Proso Millet - Moong Kheer

 

Here is a millet based sweet recipe keeping the 'Navaratri' theme in mind. It is a delicious and easy kheer / payasam prepared with proso millet and moong. I  initially pressure cooked the millet and moong in water to save time and then further cooked it in milk and sugar. The millet and moong can also be cooked in a sauce pan on low heat until the mixture  reaches a soft and creamy consistency. It can be cooked in milk without the addition of water to make it more richer. Jaggery can be substituted instead of sugar in the kheer. This yummy kheer is fit to offer as a naivedyam on festive days or enjoy as a simple dessert.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup proso millet
1/4 cup yellow moong
1 & 1/2 cups of milk

3/4 cup sugar or to taste

1/8 tsp. cardamom powder

1 tbsp. ghee

1 tbsp. cashews

1 tbsp. raisins

Directions:

* Rinse proso millet and moong and pressure cook adding 1 and 1/2 cups water, for 3 whistles.

* Transfer the cooked moong - millet mixture to a pan, preferably a non-stick one. Add milk and cook until a desired consistency is reached or for about 10 - 15 minutes, frequently stirring. Add sugar and cardamom and cook further until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the stove.

* Heat ghee in a small pan and add cashews and raisins. Toast until the cashews turn golden brown  and raisins turn plump. Remove from the heat and add them to the kheer.

* Serve the kheer warm or chilled.

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A Goan Vegetarian Meal ~ Mangane

Let's move on to the western region of India today, Goa to be specific whose cuisine originated from the Saraswat cuisine. The cuisine belongs to Saraswat brahmins of the Konkan belt which includes the present day districts of Karnataka like Udupi, Uttara and Dakshina Kannada and Goa. The Konkan cuisine is a part of present day Goa, Karnataka and Maharasthrian cuisines since the Konkanis are spread through out the region. Most of the Saraswat brahmins eat fish / sea food similar to Bengali brahmins. 

And also of course the cuisine is influenced by the Portuguese who colonized it for over four centuries. In fact, Portuguese were the ones who introduced items like potatoes, tomatoes, guavas, cashews, pineapples, chili peppers to Goa which consequently  have become an integral part of Indian cooking. The modern Indian cooking would be at loss with out peppers and potatoes for sure. And also there are Catholics whose cuisine is a fusion of both the above mentioned cuisines. 

Use of kokum, a souring agent is a distinct feature of the Konkani cuisine. And of course there is coconut which is widely used in the coastal state where coconut oil is the cooking medium. Most of the Saraswat brahmins eat sea food and they follow a strict vegetarian diet on religious festivals and on certain days, particularly on Mondays. During those days, they have 'shivrak' food when they don't eat even onion or garlic. 

I built my menu around that 'shivrak' aka satvik concept and made a meal without onion and garlic. I made a simple Goan thaali a few months ago including cabbage foogath, a curry usually made with onions. Last week, I added a few dishes more and made another  Goan thaali without adding onion to the curry. Curry made with ridge gourd and the one made with radish and radish leaves seem to be the popular choices on the vegetarian days. I did not have both in my refrigerator and so settled for foogath sans onion instead.  I didn't have kokum or else I would have made some solkadi. The crisply fried potato slices with a semolina coating called batata kapa make a great side dish for any meal and have become recent favorite of ours. Mangane is the Goan version chana dal - sago kheer which is yummy and appears in festive meals and other occasions in Goa. Nevros / Neuroes, the Goan karanji was added to the platter as I had made them for Ganesh chaturthi recently. Yogurt which is a mandatory part in south Indian cuisine is not part of a Goan meal.

My simple vegetarian Goan thaali had these items and I am giving below the recipe for the kheer called mangane.

