FESTIVAL SWEET

UKKARAI

It is a traditional sweet made during Diwali by Keralities.  For the first time I tried this with the help of recipes posted in net, which came out very well.  I wanted to share this recipe, which I prepared in a very easy manner.  Let us now see the ingredients and the method for preparing this sweet.

Ingredients required:

1. Channa dal/kadalai paruppu – 200 gm
2. Grated jagerry-200 gm
3. Grated coconut-3 table spoons.
4. Ghee 200 gm
5. Cashews and resins as required.
6. Cardamom powder a pinch.

Method:

In a pan dry fry channa dhal till you get a nice aroma.  Pressure cook channa dhal using minimum water, just fill water unit channel dhal is immersed.  Allow two whistles.  In the meanwhile melt jaggery using 100 ml water and remove the impurities by straining it.  After straining jaggery water allow it boil until it becomes sticky, lower the flame and add grated coconut and keep the flame very low.  Now remove the cooked channa and drain the water well, and allow it to cool, put it a mixture and make it to coarse powder.  Now add grounded channa power little by little and occasionally stir it, add ghee little by little, keep the flame low.  When the channa dhal starts to break down add fried cashews,  resins and cardamom powder.  When the mixture starts to appear like puttu, remove from flame and allow it to cool.  Store in a airtight container and serve for the festival.

AKKI ROTI

AKKI ROTI

Ingredients:

1. Cooked rice-2 cups

2. Raw rice powder-required amount.

3. Salt-required qty.

4. Coriander leaves-2 table spoon

5. Hinge-a bit

6. Water ¼ cup

7. Oil or ghee-required qty.

Method:

Blend cooked rice in a mixer and then add required quantity of rice powder, salt, hinge and finely chopped coriander leaves and knead well without adding much water.  The dough should be like ball.  Heat a thava and wet you hands and make orange sized balls out of the dough, then pat it on the thava with your hands gently to make roti, then pour little oil or ghee to the roti, flip it to the other side and cook adding little oil or ghee.  Remove from fire and serve with your favorite korma or tomato chutney.

KERALA BANANA/NENTHRAPAZHA PAYASAM

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED:

1.       KERALA BANANA 2 NOS

2.       POWDERED JAGGERY-1 ½ CUP

3.       WATER FOR DISSOLVING JAGGERY

4.       CASHEWS AND RESINS- AS REQUIRED.

5.       CARDAMOM POWDER –ONE PINCH.

6.       GHEE TWO TEASPOON FOR FRYING CASHEWS AND RESINS.

7.       COCONUT  MILK-1 CUP.

METHOD:

CUT THE RIPE BANANAS AND STEAM IT.  WHEN IT COMES TO ROOM TEMPERATURE REMOVE THE SKIN AND MASH THE BANANAS, IN THE MEANWHILE DISSOLVE JAGGAERY POWDER IN WATER AND FILTER IT.  BOIL THE JAGGERY WATER TILL IT BECOMES STICKY.  ADD THE MASHED BANANAS TO IT AND STIR FOR SOME TIME AND ADD ONE CUP OF COCONUT MILK AND KEEP IT IN FIRE FOR 10 SECONDS AND REMOVE FROM FIRE.  ADD 2 CUPS OF BOILED MILK TO IT, FRY CASHEWS AND RESINS IN GHEE AND ADD TO THE PAYASAM, ADD CARDAMOM POWDER FOR FLAVOR, SERVE HOT OR COLD.

VENDHAYA KHUZAMBHU (FENUGREEK)

INGREDIENTS:

1.       Drumstick-1 or 2

2.       White pumpkin-4 to 5 small pieces

3.       Yellow pumpkin-4-5 small pieces

4.       Carrot-2-3 small pieces.

5.       Tamarind-lemon sized.

6.       Turmeric powder-1 pinch.

7.       Salt-as required

8.       A small piece of jaggery

9.       Fenugreek seeds-1and a half teaspoon

10.   Red chillies,4-5

11.   Coconut scrapes-2 tablespoon

12.   Mustard seeds-1/2 teaspoon

13.   Hinge-1pinch

14.   Cooking oil-2 teaspoon

15.   Curry leaves.

16.   Raw rice, 1 tablespoon.

METHOD:

Dice the above veggies into desired shapes and boil in water along with turmeric powder and salt.  In a pan heat one teaspoon cooking oil and roast raw rice, red chillies and fenugreek till a good aroma is received, add coconut scrapes and take this to a mixer and make a smooth paste, After the veggies are cooked add tamarind water and boil till the raw smell goes, then add the grounded paste and wait till the froth comes, remove it from fire.  In a pan heat one spoon cooking oil and make mustard seeds to splutter and add hinge and curry leaves and pour into the khuzhambu and cover it with a lid.  Your fenugreek khuzhumbu is ready to serve with hot rice.

