Oodalu / Barnyard Millet Kichidi

Millets are the healthy grains and people are accepting the healthy benefits they do follow eating millet and do take care of their health.
Here I have used Oodalu / Barnyard millet, moong dal and some simple spices.

Let us see how they are called in different languages.

In Kannada /Karnataka it is called as Oodalu, in Tamil - Kuttiravaali, even in Telugu it is called as Oodalu too. In Hindi - Sanwa or Jhangora and Malayalam - Kavadapullu.

Let us see the benefits of Barnyard millet.

Barnyard millet helps in diabetes, improve the digestive system. It  is said that it helps to lower the risk of cancer. It detoxify the body, improves our respiratory health, boost immune system, increase energy level and improve the muscle and nerve health. It helps in controlling the cholesterol level in our body. They are rich in nutrition. Barnyard millet is rich in Vitamin B, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and magnesium. They are loaded with dietary fiber. Barnyard millet is free from gluten.
Let us see the recipe now :
No Onion or No Garlic is used in Oodalu /Barnyard Millet Kichidi.

Ingredients :

Oodalu / Barnyard Millet : 1 Cup
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Green chilly : 2
Pepper Pods : 6 to 8
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Ingh/Asafoetida : A pinch
Ginger : 1 Teaspoon ( An inch ).
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Ghee : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Cashew Nuts : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Salt : As required

Method :

1. Wash and cook moong dal and Oodalu separately

2. Wash and slit green chilly, cut coriander leaves and curry leaves.
3. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and grate it, keep it aside.
4. Crush pepper pods and keep it aside.
5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add ghee jeera, pepper pods and fry for a minute.
6. Add cashew nuts pieces and let it turn golden brown. Add slit green chilly and curry leaves.

7. Keep a pan and add cooked moong and oodalu/Barnyard millet. Mix it well.
8. Add required water and mix it well. Add required salt. a pinch of turmeric powder and let it boil for 2 to 4 minutes. Add seasoned jeera to the cooked Kichidi.
9. Mix it slowly and shift the ready Oodalu Kichidi to a serving bowl.

10. Serve with papad, pickle, ghee and a cup of curd.

Note :

You can wash and soak Oodalu grain for some time. ( 10 minutes). So that it cooks soft and is easy to digest.
Adding any amount of ghee is optional. Adding more /less red chilly is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Shavige - Rava - Avarekai Uppittu

Indian breakfast is always a challenging. The home maker or the lady of the house who always think about the food she needs to prepare for the family. Here is such an easy and yummy
Shavige - Rava - Avarekai Uppittu.

So thinking of breakfast, you can provide many Indian food. Uppittu comes to the mind suddenly and it is 100% healthy breakfast. It does contain carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. I have prepared Uppittu using medium sized rava and shavige/vermicelli.
Avarekai / field beans is available these days. Making use of seasonal vegetable is one of the healthy habit. Field beans are filled with vitamins and minerals.
I have used Avarekai/field beans, medium size rava and Shavige/Vermicelli.
This uppittu is good for any special days like vratha, upavasa or festival or feast days for breakfast.
It is good for people who diet, diabetic people and good snack in the evening and fits into all age group people.
Let us see the recipe now :

NO ONION OR NO GARLIC RECIPE. 

Ingredients :

To Fry :
Rava /Semolina : Medium size : 1 Cup
Shavigev /Vermicelli : 1 Cup

To Cook :
Field Beans : 1 Cup

To Add :
Fresh grated coconut : 1/2 Cup
Ginger : An inch
Lemon Extract : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
Hot boiling water : 3 1/2 cups

To Season :
Oil : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Pepper Pods : 3 to 4
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 Leaves
Red chilly : 2

Method :

1. Remove the pods from field beans shell and wash it. Pressure cook and keep it aside.
2. Wash green chilly and cut into big pieces.
3. Wash ginger, remove its outer layer, wash it again and grated it. Keep it aside.
4. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Crush pepper pods and keep aside.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put oil and mustard seeds, urid dal and let mustard seeds splutter.
6. Add green chilly, pepper pods, curry leaves and fry nicely for a minute.
7. Add rava and fry till the raw smell goes off.