Plain Rice
Mango Pickle 
Cucumber slices
Cabbage foogath - A lightly seasoned cabbage curry (without onion)
Chanya ros - Dried yellow peas curry in a coconut base. 
Toi - Lightly seasoned lentils
Tomato Saar - Spicy tomato broth
Batata Kapa - Shallow fried potato slices with a semolina / rava coating
Mangane - Split chickpeas and tapioca pearls kheer cooked in coconut milk (Chanadal - Sago payasam)
Nevro / Neuroes - A crescent shaped fried dessert with a sweet coocnut filling

Chana dal payasam aka split chickpeas pudding is a personal favorite of mine and it used to be the most common payasam cooked in my dear mother in law's kitchen on festival days. The traditional dish is made through out south India, cooked either in a base of dairy or coconut milk with the addition of jaggery. It is called madgane (pronounced mud-ga-ne) in Konkani language. The Goan version is called mangane and has an interesting addition of tapioca pearls aka sago to it. 

I have made this kheer two times so far. I pressure cooked chanadal and sago together the first time I made this and then rinsed it with water. Whenever I make sago kheer, I rinse the cooked pearls in a colander thoroughly until all the starch is washed away. However I could feel the subtle sliminess clinging to chana dal while eating even though I could not see it visually and hated that feeling. (It may be just me.) I have now realized that cooking chana dal and sago individually and combining at the end would result in a perfect textured kheer. They are cooked together usually but I am picky that way. 😉 For a vegan version, skip the ghee and add the cashews directly to the kheer when jaggery is added.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chana dal / split chickpeas
1/4 cup sago / tapioca pearls
1/2 cup jaggery
1/4 tsp. cardamom 
1.5 to 2 cups coconut milk (adjust as needed)
1 tbsp. ghee
2 - 3 tbsp. cashew pieces

Directions:
* Rinse and soak chana dal in a bowl of water for about an hour or two. Similarly rinse and soak sago in another bowl of water for about an hour. Drain the water after the soaking period.
* Pressure cook chana dal adding a cup of water. Pressure cook sago adding about 3/4 to 1 cup of water. They can be cooked in two different stackable containers at the same time in a pressure cooker but don't combine them if you are like me.
* The chana dal should be well cooked but still holding shape. Don't drain the chana dal and save if any water present.
* Once the valve pressure is gone, transfer the cooked sago to a colander and rinse with fresh water until all the starch is removed. 
* Transfer the cooked chana dal, sago and jaggery to a non stick or heavy bottomed pan and cook on medium flame until the jaggery melts, stirring in between. The water saved after cooking the dal can be added as well if the mixture appears dry.
*  Add the coconut milk and cook for about 5 minutes on low heat setting. Add cardamom, stir well and turn off the stove. 
* Toast cashews in ghee until golden brown and add it to kheer. Stir and serve it warm.

Notes:
1. The chana dal can be cooked in thin coconut milk (the milk extracted while grinding the coconut the second and third times) instead of water. 
2. The sago can be cooked in stove top in a sauce pan adding enough water instead of a cooker. 
3. Pressure cooker method is the fastest way to cook chana dal but if following the open pot method, soak chana dal overnight or for more than a couple of hours to quicken the cooking process.

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A - Z Karnataka Cuisine ~ F for Field Beans Payasa / Avarekaalu Payasa

So far in my A - Z Karnataka Series
A - Akki Halbai
B - Biscuit Roti
C - Congress Kadalekayi
D - Davanagere Benne Dose
E  - Ellu Pajji

Finding a 'F' dish with a Kannada name is like looking for a needle in a haystack. There are practically no recipes that begin with 'F' sound and I had no choice other than to resort to using an English name.  Even the south Indian favorite Filter coffee that has been so entwined in the morning routine of millions of households cannot be claimed as a Kannada word. Recipes involving menthya - fenugreek in seeds or greens form, agase - flax seeds were some of the choices I had. And then I remembered avarekalu, the beloved winter beans of Kannadigas also can be called as field beans / hyacinth beans and that's what is the star of today's paayasa aka kheer. 

