Tag Archives: Poha

Desserts

Poha Sheera | Aval Kesari with Jaggery | Easy 15 min sweet recipe

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A new recipe after nearly two months! Both Feb and March were filled with so much uncertainties and many sad days due to losing my loved ones that I did not even feel like trying something new or blogging recipes. If there was something that kept me going without breaking down, it is my love for music. I kept listening to my daily shlokas, bhajans and my favorite songs on youtube all day, which gave me peace of mind. Youtube has become my favorite app now! ❤️

Music really has healing powers and when you don’t feel like talking with anyone, immerse yourself in the world of music and it will definitely bring you peace! ❤️

In devotional music, Guru Raghavendra Swamy’s bhajans and shlokas are my favorite. Whenever I feel nobody can understand me, and also when there are instances in my life which I can’t share with anyone else (not even with my Amma as I don’t want to worry her ❤️), that’s when Guru Raghavendra Swamy comes to my aid. Through his bhajans, I talk to him and he shows me the way. Not all would believe, but I get the answer to my talks within a day. That’s the power of my relation with him and those who believe in him will know how he’s always with us, taking care of us, knowing all the battles that we face in life.

Sharing my favorite picture of Guru Raghavendra Swamy with all of you. The way he is hugging Krishna depicts so much love that I feel very happy just looking at this picture. ❤️

So, I am dedicating this sweet that I learnt recently from Usha Thukaram mai, which we loved a lot, to my Guru Raghavendra Swamy. 🙏 Today is Thursday (Guruvaar) and my Guru’s day. An apt day to post this Sheera as prasad to him. Om Shree Guru Raghavendraya Namaha 🙏

This sweet is very easy to make and a unique twist of adding roasted poha powder instead of semolina, gives it a wonderful flavour. Do try for a change and I am sure you will love it. Happy and healthy cooking!

Thank you Usha Thukaram mai for your recipe. You had once said that you see me as your daughter. Just want to say that I will never forget that and always admire you for your amazing dishes that you post. Love, respects and seeking blessings from you! ❤️🙏

RECIPE: { Serves 2 }

Ingredients:

1 Cup thick or thin Poha / Aval / Flattened rice / Beaten rice

3/4 Cup Jaggery (I used powder)

2 Tbsp Ghee

6 to 8 chopped Cashews

6 to 8 Raisins

2 Cups Water

1 tsp Cardamom powder

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp ghee in a pan and roast the poha on medium flame till it turns light brown in colour. Allow it to cool.

2. Add to a mixer and powder it finely.

3. Now heat the rest 1 Tbsp ghee in the pan and fry cashews and raisins in it till cashews turn brown in colour. Add 2 Cups water and bring to a boil.

4. Add the powdered poha along with jaggery powder. (If adding jaggery as blocks, melt jaggery first in the water and then add the poha powder.) Mix continually removing lumps if any.

5. Now cook mixing continually on medium flame till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Takes about 8 mins.

6. Add cardamom powder. Mix well and remove from the flame. Serve hot or cold. Both tastes yummy.

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Notes:

* You can use both thick or thin Poha for this recipe.

* Make sure to not burn the poha while roasting. Remove from flame as soon as it starts turning brown in colour.

* For 1 Cup Poha, 2 Cups water and 3/4 Cup jaggery works well for me. It turns out sweet enough for our taste buds. If you have a extra sweet tooth, you could increase the quantity of jaggery to upto 1 Cup.

* When poha powder is added to the hot water, there is chance of it forming lumps. So mix continually with a spatula removing lumps if any.

* If using jaggery blocks instead of powder, melt it in the water and then add the poha powder.

* Also, if the jaggery you use has impurities in it, make jaggery water separately (3/4 Cup jaggery in 2 Cups water). Sieve and then add the water to the roasted cashews and raisins.

* Don’t skip the cardamom powder as it enhances the flavour so much.

* I found that as the Sheera is kept in room temperature, it increases the taste than when had hot. So I would suggest to make this sweet a bit ahead of time for the poha to absorb the flavours well. The tagline behind this Sheera is ” As time went by, the Sheera kept tasting better and better! 😄”

* Here is yet another Sheera that I make always with Rava/ Semolina: Jaggery Sheera

* This is the compilation of all my Easy 15 mins sweet recipes.

Dosa corner, Konkani Recipes

Mushti Polo | Traditional Konkani style soft dosa

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My 25th dosa on my Dosa Corner page!! And what’s better than this dosa, our very own Mushti Polo which I have grown up eating almost every week as a kid. This super soft dosa with raw mango chutney is a combination that brings back all the nostalgia of childhood (and how carefree and fun that was! 😍)

Though I never realized the value of how much my grandmother and mother tried to make us eat healthy then, I understand it very well now after becoming a mother. Guess that’s what is called “Life is a full circle!” (also, I remember my mother’s dialogue whenever she got angry ” You will know this after you become a mother in future 🤣🤣).

Yes, I truly understand now. 😂 All these traditional recipes are all that we need in our life to eat healthy. Dosas especially being fermented or probiotic food and very good for our body. Pair it with a chutney or sambar and it is a complete meal in itself.

Hope you all try this dosa. All amchis know this dosa. It is actually called Mushti dosa meaning all ingredients are added in fist measurement using hands (Mushti is fist in Konkani). I thank my Amma for sharing her recipe with me. ❤️ Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 8 dosas }

1 Cup Raw white rice ( I use any medium grain rice available here )

3 Tbsp Urad dal ( I use split ones )

1 Tbsp Methi / Fenugreek seeds

1/2 Cup thick or thin Poha / Beaten rice

1/2 Cup fresh or desiccated Coconut

Salt to taste

Ghee or oil to cook the dosa

Step by step recipe:

1. Take rice, Urad dal and Methi in a large bowl.

2. Wash well and soak in enough water for atleast 4 hours. Now drain the water and add to a mixer. Also add poha and coconut.

Note: I don’t wash poha as it’s really clean here. You can wash it in running water and then add if it has grains in it.

3. Add about 1 Cup of water along with salt and grind to a smooth paste. Pour into a large bowl.

4. Keep it in a warm place at room temperature for about 8 to 10 hours. Since it is winter season, you may need to ferment even upto 12 to 14 hours for the batter to ferment well.

5. Now heat a dosa pan and add a ladle of batter in the center of the pan. Do not spread this dosa. Cover and cook on medium flame adding oil or ghee till the surface cooks.

6. Remove and serve hot with a chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* I make Ambuli Chutney or Raw Mango chutney with this. Since we don’t get raw mangoes readily here, I use the ones leftover from pickle jars.

* Just grind three to four small mangoes from pickle jars (or about 1/4 Cup of fresh raw mango) with 1/2 Cup Coconut, 3 to 4 red chillies, Hing and salt with water to a smooth paste. This is a thick chutney.

* You can substitute Hing with 3 to 4 garlic cloves instead. I use Hing during fasting or Pooja days and garlic on other days.

* You can also use green chillies instead of red chillies.

* This dosa is a thick one and to be roasted only on one side on medium flame.

* I get many queries about the kind of rice I use. I just use raw white rice of any brand which is available here. Not basmati nor any idli/ dosa rice. Just medium grain white rice which we get from nearby supermarket.

* You can check all my 25 dosas on my Dosa Corner page.

Dosa corner

Sabudana Dosa | Sago and Rice Dosa

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I know I am posting a lot of dosa recipes which is evident from my Dosa corner page but it is the most requested from my readers too. I guess making different yet tasty breakfast everyday is a challenge which everyone faces (just like me 😅).

I have been making this Sabudana dosa which I found in Asha Satish Philar mai’s cookbook since many years now. It turns so soft and fluffy. The texture resembles set dosas available in restaurants. My kids love it with ginger chutney and butter.

So here is yet another dosa (hope you all are not bored 😂). Happy and healthy cooking!

I thank Asha Satish mai whole heartedly for this amazing recipe of hers. Thank you mai. 😍🙏

RECIPE: { Adapted from “The Konkani Saraswat Cookbook” by Mrs Asha Satish Philar }

Ingredients: { Makes 18 to 20 dosas}

3 Cups white Rice

1 Cup Sabudana/ Sago

1 Cup Urad dal

1 Cup Poha / flattened rice

Salt to taste

Ghee or oil to cook the dosa

Step by step recipe:

1. Wash well and soak Urad dal, sago and poha together in a large bowl with enough water. Wash well and soak rice in another bowl. Soak for atleast 4 to 5 hours.

2. Grind the urad-sago-poha mixture to a smooth paste. Remove in a bowl. Grind rice with little water to a smooth paste.

3. Mix both the batters and keep in a large bowl. I divided the batter into two bowls to avoid spills after fermentation.

4. Ferment the batter overnight or for atleast 8 hours.

5. Heat the dosa pan and add a ladle of the dosa. Make a thick dosa. Cover and cook on medium flame till the surface cooks. Add ghee or oil.

6. Remove from flame and repeat the same with the rest of the batter. Serve with a chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* Leftover batter can be refrigerated and used the next day.

* This dosa is very soft and needs to be cooked on medium flame on one side. No need to flip the dosa.

* Both thick or thin Poha can be used. Does not make much difference.

* I have used the small size sago seeds. I am sure it will work well with the big sago seeds too. Just that it might need extra soaking time.

Idli Stand

Mallige Idli

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Mallige is Jasmine flower in Kannada and just like jasmine flowers, these idlis turn out pristine white, very soft and delicate. I have been using this recipe for making idlis since a long time and love how beautiful they turn out apart from being very soft.

My husband’s aunt too loves this recipe and follows it for making idlis. They live in a farm and have to feed workers when some farm work is going on. So these idlis come handy as they use less urad dal as compared to regular idlis, yet turn out super soft. So it is economic specially while making huge batches.

I have been lucky enough to get to stay in the farm for about 4 months right after my marriage while hubby had to go back to Qatar after his vacation. Those few months of living in the farm gave me a lifetime of lessons and beautiful memories. Some of them are:

* How to live life without internet or proper phone access and still it was super fun and I hardly used my phone except to talk with hubby or my mother.

* How beautiful it is to wake up to birds chirping amidst greenery and just sit looking at its beauty early in the morning.

* How to treat workers like our own family and feed them with love to their hearts content.

* Hubby’s aunt whom I lovingly call mhave is a very generous person and I learnt from her to never let any person who comes to our house leave empty stomach. The way they treat their guests is simply amazing.

All these and many more memories of living there are etched in my heart forever and I thank God for the unforgettable and precious experience.

Here’s sharing the idli recipe. Hope you all try and love it. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 26 Idlis}

1 Cup White rice (OR 2 Cups Rice Rava)

1/2 Cup Urad dal

1/2 Cup Poha or flattened rice or rice flakes or Aval

Salt to taste

Oil to grease the idli plates

Step by step recipe:

1. Soak the urad dal for about 4 hours in a large vessel.

Note: If using rice, soak rice too for 4 hours.

2. Grind to a fine paste. Add to the large (preferably) steel vessel.

3. Add washed Poha and rice ( or Rice Rava)in the mixer and grind for few minutes. Not to a fine paste. Mixture should be grainy.

4. Now add to the ground urad dal batter. Mix well with hands. Then keep for fermentation overnight or for 8 to 10 hours.

I had ground the batter with double the measurements. So kept in two large steel vessels just in case it spills after fermentation.

5. The fermented batter. Though it does not seem so, the batter had risen double the size and was perfect with air bubbles in it.

6. Put the batter in the greased idli moulds and steam for 20 minutes or till done.

Steaming hot super soft and spongy Idlis are ready!

7. Remove and serve with a chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* I usually serve these Idlis with Raw Onion chutney and it makes a delicious combination. For the chutney, grind together about 1 Cup of coconut gratings with 3 to 4 Red chillies and 1 medium sized Onion and salt. Remove in a bowl and drizzle coconut oil. Mix well and serve. No need to heat the coconut oil.

You can use either Rice or Rice Rava to make these idlis, depending on what you have available. I regularly use Rice now to make these idlis. Also I use mixie and not grinder to grind the batter.

* Idli rava is rice rava or rice semolina and not wheat semolina or rava that we use to make upma.

* Don’t add more idli rava than mentioned or the Idlis will turn slightly hard. The measurement is perfect to get the softest and spongiest Idlis.

*You can make super soft dosas too with this batter. When using idli rava in the batter, the dosas turn crispy. When using rice in the batter and if ground smooth, it gives really soft dosas.

* For all varieties of Idlis, instant ones, unique ones and millet ones, you can check here

: Different Varieties of Idlis (21 Varieties of Idli recipes)

* Leftover Mallige idlis can be used to make Idli Usli or Seasoned idlis. Tastes so yummy that I make more idlis just to enjoy Idli Usli the next day.

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Idli Stand, Millet recipes

Ragi Urad Idli | No rice idli

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I have already posted Instant Ragi idlis that I make always. Even though it comes out soft, it has Eno fruit salt as an ingredient and I like to use it as less as possible. So those Idlis are kept for days when I forget to soak for idlis and dosas but still need to make a healthy breakfast for the family.

Ragi Urad Idlis are the ones I make always and it turns out soft and fluffy naturally without the need of Eno or soda. In fact the batter ferments so well that I am always scared if it will overflow and take great care to keep it in a very wide bowl with a plate underneath.

My kids love these Idlis very much and call it “chocolate” Idlis. The day I make them, they ask for it and eat it the whole day. So I steam and keep the whole batch for their idli demands. It remains soft even after 12 hours of steaming them. Such is the magic of naturally fermented foods.

Sharing the recipe which I have been following for years. Hope you all try and love it too. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 26 Idlis }

4 Cups Ragi flour/ finger millet flour/ nachni ka atta

1 Cup Urad dal

1/2 Cup thick or thin Poha/ flattened rice

1 tsp Methi / Fenugreek seeds

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Wash well and soak urad dal with methi for 3 to 4 hours.

2. Drain the water and add the soaked urad dal and methi along with Poha and grind to a smooth batter. Pour into a large bowl.

3. Add Ragi flour and salt. Whisk well or mix with hands to remove lumps.

4. Keep this batter to ferment overnight or for atleast 8 hours.

Love how much this batter rises. More than thrice. So do keep it in a large bowl. Else batter might overflow outside the vessel.

5. Add in idli moulds. Steam for 20 mins or till done.

Notes:

* When you add the ragi flour, make sure to whisk really well and the batter consistency should be slightly thicker than dosa batter consistency. So don’t add much water.

* Please remember that this batter rises very well. Atleast thrice its size. So keep it to ferment in a large bowl. Also keep a plate underneath to catch any overflow just in case.

* These Idlis taste the best with Peanut Onion Chutney.

* Dishes with Ragi that I make always:

Instant Ragi Idlis

Instant Ragi Rava Dosa

Ragi Set Dosas

Ragi Jaggery ladoos

Ragi Ela Ada

Ragi Butter cookies

Eggless Ragi Chocolate Cake

Ragi Malpua

* All my idli varieties: Variety Idli Collection

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Dosa corner, Konkani Recipes

Magge Surnali | Mangalore cucumber sweet dosa

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I have already posted the basic version of Surnali / sweet and spongy dosa. This version is like an upgrade to it by adding Mangalore cucumber. The addition has so many benefits like:

* The dosa turns out very soft and porous as you can see from the pictures.

* The aroma that the mangalore cucumber gives out is simply heavenly.

* You are adding a vegetable in your diet even without your knowledge. (This is the main reason I make these dosas atleast once weekly. Kids love it and they don’t realise they are eating a vegetable hidden in it 😁)

There was one more reason last year why I made this dosa too often. My husband loves gardening had planted these Mangalore cucumbers from seeds that he got from the core of store bought ones and we had a yield of about 50 of them from our kitchen garden. Yes 50!!!! Here is a picture of some of them.

Since they have a very good shelf life, I kept it as such on counter top and it lasted us a good 6 months. Looking at them everyday made me so happy. ♥️

Sharing the dosa recipe for all of you to try and enjoy too. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

2 Cups of peeled, cored, cubed Mangalore cucumber / Magge/ Velarikka

2 Cups Raw Rice (Any variety of white rice)

1/2 Cup grated coconut ( fresh/ desiccated)

1 Cup Beaten rice/ Poha

1/2 Cup Curd

3/4 Cup Jaggery

1 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Ghee to cook the dosa

Recipe:

1. Wash well and soak the raw rice for 2 to 4 hours.

2. Take the peeled, cored, cubed mangalore cucumber and grind to a fine paste.

3. Now add soaked rice along with Poha, jaggery, coconut, curd, turmeric and salt to a smooth paste. Add buttermilk instead of water while grinding for spongier surnalis. Pour into a steel vessel. Mix well with hands to start fermentation.

5. Keep aside covered for 8 to 12 hours or overnight.

6. Take a ladle full of the batter and pour a thick dosa. Add ghee on top.

7. Cover and cook on low flame till the dosa cooks. (This dosa requires low flame to cook. Else it will turn black due to jaggery in it.)

8. Remove and serve hot with butter.

Notes:

* Any variety of white rice ranging from Sona masoori to short grain white rice (used for eating) works well to make this dosa.

