Little Millet Pongal. (Saame Huggi)

Sankranthi is for this year is over. But still we do prepare ponal/huggi very often. Here is a recipe of Sweet Ponal/Chakkara Pongal which is prepared using Little Millet and Moong Dal.

I have used Moong dal, little millet, jaggery and ghee.
Eating jaggery and ghee is good for this cold season. Ghee helps us to get the moisture to the skin that is necessary. Jaggery helps the body to keep warm and energetic. Moong dal provides the carbohydrates that we need to do the daily chores.
Let us see some benefits of eating jaggery in our diet.
Jaggery provide good amounts of minerals and vitamins. It helps to cleanse our body. Helps digest the food easily. Jaggery provides energy to the body since it has carbohydrates. Jaggery is good for cough and cold. It is a rich source of iron.
Let us see the recipe:

Things Needed :

Little Millet : 1 Cup
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup (Powdered)
Cardamom : 2 to 3 Pods
Cashew and raisins : 2 Tablespoons
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons.
Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Turmeric powder : Very Little (A pinch)
Water :1 1/2 to 2 Cups.

Method :

1. Clean and wash Moong dal and Little millet.

2. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put a teaspoon of ghee and fry raisins.
3. Add washed moong and fry nicely for a minute. (On medium flame).
4. Add a glass of water and let it cook for a minute. Add washed little millet and cook till it turn soft.
Add more water if required.

5. Powder jaggery and cardamom. Keep it aside. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

6. Add powdered jaggery once the little millet is cooked.
7. Add turmeric powder and 2 tablespoons of ghee and stir slowly. Let it mix well and cook.

8. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt at the bottom.
9. Let jaggery melt and mixes with pongal nicely. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee and powdered cardamom.

10. Mix the pongal well and let it cook for a minute. Shift the pongal to a serving dish.
11. Fry cashews with 2 Teaspoons of ghee and pour it on the pongal. Add coconut and mix it nicely.

12. Serve " Little Millet Pongal " along with other dishes, have it as a desert, or as you like.

Note : 

You should cook Little millet till it is soft. Frying moong dal helps the pongal to get aroma and it taste better. Add required water and cook well. Adding more/less ghee is optional. Adding more/less jaggery is optional. Adding coconut to pongal is optional. I did not use pressure cooker because the content gets smashed which does not taste good.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5.

Apple Haalubai (Apple Rice Cake).

Apple Halubai / Apple Rice Cake 

Haalubai is a sweet dish, Haalu bai is prepared using coconut, raw rice, jaggery, cardamom and ghee. It is one of the traditional dish done during Nagara Panchami festival. Rice is soaked and ground along with coconut and added jaggery and cardamom. This ground dough is stirred on the low flame till it is cooked. Adding ghee at the end and normally spread the cooked dough on the banana leaf. The spread Haalubai is cut when it is cooled according to their wish either diamond or square. Served with the ghee on the top of halubai is very tasty to eat.
Lets see Some benefits of eating Jaggery and  Apples in our daily diet.
Eating jaggery, include the ability to cleanse our body, act as a digestive agent, sweeten our food in a healthy manner and provide good amount of minerals.
Apples deserve to be called " nutritional power houses".  They contain Vitamin C which are natural antioxidants. They help the body's resistance against infectious agents. Apples contain  B- complex vitaminsand these vitamins help us in maintaining red blood cells and the nervous system in good health. It contain dietary fiber.. Eating apples help to reduce the risk of diabetes. Lower the levels of bad cholesterol.
Here in this recipe. I have added, grated Apple and tried it. Adding apple taste good. This Apple Haalubai is one of the recipe appeared in Vijaya Next. I am sure each and every one will love this dish "Apple Haalubai".

Things needed :

Raw Rice : 1 Cup
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Apple : 1 (Red )
Cardamom : 4 to 5 pods
Ghee : 2 to 3 Table spoons.
Water : required
Salt : a little

Method :

1. Wash and soak Raw rice for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Grate coconut and remove the cardamom seeds from the pods.

3. Grind coconut, cardamom and soaked rice nicely till fine texture.

4. Remove the ground dough from the mixi (liquidizer ) to a big bowl or pan.
5. Add a pinch of salt and jaggery to the dough. Add required water. ( The dough consistency should be like dosa dough or little more watery).
 6. Wash and grate apple and add it to the batter. Mix it nicely.

7. Keep the rice mixture on the fire. (low flame). Stir continuously till it is cooked. Add ghee in between.

8. When dough thickens and starts to leave the pan remove the dough and spread it on a banana leaf or ghee spread plates. Allow it to cool.

