It has a soft and crumbly texture — not too soft like upma and not too dry like podimas.
Perfect for busy mornings and weight loss diet.

How to make Ragi Aval Egg and vegetable stir fry

Now lets see how to make this Finger millet egg and vegetable stir fry or the ragi aval upma recipe

Ingredients

• Ragi aval – 1 cup
• water – 1/2 cup
• eggs – 4 (for vegetarian version add panneer and vegan version, add tofu)
• vegetables of your choice – 1/4 cup oi – 2 tbsp
• mustard seeds – little
• urud dal – 1/2 tsp
• cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• green chilli – 2 chopped finely
• curry leaves – a handful
• asafoetida – little
• onion – 1 medium sized
• salt – as per taste
• turmeric – less than 1/4 tsp
• coriander leaves for garnishing

Description

• Soak ragi with half cup water. use the same cup used for measuring the ragi.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard, urud dal, cumin and fry a min.
• now add the green chilli, cury leaves and asafoetida.
• Add the onion and saute well.
• Add vegetables and sauté well.
• Break eggs and scramble well with the mixture.
• Add soaked ragi aval and mix well
• Add salt and turmeric. Cook until crumbly texture forms.
• Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Tips

Do not over soak ragi aval.
Cook in medium flame to maintain crumbly texture.
Add more vegetables for kids.

FAQ

Is Ragi Aval good for weight loss?

Yes, it is rich in fiber and keeps you full for longer.

Can I skip egg?

Yes, you can make it completely vegetarian. Add panneer to make it as a vegetarian dish and add tofu to make it full vegan dish

Can it be stored?

Yes you can store it. But I advice you to consume with in the same day, so you can feel the freshness of egg and ragi.

ragi aval egg recipe
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The post Ragi Aval Egg and vegetable stir fry Recipe | Healthy Millet Breakfast appeared first on Learning-to-cook.

Ragi Aval Halwa is a quick and healthy sweet made using ragi flakes, coconut and ghee. This recipe is perfect when you want a homemade dessert without spending too much time in the kitchen.

Easy Ragi Aval Halwa made with ragi flakes, coconut and ghee. A healthy millet sweet recipe ready in 10 minutes and its Perfect for beginners. If you have sudden guests in your house, and you want to make something healthy and sweet and this ragi flakes halwa is your go to recipe.

What is Ragi Aval ?

Ragi aval is flattened ragi (finger millet) flakes, similar to poha but made from ragi. It cooks quickly and is rich in iron, fiber and calcium. Ragi aval or Finger millet flakes is healthier than rice flakes and taking this millet flakes is a healthier choice for your daily life.

Why You’ll Love This Ragi Aval Halwa Recipe

• Ready in 10 minutes
• Made with millet
• No maida
• Beginner-friendly

If you like halwa recipes, then check my other halwa recipes like below and some quick sweet recipes

• carrot halwa
• Badam halwa
• Apple halwa
• Banana halwa
• Tradional mango halwa
• Quick mango halwa
• Tradional carrot halwa
• Beetroot halwa
• Chana dal halwa
• Milk Halwa

Check my other Millet recipes like

• Ragi aval egg and vegetable stir fry
• Foxtail millet sweet pongal
• Ragi idiyappam
• Instant Ragi dosa
• Ragi Semiya upma

Now lets see How to Make Ragi Aval Halwa

Ingredients

• 1 cup ragi flakes
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 1cup powdered jaggery (adjust)
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 8–10 cashews
• 1 cup water
• Cardamom powder little
• Salt a pinch

Procedure to make the Halwa

Heat ghee in the pan lightly and add the cashews. Fry the cashews until golden and keep it separately.

In the same pan, add the freshly grated coconut and fry till it turns into light brown in med flame. Remove and keep it aside. Now without adding any ghee, add ragi flakes and lightly roast.

Add water and cook until soft. The ragi flakes starts to thicken and comes to a sticky consistency.

Now add powdered jaggery and mix well, till the jaggery fully melts. Add a pinch of salt and Mix well.

At this time, add the fried grated coconut and mix till ghee oozes out from the sides of the pan. Cook until halwa comes to a thick and glossy texture. Add the fried cashews and little cardamom.

Mix it well and serve it hot hot.

Serve warm and enjoy!

If you love my recipes, then do subscribe to my Youtube channel for latest videos. For recipes in Tamil – Just Samayal (detailed videos). Check my video for easy understanding

Recipe to make the Halwa

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Ragi Aval Halwa

Ragi Aval Halwa is a quick and healthy sweet made using ragi flakes, coconut and ghee. This recipe is perfect when you want a homemade dessert without spending too much time in the kitchen. Easy Ragi Aval Halwa made with ragi flakes, coconut and ghee. A healthy millet sweet recipe ready in 10 minutes and its Perfect for beginners.

Course Dessert, sweet

Cuisine Indian, South Indian, tamil nadu

Keyword ragi, ragi aval

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 2000kcal

Author Akila

Cost 5

Equipment

• 1 pan or kadai

Ingredients

• 1 cup ragi flakes
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 1 cup powdered jaggery adjust
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 8 –10 cashews
• 1 cup water
• Cardamom powder little
• Salt a pinch

Instructions

• Heat ghee in the pan lightly and add the cashews. Fry the cashews until golden and keep it separately.
• In the same pan, add the freshly grated coconut and fry till it turns into light brown in med flame. Remove and keep it aside. Now without adding any ghee, add ragi flakes and lightly roast.
• Add water and cook until soft. The ragi flakes starts to thicken and comes to a sticky consistency.
• Now add powdered jaggery and mix well, till the jaggery fully melts. Add a pinch of salt and Mix well.
• At this time, add the fried grated coconut and mix till ghee oozes out from the sides of the pan. Cook until halwa comes to a thick and glossy texture. Add the fried cashews and little cardamom.
• Mix it well and serve it hot hot.

