Steamed Rice Balls

Steamed rice balls are fat free and easily digestable. These are made particularly in South India on Ganesh Puja day. It is gluten and casein free and nutritive too.The dhal used can be substituted with green gram dhal and grated vegetables can be included too.

Ingredients	Quantity
Rice	¾ cup
Bengal Gram Dhal (Channa Dhal)	1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
Grated Coconut (Optional)	2 tbsp
Salt	to taste
Water	3 cups

Method

1. Grind rice coarsely so that it is broken and resembles semolina or suji.Wash it and drain the water and keep it aside.


2. Heat two cups of water in a big pan and add cumin seeds and washed bengal gram dhal and cook.


3. Cook the dhal till it is half cooked.


4. Add the rest of the water and add salt,grated coconut and rice and mix.Cover it and lower the heat.


5. Cook the mixture till it is threefourths cooked and there is no water.


6. Remove from he heat and cool it.


7. Make about twenty medium sized balls and place them in an idly steamer and steam them for seven minutes.


8. Remove the rice balls carefully and serve it hot with coconut chutney or vegetable kurma.

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Sweet Potato Gulab Jamuns

Gulab jamun is a favourite dish with most. But there are a few who cannot tolerate/digest casein or milk protein and gluten present in traditional Gulab Jamuns. Why should these people be deprived of this delicious dessert? So this recipe came to my mind, which is made with sweet potato and rajgira flour. Sweet potato is easily available and the same with rajgira flour.

Rajgira flour is made from the seeds of Amaranth or Amaranthus. This contains no gluten and is used in baking cakes and breads and for making pastas. Somebody called it 'pseudo grain flour'. When I made it, my granddaughter loved it and wanted more. That made my day! So you can try it too!

Ingredients	Quantity
Sweet Potato (Boiled and Mashed)	1 ½ cups
Rajgira Flour (Amaranth Seed Flour)	3 tbsps
Sugar	2 cups
Water	1 ¾ cups
Cardamom Powder (Elaichi)	1 tsp
Saffron (Kesar)	few strings
Rose Water	a few drops
Pistachios	a few
Oil	for deep frying

Method

1. Take a bowl and combine boiled and mashed sweet potatoes and ragira flour to make a dough.It should not be very soft but firm. If soft a little more of rajgira flour can be added but not too much. The gulab jamuns may become too hard if too much rajgira flour is added.


2. Make about thirty to thirty two balls with the mixture and keep it aside.


3. Make a syrup with sugar and water by boiling it together.Add saffron and cardamom powder to it and remove from the heat. But keep the syrup warm.


4. Take oil for deep frying in a pan and fry these gulab jamuns four or five at a time on low heat till they are golden brown and not dark brown.


5. Put these balls directly into the warm syrup and let them soak for ten minutes.


6. Sprinkle a few drops of rose water and finely chopped pistachios and serve.

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Coconut Milk Peas Pulav

Coconut milk from fresh coconut is rich in fat but some say it does not increase cholesterol in the body. It is still under research. This recipe contains coconut milk which gives a rich flavour entirely different from the regular pulav.Peas have their own flavour but combined with coconut milk the taste is awesome.Other vegetables could be used too.

Ingredients	Quantity
Basmati Rice	1 cup
Coconut Milk	1 cup
Water	¼ cup
Shelled Peas	½ cup
Mint Leaves	4 or 5
Sliced Onions	¼ cup
Ginger Garlic Paste	1 tsp
Cashew Nuts	5
Cummin Seeds	1 tsp
Bay Leaf	1
Garam Masala Powder	½ tsp
Salt	to taste
Oil	1 tbsp

2tbsp
Method

Wash the rice, drain the water and keep it aside.Heat oil in a pan or a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds,bay leaf and cashewnuts and fry.

1. Add the ginger garlic paste and onions and fry till the onions turn brown in colour.


2. Then add the washed rice and fry till the rice is light and coated with oil.


3. Add the peas,mint leaves,garam masala powder and mix.


4. Add the coconut milk and little water if required to the rice and mix.Add the salt and cook till the rice is cooked and separate.


5. Serve hot with raita.


6. Raita is an accompaniment to pulav which is made by adding sliced onions,sprouts,tomatoes,chopped green chillies,chopped coriander leaves and salt in beaten curds.

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Rice Roti

Rice roti is a South Indian dish especially prepared in Karnataka and in some parts of Telengana. This contains nutrients from the rice and vegetables. It can be taken as a snack, breakfast food or as a main meal. The accompaniment to this dish can be coconut chutney or vegetable kurma or tomato chutney. To make it more nutritious,chopped green vegetables and sprouts can be added. Children will like it and above all it is gluten and casein free. It is easily digestable too. Try it!

Ingredients	Quantity
Rice Flour	1 cup
Water	2 ½ cup
Finely Chopped Onions	¼ cup
Finely Chopped Green Chillies	1 tbsp
Chopped Coriander Leaves	2 tbsps
Grated Carrot	2 tbsps
Cummin Seeds	2 tbsps
Salt	to taste
Oil	for shallow frying

Method

1. Heat the water in a big pan and add cumin seeds and salt.


2. When the water starts boiling, lower the heat and add the chopped onions,green chillies, coriander leaves and grated carrot.


3. Then add the rice flour slowly mixing it simultaneously with the water.


4. Take the pan from the heat and mix the contents well.


5. Cool the mixture until it is luke warm. Make four or five balls.


6. Take a greased flat pan and heat it. Put one and a half teaspoons of oil. Lower the heat.


7. Take one rice ball and pat it on the wet palm and place it in the pan and with wet fingers pat it further to make a circle.


8. Put one teaspoon of oil around and on the roti and cover it with a plate.


9. When the sides become light brown turn the roti and cook for a minute and remove.


10. Repeat this with the other rice balls.


11. Serve hot or cold with coconut chutney or vegetable kurma.

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