Roses Are Red......

The other day i was writing about the march snow in chicago...n the same day i happend to this CLICK event for April 2009.I might be relatively new to the blog world but i thought of giving it a try.....so here i am submitting an entry for it......

Spring, spring is coming soon,

Grass is green and flowers bloom,

Birds returning from the south,

Bees are buzzing all about,

Leaves are budding everywhere,

Spring, spring is finally here!

"April prepares her green traffic light,and the world thinks,'GO' "-Christopher Morley

Every season has its own beauty,be it the snow in winter,amazing color's of the leaves in autumn,beautiful flowers in spring etc.....But out of all my favorite was always spring,where i get to see the beautiful flowers,butterflies,birds....Its so refreshing to see it after many months of white snow .....which turns the whole place into black white.

Spring brings not only a fresh lease of life to the plants and birds but also to us.....because we start with a new year (ugadi).....which inturn brings us new hope ,new begining.....Since spring signifies color....I thought of submittimg this "Basket weave cake with red roses"..

That's a choclate cake with chocolate frosting topped with red fondnat roses.As said in my earlier post ,i made that for valentines day...becoz the two things that go hand in hand for valentines day are Chocolate n Red colour so i incorporated both of them into my cake .

But apart from that the cake had bright red roses which signifys spring as well .So thats the reason for me sending it to this event .

Roses signify a lot of things but a red rose always signifies love....Lets all start this new year (ugadi) by sharing this love with one another and make this world a better n worhty place to live in.

IF...?????????

After a nice full and heavy meal on Ugadi day,that afternoon i happened to this good telugu movie called "Happy Days" on Tv.I have seen this movie several times before.....n i was like each time i see it...i think ....is this movie trying to remind me of something ?.......N then there was the answer Yes.....It reminds me of something....so what is it...

For those of u who didnt see the movie It is about a few friends n their life in an Engineering college.....Apart from this what caught my attention was a poem which one of the friends had to byheart n recite it back inorder to impress a English Lecturer.......It was this that caught my attention...I have heard it somewhere.....Where ? Where did i first hear it .....??

Any Guesses?????

Till my 8th standard i studied in a catholic school St.Josephs in vizag ,It had a ICSE syllabus n from 7th or 8th std we had a book on poems it was called "Flights Of Fantasy".....n Two poems that made a place in my mind were IF---Rudyard Kipling n Daffodils-Williams Wordsworth.

Two very good poets i am found of.

IF---??????

No matter what ever we do in our daily lifes,everything starts with a If....What if i do this? What if i do That? What if my boss doesnt like it? What if this will happen? etc etc etc.......They are so many if's and but's in our life.....thats because man is a social being...we need to socialise with people wherever we are...So it's not always What we like to do..its sometimes What we can do for others...

Oh my god thats a lot a Philosophy from a girl of my age.......but thats ok....it did one good thing ,it reminded me of my school days...While in school i was staying in a hostel and i can say i had the best time in life with all my friends..We were a bunch of naughty friends...

IF---Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

But make allowance for their doubting too,

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,

If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

There is a lot to learn from this poem,it tells us how we should be . Its one encourageing poem we can look at when we lose anything....

If" illustrates the practice of self-confidence and expresses that, in being confident, the reader must have the courage to face unpopularity and disagreement.It helps to find a balance between private ideals and public action, warning against making the machinations of the mind an end in itself. In other words, to be a leader an individual must be able to put private dreams and philosophies to public action.

It tells us how a individual should regard both profit and loss, neither of which is permanent.It shows that model leadership requires action that is based on a worldview that is complex, multifaceted, and ultimately inclusive.

It tells people to work against favoritism and work toward regarding men with equality.By emulating the characteristics of a model leader, an individual can achieve "manhood." That's how all of us should be .

Let it Snow.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

March 29th 2009 when i woke up this morning and started brushing my teeth ,i heard my hubby shouting.... Ammu .......come fast come and have a look at what happened!!!!!.I was like what,what must have happened so early in the morning....then i came out n he was standing in the balcony next to our living room.

