Channa Dal Payasa / Kheer

Shravana the month of festival is here. It is a festival of nature. Naagapanchami , Nagara chowthi, Raksha bhandhan, Shri Krishna Janmastami, so and so many festivals in this month. It looks like almost all the days in this month people are busy with poojas, naivedya and pooja functions.

So every day you need to prepare some or the other sweet dishes for Neivedya to God/Goddess.
Here is one such sweet dish which is prepared for festivals, feast and other happy functions.
Channa dal/kadale bele payasa is one of the easiest dish which we can prepare and serve as neivedya.
I have used channa dal, avalakki/flattened rice, jaggery, cardamom and coconut
This Channa Dal Payasa is done during poojas, festivals and feast. It is cooked and then mixed with jaggery, coconut milk, cardamom, and avalakki./flattened rice. Some use cooked rice instead of avalakki.
This Channa Dal Payasa is one of the Traditional Dish from South Canara /Karnataka and we can prepare them for festivals, feast and parties.

Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Channa Dal : 1 Cup
Avalakki /Aval/Poha : 1 small cup./2 handful.
Jaggery : 3/4 Cup
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Coconut : 1 Cup
Salt : A pinch.

Method :

1. Wash channa dal and pressure cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Let it cool.

2. Grate coconut and grind it with cardamom pods. Grind it nicely. Remove coconut mixture  in a bowl. Wash avalakki/flattened rice and keep it aside.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery. Add a cup of water and mix it. Let jaggery melt and it turns as liquid. Sieve it with a siever and keep it aside.
. Let it get cool. Strain it keep cleaned jaggery aside.

4.Keep cooked dal on the fire and put cleaned jaggery water to it. Add washed avalakki and boil.
Let it boil nicely. Add a pinch of salt.

5. Now add ground coconut mixture and mix it well. Let it boil for at least 5 minutes.

6. Shift Channa Dal Payasa /Kheer to a serving bowl.
7. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Put a tablespoon of ghee and fry cashews and raisins till raisins get fluffy.

8. Add this ghee fried nuts to Payasa/kheer.
9. Serve ready payasa after a lunch/dinner as desert.

Note :
Channa Dal should be cooked softly to get the best payasa. Adding coconut milk instead of ground coconut is optional.
Use of fresh coconut milk is a must to get good taste. Use of more/less ghee is optional.
Using coconut milk adds to the taste. You can use cooked rice instead of avalakki. (Optional). You can also use little raw rice grains while grinding coconut. It adds to the thickness of payasa.
Adding boiled and cooled fresh milk to Payasa , just before serving is optional. It adds to the taste. Do not add hot milk. Payasa might get curdled.
Time : 30 Minutes 
Serves : 4 to 5 
Purely : South Canara Sweet Dish.

Seeme Badane and Peas Curry ( Without Toor Dal )

Seeme badane/Chayote Squash is one of the vegetable which is available round the year. As usual you can do many dishes using this vegetable. Here I have done a simple curry with chayote squash and peas  which is very easy and it is without toor dal.

Normally curry /Huli means vegetables cooked with toor dal and mixed with spices grinding with coconut. Use of coconut is more in Dakshina Kannada /Mangalore/Udupi and Malenadu areas. Reason may be the life style, the weather, the food and the workload. It was those days people did very hard work, so that they could digest the food they eat. Use of coconut in cooking is very healthy habit, since coconut is full of minerals and vitamins. It is rich in fiber and easy to digest. Help to produce good cholesterol and helps in the growth of good hormones.
I have used fresh grated coconut, fresh rasam powder, seeme badane/chayote squash little jeera.
Let us see the recipe now :
No Onion or No garlic in this Seeme Badane Curry.

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Seeme badane /Chayote Squash : 2
Fresh Peas : 1 Cup
To grind :
Fresh grated coconut : 1Cup
Rasam Powder : 2 Teaspoons
Tamarind : A small marble size
To Add : 
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Salt : As required
Ghee : 1 Teaspoon
Methi seeds : 5 to 6
Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh / Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash and remove the seeme badane outer layer. Remove the pea pods and wash it.

2. Remove the seed in side and cut them into small pieces.

3. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Put off the gas. ( You can cook separately with out using pressure cooker. ( Optional ).

4. Grate coconut and grind it with rasam powder and tamarind. (Remove tamarind pod if it is inside).

5. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked seeme badane and peas. Add salt, turmeric powder and mix it. Cook for 2 minutes. Add dry methi seeds.
6. Add ground coconut - rasam powder mixture and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Shift the curry to a serving dish and add seasoning.
8. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note : 

Use of pressure cooker to cook vegetables is optional.
Use of any cooking oil for seasoning is optional.
Use of tamarind pulp instead of tamarind is optional. Soak tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and use it.
Use of any brand rasam powder instead of fresh rasam powder is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 People.

