RAGI KANJI RECIPE - SWEET & SALTED VERSION | RAGI RECIPES

  
As a kid, I was grown up drinking Ragi Kanji right from the age of 1. I used to drink it everyday instead of milk and used to like it my mom says. But as I grew up, when ever my mom prepares ragi dishes for my paati who is a sugar patient, I neither liked it nor consumed ragi. My mom used to scold me a lot saying this. Then now, again I am liking ragi, be it ragi adai or ragi instant dosa, I make it for breakfast and love to eat it. So last week, after a long time, I thought of trying kanji as I had a bad tooth ache and extracted it, I was advised to take liquid diet or soft diet for 3 days. So I called my  mom and asked how to make it and made, enjoyed it. I like the salted version a lot. Sweet version is not my cup of kanji. But salted, wow, I totally loved it. That too after a day of starving, it was like armutham for me. Its healthy too, so you can include this in diet every now and then. I think sweet version will be liked by kids, so do try for your kids. It smells so good. Even this is great diet for diabetic people. So you can try this for breakfast or evening time drink for the elders at home.

Ragi Kanji Sweet & Salted recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Breakfast
Prep Time: 5 mins    |  Cook time: 10 mins    |  Serves: 2

Ingredients

Ragi flour (finger millet flour)	1/4 cup
Sugar	as needed
Milk	1/2 cup
Butter milk	1 cup
Salt	as needed
Elachi	1, powdered

To temper

Oil	1 tsp
Mustard	1/2 tsp
Asafoetida	2 pinch
Curry leaves	few
Green chilli	1

Method

1. Place the ragi flour and using a whisk, mix water(1 & 1/2 cups) well. Start heating with continuous stirring.
2. once it starts getting thick, lower the flame completely and keep mixing and cook the flour. say for 4 minutes. The ragi flour should get cooked shiny as shown below. Mine is glass vessel so cooking time may vary accordingly. Reserving half the cooked ragi, mix milk, sugar and elachi powder to half of the ragi. You can adjust the consistency of the kanji by adding milk or water more and just heat it up.
3. Cool the rest of ragi , add salt as needed and add buttermilk generously and temper with the items given under to temper table. Mix well.

Notes

• My mom used to roast the ragi flour until aromatic and then proceed making sweet kanji. I think for infants its safe to roast the ragi to ensure proper cooking.
• Adjust the liquid -milk or buttermilk as per your need for the consistency of the kanji.
• You can replace sugar with jaggery too.
• You can prepare fresh kanji by soaking ragi (finger millet)(whole grain) in water over night and drain, then hang it in muslin cloth to sprout, grind it in mixie with water to a paste, filter using the muslin cloth with water and make kanji. 

                     So which one would you pick? Sweet or salted kanji? Perfect for morning breakfast!

Technorati Tags: ragi kanji recipe,ragi kanji,how to make ragi kanji for infants,ragi kanji sweet,ragi kanji salted,ragi kanji with buttermilk,diabetics,ragi for kids,ragi for diabetes,breakfast

Ridge gourd chutney recipe (Peerkangai chutney ) | Side dish for idli dosa

       When I was in Chennai, the last day before we left to Singapore, some how we found time to go to Phoenix Market city (Phoenix mall). After roaming and shopping, we felt like having a snack break and found the restaurant “Namma Veedu Vasantha bhavan” there and thought of giving it a try. Aj had dosa and as usual he only had it with sambar and left all the 3 chutneys. I just tasted the green chutney and the taste and flavour was so familiar to me and Vj felt the same. But I could not instantly recollect it what it is. Then I recognised that it is similar to ridge gourd gravy I make. So before I left the restaurant, I asked one of the person in their kitchen and to my surprise he said its ‘Mint chutney’. But still I wanted to try my version of ridge gourd chutney and did it last month for idli. It was really a good accompaniment for idli dosa. And I was happy that I got a new side dish for idli, dosa. So you can try as well, for a change and make everyone keep guessing what kind of chutney it is.

