Obattu / Poli

In our family we do this poli during most of the special occasion, especially for Diwali, Ugadi and Varalakshmi viratam. Poli is very tasty and traditional recipe which are rarely made during festival season. In my way of doing poli there is a small difference when it comes to stuffing, usually all will prepare stuffing in channa dhal but we use toor dhal for purnam which is also traditionally done from my hubby’s native Krishnagiri. My MIL is an expert in doing polis she will finish making 30 tasty polis in just 30 min. I am slowly catching up the method and now practised for many times and finally I got the shape and taste as my MIL use to prepare and got certificate for the same from my hubby also.

Ingredients :

For outer layer:

Maida – 2 cup
Salt a pinch
Oil ½ cup


For puranam:

Toor dhal – 11//2 cup
Jaggery – 11/2 cup
Cardamom a pinch
Ghee – 2 tsp




Method:

• In a bowl add maida , a pinch of salt and mix well by adding adequate water to make a smooth dough (softer than chapathi dough). Add oil to this dough and keep it aside for minimum 2 hours (oil should float on dough).
• Grate the jaggery and keep it aside.
• Wash and soak the toor dhal for 1 hr. Then cook the toor dhal in an open pan till soft and well cooked (don’t cook for mashy).
• Now drain the water from the cooked dhal and spread in a plate and allow cooling for room temperature.
• Grind the cooked dhal with grated jaggery and cardamom powder in a mixer in to coarse and thick paste (don’t grind for long time just on and off for 2 times).
• Now transfer this puranam into a bowl and add some ghee on top and mix well.





• Now make out small balls for filling.
• Now collect the oil from maida dough in to a small bowl (can use for roasting poli).
• Take a plastic sheet/ banana leaf and grease some oil in it. Now take a small portion of Maida and spread with your fingers and place a small ball of puran and cover well.





• Now flatten well into a thin and round shape.
• Now carefully place the poli in to a hot tawa and flip on both sides until golden brown colour.

Delicious and soft Obattu/Poli is ready to serve with ghee.

Note:

• Instead of using toor dhal can substitute with channa dhal for doing purnam.
• Poli will be fresh in a room temperature, until 2 days no need to refrigerate it.
• Take care while cooking the dhal doesn’t cook for mashy.
• While grinding for puran don’t make it as a paste, if it goes watery then add some roasted gram powder, grated coconut(optional) and ghee 2 tsp and fry in a pan for 5 min it will become thick and flavourful.Then you can use for stuffing.
• Excess drain water from cooked dhal can use for preparing Rasam "Obattu Charu" it will be more tasty.

Diwali Wishes

Wishing all my blog readers and friends a very "Happy Diwali". May this lights bring Health, Happiness and Prosperity. Have lots of fun and joy.

Manupu / Murukku - Diwali Savory

Murukku is one of the favorite to all and for me also. It is very simple yet very delicious snack. It’s very common and popular savory snack which are prepared in their traditional method. In my childhood days my mom used to prepare this murukku for diwali and I carved for it especially the aravekadu murukku (half fried murukku) hmmm…it is simply adorable. Let’s go for the recipe…

Ingredients :

Rice flour - 3 cup
Roasted gram / pottukadalai powder - 1 cup
Water – 3 cup
Oil – 2 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Hing – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Method:

• Powdered the roasted gram into fine powder and sieve it.
• In a heavy bottom pan, boil water by adding salt, sesame seeds and oil 1 tbsp.
• Once it starts boiling add the rice flour and mix well without forming any lumps and switch off the flame.
• Cover the pan and set aside for 30 minutes.






• Now add the roasted gram powder and hing to the rice flour mixture and sprinkle some water to it and knead well by adding 1 tbsp of oil until smooth dough.
• Make sure it has the right consistency to pass through the murukku pressure and use the single hole for preparing
• murukku.
• Now heat the oil for deep frying.






• Grease some oil in the murukku maker and fill the dough into it.
• Draw the circles and drop into the hot oil and deep fry until they are golden brown in colour.





• Drain them in a paper towel to remove excess oil, let them cool.Store it in an air tight container.

Crispy and tasty homemade murukku is ready…

Enjoy munching with your choice of pickle.

South Indian Mixture (Chivda)

Mixture is a famous South Indian snacks especially prepared during celebrations of festive season. Usually for all diwali time we prepare this mixture and share to neighbours. By preparing at home can do in huge quantity and tasty too. The name mixture itself symbolizes the mixing various items to one, which are prepared with chick pea/Besan flour as base. Nothing can beat the taste of homemade mixture and best to have them as a tea time snack. In our family we all love this homemade mixture.

Ingredients :

For Kara Boondhi:
Gram flour – 11/2cups
Rice flour - 3 tsp
Chilli powder – 2tsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Salt for taste
Oil for deep frying


Method:

• Mix gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, asafoetida and add salt together and dilute it with water like dosa batter consistency.
• Heat the oil for deep frying.
• Now take boondhi ladle or any other ladle which has big holes and pour the batter into it and rub quickly by hands or spoon gently.
• You can see round beads. Fry them until golden brown and crisp.
• Remove from oil and drain it well to remove the excess oil and keep it aside.
• Repeat the same process till all the batter is done.

