Varagarisi Sundal - Kodo Millet Sundal

#VaragarisiSundal #KodoMilletSundal :

 #Varagu - #Varagarisi is called #KodoMillet in English. Kodo millet is called Kodra in Hindi, Arikelu in Telugu and Harka in Kannada. #Millet are highly nutritious and not acid forming foods.

Millet are high in minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.
I tried Sundal for morning breakfast with Varagarisi adding roasted green gram dhal. This Varagarisi Sundal is tastier than Arisi Sundal.

Serves for two persons.
Preparation time       : 15 mins
Cooking time            : 20 mins

Ingredients :
Varagarisi ( Kodo Millet )           : 1/2 cup
Green gram dhal                          : 1 1/2 tblsp
Onion                                         : 1
Green Chilly                                : 2 ( adjust )
Curry leaves                                : 10
Mustard seeds                             : 1/2 tsp
Gram dhal                                   : 2 tsp
Asafoetida powder                      : 1/4 tsp
oil                                                : 2 tsp
salt                                               : 1 tsp ( adjust )

Method :
Dry roast Varagarisi till its color changes to bright white.
Dry roast green gram dal till its color changes to golden brown.
Nicely chop onion and split green chilly lengthwise.

Add oil in the same kadai used for roasting rice and dal and heat on medium flame.
Splutter mustard seeds.
Then add gram dal and asafoetida ( hing ).
When dal turns golden add curry leaves.
Then add split green chilly.
Saute for a few seconds and then add onion.
Saute till onion turns pale pink color.

Add salt and 1 1/2 cup of water.
Keep burner at high and bring it to boil.
Wash roasted varagarisi and dhal in water.
When water is boiling reduce flame to SIM.
Add washed varagarisi and dhal.

Mix well and close with a lid.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Open the lid and stir with a ladle once in 2 minutes.
When cooked turn off the stove and keep it closed for another 5 minutes.
Now varagarisi sundal is ready.

Serve with coconut chutney or any chutney of your choice.
Here I served with onion pickle.

You might also like to try :

Varagarisi Upma [ Kodo Millet Upma ]	Varagarisi Venthaya Kanji	arisi sundal [ rice sundal ]
kanji dosai	varagarisi neer dosai

Ideas for Breakfast and Dinner

Tiffin Recipes

For tasty accompaniments

Chutney Recipes

Diamond Cut Maida Spicy Biscuits

#MaidaKaraBiscuit : #Biscuit is prepared using maida adding either black pepper powder or red chilly powder to make it spicy.

Ingredients :

Maida                   : 1 cup
Rawa                    : 1 tsp
Pepper powder       : 1 1/2 tsp
Salt                        : 3/4 tsp ( Adjust )
Ghee                      : 1 tsp
Hot Oil                   : 2 tsp

Oil to fry                : 1 cup

Method :
Take all the ingredients in a vessel and mix with fingers.
Then add water little by little and knead into a tight dough.
Roll into a big chappathy with a rolling pin.
Cut into diamond shape pieces.

Heat Oil to fry in a kadai on a stove over medium flame.
When oil is hot slowly put 20 pieces at a time and fry till golden brown.

Take out and spread on a kitchen tissue.
Then again fry another batch of 20 pieces.

Store in an airtight container.
Enjoy these diamond biscuits with a hot coffee or garam chai ( hot tea ).






Other snack recipes you might like to try

Kambu Pakoda

Pakoda

Kambu Murukku

Savory Mixer

kara aval pori

Spinach Adai

#SpinachAdai #SpinachPancake #KodiPasalaiAdai : We all must have seen popular Popeye Cartoon show on TV, wherein Popeye used to open a sealed can and swallow Spinach at one go. Immediately after he gains immense strength to fight against the villain. But it is very difficult to eat like him. When it is cooked become viscous and doesn't have any distinct taste. But Spinach is rich in iron.
To learn the health benefits of Spinach click here.
In my back yard I have planted Spinach and this creeper running along the fence.
In order to make it tasty and to consume plenty of it I made many trials. One such trial become successful and that is adai with Spinach.
Generally adai is prepared with either bottle gourd or tender yellow pumpkin.
This one came out very well and tasty too.

Ingredients :

Save 1/3 cup of Rice Batter While grinding for Idli Maavu ( Idly batter ) in the fridge.


Other Ingredients to grind :
1/3  cup           Kadalai Paruppu ( Bengal gram )
1/3  cup           Tuvaram Paruppu ( Pigeon pea  )
1 tsp                Asafoetida
4                      Red chilly
1 tsp                Cumin seeds
1 tsp                Fennel seeds
1/2 inch           Ginger piece
salt                  1 tsp ( adjust )
oil                    to make adai

To add to Batter :

10                 Curry leaves chopped nicely
3 tsp             Coriander leaves chopped nicely
2 tsp             Carrot grated
1 cup            Spinach chopped nicely
1 tblsp          Onion chopped nicely

Method :
I have taken out 1/3 cup of rice batter while grinding for Idli and saved in fridge.

