Quick Moong - Avalakki Kichidi...

Quick Moong -Avalakki kichidi can be done quickly and is very simple, not much of spices used.

I have used Thick Avalakki/Aval/Poha/flatter or beaten rice, moong dal and some mild spices.

Kichidi does mean mixture. Rice, dal, spices cooked together becomes a whole meal. It is always healthy when you don't use much of oil and spice. Kichidi can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner or it can eaten as brunch on a lazy sunday. (Breakfast and Lunch combined).

Moong dal contain carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Moong dal is good for people who diet because consuming moong helps to stay full for a long time. It is also said it is one of the best legume for vegetarians because it provides needed minerals and vitamins to the body. 

Avalakki/poha/aval/ flattened rice also good for our body. It is good for people who wants to diet. There is no onion or garlic used in this dish. You can prepare prepare Moong -Avalakki Kichidi within a short time. 

Lets see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Moong dal : 1 Cup

Avalakki/Flattened Rice (Thick variety) : 2 Cups

Green Chilly : 2 

Ginger : 1 Teaspoon (an inch)

Pepper pods : 6 to 8

Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Ingh/Asafoetida : a pinch

Salt : Required Salt/

Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Cashew Nuts : 2 to 3 Tablespoons (cut into small pieces)
Coconut : 2 Tablespoons .(Optional)

Method :
1. Wash and soak thick variety of flattened rice/Avalakki/Aval/Poha/Pova in 1/2 Cup of water. (For 10 minutes).
2. Wash and cook moong dal and keep it aside.

3. Wash and cut green chilly, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
4. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and grate it. Keep it asdie.
5. Crush pepper pods and keep it aside.
6. Keep a big pan on the fire. Put ghee and fry cashew nuts and take out cashews.
7. Add jeera and crushed pods. Add ingh/Asafoetida and curry leaves.
8. Add cut green chilly and fry for 10 seconds.
9. Add cooked moong dal, turmeric powder and salt. Add 2 glasses of water.

10. Let it mix well and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Add soaked Avalakki/flattened rice and mix it well. Cook for 5 minutes.
12. Stir in between so that it does not burnt at the bottom. Add a tablespoon of ghee. Mix it well.
13. Shift the cooked kichidi to a serving dish. Add cut coriander leaves.

14. Add grated coconut and fried cashew nuts.
15. Serve with papad, pickle and curd.

Note :
You can use raw rice/broken wheat instead of Avalakki. (Optional).
Use of onions and garlic is optional.
Use of more/less ghee is optional.
Use of cashew nuts and coconut is optional.
You can cook moong dal in a big pan instead of pressure cooking the dal. (Dal cooked in pressure cooker get smashed). (Optional).
Use of spices is also optional. You can use garam masala/cloves/cinnemon along with green chilly adds to the taste. But it is not that healthy.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3.

Sweet & Khara (Spicy) Kadabu.

Happy Ganesha -Gauri Festival to one and all.
It is nice to celebrate festivals with traditional dishes, poojas and Sambrama. (Festival Mood). 

Ganesha likes Kadabu/Kadubu. It is good to have some thing heatlthy too. Ganesha's Eating Kadabu on the day of his festival has some interesting story too.
Ganesha was very very happy on his day. He ate loads and loads of Kadabu and other yummy dishes like kajjaya, panch kajjaya, etc. Rat is his vehicle (Vahana), he was slowly moving front sitting on Mooshika Vahana. (Sittiing on the rat). Suddenly a snack appeared infront of the rat. Rat was schared and it ran away, putting Ganesha down. Ganesha fell and his big stomach broke. He got angry and pulled the snake and tied it around his stomach. So you can always see snacke around his stomach.
We used to sing this special poem when we were small.
Ganesha banda (Ganesha has come), Hotte mele gandha ( gandha on his big stomach), Kai kadabu tinda. (Ate Kai kadabu, that is sweet kadabu made on the day of Ganesha Festival). Chikka kereli bidda. (Fell on the small pool of water). Dodda kereli edda. (Stood up on bigger pool.)
The above lines shows our life circle too. Ganesha is made of mud, (soil). and going back to put him in water and it turns into soil again.
The festival of Ganesha is very famous in India, many Ganesha Statues are put up in each street, some or the other musical programmes are held and people do enjoy Ganesha festival very much.

