Healthy Porridge with Greens and Legumes/Ravva Pongal with Greens and an Award

Today I am presenting a healthy pongal/porridge recipe with multiple vegetables,legumes and semolina.It's very quick,simple and easy to make.This nutritious porridge can be taken for breakfast, lunch or dinner.It's a complete meal.Kids love this too.

Let's start making this healthy dish--------------------

                               

Main Ingredients :

------------------

Semolina/Cracked Wheat Ravva............................1cup

Water/Veg.Broth..................................................4cups

Amaranth Leaves.................................................1/2cup

Grated Carrot......................................................1/2cup

Green Beans....................................................... 1/2cup

Cilantro...............................................................1/2cup

Onion..................................................................1/2cup

Cooked Toor Daal Paste/Powdered ToorDaal.........1/4cup

Seasoning Ingredients :

------------------------

Olive Oil................................................2tsp

Mustard Seeds.......................................1tsp

Cumin Seeds..........................................1tsp

Green Chilly............................................2

Ginger....................................................1inch

Garlic.....................................................1clove

Pepper Powder......................................1tsp

Coriander Powder..................................2tsp

Salt........................................................to taste

Preparation :

--------------

Place a pan/vessel on the stove on medium heat.Add oil , mustard seeds and cumin seeds.Once the seeds start spluttering add green chilly pieces.

                                  

Now add amaranth leaves(as these leaves are not available all the time,when available I buy more and wash it ,cut it and freeze it) and stir well.Let cook for a minute.

                                    

Now add green beans stir well and later add cilantro(I made cilantro paste with chillies and lemon juice & froze it so I added cilantro cubes) .You can add fresh cilantro.Let it cook for a minute.

                                          

Now add grated carrot to the other vegetables and stir well.

                                          

Now add diced onions and stir.While this is cooking cut ginger and garlic into small pieces.

                                          

Now add cut ginger and garlic to the pan of veggies.cook for a minute.

                                         

Now add 4 cups of vegetable broth or water to the vegetable mix.

                                                 

                                   

Add little turmeric and salt(adjust salt accordingly as the broth has salt too) to the broth.

                                         

Once the contents of the pan start boiling well ,I added 1/4 cup of powdered toordaal and let it cook for 3 minutes(I powdered it so that it will be easy to cook instead of pressure cooking and mashing).

                                         

Now add coriander powder and mix well.While this is cooking dry roast the semolina.

                                         

Finally add the semolina and cook for 3 more minutes covered.Now add the pepper powder and mix well.

                                      

Yummy Ravva Pongal with Greens is ready to eat.Serve it hot.You can eat it as is.For kids add little ghee and serve.

                                         

Note :

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1) I added cilantro paste so it made my pongal look green.If you use fresh cilantro your pongal/porridge would be in cream color.

2)You can use spinach instead of amaranth leaves.You can add many other greens and vegetables too.

3)You can use cracked wheat instead of semolina.

4)If you add more vegetables adjust broth/water accordingly.

Try this healthy recipe and let me know how you like it.


                                                                      Sunshine Award

This is the first award my blog received and feels nice to know that my recipes are being appreciated and liked by everyone . Jagruti from Joy of Cooking has passed me this lovely award.I thank her for sharing this beautiful award with me.Thank you Jagruti for your encouraging words and wish you many more awards like this.I would like to share this happiness with few more blog-pals that I have come across in this journey.


These are the fellow bloggers with whom I would like to share this award------------

Nithu , Gita , Priya , Susan , Rachel , Suma , Divya , ShamaNagarajan , Mahimaa , Bharathy, Padhu , Love2Cook , SE , Daisy Blue , SriLekha .The reason that I share this with them is that I like the way they present their dishes and the simplicity with which they explain them.All these blog-pals have been very encouraging and inspiring to me.

These Award Winners have to do the following :

1) Use the logo within your post .

2) Pass on to atleast 12 other bloggers .

3)Add a link to the nominees in your post.

4) Let the nominees know of their award

5) Share the love and link to the friend, who has passed this award to you.


