Boiled peanuts

Peanut as most of us do not know came from a legume family (and not in the nut family) just like a bean or pea. The nuts originate from the stems, but are pushed into the ground by the plant at an early stage, and it is underground that they mature. These can be eaten as raw when they are fresh or dry. Also can be eaten in different forms like boiled, roasted, powder form or butter form.

Fresh peanuts. I call them as edible corals. Aren't they ?

Let us see few of their benefits:-

Whole peanuts contains high amount of protein, which makes it a preferred diet of those people engaged in body-building and those people who are weak and underweight. The raw peanut butter with crushed skin contains much higher amounts of nutrient than refined "nut-only" butter.

Peanut is a good source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during the period of lack of oxygen example high altitudes and clogged arteries.

Peanuts contain high concentrations of antioxidant polyphenols, primarily a compound called p-coumaric acid. Roasting peanuts increases its p-coumaric acid levels, boosting it overall antioxidant content by as much as 22%. Roasted peanuts rival the antioxidant content of blackberries and strawberries, and are far richer in antioxidants than apples, carrots or beets.

Unsalted peanuts are good for your arteries. One quarter cup of peanuts contains as much monunsaturated fat as a tablespoon of olive oil. Monounsaturated fats have been shown to lower blood cholesterol.

Peanuts' high niacin content helps in the recovery of cell damage provides protection against Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive problem.

Peanut contain vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that is shown to significantly reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Peanut contain iron which is essential for the correct functioning of red blood cells.

Peanut is rich in calcium which helps promotes healthy bones.

Peanut has higher bioflavonoid resveratrol content than grapes. This bioflavonoid is believed to improve blood flow in the brain by as much as 30%, thus greatly reducing the risk of stroke. Study showed that by adding even small amounts of peanut products to the diet can reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol by 14%.

Peanuts' fiber content helps lower the risk of colon cancer, an ounce of peanuts contains 2 grams of fiber.

To boil the peanuts, first soak the fresh peanuts in water for about 30 minutes or so and wash them thoroughly. Add some salt (about 1 tsp for 4 cups of peanuts) and boil them. If you are pressure cooking them , then use less water and if not use more water. Pressure cook them until one whistle or if you are cooking normally, then cook until they are just done. The doneness can be checked by opening one peanut shell and press the peanut between your fingures. If it is soft enough to split, then it is done. Do not over cook them.

Boiled peanuts with garam garam chai

Vankaya Matikkayala pullakoora (Egg plant with cluster beans)

This is another Rayalaseema recipe with the combination of egg plant and cluster beans. When compared to other curries, these recipes require less oil and also do not require any expertise to achieve the heavenly taste.

Vankaya matikkayala pullkoora

In few regions of Andhra, cluster beans are called as matikkayalu and at few regions, they are called as goruchikkudu. These beans come in clusters and hence the name cluster beans.

Ingredients:

Egg plants – Small variety – 4-5
Cluster beans - about 100 grams remove the head and tail parts and break into 2 pieces only
Onion – 1 large cut into medium chunks
Tamarind - lemon size
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Salt
For seasoning:
Garlic - 3-4 pods
Curry leaves
Mustard + Cumin - 1 tsp
Bengal gram / Chana daal - 1 tsp
Oil

Egg plant, Cluster beans, Tamarind, green chilli

Method:

Heat a deep pan with 1 tsp of oil. When it is hot enough, add onion, stir for a minute, add cluster beans and stir for a minute or 2 and finally add egg plant and fry for another minute and cover with lid for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and sprinkle some water (about 30 – 50 ml) stir again, cover it and cook slowly under medium to low flame. In this way the veggies don’t get burned and also tastes good. Once the eggplant and cluster beans become tender, remove from the fire, add some salt (preferably rock salt) and mash roughly using wooden motor.

For seasoning: Heat oil in a small pan and when it is hot add Red chilli, chana daal (Bengal gram), pounded garlic, mustard, cumin and curry leaves one after the other and fry until the garlic changes into golden color.

Seasoning to add

Add the seasoning to the mashed stuff and mix every thing. Serve with hot rice.

Vankaya matikkayala pullakoora with rice and daal

Cabbage Manchuria

This is a different variety of manchurian recipe using cabbage and yet retains the similar taste as the other manchurian varieties have.

Cabbage manchuria

Ingredients:
Cabbage chopped into thin strips – 3 cups
Corn Flour – 2 tbsp
Plain Flour – 3-4 tbsp
Chilli powder – ½ tsp
Salt
Cumin
Ginger - finely chopped – 1 tbsp
Garlic - finely chopped – 1 tbsp
Soya Sauce – 2 tbsp
Vinegar – 1 tbsp
Chilli Sauce – 1 tsp
Capsicum – 1 medium chopped
Onion – 1 medium chopped
Green chilli – 2-3 chopped
Carrot grated – 3 tbsp
Lettuce chopped into thin strips – ½ cup

Capsicum, Garlic, Coriander, Carrot, green chili, ginger and onion

Method:

To the chopped cabbage add corn flour, plain flour, salt, chilli powder and cumin and add little bit of water just to bind the flours and cabbage together.

