Puzhungal Arsi Murukku/ Parboiled Rice Chakli

On the festival day, women in the Indian households prepare sweet as well as spicy delicacies. One of the popular snack item made especially for the festival is Murukku .The dish is prepared easily, with raw rice/Parboiled rice as the main ingredient. I already posted MulluMurukku, Thenkuzhal Murukku recipes in my blog. Here you go the next variety of Murukku. It is amazing taste. Definitely you will like it.

Ingredients

Parboiled rice                         2 cups

Urdh dhal powder                    2 tbsp.(dry fried)

Asafetida powder                      1 tsp.

Red chili powder                        1 tsp.

Cumin seeds                            ¼ tsp.

Black sesame seeds                   ½ tsp.

Salt                                          to taste.

Coconut oil                                 1 tsp.

Unsalted butter                           1 tbsp.(melted)

Cooking Oil                                 for deep frying

Method: 

• Wash and soak the rice for 3 hours.
• Grind with very little water into a smooth paste.
• Mix rice flour, urdh dhal powder ,red chili powder, asafetida powder, cumin & sesame seeds and salt
•  Mix melted butter and coconut oil in it and knead well into firm dough.
• Heat a oil in a kadai. Keep the medium stove heat
• Fill the Murukku press with the prepared dough using the 1 eyed Mullu blade Make Murukku on a plate and fry them in batches.
• Fry till crispy & golden color. Remove from the fire  and transfer into a kitchen tissue and let it cool.
• When they are at room temperature, store in air tight container.

Kara Boodhi/ Besan flour crispy ball

 Kara Boodhi is a simple savory. This crunchy snack,we  both like it. This is can be eaten alone or with curd. Make delicious Kara Boondhi using this simple recipe from Madappalli. Try this recipe and share your comments..

Ingredients:

Gram flour (Besan) -           2 cup

Rice Flour                         –a handful

Water -                             1 to 2 cups (make sure u add slowly)

Red Chili powder                 4 tsp.( Adjust to your spice level)

Asafetida -                         1/4 teaspoon

Curry leaves-                      few stems

Peanut -                            1/4 cup

Cashew nut -                      ¼ cup

Kismish (Raisins)                1/4cup

Salt-                                  to taste

Oil-                                    for deep fry

Ghee                                  1 tbsp.

You Need

A bowl

Jalli karandi -                       1 (Making boondi)

Kuzhi Karandi –                     1 (for pouring batter)

Jalli karandi -                        1 no (draining them from oil)

Method:

• Take a bowl; add the Besan flour, rice flour, salt, asafetida, little chili powder and one small ladle of hot oil.
• Mix well, make a batter of curd like consistency.(add water gradually till it gets dripping consistency)
• Heat the oil in a kadai. Hold the Jalli karandi over the heated oil.
• Pour a ladle full of batter on the Jalli karandi and rub it very fast with the back of ladle through the holes.
• Cook until golden yellow color and remove from the fire, when the hissing sound ceases.
• Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter.
• Fry red chili powder and Hing (in a low heat) and add to the boondi.
• Fry cashews, raisins, peanuts, whole red chilies and curry leaves separately in ghee.
• Add to the boondi, and mix well. Sprinkle salt if needed.
• Serve this savory with Hot Masala chai or Degree Coffee.

Note:

•    You can use pepper powder , instead of chili powder.

Kara Sev

Karasev is simply and tasty savory. I did not have ‘karasev jalli karandi” ( a special holed ladle used for this) , so I  used  murukku achchu .  I was able to get the same effect.

Ingredients 

Besan (Gram Flour)                                  2 cups

Rice flour                                                ¾ cup

Asafetida (Hing)                                       ½ tsp

Red chili powder                                        ½ tsp

 Crushed Black Pepper                               1 tsp.

Turmeric Powder                                       ¼ tsp

Ghee                                                        1 tbsp.

Cooking soda                                             one pinch

Salt                                                           to taste

 Cooking Oil                                               for deep frying

Method:

• Sieve both flours together in a bowl.
• In a plate, cream the ghee & cooking soda ,very well till the paste looks white.
• Add sieved flours, crushed black pepper, red chili powder, turmeric powder, hing and slat.
• Mix well with hands. Add enough water to get soft dough.

• Heat a oil in a kadai. Keep the medium stove heat.
• Fill the murukku press with the prepared dough using the 3 eyed blade and squeeze it in the oil directly .

• Fry till crispy & golden color.    Remove to a kitchen tissue and let it cool.
• Store this in an airtight container,
• Enjoy Karasev with Coffee or Tea

Note:

• If you are using Karsev  Jalli Karandi, Heat oil & keep the ‘ karasev jalli karandi” above the oil.  Rub the dough on it so that long strands will fall into the oil.
• Wash the “ jalli karandi” ( ladle) with water every time after use, so that the rubbing will be easy.

Eggless Cola Chocolate Cake

This Coca-Cola Cake is easy to make. Adding cola to this chocolate cake makes it incredibly moist and impossible to stop at one slice!

