Ancient Wisdom – Page 16 – Swarna Prashana

Thinai pongal (foxtail millet pongal)

Ingredients:

Foxtail millet -1 cup
Moong dal – 1/3 cup(dry roasted)
Ghee – 2tbl spoon
Cumin – 1 tbs
Pepper – 2 tbs
Curry leaf – 7 to 8 leaves
Ginger – 1/2inch(finely chopped)
Green chillies – 1 or 2
Cashew nuts – 5,6(sliced)

Method:

Wash the millets n add the dry roasted moongdal to it.
Add 3 times of water n required salt to it pressure cook them.
Leave 2 whistle and simmer it for 3 mints.
Then take a kadai,add 2 tbs of ghee n heat it .
First fry the cashewnuts n keep it aside then add cumin,ginger ,crushed peeper,green chillies,and curry leaf.Add everything to the cooked millet n dal.

Healthy richw pongal is ready.

Author: Seetha Lakshmi

I'm a homemaker and a mother of 7yrs old son.I strongly believe in Thirumoolar's word"Food is medicine". My quest regarding ancient food recipes started a year back. I'm very happy to share and learn through this initiative from Swarna prashana. View all posts by Seetha Lakshmi

Ragi Idiyappam/String Hoopers (Indian Noodles)

Ingredients:

Ragi flour – 1/2 cup
*Processed Rice flour – 1/2 cup
Salt – as required
Water – 11/2 cup
Oil – 1 teaspoon

What is Processed Rice

Take raw rice and wash it well. Then soak rice for 5-6 hours.Wash again twice and drain the water completely. Spread it on a white cloth for 1 day and allow it to dry. Then get it ground in the mill when it is slightly wet. Then fry the ground flour in batches on medium heat until a nice aroma comes. Spread it in a new paper and allow it to cool and then store in an airtight container.

Raw rice can be substituted with other traditional Rice like Black rice(Karuppu Kavuni), Immunity Rice( Mappilai samba),Diabetic/Arthirites ( Kattuyanam). But make sure to cook for some more time than the mormal rice.

Method:

Heat water in a vessel by adding salt and oil.
Once the water starts boiling add the rice and ragi flour in the centre and close the vessel with a lid and reduce the flame.
Cook for 7 to 8 mins.
Then switch off the gas and mix the contents well. Try using wooden spatula to bare the heat.

When its little warm knead it well with hand.
Then grease the idiyappam presser with oil and place a little quantity of this dough into it and squeeze it. Collect all the idiyappams and place it in a greased idly plate. Then steam this in idly cooker for 7 to 8 mins.
This can be served by sprinkling coconut and palm sugar powder.

Can also be had with vegetable stew, coconut chutney or any other gravy.

Or Can be dunked in flavoured coconut milk (which is considered to be very healthy and only drink which is closer to mothers milk). This flavoured milk can be prepared by adding elachi powder and palm sugar powder to the coconut milk.

Tip: Name it as Chocolate Noodles Kids will eat themselves jus by listening to the name.

Author: Saranya

I’m HomeMaker and a mother of 1 year old baby girl. I have 6 yrs of IT experience with Accenture and IGATE and currently taken break to take care of my little one. I have an interest towards home made ancient recipes which is very healthy for kids and adults and hence started preparing all those at home and thought of sharing the same with all parents. View all posts by Saranya

Pearl Millet Chutney

Ingredients:

Bengal gram – 2 tblspn
Urad dal – 2 tblspn
Red chilly – 3
Onion – 1
Pearl millet /Bajra/Kambu – 1/4 cup
Oil
Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida powder and curry leaf – little.

Method:

In a pan add oil and fry red chilly urad dal and Bengal dal till golden brown. Then add chopped onion and pearl millet and fry well. Then allow it to cool. Then add salt and grind it to a chutney consistency by adding water.

Then in the same pan add oil mustard seeds cumin seeds asafoetida powder curry leaf and saute well then add this to the ground chutney. Mix well and serve.

Very Healthy accompaniment for Idli and dosa, felt really good as my daughter loved this yummy recipe. Do give it a try!!!

Author: Saranya

Black Rice Sweet Paniyaram

Ingredients:

Karupu kavuni Rice -200g

urad dal 25g

fenugreek seeds 1/2 tbsp

Cardamom powder a pinch

Jaggery Powder 250ms

Dry ginger powder 1tbsp

Method:

Soak the Black rice, urud dal and methi seeds for 4 hours. Grind to idli batter consistency and let it sit for overnight fermentation

Add jaggery powder, dry ginger powder and a pinch of cardamom powder after fermentation.

Heat oil in a pan or paniyaram vessel and make healthy tasty sweet paniyarams.

This Black rice can be substituted with other traditional Rice like Immunity Rice( Mappilai samba),Diabetic/Arthirites ( Kattuyanam), Black rice flour (Karuppu Kavuni),normal Idli rice….

Mixed Millets Health mix

Ingredients:

Finger millet -200gms
Traditional pearl millet -200gms
Kodo rice – 100gms
Little millet rice- 100 gms
Foxtail rice-100gms
Barnyard rice -100gms
White jowar-100gms
Maize -100gms
Greengram- 10gms
Groundnut -10gms
Almonds- 5-6 nos
Cashew -5 -6 nos
Cardamom – 8 or 9

Method:

Dry roast all the ingredients separately except cardamom until it turns light brown and till u get a good aroma.
Get it grinded in the mill to get fine powder.
To make the porridge :
Take the required amount of health mix powder and mix it with water without any lumps..in low flame , stir the mix until the desired consistency.. U can add jaggery or palm sugar for sweeter version else it can be had warm with buttermilk n salt.