                                                               Happy Blogging Everyone

My First Guest Post at Nithu's Kitchen with Quinoa-Dates Porridge/Pudding/Kheer

This is a great heart-felt experience for which I would like to thank Nithu Bala from the bottom of my heart for making me feel special with her beautiful Guest Post.In the last one month that I had started blogging Nithu has always been giving me encouragement with her warm and caring words.With this Guest Post everyone will get to know a little about me , my family and my other interests too.I thank you one and all for taking time to read the Guest Post and know about me.

I am a newbie in blogging and am just trying to share the healthy recipes I make using regular everyday ingredients, whole grain foods , less oil and less sugars.In today's Guest Post with Nithu I am presenting the recipe for Healthy Quinoa-Dates Porridge/Pudding/Kheer.Try it and let me know how you like it.I need all the encouragement I can get from all my fellow bloggers to continue this healthy journey.

Eagerly waiting for many more Guest Posts from Nithu and to get to know about the new guests she is going to introduce to us.

Wish you all Happy Cooking and Healthy Living.

Spinach Pulav/Rice(Healthy,Simple & Easy)

Spinach Pulav/Rice is a very healthy simple dish. This is like one pot dish. Rice with healthy greens and flavorful spices.When you do not have enough time to prepare two dishes separately this is a great option. Kids will love this dish too.

Let's start preparing this wonderful ,healthy recipe--------------

Main Ingredients :
------------------
Ponni Raw Rice..............2cups(uncooked)
Frozen Spinach..............10oz

Seasoning Ingredients :
------------------------
Ginger..................................2inch
Garlic...................................4cloves
Cinnamon.............................1stick
Bay Leaf...............................1
Red Chilly.............................2
Turmeric...............................1/2tsp
Sesame Seeds.......................2tsp
Mustard Seeds......................1tsp
Cumin Seeds.........................1tsp
Garam Masala Powder..........2tsp
Olive Oil...............................1tbsp
Butter...................................1tbsp
Salt.......................................to taste

Preparation :
-------------
First cook  the rice and keep it aside.Now take the frozen spinach and let it thaw.Once it is thawed microwave it for 4 minutes and keep aside.Make a paste of the ginger  and garlic and keep it aside.

Now place a pan on the stove on medium heat add olive oil and immediately add the mustard seeds,cumin seeds.

Once the mustard seeds start to splutter add red chillies and sesame seeds.

Now add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick and fry for a minute.

Now add the ginger-garlic paste and turmeric and fry for a minute till the raw smell is gone.

Now add the spinach and fry for 2 minutes(remeber that we cooked the spinach in microwave for 4minutes).

Later add garam-masala powder , salt and stir well and cook for 2 min.

Now add rice to the spinach mix and stir well so that the rice ,spinach and spices blend well.Adjust salt accordingly.Finally add a touch of little butter for richness.

Yummy Spinach Pulav/Rice is ready to serve.It can be served with papad or served as is.

Try it and let me know how you like it.

Note :
-------
1) I used freshly cooked rice.You can make this with left-over rice too.

2)You can use fresh spinach instead of  frozen spinach.

3)I used very very less oil for making it and in the end added 1tbsp of butter.Instead you can use butter for the entire recipe.Let's try to keep it heart-healthy.

I am sending this to Healing Foods:Spinach event being guest hosted by Divya and started by Siri.

Broccoli Paratha (Healthy,Simple & Easy)

I have been thinking to do this Broccoli Paratha for the past 2 months and some how did not get to making  it.We all love this yummy, healthy paratha. Srilekha's EFM : Parthas and Gravies/Curries has motivated me to make this.Finally ,today I made it and here is how this recipe goes....

Main Ingredients :

-------------------

Broccoli.........................1small bunch

Wheat Flour...................3cups

Warm Water..................for kneading

Seasoning Ingredients :

------------------------

Olive Oil........................................2tsp

Ginger-Chilly Paste........................2tsp

Turmeric........................................1tsp

Ajwain/Vamu.................................2tsp

Saunf/Fennel Seeds........................2tsp

Sesame Seeds................................2tsp

Amchur(Dry Mango)Powder..........2tsp

Garam Masala Powder...................2tsp

Salt................................................to taste

Ghee/Butter..................................1/4 cup

Preparation :

-------------

Cut the broccoli into small florets and wash nicely.Place the florets in the chopper and chop them fine.Take all shredded broccoli in a big bowl.Now in the same chopper make paste of  a piece of ginger and few green chillies(if you have paste ready you can use it).

