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.

Dates and poppy seeds Burfi

Dates and Poppy seeds burfi is a healthy burfi, that I have tried during this Deepavali. No sugar or jaggery is added to this bar and is nice to chew the healthy, yummy and easy  Dates and poppy seeds.

I have used Dates, almonds, cashews, raisins, figs and poppy seeds.
It is an easy and healthy burfi that all age group can enjoy and more of it it is diabetic friendly. Sweet teeth people can munch this burfi at any time of the day. Good to carry for travelling and good snack for the kids snack box. It is energetic and loaded with good minerals and vitamins.
I prepared this Dates burfi during Deepavali and packed it as one of the sweet to our relations.
Dates and Poppy Seeds Burfi Has NO Sugar, NO Ghee or any fat and No Coconut.
Preferably use ripe and soft Dates to prepare this burfi.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients 

Dates : 400 Grams
Raisins : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Almonds : 20 to 25
Cashews : 10 to 15
Figs : 5 to 6
Poppy Seeds : 3 to 4 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Remove the seeds from Dates and put it in a big bowl.
2. Cut cashew nuts and figs into small pieces.

3. Dry grind almonds into powder consistency.
4. Put all the dry fruits into a big bowl. Kneed them well and let it mix well. ( Dates, raisins, cut cashews, figs and powdered almonds).
5. Spread a tablespoon of poppy seeds in a tray or plate.
6. Put dry fruits dough in the tray and press it evenly. Use chapati roller to even it in equal level.

7. Spread remaining poppy seeds on the top of the burfi and just press it slightly.

8. Leave it for a while. Cut it according to your desired shape.

9. Remove from the tray and store in a box.

10.  Serve or munch at any time of the day.

Note :

The dates you use should be soft. You need to kneed the mixture nicely so that it mixes well and sets well as burfi. Dates proportion should be more, so that it adds to the sweet taste. The sweet taste is natural and good for all age group and the diabetic people.
Time : 30 Minutes. 
Serves : 20 Pieces. ( According to size and shape ).

Sajjappa / Kajjaya

Sajjappa is one of the traditional dish prepared during the festival. Sajje means rava/semolina and appa is a sweet. The outer layer is covered with rava and maida and the stuffing is Gasa gase/Poppy seed, coconut and jaggery.

Festivals are celebrated not only to have fun. we family members learn a lot like adjusting each other member in the family.  Lots of traditions and culture passing on to the next generations. It is not only about the food, family bonding, respecting the elders, love and care everything that comes together.
Sajjappa can be kept in airtight box for 15 days. We all love to have them at any time of the day.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Chiroti Rava : 2 Cups
Maida : 1 Cup
Salt : A pinch
Jaggery : 1 Cup
Copra /Dry Coconut : or normal coconut gratings. : 1 cup
Poppy Seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : To Fry /2 Cups of oil

Method :

1 Grate coconut and Dry grind it with cardamom pods.  powder jaggery.
2. Take a big bowl and put chiroti rava and maida. Add a pinch of salt and ghee.

3. Mix all the ingredients nicely Add water and prepare thick dough.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add dry ground coconut and jaggery. Let the jaggery melt and mix with coconut.
5. Stir till all the moisture disappear from coconut - jaggary mixture. Add poppy seeds and stir till all the moisture disappear.

6. Shift the ready hoorana ( coconut-jaggery mixture) to a small bowl. Let it cool.

7. Divide the ready dough into very small portion. Kneed it well and give a ball shape.
8. Now roll the small pooris, place 1 teaspoon of jaggery -coconut mixture.

9. Fold the edges and bring it in the middle. Press it slightly with your palm.
10 Arrange these folded sajjappa in a plate or tray.

  11. Keep a pan and heat. Put oil and let it get hot. ( Low flame ).
12. Fry Sajjappa on low and medium flame one by one or as you wish.
13. Fry Sajjappa on both sides and remove it from the pan. Put it on a kitchen tissue.

  14.Shift the ready Sajjappa to a serving bowl.
15. Serve hot or cooled Sajjappa at any time of the day.

 Note :

Use of ghee while preparing the dough helps the sajjappa to be crispy and adds to the   taste. You can use hot oil instead of ghee. You can also dry roast maida slightly and then use it. Allow the maida to cool completely before adding water. dry roasting helps the Sajjappa to be crispy.
For the stuffing you can use copra / dry coconut or normal coconut.  Dry grind the coconut and then use it.
Time 30 to 40 Minutes
Serves : Around 20 Sajjappa.