* You could substitute curd with buttermilk.

* Ensure the batter is a slightly thick ( not very thick) smooth paste and not watery to get perfect surnalis.

* The amount of jaggery is to taste. You could increase or decrease as per your taste. You can also skip jaggery and make plain dosas with Mangalore cucumber.

* I substitute Mangalore cucumber with watermelon rind ( the white part) sometimes and it tastes delicious as well.

For regular Surnali without Mangalore Cucumber, you can try this recipe:

Surnali

For more Dosa recipes, check my Dosa Corner page.

Dosa corner

Instant Oats Poha dosa

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Motherhood means you spend hours in the kitchen cooking something special for kids only for the kids to be making a face at it and demanding something else. 😅 I am sure all mothers will agree with me that this has happened atleast once with them.

In my house, there is a constant demand for dosas. My toddler who barely knows few words can say Bobbo which means dosa in baby Konkani language. I usually keep dosa batter ready for such times but there are some days when the batter gets over.

This Instant Poha Oats dosa was invented on one such day and is a keeper for me when I need to give in to dosa demands by the kids instantly. Sharing the recipe as my kids love it. Hope you all try and love it too. Though there is no comparison to regular dosas in terms of taste, still the best you can achieve during times when you need to make something quickly.

Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 10 dosas}

2 Cups Semolina/ Rava/ Sooji

1/2 Cup Instant Oats

1/2 Cup thin or thick Poha/flattened rice

3 Tbsp Curd/ Yogurt

Salt to taste

2 1/2 Cups water to make the batter

Ghee to cook the dosa

Step by step recipe:

1. Take semolina, oats, Poha in a blender.

2. Grind using water to a fine paste.

3. Add curd and salt. Grind to a smooth paste.

4. Batter is ready to use.

5. Heat a pan and when medium hot, spread the batter into a circle.

Note: If the pan is very hot, you won’t be able to spread this dosa. So keep the flame medium hot while spreading.

6. Cover and cook the dosa till done.

7. Now drizzle ghee. Flip and cook for few seconds till done.

Serve with chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* This dosa tastes the best when cooked with ghee.

* You can keep the batter at room temperature for couple of hours if you have time.

* This dosa turns out soft in texture but you can cook a little while longer if you like it crispy.

* Although it does not taste like regular dosa, it is the closest in taste to it and that too instant to make along with being healthy.

* My kids love this dosa with sambar.

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Idli Stand

Instant Poha Idli

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It has been long I have not penned down any recipe on the blog but my husband has been pestering me to not leave this first baby of mine for the next two babies who take up all my time now. So here goes a very easy, simple recipe of Instant Poha idlis.

My 5 year old ( I am sure all kids do that) has this habit of demanding me foods at odd times and not this or that. She’s very clear about her choice. Like one night she came at 8 pm demanding white idlis. No matter how much I explained to her that idlis take soaking, grinding, fermenting, she wanted white idlis as she was having a high craving for them it seems. 😅

So as my mommy brain worked overload, I remembered these Instant Poha idlis by Roopa Bhandary akka. Quickly made it with her favourite chutney and there was a happy girl. My one year old also loved it.

So ever since these idlis have become a regular fare in my kitchen since its a kid approved one (parents know how important that is) and here I am sharing it with all of you.

Hope I can share more recipes. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 13 idlis}

1 Cup = 240 ml

1 1/2 Cup Idli Rava/ Rice Rava

1 Cup thin Poha/ flattened rice

1 Cup Curd/ Yogurt

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Take Idli Rava in a mixing bowl.

2. Add thin poha, curd and salt to it.

3. Mix well and add little water if needed to bring the batter to idli batter consistency.

4. Pour the batter in idli moulds and steam for 20 mins or till done. Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* This idli does not taste like regular idlis and the texture is also different but definitely a good option when we need to make something quickly as it needs no soaking , grinding or fermenting.

* Use thin Poha and not thick Poha to make these idlis. If using thick Poha, soak it for about 15 mins in the curd and then blend to a fine paste before adding to the idli rava.

* Serve with a delicious chutney and I am sure your family will love it like mine does.

* Here is my Tomato chutney recipe. Goes really well with these idlis.

If any doubts, do message me on my Facebook page Healthy cooking with mithaor on my Instagram handle and I would be happy to help. Happy cooking!