curry will not be that good. Adding spice powder of your choice is optional. I have added home prepared spice powder. Adding more/less spice is optional. Use of coconut oil for seasoning is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Servings : 3 to 4 .

Spice Powder : 

Dry roast 1/4 teaspoon of methi seeds, 1/4 Teaspoon of mustard seeds, 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of urid dal and 1/2 teaspoon of jeera/cumin seeds and 4 to 5 byadagi chilly.
Dry roast the ingredients separately till golden brown. Let mustard seeds start to splutter. It adds to the taste.
Dry grind it together once it is cooled. Try this spice powder and enjoy your curry with this spice powder.
One time Use only.

Ragi - Jola flour Pulka /Dry Chapati

Dry chapatis are very good for health and diet followers usually follow any thing without oil. 
Here is a pulka which is done using Ragi/Finger millet and Jola/ Sorghum flour. The rotis will be yummy, soft, fluffy and we had it with groundnut chutney.

I have used finger millet/Ragi and Jola /Millet/Sorghum. The combination of these flour goes well with each other and the dough turns soft. You can easily roll the dough in chapati shape/round shape.
Let us see some benefits of eating Ragi /Finger Millet in our diet.
Ragi/ Finger Millet is full of proteins and is free of gluten. Ragi is filled with minerals like calcium, phosphorous, iron and potassium. Ragi is good natural alternative to health supplements. It is easy to digest but slow in digestion. So you will not feel hungry for a long time. Ragi is good for diabetic people. Ragi is filled with antioxidants. It is good for people who wants to lose their weight. It helps to control cholesterol level in our body. It is filled with fiber and good for people who suffer in constipation. Eating ragi is good for people who are suffering from anemia. Ragi is filled with natural calcium and helps in strengthening our bones. Ragi is one of the comfortable food and it helps to relax our body and mind.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Ragi flour : 2 Cups
Millet /Sorghum flour : 1/2 Cup
Salt : As required. ( Optional/ I have not used).
Boiling water : As required. ( 1/2 Cup )

Method :

1. Put ragi flour and sorghum/millet flour in a big bowl. Mix it well and pour boiling water. Let it cool a bit.
2. Mix it well and prepare the dough. Add water only if required. Kneed the dough well.

3. Keep some dry flour in a bowl.
4. Kneed the dough and divide the dough in small portions.
5. Take a small portion of the dough and make it round and dip it in dry flour.
6. Roll it as chapati with the help of a roller.

7. Keep a pan/tava on the fire and heat. Put a rolled chapati on the hot tava and press it slowly on the top and around. It starts to fluff.
8. Turn the other side and cook for a minute. Remove it from the pan and put little ghee on the top.
(Optional).

9. Repeat the same with remaining dough. Serve hot pulkas with side dish of your choice and a cup of curd.

10. We had this Ragi - Jola flour Pulka with groundnut chutney, a cup of curd.

Note :

The should be soft and add only required water while preparing the dough. I have cooked the pulka on tava. /Cooking on gas fire is optional. ( Now a days it is said that cooking pulka on gas fire is not good for health). Adding ghee on the top of hot pulka is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 8 Pulkas can be prepared.( According to size ).

Rava Pakoda /Crispy Semolina Pakoda

Rava Pakodas are fried fritters done using rava/semolina. 

It is nice to have with a cup of coffee/tea/juice or even it goes with lunch or any other rice dishes.
I had prepared some Onedelaga/Timire/ Gotukola leaves tambuli. /Buttermilk curry.
It was teatime and we wanted to have some munching/snack while having tea. I had this tambuli prepared for lunch. The idea of flashed in the mind and so the Rava Pakodas are prepared immediately.
These Rava Pakodas are done in the same way of Goli baje which is very famous in South Canara.
Instead of maida I have used medium size rava and instead of curd I have used Ondelaga Tambuli which is prepared using curd. And all other things are same like ginger, green chilly, coconut pieces and a pinch of cooking soda.
I have used Gotukola tambuli, medium size rava/semolina, ginger and a green chilly and some coconut pieces. I have also used cooking soda and the pakodas turned crispy out side and soft inside the pakoda.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed : 

Rava /Semolina : 1
Ondelaga Tambuli/ Curd Curry : 1 Small cup
Green chilly : 1
Ginger : Grated 1/2 Teaspoon
Coconut pieces : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Cooking Soda : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 10
Cooking Oil : 1 Cup.