Indian Veg Dishes.

Indian Veg Dishes.

AAPAM WITH BLACK CHANNA KURMA/KADALAI CURRY

AAPAM:

INGREDIENTS:

1.       Raw rice – 200 gm

2.       Boiled rice – 200 gm

3.       Salt – 1 teaspoon

4.       Coconut paste - two table spoon.

METHOD:

Soak raw rice and boiled rice for 2 – 3 hours.  Take this to a mixture and grind it to a smooth paste, add salt and mix well.  Keep it over night.  Add  coconut paste and mix well. In a kadai, specially designed for making aapam add little gingili oil and grease well.  After heading aapa kadai pour one ladle of flour and turn the kadai to make a clock wise circle, so that the flour will spread in the kadai, add  ½ spoon gingili oil and cover the kadai for 2 -3 minutes, now the aapam is ready to serve with black channa kurma/curry. You can also have coconut milk as a side dish for aapam but health watchers can have it with black channa kurma.

BLACK CHANNA KURMA/KURMA (KADALAI CURRY)

 INGREDIENTS:

1.       Black channa (black kondai kadalai) – 150 gm

2.       Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon

3.       Red chillies – 4-5

4.       Refined oil for cooking

5.       Ginger garlic paste – 1 teaspoon

6.       Onion -1 medium size.

7.       Tomato – 3 medium size,

8.       Powdered fried gram, 2 teaspoon (optional)

9.       Cinominon and cloves  one or two

 METHOD:

Soak black channa overnight and pressure cook it.  Heat a pan and add one 1 teaspoon cooking oil and fry red chillies and coriander seeds till you get a good aroma and keep it aside.  Now add 3 teaspoon of cooking oil and add cinominon and cloves and fry for a second.  Add finely cut onion and sauté well till it becomes transparent and add mashed tomatoes and add turmeric powder, required amount of salt and sauté well till the tomatoes are cooked.  Add cooked channa and allow them to boil, now power the ingredients  and add to the channa kurma, when you do not get the thickness you may add powdered fried gram and mix well without lumps, remove from fire and decorate with coriander leaves,  Now your channa kurma/kadalai curry is ready to serve with aapam.

UPPUMA  KOZHUKATTAI (RAW RICE BALLS)

INGREDIENTS:

1.       Raw rice – 200 gm

2.       Thuvar dhal-1 tablespoon

3.       Channa dhal- 1 tablespoon

4.       Coconut scrapes-2 tablespoon

5.       Green chillies-2 or 3 medium sized.

6.       Salt-as required.

7.       Red chillies-1 or two.

8.       Coconut oil-2 tablespoon.

For seasoning:

9.       Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon

10.   Urud dhal-2 teaspoon

11.   Curry leaves-few

METHOD FOR PREPARATION:

Wash rice, thuvar dhal, channa  dhal and drain the water and keep it aside till the same is ¾ dried. Take these to mixture and make coarse powder. Heat oil in a pan and allow mustard seed to splutter, add broken red chillies,  urud dhal and curry leaves and sauté for a minute and add 175 ml water and add  1 teaspoon salt and allow the water to boil, add powdered ingredients little by little and coconut scrapes, finely cut green chillies and stir until it comes like uppuma.  Allow it to cool and then make medium sized balls and steam in a idly plate for 2 to 3 minutes.  Serve this yummy Kozhukatti with any chutney or vatha kuzhambu

1. 
   