Notes

Instead of powdered jaggery you can use sugar or palm sugar, and adjust according to your taste. If using jaggery with impurities, melt and strain before adding.
always serve the halwa immediately, for best taste.
Even though it is made with millet aval, the calorie content will be high because of jaggery, ghee and coconut. So if you are into weight loss, then just have a teaspoonful of halwa. it is nutrient rich, but energy dense.
Use medium-thick ragi flakes for best texture. Thin flakes may turn mushy.
Always roast ragi flakes lightly before adding water. This enhances flavor.
Cook on low–medium flame to avoid burning at the bottom.
Halwa thickens as it cools, so stop cooking when slightly soft.

Storage option

Best served fresh. Can be stored in refrigerator for 1 day.

Frequently Asked Questions – Ragi Aval Halwa

1⃣ What is Ragi Aval?

Ragi aval is flattened ragi (finger millet) flakes, similar to poha but made from ragi. It cooks quickly and is rich in iron, fiber and calcium.

2⃣ Is Ragi Aval Halwa healthy?

Yes, it is healthier compared to maida-based sweets because it uses millet. However, since it contains jaggery, ghee and coconut, it is calorie-dense. Enjoy in moderation.

3⃣ Can I replace jaggery with sugar?

Yes, you can use sugar instead of jaggery. The taste will be slightly different. Jaggery gives a deeper, traditional flavor.

4⃣ Can I make this halwa vegan?

Yes. Replace ghee with coconut oil. The flavor will change slightly but it still tastes delicious.

5⃣ Why is my halwa dry or hard?

This happens if:

1. Too little water is added
2. It is overcooked
3. Sugar syrup or jaggery becomes too thick. Add a little warm water and mix to loosen the texture.

6⃣ Why is my halwa sticky?

If jaggery syrup is not strained or if excess water is added, halwa may turn sticky. Cook a little longer until it thickens.

7⃣ How long can I store Ragi Aval Halwa?

It stays good:
At room temperature: 6–8 hours
In refrigerator: 1–2 days
Reheat with 1 tsp ghee before serving.

8⃣ Can I add milk instead of water?

Yes, you can replace water with milk for a richer taste. However, shelf life reduces if milk is used.

9⃣ Is this recipe good for kids?

Yes, ragi is rich in calcium and iron. Reduce jaggery slightly if making for small children.

Can I make this for festivals?

Absolutely! This halwa is perfect for small poojas, Navratri, or as a quick prasadam-style sweet.

Notes or tips for this Ragi flakes halwa

1. Instead of powdered jaggery you can use sugar or palm sugar, and adjust according to your taste. If using jaggery with impurities, melt and strain before adding.
2. always serve the halwa immediately, for best taste.
3. Even though it is made with millet aval, the calorie content will be high because of jaggery, ghee and coconut. So if you are into weight loss, then just have a teaspoonful of halwa. it is nutrient rich, but energy dense.
4. Use medium-thick ragi flakes for best texture. Thin flakes may turn mushy.
5. Always roast ragi flakes lightly before adding water. This enhances flavor.
6. Cook on low–medium flame to avoid burning at the bottom.
7. Halwa thickens as it cools, so stop cooking when slightly soft.

Pro Tips for Perfect Texture

For softer halwa – Add 1–2 tbsp extra hot water at the end.
For richer taste – Replace half water with milk.
For glossy finish – Add 1 tsp ghee at the final stage.
For grainy texture like temple style – Do not overmix after sugar melts.
For extra flavor – Add a pinch of edible camphor (very little!).

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The post Ragi Aval Halwa | Easy Ragi Flakes Sweet Recipe appeared first on Learning-to-cook.

Also this is one of the first millet recipe in my blog. Soon planning to try various recipes with different millets.

Ingredients

Foxtail Millet – 1 cup
moong dal – 3/4 cup
Ghee – 5 tbsp
water – 5 cups
powdered jaggery – 2 cups
salt – less than 1/4 tsp
cashews – 10 to 12
raisins – 10 to 12
cardamom – 3 crushed

