Rava Idli (Semolina Steamed Cake)

Idli is very popular tiffin/breakfast in South India. Rava/Semolina/Sooji Idli (Semolina steamed cake) is very famous in South India. Its very tasty. Its one of the favourite tiffin/breakfast in my house. My mom usually makes it in Bangalore, but she uses cooking soda in it.

Ingredients
Rava/Semolina/Sooji - 1 1/2 cup
Curds/Plain Yogurt - 1 cup + extra if required
Eno - 1/2 tspn
Salt


Tempering/Seasoning
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Urad Dal/Channa Dal - 1/2 tspn
Asafotida/Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - 1 tspn(chopped)


Garnishing Choice (Optional)
Grated Carrot
Chopped coriander
Cashews - few
Sliced Tomato - few(Optional)

Preparation Method
Heat kadai/wok, add oil, mustard wait till it splutters, then add dals and hing saute till brown. Add curry leaves and saute.
Add rava and roast till brown.
Transfer it in a bowl and allow it to cool.
Add curds, salt and mix slowly in one direction without forming lumps. It should be thick batter. If required can add just little water.
Finally add eno salt, mix and leave it for 10 minutes.


Grease Idli plates with little oil. You can garnish now.
Pour the batter slowly in the idli plate.


Steam it for 12-15mins.

Soft and fluffy Rava Idli is ready to enjoy.


You can serve with Coconut Chutney or Potato Sagu.

AWED Brazil - Event Roundup!!!

After my Bali trip have been down with cold and cough, my son too is not well hence the roundup got delyaed. So going straight to the roundup of AWED Brazil event. I thank Divya for giving me an opportunity for hosting the event.

I have received 17 amazing recipes. Checkout the recipes. Thank you friends for your entries.

Sweet Potato Soup by Jayasri

Acaraje by Preethi

Acaraje by Sweatha

Acaraje by Denise

Brazilian style black bean and smoked tofu stew by Sala

Feijoada - Brazilian Black Beans Stew by Priya

Brazilian Orange Rice by Harini Jaya

Brazilian Black Bean Stew with Portobello Mushrooms by Janet

Savory Orange Rice by Janet

Curau De Milho - Brazilian Corn Pudding by Priya

Beijinhos De Coco-Brazilain Coconut Kiss by Priya

Brigadeiro by Nandini

Brigadeiro by Sweatha

Limonada Suica by Nandini

Vaca Preta by Nandini

Pamonha by Sweatha

Thank you friends for the delicious entries.

Do checkout my blog on Events & Roundups and post your events here.

Hope to see you in the next event.

Cheers,

Saraswathi

Babycorn Capsicum Curry

Pic courtesy - My friend Rekha

Ingredients
Babycorn - 6 nos
Capsicum - 1no
Onion - 1no
Tomato - 1no
Ginger - 1 tspn
Garlic - 1/2 tspn
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tspn
Red Chill powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Jeera/Cumin powder - 1/4 tspn
Dhaniya/Coriander powder - 1/2 tspn/
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Olive oil - 1 tspn
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tspn
Jeera/Cumin seed - a pinch
Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Cut all the vegetables into medium big pieces.
Slice babycorn into thin slices.
Heat a kadai/wok, add oil, mustard, wait till it splutters. Add jeera and saute till its splutters.
Add onion and a pinch of salt. Saute till transparant.
Add ginger garlic paste or chopped.
Add tomatoes and saute till soft.
Add capsicum and babycorn and saute till soft.
Add turmeric, salt and masala powders. Mix well and cook till raw smell goes and blends well.
Saute in low flame.


Serve with hot chapathis or puris. You can also wrap with chapathis.

Vegetable Dum Biryani

Muslims are famous for Biryani and Hyderabad Biryani is also very popular in India. I have always wanted to try Biryani with vegetables since I am a Brahmin and was afraid of the taste. I prepared 10days back and it was so spicy and tasty.
 Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 2 nos
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tspn
Carrot - 1/2 no(chopped)
Beans - 10 nos(Chopped to 1.5")
Green Peas - a handfull
Potato - 1no(optional)
Whole masalas - 2nos each(Elakka/Cardamom, Clove/Krambu, Pattai/Cinnamon, star anise small piece)
Red chilli powder - 1 tspn
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tspn
Thick curd/Plain Yogurt - 1 cup
Oil - 3 tspns
Ghee - 2 tspns
Salt
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.
 Preparation Method
In a thick bottom pan or Pressure cooker, add oil and ghee, add whole masalas and saute for a minute.
Add thinly sliced onions, ginger garlic paste and a pinch of salt. Saute till onions turn slightly brown.
Add chopped tomato and saute till soft.
Add all vegetables and saute.
Add red chili powder and garam masala powder.
Add curds and mix well.
Add rice, 3 cups of water and salt.
Let it boil well and close it with a thick plate so no vapour goes out. All the flavour is inside. This is Dum.(See Notes)


Check it out after 10mins and mix well. Do this until no water left.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.


