Ragi Shevai / shemiyan( Finger millet vermicelli); Meatless Monday.

I personally avoid gluten as much as possible. I love vermicelli . We have a traditional home-made version of this where in we make vermicelli from rice, wheat and Ragi and is sun-dried. This can be stored for years!  Rice and wheat shevai/vermicelli are the more popular ones. Every time either when someone visits us from India or we visit India, I bring this for myself. During my recent trip to India, I was pleasantly surprised to find Ragi vermicelli so easily available. I am a big fan of Ragi ( finger millet) and use it a lot in my cooking. I regularly make Ragi Neer dosa, Ragi Phanna polo, Ragi masala dosa and even ragi porridge. When I made the vermicelli dish as a fasting recipe, I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't stop eating! I ate a lot but my stomach felt light unlike other meals, which when we overeat we feel  bloated and uncomfortable. I  was eager to share this recipe with everyone. It is a super simple and easy recipe.

Servings: 2-3 ( 1-1 1/2 cup per person)

Ingredients:

Dried ragi shevai ( finger millet vermicelli): 4 cups
Water: 8 cups
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Urad dal( matpe bean lentil): 1 tsp
Green chilies: 2 small, slit lengthwise
Freshly grated coconut: 1/4 cup
Sugar: 1 tsp

Method:

Boil water with salt in a pot. When it boils, turn of the flame and add the dried ragi Shevai  to the pot in such a way that the Shevai is completely immersed in it.

Close the pot and keep aside for 5 mins or until all the Shevai have changed color slightly and look soft.

Drain and keep aside. Make sure that you don't soak the shevai for too long as then the whole dish will be mushy! The Shevai has to be al dente.

Upon draining, if it looks a little clumpy, separate it using your fingers.

Heat coconut oil in a sauté pan/ kadai on medium heat. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add the curry leaves, urad dal and green chilies. Saute for a few seconds.

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 Now add the drained Shevai and mix well. Add sugar and more salt if needed. Add freshly grated coconut reserving a little for garnish.Turn off the gas.

Garnish with the remaining coconut. You can also sprinkle a little sugar on top, especially for little kids as it gives it a nice taste.

Serve hot .

For adults, it can be served with savory snacks like mixture or chips. Some like to eat it with a banana or even yogurt. I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday and Fiesta Friday.

Cooking made easy:

Make sure that the shevai is completely drained before adding it to the pan with the seasoning. Once the Shevai is drained, you can fluff it with a fork to ensure that it is not stuck to each other. You can also run the colander under cold water while draining so that it does not continue to cook.

Tip for healthy living:

You can add vegetables like peas, peas and carrots or mixed vegetables to this dish to make it even more healthier and balanced.

Food for thought:

Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction. E.O. Wilson

Ragi ( finger millet) Porridge; Diabetes Friendly Thursday.

Ragi( finger millet) porridge prepared with almond milk

Hypoglycemia ( decreased blood sugar level) is a major problem in diabetics. Anyone who is a diabetic, or anyone who lives in close proximity with a diabetic is familiar with this problem. One might wonder that if diabetes is a condition where the blood sugar levels are high, when does the blood sugar level drop and why is decreased blood sugar level a problem?? A certain level of blood sugar is essential for the human body to function. Just like money is the currency that makes the world function, glucose is the primary source of the energy currency called ATP ( Adenosine triphosphate) in the body. When glucose levels in the blood drop below a certain level, the body slows down and stops functioning. Signs of hypoglycemia include headache, increased sweating, dizziness.When hypoglycemia persists, individuals can become unconscious and on occasion death can also occur.
Why does this happen in diabetics?? This is primarily because of the inequality between the anti-diabetic medication consumed and the food in the body at that time. Treatment of diabetes is a multi-tiered approach. The type of anti-diabetic medication the individual takes,whether oral anti-diabetic medication or insulin is used, plays an important role. Kindly read more here if interested. Bottom-line, the type of food consumed, how much of it is consumed and how frequently it is consumed are all important factors that determine the blood sugar level. So,what does one do when one is getting hypoglycemic?? One has to eat something immediately, preferably something that gives instantaneous energy like a little glucose powder, candy etc.

This week the DFT team is bringing you "oil free food". So go ahead and binge on "oil free food". My conrtibution to this event is Ragi ( finger millet) porridge.

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My mother-in-law is a diabetic. She believes in eating healthy and in exercising. She makes this Ragi ( finger millet) porridge whenever she feels hypoglycemic , may be in between two meals when she has not yet finished cooking lunch and is hungry or when she has just come back from her walk and is hungry and there is nothing readily available for her to eat that is healthy. This Ragi porridge takes literally less than 5 mins to make from start to finish and is amazingly healthy. There are only three ingredients in this porridge: Ragi, salt and water. Apart from being gluten-free and almost fat-free, Ragi is a great source of protein making it perfect for vegetarians. Ragi has a low glycemic index.Amongst cereals, Ragi has the highest amount of calcium and potassium. It is a great source of iron making it a perfect food for individuals who tend to be anemic. 100 gms of ragi contains 7.6g protein,1.5 g fat, 88 g carbohydrate and 370 mg calcium!!Read more about the nutritional benefits of Ragi in the footnotes( tip for healthy living). Therefore, this Ragi porridge makes for a nutritious meal that could be fed to infants,kids, elderly and the very sick and debilitated.

Ragi porridge without milk

Servings: 1 ( makes one small bowl)

Ingredients:

Ragi flour: 3 tbsp
Water: 2 cups
Salt: a pinch
Regular milk/ almond milk:1/4 cup ( optional)

Method:

In a pot, mix Ragi flour in cold water thoroughly so that there are no lumps. 