Avarekaalu or field beans is a winter crop and the markets in the Bangalore region are flooded with it during the season. My mother was mentioning that nowadays there is no seasonal limit as they are available year round. The quality however is superior during the winter season, she thinks. I am not sure about it but I got hold of some peeled beans during the month of August at V.V.Puram tindi beedhi during my last India visit. 

The stores did not carry peeled beans while we were growing up and trust me, peeling these avarekaalu is a chore. It used to be a family activity during evenings in many households especially when one has loads of beans on their hands. One need to separate the beans from the pods initially, being careful to check for the worms that may be lurking in some of the pods. The separated beans then get soaked in water for a few hours and again the thin, transparent covering over the beans are removed by squeezing in between one's thumb and forefinger. The beans need to be used immediately or need to be refrigerated since they go stale quickly. Freezing is a better option over refrigeration if there are no power cuts that happen to be a frequent occurrence in India.  Nowadays one can find the ready to use, shelled beans which is an obviously an easier option.  

Avarekaalu paayasa is one of the traditional kheer recipes from the state of Karnataka though not well known as much as the gasagase payasa or the poppy seeds kheer in the online world. Though the use of field beans in a sweet dish may sound unusual and even downright weird to some but trust me, it tastes delicious. Mostly people associate avarekaaalu with the local spicy curry preparations or throw a few in while making breakfast dishes like, rotti, dose, uppittu or make a chivda kind of snack. Trust me, try this if you can get hold of avarekaalu aka fresh field beans or hyacinth beans and you will be hooked. 

This paayasa has a pudding consistency and milk is not used in this preparation. The peeled beans are cooked and then simmered along with a coconut - poppy seed paste and jaggery. The addition of cardamom brightly flavors the payasa and the toasted cashews and raisins add a nice contrast to the smooth consistency of the payasa. Skip ghee from the recipe if vegan and add the cashews and raisins directly to the payasa at the final stages of cooking. Or they can be toasted in any flavorless oil. Add the cashews and raisins and skip adding the oil. 

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh field beans / avarekaalu /
1/2 cup shredded coconut / kobbari
1 to 1.5 tbsp. white poppy seeds / gasagase
1/2 to 3/4 cup jaggery / bella 
2 cardamoms / elakki
1 tbsp. ghee / thuppa
1 tbsp. cashews / godambi
1 tbsp. raisins / ona drakshi

Directions:
* Rinse and add avarekaalu to a container, Add enough water to top the beans and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. 

* Mean while, grind the coconut and poppy seeds to a paste adding water as needed. 
* Grind the cardamom seeds finely and keep aside. 
* When the valve pressure is gone, remove the cooker lid. Grind the beans into a smooth / coarse paste along with the water used to cook. Add extra water if needed. Grinding step is optional and I did according to my mother's recipe as I did not want to see all beans in my payasa. I left a few whole though. The cooked beans can directly be used in the next step if one doesn't mind their texture in the payasa.
* Heat a pot, preferably a non stick one and add jaggery and 1/4 cup of water.

* Let the jaggery melt. There is no need to form a syrup. If the jaggery being used is not clean, strain the jaggery water and use it. (My jaggery was clean and I didn't have to do it.)

* Next add coconut - poppy seeds paste and cardamom. Simmer for a couple of minutes. (One can add cardamom at the final stages of cooking as well.)

* Now add the cooked avarekaalu or the ground paste to the pan. 

* Stir well and add water as needed. The payasa gets thicker once it cools down and further thickens if refrigerated and so add water to the payasa accordingly. I haven't provided the water quantity but one can gauge the situation as the cooking progresses and can add water as needed. Let it cook on low flame for about 15 to 20 minutes. If the avarekaalu was added directly, lightly mash them with the back of the ladle. Keep stirring the mixture in between, especially if not using a non stick pan to avoid the payasa burning at the bottom. 

