Instant Ragi Dosa|Finger Millet Dosa|ராகி தோசை

Ragi dosa is a healthy south indian breakfast recipe which can be made instantly or fermentatively. This recipe is instant dosa recipe and goes well with any chutney.

Ragi is one of the best non-dairy sources of calcium when compared to any grains. It is a complete multi nutritional food supplement which is rich in fiber, protein and other minerals. People in south India consume ragi as their staple diet.

Instant Ragi Dosa

Ingredients

• Ragi flour - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Green chillies - 1
• Salt - To taste

     For the seasoning

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - Few
• Onion - 1, finely chopped

Method

1. Mix ragi flour, rice flour, yogurt, green chillies and salt in a large bowl. Add enough water to form dosa batter that should have pouring consistency like butter milk. Keep the batter aside for 30-45 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Saute for few seconds.
4. Add onion and fry until soft or translucent. Don't brown the onions.
5. Add this seasoning to the batter.
6. Heat a tawa and grease with oil.
7. Pour a ladle of batter and spread it in a circular motion. Drizzle some oil around it and cook covered in medium flame.
8. Flip on the other side and cook for a minute more.
9. Repeat the same with remaining batter.
10. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Tips

- You can also substitute wheat flour/left over dosa batter for rice flour. I would recommend wheat flour for diabetes patients.

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Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are delicious and nutritious and are perfect for a snack for both kids and adults. This crisp and chewy cookie is loaded with oats, dried fruits and nuts. 

Oatmeal cookies contain fiber and minerals, such as iron and potassium, which are crucial to body health. They are also rich in folate and Vitamins A & K. Due to their oat content, the oatmeal cookies are also rich in soluble fiber, which combats bad cholesterol, reducing the chances of heart disease and controlling blood glucose levels.

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• Nuts - 1 cup (walnuts or pecans)
• Unsalted butter - 3/4 cup (170g or 12 tbsp or 1 1/2 sticks)
• Light brown sugar - 1 cup
• Egg - 1 (large)
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
• Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Ground Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
• Oatmeal - 3 cups (old-fashioned or quick oats)
• Raisins or cherries or chocolate chips - 1 cup (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
3. Place nuts on the sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop into pieces.
4. Beat the butter and sugar with a fork (or with an electric mixer) until creamy and fluffy.
5. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon.
7. Add the flour mixture to the cream mixture and mix well until combined.
8. Add oats and raisins (if using) and stir well. 
• Do not overmix the dough as it results in dry or hard cookies. Stop mixing when the dough is just mixed.
9. Scoop spoonfuls of the mix onto a baking tray about 2 inches apart.
10. Then lightly flatten the cookies with your wet fingers so they are about 1/2 inch thick.
11. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle.
12. Remove from oven and let them cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips

- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before mixing. It ensures better blending of the batter and a more even baking time.

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Rava Upma|Semolina Upma

Rava Upma is a popular south indian breakfast dish which is very easy and can be done in a jiffy. You could use fine or coarse semolina but upma tastes better when made with coarse semolina.

Rava Upma

Ingredients

• Rava/Sooji/Semolina - 1 cup
• Onion - 1, medium sized
• Green chillies - 1, slit lengthwise
• Coriander leaves - To garnish
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 2 tsp
• Cashewnuts - 3
• Curry leaves - Few
• Salt - To taste
• Ghee - 2 tsp + 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a pan and fry rava until it starts to give off a nice aroma. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil & 2 tsp of ghee in the same pan and add mustard seeds.
3. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add urad dal and cashewnuts. Fry them till they turn light brown.
4. Add curry leaves, onion and green chillies. Fry till the onions turn transparent.
5. Now add 3 cups of water and adjust salt to taste.
6. When the water starts boiling, simmer the stove and add the roasted rava little by little stirring continuously.
7. Keep on stirring and add 1 tbsp of oil.
8. Cover and cook for 5 minutes in low flame till all the water is absorbed and garnish with coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato chutney.

Tips

- You can also add boiled vegetables after the onion is cooked to make it more healthy.

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Barnyard Millet Curd Rice|Kuthiravali Thayir Sadam|குதிரைவாலி தயிர் சாதம்

Barnyard millet curd rice tastes delicious just like normal curd rice and even more healthy. 

India is the world's largest producer of millet. Millet is good for your heart health, guard yourself from diabetes, enhance your digestive system, decrease your chance of cancer, detox the body, increase respiratory health, enhance your defense mechanisms, improve your levels of energy, and enhance your muscle as well as nerve health.

Barnyard Millet Curd Rice

Ingredients

• Barnyard Millet - 1 cup
• Water - 3 cups
• Curd - 1 cup
• Milk - 2 cups
• Coriander leaves - to garnish
• Salt - as required

     For the seasoning

• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida/Hing - A pinch
• Grated ginger - 1 tsp
• Green chilli - 1, finely chopped
• Curry leaves - Few

Method

1. Boil 3 cups of water in a sauce pan. 
2. Wash the millet and add to the boiling water. Water stops to boil after the millet is added. When the water boils again reduce to low flame. Add salt and cook until mushy.
3. Cool down and add milk to it. Mix and mash well without any lumps.
4. Then add curd and mix well. Adjust salt to taste.
5. Now heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter add urad dal and fry until light brown.
6. Add a pinch of hing, grated ginger, green chilli and curry leaves. Fry for few seconds.
7. Add the seasoning to the rice.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with pickle.

Notes

- You can also garnish the dish with freshly grated carrot, roasted cashews and fresh fruits like grapes and pomegranate.

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Split moong dal Vada|Pasiparuppu Vadai|பாசிப்பருப்பு வடை

Moong dal vada is a deep fried snack which is made with  moong dal grinded and made into a batter and then deep fried into vadas. 

Split moong dal is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals. It is easy to digest, protects and heals liver and is good immune system stimulant. They do not contain any fats, thus making them an ideal food for children and elderly.

Moong Dal Vada

Ingredients

• Split Moong dal/Pasiparuppu - 1 cup
• Onion - 1/4 cup
• Ginger - 1 tbsp, grated/chopped
• Green chillies - 1, finely chopped
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Gram flour - 1 tbsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Cilantro - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
• Salt - To taste
• Oil - To deep fry

Method

1. Wash and soak moong dal in water for at least 3 hours.
2. Drain the water and grind into a coarse paste. Sprinkle some water while grinding if required.
3. Add finely chopped onion, ginger, green chillies, red chilli powder, gram flour, asafoetida, cilantro and salt to the batter. Mix well.
4. Heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the balls in medium heat until golden brown.
5. Serve hot with chutney/ketchup.

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Carrot Fry|Carrot Poriyal

Carrot Poriyal is a great healthy side dish for any rice varieties. I have not used coconut in this recipe but you can also garnish this poriyal with fresh grated coconut.

Increased intake of antioxidant-rich foods like carrots reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease risks. Carrots may also help with blood sugar regulation, delay the effects of aging and improve immune function.

Carrot Poriyal

Ingredients

• Grated carrot - 2 cups
• Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
• Coriander leaves - To garnish
• Salt - To taste

     For the seasoning

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
• Red chillies - 1, broken into half
• Curry leaves - Few

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
2. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add urad dal and channa dal. Fry until they turn light brown.
3. Add red chillies and curry leaves and saute for few seconds.
4. Add chopped onion and little salt. Cook until it turns soft.
5. Then add grated carrot and salt. Sprinkle some water and cook covered until it gets cooked.
6. Adjust salt to taste and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

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