Heat a pan with oil to deep fry the cabbage mixture. When the oil is hot enough drop the cabbage mixture slowly in the form of thin strips. Fry until it is done, drain the excess oil and keep it separately.

Take another pan with 1-2 tbsp of oil. When it is hot add capsicum, green chilli, ginger and garlic. Sauté for a minute and then add the rest of the ingredients like carrot, onion, chilli sauce, soya sauce Vinegar, lettuce and stir once.

 Now add the fried cabbage and stir every thing and close the lid.

 Allow it to absord all the flavours and remove from the fire and serve it immediately.

Yummy yummy.....quick....

Jonnalu / Sorgham/ Jowar dosa

Jawar is grown and extensively used in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Tamilnadu in India. It is used for Roti or Bhakri.

Now a days it is a common problem that most of the middle aged people are suffering from diabeties. Most of them will be depending on the medicines instead of taking proper diet. The common thoughts are eating chapathi during nights might put a check for the diabetes. Rice has a tendency to increase the blood sugar levels very quickly which is not so good for diabetes. I thought to give a go using protein and fibre rich

jawar instead of rice.

You can find more benefits of Jowar here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jowar

Ingredients:

Jowar – 3 cups
Rice – 1 cup
Urad daal / Black gram – 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp

Urad daal and Jawar

Method:

Soak jowar, rice and urad daal + Fenugreek seeds together for atleast 6 hours or even over night. Grind them into paste like the normal dosa batter. Add salt and allow the batter to ferment for at least 8 hours. When it is fully fermented , prepare dosa as normal. You can find more dosa recipes here.

Jawar dosa served with peanut chutney

Note: You can also avoid the rice completely and use 4 cups of Jowar instead of 3.

Punugulu, Fritters made with dosa batter

These fritters are prepared with leftover idli or dosa batter. I normally prepare them when the batter is not  enough for the whole family or at least not enough for kids.This recipe is quick and easy to prepare. Unlike the other fritter,s where normally we use the basin / Rice flours with added salt and chilli powder, these punugulu are bit smaller in size and enriched with extra spices like pepper, cumin and coriander seeds grounded into coarse powders along with onion, green chillies and curry leaves.

Punugulu

Ingredients:
Idly / Dosa batter – 1 cup
Maida / Plain flour – 2-4 tbsp
Cumin – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds – ½ tsp
Pepper – ½ tsp
Green chili finely chopped – 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Simultaneously coarsely ground the pepper, cumin and coriander seeds and add to the batter along with plain flour, chopped green chili, onion and curry leaves. Adjust adding the plain flour depending on the consistency of the batter which you are using. At the end, the whole mixture should resemble the onion bhaji / cake batter consistency. When the oil is hot enough drop the mixture little by little and deep fry them. Usually the professional chefs use just one fingure to pick and drop the batter into the oil.

Punugulu with hot beverage

Serve them hot. They are light on the stomach unlike the other  fritters which are prepared using basin.

Trip to Scotland

Had a long weekend for the Easter and planned to go to the green land Scotland. Though it is bit far from London, the greenery made the journey so pleasant. Honestly, my soul is still there.

My first snap during the journey from the running car. Beautiful mustard fields and the half moon in the sky with multi colours during the early hours.

 City view from the Edinburgh castle

Beautiful roads on the way to Inverness

Statue of the Loch Ness Monster. This is a creature that lived in Loch Ness, a deep freshwater loch (lake) near the city of Inverness in northern Scotland. Nessie is generally called as a lake monster.  There have been unconfirmed reports of a Loch Ness Monster since the 15th century, affectionately known as 'Nessie' or "Ness" (Scottish Gaelic: Niseag)

This is the lake which people belive that Nisse is living in it which became a media sensation in 1993. A.H.Palmer who allegedly witnessed Nessie on August 11, 1933, at 7 a.m., described the creature as having its head, which they saw from the front, set low in the water. Its mouth, which had a width of between twelve and eighteen inches (30-45 cm),

Another beautiful road

All in one sky, mountains, water, land. You can still see the shiny snow on top of the mountains. It was raining a bit that day. So we have seen Snow, Sunshine, rain, water all at a time. An unforgetable memory.

A beautiful sunset captured from the cottage

Palak Panner / Cottage Cheese in Spinach Puree

I have prepared this recipe with very little oil. Instead of blanching the spinach, I have steamed it with little water just to retain all the valuables.

Palak paneer

A vibrant green curry featuring pureed spinach and dairy product with a dash of cumin. This makes a nice combination for any kind of roti variety.

Spinach – 2 large bunches
Paneer – 200 gms
Onion – 1 small chopped into small pieces
Green chilli – 6-8
Ginger + Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Salt
Oil
Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Spinach & green chili puree, Paneer and chopped onion

Method:
Cut the paneer into 1 inch cubes.

Wash, remove the hard bits and roughly chop the spinach. Steam it under medium flame for about 7 – 10 minutes by adding ¼ cup of water. Allow it to cool and grind it along with green chilli. Heat a pan with 1 ½ tbsp of oil. When it is hot add onion and fry until they turn soft. Add ginger+garlic paste and for a moment and then add spinach puree and paneer cubes, cumin powder and salt and allow it to cook for 7-10 minutes on medium flame by stirring in between to avoid from burning. Remove from fire and serve warm with roti.