* Heat a small pan and add ghee. When it melts, add cashews and raisins. Toast them until cashews turn golden brown and raisins turn plump. 

* Add the toasted cashews and raisins to payasa and mix well. The payasa can be served warm or chilled as well.

Notes:
1.  I don't get avarekaalu locally and used frozen surti papdi lilva in this recipe though I  am not 100% sure that avaraekaalu and papdi are one and the same. Avarekaalu are not that vividly green as the frozen papdi lilva and are bigger in size. This is how avarekaalu looks like.
2. Jaggery quantity depends upon the sweetness of the jaggery being used and can be increased or decreased according to one's taste.
3. Fresh or frozen coconut can be used but not the dried or the desiccated variety. Thaw the coconut if using frozen variety.
4. Grinding the cooked avarekaalu is optional but recommended.

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Makhana Kheer / Makhane Ki Kheer

Phool makhana or the puffed lotus seeds are commonly used in some of the regions of India and Bihar is one of those states. This makhane ki kheer is commonly prepared during 'Makara Sankranti' in Bihar and obviously Jharkhand. This kheer was supposed to be a part of 'Indian Sweets and Snacks' that I posted during the September mega marathon. I resisted publishing it as I prepared a small portion of it and wasn't happy with the images. However I decided now to post it anyway since it perfectly fits the 'Festival Foods' theme this week.
 
The puffed lotus seeds is one of those ingredients that sound exotic and are healthy but got nothing to offer in the flavor department. They are basically bland on their own with a popcorn like texture. They can be toasted and spiced and eaten like a guilt free savory snack, can be used in curry recipes or to make this delicious kheer aka the Indian pudding. This kheer is simple, easy and quick to prepare. Toasted phool makhana can be finely chopped and added to the kheer if one prefers bite size bits in their kheer. Or 2/3rd portion of the makhana can be ground and added to the kheer to make it thicker. Addition of khoya is another yummy option to add body to the otherwise liquidy kheer. I saved a handful of makhana and powdered the rest to add it to the kheer. I also reduced the milk quantity by 1/3 portion by slowing heating it on low flame.   

Ingredients: (Yield 1.5 cups)
1 cup phool makhana / foxnuts / puffed lotus seeds
2 cups milk
Sugar to taste (I used about 8 Stevia packets.)
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom 
1 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. slivered almonds
1 tbsp. pistachios

Directions:
* Heat milk in a pan preferably a non stick one on low flame, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching at the bottom. If planning to reduce the milk and thicken it, boil it longer. 
* Meanwhile, toast makhana on slow flame until they become crunchy. One will be able to crush it with fingers. Save a few and grind the remaining makhana finely.

* If not thickening milk then one can add the ground makhana to milk as soon as it comes to a boil. Also add sugar and the makhana that were not ground. 

* Cook on low flame stirring occasionally until the phool makhana softens about, about 7 to 8 minutes.
* Add cardamom, raisins and nuts and cook for a minute more. Turn off the stove and serve warm or chilled. The kheer slightly thickens after cooling.

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'Indian Sweets and Snacks' - A Recap

Readers who follow my blog might me aware that I am a part of blogging marathon group where we sign up to post recipes each month. April and September months are meant for month long marathons where we post recipes each day with set themes, barring Sundays. I have been part of these mega marathons since it started excepting a few owing to my India trips. I posted some traditional sweets and snacks from India this September. Before posting round up of those recipes, below are links for my previous mega marathons with the mentioned themes. If interested, click on those links and you will find about 26 to 30 dishes in each category.