Thinai Sakkarai Pongal – A Healthy Twist on the Classic Sweet Pongal
If you’ve grown up in Tamil Nadu or any South Indian household, Sakkarai Pongal (also called Chakkarai Pongal) is more than just a dish — it’s pure comfort in a bowl. That rich, ghee-laden aroma, the melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the perfect balance of sweetness from jaggery makes it irresistible, especially during festivals like Pongal, Navarathri, or Thaipusam.
But what if we could enjoy this traditional treat while adding extra nutrition? Enter Thinai Sakkarai Pongal — the wholesome version made with foxtail millet (thinai) instead of rice. Foxtail millet has been a part of Tamil cuisine for centuries, praised in ancient texts, and it’s making a strong comeback today as a superfood.
Why Choose Thinai (Foxtail Millet)?
Foxtail millet is a powerhouse grain:
Low glycemic index — helps manage blood sugar better than regular rice.
Rich in iron, magnesium, protein, and B vitamins.
Supports digestion, boosts metabolism, and keeps you fuller for longer.
Gluten-free and diabetic-friendly when consumed mindfully.
Swapping rice for thinai gives you the same creamy, comforting pongal experience with added health benefits — perfect for everyday indulgence or festive occasions without the guilt.
Ingredients (Serves 4–5 people)
½ cup thinai (foxtail millet)
¼–½ cup moong dal (pasi paruppu / yellow split gram) — use ½ cup for richer, creamier texture
¾–1 cup jaggery (powdered or grated) — adjust to taste; organic works best
1–1½ cups water (for cooking millets)
½–1 cup milk (or plant-based milk for vegan version)
3–4 tbsp ghee (divided)
10–12 cashew nuts
10–15 raisins
¼ tsp cardamom powder
Optional pinch of edible camphor (pachai karpooram) for that authentic temple-style aroma
Step-by-Step Recipe
Prep the grains
Rinse the thinai and moong dal together 2–3 times until the water runs clear. (Some people dry-roast them lightly for extra aroma — optional but recommended.)
Pressure cook
Add the rinsed thinai + moong dal to a pressure cooker.
Pour in 1½–2 cups water + ½ cup milk (total liquid ≈ 3–4 times the grain volume for mushy consistency).
Cook for 4–5 whistles on medium flame until soft and mushy. Let pressure release naturally.
Alternative (stovetop): Cook in a heavy-bottomed pan, stirring occasionally, until fully soft (may take 25–35 minutes).
Prepare jaggery syrup
In a separate pan, add jaggery + ½ cup water. Heat on low-medium flame until jaggery fully melts.
Strain to remove impurities (optional if using clean jaggery powder).
Bring to a gentle boil for 3–4 minutes to get a slightly thick syrup (no need for string consistency).
Combine
Mash the cooked millet-dal mixture lightly with a ladle for creaminess.
Pour the hot jaggery syrup into the cooked mixture (or vice versa — both ways work).
Mix well on low flame for 5–8 minutes until it comes together into a glossy, semi-thick pongal consistency.
Add cardamom powder and a pinch of edible camphor (if using). Adjust sweetness if needed.
Tempering (the soul of pongal!)
Heat 2–3 tbsp ghee in a small pan.
Fry cashews until golden, then add raisins until they plump up.
Pour this entire ghee-nut mixture over the pongal and mix gently.
Serve hot — drizzled with an extra teaspoon of ghee on top for that irresistible shine.
Tips for the Perfect Thinai Sakkarai Pongal
Use good-quality, dark jaggery for deeper flavor and color.
The pongal thickens as it cools, so keep it slightly loose while hot.
For richer taste, increase ghee and use more moong dal.
Store leftovers in the fridge for 1–2 days; reheat with a splash of milk.
Thinai Sakkarai Pongal proves that tradition and health can go hand in hand. Next time you’re craving something sweet and soul-satisfying, skip the guilt and reach for this millet version — your body (and taste buds) will thank you!
Have you tried making pongal with millets yet? Which millet is your favorite for sweet dishes? Let me know in the comments!
Happy cooking & happy feasting!

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Foxtail Millet Sweet Pongal

A delicious and healthy foxtail millet sweet pongal also called Thinai sakkarai pongal in Tamil. This foxtail millet sweet pongal is one of the tastiest pongal I have ever had.

Course sweet

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 400kcal

Author Akila

Equipment

• pressure cooker, tadka pan

Ingredients

• Foxtail Millet – 1 cup
• moong dal – 3/4 cup
• Ghee – 5 tbsp
• water – 5 cups
• powdered jaggery – 2 cups
• salt – less than 1/4 tsp
• cashews – 10 to 12
• raisins – 10 to 12
• cardamom – 3 crushed

Instructions

• soak the millet for 1 hr and dal for 30 min.
• filter the water and fry them in the pressure cooker adding 1 tbsp of ghee
• add water and cook them for 5 whistles
• they turn mushy.
• add the powdered jaggery, salt and mix well
• In a small tadka pan, add the remining ghee and fry the raisins and cashews.
• add the fried nuts and crushed cardamom to the millet pongal
• tasty foxtail millet sweet pongal is ready to be served.

Notes

1. instead of jaggery, you can add karupatti or katti vellam
2. i used powdered jaggery for easy cooking, if you are using katti vellam, melt it with water and add to the millet
3. the colour of the pongal changes according to the jaggery we use

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How to make Healthy Nuts Milk | Instant Healthy drink

This Healthy Nuts Milk is very healthy as we include the healthy nuts like, Almonds, cashews, walnuts and you can also add nuts of your choice like pista, hazelnuts etc.

Also instead of the white sugar, we add in the Organic country sugar or palm sugar, which makes this drink, even more healthier.

The Healthy Nuts milk is very good to increase the immunity, reduces the tiredness. It is very good for women and kids. Kids who are very lean, when they take this milk regularly, it helps them to put on the weight. Also we have added the walnuts in this, which helps in the brain development for the kids.

I have already shared how to prepare kesar badam mix and kesar badam milk already.

Lets see how to make the healthy nuts milk with step by step instructions and a video for your easy understanding.

If you love my recipes, then do subscribe to my Youtube channel for latest videos. For Recipes in English – Akilas Kitchen (quick recipes) and for recipes in Tamil – Just Samayal (detailed videos).

