Rava Oats Upma with Moong Dal | Diabetic Recipe!

I love Rava Upma, and mostly make once a week for breakfast or dinner. This time tried to make healthy version for cholestrol and diabetic people. I usally buy quick cook oats, this time wanted to try rolled oats.

Ingredients

Rava(Semolina/Sooji) - 2 cups
Rolled Oats - 1 cup
Pasiparuppu/Siru paruppu/Moong dal/Split green gram - 1/2 cup
Water - 5 to 6 cups

Onion - 1 no (thinly sliced)
Capsicum - 1 med(thinly sliced)
Cabbage - 1/2 no((thinly sliced)/shredded)
Olive Oil - 4 tspns

Ghee - 1 tspn

Green chilli - 2 nos(As per taste)

Mustard - 1/2 tspn

Urad/Channa dal mixed - 1 tspn

Asafotida(hing) - 2 pinches

Curry leaves - few

Turmeric - 1/2 tspn

Salt to taste
Corainder for garnishing.

Preparation Method
Wash and soak moong dal in warm water or normal water in a vessel.

Heat a kadai, roast the rava slightly till it becomes brown and gets nice aroma. Transfer it to a plate.
In the same kadai, dry roast rolled oats till slight brown. Transfer it to a plate.

In a vessel boil water and keep aside.

In a same kadai, add 3 tspns olive oil and mustard wait till it splutters. Now add dal and asafotida. Saute till its brown.

Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli, curry leaves and saute till onion is slightly brown.
Add capsicum, cabbage, a pinch of turmeric and saute for few mins. Add soaked  moong dal and mix.

Add boiled water, 1 tspn oil allow it to boil. Once its boiled reduce the heat. Check whether moong dal is cooked. Then add salt and curry leaves.

Slowly add the rava and mix well immediately without allowing it to form lumps. Add water if required. Close with a lid till rava cooks.
After 2 mins add roasted oats and mix well.

Slowly stir until no water is left. Check whether rava is nicely cooked otherwise sprinkle water mix and close the lid. Keep in low flame.

Off the stove. Garnish with coriander/cilantro.

Rava Oats Upma is ready to serve. You can eat with sambar.

Do send in your entries to my Women's Day Event and Giveaway!

Pavakkai Fry | Bittergourd Fry!

I love Pavakkai/Bittergourd, mostly I prepare Curry or Pitala with it, I had posted previously Pavakkai Urulai Curry. Then I remembered when I was working in ITC Office, they used to do this fry in the canteen, its so crispy and just perfect for Rasam or curd rice.

Ingredients
Pavakkai/Karela/Hagalkayi/Bittergourd - 4nos
Rice flour -2 tablespoons
Corn flour - 1 tablespoon
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tablespoon
Peringayam/Hing/Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Salt


Oil for shallow fry or deep fry.


Preparation Method
Wash and slice pavakkai (refer other names above) into circles, remove seeds or you can keep it.
Sprinkly rice flour, corn flour, red chilli powder, hing and salt. Sprinkle little water and  leave it for 10 mins.
Heat oil in a wok/Kadai, when its hot, drop them and deep fry till crispy golden brown.
Remove on a tissue paper and store in air tight container when its cool.
 Enjoy Pavakkai Fry with Samabar/Rasam or Curd Rice. You can also just munch with Coffee/Tea.

Easy Ragi Idli!

Ragi Idli is a healthy breakfast. Its very filling. Its also good for diabetic and cholestrol. I have already posted recipe for Soft Idlis here.

Ingredients
Idli Batter -7 laddles/karandi(click here to make Idli batter recipe)
Ragi/Millet flour - 2 small cups
Water as required
Salt

Preparation Method
In a vessel or bowl, add Idli batter, ragi flour, salt and water as required. Mix well and leave it to ferment.
Grease idli plates with Gingiley /olive oil.(Dont put more oil, add few drops just required and for easy removal of idlis)
Mix well and pour batter in the greased plates. This batter is good for 8 idlis.
Steam for 15mins.

Allow it to cool a bit and remove carefully from the plates.

Ragi Idlis are ready. Serve Hot. I served it with Tomato Chutney. You can serve with sambar or any chutneys.

Karuvepilai Sadam | Curry Leaves Variety Rice!

Podi sadams are my favourite coloured rice. This is healthy and tasty. I have already posted Karuvepilai Podi Recipe here. Do have a look.

