Indian Style Mini Semolina Dumplings - Rava Ammani Kolukattai

I find this breakfast to be the cutest and further more it's healthy because they are steamed dumplings. Of course, frying them with little bit of oil will take it to the next level. The dumplings are infuse in Indian tempering spices that gives nuttiness, spice and salty flavor. Sometimes, I also add shredded carrot into the dough so that it adds color and nutrient to the dish. 

Indian Style Mini Semolina Dumplings - Rava Ammani Kolukattai

INGREDIENTS: 

Fine semolina/ Bombay rava - 1/2 cup

Rice flour/ Idiyappam flour - 1 cup

Butter - 1 teaspoon

Red chili powder - 1/2 teaspoon

White sesame seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Shredded carrot - 1/8 cup (optional)

Water - 1 cup plus 1/2 cup

Green chilies - 2 to 3

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Salt to taste

TO TEMPER:

Oil - 2 teaspoons

Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon

Urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Grated fresh coconut - 2 tablespoons

METHOD:

1. Heat a pan, add a cup of water, red chili powder, butter, white sesame seed and salt to taste. 

2. Let the water boil. Then, gradually add the semolina or Bombay rava. Stir vigorously until there is no lumps. If you find the rava is still uncooked, you may add a bit more water. Make sure the semolina is cooked well. Let it cool slightly.

3. When the semolina is warm to touch, mix rice flour, chopped green chilies, shredded carrot (optional) and chopped ginger. Knead well into a non sticky pliable dough with enough water. 

Pliable dough

4. Next, oil your hand and shape the dough into mini size balls. 

Mini size balls

5. Later, steam the mini balls in a steamer until the balls are cooked to perfection.

6. In pan heat two teaspoons of oil, temper all ingredients under the 'TO TEMPER' section. 

7. Add in steamed mini dumplings into the pan, and start frying the balls until the tempering ingriedients have coated the ball well for 5 minutes. 

8. Lastly, after switching off the flame, sprinkle some fresh grated coconut and give a light toss.

9. Serve hot for breakfast. 

Thank you

Abby 

Healthy Carrot Kheer a Refreshing and Revitalizing Drink

Carrots are full of beta carotene and they are good for your eyes. Children and adult sometimes detest carrot in their dishes, but everyone will be fond of this carrot juice or Kheer. It is a creamy refreshing beverage that's healthy and has lots of calcium too. Once in a while why not try something different to satisfy our palate. Go a head and try this drink in your kitchen with your lovely kids. 

Healthy Carrot Kheer a Refreshing and Revitalizing Drink 

INGREDIENTS: 

Medium sized fat carrots - 3

Full cream milk powder - 1 cup
Boiling water - 5 cups

Raw almonds - 10 pieces

Brown sugar to taste

Cardamom - 5 pods

A pinch of saffron (optional) 

METHOD:

1. Peel the skin of the carrots and wash thoroughly. Chop roughly.

2. Set deep bottom pan with enough water to submerge the chopped carrots. Boil the carrots with 3 cardamom pods which I have just scrapped seeds inside leaving out the skin. This adds nice aroma to the carrot at this stage.

3. Insert a fork to the carrot to check whether it has become nice and soft. Now when it is ready to go, place them in a jar and give a blend to form smooth orange colored paste.

Brown sugar, milk and carrot paste

4. By using 5 cups of water, mix full cream milk powder and allow the milk to boil for 10 minutes. After that, add the carrot paste, a pinch of saffron and two  crushed cardamom pods. Stir and let it boil for another 10 minutes.

5. Switch off the flame. The kheer or Indian beverage can be taken hot or cold. 

Carrot Kheer

Thank you

Abby 

Arisi Upma With Basmati Rice

This dish is really apt for breakfast, and it is very commonly prepared by Indians. It's basically made of rice and Toor dal that are turn into semi-coarse grits along with other ingredients such as black peppercorns and cumin seeds. Pepper and cumin are really good for digestion and to increase your immune system. It soothes your throat infection and increase your appetite. Fresh coconut is added in the end to elevate the flavor of upma to another level. Every ingredient has it's own benefit, so using it in our breakfast will be a guarantee to a healthy lifestyle.

