Sweet Potato - Poppy Seeds Payasa / Kheer.

Sweet Potato Payasa is one of the traditional Payasa/kheer done during the harvest of sweet potatoes.  You get plenty of fresh sweet potatoes during winter season.
It is normally during winter and sweet potatoes helps the body to be warm and energetic.

 I normally prepare sweet potato payasa without poppy seeds and use coconut milk.
I thought of using poppy seeds and wanted to try and enjoy this payasa. Anyways it is an easy dish and it taste delicious.
Normally we do use coconut milk in payasa and this time I have used poppy seeds/gasgase with coconut and use the whole ground paste. Use of poppy seeds helps us to get rid of gas in food.

Let us see some benefits of eating Sweet Potatoes in our diet.
Sweet Potatoes help us to lose weight. Eating sweet potatoes helps to maintain a healthy blood pressure. It is high in fiber and helps to prevent constipation. Sweet potatoes helps to improve immunity. It helps to control diabetes.
Sweet Potato contain no fats and filled with antioxidants. It is rich in carbohydrates and proteins. It contain Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and potassium. It contain minerals like Vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc.
Sweet Potatoes are good for diabetic people. It helps to improve the digestion and reduces the inflammation. It helps in reducing the stress and strengthens the body immunity.
I have used sweet potatoes, jaggery, coconut, cardamom and poppy seeds.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Sweet Potatoes : 3 to 4 ( Small in size ).
Jaggery : 1 Small cup  ( Powdered jaggery 4 to 5 tablespoons ).
Fresh grated coconut : 1 Cup
Poppy Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Cardamom : 4 to 5 Pods
Avalakki :2 Tablespoons ( Optional )
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Keep a pan and put jaggery and 1 cup of water. Let jaggery melt nicely. Let it boil for 2 minutes after it melts. Sieve this mixture and keep the clean jaggery aside.
2. Wash and peel off the skin of sweet potatoes and cut in to small. Wash it again and soak in clean water for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Now cook sweet potato pieces with required water till they turn soft. Wash and soak a tablespoon of avalakki / flattened rice.
4. Grate coconut and remove the seeds of cardamom. Grind it with 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds with required water till it turn as paste.

5. Add jaggery water to cooked sweet potato pieces and let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to boiling mixture.

6. Now add ground coconut and poppy seeds - cardamom mixture. Mix it well.

7. Add soaked avalakki /flattened rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. It helps to bind the payasa nicely.

8. Shift Sweet Potato payasa to a serving dish. Add a cup of fresh milk just before serving.

9. Serve delicious Hot or cold " Sweet Potato Payasa /Kheer " and enjoy.

Note :

Cut sweet potato pieces into small to relish the taste. It helps to cook sweet potatoes fast. Adding flattened rice/Avalakki helps to bind the payasa well. You can use a teaspoon of soaked raw rice instead of avalakki. Wash and soak raw rice for at least for 5 minutes. Use of poppy seeds is optional. Use of coconut milk instead of coconut paste is optional. Adding more / less jaggery is optional. Use of sugar instead of jaggery is optional. Adding fresh milk adds to the taste. Add it once the payasa turns slightly cool.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves :  5 to 6.

Teachers' Day Cake

This is Wheat - Chiroti Rava  - Carrot Cake and prepared for Our Indian Teachers' day special.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was our First Vice President and second President of India.
His Birthday is celebrated as Teachers' Day in India.
He Believed that " Teachers should be the best mind in the country".
He was awarded several high awards during his life, The Barat Ratna the highest civilian award in India.

We wanted to celebrate the day with our kids and I thought of preparing this Cake.

I have used wheat flour, chiroti rava/thin rava, sugar, curd, milk, oil and very little amount of carrot gratings.

