Green chilly crispy poha

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I drafted this post 15 days back itself, but was not getting enough time to complete and publish it. But when Sanjeev Kapoor announced the competition on FB  on monsoon snacks, I remembered this one and I am publishing it now. I sent 3 entries to his competition but not this one. And I too started the post with "its monsoon here" !!! It was just by chance!! Here it continues ...

Its monsoon here. We feel like eating something crispy, fried snack with evening tea. This green chilly crispy poha is the best for a rainy evening with a cuppa tea  or a mug or hottt coffee.

My co sister always liked this one from me. So its for her now.

In my house, this is always prepared and kept in the kitchen. There are 3 recipes. One is with Red chillly powder, garlic as main ingredient. Second is with Red chilly, hing as main thing. The third one is this with green chilly and hing.

Thin poha - 250gm

Oil - 1/4 cup or less

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Peanut - 1/4cup

Dalia - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves - 15 to 20

Green chilly - 3 to 4, slit and cut in to two

Hing - a pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Add oil in a kadai. Wait till the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When splutter add cumin seds, peanut and curry leaves. Fry for sometime till peanut changes its color to golden color. Be careful as it may burn of if you delay or move away from kadai.

Now add green chilly and hing. Fry for half a minute. Add dalia and sesame seeds. Fry for half a minute. Off the heat. Keep on stirring. Now add Salt, turmeric powder. Let it cool.

Add the cleaned poha and sugar. Mix it properly. 

Take little quantity and transfer it into microwave safe bowl. (If you take more quantity, all the poha will not become crispy) Keep it on HIGH or 100% and run it for 30 seconds to one minute. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes.  Repeat with remaining poha. You will get crispy poha to eat.

Keep Smiling,

Sprouted Sorghum and onion masala

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

One more recipe from North Karnataka. A very healthy, nutritious and tasty food and tastes different. My mother used to make this when we were in school. But I do not know when we stopped eating this or when mom stopped making this.

Last week when I brought  Jowar or Sorghum to make flour (in flour mill). I remembered this recipe and thought of trying with very little quantity. I was not sure, whether I will like it now or not.

But, the taste was so good that I have decided to sprout the sorghum again and try it in salads or curry.

Here is the recipe for Sprouted Sorghum and onion Masala :

To sprout :
Sorghum - 1 cup

Wash the Sorghum and soak it in 3 cups of water for 24 hours.

Drain the water, wash it 2 times with fresh water. 

Tie in a muslin or cotton cloth for 12 hours. Open and check whether its sprouted or not, If not, tie it and keep it for another 8 to 10 hours.

Sprouting time depends on the weather. In cold weather, it takes more time than in hot weather. 

Ingredients :

Boiled Sprouted Sorghum - 1 cup

(Add 2 cups of water to the sprout and keep in a cooker to give 2 whistles. Let it cool and drain the water in a bowl to use it later.)

Onion - 1 big, cleaned, chopped into cubes

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 10 to 12, cleaned and chopped finely

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

or green chilly - 1 finely chopped

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. When splutter add curry leaves and onion. Fry till onion changes its color. (Now add green chilly if you are using it). Or add red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix it properly. Add the boiled water about 1/8 cup. Cook for a minute. Add the boiled sorghum. Cover and cook it for 2 minutes. Remove the lid add lime juice and fresh coriander. Mix it and remove from the Fire. 

You can use fresh coriander also.

Serve it with chapati or rice or even puri!!

I would love to thank Nithu of  Nithu's Kitchen, who made me to feel happy and proud of myself by taking my interview and posting in her blog.

Check out my  interview  in her blog and enjoy her unique recipes too.
Sending this to 

Priya's Announcing Let's Sprout - A New Event

Keep Smiling,

Ginna (First Milk Halwa)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Are you thinking that what is this First milk? This is the first milk taken from cow just after the delivery and normally it is known as Colostrum. While browsing for more information, I got this link, where it says, this colostrum helps the human immune system tackleviruses, including HIV and H1N1.

During my childhood, milkman used to supply the milk. There were no packet milk. Milkmen used to bring the milk in big aluminium cans or in bottles.  And when ever there was any cow to deliver, we used to wait for this first milk.  Mom used to prepare this Ginna from that milk. 

But when I came to know that how much important it is for a calf to have the colostrum, I (at least) stopped having ginna.  I felt bad for the calf! 

Even for human babies, mother's first milk is very important to develop the immune system.

But, it is not advisable for a pregnant woman as this is considered as heat food or which produces heat in the body.

Last week, my mother's friend bought this ginna for us! And I could not wait taking pictures. I think I tasted it after 25 years!

