Broken Wheat Pudding - Samba Ravai Kesari - Dalia Halwa

Rava is the word that refers to the texture which is not a powder but granular. While the white rava is made from husked wheat and is white in color, samba rava is made from whole wheat. The samba ravai granules are slightly bigger than the white ravai. The white ravai is the same as the cream of wheat.

I prefer the samba rava for making upma but it is not readily available here in the US. I prefer the cream of wheat than the white ravai available in the India stores here. The samba ravai I usually carry when I visit India.

Usually I make kesari like we South Indians call it or halwa like the North Indians call it, and is usually made with the white rava or cream of wheat. Making kesari with the samba ravai or broken ravai is much easier than making kesari with cream of wheat.

At home we prefer the kesari to be not too sweet. The next couple of days we eat it for breakfast that's why! So I add a bit less sugar but add as much sugar as you like.

Let's look at the recipe in pictures,

In a wide mouthed pan, roast the ravai till it starts to change color. Set aside. Heat water in a wide mouthed pan till boiling.
Reduce the heat to low and add the ravai all the while stirring. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes till the ravai is completely cooked. Add ghee and let it cook for 2 more minutes.
Add the sugar and the cardamom powder. Mix it well.
Roast the cashews and raisins and add it to the cooked ravai.

Stays good for a week in the refrigerator if it lasts that long.

Samba Ravai Kesari
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 cup of Samba Ravai/Dali/Broken Wheat
2. 1/2 cup of raw sugar (1 cup for a sweeter kesari)
3. 1 tsp of cardamom powder
4. 1/4 cup of ghee
5. 2 cups of water
6. 1/4 cup of chopped cashews, 1/4 cup of golden raisins

Method

1. In a wide mouthed pan, roast the ravai for about 3-4 minutes till it slightly starts to change color. Set aside.
2. In the pan add water and let it come to a boil, turn the heat to low and add the ravai while continuing to stir.
3. Powder the cardamom with a tsp of the sugar in a coffee grinder or blender.
4. In a small saute pan, heat ghee and roast the cashews till golden and also the raisings till they plump up.
5. Let the ravai completely cook, usually takes about 4-5 minutes, once the water has all been absorbed add the sugar, cardamom powder and mix it well.
6. Add the ghee and cook for a couple of minutes more. Add the roasted cashews and raisins, mix it in and turn off the heat.

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Simple Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is so easy to make but it has never been a go to meal for me for some reason. Not because I do not have limes or lemons on hand. I usually do. Anyway on this particular day the lemons that DD2 had forced me to buy for one of her experiments was showing signs of being distressed and that's when it was decided to make lemon rice. Also because it had been a long time since I made lemon rice.

I have one other recipe for lemon rice, this one here to which I add some powdered spices - masala powder just to jazz things up a bit because lemon rice is usually a bit bleh!

A friend at work brought me some lemon rice as a prasad after she had done poojai at home. That lemon rice with its pure taste of just the lemon was something I suddenly craved. So the decision to make this simple lemon rice was made.

Back then as far as I knew lemon rice was one of those things that was made to spice up leftover rice which nobody would touch. But now it is a popular one pot meal that with some potato chips and yogurt is pretty good.

Lemon Rice
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

1. 2 cups of rice (I used ponni par boiled rice)
2. 2 medium sized lemon juiced
3. 1/2 cup of chopped red onion or shallots
4. 8-10 green chilies slit (adjust as per the heat level)
5. 2 cloves of garlic diced (optional)
6. hand full of roasted peanuts (skip for nut free)
7. 2 tsp of turmeric powder
8. seasonings: cumin seeds 1/4 tsp, mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, channa dal(kadalai paruppu) 1/2 tbsp, urad dal (2 tsp), curry leaves
9. salt to taste
10. 2-3 tsp of oil