Arisi Upma With Basmati Rice 

INGREDIENTS: 

Basmati rice - 1 cup

Toor dal - 1 tablespoon

Cumin - 1/2 teaspoon

Black peppercorns - 1/2 teaspoon

Water - 5 cups 

Grated white coconut - 1 big handful

Salt to taste

TO TEMPER:

Gingerly oil - 3 tablespoons

Mustard - 1 teaspoon

Cumin - 1 teaspoon

Urad dal - 1 teaspoon

Channa dal - 1 teaspoon

Green chili - 1

Dry red chili - 1

A sprig of curry leaves

Asafoetida - 1/2 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. First, wash rice and toor dal thoroughly for three to four times. Drain them in a colander for 15 minutes, and after that spread them onto to a clean white cotton towel to air dry leaving no water. 

2. Now, we can move to the grinding process. Take the dry rice and toor dal along with 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and black pepper into a jar and grind into a slightly coarse but not too coarse just like the semolina texture. This you can store in an air tight container for an instant upma anytime for breakfast.

Coarse upma grits

3. This is prepared for three people, so I used all the ground rice-dal grits. 

4. Heat a deep bottom pan, and start pouring 3 tablespoons of gingerly, and temper all ingredients under the 'TO TEMPER' section.

5. Add 5 cups of water, salt to taste and grated coconut and allow the water to boil. At this stage, gradually sprinkle all the ground rice-dal mixture into the rolling water. Start stirring vigorously and continuously in order to avoid lump formation. 

6. Allow this grit to cook by closing the pan with a lid. This will make the cooking process faster. 

7. Switch off flame when the grit has absorbed all the water and seemed to be semi-dry. You can see the edges has developed oil, and it's good. 

8. Serve this hot with tomato chutney

Thank you

Abby 

Gooseberry Juice - Mulu Nellikai Juice

Looking for thirst quenching and yet refreshing healthy beverage to drink. Here is Gooseberry juice that is full of vitamin C that increase your immune system or I should say it's your immune booster during this pandemic. I like to add Vellam/ Jaggery/ brown sugar to sweeten the tartness in the juice. 

Gooseberry Juice - Mulu Nellikai Juice

INGREDIENTS: 

Big Gooseberry - 1

Water - 1 cup

Vellam/ Jaggery/ brown sugar as per your taste

METHOD:

1. First wash the Gooseberry in turmeric and salt water to clean any dirt. 

2. Deseed and chop the Gooseberry into small pieces, and then add to the blender jar.

3. Give a blend with a cup of water. 

4. Strain the juice with a filter to remove the pulp.

5. Now you have clear juice that you can sweeten up with Vellam/jaggery/brown sugar.

Thank you

Abby 

Savory Fenugreek Coconut Milk Porridge - Vendeya Kanji

This is a delicious, warming savory coconut milk porridge that is good as a cooling agent during heatwave or summer. You can eat this porridge with a Horsegram tuvayal or Vellam or jaggery.

Savory Fenugreek Coconut Milk Porridge - Vendeya Kanji

INGREDIENTS: 

Raw rice or pacharasi - 1 cup

Yellow moong bean/ pasiparuppu - 1 tablespoon

Fenugreek - 1 teaspoon

Garlic - 1 whole pod(Peeled and no need to chop)

Water - 5 to 6 cups of water

Grated coconut from 1/2 coconut

Salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Rinse the rice thoroughly for three times. 

2. Dry roast the yellow moong bean and fenugreek. 

3. In a deep bottom pan, cook rice, fenugreek, garlic and roasted yellow moong bean with 5 to 6 cups of water until the rice is slightly mushy. 

4. There will be some water in the rice and this dish has to be semi flowing consistency. At this stage, after the rice is done switch off the flame and add salt as per your taste.

5. Lastly, using 1/2 coconut, grate and extract thick coconut milk from it. You may use 1 cup of water to extract coconut milk. 

6. This coconut milk is added after switching off the flame. Stir well to combine. This porridge is served best with horsegram chutney.

Savory Fenugreek Coconut Milk Porridge - Vendeya Kanji

Thank you

Abby