Take all the ingredients to grind in a mixer grinder jar.
Grind coarsely.
Transfer into a vessel.
Add rice batter and mix well.

Now add Spinach, onion,carrot, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
Mix well and adjust salt.
The batter should be slightly thick and able to spread on tawa easily.

Now keep a tawa on medium heat and spread oil over it.
When the tawa becomes hot keep a big ladle full of batter at the centre.
Spread over the hot tawa into a circle of 12 cm diameter and nearly 2 mm thickness.
Add 1/2 tsp of oil over adai and also all around.
Allow to cook till the bottom becomes golden color.
Turn upside down with a flat dosai ladle.
Transfer onto a serving plate after both the sides are cooked well.
I used to relish adai only with jaggary.
It can also be enjoyed with Aviyal or coconut chutny or murungaikai sambar.

Note :

If Idli Maavu ( Idli batter ) is not there then
Soak 1/3 cup   Idli Rice and 1/3 cup   Raw Rice for 2 hours.
Grind coarsely and transfer into a vessel. Then grind all the ingredients coarsely and mix well.




You may also like to try :

Paruppu Adai

Vazhaipoo spinach Adai

Pesarattu

Arisi Roti

Kezhvaragu Adai

Brinjal Mushroom Thayir Pachadi

#KatharikkaiKaalanThayirPachadi #BrinjalMushroomThayirPachadi : I am forced to find out other options for making Thayir Pachadi ( Raitha ) without onion since onions are too expensive to handle. Here I tried a #Pachadi with #Brinjal [ #Katharikkai ] and #Mushroom [ #Kaalan ]. This Thayir Pachadi was very tasty with a nice aroma of cumin.

Ingredients :
Katharikkai ( brinjal )            : 1 small
Button Mushroom                 : 4
Curd                                    : 1/2 cup
Chopped big onion                : 1 tsp
Tomato chopped                   : 2 tsp
Grated Carrot                        : 2 tsp
Curry leaves                           : 6
Coriander leaved chopped       : 1 tsp
Oil                                         : 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder                   : a pinch

To Grind :
Coconut scrap                      : 2 tsp
Green chilly                          : 1 ( Adjust )
Small onion                          : 2
Cumin Seeds                        : 1/2 tsp

To Temper :
Mustard seeds                     : 1/2 tsp
Urad Dhal                            : 1/2 tsp
oil                                       : 1/2 tsp

Method :
Beat curd with a spoon and take in a serving bowl.
Wash mushroom well and keep aside.
Keep a kadai with 1/2 tsp of oil.
Cut brinjal into 5 mm thick pieces.
Add a pinch of turmeric powder and add cut pieces of brinjal.

Saute for few seconds and close with lid till it becomes soft.
Transfer into the bowl with curd.
Now add 1/2 tsp of oil again in kadai and saute mushroom pieces.

Water oozes out of mushroom pieces and keep stirring till become soft.
Transfer into the bowl with curd.
Grind all the ingredients given into a nice paste.
Add this ground paste also to curd.
Add all other ingredients given.
Put required amount of salt.

Mix well. Temper mustard seeds and urad dhal.
Transfer on to the prepared pachadi.
Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.

A very good side dish for Briyani, Sambar Sadam, Tomato Rice.

Note :
The color is slightly yellowish because of turmeric powder used.
If Mushroom is not available then increase the amount of  Brinjal little more.

Preserving Pudina

Last year when I went to market bought a bunch of Pudina [ mint ] keerai. After plucking the leaves planted those stems in my backyard. When I planted it was raining so immediately started growing well. After monsoon I replanted them near a tap so that it receives water always. This year during monsoon they spread in all direction and formed a large bed of Pudina. I wanted to preserve them for future use. So I dried these leaves and preserved.
I am sharing with you all how I dried Pudina leaves.

Pluck the leaves.
Wash the leaves thoroughly two or three times.
Transfer into a colander to drain water.

Spread a clean kitchen towel on a big plate or on the floor.
Now spread the washed leaves on the towel.

The excess water will be absorbed by the towel.
Keep stirring the leaves at regular intervals with hands to dry out.
Then transfer the leaves in two or three plates.

Keep it open in an airy place inside the house to dry.
Slowly the leaves started drying and in the process the color also changes.

After a day or two leaves completely lose water and become brittle.
Then keep in the Hot Sun for half an hour.
Now it can be stored in an airtight clean dry container.

The dried leaves are as good as fresh one and still retain its aroma!

It can be used in the preparation of briyani, pulav, chutney, chappathy.... etc.,....





Some other Items to preserve

Dried Curry Leaf

Mint Concentrate

Dried Rose Petal [ Preserving Pudhina ]

Nellikkai mittai - Amla Candy

Vengaya vadavam [ Dried shallots ]