Foxtail Millet with Honey - Thaenum Thinai Maavum

I hope Vinayaka Chathurthi was a very enjoyable celebration to all. I could not take my eyes off all the lovely posts and pics from my fellow bloggers right from sweet kozhukattais to sundal to payasam to pidi kozhukattais...

Just by looking at all the recipes I literally felt like I have tasted all of them ... Thanks to all bloggers, it was a wonderful visual feast for the past 2 weeks..:)

Now, we have showered the elder brother Lord Vinayagar with all the love, flowers, prasadhams, slogams etc. Now it is time to turn our attention to the younger brother , Lord Murugan.

When we look at the family chemistry  of Lord Sivan and Parvathi, it is a typical household of working parents and two kids where the first born is always the patient sharing type and the second born is much more playful and naughty. I am the first born in my family with two younger sisters and there comes a stage where parents and other elders tell the first born to be nice, to always share and to take care of the younger siblings.

This is something that is not always possible and cannot be done with a smile or wholeheartedly all the time as the first born is will also be a child of a different age when the second one arrives but looking at the bigger picture, your life has a new meaning with the arrival of a new sibling.

The same is with Vinayagar and Murugar ... Vinayagar was the more stable one with so much love and patience whereas Murugar was playful, sharp tongued and short tempered. He even had a fight with his own father and off he went to stay on a hill top [Palani Hills].

There is also a mythical story of Ganesha helping out his younger brother in his love quest with Valli [who is one of the wives of Lord Murugar]...;)

Ofcourse, there comes the prasadhams - Panchamirtham and Thaenum Thinai Maavum. Panchamirtham - means "Food for the God made out of five items mixed together" and Thaenum Thinai Maavum - means "Foxtail Millet with Honey".

The first one is made with specific ingredients especially available from the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu and is something like a fruit jam.

The second one is a simple mix of millet flour and honey. Foxtail millet as we all know is one of the most healthiest grains but sadly disappearing from our lives. When mixed with honey, ghee with or without dried fruit and nuts makes a lovely healthy sweet treat.

When certain items are offered as prasadhams to God, it is an indirect way designed by our ancestors to tell us the value of the ingredients offered.

Coming to the recipe, this mix of millet and honey can be consumed in the powder form or made into tiny laddoos. The laddoos resemble Rava Laddoos. This is offered as prasadham in Palani Murugar Temple.

For the recipe:
Thinai : 100 gms.
Clear runny honey: 5-6 tbsp.
Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp.
Cashews [chopped]: 5-6.
Raisins [chopped]: 2 tbsp.
Ghee: 2 tbsp.

1.Place a non stick pan on medium flame. Roast the grains along with the ghee for a good 6-8 minutes. Initially the ghee would make grains stick together but after 5 minutes the grains will seperate and a wonderful aroma arises.
2.Transfer the grains onto a plate and let it cool. After the grains cooled completely, grind it to a powder.
3.Take this powder in a bowl. Add the honey, cardamom powder, chopped cashews and raisins.
4.Mix well and make them into small laddoos.

Store in air tight containers and keep in a cool dry place. You can also serve the sweet powder mix as it is without making them into laddoos.

Note: If you prefer a smooth powder, sieve the ground grains and grind the grainy part again. I have made the laddoos with a grainy powder which gives the feel of rava laddoo.The amount of sweetness in just enough to cover the earthy slightly bitter taste of the grains.

You can increase the amount of honey as per your preference [about 2 tbsp more than the given amount] but be careful not to add to much of honey as you would end with a sticky mass.

Some don't prefer the taste of honey. Please feel free to substitute powdered palm sugar [panang-kalkandu] or even powdered rocky candy. If you don't have any of the above sweetening agents, use powdered sugar to sweeten the mix.

All you need to do is add 2-3 tbsp of ghee to make laddoos [if you want to make laddoos] or else just mix the grain powder and sugar along with the chopped cashews and raisins and serve in the powder form.

Thinai is said to increase the body temperature, so be aware of the amount of grains consumed. Moderation is advised or if in doubt please get the nutritional advise from your doctor.

Sending this to Jagruthi's Know Your Sweetness - Honey guest hosted by Shama Nagarajan

Enjoy ....

Scribbled by Reva.

Foxtail Millet with Horsegram Mash ... A Kongunad Special..

திணை அரிசி சாதமும் கொள்ளு பருப்பும் - Thinai Arisi Saadham with Kollu Paruppu

Coming with a traditional recipe is very difficult. There are loads of recipes on baked items, chocolate, every day meals, North Indian, South Indian, lentils, regional dishes, drinks, smoothies but a very few recipes are known which reflects our roots. I am not talking about the past generation but going generations beyond when there was no electronic intrusion, no fast food restaurants, no grain import from outside, no freezing facilities etc.

Being healthy came naturally to our forefathers mainly because the food was right for their occupation [which involved physical activity], seasonal availability, organic farming techniques and simple home cooking. Most of the recipes are slowly slipping away from our memory pages simply because it is not practised in our daily cooking.

Interestingly, this has led to a comeback of traditional grains into our markets, awareness through books and media  and some companies are even investing in marketing cookies and cereal made out of millets.

If we can get used to oats, pizza, pasta, burgers. sugary cereals, bottled drinks ... then we can get used cooking with these grains too. It is not only good for our health but for our country's agricultural growth too..:)) 

Now coming to this recipe .... Foxtail millet and horsegram are familiar grains and very very tasty too..

