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

Spinach Kuzhi Paniyaram

#SpinachPaniyaram : Green leafy vegetables are good source of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
In the same way Spinach is also rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, etc.,... It is a rich source of minerals like Iron, potassium, calcium and other minerals.

To know more
Spinach

Our body gets the full benefit of nutrients present in these leaves when eaten fresh or by cooking quickly. The nutrients get destroyed if over cooked. So these leaves can be used in the preparation of salads and also to garnish dishes just like we do with coriander leaves where ever possible.
Here let me present the preparation of #kuzhipaniyaram from commonly available ingredients at home and using plenty of spinach.

I have taken idli maavu to prepare kuzhipaniyaram. First two days tasty idlies can be prepared from idli maavu. After two days the batter [ dough ] becomes slightly sour in taste and not suitable to make idli. So it can be used for the preparation of kuzhipaniyaram.

Pre planning approx. 1/2 hour
Preparation time 10 to 15 min
Cooking time/batch 8 - 10 mins
Can make approx. 15 paniyarams.

Ingredients :
1 cup                                        Idly batter
1/2 cup                                     Rawa
1/4 cup                                     Buckwheat, powder using a mixie
3/4 Tsp                                     Salt [ adjust ]

Greens to add :

10                                             Spinach
10                                             Curry leaves
3 Tsp                                        Coriander leaves chopped
15                                              Mint, chop nicely

Other Ingredients :
1/2                                           Onion, chop nicely
1                                               Green chilly, chop nicely
2 Tsp                                        Oil
1/4 Tsp                                    Asafoetida powder
1/2 Tsp                                     Mustard
3 Tsp                                        Gram dal

Method :
Mix all the given ingredients for batter with 1/4 cup of water.
Keep aside for half an hour.

Heat a kadai over a slow flame with oil.
Splutter mustard seeds and then fry gram dal until it turns golden color.
Now add asafoetida, curry leaves, green chilly and onion.
Saute for 2 minutes.
Transfer into the prepared batter.
Add other chopped green leafy vegetables.
Mix well to get a batter of idly consistency.

Heat kuzhi paniyara tawa on a stove over medium flame.
Add little oil in each pit of tawa.

When hot fill each pit with batter till half.
Sprinkle oil over each kuzhi paniyaram.
When the rim of paniyaram turns to golden color flip using a spoon.
Cook other side also until golden brown.
Transfer in to serving bowl.

In the same way make another set of paniyarams.

Serve hot with Garlic tomato chutney.

Note : Try with other green leafy vegetables also.




You may also like to try

Kuzhi Paniyaram

Thinai Kuzhi Paniyaram

Thinai Sweet Kuzhi Paniyar

Spinach Poori

Kodi pasalai dhal

For other tiffin varieties

Breakfast and dinner

Spinach Dosai

#SpinachDosai : #Spinach is known as kodi pasalai in Tamil.
Spinach is very nutritious and rich in antioxidants when taken fresh or cooked quickly.
So spinach can be used for garnishing the food at the end or in salad as fresh leaves to get the full nutrition.
It is a rich source of Vitamin A and has other Vitamins such as C, E and K. It is a great source of minerals like potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron etc.,....
To know the details of its Nutritional fact go through

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

This green does not take too much time to cook. Overcooking destroys its valuable nutrients.
This dosai can also be called Spinach Oothappam.
Here comes the method. Can prepare approximately 8 Dosais.

Ingredients :
2 cups                              Idly Batter / Dosai Batter
1/8 cup                             Amaranth flour [ optional ]
10                                    Spinach, wash & chop nicely
1 small size                       Onion, chop nicely
1 Tsp                               Pepper, crushed
1 Tsp                               Cumin
1/2 Tsp                            Salt

Method :

• Mix all the given ingredients with 1/4 cup of water.
• Heat a tawa over a medium flame.
• Apply oil evenly over the tawa.
• Pour maavu at the center and spread evenly to make a thick dosai.
• Sprinkle oil over and along the rim of dosai.
• Flip the dosai using a dosai ladle to cook the other side.
• Transfer on to a plate when done.

Enjoy with Coriander green chutney or Milagai podi or Coconut chutney.

Sambar is also a great side dish for this Spnach dosai.

You may also like to try :

Spinach Poori

Sirukeerai Dosai

Sambar Pasalai dhal

Spinach Kuzhipaniyaram

Spinach Rice