[chetuk3]

Podi Recipe:

Mix equal quantities of chana and urad dal (pref the white one) - like ¾ cup each. (I actually washed and soaked them a bit, but maybe you shouldn't do that (aravinda?)

Other ingredients:

whole red chili

jeera
hing
tamarind (I replaced with amchoor)
salt
garlic powder/ chunks (optional). If using fresh garlic make a paste and dry it on a hot tava so all the moisture goes out, else (I think) will spoil the podi.
I'm sure there are other optionals too like sesame seeds, dhania powder. - I think I put fresh ground dhania too.
Roast all the dry ingredients together in a kadhai (with no oil) until you can pop a chana dal grain into your mouth and it doesn't taste kaccha. (since my dal was wet , I roasted dal first until all the moisture evaporated)

Then grind everything in a heavy duty grinder.

Have it as a snack / dip with oil or best with rice.

Found this online.

http://www.marriedtoadesi.com/2007/0...il-powder.html
remember this podi tastes great wtih FLAX oil which is a great source of the famous Omega3s and DHA that we all need (esp those eating for 2 ;-)

the receipe is very adaptable - i actually had 1 cup chana dal, 1/2 cup urad dal and 1/4 cup jeera and then salt, hing, tamarind and dried red peppers to taste.

i havent tried it with garlic, sesame or dhania though i am sure that would be interesting.

my mom makes it with tur dal and mung dal as well (all 4 dals in equal portions, I think)

- Aravinda
see also:
FLAX SEEDS AND FLAX OIL

Nutrition and Prenatal Health - Why Flax Oil Makes Sense During ....

 

[chetuk3]

What are your thoughts about having coffee during pregnancy- there are many articles saying how bad it is for the baby's brain development, but as days go by I am finding it harder to stay away- this is a real hard test for me

 

[chetuk3]

what do you think abt me having ragi with milk and sugar- thats the way i like it- now? is it ok for me to me have it?

 

[chetuk3]

Oh yes! Ragi is always good for you. However, sugar is not. If you can move to jaggery or molasses that will be better. Or raisins / dates / sucanat ... sliced banana ... anything but sugar!

One of the best things you can do is to avoid refined foods - white sugar / white rice / white bread / white pasta .... and the baby will acquire the taste for whole foods from the start. (Yes, babies can eat brown rice!)
A

 

[chetuk3]

deleting this post

 

[chetuk3]

Ecofarms and Conscious Foods are both suppliers of sprouted ragi flour in Mumbai. they will deliver as well but you need to order in advance as their own stocks are irregular.

 

[ssethi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chetuk3 what do you think abt me having ragi with milk and sugar- thats the way i like it- now? is it ok for me to me have it?

Hey Chetna,

Aravinda wanted me to share this recipe with you I just tried yesterday and shared with her. Blackstrap Molasses is really a great food (organic, unsulpured if you can get it). To me it tasted and smelt quite like "gud" (jaggery) except that it is liquid. But the taste may take some getting used to. It actually might pair really well with Ragi since I've made ragi with gud earlier. Also while on gud, palm jaggery works best in terms of taste and in melting easily, much better than sugarcane jaggery if you can get at the Indian store. I've also tried honey and ragi which also tastes yum! It may not be as healthy as molasses, but it's the best combination ever! I've never tried ragi with either milk or sugar though..

Recipe: I boiled ~ a cup of steel cut oats with ~ a cup of pearl millet in water until tender. (took about 20 mins for this quantity and I could watch over it between exercise sets)
After done I let them stand for about 10 min so the mixture really coagulated. then added about a cup of milk to my share of the mix, 1.5 teaspoon of blackstrap molasses, heated for 30 sec. and topped with some sunflower seeds, almonds and strawberries. (i wouldn't otherwise have strawberries with hot cereal but I didn't mind it with this. will also try with cut apple).

After the grains are boiled you can keep the mix in the fridge for a couple of days and take a cupful everyday and prepare hot cereal with milk and toppings for b'fast.

Sonika

PS do be wary that ragi can cause constipation. that's one reason I didn't try it over the last few months since I was already suffering from it. The combination with milk might be good to take some of that effect away..

 

[aravinda]

Real idlis
... are not white, in spite of hundreds of thousands of idlis you may have seen all your life.

Real idlis are made with real urad dal and real rice. The urad dal (can be split or whole*) is complete with its black peel and the rice is complete with its brown outer layer. These whole grain idlis will be grey or speckled black-n-white.

*whole urad is easier to wash, and being less processed is probably healthier than split urad. Secondly, while washing split urad the peel may get separated and wash off if you are not careful while rinsing. The only advantage of using split urad is that you might already have it at home. Also, it soaks faster.

