Quinoa-Paruppu-Payasam

#QuinoaParuppuPayasam #QuinoaLentilPayasam :
Just a few days back I prepared a tasty conjee or congee [ kanji ] from Quinoa and yesterday tried a payasam from it.



#Quinoa is a pseudocereal as the edible seeds are obtained from a flowering plant and not from grass. The scientific name is Chenopodium quinoa. It is a flowering plant belongs to Amaranth family.

Quinoa is gluten free and high in Protein.
The edible seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B Vitamins and dietary minerals in amount greater than other cereals.

A cup of Quinoa gives twice the amount of Protein and 5 g more fiber than the same amount of Rice.

100 gms of uncooked Quinoa contains 14.1 gms of protein [ 20% of daily value DV ], folate 184 ug [ 46 % of DV and higher amount of dietary minerals like Magnesium 197 mg [ 55% ], Manganese 2 mg [ 95 % ], Zinc 3.1 mg [ 33 % ], and Phosphorus 457 mg [ 65 % ].

100 gms of cooked Quinoa is rich source of Manganese and Phosphorus [ 30 % and 22 % respectively ], moderate source of dietary fiber [10 - 19 %],
folate, Iron and Zinc [ 11% of DV each ].

To know more on Quinoa

Split green gram has to be roasted in a kadai till golden brown and cooked with quinoa. After quinoa and lentil mixture has become soft and cooked well, ground coconut mixture and jaggery are combined together. Then it is cooked on slow fire till it attains porridge consistency.

Preparation time                     : 5 minutes
Cooking time for quinoa        : 20 minutes
Cooking time for payasam     : 10 minutes
Quantity                                 : 2 cups approx.

Ingredients :
1/4 Cup	Quinoa
1 Tbsp	Split green gram [ Moong dal ]
1/2 Tsp	Bengal gram [ optional ]
1/3 Cup	Jaggery
1 pinch	Salt
Ingredients To Grind :
2 Tbsp	Coconut scrapings
3	Cashew nut
2	Almond
1/2 Tsp	Khus khus [ poppy seed ]
2	Cardamom
1	Clove
small piece	Nutmeg

1 Tsp of Sara paruppu [ Chironji /charoli ] to garnish

If sara paruppu is not available, then almond shavings or roasted cashew nuts or dried grapes [ kismis ] can be used.

Method :
Heat a kadai on a stove over slow flame.
Dry roast split green gram and bengal gram [ chick pea ] till golden color.
Turn off the stove.

Now take quinoa and roasted lentils in a big veseel.
Rinse well with clean water.
Add 1 1/2 cup of water and heat over medium flame.
Once it starts boiling reduce the flame completely.
Let it cook on slow flame till quinoa and lentil becomes soft.


Meanwhile combine all the ingredients to grind in a mixie jar.
Grind into a smooth paste adding enough water.
Transfer into a bowl and set aside.

Dissolve jaggery in 1/2 cup of hot water.
Strain through a tea filter to remove impurities.
Set aside.


Check whether quinoa has cooked well.
Then add coconut paste and a pinch of salt.
Mix well and let it be on slow flame for 3 minutes.
Now add jaggery water and stir well.
Allow to simmer until payasam attains poriidge consistency.
Turn off the stove and add garnishing.


Pour into serving bowl.
Garnish with Sara paruppu or any roasted nuts of your choice.
A nice dessert for lunch.
Enjoy with vadai or bajji or pakoda.

Other recipes you may like to try

Buckwheat Rice upma	Amaranth - Buckwheat Payasam	Quinoa Conjee [ Quinoa porridge ]
Idli milagai podi with flax	Appam from Samai [ Little millet ]

For yummy desserts

Dessert Recipes

For snacks and savories

Savory Recipes

Ideas for dishes from Edible seeds

Edible seeds Recipes

Mango-Milk-Shake-with-Tulasi

#MangoMilkShake with #Tulasi : The Summer has gone and so the mango season also. We were getting steady supply of mangoes from the trees in my garden. We had enjoyed plenty of Langra mangoes this season. They are very sweet and without much fiber also. We relished either a big bowl full of juicy mango pieces or a full glass of mango milk shake for dinner till the middle of July.
I used to add herbs like Mint, karpooravalli [ omavalli ] and Tulasi [ Holy basil ] while making mango milk shake either individually or in combination. We have already seen one such combination, Mango milk shake with Mint and karpooravalli.

