SEWAI (Semiya, Semige Payasa, Shavige Payasa, Vermicelli Kheer)

Sewai (hindi) or Semige or Shavige (Kannada) or Vermicelli (English) is all the same. They come in all sizes. They are either thick or thin, long or small cut pieces. At Mangalore, we prepare rice sewai at home. They are yumm to eat with coconut milk or chicken curry. My badepapa (dodappa) loved it with coconut milk & jaggery with a dash of powdered cardomom. I loved it too.

Speaking of sewai, my hubby loves it a lot. He pesters me to prepare it every week. But I prepare it once a month. Ha..ha..he...he.... Ok.



Ingredients:

Milk - 1/2 lt.
Sewai (vermicelli) - 1 cup
Raisins - 1 tsp
Cashewnut - 1 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Water - 1 cup
Cardomom powdered - a pinch
Sugar - 2 tbsp or as per taste

Method:

Boil milk in a pan thoroughly. Once done add water & bring to boil gain. Now add the sewai & keep stirring to avoid formation of lumps. Though the lumps settle once the sewai is cooked, it would be better to avoid such mess. Now let it cook well. In another seasoning pan heat ghee. Now fry raisins & cashew & pour the whole ghee along with the nuts to the boiling milk. (This gives an additional taste to the sewai preparation). Do not let the milk thicken. Because if it does, then the preparation would thicken up a lot once cold, which is not ideal for this kind of sewai preparation. If you feel it is thick do add enough water to lighten it up. Once the sewai is well cooked, turn of the flame. Now add sugar & stir. Add a dash of cardomom powder & keep it aside for a couple of minutes for the sugar to melt well in the milk.

Your sewai is ready. One can eat it either hot or cold. As per taste.

BEETROOT SABZI (Beetroot Pallya)

Beetroot is one of my favourite vegetables. Though my list of favourites among veggies is very very small, I like the beet a lot. I still remember, when small, Mom prepared beetroot pallya & I relished it in the form of beetroot icecream, with curds insted of the real "icecream". I just mixed the beet pallya with curds, the color would turn dark pink & I would relish it saying "I had prepared beetroot salad with ice cream". But it is still yummy. We now prepare beet raitha or pachdi to that respect.

As it is a natural colouring agent, its used in industries to add a color to the jellies, jams, sauces, ice creams, etc., etc., When small I loved to touch it because after I touched it with my hands, my palm would be colored as if I applied ALTA (red flower based dye) on my hands & felt like a bride.

At this thought, I have to thank heavens for fulfilling this dream of mine. After my wedding to Kuku (my hubby) who is a Bihari, I had to dip my feet in a thali containing this ALTA & had to leave red footprints on the floor, which is a sign of accepting Goddess of prosperity into the house & not only accepting, but a belief that the goddess would stay there, here onwards. I loved it. THANK YOU GOD for all your blessings on me. I just pray to you, to help me retain all that I have. Hmmmmmmm..................

So there goes a beetroot preparation.




BEETROOT SABZI (Beetroot Pallya)

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 1 medium sized, grated
Onion - 1 medium sized, chopped
Green Chilli - 2 chopped
Split Green Gram Dal - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Salt - As per Taste
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp, finely Chopped



Method:

Soak the split green gram dal (Moong Dal) in water for half an hour. Place a pan on low fire & heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds & allow them to splutter. Now add Cumin seeds (Jeera) & let them crackle. Add asafoetida (Heeng). Now add green chillies & saute for a second or two. Then add curry leaves & saute. Once done add chopped onion. Now add a pinch of salt. Saute the onions for a min & add turmeric powder. Now add split moong dal which was soaked in water previously. Saute for a minute & add grated beetroot. Now cover the lid & let the beetroot cook in its own juice, but you can add a little water which is optional. Keep stirring in between & let it cook for 10 minutes. Now remove the lid to see the beet well cooked as well as the moong dal. The moisture has evaporated. Now add cumin & coriander powder & mix well. Now add a pinch of garam masala powder & mix well. Finally add chopped coriander leaves & mix well. Your Beetroot sabzi is ready. Serve it hot for chapatis or plain rice & dal.



PS: Just like a well cooked Pulao shows the rice grains separately, similarly a well cooked beetroot shows off its grated beet separately, not being mushy.