Here is the  recipe from my mom,

Colostrum - 1 litre

Powdered or grated Jaggery - 250 gm  or according to your taste

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

 The milk should be used as soon as possible otherwise you will not get the halwa texture, it will become water like payasam.

Add the milk and jaggery in a cooker vessel.  Mix it till the jaggery is dissolved.  Add cardamom powder.
Check for the sweetness. If less add more.
Keep it in a cooker and give 2 whistles. Allow it to cool.

Remove the vessel. Cut the cooked halwa into desired shapes. 

If the milk is one day old,  repeat the same thing but cook it outside in a vessel by stirring it often.  You will get watery ginna, but that also tastes good. We used to have it with puri or chapati.

Sending this to my event : 

"EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT - CELEBRATE SWEETS~HALWA!!!!"

Keep Smiling,

Green gram flour rotti (Rotti Sandige)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more traditional food from North Karnataka. It is usually prepared  in villages on No moon day with some sweet. It is taken to the fields also on Sheege Hunnive and Kar Hunnive.

The preparation is same as Thaali peeth.  It is served as a side dish in small pieces.

Ingredients :

Green moong flour - 1 cup

(You will get ready flour packet in any Indian stores,here in India or villages, we take the whole green moong to the flour mill to make it into flour)

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp, crushed

Green chilly - 2 to 3 crushed

Curry leaves - 10-12, chopped finely

Salt to taste

Water to make dough

Oil to fry these.

To make

Aluminium foil - 1 square sheet (12" x 12")

(in olden days, the small white clean cloth was used for the purpose)

water to apply on the foil

Take the flour in a big plate with the edges. Make the small well in the middle. Add all the ingredients except water and oil. 

Go on adding water slowly and mix it properly to get nice dough(Not very hard or very soft) The dough should be little softer than chapati atta.

Divide the dough into equal balls of small orange size.

Take one ball. Keep it on the foil. 

Start pressing it from the middle to make it into thick rotti or a bigger size puri.

Heat tawa and apply oil. 

Hold the foil carefully and put it with the rotti down side on tawa. Slowly remove the foil after few seconds.

Let it cook for a minute. 

Now spread 1/2 tsp oil and turn the rotti. Fry both the sides till it is cooked. Keep on pressing everywhere for rotti to cook evenly.

Repeat with other balls.

Remove it and keep it open for 10 minutes. If you cover the rottis immediately they will leave the water and the rotti gets spoiled.

Have it with Jowar rotti and other vegetable preparations.

Keep Smiling,

Few recipes with green leaves stem

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

Most of the times, we discard the vegetable peel, fruit feel and this green leafy vegetables. Most of us, use only the leaves from Spinach, Amarnath leaves and many few green leaves(I do not know English names for those like Rajgiri, Harive, dantina soppu). We do not like the tender stem of leafy vegetables. But it tastes very good and has more nutrition.

When I was in school, this was the toughest task for me, to clean these green leaves. But it was my work! I used to take so much time to clean it. Some times, mom used to get irritated and she used to clean it. That time, I used to collect these stems and play with those, making necklace or used to build spider web with the stems. 

When I was in college, I tried making  sabji using these stems. The taste was good. From then, its become regular in my house to use these stems for sabji, sambhar or salad. 

There are three recipes you can make with these(which I know),

1. With onions and garlic

Recipe for the same :

cleaned, and chopped stem - 1 cup

Onion - 1 medium, chopped

Garlic - 1 small bulb or 6 to 8 cloves, crushed

Green chilly - 1 crushed

Salt to taste

Haldi a pinch

Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a kadai. Add chopped garlic and saute till brown. Add onion and fry till it changes it color. Add green chilly and cleaned stem. Saute for some time. Add salt, haldi and 1 tbsp water. Cook for few minutes.

Garlic and stem sabji is ready.

2. Just add these stems while making dal or sambhar. It taste good.

3. Clean, chop and steam these stems and use it to make salad with curds, onion and tomato with seasoning of salt and pepper.

4. Now coming to the recipe with the photo:

Here is the recipe with dal,

Cleaned and chopped stem - 1 cup

Chana dal - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Green chilly and cumin seeds paste - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Haldi - a pinch

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp grated

Hing a pinch

Soak the chana for one hour in warm water.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Add mustard seeds. When splutter, add curry leaves and hing. 

Add soaked chana and fry for a minute.

Add chopped stem, green chilly paste and 1 tbsp water. Cook for a minute.

Add salt and haldi. Cook with 1/4 cup water till the chana is cooked.

Add Lemon juice and fresh coconut. Adjust the seasoning.

Serve hot with chapati or rice and sambhar.