Let us see the recipe now:
Simple and healthy Cake without Eggs.:

Things Needed :

Wheat flour : 1 1/2 Cup
Chiroti Rava : 1/2 Cup
Baking Powder : 1 Teaspoon full
Baking soda : 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt : A pinch
Sugar : 1 Cup
Cinnamon : A small piece
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Curd : 1/2 Cup
Oil : 1/2 Cup
Carrots : Grated : 1/2 Cup
Banana : Yalakki : 2

Method :

1. Sieve wheat, rava, baking powder, baking soda and salt. ( twice to thrice ).

2. Put sugar, cinnamon, milk and curd to a mixi jar.
3. Remove banana skin and cut banana into small pieces and put it to mixi jar.
4. Add cooking oil and  grind all the ingredients together for 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Remove it from the mixi jar and put it to a big bowl. Grate 1/2 carrot and keep it aside.
6. Add sieved flour mixture to a big bowl and put the wet mixture /ground mixture to the bowl.
7. Mix it well and, turn the ingredients on one direction and mix it well. Add milk if the mixture has thick texture.
8. Now add grated carrot to the cake mixture and mix it slowly. Put the ready cake mixture to a cooking tray. Grease the tray with ghee/oil before pouring the cake mix.
9. Switch on the oven and let it get hot. 5 minutes.
10 Keep the cake mixture in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. 180 C.

11. Check the cake by inserting a knife edge or small stick. Remove the fully baked cake and keep it up on the oven for 5 minutes.
12. Now the cake is ready to serve. Serve as you wish.
13 We shared this particular cake with our tuition children on behalf of Teachers' day special.
14. Have this healthy cake and enjoy whenever you want.

Note :

The cake batter should be like pouring consistency. Add little milk and adjust the consistency, if it is too thick. Do not add so much of milk, it might turn watery and cake may not be good after baking.
Adding ghee/butter instead of oil is optional. Adding jaggery instead of sugar is optional. Use of maida instead of wheat - rava is optional.
Time 30 /25 minu to bake + 10 minutes for preparation.

Clicks with Our Students : 

Little Millet / Saame & Moong Dal Sweet Pongal

                          Little Millete/Saame & Moong Dal Sweet Pongal

Ready to serve Little Millete/Saame & Moong Dal Sweet Pongal

Little Millet/Saame is one of the healthy millet and millets are on the healthy wave these days. Though it is said even in those days may be thousands of years ago in India people used to only millets as their daily food not rice. Millets  are grown easily and they do not need much water either.
I have prepared Little millet Huggi and of course it is one of the easy dish that you can cook when you are expecting some guest. No one can say no to this yummy dish I know.
I have used Moong dal, little millet, jaggery, ghee, cardamom and some dry fruits. The fresh coconut adds to the taste.
Little millet is full of fiber and gluten free. It is easy to digest and keeps you full for a long time. It is good for diabetic patient and helps to maintain the blood sugar level.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Little millet : 1 Cup
Moong dal : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Fresh grated coconut : 1/2 Cup
Cardamom : 3 to 4 pods
Salt : A pinch
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Milk : 1/2 cup

Method :

1. Wash and cook little millet and moong dal. Add 1/2 cup of milk while cooking.
( 1 Cup little millet : 2 cups of water + 1/2 cup of moong dal : 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk. All together 3 cups ).

2. Now keep jaggery in a pan and put some water. Let it melt completely. Sieve this jaggery water and keep the clean jaggery water aside.

3. Keep  a big bowl on the fire and put cleaned jaggery and cooked little millet with moong dal. Add a tablespoon of ghee, so that it does not get burnt at the bottom.
4. Mix all the ingredients nicely. Add salt. Let it turn bit thick. (Let it be on low flame).
5. Mix it well and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Powder cardamom and add it.

6. Grate coconut and add it.

7. Keep a small pan on the fire and put remaining ghee. Fry dry nuts in it. ( Raisins, cashews).

8. Shift the ready Little Millet/Saame & Moong dal Sweet pongal to a serving dish.
9. Put fried nuts and serve hot Little Millet/Saame & Moong dal Sweet Pongal.

Note :

Adding milk while cooking adds to the taste. Add milk along with water. It is better to cook in pressure cooker because it turns soft and nice. Or you might feel the millet grain bit hard. Adding less or more jaggery is optional. Adding more/less ghee is optional. You can add one or two cloves along with cardamoms. It gives nice aroma and good for digestion.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5 .

Chiku - Nendra Banana- Dates Milk Shake

The summer is usually hot and we need to take care of our body and mind from screeching hot. One should drink sufficient water to escape from dehydration. We can also have some fruit juice, milkshake, fresh cool drinks like tender coconut, jeera water or butte milk, eat mild food. etc.