....and i was like WOW!!!!!!! thats so pretty.I was so surprised to see snow all over the trees and from between the branches i could see the lake flowing calmly and two ducks having a nice swim in it....n there was our apt office just near the lake appearing like a small cottage with snow all over it...My idea of a perfect dream home...I was so happy n excited...that i didnt find any words to express it .....but here is how exactly i felt like..... in the word's of Billy Collins


Snow Day by Billy Collins:-

Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,
its white flag waving over everything,
the landscape vanished,
not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,

and beyond these windows
the government buildings smothered,schools
and libraries buried,
the post office lost under the noiseless drift,
the paths of trains softly blocked,
the world fallen under this falling.

In a while I will put on some boots
and step out like someone walking in water,
and the dog will porpoise through the drifts,
and I will shake a laden branch,
sending a cold shower down on us both.

But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,
a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.
I will make a pot of tea and listen to the plastic radio
on the counter,as glad as anyone to hear the news .

And now I am listening hard in the grandiose silence of the snow.

Thats how exaclty i felt ....

Seeing the snow i became a bit lazy and enjoyed the calmness for sometime,then got romantic heard some good old hindi kishore kumar songs,with a nice cup of masala tea and masala dosa.I know ur mouth is watering as well...

Its nice that once in a while we get to enjoy such beautiful things of nature....forgetting all our worries,responsibilitys.....etc from the regular hustle and bustle of life.The last time i felt such a peace of mind was for fall when we to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for fall....n went to some beautiful spots like Cades Cove,Clingmans Dove,The blue ridge parkway....

They were simply superb...I never get tired going to places like that over and over again....which are very scenic be it the beaches like Bora Bora(Tahithi),Santorini(Greece),Maui(Hawaii),Bahamas etc or the mountains like Smokys or Yellow Stone national parks, or The snow clad Alaska n Swizerland......Of course those are my dream holiday spots

So back to what we were discussing ......this sunday i was so excited to see the snow,that we went to the forest preserve nearby....we took our camera as well....I Fell in love with the nature so much ,that my camera started clicking...CLICK!!!...CLICK!!!!....CLICK!!!!.I am not a professional photographer with the SLR cameras......But i felt like one big photographer with just slim n sleek olympus camera.For more clear photos u can follow this link

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/amukta.ch/MarchSnowfallInChicago?authkey=Gv1sRgCJzz5ML0-Lb_dw#

All the photos are in there original colors,except for one or two which were processed......the moment i stepped out it was all black n white......all the trees appeared black n snow was white.....that must be the reason why people say "As White As Snow"

And so u can see some of my good work in all the above photos .We were walking in this forest preserve in the parking lot taking some photos ....n my hubby pointed his finger towards the trees....n there i could see a family of deer ,i think 4 of them 2 big with beautiful antlers n 2 small ones sitting on the white snow staring towards us.....that was a very good sight ....but i couldnt capture it in my camera as they were too far....n they didnt stay there for long..

So that was One beautiful day in chicago suburbs....wihtout the regular complaints from why its so windy n cold in chicago.....We will surely miss it wherever we might be.

Masala Dosa

Masala

2 big russet potatoes
3-4 green chillies slit
1 big onion sliced thinly lengthwise
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeer
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
hing a pinch
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp grated or chopped ginger
few curry leaves
few cilantro leaves
few drops lemon juice(optional)

1. Wash the potatoes cut each into 2 halfs and presurre cook them for 2 whistles.
2. Once cool remove lid,peel the potatoes smash them roughly with ur hand.
3. Heat a pan with 3 tbsp oil,once hot add the urad dal n channa dal
4. When they start changeing color add the mustard,jeera,greenchillies n ginger
5. Add the hing ,turmeric and slice onion pc's,curry leaves and fry until they turn transparent
6. Add salt and the smashesd potatoes ,mix well n let it fry for sometime.
7. Then add the cilantro and few drops of lemon juice,mix and keep aside.

U can serve this curry with dosa on the side or before taking the dosa from the pan, put it on the centre of the dosa as shown in the picture fold it and serve with coconut chutney.U can use the same masala with puri or chapathis as well .But if u need little gravy consistency for puris n chapathis just add a cup of water to the curry and let it come to a boil.

