Ragi Idli With Drumstick Sambar/Murungakkai Sambar#SundayFunday

Ragi idli are steamed cakes made with Ragi/Finger millets & urad dal. Traditionally idli recipe is made with urad dal and idli rice. Ragi Idli are so soft and spongy, nutritious millet it's also vegan, gluten free and a gut friendly breakfast , meal or snack.

Ragi is also know as Finger Millet which along with other millet varieties are a fine choice for people living with diabetes, as it's higher in fiber, minerals, and amino acids than white rice. Ragi has also the highest plant-based calcium, minerals, protein and dietary fibers.

Ingredients
1 Cup Ragi
1 Cup Idli Rice
¾ Cup Urad dal
¼ Teaspoon Methi/ Fenugreek seeds
1 Teaspoon Oil
Salt as required

Method
Soak Idli rice for 4-5 hours in a bowl.

Soak Urad dal & methi seeds in another bowl for 4-5 hours.
Drain the water.

Grind all the ingredients to very smooth batter by adding as little as water as possible to a paste.

Pour the batter in the large pot/vessel & mix it thoroughly with your hands for about 3 - 4 minutes so that it get fluffy and this also helps in good fermentation of the batter.
Keep this batter overnight for fermentation.
Next day add salt as per taste & mix batter gently. Grease the idli mold & pour a ladle full of batter into each slot. 

Steam the idlis for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Drumstick Sambar Recipe / Murungakkai Sambar

A delicious Sambar plays a important roll in South Indian lunch menu. No festival or marriage function meal is complete without it. Each region in South India has its own way of making it. I have posted quite a lot of sambar variation on blog, you can check them out.

This is a different sambar recipe which is made with drumstick and three different dals. So it is really healthy one. The drumstick added in this gives a very unique taste to the sambar and flavors the sambar a lot. I used my homemade sambar powder for this, that too enhanced the taste a lot. So try this out and let me know how it turned out for you.

Serves 5 to 6
Ingredients
¼ Cup Tur Dal
¼ Cup Masoor Dal
¼ Cup Moong Dal
6 to 7 Shallots / Sambar Onion - peeled
3 -4 Drumsticks - cut into pieces
2 Tablespoon Tamarind Pulp
Salt to taste
1 Teaspoon Jaggery
3 to 4 Tablespoons Homemade Sambar Powder
For Tadka / Tempering
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Asafoetida

Method 

Wash all the dals well. Add it to a pot along with shallots. Cover with water. Bring it to boil, cover and simmer until the dal is 80% cooked. Now add in drumstick, salt, jaggery, tamarind pulp, sambar powder and mix well. Bring this to boil and simmer again for 20 mins till everything is cooked.

Now make make the tadka by heating oil and crackling mustard and cumin. Add in asafoetida and mix well.

Pour this over the sambar and mix well.

Enjoy these Ragi Idli's with Drumstick Sambar Recipe / Murungakkai Sambar and Thakkali Chammanthi / Tomato Chutney,

Labels: Sambar, Drumsticks, South Indian, Ragi, Idli, Main course, Breakfast, Snack, Millets, Sunday Funday, Vegan, Gluten free, Healthy

For Sunday Funday we are sharing Millet recipes.

• Buttery Herb Millet by Food Lust People Love
• Puffed Millet Granola by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Ragi Idli With Drumstick Sambar/Murungakkai Sambar by Sneha's Recipes
• Ragi Rotti by Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Porso Millet Idli by Cook with Renu

Thakkali Chammanthi / Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney is a tangy and tasty South Indian chutney made from tomatoes, herbs and spices, there is no onion no garlic or coconut in it. There are many variations of making Tomato chutney / Thakkali Chammanthi. 

Ingredients
3 Rip Tomatoes - diced
3 Dried Red Chillies
1 Tablespoon Split Urad Dal
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Oil or as required
1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Ginger
1 Whole Clove
For The Tadka
A Sprig Curry Leaves
½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
A Pinch Asafoetida
1 Tablespoon Oil

Method

Heat oil in the pan and add in the urad dal first. On low heat allow it to turn light golden. Now add in the ginger , red chillies (break them into pieces) and the clove. Sauté for a minute till the red chilly changes color. Now add in the chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook the tomatoes till they are soft and mushy.