Vegetable Dum Biryani is ready to serve. Enjoy with onion raitha.


Notes - Dum-  If you wish you can also make a dough using maida and water and seal here.

Mini Jangiri

Since Long time this is pending in my drafts, me and my dad tried this when my parents were here. It was pretty good for the first time and really liked a lot. The taste was good so I thought of posting it.

I didnt take the photos well...:-) Will update again when I make it.

Ingredients
Whole Urad Dal - 1 cup

Sugar Syrup
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1/4 cup(just little)
Orange Food colour - a pinch

Preparation Method
Soak Urad Dal for 1-2 hrs and grind to smooth paste without adding much water.
Now prepare sugar syrup, heat a vessel with sugar, water and food colour. Let it boil for 5-10 minutes. Off the stove.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Fill the batter in a ziplock bag and cut very little at the edge.
I directly started pressing to draw 3-4 lines without giving any design and so could not get proper shape. Start doing in low flame and cook the Jangiri well and its crispy. Slowly remove them in tikka stick.
Remove and transfer it in sugar syrup, leave for 2-3 minutes and remove it.

Mini Jangiri is ready to serve.

Enjoy this Deepavali. 

Veg. Bread Spring Roll

Veg. Bread Spring Roll is prepared with bread and vegetables. Kids will love it. Its a good starter and snack.

Ingredients
Bread slice - 4nos
Oil - Deep frying

Stuffing
Cabbage - 1cup(Grated)
Carrot - 1 cup (Grated)
Onion - (optional)
Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
Red Chilli powder - a pinch
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil - 1/2 tspn
Salt

Preparation Method
In a pan, put oil cabbage, carrot, garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Cook til its half done. Dont cook fully. Off the stove.

Take a bread piece, cut off the edges and stuff a tspn of the veggie and roll it. Seal the edges with water or maida paste. Coat them in maida paste.

Heat oil in a kadai/wok and deep fry these till brown.

Veg. Bread Spring Roll is ready to serve. Serve it with Tomato Ketchup or as it is.

If you have not sent in your entries to AWED Brazil event do send it today as it ends on 31st Oct.

Kara Boondi

Kara Boondi is a very famous deep fried snack and savoury. Its good to eat at tea/coffee time. This can also be prepared for Deepavali. Its available in most of the shops in India. I just love it in Adyar Anandha Bhavan in Chennai and Bangalore.

I sometimes make from leftover Bajji Maav/Batter.

Ingredients

Kadalai Maav/Besan/Chickpea flour - 2 cup

Chola Maav/Corn Flour - 1 tspn

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn( As per your taste)

Cashews - 1 tspn(Chopped)

Groundnuts - 1 tspn

Asafotida/Hing - a pinch

Curry leaves - few

Salt

Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method

Jara/Jarni

Mix Kadalai Maav, Chola Maav, salt, red chilli powder with little water to form a batter.
Heat oil for deep frying, reduce flame take Jara/Jarni/Ladle with holes and pour the batter in this.
Then deep fry those till brown and keep it in a bowl. Do the same with the balance batter.
After completion of the batter, deep fry cashews, groundnuts and curry leaves. Add these on the Boondi.

Kara Boondi is ready to eat. This can be served with any sweets or as it is. Its tasty for rasam rice and top it for Bisibelebath Rice.

Breast Cancer Campaign

This October Indusladies.com is conducting a Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign.


Join the campaign and help promote breast cancer awareness. Breast Cancer is more among the Urban women.

For BREAST CANCER? EAT Wheat, bran and cabbage helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.

Want to take a quiz click here.

For every women taking this quiz, Indusladies.com will donate Rs.1 to Forum for Breast Cancer Protection, an NGO. Participants will be automatically entered to a drawing to win T-Shirts and Caps.

Some information on Breast Cancer from NBCAM

Types of breast cancer

There are several different types of breast cancer that can be divided into two main categories - noninvasive cancers and invasive cancers. Noninvasive cancer may also be called "carcinoma in situ." Noninvasive breast cancers are confined to the ducts or lobules and they do not spread to surrounding tissues. The two types of noninvasive breast cancers are ductal carcinoma in situ (referred to as DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (referred to as LCIS).

