Raagi - Nendra Bale Halva

Ragi ( Millet ) - Nendra Bale Halva 
Halva is a sweet dish prepared using Raagi/Finger Millet and jaggery. It is one of the healthy sweet that you can enjoy at any time of the day.

Nendra bale/Nendra banana is one of the healthy banana and mostly used in South India especially in South Canara and Kerala. Nendra banana is loaded with healthy properties and in Kerala it is one of the staple food. Even for breakfast they cook and eat this banana. It is full of nutrients.
We normally use this banana for making halva and podis or even just roast it on tava and eat.
Let us see the recipe of Raagi -Nendra Bale Halva. Nendra bale should be well ripen to make halva.

Things Needed : 

Raagi : 2 Cups
Nendra Bale Hannu : 1
Jaggery :  3/4 Cup
Ghee : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Cardamom : 5 to 6 pods
Water : 1  cup.

Method :

1. Roast Raagi flour for 2 to 3 minutes and put it in a bowl.
2. Keep jaggery on the fire and put little water and heat. Let it turn into liquid. Now take a stainer and staine jaggery liquid into a bowl.
3. Powder cardamom and keep it aside. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Smash Nendra Bale and put it with raagi flour and add cleaned jaggery. Add grated coconut.
5. Keep a pan on the fire and put the raagi mixture in the pan and start stirring. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee.
6. Stir this mixture util it starts leaving the frying pan. Stir for another 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Now add remaining ghee, cardamom powder and mix it nicely and pour it to the tray.
8. Cut Raagi -Nendra bale halva according to your wish when it is slightly cool.

Note : 

You must stir the mixture continuously so that it does not get burnt. You can add more ghee if you wish. Add water when you are preparing jaggery syrup. Coconut can be  roasted and then added.  You can grind coconut with little water and then add.
Time : 20 minutes.
2 to 25 pieces can be made.

Awalakki Uppugari (Dhideer Poha)

Awalakki means Poha or Awal or Beaten Rice.

Awalakki is used for preparing many dishes like payasam, awalakki chitranna , awalakki uppittu or Awalakki puliyogre and Awalakki Mosaranna. Awalakki Unde, payasa are some sweet dishes which we normally prepare. Awalakki is fried and used in mixture which is very tasty munching item. Here I have tried Awalakki Uppugari which has sweet and salty taste and goes very well as break-fast or as evening snack. And when ever you feel like munching something you can prepare this Awalakki Uppugari and have them and njoy. Its also stomach filling and easy to prepare.

Things Needed

Thin Awalakki ( Poha thin sized ) : 2 Cups
Fresh coconut : 1/2 Cup
Green chilly : 1
Sugar : 2 Tea spoons
Oil : 1 Table spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Salt : required

Method :
1. Wash curry leaves and green chilly and cut it into small pieces. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
2. Take a big bowl and put Awalakki, coconut, sugar and salt.
3. Keep a pan on the fire. Heat and put oil. Put mustard seeds, urd dal and green chilly to the oil. Let the mustard spurt.
4. Add curry leaves and put this mixuture to the Awalakki bowl and mix it nicely.
5. Serve this Awalakki immediately or it turns very soft.

Note :
You can also add cut onions to the mixture. Cut onions into small pieces and add it at the end and mix it again before serving.  Instead of green chilly you can add red chilly. Add red chilly while adding mustard seeds.  You can also add rasam powder to the mixture to get different taste.
serves : 2
Time : 10 Minutes