8. Add shavige/vermicelli and fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Keep water for boiling.
9. Add grated ginger, a pinch of turmeric powder,  salt and mix it nicely.

10. Add boiling water and mix all the ingredients nicely. Let it be on low flame while pouring the hot water.

11. Add cooked avarekai and mix it well. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on low flame. Let all the moisture disappear. Add lemon juice/Extract.

12. Stir Uppittu slowly and mix it well. Add fresh grated coconut and 2 tablespoons of ghee.

13. Put off the fire and mix it once again nicely.

14. Shift the ready Shavige - Rava - Avarekai Uppittu to a serving dish and serve with your choice of side dish.

Note :

Fry rava and shavige nicely. Adding any other vegetable is optional. Adding more /less chilly is optional. Adding more oil or ghee adds to the taste.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Cucumber Peel Chutney

Cucumber sippe / peel /outer layer chutney is one of the traditional dish done. It is said that cucumber peel is rich in fiber. 

We normally do not waste any vegetable or vegetable peel and do make use of it either in chutney or in some other preparations.
This particular cucumber is known as mullu southe in Udupi and Mangalore region. It is very rare and we do make use of this cucumber in chutney, kosumbari and payasa or ganji /porridge.

Let us see some benefits of this Mullu Southekai / Cucumber in our diet.
Cucumber has rich source of nutrients and antioxidants. It contain good amount of water and soluble fiber. It is good for weight loss. It has fiber, zero fat content and low in calories. It has vitamin C and Vitamin K. It contain some amount of protein, manganese, magnesium and potassium. It is good for our skin and eyes. It helps to cool our body.
You need to dip the vegetable in plain water at least 20 minutes. Wash it nicely and then use it.
I have used cucumber peel and some pulp, coconut, tamarind and red chilly.
Let us see the recipe now :
No Onion or Garlic is used in this chutney.

Ingredients :

Cucumber Peel : 1 Bowl
Roasted urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Red byadagi chilly : 4 to 5
Tamarind pulp : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Coconut : 1/2 coconut of small size
Seasoning  with coconut oil, mustard seeds, ingh and curry leaves.

Method :

1. Wash and soak 1 cucumber in plain water for 30 minutes.

2. Wash again and peel its outer layer and keep it aside. ( I have used some amount of pulp also).

3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put a teaspoon of coconut oil and a teaspoon of urid dal.
5. Fry till urid dal turn golden brown. Add red chilly and fry for a minute.

6. Add curry leaves and ingh. Mix it well and put off the gas.
7. Grind fried urid mixture, cucumber peel and pulp, tamarind and required salt. Add very little water to grind.

8. Remove the ground chutney to a serving dish and add mustard seasoning with curry leaves and ingh.

9. Mix it well and serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

No need to cook cucumber peel. It looses its property once you cook. Adding more / less chilly is optional. Adding any cooking oil instead of coconut oil is optional. Do not add much water to grind. Chutney turns watery and it does not taste good. Urid dal helps the chutney to bind. (or it turns watery).
Time : 15 Minutes + 30 Minutes to soaking cucumber in plain water.
Serves : 2 to 3 .

Capsicum - Cow peas Dry curry

Capsicum - Cow Peas Dry Curry is something simple, easy and quick. You can have this curry with many main dishes. I have just tried and its so simple.

