Spinach Rice

#SpinachRice : Green leafy vegetables are good source of fiber and iron. #Spinach [ kodi pasalai ] is very rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B 6 and Vitamin B 12. It has minerals like Calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. But the leaves have to be cooked very quickly or eaten raw to get the nutrients.

Here comes the recipe.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup                           Basmati Rice or Raw Rice
1                                    Onion, chop nicely
8 - 10 cloves                   Garlic, chop nicely
1/2 Tsp                           Red chilly powder [ I used avakkai urugai chilly-oil mix ]
1/2 cup                           Spinach chopped nicely
1/2 cup                           Mushroom chopped very nicely [ optional ]
3/4 Tsp                           Salt
1 cup                              Water.

To Temper :
3                                    Bay leaves
4                                    Cloves
3                                    Cardamom
1/2 Tsp                          Cumin
4 Tsp                             Gingelly oil [ til / sesame oil ]
 Coriander leaves to garnish

Method :
Wash and soak rice in water.
Heat a kadai over slow flame with 4 Tsp of gingelly oil.
When heated up splutter cumin and then add cloves, cardamom and bay leaves.
Then add garlic and onion.
Saute for 3 minutes or until onion becomes pale pink color.
Drain water completely from rice and add into the kadai.
Keep the flame at high.
Stir well until the rice turns bright white color.
Transfer into a pressure cooker.

Add water, avakkai urugai chilly-oil mix and salt.

Mix well and close the lid with weight on.
Heat at 800 on an induction stove for a whistle.
Reduce the temperature to 120 and cook for 5 minutes.
Open the cooker after the steam has completely subsided.
Now add spinach and mushroom and delicately mix with a ladle.
Take care not to mash the rice.

Close the lid with weight on and keep on the induction stove at 120.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Open after 2 minutes.
Now the tasty Spinach rice is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Enjoy hot spinach rice with thayir pachadi or with any kara curry.
Here served with Maangai Pachadi and Colacasia Kara Curry.

Some more recipes you might like to try :

Spinach Poori

Sirukeerai Dosai

Sambar Pasalai dhal

Spinach Kuzhipaniyaram

Kodi pasalai dhal

Vazhaipoo Kodi Pasalai Adai

#VazhaipooKodipasalaiAdai  #BananaflowerSpinachPancake :
This flower is rich in Vitamins and minerals especially potassium and magnesium. It doesn't loose its medicinal property in whatever way it is cooked.
Its taste is somewhat starchy and astringent, sometimes bitter also, which makes it unpopular among people.
But it is also a good source of fiber and protein.
The flower contain saponin, a phytochemical which lower LDL, or bad cholesterol, boost our immunity against infections and also inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
I always used to prepare curry, poriyal, paruppu urundai and vadai
But now I am experimenting with Vazhaipoo  [Banana flower ] to make new dishes and today made adai. It was very easy to prepare and tasty too.
Commonly Adai - Pancake is prepared using bottle gourd, or murungai keerai { Drumstick leaves }. Some time back we saw the method of preparing Adai with Spinach - Kodi pasalai. Here I made adai with banana flower and spinach.

Here comes the recipe.
Can make 4 - 6 pancakes.

Ingredients :
1/3 cup                            Boiled Rice [ Idly rice ]
1/3 cup                            Raw Rice
1/3 cup                            Gram dal [ channa dal ]
1/3 cup                            Thuvar dal [ arahar dal ]
1/3 cup                            Green gram [ moong dal ]

other ingredients to grind :
3  - 4                               Red Chilly
1 Tsp                               Cumin
1 Tsp                               Fennel
1 small piece                    Asafoetida
1/2 inch                            Ginger
3/4 Tsp                            Salt

To add to batter :
1 cup                                Banana flower nicely chopped [ take inner tender florets ]
1 cup                                Spinach finely chopped
2 Tbsp                              Coriander leaves finely chopped
15                                     Curry leaves nicely chopped
1 Tbsp                              Onion finely chopped
2 pinch                              Turmeric powder

Oil to make adai - pancake.

Method :
Soak both rice together in a vessel for 2 hours after washing 2 times.
Soak all the given lentils [ dals ] in a separate container for 2 hours.
After 2 hours,
Take other ingredients to grind in a mixie jar. Grind coarsely without adding water.
Drain water from soaked rice into another vessel and then add rice into the mixie jar.
Now grind other ingredients ground already and soaked rice without adding water.
Then add 2 Tbsp soaked water which we saved and grind coarsely into a batter.
Add some more water if necessary.
Transfer into a big vessel.

Now drain water from soaked lentils completely.
Grind it coarsely without adding water.
Transfer into the same vessel having rice batter.
Wash the jar with little water and add that also into the batter.
Mix well and adjust salt.

Heat a tawa over medium flame.
Add all the chopped ingredients into the batter and mix well.
Spread 1/2 Tsp of oil over the hot tawa.
Keep two ladle full of batter at the centre.
Spread evenly using the back of the ladle and make a perfect circle.
Apply oil over and along the rim of adai.
Close with a lid fro 2 to 3 minutes.
After 2 or 3 minutes open and see whether the rim turned golden color.
Then flip adai using a dosai ladle and allow to cook other side.
Now do not close the adai after flipping.

Transfer onto a plate when both the sides are cooked well and turned golden color.

Relish with avial or coconut chutney.