Sending this to the event hosted by

Nithu at Nithu's Kitchen on 

Best out of Waste

Keep Smiling,

Cashew Nut Rice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A very easy and simple but perfect rice for any spicy gravy or curry. This goes very well with Spicy Chicken or Mutton curry.

I prepared this it with Butter Chicken gravy.

Ingredients :

Long grain rice or normal rice - 1 cup

Cashew nuts - 12 to 15, cut into two

Ghee - 1 tsp +1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Clove - 2

Bay leaf -1

Cinnamon stick - 1/2" piece

Cardamom - 2

White pepper - 4 to 6

Salt to taste

Ginger garlic paste - 1/4 tsp

Water to cook the rice

Clean and wash the rice. Drain and keep it aside for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tsp ghee and oil in a cooker. 

Add all whole garam masala ( just crush it to avoid the pop out)

Add rice and ginger garlic paste. Fry for some time. Add salt. Add water till the rice is covered. 

Close the lid and give one whistle. Keep it to cool.

Till it is cooled,

Heat a tbsp of ghee in a small pan, add broken cashew nuts and fry till golden color. Add this to the ready rice.

Mix it nicely and serve with your choice of curry.

Sending this to Sara's Corner 's ongoing event Think Spice - Think Garam Masala  which was started by Sunitha of Sunitha's World.

Keep Smiling,

They all met in a kitty party!!! to unite into one!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Aromatic food makes you feel hungry even after you have finished your food few minutes back!! Each food has its own flavor and taste depending on the spices we use.

South India is famous for its unique spice powder or masala powder or Sambhar powder to be specific. The preparation differs after every 40Km.

I am always hungry to have hot rice with any delicious sambhar!! Here is the sambhar recipe I learnt from one of my friend:

Do these bowl of spices won't look like women at a kitty party!! showing their new jeweleries or saree or accessories???

Giving the quantities for making  powder. You can keep it for a month or a week more. The aroma will go as the days pass. The quantity depends on the size of the cup you take. Its better to make in a little quantity and check the taste.

Ingredients :

Cumin Seeds - 2 cups

Dry coriander seeds - 1 1/2 cups

Curry leaves - 3 cups, if you add more also it tastes good.

Methi or Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 cup

Pepper corns - 1/4 cup

Urad dal or black gram(skinned) - 1/4 cup

Chana Dal or Bengal gram -1/4 cup

Raw rice - 1/4 cup

Dry Red chilly - 20 to 25

Dry coconut - 1 cup

Asafoetida (stoned) or hing - 1 pinch

or Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1/2 cup(Optional)

Dry roast each ingredient and keep to cool.

Mix all and make into a fine powder. Store in an airtight jar.

You can use it for Sambhar, Bisibele bath, Cabbage rice or sambhar rice.

Keep Smiling,

Banana Peel Halwa

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Today I am hitting(not killing) 2 birds with one stone!!! Here is the recipe for two events!

Banana is a favorite fruit of everyone, including God! Banana is the first fruit we offer to God in any Puja. Banana is a rich source of potassium and fibres. I am Not going into the details, as I am using only the peel here. But even the peel is as good as the whole banana.

We get different variety of bananas.I usually use the small or Elaichi bananas. Here in this recipe also, I have used eliachi banana peel. You can use any variety available to you.

Here goes the recipe to make a small cup of halwa. You can increase the quantity to make it more. Only to take care is the quantity of sugar and to be very quick in making or else the peels will turn into black and halwa also turns brown.

Banana peel - 4 to 6, depends on the size of banana 

Sugar - 3 tbsp or less 

(depending on the sweetness of banana and your taste)

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts - 4 to 6

Cardamom - 1/8th tsp

Milk powder - 1/2 tsp(optional), 

I was not sure about the taste of the boiled peel, so thought of adding little of milk powder.  I think it tastes fine without milk powder also. Let me try next time. And I will let you know about the taste. 

Wash and clean the bananas properly. Peel the banana, peel the skins. Clean the ends and keep in water for few minutes. Remove it and clean once again with clean cloth to remove any dirt if in case.

Put the peel in a bowl. Add water just to cover the peel and boil for 5 minutes or till the skin becomes tender. Remove and keep to cool.

Puree it.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the cashew nuts. Keep aside.

Add Sugar and keep it to boil. Keep on stirring. Once the sugar melts, add the puree,milk powder, cardamom powder and ghee. 

Once it starts leaving the sides, add one more tbsp of ghee. Remove it from fire. 

Keep it to cool.

Banana peel halwa is ready to eat. It really tastes good and I think it is good for toddlers!! Am I right???

Sending this to,

 1.the event hosted by Nithu at Nithu's Kitchen on 

Best out of Waste

 and

2. My event  "EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT - CELEBRATE SWEETS~HALWA!!!!"

Keep Smiling,