Atte ka halwa

I have always loved wheat flour halwa.I had tasted it many times over in temples & in homes of friends .Recently ,a close friend staying in the same building as me made it .I was tempted to try it.And so I googled about the most easy way to make it.I came across Rak's kitchen liked the recipe stated there.I am cautious as I want to try a very small amount before I get it right.

Ingredients : 1/ 3 cup whole wheat flour, 2 tbsp ghee, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water, optional :a pinch cardamom powder.

Method : Roast the wheat flour in ghee in a kadhai till it slightly changes colour. Add water & sugar & mix.Actually ,both sugar & water  will get  absorbed very quickly & the halwa might start sticking to the bottom of kadhai.Hence, keep gas flame on slow from the beginning.

Put off gas.Sprinkle the cardamom powder on top of halwa.Before serving halwa, mix so that cardamom powder mixes nicely with all the halwa.

Dry  fruits like almonds & cashews roasted in ghee can be used a s a garnish on the halwa.Since ,this was my first attempt,I did the most simple version.Next time around,I hope to make this dish more rich .And trust that my snap of the dish will be much better !

Moong sprouts salad

Sprouts are said to be super foods.And so ,I decided to include sprouts in my food at least on some days.

Moong sprouts : Soak whole moong in water for 4-5 hours.Then drain the water & use the sprout maker to get moong sprouts,the next day.In the alternative use a thin cotton cloth to grow sprouts.Tie the drain moong into a clean cloth .Leave it over night.Next day ,moong will have sprouted.Keep sprinkling the cloth with water drops every 2-3 hours.In winter,sprouting may be slow as compared to summers.

I soaked 1/4 cup whole moong to get sprouts which I used in this salad.Trust me ,it makes 1 whole cup of salad.

Ingredients : 1/4 cup   grated  carrot,1/4 cup grated cucumber,1/4 cup finely chopped onions,1 tsp lemon juice,moong sprouts ( 1/4 cup moong soaked & sprouted ) ,1/4 tsp grated  ginger, 1 green chilli finely chopped ( optional ) salt to taste.

Method : Mix all grated veggies & sprouts.Add salt & lemon juice & mix nicely.Add green chillies if that is needed.The salad is ready !

Actually,even grated  beetroot can be added.Even red, yellow bell peppers,shredded cabbage,etal.The possibilities are endless !

Sprouted lentils usal

Lentils when sprouted are healthier.Mixed lentil sprouts can be made into usal or sprouts curry.This can be made watery or thick.Watery usal will go great with rice.This usal will be an excellent side dish to chapptis,puris,etal.Usal pav or misal pav  is a popular Mumbai or better still,a Maharashtrian street fare.Misal is usal which has been granished with liberal sprinkling of farsan like sev, chuda, namkeen ( chickpea flour or besan  flour savouries in numerous forms ).

Any of the lentils can be used.Since ,I had moong,amtki,chawli & white peas at home,I ued them.Even black chana,white kabuli chana,kala vattana,etc can be used.

Ingredients : 1.5 cup mixed lentils soaked overnight,for 1 night & then sprouted for 1 day in a cloth tied into knot or sprouted in the sprout container,1 medium onion finely chopped,1 medium tomato finely chopped,1 small carrot peeled & grated( optional ),1/2 red capsicum finely chopped,1/2 yellow capsicum finely chopped, a bunch of fresh coriander leaves cleaned & finely chopped, juice of half a lemon,1/2 piece ginger cleaned & grated,1 green chilli finely chopped, 1/2 tsp haldi,1/2 tsp hing,1tsp mustard seeds,1 tsp sambhar powder,1 tsp rasam powder,1 tbsp oil,salt to taste.


Method : Pressure cook on high flame, the sprouted mixed lentils for 2 whistles.Then lower down the flame & cook for 5-10 more minutes.Put off the gas.Keep aside.

Take a kadhai .Heat oil in kadhai.Add mustard seeds.After they splutter,add the chopped green chilli piecesfollowed by the haldi & hing.Now add the pressure cooked lentils to the kadhai.Mix all nicely.Add sambhar & rasam powder .Mix all the ingredients in the kadahi.The lentil mixture will be boiling now Add salt & mix nicely.Pleas see the water content .If you feel it is too watery ,let it boil for more time till it gives a a consistency desired.If water is too less ,add some water & let it simmer so that all is nicely mixed.Put off the gas.Add lemon juice & mix nicely .

Serve usal in bowls.Garnish with fresh veggies finely chopped.Top the fresh veggies with finely chopped dhania..Serve with chappatis or rice.

We had it just like that for a protein rich  breakfast !

Soya cutlets with peanuts powder.

I had some soya chunks & did not find any use for them.I chanced upon this recipe @http://www.sharmispassions.com/2012/01/soya-chunks-cutlet-recipe.html.I wanted to try this out.I tried & they turned out quite nicely.I rolled the cutlets on peanut powder & put them on non stick tawa.The peanut powder release oil & the cutlets got cooked !I had read about this peanut powder technique in an interview by a nutritionist ,Ms.Venkat.

Ingredients : 3/4 cup soya chunks,2 medium sized poataoes,1 small carrot ,1 green chilli,1 sprig of curry leaves,1/2 inch ginger,1/2 tsp dhana jeera powder,1/4 tsp red chilli powder,1/4 tsp hing,1/4 tsp haldi,1 tsp lemon juice,salt to taste,4-5 tbsp peanut powder,1-2 tsp oil for greasing hands to make cutlets.

Method : Pressure cook potatoes & peel them.Keep aside.Pressure cook soya chunks for 1 whistle with 1 cup water.After cooling them a bit outside the pressure cooker,squeeze the soya chunks to remove excess water.Grate carrot & ginger.Chop finely the green chilly & curry leaves.

Mash potatoes,soya chunks nicely & mix.Add haldi,hing, finely chopped green chilly, grated ginger,carrot & thoroughly mix them.Now add lemon juice,red chilli powder ,dhana jeera powder & mix nicely.It will become a unified mass.

Grease hands with little oil & take abll of the mass & pat it into flat shape - round or oval.Roll it in peanut powder such that it is coated on all sides with it.Put it on a non stick tawa & shallow fry it.After 2-3 minutes ,turn it upside down & shallow fry on the other side.

Repeat till all the mass of potatoes,soya mix gets over.I was able to make 15-20 small cutlets.I liked the taste.

After pressure cooking soya chunks ,please run water on soya chunks to get rid of soya taste as per Sharmi of Sharmis Passions.