Nutritional Value of Banana Flower:

As per the Africa Journal of Biotechnology, banana flower nutrition per 100g is as follows:

51 kcal

1.6g of Protein

.6g of Fat

9.9g Carb

5.7fgof Fiber

56mg of Calcium

73.3mg of Phosphorous

56.4mg of Iron

13mg of Copper

553.3 mg of Potassium

48.7mg of Magnesium

1.07mg of Vitamin E

[source : banana flower ]

You may also like to try :

Spinach Pancake

Lentil Pancake

Payaru Adai

Arisi Roti

Kezhvaragu Adai

Idli from Pesarattu dough

For variety of dishes

Recipe Index

For great accompaniment

Chutney varieties

Muskmelon Maangai Juice

#MuskmelonMaangaiJuice : #Muskmelon s are seasonal fruits available in the Summer. There are many varieties of muskmelons.
Some are orange or yellow or green in color. This is called #Karboosa here in Chhattisgarh, India. Its very sweet and watery. They are rich in potassium which may be helpful in controlling blood pressure and regulate heart beat.
Melons have good fiber content and less calorie. So those who are on weight loss program can have it as a filling snack.
Moreover this fruit is a rich source of Vitamin C and Vitamin A which help in fighting diseases and prevent heart diseases and cancer.

The sweetened pulp made with raw mango is used here to make this juice.
Here let me present the method of preparing tangy muskmelon maangai [ raw mango ] juice with mint leaves.

Ingredients :

1/2                                          Muskmelon, chop into equal size cubes,

3 Tbsp                                    Sweetened Raw Mango pulp

3 pinches                                Salt

2 pinch                                   Rock Salt 

10 - 15                                   Mint Leaves

Method :

Take all the given ingredients in a juicer container of a mixie.

Add 1/2 cup of water and run mixie to make the juice.

Transfer into juice glasses.

Serve the juice topping it with mint leaves.

The taste differs with the raw mango [ maangai ] used for the preparation of sweetened pulp and also the amount of Mint leaves taken.

The juice tends to change in color since mint is added.

Try to consume as soon as possible.

Note : 
Tulasi leaves can be added instead of Mint leaves to get Tulasi muskmelon maangai juice.

You might also like to try

Bael fruit - Vilva pazha juice

Muskmelon Mint juice

Pappaya Soup

Aam Panna - Raw Mango Juice

Mango Milk Shake

For other Juice, Soups and Porridge varieties

Refreshments

Colacasia Curry

#ColacasiaCurry : #Colacasia is commonly known as Taro and its origin is South India and Southeast Asia.
This is known as Saepangkizhangu - சேப்பங் கிழங்கு in Tamil.
It is called Arabi in Hindi. Here in Raipur, CG its leaves are also used for cooking.
To know more on this tuber kindly click the link below :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro

Colacasia should be cooked well, otherwise it irritates throat.

Now to the method of preparation.

Ingredients :

1/4 kg                                         Colacasia
1                                                 Onion, chop lengthwise into thin pieces
1                                                 Tomato, chop nicely
10                                               Curry leaves

Powders To Add :
1 pinch                                        Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tsp                                        Red chilly powder [ adjust ]
1/4 Tsp                                        Cumin powder

To Temper :
4 Tsp                                           Oil
1/2 Tsp                                       Mustard seeds
1 Tsp                                           Black gram split
1 pinch                                         Asafoetida powder

Coriander leaves to garnish.

Method :
Wash colacasia well and take in a vessel.
Add water till it completely immerses all colacasia in the vessel and then add 3/4 Tsp of salt.
Pressure cook for a whistle and then cook for 8 minutes after reducing the flame to SIM position.
Take out only after the steam completely subsided.
If you are able to remove the skin very easily, then the tuber has been cooked well.

Otherwise cook for some more time.
Remove skin and chop into equal sized pieces. Keep aside.

Heat a kadai on a stove with oil over a medium flame.
Crackle mustard and then add black gram and roast till golden color.
Then add asafoetida and chilly powder.

Immediately add curry leaves and onions.
Saute for 2 minutes.
Then add tomato and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.

After that add cumin powder and salt.
Mix well and then add boiled colacasia.
Mix well and keep it closed with a lid for 2 minutes.

Open and keep it over a slow flame.
Keep stirring at regular intervals.
Allow to evaporate excess water.

Spicy tomato masala coated colacasia curry is ready.

Relish with sambar rice

and rasam rice.






You might also like to try

Colacasia masala curry

Potato mochai masala curry

Keerai [ greens ] Vadai

Cauliflower Manchurian

Vazhaipoo vadai

Varieties of Poriyal and spicy curry - Curry Index

Dishes related to Lunch

Ideas for Breakfast and Dinner

Recipe Index

Muskmelon Mango Juice

#MuskmelonMangoJuice :
#Muskmelon s are seasonal fruits available in the Summer. There are many varieties of muskmelons.
Some are orange or yellow or green in color. This one  is called #Karboosa here in Chhattisgarh, India. Its very sweet and watery.

This fruit has yellow outer skin with green lines running from top to bottom.
Under the outer layer there is another thick skin which is green in color.

The seeds at the center are removed and then cut into pieces.

One more Summer fruit, the King of fruits, the Mango is used with muskmelon to prepare this juice.
Here is the method of making the juice.

Ingredients :
1 Cup                                      : Muskmelon Cubes
1/4 Cup                                  : Mango Cubes
1 Tsp                                      : Lemon Juice
10 - 12                                   : Mint leaves
2 pinch                                    : Salt
1/2 Cup                                  : Water

Method :
Blend all the ingredients in a juicer and transfer into juice glasses.

Top it with mango pieces and mint leaves.
Serve adding ice cubes.

You might also like to try

Bael fruit - Vilva pazha juice

Muskmelon Mint juice

Pappaya Soup

Aam Panna - Raw Mango Juice

Mango Milk Shake

For other Juice, Soups and Porridge varieties

Refreshments