 9. Cut Halubai according to your desired shape.

10. Put a spoon of ghee on the top just before serving.

Note : 

You must stir until it is cooked properly. Adding more ghee will give a better taste. Adding more or less jaggery is also optional.
You can also add ripe banana instead of apples.
Time : 15 to 20 minutes. (Soaking time extra).
Serves : 5 to 6.

Pineapple Gojju (Pineapple Curry)

Pineapple is a fruit that has a tangy taste. We do cook many dishes with this fruit. Preparing gojju, chutney, Kesari baath, juice, pineapple pulav and many more dishes. This Pineapple Gojju is done differently in each region. It is called " Menasu Kai " in South Karnataka. in Bangalore andMysore it is it is called gojju. Since it is thick gravy I think it got the name Gojju.

Now lets see some benefits of eating Pineapple.
Pineapple decreases the risk of obesity. It promotes a healthy complexion and hair. Pineapples are cholesterol-free and fat free. The Vitamin C in pineapple may help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, cataracts and stroke. It also provides a boost to immune function. It helps to cure colds. The Vitamin may also help to prevent high blood pressure and diabetes. Consumption of pineapple regularly helps fight against arthritis, indigestion and worm infestation. This fruit is full of minerals like, copper, manganese and rich in vitamins, like Vitamin A and Vitamin B.  
Here is a recipe of Pineapple Gojju. It can be eaten with plain rice, chapati, roti, idli, dosa, poori etc. I am sure that all age group and every one in the home will love "Pineapple Gojju".

Things Needed:

Pineapple (Ananas) : 1 Bowl (1 medium pineapple).
Jaggery : 2 Table spoon
Methi seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urid Dal: 1 Table spoon
Sesame seeds (Ellu or Thill) : 2 Table spoons
Red chilly :  5 to 6
Coconut : 1/2 Cup ( 3 Table spoons)
Salt : To Taste
Lemon : 1
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 6 to 8 leaves
Ingh (Asafoetida ) : a  Pinch  
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Coconut oil : 1 Tea spoon

Method :

1.Wash and remove the outer skin of pineapple and cut. Remove the inner hard part and cook with little water.

2. Add jaggery while pineapple is cooking.

3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Dry roast or use 2 drops of oil and fry methi seeds till brown, remove from the pan. Dry roast sesame seeds till they pop up.
5. Dry roast urid dal and red chilly till urid dal is brown.  Dry roast each ingredient separately.

6. Add little ing and curry leaves to the dry roasted ingredients. Add coconut and grind all together with little water nicely.

7. Keep a pan on the fire. Add cooked pineapple.
8. Add ground mixture, salt and mix well. Add water if required. Let it boil nicely for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in between.

9. Now keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add ingh.
10. Add curry leaves. lemon extract and mix it well and pour it to the pineapple gojju. Shift the dish to a serving bowl.

11. Pineapple Gojju is ready to serve.
12. Serve with the main dish you prepared.

Note : 

Do not add ground nuts or any other nuts  or taste differ. Using 1/2 spoon of methi will enrich the aroma of the dish. It will not five out bitter taste. Do not add any other dal like channa dal or moong dal while frying. You can use choice of your cooking oil. Coconut oil taste better. Adding more oil and jaggery is optional. You can use raw or ripe mango, bitter gourd, capsicum, lady finger, or even star fruit, grapes (dry or fruits) instead of pineapple.
Time : 30 minutes
Serves : 4.

Jaggery Kesari Baath/ Gul Pavate

Gul Pavate/Jaggery Kesari is a sweet dish.

It is prepared  using jaggery, rava, ghee and cardamom.Gul Pavate is one of the traditional and healthy dish. Loads and loads of ghee used in preparing Gul Pavate. May be some thing like Chooran Halwa which is prepared with wheat, sugar and ghee. In olden days this dish was one of the kids special too. There is a proverb in Kannada " Kallu tindu jeerna Maadi kolluva kaala ". This means kids can digest whatever they eat. in the younger age. But as the time changed, the favour for using sugar grown and sugar replaced the jaggery in most of the items and it became more fancy and the status too. So lots of sweets prepared using sugar loaded the market too. It made easy for people to have more crave for sugar made sweets. Now again people prefer to intake jaggery and reduced the consumtion of sugar.