Recipe to make Instant Milk

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Healthy Nuts Milk

Healthy Nuts Milk is really a very flavorful and healthy milk which can be prepared in just 15 to 20 minutes of time. This is mostly similar to the Indian version of masala milk, but here we do not add any kind of spices.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Instant healthy milk, Masala milk, Nuts milk

Prep Time 0 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

soaking time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 50kcal

Author Akila

Cost 1

Ingredients

Main ingredients

• Milk – 2 cups + 5 to 6 tbsp
• Almonds – 10
• cashews – 5 to 6
• walnuts – 3 to 4
• hazelnuts – 3 to 4 optional
• pista – 5 to 6 optional
• Other nuts of your choice
• Organic country sugar / palm sugar – 2 tbsp or as needed
• Saffron – a pinch
• turmeric – 2 pinch

Garnishing

• chopped almonds – little
• pumpkin seeds – little
• saffron – little

Instructions

Soaking & Grinding

• Soak the mentioned nuts like almonds, cashews, walnuts in hot water for about 15 to 20 min.
• Peel off the almonds skin.
• Transfer it to the food processor and add 2 to 3 tbsp of milk and grind to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
• In a vessel, add the milk and start to boil in low flame.
• To this add a pinch of saffron, add the nuts paste by mixing it with little milk.
• Also add a pinch or two pinch of turmeric powder and boil for 3 to 4 times.
• Switch off the stove and add the country sugar or palm sugar. If you want you can add white sugar also.
• Healthy Nuts milk is ready.
• Garnish with few chopped almonds, pumpkin seeds and few strands of saffron.
• You can serve this milk either hot or cold. In both ways it tastes great.

Video

Notes

You can add any nuts of your choice. But soak them nicely before grinding.

Adding palm sugar or country sugar is healthier option than the white sugar.

Ingredients

Main ingredients

• Milk – 2 cups + 5 to 6 tbsp
• Almonds – 10
• cashews – 5 to 6
• walnuts – 3 to 4
• hazelnuts – 3 to 4 (optional)
• pista – 5 to 6 (optional)
• Other nuts of your choice
• Organic country sugar / palm sugar – 2 tbsp or as needed
• Saffron – a pinch
• turmeric – 2 pinch

Garnishing

• chopped almonds – little
• pumpkin seeds – little
• saffron – little

Step by step instructions to make Healthy Nuts Milk

Now let us see the step by step instructions to prepare the Instant Healthy nuts milk.

Soaking & Grinding

Soak the mentioned nuts like almonds, cashews, walnuts in hot water for about 15 to 20 min.

Peel off the almonds skin.

Filter out the water completely and transfer to food processor or mixer grinder.

Transfer it to the food processor and add 2 to 3 tbsp of milk.

grind to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

In a vessel, add the milk and start to boil in low flame.

To this add a pinch of saffron, add the nuts paste by mixing it with little milk.

Also add a pinch or two pinch of turmeric powder

Let the milk boil in low to medium flame. So that the nuts gets cooked nicely.

boil for 3 to 4 times.

Switch off the stove and add the country sugar or palm sugar. If you want you can add white sugar also. But its not good to add here as we are making a healthy drink. so try to avoid the white sugar.

Healthy Nuts milk is ready.

Garnish with few chopped almonds, pumpkin seeds and few strands of saffron.

You can serve this milk either hot or cold. In both ways it tastes great.

Notes

1. You can add any nuts of your choice. But soak them nicely before grinding.
2. Adding palm sugar or country sugar is healthier option than the white sugar.

The post Healthy Nuts Milk | Instant Health drink appeared first on Learning-to-cook.

How to make Masala peanut | Masala Verkadalai

These Masala Peanut | masala verkadalai can be deep fried or baked or air fried or microwaved. Whatever the method they are really a protein rice snack. But when it is baked, it takes very little oil and hence it becomes more healthier than the other methods.

If you like to try some evening snacks, you can check below snacks from this site

• savory diamond cuts
• peanut chat
• paneer popcorn
• cabbage pakoda

If you love my recipes, then do subscribe to my Youtube channel for latest videos. For Recipes in English – Akilas Kitchen (quick recipes) and for recipes in Tamil – Just Samayal (detailed videos).

Let us see the Masala peanut recipe with easy step by step instructions and a video for your easy understanding.

Recipe to make the Masala Verkadalai

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Masala Peanut | Masala Verkadalai

Masala Peanut | Masala Verkadalai is a very popular Indian deep fried snack which is mostly prepared during tea time in Indian homes. These are crunchy snack which is well coated with gram flour (chickpea flour) / besan / kadalai maavu and rice flour is used to give the crispiness.

Course Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword masala peanuts, masala verkadalai

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Calories 100kcal

Author Akila

Cost 1

Equipment

• frying wok

Ingredients

Main ingredients

• Peanut – 1 cupOil for frying
• crushed garlic – 3 to 4
• curry leaves – little

For spice mix

• Gram flour – 1/4 to 1/2 cup
• Rice flour – 1.5 tbsp headed
• Corn flour – 1/2 to 1 tsp
• Kashmiri chilli powder – 1 tbsp gives nice color
• turmeric – 1/4 tsp
• salt – as needed
• garam masala / tikka masala – 1/2 tsp optional
• asafoetida – little
• cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
• ginger garlic paste – 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
• ghee – 1 tsp optional ( I have not added here) (Check notes)
• water – little

For final touch

• chilli powder – little for sprinkling
• salt – little for sprinkling
• chat masala – little for sprinkling

Instructions

Prepare the spice mix

• To make the masala peanut, we need to prepare the spice mix first. For that, in a bowl add the gram flour / besan, rice flour.
• Add the corn flour, kashmiri chilli powder. Kashmiri chilli powder is used to give nice colour to the peanuts. if not you can use a pinch of red food color. But in order to avoid the food coloring, I have used the kashmiri chilli powder. If you dont have the kashmiri chilli powder, you can use the normal chilli powder, but reduce the amount to half its quantity.
• Then add the turmeric and the required amount of salt
• Add the garam masala or the tikka masala. Adding tikka masala gives a light tangy taste to the peanuts. If you dont have, you can add the garam masala. But this step is purely optional.
• Include little asafoetida and cumin seeds.
• Also add the ginger garlic paste
• Mix all the spices nicely.
• Now add the peanuts and mix it nicely adding water little by little. The flour should be well coated with the gram flour mixture. Do not add more water which will spoil the crispiness of the mixture.
• If you want you can add 1 tsp of ghee, which helps to retain the crispiness to the peanuts and gives very nice flavor.