Ingredients for DOSA batter

3 cups raw rice

1 cup urad dal

few methi seeds half tsp(optional but they give nice flavour n colour to the dosa)

Wash and soak the rice with methi seeds for 6 hrs and seperately wash n soak the urad dal as well.Grind both of them togeather do not add too much water,the batter should be thick consistency.Usually i use 1 small electric rice cooker cup of water .Let it ferment overnight in a warm place.

When i came to US at first i didnt know that i have to ferment the batter :),but then i learnt it from my friends....So what i started doing is that grind the ingredients,pour into a large container so that its half full(As once fermented it will rise up and it needs some space for that to happen otherwise it will spill out from the container),then put it onto the oven tray(this will help to see that if the batter overflows it will not spill onto the oven directly) ,n put it in the oven near to the oven light switch on the oven light close the door n leave it overnight in the oven.Next morning u will see that the batter has risen.

Fermenting in the oven is for people in the the cold places for people in warm places u just need to leave the batter in a warm place .

So once fermented mix once again.Take the required quantity into a small bowl add some salt and water n mix it until it has a flowing consistency(i.e not too thick or not too watery).Ur regualr dosa batter is ready.

Now heat a flat pan on medium until its hot,cut a small onion into half ,dip into oil n rub the panwith it.Then take a deep laddle with round bottom i.e take a laddle full of batter,pour onto the centerof the pan,and gently with light pressure start spreading the batter with the bottom of the laddle incircular motion usualy clockwise,sprinkle some few drops of oil all over it...once golden brown fold itinto half n remove from pan and serve hot with coconut chutney.

Note:

Usually the frist dosa might not come out that good,as the pan need to become little oily(this isthe reason why we cut a onion dipped it in oil n rubbed the pan with it).Remember the dosa pan should always be a seperate one i.e never use the pan for making chapathis n omlettes for making dosa's...

Rava kesari,Boorelu N Pulihora

Rava Kesari:-

1 cup sooji/rava(that we use for upma the thin variety)
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup ghee
1/2 cup nuts(cashew,khismiss,almonds)
pinch of orange food color/saffron soaked in 3tbsp warm milk
pinch salt(optional)

• Melt ghee in a pan on low heat
• Add the nuts when they turn light brown add the Khissmiss(raisins)
• When the Kismiss puff up a bit add the sooji and on low heat roast it
• When it turns light brown ,add the sugar and mix it up.
• Add water and the orange color and keep stirring continously.
• Add pinch of salt
• When the kesari starts leaving the side of the dish remove, n serve hot or cold

I used a non stick pan so everything was made easy...remember to keep the flame on low or medium low.

Boorelu(Poornalu) N Pulihora

I picked this recipe from my favorite site sailusfood so all credit goes to her.Till now all the recipes i try from her site just turn out perfect n more or less remind me of my mothers cooking.

so here are the links to her site

Boorelu

http://www.sailusfood.com/2007/01/08/boorelu/

Pulihora

http://www.sailusfood.com/2008/10/30/pulihora-andhra-tamarind-rice/

Ugadi n Ugadi pachadi

First n foremost wish u all a HAPPY UGADI


As you savour Ugadi Pachadi
Here's wishing that your
New Year is filled with all
The rich flavours of life!!!!!
HAPPY UGADI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This year Ugadi falls on March 27th 2009.Now lets see its significance



Ugadi (Kannada: ಯುಗಾದಿ, Telugu: ఉగాది from yuga+aadi, yuga is era, aadi means start. the start of an era) is the new year's day for the people of the Deccan region of India. While the people of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh use the term Ugadi for this festival, the people of Maharashtra term the same festival, observed on the same day, Gudi Padwa. Sindhis, people from Sindh, celebrate the same day as their New Year day Cheti Chand.
Ugadi is celebrated on a different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar calendar. The Saka calendar begins with the month of Chaitra (March/April) and Ugadi marks the first day of the new year.


