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 .

Avalakki Spicy Huggi

Avalakki/Aval/ Poha/Flattened Rice is good for health and easy to digest, quick to prepare. Here is Avalakki Spicy Huggi/Pongal that we can prepare for breakfast/brunch/snack or dinner.

It is very close to kichidi ( mixed with dal), very good for all age group. Kichidi is normally prepared for dinner so that it is very soothing and healthy. This Avalakki Spicy Huggi is bit thick and is loaded with spices and little ghee which helps to be full for a long time and it can be eaten for breakfast/brunch. It is always better to have this Avalakki Spicy Huggi in the mornings, so that it is easy to digest. I have used avalakki, moong dal, green chilly, ginger, pepper and coconut.
Let us see the recipe now.

Things needed :

To Cook :
Thick Avalakki : 2 Cups
Moong dal : 1/2 Cup
To Add :
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Black Pepper pods : 5 to 6
Ginger : 1 Tablespoon (Grated)
Turmeric powder : A pinch
 Salt : As required
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Lemon : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
To Season :
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Curry leaves : 8 to 9 leaves

Method :

1. Wash and drain water from avalakki. Wash and squeeze out lemon extract and keep it aside.
2. Wash and cut green chilly into big pieces, peel off outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it and keep it aside.
3. Take a big bowl, add washed avalakki, cut green chilly,  grated ginger and required salt.
4. Mix all the ingredients with avalakki and keep it aside.

5.Grate coconut and keep it aside. Crush pepper pods and add it to avalakki.
6.Wash moong dal and drain all the water and keep it aside.

7. Keep a big pan and add a tablespoon of ghee. Add jeera/ingh and  2 to 3 pepper pods. ( Whole).
8. Add ingh/Asafoetida and let jeera turn little brown. Fry. nicely.

9. Add washed and drained moong dal and fry for 2 minutes. ( On medium flame).
10. Add a glass of water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Be careful it may over flow. ( Better keep a big pan).
11. See that moong dal turns soft. Mix it well. Add washed avalakki,  Grated ginger and crushed pepper.

12. Mix it well and let it cook on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Let all the moisture disappear.

13. Mix it again and add grated fresh coconut, Lemon juice. Add remaining ghee. Mix it well again. Add cut coriander leaves.

14. Shift the Ready Avalakki Spicy Huggi to a serving bowl. Serve with your choice of side dish or a cup of curd.

Note :

Dry roasting moong dal helps the dal to evenly. ( Will not be over cooked ). Adding slit green chilly gives nice aroma to Huggi. You can use more/less of green chilly. Use of pepper pods adds aroma to Huggi and it helps the food to digest properly. Adding more less coconut is optional. Adding more/less ghee is optional. Thick avalakki must be used to get good consistency.
Time : 15 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 

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 .

Green Channa - Mango Tokku Rice

Green Channa /Kadale kalu ( Kannada language/Karnataka/India) is available from December till February. I tried this channa with mango tokku which was prepared last year. It tasted yum.
You can try this dish with dried green channa too.

Lets see some benefits of eating Green Channa in our diet.
Green Channa is filled with fiber. They are good for controlling the blood sugar levels. It helps to keep you full for a long time. They are good for people who diet to loose weight.They are rich in protein and low in sodium. They  are rich in antioxidants. They contain vitamin B 9, vitamin A and C. They are rich in iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium. These minerals helps to keep our blood and bones strong.
I have used Mango Tokku, Green Channa, cooker rice and simple spices which are available in the kitchen store.
Green Channa - Mango tokku Rice is good for one pot meal, lunch box, travelling, brunch or dinner.
 Let us see the recipe :
No Onion or No Garlic in this  " Green Channa - Mango Tokku Rice ".

Things needed :

Cooked Rice : 2 Cups
Green Channa : Fresh /dried : 1 Cup
Mango Tokku : 2 Tablespoons
Cooking Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Groundnuts : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Urid Dal : 1 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : One Handful
Green chilly : 2
Salt : As required
Coconut :Fresh : 1 Cup ( 3 to 4 Tablespoons).
Coriander Leaves :  2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method : 

1. Wash and cook rice and let it be cool.
2. Remove the pods from channa plant and wash it once.
3. Cook till they turn soft.

4. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

5. Wash curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilly. Cut coriander leaves and green chilly.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil, mustard seeds, urid dal and let mustard seeds splutter.
7. Add curry leaves and cut green chilly. Add ground nuts and fry till they turn crispy.
8. Add cooked green channa and mix it well. Add Mango tokku and mix all the ingredients nicely.