Deep frying

• In order to deep fry the peanuts, add enough oil and heat it.
• Add some crushed garlic, and fry till it turns light brown colour. once it turns light brown, filter oil and remove it. though this step is optional, it gives nice flavor to the peanuts. so i have added the garlic.
• Now turn the flame to low and drop the peanuts one by one slowly. Fry them for 1 min in low flame and then increase the flame to medium. (When the oil is very hot and when you are dropping the coated peanuts, oil might splash sometimes and inorder to avoid them, we do like this).
• Fry the peanuts until it turns crispy and turns to nice red color. Filter the oil and remove them.
• Repeat the process for the remaining peanuts.
• Once all the peanuts are fried, add the curry leaves and fry in the same oil. remove from oil and add to the masala peanuts.

Final touch

• You can store or serve the peanut now. but I want my peanuts to be more spicy. So for that, I have added little salt and chilli powder and gave a quick stir.
• If you like to add chat masala, you can add at this stage.
• Store the masala peanuts | masala verkadalai in a air tight container or serve them with the masala chat. Actually you can store them for more than 5 to 6 days.

Video

Notes

check the below notes

Ingredients used to prepare the recipe

Main ingredients

• Peanut – 1 cup
• Oil for frying
• crushed garlic – 3 to 4
• curry leaves – little

For spice mix

• Gram flour – 1/4 to 1/2 cup
• Rice flour – 1.5 tbsp (headed)
• Corn flour – 1/2 to 1 tsp
• Kashmiri chilli powder – 1 tbsp (gives nice color)
• turmeric – 1/4 tsp
• salt – as needed
• garam masala / tikka masala – 1/2 tsp (optional)
• asafoetida – little
• cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
• ginger garlic paste – 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
• ghee – 1 tsp (optional) ( I have not added here) (Check notes)
• water – little

For final touch

• chilli powder – little for sprinkling
• salt – little for sprinkling
• chat masala – little for sprinkling

Step by step instructions to make the masala peanut recipe

Lets see the step by step instructions of the recipe with pictures.

Prepare the spice mix

To make the masala peanut, we need to prepare the spice mix first. For that, in a bowl add the gram flour / besan, rice flour.

Add the corn flour, kashmiri chilli powder. Kashmiri chilli powder is used to give nice colour to the peanuts. if not you can use a pinch of red food color. But in order to avoid the food coloring, I have used the kashmiri chilli powder. If you dont have the kashmiri chilli powder, you can use the normal chilli powder, but reduce the amount to half its quantity.

Then add the turmeric and the required amount of salt and Add the garam masala or the tikka masala. Adding tikka masala gives a light tangy taste to the peanuts. If you dont have, you can add the garam masala. But this step is purely optional.

Include little asafoetida and cumin seeds.

Also add the ginger garlic paste. Mix all the spices nicely.

Now add the peanuts and mix well.

To this add sprinkle water little by little and mix well. The flour should be well coated with the gram flour mixture. Do not add more water which will spoil the crispiness of the mixture.

If you want you can add 1 tsp of ghee, which helps to retain the crispiness to the peanuts and gives very nice flavor. Here I forgot to add the ghee. Keep the mixture aside and lets start heating the oil.

Deep frying

In order to deep fry the peanuts, add enough oil and heat it.

Add some crushed garlic, and fry till it turns light brown colour.

once it turns light brown, filter oil and remove it. though this step is optional, it gives nice flavor to the peanuts. so i have added the garlic.

Now turn the flame to low and drop the peanuts one by one slowly.

Fry them for 1 min in low flame and then increase the flame to medium. (When the oil is very hot and when you are dropping the coated peanuts, oil might splash sometimes and inorder to avoid them, we do like this).

Fry the peanuts until it turns crispy and turns to nice red color.

Filter the oil and remove them.

Repeat the process for the remaining peanuts.

Once all the peanuts are fried, add the curry leaves and fry in the same oil. remove from oil and add to the masala peanuts.

Final touch

You can store or serve the peanut now. but I want my peanuts to be more spicy. So for that, I have added little salt and chilli powder and gave a quick stir.

If you like to add chat masala, you can add at this stage.

Store the masala peanuts | masala verkadalai in a air tight container or serve them with the masala chat. Actually you can store them for more than 5 to 6 days.

Notes

1. Adding the extra salt, chilli powder and chat masala are purely optional.
2. Also adding tikka masala gives a light tangy taste to the masala peanuts.
3. Adding ghee retains the crispiness of the peanuts for a longer time.

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Vazhaithandu salad | banana stem chat recipe with easy step by step instructions and a video for your easy understanding and learning.

How to make Vazhaithandu salad | banana stem salad

This vazhaithandu salad or the banana stem salad which is also called as the banana stem chat is a healthy salad/chat recipe that helps in people to lose weight easily.

Vazhaithandu or the banana stem plays a vital role in most of the weight loss recipes as it is very high in fiber and also helps in curing kidney stones.

In most South Indian cooking, banana stem is used in different dishes and is also consumed raw sometimes. It is so beneficial to eat them raw as the whole fiber is taken directly. Such kind of recipe is what we are going to see today.

Some people do not like to eat raw, so if we prepare the banana stem in this method, they could not identify it as the banana stem as we mix them with different other veggies and fruits in this vazhaithandu salad.

