Pepper rasam ( menasina saru )

This is a staple in our house on cold, winter days, but it also comes with some great lactation benefits. It is a fast and easy recipe to make and can be consumed with rice or as soup.

Ingredients:

Pepper ---- 1 tsp,

Raw rice---1/2 tsp ,

Dry coconut powder---2 tbsp

Milk-----1/2 cup
Ghee-----1tsp 

Salt to taste

Method: 
Roast the above ingredients (pepper, rice, coconut powder ) and powder in the mixer, add to water (1/4 cup ) and boil for few minutes , then add salt and milk .

Prepare a seasoning with ghee and cumin seeds and then pour it over the mixture.

Note : you can make the powder in large quantity and bottle it and use 2 tsp everyday to prepare the saru.

Poppy seed (gasgasay) paysa (kheer)

It is common knowledge that a relaxed mom nurses her baby better. Keeping this in mind, another favorite in our household for improved lactation and relaxation is this kheer made with poppy seeds and milk. This is a perfect blend of flavor, relaxation and sleep induction! Need I also say that it takes less than 2 minutes to ready the ingredients and 5 minutes to prepare it...it sounds relaxing already!

Ingredients:

Poppy seeds----1/2 cup

Almonds ---1cup

Dry coconut powder ---1cup

Milk ½ cup

Method :
Make a fine powder of the above ingredients and bottle it!

Recipe: Boil ½ cup of water add 1 tsp of the above powder and then cook for 5 minutes. Add milk and sugar , boil for another 3 minutes and serve.

Omkal chutney powder (Ajwain )

Let the baby taste the flavors and magic of ajwain with this easy preparation. It not only beats any gas in the mom's digestive system, but is also a great add-on to any rice meal.

Ingredients:

Ajwain-----1/2 cup

Pepper------1/4 cup

Corriander seeds ---1 cup

Dry coconut powder ----1 cup

Aesophatida  ( hing )---1 tsp

Tamarind powder --------1 tb sp

Method :
In a pan roast all the above ingredients separately.

Add little ghee while roasting pepper and then add all the ingredients (except the dry coconut) in the mixer and grind to a fine powder. Then add the dry coconut and grind the mixture yet again. Bottle this powder and use it for many months.

Serving:--To hot rice squeeze little lime, salt and then put this powder and enjoy! This should be the first course while eating to avoid gas.

Curry leaves chutney pudi (powder)

Who doesnt love some chutney pudi with ghee, lentils and rice! This is a nice add-on to any meal and very healthy with fiber too.

Ingredients:

Tur dal --  1 cup

Red chillies ----4

Pepper ----1/2 tsp

Dry coconut --- 1 cup

Curry leaves ---  1 cup

Hing ( aesophatida )-- 1 tsp

Salt to taste.

Method:

Roast all the ingredients separately without oil, then blend to a powder in the mixer.
Add coconut at the very end and powder everything together one last time.

 

Garlic chutney Powder

If the garlic paysa wasnt enough, there is garlic chutney pudi as well to ensure the moms continue to have increased milk supply. With all the day-to-day pressures at work and a growing baby, moms can always fall back on this dish to amp up their milk supply.

Ingredients:

Garlic pods --- 1 cup

Dry Coconut powder --------2 cups

Red chillies ---------7 to 8
Ghee------------2 tbsp

Salt to taste.

Method :

Roast the above ingredients separately in little ghee  and then put in the mixer and powder it.

This can be consumed with any dish as a tasty addon.

Bottle gourd (doodhi) sabji

Bottle gourd is one of the miracle vegetables for a lactating mom. It is easy to digest, has a lot of fiber in it and is also a great lactation aid. This palya is very simple to make, takes little time and can be a great dish with rotis or rice and lentils.

The same procedure can be followed to make palyas with all other vegetables described in the 40 day diet post.
Ingredients for one serving: 

Bottle gourd----- 1 cup(chopped)

Ghee -----1 tsp

Jeera (whole cummin)—1/2 tsp

Pepper –2to 3 (crushed)

Cumin powder---1/4 tsp

Coriander powder---1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder----1/4 tsp
Raw groundnuts------8 to 10 (optional )

Salt to taste.

Method :
Dice the bottle and keep aside.
Take a pan, prepare a seasoning of jeera with ghee, add turmeric and then chopped vegetable and raw groundnuts.
 Cook for 10 minutes with 1/2 cup of water. After it softens and the water evaporates, add salt, pepper cumin powder , coriander powder and salt to taste.

Pesarittu

Dont be fooled by the name! It is a snack that needs some growing used to, but is one of my favorites. This was my daughter's go-to snack if she needed something to spice her taste buds.

Ingredients-->

PESARITTU ( green gram dosa/pancake )

Split green gram with skin--- 1/2cup

Red chillies/green chillies ---1 or 2

Ginger---1/2 “piece

Rice flour---1/2 cup
Ghee-----2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method :
1. Soak green gram dal overnight,

2. Then  grind the soacked dal with all the other ingredients listed above  in the mixie jar , just until it appears like the thick dosa/cake  batter
3. Then  make dosas/pancakes on the pan and smear ghee, cook till it is roasted well and then serve.

Broken wheat Upama

This one is a very popular and healthy snack for lactating women, diabetics and people suffering from high cholesterol. If you like the variety of "baaths" and pumas made in Kannadiga homes, then this one is a sure favorite.

BROKEN WHEAT UPAMA (kus kus, daliah)
Ingredients:

Broken wheat (dalia)-----1 cup

Vegs (carrot, beans,corn,etc)  –1cup

Ghee ---2tsp

Mustard---1tsp

Red chillies------2 to 3

Ginger------1/2”piece (grated )cook

Curry leaves --- few

Coriander leaves --- 1/2 cup cut (optional)

Salt to taste.

Lime juice _ 1 tsp

Method:
1. Cut all the vegetables cook and keep aside.
2. In a frying pan heat ghee, add mustard, chillies grated ginger, curry leaves and dalia, saute it for 5 miniutes
3. then add the cooked vegetables to it with 3/4 cup of water,  add salt, coriander leaves and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes till the water evaporates.
4. Then squeeze lime and serve.

Sajige

My husband jokes that "sajjige thindu, hechithu bojju" (eating sajjige, adds inches to your waistline)! I admit it is true, but this is a great snack for women who need the nutrition and also recommended as breakfasts for toddlers:

Ingredients for SAJIGE

Rava-----1 cup

Ghee----2 tbsp

Cardamom ---few

Salt –a pinch

Sugar----l/2 cup

Raisin--2 tsp

Method :
1. Heat ghee in a pan and stir fry raisins for 1 miniute and remove , keep aside.
2. Then  roast rava in the remaining ghee for 2 minutes
3. then add 2 cups of water and cook for 2 to 3mins
4. later add sugar, cardamom and salt and continue cooking for another 4 to 5 minutes till the water evaporates
5. then garnish with the fried raisins and enjoy!

Methi Dosa

This was one which was endorsed by the western nurse as well as the best dish one can give a lactating mother or one whose hindmilk needs a boost.

METHI DOSA  (FENUGREEK PANCAKE )

Ingredients:

Fenugreek flour /seeds---1cup

Rice flour/grains ( -------3 cups

Salt to taste

Ghee 2 to 3 tsp

Method :

1. Mix all the above ingredients except ghee with little water and blend in the mixie  jar till you get dosa/pancake consistency
2. remove and leave it overnight in the pre heated (350 F) oven to ferment. ( this is for people who don’t have a proper grinder and live in cold countries ).

3. Otherwise soak fenugreek seeds and rice in water for few hours and then grind to dosa batter consistency and make dosas, with ghee and not oil !

Can be eaten with garlic chutney powder !

Pongal

A staple in temples in the US (strange!), pongal has the pepper and ghee to make it a staple for a lactating mother's diet.

Ingredients: PONGAL

Green gram split---- 1/2cup

Rice ----¼ cup

Ghee --- 1 tsp

Cumin---- 1 tsp

Clove----2

Pepper---1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves—for garnishing. (optional )

Salt to taste.

Method: prepare a sesoning of ghee cumin seeds, clove, pepper corn  in a pressure pan.

Then add washed green gram and rice to it , add salt ,water  (1.5 cup ) and cook in the pressure pan .

Then remove and garnish with little coriander leaves.

Rava ganji

My apologies for not having a photo for this - but trust my daughter to lap it up as soon as it was made! It takes just as long to make as it took my daughter to inhale it :)

This should look similar to the sajjige preparation.

RAVA GANJI ( SEMOLINA  PORRIDGE )

Ingredients:

Rava--- 2 tbsp

Ghee ---1 tsp

Sugar ---1 tsp

Milk------1/2 cup

Cardamom—1or 2

Method:

1. Roast rava in ghee and then cook with little water (1/2 cup ) ,
2. then add milk, sugar and powdered cardamom ,
3. boil for 5 more minutes and then serve .

Kootu

This is a curry dish which can pass for a nearly perfect meal when eaten with rice or rotis.

KOOTU Ingredients:

Red chillies--- 2

Pepper corn--- 2 to 3

Coriander seeds ---1 tsp

Urad dal ---1/2 tsp

Coconut powder ----2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Tamarind----1/2 tsp paste

Groundnuts----1 tbsp

Ghee--1tsp

Jeera---1/2 tsp

Tur dal---1/2 cup

Turmeric --- ¼ tsp
Curry leaves ---few

Vegetables ---any greens or carrots or beans or mixed vegetables.

Method :
Chop the choice of your vegetable and cook with tur dal and turmeric , keep aside.
Roast red chillies , pepper ,coriander seeds , urad dal , with little ghee and make a paste in the mixie with coconut powder .
Then add this  paste to the cooked vegetable and tur dal .
Cook for 2 miniutes then add tamarind paste, salt and groundnuts to it and  continue cooking  for 5 more minutes.

Finally season with jeera and curry leaves .

Kattu saru

"Yellow saaru" is what it is fondly called by young children, but with a hint of lime and cumin, it is a favorite for all ages! For moms who need to go easy on the spices, this is a great comfort food.

KATTU SARU  (plain dal ) Ingredients:

Tur dal/ green gram --- ½ cup

Turmeric powder –1/4 tsp

Ghee --- 1tsp

Cumin seeds---- ½ tsp

Pepper ----3 to 4

Salt to taste

Garlic pods (optional)---2pods

Curry leaves--- few
Lime juice --- 1tsp

Method:
Pressure cook the dal with turmeric powder  and then prepare a seasoning with ghee, jeera, crushed pepper, garlic pods, curry leaves and  add  this to the cooked dal,
boil for few minutes and then add salt to taste and squeeze lime .

Hunse saaru

This is one which needs no introduction to people who like their foods tangy. Tamarind is rich in many vitamins and for recovering mothers, this is a nutrition packed delight

HUNSE SARU  ( tamarind rasam )

Tamarind paste ---1 tsp

Rasam powder ===1/2 tsp

Jaggery ----1 tsp

Salt to taste,

Curry leaves --- few,

Ghee 1tsp

Cumin seeds –1/2 tsp
Hing (aesophatida )-- a pinch

Method :
Dilute tamarind paste with 1/2 cup of water and boil,
Add rasam powder, salt, jaggery and continue to boil .
Then prepare a seasoning of ghee, cumin seeds, curry leaves and hing and add to it.

Serve with rice.