Banana - Wheat - Rava - Gulkand Cake

Banana - Wheat - Rava Gulkand Cake is the special cake prepared for my dear hubby's Birthday. We had planned for family lunch get-together.

The cake has come out very nicely with excellent flavour of home made healthy Gulkand, soft and fluffy. No egg is used here and it is very simple.
It is always a pleasure to prepare some special dish for people who are near to your heart.
I have used wheat flour ( Ashirvaad ), chiroti rava /thin variety of semolina, banana, gulkand which is done using organic jaggery, normally jaggery, curd, milk, cooking soda and baking powder.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

Wheat flour : 1 1/2 Cup
Chiroti Rava / Thin variety of semolina : 1/2 Cup
Curd : 1/2 Cup
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Well ripe banana : 1 ( Small  Elakki banana).
Baking soda : 1/4 Teaspoon ( Two pinches)
Baking powder : 1 Teaspoon
Butter : 2 Tablespoons
Gulkand : 2 Teaspoons ( Optional)
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Sieve wheat flour, chiroti rava, salt,baking powder and cooking soda. ( 2 to 3 times.)

 2. Put curd, milk, butter and jaggery, banana to a mixi jar . Grind it nicely till it starts to get small bubbles. /Use egg beater and mix all the ingredients nicely.
3. Add two tablespoons of gulkand/any essence of your choice. Grind for another 2 minutes.

4. Remove from the mixi jar to a big bowl.

5. Add sieved wheat, rava, baking powder, salt and cooking soda.
6. Mix all the ingredients nicely. Move your hand on one direction while mixing the batter.

7. Heat the oven for 5 minutes.
8. Sprinkle some wheat flour in the baking tray.
9. Put ready cake mixture to the tray and tap the tray. Let the cake batter spread it equally.

10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes with 180 degree celsius.

11. Take out the cake and keep it on the oven for 5 minutes.

12. Cut and serve or decorate once it is cooled.

Note :

Egg is not used in this Banana - Wheat  - Rava - Gulkand Cake. Use of jaggery and the rest of the ingredients are healthy ingredients.  You can use sugar instead of jaggey. Use of curd has turned the cake very soft and fluffy. Use less cooking soda. I have topped dates and they look like as if they have burnt. No they haven't burnt. Brown and black baked dates taste awesome. I do not like topping the cake with sugar and butter. So I left it as it is. Instead of butter you can use ghee or normal cooking oil. But butter taste the best. Add only very little butter. It gives nice aroma and is healthy too. You can use egg beater or any other modern equipment to mix, instead of grinding. I like it because you will not have that energy. I have added some dates on the top. (Optional).
Time : 40 Minutes. ( All included , sieving, mixing, grinding and baking.
Serves : 8 to 10.
Some pictures of family gathering .  Birthday Boy Mr. Jayarama Somayaji and His family ..

Quick Sambar Rice

Sambar Rice is a quick Rice dish with full of veggies. It is one of the Tamil Nadu people's favourite food that can be cooked quickly and easily.

Sambar Rice is filled with proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates. Veggies are full of fiber and vitamins. It is like a full meal and it surely fills our stomach.
Sambar rice can be cooked for one pot meal, lunch or even dinner. You can take this full meal for travelling or even to office. ( For lunch)
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Rice : 1 Cup
Toor Dal : 1/2 Cup or little less
Carrots : 2 ( Medium size)
Knolkol /Kohirabi/Navilu kosu : 2
Cluster beans /Gori kai/Chavali Kodu : 100 to 150 Gr.
To Dry Roast :
Methi seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Channa dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera /cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh / Asafoetida : A little
To season :
Capsicum : 1
Cashew Nuts : 2 to 3 Tablespoons. ( 6 to 8 nuts)
Oil : 2 Teaspoons
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6 leaves.
To Add : 
Tamarind Pulp : 2 to 3 Tablespoons pulp ( Small marble size tamarind)
Turmeric powder : A little
Salt : As required
Dry ground powder
Seasoning 
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons

Method : 

1. Wash and cut scrape out carrots and cut into small pieces.
2. Wash and peel off the outer layer of knolkol and cut into desired size.
3. Wash and remove the edges of cluster beans and cut into desired size.

4. Put them in a pressure cooker. Add washed toor dal. Add 1/2 Cup of water.
5. Pressure cook all the above ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool.
6. Wash and cook rice and keep it aside.