Here is a Chiku/Sapota, Nendra Banana and a few soft dates and  fresh milk.

I have used above said ingredients and very little honey to add sweet.

Let us see some benefits of having Chiku/Sapota fruit in our diet.

Chiku / Sapota is rich in Vitamin A and C. Vitamin A is helps to take care of eye health and Vitamin C helps to keep us strong, take care of our skin in good condition and prevents heart disorders etc. Chiku/ Sapota helps as energy booster. It is rich in tannin. A good natural anti-inflammation curer. It is rich in fiber and good for easy digestion and good for people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrom. It helps to ease constipation problems. The fruit is good for pregnant women and good and helps to build strong bones. Sapota is good for our skin and hair also.

Instead of sugar I have added dates and honey.

Things Needed :

Chikku/Sapota : 2 to 3 (Medium sized)
Nendra Banana /Nendra bale : 1
Fresh boiled and cooled milk : 2 cups/Glasses
Cashew nuts : 2 to 3
Dates : 6 to 8
Honey : 1 Tablespoon

Method :

1. Remove pods from dates and cut into small pieces.
2. Remove banana skin and cut the fruit into small pieces.
3. Remove the outer layer of chiku fruits and remove the pods.

4. Now put all the ingredients to a mixi jar. Add a cup of milk and grind it into nice paste consistency.

5. Add another cup of milk and churn for a minute.
6. Put the ready milk shake to a bowl.

7. Add a tablespoon of honey and mix it well.

8. Put to the serving glass and serve.

9. Adding ice cubes just before serving is purely optional. (I have not added).

Note : 

Adding more water /milk to dilute the milk shake is optional. If you do add little more honey. Adding jaggery /sugar instead of honey and dates is optional. Adding more chiku fruits is optional.
Time : 10 Minutes 
Serves : 2 to 3 .

Musk Melon & Nendra Bale Fruit Juice/Milkshake

The hot summer is here and we need to take care of our health from the heat. The weather is so hot that you feel like drinking more and more water. Though the water is the best way to quench our thirst, it is always better to have some thing which helps to keep you cool. Fruits and vegetables are the best friends in summer. They not only keeps you full, they do helps to keep your mind and body cool.

Fruits, fresh juices and salads, smoothies and many varieties of drinks can be prepared at home. Home prepared drinks are most healthiest and the best.

I have used Musk Melon, Nendra bale ( Nendra banana/A type of banana variety, jaggery and milk.
Eating Nendra Bale in our diet and its benefits. 

Nendra bale / a type of  banana is mostly used in Dakshina Kannada and Kerala. This banana can be eaten when it is fully ripe, prepare so many dishes like curry, fried fritters, dosas, jamoons, etc etc. 

Nendra Bananas are having good amount of fiber and anti oxidants. It helps to digest the food easily.
Banana is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, folate, Vitamin B 6 and Vitamin C. It is filled with carbohydrates. It is very good for people who are dieting, it keeps you full for a long time and filled with minerals and vitamins. It is very good for kids who wants to gain weight. It is good for pregnant women.

It is an easy and superb drink any time of the day. It provides not only energy it also helps to take care of your body because the fruits contain full of vitamins and minerals.

Things needed :

Nendra Bale/Nendra Banana : 2
Musk Melon : 1 Small size
Jaggery : 2 Teaspoons
Milk : Boiled and colled : 1 Glass
Water : 1 Glass

Method :

1. Wash and cut Musk Melon and remove the outer hard layer and the pulp. Cut the fruit into small pieces.

2. Remove the outer layer of Nendra bale and cut them into small circle shape.
3. Now Put Nendra bale, Musk Melon pieces, milk and jaggery to liquidizer.

4. Churn them in to fine juice. Add a glass of water and churn for a minute. Let all the ingredients mix it well.

5. Put this Musk Melon - Nendra Bale Fruit Juice to a bowl. Mix it well.
6. Pour it to serving glasses and serve.

7. You can chill it fridge and then serve.

8. Add ice cubes and then serve.

Note :

Adding more milk instead of water, is optional. It turns as smoothie and you can have them by eating.
It fills your stomach so that you can skip your meal. Adding honey instead of jaggery is optional.  Use of more /less jaggery is optional.
Time : 15 Minutes 
Serves : 2 to 3 .