Carrot Pakoda

Carrot Pakoda is good for an evening snack or a munch with lunch or dinner. It goes well with a cup of Coffee or Tea. Normally Pakodas are done with onion, potato or capsicum. I had some visitors and it was a very special day and the visitors do not eat onions. So thinking what to do in a short time thinking made me to prepare this Pakodas. So the recipe followed to you too to prepare and have them and write  a comment in this page, if you really like this recipe. Lets straight get to the recipe.

Things needed

Carrots : 2
Besan (channa dal flour) : 1 Cup
Awalakki : (flattened rice - Thin variety) : 1 Cup
Green chilly : 2
Jeera (Cumin seeds) : 1/2 Tea spoon
Salt : To taste
Curry leaves : 1 Handful
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoon 
Oil : to fry : 1 Cup

Method :

1. Wash and grate carrots, cut green chilly, coriander leaves, curry leaves.

2.Put grated carrots, cut green chilly, coriander leaves, curry leaves , jeera and salt in a big bowl.

3. Mix nicely and add besan and Avalakki.

4. Mix it well and keep it aside.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil. Heat oil.
6. Squeeze out the pakoda dough into small ball by hand and fry till they are brown. Fry on both sides.

7. Remove from the oil and repeat the same with the remaining dough.
8. Serve with coffe or tea or any juice of your choice.

Note : 

No need to add water. Just mix it nicely. Do not add any oil or ghee. No need of any cooking soda. Fry them on medium heat. Serve when they are hot. Use of red chilly powder is optional. Adding onions also an optional.
Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 4

Rava -Bananana Sweet Idli

Banana Sweet idli is a main dish and as the name says it is sweet. We can have them for breakfast, or for snack or even for dinner..For the sweet tooth people and kids it is a feast.

Lets see some benefits of having jaggery, banana, coconut,  rava (semolina).
Jaggery has a ability to cleanse our body, act as a digestive agent, sweeten our food in a healthy manner and provide good amount of minerals.

Bananas contain carbohydrate, protein and free from cholesterol, free of fat and sodium. Banana is easy to digest. It holds a good amount of dietary fiber. It helps normal bowel movements and helps to reduce constipation problem. It is good source of vitamin-B6 vitamin C and minerals like copper, magnesium and manganese. Fresh banana is a very rich source of potassium.

Eating coconuts are excellent for one's immunity. They are antiviral, antifungal, anti bacterial and anty parasitic. (It means they kill harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi). Coconut helps to prevent Obesity by speeding up metabolism, providing an immediate source of energy with fever calories than other fats. It is a high dietary fiber. Improves digestion.

Rava or Semolina is a good source of carbohydrates, and slow in digestion. So the people who wants to shed their weight can have Rava in their diet. Rava is good for diabetics.Rava is low in sodium and cholesterol and high in fiber. Rava is loaded with Vitamin B-complex and Vitamin E. Rava has very less saturated fats. Rava contain loads of minerals like potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnessium.

Here is a recipe of Rava -Banana Sweet idli. It is easy and quick to prepare, we can have them at any time of the day. We can pack them for kids snack or lunch box and definitely love to eat this "Rava-Banana Sweet idli". We can prepare these idli for special days too. (During fasting or on Ekadashi).

Things Needed :

Rava :  (Semolina -Medium size) : 2 Cups 
Oats : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Bananas : 2 (small size)
Salt : a little
Cardamom : 4 to 5 pods.

 Method :

1. Grate coconut , remove the pods from cardamom. Roast Oats and dry grind when it is cooled.

2. Keep a pan and put jaggery. Add 1/4 cup of water to it and boil it. Let it dissolve completely. Now stain it with a stainer and remove the unwanted dirt from jaggery. Let the clean jaggery liquid cool.

3. Now grind bananas, coconut, cardamom with jaggery liquid till the mixture is soft.
4. Remove from liquidizer and put it in a bowl.

5. Now mix rava and dry ground oats, nicely with jaggery coconut mixture and leave it for 10 minutes.

6. Apply ghee to idli plates and put a spoonful of Rava -bananan idli dough and steam in a pressure cooker or idli container for 10 minutes.

7. Put off the gas and remove the cooked Rava- Bananan Idli to a serving bowl or a plate.

 8. Serve with ghee.

 Note:

No need to roast Rava. No need to add any Eno or Cooking Soda. Use of coconut is optional. (Use more banana and 1/2 cup of curd).

Use of more or less jaggery is also optional.  Well ripe banana will add good taste to idli.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5.

nce rava or sooji is low in sodium and cholesterol and also high in fiber it can be considered as a balanced diet. Sooji has very less of saturated fats, cholesterol and also contains zero Trans fatty acid. Sooji is loaded with the vitamin B complex and is also high in vitamin E. - See more at: http://www.healthbeautyblogs.com/articles-flours-benefits/assorted-benefits-of-sooji-for-health-and-diet#sthash.4IzCtX5N.dpuf

Since rava or sooji is low in sodium and cholesterol and also high in fiber it can be considered as a balanced diet. Sooji has very less of saturated fats, cholesterol and also contains zero Trans fatty acid. Sooji is loaded with the vitamin B complex and is also high in vitamin E.
- See more at: http://www.healthbeautyblogs.com/articles-flours-benefits/assorted-benefits-of-sooji-for-health-and-diet#sthash.4IzCtX5N.dpuf