Beetroot-Vazhaithandu-Aval-Upma

#BeetrootVazhaithanduAvalUpma : #BeatenRice [ #RiceFlakes ] is known as #Aval in Tamil. Soaked paddy is dry roasted in a kadai over high flame for few seconds and pounded immediately when it is still hot using a wooden pestle in a mortar to flatten it. Then husks are removed to get aval.

That's why it is also called #flattenedRice. Now-a-days heavy pounding machines are used to produce aval. Rice flakes are available in different thicknesses in the market.
It is rich in iron. It can be consumed as it is or cooking with other vegetables & condiments.
Here I have prepared aval upma with beetroot as it is packed with vital nutrients and full of fiber.

Ingredients :
1 cup	Thick Aval [ beaten rice ]
1 medium size	Onion, chop nicely
1/4 cup	Beetroot julians [ or grated ]
1 Tbsp	Green peas cooked
1/4 cup	Vazhaithandu julians
1 or 2	Green chilly
2 pinch	Turmeric powder
1/4 Tsp	Cumin powder [ jeera powder ]
1/4 Tsp	Red chilly powder [ adjust ]
1/2 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]
Tempering :
1/2 Tsp cup	Mustard seeds
1 Tsp	Black gram split
2 Tbsp	Peanuts [ ground nut ]
1/4 Tsp	Asafoetida powder
2 Tsp	Oil
To garnish :
1 Tbsp	Carrot grated
1 Tbsp	Coriander leaf chopped

Method :
Take aval in a wide mouthed vessel.
Wash twice and completely drain the water.
Now add 1/4 cup of water and 1/2 Tsp of salt.
Mix well and set aside.

Heat a kadai with oil on a stove over medium flame.
Crackle mustard seeds and then add black gram split, peanuts & asafoetida.
Keep stirring until peanuts turn golden color.
Add chopped onion, green chilly and curry leaf.
Saute till onion becomes translucent.
Then add beetroot, vazhaithandu, green peas, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and salt.
Mix well and close with a lid till beetroot becomes soft.
Remove the lid and add aval.
Mix well and adjust salt.
Close with a lid and allow to cook over very low flame for 3 minutes.
Turn off the stove and let it be closed for another five minutes.
Bright beetroot colored tasty spicy aval upma is ready.

Serve hot after topping with grated carrot and chopped coriander leaves.
Relish with tomato sauce or without any side dish.
I have served here with jaggery.

You might also like to try

aval upma without onion

lemon aval

lemon aval steamed

noodles with tomato sauce

spaghetti

Ideas for breakfast / Dinner

Tiffin Recipes


Great accompaniments for tiffin and rice

Chutney recipes

Aval-Kesari

#AvalKesari  #riceflakeskesari  #beatenricekesari : I was craving for a sweet and that too a sweet with jaggery. Generally I used to wash aval in water and then drain the water completely. The washed #aval [ #BeatenRice/#RiceFlakes ] is allowed to stand for 10 minutes. Then coconut scrapings, jaggery and cardamom powder are mixed with aval. This sweet aval tastes good but will become soggy as time passes and become tasteless.
So I  prepared a sweet with aval & jaggery by keeping in mind the recipe of aval sakkarai pongal. The sweet thus prepared was a great success and I named it as #AvalKesari. The taste was very good and texture was as soft as kesari.
Now we will see the method of preparation.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup	Aval [ rice flakes/beaten rice ]
1/2 cup	Coconut scrapings
1/2 cup heaped	Jaggery [ adjust ]
1 cup	Milk, boiled and cooled down
1/2 Tsp	Cardamom powder
1/4 Tsp	Nutmeg powder
1 Tbsp	ghee
1 pinch	salt
1/2 Tsp	Roasted Till [ sesame ]

Method :

Dry roast aval in a hot kadai for 5 minutes to make it crisp.

Coarsely grind in a mixer after it cools down.

Soak in already boiled and cooled milk.

Grease a plate with ghee and set aside.

Now in a vessel take jaggery and add 1/4 cup of water.

Stir well over a medium flame till it dissolves.

Strain through a filter into a heavy bottomed wide vessel or a non stick kadai.

Keep the vessel containing the jaggery dissolved water on a stove over medium flame.

Add aval soaked in milk and stir well.

Then add coconut and keep stirring.

Once all mix together add ghee, a pinch of salt and keep on stirring continuously.

When it starts leaving the sides of the vessel and becomes a single mass, add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.

Again stir well for 2 minutes.

Turn off the stove and transfer on to the greased plate and tap the plate to spread the sweet evenly.

Sprinkle roasted till seeds [ sesame seeds ] over the hot aval sweet.

Allow to stand for some time to cool down little bit and then cut into pieces using a clean & dry knife.

It tastes very good when its hot.
It tastes too good when its cold also.
Try once and you would definitely try to prepare again and again!!!