Ingredients
Karuvepilai Podi - 4 tspns(For recipe click here)
Steamed Rice - 1 cup(100gms)(For 2 persons)
Nalla Yennai/Gingeli/Sesame/Coconut Oil - 2 tspns
Ghee - 1 table spoon(If its for kids)
Mustard - a pinch
Jeera - a pinch
Asafotida - a pinch
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Salt as required
Pepper powder - Optional

Preparation Method
Heat a kadai, add oil, ghee,  mustard, wait till it pops. Then add urad dal, curry leaves, jeera saute till dal is brown. Add the rice, salt and curry leaves powder. Off the stove.
Now slowly mix the rice. Close and keep it for few minutes.

Delicious Karuvepilai Sadam is ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions - Papads/Vadagams/Boondi/Curds.

I am linking this recipe to Cooking with Love Grandmom Event at my space. Link your entries soon.

Karuvepilai Podi | Curry Leaves Powder!

Karuvepilai Podi | Curry leaves powder is very good for health and keeps hair black as well as growing. Curry leaves powder is very tasty. It will also help when anyone gets cold, mix this powder with rice and ghee it as warms up the body. This is also a post pregnancy food.

Ingredients
Curry leaves – 4 cups
Urad dal – ½ cup
Bengal gram – ½ cup
Black pepper – 1 tspns(As per your taste)
Dry red chilli – 2 nos( As per your taste)
Dry coconut(copra) – 1 no (small)
Oil – 4 tspns
Asafoetida(Hing) – ¼ tspn or a small piece
Salt

Preparation Method

Split curry leaves from the stem

In a Kadai, put 2 tspns of oil add Urad dal, Bengal gram, pepper fry till dal is brown and now add red chill, asafoetida fry for a minute.

Now transfer this to a plate to cool.

You can always add or reduce pepper and red chilli as per your requirement.
Add in kadai 2 tspns of oil and add curry leaves. Fry this till curry leaves are hot and remove from fire.
Leave it for sometime till it becomes dry and crisp.
Cut or grate the dry coconut and mix to the dal.
When the dal is cool grind it coarsely.
Add curry leaves, salt and grind.

Once cool, store it in air tight container. This can be used upto 10days.

Curry leaves powder is ready. This can be mixed with rice or had with chapathi.

Notes - Dry coconut can be avoided for people with cholestrol.
If you love to add more curry leaves, feel free to add.

Ragi Semiya Upma!

Ragi/Millet  is very healthy food. Ragi is staple food in villages as they grow. To know more Benefits click here. This is also good for diabetic people. I love Ragi Mudde.

Ingredients
Ragi Semia (Anil Semia) - 1 pkt
Bengal gram - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1 tspn
Aasafotida - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - 10nos
Oil - 4 tspns
Onion - 2 nos chopped
Ginger - 1 tspn chopped
Green chilli - 2 nos
Fresh Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 tspn chopped
Salt

Preparation Method
Crush the semia to small pieces.

Boil water in a vessel add 1 tspn oil and 1 tspn salt.
When water boiling add semia and boil for 3mins. Check whether is cooked. (If u leave for more time it will become soft.)
Then drain the water and run over cold water.
Now in a kadai, add oil, mustard, asafotida and wait till it spulters.
Add bengal gram and wait till its brown. Add green chilli, ginger, onion, curry leaves and saute till its transparant.
Now add cooked semia and little salt.

Cook for few mins and off the stove.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Ragi Semiya Upma is ready.

Notes - You can also add vegetables.

Sweet Karamani/Black Eyed Bean Sundal | Navarathri Special!!!

Hi Friends,

Hope you are having great time this Navarathri. Have been quite busy with the festive season and couldnot blog. Just posting this recipe I prepared today. This sundal is special for Navarathri as it is a sweet one.

Sweet Karamani Sundal is a sundal prepared with vellam/jaggery and this is very tasty.
Tomorrow is Saraswathi Pooja, Kondakadalai/Chickpea/Garbanzo Sundal is prepared and offered to God with other menu for festivals. To read more on Navarathri click here.

IngredientsKaramani/Black Eyed Beans - 4 cups (Brown or white, I used white)
Vellam/Jaggery - 4 cups(powdered)
Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup
Elakka/Cardamom powder - 4 pods

Preparation Method
Soak karamani/blackeyed beans overnite with enough water. Pressure cook for about 4 to 5 whistles with water and a pinch of salt in medium flame. (We should not cook anything without salt)
In a kadai or wide vessel, put vellam/jaggery with 1 cup water and boil well. Let it dissolve fully. Then filter it if any dust or mud particles are there. Wash the kadai and add the filtered jaggery, again boil it well till the raw smell goes and it reduces a bit.
Once its boiled, add grated coconut and mix.
Add boiled karamani and mix. Stir in intervals. Let it boil well and until no water left. Off the stove then add elachi powder mix.