9. Add cooked rice and mix it well. Let the flame be very low while doing the whole process.

10.Add required salt, little turmeric and a tablespoon of ghee. Mix it well.
11. Add coconut, cut  coriander leaves and mix once again. Shift the ready " Green Channa - Mango Tokku Rice to a serving dish.

12. Serve with a cup of curd and papad.

Note :

Use of any raw rice is optional. Water quantity should be
Basumathi Rice : 1 Cup : Water 2 Cups
Sona Masuri or any other kind of rice : 1 Cup Rice :Water : 3 Cups or little less.
Soak Green Channa if you are using dried ones.( Over night)
Drain water after cooking Green channa.
Use of more or less ghee is optional.
Use of fresh mangoes instead of Mango tokku is optional.
Use of chilly, more/less is optional.
Type : South Indian 
Time : 10 Minutes. (If cooked rice is done already) or Cooking rice : 20 minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.
 Mango Tokku /Chutney

Mooli -Sambrani Parata ( Radish - Chinese Potato Parata)

Mooli/Moolangi/Radish and Sambrani combination Parata is an excellent dish to enjoy. Mooli /Radish is good for easing the digestion and Sambrani/Chinese Potato/Wild potato is full of fiber.

 You all know about preparing Mooli Parats. Yes it is the same mooli parata which we prepare. Grating and adding mooli gratings to wheat flour and mix it and roll it. But here it is a little more work for you. How about stuffing some dry curry and rolling out as parata?

 It is always the case with me that I prepare some dry curry for lunch ( I love dry curries with plain rice 😉  and when one portion is left and is used for parata stuffing and it turns out to be yummy. You need to know about the vegetable You use. So that your end product will be surely liked by your people. ( Remember that brinjals, cucumber etc can not be stuffed easily and I do not know about the taste because I never try them. They are good to have as side dish).
I have used Sambrani dry curry , Radish, coriander leaves, garam masala and wheat flour for parata.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Sambrani /Chinese Potato /Wild Potato : 1 Bowl
Mooli/Moolangi/Radish : 1 ( Medium sized)
Ghee : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 1 Bundle (Small)
Garam Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Wheat flour : 2 to 3 Cups.
Oil : 4 to 5 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and scrape out the outer layer of Mooli and grate it. Wash coriander leaves and cut into small pieces.

2. Smash Sambrani/Wild potatoes and smash it slightly. Keep it aside.
3. Take a big bowl and put wheat flour, ghee, grated radish, cut coriander leaves, salt and garam masala. Mix all the ingredients nicely.
4. Add required water and prepare the dough. Keep it aside.

5. Divide the parata dough into small portions. Keep some dry flour to roll the parata.
6. Take a small portion and  roll it slightly.
7. Put a tablespoon of  Sambrani dry curry (half smashed) and pull all the sides to middle and make like a ball shape. (Stuffing).
8. Dip this stuffed dough in dry wheat flour and roll slowly and give a round shape.

9. Keep a tava/pan on the fire and heat. Clean it with tissue or clean towel.
10. Put rolled parata and put some oil around. (A teaspoon).

11. Cook on both sides. ( Cook parata on low and medium flame).

12. Now the Hot Mooli -Sambrani Parata is ready to serve.

13. Repeat the same with remaining dough and the curry.

14. Serve " Mooli -Sambrani Parata with the side dish you have prepared and a cup of curd.

15. We had " Mooli - Sambrani Parata " with coconut chutney and curd.

Note :

Do not add much water while mixing mooli gratings. Add water slowly and little by little to prepare the dough. Smashing the dry curry completely is optional. ( I just smashed a little and while rolling it is completely smashed. Roll the parata slowly or it might stick to roller. Adding more /less oil is optional. Do not add much spice while preparing the dough. The stuffing adds to the taste. Adding any other spice like chat masala, amechur powder or pav bhaji masala is optional.
Time : 40 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4  (According to the size ).

Preparation of Sambrani Dry curry 

Wash and remove all the mud part from Sambrani and pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes with little water. (Same as cooking potatoes). Remove the outer layer and wash sambrani nicely.
Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add mustard seeds, jeera and ingh. Let mustard splutter. Add curry leaves. (Cut into thin). Add cooked Sambrani and stir nicely. Add turmeric powder, salt and chilly powder. Let it cook on low flame for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in between. Add cut coriander leaves and mix it well. Sambrani/wild potatoes dry curry is ready to serve. It goes well with curd rice and as a side dish.