Friday, November 27, 2009

Pumpkin in Coconut Milk(Olan), Lemon (Brown) Rice & Ginger Rasam(Spiced Soup)

Lemon Rice,Olan and Ginger Rasam

Know what you Eat -A platter consisting of Lemon Brown Rice, Pumpkin in Coconut Milk, Ginger Rasam(Spiced Soup), a cup of yogurt or butter milk(is not included in the click) and some dried fruits & nuts for dessert not only fills you up. It is a deliciious whole some meal with all the essential nutrients from all the food groups. White Pumpkin with a green and white covering can be found in Asian Indian grocery store. The inside of the pumpkin is snow white in color and has a neutral taste unlike the orange pumpkin with a sweet taste. The juice of raw white pumpkin is believed to be very good brain stimulant. Coconut Milk is a good source of  a wide range of vitamins, minerals, potassium, folate and other vital nutrients. The bright orange pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protect against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of aging.
Brown rice contains four times the fiber of white rice and powerful quantities of vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, iron and over dozen other nutrients. A 12-year Harvard Medical School study found 49 percent less weight gain among women who regularly eat brown rice and other whole foods compared with those who eat more processed grains.
Ginger has been found to be helpful in blocking the harmful effects of prostaglandin, a substance that can lead to inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain and even cause migraines. Ginger has been associated with alleviation of the feeling of nausea, even in case of pregnant women. The anti-inflammatory properties of ginger make it effective in alleviation of the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Ginger helps to promote warmth in the upper respiratory tract and thus, is quite effective in treating cold and flu. Those suffering from cramps, caused by stomach gas, have found ginger to be quite effective. Ginger makes the platelets less sticky and is thus, pretty helpful in case of circulatory disorders. The cineole content in ginger has been found to be a mood enhancer and can help in relieving stress. Ginger is a natural and effective mouth freshener and also aids digestion. Ginger reduces inflammation and also helps lower cholesterol. Ginger is good for those suffering from gas and bloating.

This Olan recipe is from my Sister and we all enjoyed this in our household and i am sure you will too. All these dishes are very popular South Indian dish and i substituted white rice with brown rice to make it even more healthier.

Olan(White & Red Pumpkin in Coconut Milk Sauce)

Ingredients
White Pumpkin - 2 cups(Slice into thin squares an inch in dimension)
Orange Pumpkin - 1 1/2 cups
Green Chili Slit into half - 4 or increase it if you want it more spicy
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp or as per taste
Water - 1/4 cup
Coconut Milk - 1 cup
Cooked Black eyed bean - 1/4 cup
Coconut Oil - 2 tsp

Method

1) In a pan add white pumpkin, orange pumpkin, green chili, salt and water.
2) Cover and cook till pumpkin is evenly cooked.
3) Now add the cooked black eyed bean and coconut milk to the cooked pumpkin.
4) Simmer for 5 minutes add 2tsp of coconut oil and switch off.
5) This tastes great with both roti and rice.
6) Note there is no tempering or garnishing in this dish.

Lemon(Brown) Rice

Ingredients

Cooked Brown Rice - 2 Cups
Lemon Juice - (Juice of 1 lemon taste and increase it to two based on the sourness of the lemon and to your taste)
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

For tempering

Oil - 1 Tbsp (Increase this if you want the rice to be greasy)
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Channa Dal(Split Black Chick Pea) - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - handful
Green or Dry red Chili  chopped - 2 (or increase it if you want more spicy)
Asafoetida powder - 1/8 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Grated ginger - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Peanuts - 1/4 cup

Method

1) Soak the channa dal in water for half and hour and drain the water completely and set it aside.
2) Soak brown rice in water for a minimum of 30 minutes.
3) Drain the water from the rice and measure 1 3/4th cup of water and add it to the rice and cook in a pressure cooker or in a pan till the rice is completely cooked.
4) Once the rice is cooked set it aside to cool completely.
5) Heat oil add the mustard seeds and once it stops spluttering add the asafoetida powder, channa dal, chilli, curry leaves, grated ginger and turmeric powder and saute for a minute till the chilli, curry leaves etc change the color slightly and switch off the stove.
6) Now add the salt, lemon juice to the tempering and add the cooked and cooled rice and mix till all the lemon juice and salt is evenly mixed.
7) Add the roasted peanuts to the rice and serve.