It is believed that the creator of the Hindu pantheon Lord Brahma started creation on this day - Chaitra suddha padhyami or the Ugadi day


It is a season for raw mangoes spreading its aroma in the air and the fully blossomed neem tree that makes the air healthy. Also, jaggery made with fresh crop of sugarcane adds a renewed flavor to the typical dishes associated with Ugadi. "Ugadi pachchadi" is one such dish that has become synonymous with Ugadi. It is made with a mixture of

1.Neem Buds/Flowers for bitterness
2.Raw Mango for tang
3.Tamarind Juice for sourness
4.Green Chilli/Pepper for heat
5.Jaggery for sweetness
6.Pinch of Salt for saltiness

This mixture with all six tastes (షడ్రుచులు), called "Ugadi Pachhadi" (ఉగాది పచ్చడి) in Telugu and "Bevu-Bella"( ಬೇವು-ಬೆಲ್ಲ ) in Kannada, symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of different experiences (sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise) , which should be accepted together and with equanimity.

Later, people traditionally gather to listen to the recitation of the religious almanac (Panchangam) of the coming year, and to the general forecast of the year to come. This is the Panchanga Sravanam, an informal social function where an elderly and respected person refers to the new almanac pertaining to the coming year and makes a general benediction to all present. The advent of television has changed this routine, especially in the cities. Nowadays, people turn on the TV to watch broadcasts of the recitation.

Preparations for the festival begin a week ahead. Houses are given a thorough wash. Shopping for new clothes and buying other items that go with the requirements of the festival are done with a lot of excitement. The celebration of Ugadi is marked by religious zeal and social merriment. Special dishes are prepared for the occasion. In Andhra Pradesh, eatables such as "pulihora", "bobbatlu" and preparations made with raw mango go well with the occasion.

With the raw mango available in abundance only during the two months (of April/May), people in Andhra Pradesh make good use of mangoes to last them until the next season. They pickle the mangoes with salt, powdered mustard and powdered dry red chilli and a lot of oil to float over the mangoes. This preparation is called "avakai" and lasts for a whole year.
Mangoes and summer season go hand in hand. Ugadi thus marks the beginning of the hot season which coincides with the school vacations.

My menu for Ugadi

Ugadi pachadi,Pulihora,Boorelu,Kesari,mangoe dal, kakarakaya vepudu,tomatoe rasam,papad, n curd .

Ugadi Pachadi

Ingredients:

3-4 Tbsp tamarind paste
2 small pc's of jaggery
few neem flowers/for people outside india where neem flowers are unavailable use tsp of methi pwd
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp chilli pwd
3 tbsp of chopped finely raw mangoe pcs'
few coconut pc's chopped fine
few sugarcane pc's chopped fine.
1 glass of water


Method


Mix all the above ingredients,adjust the sweetness,sourness according to ur taste.


Here in US staying in chicago we get lot of indian stuff....one such thing is i was able to get the dried neem flowers in one indian grocery store, and was also able to get a raw mangoe n sugarcane as well.....Ugadi Pachadi is prepared in many variations accross andhra pradesh but the basic 6 ingredients are always the same .Mine is more of a Andhra version,some people even add putnala pappu(channa dal) n banana pc's as well.

Nimmakaya pappu(Lemon Dal)

Ingredients:

1 cup moong dal/pesarapappu
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
1 tsp mustard seeds/avalu
1 tsp jeera
4 red chillies
1 tsp turmeirc pwd
few curry leaves
pinch of hing
1 lemon
few cilantro leaves

Method:

• Pressure cook the moong dal with 2 cups water upto 3 whistles
• Let it cool and smash it till soft
• Heat oil in a pan,then add the urad dal,channa dal,mustard seeds,jeera,red chillies,curry leaves n hing
• Becareful dont burn the tadka items.
• Add the turmeric,add the cooked dal to the tadka
• Add the lemon juice to the dal,add salt mix n let it come to a slight boil.
• Remove and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
• Serve hot with rice or roti's.

Note:

Alternatively u can do the tadka with ghee for more taste.Add the lemon according to ur taste until u get the sourness in the dal.

Kobbari annam(coconut milk rice)

Amma used to make this rice in a jiffy.Whenever there used to be dinner at home,they used to be a mix of people i.e both vegetarians n non vegetarians.In such a situation amma used to make this coconut rice which was light but flavourful n used to serve it with a chicken curry,aloo kurma ,raita n rasam as usual just like how a typical south indian party meal should be.

I like my coconut rice with green peas in it rather than all the mixed veggies.I served mine with an egg curry which i got the recipe from sailus food here is the link http://www.sailusfood.com/2009/02/12/fennel-flavored-egg-curry/ it went very well with this rice n i made some raita as well.

Ingredients:

2 cups basamati rice

1 inch cinnamon

4 elaichi

4 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 star anise

1 tsp shahjeera

1 small onion sliced

4 slit green chillies

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 handful of fresh mint/pudina

cilantro few sprigs

1 cup green peas or vatna soaked(or u can used 1 cup of mix veggies as well)

1 cup thick coconut milk(i use the tinned coconut milk)

2 cups water

2 Tbsp ghee

1 Tbsp oil

few fried cashew's

few drops of lime juice

few drops of yellow food colour

few drops of orange food colour

Method:

• Wash n soak the basmati rice for 30 mins in the meanwhile
• Heat the ghee n oil in a pan once its lightly hot
• Add the cinnamon,elaichi,cloves,star anise,bay leaf,shahjeera fry for a sec until nice aroma emanates dont bun them
• Add the onions n green chillies once its fried ,add the mix veggies if any but dont add the green peas now
• Add the ginger garlic paste n fry till the raw smell disappears
• Then add the mint n fry till it wilts.
• Next add the coconut milk n water
• Add some salt to it n bring to a boil
• Next add the green peas,cilantro,fried cashews n few drops of lime juice
• Once the water comes to a boil transfer it to a electric rice cooker dish,add the basmati rice and switch it on.
• While its cooking u will notice a foam like substance on the top,just mix it n cover with a lid again.
• Once cooked add the food colour drops or saffron strands soaked in bit milk. mix and serve.

NOTE :- I didnt use any mix veggies instead i used dried vatna soaked overnight n added it to the rice n instead of useing the regular electric rice cooker used my pressure cooker for upto 3 whistles. The water ,coconut milk n rice ratio is 2:1:2 its for soaked rice other wise if the rice is not soaked the ratio is 2:2:2.

Another alternate method is u can also add 1/2 tsp of turmeric,1 tsp coriander pwd n 1 tsp gasalu paste or pwd to the cooked onions.

Betroot curry

Beets, known as beetroot in many areas of the world, seems to be one of those vegetables you either love or hate. The rich maroon flesh of this root vegetable is naturally sweet and nutritious.

beetroot belongs to the same family as spinach and chard, the difference being that with beetroot both the leaves and root can be eaten . Beet greens (use in salads and stir frys) are higher in nutritional value than the roots as they are a richer source of calcium, iron and vitamins A & C. The roots are a very good source of folic acid, fibre, manganese and potassium, whereas both the greens and roots are rich in magnesium, phosphorous, iron and vitamin B6.

The health benefits of beetroot include their stimulating effects on the liver's detoxification processes. The betacyanin content gives beetroot its rich purple - crimson colour and is a potent cancer - fighting agent. Beetroot's fibre promotes both healthy cholesterol levels and bowel function.Betanins, obtained from the roots, are used industrially as red food colourants, e.g. to intensify the colour of tomato paste, sauces, desserts, jams and jellies, ice cream, sweets and breakfast cereals.

Beet juice can help lower blood pressure. Research published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension showed drinking 500ml of beetroot juice led to a reduction in blood pressure within one hour.

Ingredients:

2 Big Beetroots
4 green chillies slit lengthwise
2 Tbsp grated fresh/frozen coconut
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp jeera pwd
pinch of garam masala
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1/2 tsp mustard/avalu
1 tsp jeera
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp hing

Method :

• Wash and pressure cook the whole beetroots as it is i.e without peeling in 2 cups of water for 2 whistles.
• Once the pressure comes down let them cool for sometime,then peel the skin(the skin easily comes off),chop them into small pc's and keep aside
• Heat 2Tbsp of oil then add the urad n channa dal when they start to turn light brown add the mustard,jeera,hing,green chillies n curry leaves.
• Once nice aroma starts to come add the beetroot pc's sprinkle some salt,let it cook uncovered for 5 mins .
• Then add the fresh grated coconut.Serve with rice or roti
  
  

Note:

Alternatively u can skip the beetroot boiling process n instead just peel n chop them into pc's.But when u add it to the tadka u have to cover n cook it until they turn tender.I didnt use any onion's but u can also add onions to the tadka n let let them fry for sometime n then add the beetroot.U can also garnish it with some lime juice n coriander.I use the water in which the beetroots were boiled to make rasam as well.