Now I would like to share another tasty and aromatic drink with Tulasi, Mint and mango.



#Tulasi or #Tulsi is also known as #HolyBasil and the scientific name is Ocimum sanctum.
Tulasi leaves have a strong aroma and is an astringent. Some of the varieties taste bitter and some have clove-like aroma and spicy taste.

It has been used in Ayurveda and in other Indian system of medicine to treat asthma, bronchitis, arthritis,cold and flu for many centuries.
Tulasi is considered as an adaptogenic herb, plants that help to adapt the body to stress and boost energy. Other adaptogens are ashwagandha, astragalus root, Siberian ginseng and turmeric.
It contains Eugenol just like Clove oil, the substance for its pain relieving property.

Tulasi is also rich in antioxidant, anti inflammatory,
and has anti aging property.

Tulasi is a blood purifier and also helps the body to remove
toxins & wastes at the cellular level.

#Mint [ #Pudina ] belongs to the genus Mentha of Lamiaceae family. Mints are aromatic and perennial herbs. Mint leaves have a warm, fresh, aromatic, sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste and widely used in lots of culinary dishes for its aroma. Pudina leaves are rich in nutrients. They help to relieve indigestion, could improve brain function, to tackle bad breath and subjectively improve Cold symptoms.



Preparation Time               : 15 mins
Making Time                     : 5 mins
Can get approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cup mango milk shake.
{ the quantity depends on the type of mango selected }

Ingredients :
1	Mango
1/2 cup	Milk
4 Tsp	Jaggery powder [ adjust ]
10 - 15	Tulasi [ Holy Basil ] Leaf
10 - 15	Mint [ Pudina ] Leaf
1 pinch	Salt

Note : Take more or less of Tulasi and Mint according to availability and your taste.

Method :
Boil milk and keep aside to cool down.

Take jaggery in a small bowl and pour hot water over it.
Mix with a spoon to dissolve jaggery in water.
Set aside.

Now wash mango in water two or three times.
Peel off skin and cut flesh into big pieces.

Combine mango pieces, milk, Tulasi leaves,
mint leaves and salt in a mixie jar.
Run mixie for a minute.

Now open the jar and add jaggery dissolved water.
Close the jar and run the mixie till all ingredients blend together.

Transfer into tall glasses.
Top it with tulasi [ holy basil ] leaves.
Enjoy aromatic and tasty mango milk shake.

You might also like to try

Bael fruit - Vilva pazha juice

Muskmelon Mint juice

Aam Panna - Raw Mango Juice

Muskmelon Mango juice

Mango milk shake with karpooravalli[omavalli]

For other Juice, Soups and Porridge varieties

Refreshments

Ponderosa-Lemon-Pickle

#PonderosaLemonPickle #CitronPickle : Last month my maid gave me a lemon that was as big as a mango. It was looking shiny and having a little bumpy surface. I asked her what it was called in this region [ in West Bengal ]. She told me that it's a big lemon and she got it from the neighboring house. I asked her what could be prepared from it. She told me that pickle can be made from the fruit along with green chilly adding salt.

When I lifted it in my hand it was heavy and I definitely felt that it was not a lemon. It was slightly flat at the top with a thick stem. The fruit was elliptical in shape and the bottom was pointed shape. It was approximately 10 - 12 cm long on the lengthier side and 6 - 7 cm wide at the middle of the fruit. I presumed that it might be a citron variety but with lemon look.

Immediately I decided to prepare pickle from it without pondering much about the variety and type of fruit it was.

