Finger Millet- Wheat Flour Ukarpendi

Hi.

For this month’s JFI Ragi or Finger Millet has been chosen. Ragi is an extremely nutritional grain with high iron content. Finger millet is especially valuable as it contains the amino acid methionine, which is lacking in the diets of hundreds of millions of the poor who live on starchy staples such as cassava, plantain, polished rice, maize meal.

It is very popularly used in South India. Here, in North India people are not much aware about this. If cooked in a proper way it can be extremely tasty. Do not go by the colour of the finished product is what I will suggest….

At my place we all love ragi and do enjoy it’s health benefits. I make a variety of dishes using this wonderful grain and I am eagerly waiting for the round up to try more..

Today I am posting Ukarpendi. Ukarpendi is a Marathi term and is used for Upma’s made with flour by the process of steam cooking which we call Ukad in Marathi. This particular Ukarpendi can be made completely with ragi flour also but addition of wheat flour adds in more flavour. Ragi is a very bland grain and needs to be overly spiced to taste better, adding wheat removes the blandness and yields a better textured Ukarpendi. The Ukarpendi is filling and is an extremely good option for breakfast or a lunch box item.

Some precautions that one must take while making this dish are…roast the flours on low flame till they produce a nice aroma. This dish needs oil in a little extra quantity, else it turns out very dry and becomes very difficult to eat. The spices need to added more liberally to bring in the flavours..

So here’s the recipe of Ragi-wheat Ukarpendi…enjoy the health benefits

Ingredients

2 small katoris Finger Millet flour

1 small katori wheat flour

2 onions chopped

handful  of peas

7-8 green chilies finely chopped

3-4 large spoon curds

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp coriander pwd

1 tsp cumin pwd

1 tsp red chili pwd

a pinch of asafetida

1-1/2 inch ginger grated

few curry leaves chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp of urad-chana dal

salt to taste

about 8-10 tbsp oil

boiled water for steam cooking

Method

Roast the flours and keep them aside.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds, asafetida followed by urad-chana dal and green chilies.
Add the chopped onions and peas, saute. Now add grated ginger and curry leaves and mix. ( One can add veggies of there choice )
Once the onions are done add turmeric, red chili, coriander, cumin pwds and salt to taste.
Now add the flours and roast it for a few mins in the oil. Mix in the curds and sugar. The curds adds a mild sour taste.
Now comes the tricky part. Add boiling water gradually and keep mixing. This process has to be done very fast ensuring no lumps are formed. Add water till the flour absorbs water and comes to a state of slightly loose dough.
Cover the pan and steam cook for about 5 minutes.
Serve hot with a dash of ghee on top and garnish with fresh coconut and chopped cilantro.
Sending this to Hosted by Madhuram and is the brainchild of Indira of Mahanandi.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Mughlai Dum Aloo…… on a foggy day

Hi.

We have been facing dense fog and chilly winter these days. Have a look at this pic which I managed to click around 10 AM ..

 

Mornings are gloomy with the sunshine missing. With kids back to school and S too busy again I needed something interesting to eat to cheer myself…I had picked up baby potatoes this weekend. I had been wanting to make my kind of Dum Aloo since long. The last time when I had indulged with these baby potatoes and wanted to make the Dum Aloo I could not, as I wanted to make it with an ingredient that was missing in my pantry that time and I insist using it for my Mughlai version..so had landed making tangy baby potatoes  which were equally tasty.

So this time I ensured that I had that ingredient in my pantry well stocked before I could make this. Do not laugh friends it’s a very simple ingredient but makes the curry rich (not fattening) and enhances the creamy texture…. Magaz or the water melon seeds. The curry when completed was well spiced and  creamy.

I had not made this curry in the true DUM fashion…those who want to try this in DUM way can read my post Dum Arvi… instead I opted cooking on slow fire, this surely ensured that the potatoes imbibe all the flavours.

I would have personally loved to have this preparation with Tandoori roti…..I feel Dum preparations taste best with it…nevertheless I had it with Roti and some rice.

Do try this curry…surely a finger licking one…

Ingredients
300 gm baby potatoes
3 onions chopped
3 tomatoes
3 tbsp watermelon seeds (magaz)
1-1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
an inch piece of ginger
2-3 garlic pods (optional)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
2 tsp coriander pwd
a large pinch garam masala
1-1/2 tsp chili pwd
salt to taste
oil for cooking about 2-1/2 tbsp


Method

Par boil potatoes with some salt and turmeric, later drain the water and wash with some cold water. One can also deep fry the potatoes, choice is…..

 
Soak the poppy and magaz in water for about 30 mins and grind them to make a paste.
 

In a pan take chopped onions and saute til they turn dark brown in colour. Now add half a spoon of oil and saute further. Alternatively if one wants to indulge in higher calories can deep fry the onions till nicely brown. Cool it and grind it with a little water to a fine paste.

Wash the tomatoes and ginger. In a pan boil together the tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Remove them from the water and grind them together. Do not discard the water, it can be used later in the curry.

Heat oil and put cumin seeds and let them splutter. Now add the onion paste and saute.

Add the tomato paste and mix thoroughly. All the pastes do not need much cooking being precooked.


Now add the spices…turmeric, chili, coriander, cumin, garam masala and some salt, mix and cook for a minute.


Add the magaz-poppy paste. Mix and cook till oil separates.

Add the potatoes and mix it in the masala. Now add the water (use the one in which

 tomatoes were boiled)  and bring the curry to a boil. Cover and cook and low flame for

 20-25 mins.

Once done garnish it some fresh cream (optional), which I had … serve it with hot phulkas and rice.

It is a rich curry to be enjoyed  and the added bonus is …it’s minus the calories.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Les chenilles processionnaires

Palcf: Françoise Branger , vous êtes présidente de Bassin d'Arcachon Écologie
Cette année nous sommes déjà envahie par une multitude de chenilles processionnaires et certains pins paraissent morts.
Qu'en pensez vous?

Françoise Branger:Étant dans l'après-midi de ce vendredi(22 janvier 2010) à Blagon et alentours, j'ai pu observer les pins brunis et défeuillés.
C'est le même constat que celui fait, de loin en loin, en marge de la route de Lacanau et autres.

Je maintiens, vu qu'il y a à peu près un nid de Chenille processionnaire par branche, que notre chère Thaumetopoea pityocampa y est pour quelque chose.
En ce moment, on constate des défoliations partielles ou totales dues à la Processionnaire du Pin et qui brunissent les arbres.
C'est assez vraisemblablement de cela qu'il s'agit.
Car le Fomès ou l'armillaire ne dessèchent les pins que très lentement: juste quelques pins par an (à compter sur les doigts d'une seule main.)
Il est confirmé par les anciens et aussi par l'INRA, qui connait son dossier là-dessus, que jamais un Pin n'est mort de la chenille, même après défoliation totale.
Si l'apparente "mort" (c'est-à-dire rapide brunissement) de pins est bien ce que je crois, ils seront tout-beaux-tout-verts dans quelques mois, car les pics de chenilles s'effondrent d'eux-mêmes.
Ils auront juste un anneau de croissance un peu plus étroit, car ils auront moins fait la photosynthèse pendant quelques semaines.
A quand des forêts aux écosystèmes riches, à la biodiversité abondante et où les très nombreux prédateurs de la Thaumetopoea pityocampa la régulent?
En effet, quand l'écosystème est complet (incluant des feuillus, des arbres âgés ou morts avec cavités, etc.) la Processionnaire du Pin est naturellement régulée par ses très nombreux prédateurs:
Parmi les prédateurs naturels de la Processionnaire, on compte bon nombre d'Hyménoptères parasites : Chalcidiens, Braconides, Ichneumonides mais aussi les fourmis, par exemple Formica rufa et Linepithema humile.
Le Grand Calosome, une sorte de Carabe, fait une grosse consommation de chenilles Processionnaires. La larve du même insecte est capable de se développer au sein même de leur nid. Les Ephippigères (des sortes de sauterelles) sont de grands prédateurs d'’œœufs de Thaumetopoea. La larve de Xanthandrus contus est un prédateur des chenilles.
Quant à Phryxe caudata, une sorte de mouche, elle parasite les Processionnaires.
En France, l'étude la plus complète, réalisée en 1958, montre que le taux de pontes attaquées peut atteindre 100 %, alors que celui d'œœufs détruits atteint 28 %.
Plusieurs oiseaux exercent, ensemble, leur prédation durant tout le cycle de la Processionnaire depuis l'’œœuf jusqu'’au papillon. Les Mésanges charbonnière, bleue, huppée, noire sont toutes prédatrices des œœufs et/ou des chenilles Processionnaires, les consommant dans leur nid ou au sol. Le Coucou gris, le Geai, le Loriot prédatent les chenilles .La Huppe déterre et mange les chrysalides ; l’'Engoulevent avale les papillons nocturnes de la Processionnaire.
Les mammifères s’invitent aussi au festin: les diverses Chauve-souris consomment les papillons de Processionnaire du Pin.
Le Lérot, un animal à la fois terrestre et arboricole aux moœeurs nocturnes, est aussi un prédateur efficace de la « Thaumetopoea pityocampa ».
Jean Mazodier: D'après le syndicat des sylviculteurs,les pins touchés ne vont pas mourir.
Leur croissance va être stoppée pendant un un an pour leur permettre de refaire leurs aiguilles. Mais des attaques importantes peuvent affaiblir l'arbre,ce qui le rend sensible aux attaques de ravageurs sous corticaux ou autres pathogènes.
Les jeunes peuplements sont les plus sensibles,notamment quand ils sont dans un environnement ouvert,par exemple le long des routes ou aux bords des éclaircies coupes rases ou des chablis post tempête.
On assiste cette année à un pic(ils interviennent tous les 5 à 7 ans) et hors cycle-la chenille est "processionnaire" en mars/avril.

