Peanut Urundai / Kadalai Urundai

Kadalai Urundai is one street side snack which reminds me of those kinds of sweet memories in my school life.Kadalai Urundai is a very popular Indian sweet which is made with peanut and jiggery and comes in many shapes like square, rectangle or round. It is easy to make and can be made with items in the kitchen and has a great shelf life. Store it in an airtight container. Paddy is a big fan of peanut Urundai.

Ingredients:

Peanuts                         -  2 cups

Jaggery (grated) –              1 ¼ cup

Water –                           a little

Elachi Powder –                1 tsp.

Ghee                                  - 1tbsp.

Method:

• Dry roast the peanut in a pan, and rub the peanuts well with your palm to remove the skin.
• Take a another pan , add Jaggery and water and make a thick syrup.
• Drop a little syrup in a cup of water and roll between the thumb and forefinger. If it allows to be rolled, the syrup is ready.
• Immediately remove from the fire, add the peanuts, ghee, Elachi powder.  Mix well.
• Dust your palm with a little rice flour, and pull out small quantities of the peanut mixture and hold in a tight fist to make a ball.
•  Once a few have been made into shape, place them in small plate and gently rotate the plate in a circular motion, rolling the balls all around .
• Towards the end of the process, however, the syrup might harden and reheat the pan over a gentle heat and loosen the mixture. Remove from the heat and roll them all in balls.
• Store it an airtight container.

Deepavali - Festival of Lights

 The Indian Festival of Lights is the most widely celebrated festival of the people from the Indian sub-continent and across the whole world. Deepavali means rows of lights; it is the festival symbolizing victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to god for attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valor and fame.  

History of Deepavali:  Please see the link

http://www.indiaexpress.com/faith/festivals/dhistory.html

Deepavali Sweets:(Please see the links)

Almond Cashew Burfi                                      Ashoka Halwa

                              

Microwave Thirattipal                             Badam Burfi/ Almond Burfi

                            


Carrot Halwa                                                   Coconut Burfi 

                           

Peanut Urundai                                                     Gulab Jamoon

                         


Shahi Tukda                                         Gulab Jamoon with Khoya

                       


Almond Shrikand                                   Soft Mysore PaK

                 

RasGulla                                                          Kasi Halwa

   

Rava Kesari

Maladu



Deepavali Savories (Please click the links)

Mullu Thenkuzhal                                 Thenkuzhal Murukku

                       


   Ribbon Pokada                                  Cornflakes Mixture 

                        


Thattai                                                          Omapodi

                      

Thool Pokada                                    Kara Sev                        
                     

Kara Boondhi                             Puzhghal Arisi Murukku  Murukku


                  

                                                 Puzhungal Arisi Thattai

Thattai

     Nippattu / Rice Crackers

Wishing all my dear readers and everyone out there a Happy Deepavalli

Oats & Rava Idli

 


Make delicious Oats Rava Idli using this simple recipe from Madappalli.   This oats & Rava Idli is a healthy food that you can have it for your breakfast/dinner. This is very good for diabetic and cholesterol patients.

Ingredients

 Instant Oats                          1 cup

ENO Salt

Rava                                     ¾ cup

Thick curd                              ½ cup                

Grated carrot                           3 tbsp.

Chopped green chilies               4 no

Grated ginger                          1 tbsp.

Chopped curry leaves               1 tbsp

Chopped coriander leaves          2 tbsp.

Chopped cashew nuts                1 tbsp.

Melted ghee                             1 tbsp.

Eno Fruit salt                           1/4 tsp.

Salt                                        To taste

Method:

• Dry roast the instant oats in a pan for 3 minutes.  Keep aside.
• In the same pan, dry roast the rava until you gets a nice aroma from it. Keep it for cool.
• Grind coarsely the oats & rava together in the mixture.
• Take a mixing bowl add oats and rava powder and all above ingredients together.
• Mix everything together with the help of spatula to prepare the oats idli batter.
• If batter becomes too thick, add water and prepare like normal idli or dosa batter.
• Grease the idli plate with oil/ghee and pour the batter in the mould and place the stand only when the water comes to a boil.
• Steam for 10 to 12 mins on a medium high flame.
• Serve hot with Chutney / Podi or Sambhar.