For fresh rasam powder :

  Dry roast, 1/4 Teaspoon of methi seeds, 2 Tablespoons of coriander seeds, 1/2 Teaspoon of jeera and 5 to 6 byadagi chilly. Add little ingh. Put off the fire and dry grind when the dry roast spices cools. Dry roast on low flame.

Nendra bale Dosa ( Nendra Banana Dosa ).

Nendra  Baale /Nendra banana is a type of banana which is full of nutrients, minerals and vitamins.  This Nendra banana is largely used in South Canara and Kerala.
Nendra bale Dosa is good to have for breakfast and  snack.

 I have used wheat flour, jaggery, rasam powder and salt.
We normally use Patrode batter to prepare this dosa. But I have used wheat flour and no need of grinding any thing. Minimum ingredients are used which is easily available in the kitchen shelves.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Nendra Bale/Nendra Banana : 2
Rasam Powder : 2 Teaspoons full
Jaggery : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Oil/ghee /butter : 2 to 3 Tablespoons.

 Method :

1. Wash and remove the skin of Nendra Banana. Cut them as thin circle shape.

2. Put wheat flour, powdered jaggery, rasam powder and salt. Mix it with required water and prepare the batter. (Dosa batter Consistency).

3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle oil on hot tava. ( Keep the flame low now)
4. Dip banana slice in wheat batter and arrange it in circle form.

5. Put some oil on the top, cover and cook. (Low and medium flame).

6.  Turn the other side and cook till it turns golden brown.

7. Now Nendra Bale dideer dosa is read y to serve.
8.Serve hot Nendra Bale dosa with little ghee/butter on the top.

9. Repeat the same with remaining dosa batter and banana slices.

Note : 

The batter should be dosa batter consistency. The banana slices should be thin. Use of any brand rasam powder is optional. Do not use any onion or garlic in the batter. Jaggery quantity more/less is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.

Arka Millet / Kodo Millet Mango Rice )

Siri Dhanya - Millets are known for their wonderful healthy qualities. Millets are gluten free and take care of our health. Arka or Haraka /Kodo Millet is one the millet family grain and used in our food dishes. I have prepared Haraka Mango Rice and it taste yummy.

Kodo millet is known as Varagu in Tamil, Arkalu in Telugu, ಅರ್ಕ / ಹರಕ in Kannada 

Let us see some benefits of eating Arka/ Harka Millet in our diet.

Millet grains are good to have because they are rich in nutrients, B - Vitamins and Calcium, iron, protein, zinc, magnesium. They are rich source of essential fats in our body. They contain high level of protein and dietary fiber. 

Millet helps to protect our heart, prevent diabetes, improve the digestive system. Eating millet helps to detoxify the body and improve our respiratory health. They also boost the immune system and gives energy and helps in nerve and muscle health.

Let us see the recipe now 

No Onion OR No Garlic is used in this Arka / Kodo Millet Mango Rice.

All you need is raw mango, green chilly, Arka millet and seasoning spices. 

Ingredients :

Arka /Kodo Millet : 2 Cups

Grated Mango /Any raw mango : 1 Small Cup (  3 to 4 Tablespoons).

Green chilly : 3 to 4 

Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 or little more 

Salt : To taste 

Coconut Oil/Ghee  : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon

Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method : 

1.Clean Arka millet and wash. Pressure cook and keep it aside.

2. Wash and grate mango and keep it aside.

3. Wash and slit green chilly, cut coriander leaves and curry leaves.

4. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put oil. Put mustard seeds and urid dal.

6. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add slit green chilly and curry leaves. 

7.  Add grated mago and fry for 2 minutes. Add salt, turmeric powder and mix it well.

8. Add cooked Arka millet and mix it nicely. ( Let the flame be very low).

9. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee and mix all the ingredients. 

10. Add grated coconut and mix it slowly. Shift the ready Arka Millet Mango Rice to a serving dish.

11. Add cut coriander leaves.

12. Serve with a cup of curd.

Note :

The proportion of water to cook Arka :  1 cup Arka : 2 Cups of water.
Use of onion or garlic is purely option. Use of any kind of cooking oil is optional. Adding Ghee to Arka Mango Rice adds to the taste. Use of more/less chilly is optional. Cooking Arka helps you to mix with mango mixture nicely. It should be cooled after cooking
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .