Rasmalai

Wishing all friends a very happy Tamil New Year and Vishu.

Ras Malai, basically a Bengali sweets made from a cottage cheese in a flavoured milk. I love this sweet, and had tried this in my kitchen several times and usually it comes out very well, my husband use to say that the taste is as store bought. 

Ingredients:
RAS:

Full cream milk – 1litre
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Saffron few strands
Pistachios few
Almonds few
Cardamom powder

Method:

• Crush and Soak the saffron strands in warm milk.
• Chop the nuts into thin slices.
• In a heavy bottom vessel add milk and bring to boil till it reduces to half the quantity, keeping in low flame and stir frequently.





• Then add the sugar, cardamom powder, chopped nuts (reserve few nuts for garnish) and soaked saffron strands along with milk and allow boiling for couple of minutes till the sugar dissolves and then switch off the flame.
• Now the Ras is ready.

Malai:

Full cream milk – 1 litre
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Sugar – 1 cup
Water – 3 cups
Cardamom powder – 1tsp

Method:

• In a heavy bottom vessel, boil the milk. Once it starts boiling sim the flame and add lemon juice.
• Now you will see the milk starts separate and curdles, now turn off the heat and strain in the damp cheese cloth or muslin cloth.





• Rinse under the running water to remove the sourness of lemon flavour and hang the cloth to drain the excess water, for 1 hour.





• Remove and open the cloth and knead gently to get soft and pliable dough and make a small balls in gooseberry sized.





• In a pressure cooker add water, sugar and cardamom powder and mix well to gets sugar dissolves and then allow to boil, once it starts boiling drop the panner balls carefully and leave for 5 minutes.





• Then close the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle and Switch off the stove.
• Open the lid after the pressure releases, you can see the balls doubled in size, soft and spongy.
• Transfer these paneer balls with sugar syrup to another serving bowl and leave it for 1 hour, to absorb the sugar syrup.





• Now gently squeeze the paneer balls from jeera and press between your palms to drain the sugar syrup and add it to the prepared Ras.





• Now the Yummy Rasmalai is ready, garnish with chopped nuts.
• Keep in room temperature for some time and then refrigerate.

Serve chill and enjoy the delicious Rasmalai.

Pongal Recipes

Wish you all a very Happy Pongal.

Hope you all had a great Pongal celebration.

Pongal is a four-days-long harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu. Pongal and one of the most important popular Hindu festivals of the year. This four-day festival of thanksgiving to nature takes its name from the Tamil word meaning "to boil" and is held in the month of Thai (January-February) during the season when rice and other cereals, sugar-cane, and turmeric are harvested. The first day is celebrated as Bhogi festival in honour of Lord Indra, on the second day of Pongal, the puja or act of ceremonial worship is performed when rice is boiled in milk outdoors in an earthenware pot and is then symbolically offered to the sun-god along with other oblations.The third day is known as Mattu Pongal, the day of Pongal for cows and the Fourth day are known as Knau or Kannum Pongal day. To know more click here.

In our family we celebrates this pongal festival in very grand manner, many of my relatives will gather at our place and  the place will be filled with happiness. My grand mom use to cook this paal pongal , charakkara pongal and pongal pulusu in clay pots which is a traditional way and being in singapore i wouldn't be able to cook tradtionally, however i use the same recipe to make this pongal.

Chakkara Pongal

Ingredients:

Raw Rice – 1cup
Grated Jaggery – 1cup
Milk – 6cup
Water – 1cup
Cardamom powder a pinch
Cashews few
Raisins few
Ghee – 3 tbsp


Method:

• Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes.
• Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and raisins and keep aside.
• In a heavy bottom vessel add milk and water and allow to over flowing few drops.
• Now add the soaked rice and stir occasionally to avoid sticking at the bottom of the vessel.
• Cook the rice till it gets cooked and mushy.
• After the rice get cooked well add the grated jaggery, cardamom powder and mix well till the jaggery get dissolved and thicken.
• Finally garnish with fried cashews and raisins.

Simply delightful Chakkara pongal is ready to serve!!


Paal Pongal

Ingredients:

Raw rice – 1cup
Milk – 6 cup
Water – 1cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Ghee – 1tbsp

Method:

• Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and raisins and keep aside.
• In a heavy bottom vessel add milk and water and allow to over flowing few drops.
• Now add the soaked rice and stir occasionally to avoid sticking at the bottom of the vessel.
• Cook the rice till it gets cooked and mushy.
• Once the rice gets cooked well, add salt and mix to combine well.
• Finally add ghee and serve hot.

Enjoy the creamy Paal pongal with Pongal Pulusu!!

Pongal Pulusu/ Kuzhambu

It is one of the best side dish especially for paal pongal, with various vegetables and lentils which is equally tastes good with all its tangy, sweetness and spicy.One of the best part in this sambar is prepared without adding any toor dhal and the tastes excellent and no comprise at all.

Ingredients:

Vegetables chopped – 1cup (I used Pumpkin, sweet potato, broad beans)
Lentils – 1/2 cup (raw peanuts, channa and field beans)
Tomato – 1small
Green chillies – 2
Tamarind pulp –21tbsp
Jaggery – 1tbsp
Sambar powder – 2tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4tsp
Hing - 1/4tsp
Salt to taste
Rice flour – 2tbsp
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves


Method:

• Wash and soak the lentils for minimum 4 hours and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
• Now open the lid and add the chopped vegetables, tomato, silted green chillies, sambar powder, salt, turmeric powder and water just to immerse and leave for another 2 whistles.
• To this cooked veg and lentil add tamarind pulp, jaggery and rice flour mixing with ¼ cup of water without any lumps to thicken the sambar.
• Allow it to boil for few minutes. Finally season with mustard seeds, curry leaves and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with Paal Pongal.

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.