Friday, March 20, 2015

Desi Health Bites : Ragi Noodles in Peanut Sauce


Every time there is a nostalgia post on those instant noodles I go Eww... We as a family never liked instant noodles and it was never ever made in our home. My mother and aunts being stay at home Mums indulged us with fresh food 3 times a day. 

But I did see my cousin sisters take the short cut with their children they being working mothers even though they worked from home. There have been times when the child demanded and they made. Later times when the kids saw Mum busy with their tuition students the kids made instant noodles for themselves. I however never indulged them with those instant noodles in my home when they visited. I always made Rice shevayi or Whole wheat shevayi and served them in different soups or curries and they would love it. 

Today's recipe is something I made from the memories of those days when I would make noodles from scratch  for the kids. This time I wished they were there to taste it but today there is my cousin Harshada. She is an adult but has rustic tastes and so this dish was a challenge and I awaited with bated breath for her verdict.

Here is the recipe for a colorful bowlful and two.

Portions : 2

Ingredients

For the noodles
1 cup ragi/ Nachani flour/ finger millet
3/4th cup water
salt to taste

For the peanut sauce
0.5 cup raw peanuts
1.5 cup water
2 green chilies chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
a small piece of jaggery to taste
5-6 pieces of Kokum
salt to taste

Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil 
2-3 teaspoons for seasoning the peanut sauce 
1 teaspoon for ragi noodles


This oil contains more antioxidants than blended oils or pomace olive oil. They fight harmful free radicals, which cause heart disease and other chronic illnesses, keeping the heart healthy. It is enriched with a gamut of nutrients and is good for heart, immunity, skin and hormones. It is appropriate for people of all ages.    

Preparation

Grind the raw peanuts.

Measure out all the ingredients and keep the mezze ready as we work fast.



Method

Making the peanut sauce

In a degh or saucepan heat 2-3 teaspoons of oil. Make the seasoning with cumin seeds and chopped green chilies.

Add to it the ground raw peanuts. Add the kokum pieces, jaggery and salt. Top up with 1.5 cups of water and leave it on simmer. 

Meanwhile get the ragi noodles made.

Making the ragi noodles.

Boil the 3/4th cup water. Add salt to taste. Add the ragi flour to it. Mix with the water to get a crumble like consistency. Remove the hot cooked flour on to the counter. Let it cool a bit till you can handle it. 

Knead the dough into a ball. Fill an extruder with the dough and keep it ready.

Heat about four cups of water in a saucepan and bring to rolling boil.

Extrude the noodles into the hot water. Cook for 5 mins. It should be al dente. It will get further cooked in the sauce. So this is important. Remove the cooked ragi noodles into a strainer and add cold water over it. Keep aside.

Putting together

In a saucepan added the cooked ragi noodles and as much peanut sauce as you like. Bring to rolling boil on high heat then put off the heat. This is now ready for plating.


Plating and Serving

In a medium bowl laddle out the ragi noodles in peanut sauce. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro. I served fried potato chips and coconut chutney on the side. The sides are really not required but a perk for the kids and adults alike.

How was the taste?

Just the ragi noodles in peanut sauce are lipsmacking and soul satisfying by itself. A warm bowl makes a hearty breakfast or an anytime complete meal with the starch, calcium and the valuable amino acid methionine from Ragi and the good fat and proteins from peanuts.

Lets get the kids chanting Ragi Noodles ho jaay!!

This blogpost is in association with Fortune Foods as a part of their Desi Health Bites activity–The Hunt for the Best Rice Bran Oil Recipes. For more updates and healthy recipes using Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil, follow Fortune Foods on Facebook and on Twitter @fortunefoods .

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