On peut trouver l'avertissement santé des forets 09-12 sur le site de la DRAAF Aquitaine.

La lutte ne doit pas être systématique mais plutôt être raisonnée en fonction des risques et limitée aux zones à risques(jeune peuplement) et ouverts-sur une profondeur ne dépassant pas de 20 à 50 m.
Elle est limitée au mois de septembre-octobre?Sinon cela ne sert à rien.
Pour les jeunes peuplement,il reste possible d'enlever les nids à l'aide d'un échenilloir puis de les détruire. Se protéger des poils urticants à l'aide d'une combinaison intégrale.


Palcf: pour les curieux:

http://agriculture.gouv.fr/sections/thematiques/foret-bois/sante-des-forets
http://draaf.aquitaine.agriculture.gouv.fr

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Instant Bread Dosa… preparation in a jiffy

Hi.  I wish all my Indian friends a very happy REPUBLIC DAY.

Today I am posting a very simple, tasty and healthy recipe which is good for a working mom, tired mom, unwell mom or a sometimes lazy mom like me!!! Saturday night S asked me what’s for breakfast tomorrow? I was in a dubious state after the question as I had not planned anything till then. I surely do not like spending a lot of time in the kitchen on a Sunday. That time I just left the thought for the next day…how so very convenient..kal ka kal dekhenge …

Morning I entered the kitchen around 8 and kept the milk for boiling. The first thought that came to my mind was to make sandwich but instantly I shrugged it…who was going to boil potatoes…but then the bread caught my attention again and I thought why can’t I try a Dosa with it…surely will not taste bad and plus can be made quickly…hopefully!

So the next move was to put all the ingredients that came to my mind that point of time in the mixer grinder and make a spiced paste of that, then adjust the consistency of the batter, put the non-stick pan on gas stove, heat it and then pour a ladle full  of batter, spread the dosa and wait to see how it turns out….phew…I did lot of work…and I was so tired by then…LOL. Jokes apart one can sense how much time is really needed to make these dosas ready…

To my surprise the Dosa turned out really nice, in fact no one can make out there’s bread in it!!! The semolina added to the crispiness and curds provided the adequate sourness.  I tried an onion Uttapam also with this batter and  that tasted equally good. I will surely experiment more with this dosa in future but right now I am ready to give you the approx measurements of the ingredients…

