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.

Carrot Badam Kheer

Carrot Badam Kheer (Payasam)

For New Year I prepared this Kheer and everybody enjoyed it.  Here is the recipe for this.

Ingredients required:

1. Grated Carrot 2 cups
2.  Milk 1 litre
3. Badam 50 gm
4. Cashew 25 gm
5. Resins 25 gm
6. Ghee 4 tablespoon.
7. Cardamom powder-1 pinch

Method:
Heat two tablespoon of ghee in a pan and saute grated carrot till the raw smell goes, then soak 25 gm of badam in hot water and peal the skin and make coarse paste in a mixer. Add the badam paste to the carrot and pour 1 litre milk and pressure cook it for 4-5 whistles. Take two tablespoon of ghee in a pan and fry resins, cashew and 25 gms badam and keep aside. Take out the carrot, badam kheer from the pressure cooker and add sugar and keep it in flame till the kheer becomes a little bit thick.  Then add the fried resins,cashews and badam to the kheer. Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.  Remove from fire. Yummy Carrot badam kheer (payasam) Carrot Badam Kheer is ready to serve.  You may serve it hot or cold. 

PESARATTU (GREEN GRAM DOSAI)

Ingredients Required:

1. Green gram (Pasi paruppu): 600 gm


2. Raw rice: 300 gm


3. Red chillies: 4 nos.


4. Green chillies: 3 nos.


5. Gingilee oil: 100 gm


6. Asafetida: 1 pinch

Method:

Soak green gram, rice, red chillies and green chillies for two hours and grindly coarsely and make it to dosa batter, add salt and asafetida for taste. Apply gingilee oil to dosa pan and make dosas, serve them hot with tomato chutney, curd or jaggery (vellam).

Source: self

Images: self

Radish and onion chutney

Ingredients Required:

1. Finely chopped radish (white): 2 Nos.


2. Onion: big or small (big-1 no.) (small) 2 nos.


3. Red chillies: 4 nos.


4. Tamarind: lemon sized


5. Mustered seeds: one teaspoon


6. Salt: for taste


7. Cooking oil: 2-3 tablespoons.
   

Method:
Heat two tablespoon of cooking oil and fry 3 red chillies, finely chopped onion and radish and fry till they become golden brown. Allow it to cool for sometime. Add tamarind and salt to taste and grind them into a fine paste. Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil and put mustered seeds and one red chillie, allow it to pop and add the radish and onion paste to it and stir for a minute. Now your yummy radish onion chutney is ready to serve with idly or dosa.

Source: Self
Images: self

Indian Veg Dishes.: Masal Bread

Indian Veg Dishes.: Masal Bread

RICE FLAKES PULAV (AVAL PULAV)

Ingredients Required:
Rice flakes ( red colored rice flakes) 300 gm, steamed groundnut 100 gm, finely cut one big onion, powdered cinominon and cloves a pinch, cardamom powder, a pinch, 50 gm of finely cut and steamed vegetables including beans, carrot, capsicum and green peas, ginger and garlic paste, two teaspoons, salt to taste, Three to four green chillies. Ghee three to four tablespoons, mint leaves or coriander leaves, a small bunch, turmeric powder a pinch. Tomato puree or juice one cup and coconut milk ½ cup.

Method:Wash rice flakes and add tomato juice and coconut milk soak and keep aside for an hour. Steam finely cut vegetables. In a pan heat two tablespoons of ghee and add powdered cinominon, cloves and cardamom powder and add finely chopped onions and fry till golden brown. Steam the above vegetables with little salt and add on to the onion and mix well. Add the steamed ground nut to it and then add the soaked rice flakes mixture to it and mix well garnish with few coriander leaves or mint leaves. Now Rice flakes pulav is ready to consume. It can be consumed with either cucumber raitha or carrot raitha. (raitha consists of finely grated cucumber or carrot soaked in thick one cup of curd and salt)

Source: TV cookery program

Image: Google

Vegetable fried Rice.

