Moringa leaf Pulav

Moringa is a miracle tree.

The leaves, flowers and fruits are great cooking ingredients. The roots, bark and leaves are having medicinal properties. The leaves can be dried and used to prepare tea and also used in cosmetics.

Moringa leaf Pulav

Ingredients 

Rice1 cup, washed and cooked in 21/2 glass of water, 

Moringa leaves cleaned, 2 handfuls,

Onion 1, ginger a small piece, garlic cloves 6, all finely chopped,

Green chilli 4, thinly sliced,

Whole spices

Nutmeg mace a little,

Cloves 3,

Cinnamon 2 piece,

Black pepper corns 2 tsp.,

Salt to taste 

Vegetable oil 1 tbsp.

Preparation 

Heat the oil in a shallow pan, drop in the whole spices, fry it until the aroma spreads out, drop in onion, ginger and garlic, sauté till tender, add salt and green chilli, mix well, add Moringa leaves, mix well and sauté. Add cooked rice, combine well. Dish is ready. Serve hot with pickles and papadum.

Pumpkin flower stir fry with grated coconut

Pumpkin flowers are grouped in super food. It is rich in vitamins and minerals. It is of high quality because of grown in our own homestead garden. It is not a common ingredient to get in hand. Only male flowers are used in cooking. Female flowers are left for fruits.

Our pumpkin plant is producing only male flowers. Three days collection made it to 13. Thoran, any chopped veggies with grated coconut, is a delicacy side dish for lunch with rice. Today thoran is ready in Suma’s kitchen.

Ingredients 

1.Pumpkin flowers, 13, cut the bottom to remove the base petals and stigma. Split open, wash it gently, allow to drain out the excess water and chop it.

2.Shallots 3, garlic cloves 3, green chilli 1, all finely chopped,

3. Grated coconut 2 tbsp., 

4. Turmeric powder a pinch,

5. Cumin powder 1/4 tsp.,

6. Salt to taste,

7. To garnish, coconut oil 2 tsp., mustard seeds 1/4 tsp., red chilli 1, broken , curry leaf 3 petals.

Preparation 

Add the ingredients 4,5 &6 into the coconut, combine well with your hands. Add the chopped pumpkin flowers and mix well.

Heat oil in a pan, drop in mustard seeds, allow to crackle, drop in red chilli followed by curry leaves, allow to sautéed, add the ingredients in 2 , to the garnish mix, add salt, sauté it into tender, add the flower coconut mix, combine well and cook in low flame for 2 minutes. Dish is done. Serve with rice porridge or with hot rice.

Pumpkin flower Dosa with Cilantro chutney

Pumpkin flowers are fresh from the homestead garden. No need to leave it unattended. Only male flowers are used in culinary purposes. Female flowers have the tiny fruit at the base, allow it to grow. Pumpkin flowers are rich in vitamins and minerals. Enhances immunity power.

How to prepare pumpkin flower dosa?

Dosa batter 2 cups,

Pumpkin flowers as you have, 4 or 5, cut the bottom to remove the bottom, base petals and stigma. Wash it gently, cut it into small pieces,

Green chilli 2, cut into thin circles,

Finely chopped ginger 1 tsp.,

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.,

Salt to taste.

Combine all the ingredients in the batter.

Heat the dosa pan, take a ladleful of batter, pour into the pan and circle it. Drizzle few drops of sesame oil. When cooked flip it to cook the other side. Serve hot with cilantro chutney.

How to prepare cilantro chutney?

Onion 1, garlic cloves 2, ginger a small piece, all chopped and sautéed dry in a nonstick pan.

Chopped Cilantro a handful,

Green chilli 2 or 3,

Salt to taste.

Grind the ingredients in a mixie bowl. 

Nice combination with any dosa.

Pumpkin flower snack in dosa batter

Our pumpkin is flowered. New flowers everyday. No female flowers. Plucking the flowers and making innovative recipes and delicious snacks.

Today got 5 flowers. It turned into mini masala dosa for evening snack.

The flowers are rich in vitamins and minerals. Enhances immunity. So why to turn away. In this covid19 season enough time. 

