Thinai or Foxtail  is a vegan food and also gluten free cereal. Thinai (foxtail) is rich in protiens, and low in fat. Thinai (foxtail) has good amount of fiber content, calcium, iron.

Foxtail millet is a healthy substitute for rice. There is no difference in taste also. We can make different variety of dishes using foxtail or thinai. Today I tried sambar rice for my lunch using foxtail.

There is no need of side dish. I made sambar rice in pressure cooker. I used masoor dal and some vegetables, sambar powder to make this dish. Let us see how to proceed further.

Preparation time approx 20 minutes.

soaking time 20 minutes.

Ingredients.

• 1 cup foxtail or thinai  millet
• 1/4 heaped cup  masoor dal.
• 3 cups of water.
• for sambar
• 1 big size potato cut in to pieces.
• 1 brinjal cut in to pieces
• 1 big size onion cut in to pieces.
• 3 tbsp frozen peas
• 4 chopped beans
• 3 tbsp sambar powder.  You can use store bought. I used to powder a fresh lot when I am making sambar. Recipe given below.
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves.
• some curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp hing
• 1/2 cup tamarind water. ( squeeze from a lemon size tamarind)
• Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp mustard .
• 1 tbsp oil. or ghee if you wish.

Method

Wash and soak foxtail millet and masoor dal in 3 cups of water together for 20 minutes.

In a pressure cooker add some water. Keep the millet and dal vessel inside the cooker.

Pressure cook for 6 to 7 whistles. Keep aside.

Heat a 3 or 4 liter cooker. Add oil. when it is hot add mustard. When it started crackling add curry leaves followed by chopped onion.

Saute this for few seconds. No need to change the color.Raw smell should go.Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes.

Now add all the vegetables. Add salt, haldi, hing powder and sambar powder. Mix it well.

Add tamarind water. If water is less you can add 1/2 cup more water.

Add the cooked dal and millet.

Pressure cook for 2 whistle. Do not overcook.

Add chopped coriander leaves and mix.

For more taste you can add a spoon of ghee. I have avoided this.

Sambar powder.

2 tbsp coriander seeds.

1 1/2 tbsp channa dal

7 to 8 red chilles.

1 tbsp dried coconut.

few curry leaves.

Fry all these separately. powder it.