I have used Turmeric Leaves to prepare these Kadubu. We love the aroma of Arasina ele (Turmeric leaf) and it helps to keep your body warm in rainy season. You can use Banana leaves if you don't like/or don't get these turmeric leaves. Banana is also one of the healthy leaf.
Two types of Kadabus are prepared on this special occasion. One is Kara Kadabu and the other one is Sweet Kadabu. This is Traditional dish of South Canara. Some people prepare these kadabu on Nagara Panchami Day.
Khara Kadubu is prepared using Urid dal, and some spices and Sweet Kadubu is done with raw rice, coconut and jaggery mixture.
Let us see the recieps Now.
1. Khara Kadubu.

Things Needed :

Urid Dal : 1 Cup
Raw Rice : 1 Fist (2 Tablespoons)
Green chilly : 1
Pepper Pods :  5 to 6
Jeera/cumin seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Ginger : An inch
Ingh :A little
Salt : As required
Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Curry leaves : 6 to 8 or little more

Method :

1. Wash and soak Urid dal and rice together for 2 hours. Wash and keep turmeric leaves aside.

2. Wash and cut green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves into small.
3. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and grate and keep it aside.
4. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
5. Now grind urid dal, rice, jeera and pepper with little water and till they turn rava consistency.
6. Remove from the mixi jar and put it in a big bowl.
7. Add cut curryleaves, coriander leaves, grated ginger, coconut and salt. Mix it well.

8. Now take a handful of Urid dal mixture and spread it on the leaf.

9. Fold the leaf and keep it aside. Arrange all the kadubus the same way and keep it on a plate.

10. Keep a Idli cooker /pressure cooker on the fire. Put some water. Place its plate.
11. Place a Banana Leaf on the plate. Arrange the folded kadubus in the idli cooker.

12. Cook for 25 to 30 miunutes. Put off the fire and remove the cooked kadubus.

13. Remove  kadubu from the leaf. Put it on a serving plate.
14. Serve with coconut oil or ghee and coconut chutney.

Note : 

Do not add more water while grinding. You will not be able to spread the dough on the leaf.
Do not grind Urid dal, rice mixture nicely. ( Do not grind it like a paste). Grind it coarsely.
Use of more/less green chilly, curry leaves and coriander leaves is optional.
6 to 8 Kadubu can be prepared.

Sweet Kadubu :

Things Needed :

Raw Rice : 1  1/2 Cups
Jaggery : 1/4 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup
Cardamom : 3 to 4 pods
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Wash and soak raw rice in water for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Grate coconut, powder jaggery and cardamom pods. Mix all the ingredients well.

3. Grind soaked rice with 2 tablespoons of coconut with little water. Remove from the mixi jar.
4. Add  a pinch of salt and mix the dough nicely. It should be thick like idli batter.

5. Now take a washed turmeric leaf. Put a big spoon of ground raw rice dough.
6. Spread it slightly and place a tablespoon of coconut jaggery mixture. Fold at at the edges.

7. Repeat the same and arrange kadubu in a plate with remaining dough.
8. Now place these folded kadubus in the idli cooker/pressure cooker. (follow the above rules to keep kadubu in the idli cooker).

9. Let it cook for 25 minutes. Remove the cooker lid and remove the kadubus from the leaf.

10. Serve with little ghee on the top of kadubu.

Note :

It is always better to eat hot kadubus. You can cook sweet and khara kadubu together (If the quantity is less). Prick a knife edge to know the kadubu is cooked. The content do not stick to the knife ede if it is cooked).
Remember that Khara and Sweet Kadubu can be cooked together. (It saves time and gas too).
Time 30 minutes
Serves : 6 to 8 Kadubus can be prepared.