Foxtail millet Vangibath #Ssshhhhcookingsecretly

       
Event : Ssshhh cooking secretly
   Members of the Facebook  group will be partnered with each of the member every month. They will give two secret ingredients to their partner and the person has to cook with the secret ingredient according to the theme chosen. The picture of the recipe can be posted in the facebook group and the other members can guess the secret ingredient. The The recipe has to be posted at the end of the month .



For this month's ssshhhh secretly cooking the theme  was Millets. I was paired with Renu Agarwal Dongre of cook with Renu. Her blog has a wide variety of dishes and I like her Kid's Lunchbox recipes .....

   She gave me foxtail millet and salt as secret ingredients. I gave her fingermillet and chilli as secret ingredients. She made Ragi roti with secret ingredients I gave her.

   Foxtail millet is the second most widely planted species of millet and the most grown millet species in Asia. In tamil Foxtail millet is known as Thinai. It has been a staple diet among people for a long time from the sangam period. It is referred to often in old Tamil texts and is commonly assocaited with Lord Muruga . It is a famous offering to Lord Muruga  during Pankuni Uthiram and Kandha Shasti as Thaenum Thinai mavvum meaning honey and foxtail millet flour. 
  Foxtail millet is rich in fiber and is a good option for weight loss and diabetics.
 I made foxtail millet Vangibath . It is same as the vangibath , used foxtail millet instead of normal rice.

 Requirements:

1 cup Foxtail Millet 
6 small tender brinjal 
one onion chopped
salt to taste 
one tbs vegetable oil 
Half tsp mustard seeds
A sprig of curry leaves

Spice powder :
 5 Dry red chilli 
 2 tbs coriander seeds
 1 tbs Bengal gram
 1 tsp cumin seeds
 3 cloves
 1 small cinnamon stick
 1 cardamon
 Half tsp pepper corns
 2 tbs Dessicated coconut 

Method :

• Wash and soak the foxtail millet in water for fifteen minutes.
• Dry roast chilli , coriander , bengal gram separately.
• Dry roast cumin seeds , pepper corns ,cardamon , cinnamon stick , cloves together till the aroma comes.
• Add the dessicated coconut , give a quick stir and switch off the flame.
• Let these dry roasted items cool and grind into a coarse powder.

• Cook the foxtail millet with 2 cup of water in a pan or kadai.
• The foxtail must be grainy and not mushy.
• Let the cooked foxtail millet cool , give a stir to prevent lumps.

• In a pan , heat the oil , add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
• Add chopped onion and curry leaves  .
• Add in the chopped brinjal and give a quick stir.
• Add the required salt and close with a lid and cook the brinjal till it is tender.
• Now , add the vangibath powder and give a quick stir.
• Mix in the cooled cooked foxtail millet and stir well.
• Cook on a low flame for five minutes.
• Foxtail millet Vangibath is ready to serve.

Serve with Curd pachadi.

Notes : 

 I didn't add tamarind paste , if you want to add can add it while the brinjal is cooking.

Peanuts can be added while tempering it gives a crunch while eating.
Lemon Juice can be added after switching off the flame.

Varagu Venpongal / Koda Millet Pongal #HappyPongal

  Today was the second day of the south Indian Harvest  festival – Thai pongal . it is the first day of the Tamil month Thai as well as the thanks giving for the Sun as the sun was the important source for agriculture.

  As I have already shared my mom’s sakkaraipongal and our pongal celebration .  We make sakkarai pongal every year to thank the sun god.

   I  thought of sharing a pongal recipe with the millet. As well are spice loving I made this venpongal with varagu / Koda millet. Check out my other pongal varities here.

 Celebrate the pongal festival with this healthy pongal.....

Requirements :

Koda millet – 1 cup

Split greengram – ½ cup

Ghee – 2 tbs

Oil – 1 tsp

Cumin – 1 tsp

Black Pepper corns – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – a sprig

Salt to taste

Cashew – 6

Method :

Wash and soak together millet and green gram dhal  together for 20 minutes.

Roast the cumin and black pepper for two minutes and crush finely.

In a pressure cooker add the oil and a spoon of ghee , add the split cashew and sauté for a minute.

Add in the curry leaves and let it fry.

If using the cumin and black pepper as whole add at this time.

 Add in the soaked millet and dhal to the cooker and stir once.

Add about 3 cup of water i.e., 3 cup of water for one cup of millet.

Add the required salt and the crushed pepper and cumin , mix well.

Cover the lid and cook for three pressure releases ( whistles).

Let the pressure comes down completely and open the lid.

Add the remaining ghee and mix once.

Koda millet ven pongal is ready to be served.

Serve along with coconut chutney and sambhar.