CARROT PULAV / CARROT RICE

Here is your ultimate comfort food...straight from your Mom's kitchen....

Loaded with the goodness of carrots and spiked with a dash of green peas....

Perfect for your packed lunch or a quick meal ...


INGREDIENTS

• BASMATI RICE -2 CUPS
• ONION- 2
• GRATED CARROT-2 CUPS
• GREEN PEAS (shelled) -1 CUP
• GARLIC-4 CLOVES
• GREEN CHILLIES-4
• CUMIN SEEDS- 1/2 TEASPOON
• BAY LEAVES -2
• CLOVES-4
• CINNAMON -2 SMALL STICKS
• OIL -2 TABLESPOON
• CASHEW NUTS -8 to 10
• CORIANDER LEAVES -FEW
• SALT TO TASTE

METHOD

• Soak the rice for 10 minutes.Drain keep aside for  10 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a pressure pan.
• Fry the spices.
• Add the chopped green chillies ,garlic and chopped onions.
• Fry for a few minutes.
• Now ,add the grated carrots,green peas(shelled).Fry for a minute.
• Add the drained rice and stir well.
• Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste.
• Bring to a boil in a pressure pan.
• Close the lid and place the weight.
• Cook for 4 whistles.
• Open the cooker after the pressure subsides.
• Fluff up the rice.
• Garnish with fried cashews and coriander leaves.
• Serve with any dhal or gravy of your choice.
• Even a simple raitha  and chips will be fine.

CARROT PONGAL

Here is a healthy and tasty pongal with the added goodness of carrots...

We all know that pongal is the South Indian equivalent of the Gujarati Khichidi...

It is a great comfort food made of rice and moong dhal...so it has the right amount of carbohydrates and proteins that gives you the power to kick start your day....

An added dollop of ghee adds to the taste and richness of pongal(if you are not counting calories....

This recipe has the extra dose of the taste and health benefits of carrots-A great source of Beta carotene  and Vitamin A.

Carrots help in improving your eyesight,makes your skin glowing and healthy and smooth  and helps in flushing out the toxins from your body...


INGREDIENTS

• RAW RICE-1 CUP
• SPLIT MOONG DHAL-1/2 CUP
• GRATED CARROTS-2 CUPS
• CUMIN SEEDS -1/2 TEASPOON
• PEPPERCORN-1 TEASPOON
• CASHEW NUTS-10 
• CURRY LEAVES -FEW
• OIL/GHEE-2 TABLESPOONS
• SALT TO TASTE.

METHOD

• Heat a pressure pan.Dry roast the moong dhal for a minute.
• Add the cleaned and washed rice to the dhal.
• Now add the grated carrots and sautee for a minute.
• Add 4-5 cups of water and pressure cook the mixture for 5-7 whistles.
• Remove the cooker from the heat.
• Open the cooker after a while and mash the cooked mixture with a ladle.
• Heat the oil/ghee and fry the cashew nuts,cumin seeds and peppercorns and add to the cooked mixture.
• Add salt to taste and garnish with a few curry leaves.
• Serve hot with your favorite chutney or/and sambar.

CARROT HALWA -MICROWAVE COOKING

A  generous helping of fresh and hot ,delicious carrot halwa-

The perfect comfort food for all seasons...ready in a jiffy!

INGREDIENTS

• GRATED CARROT- 2 CUPS
• SUGAR-1 1/2 CUPS
• CONDENSED MILK-2 TABLESPOONS

                        or

• MILK POWDER -2 TABLESPOONS
• GHEE-1 TABLESPOON
• MILK-2 TABLESPOONS
• ELAICHI-2-4
• FRIED CASHEW NUTS -FEW
• FRIED RAISINS - FEW

METHOD

1. Grind together the milk and grated carrots to a coarse consistency in a mixer.
2. Mix the sugar and powdered elaichi (cardamoms)to this mixture.
3. Keep this mixture in a wide mouthed large micro safe bowl.
4. Add the condensed milk/milk powder and ghee to this mixture.
5. Microwave for 10 minutes stirring once in 3 minutes.
6. If the carrots are very juicy ,you can microwave it for another minute or two.
7. Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with fried raisins and cashew nuts.

    Serve hot or cold.

CARROT AND CORIANDER CHAPPATHI

Here is a tasty ,healthy and colorful chappathi packed with the goodness of wheat,carrots,and coriander leaves...

Can you think of any better way to make kids relish their veggies and greens ?



INGREDIENTS

• WHOLEWHEAT FLOUR -2 CUPS
• WHOLEWHEAT FLOUR FOR DUSTING
• CARROTS -2
• CORIANDER LEAVES - 1 SMALL BUNCH
• OIL OR GHEE -3/4 CUP
• GREEN CHILLIES -3
• SALT TO TASTE 

METHOD


Chop the carrots ,green chillies and cleaned coriander leaves roughly.

Grind them  and some salt in a mixie to a coarse paste without water.

Add the ground vegetables to the whole wheat flour.