There are innumerable benifits of jaggery. Jaggery is a great remedy for anemia, astama, joint pains and menstrual pains. It also aids in digestion, purifies blood and keeps the skin away from problems like pimples and acnes. It is a great enery booster as it provides us lots of energy. Jaggery is a very good source of minerals for the body.

Semolina is made from durum wheat and it is digested slowly. Semolina improves kidney function. It contains potassium. Samolina is an ideal food for active, energetic people. It contain protein and variety of minerals. Samolina contains Vitamin E and Vitamin B.

Remember Samolina is high gluten content and it should be avoided by those who are sensitive to gluten.

Here is a Gul-Pavate recipe. As I said, gulpavate is prepared using rava-jaggery, ghee and cardamom. I added carrots to Gulpavate. Carrots provid the natural colour and taste to the Gul Pavate. I am sure the whole family will enjoy eating Gulpavate and all age group will surely like this dish.

Things Needed :

Rava : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Ghee : 1/2 Cup
Cardamom Powder : 1/2 Tea spoon
Carrots : 1 Cup

Water : 1 1/2 to 2 cups
Cashew nuts : 1 Table spoon

 :

Method :

1. Wash and grate carrots, cut cashew nuts and powder the cardamom. (5 to 6 pods)

2. Keep water for boiling.
3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat.
4. Add 1 spoon of ghee and fry cashew nuts and carrots for 2 minutes. Keep it aside.
5. Keep a bigger pan on the fire. Heat and put 2 to 3 table spoons of ghee and fry rava until the raw smell disappear. (3 to 5 minutes).

6. Add boiling water and stir slowly. Let the rava cook and become thick.

7. Add jaggery and stir kesari. Let it mix it nicely.
8. Add fried carrots and cashew nuts. Stir and mx it well.
9. It starts to become thick Stir until it starts leaving the pan.
10. Now add cardamom and remaining ghee.
11. Mix it well and shift the Jaggery Kesari to a serving bowl.
12. Serve Jaggery kesari with any savoury or as it is .

Note:

You must roast Rava well to get good Kesari baat. You can add jaggery according to your taste. I have used organic jaggery. You can also prepare jaggery syrup and filter it and get the clean jaggery. Adding ghee increases the taste of the Kesari. You can also use ripe banana or pineapple or ripe mango pulp to give a fruit taste and natural flavoural.   

Time : 30 minutes 

Serves : 3 to 4

Snake Gourd Kheer

Ready to serve Padavalakai/Snake Gourd Kheer/Payasa 

    

 

Snake Gourd is a vegetable and it is known as padavala kai in Kannada, Chinchinda or Padaval in Hindi, Padavalanga in Malayalam, Pudalnkai in Tamil. Snake gourd is used here in this recipe for Kheer.(Payasam). This Kheer contain Padavala kai, jaggery, coconut, milk and cardamom. This kheer helps you to cool down the body.  Since the jaggery is used all age group can enjoy this kheer.
Snake gourd is very high in water content and has a cooling effect on the  body. It is low in calories and fat free. Snake gourd contain lots of fiber which is helpful for the digestive system. The fiber is also helpful for those with diabetes. It is a good resource of minerals.

Things Needed :
Snake gourd : 2 (small size)
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup
Milk : 1 Cup
Beaten Rice (Awalakki) : 3 to 4 Table spoon
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Ghee : 1 Table spoon
Cashew nuts : 2 Table spoons

 Method :
1. Wash and cut Snake gourd into small pieces and pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
3. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
4. Grind coconut with little water and squeeze out the milk. Grind the coconut again with little more water and squeeze out the milk again from the ground coconut mixture and keep them separately.

5. Now keep a pan on the fire and put cooked snake gourd pieces and jaggery. Cook them together for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thinner (coconut milk which got in the second time).
6. Add beaten rice and mix it nicely and let it cook for 2 minutes.

7. Now add the thicker coconut milk and just boil for 1 minute. Put off the gas and pour the ready kheer to a serving bowl. Add cardamom powder.
8. Now keep a small pan and heat. Add ghee and fry cashew nuts for 10 seconds. Pour cashew ghee mixture to the ready kheer.
9. Add milk when you are ready to serve the kheer and serve hot or cold kheer.

Note :

 You can also grind coconut into paste and add it to the kheer instead of coconut milk. Use 5 to 6 almonds  with coconut if you are grinding the coconut into paste. It will help the coconut to be paste consistency and helps the kheer to thickens. You can also clean the jaggery by boiling jaggery with little water and when it dissolve sieve the jaggery in a siever. It helps to take away the dirt from the jaggery.

Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 6