Aval/Poha Kesari and Friday Kolam

The sweet, kesari is synonymous with rava kesari. If there is a change in the ingredient or addition of another, it gets added to the name like Pineapple kesari or semiya kesari. As with halwas, there are varieties of kesari. The most common at home is rava kesari. Two years back, during our visit to my BIL at Bangalore, we were invited by J akka, sister of my co-sister (manni in Tamil). J akka is like a sister to me too and incidentally she shares my sister's name. J akka cooks well. One of her signature dish is Bisi Bele Bath. She had made that for lunch and for dessert, it was kesari. When I tasted kesari, the texture and color was similar to rava kesari but the taste was slightly different. It was then she told me it was made of aval/poha.

From then on, I wanted to try it at home. But it never happened until two weeks back when my uncle and family came for breakfast on a Sunday. I decided Sevai with potato masala and coconut chutney. I could not decide on the sweet. I wanted to make something light and quick and kesari fits the bill. But then wanted something different to offer to the guests and I was running short of time. My uncle and family was expected anytime. Then luckily the bulb flashed and was reminded of aval kesari. I could make it in flat 15 minutes from start to finish.

I used matta aval (thick, brown variety). if you are using the white variety, the color will be yellow. Since I used brown, the color was brown too. The flavor of poha was more prominent that what I had in J akka's house.

You need



Coarsely powdered Aval - 1/2 cup

Water - 1 cup

Sugar - less than 1 cup (Take 1 cup if you like it very sweet)

Ghee - 1 1/2 tblspn

cashew/raisins - few

cardamom powder - 1/2 tspn

Yellow color - a pinch


Method

Pulse aval in the mixie coarsely. The texture should be grainy and not too fine. This will help in getting a fluffy kesari rather than a gummy kind.  Heat a kadai. Add half  tablespoon of ghee. Roast cashews and raisins and remove them. Add a cup of water and and a pinch of yellow color. When water starts boiling, stir in the powdered aval. Mix well. When the water is fully abosrbed, add sugar. Aval doesn't turn lumpy like rava. Its lot more easier. Stir in a tablespoon of ghee. Keep mixing and it  gets done in 5 minutes. You can see the ghee floating on top. Add cardamom powder and the roasted cashews. The amount of ghee required is also less than in the usual kesari. It remained soft even the next day.

Friday Kolam and this is the last friday of the month in the regional calendar (Thai/Makaram)

MahaShivarathri wishes to all my readers who celebrate.

Godi Tari Uppma - Broken Wheat Savoury Cereal

GODI TARI UPMA

BROKEN WHEAT SAVOURY CEREAL

My husband's uncle once mentioned that they used to cook wheat and rice together(they had named it as whrice!!)during war time, when there was shortage of rice. Hence my mother-in-law who was already used to eating wheat, did not find it difficult to adjust to broken wheat as a substitute to rice, when she was diagonised as a diabetic.

The wheat "rice" has a chewy and flat taste and it is capable of subduing the taste of even the spiciest of kozhambus. Pongal made out of it ends up as a gooey lump. "Curd rice" made with broken wheat is a good dish. But broken wheat uppma is the family's favourite.

INGREDIENTS
Broken wheat - 1 glass
Tamarind - one plum size (soak in 1/4 cup of warm water and extract juice)
Salt - 1.5 tsp
Turmeric powder -1 pinch
Mustard seeds -1/4 tsp
Split black gram dal - 1 tsp
Split bengal gram dal - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - a few
Onion- 1 small (Chopped finely)
Carrot -1 (chopped)
Cauli flower (broken into small florets) - 1 tbsp
Green chillies - 2 ( chopped)
Fresh ginger - 1" piece (grated)
Tomato - 1 (Chopped)
Boiled Green peas or frozen peas - 1/2 cup

Cooking oil - 2 tbsps

METHOD
1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed pan and roast the broken wheat until the grains pop up(most of the grains become white in colour) giving out a pleasant aroma.Remove it onto a plate. 2. Heat he remaining oil in the same vessel add mustard seeds.
3. When mustard seeds splutter, add asafoetida and the dals and roast till golden in colour.
4. Add the finely chopped onion and fry till brown and crisp .
5. Add chopped green chillies , grated ginger, turmeric powder and curry leaves.
6. Add all the chopped vegetables (except tomato and peas) and sautee for three minutes, add 1/4 cup of water and cover and cook till the water is absorbed.
7. Add 2.5 cups of water, salt, tamarind extract, chopped tomatoes and peas into the vessel with the seasoning, and bring it to a boil.
8. Add the roasted broken wheat and stir well .
9. When the whole mixture starts boiling decrease flame and cook on low fire, covering the vessel with a lid.
10. Open and stir after ten minutes , cover and cook for ten more minutes and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Relish the hot godi tari uppma with a scoop of thick and cool curd.

My Diet

Hi all, thought of having a seperate Blog to follow My Weight Loss Progress. Will Keep Posting regularly. Planning to post some Healthy Dishes, which can be had without guilt while on Diet. :)))

Now the Past 2 days, i m following the No Rice Regime, which is working fine so far. Hoping to continue it till the weekend. I Keep on Telling my self, Not to  Feast during weekends, thats Hardest Part for me, Everybody @ home and you cook, i m a bit non-resistant there!!!!

My Meal Plan has been Oats Porridge/upma for Breakfast, Rotis for Lunch and Dinner with Veg Curries and a bowl Veg Salad before Lunch. I snack on a Apple/Orange/Nectarine.

So far so good.

Planing to Weigh after 10 days. Hope the Scales are kind towards me.