Note

•  Eno is a fruit salt which is composed of basically 60% baking soda and 40% citric acid.
• You can use cracked wheat be used instead of regular rava
  

Kanchipuram Idli

 The humble South Indian breakfast staple - the idli- has an interesting avatar, the Kanchipuram idli. Kanchipuram Idli is a special traditional type of Idli made at Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. This is slightly different from the usual plain Idli. This has a distinct taste of cumin seeds, ginger and pepper. I love the Kanchipuram Idli that my Amma makes.  It is very delicious and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

Parboiled rice                                 ½ cup 

Raw rice                                           ½ cup

Black gram dhal (Urdh)                   ½ cup

Crushed pepper                               1 tsp.

Grated ginger                                   1tbsp

Cumin seed                                       ½ tsp.

Dry ginger powder                           2 pinches

Asafetida                                         1 pinch

Chopped curry leaves                       1 tbsp.

 Melted Ghee                                      2tbsp.

Gingili oil                                         2 tbsp. 

Method:

• Soak both rice and dhal together for 3 hours. Wash and drain.
• Grind coarsely without adding much water.
• Add salt and mix it well and keep it overnight.
• Next day add crushed pepper, grated ginger, cumin seeds, dry ginger powder, asafetida, curry leaves, melted ghee and oil to the batter and mix well. Add a little water, if batter is too thick.
• Grease the idle holder or pan well and fill each of them with 3/4th full of batter.
• Steam cook idlis on medium flame for about 10 minutes or until done.
• Use a butter knife to remove the idlis.
• It combines with authentic sambar replete with the distinct flavor of asafetida, and a set of mind blowing Coconut Chutney & Coriander Chutney.

Dhal Makhani

Dal makhani is delicacy from Punjab, and filled with rich proteins and fiber. Makhani is the Punjabi word for “buttery”, and these sure lives up to its name of Buttery Lentils!  Traditionally this dal was cooked on low flame, for hours, on charcoal. This gave it a creamier texture. It had malai (cream) or fresh butter added to it. Cooking the dal in tomato purée adds a little sharpness to this dish and also enriches it with folic acid and vitamin A.

Incredirents:

Whole urad dal (black lentils)                    1 cup

Red kidney beans   (Rajma)                        3tbsp.

Chenna dhal                                                 1 tbsp.

Chopped tomato                                         ¼ cup

Chopped green chilies                               2 no

Chopped coriander                                   1 tbsp.

Ginger paste                                               1 tbsp.

Ghee/ Butter                                               2tbsp.

Amchur powder                                       2 pinches

For tadka:

 Organic Tomato Puree                             ¾ tin

Kashmiri chili powder                             1 tsp.

Fresh gram masala powder                     ½ tsp.

Brinji leave                                                1no

Cumin seed                                               1 tsp.

Freshly crushed coriander seeds             1tsp.

Kasturi methi -                                         1/4 tsp

Butter                                                           2tbsp. 

To finish:

Cream   -                                                 ¼ cup 

Method:

•   Wash the dhals, soak together for 6 hours or overnight.
•  Boil all dhals with the ginger, green chilies and salt, and simmer until lentils are well cooked. Drain off excess water and mash the lentils lightly with the back of a ladle.   Keep aside.
• Now, for the tadka, take a separate large frying pan, add ghee to it and put it over medium heat.
• After a minute add cumin seeds and Brinji leaves, stir it for 15-30 secs. Add crushed coriander seeds, tomato puree, gram masala powder and Red Chili Powder to the pan and cook further on medium flame, until ghee separates.
• Add Mashed Dal mixture and salt to the large frying pan and turn the heat to high, stir it well. When it starts boiling, turn the heat to low, cover the pan and boil further for 8-10 mins.
• In case you need to add more water, do add it; but cook the whole dish on low flame.  Now add Kasturi methi to the mixture.
• Let boil the dal for next 30 – 35 minutes on a low flame. Keep on stirring otherwise the Dhal will stick at the bottom. At this stage you may add Amchur powder . Mix it well.
• Add butter and cream to the dal and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

Thool Pokada

One of my favorites ever! With a hot cup of tea on a lazy Evening, you couldn't make me stop munching these delicacies. Bits of fried curry leaves and  some cashew bits thrown in make this snack irresistible!

Ingredients:

Besan flour (kadalamavu) -      3/4 cup

Rice flour                                  2 tbsp.

Chopped Spinach                       ½ cup

Nicely Shredded Cabbage           ½ cup.

Hing -                                        ¼ tsp.