Method :

1. Wash and cut green chilly and curry leaves. Put it in a bowl.
2. Add Rava and required salt. Mix it well.
3. Add Ondelaga Tambuli to it. Mix it nicely and make slightly thick batter.

4. Add cooking soda and mix it well and keep it aside. Add some coconut pieces.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and add oil. Let it get heated.
6.Mix the rava batter well and take a small portion of the batter and leave it in oil as pakodas. ( Small ball shape).

7. Let it fry nicely. Turn the other side and fry for till it turns slightly golden brown.
8. Remove it from the oil and put it on a kitchen tissue. It absorbs the extra oil.

9. Serve hot Rava Pakodas with a cup of coffee/tea/juice.

10. You can have them with tomato ketchup or any type of chutney.

Note :

Let the batter be bit thick. Not watery. Add little more rava if the consistency of the batter is very loose. Use of green chilly is optional. Tambuli will be having some spicy taste. Adjust your requirement and prepare the batter. No need to allow the batter to rest. Adding coconut pieces is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves :  3 to 4  .

Coconut Milk Ganji / ಕಾಯಿಹಾಲು ಗಂಜಿ / Rice Porridge

Ganji is a Kannada word for Rice Porridge. It is one of the staple food which keeps your body and mind cool. I have tried this Coconut milk Ganji/Kanji and it tasted superb. The fresh coconut milk ganji is yummy and healthy simply good. Try and enjoy one of the traditional dish from South Canara/Udupi.

In South Canara and around this Kayi Halu Ganji is prepared during Dasara festival at our home. Paddy which is grown is just right to harvest and just before the harvesting we have a custom to prepare rice ganji and samarpan to God. 

The custom we follow @ my aunt place is called HOSATU/ಹೊಸತು ಊಟ . In one of the Dasara day the freshly grown paddy with along with its plant is brought home ( One handful) by a male person of the house and pooja is done. The paddy grass/ಕದಿರು ಕಟ್ಟುವುದು is tied to a pole in the front of the home. A few paddy  husk is removed and add it to cooking ganji. Ganji is nothing but rice porridge. Rice is cooked with more water and eaten as it is. ( Without removing the starch). 

I have used coconut, Sona Masuri raw rice to prepare this Ganji, as we call it in our language Kannada/Karnataka/ India. 

Let us see some benefits of eating fresh coconut milk in our diet.

Coconut milk is one of the healthier saturated fat product. The fat is said to be easily metabolized by the body. It is anti microbial, anti bacterial and anti viral. Coconut milk is good for our hair and skin. 

Coconut milk is rich in vitamins and minerals. It contain minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. It contain vitamin C and E. 

Coconut milk contain lots of fat and one should drink or use it in minimum quantity.

Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Raw Rice : 1 Cup

Water : 3 to 4 cups 

Coconut milk : 1 Glass. ( 1/2 coconut of small size coconut).
Salt : A pinch

Method : 

1. Keep water for boiling. ( 1 Cup Rice = 4 Cups of water. ( Raw rice : Sona Masoori )

2. Wash rice and put it into the boiling water and cook rice till it turn soft.

3. Grate coconut and grind it with little water. Remove from mixi jar and squeeze out the milk from ground coconut. ( Use a siever to take out the milk from the ground coconut). Keep the thick milk aside.

2. Grind coconut again with little water and take out the milk from it. ( Second time).

3. Let the rice cook till it is soft. Put off the fire and keep the rice bowl down. Add a pinch of salt and mix it.

4. Add fresh coconut milk and mix it well.  Leave it for 2 to 3 minutes. Shift it to a serving dish.

5. Now Coconut Milk Ganji is ready to serve.

6. Serve with pickle/Chutney, papad and ghee.

Note : 

Cook rice with exact amount of water. Do not cook ganji after adding coconut milk. Keep the ready cooked rice bowl down and then add fresh coconut milk to get the aroma and healthy properties.
Fresh grated coconut should be ground nicely with required water to get fresh coconut milk. Re grind the coconut mixture again to get the second quality of coconut milk. Do not add much water while grinding. The consistency of Coconut milk Ganji should be loose but not watery. ( It should not be running consistency ).
Time : 25 Minutes. 
Serves : 2 .