I have used fresh cow peas, manalore cucumber and capsicum.
No onion or No garlic is added here in this curry. 
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Cow Peas : 1 Bowl.
Mangalore Cucumber/Mangalore Southekai / Bannada Southekai : 1 Bowl ( 1/2 of 1 medium size)
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Ginger : 1 Teaspoon / Grated
Salt : As required
Lemon : 1/2 Lemon (1 Teaspoon)
Pepper Pods : 6 to 8
Jeera / Cumin Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
To Season :
Capsicum : 1
Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh/Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves
To Add : 
Coriander Leaves : 2 Tablespoons
Fresh Grated Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and cut mangalore cucumber into small pieces.
2. Now pressure cook  cut cucumber, a bowl of fresh cow peas, pepper pods and 1 Green chilly with required water. (1/4 cup will do).

3. Wash and remove the seeds from capsicum and cut it into small. Slit green chilly and cut coriander leaves. Squeeze out lemon extract and keep it aside.

4. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Add a tablespoon of oil. Add mustard seeds and jeera.
5. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves, slit chilly and ingh. Fry nicely and add cut capsicum.
6. Fry capsicum nicely till soft on low flame. Put this fried capsicum to cooked cow peas mixture.

7. Keep cooked mixtures in a pan and put salt, little turmeric powder and jeera powder. Mix all the ingredients nicely and cook for 2 minutes. Let all the moisture disappear. Add lemon and mix it well.

8. Put off the fire and shift ready Capsicum - Cow peas curry to a serving dish.

9. Add fresh grated coconut and serve with main dish you have prepared.

10 We had Capsicum - Cow Peas Dry Curry with Plain Rice and Rasam.

Note :

Do not over cook cow peas. Do not add much water while cooking. Adding any type masala is optional. Use of coconut is optional. Use of onions and garlic is optional. Use of more oil is optional.
Time 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Spicy Spring Onion Dry Curry

Spring Onions are the healthy vegetable that can be used in our cooking. We do get this leaves most of the time in the year. Here I have tried Palya / Dry curry with Spring Onions.

Let us see some benefits of Spring Onions :
Spring Onion bulbs are good in taste and rich in nutrients. Spring onions are very much used in Chinese traditional medicines. They are rich in sulfur and it provides lots of health benefits to us. They are low in calorie.
Spring Onion adds taste to the food. It lowers and controls the blood sugar level. It is good for medicine for common cold. It is good for digestion. It also helps to control the blood circulation in our body. They help to lower the cholesterol level in our body. They help in regulating metabolism in our body. It has good amount of Anti - bacterial properties  and helps to fight against cold and flu. Spring Onions are good for treating eye disease and eye problems.
They are rich in vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Vitamin A and Vitamin K. They are good source of copper, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, manganese and fiber.
Let us see the recipe Now :
This side dish Spicy Spring Onion Dry Curry is good to go with almost all the main dishes. Yummy with hot rice and a spoon of fresh ghee. Also goes well with any type of roti, nan, pulka, or pooris.

Ingredients :

Spring Onion : 1 Big Bundle
Green chilly : 2
Lemon : 1/2 ( One teaspoon )
Roasted Chenna : 2 Tablespoons
Pepper Pods : 6 to 8
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : A pinch
To Season :
Cooking Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6 leaves.

Method :

1. Wash nicely and cut Spring Onion leaves and bulb into small. Wash green chilly and slit.

. Dry grind roasted chenna / hurikadale /putani /Pottu kadale, jeera and pepper pods.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil. Add mustard seeds, jeera/curmin seeds.
4. Let it splutter. Add curry leaves and green chilly. Fry for a while.
5. Add cut spring onions and fry nicely. Do not use water. Lower the flame. Stir in between.

6. When leaves turn soft add salt, dry ground roasted chenna, turmeric powder.

7. Mix it slowly and let it cook on low flame for at least 5 minutes. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt at the bottom.

8. See that all the moisture disappear. Shift the ready Spicy Spring Onion Dry Curry to a serving dish.

Note :

Do not add any water while cooking. Spring Onion contain lots of water in it and it helps the leaves to cook. Adding any other spices is optional. Adding extra onions or garlic is optional. No need to add any coconut to the curry.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.