Beets are naturally very sweet,n since we are not adding any chilli pwd,u can increase or decrease the green chillies according to ur taste.N try omitting the onions to avoid more sweetness.

But if ur using onions use the red onions or white onions rather than the yellow onions(yellow onions are also sweet n not apt for indian cooking)

Dondakaya(ivy guard) curry

I really love this vegetable be it a fry or a curry .It's one of the things that i liked a lot and used to eat as a kid.Even to this day i like cooking and eating this vegetable.

Ingredients:

dondakaya sliced long n thin/cut into thin rounds
1 medium onion chopped finely
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp chilli pwd
salt
1 tsp mustard seeds/avalu
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp urad dal
4 red chillies
few curry leaves
1 garlic pod crushed

Method:

• Heat oil then add the urad dal,mustard(avaalu),jeera,red chillies.
• Then add the chopped onion and curry leaves let it fry for 2 min's .
• Now add the dondakaya(ivy guard) add pinch of salt and turmeric and mix
• On medium heat cover the pan with a lid and in between keep mixing it,so that it doesnt stick to the pan.This will ensure that the dondakaya pc's will become soft n cooked.
• Once the pc's become tender n soft add the remaining salt , chilli powder and the crushed garlic and mix
• Remove n serve hot with rice

Methi Channa Dal curry

I was always scared to use methi in my dishes as i thouhgt it will give out a slight bitter taste,but no i was wrong instead it adds more flavor to the dish.It has a lot of good nutrients in it.I recently started cooking with methi leaves(Fenugreek) both the fresh and dry ones(kasuri methi).Surprisingely it adds a lot of flavour to the dish be it vegetables,dals or chicken etc.

Fenugreek is used both as an herb (the leaves) and as a spice (the seed). Methi seeds are used in the preparation of pickles, curry powders, and pastes, and is often encountered in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. The young leaves and sprouts of fenugreek are eaten as greens, and the fresh or dried leaves are used to flavor other dishes. The dried leaves (called kasuri methi) have a bitter taste and a strong characteristic smell.
In India during the good old days, fenugreek seeds are mixed with yogurt and used as a conditioner for hair. It is one of the three ingredients of dosa . Methi seeds mixed with thick yogurt and swalloed is used as a digestive aid.

The active constituents of fenugreek seed include iron, vitamin A , vitamin B1, vitamin C , phosphates, flavonoids, steroidal saponins (diosgenin, yamogenin, tigogenin, and neotigogenin), trigonelline, and other alkaloids. The seed also contains fiber and protein high in lysine and l-tryptophan.It also helps to lower cholestrol and blood sugar levels.
Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh methi / 2 cups frozen methi thawed at room temperature
1 cup channa dal soaked for 3mins
2 garlic pods crushed
2 medium size tomatoes chopped
2 green chillies slit
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp hing
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
1 Tbsp chilli powder
salt
oil

Method:

• In a pressure cooker add 1 cup channa dal n 2 cups water , cook for upto 1 whistle,turn off heat n let it rest until the pressure comes down.NOTE--the dal should retain its shape so dont cook more longer than that.
• Let it cool, drain the water from the channa dal,(U can use that water to make any rasam) keep the cooked channa dal aside
• Heat oil then add the jeera and crushed garlic
• Next add the hing,green chillies and tomatoes,mix for few min's and cover with lid for 2 mins.
• Remove the lid u will notice that the tomatoes turn mushy n the oil starts oozing out .
• Now add the methi leaves and let fry for sometime until the raw smell disappears n the methi leaves are cooked.
• Next add the turmeric,coriander pwd,salt n chilli powder n mix
• Now add the boiled channa dal ,mix and let it cook until its a bit dry.

NOTE:- U can substitue the methi leaves for spinach as well