7. Soak tamarind in hot water for 5 minutes and squeeze out the pulp. Keep it aside.
8. Dry roast all the spices one by one on low flame and dry grind once it is cooled.

9. Keep a big pan on the fire and put cooked rice, vegetables with dal.
10. Add tamarind pulp and haldi/turmeric. Add salt and mix all the ingredients nicely.
11. Add water if required and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
12. Add dry ground fresh spice powder and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Wash capsicum and remove its seeds from inside. Cut it into thin pieces. keep it aside.

13. Keep a pan on the fire and add oil and ghee. Add cashew nuts and fry.
14. Add mustard seeds, ingh and let mustard seeds splutter.
15. Add ingh and curry leaves . Add cut capsicum and fry till the pieces turn golden brown.

16. Shift the ready Sambar Rice to a serving dish. Add fried capsicum and seasoning mixture to Sambar rice.

Mix it well and serve with papad.

Note :

Cooking vegetables separately helps to keep the veggies crunchy. Adding more chilly to Sambar rice is optional. Adding fresh spice is optional. You can use any brand of Sambar powder instead of home prepared sambar powder.
Time : 40 Minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Serves : 3 to 4 .

Crispy Chakkuli

Chakkuli /Cripsy Chakkuli/ Muruku/Chakli is loved by almost all people in the world. Crispy chakkulis are very good snack for all the age group. There are varieties of chakkuli available in the shops. But it is always better to eat home made food. Here is a Crispy Chakkuli tried by me. I am sure you all love to have it and do prepare and enjoy each bit of it.

I have used rice flour, thick variety of Avalakki/Aval/Poha and roasted chenna/Hurikadale/Pottu kadale.

Chakkulis are favourite of many and you can munch them at any time of the day. Good for kids snack box, travelling, ladies kitty party, festival or feast and any other type of parties to serve as starters.

We do love chakkuli and I always try different types of chakkuli recipes from different pages /groups whatsapp extra. This particular chakkuli recipe is from Indira Upadya's post in Healthy Home made food. The chakkulis were so inviting and it made me crave for chakkuli.  I did changes according to my taste and prepared chakkuli and they turned out crispy and crunch.We all loved it very much.

Let us see the recipe  :

Ingredients :

Rice flour : 2 1/2 to 3 cups.

Avalakki : Thick :  1 Cup

Roasted Chenna/Huri Kadale/ Pottu Kadale : 1/2 Cup

Butter : 1 to 1  1/2  Tablespoons

Sesame Seeds : 1 Tablespoon

Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon 

Chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon

Salt :As required 

Water : As required 

Cooking Oil : 2 Cups

Method : 

1. Clean and dry grind Avalakki into powder form. 

2. Dry roast chenna slightly and dry grind it when it cools. Keep it aside. Dry roast rice flower for a minute and let it cool. 

3. Take a big bowl and put rice flour, powdered avalakki, powdered roasted chenna.

4. Add Butter, salt, chilly powder, sesame seeds and jeera/cumin seeds.

5. Mix all the ingredients nicely and then add required water slowly and prepare chakli dough. Kneed it the dough well. 

6. Kneed the dough nicely and divide the dough in to small portions.

7. Keep a frying pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and let it get heated. 

8. Take one portion of the chakkuli dough and fill in the chakkuli mould.

9. Press chakkuli on a plate or a wet towel. Put already pressed chakkuli in hot oil.

10. Let it fry on medium heat. Fry on both sides. Remove and put it on a kitchen towel/tissue.

11. Repeat the same and prepare rest of chakkuli.

12. Serve or eat whenever you feel like. Store it once it is cooled in a air tight box/bottle.

Note :

1. Dry grind avalakki into thin powder. Or it might stuck in the chakkuli plate while preparing chakkuli and is difficult to press chakkuli dough.

2. Avalakki absorbs water and the dough might turn hard. Take care of the dough and cover with wet clean towel. ( After preparing the dough). 

3. Kneed the dough well once again while inserting the dough into chakkuli mould. (It should be soft not watery). 

4. Fry chakkuli on medium heat. Fry nicely till they turn golden brown. Turn the other side and fry it. 

Adding more jeera/sesame seeds, chilly powder is optional. 

5. Adding more butter turns the dough very soft and it might absorb more oil. 

6. Try the small quantity first and then try the large quantity. ( Is always better to try small quantity).

7. Add more chilly powder makes the chakkuli very spicy. ( Not that good for kids and elders).

Time : 40 Minutes.

Serves : 25 to 30 Chakkulis can be prepared. (According to shape and size).