Now kara boondi is ready.

For Omapodi/sev:
Gram flour – 11/5 cups
Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Chili powder – 2 tsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Salt for taste
Oil for deep frying


Method:

• Mix gram flour, rice flour, Chili powder, asafetida and salt together by adding water to make smooth dough.
• Grease some oil in a murukku maker and use the omapodi disc.
• Fill the dough in it and press directly to the oil and fry well on both sides.
• Take away from oil once it turns golden brown and bubble sound ceases.
• Drain it well to remove the excess oil and keep it aside.

Crispy omapodi/sev is ready.

Other Ingredients:

Thin Poha / Attukulu – 150 gm
Cornflakes -150gm
Peanuts – 150gm
Roasted Gram/ Pottukadalai – 150gm
Cashew nuts – one handful
Garlic – few pods
Curry leaves – 2 springs
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chili powder - as per taste
Sugar – 2 tsp (Optional)
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp (Optional)
Asafoetida a pinch
Salt to taste




Method:

• Wash the curry leaves and dry well.
• Dry roast or deep fry the cashew nuts and keep it aside.
• Dry roast the peanuts and remove the husk and keep it aside.
• Dry roast the gram dhal and keep it aside.
• Crushed the garlic pods and deep fry in oil till golden brown and keep it aside.
• Now drop the curry leaves into hot oil and fry for a min and remove.
• Now deep fry the corn flakes until crisp and keep it aside.
• Finally deep fry the poha till crisp and remove from oil and drain them in a paper towel to remove excess oil, let them cool.
• Now comes to climax of the mixing part, take a wide bowl and mix one by one peanut, roasted gram, cashew nuts, corn flakes and poha and sprinkle some salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder, sugar and mix well and adjust the spicy level.
• To this mixture now add the deep fried items kara boondhi and Omapodi and mix well to combine all.
• To this season the mustard seed, cumin seed and asafoetida a pinch and add to the mixture.
• On top crush and add the curry leaves and garlic pods.
• Store the mixture in an air tight container after it attains room temperature.

Enjoy the mouth watering Mixture with tea or coffee!!

Note:

• Deep fry all the items after the oil heat well otherwise the savories will observe lot of oil.
• Even can add raisins or any other savories like murukku, maida biscuits as per your taste.
• Will be fresh for weeks in an air tight container.

Godhumai / Wheat / Tirunelveli Halwa

Just 3 days to go for diwali and the celebration started. I started the celebration by making lip smacking sweet "Godhumai halwa" with lots of fun.The name itself mouthwatering right!

Tirunelveli is one of the famous and known for Godumai halwa, especially from irutu kaadai where they sell only during the nights. The name Halwa City is the more contemporary nickname of Tirunelveli. Halwa is a popular dish, which is made primarily from wheat and sugar. It has a jelly-like texture and contains a ghee (clarified butter), which gives it its distinctively greasy appearance. Best served hot, this popular sweet is generally enjoyed as a dessert. Tirunelveli halwa is said to owe its uniquely rich taste to a special recipe of this region, blended with the renowned sweetness of the “Thamarabarani River”. [Courtesy: Wiki]

The taste is divine and it’s my favorite too. I am very happy to share this recipe to you all..

Ingredients :

Wheat berries / Whole wheat - 2cups
Sugar- 4cups
Water –1 cup
Cashews- few
Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp
Red food Color – a pinch
Ghee- 1cup




Method:

• Clean, rinse and soak wheat berries with enough water for whole night or minimum eight hours.
• Wash it again in clean water.
• Now grind the wheat in blender for 3 minutes with some water and extract the wheat milk (as we prepare to take coconut milk).
• Use a strainer and collect the extract milk in a bowl. Again grind the wheat with fresh water and extract the wheat milk. Repeat this process for 3 times.





• Then discard the husk after extracting the milk thoroughly. Leave this milk by closing with plate for few hours approximately 2 to 4 hours.
• Now you will find the scum floating over and the thick milk has settled at the bottom. Discard the clear liquid found on top.





• Fry some cashew in ghee till golden brown and keep it aside.
• In a heavy bottom pan add the sugar and water and mix well for making sugar syrup for one string consistency. At this stage add food color and mix well.
• Now add the thick wheat milk to the sugar syrup, it will start to thicken.
• Take care don’t stop stirring till it reaches solid stage by adding ghee little by little on equal intervals and keep on stirring, approximately it will take 45 minutes to 1hour.
• Once it reaches solid consistency, doesn’t stick to pan anymore then it’s done and the added ghee will start oozing out from halwa and it looks glossy. This is the perfect stage to complete.






• At this stage add cardamom powder and fried cashew nuts and stir well. Switch off the flame.
• Transfer into plate greased with ghee and leavel it and make into desired shapes.

