Karnataka Kannadiga Recipes: Nimbe Hannina Chitranna | Lemon Rice

Chitranna is a favorite rice base dish of karnataka especially from Bengaluru and Mysore side. There are many varieties in Chitranna like Mavinakai Chitranna(Raw Mango Rice), Nimbe Hannina Chitranna (simply called Chitranna or Lemon Rice), Sabbasige Soppu Chitranna(Dill leaves Lemon Rice). Among all,  Nimbe Hannina Chitranna is very easy to make recipe yet liked by every one. Here it goes.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked Rice
• 1-2 table spoon peanuts
• ½  table spoon mustard seeds
• ½  table spoon urid dal
• ½  table spoon chana dal
• 2-3 green chillies cut into 2 halves
• ½  table spoon termeric powder
• 2-3 table spoon Lemon juice
• 2-3 table spoon chopped coriander leaves
• 1-2 table spoon Oil/ghee
• Curry leafs
• Salt as per taste

Method:

• Heat oil/ghee in a pan.

• When heated up add mustard, when it pops up add chana dal, urid dal, peanuts, curry leaves,green chillies. Fry a bit untill peanuts are fried. 

• Now add termeric, salt.
• When the mix cools down a bit, add cooked rice and mix well.

• At last add chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with curd or raita or just as it is.

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Indian Snacks Recipes: Ragi Pudding | Ragi Duddali | Ragi Halbai | Ragi Halubai | Ragi Chocolate For Kids Especially For Preschoolers

Ragi or what we call Finger Millet is very rich in proteins and calcium. All Doctors advice parents to give Ragi products to kids. I have already given one recipe of Ragi, Wholesome Porridge, which can be given to kids till 3 year. But as kids grow up, their taste buds also become active. J. They would want a change. So here is another healthy and delicious recipe of Ragi, which my son loves to eat as I call it chocolate.

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Servings: Many, It can be preserved in refrigerator as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Ragi(Finger Millet)
• 2 table spoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup jaggary
• 2 cups water
• About ¼ teaspoon crushed cardamom
• 3 table spoon chopped nuts 
• 1 table spoon ghee for greasing

 Method:

• Mix Ragi powder, Cocoa powder and water thoroughly and pour it into a heavy bottom cooking vessel/kadai.
• Keep on stirring as it should not form lumps.

• Add more water to get the consistency for around 10 minutes.
• Add jaggary now, keep on stirring for another 15 minutes.

• Now it will start thickening.
• Add cardamom and chopped nuts.

• Grease a plate with little ghee and pour the mix.

• Make a medium thick layer so as to cut it into pieces.
• Ragi chocolate is ready to serve

 PS:  It is a soft chocolate, which preschooler would love to eat.

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Home Made Indian Complete Baby Food Recipe For Toddlers

Once baby completes 6 months, only breast milk is not sufficient for its growth. The biggest question in mothers mind regarding weaning is, what to serve and how to serve solid food for the first time to our tender love. As kids grow up, their taste buds also become active. They would want a change. Here is another recipe of Ragi for young kids, Ragi Chocolate.

Another Healthy Recipe: Ragi Chocolate 

Here is a very Healthy Meal Idea for infants.

Wholesome Porridge

Ingredients:

• Brown rice
• Raagi(Finger millet )
• Wheat
• Soya beans
• Green gram
• Brown chana
• Dried green peas
• Nuts like cashew, almond, pistachios, peanuts (to be added only while roasting, not to be soaked)

Method:

• Take 1 measure of all the above items(Say 100 gms) separately and wash them thoroughly.
• Soak them overnight separately.

• Remove the water(Drain it) from all items and get all the above items sprouted by keeping it warm for another 8 hours.
• Let all the items dry separately under sun for  a day.
• Roast all the items separately over stove till it turns to slight brown.
• Roast above given nuts, half the measure of other grains (say 50 gms).

                

The Ingredients

• Grind all the items to fine powder.
• Store it in a air tight container.

Preparation:

• Take 2 table spoon of above powder.
• Mix it in warm milk to not to form lumps.
• Add jaggery, and milk.
• Move the container over stove on a low flame.
• Keep on stirring.
• When it comes to semi solid state, turn off the stove.
• A healthy meal for a toddler is ready with wonderful aroma.
• Serve the child warm porrdge, ghee, salt or cardmom if needed.

Here is the nutrition value of the recipe:

• Wheat is rich in Protein
• Raagi is rich in Calcium
• Brown rice is rich in Fibre, and Vitamin B
• jaggary is rich in Iron, Minerals and Vitamins
• Soya beans is rich in Proteins, Folic Acid and all the essential fatty acids
• Sprouted grains is rich in natural Vitamins, Food Enzymes, Amino Acids and Omega 3
• Nuts contain Vitamin E
• Green peas is rich in vitamin C

PS: To start with, take only 1 type of grain, if baby can digest then only add next one and continue. This recipe can be given thrice a day till 2 years along with other fruits and vegetables. After 2 years, when our baby is completely on regular food, then also we can give this porridge once a day. Because this recipe is very much rich in all the Vitamins and Proteins.

Here are few healthy breakfast recipes for preschoolers..... 