Add salt to taste.

Mix well.

Knead them to a dough with a little oil /ghee and a sprinkling of water.

Keep aside for 30 minutes.

Make lime sized balls out of the dough .

Dust them with some dusting flour .

Roll them into chappathis.

Cook  both the sides on a hot tawa.

Drizzle with oil or ghee and cook till light brown spots appear on the surface of these chappathis.

Serve  hot with any sabzi or just raitha and pickle.

Linking to....
http://haffaskitchen.blogspot.in/2014/08/my-1st-event-announcement-back-to-school.html

http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.in/2014/08/come-join-us-for-breakfast-august-event.html

CARROT PURI

The young and the old love puris....

When you add some carrots to your puris

 they get a whole new twist!

What easier and better way can you think of 

to make fussy kids gobble up veggies?

To make these delectable carrot puris you need

INGREDIENTS

• WHOLEWHEAT FLOUR-2 CUPS
• GRATED CARROTS -2 CUPS
• GREEN CHILLIS-4
• CUMIN POWDER -1/4 TEASPOON
• SALT TO TASTE
• OIL FOR FRYING

METHOD

• Grind carrots and green chillies to a coarse paste.
• To the  flour, add carrot -chilli paste ,cumin powder and salt.
• Mix well. 
• Knead to a stiff dough with enough water.
• Leave aside for 30 minutes.
• Roll into 3 inch puris.
• Deep fry in hot oil.
• Drain.
• Serve hot with fresh curds and pickled.

# Linked to  http://haffaskitchen.blogspot.in/2014/08/my-1st-event-announcement-back-to-school.html

linked to   http://www.indusladies.com/food/kids-lunch-box-recipes/

BEANS CARROT CURRY (PORIYAL)

HERE IS A COLORFUL, APPETISINGLY ,HEALTHY AND TASTY ,LOW- FAT VEGETABLE DISH.


INGREDIENTS

BEANS                           -100 GMS
CARROT                        -1
MOONG DAL                -1 TEASPOON
MUSTARD SEEDS         -1//4 TEASPOON
GREEN CHILLIES          -2
OIL                                  -1 TEASPOON
GRATED COCONUT     - 1 TABLE SPOON
SALT TO TASTE

METHOD
1.CHOP CARROTS INTO TINY PIECES. DICE BEANS AND CHILLIES FINELY.
2. HEAT OIL IN A KADAI. SPLUTTER THE MUSTARD SEEDS AND FRY THE CHILLIES.
3.ADD THE VEGETABLES AND MOONG DHAL. ADD ENOUGH WATER AND SALT TO TASTE..
4.BOIL WELL TILL THE VEGETABLES AND DHAL ARE COOKED.
5. GARNISH WITH GRATED COCONUT.

#SERVE WITH RICE VARIETIES OR EVEN CHAPPATIS.

CARROT - ASHGOURD PORITHA KOOTU

PORICHA KOOTU /PORICHA KUZHAMBU - IS A LESS SPICIER SUBSTITUTE OF THE

SOUTH INDIAN SAMBAR ....IT IS MORE OF DHAL AND VEGGIES AND A HELPING OF

COCONUT TOO WHICH ADDS TO ITS TASTE AND UNIQUE FLAVOR......



INGREDIENTS

CARROTS              -2
ASHGOURD          -1/4 KG
MOONG DHAL     -1/2 CUP
COCONUT            - I CUP
GREEN CHILLIES -3
CUMINSEEDS       -1/2 TEASPOON
URAD DHAL         - 2 TEASPOON
RED CHILLIES      -2
MUSTARD SEEDS-1/4 TEASPOON
TURMERIC PDR   -1/4 TEASPOON
OIL                         - 2 TEASPOONS
SALT TO TASTE
CURRY LEAVES   - FEW


METHOD

1.CUBE THE VEGETABLES AND COOK THEM TILL DONE.
 GRATE THE COCONUT.
 PRESSURE COOK AND MASH THE DHAL.
2. FRY 1 TEASPOON OF THE URAD DHAL IN A TEASPOON OF OIL.
3. GRIND TOGETHER THE FRIED URAD DHAL,CUMINSEEDS,GREEN CHILLIES AND THE GRATED COCONUT TO A PASTE IN A MIXIE.
4.MIX THE COOKED VEGETABLES AND COOKED DHAL. ADD THE GROUND MIXTURE TO IT.
5.ADD SALT AND TURMERIC POWDER TO THE MIXTURE AND BRING THE KOOTU TO A BOIL.
6.TEMPER THE KOOTU WITH 1 TEASPOON OF URAD DHAL AND MUSTARD SEEDS IN HOT OIL.
7. GARNISH WITH CURRY LEAVES.

# SOME LIKE TO TEMPER THE SEASONINGS WITH COCONUT OIL FOR THAT EXTRA RICH AROMA.

#SERVE HOT WITH RICE  WITH APPALAMS AND A DOLLOP OF HOT GHEE.