Ridge gourd chutney recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Continental  |  Recipe Category: Breakfast
Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 10 mins    |  Serves: 2

Ingredients

Ridge gourd / Peerkangai - 1

---

Onion - 1

---

Tamarind - Small marble size

---

Green chillies - 8

---

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

---

Salt - As needed

---

To temper

Oil - 1 tsp

---

Mustard - 3/4 tsp

---

Urad dal - 1 tsp

---

Asafoetida - A pinch

---

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

---

Method

1. Peel the skin of the ridge gourd and chop into small pieces, onions too into chunks and slit green chillies. Heat kadai with a tsp of oil. Fry onion till transparent along with green chillies and asafoetida. 
2. Add the chopped ridge gourd and salt. Mix well and cook covered for 4 minutes or until the peerkangai softens, gets cooked and reduce in volume. 
3. Cool completely and grind smoothly with tamarind (microwave for 10 sec after soaked in water to soften it). Temper with the items under the table ‘To temper’ table and mix well.

Notes

• You can add a fist full of either mint leaves or coriander leaves while frying ridge gourd for a twist.
•   Asafoetida is the star ingredient, so add it as mentioned.
• Add lots of green chilli. If you reduce it wont be enough or will be bland.

Serve with hot idli or roast ghee dosa, tastes great and delicious, more over, you are consuming the veggie!

Technorati Tags: Ridge gourd recipes,ridge gourd chutney,peerkangai recipes,peerkangai chutney,side dish for idli dosa,side dish,chutney recipes,side dish for dosa

Lunch menu 12 - (Chinese fried rice and baby corn manchurian)

Fried rice and Manchurian is a classic combo. Yes! A Manchurian dish is a perfect side for any kind of fried rice. I like what ever it is made in the name of fried rice. I just love the smoky flavor that is there in the restaurant fried rice, because of their tossing in high flame, it catches fire and lends a great unique flavor. My kids is also a big fan of this combo.  One thing about this is, both will be nice only when eaten hot hot. I always like my food hot. Really hot!! I was brought up  that way! My never have let me eat other way, she always served me straight from the stove. Good old days. Let’s move on..

So this week’s menu is simply with

Chinese style fried rice

Baby corn manchurian

  
I have these other fried rice recipes in my blog, do check it out!

• Paneer fried rice
• Easy Indian style fried rice
• Green moong sprouts fried rice

And these recipes which may go well with the above :

• Chilli paneer dry
• Gobi manchurian dry

Have a great weekend with homey food :)

Technorati Tags: veg fried rice,baby corn manchurian,side dish for fried rice,best combination for fried rice,lunch idea,lunch menu raks kitchen,lunch menu with fired rice,meal ideas,recipes

Chow chow kootu recipe | South Indian kootu recipes

Todays post is a simple chow chow kootu recipe. Chow chow / chayote is not liked by many, but we all like it in our family. Be it chow chow sambar or chow chow curry we like it. This one also one of our favorite and goes well with vathal kuzhambu or poondu kuzhambu or any spicy kuzhambu. I am comfortable in making this kootu in small pressure cooker as chow chow take some time to get cooked. Otherwise I always prefer stove top boiling method for cooking kootu.  Will come up with interesting posts, as of now, enjoy this simple mild kootu recipe!

Chow chow kootu recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 15 mins    |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Chow chow/ chayote - 1 big

---

Moong dal/ channa dal - 1/4 cup

---

Sambar powder - 1 tsp

---

Small onions - 4

---

Turmeric - 1/8 tsp

---

Salt - As needed

---

To grind

Coconut, freshly grated - 1/4 cup

---

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

---

Rice flour(optional) - 1/2 tsp

---

To temper

Oil - 1 tsp

---

Mustard - 3/4 tsp

---

Urad dal - 1 tsp

---

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

---

Method

1. Peel off the skin of chow chow, divide into two halves vertically, take off the seed and the thick part around it. Wash and chop into tiny squares or as desired. In a small pressure cooker, add the chopped veggie, sambar powder, turmeric and salt.

