Raagi /Finger Millet + Rice Flour Carrot Rotti

Rotti that too with finger millet, I have posted varieties of rotti. 
You might wonder why again rotti?

Because finger millet, though it is good for healthy many do not like finger millet because of its colour. Even our Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and South Kannadigas have no like for this wonderful grain. It is my way of making them to know, enjoy and get benefit from healthy finger millet grain.
This time I have used finger millet, very little rice flour, little wheat flour, carrots and onions.
I have used butter wrapper to spread the rotti batter, so that it can be as thin as I like and the rotti taste crispy or soft as you like it. No need to burn your hand while spreading the batter either.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients : 

Raagi /Finger Millet : 2 Cups
Rice Flour : 2 Tablespoons
Wheat Flour : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Curd : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup
Green chilly : 2
Ginger : 1 Tablespoon ( An inch)
Carrots : 2
Onions : 2 (Medium sized)
Coriander leaves : 1 Bundle ( Small)
Curry Leaves : 1 Handful
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Boiling water : 2 to 3 Cups
Oil : 5 to 6 Tablespoons/1/2 Cup

Method :

1. Take a big bowl, add Raagi/Finger Millet, rice flour, wheat flour, salt and curd.

2. Add boiling water and let it rest for 5 minutes.

3. Wash onions, carrots, coriander leaves, curry leaves.
4. Remove the outer layer of carrots and ginger. Grate it and add it to the flour.
5. Remove the outer layer of onions and wash it. Cut onions, curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilly.
6. Put all this to the flour mixture.

7. Add grated coconut and mix all the ingredients with required water. Add normal water if required.
8. Let the rotti batter be bit loose. ( Not liquidy).

9. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Clean the pan with clean towel or kitchen tissue.
10. Take a butter paper and put a teaspoon of oil. Just spread it with your finger all over the paper.
11. Take a handful of rotti mixture and spread it with your fingers. Wet your hand in between while spreading. (Oil/water as you prefer).

12. Put a teaspoon of oil on the hot tava. Spread it around. Place the butter paper upside down. Let the rotti be on downward.
13. Slowly remove the butter paper from rotti , add oil on the top and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on low and medium flame. (Cover the rotti or the upper portion turns with white patches).

14. Turn the other side and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Now it is done.

15. Rotti is ready to serve. Serve with your choice of curry /chutney and ghee or butter.
16. Repeat the same with remaining batter.

Note :

Adding more water turns the batter liquid and you can not spread the batter easily on the butter paper. Add little more flour and make it bit thick. Use of oil or water while spreading rotti batter on butter paper is optional. (Oil gives better taste and I have used oil). Adding any other vegetables is optional. You can add dil /methi/palak leaves. Adding more chilly is optional. Cooking rotti on low flame turns the rotti hard.
Time : 40 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5.

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 .

Navane /Foxtail Millet Crispy Dosa

Dosa/Dose is one of the good breakfast dish that most of us love to have it. It is healthy and loaded with urid dal and it is full of protein and energetic pulse. This time I have added  toor dal and channa dal to the batter while grinding. Dosa has tuned crispy and got golden colour.

The other secret is that you should keep the dough in the fridge at least 10 minutes before you prepare dosa. (After fermentation).
Fox tail millet is full of fiber, energetic and it is one of the siri dhanya/Millet. Millets help us to control blood pressure and is good for people who are suffering from diabetic problem.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients : 

Navane/Foxtail millet : 4 Cups
Urid dal : 1 Cup
Methi : 1 Teaspoon
Channa dal : 1 Tablespoon
Toor dal : 1 Tablespoon
Avalakki /Aval/Flattened rice : 2 to 3 Handful /3/4 Cup
Salt : As required
Oil /Ghee : 3 to 4 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Clean and wash Navane /Fox tail millet, methi seeds, avalakki, toor dal, channa dal and  urid dal.
2. Grind all the ingredients nicely till paste.( I have used the grinder to prepare the batter).
3. Remove it from the grinder and add salt. Mix it well and let it ferment well. (Over night).

4. Next day morning keep this fermented the fridge for 20 minutes.
5. Take the batter out from fridge and mix it well.

6. Keep tava/dosa pan on the fire. Let it get hot.
7. Reduce the flame. Sprinkle little water on the hot tava and clean it well.
8. Mix dosa batter well and take a ladle of batter and put it on the tava.
9. Spread the batter around the pan and put a teaspoon of oil on the dosa. (Sprinkle oil on the top).

10.Cover and cook dosa for a minute. Turn the other side and cook for a minute. (Optional).

11. Dosa is ready to serve. Serve with your choice of side dish. Repeat the same and prepare the rest of the dosas. (Remaining batter).

12. Add a spoon of fresh ghee just before serving hot dosa.

Note : 

Do not try to spread dosa batter on very hot tava. It might stick to the pan and the ladle and it will be messy. Decrease the heat by sprinkling some normal water on tava and reduce the flame to low. Clean the tava completely with a kitchen tissue or clean towel. Adjust the batter consistency and pour the batter and spread it slowly
  Add little water if the batter is so thick. It should be into running consistency. ( Not very watery). Keep the flame very low while pouring the batter to the pan. Do not add oil first. Spread the dosa batter around and then sprinkle oil. This helps the dosa to be crispy.
Adding little channa dal and toor dal helps the dosa to be crispy. Keeping the ferment batter in the fridge helps in turning dosa very crispy and adds the golden colour.
cooking dosa on one side is optional. ( It gets cooked nicely once you cover the lid while cooking).

Time : Soaking Navane and urid dal 3 hours + grinding 20 minutes + fermentation Over night/5 to 6 hours and dosa preparation 30 Minutes.
Serves : 20 to 25 Dosa.

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 .