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Karnataka Havyaka Recipes : Majjige Huli

Majjige Huli is a very popular Karnataka dish, actually a Havyaka Recipe in particular. As the name suggests, this dish is a coconut and yogurt(majjige in kannada)  based gravy, spiced with green chillies and flavored with cumin that is added to the vegetable.  The veggie could be either tindora, green peppers/capsicum, potatoes, cucumbers, okra/lady's finger, brinjal/eggplant, ash gourd/ winter melon or even the yard long beans, called "Alasande" in Kannada.  Here I have used cucumber and tindora (thondekai in kannada), as the combination tastes great.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 big cup buttermilk
• 7-8 green chillies
• Chopped vegetables(Tindora and Cucumber) – 2 cups
• 1 cup fresh grated coconut
• 2 table spoon oil for seasoning
• 1 table spoon mustard seeds
• 1 table spoon cumin seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 – 3 red chillies
• Salt – as required

Method:

• Cut the Tindora and Cucumber into large pieces.
• Boil in a little water until soft.

• Blend together the coconut and green chillies.

• Add this paste to the above mix

• Dilute with some water if needed.
• Bring to a boil on a low flame.

• As salt as required
• Season with mustard, cumin, red chillies and curry leaves.

• Remove the vessel from the stove.
• Add buttermilk/yogurt and mix well.

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Rice Kheer | Rice Pudding | Rice Payasam Recipe

Rice Kheer also known as rice pudding, is an important and traditional Indian sweet dish. Rice Kheer is a classic dessert, very traditional to the Indian subcontinent.  Here is a very quick and easy rice kheer recipe. A great way to use left-over rice.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes including time for preparation of Rice

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 500 ml Milk
• 250 gms Rice
• 200 gms Sugar
• 50 gms ghee 
• 3 table spoon chopped nuts 

Method:

• Pick and wash the rice.
• Soak in water for 30 minutes.

• Drain completely.
• Melt the ghee in a pan, add the drained rice and saute for 5-7 minutes on a medium flame.

• Add milk and cook on a low flame till the milk is reduced to 3/4th its original quantity.
• Add the sugar and simmer further till the milk is reduced to half its original quantity.

• Garnish with nuts roasted in ghee.

PS:  We could use the left over rice as well. If that’s is the case, just add rice in a kadai and use half the quantity of milk (that is 250 ml). And follow the same procedure. Beleave me, one cant guess the used rice is left over rice. :)

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Authentic Sabudana Khichdi | Pearl Sago Khichdi | Vrat Or Fast Recipe |

Sabudana Khichdi is a Marathi dish. The main ingredient in this dish is Sabudana and Potato.  Sabudana is also called as  tapioca or pearl sago. It is a very popular vrat recipe.  In Maharastra, sabudane ki khichadi is a very common recipe for fasts

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Sago (Sabudana)
• 1 medium Potato
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon  cumin seeds
• 4-5 green chillies
• 1/4 cup peanuts/ peanut powder
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 table spoon sugar
• 2 table spoon lime juice
• Salt to taste
• Chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method:

• Wash Sabudana nicely for two to three times so that no powder is left.
• Drain water completely and keep it covered for 3 to 4 hours.

• Keep mixing it time to time, so that Sabudana is not completely dry and Sabudana grains are separate and moist. Sprinkle some more water as and when needed.
• Cook the Potato in pressure cooker and then chop the potato into small pieces.

• Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin seeds and peanuts.
• Roast on a low flame until the peanuts brown.

• Add the green chilies and stir for a minute.
• Add chopped potato and Sabudana, salt and sugar.

• The most important thing is to keep churning the Sabudana. if left unattended it will stick to pan and turn hard like rubber.
• Sabudana will change colour once it is cooked.

• Add the lemon juice a minute before taking it off the heat.
• Mix well. Remove from heat. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

 PS:  Here I have used crushed peanuts. Peanut powder also goes well with this dish.  Grated coconut  can also be used for the decoration. It gives a great taste to the dish as well. While making khichdi, do not cover the pan, else it will turn into an elastic ball.

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Green Moong Dry Curry | Mooga Usli | Sprouted Whole

Moong beans, are not only a good source of protein, but also they are very rich in fibre, potassium and B- vitamins. They contain low levels of fat, cholesterol and sodium. Sprouted Moong is also rich in Phosphorous, which is necessary for healthy bones and teeth. This is the reason doctors also advice sprouts for babies and children of all age. Here is a very tasty recipe of sprouted moong, Mooga Usli.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 big cup Green Moong sprouted
• 1 medium onion
• 10 – 12 garlic pods
• 1 medium tomato
• 4 table spoon grated coconut
• 2 table spoon red chilli powder
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

 Method:

• Soak the moong overnight or for about 8-10 hours in enough water. Drain water the next day and allow it to sprout by keeping it for another 6-7 hours without water. Moong gets sprouted very nicely. Now add water and keep the Moong aside for one more hour.

• Heat oil in a kadai, add garlic and sauté for 3 minutes
• Add onion and sauté till the onion turns little brown in color.

• Add tomatoes and fry for another 2 minutes.
• Now add red chilli powder and turmeric powder.

• Now add sprouted Moong into the kadai and mix well.
• Add little water for the moong to cook, cover the kadai with the lid and keep for 10 minutes.

• Add salt to taste and grated coconut, mix well and cook for another 2 minutes on a low flame.
• Mooga Usli is ready to serve with chapatti/roti/rice as a side dish.

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