Ingredients For Bread Dosa

5-6 slices bread (I used wheat-germ bread)

1/2 –3/4cup yogurt

1 cup poha

3/4 cup semolina/rava

3/4 cup rice flour

7-8 green chilies

handful of chopped cilantro

an inch of ginger

salt to taste

oil for applying

a tsp of cumin seeds

Method

Grind all the ingredients except oil and cumin to a smooth paste. Mix water, cumin seeds and  make the batter. This batter has to be made slightly thinner than the normal dosa batter. Heat the non stick tava and spread the dosa  and leave oil  on its sides. Turn the dosa and cook it from the other side too. My observation was that this dosa takes a longer time to cook on one side than the regular ones… Once done serve it with chutney of your choice. My kids had it with some butter and it’s surely filling..

Note- The spice level should be kept a little high, else it can taste very bland.
Sending this to RV and Sudeshana’s

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Soybean and Carrot Pilaf

Hello Friends! Today I am not in a mood to write much. Just want to say this a very healthy pilaf which incorporates the health benefits of both Soy and the carrots. I have explained in detail the health benefits of Soybean in Soybean and Rice adai. It’s a simple to make and flavourful rice.
Ingredients
2 carrots grated
1 large onion chopped
3/4 cup soaked  and parboiled Soybeans
2 cups basmati rice
2 garlic pods finely chopped
mix of ghee+oil for cooking
some fresh scraped coconut for garnish
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili pwd
Spices
2 tsp red chili flakes
2-3 star anise
4-5 cloves
3-4 bay leaves
1 cinnamon
2 black cardamom
1/4 tsp garam masala
Method
Soak the rice for 10 mins. Heat oil+ghee in a pressure cooker pan and add all spices except garam masala and red chili flakes. Now add the garlic followed by chili flakes. Immediately add onions and saute. Now add the Soybeans and saute for few mins. Add the grated carrots and mix. Add salt to taste, turmeric, chili pwd and rice. Mix and fry in oil for 2 mins . Now add the water and garam masala. Put the lid of the pressure cooker but do not put the weight. Cook the pilaf till the water is used and the rice is cooked completely. Serve hot with raita of your choice.

Pilaf goes to Anita’s APS-RICE event.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Mushroom-methi-matar .. A delectable curry

Hi.

One can confirm from my previous posts that ever since the onset of winter I have concentrated largely on greens. When we visit any North Indian restaurant Methi matar malai is normally seen in the menu card. I wanted to cook Mushroom. Now S is not a die hard fan of it, it’s kind of a compromise eating that. I surely try to make something interesting with Mushroom so that he can eat it pleasurably.

S loves Methi (fenugreek leaves) in any thing, so I had a good chance to experiment. As we all know that the greens reduce largely in volume on cooking..so does the Mushroom…that’s how peas came into the picture..err the curry.. to increase the volume.

Any curried vegetable tastes good if the curry/gravy is made to perfection. How one makes a good curry is an art and I guess all my blogger pals will agree to that….The perfect blend of spices along with the basic onion-ginger-garlic combination is what I have surely learnt, have been appreciated by many for my curries and  have taken tips for the same. While I was roasting the  masala for this curry my friend M had come to catch up with me. She entered saying what are you making, I can smell Methi and then she  entered the kitchen and said now I can smell Dalchini too. She quickly learnt what I had added to the gravy and said I am making this for sure..this smells so good.

In this curry even if I  had replaced the Malai from the Methi malai matar with the Mushrooms,  the curry was not rich  but surely it was delectable. It had the nice aroma of Fenugreek,  the Mushrooms had absorbed all the flavors and spices very well and the peas were placed elegantly in this trio. It’s  a perfect side dish for every day cooking and is worth enough to charm your guests. My children loved every bit and I did not see S fussing at all,  in fact I just heard…it’s very nice.

