Sathu maavu / Nutritious powder

Wish you all a Happy Diwali

Am here after a month...really bogged down with work and other stuff. I wouldn't say I never got my time, but I had other priority tasks to do.I know if I sit down...I would definitely need a minimum of 4-5 hours to drop a few lines in my blog, check out my fellow bloggers etc. So I kept myself away to indulge in other activities.

Let me come to the recipe.

'Sathu maavu' literally means 'Nutritious Flour'. It is mainly used to make Kanji (Gruel). It is prepared using variety of grains and nuts. We are used having it right from our childhood. It is very filling and nutritious too. It is a very good alternative to the usual breakfast.

This is one of my mom's recipe which we like very much. My mom used to send us a pack everytime. I have never prepared this on my own, reason being- lack of facility to do the procedure. Ofcourse the process can be altered, but then we just love the way my mom does.

Though this is my mom's version, this particular post has got something to do with my dad !!! .Wondering how? I called up my mom to get this recipe and told her that I intend to post this sometime. When she started listing the grains I thought I could not do this with pictures. I was not sure if I could get all those grains here. She was actually preparing it there (in India)...right time I asked her. My dad said he would take the pictures of what my mom is preparing and send it to me.

I was really happy and stunned to see the pictures sent by my dad. Nothing extra ordinary, but the way he has tried to get the picture is really touchy. The first two pictures below were sent by my dad. He has taken extra care to spread it on a plate with a background cloth. So nice of him.

OK, here goes the recipe. I am listing down the English and Tamil names.

Ingredients:

Set 1: 250 gms each

Millet - Kambu
Finger Millet -Kelvaragu
Green Gram - Payaru
Horse Gram - Kollu
Black-eyed pea - Karamani
Chickpea - Kondakadalai
Urad - Ulundu

Set 2: 250 gms each
Corn Kernels - Cholam
Peanut - Kadalai
Wheat - Kodhumai
Roasted split Chickpeas - Pottukadalai

Set 3:
Poppy seeds - Kasakasa -100 gms
Cardamom - Elakkai - Few
Almond - Badam (Optional) - 10
Cashew - Mundhiri - 10

[Above two pictures were taken by my dad] Method:

Powder:

1. Soak Set 1 in water,drain the water and leave it aside for 2 nights (until it sprouts).
2. Wash Set 2 and drain the water.
3. Dry Set 1 and Set 2.
4. Fry Set 1, Set 2 and Set 3.
5. Grind everything to nice powder (You can get it done in Mill)
6. Store it in an airtight container.

Gruel:

1. Boil 2 cups of water (adjust water based on your taste. Add more water if you want the gruel to be watery).
2. Take 1 Tsp of Nutritious powder and mix with little amount of water and then add it to the boiling water.
3. Keep mixing (see to that lumps are not formed). .
4. The powder will boil and thicken. Switch off the stove.
5. Add milk and sugar (as per your taste). You could alternatively add Buttermilk and salt. Enjoy the gruel :)

I know, the process is little far from doing if you are outside India. But then it is really worth giving it a try. If you are in India, I would definitely recommend :)

Sambhar Powder

Here is my mom's version of Sambhar Powder. It smells great and the taste too is yummy. You can prepare it, store it in an air-tight container and use it for months.

Ingredients:
Dry Red Chilli - 1/4 Kg
Coriander Seeds - 3/4 Kg
Toor Dal - 1/4 Kg
Fenugreek - 50 gms
Pepper - 50 gms
Urad Dal - 50 gms
Curry Leaves - Few
Update:
Long Turmeric Sticks - 200 gms (Dry - Whole - 'Virali Manjal' in Tamil & 'Curcumin' in English).

Turmeric Stick Image Source: Google Search.

If you don't get Sticks use Turmeric Powder - 100 gms.

Method:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients slightly (do not overroast).
2. Grind it together.
3. Store it in an air tight container.