The vazhaithandu salad | banana stem salad is very easy to make and here we can add our own favorite veggies and fruits. To get some crunchiness here, i have added corn flakes. If you like, you can add some mint chutney, green Chutey or some dates chutney or even the tomato sauce.

But here I have added only some chopped dates to give some sweetness and restricted to veggies only, as I prepare this for weightloss recipe.

You can see more chat or salad recipes below

• Boiled peanut chat
• Corn flakes chat
• Tomato Cucumber salad

If you love my recipes, then do subscribe to my Youtube channel for latest videos. For Recipes in English – Akilas Kitchen (quick recipes)and for recipes in Tamil – Just Samayal (detailed vieos).

Recipe to make vazhaithandu salad

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Banana stem chat | Vazhaithandu Salad

This vazhaithandu salad or the banana stem salad which is also called as the banana stem chat is a healthy salad/chat recipe that helps in people to lose weight easily.

Course Salad, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword banana stem chat, banana stem salad, vazhaithandu chat, Vazhaithandu salad

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 100kcal

Author Akila

Ingredients

• Banana stem – 1 cup
• Tomato- 2 tbsp
• Onion – 2 tbsp
• Raw mango – 2 tbsp
• Cabbage – 2 tbsp
• Grated carrot- 2tbsp *
• Dates- 2 chopped finely
• Pomegranate seeds- 3 tbsp
• Coriander leaves- handful
• Salt as per taste
• Chilli powder – 1/4 tsp or as per taste
• Chat masala – little
• Lemon juice – little
• Green chilli – 1

Instructions

• Chop the banana stem very finely and store them in water squeezed with a little lemon juice. This is done to avoid banana stem turning into black. You can also store them in butter milk. keep all your other ingredients ready.
• Now filter the water and transfer the banana stem to a bigger bowl.
• To this add the onion, tomato and raw mango
• Also add the finely chopped cabbage and the green chilli. You can add some grated carrot and the cucumber if you like. If you are giving to kids, avoid green chillies.
• Include the dates and pomegranate seeds.
• To add some crunchiness to the salad, i have added little corn flakes. This step is purely optional. Also add the chilli powder. You can adjust the chilli powder as per your spice level. If giving to kids, avoid the chilli.
• Now add the required salt and chat masala. Adding chat masala is also purely optional.
• Squeeze some lemon juice and add handful of coriander leaves.
• Mix them well
• Serve them in a plate

Notes

check the below notes

Ingredients

• Banana stem – 1 cup
• Tomato- 2 tbsp
• Onion – 2 tbsp
• Raw mango – 2 tbsp
• Cabbage – 2 tbsp
• Grated carrot- 2tbsp *
• Dates- 2 chopped finely
• Pomegranate seeds- 3 tbsp
• Coriander leaves- handful
• Salt as per taste
• Chilli powder – 1/4 tsp or as per taste
• Chat masala – little
• Lemon juice – little
• Green chilli – 1

Step by step instructions for vazhaithandu chat

Chop the banana stem very finely and store them in water squeezed with a little lemon juice. This is done to avoid banana stem turning into black. You can also store them in butter milk. keep all your other ingredients ready.

Now filter the water and transfer the banana stem to a bigger bowl.

To this add the onion, tomato and raw mango

Also add the finely chopped cabbage and the green chilli. You can add some grated carrot and the cucumber if you like. If you are giving to kids, avoid green chillies.

Include the dates and pomegranate seeds.

To add some crunchiness to the salad, i have added little corn flakes. This step is purely optional. Also add the chilli powder. You can adjust the chilli powder as per your spice level. If giving to kids, avoid the chilli.

Now add the required salt and chat masala. Adding chat masala is also purely optional.

Squeeze some lemon juice and add handful of coriander leaves.

Mix them well

Serve them in a plate.

Yummy and tasty vazhaithandu salad | banana stem salad | banana stem chat is ready

Notes

1. Adding chilli powder and chat masala is optional. Also you can adjust them as per your taste level.
2. You can avoid corn flakes if you want to go for veggies and fruits alone.
3. You can add some chopped apple if you want.

The post Banana stem chat | Vazhaithandu Salad appeared first on Learning-to-cook.

Ragi idiyappam | kezhvaragu idiyappam recipe with easy step by step pictures for your easy understanding and learning.

Ragi Idiyappam Recipe

Ragi idiyappam or Kezhvaragu Idiyappam or Finger millet String hoppers has become my family favorite now a days. My kids started loving it, when I explained the goodness of Ragi and I am surprised to see they didn’t deny or complain about it. Do try out this healthy Ragi idiyappam recipe and comment. 

 

You can check other Ragi Recipes below

Ragi Koozh

Instant Ragi Dosa

Ragi Semiya Upma

 

step by step instructions of ragi idipappam

Ingredients 

Ragi Flour – 2 cups

Rice flour – 1/2 cup ( idiyappam flour )

Boiling water – 4 to 5 cups ( + or – )

Oil – 2 tsp

Salt – as per taste

Sugar – as per taste and for garnishing 

Grated coconut – for garnishing

 

 

Method

1. Take the correct amount of flours. Dry roast the Ragi flour for 5 to 6 min. 

 

2. Add the rice flour, mix with Ragi flour and again roast for just 3 min. Switch off the stove.  Allow to cool down. Add the salt and mix it. 

 

3. Add the boiling water little by little and keep on mixing the flours, until they become soft and pliable. Add the oil and mix. 

 

4. Take a handful portion of flour and fill the idiyappam mould or Sev press. ( I tried with idiyappam mould, but could not press it, so used the murukku sev press ).  

 

5. Press the mould on the idiyappam plates or idli plates. Steam cook them for 8 to 10 min. 

 

6. Once cooked, serve hot by sprinkling sugar and grated coconut.

 

Tasty and Healthy Ragi Idiyappam is ready. 