Ingredients:

Unbleached All Purpose Flour                    2 ½ cup

Granulated sugar                                     1 ½ cups

Cocoa Powder                                          3 tbsp.

Butter (OR) Margarine                              ½ cup  (Room temperature)

Baking Soda                                             1 tsp.

Baking Powder                                          1 tsp.

Butter milk                                               ¼ cup

Vanilla extract                                           1 ½ tsp.

Cola soda                                                  1 ¼ cups

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350º F Lightly butter a 9× 13 inch pan.
• In a large bowl, with a handheld electric mixer set on medium speed, cream butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy.
• Slowly add one at a time cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder, butter milk, vanilla and cola, mixing after each addition until completely blended.
• Pour batter out into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes and turn out onto plate.

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

Gothuma Payasam (Cracked Broken Wheat Payasam)

Cracked wheat is made by cutting or crushing whole raw wheat berries (kernels) into small pieces. Because it contains wheat bran and wheat germ, cracked wheat is an excellent source of fiber.

   This is one of the  Traditional Kerala Specialty.  This is an easy and healthy sweet dish.  Easy to make and a real treat for your taste buds!. Enjoy.

Broken Wheat

Ingredients

Broken Wheat                       1 cup

Water                                  3 cup

Milk                                     1 cup

Medium coconut milk              1 cup

Thick coconut milk                 1 cup

Jaggery (powdered)                2 cup

Dry ginger powder                  1/2tsp.

Ghee                                    2tbsp.

Crushed Cardamom                 2tbsp.

Cashewnuts                           1tbsp.

Coconut pieces                       1tbsp.

Method: 

• Wash the broken wheat thoroughly for 4-5 times.
• Pressure cooks the cleaned broken wheat with 3 cups of water & 1 cup of milk.
• I cooked it on six whistles on medium heat. Allow it to cool. The wheat should be thoroughly cooked and almost mashed.
• Meanwhile melt the jaggery with ½ cup water. Keep on stirring continuously until the jaggery has melted. Strain the melted jaggery.
• Combine the melted jaggery & cooked wheat.
• Add 1 tbsp. of ghee, crushed cardamoms & dry ginger powder to this.
• Cook this mixture till it reaches a thick consistency.
• Add medium thick coconut milk to this & combine well. Let it boil.
• When it attains a thick consistency, add thick coconut milk. Give a good stir & mix well.
• Let it cook for 5 more minutes on low flame & remove from fire.
• Roast cashews & coconut pieces in ghee and add it to the Payasam.
• Serve warm. 

Note:

• Before adding melted jaggery to wheat, make sure that wheat is cooked well. 
• You can increase milk and decrease water used in this recipe for a better taste.
• Payasam tends to thicken as it cools down. If so dilute it with warm coconut milk or milk.
• You can use coconut milk powder mixed with warm water.

Navratri Festival/Navratri Sundal Variety

The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit, Nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, Eight forms of Lakshmi are worshiped in vaishnava community. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra.

Though, every region in India celebrates this festival in its own way. In Tamil culture, Navarathri Festival is dedicated to the 3 avatars of Goddess Shakti - Durga (the warrior Goddess), Lakshmi (the Goddess of wealth), and Saraswati (the Goddess of knowledge). Navarathri is observed in the Tamil month Puratassi in Tamilnadu.

In Tamilnadu,the   Navarathri festival is dedicated to Golu doll arrangements. The golu dolls which are collected over a period of years and some which are traditionally passed from one generation to another forms part of the golu dolls. But today Navarathri Golu is more famous for arrangement of dolls by themes.  Ayudha Puja is performed on the ninth day of Navarathri.

Golu

I  wanted to share few easy and quick to make sundals recipes here for the occasion. Please see the link

Sundal Varieties

Green Kothu Kadalai (green Chenna) Sundal

Rajma Sundal/Kidney Beans Sundal

Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal (Coconut, Rawmango, White peas sundal)

Edamame Sundal

Sprouted Moong Dhal sundal



Chitrannam- Variety of Rices                                   Black Pepper Rice

Rajma Sundal/Kidney Beans Sundal

Kidney beans are rich in soluble fiber and help in reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. Since kidney beans have low glycemic index and fat content, those who are on diet and diabetic patients can include kidney beans in their menu often.

Ingredients

Rajma                              1 cup

Curry leaves                      1 string

 Coconut Oil                      1 tbsp.

Chopped green chilies         2 no.

Salt                                  to taste

Chopped coriander leaves     few

To be coarsely Powdered

Coriander                           1 tsp.

Red chilies                         2no

Hing                                  ¼ tsp.

Method

•  Wash and soak the rajma overnight.
• Pressure cook with just enough water with a little salt. Drain out the water.
• Powder the coriander, red chili with asafetida. Keep aside.
• In a frying pan, heat the oil , add mustard seed, green chilies and curry leaves and let it splutter.
• Add cooked rajma , powdered masala and fry for a minute.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tip:

  You can add grated sundal and chopped english cucumber  and make more healthy.