Take off heat and allow this mix to cool. Now grind this mixture to a fine paste and keep aside. While grinding, you can add 2-4 tablespoons of water to get the desired consistency of the chutney.

For The Tadka

Heat oil in a small tadka pan add the mustard seeds when they splutter, add the asafoetida and curry leaves give this a good mix. Add in the ground tomato chutney, taste for salt, add if needed. Cook for 2 minutes till all comes together. Take it off heat and enjoy this yum..mm chutney!

This Tomato Chutney taste good and is a perfect accompaniment to enjoy with Idli, Dosa, Vada, Uttapam or even rice and dal. 

We enjoyed this with Ragi Idli and Drumstick Sambar | Murungakkai Sambar... a perfect combo!! 

Labels: Vegan, No Onion No Garlic, Chutney, Tomato, Gluten free, Appetizer, South Indian

Bhendi / Okra Masala Dry#Foodieextravaganza

Bhendi also known as Okra or Ladies finger is a very nutritious green vegetable is available as year round so it's a regular in our weekly menu.
This Bhendi Masala Dry has great flavors, it's vegan and taste awesome. This can be enjoyed as a side dish with roti or rice.

Ingredients
200-250 Grams Bhendi / Okra
1 Medium Onion - chopped
2 Medium Tomatoes - chopped
¾ Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
½ Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
½ Teaspoon Garam masala powder
½ Teaspoon Amchur powder
Salt to taste
2 + 2 Tablespoons Heaped Oil
1 Teaspoon Kasuri Methi

Method

Rinse the bhendi well in water and pat it dry then wipe with a clean kitchen towel.
Cut the top and the tail of the bhendi then chop them into 2" thick pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons heaped oil in a kadai/wok or pan. Add the bhendi and saute till they are nearly cooked. Keep stirring them on medium flame. Once nearly cooked, remove the bhendi on to a plate keep aside. In the same pan heat another 2 tablespoons heaped oil, add the chopped onions and fry till they become translucent. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. If the tomato mixture becomes too dry add about ¼ or ½ cup water and continue to cook, don’t cover the pan with the lid till the tomatoes turn mushy. Now add all the dry spice powders, stir well and sauté for a minute or two. Add the sautéed bhendi, kasuri methi & salt and mix so that the onion-tomato masala coats the bhindi well. Cook for 2-3 minutes or till the bhendi is cooked, stirring in between. Once cooked switch off the flame.

Serve the Bhendi Masala garnished with some coriander leaves. Enjoy with chapatis, rotis or naan.
Labels: Foodie Extravaganza Party, Side Dish, Gluten free, Bhendi, Okra, Vegan, Lady Finger, Sabzi 

November is World Vegan Month, so we are celebrating this in Foodie Extravaganza. Check some of the other vegan recipes here.

• Baba Ghanoush from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Bhendi - Okra Masala Dry from Sneha’s Recipe
• Capsicum Potato Curry - Aloo Shimla Mirch from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Chickpea Falafel Salad from Palatable Pastime
• Lumina Pumpkin Olan from Magical Ingredients
• Sticky Pudding Carrot Pineapple Cake from Food Lust People Love
• Sweet and Sour Eggplant Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Caramelized Apple Dessert Cups#SundayFunday

Caramelized Apple Dessert Cups are an easy, delicious, and no bake dessert. Make these cups , they are irresistible and perfect for easy dessert! Hope you will enjoy this special dessert.

Ingredients
For The Caramel Apples
2 Medium Apple - chopped
22 Caramel Candies
¼ Cup Milk
For The Cups
500 Ml Full Fat Milk
3 Tablespoons Corn Flour
3 Tablespoon Sugar
½ Cup Whipping Cream

Method 
For The Caramel Apples

In a heavy bottom pan add the candies and milk, on very low flame let the candies melt, when they melt add the chopped apples and saute till they are coated and cooked. Cool and keep aside. 