 

Notes:

1. Since the Ragi flour is bit coarse, I used the murukku sev press. 

2. Addition of grated coconut is purely optional. 

 

 

 

Recipe to make Ragi Idiyappam

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Ragi idiyappam | Kezhvaragu Idiyappam | Finger Millet String Hoppers

Ragi Idiyappam | kezhvaragu idiyappam is really a very healthy and tasty breakfast. It is very good for the people with diabetics and people with low iron level.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine South Indian

Keyword finger millet string hoppers, kezhvaragu idiyappam, ragi idiyappam

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 298kcal

Author Akila

Ingredients

• Ragi Flour – 2 cups
• Rice flour – 1/2 cup idiyappam flour
• Boiling water – 4 to 5 cups + or –
• Oil – 2 tsp
• Salt – as per taste
• Sugar – as per taste and for garnishing
• Grated coconut – for garnishing

Instructions

• Take the correct amount of flours. Dry roast the Ragi flour for 5 to 6 min.
• Add the rice flour, mix with Ragi flour and again roast for just 3 min. Switch off the stove. Allow to cool down. Add the salt and mix it.
• Add the boiling water little by little and keep on mixing the flours, until they become soft and pliable. Add the oil and mix.
• Take a handful portion of flour and fill the idiyappam mould or Sev press. ( I tried with idiyappam mould, but could not press it, so used the murukku sev press ).
• Press the mould on the idiyappam plates or idli plates. Steam cook them for 8 to 10 min.
• Once cooked, serve hot by sprinkling sugar and grated coconut.

Notes

Since the Ragi flour is bit coarse, I used the murukku sev press.
Addition of grated coconut is purely optional.

*post published on June 12 2015. Updated with recipe.

The post Ragi idiyappam | Kezhvaragu Idiyappam | Finger Millet String Hoppers appeared first on Learning-to-cook.

Cucumber tomato salad is such an easy salad recipe which is very much used as a weight loss recipe or a diet recipe. This is such a light salad, that it can be taken as a snack also, when you are on diet.

 

 

Cucumber tomato salad recipe with easy step by step instructions for your easy understanding and learning.

• horse gram sundal
• carrot beetroot salad

 

Step by step instructions to make the cucumber tomato salad

Ingredients

Baby cucumber – 10 

Tomato – 1 (Chopped into small pieces)

Onion – 1

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Salt – as per taste

Sugar – 1/4 tsp

White Pepper – 1/5 tsp

Coriander leaves – few

 

 

 

 

Method to make the cucumber tomato salad

1. Remove the skin of the cucumber and wash it. 

 

2. Cut into small pieces. Similarly, chop the onion and tomato.

3. Mix the tomato, onion, cucumber and add the lemon juice, salt, sugar and pepper powder and toss it.

4. Finally add the coriander leaves. 

 

 

5. Serve it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy and Healthy  Salad is ready

 

Notes:

1. I liked sweet taste, so I added little bit of sugar. It is purely optional.

2. You can add the parsley leaves or dill leaves instead of coriander leaves.

3. Do not keep outside for long time, as it might tend to leave water.

 

 

 

Recipe to make the salad

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Cucumber Tomato Salad | Easy Salad Recipes

Cucumber tomato salad is such an easy salad recipe which is very much used as a weight loss recipe or a diet recipe. This is such a light salad, that it can be taken as a snack also, when you are on diet.

Course Salad

Cuisine Indian

Keyword cucumber salad, cucumber tomato salad, tomato salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 100kcal

Author Akila

Ingredients

• Baby cucumber – 10
• Tomato – 1 Chopped into small pieces
• Onion – 1
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp
• Salt – as per taste
• Sugar – 1/4 tsp
• White Pepper – 1/5 tsp
• Coriander leaves – few

Instructions

• Remove the skin of the cucumber and wash it.
• Cut into small pieces. Similarly, chop the onion and tomato.
• Mix the tomato, onion, cucumber and add the lemon juice, salt, sugar and pepper powder and toss it.
• Finally add the coriander leaves.
• Serve it.

Notes

• I liked sweet taste, so I added little bit of sugar. It is purely optional.
• You can add the parsley leaves or dill leaves instead of coriander leaves.
• Do not keep outside for long time, as it might tend to leave water.

*Post first published on June 10th 2014. Updated with recipe.

The post Cucumber Tomato Salad | Salad Recipes appeared first on Learning-to-cook.

Ragi semiya upma Recipe is a healthy Ragi / Finger millet recipe which is very healthy and tasty breakfast recipe. It can be taken by the people planning to loose weight and can also be given to the kids, as it is more rice in iron and calcium.

Ragi semiya upma recipe with easy step by step instructions for your easy understanding and learning.

How to make this finger millet vermicelli Upma

I am not a big fan of ragi flour dishes  other than Ragi Koozh. Actually I have a love hate relationship with Ragi. Sometimes I start cooking Ragi Dosa, Ragi upma, Ragi Puttu etc… and after sometime I start hating it. I don’t why. Poor Ragi. Now again I started my liking towards Ragi and planned to prepare different recipes using this ingredient. So I start with this easy and spicy Ragi Semiya Upma. 