Method

1. Set the rice to cook with enough water and make sure it does not get mushy. Add a bit of oil and rice if preferred.
2. Juice the lemons and set it aside. Also the shake the seeds out of the green chilies if you want, I usually do.
3. In a wide mouthed pan or kadai add oil, add the channal dal and when it starts to brown add the urad dal, followed by the cumin and mustard seeds. When the mustard starts to pop add the curry leaves.
4. Add in the onions and green chilies and saute till it starts to brown, add the garlic. Do not let the garlic burn.
5. Add the turmeric powder and salt and saute for a couple more minutes.
6. Add the roasted peanuts and saute for a minute.
7. Turn off the heat and let the onion mixture cool down a bit.
8. Now fluff up the cooked rice and set aside.
9. Once the onion mixture is come to room temperature add in the lemon juice, mix it in, add in the rice and gently mix it so all the rice is coated.

A simple but very flavorful lemon rice is ready.

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Samba Ravai Paysasam - Broken Wheat Pudding

Around the Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu the wheat product of choice was samba ravai or broken wheat not wheat flour. Before making chapathi became popular, this broken wheat product had a special place in the Kongu kitchens. I doubt if I had eaten white ravai upma that often. Upma as a breakfast item was not a favorite among the younger set and the white upma was even more disliked than the samba ravai upma.

Unlike the almost pasty white ravai - the cream of wheat or white ravai which is made from the wheat kernel where the bran and the germ are substantially removed - not so good. Samba revai in contrast is made from whole wheat kernels - good for you.



Take a look at this pictorial which shows the different parts of the wheat kernel.

Courtesy: Great Harvest of Thousand Oaks, California.


As we all know using the whole grain is better than just loading up on the endosperm or the starchy portions of the grain. Samba ravai comes up with its own benefits. While samba ravai upma is the more popular recipe made from samba ravai, believe it or not it is perfect for making dessert. While its white counterpart is not my favorites for making payasam, the samba ravai has a texture that is suitable for making payasam. Quick, easy and delicious and ready in less than 20 minutes.

Have you heard of sara paruppu or charoli in Hindi? Called Buchanania lanzan in English, these are tiny nuts with a mild taste of almonds and are often found as garnish in sweets. These are perfect for this payasam.

Samba Ravai Payasam
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 cup of Samba Ravai / broken wheat
2. 2 1/2 cups of milk
3. 1/2 - 3/4 cups of sugar - used raw sugar
4. 2 tbsp raisins
5. 1/4 cups of cashews + Sara Paruppu (Charoli in Hindi)
6. 2 tsp ghee
7. cardamom powder
8. saffron threads a few

Method

1. In a thick bottomed pan heat milk, till it comes to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for another 5-8 minutes in medium heat.
2. Add the samba ravai and let it cook for another 8 minutes or so while continuously stirring to avoid getting burned or stuck in the bottom.
3. Add sugar part way through the cooking process.
4. While the wheat is cooking, heat a pan and add ghee, roast the nuts cashews and charoli, when they slightly turn color add the raisins and saute for a minute. Turn off the heat.
5. Add the roasted nuts and raisins, to the cooked wheat. Sprinkle saffron threads if using and turn off the heat.

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Simple Chicken Curry wth Quick Masala Powder

We are all afraid of somethings sometimes but there are some of us who are afraid of everything isn't? At work, in personal life and all spheres of life fear keeps people from achieving their potential. I have met lots of them personally, been one, people mumble behind the back but would not speak up when the opportunity presents itself.

The consequences after you have expressed yourself is perhaps better than bottling it up and letting that anger get the better of you. Easier said than done. But we all need to stand up for ourselves some time or the other. It does not come easily and has to be practiced. With anger everywhere and around us and the consequences not as pleasant it is time to stop feeling like victims and being to feel empowered to standup and speak up.



It is nice to have a few recipes for those week nights when you want something quick or on a weekend when you are in a movie watching binge and want some comfort food on a cold windy evening.

The recipe in pictures,

Get the quick masala powder and onions, ginger and garlic chopped and ready.
Heat oil and add the cinnamon-cloves powder. Add in the chopped onions and when transparent add in the ginger and garlic.
Add in the chicken and turmeric powder and mix with the onions and continue to saute for 3-4 minutes till the chicken loses pink color.
Add the quick masala powder and mix into the chicken well and add salt. Let it cook till the chicken is fully cooked and the desired consistency.