Other related recipes you may like to try

Aval Sakkarai Pongal

#AvalSakkaraipongal : Today Gokulashtami is being celebrated by singing songs, dancing, and other activities like breaking the pot with curd or butter which hangs from a tall pole with great fervor.
To celebrate the birth of the Lord Krishna I wanted to prepare a sweet. Then decided to make sakkarai pongal with AVAL - Beaten Rice - Rice Flakes.

Ingredients : 
1/2 cup                                  Aval
1/4 cup                                  Green gram split
1 pinch                                   Cooking camphor [ pacha karpooram ]
small piece                             Nutmeg
1 pinch                                   Salt
1 cup                                     Milk [ can add more also ]
1/2 cup                                   Jaggery [ adjust ]
3 Tsp                                      Ghee
5                                             Cashew nuts

Method :
Dry roast split green gram until it turns golden color.
Transfer into a bowl and wash once.
Add 1/2 cup water and a pinch of salt, pressure cook for 3 whistles at HIGH.
Then reduce the flame to SIM and cook for 3 minutes.
Take out after the steam subsides and mash with a ladle.
Keep aside.

Now add 1/2 Tsp ghee in the same kadai.
Break cashew nuts into small pieces and roast till it turns golden color.
Take out and keep in a small bowl.

Again in the same kadai add 1 Tsp of ghee and roast aval until it turns golden color.
Transfer into a bowl and keep aside.

Take jaggery in a vessel and add 1/4 cup of water and heat over medium flame.
Keep stirring with a ladle until the jaggery completely dissolves in the water.
Turn off the stove and strain the jaggery mixed water through a tea filter to remove any impurities.
Keep aside.

Take a big vessel and add 1/2 cup of milk.
Bring it to boiling point over a medium flame and reduce the flame.
Add roasted aval and cook till it becomes soft.
Now add mashed green gram and mix well.
When it starts boiling add jaggery water.

Keep stirring over a medium flame for 2 minutes.
Now add 1/4 cup of milk and keep stirring.
When it gobbles up milk again add 1/4 cup of milk.
Keep stirring otherwise it may get stuck to the bottom.

When it starts thickening add ghee and keep stirring continuously until sakkarai pongal becomes thick.
Add nutmeg powder and cooking camphor [ pacha karpooram ].
Turn off the stove and transfer into a bowl. Smear a tsp of ghee over the surface using the backside of a spoon.

When it is transferred into the bowl it may be in flowing consistency.

But when it cools down, it thickens and well set which may be cut into pieces.

Aval sakkarai pongal tastes good when its hot!!
It also tastes good even after it cools down to normal temperature.






Other related recipes you may like to try

Buckwheat Sweet Pongal

Sakkarai pongal

Samai sakkarai pongal

Kuthiraivaali Sakkarai Pongal

Thinai sakkarai pongal

Recipe Index

Variety of Sweets

Bhel Puri Ragi Aval

#BhelPuriRagiAval : When I went to Chennai this time I saw a separate section for millets in a super market. I bought samai rice called little millet in English and ragi beaten rice. I prepared this bhel with ragi aval.

Ingredients :

Ragi aval                                                        : 1/2 cup
puffed rice ( pori )                                          : 1 cup
Small crispy pooris                                          : 6 ( optional )
Microwave pappad                                         : 1 ( optional )
Carrot  grated                                                 : 1/2 cup
Onion chopped nicely                                      : 1/2 cup
Tomato                                                            : 1 medium size diced
Coriander leaves thinly chopped                      : 1/4 cup ( adjust )
Coconut scrap                                                 : 1/4 cup

Masalas:
Coriander powder                                        : 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder                                       : 1/4 tsp ( adjust to your taste )
Cumin powder                                             : 1/4 tsp

Rock salt                                                      : 1/4 tsp
Chaat masala                                               : 1/4 tsp ( optional )
Amchur powder                                          : 1/4 tsp ( optional )
Salt                                                              : 1/2 tsp ( adjust )
Sweet n Sour Imli chutney                          : 1/2 tsp

Honey                                                          : 1 tsp

Method :

Take ragi aval and coconut scrap in a vessel.

Sprinkle 1 tblsp of water with a pinch of salt.

Mix well and steam cook in a Idly pot for 7 minutes.

Now it would have been cooked very soft.

Take out and cool it. Keep aside.

In the mean time take all vegetables, onion, masalas and other ingredients in a wide mouthed vessel and mix well.

Then break poories or pappads into small pieces and mix well.

Now add steamed ragi aval and mix well.
Finally add puffed rice. Adjust salt and chilly powder.

Now its ready to serve.

enjoy with hot coffee or tea.

It has to be consumed as soon as prepared otherwise it would become soggy.
  

You might also like to try

Vazhaithandu chaat

Bhel puri puffed rice

Thattai

Thinai pidi kozhukattai

Kozhukattai - spicy

Ideas for Breakfast and Dinner

Tiffin Recipes

For lots of ideas for variety of dishes

Recipe Index