Brown Rice/Arisi Upma

Arisi/Rice Upma is an easily available alternative for Dinner Menu.  Amma used to make it whenever she is fasting. Simple and Easy to make Recipe.

Ingredients
To Grind
1/2 cup Brown Rice
2 tbsp Toor Dal
2 tbsp Moong Dal
2 tbsp Chana/Gram Dal
1 tsp Peppercorn
1 tsp Cumin seeds


Tempering
2 tsp Oil
4-5 Red Chillies
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
2 Sprigs Curry Leaves
Hing, Turmeric a Pinch
2 tbsp Freshly Grated Coconut


Method

Take the Ingredients given under 'To Grind' in a Mixer and Grind to a Coarse Powder.

In a Deep Kadai, heat oil, Splutter Mustard Seeds, add Curry leaves, hing, turmeric and Red Chillies, Now add 2 cups of Water to this, Let the Water boil, add Grated Coconut and salt, mix well. Now reduce the Flame, add the Coarsely grounded Rice-Dal Mixture to this water and Mix well. Take care not to have any lumps!!! Let it Cook for10-12 minutes. 

Once the Rice-Dal mixture is Well Cooked, Put off the flame and Keep it covered for another 5-10 minutes. Garnish with Ginger Juliennes and Enjoy!!!

Sending this to MLLA-31, hosted by Simona, event by Susan

I m doing a Blogging Marathon along with some of my friends Srivalli, Priya Suresh, Jay, Monika, Reva, PJ, Azeema , Ayeesha ,Veena , Usha, Soumya and Gayathri. Do Check their Posts!!!!

Easy Strawberry Jam

I love making jams and I wanted to make best use of the strawberries which are in season. I usually puree the fruit and go about with my jam making. I found a recipe here and the method interested me. I followed her first step where in the berries are mixed with sugar and left for few hours. I felt this gave a good texture to the jam. As usual, I made it in microwave. So that doesn't stop those who doesn't have a MW oven. This can be very well be made on the stove top and I think it will get done in almost the same time. This jam is quite easy that you have just mix all the ingredients and cook for around 15 minutes.

You need

• Strawberry,hulled and halved - 2 cups
• Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Lemon juice - from half of a lemon

Method

  

Take the strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Keep it aside for 4 hours or so. Lightly mash the berries in between. The sugar would have drawn the juice out of the berries and you can find the berries slightly pulpy too. Transfer the mix to a microwave safe bowl. Add juice from half of a lemon and micro high for 12 minutes. Give a stir at 5 minutes interval. Give a standing time of 3 minutes and do the plate test to see if the jam is set. Ladle into sterilized jars. 

Adjust the sugar according to the sweetness of the berries. Adding too much of sugar will make the jam sticky and the flavor of berries will not come through.  Enjoy on a warm toast for breakfast or tea. Try making it yourself and see how it easy it can be. Once you taste home made jam, I am sure you will never go for store bought ones.  I usually make in small batches and it gets over in 10 days. If you are making a big batch, you can as well refrigerate for longer shelf life.

  

On a different note: I am happy that my blog is shortlisted among the 10 best food blogs selected by Blogjunta. Kindly vote for me if you feel it deserves. The poll widget can be found the right side bar of the blog. Let the best blog win. Thank you dear readers for your support. Thanks to the friends who have already voted.

Menthya Soppu Hituku Bele Huli - Fenugreek Leaves And Field Beans Gravy

MENTHYA SOPPU HITUKU BELE HULI

Every day is a field day for avarekai buffs during avarekai ( field beans ) season. This is one vegetable ( Bean ) which is omnipresent in almost all the dishes prepared in Bangalorean homes at this time of the year, confirming its status as The Signature Bean of Bengalooru.
Hituku Bele is the fresh lentil squeezed out of the avarekai bean and is used as a nutritious substitute for all other lentils during this season. Here is a recipe to prepare Menthya soppu ( fenugreek leaves ) huli/sambar using hituku bele as the substitute for the usual tur dal.



INGREDIENTS

Hituku bele ( Fresh Field Bean Lentil ) - 1/2 kg
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Chopped menthya soppu ( fenugreek leaves ) - 4 cups
Tomato - 1
Tamarind - 1 plum size
Salt - 2 tsps

FOR THE MASALA

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Black gram dal - 1/2 tbsp
Bengal gram dal - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Red chillies - 10
Fresh coconut gratings - 2 tbsp

FOR SEASONING

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Red chillies - 2
Gingelly oil - 2 tsps

METHOD

1. Heat 1/4 tsp of oil and roast black gram dal, bengal gram dal and coriander seeds till they become slightly red in colour.
2. Add red chillies and roast till they are crisp.
3. Add asafoetida and keep roasting till it gives out a pleasant flavour and remove the roasted ingredients on to a plate.
4. Using the same pan roast the fresh grated coconut till it becomes red and flavoursome.
5. When cool grind all the ingredients together into a fine powder.
6. Add water and run the mixer till the powder becomes a paste and set aside.
7. Cut the tomato into half and soak it in boiling water along with the tamarind.
8. In another vessel boil hituku bele with a pinch of turmeric powder.
9. Stir now and then till it is cooked but not mushy.
10. Heat oil in the pan and add mustard seeds.
11. When it splutters add broken red chillies and fry.
12. Add curry leaves and the chopped menthya soppu and saute till the leaves shrivel and give out a pleasant aroma.
13. Add the cooked hituku bele and stir in the spice paste and salt.
14. Extract a thick juice out of the soaked tamarind and tomato, and add it to the lentil and spice mixture.
15. Let the huli/sambar boil for a few minutes so that all the ingredients blend well.

Switch off flame and enjoy the hot Menthya Soppu Hituku Bele huli with rice, ragi muddae, chapaties, dosas or any of your other favourite dishes.

Update: Our dear blog friend Lakshmi from the blog, "Taste of Mysore", is co-hosting the event "Complete my Thali" along with Jagruti from the blog "Joy of Cooking". What a co-incidence that the theme is "beans"! This post is our entry of the event.