Simple Chicken Curry with Quick Masala Powder
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 lbs of chicken (I used chicken thighs with bones) cut into bite sized pieces
2. 1/2 cup of onions sliced thin
3. 5 cloves of garlic minced
4. 1 tbsp grated ginger
5. 2 tbsp Quick Masala Powder
6. handful of curry leaves
7. 1/2 tbsp of red chili powder (optional)
8. 2 tsp of turmeric powder
9. 1/2 tsp powdered garam masala (cinnamon, cloves, star anise)
10. salt to taste
11. 2 tsp oil

Method

1. If using whole spices powder them using a spice grinder and set aside.
2. In a pressure cooker heat oil and when hot add in the powdered whole spices.
3. Add in the chopped onions and saute for 3-4 minutes till it is translucent. Add in the ginger and garlic and continue to saute for a couple of minutes more. Don't let it stick to the pot.
4. Add in the chicken pieces and the turmeric powder and saute till the chicken changes color from pink to white.
5. Add in the quick masala powder, chili powder if using and salt and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes till the chicken is completely cooked and the desired consistency is reached. Add the curry leaves towards the end of the cooking process.
6. Note:I wanted to leave the chicken a little bit watery. It was going into a rice bowl. Continue to cook for a few more minutes if you wanted it thicker or drier.

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Kongu Foods - An Essay

Sailaja of Sailu's Kitchen needs no introduction. Lady with amazing array of talents and her food blog is got to be one of the most popular Indian food blogs out there.

She contacted me to write about Kongu Cuisine for her India Food Trail food series. A series which show cases regional cuisines and specialties.

Everyday Lunch (anti clockwise) - cabbage poriyal, puli kuzhambu, rasam, uppu paruppu, curd and rice

Please head on over to Sailu's Kitchen to read more...

Kongu Foods 3 - Coconut (opputtu)

If pulses and cereals are the mainstay in a Kongu meal, coconut is a very important supporting member. Coconut makes it appearance once a day in either breakfast, lunch or dinner if not all of them. It would be very rare and probably traumatic ;) for a Kongu family to be too far away from a coconut source if not a tree or two in their own backyard.

Coconut is the most important of the palms in the tropics and the kernel of the fruit, finds a whole range of uses in cooking besides being used to extract oil. Every part of the coconut tree finds use in one form or the other and hence occupies a very important place in not only the life of a Kongu but people in almost all of South India. The coconut meat is considered high in fat content but of the kind that is easily digestible and utilized by the body. The oil resembles butter in physical and chemical properties and is high in saturated fats hence medical opinion is against cooking with coconut oil, Kongus are not known to cook with coconut oil. The protein content in coconut is high providing all of the amino acids and providing essential minerals like potassium, magnesium and sulphur. Coconut has been used for generations in cooking so the recent scare about its health benefits may well be unfounded, provided one leads an active life. Kongus never lead a sedentary life being busy from dawn to dusk in the farm or fields and energy was very important to sustain an active life.

One of the sought after drinks after the strenuous fun in the sun activities during the summer time was the tender coconut water and the kernels. No ice cream or smoothie can be that refreshing! The tender coconut water is considered a perfect for children because of all the minerals and nutrients it provides.

Rightly called Kalpa vrisksha or Kalpa tharu coconut rightly gets its due by occupying a prominent place place in any auspicious event in a Kongu home. Important activities always include breaking a coconut to bring good luck and prosperity.

In the village coconut trees provide natural air conditioning along with mind soothing symphonies when they sway elegantly forming a lovely silhouette against the skyline. For me a home can never be too far from a coconut tree.

Coconut in everyday food of a Kongu

During breakfast coconut make its appearance often as coconut chutney the delicious side for any popular breakfast dish like idli, dosai, paniyaram or upma.