Now add the ginger chilli paste to broccoli shed. Also add ajwain seeds,fennel seeds,sesame seeds ,  turmeric , amchur powder and mix well.

Now add garam masala powder to it.Now to this mix add the wheat flour and now also add required salt and mix it well so that the flour and the ingredients mix well.

Now slowly add warm water to the wheat-broccoli mix and make a dough.Adjust Flour and water accordingly.Once the dough is ready apply 2tsp of oil to the dough and cover it and let it sit for 1/2 hour.

When ready to eat , preheat the tawa.Roll the dough into parathas of the size you like and place it on the pre-heated tawa.

Let the paratha cook well on the 1st side and apply some ghee or butter and turn to the otherside and let it cook.Once done take it off the tawa and is ready to serve.

Yummy Broccoli Paratha is ready to serve.Serve it hot yogurt , pickle or curries of your choice.We like to eat it with yogurt.

Note :
-------
1)You can adjust the amount of spices according to your taste.

2)You don't need too much water while making the dough as the broccoli has some wetness in it.

I am sending this Broccoli Paratha to Srilekha's EFM : Parathas & Gravies.

I am sending this Broccoli Paratha to Suma's Jihva-BreakFast Event started by Indira

Feb 18th 2010 to Mar 18th 2010 "A Great 1st Month"

This has been a beautiful first month from Feb 18th to Mar 18th 2010.This one month journey through the blog world has been a very exciting and enthusiastic experience.I am very thankful to my family, friends and all the blog-pals for making this journey one of the wonderful and cheerful moments of my life.Last but not the least all the visitors to this blog have encouraged me to keep continuing my experiments with cooking by their continuous visits.

I enjoyed taking part in various blog-events organised by various bloggers..............

The 1st event that I participated and posted my Khatta-Meetha Chana Daal Rasam recipe was in My Legume Love Affair(MLLA#20) the brain-child of Susan which was guest-hosted by Rachel .I was very happy to know that I won the first event I entered.Thank you very much Susan and Rachel.Thanks to Susan and Hurst Beans for the wonderful gifts(soon I will post the pictures).

                                              Gifts from Susan & Hurst Beans

Later I came across many events by  fellow bloggers and sent in my entries.Each and everyone of them has been very encouraging.This has been a great start.I really am happy to be a part of this food blogging.I learn a lot from all these bloggers and the variations and varieties of food they experiment and present.I thank Petitchef for browsing through my blog and for considering it.

I will try to keep up with my good food experimenting and update my blog with healthy recipes.Please keep giving me your suggestions and comments everyday so that I can keep improving my cooking.Keep continuing  to give your encouragement. Thank you everyone.

On this special occassion I would like to share one my favorite poems by Robert Frost--"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening".This is how the poem goes.............................

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Summary

---------------

On the surface, this poem is simplicity itself. The speaker is stopping by some woods on a snowy evening. He or she takes in the lovely scene in near-silence, is tempted to stay longer, but acknowledges the pull of obligations and the considerable distance yet to be traveled before he or she can rest for the night.

Happy Blogging Everyone.

Mushroom Rice (Simple & Easy)

Today I am going to share with you a simple and easy Mushroom Rice recipe.This recipe is very simple to make and does not need too many ingredients.

Let's get into the preparation of this simple dish--------

Main Ingredients :

------------------

Ponni Raw Rice.............3cups(cooked)

Button Mushrooms.........8oz

Seasoning Ingredients :

-----------------------

Canola Oil.....................1tbsp

Cumin Seeds.................3tsp(crushed)

Black Pepper................2tsp(powdered)

Turmeric.......................1/2tsp

Salt...............................to taste

Garnish :

---------

Cilantro.........................few leaves

Sesame Seeds...............2tsp(toasted)

Crushed Red Pepper.......to taste

Preparation :

--------------

First cook the rice and keep it aside.I used Ponni Raw rice,you can use Basmati rice too.Clean the mushrooms and chop them into small pieces.

