Time saving and wholesome

VERMICELLI and sago can be grouped as "quick method" or short cut convenience foods which are partially prepared and often need only flavourings. There are many time saving recipes using these. Here is a selection of them:

Vermicelli puliyodarai

Ingredients:

Vermicelli 200 g Puliyodarai mix 50 g Salt to taste Curry leaves, a few Mustard 1/2 tsp Red chillies 2 Bengal gram dhal 2 tblsp Groundnut 50 g Oil 4 tblsp

Method:

Cook vermicelli and cool. Heat oil. Season with mustard seeds, channa dhal, groundnuts and red chillies and remove from fire. Add the puliyodarai. Mix salt, cooked vermicelli and curry leaves. Serve cold.

* * *

Vermicelli idly

Ingredients:

Black gram dhal 100 g Vermicelli 250 g Salt to taste Curry leaves, a few Coriander leaves Ginger 1" piece Coconut, grated, 50 g Carrot, grated 25 g Green chillies 10 or 12 (chopped) Cashewnuts 7 or 8 (fried)

Method:

Soak black gram dhal for two hours and grind to a fine paste. Allow to ferment overnight. Roast vermicelli. Add to the paste. Mix well and add salt. Add green chillies, coriander leaves and ginger. Fry the cashewnuts in a little ghee. Add the masalas and nuts to the batter. Mix lightly. Fill the idly mould with the prepared batter and steam for seven to 10 mins. Serve hot with chutney.

* * *

Vermicelli sweet pongal

Ingredients:

Vermicelli 200 g Green gram dhal 50 g Ghee 50 g Sugar/jaggery 150 g Coconut grated 50 g Cardamom 7-8 Cashewnuts 1 tblsp Raisins 1 tblsp Saffron, a pinch

Method:

Roast vermicelli and green gram dhal separately. Cook the dhal in sufficient water. Add roasted vermicelli to dhal. Mix well. Cook till vermicelli is soft. Add sugar and ghee and cook till the pongal is thick. Heat a little ghee, fry the coconut, cashewnuts and raisins, add to the pongal. Also add powdered cardomom and saffron. Mix thoroughly and serve hot.

* * *

Vermicelli Bagala Bhath

Ingredients:

Vermicelli 225 g Ghee 4 tsp Water 350 ml Salt 1 tsp Curds 1 cup Milk 1/2 cup Ginger 1 piece Green chillies 2 Mustard seeds 1 tsp Curry leaves, coriander leaves

Method:

Heat ghee and fry vermicelli till lightly brown. Add water and salt and boil till it becomes soft. Remove from fire and let cool. When cool, add curd and season with mustard, chopped green chillies and ginger and garnish with curry leaves and coriander.

* * *

Sago vada

Ingredients:

Urad dhal 150 g Sago 45 g Salt 1 tsp Green chillies 4 or 5 Ginger Curry leaves, few Oil for frying

Method:

Wash urad dhal and soak for two hours. Grind with salt to a thick batter. Soak the sago for one hour. Add to the urad dhal batter, also add chopped chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Squeeze out the water from sago and mix it with the dhal paste. Heat oil. Moisten a banana leaf and place a small ball of batter, flatten and make a hole in the middle and deep fry in hot oil. Serve hot.

* * *

Sago pappad

Ingredients:

Sago 1/2 kg Green chillies 10 g Asafoetida 1/2 tsp Lime 2 large Salt 1/2 tsp Water 1-1/2 cups Plastic sheet

Method:

Soak the sago in water for about five hours. Bring water to boil. Add sago with salt and cook till sago becomes transparent and thick. Remove from fire and cool. Grind green chillies to a paste. Squeeze the lemon to extract juice. Mix green chillies paste and lemon juice to the sago liquid. Mix well, place spoonfuls of sago batter on a plastic sheet, flatten them lightly and allow to dry in the sun for 2 days. Peel off the dried pappads and store in container. (Keeps for six months). Deep fry them in hot oil when needed.

* * *

Sago payasam

Ingredients:

Sago 100 g Sugar 75 g Milk 500 ml. Cardomom, a few pods

Kesar (saffron) a few strands Cashewnut 5 g Ghee 2 tsp

Method:

Soak sago for one hour in water. Boil 1/2 cup water and cook sago till soft and transparent. Add saffron and sugar. Cook till sugar becomes syrupy. Add milk and cook till it becomes thick. Add powdered cardomom and decorate with fried cashewnuts.

* * *

Sago halwa

Ingredients:

Sago 1/4 kg Sugar 200 g Ghee 150 g Kesar 1/2 tsp Cashewnuts 50 g Cardomom a few pods Water 1 cup

Method:

Soak sago to soften. Boil water. Add sago, cook till thick and transparent. Add colour and sugar. Cook till mixture is thick, add ghee and cook till halwa leaves the sides of the pan. Remove and pour on to a greased plate, add cardomom powder and garnish with fried nuts.

VIJAYA BALU

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : Lessons from Kargil
Next     : It's more than power ... it's ash