Recipe

2 cups brown rice
1 cup urad dal (with peel) (for Hi-protein Idlis use 2 cups urad dal for 2 cups rice)

Wash. Soak 6-8 hours or overnight.

TO BLEND IN BLENDER: Take 1-2 cups of the soaked beans+rice at a time, with just enough water to blend. Add a spoon of salt (to taste).
Blend at high speed till it becomes a smooth, thick batter.

OR: In a wet grinder (e.g. Ultra) you can grind the entire batch at once , and the batter is also better (fluffier) when stone ground.

Let batter rise in a large pot (or in the wet grinder itself, if the batter does not fill more than half of it)

Let rise in warm place for 8 hours (or overnight). If you are in a

cold climate, you will need to enclose the pot in a warm place - either by turning the oven on for 1-2 minutes or by putting the pot filled with batter into a larger pot and surrounding with hot water to keep inner pot warm.

Usually I soak the dal and rice around noon, grind it at night and have batter ready to make the next morning.

You will know it has risen not only by volume, but by the small bubbles that pop when you mix it.

This batter is good for idlis or thick dosas. If you prefer thinner dosas, just dilute the batter with water and mix thoroughly.

Idlis and dosas both taste great with podi!

And that podi tastes great with flax oil (alsi ka tel) which is famous for its omega3s and Alpha Linolenic Acid. Gandhi ashram in Sevagram sells cold pressed alsi ka tel.

Just can't resist adding ... whole flax seed (alsi) is much easier to find in India and if you grind it fresh just before eating, gives you the benefits of the oil as well as the fiber and other nutrients in the whole flax seed. For my daughter, freshly ground flax seed was her first "podi" in which she loved to dip idli, dosa, pappannam (dal-chaval) and even pieces of fruit!

 

[ssethi]

Bajra roti.

It is actually more technique/ skill than recipe. I couldn't have thought of being able to make it until I saw my MIL do it. But i'll try to explain as best..

It might be important that you are a confident wheat roti maker for you to venture into bajra rotis (sorry I don't know any shortcuts, so you'll have to experiment and learn yourself, or you're welcome to visit and I can show

. It requires no props (no rolling pin, board etc.) just the skill of making a near- round flat pancakes by slapping dough balls between the palms of your hands- very much like they do in the villages..

For the dough- just bajra flour and water is good, you can also mix a little oil/ butter /ghee (like 1 teaspoon melted in about 3 cups of flour). Bajra rotis take much more dough per roti than wheat ones so you'll knead more flour at one time (3 cups flour might give you 4-6 rotis). you knead it like you would do with kid's sculpting clay (it looks like that too). Knead it for about 7- 10 min putting pressure with your carpals of your palm, till it is a smooth dough .

Then just take dough (about the size of a baseball) and slap between palms of your hand until relatively flat (about 1/8th inch thick) and then put on hot tava. Cook it on both sides like with roti (will take more time to cook and will develop some cracks which is okay). When done have it with generous serving of ghee / butter. For a healthier version use flax oil (I've been tempted to try with soft cheese as well) and have with jaggery for the sweet version or just raw onion like they do in desert regions.. it tastes awesome straight off the tava..

Warning- the combination of bajra and raw onion can be very "hot". So would be a good idea to combine with cold foods like yogurt/ cucumber etc.

 

[chetuk3]

Sonika, you could also you the same recipe to make raagi rotis. I love those too.

the main variations are: I chop onions, green peppers, coriander, green chillies and mix it with the dough (no need to kneed the dough). Also to flatten the dough just roll a ball of dough in your hand and flatten it on the tava directly.

 

[davidannie299]

Best chicken and string beans stir fry recipe!

Awesome dinner recipe

Healthy and wholesome

Super easy to make

And absolutely delicious

Go here to see the recipe

Chicken and string beans Recipe - Annie Dee's Finders Keepers

 

[MeganR]

I make homemade pizza a lot. I make the crust dough first, let it rise until double. Then I spread the dough over a greased cookie sheet. Then I spread on a thin layer of tomato paste, dry oregano, dry thyme, salt, and pepper. Next I put tons of chopped fresh basil, cooked ground beef or turkey, sliced onions, sliced mushrooms, sliced peppers, sliced olives, lots of fresh sliced garlic, and then either cheese or if u are dairy free I put grilled, marinated artichoke hearts as a cheese substitute - very tasty!

 

[davidannie299]

Have you tried Muddy buddies with almond butter?

Whether you are allergic to peanut butter or not

This is a must try recipe

Totally delicious and addictive

Make it, freeze, and pull out to enjoy

I literally have this every night for snack. I highly recommend this . treat yourself. you earned it.