Almond & Cashew Burfi

 Burfi is a diamond shaped ,one of the most popular, sweet in India. It comes in scores of different varieties and flavors. This one is very easy to make . 

Ingredients:

 Plain Cashew-                          25 nos

Khus Khus                                 2 tbsp.

Almond s                                  25 no

Milk                                           ½ -1 cup  

Cane sugar-                              2 cup

Ghee-                                       2-3 tbsp.

Crushed Cardamoms                5 no

Method: 

• Wash and soak the Almonds in warm water for one hour.
• Wash and soak the Cashews in warm water separately.
• Soak Khus Khus in hot water for one hour.
• Peel the skin from almonds and drain the water.
• Grind the almonds, cashew and Khus Khus in a blender to a smooth paste, with milk.
• Put a sugar in a nonstick pan and turn the heat on. Cook it till the sugar syrup forms 2-3 thread consistency.
• Now add the cashew and almond paste and keep stirring constantly.
• Ghee can be added slowly, while the paste is cooking.
• In about 20-25 minutes, simmer the heat and add the remaining ghee and carefully observe for consistency.
• The mixture will combine together to form a single mass and leaves edges. The color of the mixture will be pale color. Now add the ghee and stir. You can turn the heat off.
• When you cook more than this, it can turn very hard or get charred.
• Grease the plate to which the Burfi mixture has to be transferred and keep ready. Remove the mixture and spread it evenly to the plate.
• After 5 minutes, cut them into little squares, when it is still warm.
• Store it in a container.

I am   " Sending to Dish it out – Sugar and Butter and Vardhini’s page".

Madhuvargam

Madhu vargam is a form of fruit mix sweet made in all Perumal kovil during Thirumanjanam. This is also offered as Neivedhyam. I am giving below my modified version of Madhu vargam.

Ingredients

Chopped Mixed fruits - 2cups(Apple,Banana, all Berries, Jack fruit, cantaloupes)
Chopped Dates                            3 tablespoons

Mixed dry fruits                              4 tbsps.

Sugar Candy (Kalkandu)                   3 tbsp.
Grated coconut                               1 tbsp.
Cardamoms & cloves powder -         1 tablespoon

Raisins                                                    1 tbsp.

Ghee                                                        1 tbsp.

Honey                                                       ¼ cup

Jaggery (Crushed)                                  1 cup

Method:

• Wash, clean and chop the fruits.
• Take a clean mixing bowl.
• Add all the chopped fruits, dry fruits, sugar candy, coconut,raisins, ghee, cardamom powder and jaggery.
• Mix them very well.
• Now Madhu vargam is ready for Perumal’s neivedhayam .

Mullu Thenkuzhal

 Murukku can be magical for first timers – especially first time makers. Be it the ones made by the murukku maker, or the hand-made kai-murukkus, making murukku is an art by itself .In most South Indian family festivals, won’t end up without Murukku items.  This Mullu Thenkuzhal is an all-time favorite Indian snack that is sure to satisfy both in our family. This recipe guarantees crunchy and smooth  Mullu Thenkuzhal. This is very easy and simple recipe.

Murukku tips:

• Do not keep the dough for a long time. Make sure you keep the dough covered throughout to avoid drying of the dough.
•  Do not mix the whole flour at a time to make dough. Make dough little by little and fry at once. Otherwise, the preparation will become red.
• Make sure the rice flour and other flours, you use is fine in texture. Otherwise the Murukku will break.
• Butter gives whiter color and crisp texture.
  
  

Ingredients:

  Rice flour –                                         2 cup

Moong dhal flour –                            ¼ cup

Chutney dhal flour (Pottukadalai) – ¼ cup

Cumin seeds –                                    ½ tea spoon

Asafetida powder                              1/8 tsp.

Unsalted butter –                               2 table spoon

Salt –                                                     as per taste

Oil for frying

Method:

• Dry fry the Moong dhal in a pan,  grind in the mixer till fine powder.
• Mix all together. Divide them into two equal parts.   
• Make dough with first half, with enough water to a stiff dough.
• Make balls out of the batter and put it in the mould (mullu thenkuzhal) of the achu.
• Heat the oil in a pan and press out the dough.
• Cook in low flame till crisp and golden in color.
• Remove from the fire and drain.
• Now prepare the other half (follow the same steps)
• Mullu Thenkuzhal is ready.  Store it in an air tight container.
•  

  

  Murukku Aachu

Cucumber Pulippu Kootu

Kootu is a traditional south Indian side dish prepared with little oil, more dal and vegetables with less spices.  There are many varieties of Kootu like Pulippu Kootu, pooricha Kootu, and pal Kootu etc..  This Kootu is the main dishes during festival seasons and marriages. This Pulippu Kootu is a nutritious wholesome food; it contains lot of vitamins and proteins. ChowChow, Brinjal,  White pumpkin,  green Banana  can be used . You can  do mix match this vegetable s and make this kootu. Here I used Cucumber only.

Ingredients:

 Chopped Cucumber                     2 cups

Chick peas                                 ¼ cup (soak overnight in water)

Tovar Dhal                                  ¼ cup

Chenna dhal                               ¼ cup

Tamarind                                   small lemon size

Grated Ginger                             2 tbsp.

Curry leaves                               2 stems

Masalas

Grated Coconut                           ½ cup

Raw rice                                     1 tsp

Coriander seeds                          1tbsp.

Black gram dhal                          1 tbsp.

Curry leaves    -                          1 stem

Red chilies                                 6-8 nos

Black Pepper                              1tsp

Hing (Asafetida)                      - ¼ tsp

Oil                                           2 tsp.

Seasonings:

Coconut Oil                              2 tbsp

Grated Coconut                         2 tbsp

Mustard Seeds                          1 tsp

Curry leaves                             few

Red chilies                              2 nos.

Method:

• Pressure cooks the Tovar dhal and chenna dhal separately. Keep aside
• Pressure cooks the Chickpeas with little salt and keeps aside.
• Fry the all masala ingredients until golden brown color. Grind them into a paste. .
• Soak the tamarind with little water and extract 1 cup of the juice from that.
• Add pumpkin pieces in the tamarind water. Add salt in it and bring to boil.
• Add the ground masala mixture, cooked dhal, and boiled chick peas to the vegetable water.
• Mix well and simmer in low heat and let it cook for few more minutes.
• Mix well remove from the fire.
• Heat the coconut oil, add all seasoning ingredients. Fry it and add it to the Kootu.

Tip: 

You can add Peanuts,  Dry green peas  or white peas.. All should be soaked  for about 5 to 6 hours and cook well and add to the Kootu.

Onam wishes 2012

Onam Recipes

Asoka Halwa

This Halwa, made with Moong dhal (paasi Paruppu) and it is a specialty from Thanjavur district.    This is also famously called as "Thiruvayaru Halwa”. I bet, definitely you would come across this Halwa in every wedding that happen in Tanjore side. It is also called moong dal halwa in different parts of the country.It takes a long time and lot of patience to prepare this Halwa.

Ingredients

Yellow split Moong dhal                     1 cup

Milk                                                 1 cup

Saffron                                            a pinch  

Wheat flour                                   -  1/4 cup

Maida                                              1 Tablespoon

Water                                             ¼-1/2 cup

Sugar                                              1 1/2 cup- 2 cups

Red food color:                               as desired (optional)

Kesari powder -                               2 to 3 pinches

Ghee -                                            1 cup

Cardamoms –                                  8 no (powdered)

Cashews & Sliced Almonds        10 to 15 (broken into bits and fried in ghee)

Method:

•  Wash the Moong dhal and add milk and saffron. Cook the Moong dal in a pressure cooker until soft. Mash the cooked dal and keep aside.
• Dry roast the wheat and Maida for a minute. Mix wheat flour in the water or milk to make a smooth, runny paste.
• Heat this flour mixture in a frying pan, stirring continuously, and bring to a boil. 

• Add the mashed Moong dal, mix well and cook over medium flame.
• Once cooked, add the sugar, then half the quantity of ghee, and stir well.
• Add the food color and the remaining ghee slowly and stir continuously, until the mixture forms a ball and comes off the sides of the pan. At this point the ghee will start oozing out.
• Take 1 tsp. of ghee in a pan and again roast the nuts and cardamom powder. Add to the Halwa and switch off the flame. Asoka is ready now.
• Pour the mix into the greased tray or vessel. You,cut  this into diamonds, squares, or rectangles.

 Note:

• It will probably require a little extra ghee too. You can make a larger quantity of this recipe and store it refrigerated for several weeks. Just add a little milk to the Halwa before reheating it.

I am sending and linking to " Sending to Dish it out – Sugar and Butter and Vardhini’s page"

Thenkuzhal Murukku

Murukku is a traditional snack which prepared for festivals, especially Diwali and Krishna Jayanthi. Thenkuzhal is a tasty and crispy snack make from rice and Urad dal flour.  This post has been lying in my draft since Diwali and finally posted it today.   For Thenkuzhal Mavu, readymade mavu won’t be good. But if there is no other go add a handful of urudh dhal powder more. Add little hot oil or ghee while getting the batter ready. In this recipe, I used ready made rice flour.

Ingredients:

Rice Flour -                     4 cups

Urdh dhal                      1 cup

Cumin Seed                   1 tsp.

Salt -                               to taste

Butter -                            4tbsp.

Asafetida(Hing)              1 tsp.

 Cooking Oil                   for deep fry

Method:

• Put the frying pan in the stove. Keep the stove in low fire .Dry roast the Urad dhal to a nice golden brown color and powder it in the blender and sieve it .The urudh dhal should be roasted in such a way that it should never get red at the same time be well roasted .  (OR) you can use store bought Urad flour and roasted it.
• Take a large mixing bowl and mix rice flour, Urad flour, cumin seeds, salt, asafetida powder, butter. and water . Knead well to form smooth dough.  Heat oil and keep it ready.

• Check the oil temperature before dropping the Murukku. Try with a small sample.
• Press out the dough using a Thenkuzhal press in the hot oil, fry well.
• Cook until the hissing sound ceases.
• Remove from the fire and drain.
• Crispy Thenkuzhal are ready! Cool them and store them in air tight containers so that they remain crispy. 

 Tips:

•  Always fry the Murukku on medium high flame, otherwise it will brown the outer layer, and dough will be partially cooked inside.
• Do not mix the whole flour at a time to make dough. Do them in batches.
• Do not over crowd them while frying.
• Do not keep the dough for a long time.