Munagaaku podi / Spicy drumstick leaves powder

This spicy powder gives a vibrant flavor to the palate and nutrition to the body.It is a rare combination of greens with the spices and added nutty taste of the roasted urad daal, which gives the unusual flavour.

The leaves are highly nutritious, being a significant source of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, protein, iron, and potassium. The leaves are used in Siddha medicine. The tree is a good source for calcium and phosphorus.

Moringa leaves and pods are helpful in increasing breast milk in the breastfeeding months. One tablespoon of leaf powder provide 14% of the protein, 40% of the calcium, 23% of the iron and most of the vitamin A needs of a child aged one to three. Six tablespoons of leaf powder will provide nearly all of the woman's daily iron and calcium needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Ingredients:
Munagaaku leaves– 2 cups
Urad daal – ½ cup
Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
Cumin / Jeera – 1 tbsp
Red Chilli – 8-10
Salt
Tamarind – marble size
Garlic – 3-4 pods

Drumstick leaves, Red chili, Coriander seeds, Urad daal, garlic pods, Cumin and Tamarind

 

Method:

Dry roast all the above ingredients except Munagaaku. Always roast the ingredients individually and under low medium flame. Make sure the leaves are clean and absolutely moisture free. If they are not dry, you can dry them in shade by spreading them on kitchen towels or cotton cloth. Dry roast the leaves separately until they reduced to half the amount and becomes dry.

Roasted leaves and other ingredients

Allow all the ingredients to cool down. Grind every thing coarsely except the roasted leaves. When they are half done, add salt and roasted leaves and grind every thing again into powder.

Munagaku podi

Can be served along with hot rice and ghee or with idlys.

Pista Kalakanda

The combination of nuts and dairy is intriguing, and the touch of silver leaf gives the elegant look for these sweet balls.

Ingredients:
½ cup – Coarsely grounded Pistachios
½ cup – Sugar
½ cup – Milk powder
½ cup – Paneer (Soft Variety)
Green Food colour – ½ pinch
Butter – 1 tbsp

Method:

Melt the butter in a sauce pan under low heat. Add all the above mentioned ingredients except the food colour and pistachios.

Sugar, Milk powder and Ricotta cheese are added to the melted butter

Slowly mix all the ingredients until it becomes like a soft batter and give a good stir by increasing the flame to medium.

Kalakand mixture

Keep stirring oftenly and when it is nearly done add the food colour and chopped Pistachios and continue stirring until all the moisture gets evaporated and the mixture resembles koya. Reduce the flame and stir for 1 or 2 minutes until the mixture leaves the pan and remove from the fire.

Ready to make balls

Allow it to cool completely and take small amounts of the mixture and make round balls and decorate each ball with cashew and with the touch of silver.

No words to eplain the devine taste

Raagi Sangati / Millet Rice

Sangati with Bullet chilli curry

This is the recipe prepared at almost all house holds in Rayalaseema especially in the villages. This sangati is rich in Iron and easy to digest, as we use Raagi / millet flour in it. This is also the poor man’s most common recipe as it requires less quantity of rice that too of broken variety. There are two reasons for using the broken rice. One, broken rice are cheaper than the whole rice and second, gets cooked quickly than the whole rice. Hence I have also used the broken variety. Another interesting thing is, making the rice balls / Sangati mudha which is an art. In villages they use trimmed coconut branches which resembles the wooden spatulas. These sticks are very strong and they are bit longer than the usual wooden spatulas.

Here are the benefits of Ragi;

- Ragi meal is an Ideal food for diabetes and obese because its digestion is slow and glucose is released from the intestines very slowly into the blood.

- By eating ragi preparations the constant desire to eat will become less and supplies less calories for obese people.

- Due to its rich cellulose it is excellent laxative for constipation.

- Malt is a good food for children and supplies calcium in good proportions for bone growth and body development.

- Its regular use protects from malnutrition, degenerative diseases, premature old age and increases longevity.

Ingredients:

Broken Rice – 1 cup

Raagi Flour – ¼ cup

Salt – ½ tsp

Method:

Wash and soak the rice in 3 cups of water for at least 30 minutes and cook the rice along with salt until it becomes very smooth. Now reduce the flame and add the raagi flour and cover it with cooked rice and close the lid for about 5 minutes.

Raagi flour added to the cooked rice

Now remove the lid and stir the sangati with wooden spatula or a wooden rolling pin and make it smooth without any lumps. Take a portion of sangati into a plate, dip your hand in cold water and  roll the sangati in the form of ball.

I prepare this recipe at least twice a week for my kids as this is very healthy and easily digestible. This can be eaten by 6 months baby to 60 years old person. We normally add a dollop of ghee to this raagi sangati and feed the babies. Adults or grown up children will eat with any gravies made up of vegetables or meat.

You know what, I love to eat with yogurt as well. Yummy..yummy

Sangati mudha with bullet chili gravy