For The Cups

Take half a cup milk from the 500 ml and mix the cornflour to make a smooth slurry. Keep aside.
In a heavy bottom pan heat the remaining milk, when it comes to a boil add the sugar and mix well till sugar melts, then add in the corn flour slurry whisking continuously till it starts to cook and mixture forms a thick custard . Cook on very low flame stirring continuously or else it will burn at the bottom.
When it thickens whisk it continuously till it cools.
Whip the cream till it forms soft peaks. Add in the cooled custard and mix it well till it forms a smooth custard.

Fill this into the small cups, top it with the caramelized apples and cling wrap each cup and refrigerate till chilled. 

Serve chilled.
Labels: Caramel, Apple, Sweets & Desserts, Dessert, Sunday Funday

• Caramel Apple Cookies by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Caramel Apple Strudel by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Caramelized Apple Dessert Cups by Sneha’s Recipe
• Spiced Caramel Apple Cake by Culinary Adventure with Camilla
• Warm Caramel Apple Dip by Palatable Pastime 

Atta Ladoo/Whole Wheat Flour Ladoo#SundayFunday

Atta Ladoo is a popular sweet that is prepared during festivals and winter. It's a rich, made with desi ghee and nuts. It makes a sweet dessert or snack. This is commonly made in every house hold with some variations. It is a simple recipe with few ingredients, but the texture and taste is amazing!

For this ladoo you require coarsely ground whole wheat flour which is also used to make Kada Prashad, this is readily available in the market as Jada (coarse) or Ladoo Atta.

Make 20 to 25 Medium Ladoos
Ingredients
3 Cups Coarsely Ground Whole Wheat Flour
1 ½ Cup Desi Ghee1
½ Cup Bura Sugar / Karara Sugar
¼ Cup Almonds
¼ Cup Cashews
¼ Cup Golden Raisins
1 Teaspoon Cardamom powder

Method

Dry roast atta, in a thick bottom pan, on low medium heat until lightly colored this takes exactly 15 minutes. 

After this keep adding ghee 3 tablespoons at time and continue roasting, stirring continuously, when this is mixed add another few tablespoons of ghee and continue to stir continuously till all the ghee is used. 

Keep stirring on medium low flame till the atta will be light brown and will release a fragrant sweet aroma of roasting. 

This should take about 20 to 30 minutes or till it reaches a brown color and starts leaving ghee.

Once it reaches the desired color take off flame. Remove it it on to a big flat plate to cool. 

Now in the same pan add the almonds and cashewnuts and fry till they are toasted add the rasinis and fry for a minute.
When cooled chop the almonds and cashewnuts.

As you can see the ghee has surfaced on top. At this stage I, used a paper towel and dabbed off all the excess ghee that surfaced as much as possible. I did not want so much ghee in my ladoos. 

Now when the atta is lightly warm add the chopped almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, bura / karara sugar and cardamom powder. With your palms rub it into the atta mix so that all are incorporated nicely.

To make the ladoos, take about 2 - 3 tablespoons of atta mix into your palm. Gently press the mixture between your palms to form a smooth, round ball.

Leave the ladoos on a plate to cool to room temperature before putting into a airtight container. 

These ladoos can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks.

These are so delicious and mouth melting and assure you that you can't stop at one.  
Lables: Ladoo, Atta, Whole Wheat Flour, Desi Ghee, Raisins, Cashewnuts, Almond, Festival Sweets, Christmas, Snack, Sweets & Desserts, Diwali Faral

For Sunday Funday our today's theme is Diwali Party Recipes.  

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Aloo Tikki
• Sneha’s Recipe: Atta Ladoo / Whole Wheat Flour Ladoo
• Palatable Pastime: Chicken Tikka Nan Pizza 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Chocolate Kalakand 
• Cook with Renu: Condensed Milk Instant Kalakand 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Crunchy Chickpeas Masala
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla : Gulab Jamun 
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Vegetable Pulao (Indian Rice Pilaf)