 

Other Breakfast recipes for you to check
Banana Kuzhipaniyaram
Podi Oothappam

Quinoa Idli

Semiya Upma

Oats Rawa Dosai

Vegetable Rice Sevai Upma

Minced Poori Recipe

 

 

Step by step instructions to make the upma

Ingredients

• Ragi Semiya – 1 packet
• Mustard seeds – 1/5 tsp
• Urud dal – 1/4 tsp
• Channa dal – 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves – 1 spring
• Onion – 2 small sized (chopped finely)
• Green chillis – 3 (chopped finely)
• Ginger – 1/2 inch (chopped finely)
• Garlic – 4 to 5 cloves ( chopped nicely )
  Hing – 1/4 tsp
• Salt – as per taste + 3/4 tsp while cooking the semiya
• Coriander leaves – for garnishing 

 

 

 

Method

1. Add the uncooked Ragi Semiya to a big bowl and add 3/4tsp of salt. Add the boiling water, till it covers the Semiya fully. 

 

7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with groundnut chutney.

 

Tasty and healthy ragi semiya upma is ready to be served.

 

Recipe for making Ragi Semiya Upma

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Ragi Semiya Upma | How to make Ragi Vermicelli Upma

Ragi semiya upma Recipe is a healthy Ragi / Finger millet recipe which is very healthy and tasty breakfast recipe. This can be given to kids and also good for people planning to loose weight.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine South Indian, tamil nadu

Keyword finger millet semiya, ragi semiya, ragi semiya upma

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 250kcal

Author Akila

Ingredients

• Ragi Semiya – 1 packet
• Mustard seeds – 1/5 tsp
• Urud dal – 1/4 tsp
• Channa dal – 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves – 1 spring
• Onion – 2 small sized chopped finely
• Green chillis – 3 chopped finely
• Ginger – 1/2 inch chopped finely
• Garlic – 4 to 5 cloves chopped nicely
• Hing – 1/4 tsp
• Salt – as per taste + 3/4 tsp while cooking the semiya
• Coriander leaves – for garnishing

Instructions

• Add the uncooked Ragi Semiya to a big bowl and add 3/4tsp of salt. Add the boiling water, till it covers the Semiya fully.
• Now close the vessel and let it rest for 5 min. Leave it only for 5 min otherwise it might become so mushy. (Or check the instructions given in the packet)
• Filter the content and keep aside. Now transfer the content to the Idli plates and steam cook for another 5 min as we cook the idlis.
• Remove from the idli cooker and allow to cool down.
• Now in a pan, add oil and when hot add the mustard seeds. When it splutters add the Urud dal, channa dal and curry leaves. When they turn light brown, add the onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Fry them nicely till the onions become translucent. Now add the cooked semiya.
• Keep mixing the semiya till it gets mixed fully with other ingredients. This takes just 2 to 3 min.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with groundnut chutney.

Notes

check the above notes

*Post published on feb 10th 2015. Updated with recipe.

The post Ragi Semiya Upma | Ragi Vermicelli Upma | Ragi Recipes appeared first on Learning-to-cook.

Kollu thuvayal | horse gram thuvayal or the Kollu thogayal is a healthy recipe which is mostly eaten by mixing this kollu thuvayal | horse gram thuvayal in rice and ghee.

Kollu thuvayal or kollu paruppu is my mil’s signature recipe. She prepared this last week and I clicked the snaps. This kollu thuvayal can be eaten by mixing with rice and ghee or oil. With the kollu water, I prepared the kollu rasam which I already posted. There are so many health benefits of kollu and it is very useful in weight loss. Also I already Kollu rasam and Kollu sundal. My MIL says there is another version also in this, which we will see later.  Now we will see this simple version kollu thuvayal.

 

Step by step instructions to prepare kollu thuvayal | Horse gram thuvayal

Ingredients

Horse gram / Kollu – 1/2 cup or 5 tbsp

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Dry red chilli – 2 ( or adjust according to your spice level )

Salt – as per taste 

Oil – 1/4 tsp

Water – to cook horse gram 

 

Method to prepare Kollu thuvaya | horse gram thuvayal

 

1. Take all the ingredients except salt and dry fry the kollu first till it becomes brown colour.

 

 

2. Pressure Cook the fried kollu with 1.5 cups of water for 4 to 5 whistles. Drain the water. Use the drained water to make Kollu Rasam.

4. Transfer all the contents with the kollu or horse gram and salt to the food processor or mixer grinder and grind to a coarse paste. If needed add little water.

 

5. Kollu thuvayal is ready. Mix it with hot white rice and add gingelly oil or ghee and eat it.

 

Recipe of Kollu thuvayal | Horse gram thuvayal

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Kollu thuvayal | Horse gram Thuvayal

This kollu thuvayal can be eaten by mixing with rice and ghee or oil. With the kollu water, we can  prepare the kollu rasam There are so many health benefits of kollu and it is very useful in weight loss. There are different version of kollu thogayal in which this is the simplest.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine tamil nadu

Keyword horsegram recipes, kollu thogayal, kollu thuvayal

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Calories 150kcal

Author Akila

Ingredients

• Horse gram / Kollu – 1/2 cup or 5 tbsp
• Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Dry red chilli – 2 or adjust according to your spice level
• Salt – as per taste
• Oil – 1/4 tsp
• Water – to cook horse gram

Instructions

• Take all the ingredients except salt and dry fry the kollu first till it becomes brown colour.
• Pressure Cook the fried kollu with 1.5 cups of water for 4 to 5 whistles. Drain the water. Use the drained water to make Kollu Rasam.
• While cooking the horse gram, in another pan add oil and the remaining ingredients except salt. Fry for 2 min or till nice aroma comes.
• Transfer all the contents with the kollu or horse gram and salt to the food processor or mixer grinder and grind to a coarse paste. If needed add little water.
• Kollu thuvayal is ready. Mix it with hot white rice and add gingelly oil or ghee and eat it.

Notes

check the above notes

Post first published on Feb 24 2014. Updated with recipe information.

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