Ingredients
200 gm Mushroom chopped
a large handful of fenugreek/Methi chopped
a cup of peas boiled
To grind together
2 large onions roughly chopped
2 tomatoes
4-5 garlic pods
1/2 inch piece ginger
a small piece cinnamon
2-3 cardamom
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
5  tsp desiccated dry coconut
spices…
1/2 tsp turmeric
2-3 tsp red chili pwd
3 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin pwd
Method

Heat about 6-7 tbsp oil. Fry the chopped fenugreek leaves till crisp and keep aside. Frying  Methi helps reduce the bitterness to a great extent plus adds a nice texture. In the same oil add the ground paste and saute it till done and the oil separates. Now add all the spices except the garam masala and saute for  a minute. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook till done. Add  the peas and fried Methi and mix properly, check the consistency, if required add a little water. Just before turning the flame add the garam masala and mix. Garnish with some fresh cream and serve with Naan or Paratha.

Sending this to…
EC’s MLLA-19 the brainchild of Susan ,
Arundhuti’s Gourmet affair .

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Chana Masala Version II (chickpeas/garbanzo gravy)

Hello.

As I have mentioned  in my first version of Chana Masala, I make this preparation in several ways to break the monotony and obviously to enjoy the health benefits. I am very happy to post the second version, an authentic Punjabi version. This recipe is very close to my heart and I am surely disclosing some secrets of my kitchen here…. Have I aroused your interest now in reading this post?

As we all know any preparation when it is made by two different people using the same ingredients has a different taste. In this recipe some ingredients that I have used are used by everyone but some are surely new.

I personally like my Chana cooked very soft , made in low oil and with a perfect balance of spices. I like it slightly tangy, medium spicy and enjoy eating it with rice. And yes, I surely enjoy the crunch of raw onions with this combo.

It was a while ago that I had cooked the Chana last,  S reminded me that I had not cooked it in ages… so this ever obedient wife soaked the Chana for weekend…I thought suits me fine, I do not have to stand in the kitchen for a long time on a holiday.

I let the Chana soak overnight and then started cooking it in the morning. I have used Kachari to tenderise the Chana naturally. I had heard about Kachari in Sanjeev Kapoor’s show and since then I was in hunt of this ingredient. Ideally it is used to tenderise the meat but can be used for Chana too as it takes a lot of time for them to get cooked otherwise. Kachari is a fruit and in dried form is powdered and used.

The other variation which I have done is boiled the Chana with a few ingredients which adds a flavor, deepens the color, increases the nutrient value and aids in digestion of these ‘Sholay’ sorry Chhole…..read the method for that

So lets hit the complete list of ingredients

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups of Kabuli chana (approx 4 handfuls)

2 potatoes cubed (optional)

1 small stick cinnamon

2 Black cardamom

1 tsp tea leaves

9-10 dry amla

1/4 tsp kachari (alternately, you can also use soda bi carb)

for gravy….

3 onions (make a paste)

3 tomatoes (pureed)

7-8 garlic pods

1-1/2 inch piece ginger

oil for cooking

Spices used…

3-4 bay leaves

1 tsp white pepper pwd

2 tsp red chili pwd

1 tsp turmeric

3-4 tsp coriander pwd

2 tsp roasted  and powdered Cumin

1 tsp roasted and powdered Ajwain / Carom Seeds

3-4 tbsp Anardana pwd*

1/4 tsp garam masala (optional) I did not add

Method

Wash the chickpeas and soak it in overnight with 1/4 tsp Kachari powder  and then boil it in the same water ( to retain nutrients) with  this mix  and  also add salt to taste.

This mix contains tea leaves which helps to deepen the colour, dry Indian gooseberry (Amla), cinnamon stick and Black cardamom. Tie all ingredients in a cloth (make a potli) and put it  along with the  chickpeas in a pressure cooker, remove the potli after cooking. Amla adds it’s flavor, helps in digestion and is the richest source of Vit C. One can notice the difference in colour after cooking. See below..

Grind the onions. Heat oil and add bay leaves followed by the onion paste and saute till it gets a light brown colour. One can see how the onion changes colour on cooking.

Add crushed ginger garlic paste followed by the tomato puree. Cook till the oil separates and then add all the spices and salt to taste. I must tell my friends that the Anardana (dry pomegranate seeds) used here impart tanginess and it’s taste is very different from Amchoor. It imparts  that perfect tanginess which is subtle and surely add that authentic punjabi flavour, people who have used this will agree to me on this and if you have not used it till now please do not wait, use it!

