Simple Raw Mango Rice

In Raw Mango season we do use raw mangoes. Varieties of raw mango preparation is done with it.
I have prepared Simple Raw Mango Rice with methi aroma.

 It is very healthy to use  seasonal vegetables and fruits according to the season, they will be rich in vitamins and minerals. Here I have prepared quick raw mango rice. It is yummy, easy and quick.
I have used raw mango, cooked raw rice, little rasam powder and the seasoning ingredients.

It is one of the simple and easy recipe. No garlic or Onion is added here in this Simple Raw Mango Rice.

Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Raw Mango : 1 Medium sized 

Cooked Raw Rice : 2 Cups.

Rasam Powder : 1 Tablespoon

For Seasoning :

Cooking Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon

Curry Leaves : 8 to 10

Ground Nuts : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
To Dry roast :
Methi seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

To Add :

Salt : As required 

Turmeric powder : A little
Jaggery : 1 Tablespoon
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Coriander Leaves : 1 Tablespoon

Method :

1. Wash and cut coriander leaves and curry leaves.
2. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Dry roast methi seeds and dry grind it. Keep it aside.
3. Wash and wipe out the moisture of mango and grate it.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil, mustard seeds and Methi seeds.
5. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add ground nuts and fry till they turn golden brown.
6. Add curry leaves, jaggery grated raw mango, salt and turmeric powder. Fry on medium flame.

7. Add grated coconut. Add rasam powder and ground methi seeds powder.
8. Mix it slowly and cook on low flame. Add a tablespoon of ghee.

9. Add cooked rice and mix it slowly. Let it cook on low flame for 2 minutes. ( On low flame).

10. Shift it to a serving bowl and add cut coriander leaves. Raw Mango rice is ready to serve.

Note :
I have used Raw totapuri mango. It is mild savoury fruit. ( Raw ). Use of jaggery and ghee more /less is optional. Use of home made rasam powder taste better. Dry roasted methi seeds powder adds to aroma and health. It helps to reduce the cholesterol. Adding jaggery is optional.
Time : 15 Minutes. If you use already cooked rice. or + 20 minutes to cook rice.
Serves : 2 to 3 .

Badam Poori

Badam Poori is a delicious sweet dish. It is  sweet  friedfritter. It can be relished as desert. People do eat with Rabdi. ( Thick Milk contain sugar ).

I wanted to try this Badam Poori from a long time. So here are Badam Pooris done. It is delicious, yummy and superb.
Badam Pooris are crispy, crunchy sweets if they come out well. No need to dip them in sugar syrup for a long time. Just dip them and take it away.
I have used Maida /All purpose flour, sugar, badam/almonds and some cardamom. Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Maida : 2 Cups
Sugar : 2 Cups
Badam /Almonds : 10 to 15
Cardamom : 6 to 8
Dry Coconut gratings : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
Oil :For frying : 1 to 1/2 Cup :
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Mix maida /all purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of ghee and little salt.

2. Add water and prepare chapati dough. ( It should be thick consistency). Keep it aside.

3. Powder almonds/badam and keep it aside. ( Dry grind coarsely ).
4. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
5. Keep a pan and put sugar and a glass of water. Keep it on low flame. Stir in between.

6. It should get thick syrup consistency. ( Little more than one string consistency). Add powdered cardamom.

7. Now kneed maida dough nicely and divide them into small portion. ( Small ball size ).
8. Roll them into poori shape and place a spoon of badam powder on it. Spread it around.

9. Fold it into half then quarter. Press a little at the edge with fork or finger,

10. Repeat the same pooris and keep it aside.
11. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and let it get hot. (Medium flame).
12. Add 2 to 3 pooris in hot oil and fry on low flame. (Reduce the flame to low). It helps badam poori to be crispy.
13.Fry on both sides and take it out and put it in sugar syrup. Just leave them for a minute, ( Turn both sides to get sufficient syrup on both sides).

