ഗോതമ്പ് പായസം/Gothambu Payasam/Broken Wheat Payasam and Happy Vishu Wishes!!!

എന്നുമെന്നും ഐശ്വര്യവും സമ്പദ് സമൃദ്ധിയും നിറഞ്ഞതാവട്ടെ. എല്ലാവർക്കും വിഷു ആശംസകൾ!!!!

Wishing everyone a Very Happy Vishu!!!!

Ingredients:-

1. Broken wheat/nurukku gothambu - ½ cup
2. Jaggery cubes - 10 pieces(or according to your sweet tolerence) 
3. Coconut milk thin- 1 ½ cup
4. Coconut milk thick - ½cup
5. Cardamon pods - 4 
6. Sugar - 1 tsp
7. Cashew & Raisins a handful
8. Coconut pieces - 2 tbsp(chopped into med size pieces)
9. Ghee- 2 tbsp
10. Water - 1½ + more if required 

Preparation Method:-

• Wash broken wheat two-three times. Pressure cook them by adding four cups of water for two whistles.
• Open the cooker after the pressure leaves, drain off the water. Pour another two-three cups of water and drain again to remove excess starch.
• Boil 1½ cup of water, add Jaggery cubes and stir till they melt. Filter the jaggery syrup to remove any impurities.
• Pour this jaggery syrup to the cooked broken wheat and put on this stove. Let it boil on medium heat for five-seven minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Add in thin coconut milk and let it boil again for ten-twelve minutes or till jaggery combine well with broken wheat. Make sure to stir the payasam in between not to stick onto the bottom of the pan/cooker.
• Add in the thick coconut milk, let it boil again for another two-five minutes. If the payasam seems very thick, add some boiled water or little bit more thin coconut milk.
• Add cardamom pods and sugar to in the smallest mixer/grinder and grind/powder them. Add it to the payasam and stir well to mix. Take them off the stove. 
• Heat a small pan, pour ghee, saute the cashews till they turn the color, add to payasam. Add raisins to same ghee and saute till they pop up and add to the payasam. 
• Add Coconut pieces to the same ghee, add more ghee if needed and saute well till they turn light brown, pour over the payasam and stir well to mix. 
• The very delicious gothambu payasam is ready to serve. Enjoy with your family and friends!!!

Tips: 

1. Cooking with excess water and straining reduces the starch smell and reduces sticking to each other.

2. Grinding cardamom pods in a mixer help the cardamom to form a fine powder and imparts great smell and flavor

Sprouted Moong Stir Fry / Kilirppicha Cherupayar thoran / മുളപ്പിച്ച ചെറുപയർ തോരൻ

Sprouted Moong Stir Fry used to be a regular side dish back home at grandma's home. Grandma always remembered to soak them and let them germinate. We as kids used to enjoy them and the kids here seems to love them the same way as we used to. While my son looks at the sprouted moong and ask me questions as to why I'm not planting them to grow since they are already sprouted/germinated, my daughter backs him in all what he says. After having all their doubts cleared(though I sometime don't have answers for all their ques ;) ) and when they sit down to have food I hear them involved in serious discussion about how the moong and other plants sprout and many more things. It is fun to overhear their conversation, I wonder how much do Kids learn from daily day to day activities and their enthu to talk about things and understand them is just marvelous.
So back to today's recipe, the very healthy, nutritious and delicious thoran which can be relished with Rice/Roti or just as plain - Sprouted Moong Dal Stir fry. Make them home and Enjoy!!

Sprouted Moong Dal Stir/ മുളപ്പിച്ച ചെറുപയർ തോരൻ:

Ingredients:-

1. Whole Moong - 1½ Cup
2. Onion - 1 finely chopped
3. Curry leaves a sprig
4. Green chilies - 3 chopped fine
5. Coconut Oil/Veg Oil- 1 tbsp
6. Mustard seeds - ¾ tsp
7. Dry red chilies - 2
8. Coriander leaves chopped - 2 tbsp
9. Turmeric powder - ½tsp
10. Salt ~ 1tsp(or to taste)
11. Grated coconut - 2tbsp(optional)

Preparation Method:-

1. Wash Moong two-three times and soak for 6 hours. Drain of excess water if any and Move it to a clean muslin cloth. Join the edges of the cloth and tie up.
2. Leave it at a warm place on kitchen counter for upto 48hrs. Moong will start sprouting then(You can also drain off water and keep them covered in a bowl at a warm place for 2 days or more to let them sprout) 
3. Heat a frying pan/kadai, pour oil. When the oil is hot enough add mustard. When they start to crackle, reduce the heat to medium and add few curry leaves, dry red chilies.
4. Add Onion and salt and saute till they turn translucent. Add green chilies , turmeric powder and saute for a minute or two(can add chili powder if you need it more spicy, i normally go with green chilies only).
5. Add the sprouted moong and saute gently to mix well. Check for the salt and adjust accordingly.
6. Cover with a lid and let it cook in medium heat 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally.
7. Check if the moong is cooked enough, stir in few more curry leaves. Add grated coconut if using(and few drops of coconut oil if you like the flavor) and stir gently to mix.
8. Move to a serving dish and serve warm with Rice/Roti or plain.