Halved the lemon and removed seeds as far as possible and chopped into small pieces. Steam cooked the pieces in an idli maker for 12 minutes and then prepared spicy pickle. When I tasted the pickle as soon as I made it, it was bitter.
 I allowed it to cure for 4 - 5 days and then tasted again.  It was great and only after being satisfied with taste and texture I decided to write the recipe in my blog here.

Yesterday I decided to start writing the recipe. But before doing that I have to find the name of the fruit I had used. So I started searching on the net comparing my picture with the pictures available on the net. Initially I thought it was Eureka lemon. But even though the shape is similar after examining different pictures I found out that Eureka lemon has a thin skin [ rind ]. Also I learned that Eureka lemon has lesser seeds or sometimes seedless also. So I came to the conclusion that the fruit was not Eureka lemon.

Again I started matching mine with photos on the net. I also watched some videos on the subject. I came across a video showing a lemon called Ponderosa lemon. The shape and color somewhat matched mine. The cut portions exactly matched the fruit I used. Now I am sure it is Ponderosa lemon. If any of you could figure out the fruit I would welcome your suggestion also here.

#PonderosaLemon was originally developed in Italy as a hybrid between a Citron [ which has large pointed fruit ] and a table lemon. Ponderosa lemon tree is often grown as an ornamental tree in the garden. It is also called by a nickname - " the five pound lemon " as they are massive when compared to regular lemon sizes. These lemons do not often grow quite that big every harvest but they do often reach three to four pounds at the end of the season.

Ponderosa Lemon bears medium to large fruits that have a thick and bumpy rind [ skin ]. The fruits are seedy and white. They look similar to a citron [ நார்த்தங்காய் ] but taste like a lemon.

The rind is thicker and bumpier than true lemon, with a typical yellow lemon color. Inside the fruit is pale yellow-green, juicy and seedy. The taste is very acidic, similar to true lemon.

Nutritional value of Ponderosa Lemon :
They are very high in Vitamin C like lemons.
One half cup of ponderosa lemon juice contains thr full daily recommendation of Vitamin C.
It also has small amount of dietary fiber and Iron. Low in Calories.
The juice contains antioxidants which promote health and strengthen the immune system.

Preparation Time              : 25 Mins
Cooking Time                   : 20 - 25 mins
Quantity of pickle             : 1 Cup approx.

This recipe holds good for any Citron fruit.

Ingredients :
1	Ponderosa Lemon [ Citron ]
3 Tsp	Red Chilly powder
1/2 Tsp	Turmeric powder
1/4 Tsp	Fenugreek [ venthayam ]
1 Tsp	Mustard Seeds
Small piece	Asafoetida
1/3 Cup	Gingelly oil [ Sesame / Til oil ]
2 Tsp	Salt

Note : I always use gingelly oil to make pickle. It can be replaced with ground nut oil or any other cooking oil.

Method :
Cutting and steam cooking Ponderosa lemon [ citron ] :

Wash the fruit well in water.
Halve it into two.
Remove the seeds from the center of the fruit.

Cut into small equal sized pieces. { approx. 1 Cup }
Transfer into a vessel.
Heat an Idli maker with two cups of water on a stove over high flame.
Keep the vessel containing citron pieces on a steamer plate inside the idli maker.
Close idli maker and allow it to steam cook for 12 minutes.
[ Or steam cook it using a pressure cooker without putting weight over the cooker lid ]
Turn off the stove and take out the vessel.
The rind of citron pieces would have cooked soft.
Set aside.


Making Pickle :

Heat an iron kadai on a stove over medium heat.
Add half a teaspoon of oil and wait till it becomes hot.
Put fenugreek [ venthayam ] and stir continuously with a long ladle till golden color.
Transfer into a mortar.
Crush into powder using a pestle and set aside.

Now add 1/3 cup of oil and heat over a medium flame.
Crackle mustard seeds once oil becomes hot.
Then add asafoetida piece and fry well.
Reduce the flame and slowly add steamed ponderosa lemon pieces.
Stir well adding turmeric powder and red chilly powder.
Then add salt and mix well.

