Sunday, May 27, 2012

Quick Rava Guli Appa - Sweet & Khara

Guli Appa/Paddu/Gunth Pongalu is one of the favourite dish of many. You can prepare Guli appa with different ingredients. Like wise , Mentya Guli Appa, Dosa batter Guli Appa, Sweet Guli Appa so and so. I have prepared Quick and easy Guli Appa with Rava/Semolina.
Here I have tried sweet and spicy both types.


I have used jaggery, coconut and banana for Sweet Guli Appa.
I have used green chilly, ginger, coconut and coriander leaves for the spicy Guli Appa.
It is easy, quick and simple. Good for breakfast, snack and even dinner.
It is diabetic friendly, good for Kids Snack Box or when they come back from school.
You can have them for snack or even with cup of coffee /tea/juice.
No Onion or Garlic added to Spicy Rava Guli Appa
Lets see the recipe Now :
1. Sweet Guli Appa 

Things Needed :

Rava/Semolina ( Medium size) : 2 cups
Jaggery : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Banana : 2 ( Small Sized)
Coconut : Grated : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required 
Eno Salt : 1/2 Tablespoons
Oil : 3 to 4 Tablespoons


Method :

1. Take a big bowl and add milk, rava, jaggery and salt. 
2. Remove the skin of banana and cut them into small and smash it nicely.
3. Add smashed banana to rava mixture and mix all the ingredients nicely.


4. Grate coconut and add it to rava jaggery mixture. Mix it well. 
5. Add required water and prepare guli appa batter. 


6. Add eno salt and mix the ingredients nicely.


7. Keep Guli Appa pan on the fire and heat. Add little oil to each mould.
8. Mix Sweet guli appa batter nicely and put a ladle of batter to each mould.


9.Sprinkle oil on the top and let it cook on low flame.
10. Turn them to the other side and cook on other side for a minute.

11. Remove guli appa and keep it on a plate.

12. Repeat the same and prepare remaining guli appa. Serve hot guli appa with a spoon of ghee on the top.

Note :

The batter should be like idli batter. Not very loose or thick. Adding more jaggery is optional. Use of ghee instead of oil is optional.Cook on low flame to get golden coloured guli appa. No need to add more Eno Salt. 
 Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.
Purely South Indian Recipe / My own Recipe

Hot and Spicy Guli Appa :

Ingredients:

Medium size Rava /Semolina : 2 Cups
Green chilly : 2
Curd : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Eno Salt : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ginger : An Inch
Coconut : 2 Tablespoons
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons.
Oil : 4 to 5 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Take a big bowl and add rava/semolina, curd, salt and required water.


2. Wash and cut coriander leaves, grated coconut, green chilly and curry leaves.
3. Wash ginger and remove the outer layer. Wash it again and grate it.
4. Grate coconut and mix all the ingredients nicely.


5. The batter should be like idli batter. Add Eno salt and mix it well.

6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put little oil to each mould of guli appa.
7. Mix the batter nicely and take a ladle of batter and put it to guli appa mould.
8. Cook on low flame. Add little oil on the top.
9. Turn the other side and cook. Remove it from the guli appa pan.


10. Serve hot guli appa with chutney and ghee. / Any other side dish of your choice.
11. Repeat the same with remaining batter.
12. Serve or Eat Hot guli appa.

Note :  

Add only required water. The batter should be like idli batter. Adding more chilly is optional. Adding onions to the spicy batter is optional. Use of ghee instead of oil is optional. If the batter turns watery add little rava and mix it well. Do not add more Eno Salt.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Beetroot Rasam

Beetroot Rasamis can be a starter like soup or you can have it with plain rice. This is one of my old recipe and try to update with pics and some information too. I am adding a tip given by shivuH who is my follower and a friend I can say. I have cooked the beetroot with its skin and then removed the outer of beet just like potato. It is easy and good too. Remember to soak the whole beet in normal water for at least 20 minutes. It helps to reduce the chemical which is used while growing beet.
When you feel like having something different, healthy and energetic you can think of making this Beetroot Rasam.