Apr 2019 A - Z Indian Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi Series
Apr 2018 A - Z Indian Street Food
Sep 2016 A - Z Indian Rice Dishes
Apr 2016 A - Z Andhra Cuisine
Sep 2015 Buffet on the Table
Apr 2015 Fire up Your Oven (Baking Recipes)
Sep 2014 Around the World in 30 Days (International Recipes)
Apr 2014 Indian Food Odyssey - Recipes from 30 States
Sep 2013 A - Z Event with 4 Set Themes
Apr 2013 Event with 4 Different themes


This September's marathon was based on Indian sweets and snacks, divided between four themes. This marathon was a learning curve with some surprises thrown in, indeed. I would have never thought that I would even try making the tricky khandvi or the tedious khakras from Gujarat, at home. For a person who doesn't even make urad dal vadas to avoid deep frying, Uttar Pradesh's dahi gujiyas were a revelation. I had no idea such a recipe even existed where a batter would act as an outer covering for stuffing a gujiya instead of a flour based dough and more surprising was that I enjoyed it with full gusto. Neither I had an inkling that I get to try and enjoy a delicious treat sitting in my home, that was originally created for the officers of British Raj in Ooty, a hill station in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. There was this snack from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, a spicy sev that was created to satiate the Mughal emperors and now boasts a GI tag to it's name. What was new and extremely pleasing in the sweets category was a simple yet flavorful kheer made with coconut water, coconut milk and the tender coconut meat which has become now my 'favorite' kheer. The black eyed peas based dumpling, pandoli was an interesting addition to my idli repertoire. Apart from these, if you are interested to see what other delicious Indian snacks I got to try this marathon, check out the below links.


The first week was meant for sweets and I went ahead with simple yet festive treats keeping in mind Navratri and Diwali festivals. What conjures up in my mind when I think about an Indian sweet is a laddu / burfi / kheer / halwa, or a stuffed sweet rather than dairy based sweets. My mind automatically associates the latter category or the deep fried varieties like jalebis / jhangri kind to a sweet shop / bakery somehow. I included a recipe from each of the above categories along with the ever popular jamun recipe, a dry one this time. 

Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde (South India)

Dry Gulab Jamun (North India)

Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai 

Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa

Elaneer Payasam (Tamil Nadu)

Godhuma Sojjappalu (Andhra Pradesh)

The second week's theme was to pick some traditional snacks from one particular state. I did not have to think much and blindly picked Gujarat, a state in the western part of India that happens to be the land of farsans aka snacks. The local cuisine not only has a wide range of deep fried snacks that have become popular among the Indian diaspora but also can boast about guilt free ones. I went ahead with the latter category picking the healthy, traditional snacks that can be enjoyed by everyone, including diabetics. Five of those dishes are steamed snacks and most of them can be enjoyed as a mini meal too. 

Damni Dhokla (Gujarat)

Doodhi Muthia / Lauki Muthia (Gujarat)

Dal Pandoli (Gujarat)

Sev Khamani (Gujarat)

Methi Khakhra (Gujarat)

Pressure Cooker Khandvi (Gujarat)

The third week was a free choice and we could pick whatever we preferred. I went ahead with some more guilt free, regional snacks that were mostly quick fix ones as well. None were deep fried except the kalmi vada chaat, where I used the vadas that were fried as part of the final week theme.

Bafauri (Chattisgarh / Madhya Pradesh)

Soy Beans Guggillu / Sundal (South India)

Jhal Muri (West Bengal)

Roasted Phool Makhana

Kalmi Vada Chaat

Spicy Corn Chaat

The fourth week was meant for eight traditional Indian snacks that were agreed upon beforehand by the participating team. The snacks chosen were from four corners of the country and a few proved to be new and delectable surprises to me.

'Aakukoora' Pappu Chekkalu (Andhra Pradesh)

Baked 'Millet' Handvo (Gujarat)

Ratlami Sev (Madhya Pradesh)

'Jowar' Kothimbir Vadi (Maharasthra)

Kalmi Vada (Rajasthan)

Ooty Varkey (Tamil Nadu)

Dahi Gujiya (Uttar Pradesh)

Vegetable Chop / Bhejetebil Chop (West Bengal)

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104.

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