Heat this mixture on low heat until it thickens to desired consistency. It will bubble and then start to thicken.

The whole process takes 2-3 minutes. Make sure you stir continuously as otherwise it will stick to the bottom of the pot. Add salt and mix thoroughly.

Ragi porridge without milk

If desired, add regular milk or almond milk at this point and mix thoroughly. I have used almond milk. Heat it  until it warms. 

Turn off the heat. Serve hot and eat intermediately.

Remember, Ragi  tends to thicken upon cooling.

Enjoy. I am bringing this dish to Fiesta Friday so that more people with diabetes may benefit.

Cooking made easy:

When the mixture of Ragi,water & salt begins to thicken, you can cover the pot and let it cook until it begins to leave the sides of the pot. Turn off the flame. Once it cools down , you can shape it into a ball and serve it as ragi mudde with spicy vegetarian or chicken curry.  This is a traditional meal served in northern Karnataka in India.

Footnotes ( Tip for healthy living):

Ragi has been known to be cultivated in Karnataka State,  India, since the iron age. Ragi is a nutrient-powerhouse and is a perfect food for diabetics. Ragi can be grown at high-altitudes and in drought-prone areas and is very insect resistant. Ragi is inexpensive, gluten-free, low glycemic whole grain cereal that provides instantaneous energy. Ragi is rich in methionine, an amino acid that is lacking in the diets of poor-people. It is also rich in dietary fiber and therefore gives a sense of fullness. Ragi is also rich in B-group vitamins and magnesium.Overall, everyone regardless of their age, sex, health condition can benefit by eating ragi on a regular basis.

Disclaimer:
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietitian before making any changes to your diet.

Binge with DFT this time in OIL FREE Madness with all these other recipes from our team!

Sonal's methi tofu paneer.
https://simplyvegetarian777.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/methi-tofupaneer-in-zero-oil-curry-diabetes-friendly-thursdays/


Prachi's thai corn salad tacos
http://divinespicebox.com/2015/05/27/thai-salad-corn-tacos/

Chahat's peas pilaf

http://gorgeandserve.com/2015/05/27/peas-pilaf/

Anu's kothimbir vadi
http://easybitesonline.com/oil-free-kothimbir-vadi-diabetes-friendly/

Shailja's egg masala curry

https://shailjatomar.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/oil-free-egg-masala-curry/

Sri's quinoa stew

http://wp.me/p68SA9-AZ

Swati's lauki koftas
http://www.letscookhealthytonight.com/zero-oil-lauki-koftas/

Apsara's cornmeal upma

http://eatingwelldiary.com/2015/05/28/zero-oil-polenta-or-cornmeal-upma-easy-savory-snack/

Food for thought:

If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. Milton Berle.

Ragi Phanna Polo ( Instant seasoned finger millet crepes) Vegan, GF, NF; Meatless Monday

I love Ragi( finger millet) for many reasons. Ragi is not only a gluten free grain hence a great alternative for regular flour, it is also a food that has been traditionally a part of our cuisine for time immemorial! It is nothing new to us, hence it is not a fad! Raagi also has immense health benefits.

It is my go-to when I don't have ground dosa ( pancake/crepe) batter ready. I then either make Ragi Neer Dosa or this Phanna polo which is traditionally made using maida( all purpose flour). One day when I was about to make Neer dosa using Ragi, I said to myself: why not try making Phanna polo? I tried it and it came amazingly tasty! Everybody just loved it!! Here is the easy recipe:

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Raagi ( finger millet) flour: 1 cup
Oil: 1 tsp +for greasing the skillet/griddle( I use coconut oil). You could use any cooking oil.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Jeera ( cumin seeds): 1/4 tsp( optional)
Freshly grated coconut: 1 tbsp
Water: 3 cups+ 2 cups
Salt: as per taste

Method:

Mix Ragi/finger millet flour with 3 cups water. Keep aside for 15 mins.

After 15 mins, discard the top water and the dark  Raagi husk until you reach the lighter sediment. Now add 2 more cups of water & salt and blend it for 30 seconds, using a hand blender or using a regular blender. Blending ensures that you get a nice homogenous batter. The batter should be thin and free-flowing.Add freshly grated coconut and stir well( Do not grind the coconut).

Heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter, turn off the flame and add curry leaves.
Add this to the Ragi batter and stir well.

Heat the griddle/ skillet on medium -high heat.Grease the skillet/ griddle liberally with coconut oil. When the griddle is hot, take a ladleful/cupful  of batter and pour it from out to in.

 This batter cannot be spread. It needs to be poured and the skillet tilted to uniformly spread the batter.

The batter hisses and spreads like a lace on the griddle.

 It cooks very quickly. When cooked, fold it,remove and keep it in a hot box ( something like a tortilla box).

Serve hot with a chutney of your choice.I have served it with ambuli gojju( green mango dip).

I am sure you will love it! I am bringing this to Simple Supper Tuesday # 91!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

The trick to making good dosas and the dosas not sticking to your skillet/griddle is by ensuring that the skillet is greased well. Also, the temperature of the griddle has to be maintained hot throughout.

Tip for healthy living:

Apart from being gluten free, whole grain cereal,finger millet has several other health benefits . It has a higher protein and mineral content compared to all other cereals. It contains important amino acids that are not found in other cereals. It has the highest calcium  an potassium content in comparison with other cereals. It is also a great source of iron! It is also rich in B vitamins and dietary fiber. It also has a low-glycemic index making it an ideal food for diabetics.

Food for thought:

Yesterday is a cancelled check. Today is cash on the line, tomorrow is a promissory note. Hank Stram