Add the potatoes, mix, cover and cook till done.

Add this to cooked chickpeas and add some water, boil on simmer flame for another 10 minutes.

Serve this with Poori / Paratha / Rice / Kulcha / Naan.

Sending this as my entry to EC’s MLLA-19 the brainchild of Susan   
                                             &

to Arundhuti’s Gourmet affair as this was made with lot of love on S’s demand.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Baked Fusilli in Marinara and Healthy-Spinachy Bechamel Sauce

Hi friends.

The word Italian brings in the thought of Pizza, pasta, risotto, wine….and Cheese to my mind. Ritu Dalmia who is a famous Italian Chef and her show Italian Khana is never complete without the description of the famous Italian wines. Now I am surely not a person who has any knowledge and inclination for wine but I surely have an interest for the cuisine so I do watch the show for the food and the humour.

Today I take you to the world of baking with a very tasty and healthy Italian recipe. Italian cuisine has become very popular amongst the young and the old so how can my family be spared. We were planning to enjoy an Italian buffet in a place called Fresco but our plans have got delayed and postponed. I had not baked for a while and the upcoming baker in me was asking me to bake and I surely wanted to cook Italian for my elder one as he is quite fond of Italian cuisine. So one of these days I made this recipe to please everyone and the baker in me.

The journey of cooking this was satisfying as the baked dish surely smelled good. My elder one who kept asking me questions through out his eating…which sauce is this, what have you put in that, which cheese have you put in that? The not so confident me kept answering his questions and then at the end I asked him, why are you asking me so many questions? It’s very nice Mummy, that’s why,  is what I heard. So I was all collar’s up at the end!!!!

Now that I have boasted so much about the recipe and myself let me tell you the ingredients and the method..

Ingredients

2 cups boiled Fusilli (the screw shaped pasta, I used made Durum wheat pasta)

100 gm grated cheese

for Marinara sauce……

1 large onion chopped

3 garlic pods

1/2 inch piece ginger

2 tomatoes chopped

5-6 tbsp tomato puree

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp freshly crushed pepper

1/2 tsp chili flakes

salt to taste

evoo for cooking

for spinachy- bechamel sauce (white sauce)…

25 leaves of spinach blanched

7-8 spoons of whole wheat flour

about a cup of milk

1/2 cup of water

salt to taste

freshly crushed pepper

4 tbsp home made butter

Method

Boil the Fusilli in 6-7 cups of water with some salt and a few drops of oil.

For the Marinara sauce..

First take the onions in the pan and then pour EVOO over it, this avoids overheating of the oil and it losing it’s valuable properties. Saute the onions and add crushed or finely chopped ginger-garlic. Cook till the raw smell disappears.

Now add the tomatoes, salt and sugar.

Once the tomatoes are cooked add the tomato puree and the herbs. Mix and switch off the flame.

 For Spinachy- Bechamel sauce

In a pan take the butter and add the wheat flour. Roast for a minute but do not let the colour change. Mix the water and milk and add this to the wheat flour stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. This process has to be done fast so I could not take the pics. Unlike the white sauce made with APF this sauce does not thicken a lot on cooling so one must keep that in mind while making the sauce and checking it’s consistency. Season with salt and black pepper.

Blanch the spinach leaves.

Grind the leaves and add it in the bechamel sauce.


Now we start the layering.
Grease a baking dish. Spread the first layer ..that’s the marinara sauce.

Above the marinara sauce spread the second layer..that’s of fusilli.

Now comes the third layer …spinachy white sauce/ spinachy bechamel sauce.

Finally the cheese..spread the layer of processed cheese or cheese of your choice.

Bake the dish at 200C for about 15 mins or till the top layer melts.




Sending this healthy and tasty preparation to Arundhuti’s Gourmet affair as this was made and served with loads of love to my family & to CFK-Creative food for picky fussy eaters hosted by Sara’s corner and the brainchild of Sharmi, as I found this a very healthy way of adding spinach and other veggies to their diet.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad