Vegetable Oats Rawa Idli

Whenever I see an elderly couple I feel a great sense of warmth and pride.They need not be my family or even someone known to me.Something in them draws my attention.I feel so happy looking at the elderly that I wish I too would live to that age.

Their eyes speak years of experiences,their joys or sorrows and is overflowing with care and love.Once in a while I just walk to them and speak a few words and I am not sure what those people would have thought.But their smile is worth a million dollars.

To live to a ripe old age can only mean they have laid a strong foundation for health and nutrition in their childhood.In those days there was more manual work and they sure ate organic food.Chemical pesticides and fertilizers were not used.They did a good deal of physical work,right from walking to school to enjoying games in front of their house and ate healthy stuffs.No riding bikes or auto to school and surely no burgers and french fries.Thus they were more healthier than the kids today.

But as they grow older,they face some problems that hinder their intake of nutritious food.Pointers likes denture problem,food-drug interference,economic status,digestive problems,lack of appetite, etc affect the food intake and hence it is of utmost importance to see to that they get the right nutrition.

While preparing food for the elderly,care has to be taken to ensure that the food is easy to digest and provide nutrition too.Here is a simple dish that has fiber, little bit of vitamins and minerals , easy to digest and low fat too.By the way did I tell you that it is easy to prepare?

For Vegetable oats rawa idli I used:

Oats- 1 cup
White rawa-1 cup
Vegetables- grated carrot,peas-a handful
Grated ginger-1″ piece
Sour curd-2 cups
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Gram dhal- 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil-1 teaspoon

1. Dry roast oats and powder.[optional]
2. In a large bowl combine rawa,oats,grated carrot,peas,ginger,salt.
3. Add curd little by little and make a batter.The quantity of curd can vary between 1 1/2 – 2 cups.Add water if necessary.The batter must not be too watery.
4. In a small pan,heat oil and put in mustard,cumin seeds,gram dhal and when the dhal turns brown pour into batter.
5. Mix well and let it sit for 15 minutes.Adjust the consistency if required.
6. Pour into greased idli molds and steam for 15 minutes or till a skewer comes out clean.

Serve hot with a chutney or sambar

Note:

• Curry leaves and finely chopped coriander leaves/mint can be added to the batter before steaming.They enhance the taste of the idli.
• You can also add fried cashews/groundnuts to the batter before steaming.They will become soft and will not be a problem to chew.
• Other vegetables like grated beetroot,cauliflower etc can also be added.

For digestion problems,Jeeraga kashayam and Sukku malli kashayam come to the rescue.These are home remedies that are very effective and simple to prepare.

These 3 simple recipes are off to join ‘Food for seven stages of life-old age’ hosted jointly hosted RV and Sudeshna .

Healthy living….