14. Take it out and arrange them on a plate.

15. Repeat the same frying and dipping in sugar syrup process. Arrange them nicely and add dry coconut on the top. ( Optional ).

16. When it cools it taste better. Serve as a desert or munch at any time of the day.

Note :

Bind the edges nicely so that almonds will not come out of poori. Fry them on low flame to get poori to be crispy. Crispiness stays only for a day or 2. Then pooris turn soft. Instead of dipping them in sugar syrup you  can prepare coconut sugar mixture and put them on hot poori once it is fried. (Optional ).
Remained sugar syrup can be used for some sweet dishes to prepare. ( Re use ).
Adding ghee helps the poori to be crisp.
Time : 40 Minutes.
Serves : 40 to 50 Pooris.

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.

Baragu /Prosso Millet Sakkaare /Chakkara Pongal.

Huggi / ಹುಗ್ಗಿ /Shakkara /chakkara  Pongal  is a sweet dish with Rice and Moong dal.

Huggi is normally prepared during the month of Dhanurmasa, that falls in between mid of December to mid January. This month is chill ( Cold ) winter. So as the food helps to keep our body warm and healthy. Eating dals is a good option and our Ancestors knew to take care them selves by adopting the good food habits.

Huggi is known as pongal in some parts of India. The sweet huggi is known as Shakkara/Chakkara pongal and is very famous in Tamil Nadu /Andra Pradesh. Though they use jaggery  This Pongal is known as Shakkara/Chakkara ( Sugar ) Pongal. They do not use coconut here or may be some ghee fried coconut pieces to be added. As you desired.

As I said this Pongal is prepared with Raw Roice and Moong dal. 

Here I have tried using Prosso Millet/Baragu instead of rice and Moong dal. Shakkara Pongal came out well and I can say it is delicious.

Baragu /Prosso Millet is one of the grain in Millet family. Millet is a healthy grain which has no gluten and it helps to control blood pressure and good for people who suffer from diabetic. It is full of fiber and keeps you full for a long time. Millet helps to control our cholesterol level.

I have used Prosso Millet / baragu, organic joni jaggery (jaggery in liquid form ).

December is here and the month of Dhanurmasa starts from 15th of this month and it ends on 15 of January. That day is celebrated as Sankranthi/Pongal. Sweet Pongal is special on that day to celebrate the festival. 

Let us see the recipe Now:

Things Needed :

Prosso Millet : 1/2 Cup

Moong Dal : 1/4 Cup 

Jaggery : 3 to 4 Tablespoons

Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Cardamom : 3 to 4 Pods

Cashews and Raisins : 2 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and drain the water of moong dal and Prosso Millet. No need to soak them in water. 

2. Keep a pan and put washed Prosso Millet and moond dal and dry roast. 

3. Put dry roasted prosso millet and moond dal to a bowl. 

4. Add 1 Cup of water and pressure cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Let it cool. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.

5. Keep  a pan on the fire and put cooked prosso millet and moong dal. Mix it well.

6. Add jaggery and mix it again. Add a tablespoon of ghee. Mix it well and let it cook on low flame.

7. Add one more tablespoon of ghee and mix it slowly. Let it cook for 2 minutes. 

8. Stir in between. Add powdered cardamom and mix it. Stir it slowly and let it get thick.

 Shift the ready pongal to a serving dish.

9. Add ghee fried cashews and raisins to Baragu/Prosso Millet Shakkara /Chakkara Pongal and serve.

Notes :

Dry roasting prosso millet and moond dal adds to the taste. It does not become too soft. Taste good.

Adding more /less ghee is optional. Use of any type of jaggery is optional. Adding 1 or two cloves powder to pongal adds to the taste. I have used very little quantity of Prosso Millet and moong dal. You can double the quantity if you are preparing it for more people. 

The measurement is like 

1 Cup of Prosso Millet :

1/2 Cup of Moong dal. 

You can use the same quantity of each grain. ( Optional ).

Time : 30 Minutes.

Serves : 2 to 3.