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

Ingredients:

Raw Rice (Basmati rice preferred) – 200 gms
Ghee – 3 to 4 tablespoonfuls.
Chopped potatoes – 20 gm
Chopped beans – 20 gm
Green peas – 20 gm
Finely chopped onion - ¼ cup
Cloves and Cinominon – 2 or three
Powdered cardamom – a pinch
Ginger garlic paste – 2 teaspoon
Salt – 1 ½ teaspoon.
Finely chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves - small bunch

Method:Soak rice for ½ an hour. In a pan heat ghee and add ginger garlic paste and sauté till gives a good smell. Add finely chopped onion and fry till golden brown. Add the above vegetables and mix well. Add the soaked rice and mix well. Add 200 ml water to it and pressure cook. After the cooking is done add finely chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves for garnishing, serve hot.

Source: Self

Images: Self

Masal Bread

MASAL BREAD

INGREDIENTS:

1. Sandwich bread: 6 slices.
2. Green chillies: 4
3. Fried grams: 3 tablespoonfuls
4. Coriander leaves: One small bunch
5. Salt for taste.
4. Tamarind juice: one teaspoon
5. Finely cut big onion (medium sized): 2 nos.
6. Sunflower oil or ghee for toasting the bread.

Method of preparation:

Grind green chillies, fried grams, coriander leaves, salt, tamarind juice and onion pieces and make into a paste. The conents should be like a batter so that it could be easily spread on the bread slices. Spread the same on both sides of the bread and heat a pan greased with oil or ghee. Toast both sides using oil or ghee. Toast on medium flame so that the contents should not stick to the pan. Serve hot with tomato sauce. This is ideal for breakfast and it is very healthy too.

Source: Self

Image: Google

Tomato lime rasam

Tomato lemon rasam

Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes, 3 medium size
2. Lime, 1 medium size
4. Curry leaves 6-8
5. Coriander leaves, a few
6. Green chillies 4
7. Asafetida, Powdered a pinch
8. Mustered seeds, 1 teaspoon
9. Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon
10.Ghee 1, teaspoon
11. Thuvar dhal, 4 tablespoon
12. Turmeric powder, a pinch

Method of preparation:

Mash the tomatoes and green chillies in a blender and keep aside. Pressure cook 4 table spoons of thuvar dhal and mash it well. Pour three cups of water in a vessel and add the mashed tomatoes and allow it to boil till the raw smell of the tomato goes. Add 1 ½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Then add the mashed thuvar dhal and add some water. When the contents begin to form froth, remove from fire. Add coriander leaves. Then pour one teaspoon of ghee in a small tawa and heat it, add mustered seed, cumin seeds, a pinch of powdered asafetida and curry leaves and allow it to pop. Then pour the contents to the rasam. Before serving, add lemon juice. Now your yummy rasam is ready. This can be served in a soup bowel as a starter or can be served along with rice with appalam as side dish.

Source: Self

Images: Google

Gooseberry instant pickle

Gooseberry instant pickle

Ingredients:

1. Gooseberries: 10-15
2. Salt: 1 teaspoon
3. Powdered asafetida a pinch
4. Red chilly powder 5 teaspoon
5. Mustered oil: 3 teaspoon
6. Fenugreek (powdered) 1 teaspoon.
7. Mustered seeds: 1 teaspoon
Method:Allow two ½ liter of water with one teaspoon salt, when the water boils add gooseberries and switch off the stove and cover the content with the lid. After one or two hours strain the water and remove gooseberry seeds and cut the gooseberries into small pieces. Heat mustered oil in a pan, allow mustered seeds to pop, remove from fire, add the cut gooseberries, add required salt, chilly powder, and asafetida powder and fenugreek powder. Allow it to cool. Preserve in fridge. You can have yummy lunch with this along with curd rice.

Source: Self

Images:Google

Semolina Pongal

Semolina Pongal (Rava)

Ingredients:

1. Semolina ½ Kilogram
2. Green gram ¼ cup
3. Ghee 3 tablespoon.
4. Black pepper 2 teaspoon
3. Cumin seeds 2 teaspoon
4. Ginger small pieces.
5. Curry leaves 5-6 leaves
Method:Pressure cook green gram with ¼ teaspoon salt. Heat two tablespoon of ghee. Allow black pepper and cumin seeds to pop and add small pieces of ginger then add four to five cups of water and add required salt. Allow the water to boil. Add cooked green gram and semolina and stir well then add curry leaves for flavor. When it becomes like dough switch off the stove. Add one tablespoon of ghee to it, mix well. In a separate pan fry 4-5 cashew nuts in 1 one teaspoon of ghee and add to the content. Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar

Source: Self

Images: Google