It is known that hormones in a woman's body, such as estrogen and progesterone, can play a role in the development of breast cancer. In breast cancer, estrogen causes a doubling of cancer cells every 36 hours. The growing tumor needs to increase its blood supply to provide food and oxygen. Progesterone seems to cause stromal cells (the woman's own cells to send out signals for more blood supply to feed the tumor. (Source: Dr. V. Craig Jordan, vice president and scientific director for the medical science division at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia as quoted in NY Times, Hormones And Cancer: By Gina Kolata, Published: December 26, 2006)


•Non-invasive breast cancer. The majority of non-invasive breast cancers are DCIS. In DCIS, the cancer cells are found only in the milk duct of the breast. If DCIS is not treated, it may progress to invasive cancer.


In LCIS, the abnormal cells are found only in the lobules of the breast. Unlike DCIS, LCIS is not considered to be a cancer. It is more like a warning sign of increased risk of developing an invasive breast cancer in the same or opposite breast. While LCIS is a risk factor for invasive cancer, it doesn't actually develop into invasive breast cancer in many women.


•Invasive breast cancer. Invasive or infiltrating breast cancers penetrate through normal breast tissue (such as the ducts and lobules) and invade surrounding areas. They are more serious than noninvasive cancers because they can spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones, liver, lungs, and brain.


There are several kinds of invasive breast cancers. The most common type is invasive ductal carcinoma, which appears in the ducts and accounts for about 80 percent of all breast cancer cases. There are differences in the various types of invasive breast cancer, but the treatment options are similar for all of them.

Not all breast cancers are alike


Not all breast cancers are alike - there are different stages of breast cancer based on the size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread. For doctor and patient, knowing the stage of breast cancer is the most important factor in choosing among treatment options. Doctors use a physical exam, biopsy, and other tests to determine breast cancer stage.


Stages of Breast Cancer


The most common system used to describe the stages of breast cancer is the AJCC/TNM (American Joint Committee on Cancer/Tumor-Nodes-Metastases) system. This system takes into account the tumor size and spread, whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes, and whether it has spread to distant organs (metastasis).

All of this information is then combined in a process called stage grouping. The stage is expressed as a Roman numeral. After stage 0 (carcinoma in situ), the other stages are I through IV (1-4). Some of the stages are further sub-divided using the letters A, B, and C. In general, the lower the number, the less the cancer has spread. A higher number, such as stage IV (4), means a more advanced cancer.

These are the stages of breast cancer:

Stage 0 - Stage 0 is carcinoma in situ, early stage cancer that is confined to the ducts or the lobules, depending on where it started. It has not gone into the tissues in the breast nor spread to other organs in the body.

•Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): This is the most common type of noninvasive breast cancer, when abnormal cells are in the lining of a duct. DCIS is also called intraductal carcinoma. DCIS sometimes becomes invasive cancer if not treated.


•Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS): This condition begins in the milk-making glands but does not go through the wall of the lobules. LCIS seldom becomes invasive cancer; however, having LCIS in one breast increases the risk of cancer for both breasts.


Stage I - Stage I is an early stage of invasive breast cancer. In Stage I, cancer cells have not spread beyond the breast and the tumor is no more than 2 centimeters (three-quarters of an inch) across.


Stage II - Stage II is one of the following:

•The tumor in the breast is no more than 2 centimeters (three-quarters of an inch) across. The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm.


•The tumor is between 2 and 5 centimeters (three-quarters of an inch to 2 inches). The cancer may have spread to the lymph nodes under the arm.


•The tumor is larger than 5 centimeters (2 inches). The cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes under the arm.


Stage III - Stage III may be a large tumor, but the cancer has not spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes. It is locally advanced cancer.

•Stage IIIA - Stage IIIA is one of the following:


◦The tumor in the breast is smaller than 5 centimeters (2 inches). The cancer has spread to underarm lymph nodes that are attached to each other or to other structures.


◦The tumor is more than 5 centimeters across. The cancer has spread to the underarm lymph nodes.


•Stage IIIB - Stage IIIB is one of the following:


◦The tumor has grown into the chest wall or the skin of the breast.


◦The cancer has spread to lymph nodes behind the breastbone.


◦Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare type of Stage IIIB breast cancer. The breast looks red and swollen because cancer cells block the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast.


•Stage IIIC - Stage IIIC is a tumor of any size. It has spread in one of the following ways:


◦The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes behind the breastbone and under the arm.


◦The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under or above the collarbone.