Allow to simmer on slow flame and keep stirring at regular intervals.
After sometime the oil drops start appearing on the surface of the pickle.
Let it be on slow flame till the oil we have included comes out, becomes shiny
and subsequently the pickle drowns under the oil.
Finally add fenugreek powder into the simmering pickle and mix well.

Turn off the stove and transfer into a clean and dry porcelain or glass bowl.
Keep the porcelain or glass bowl on a dry wooden board while transferring hot pickle into it.
Allow to cool down completely and then store in a clean dry glass or pet bottle.
Allow the pickle to stand for 4 to 5 days and then start consuming it.
Use a clean and dry spoon to serve the pickle.
It can be stored in the normal room temperature.
Or can be stored in the refrigerator

Spicy lemon pickle goes well with Curd rice and other tiffin items.









Other pickle recipes you might like to try

Maangai thokku [ Mango pickle ]

Avakkai - mystyle

Kothamalli thokku -Coriander pickle

Thakkali thokku - Tomato Mix

Nellikkai urugai - Amla Pickle

Lemon Pickle [ elumichai Urugai ]

Recipe Index

Quinoa_Conjee

#QuinoaConjee #QuinoaKanji #QuinoaSoup :

#Quinoa is a pseudocereal as the edible seeds are obtained from a flowering plant and not from grass. The scientific name is Chenopodium quinoa. It is a flowering plant belongs to Amaranth family.

Quinoa is gluten free and high in Protein.
The edible seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B Vitamins and dietary minerals in amount greater than other cereals.

A cup of Quinoa gives twice the amount of Protein and 5 g more fiber than the same amount of Rice.

100 gms of uncooked Quinoa contains 14.1 gms of protein [ 20% of daily value DV ], folate 184 ug [ 46 % of DV and higher amount of dietary minerals like Magnesium 197 mg [ 55% ], Manganese 2 mg [ 95 % ], Zinc 3.1 mg [ 33 % ], and Phosphorus 457 mg [ 65 % ].

100 gms of cooked Quinoa is rich source of Manganese and Phosphorus [ 30 % and 22 % respectively ], moderate source of dietary fiber [10 - 19 %],
folate, Iron and Zinc [ 11% of DV each ].

To know more on Quinoa

Cooking Time             : 20 - 25 minutes
Quantity prepared       : 2 Cups Approx.

Ingredients :
1/4 Cup	Quinoa
1 Tbsp	Small onion chopped
2 pods	Garlic chopped
1 Tbsp	Carrot chopped
2 Tbsp	Banana stem chopped
1 Tbsp	Tender Yellow pumpkin chopped
1/ Tsp	Coriander leaves chopped
1/2 Tsp	crushed Black pepper
1/2 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]

Method :
Take 2 cups of water in a wide mouthed big vessel.
Heat on a stove over high flame.
Now wash quinoa twice and drain water completely.
Put into the hot water in the vessel on the stove.

When it starts boiling reduce the flame and allow to simmer.
It takes around 15 to 20 minutes to cook quinoa soft and fluffy.
Stir once in a while at regular intervals

When quinoa becomes soft and fluffy, add chopped onion, garlic and carrot.
Stir well and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
Then add chopped tender yellow pumpkin and banana stem.
Add salt also and mix well.
Let it simmer for two more minutes.
Turn off the stove and transfer prepared Conjee into a serving bowl.
Top it with crushed pepper and coriander leaves.

Serve hot with any pickle

or pudina chutney.

Other recipes you may like to try

Kuthiraivaali Venthaya Kanji

Amaranth - Buckwheat Payasam

Papaya Soup

Kezhvaragu koozh [ Finger millet gruel ]

Kambu koozh [ pearl millet gruel ]

For mouthwatering Pickles

Preserves

For spicy accompaniments

Chutney Recipes

Ideas for dishes from Edible seeds

Edible seeds Recipes