Sweet Coconut milk with appam or sandhavi for special breakfast occasions. And my favorite Paal Curry Kuzhambu a spicy side made with coconut milk.

Traditional Kongu Lunch has sambhar or paruppu, rasam and poriyal. Poriyal or stir fry is almost always seasoned with grated fresh coconut. Araicha Kozhambus (curries with blend of chilies, corriander and onion) include addition of coconut milk in the end to add a sweet and rich taste. Some dishes include addition of grated coconut in the spice paste for the special taste like the Kongus very own Thatta Payar Kozhambu.

Dinner time most commonly includes one of the several tasty thugayals with rasam and appalam. Most Thugayals require addition of fresh grated coconut like this common paruppu thugayal or this milaguthakkali chutney.

Desserts cannot be far behind in the use of coconuts with tasty delicacies made using them like thengai barfi, opputtu and paasi paruppu payasam. Any festive occasion at my grandparents house included making of opputtu, flour covered sweet filling known by the common name puran poli. Coconut is roasted in ghee mixed with jaggery and seasoned with cardamom powder. The flour covering was made with maida (all purpose flour), kneaded into a dough, made into balls, placed on a well oiled banana leaf, patted flat with the tips of the fingers, the filling placed in the middle, the edges pulled over and covered and then patted flat out again. This chapathi is then roasted in ghee. I took the whole wheat flour route because it is easy to roll out, I also saw Bee's post last week on Puran Poli and I knew I was on track.


Opputtu (Coconut jaggery filling)
Make 6-7 Opputtus
Ingredients
1. 1 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat flour (chapati flour)
2. 2 tsp of ghee
3. 1 cup warm milk

Make a soft pliable dough

Sweet Filling
1. 1 Cup grated fresh coconut
2. 4 tbsp jaggery (or to taste)
3. 1 tsp cardamom powder
4. 1 tbsp ghee

Method
1. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the coconut and saute. The heat should be just below medium
2. Add the jaggery and cardamom powder and continue to saute till the moisture is gone and the coconut flakes sort of separate
3. Cool and make small lemon sized balls

4.Take a small ball of dough and roll out into circles of about 4". Place the coconut ball inside, pinch the edges on top, and roll it out again. (for those familiar with making aloo parathas or any stuffed parathas this should be a breeze)

5. Heat a tava, brush oil and place one rolled out opputtu, add ghee along the edges and fry on both sides

Serve Warm. This dish serves as a heart warming reminder of kongu hospitality and warmth.


In this series
Kongu Foods 1 - Cereals
Kongu Foods 2 - Pulses

Kongu Foods 2 - Pulses

In Kongu Foods I, I covered the Cereals or Grains the mainstay of any meal in a Kongu home. A good act requires a talented supporting cast for its success, in a Kongu meal pulses play that role to perfection and a meal is not considered complete without a preparation of pulses. Pulses alongside the cereals and grains provide the main source of energy for many a Kongu. Pulses contain 20-30% protein, 60% carbohydrates and are a rich source of niacin, thiamine, iron, calcium and phosphorus all required for a healthy living.

For diets that do not include a lot of meat, pulses are essential source of protein and there are as many tasty recipes to incorporate pulses into the regular diet. Kongus are comprised of Vegetarians and Non Vegetarians, like my mom's side who are pure Vegetarian and do not eat even eggs and my father's side who are all Non Vegetarians. Vegetarianism in Kongu Nadu became common about 500 years ago when Jainism was spreading in Tamilnadu. Even among Non Vegetarians eating animal protein is not a every day affair rather a weekend or special occasion preparation so adding pulses into everyday foods becomes a required necessity.


Pulses are used either whole or split. The most common varieties used are
1. Pigeon Peas (Toor Dal)
2. Green Gram (Moong Dal)
3. Horse Gram (Kollu)
4. Lima Bean (Mochai parappu, Val Dal)
5. Black Gram (Urad dal)
6. Cow Peas (Thatta payar)
7. Beans

A preparation of dal with a spicy tangy Puli Kuzhambu (Spicy Tamarind Curry), rasam made with the water saved from cooking the dal, vegetable poriyal and curd makes a complete meal in any Kongu home.

