Chow Chow Bath / Kesari Kichidi Combo

Chow Chow Bath / Kesari Kichidi Combo

"Chow Chow Bath"  was first introduced to me in Bangalore. I never heard of this combo before. Initially I said no to that combo as I was unsure about its taste and ingredients. After I knew that its a combo of Rava / pineapple kesari and Rava Upma / Sooji Upma, I was quite happy and it became one of my favourites.  Whenever I go to any Darshinis, I mostly order this combo as its so yummy with a mixed taste of both sweet and salt. Kesari, a delicious mouth watering sweet always remind me of the Marriage Tiffin time and takes me to that occasion all the time. Though we all make Upma regularly, once a while we can make this combo to make the Breakfast time more special. Kids will definitely love this combo as its colourful and yummy. This recipe is dedicated to my dear daughter who loves this combo very much.

Rava Kesari :

Ingredients

Rava / Sooji - 1 Cup

Sugar - 1 Cup ( Adjust according to your taste ) 

Water - 2.5 cups to 3 cups

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Cashewnuts - 12 - 15 cashews

Cardamoms - 3 or 4

Kesar Food Colour - 1 pinch ( For colouring )

Method

• In a heavy bottomed frying pan, heat little ghee and roast the cashews till golden brown and keep it aside.
• In the same pan, add the rava/sooji and dry roast them with little ghee on a low flame. Stir constantly till it turns golden brown.
• When you get a nice aroma, add water and a pinch of kesar food colour to the roasted rava and after its cooked to desired level, add sugar to the rava and allow them to cook for few minutes.
• When it slowly comes to a pudding consistency, add the crushed cardamom powder, roasted cashews and remaining ghee and stir them thoroughly for another 3 minutes.
• Transfer them to the serving bowl and enjoy.

Sooji Upma / Rava Upma / Rava Bath / Rava Kichidi 

This is the simpler version of rava upma which i always include while making this combo. Though we make different versions of Rava kichidi for breakfast, this goes well with a spicy chutney on its side.  I will post different versions in the following posts. 

Ingredients

Rava / Sooji - 1 Cup

Oil - 2 tbsp

Hing/Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Urad Dal / Minna Pappu / Ulutham Paruppu - 2 tsp

Channa Dal / Senaga Pappu / Kadalai Paruppu - 2 tsp

Green chillies - 3 ( slice it or cut into small pieces )

Crushed Ginger - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 stem

Peas - 1 handful

Red Onion - 1/2 cut into small pieces.

Method

• In a heavy bottomed frying pan ( preferably Non-stick), dry roast the sooji/rava till it turns golden brown. Stir constantly so that it does not turn black. Transfer them to a plate and keep it ready.
• In the same pan, add oil first. When it gets heated, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Hing, urad dal, channa dal. When its roasted, add the cut/sliced green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and red onion. Fry them for about 3 - 4 minutes. Add the frozen peas to the contents and fry them for another minute.
• Add 3 cups of water and required amount of salt to the pan. Cover the pan and allow them to boil for 3-4 minutes. While its boiling, reduce the flame and slowly add the rava/sooji into the water. Stir continuously while adding in order to avoid lumps in the upma. After adding the rava/sooji, mix all the contents uniformly and cover the lid till the sooji/rava gets cooked. Remove the lid and add a tsp of ghee into the upma and serve this with a side of spicy chutney. 

Cauliflower Curry / Cauliflower Poriyal - Type 1

Cauliflower Curry / Cauliflower Poriyal - Type 1

Cauliflower is low-fat, low-carb but high in dietary fiber and also loaded with folate, water, vitamin C and reduced the risk of Prostate Cancer. When I got introduced to this vegetable, my mom used to make this version of Cauliflower Poriyal. We loved to grab the small trees / florets of this Cauliflower and imagine eating a small tree. Though I have been making different versions of Cauliflower Curry, Gravy and Fry, this first version always have a unique place in my favourites list. Its a simpler version but it retains the taste of the vegetable perfectly and it goes well with the meals.

Ingredients

Fresh Cauliflower - 1 medium

Green Chillies - 2 or 3  ( cut into small squares )

Fresh Coconut Flakes - 2 tbsp or 1 handful

Oil - 3-4 tsp

Hing/Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 4 or 5

Salt - To Taste

Coriander Leaves - For Garnishing

Method

1. Take out the Cauliflower florets from the stem and wash them thoroughly with warm water just to kill any germs or insects if present.
2. Drain the florets and keep them ready.
3. In a kadai / pan, add oil first. When it gets heated up, add Hing, Mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, green chili pieces and fry them.
4. Add the Cauliflower florets, peas into the pan and sprinkle very little water on its top. Cover the lid and allow them to cook for 3-4 minutes.
5. After the cauliflower florets and peas are cooked thoroughly, add required amount of salt to it and fry them for another 2-3 minutes. Add the fresh coconut flakes and mix them well.
6. Switch off the flame and garnish the Curry with some coriander leaves.
7. Serve this simple and nutritious cauliflower curry along with hot rice and Sambar.

Tips/Variations

You can microwave the Cauliflower florets and Peas and then add them into the kadai to quicken the preparation process.