Sabudana khichdi

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Sabudana (Sago)
• 1/2 cup Peanuts
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2-3 green Chillies chopped.
• 1-2 tsp Sugar, or to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1 sprig of Curry leaves
• 3 to 4 tbsp of ghee
• 1 tbsp of garted coconut (optinal)

Method

1. Soak 1 cup of sabudana in 1 cup of water overnight.
2. Dry roast the peanuts and de-skin them.  Coarsely powder the peanuts in a processor.
3. Drain excess water (if any) from the sabudana. Add salt , sugar and peanut powder (about 3 tbsp) and mix well.
4. Heat ghee in a non-stick pan.
5. Add cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds splutter add curry leaves and  green chillies. Roast for some time.
6. Add the sabudana mixture and mix well. Cook covered. Stir occasionally.
7. Serve hot.

Tips

• Boiled potatoes can be added to the sabudana just after adding green chillies.
•  If you do not have time then soaking in water for couple of hours would also work.
• Peanut powder quantity can be adjusted as per taste.
• Always cook the sabudana khichdi in ghee rather than oil it enhances the taste to the khichdi
• Cook  sabudana khichdi 30 mins prior to serving, and heat it just before serving, this way there will be no lumps in the khichdi

Upvaas/ Vrat food

Sabudana khichdi

Sabudana Kheer

Banana skiran

Zeera Aloo

Coconut Barfi

Ingredients

• 1 cup freshly grated coconut
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp ghee
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

 Method

1. Mix coconut and sugar in a non stick pan and cook on medium flame.
2. Grease a tray or plate to make the barfi and keep aside.
3. Continue heating the coconut and sugar mixture. Keep stirring constantly till sugar melts and forms a thick liquid.
4. Reduce the flame to low and continue to heat and stir the mixture till white bubbles start appearing from the side of the pan. (ensure that the colour of the mixture does not change)
5. Add cardamom powder and mix well.
6. Pour the mixture  immediately to the greased tray and level it . Cut into desired shape when it is still warm.

 Tips

• Roasted and chopped cashewnuts can be added to the barfi.
• 1 tsp of roasted semolina can be added just before pouring the mixture on the tray. Semolina gives a soft texture to the barfi.
• Dry grinding the coconut gives a smooth texture to the barfi
• Grinding the sugar into powder before mixing with the barfi  reduces the cooking time.

Zeera Aloo

Ingredients

• 2 big bolied potatoes
• 1 tsp zeera ( cumin seeds)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ¼ tsp turmeric podwer
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tbsp grated coconut
• 2 tbsp coarsely powdered peanuts
• 2 to 3 green chillies
• 1 tbsp oil

Method

1. De-skin the boiled potatoes and cut in cubes.
2. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot add cumin seeds.
3. When cumin seeds splutter add green chillies and curry leaves and roast for few minutes.
4. Add turmeric powder, salt, powdered peanuts  and grated coconut and mix well.
5. Add cubed potatoes and mix well. Simmer for few minutes.
6. Serve hot.

Banana skiran

Ingredients

• 2 banana’s
• 3 tbsp powder sugar
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 cup boiled and chilled milk
• Chopped cashew nuts ( optional)

 Method

1. Peel and cut the banana
2. Add powder sugar and cardamom powder and mix well.
3. Add chilled milk and mix well.
4. Add cashew nuts and serve.

Sabudana Kheer

Ingredients

• ½  cup sabudana
• 1 cup boiled milk
• ¼ cup sugar ( can add more if you want the kheer to be more sweet)
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp Cashews
• 1 tbsp Raisins
• ½  cup water
• 1 tbsp Ghee

 Method

1. Soak the ½ cup of sabudana in 1/3 cup of water overnight. Drain excess water if any.
2. Heat ½ cup water in a pan and add soaked sabudana. . Cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, till the sabudana is cooked and transparent.
3. Add milk and lower heat to simmer. Add sugar and cardamom powder. Cook till sugar dissolves completely.
4. Roast cashwenuts and raisin in another pan in little ghee. Add the roasted nuts to the sabuhana kheer.
5. Serve hot.

 Tips

• If sabudana is not soaked just wash the sabudana and add the same to boiling water and cook till the sabudana.
• Stirring the kheer is necessary else the kheer will be lumpy.
• The milk and sugar quantity can be adjusted as per taste.

Beetroot Masala

Ingredients

• 1 big beet root
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 6 to 8 dry chilly or 2 tsp chilly powder
• 1 small tamarind piece
• 1 tbsp grated jaggery
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 3 to 4 green chillies slit
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 1 tsp grated coconut for garnishing
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Method

1. Clean the beetroot and cut into cubes
2. Grind coconut, dry chilly or chilly powder, turmeric, jaggery and tamarind. Keep it little coarse.
3. In a pan add little oil, when the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds crackle add curry leaves and green chillies.
4. Add chopped beetroot. Roast for some time.  Add little water and cook covered till beetroot is half cooked.
5. Add the ground coconut masala and salt and simmer till beetroot is cooked.
6. Garnish with grated coconut and serve hot with chapatti or rice.

Crispy Seasame Chicken

Ingredients 

• 200 gms boneless chicken ( cut in bite size pieces)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp hot & sweet tomato sauce
• 1 tsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp seasame seeds
• 1 cup chopped spring onions
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• Oil for deep frying
• ¼ cup cornflour
• 2 dry chillies cut in 1 inch pieces
• Salt to taste

 Method

1. Marinate the chicken in chilli powder, salt and ginger-garlic paste for 20 mins
2. Dry roast seasame seeds and keep aside.
3. Add corn flour to the marinated chicken. (If the mixture is dry sprinkle little water).Deep fry the chicken till chicken is cooked and crisp.
4. In a bowl mix chilli flakes, soya sauce, hot & sweet tomato sauce and hoisin sauce and keep aside
5. In a non-stick pan add little olive oil and roast the dry chilly.
6. Lower the flame and add the mixed sauces, add the chicken and spring onions and toss.
7. Turn off the flame and toss with roasted sesame seeds.
8. Serve hot

Tips

Vegetarians follow the same recipe with button mushrooms or baby corn

Golden Fried Prawns

Ingredients

• 250 gms medium sized prawns peeled and with tail on
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour (maida)
• 3 tbsp corn flour
• 2 tbsp super fine semolina ( Chiroti rava)
• Vegetable oil for deep fry
• Salt to taste
• ¼ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tbsp melted butter.

Method

• Marinate the prawns in butter salt and pepper powder for 10 mins. ( If you are using salted butter adjust salt accordingly)
• Combine Maida, cornflour, semolina.  Add water and make a thick batter. Add ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper powder to the batter (do not add more salt and pepper to the batter as the prawns are marinated in salt and pepper)
• Heat oil.
• Dip the prawns in the batter and deep fry till cooked.
• Serve hot with a dip of your choice.