2. Add one cup water in such a way it dissolves the powders and salt and mix. Make sure the dal is immersed in water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

3. Mean while grind coconut with jeera and rice flour with little water to a paste. I first grind the coconut with rice flour well, then add jeera lastly and grind coarsely as its flavourful that way. Add it to the cooked vegetable and mix well. Bring to boil. Lastly temper with the items give under “To temper” table, followed by the finely chopped small onion and mix well.

Notes

• I temper with coconut oil for extra flavour.
• Comes our great with both moong and channa dal (pasi paruppu / kadala parppu) I made with moong dal this time.
• Instead of tempering the shallots, you can grind it coarsely along coconut, while adding jeera. Another variation is without sambar powder, adding green chillies while grinding coconut.

Serve with any kuzhambu varieties, or eat as such with steamed rice and ghee. Comforting!!

Technorati Tags: chow chow kootu recipe,chow chow kootu,chayote kootu,chow chow recipes,chayote recipes,kootu recipes,side dish for puli kuzhambu,vathal kuzhambu,poondu kuzhambu

Corn fritters recipe (Sweet corn fritters)

I have tried corn kebab and loved it a lot, my family loves it too and make it in the weekends sometimes. So when I saw this easy corn fritters recipe in the cookbook I borrowed in library, I wanted to try it out. I just adapted the recipe and adjusted to suit my family’s taste and my convenience.  And as expected, it was loved by both Aj and Vj. I too loved it very much. Its so simple and easy to make, so you can make it as snack for your hungry kids back from school or to make any weekend special with an evening snack.

Corn fritters recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Oriental  |  Recipe Category: Snack
Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 15 mins    |  Makes: 15

Ingredients

Sweet corn kernels (frozen) - 2 cups

---

All purpose flour/ maida - 3 tbslp

---

Rice flour - 1 & 1/2  tbslp

---

Salt -   As needed

---

Black pepper powder - 1 tsp

---

Oil - for deep frying

---

To grind coarsely

Shallots/ small onions - 4

---

Red coloured chilli or green chilli - 2

---

Garlic cloves - 3

---

Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tbslp

---

Coriander root (optional) - 1

---

Method

1. Place the corn in a microwaveable bowl with lid and cook covered for 4 minutes in high or as per instructions in the cover of the frozen corn. No need to add water. Stir in between for even cooking. If using fresh corn, then you can add 2 tblsp of water.
2. Grind the items in the table “To grind coarsely” with 2 tblsp of water.
3. Mix cooked corn (cooled down), ground item, pepper powder, both flours, salt with a tblsp of water if needed. The consistency should be like a vada batter. Adjust flour or water to get the consistency right.
4. Heat oil in a kadai, wet you hands with little water and make patties and drop carefully in the hot oil. The flame should be medium when you drop the fritters. Make sure the oil not too hot, as it will make the corn pop and its dangerous as the oil may spill. You can also spoon the corn mixture to oil, so if you want you can adjust the consistency accordingly.
5. Cook on both sides for total 4 minutes in medium flame, flipping to ensure even cooking. Cook until its golden in colour. Make sure you stand a bit far, in case the corn pops in the oil, for safer side. Make 3-4 per batch and drain over paper towels.

Notes

• Make sure to cook the sweet corn in closed container to ensure retain its moisture. You can also steam it, if you dont have microwave.
• Corn should be cooked properly to avoid popping in the hot oil.
• Oil should not be fuming hot at any point, just make sure to higher and lower  accordingly as there are chances of popping.
• Any way, one or two corn per batch will pop, so make sure you stand at safe distance while the fritters are getting cooked.
• Also there should be enough batter to bind and coat the corns.
• Use a deep frying pan.
• I used coriander root alone while grinding, as this is a Thai recipe and asked for it, but we can use coriander leaves alone and I tried that way too, it was nice.

Serve hot! Soft, crispy and crunchy corn fritters are yummy as such, or you can pair it with any hot and sweet sauces!