It is easy to prepare as I always say about my recipes are easy. It is healthy I can say since beetroot contain many many healthy qualities.I have used very little toor dal which is protein content. Spices are usually at home and M. T. R. or Mayya's Rasam powder is best to use to get good aroma and proper rasam taste.
Lets see some benefits of having Beetroot in our diet:
Beetroot decreases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart diseases. It also helps to promote a healthy complexion and hair. It helps in providing good energy. Beetroot helps to maintain the blood pressure and good for digestion. It helps to control the blood sugar level and good for anemia. It reduces the bad cholesterol. It is high in soluble fiber and eases the constipation problems. It also helps to boost brain power. Beetroots contain potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B, C, beta carotene, beta cyanine, folic acid. They are a wonderful tonic for the liver and works as a purifier for the blood.
Lets see the recipe now :


Things Needed :

To Cook :
Beetroot : 1
Toor Dal : 2 Tablespoons
To : Grind :
Cooked Beetroot:
Rasam Powder : 2 Tablespoons
Ingh : a little
To Add
Water : 2 to 3 Cups
Mustard seeds and Urid dal Seasing : 1 Teaspoon oil or ghee, mustard seeds, urid dal (1/2 Teaspoon each), curry leaves and ingh
Coriander leaves " 2 Tablespoon
Curry leaves : 6 to 8 (to the seasoning)
Ingh : a pinch
Turmeric powder : a little (1/4 Teaspoon)
Tamarind pulp : a small marble size tamarind
Salt : as required
Methi seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Green chilly : 1 

Method : 

1. Wash and pressure cook, toor dal and beetroot with its skin for 6 to 8 minutes.(Keep beetroot separately in a bowl). Leave it for cooling.


2. Soak tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and keep it aside.
3. Remove the outer layer of beetroot (like potato skin), and cut it in to small pieces.
4. Now grind beet pieces with rasam powder and remove from the mixi jar.

5. Take a big pan and add cooked toor dal (just mash it a little before adding water), ground beetroot mixture, tamarind pulp.
6. Add 2 to 3 cups of water and salt. Add, Cut green chilly, methi seeds and turmeric powder. Mix it well and bring it to boil.

7. Add muster-urid dal, curry leaves and ingh seasoning with ghee or oil. Shift the Beetroot rasam to a serving dish.
8. Add cut coriander leaves and serve Beetroot rasam as soup or with plain rice as one of the side dish.

Home made Rasam Powder recipe :

Roast  1/4 tea spoon of methi, 2 table spoons coriander seeds, 6 to 8 red chillies and 1/2 tea spoon of jeera  one by one till brown. Add pinch of ingh and curry leaves and roast . Dry grind when the mixture turns cool.

Note : 

Adding garlic is optional. (Beetroot rasam goes well with fried garlic). I have not used. Using ghee is optional. Adding moong dal instead of toor dal is also an optional. Adding water to the rasam (thick or thin) is also optional. Mashing cooked dal helps rasam to get good binding.Adding green chilly gives good aroma. Adding any brand of rasam powder is optional.

Serves : 4 to 5
Time : 30 minutes.

Baadam ( Almond) Milk.

Badam/Almonds are always nuts and it helps to keep our skin healthy and take care of our health too.
Badam (Almond ) Milk is a refreshing drink and it helps you to be strong and energetic whole day.
I have used Almonds, cardamom, Saffron, Sugar and Milk.
Let us see the recipe Now:

Things Needed :

Almonds : 10 to 15 
Cadamom : 4 to 6 pods.
Milk: 1/2 Litre.
Kesar ( Saffron ) : 2 to 3 rakes.
Sugar : 2 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Soak Almonds in hot water for 10 minutes and remove its outer skin. Keep it aside.


2. Remove the skin of cardamom and add with almonds and grind it together with little water.

3. Keep milk for boiling. Cool the milk once it is boiled.
4. Soak 3 to 4 rakes of saffron in 2 tablespoons of hot milk. (Dissolve it after 2 minutes).
5. Now Put ground almonds in a bowl and boil for 2 minutes.
6. Add sugar to boiling almond mixture. Let it cool.

7. Now mix almond - saffron mixture with cooled milk and mix it well.

8. Serve cool " Badam Milk " in a hot summer day.
9. Keeping this Badam Milk in a refrigerator is optional. (Adding ice cube also optional).

Note: 

You can Dry grind cardamom and almonds (without removing the skin) and store it in a dry place and use it whenever you want. But you will not get the fresh aroma. (optional). Adding rock sugar (kallu sakkare) instead of sugar is a healthy habit. Use of sugar in hot summer helps you to get energy. You can use more milk but taste differ.
Time : 15 Minutes
Serves: 3 to 4 glasses.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Wheat flour - Heere kai ( Ridge Gourd ) Dosa.

Wheat flour - HeereKai ( Ridge Gourd ) Dosa is good for people who diet and diabetic people. Its good for normal people too and its very healthy snack.

Things needed :
Ridge gourd : 2 ( Medium sized).
Wheat flour: 2  cups.
Sambaar or Rasam Powder: 2 Table spoons.
Red chilly powder : 1 Tea spoon.
Samolina : 1 Table spoon.
Salt: to taste.
Oil : 2 to 3 Table spoons.
Turmeric Powder : a pinch.
Water: as required.