There are several different ways that dals are cooked but the most common being Uppu Paruppu (salted dal) seasoned with some onions, green chilies, garlic, mustard seeds and curry leaves in a bit of ghee and usually eaten with rice and a dash of ghee

Cow Peas, Lima Beans are cooked commonly like this recipe, with the addition of a vegetable like brinjal or bottle gourd with a bit of tamarind. When split they make a tasty addition to arisim paruppu saatham.

Mochai Paruppu is eaten fresh shelled from the pods and made into a delicious stir fry with coconut and onions or cooked into a spicy curry like the recipe in the previous link.

In all this talk of cooking dals the ubiquitous sambhar cannot be forgotten, it makes its appearance at least once every, to be eaten with idli, dosai or rice.

Kootu is another tasty preparation that is made not quiet as often as sambhar or uppu paruppu. A vegetable seasoned with a blend of coconut, green chilies and cumin seeds is cooked with the dal.

Mochai Paruppu, Paasi Paruppu Kootu
1. 1 Cup of Split Mochai Paruppu and Paasi Paruppu (Val Dal, Moong Dal) cooked with a pinch of turmeric and few drops of oil
2. 1/4 onion chopped
3. 10-15 green beans (any vegetable should work) chopped fine
4. seasonings, mustard, cumin and curry leaves
5. 1 tsp ghee

Paste
1. 1 tbsp grated coconut
2. 3 Green Chilies
3. 1 tsp cumin seeds
Lightly toast and make to a paste

Method
1. In a pan heat a bit of ghee, add cumin and mustard seeds
2. Add the onions and fry till translucent
3. Add the green beans and salt and cook till the beans are tender
4. Add the coconut paste and let it cook for a 2-3 minutes
5. Add the mashed dal with a 1/2 cup of water and let it simmer for a 5-6 minutes (the amount of water added depends on the consistency that is required)

Serve with rice or Chapati with a dash of ghee.

Kongu Foods 1 - Kambu Dosai (Pearl Millet Dosai)

I have often referred to Kongu food in these pages and for many years now I have eaten these Kongu dishes pretty much every day but I have never consciously tried to find out what Kongu cuisine is all about. I set about trying to find out more and also employed the services of my dad in this quest. Here is the first installment of my analysis.

Where is Kongu Naadu?
The areas of Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Coimbatore, Karur districts in Western Tamil Nadu is what is referred to as the Kongu Naadu region. The people of this region speak Tamil with a very specific accent which is very respectful and it easily distinguishes people who belong to this region (for those who watch and are familiar with Tamil movies, actor Sathyaraj anyone). This is a region very well known for its hospitality and guaranteed no one leaves a Kongu home without a satisfying meal.

What exactly is Kongu Food
I don't know if there is something as specific as Kongu food but it is mostly about the foods that is common among the people of this region. The occupation of most Kongus was in one way or the other related to farming and dairy and hence fresh fruits and vegetables and milk readily available and most dishes incorporated them.

Any well balanced diet contains both Macro Nutrients which include Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins and Micro Nutrients which include Vitamins and Minerals. Almost all regional foods incorporate them into the diet by way of local ingredients available easily. Using local ingredients and supporting local farmers is hip now but it was a way of life not too long ago and it made perfect sense.


Cereals or grains
Best the other ingredients Kongu foods also included a lot of cereals. Foods made with cereals, (these are grains which are seeds of cereal plants) such as Ragi(Finger Millet), Cholam (maize) and Kambu(Pearl Millet) were common. These grains are rich in fibre and can be good alternatives to rice. My grandma talks of Kambu Saatham and Chola Saatham being common during her childhood. The love affair with rice and moving away from rotation crops which include most of the cereal grains have proved harmful to both the land and the humans. Besides overworking the lands and drawing on the ever scarce water resource has also added to the lack of diversity in the carbohydrates we consume.