THIRUVATHARI KALAI AND KOOTU

THIRUVATHARI KALAI AND KOOTU

Ingredients for Kali

1. Raw Rice-2 cups

2. Jaggery powder 1 1/2 cup

3. Cashews and resins few.

4. Cardamom powder- one pinch

5. Ghee, 3-4 tablespoon.

6. Green gram dhal, 2 tablespoon.

7. Grated coconut, 4 tablespoon.

Method: Wash and rinse raw rice and spread the same to a clean towel and keep it under the fan for 1-2 hours, when it is dried, fry the rice and green gram separately and when it comes to a room temperature put them into a mixer and grind the same to a coarse powder.  In a pan heat little ghee and fry cashews and resins and keep it aside.  Then add 3 cups of water in a pan and add a pinch of salt and make the water to boil, while boiling add the powdered rice and dhal little by little and see that lumps are not formed, keep the flame low.  To another pan melt the jaggery by adding 1/2 cup of water and boil till the raw smell goes, filter the dust and sand particles, allow the jaggery syrup to become sticky, then add grated coconut, fried cashews and resins to the jaggery water.  Now take the cooked powdered rice to the jaggery syrup and stir continuously till the contents become thick.  Remove from stove and transfer the contents to a vessel and decorate with extra cashews and resins.

THIRUVATHARI KOOTU (KERALA STYLE)

Ingredients:

1.Double beans or Avaraikai-100 gms

2.Carrots- 2 nos medium seize,

3.Yam-200 gms

4. Potatoes- 2nos big size.

5. Sweet potatoes-2nos, medium size,

6. Curry leaves-few

7. Grated coconut-3 tablespoon.

8. Green chillies-3 or four

9. Coconut oil, 3 teaspoons.

10.One tablespoon of roasted and powdered raw rice (kali powder)

11. Mocchai seed-100 gm

Method: Wash and Cut double beans, carrot, and yam to medium pieces and keep in a vessel, add turmeric powder and salt and little bit water, then wash potatoes and pressure cook them until 2-3 whistles.  When the pressure is released, In a pan heat 3 spoons of coconut oil and to that add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter and then add two teaspoons of urud dhal and when it becomes golden brown, add the boiled vegetable, mashed potatoes and add green chillies and grated coconut to the mixer and give one pulse, then add the same to the cooked vegetable, now mix well. Add kali powder, curry leaves, again mix well and transfer to a vessel.

BROKEN WHEAT IDLY

Ingredients required:

1.       Broken wheat -250 gm

2.       Oats (Powdered)- 100 gm

3.       Gingili Oil-1 tablespoon

4.       Grated carrot -1 tablespoon

5.       Shredded ginger-few

6.       Mustard seeds – 1teaspoon

7.       Broken urud dal-1 teaspoon

8.       Bengal gram-1 teaspoon

9.       Curd-200 gm

10.   Green chilies- 3 nos.

11.   Curry leaves-few.

12.   Hinge-1 pinch

13.   Salt as required

Method:

Soak broken wheat and oats in curd, add salt and keep it for an hour or two.  Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, allow it to splutter and add broken urud dal, Bengal gram, shredded ginger, finely cut green chilies, hinge, grated carrot and curry leaves and fry for a minute and add to the batter.  Grease the idly plates and pour required amount of batter to the plates and steam it for 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove it from fire and allow it cool for a while and then remove gently all the idlies  and now the yummy broken wheat idly is ready to serve.  Serve it with any chutney or sambar.

GREENS (MOLAI KEERAI SUNDAL/PORIYAL)

MOLAI KEERAI SUNDAL/PORIYAL

Ingredients required:

1.       Greens (Molai Keerai) – 1 bunch

2.       Grated Coconut – 2 table spoon

3.       Fried gram -  2 table spoon

4.       Red chillies – 3 nos.

5.       Mustard seeds- ¼ teaspoon

6.       Urud dhal – 1 teaspoon

7.       Cooking oil – 1 tablespoon.

8.       Salt as required.

9.       Asafetida – 1 pinch

Method:

Wash and cut the greens(Molai Keerai)  and drain the water and keep it aside.  Dry fry the fried gram and two red chillies and allow it to cool.  Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and one broken red chillies and after the mustard starts to splutter add urud dhal and after the urud dhal turns golden color add washed greens (Molai keerai) and add required salt, 1 pinch of asafetida and mix well with a spatula. Keep the flame low to avoid the greens sticking to the pan.  Now powder the fried gram and red chillies in a mixture.  The powder should be coarse.  After the greens are cooked add grated coconut and powdered fried gram and mix well.  Remove from fire.  Now the tasty and delicious Molai Keerai sundal is ready to serve as a side dish with sambar rice or any other varieties of Kuzhambu.