Kollu Rasam (Horse gram)

Havent used this lentil in many years now, recently heard a lot of health benefits. So thought will try some recipes. Easiest is to substitute your regular rasam's toor dhaal with Horse gram (Kollu). Just few pictures...Kollu Rasam. This dhaal needs longer cooking time and also I used the hand blender and mashed the kollu and tomato, so rasam was well blended and yummy!
For details on the rasam recipe, please check out my earlier posting...Rasam Recipe

Sweet Poha (Aval)

Sweet poha..quick and easy sweet. Here is the recipe..
* 2 cups thick poha, soak few mins depending on the poha you buy. Strain the water.
* Add few spoons coconut, little elachi
* Melt 1 cup or less jaggery with very little water and mix it in the above.
* Initially it will be wet and after an hr it will split.
More pictures...Sweet Aval

Flax Seed Podi

Goes well with rice/idli/dosa. Easy way to use flax seeds in an Indian way! Have been wanting to post this for the past 2weeks, was running short of ingredients. Atlast made it this weekend and used it the same day for my guests. And it turned out good! Here are the pictures...Flax Seed Podi

Strawberry+Apple+Banana Smoothie

Most refreshing drink...I just loved it! Tried with greek yoghurt, sugar, apple, strawberry, banana...just blend it and drink right away. You could alternate yoghurt with milk. You could substitute sugar with agave nectar or honey. Try to use over ripe bananas, that adds sweetness, Enjoy! Few more pictures...Smoothie

For those of you in the US, check out Trader Joes or Whole Foods or any food store for Greek Yoghurt and see the protein content, it is way high compared to the regular yoghurts we buy. It goes well with some veggies in raita or fruits in smoothies. Somehow I dint enjoy the taste of greek yoghurt by itself.

Kesari (Sooji Halwa)

   

Just a few pictures which I took long back...Kesari

I know most of you might be making it already. Based on a cousin's request, posting this recipe now, very easy Indian Dessert....I use 1:1:2.5 cups for Rava:Sugar:Water as ratio. Please modify according to your taste and ingredients (as sugar in India is diff textured than here)

* Dry roast 1 cup white rava in mid flame - well (this you can do ahead and save it in a box)
* Measure 1 cup sugar and add little powdered elachi to it
* Add ghee to tava, roast cashews and save it in a cup
* In the same tava, add 1/4th cup water and boil, then add saffron
* Turn off, leave it for few mins
* Then add to the same 2.5 cups water and bring to boil
* Add rava slowly by stirring and then in few mins, when dry, add sugar, stir till it thickens
* Then add ghee and keep stirring, then turn off
* Transfer to a greased plate. Slice it and place cashews.

I do this in a non-stick pan, so it is easy to stir.

Peanut Chutney

Tried this from a different blog, 2 steps that I dint do well on..
* Roasting peanuts
* Adding tamarind.
More pictures...Peanut Chutney
I liked the chutney very much. Please take time to roast peanuts well.

Glam launched foodie.com today and I found some interesting recipes there. Check it out when you have time..

http://entertaining.foodie.com/
http://healthy.foodie.com/

http://entertaining.foodie.com/spotlight/spabettie.com/2011/08/18/tomato-basil-beanballs/?title=VG9tYXRvIEJhc2lsIEJlYW4gQmFsbHM=