Channa Dal Payasam

Kadalai Parupu Payasam

For Sri Rama Navami I would prepare payasam for puja naivedyam. This year I decided to go for chana dal payasam(we call it Kadalai paruppu payasam). Its long time since I prepared it.It is one of the favorite Payasam in my home. The payasam is a combination of chana dal, sabudana cooked with milk in jaggery syrup. . For giving a unique flavor to the dish, coconut, jaggery and cardamom are used. It is an easy to cook & a very simple but ultimate satisfying dessert. It can be enjoyed either hot or cold.

Ingredients:

Chana dal (Kadalai Paruppu) - 1 cup

Sago (sabudana) - 1/4th cup

Jaggery- 1cup

coconut milk-1cup

Water

Cardamom -2 (crushed)

coconut flakes-1/4 cup

Method:

Roast the chana dal till it becomes red.

Wash the dhal and Add 2 cups of water, mix well, set to boil, Cook on low heat, stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed.

Make sure the dal still holds its shape, so its very important not to over cook it.

In a small vessel put the sabudana with one cup of water and cook in low heat until the sabudana is cooked through. Keep it on side.

Grind the grated coconut and take the thick milk. Take milk from the coconut thrice. Keep the thick milk taken 1st, aside. Add the 2nd and 3rd milk and the jaggery solution to the dal.

Now take a vessel, add one cup of water with the jaggery and boil till the jaggery melts. Then add the cooked dal & sabudana, Let it boil for 5 minutes.Then mix and add the coconut milk.( Add the 1st milk to the payasam ).

The dhal should not boil after adding the milk. . Heat a pan wihth ghee and fry the coconut flakes and cashew nuts. Add a dollop of ghee & cardamom powder for a special taste. Serve chilled or hot.

Note:

Finally add the handful of dhal which was kept separately to the payasam.This gives a nitty gritty effect to payasam.Mix well and remove from fire.

If the final consistency is too thick can dilute using milk.Instead of coconut milk we can add milk also.

MELON AND PAPAYA SCOOPS IN HONEY GINGER DRESSING

MELON AND PAPAYA SCOOPS IN HONEY GINGER DRESSING

There is nothing like a juicy slice of watermelon on a hot summer day! No other fruit says summer like the subtly crunchy, thirst quenching watermelon. Not only is the fruit a highly refreshing summer treat, it is also rich in nutrition and water. , the season for watermelon is in the summer when they are sweet and of the best quality. Sale of the fruit is up this summer and vendors expect double the business as compared to last year. Watermelon as a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1, C ,magnesium, and potassium.Along with this Vitamin A rich papaya and melon scoops tossed together in rich honey ginger dressing to enhance your immunity. It's a great cooler for warm afternoons. This recipe is wonderful in the summer when it can be made with fresh fruit.Healthy, Super easy and delicious. This recepie I adopted from Tarla dalal.But as usual adding few ingredients I prepared this salad in my own version.

Ingredients

1½ cups papaya scoops

1½ cups watermelon scoops

1/2 cups grapes

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons ginger juice

¼ teaspoon crushed pepper

¼ teaspoon roasted cumin seeds (jeera) powder

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon black salt (sanchal)

Method

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Arrange the scooped fruits in a bowl pour the dressing and toss gently.

Refrigerate till chill and serve.

Kaju Curry & Fruit Pulav

Rich Kaju curry:

Last month I had been to restaurant with my family after a long time. That restaurant is famous for its north Indian dishes. They had a speciall dish Kaju curry. We all tried it for the first time. Kaju Curry goes well with Pulao, but it can also be eaten with Naan .We thought it will be ok kind of. But after we tasted the dish you know what it made us drooling, it was a mouth watering dish, very yummy.So I decided to make this dish at home for my family! I surfed for this recipe. But there are different versions for preparing this curry. I prepared it on my own version.Last Saturday my friends came for lunch so I prepared kaju curry, ButterNan, Fruit Pulav for my family & friends.

So this is different version of mine..I tried it to make it up to that level.. But managed to do so.! :) garnished with the coriander leaves

Ingredients

Cashew nuts-15-20 soaked for 1/2 hour and ground to a paste

Poppy seeds-2 tbsp soaked 1/2 hour and ground to a paste

Ghee-1/4 cup

Cumin seeds-2 tsp

Grated onions-1 cup

Milk-1/4 cup

Coconut- ½ cup

Turmeric -1/2 tsp

chili powder-1/2 tsp

Garam masala-1/2 tsp

Green chillies-2or3

Mixed vegetables of your choice-1 1/2 cups

paneer-50 gms

Salt-as per taste

Chopped coriander-2 tbsp for garnish

Method:

1.Cut the cashew nuts in two halves and Soak the cashew nuts and poppy seeds , coconut(separately) in water for about half an hour and grind to a fine paste. Keep aside

2.Cut vegetables into cubes boil them and keep aside.

3.Heat the ghee in a heavy pan and add the cumin. When the seeds splutter, add onions and sauté till it turns a light brown.

4.Now add the ground paste and saut till the fat separates.

5.In another pan heat oil and fry onion till transparent, add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, , salt and the green chillies then Add the vegetables and mix well and cook on low heat.

6.When it starts boiling, add all the sauted paste and Add 1 1/2 cups water and the milk, . and keep stirring bring to a boil, and then simmer, uncovered for 3-4 minutes.

7.Serve hot garnished with the coriander leaves.

Fruit Pulav:

Fruit Pulav is another kid friendlier version. We can take Fruit in any form; with few simple ingredients, this dish can be prepared in a matter of minutes because it doesn’t involve much chopping. It is a mildly flavored with Indian spices and is versatile because it can be served along with any kind of sidedish. Rice mixed with mild spices & fruits gives a whole new taste, fragrance Very healthy and tastes awesome. In my own version I prepared this dish.

Ingredients:

Rice-500 gm

Grapes-100 gm

Apple-2 big

Pomegranate seed- 4 Tbsp

Orange-2

Raisins-50 gm

Cashew nuts-50 gm

Paneer- 50 gms

Bay leaf-1

Cloves-4

Cardamoms-4

Cinnamon sticks-2

garam masala (whole)- 1 tablespoon

Milk-1 cup

ghee /butter-2tbsp

Ginger chilli paste-1/2 tsp

Salt -according to taste

Method:

1. Wash the rice properly and soak in cold water for an hour.

2. Drain the rice water and dry the rice in a broad and flat based utensil.

3. Boil the water and add rice and milk and half cook it.

4. Cut the apple in a medium cubes.

5. Heat the ghee in a pan, fry the raisins & cashew nuts and keep aside.

6. Heat the ghee in a pan, Add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon bay leaf,chilli paste & garam masala for sauté.

7. Add pre-fried raisins, nuts, paneer salt and sugar according to taste and mix properly.

8. Add fruit of your choice (I added apple, , grapes, pomegranate seed,orange ) and mix it properly, cook it for 2-3 min in a low flame with cover.

9. Turn off the gas, but do not open the cover of Pulao.

10. After few minute open the cover and stir it properly.

11. Enjoy Fruit Pulao with your favorite curry.

Note : you can add saffron for colour& flavor .