Carrot Poori

Carrot Poori is a fried dish. This is another version of our Mangalore buns. Mangalore buns are very famous in Udupi, Mangalore and Malnaadu places. This poori can be prepared immediately just after mixing the flour.

Carrot Sweet poori can be eaten for breakfast, as snack or even for dinner. It is easy and quick to prepare and it does not take (absorb) much oil.

Lets see some benefits of having curd (yogurt) in our diet.
Curd is one of the important part of Indian diet. It has a number of health and nutritional benefits. Eating curd every day helps our body system cool. It improves our digestive system and helps to get rid of stomach problems. It boosts our digestion. It is high in calcium and protein. It works as an energy booster. It works as an antioxidant. Curd is stress buster and increases immunity. It is also good for hair and skin.
Carrot Poori is good to pack for school kids as sanck, traveling, ladies get together, kitty parties even Navaratri prasadam. (Prepare smaller pooris to give it to kids who visits to see the dolls kept at home).

Things Needed :

Wheat flour : 1 Cup
Maida : 1 Cup 
Carrots : 2
Banana : 1
Curd : a small cup
Ghee : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Cooking soda : a pinch (optional)
Salt : a little
Oil : 1 Cup (to fry)

Method : 

1. Wash and scrape out the carrot outer skin, wash it again and grate it.

2. Take a big bowl. Add grated carrots, banana, ghee, jeera/cumin seeds and salt.
3. Add a small cup of curd and smash banana and mix all the ingredients nicely.
4. Add maida/plain flour, wheat flour and prepare the dough. ( Do not add any water ).

5. Allow the dough to rest for  5 minutes.
6. Kneed the dough well and divide it into small ball size. Just roll them as round and  keep it aside.
8. Keep oil for heating on the fire. Keep a spoon of oil separately in small plate.
9.. Now take a ball size dough and dip in the oil (which is kept in a small plate and roll poori.

10. Arrange the rolled pooris in a plate. Fry them in hot oil on both sides and remove it from oil and put it on a kitchen tissue.

11. It helps to absorb extra oil. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare pooris.

12. Serve Carrot, Sweet Pooris with chutney or any other curry you have prepared.

Note : 

Use of cooking soda is optional. I have not used it. Curd helps the dough to be soft. Adding sugar is optional. Adding sugar adds to the taste. If you feel the dough is too watery use little wheat flour and bring it to needed poori dough consistency. You can use dry wheat flour instead of oil to dip before rolling the poori. Use of oil helps the frying oil to be clean. Use of more banana is optional. (It takes more flour. You can use only wheat flour instead of adding maida. (Plain flour).
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 5  ( 20 small porris can be prepared).

Paradi Payasa (Rice Payasa)

Paradi Payasa is a Kannada (Karntaka) name for this Payasam. This is one of the traditional Payasam prepared during festivals, feast especially when pregnant woman is invited to home for lunch. I just love this payasam. Payasam is a sweet dish that every one knows. There are different types of payasam and preparations also differ from place to place.
Paradi Payasam is prepared using rice, jaggery and coconut. Some prepare it with maida (plain flour) also. It is always better to use rice for a healthy choice. It is some thing like Ade Prathamam (another type of classic traditional Payasam).

Lets see some benefits of having coconut milk in our diet.
Coconut milk contain antioxidant, antiseptic and cooling properties. It contain abundance of nutrients. They are rich in Vitamins C, E and many Vitamin B. Vitamin C helps to boost the immune system and Vitamin B provide energy to the cells. Coconut milk is rich in magnesium, phosphorous and iron. Coconut milk is rich in lauric acid. It helps to reduce cholesterol. They contain germ fighting, anti fungal and anti vital properties.
Paradi Payasam is prepared by using white rice. Rice can be soaked and ground into thin paste consistency or finely powdered rice flour. It is always better to use soaked and ground rice flour. It taste better and texture is very fine. The problem with rice flour is like it is not fresh and some time the flour is rough like rava.
Lets see the recipe now

Things Needed :

White Raw Rice : 1/2  Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup (fresh)
Cardamom : 3 to 4 pods
Milk : 1 Cup

Method :

1. Wash and soak rice for an hour and grind it nicely till paste consistency. (Use of water should be less). Add a pinch of salt to the dough.
2. Grate coconut and grind coconut and cardamom pods with little water and squeeze out the milk. ( Grind it again with little more water again and squeeze out the milk and keep it separately.
3. Now keep glass of water on fire and boil. Add jaggery and let it melt nicely.
4. Let it boil nicely. Now take boondhi preparing spoon and keep it above the boiling water.

5. Pour slowly the ground rice dough through the holes in the ladle and let it fall in boiling water. (let the flame be medium).

6. It forms a ball shape and starts cooking in the jaggery syrup.
7. Add the coconut milk which you got in second time.(little thinner than the first one).

8. Boil it for 2 minutes. Add the thick coconut milk. When it is about to boil put off the gas.

9. Add Fresh milk and serve Paradi Payasa with lunch or dinner.

Note :

You can filter jaggery syrup and then use it.(Helps to remove the dirt from jaggey). You can also make use of rice flour as I said. Just mix required water and a pinch of salt to prepare the dough. It should be like dosa dough. Adding a spoon of ghee adds to the taste. Adding more/less jaggery is optional. Any type of White can be used. For example ..dosa rice, sona masoori or basmati etc...
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 5 to 6 ( According to the serving quantity).