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.

Field Beans Dry Curry

Field beans /ಅವರೆಕಾಯಿ is one of the seasonal pods we get plenty in winter. People long to prepare varieties of dishes using this Field beans.

This recipe is told by Renuka Manjunath one of my fb friend and she said this has to be cooked directly and not in pressure cooker. Sogadu Avarekai should be used to get the best taste.
Here I have tried traditionally as Renuka Manjunath mentioned, which has beautiful aroma of averekai.  and it is yummy, filled with ghee taste roasted methi/fenugrik seeds and jeera/cumin seeds powder.
This Field  beans dry curry is one of the traditional dish from Tumkur district. The process of cooking is done in the night with low flame may be cooked with using the fire wood, and the butter quantity is more nearly 200 grams and with the help of slow cooking the butter turns as ghee and adds to the taste.
Let us see the recipe now :
I have used tender avarekai/field beans, onions, green chilly, curry leaves, coriander leaves, grated coconut and butter.
This curry taste better when you cook the pods directly with low flame. The aroma adds to the taste and we can have this curry with plain rice, rotis, chapati, poori and especially akki rotti.
I have prepared Akki rotti with remaining Field Beans dry curry also.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients 

Avarekai/Field Beans : 1 Cup
Onions : 2 to 3
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Butter : 2 Tablespoons full
Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Methi /Fenugrik seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 1/2 Bundle
Curry Leaves : 1 Handful
Coconut : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : A pinch
Cooking Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Remove avere kalu /Field beans and keep it aside. Use the tender pods. Do not wash it.

2 Remove the outer layer of onions and cut in to small. I have used the chopper to cut onions, curry leaves and green chilly.

3. Take a bowl, put field beans, cut onions, green chilly, curry leaves and mix it well.

4. Keep the pan on the fire and put mixed avarekai/field beans mix and little turmeric. Let the flame be very low.

5. Mix it well and sprinkle some water on the top. Do not add much water to cook. Field beans has to be cooked slowly with the help of onions and sprinkled water.

6. Add a tablespoon of butter and mix it well. Let it turn slowly as ghee. Sprinkle some more water on the top and cover the dry curry.

7. Let it cook on low flame. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt. Add a tablespoon of butter again and mix it well.
8. Dry roast jeera/cumin seeds and methi seeds and dry grind it.  Keep it aside.

9. Stir the mixture again and sprinkle some more water. Do not add much water at times.
10. See that pods are cooked and turned soft. Add dry roasted jeera and methi powder. Mix it well.
11. Add required salt and mix it well. See that it is done completely. Add grated coconut and mix it well.

12. Add cut coriander leaves and shift the curry to a serving dish. We had this curry as one of the side dish.

Note :

You should use more onions so that it helps to cook field beans nicely. Adding butter gives a ghee aroma and taste yummy. This dry curry should be cooked directly to get the best taste. It might take at least one hour to cook. But the taste is divine. You should use the tender seeds to prepare this curry.
Time : 1 Hour 
Serves : 3 to 4 
I have added the same dry curry to rice flour and prepared Akki Rotti and it tasted yummy.

Kesu / Colocasia Spicy Palya.

Kesu /Colocasia Spicy Palya is one of the traditional dish that goes well with plain rice and coconut oil.

 In South Canara, the use of kesu is often tried with varieties of dishes. This is one of the dish that every one likes and when you are looking for some thing spicy, traditional, quick dish that helps as one of the side dish.
Colocasia or Kesu leaves are good for keeping our body warm. They are filled with fibers. Leaves are good to have since they are loaded with nutritious value.

Kesu /Colocasia Spicy Palya is one of the traditional dish from Udupi / South Canara.

No Onion or No Garlic is used in this Kesu / Colocasia Spicy Palya.

Ingredients :

Kesu Leaves : 10 to 15 : Small and medium sized
Raw Rice : 1/2 Cup
Methi /Fenugrik Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander Seeds : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 6 to 8
Tamarind : 1/2 Lemon size
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Ingh / Asafoetida : A pinch

Method :

1. Wash and soak raw rice and methi seeds for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Grate coconut, grind it with coriander seeds, jeera, red chilly and tamarind.

3. Add soaked rice and grind it like rava consistency.

4. Add salt and churn for a few seconds.
5. Remove it from the mixi jar and keep it aside.
6. Now wash and clean Kesu /Colocasia leaves. Remove the stem part if it is hard.
7. Cut it into very small pieces.

8. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil.
9. Add mustard seeds and urid dal. Let mustard seeds splutter.  Add ingh and a few curry leaves.

10. Put cut Kesu leaves and stir slowly.

11. Spread them evenly. Add ground rice - spice mixture like dosa batter on the top of the leaves.
12. Sprinkle some water on the top and cover. Cook on low flame for 5 to 8 minutes.

13.Now remove the cover and mix it slowly. Let cooked leaves and the batter mix well.

14. Cook on low flame till it is done. Add little oil on the top. ( 1 Tablespoon ).

15. Shift the Kesu /Colocasia Spicy Palya to a serving dish and serve.

Note :

Use a thick bottom pan to prepare this dish. Let the flame be low and medium while cooking this dish. Do not use so much water while grinding. Let the batter be like rotti consistency. Sprinkle some water on the top while it is cooking. You can repeat the process of sprinkling water on the top at least 4 to 5 times. So that it does not get burnt. Low flame helps the dish to cook well. Do not add any jaggery. It should be only khara/spicy and slightly savoury.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3.

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.