Besides being suited to grow in semi arid regions, cereals are very close nutrition wise to rice and wheat and in most cases even better. These grains besides being gluten free also don't have the high glucose content of rice and are also richer in vitamins and minerals compared to rice. I am surprise at why they lost popularity as as a staple. They could be eaten cooked and also used in dosais and paniyarams. Due to their abundant protein and are a main source of energy and protein for vegetarians and dad says it is described as "poorman's meat". This might not be valid anymore as more and more it is the rich man after his ultra rich fatty glucosy diet has been advised by his doctor to switch to a more appropriate diet which includes more of these cereals.

I will attempt to recreate some dishes which are popular and common today and some that are not so common. I have probably touched on the most common ones already, I will attempt to find ones that are mostly forgotten.

Kambu Dosai
I had bajra flour left over after my experiment with making bajra roti, the slight bitter taste of the bajra made the roti unpalatable and did not know how to make them correctly. In one of my pantry cleaning sprees I was getting ready to toss it into the trash but MIL stopped me suggesting we make dosai with the flour. And boy was I glad that she did. The dosai was absolutely delicious. It should only taste so much better with some whole Kambu.

For the batter
1. 1 Cup Kambu/Bajra (1 1/4 Cup Bajra flour)
2. 1/4 Cup rice
3. 1/8 Cup Urad Dal
Soak the above overnight
4. 1/2 Medium Red Onion
5. 1 tsp cumin seeds
6. Curry leaves
7. 3 Red Chillies
8. pinch asfotetida
9. Salt

Add the first 3 to the grinder/blender and when it is halfway blended add the rest of the ingredients and blend to a consistency of dosai batter, smooth but not too watery. If using the bajra flour add it right after 2 and 3 are blended.

Method
1. Heat a dosai pan or griddle and when hot add ladle full of batter and spread it around as a circle. It should not be thick.
2. Add oil on the edges
3. When cooked, flip and cook on the other side.

Serve with chutney of choice, usually a mild one because the dosai is on the spicy side. Coconut chutney goes well. We had it with some sweet pepper chutney. Mildly sweet it went well with the dosai.

Samba Ravai Upma - Broken Wheat Upma

Thanksgiving day rained out but the days(holidays) following Thanksgiving were absolutely gorgeous. Perfect Fall days for picnic and games in the National Mall. We love visiting the mall, there are people/tourists/locals visiting, jogging, playing soccer, volley ball,or just leisurely strolling. The Indian in me craves places were there are people and activity around. Living in the suburbs and hardly seeing anyone whenever we get a chance we escape to the city to take in the crowds, enjoy the walk and a game of soccer. Usually pack a picnic lunch to eat. Coming home in the evening too tired to cook up something Samba Ravai upma it will be. I like the Samba ravai better than the White semolina ravai because this is lighter and tastier. Samba Ravai is whole wheat kernels ground coarsely. I usually bring this from India but now you can get them at the Indian grocery stores.

National Mall

Capitol Hill in the distance, Washington Monument at the World War II memorial



Perfect Picnic and soccer spot



World War II memorial


Samba Ravai Upma



Ingredients
1. 1 cup Samba Ravai (2 cups of water)
2. 1/2 onion chopped
3. 2 small green chillies, chopped, 2 red chillies split in half seeds removed
4. 1/2 inch piece ginger grated
5. seasonings: cumin, split urad dal, curry leaves,mustard
6. 2 tsp oil
7. 2 tsp lemon juice
8. salt

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan (kadai) add the seasonings, mustard last and when the mustard starts to pop add the chillies and then onions and saute till soft.
2. Add the 2 cups of water and salt.
3. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and add the samba ravai, keep stirring to avoid lumps.
4. Cover the lid and cook for 5-8 minutes till the ravai is cooked, it should look bloated.
5. Squeeze the lemon juice and mix and turn of the heat, keep the lid on till ready to serve.

Serve with brown sugar, lemon pickle and curd (yogurt).