Avocados are a tropical fruit which is available throughout the world. It is known for its high fat content when compared to other fruit, mostly monounsaturated fat. It has a subtle flavor and a creamy texture. Since, it has a tendency to turn brown quickly, you can use some lime or lemon juice after cutting them. Normally, I use avocado to make guacamole but I wanted to try different recipes using avocados. I like the taste of guacamole, so, I used this as a base for the rotis.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 large ripe avocado, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
4-5 green chillies, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup water or less, for the dough
1 tsp oil, for the dough
Method:
In a blender, add the avocado, garlic, and green chillies and make a creamy paste. Keep aside.
In a mixing bowl, add the whole wheat flour, salt, avocado paste and chopped cilantro leaves. Mix well. Add oil, little water and knead well to make a soft and non-sticky dough. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
Take a small piece of the dough, say lemon size, and roll into medium-sized rotis. Heat a pan with medium heat and cook the roti on one side till it turns lightly brown. Drizzle some oil on the roti and flip it over to cook on the other side. Serve hot with peas curry or some dal.
Makes 7-8 rotis.
Payasam is a traditional South-Indian sweet dish usually made with milk, rice and jaggery. It is a common dish in Hindu celebrations. This dish is high in protein and much lighter when compared to the traditional rice-based payasam. It is a quick and easy sweet dish that can be served warm or chilled.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup yellow moong dal (dehusked split beans)
3/4 cup jaggery (unrefined whole cane sugar)
1 cup water
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 cup boiled milk
8-10 cashews
1/4 cup grated coconut (optional)
10-12 raisins (optional)
1 tbsp ghee
Method:
Fry the moong dal until golden brown and soak in enough water for one hour. In a pressure cooker, boil the dal for 1 whistle and mash it.
Add jaggery and some cardamom powder. Mix well and allow to boil till raw smell goes away. Add the grated coconut and stir. Boil milk and let it cool to room temperature. Mix both after it cools down. For a variation, you can replace regular milk with regular/light coconut milk (I prefer light) for a tasty cup of sweet goodness (if you use coconut milk, use directly with the cooled down dal and jaggery mix).
Cut the cashews into halves and fry in ghee until golden brown. Add to the payasam and mix well. If you find the payasam to be too thick, you can add 1/4 -1/2 cup boiled milk (room temperature). Serve warm or cold.
Makes 5 servings.
Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated among South Indians. It is observed as a thanksgiving to the Sun God for the good harvest season. It is celebrated by preparing a dish with rice and jaggery (unrefined whole cane sugar) and offered to the Sun God. It is a sweet dish which is so easy to prepare and is commonly known as Sakkarai Pongal (Sweet Pongal).
Ingredients:
3/4 cup raw rice
1/2 cup moong dal (dehusked split beans)
3/4 - 1 cup powdered jaggery (adjust to suit your taste)
4 cups water
1 tsp cardamom powder
Few strands of saffron (soaked in hot milk)
4-5 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
10-12 cashews
Pinch of salt
Method:
Fry the moong dal until slightly golden brown and then soak the dal with raw rice for about an hour.
In a pressure cooker, add the rice and dal, water and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 3 whistles. Powder the jaggery finely and mix with the boiled rice till it reaches a watery consistency. Typically, when I add jaggery, I don't usually measure as I look for the color of the pongal. When I feel, its dark enough, I stop adding. Make sure you add just enough as you don't want it overly sweet.
Add the powdered cardamom and mix with the rice. Soak the saffron in hot milk for 2-3 minutes. Add the saffron to the rice and mix well. Now, add 4 tbsp ghee and stir the rice to blend well.
Cut the cashews into halves and fry in ghee until it turns golden brown (you can also add raisins, if you wish). Add to the rice and mix. Serve hot.
Makes 5-6 servings.