Method:
Mix wheat flour,  Samolina,  chilly powder ,sambaar powder, salt, turmeric powder with water and keep it aside. Remove the outer skin nicely from ridge gourd and cut into thin circles and keep it aside. 
Now keep a dosa pan on the fire. Heat and put 1/2 spoon of oil. Dip ridge gourd pieces and arrange them on the pan in a circle shape. Put 1/2 spoon of oil and cover the lid and cook on a low flame. Turn the other side and cook until its brown. Remove from the pan and serve tasty  Wheat - Heerekai dosa .
Repeat the same with the rest of the dough.
Note: Must choose the good tender ridge gourd to prepare this dosa. ( Some time the ridge gourd turns in to bitter).  Select the good ones carefully. If its over ripe You will not be able to cut that even. Can add 1  Table spoon of jaggery if you like .  Normal person can have lots of butter on the top of Hot Hot Heere kai dosa.  The dough should not be very watery or thick.
6  to 8 Heerekai dosas can be made.

heerekai dosa

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Beetroot Savioury Sasive

Beetroot Saasive is a gravy side dish. We call it as Sasive because the curry is prepared using Mustard seeds. Sasive/Mustard seeds is one of the healthy spice which helps to keep our body warm.
I have used Beetroot, mustard seeds, a very little jeera, green chilly and tamarind.

Sasive is one of the famous traditional dish which is prepared using or cooked vegetables.  No dals are used in this sasive. Many vegetables like brinjal, onions, cucumber, carrots are used in this preparation. You can create your own style of sasive using your favourite spices.
No Onion or No Garlic added in this " Beetroot Sasive
Lets see the recipe Now :

Things needed:

Beetroot : 1 ( Medium size ).
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon.
Urd daal: 1/2  Tea spoon.
Ingh : a pinch.
Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons.
Jeera/ Cumin Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Tamarind : 1 Marble size
Green chillies: 2
Water : 1/4 cup.
Oil : 1/2 Teaspoon.
Salt : to taste.
Curry leaves : 5 to 6 leaves.
Coriander leaves: 1 Table spoon.

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer skin of beetroot. Cut them into small and pressure cook.
2. Wash and cut green chilly, grate coconut.
3. Grind coconut, green chilly, tamarind, 1/2 Teaspoon of mustard seeds and jeera/cumin seeds.
4. Use very little water to grind. Let it turn smooth paste consistency. Remove from the mixi jar.
5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds and let it splutter.
6. Add curry leaves and ingh. Add cooked beetroot. Add turmeric powder and salt.

7. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add ground spice and mix it slowly. Let it boil for a few minutes.
8. Shift the curry to a serving dish and add coriander leaves to it.
9. Serve with  the main dish that you have prepared.
Note :
Adding curd instead of tamarind is optional. Adding more chilly is optional. The curry should be thick and mild. Adding any raw spice is optional.
Time : 20 minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.
Check for the recipe in the video
I have used red byadagi chilly instead of green chilly in the video ..It helps.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Heere Kai ( Ridge Gourd ) Spicy Dosa

Heerekai/Ridge gourd (Heere -kai in kannada) spicy Dosa is one of the traditional dish of South Canara. We do use ridge gourd in curries, chutney, fried fritters and Dosa. Dosa means it is one of the spicy dosa that goes well with a slice of butter. It is easy to prepare and good to have for breakfast and snack time.

Spicy batter is ground using raw rice, spices and red chilly. Ridge gourd is cut into thin circle shape and dipped and arranged on dosa tava/pan. Dosa is cooked in  medium and low flame on both sides and then Hot Heere Kai Spicy Dosa is served with Butter on the top.
Let us see the recipe Now :
 Things Needed:
Ridge guard : 2
Dosa Rice: 2 Cups.
Urd daal: 1 Teaspoon.
Fenugreek seeds ( Methi seeds) : 1 Teaspoon.
Red chillies : 6 to 8.
Tamarind Pulp: 2 Tablespoons.
Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons.
Jeera ( Cumin ) seeds: 1/2 teaspoons.
Salt : to taste.
Fresh Coconut: 2 Tablespoons.( Grated).
Water: As required
Turmeric powder: a pinch.
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons.
Oil : 5 to 6 Tablespoons.
Method:
1. Wash and soak raw rice for 2 hours. Add a teaspoon of methi seeds./Fenugrik seeds and urid dal.
2. Wash and scrape out the edges of ridge gourd and peel off the outer layer.
3. Slice ridge gourd into circle shape. Keep them aside. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Drain out water from soaked raw rice and grind it with fresh coconut, tamarind, coriander seeds red chilly and jeera. Add only required water to grind.
5. Add  little turmeric powder, salt and jaggery. Give a churn for 1 minute.
6. Remove the batter from mixi jar to a big bowl.