Love steamed or dry fry or stewed food. Yesterday it turned out into a delicious omelette. The day before into deep fry fritters. Today got this novel idea. Then suddenly it comes into reality. Super healthy, new recipe into a nutritious novel snack. 

Ingredients 

Pumpkin flowers 5, cut the bottom, to remove the stigma and outer little petals. Split the petal. Wash it gently and spread on a tissue to drain excess moisture in it. Keep it aside.

Dosa batter 2 ladles,

Salt to taste,

Sambar masala powder 1/2 tsp.,

Green chilli 1, curry leaves 2-3, both finely chopped.

Mix the ingredients together. 

Sesame oil to drizzle on the dosa.

Heat a nonstick pan, dip the petal carefully in the batter and transfer to the hot pan. Cook both sides in medium or low flame. Drizzle oil on one side. The aroma of sesame oil is great. Serve with your favourite chutney or sauce. 

Pumpkin flower fritters

Pumpkin flowers enhances immunity. It is rich in vitamins A, C and B 9. It can be used in salads and soups. The flowers are low in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat. It is a good source of minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.

It is good for bone health and eye sight. Make sure you are plucking male flowers for culinary purposes.

Female flowers have the tiny pumpkin fruit at the base of it.

Ingredients 

Fresh flowers 10, cut the base, remove the stamen and take the petal. Wash it and drain out the water.

Eggs 2, break into a bowl,

Turmeric powder, a pinch,

Pepper powder 1/3 tsp, 

Soy sauce and chilli sauce 1/2 tsp each,

Salt to taste, 

coconut oil as required to deep fry.

Preparation 

Into the egg bowl, add salt, turmeric and pepper powders and soy and chilli sauces. Whisk it thoroughly.

Heat oil in a shallow pan. Dip the petal in the egg mix and fry both the sides. Fry the petals one by one. Transfer on a tissue layered plate to drain out the excess oil in it. It is super delicious.

Banana wheat flour cake

So easy to make this banana wheat flour cake.

No eggs, no sugar and no ghee. Also no oven. This is a kadai baking.

It is delicious and nutritious. Very healthy for all ages.

Ingredients 

Wheat flour 1 cup,

Nutmeg mace powder 1/2 tsp.,

Sieve both to get rid off any lumps in it.

Robusta Banana 2, peeled and chopped,

Grated jaggery 1/2 cup, ( go for 3/4 if you want more sweetness),

Milk 11/2 cups,

Vegetable oil 1/4 cup, 

Put these 4 ingredients in a mixer and grind smoothly.

Fried groundnut splits  1/4 cup,

Rasins 1/4 cup,

Baking soda 1/2 tsp.,

Baking powder 1/2 tsp.

Preparation 

Transfer the ingredients in the blender into the bowl of the flour and nutmeg mace powder.

Whisk it clockwise continuously to make it smoother.

Add baking soda and baking powder, add half of the nuts and raisins into the batter. Combine well whisking clockwise. 

Take the cake pan, brush it well inside with vegetable oil. Transfer the cake batter into the pan, tap it twice to level the surface.

Take a nonstick kadai, heat it to maximum.

Reduce the flame  to low, place the cake pan inside the kadai and close with the lid. Needs 50-55 minute cooking. After 20 minutes, open the lid and sprinkle the balance raisins and nuts on the top. After cooking run a tooth pick to test. If it comes out clean the cake is done. 

Take the pan out, allow to cool. Turn it upside down on a plate. Turn up and cut into your desirable size and shape. Excellent easy to prepare banana cake.

Moringa flower pops

Moringa flower washed, cleaned and drained 1 cup,

Maida flour 1/2 cup, coarse semolina 2 tbsp., sugar two tbsp.(powdered), cardamom powder 1/2 tsp.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, add sufficient water to form a thick batter.

Add the flowers and combine well.

Heat required coconut oil to deep fry, drop in each flower covered with the batter and fry it deep into golden brown. Serve hot with your favourite coffee order tea. I prefer green tea 🍵 to balance the sweetness in the flower pops.