Sweet Karamani Sundal is ready to serve to God.

Soya Bean Sundal | Navarathri Recipes!!!

Soya Bean Sundal is very healthy. This time I have not added coconut. Its good for lowering cholestrol.

Ingredients
Soya Bean - 2 cups (Available at supermarket in Dried Food section)
Olive oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Jeera - a pinch
Curry powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Asafotida/hing - a pinch
Dry Red Chilli - 1no (As per your taste)
Curry leaves - few
Salt as per taste

Preparation Method
Soak Soya bean overnite with enough water. Pressure cook for about 4 to 5 whistles with water and salt in medium flame.
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard wait till it splutters then add asafotida, urad dal, dry red chilli, jeera and curry leaves. Saute till urad dal is brown.
Add cooked soya beans without water.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt and curry powder mix well. Cook for 5mins and Off the stove.
Soya Bean Sundal is ready to offer to God, later enjoy.

This is good with sambar rice as sidedish and for lunchbox.

Notes - I have not used coconut here, if you wish you can add.

Try my other Sundal recipes for Navarathri

Kondakadalai/Chickpea/Garbanzo Sundal
Rajma, Soya, Green Gram Sundal
Pacha Payar Karamani Sundal
Verkadalai/Peanut Sundal

Rajma, Soya, Green, Red Bean | Mixed Legume Sundal | Navarathri Specials!!!

Navarathri is coming, this month end and this Mixed Legume Sundal is a different recipe and healthy one.

Ingredients
Soya Bean, Green Gram, Rajma, Red Gram  - 1 cup each 
Cooking oil - 1 to 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Asafotida/hing - a pinch
Green Chilli - 2nos (As per your taste)
Jeera powder - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt as per taste

Preparation Method
Soak Rajma overnite for 8 to 10hours. Others for 2-3 hrs. Pressure cook for about red and green gram for 4 whistles with water and salt. Pressure cook Rajma and Soya bean for about 10 whistles in simmer with water and salt.
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard wait till it splutters then add asafotida, urad dal, and curry leaves. Saute till urad dal is brown.
Add add pressure cooked dals and mix well.
Grind grated coconut and green chilli to a course paste without adding water. Add this to the sundal. Cook for few minutes. Sprinkle jeera powder.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt mix well. Cook for 5mins and Off the stove.

Mixed Legume Sundal is ready to offer to God, later enjoy.

This recipe is going to MLLA 39 by Cathy and Susan.

Notes - I make it slightly mashy, if you want whole reduce no of whistles.

Nellikai Sadam | Amla | Gooseberry Rice Recipe!!!

Nellikai Sadam | Amla Rice Recipe is a Kalandha/mixed variety rice. This is a very tasty rice and is prepared without onion and garlic. I usually cook many other vegetable rice like Vangibath, Capsicum rice, Capsicum Bath using curry powder etc adding of Nellikai/Amla/Gooseberry was told by my friend in SG. It is also healthy to eat Nellikai/Amla as it is rich in Vitamin C.

Serves : 2 persons


Ingredients
Rice - 1 cup
Nellikai/Amla(Big) - 3nos (Deseeded and grated)
Curry powder - 3 tspns (as per your taste)
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Bengal gram - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves few
Hing - 2 pinches
Turmeric - 1/4 tspn or less( I like it more)
Dry red chilli - 1no(optional)
Salt


Preparation Method
Cook rice and keep separately.
In a thick bottom kadai, add oil, mustard wait till it splutters. Put bengal gram, curry leaves, red chilli and wait till it turns brown.
Now add the grated nellikai and saute. Keep it in low flame. Do not over cook. Add salt and turmeric.
Add curry powder and fry till raw smell goes.
Add salt and mix well.
Allow it to cool and then mix with rice and serve.


Nellikai Sadam is ready to enjoy. You can serve with any vegetable curry or raitha.

I love as it is :-)


Notes - The Nellikai will be tangy, so add the curry powder accordingly.

This recipe alongwith Strawberry Milkshake is going to Healing Food Berries Event by Smitha started by Siri.

Dates Milkshake!!!