Now place a pan on the stove on medium heat,pour oil .Once the oil is heated up add the crushed cumin and pepper powder and fry.

Now add the chopped mushrooms to the pan and increase the heat of the stove as the mushrooms will start to leave water.Increasing the heat will help the water to evaporate and the mushrooms get cooked quickly.

Now add turmeric,salt and stir well and once the oil starts to separate reduce the heat.

Now add the cooked rice and mix well.

Let it cook for 2 more minutes and switch off the stove.Garnish with cilantro.

Yummy ,Mushroom Rice is ready to serve.This can be served as is with some salad.

Note:

------

1)You can also garnish with dry toasted sesame seeds,little shredded cheese and some crushed red pepper too.

2) My children like to eat this rice in combination with little shredded cheese,diced cucumbers and carrots.

Try this recipe and let me know how you like it.

Healthy HomeMadeYogurt(Curd/Perugu/Dahi/Thayir)

We all love YOGHURT so much.We also know that yogurt has lot of health benefits too--------that is the reason that many companies are surviving in the market selling all these varieties of yogurts claiming to be healthy, good for digestion and many more.These yogurts are all very tasty but also high in sugars.

I always feel that it is good to know what is there in what we eat.Well, we cannot really know what is there in any food that is not home-made.I am not against eating outside or buying ready-to-eat foods.I too enjoy eating out and buy ready-to eat food.It is fun to eat outside but it is healthy to eat home-made food at least when it comes to making simple things like yogurt. 

Making yogurt is very simple and easy.We can make a big batch of yogurt at once and refrigerate it.We can save lot of money and also help ourselves and the environment .For making yogurt there are different kinds of gadgets available and different methods to make it.Still I would prefer the method people have been using since generations.All we need is a stove,a pan to boil milk and some existing yogurt culture.Some containers to refrigerate.

Let' get ready to make it.......................

Main Ingredients :
-------------------
Milk..............................1Gallon
PlainYogurt...................1cup(for culture)

Storage/Refrigeration :
-----------------------
1 quart bottles/plastic containers nice and clean.

Preparation :
-------------

First pour the milk into a vessel and place it on the stove on medium heat.I used a steel vessel. To make sure that the bottom of the vessel does not burn the milk solids pour some cold water into the steel vessel and then add milk to it and boil on medium heat till the milk rises well.Boiling the milk on medium or less heat for 40 minutes to 1hr gives a nice flavor to the yogurt.

While the milk is boiling you don't have to be near the stove,you can do some other work.Once the milk is boiled switch off the stove and let it cool down for 1/2 hour.If you want it to cool down immediately place milk vessel in cold water or a bowl of ice.When the temperature comes down to warm(105 deg F) take it out of the cold environnment.

Now divide the milk into the bottles/plastic containers that you have kept ready.Now take the exisitng yogurt culture you have and place 1 full tablespoon of yogurt in each quart size container and mix it well.

Place the lid on the containers and keep them in the oven and switch on the oven-light.In 8 hours the yogurt is ready.

Yummy ,healthy home-made yogurt is ready to eat.

Notes:
--------
1)In summer you don't have to switch on the oven-light as it is already hot weather the yogurt will be done even quicker.If you leave the yogurt for longer period in warm temperature it will become sour.

2)I use 2% milk.You can use organic/non-organic or any % of fat milk.

3)Yogurt is a staple food in many parts of the world.In India, yogurt is a part of everyday meal,it's also used in cooking too.Use it in smoothies or parfaits or for cooking and baking .Use your imagination.

4)If you don't have time to boil milk on the stove,you can microwave the milk to a nice boil,let the milk cool down a bit and when it is still warm add the yogurt culture and cover with lid and leave it in the microwave(power off) or a warm place for 6 hours and the yogurt is ready.
5) Here I have the picture of the empty steel vessel to show that even after boiling the milk for an hour it didn't burn the milk solids in the bottom.

Tip :
------
 Pour a cup of cold water in the steel vessel first and then pour the milk and heat in medium temperature.This surely works.

Try it and let me know.