Recipe courtesy Nachal.

Author: Priyadarshini Somasundar

Priyadarshini is an Engineering graduate in Electronics and Communication. She used work for Dell, Later shifted to Chennai after marriage and worked in Ericsson as system analyst. I have always been passionate about our tradition and curious to know about our ancient wisdom and practices, which made me join this group. View all posts by Priyadarshini Somasundar

Healthy Wheat Cookies (Without Baking powder)

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour – 1 cup
Palm Sugar powder – 1/2 cup
Ghee – 1/4 cup
Dry Ginger Powder – 1/2 tsp
Milk – 2 to 3 tblspn

Method:

Preheat oven (Preferably OTG as microwave destroys the nutrition value in the food ) to 180 degree C.

Take ghee and Palm sugar in a bowl. Mix well. Add milk and mix well till it becomes creamy.

Then add dry ginger powder and mix well.

Add flour and knead it to a dough. Add milk if required.

Now roll this between like a chapathi and cut it into a different shape with cookie cutter and place it on the baking tray.

Bake it for 12 to 14 mins till it becomes golden color. Allow it to cool and will get harden as it cools down.

Wheat Flour can be substituted with other millets and mixed millet flour.

Author: Saranya

Gluten free Ragi cookies (Without Baking Soda)

Ingredients:

Ragi flour – 1 cup
Palm Sugar powder – 1/2 cup
Melted Butter – 1/4 cup
Milk – as required
Almond – 10 soaked and skin peeled
Cahew – 10 soaked

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degree C.

Take ragi flour in a pan and dry roast it on low heat till the raw smell leaves from it.

Take almond and cashew in a mixer and grind it to a smooth paste by adding little water.

Take all ingredients in a bowl including the ground paste and knead it to a dough. Add milk if required.

Now roll into a chapathi and cut it with different shapes using cookie cutter.

Then place it in a baking tray and bake it for 15 to 18 mins. Once cooled it will become hard.

Ragi can be substituted with mixed millet flour or any other Millet.

Author: Saranya

Instant Rice Dal Cerlac

This is a Travel friendly homemade baby food, which is really helpful for the new mums.

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup
Moong dal – 1/2 cup
Jeera – ¼ teaspoon
Asafoetida – a pinch

Method:

Take rice and moong dal wash it separately.
Dry roast rice in a kadai till it gets puffed up.
Dry roast dal, jeera, asfoetida.
Cool all the items and grind to a powder.
Sieve the ground powder to get a fine powder.

To Prepare instant cerelac

Take required amount of powder in a bowl.
Add hot water and mix well to get a thick consistency without any lumps.
Close the bowl with lid for 5 minutes.
After 5 mins open and mix well. Sprinkle little ghee if required.

The consistency can be adjusted by pouring more or less water.

Instant Homemade Baby food ready to be served to our little one.

Author: Saranya

Vaalaan sweet rice(Tail rice)

It is a one of the rare varieies of traditional rice which is around 300 years old. It contains 30 plus minerals. The paddy of this variety of rice has a tail like structure due to which this rice is called Vaalaan(Tail in Tamil) rice. Its really difficult to source this rice as many farmers do not cultivate this paddy.

Ingredients:

Tail rice_1/2 cup
Sesame seeds_1/2 tbl spoon
Greengram dal_1/2 tbl spoon
Powdered jaggery_1/4 cup
Grated coconut_1/4 cup.
Cardomom powder_1 pinch.

Method:

Wash and soak tail rice for 12 hrs
Dry roast sesame,greengram dal. Add jaggery ,cardomom powder, roasted items and grated coconut to the rice.

A Healthy delicious sweet is ready.

Tail rice can be substituted with other traditional Rice like Black rice(Karuppu Kavuni), Immunity Rice( Mappilai samba),Diabetic/Arthirites ( Kattuyanam)

Thank you Seethalakshmi for sharing this wonderful recipie.

Author: Seetha Lakshmi

Rice Puttu with Palm jaggery

Ingredients

*Processed Rice flour- 2 cups
Grated coconut- 4 tbsp
Water – as required
Salt – as required
Palm Jaggery

*What is Processed Rice

Raw rice can be substituted with other traditional Rice like Black rice(Karuppu Kavuni), Immunity Rice( Mappilai samba),Diabetic/Arthirites ( Kattuyanam)

Method

Take 2 cups of processed rice flour in a bowl. Add little salt.
Take palm jaggery in a vessel and pour water. Allow it to boil till the jaggery melts. Cool it. Then filter the jaggery syrup in order to take out the unwanted dust and mix it with the rice flour slowly with hands. The flour should have crumbly texture. When you take little flour and try to make a shape out of it the shape should be retained and when u break it, it should crumble. This is the correct consistency.
There should not be any lumps. Cover and keep it for 5 mins.

Take a idly cooker fill it with water and allow it to boil. Then place the idly mould and add the puttu mixture to it and close the vessel. Steam it till a nice aroma arrives. It would take around 10 mins.
Take the puttu out to a plate and allow it to cool. Gently crumble it with hand and add some coconut and sprinkle little ghee to it and serve.