Ginger Rasam(Spiced Soup)

Ingredients

Ginger - 2 inch piece
Ripe Tomato - 1 small one
Green Chili - 1 or to taste
Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
Tamarind Paste - 1 tsp or if using raw tamarind soak gooseberry sized ball
Water - 3 cups
Cooked Thoor Dal - 1/4 cup(optional)
Asafoetida - very small piece or 1/4 tsp powder

Rasam powder - 1 tsp

Tempering

Oil or Ghee - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 5 to 6 chopped

Method

1)  Extract the tamarind pulp and add 1 1/2 cups of water to it.
2) Add salt, asafoetida and rasam powder to the tamarind water and let this simmer.
3) Grind the tomato, green chili, ginger and coconut to a coarse paste and add this paste along with the rest of the water to the tamarind water and spices. Let this boil till the raw smell is gone.
4) Now add the cooked dal(this is optional) and simmer for 5 minutes and switch off.
5) Heat oil add mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering add the curry leaves and switch off the stove.
6) Add this to the rasam and serve it hot.


Event Participation

1) The Olan goes to WYF - Speciality Food hosted by EC.

2) The Lemon Rice goes to Think Spice-Turmeric hosted by Sudeshna an event started by Sunita.

3) This goes to Healing Foods-Health Nut Challenge 3 hosted by Yasmeen.

4) This goes to EFM-Variety Rice event hosted by Srilekha.

36 comments:

Shanthi Krishnakumar said...

Lovely combo

Preeti Kashyap said...

Lovely and healthy spread!

Namitha said...

A meal in its entirety ...so colorful and appealing :-)

Sailaja Damodaran said...

all are my favorites ...yummy

Cham said...

I love ur olan recipe!

Mansi said...

Great to see that you have used Brown rice for making lemon rice. I have bought brown rice, but just a little apprehensive of using it. This inspires me to use it now..hehehe...the ginger rasam sounds lovely to me.

Sandhya Hariharan said...

Olan is one of my fav vege... side...

my kitchen said...

Yum yum meal,Loves to eat

sayantani said...

the plate looks so delicious! filling, tasty and healthy....love the olan recipe.

suvi said...

that is a lovely meal! Delicious, love the rasam especially.

Sharmila said...

I like this idea of pumpkin in coconut milk. :-) Love the look of that plate. :-)

Priya Suresh said...

Love ur olan dish, ginger rasam looks prefect for this winter, lovely spread!

Angie's Recipes said...

Would really love to try lemon brown rice! Sounds and looks just delicious!

Sanjana said...

This looks so delicious! I LOVE the picture! Great job!

Pari Vasisht said...

Nice wholesome meal, I liked in particular ur Olan recipe.

Rohini said...

Wow.. Healthy platter.. I am curious with the idea of using brown rice! Will dfntly give it a try soon :)
And for the die-hard rasam fan, this ginger rasam is sure a lipsmacking one!

Priya Narasimhan said...

your photos are so unique..colorful, attractive yet does not follow the ususal food photography techniques like dimming the background etc...nice recipes too..

Nandinis food said...

Hearty wholesome meal! Lemon rice with brown rice and dry nuts with dates are really nutritious! Ginger rasam is perfect for this season! I'm gonna gulp down the rasam :)

sangeeta said...

i loved this olan recipe , simple and yet flavorful..
the platter looks very inviting and the information you provide is great as always...keep up the good work.

Unknown said...

Lovely array of dishes!!

Malar Gandhi said...

You are making me hungry now...beautiful presentation, now pass the plate, already:))

Jeyashris Kitchen said...

healthy combo of dishes.Rasam is perfect the weather here.and i never know ur new to the blogging world.After seeing it in EC blog i cam e to know.
Happy blogging

Sarah Naveen said...

thats a gr8 treat..everything looks sooo yummy...

jayasree said...

That's a delicious wholesome meal. Olan looks creamy and delicious. I make it the same way,true Kerala style.

notyet100 said...

healthy nd yummy meal,..

Padma said...

Lovely spread. Esp loved lemon rice with brown rice. Really healthy.

Anupama said...

Those is a wonderful meal... I'm really curious about this ginger rasam... must taste great!

Anonymous said...

thats my fav ..olan..olan olan all the way! am going to ake this week for sure.thats a sumptuous combo with rice and dried fruits and all

Unknown said...

Wow, indeed its a spread...count me in, he he. Loved all the entries and the pictures are too good, inviting:)

Unknown said...

Thanks all for your comments, yes i love ginger and i make this rasam at least once a week.

Spice said...

nice recipes.....

EC said...

Tempting spread..thanks for participating

Sunshinemom said...

What a delectable spread! I don't generally add yellow pumpkin in olan but I will try it next time!

RV @ Food for 7 Stages said...

I am one of the souls on this earth who finds hard to use new ingredients.. I have always doubted the taste of brown rice... but after seeing this, I have added brown rice to my shopping list.. Thanks for sharing this filling platter...

Shri said...

Wow!Colorful and a great combo!With out of town, I sure did miss some of you guys wonderful posts..

Unknown said...

A perfect meal for me.I've all the ingredients to try the Olan today.Thanks for sending them over dearies :D

 
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