7. Keep a pan on the fire and heat.
8. Sprinkle oil on the top of the pan. Mix the batter nicely and dip heerakai slices/ridge gourd slices and arrange on the pan.
9. Let the flame be low while keeping the ridge gourd slices on the pan.
10. Cook on medium and low flame till it turns golden brown and bit crispy.



11. Remove it from the pan and serve with a slice of butter on the top.


12. Repeat the same with remaining batter and ridge gourd pieces.
Note :
Do not add much water to grind. The batter should not be watery. Add little rice flour if the batter turns watery. Batter consistency should be like idli batter. Use of coconut oil is optional. Use of red chilly should be minimum. Use of jaggery more/less is optional.
Time : Soaking rice 2 hours + Grinding time 5 minutes + preparing dosa 30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.

Pudina - Raw Mango Drink

Pudina - Raw Mango Juice or Panaka is a healthy drink and help us to refresh . Ideal time to drink this juice just before the lunch. It is good appetiter too.

Things Needed:
Raw Mango pieces : 1/4 of small mango
Pudina or Mint Leaves  : Two Handful: ( Use only the leaves not the stem).
Honey : 2 Table spoon.
Salt : a pinch.
Water: 2 to 3 glasses.
Jeea: 1/4 Tea spoon.

Method:
Wash and remove leaves from Pudina bundle and keep it aside. Roast Jeera. Mix all the ingredients except honey nd grind with little water till paste. Add salt at the end and grind for 1 minutes. Remove from the jar. Add 2 glasses of water and sieve or strain this juice.  Put this in a bowl and add honey and serve this juice with  ice cubes.
Note : You can add black salt instead of normal salt. Do not add any sugar. Can add more honey to the juice.  Can use the remains of the ground mango and pudina ( if you have ) in any curry. ( Just add it while the curry boils). Can add cardamom powder or one pod of cardamom while grinding leaves and raw mango. Using ice cubes is an option.
Serves : 3 Glasses.
 


Saturday, May 12, 2012

Sabbassige Curry(Dill Leaves)

Sabbassige Soppu/Dill leaves are loaded with healthy properties. 
We can prepare varieties of dishes using this Dill leaves. Like wise , akki rotti, paratas, different varieties of rice, dal vada, dry curries etc etc etc.

Let us see some benefits of eating  " Dil leaves/Sabbassige soppu " in our diet ".
Dil leaves helps to boost digestive health. It provides relief from insomnia, diarrhea, menstrual disorders and respiratory disorders. It helps to boost immune system. It is contain anti inflammatory substance. Dil leaves are good for ladies just after their delivery. Dil leaves do contain
or Dil Leaves are good to keep your body cool.
Sabbssige/Dil leaves Curry can be eaten with Chapatis ,  Jolada Rotti ( Jawar),  Raagi Rotti , Pooris and  Rice.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this curry.
Lets see the recipe Now :

Things Needed:

Sabbassige Soppu ( Dil
Leaves ) : 1 Bundle ( Medium Size ).
Toor dal : 1/2 Cup
Green Chilly : 2 to 3
Ginger : an inch.
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon.
Urd Daal: 1/2 Teaspoon.
Ingh/Asafoetida : a pinch.
Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon.
Methi Seeds : 1/4 Tea spoon.
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : to taste.
Turmeric Powder:  a pinch.
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8.
Water : 2 cups.


Method :

1. Wash and cut Sabbasige Soppu ( Dil leaves), Green chilly, curry leaves and ginger.

2. Wash and cook toor dal, green chilly, dil leaves and ginger in a pressure cooker. Let it cool.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add mustard seeds, urid dal, let it splutter.
4. Add green chilly, curry leaves and ingh. Mix it well and put off the fire.

5. Now keep cooked toor and dil leaves on fire. Add a glass of water and let it boil.
6. Add salt and turmeric powder. (a pinch). Add mustard seasoning and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Shift the curry to a serving dish. Serve with any main dish you have prepared.
8. The thick curry taste better.

Note : 

You can use Moong dal instead of toor dal. Adding onions and garlic to the curry is optional.
Adding any spice to the curry is optional. Taste differ. Adding Ghee to the curry is optional. It adds to the taste. Adding more/less chilly is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 4.

Jack fruits Seeds Tikki

Jack fruits are healthy Seasonal fruits. The seeds also contain lots of good vitamins and minerals.  After eating the fruit we throw away th...

About

author
My name is Nalini Somayaji. Teaching is my profession. Cooking is my passion. Reading, travelling, visiting new places, having fun with kids are some of the hobbies I can say. My recipes are Healthy, quick, easy and simple. Grown up being a traditional family member I love and respect Indian culture and traditions. Love classical dance and music.
Learn More →