Technorati Tags: corn fritters recipe,sweet corn fritters,corn vada,sweet corn vada,sweet corn snacks recipe,snacks with sweet corn,kids recipes,kids snacks recipe,evening snacks,snack recipes

Lunch menu 11 (South Indian variety lunch)

Day before yesterday, when I was staring at the Facebook wall , I suddenly saw a meal promo in the feed. Said “Variety lunch”  and had a paratha/ kal dosa kuruma, flavoured rice, sambar rice, poriyal, curd rice,sweet and papad, pickle. It really tempted me a lot, so I decided to make it the next day and I did. But I omitted the paratha/ kal dosa kurma part as I thought this itself is enough. Since yesterday was Aadi velli I made a payasam and added to the meal . As I always say, I dont like sambar rice that much so had my favourite lemon rice and curd rice alone in this menu.



And here we go, this week’s lunch menu :

1. A flavoured rice – Lemon rice
2. Sambar rice (Sambar sadham)
3. Snake gourd stir fry ( Podalangai poriyal)
4. Curd rice (Thayir sadham)
5. Fine vermicelli payasam
6. Vadavams.

You can replace the lemon rice with any other favourite of yours. Like coconut rice or puliyodharai or puli sadham or thakkali sadam or peanut rice.

And vegetable poriyal also could be of your choice.

I had curd rice with mor milagai, you can have it with pickle.

Payasam can be replaced with any sweet pongal or kesari too. If you want the regular semiya payasam recipe here.

Happy weekend with homey food .

Technorati Tags: lunch ideas,lunch menu raks kitchen,south indian lunch ideas,lunch recipes,variety lunch recipes,variety rice

Green curry recipe | Vegetarian Thai green curry recipe

From the day I tasted “Green curry” at Bali, I was thinking of trying at home myself, as the taste was very much relate-able to our avial. Only a herb smell was over powering and new to me. Aj kind of liked and me too liked it though first few mouths it was hard for me to swallow. Vj dint even touch. But it took so long for me to try in my kitchen. But its really easy to  make it, provided you get all the ingredients. For me, it was easy to gather ingredients here as they sell the Thai essentials in a single pack, just enough to try. So I got it and tried. I think now a days in India also, Thai restaurants are there and people like the cuisine. I found this recipe in a library borrowed cook book, but I adapted the recipe to vegetarian version and added my choice of vegetables. It turned out exactly same as I tasted there in Bali. I really enjoyed it with steamed rice. So if you are new to Thai cuisine, don't panic, just try it out in some restaurant and sure you will like it!

Green curry (Thai green curry) recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Oriental  |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 15 mins    |  Serves: 4

Ingredients For Green curry paste

Lemon grass - 1 stalk

---

Green chilli(small variety) - 4

---

Lime leaves (kaffir lime leaves) - 2

---

Young ginger (galangal) - 1 inch

---

Garlic - 4 cloves

---

Coriander roots - 3

---

Coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tblsp

---

Small onion (shallots) - 3

---

Thai sweet basil leaves - 6

---

Coriander seeds powder - 1/4 tsp

---

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

---

White pepper powder - 1/4 tsp

---

                

Other ingredients

Coconut milk - 400 ml

---

Oil - 2 tblsp

---

Carrot - 1

---

Beans (I used baby beans) - 6

---

Yellow pumpkin,chopped - 1/2 cup

---

Sweet potato (thai) - 1

---

Cherry tomatoes - 8

---

Soya sauce (light) - 1 tblsp

---

Brown sugar/ honey - 1 tblsp

---

Salt - If needed

---

Method

1. Gather all the ingredients under the table “for green curry paste”. Peel shallots,garlic,ginger and scrap the coriander roots, place all ingredients together in a blender and with 1 or 2 tblsp of water, grind it to a paste.
2. I chopped the sweet potato and yellow pumpkin into medium thin squares. Carrots to strips and beans also similarly in length, cooked the vegetables in 3/4 cup of water, just right, do not over cook. Prepare coconut milk. I used readymade coconut milk available in the stores. You can use fresh coconut milk as well. If so,extract thick milk from 1 & 1/2 cup of grated fresh coconut and use it.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the thai curry paste (3-4 tblsp) and fry in medium flame until it gets cooked and becomes fragrant. Day 3 minutes.
4. Add coconut milk, soya sauce, honey and mix well. Add the cooked vegetables.
5. Let it be in medium flame for 5 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes halved at the last stage and cook without changing its shape. Lastly add 2 torn kaffir lime leaves for garnish and switch off the flame.

