412: Kasi Halwa/Pumpkin Halwa

Pumpkin halwa or popularly called as Kasi halwa. This traditional sweet is served in every Tamil weddings. I tried this delicious halwa for this Diwali and It came out very well. I am sure you will also would like to give a try.

Ingredients

Grated White Pumpkin                       2 cups

Sugar                                               1 ¼ cup

Ghee                                                3 tbsp.

Freshly crushed cardamom                 1 tbsp.

Orange color                                      a pinch

Cashews                                            1 tbsp.

Raisins                                               1 tbsp.

Edible camphor (Pachai Karpuram)        a pinch  

Method                          

• Peel the white pumpkin skin and grate it. I used my food processor for shredding which made the job easy and no mess.
• Drain the excess water from the grated pumpkin.
• Microwave Cook the grated pumpkin for 10 minutes.(If you don’t have microwave, use the idli cooker to steam cook).
• Mash the vegetable easily once it is cooked.OR grind the pumpkin to a paste.
• Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in the nonstick pan, and saute the pumpkin for 5 minutes until the water gets absorbed.
• Heat a pan and add sugar with 1/4 cup of water. Let sugar dissolve and bring it to a boil. When the syrup starts thickening add ground vegetable and mix well.
• Cook in medium flame for about 20 min keeping the pan closed. Stir it after every 5 minutes
• Mix the food color in a few drops of water and add it to the pan and mix well.
• Once the mixture becomes semisolid, add ghee and crushed cardamom and  eatable camphor stir it well.
• When it starts leaving the sides of the pan and becomes thick, remove from heat.
• Fry the cahsews and raisins in ghee, until golden brown and add to the halwa.

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411 : Puzhungal Arisi Thattai/ Parboiled Rice Thattai

Thattai is a popular snack in Tamilnadu.  I already posted the Thattai recipe in my blog. But this time I made this Thattai with parboiled rice.   Try this recipe  and share your comments.

Ingredients

Parboiled Rice                             2 cup

Bengal gram                               2 tbsp.

Red chili powder                          ¼ tsp.

Asafetida                                     ½ tsp.

Melted butter                                2 tbsp.

Coconut oil                                    1 tbsp.

Sesame seeds                                 ½ tsp.

Broken fried peanuts                        2 tbsp. (optional)                            

Curry leaves                                   few

Salt                                                to taste.

Oil                                                  for deep frying

Method

• Wash and soak boiled rice in water for 4 to 5 hrs.
• After that grind the boiled rice in to a thick smooth paste without adding any water
• Soak the Bengal gram in 1/2 cup of warm water for an hour until soft. .Drain the water in channa dal and keep it aside.
• Now add the whole soaked channa dal, peanuts, salt, curry leaves, red chili powder,asafetida powder and sesame seeds in to the grounded rice paste mix it well.
• Add melted butter, hot coconut oil and mix it and knead it to make a soft dough.
• Make small balls of the dough in a well-oiled plastic sheet /Ziploc bag pat the balls into thin discs.
• Grease your fingers and press the ball with your fingers to flatten it.
• Press it thin. It’s ok if the edges get frayed a little.
• Then with a fork prick all over the Thattai because we don't want the Thattai to puff up like a puri when frying.
• Slowly turn it over your palm. The greased plastic will enable it to slip on your hands easily.
• Heat the oil in a deep kadai. When the oil is heated up, put a little bit of dough. If it rises up well and sizzles then the oil is ready for frying. If it settles down, then the oil is not ready yet.
• Drop the Thattai gently in hot oil. The oil will bubble and slowly the thattai’s will come on the surface.
• To ensure both sides are cooked .Drop them on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
• Once cooled, store them in an air tight container.
• Enjoy them with your hot tea, or with piping hot rasam rice .

See  My Deepavali Sweets and Snacks Recipes  Here:

http://sadhanakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/11/deepavali-festival-of-lights.html

410: Bombay Rava Pongal/ Suji Pongal

 Bombay Rava or Ravva, is a wheat product and a form of semolina or Rava.

Semolina is made from durum wheat and not the softer wheat that goes into bread, it is digested more slowly and has a low glycemic index, which is good news for people wishing to control or reduce their weight and blood sugar, and especially for diabetics. Semolina is high in protein, very high in complex carbohydrates and fairly high in potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and fiber, with some iron, zinc, manganese and copper.

Bombay Rava is a excellent Source of Fiber Pongal prepared with Bombay Rava is very delicious and healthy to eat. This healthy pongal is simple and easy to prepare. I make this pongal on Ekadasi days.

Ingredients:

Coarse Bombay Rava                       1 cup.         

Moong dal                                       ½ cup

Toor dal                                           1 tbsp.

Channa dal                                       2 tbsp.

Turmeric powder                               2 pinches

Crushed Black Pepper                        1 tsp.

Asfetida                                              ¼ tsp.

Grated ginger                                      1 tbsp..

Curry leaves                                        few

Ghee                                                  2 tbsp

Cashewnuts                                        1 tsp. .

Salt                                                    to taste

Chopped coriander leaves                    for decoration.

 For Seasoning

Ghee                                               1 tbsp.

Whole Black pepper                           ½ tsp.

Cumin seeds                                      ½ tsp.

Method:

• Wash dal together and Pressure cook the dals with needed water for 3 whistles.
• Take out the dals from the cooker and smash it well.
• Heat ghee and fry cashews and keep aside.
• Roast the Rava in 1 teaspoon of ghee and keep aside.
• Take a kadai, add ghee  and fry the curry leas, grated ginger, and black pepper powder, and asafetida. Add water and salt, stir well.
• When its starts boiling, slowly pour the fried Rava in one and stir the water in other hand. So it won’t have any lumps. Stir continuously, till rava is cooked.
• When the water has almost been absorbed, add the cooked moong dhal and mix well.
• Heat the ghee and fry the seasonings and add to rava pongal.
• Serve hot with sambhar and coconut chutney.