Aval Upma/ Red Poha

I usually buy only red aval or red poha for they are healthy and colorful. For some reason Kundan quite likes poha, may be for its texture is soft and slightly chewy. Though it is ideal for breakfast, we have it for dinner at least once in a fortnight. I try minor variations to it one of which I share here. Although I’ve had it from my mom several times earlier, the dish had caught my palate when I tasted it in the Punjabi home where I stayed as a paying guest (But they use only white poha).

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Red poha – 2 cups

2.    Salt to taste

3.    Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp (optional)

4.    Green chilies – 2

5.     Onion – 1

6.    Carrot diced – ½ cup

7.     Beans chopped – ½ cup

8.    Green peas – ½ cup

9.    Oil – 1 tbsp

10.                        Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

11.  Urad dal – ½ tbsp

12.Bengal gram – ½ tbsp

13.Curry leaves – 1 sprig

14.Asafoetida – 1 pinch

15. Lemon – ½

Method:

Step 1: Wash and soak poha with enough salt and turmeric in a bowl for 15 – 30 minutes.

Step 2: Heat oil in a pan splutter mustard seeds, fry urad dal & Bengal gram in it, sprinkle asafoetida, add curry leaves & green chilies and sauté chopped onion in it until translucent.

Step 3: Add the other vegetables and sprinkle enough salt for the veggies and cook them covered until done.

Step 4: Open the lid, squeeze the soaked poha and add to the vegetables and mix well.

Step 5: Cook for 3 more minutes in medium heat and turn off heat.

Step 6: Squeeze juice of half a lemon and serve with plain curds.

Samba Wheat Kuzhiappam

Mostly I make kuzhiappam with the last batch of idly/ dosa batter (what people call adi-maavu) because that is concentrated with rice flour and is perhaps sour which is suitable for this dish. When I prepare so, I add a handful of sooji or rava to get crisp kuzhiappams. That’s when this idea flashed me; why not I try kuzhiappam with samba wheat rava.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Fine samba wheat rava – 1 cup

2.    Dosa/ Idly batter – 1 cup

3.    Oil as required

4.    Salt to taste

5.     Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

6.    Urad dal – 1 tbsp

7.     Bengal gram – 1 tbsp

8.    Asafoetida – 1 pinch

9.    Onion chopped – 1

10.            Capsicum small – 1

11.  Coriander chopped – 2 tbsp

12.Curry leaves – 1 sprig

13.Green chilies – 2 finely chopped

14.Cooking soda – 1 pinch

Method:

Step 1: Dry roast the wheat rava and add it to the batter; add necessary salt and water to get a thick idly consistency batter. Leave aside for 15 minutes.

Step 2: In parallel, heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds in, fry urad dal & Bengal gram in it, sprinkle asafoetida, curry leaves, chopped green chilies and sauté onion and then capsicum in it.

Step 3: Mix the prepared tempering to the batter and add a pinch of cooking soda and chopped coriander leaves.

Step 4: Heat the kuzhiappakal and spoon batter into each shack; drizzle oil and cook in simmer until the flipside is roast and brownish.

Step 5: Now turn all the kuzhiappams to get done on the other side; drizzle more oil if required.

Step 6: Take out and repeat batches for entire batter.

Step 7: Serve hot and crisp with coconut chutney or idly podi.

TIPS:

* Add your choice of vegetables to add more nutrition, color and taste.

Urad Sprouts Salad

I tried sprouting every other sprout-able grain before adding them to any recipe; so did I experiment with urad dal also. This is another imitation recipe that I tried, which otherwise we usually make with moong sprouts. As I expected, it did not have any raw smell or urad dal, in fact it did not taste any different from moong sprouts. For most of us urad is dominantly used only in idly/ dosa batter or tadka; this recipe is for people who want to try something new.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: Nil

Ingredients:

1.      Sprouted urad dal – 2 cups

2.    Cucumber – 1

3.    Capsicum – 1

4.    Onion – 1

5.     Tomato -1

6.    Olive oil – 1 tbsp

7.     Salt as per taste

8.    Lemon – ½

9.    Pepper crushed – ¼ tsp

10.            Roasted cumin powder – ¼ tsp

Method:

Step 1: Chop the cucumber, capsicum, onion and tomato.

Step 2: Toss the chopped vegetables and sprouted urad dal in a bowl.

Step 3: Sprinkle salt, crushed pepper, cumin powder and squeeze juice of half a lemon. Drizzle olive oil and toss well again.

Step 4: Serve garnished with mint leaves.