Capsicum - Awalakki (Beaten Rice) Pongal (Kichidi)

Kichidi is normally, rice cooked with Moong or Toor dal  and with some spices, Kichidi fills the stomach and it is a healthy dish. We can prepare Kichidi in many ways. For example rice+ moongdal and spices, broken wheat and Moong Dal or the whole moong together, Medium sized Semolina (Rava) and Moong dal together ...etc.

Kichidi can be eaten for breakfast, Lunch , Brunch ( breakfast + Lunch ) , or even dinner.
I have used Awalakki (Beaten Rice)  instead of rice. Moong dal, Awalakki and some spices are used to cook Kichidi. Capsicum is fried and mixed with kichidi to make the kichidi more tasty.

I have not used any garlic or onion in this recipe and you can have this food on special days and even when you are sick too. It is one of the healthy and comfortable food.

As I said before you can prepare " CAPSICUM -AWALAKKI KICHIDI"  for breakfast , lunch or dinner and it is good to pack for your and kids lunch box.

Here is a recipe which is easy and all you need is Awalakki and Moongdal + Capsicum. I am sure that each and every one will surely love it. 

Things Needed :

Moong Dal : 1 Cup
Awalakki : 2  cups (Thick Variety)
Green chilly : 4
Ginger : an inch
Jeera (cumin seeds) : 1 Tea spoon
Pepper pods : 6 to 8
Cashew Nuts : Full fist (one handful)
Ghee : 2 to 3 Table spoons
Oil : 1 Table spoon
Capsicum :  1 to 2
Salt : To taste
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoons
Curry Leaves : 8 to 10
Asafoetida : a pinch
Turmeric Powder : a little (1/4 Tea spoon)

READY TO SERVE CAPSICUM -AWALAKKI  PONGAL

Method :

1. Wash and cook moong dal in a pressure cooker. Leave it for cooling.

2. Wash and cut green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves and grate ginger. Wash and cut capsicum in to small.

3. Wash Awalakki (Beaten Rice) drain all the water from it.

 4. Put Beaten rice and cooked moong dal in a big pan or pressure cooker. Mix it well.

5.Add cut chilly, grated ginger and sufficient water. Add salt and mix it well.
6.Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix it nicely.
7.Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Put 1 Table spoon of oil and put cashew nuts and fry. Remove them when they turn slightly brown.
8. Add jeera, pepper pods and fry them for 1 minute. Add ingh, curry leaves.

 9. Add cut capsicum and fry them for 2 minutes. Add this fried mixture to cooked Moongdal - Awalakki Pongal.

10. Add cut coriander leaves and  ghee and mix it well.
11. Shift it to the serving bowl

 12. Serve with  a cup of curd and Papad.

 Note:

You can use little more water and use it as kichidi or prepare the thick pongal . (Use less water and see  that extra water is drained).
You can also add coconut along with the fried capsicum.
You can also use onions and garlic  if you are in favour of onions and garlic.Fry them along with capsicum and add it to the pongal.
You can also add some vegetables like tomatoes, carrots and beans.(Optional).
Do not fry capsicum in the ghee. Using oil for frying is a healthy way. Adding more ghee is also optional. ( You can use more ghee to make the dish more tasty)
Time : 25 minutes.
Servings : 4 to 5

Dates & Groundnuts Roll

Dates & GroundNuts Roll : This sweet dish is appeared in Savi Ruchi - Vijaya Karnataka Deepavali Edition.
Dates and Groundnuts Roll is a sweet dish. Specially made for Vijaya Karnataka Deepavali Edition. The last day of the entry just thought of sending the sweet. Thanks to Babitha Salian.

Dates and Groundnuts Roll is an easy dish and we can enjoy munching this sweet any time of the day and it can be sent to kids munching box (after lunch) and we can pack them for our picnics and travels. Since not much of ghee is used no need of thinking fat or calorie .

I Have used Dates, Groundnuts and Jaggery as the main ingredients. 

Now lets know some benefits of Eating Dates and Ground Nuts.
Dates are delicious and most popular fruits packed with an essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and over all well being.  Fresh dates are easy digest and gives energy and revitalize the body instantly. Because of this they are being served to break the fast during Ramadah month since ancient times. The fruit is rich in dietary fiber. They contain anti oxidants and work as anti infective, anti inflammatory. They also contain moderate source of Vitamin A. They are excellent source of Iron, potassium and help to regulate the heart rate and blood pressure. Dates are rich in minerals like calcium, manganese and copper. They also contain moderate levels of B- complex vitamins and Vitamin K.

Groundnuts are rich in energy and contain healthy nutrients, minerals, anti oxidants and Vitamins that are essential for optimum health. They contain sufficient levels of mono- unsaturated fatty acids and helps to lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the good cholesterol (HDL) level in the blood. They are also good source of dietary protein and essential for growth and development. They contain high concentrations of antioxidants. Groundnuts are an excellent source of  Vitamin E and Vitamin B complex and Vitamin B-6.. The nuts are rich source of minerals like copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium.

As I said it before " Dates & Groundnuts Rolls " can be munched any time of the day and every one and all age group  will surely love this dish.

Things Needed :

Fresh Dates : 10 to 15
Groundnuts : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Ghee : 1 Table spoon.
Poppy Seeds : 1 Tea spoon

Method :

1. Dry roast groundnuts and remove the outer skin when they are cool. Dry grind groundnuts and keep it aside. ( Rava consistency ).

 2. Remove the seeds and cut dates in to half.

 3. Now keep a pan on the fire,  put ghee and heat. Fry dates for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove dates from the pan.

 4. Add jaggery to the pan and add 2 to 3 table spoons of water. (1/3 of the cup).

 5. Let it boil nicely till it gets one string consistency, Add dry ground groundnuts and stir and mix it well. Stir nicely for 2 minutes.

 6. Add ghee fried dates and mix it well. Remove the mixture from the fire.

 7. Now take a piece of date and little mixture in hand and roll the dates with ground nut mixture.

8. Arrange them on plates and let it cool. " Dates & Groundnuts Rolls " are ready to serve.

 Note :

Do not add much ghee because groundnut contain oil that is sufficient for the sweets. You can roll them on dry coconut powder. You can also prepare this with Almonds, cashew nuts. You can add any kind of nuts to this sweet. Adding more jaggery or preparing this dish with sugar is left to your choice. I have used organic jaggery so that  no need to filter the liquid jaggery.

Time : 15 Minutes.
20 to 25 "Dates & Groundnuts Rolls" Can be prepared.