Stage IV - Stage IV is distant metastatic cancer. The cancer has spread to other parts of the body.


Recurrent cancer - Recurrent cancer is cancer that has come back (recurred) after a period of time when it could not be detected. It may recur locally in the breast or chest wall as another primary cancer, or it may recur in any other part of the body, such as the bone, liver, or lungs, which is generally referred to as metastatic cancer.u are aware and spreading the awareness.

Puli Inji(Ginger Tamarind mix)

Puli Inji is a very spicy and tangy sidedish for Kootu rice. It can also be mixed with hot steamed rice and ghee or oil. This is my MIL speciality and she taught me. Puli Inji is also one of the dish in Palakad Iyer/Tamil Brahmin wedding menu.

Ingredients
Ginger/Inji - 1/2 cup(chopped or thinly sliced)
Green Chilli - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Tamarind water - 2 cups
Turmeric - a pinch
White Sesame powder/Ellu Podi - 1 tspn
Gingely Oil/Nalla Yennai - 2-3 tspns
Jaggery/Vellam - a small lemon size
Salt

Preparation Method
Heat a kadai/wok, add oil,  add ginger, green chilli and a pinch of salt. Saute till the raw smell goes.
Then add tamarind water, turmeric and boil well till the water becomes thick and condense.
Finally add jaggery and sesame powder and boil till the jaggery dissolves or its dry.

Puli Inji is ready to serve. This can also be sidedish for chapathi.

Notes - This can be stored in air tight container for 14-20days in refridgerator.

Crunchy Pina Cookie!!!

Crunchy Pina Cookie is different one. I am baking after a long time, this biscuits/cookie turned out crispy and crunchy. I added more milk so could not cut in cookie cutter and this was good. My son enjoyed.

Ingredients
Maida/APF - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Corn Flour - 1/2 cup
Baking Powder - 1/4 tspn
Unsalted Butter - 2 tspns
Pineapple essence - 2 drops(Optional) - Pina is Pineapple in Spanish.
Milk - 2-3 tspns

Preparation Method
In a wide bowl, add butter, sugar and pineapple essence. Mix well.
Sift maida, corn flour and baking powder separately.
Now slowly mix with butter and sugar mixture.
Add milk and make a thick batter.
Pre heat oven to 180 C 
Pour 1-2 spoons on the baking tray. Leave little gap from one cookie to another since it will spread a bit.
Bake for 20mins or till brown.


Crunchy Pina Cookie is ready. Enjoy it with coffee or tea.

Pasi Paruppu Payasam/Moong Dal Kheer

During Navarathri different kinds of sundal and sweets are prepared and being shared with family and friends.
Today I have prepared Pasi Paruppu Payasam and Red Kidney Bean/ Rajma Sundal. Its also called Payatham Paruppu, Siruparuppu in Tamil, Pesara Pappu in Telugu, Moong Dal in Hindi and Hesaru Bele in Kannada.
Pasi paruppu is very cooling and good for mouth ulcers.

Ingredients
Pasi Paruppu - 1 cup
Paal/Milk - 2 cups
Vellam/Jaggery - 1 cup(powdered or broken)
Elakka/Cardamom powder - a pinch
Nei/Ghee - 1 tspn
Mundri Drakshe/Cashew n Raisins - 1 tspn
Fresh Grated coconut - 1 tspn(Optional)


Preparation Method
Pressure cook the Pasi paruppu with water for 3-4 whistles.
In a vessel put vellam/jaggery with 1/2 glass of water and allow it to dissolve. Keep stirring. If you find any mud particles then you filter it and boil again till the raw smell goes in low flame.
Then add milk and mix well. Allow it to boil for 5 mins.
Now add the steamed pasi paruppu and mix well.
Add Elakka powder.


In a separate pan, heat ghee and add nuts. Once its brown garnish it.


Pasi Paruppu Payasam is ready to serve. Serve hot or cold.

Paal Payasam/Rice Kheer | without Condensed Milk- Method 2 and Awards!!!

Paal Payasam/Kheer is very popular sweet/pudding in India. This method is easy and simple. This can be tried by Bachelors too. Checkout my other method of payasam here.

Daily I have been preparing sundal today made payasam.

The colour of payasam will be this when its done in pressure cooker.

Ingredients
Milk - 1 litre(you can also use Low fat, Skimmed or any milk)
Rice - 2 tablespoons
Sugar - 1 cup(Adjust accordingly)
Cardamom/Elachi powder - 1/2 tspn

Preparation Method
In a pressure cooker, take a vessel which is  a bit long in height. Add milk, rice, cover it and pressure cook for 10-15 whistles. You can also see a colour change to pink.
Once steam is gone add sugar and cardamom and heat for 10mins till sugar dissolves. If you want it very thick and creamy, heat for longer time.