This is a simple milkshake prepared for my son, who sometimes doesnot eat food properly. This is combi of iron and calcium. This can be had by anyone with haemoglobin

Ingredients
Dates - 3 nos(Deseeded)
Milk - 1 cup (boiled and cooled)
Sugar/Honey - 1/2 tspn.


Preparation Method


Soak dates in 1/4 cup of warm milk for about 1/2 n hour. Then grind it in blender or mixie with sugar and milk. Transfer it to a tumbler/glass.

Serve it warm or chill.

Notes -  You can increase the no of dates according to the size of tumbler.

Vazhai Thandu/Banana Tree Stem Kootu

Vazhai Thandu/Banana Tree Stem is very good for health. Its raw juice is good for Kidney stones and for kidney related problems.

Ingredients
Vazhai Thandu/Banana Tree Stem - 1 no
Pasi Paruppu/Moong Dal/Split green gram - 1 cup (soaked in water for 1 hour)
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Green Chilli  3 nos (As per your taste)
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tspn
Black Peppercons - 4-5 nos(Optional)
Salt
Buttermilk - 1/2 cup
Water as required
A broken Wooden stick piece to stir and remove string like.

Seasoning/Talipu
Coconut Oil or any cooking oil -2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Hing/Asafotida - a pinch
Curry leaves - few

Preparation Method
Remove 2-3 layers of the stem or till you get tender stem.
Wash cut Vazhai Thandu into round thin slices, in between you will be getting Naaru/ string like keep removing them.
Cut into small pieces.
In a bowl, add water and butter milk. Add the chopped pieces.
Take the broken wooden stick piece and keep mixing. You will see the naaru/strings coming keep removing them.
The tender ones can be cooked as it is.
In a wide kadai/wok, add the chopped vazhai thandu and paasi paruppu. Add water and cook well.
Grind coconut, jeera and green chilli to fine paste.
Mix it with the cooked vazhai thandu and boil it.
Add salt and season it with the above ingredients.

This is good combination for chapathi or steamed rice.

Oats Spinach Hearty Cutlets

Oats Spinach Hearty Cutlets are very tasty and healthy. This can be ready in a jiffy.

Ingredients
Oats - 1 cup(100gms) - I used quaker oats.
Palak Keerai/Spinach - 1/2 bunch (chopped finely)
Potao - 1no(Boiled and grated)
Onion - 1 no (Chopped finely)
Ginger/Garlic - 1 tspn(Chopped finely)
Potukadalai Maav/Chutney dal powder - 2 tspns
Green chilies - 2nos(chopped finely)
Olive Oil - 2-3 tspnS 
Salt
Paneer(Optional)

Preparation Method
Dry roast oats in a kadai till its slight brown and transfer it to a plate.
In a same kadai, add 1 tspn oil, add ginger garlic and saute for few mins.
Add onion, salt, green chilli and saute till its transparent.
Add spinach and cook.
Keep the stove in low flame. Add oats and mix.
Add grated potato and paneer if you are using it and mix well.
Finally add potukadalai maav/besan and mix well to form a dough.
Allow it to cool and make small balls and give whichever shape you desire.
Heat a skillet or tawa, add oil and shallow fry both sides till brown.
You can also deep fry, by coating in bread crums.

Healthy and Tasty Oats Spinach Hearty Cutlets is ready to serve. You can serve with Ketchup or chutney.

Notes -
Serves - 2 persons
Makes - 8 nos

Corn Sprouts Salad

Corn Sprouts Salad is so simple and healthy one. It needs no cooking. I make this for my hubby's lunch box quiet often.

Ingredients
Corn Kernels(I used Tinned) - 4 tspns
Green Gram Sprouts & Horsegram sprouts - 3 tspns
Tomato - 2 tspns(chopped)
G chilli - 1 no(chopped)
Salt 2 pinches
Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Preparation Method
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and serve.

Corn Sprouts Salad is ready to serve.

This recipe is going off to Lets Sprout by Priya and Veggie/Fruit - Corn by Akheela and Priya.

Healing food - Simple Onion Curry

Onion curry is very simple. My mom used to make this for mouth ulcers. Just saw the event in Priya's blog, so sending my recipe.

Ingredients
Onions - 4 nos
Oil or ghee - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Dry Red Chilli - 1no(Optional)
Asafotida/Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste

Preparation Method
Cut onions into small pieces.(See notes)
Heat a pan/wok/kadai add ghee/oil, add mustard, wait till it splutters. Then add dry red chilli and curry leaves(Caution of explosion)
Now add onions and salt. Saute till its nicely soft and cooked. (You will know by the colour and quantity)

Serve this tasty curry with steamed rice. This can be had daily for better results.

