MASALA UPMA

Upma is a Breakfast item prepared by everyone with rava, semolina.  One must eat this very hot along with chutney, choley it tastes awesome with choley.

Masala upma is made with vegetables and sambar powder or you can put any kind of masala for flavor.  I used sambar masala and vegetables and it was quite tasty with raita, papad.  You  can also serve the same with any kind of  chutney. It is quite a simple preparation like the normal upma with addition of spices  and vegetables, that is all.

I was bored of eating the normal upma so I decided to prepare the same this way and goes well with onion  raita and papad too.  Even if there is no accompaniments, it is fine.

Now let us look at the recipe now:

LAPSI UPMA, DALIA UPMA, BROKEN WHEAT UPMA

Varieites of upmas are made by us. one of the healthy upma is made with lapsi also known as dalia, broken wheat rava, godambu rava etc.  

I make this very often as my weekly menu is set.  Monday morning idli, followed by dosa, next day, upma, adai, bhakri, kanda poha, kozukkattai etc.  it keeps on changing depending upon the mood  of my children and availability of time etc in the morning.

Since it is good for health and also can be made with vegetables which makes it more healthier and tasty, I prefer to prepare the same on Saturday/Sunday as we can have it hot.  I prefer to have it hot just like that or with some pickle or sambar or chutney.  

video: Lapsi upma, broken wheat upma dalia upma

Let us look at the recipe now:

DALIA IDLI

I want to try the cracked wheat i.e. dalia idli since so many days.  Yesterday as I was grinding  for idli, I felt that the Urid dal  is more for the quantity of rice hence I removed some urid dal batter from it and kept aside.

It must be around 3/4 cup of urid dal batter so I soaked 1/4 cup cracked wheat and mixed both and kept for fermenting. Since the climate was bit cool after a pre monsoon rain, it did not become sour much.  I tried the idli and came out well and served with sambar.

Since I liked it, I am posting the recipe here for you too.

LAUKI DRY SUBZI

Calabash, bottle gourd or white flowered gourd, sorakkai, dudhi, lauki are the names for this vegetables.  It is also known as opo squash or long melon, is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable or harvested mature, dried and used as bottle, utensil or pipe.

They grow in a  variety of shapes, can be huge and rounded,small and bottle shaped or slim and serpentine.

It has got many health benefits hence you can include this vegetable atleast once in a week in your diet.

Lauki dry subzi

CHAKKA PAZHAM PORI, JACKRUIT PAZHAM PORI, JACKFRUIT FRITTERS

Pazham pori or Banana fritters are made with Ripe  Nendran Pazham.  This banana is available plenty in Kerala and this is a lovely snack enjoyed with a cup of tea. 

Similarly, we can make the pazham pori with ripe jackfruit also.  Yesterday I happened to buy a small jackfruit as it was plenty in the market due to Vat Poornima today.  I was thinking of making the pazham pori with jack fruit since long but could not make it.  The reason behind is that myself and my children are very fond of jack fruit and as soon I bring it home, it is finished within seconds.

Since I had enough jackfruit and only myself and my daughter were there to have the entire fruit, I thought of making the fritters with it.   It is dipped in the batter and deep fried and served along with a cup of tea or coffee.  Video link here

Let us look at the recipe now:

TEA MASALA

Normally, we add crushed ginger while making tea.  I love the tea masala also in it. 

A simple and easy tea masala made at home by my neighbour Mrs. Anjali Takalkar and shared for posting on my blog.   Thanks to Anjali for sharing this simple and lovely recipe and thanks for the lovely tea too.

Once we were sitting and chatting on a Sunday, she said she will make tea for us.  As it was around 5.30 pm and we wanted to have the tea very badly.  The tea was very nice and  I asked her which tea masala she is using.  She said it is home made one.  

I asked her for the recipe and she shared the same with me for posting.

Here is the simple, easy and lovely tea masala for you.

SOYA FLOUR KHEER

Today is Vat Savitri/Vat poornima.  It is similar to the Nombu, the South Indian ladies observe.   According to legend, great SAvitri tricked Lord Yama, the lord of death and compelled him to return the life of her husband Satyawan.    Hence, married women observe this for the well being and long life of their husband. 

Infact you do not need any reason to make any food items as,  if we want to eat, we can make it any time and no need to wait for any occasion or any guest coming home.

However, on the occasion of  Poornima and Vat Savitri, I prepared this kheer for neivedyam.

Let us look at the recipe now:

BABY CORN BHAJIA

Baby corns can be eaten as it is when it is tender.  I just love to eat as it is.  If I want to make something out of it, I must get two packets otherwise I will end up eating the whole stuff as it is and there wont be anything to make the dish.

Corn cobs are roasted in coal, apply nimbu salt mirch masala on it and have. It is yum.

Baby corn can be used to make salad, subzi, bhajia etc.  This photo graph was in my folder since two years and I totally forgot about it.  Today I was searching the folders one by one for rangoli, I found the same and checked the blog whether I posted the same or not and it was not there. Hence I decided to post the same now.  

Reason for posting this at the right time as the rainy season is going to start and you will enjoy this hot bhajia along with a cup of tea or coffee definitely.

Let us look at the recipe now:

PAPAYA PARATHA

When my children refuse to eat the vegetables, I always use them in making parathas.  Papaya is one of the vegetable and fruit they do not eat.  Hence I made this paratha today and was quite tasty. 

Papaya has got many medicinal values.  Papayas offer not only the luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics, but are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium, copper, and magnesium; and fiber. Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple,  to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.  Video will be uploaded soon.

BAKED BRINJAL

Baingan bharta is a famous North Indian dish served along with roti.  The brinjal used for making this dish is used here for making the baked brinjal wth some tomatoes cooked with honey and sugar spread on top of it.

I always say that this is a vegetarian fish jokingly to my children.  I love the brinjal curry, kootu, poricha kuzhambu with karamani, bharta, bhajia etc. made out of baingan ie.. brinjal.  Since so many days, I wanted to make the brinjal marinated with some masala and baked.

Last week I got the opportunity to try this as I was having lot of time in the evening and had planned to make hence I had purchased the baingan.

Now let us look at the recipe now without wasting time much.