This get the flavour of condensed milk

Note - Stand near and stir occasionally till its thick and reducing.

Paal Payasam is ready to serve. You can serve hot or cold.

I have used this papasam without rice to make ice cream, check for recipe here.

Jay and Nithu has given this award for participating in their Event. Do Checkout my Guest Post in Nithu's site.

Navaratri Begins.....

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Navarathri.

Navarathri is going to begin from tomorrow after this Mahalaya Amavasya day. Navarathri means a 9 day festival of Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswathi and Goddess Durga.

This is celebrated by Hindu religion in different states of India.

You can see Golu i.e decorating the house with dolls. They keep 3,5 or 11 padi/steps. Each day various prasadam is prepared and exchanged with ladies. Gifts are also bought and given with Kumkum. Many people keep fast on these days. Sundal is a usual prasadam prepared with the dals and its very healthy. These 10days food is prepared without onion and garlic.

Mysore, Karnataka, India is famous for Mysore Dasara and 10days its celebrated very grand.

Navarathri starts from 8th Oct and ends on 17th October. 16th October is Saraswathi Pooja, on this day books and music instruments are kept for pooja. 17th October is Vijayadashami. Aksharabyasam is also done for children before going to school on this day. Children enroll into music, dance and other classes on these days. During these 10days of the festival cleaning or dusting are to be avoided until the Ayudha Pooja day. In many places classical music navaratri concerts are conducted.

Lots of sweets are distributed in factories and many enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

In North India, they have garba and dhandiya cultural dance for this festival.

On Mahalaya Amavasya payasam or sweet is prepared and offered to God.

Since am abroad we dont keep Golu but still do all the pooja and prasadams.

Here is the prayer when lighting the lamp sent by my cousin.

Subham Karoti Kalyanam

Arogyam Dhana Sampadah

Shatru Buddhi Vinashaya

Dipa Jyotir Namostute

Some more information on Goddess Durga

Who is Goddess Durga and the meaning of Durga?



Durga, in Sanskrit means "She who is incomprehensible or difficult to reach." Goddess Durga is a form of Shakti worshiped for her gracious as well as terrifying aspect. Mother of the Universe, she represents the infinite power of the universe. The manifestation of Goddess Durga is said to emerge from Her formless essence.

She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali. In the form of Parvati, She is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the mother of Her two sons, Ganesha and Karttikeya, and daughter Jyoti. Destroyer of demons, she is worshiped during an annual festival called Durg


Her Appearance


There are endless aspects of Durga described in the Puranas and Agamas and the iconography is consequently very varied. She is usually pictured as having ten arms holding Sword, Conch, Discus, Rosary, Bell, Winecup, Shielf, Bow, Arrow, and Spear. She is most often shown riding a lion from which comes Simhavahini. She is gorgeously dressed in royal red cloth and has several ornaments decorating her beauty. Her hair is dressed up in a crown (karandamukuta) which then flows out in long luxuriant tresses that are darkly luminous and soothing to the eye. The various tools reflect the eminent supremacy that helps in controlling the universe.


* Will upload photos of Golu soon.

For Sundal Recipes click here
Pacha Payir Karamani Sundal
Verkadalai Sundal
Kondakadalai Sundal

Pacha Payir Karamani Sundal

Pacha Payir and Karamani Sundal for Navarathri. Its is healthy and tasty.

Ingredients
Pacha Payir/Green Gram - 1 cup
Karamani/Black Eyed Bean(White or Brown) - 1 cup
Yennai/Oil - 1 tspn
Kadag/Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Peringayam/Asafotida/Hing - a pinch
Karuvepillai/Curry leaves - few
Kanja Milagai/Dry Red Chilli - 2 nos
Thengai/Fresh Grated Coconut - 2 -3 tspns
Uzhatham Paruppu/Urad Dal - 1/2 tspn
Salt


Preparation Method
Soak pacha payir and karamani in water for 4-5 hours or overnite.
Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles with water and little salt.
Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard wait and add asafotida, curry leaves, dry red chilli, urad dal and saute till the dal is brown.
Then add the cooked dals mix. Cook for few mins.
Off the stove and add fresh grated coconut and mix.


Pacha Payir Karamani Sundal is ready for prasadam.

Notes - If you want to do the sundal fast and if you forget to soak at nite. Soak the dals in hot water.

To know more about this festival click here.