Chili Powder                              1/2 to 1 tsp. (adjust with your spice level)

Salt                                            to taste

Crushed Fennel seeds (Sombu)  ½ tsp. (Optional)

Chopped curry leaves                 3 tbsp.

Cashew bits                               1 tbsp.

Water                                        1 or 2 tsp.

Oil                                              For deep fry

Method:

• Chop Spinach and cabbage nicely. Mix a pinch of salt and microwave it for 30 seconds.
• Mix all the ingredients except Oil in a bowl. Add 1 or 2 tsp. of water to just bind all the ingredients. Already Spinach and cabbage contain some moisture in it. That’s enough. Don’t add more water.
• Heat the oil in a pan for deep frying. Sprinkle the mixture onto the oil and keep the flame medium.
• Deep fry them till they are golden brown turning once in a while.
• Remove and drain them on paper towels. Serve hot.

Paneer Tikka & Paneer Tikka Masala

Paneer Tikka is an Indian dish made from chunks of Paneer marinated in spices and grilled in a tandoori. It is a popular dish that is widely available in Indian Restaurants. Chunks of Paneer, are marinated in spices and are then arranged on a stick with capsicums, and tomatoes. These sticks are grilled in a tandoor and the dish is thereafter served hot, seasoned with lemon juice and chaat masala. When Paneer Tikka is served with gravy, it is called Paneer Tikka masala.  I made it at home and it came out very well.   It can be made in the oven, on the stove top or in a Tandoor. Here I cooked it in the Electric Skillet.

Ingredients

 Paneer cubes      -                                  2 cups

Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum                      1 no

Tomato                                                 1 no

(Cut Paneer and Veggies into 1” square pieces)

Butter                                                  1tsp

Ajwain                                                   1/4tsp.

Satay bamboo sticks                               few

For the Marinade

Ginger pastes                                        1 tbsp.

Mustard paste                                       ½ tsp.   

Thick Yogurt                                         1/4 cup

Kashmiri Red chili powder                      1 tsp.

Gram masala                                       1 tsp.

Turmeric Powder                                  1/4tsp.

Lemon juice                                       2tsp.

Besan                                                1 tsp.

Corn flour                                          1tbsp.

Oil                                                     1tbsp

 Sugar                                                ½ tsp.

Salt                                                    to taste.         

For Garnish

Coriander leaves

Lemon Juice

Chat masala                                     3 pinches

For Garnish

Method For the Tikkas

• Heat the butter in a pan, put Ajwain, besan flour. Roast it till you get nutty flavor. Mix it with corn flour. Add little water and Blend it well.  Keep aside.
• Take a bowl, add besan mixture, curd, red chili powder, gram masala, sugar, mustard paste  and salt.
• Heat one teaspoon of oil, add turmeric powder in it.  Add it to above mixture. Blend whole thing very well.
• Mix Paneer cubes, capsicum cubes and tomato cubes into the marinade mixture.  Mix it very well. And leave it  in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Soak the satay sticks in the cold water for ½ an hour.
• Arrange the marinated vegetables and Paneer on a skewer. Grill it in a tawa/skillet, until slightly golden brown.
• Sprinkle with chaat masala, coriander leaves and lemon juice over the Paneer Tikka and serve as appetizer  .

Method for the Paneer Tikka Masala:

Ingredients For Tikka Masala

Marinade Paneer and vegetables

Tomato puree                                       1 1/2 cup

Butter                                                  1 Tsp.

Ginger Paste                                         1 Tsp.

Tandoori masala                                    1 Tsp.

Bay leaves                                            2 nos

Salt                                                      To taste

Sugar                                                   1 Tsp.

Cream (optional)                                   2 Tbsp.

Freshly crushed cardamoms & cloves      1 tbsp.

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method for Masala

• Heat the oil in skillet on a medium heat. Put marinated Paneer in it, and gently stir-fry for about five minutes until Paneer becomes light brown.   Take out the Paneer and keep aside.
• Heat the butter in a same skillet. Add bay leaves and ginger paste and sauté for a minute.
• Add the marinated capsicum and tomatoes pieces and sauté for few minutes.
• Now add the tomato puree, tandoori masala, cream (optional), crushed cardamoms, salt ,and sugar ,and cook until oil separated (medium slow flame).
• Add the stir-fry Paneer in the tomato gravy and let it cook for 5 minutes on low medium heat.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with Pulao, Naan, Pulkas