Foxtail millet can be consumed just like rice -boiled and served with any curry or spicy side of your wish.

A word of caution: Both foxtail millet and horsegram increases the body heat. So it is advisable to avoid consuming large quatities especially in summer. It is beneficial to include these grains in winter and moderation is everything [say once a week]. Too much of anything has reverse effects. If still in doubt, then it is wise to consult your doctor regarding the nutritive value of these grains and consumption. 

For the foxtail millet rice: Serves 2.
Foxtail millet: 200 gms.
Salt: to taste
Water: 1/2 litre.

1.Wash the millet and drain the water.
2.Boil water [1/2 litre] until it bubbles. Add the millet and salt.
3.Let it simmer for 8-10 minutes until the millets are cooked.
4.Drain the excess of water in a colander and transfer the cooked millet into another bowl.

Keep warm until serving time.

Horsegram is one of the most nutritious of grain available. It is also the trademark ingredient of Kongunad cuisine. Whole seeds of this gram is mainly used as cattle feed especially horses [from where it gets its name]. No wonder horses have so much muscle power ....

There is a saying in Tamil "Kozhuthavanukku Kollu" meaning "People with increased BMI should be served with horsegram". It is said to increase the body temperature, thereby increasing the metabolism and helps reduce body fat.It is extremely rich in iron and protein.

The usual method is to grind the dhal with the masala in a stone grinder [attu kal]. I have soaked and cooked the dhal for extra time and used a wooden masher to mash it.

Horsegram Mash: Serves 2-3
Horsegram : 250 gms.
Small onions [peeled and chopped]: 10-12.
Large tomato [chopped]:1. 
Red chillies:2-3.
Whole coriander seeds [dhania]: 2 tbsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Garlic pods [chopped]: 4-5 pods.
Curry leaves: 1 sprig.
Tumeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Salt: to taste.

To temper:
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Gingelly oil: 2 tbsp.

1.Soak the horsegram for atleast 4-6 hours. Wash the dhal twice and cook in pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles. Let the steam settle an open the lid. Drain the excess of water. Reserve the cooked dhal and water seperately.
2.Meanwhile dry roast the red chillies, coriander and cumin seeds. Cool and grind to a powder.
3. Heat the oil in a kadai. Splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
4.Add the chopped garlic and onions and fry for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tumeric powder, salt and powdered masala.
5.Add the cooked horsegram, a bit of water  and mix well. Let it come to a simmer. Mash with the back of the spoon or use a wooden masher to mash the horsegram.

Remove from heat. Check salt and serve hot.

Note: Usually the dhal along with the masala is ground in a stone grinder in step 5. Both the items can be made and served seperately. Increase the amount of spice according to your taste. Make sure the millet and the horsegram are fresh as old stuff has an unpleasant aroma and taste. 
  

Enjoy...

Scribbled by Reva

Miracle Grains - Thinai Payasam

As we all know small grains are gaining more importance these days for the simple fact their nutritive value are becoming evident. I am sure you are familiar with some of the millets that are still in our kitchen shelves like Ragi, Bajra, Jowar etc.

There are few other cousins of the more popular ones and they have slowly disappeared from our kitchens and menus but I feel it is time for us to bring them back and letting the world know their original glory.

There is evidence to prove that millets have been in use especially in Tamil Nadu nearly 6500 BC. Millets are glutin free and pesticide free..:)

They are incredibly resistant to drought and insects, sowed and reaped withing 6 months durations, does not require high quality support, grows in almost any soil type excepts water logged ones and when stored properly it remains in good form for more than 2 years.

Having said that millets are fortified with all the essential vitamins  and minerals, iron, calcium, zinc, protein and slow release sugars. It is also so much cheaper than rice and wheat. They can be consumed by anyone even from the tender age of 4 months to 60 years.

Consumed regularly there is no need to be dependent on any commercial "fortified breakfast cereals or drinks" for good health.


Thinai is known as Foxtail Millet in English and goes by the Botanical name of Setaria italica. In China it is known as " Little Rice". It is known as "Korra" in Telugu, "Navane" in Kannada and "Kakum" in Hindi.

Personally for me they are "Miracle Millet", a boon to our country but sadly there is a decline in their production simply because of decreased demand.We can have our occasional KFC's / Dominoes / Mc Dee's etc but we need to embrace out own home grown grains to protect our farmers and for our own good health...:)

For more info visit here .

For the payasam
Thinai [foxtail millet] : 100 gms.
Powdered jaggery: 120 gms.
Milk : 200-250 mls + extra for serving.
Ginger powder [sukku]: 1 pinch.
Cashews: a few.
Raisins: a few.
Ghee : 1 tbsp.

1.Roast the thinai grains on slim flame until just heated through.
2.Add the milk [200 mls] and ginger powder and simmer until just cooked. This will take around 15- 20 minutes.Add the remaining 50 mls if required.
3.Add the powdered jaggery and stir continuously until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
4.Heat the ghee in another small pan and roast the cashews and raisins.
5.Add this to the payasam.

Serve the payasam either warm or cold in individual bowls with extra helping of the milk.

Note: The amount of jaggery given here imparts mild sweetness to the payasam. You can increase or decrease the amount according to your taste. You can substitute caster sugar, muscavado sugar if you prefer to. Do not over cook the millet as it will turn mushy. Cook the grains until soft.The addition of ghee, cashews and raisins is a luxury factor but you can skip it if you prefer to.

Enjoy...

Scribbled by Reva