I am sending this recipe to Healing Food Onions hosted by Priya started by Siri.

Notes - Remove skin and wash onions for not affecting eyes.

Home Remedy for Cold n Sore Throat - Turmeric/Pepper Milk

Turmeric Pepper Milk/Manjal Mizhagu Paal is a good home remedy and has immediate effect for cold/sore throat or cough.

This is a very simple recipe.

Heat a glass of milk add 2 pinches of turmeric powder/manjal podi and 1 pinch of pepper powder or crushed pepper(if you add little more also its good). Allow it to boil for 2minutes and drink it hot with mild sugar.

This gives good relief and soothing.

I am sending this to Home Remedies Series 1 Event at A2Z Vegetarian.

Also sending Jeera /Cumin Water home remedy for the event.

Verkadalai/Peanut Sundal Back to Back Recipes

Verkadalai/Peanut or Groundnuts are steamed and mixed with mild spice n coconut. This is very tasty and easy to prepare.

Recipe - 1
This one is my Mother-in-law's recipe.

IngredientsVerkadalai - 2 cups (Steamed or cooked in pressure cooker)
Cooking oil - 1 to 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Asafotida/hing - a pinch
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn (As per your taste)
Curry leaves - few
Salt as per taste

Preparation MethodHeat oil in a kadai, add mustard wait till it splutters then add asafotida and curry leaves. Saute for a minute. Then add Red Chilli powder and mix for 2minutes.
Add the steamed verkadalai/peanut and salt. Mix well.
Keep for 2 minutes and Serve.

Recipe - 2

Ingredients
Verkadalai - 2 cups (Steamed or cooked in pressure cooker)
Cooking oil - 1 to 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Asafotida/hing - a pinch
Dry Red Chilli- 2nos (As per your taste)
Curry leaves - few
Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt as per taste

Preparation MethodHeat oil in a kadai, add mustard wait till it splutters then add asafotida, urad dal, dry red chilli and curry leaves. Saute till urad dal is brown.
Add the steamed verkadalai/peanut and salt. Mix well.
Add fresh grated coconut and off the stove.
Mix well and Serve.

This recipe is going off to MLLA 19th Event by EC started by Susan.

Apple Juice and an Award:-)

Juices are always refreshing. Heres recipe for Apple Juice which is healthy and tasty.
Health Info - Next to water, fresh fruit juices mix with blood within 6 hours. You might have heard this "An Apple a day keeps the doctor away". If you eat an apple in the morning it keeps us active throughout the day.

Recipe for the Juice

Take 1 big red apple remove skin and seeds. cut into small cubes. (If you dont remove skin filter it after blending)

In a mixer add apple, 1 glass water and 1 tspn sugar. Blend well. (Add water if its thick and blend again)
Apple Juice is ready to serve.

Now its Award Time:-)

I thank my dear friend Rekha for passing this award to me. I would love to pass this to all my bloggers friends who have not received this award.

Raitha

Raitha is very simple and easy. This is very tasty and healthy.

Ingredients
Onion - 1/2 no
Tomato - 1/2 no
Cucumber - 1/2 no
Thick curds - 2 cups(Thair/Dahi/Plain Yogurt)
Ginger - a very small piece
Pepper powder - a pinch
Green chilli - 1/2 no - as per your taste
Green coriander leaves - 2 tspns(Kothamalli/Cilantro)
Salt

Preparation Method

Wash and chop finely onion, tomato, cucumber, ginger, green chilli and coriander leaves.

In a bowl, mix all the above with curd, salt, pepper powder.

Raitha is ready to serve.

Pictures courtesy - My husband

Notes - If you are preparing in more quantity can increase the ingredients accordingly.

Green Gram and Pomo Salad

Green Gram and Pomogranate or Pomegranate Salad is very healthy. Sprouted grams are rich in proteins and carbohydrates. Pomogranate pearls which is in red colour improves blood and good for health. This salad is very easy to prepare.

Method

Soak 1 cup of green gram in water in the morning. By evening remove water and close with a lid and keep. So by next day morning it will be sprouted. Take half cup pomogranate pearls and mix with sprouts.

To make it more tasty add little salt, season with 1 tspn oil, mustard wait till it splutters the add a pinch of hing and squeeze a lemon.

Green gram and Pomogranate salad is ready to serve. It can be served with lunch or dinner. Also packed in lunch box and munched in breaks.