Sama Chaval ka Upma
Ingredients
Soak one cup of sama chaval (barnyard millet) in 21/2 cups of hot water, after washing.
Tip: Use a large strainer to wash the millets. Makes washing millets very easy - and avoids wastage
1 tbsp Grated ginger
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
1 heaped tsp Chopped green chillies
2 tbsp Coriander leaves
1/2 cup Toasted peanuts
Pink Salt (Sendha namak) to taste
12 largish Cashew nuts
Juice of half a lemon (per cup of millets)
Method
1. Drain the millets - keep water aside
2. Heat 1 tbsp of groundnut oil or desi cow ghee in a karahi
3. Add jeera (cumin) and allow to splutter, add green chillies and saute for a bit
4. Add grated ginger, stir fry and add peanuts, stir fry for a bit
5. Add 2.5 cups of hot water for every cup of millets
6. Add drained millets
7. Add salt to taste
8. Allow millets to cook, on low heat with a tight lid
9. Once the water is absorbed, the millets will have been cooked. For more moist Upma, add 3 cups to one cup of millets
10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, fried cashew nuts and lemon juice
ENJOY!
Optional (not vrat ingredients):
Curry leaves
1 tsp Sarson seeds
4-5 Methi seeds
A heaped tsp of white urad dal
Carrots, diced
Beans, diced
Bell peppers, diced
Peas
1. Kaccha Kela Kababs
Cut the raw bananas into two pieces
Steam the raw bananas with the skin on
Remove the skin and mash
Add grated ginger and chopped green chillies, finely chopped coriander leaves, rock salt and pepper
Fashion into flat kababs
Shallow fry
Eat with green coriander, green chilli and ginger chutney
Raw Papaya sweet and sour salad
1. Use a mandolin grater to grate the raw papaya into fine noodles
2. Toast Peanuts, remove the skin and coarsely crush (You can toast them in a thick, heavy bottomed karai
3. Brown sugar - also called khandsari
4. Green and red chilli (fresh, not dried)
5.
3. Yam chips
1. Clean and then steam the yam till 3/4 ths cooked
2. Slice the yam into thin wafer like slices
3. Pan fry or deep fry till crisp
4. Wait till it cools
5. Sprinkle with Pink salt, pepper and aamchur
4. Raw Banana chips
1. Slice raw banana into thin round slices
2. Keep oil hot in a karahi
3. Add the banana roundels
4. Allow to fry - remove when fried from both sides. Reduce flame if needed so the chips do not burn
5. Spread chips on to draining paper towels
6. Wait till crisp - fried chips will automatically turn crisp once they cool down - add pink salt, pepper and aamchur before serving
NB: You can make a big bunch and store in a steel air tight tin once they cool down. Add dry masala only just before serving.
5. Fruit Chaat
7. Rajgira Ke Atte (Ramdana) ka halva
Ingredients
3 cups Rajgira/Amaranth Flour
1 + 1/2 cup Gaon Fresh desi cow ghee (one and a half cups)
1 + 1/2 cup gur shakkar/ khandsari (one and a half cups)
2 cups water
1 cup milk
1 cup almond flakes
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp nutmeg, grated
Varq - Silver flakes
Tip: I use only Shree Jagannath Sterling edible varq flakes and sheets as they are pure vegetarian and very hygienically made
Method
1. Roast the Rajgira flour in the ghee, till it turns a pale brown - should just change colour slightly. Plus, the fragrance of the roasting Rajgira flour is now evident.
Tip: Keep stirring, else it will burn. Use a thick-bottomed karai
2. Add the almond flakes once the roasting is almost done - roast a bit so that the almond flakes are also slightly roasted
3. Add the one and a half cups of water and the half cup of milk. Mix thoroughly. Ensure no lumps are formed
4. Cover and allow to cook on a low flame for about 10-12 minutes
5. Remove from flame, allow to cool slightly before putting it in a shallow, glass dish.
Tip: Ensure the glass is toughened glass so it won't crack with the heat