How to make Aval/ Poha Pulao

Prep time - under 10 mins

Cook time - under 15 mins
Serves - 2

Ingredients needed

Aval/Poha - 1 cup (beaten rice)
Onion - 1
Green chilli - 1
Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 tsp or
(1 small bit ginger and 2 cloves garlic finely chopped)
Salt needed

Vegetables

Carrot - 1 small
Potato - 1/2 a potato
Beans - 3-4
Cabbage - 1/4 cup
Peas - 1/4 cup (cooked)
Cauliflower -4 florets (optional)
You can also add capsicum if you want. (All vegetables together - 1/2 -3/4 cup)

For the seasoning

Oil - 2-3 tsp
Cinnamon -1 small bit
Cloves -2

Preparation
Wash aval /Poha under running water 2-3 times and drain the water in a colander. Fluff it with a fork and keep it aside.

Finely chop onions, green chilli and all the vegetables.



Method


Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan/kadai, add cinnamon and cloves.Then add finely chopped onions and saute until onions turn
transparent.

Now add finely chopped green chillies and ginger-garlic paste (or chopped ginger and garlic). Saute for some more time.

Then add all the vegetables, salt needed and cook until soft. (alternatively you can par boil the vegetables or microwave the
vegetables separately and then add. In that case, you can add poha immediately.)

After the vegetables are cooked, add the poha/aval and mix gently.(picture 2). If you have bought the thick variety poha,
sprinkle a little water and cook covered for 2-3 minutes.

Now your Aval Pulao is ready to be served.

How to make Rava Pongal/Sooji Pongal

Ingredients needed

Rava - 1 cup
Moong dal (pasi paruppu) - 1/3 cup

Ginger finely chopped - 1 tsp
Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts - 5-6
Salt as required

Preparation

Roast rava in a tsp of ghee till it becomes hot to touch.(do not over roast it)

Cook moong dal till soft but not mushy.

Grind cumin seeds and pepper coarsely.

Method

1. Heat ghee in a pan, add finely chopped ginger, grounded pepper+ cumin seeds, cashew nuts and curry leaves.

2. Saute for a few seconds, then add 2 cups of boiling water. Add salt to taste.

3. Simmer the flames and then slowly add rava, stirring continuously.

4. After the rava gets cooked, add the cooked moong dal and cook till all the water evaporates.

Serve hot rava pongal with coconut chutney or quick sambar

The easy sambar recipe that I have prepared for ven pongal also goes well with rava pongal.

Note- If preferred, you can add 1 finely chopped green chilli in step 1.

More Rava(Ravai) Sooji Recipes from Padhuskitchen

Rava Dosa

Rava Kesari

Rava Upma with vegetables (Sooji Upma)

Easy Home Made Basic Vanilla Cake recipe
Adapted from here

Ingredients needed

All purpose flour (maida) - 1 1/2 cup
Sugar (powdered) -1 cup
Egg -2
Butter - 1/2 cup (125 grams)
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup

Preparation

I used the aluminum cooker vessel for baking this cake. Grease the vessel with butter and dust flour. Keep it aside.

Sieve maida, baking powder and salt together twice.

Important point to be noted- Bring everything to room temperature.


Method

Cream butter and sugar well .Use an electric beater or an wooden ladle but beat well untill light and fluffy.

Add eggs and beat again.

Add milk, vanilla essence and beat for a few more minutes.

Fold in flour until well incorporated.

Pour the prepared batter in the prepared cooker vessel.

How to bake cake in Pressure cooker

Fill the cooker with sand till 1 1/2 inches and place the plate you get along with the cooker on top of it. (picture -1)

Preheat the cooker for 5 minutes on high flame with the sand.
(We are following the same principle as in the oven but here the sand is heated and the cake gets cooked in the heat
produced by the sand.)

Now, keep the flame in low and place the vessel with the cake batter carefully inside the cooker.

Close the cooker, watch TV or relax as it will take 4o minutes to 1 hours for the cake to be done.

Check it after 40 minutes by inserting a wooden toothpick in the center of the cake, if it comes out clean, your cake is done,
otherwise cook for some more time. (Mine took 1 hour)

Important points to be noted while baking cake in pressure cooker
Do not use the rubber gasket.
Do not use the weight. (weight valves)
Do not pour water inside the cooker as we are not steaming the cake.
It is preferable to use old cooker. Do not heat empty cooker without the sand as your cooker will get damaged.
As promised I have posted alternative methods of baking cakes for those who do not have an oven. Other methods
given below-

Steaming ( banana cake made my steaming method)

Pressure cooker




Easy chocolate frosting recipe

Cocoa powder -1/3 cup
Butter -120 grams
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
Hot milk/ hot water -1 -2 tbspVanilla essence -1 1/2 tsp

Method

Beat cocoa powder and butter together.

Add sugar, vanilla essence and milk and mix well.

Keep the mixture in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and then apply it on the cake using a spatula.

Cool the cake before applying the icing. Dip the spatula in hot water to get a smooth finish.

Decorate it with silver balls or chocolate shaving or gems or edible sprinkles. It is all left to your imagination and with
whatever you get in India.

For the above cake, you need only half of the above icing recipe.

This Simple vanilla cake and frosting is a great recipe which even beginners can try.

Check out more cakes and cookie recipes

You can bake Eggless Vanilla Cake also in pressure cooker.

Meet you all with more interesting recipes and tips, till then it is bye from Padhu of Padhuskitchen.