Serve hot in a bowl or make it as pieces and enjoy it!! Glossy and hot Tirunelveli halwa is ready to taste…

Note:

• Wheat could be substituted with Samba Godumai.
• Instead of using ghee can substitute refined oil.
• Given ratios will gives approximately around 2 kgs of halwa. Even you can reduce the ingredients into half the quantity to prepare halwa.
• For tangy taste can add lemon juice few drops at the end. I like to have as it is.
• Will be fresh for weeks. No need to refrigerate until 1 week.

100 Yummy Diwali Recipes - E Book From IndusLadies!!

Here's the eagerly awaited e-Book from IndusLadies community - "100 Yummy Diwali Recipes"! is available for download.
I submitted Pal Poli Recipe to be included in the eBook. And the same has been included in e-Book. Download & enjoy trying out your favourite sweets & desserts for this diwali!!”

Chocolate Nutty Dosa / Kids Special

Making children to eat is very difficult task for all moms nowadays. All have to try something new or change the dishes to attract them. I come up with interesting recipe. Chocolate is one of the favorite for all ages i.e., right from children to adults. So preparing dosa using chocolate is simply interesting and tempting. Furthermore, to make it more interesting and tastier we add Nuts. So when the dosa is eaten, the chocolate melts and nuts add to the taste. Actually, I got this recipe from my dear sister Swathy. She always tries something new and innovative recipe. Here we go…. “Chocolate Nutty Dosa”..

Ingredients :

Choco powder - 3 tbsp
Sugar powder/ Icing sugar - 4 tbsp (grind the sugar in a mixer)
Mixed nuts - few (badam,cashew,pista)
Ghee/Butter for taste
Dosa Batter - without salt

Method:

• In a bowl add choco powder and powdered sugar and mix together with ghee or butter to make a paste without any lumps.
• Then add mixed nuts to this paste and mix well and keep it aside.
• Now make dosa in tawa and apply some ghee and leave for 1 minute and spread the Choco paste in it evenly. (No need to flip this dosa).
• Now yummy chocolate nutty dosa is ready to serve!!.

Enjoy Eating... :)

Note:

• Instead of preparing coco based chocolate paste, any branded chocolate like diary milk, von houten can be used. And still nuts of choice can be added to it.
• Dry fruits can also be added along with nuts.

100 Yummy Diwali Sweet Recips - Ebook from Indus Ladies

Hi, Friends below is the message from Indusladies. And I am sending my Pal Poli recipe for the same.

For the upcoming Diwali on October 26th, 2011, Indusladies is compiling an E-Book called “100 Yummy Diwali Sweet Recipes”. We are collecting sweet/dessert recipes from various bloggers to be featured in this E-Book.

This E-book will be made available as a free download to our community's 1.3 Lakh+ members. In addition, they are also be making this E-Book available to our 9000+ Facebook fans and Twitter followers. It's LOTS and LOTS of exposure to those food blogs entering the E-Book!! .

We believe this would be a nice way to get the word out about a wonderful blog to the entire membership of IndusLadies!!.

Those bloggers interested in submitting a recipe for this E-Book...all you need to do is as follows:

• Send a link from your blog for a sweet /dessert recipe. It should also include the picture of the sweet/dessert. Your recipe, food picture, recipe URL as well as the entire blog URL will get featured in the E-Book.
• In return, we need you to do two things:

Now make a blog post in your blog announcing the E-Book compilation by IndusLadies and the recipe you are sending for this E-Book. That way inviting your co-bloggers interested to send in their contribution by Oct 10th,2011.

Any blogger interested can send their entry to partners@indusladies.com by October 8th.

Pal Poli

Today I am going to introduce one type of Poli, milk based one. Poli is one of the traditional sweet especially prepared for festival season.

Ingredients :

For poori:

Maida - 1/2 cup
Peni / siroti Rava - 3/4 cup
Salt a pinch
Water to make dough
Oil - 2 tsp

For poori:

Khas Khas/Poppy seed - 3 tsp
Coconut – 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder a pinch
Cashew few
Milk – 1 cup
Sugar for taste

Method:

• To make poori mix all the ingredients in to soft dough as mentioned above and keep it aside for 1 hour.
• Now divide the dough into equal ball and roll out into thin round shape and then fold it and seal the edges it looks like semi circle and deep fry it in oil and keep them aside.
• Now the poori is ready.
• Soak Khas Khas for 30 minutes in water and make in to a fine paste with Cardamom, coconut and cashew.
• Mix this paste with boiling milk and sugar.
• Cook this in simmer for 5 minutes.
• Now the payasam is ready, in this soak the poori for half an hour and serve it.

Yummy Pal Poli is ready to serve....:)

Note:

• Siroti rava is nothing but fine Semolina rava it adds taste to the poli.
• Even u can add chopped nuts for garnishing.
• You can skip adding Khuskhus and can do payasam with other ingredients.