Notes

• Other vegetables that can be used in this curry are thai aubergines, turkey berries, squash, baby corn, mushrooms, courgettes. These vegetables need not be pre cooked.
• The curry paste will be enough for this recipe alone (a tsp extra, may be). 

Transfer to serving bowls and serve with fragrant rice. I had it with our usual steamed rice and sago fryums.

Technorati Tags: green curry,thai green curry recipes,thai recipes,Homemade green curry paste,vegetarian thai green curry,vegetable thai green curry,thai curry with vegetbales,lemon grass,kaffir leaves,sweet basil

Vathal kuzhambu recipe | Sundakkai vatha kuzhambu recipe

As I have said in my earlier post, I love love vathal kuzhambu than any other kuzhambu. Usually vathal kuzhambu recipes made by brahmins/ iyer has only vathal and no onion or garlic I think. But we make it with both. Though this time I made without garlic, we usually add finely chopped small onions and garlic. I love sundakkai vathal fried darkly to accompany curd rice. Never tasted the ones in these kuzhambu. Don’t ask about sundakkai kootu or sambar, I will run miles away from it. My mom insists to eat it for its health benefits. But I can’t eat. I love vathals but. We had sudakkai plant in our backyard, still have one at Salem. It yields a lot of sudankkai (turkey berry). I like to make vathals out of sundakkai, its an interesting process. Yes, my mom washes and spreads the berries and we use a clean hammer to gently nudge on it and open it up. Then its all added to sour buttermilk and sundried to make vathal. Its stored and used through out the year.

I always wonder how our cuisine uses up the vegetables in form of vathals and it comes handy to cook at home, even when there is no vegetables in hand. Cool right? . Sundakkai has a lot of health benefits, though I don't know many, one main thing is it can help you to get rid of worms in tummy, especially for bachelors who eat outside food and kids. Its also rich iron.

Sundakkai vathal kuzhambu recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Sundakkai vathal (dried turkey berry) - 20

---

Onion - 1

---

Tamarind - Gooseberry sized

---

Sambar powder  - 2 & 1/2 tsp

---

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

---

Jaggery - 1/2 tsp

---

Salt - As needed

---

To temper

Sesame oil - 2 tblsp

---

Mustard - 1 tsp

---

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

---

Urad dal - 1 tsp

---

Toor dal - 1 tsp

---

Jeera/ cumin seeds - 1 tsp

---

Curry leaves - 1 Sprig

---

Method

1. Chop onion finely, extract tamarind juice by soaking it in hot water for 10 minutes.  Make it 2 and 1/2 cups by adding water to it. Set aside. Heat a kadai with sesame oil, temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table. Before adding curry leaves, add sudakkai vathal and fry until everything turns golden brown in colour. Make sure the vathal gets fried. Add curry leaves followed by chopped onion. Fry till it turns brown here and there.

2. Add the tamarind juice, bring to boil, add sambar powder, turmeric and salt. Lower the flame to medium.

3. Boil for 6-8 minutes or until oil separates, towards the end, add jaggery and mix well. Switch off the flame when the kuzhambu gets thick.

Notes

• You can replace sudakkai vathal with any other vathal.
• You can make this as no onion no garlic too. Add asafoetida while tempering. Or you can also add on finely chopped garlic in this recipe. Adds more flavour.

Usually, vathal kuzhambu and kootu is the best combination to serve. Thogayal also goes well with this.

Technorati Tags: vathal kuzhambu recipe,vathal kulambu,vathal kuzhambu,sundakkai recipes,sundakkai vathal kuzhambu,south indian kuzhambu recipe,recipes