Millet Upma - Millet Recipe

Instead of eating rice or wheat all the time, I like to mix up my diet with other grains at least once a week.  Millet is one of my favourite grain.  It not only cooks fast, it is also very tasty.  Millet upma is one of the dishes I make frequently.  Other Indian names for millet is bajra, kambu, varagu. Here is my recipe.

1/2 cup millet (100g or 3.65 oz)

1 cup water to cook the millet

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 cup peanuts (raw or roasted)
2 chopped green chillies 
1" inch piece of ginger chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon sambar powder( can be substituted with curry powder)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1 cup chopped potato (225g)
1 cup chopped green beans(125g)
1/2 cup chopped carrots(80g)
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
A few curry leaves or cilantro(dhania) leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cook the millet and keep it aside.  In a pressure cooker it takes one or two whistles or 10 to 15 minutes.  On the burner it takes about 15 minutes.
To a pan on medium heat with one tablespoon of oil add mustard seeds and wait for it to pop.  When the mustard seeds pop add the peanuts and let it cook for 10 to 15 seconds, next add the chopped ginger and green chillies and let it cook for 10 seconds.  Next, add the turmeric powder and sambar powder mix let it cook for a few seconds and add asafoetida powder after cooking for 10 seconds add the chopped vegetables and peas, add about half cup of water or as needed for the vegetables to cook.  Cook for 10 minutes or so or until the vegetables are cooked.  After the vegetables are cooked add the salt mix, add the curry leaves, and next add the cooked millet, mix and lastly add the lemon juice mix and serve.

Serve with raita.

Serves 3

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu

Video of preparation:
This tasty dish will give meat balls a run.

To make the Urandai - Toor dal Balls
1 cup toor dal
water to soak the dal
2 green chilies
2 red chillies
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed(saraso)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
2 tablespoon rice powder

Wash and soak the dal for at least one hour before grinding.  To grind: discard the water it was soaking in add green chilies, red chilies, turmeric powder and salt and grind to a smooth paste with as little water as possible.

Heat a tablespoon oil and add mustard seeds to it.  When the mustard seeds pop add the asafoetida let it sizzle for a few seconds, add the ground dal and rice powder and cook the dal until it is dry and pliable.  Remove from the burner and when it is cool make large marble size balls and place them on an idli plate for steaming.  Place them so that they do not stick to one another.  Steam for about 10 minutes and remove and keep aside.
Makes about 24 urandais 

Mor Kuzhambu
3/4 cup grated coconut
1 or 2 whole red chili
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds (methi)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
a few curry leaves
4 cups yogurt preferably slightly sour
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
4 cups yogurt
Season
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

Grind the coconut with red chili, fenugreek and cumin seeds and curry leaves with very little water to a smooth paste.
Prepare the yogurt, if it is too thick add some water and beat it to remove the lumps.  Next, to a pan on medium heat add the yogurt, ground coconut mixture, turmeric powder and salt, cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the yogurt is hot but not boiling over, keep it aside for seasoning.
To season heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds to it.  When the mustard seeds pop add the coriander and cumin powder let it sizzle for 10 seconds and add it to the mor kuzhambu.  Lastly add the prepared toor dal balls or urandai and serve.
Serves 4.

Serves with rice or chappati

Garlic Rasam

2 teaspoon ghee
2 tablespoon tur dal
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 whole red chili

In two teaspoon of ghee roast the above ingredients and grind with a little water and keep aside

4 cups water
2 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

To a pan with 4 cups of water add the tamarind concentrate and let it boil for 5 minutes.  Add the ground spices and salt and let it boil for an additional 5 minutes after which remove it from heat and prepare seasoning.


1 teaspoon ghee
2 small cloves of crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

For seasoning heat one teaspoon of ghee to it add mustard seeds and wait for it to pop.  When the mustard seeds pop add the crushed garlic and turn the heat off and let the garlic fry until it turns brown.  Next add the turmeric powder and let it cook for 10 seconds and add it to the prepared rasam.

Vegetable au gratin

Mixed vegetables: broccoli, beans, cauliflower, potato

1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1/2 teaspoon ajwain or thyme
parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
cheddar cheese

To a bowl with the all purpose flour add milk and dissolve the flour in it slowly warm up the dish and when it thickens add nutmeg, ajwain and salt.

Line the dish with some liquid add vegetables add liquid, vegetable dot with cheese.

Cook for 1 hour at 350 F

Banana Bread Eggless

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 medium mashed banana 
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnut
1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk

To a bowl add flour baking powder and baking soda mix and sift it at least two times.
In a second bowl mix evaporated milk and condensed milk and keep aside
In a third bowl mash the banana, add shredded coconut, walnut and brown sugar, mix.  Add oil and butter and mix.  Next, add the milk mixture and mix and lastly add the sifted flour a little at a time and fold slowly DO NOT BEAT OR OVER MIX.

Pour into a 10" greased loaf pan.
Bake at 280F degrees for 3 hours or until a butter knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Fruit Cake Recipe Eggless

1 cup oil

2 big apple or 2 1/2 cups (700 gm or 24 oz) shredded

2 1/2 cups unsifted cake flour

2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup bourbon whisky or fruit juice

1/4 cup honey
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk

2 1/2 cups raisins

3 cups walnuts (or pecans, almonds or cashew)

1/2 cup chopped candied or crystallized mixed fruits or citron mix

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 ground cloves powder

Oil or melted butter for greasing pans

Preheat oven to 280 degrees.
1. Blend flour and baking powder, baking soda in flour sifter, after sifting add cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg mix keep aside

2. In a second mixing bowl beat condensed milk and evaporated milk together and beating briskly add oil and keep aside
3. In a third bowl soak candied mix in fruit juice or whisky for 1/2 hour. Add honey, walnut, raisin mix with wooden spatula. Add the milk mixture to the nut mixture and mix. Lastly add the flour mixture a little at a time and fold into it, DO NOT BEAT FOLD GENTLY until contents are mixed.

 

4.   Lightly oil inside of 13-cup tube pan.

5.   Pour batter into pan and smooth over top with spatula. Place in the oven. Bake about 3 hours at 280 degrees or until cake is nicely browned on top and a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let stand on a wire rack before unmolding. Use a knife to loosen the edges.

Spinach with Masoor Dal recipe

12 oz or 340 g of spinach
3 tablespoon oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tomato
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 green chilies or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder or to taste
1 teaspoon of garam masala powder
3/4 cup of masoor dal (520 oz or 150 g)
3/3 cup water or as needed
1/2 teaspoon of salt or to taste
A few cilantro leaves

For Seasoning:
2 teaspoon ghee or clarified butter
1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida

Wash and chop the spinach and keep it aside.  To a pan on medium heat with 3 tablespoon of oil add the chopped onions and saute until it has turned light brown.  When the onions have turned light brown add the turmeric and chili powder and saute for 10 seconds, followed by the garam masala powder, saute again for 10 seconds, add the chopped tomatoes, ginger and green chilis and let it cook for 2 minutes or so until the tomatoes have turned soft. Next  next add the washed masoor dal and chopped spinach and cook for 15 minutes or so until the dal and spinach is cooked.  When the dal and spinach is cooked add salt and a little water mix and cook for 2 minutes so that the salt is dissolved.  Turn the heat off add some chopped cilantro leaves, transfer the prepared dish into a serving dish for seasoning.

For seasoning: To a pan on medium heat with 2 teaspoon of ghee add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and wait for the cumin seeds to pop.  When the cumin seeds pop turn the heat off and add the asafoetida and add the seasoning to the prepared dish