RAVA KICHADI

RAVA KICHADI

Rava Kichadi

Ingredients:

Rava/Sooji -1 cup 

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped 

Green chillies - 2 slit

Tomato - 1

Vegetables - 1 cup [ carrot,beans and peas ]

Chilli  powder -  1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Water - 3 cups

Ghee  - 2 tbsp 

For the seasoning :

Oil - 2 tbsp 

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp 

Bengal gram - 2 tsp 

Urad dal -1 tsp 

Curry leaves - few 

Coriander leaves  -  few 

Method

Heat ghee and oil in a pan, add bengal gram,  mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.

Then  add finely chopped onions, slit chillies and ginger.

Saute until onions turn transparent. Add tomato and  vegetables and stir well then add chilli powder and turmeric powder. 

Saute and cook the vegetables for 2-3 minutes. 

Now add 3 cups of hot water and salt.

When water starts boiling, reduce the flame and add rava slowly, stirring continuously  to avoid formation of lumps.

Keep stirring gently, when it becomes semi solid, 
 add 1 tbsp of ghee  and mix well.

When all the water is absorbed, mix well, close it with a lid and cook on low flame.

Cook in low flame for 5 minutes and switch off the flame.  you can add cashew nuts fried in ghee. Add an extra tbsp of ghee. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with coconut chutney.

KHOYA GULAB JAMUN

KHOYA GULAB JAMUN 

Khoya Gulab Jamun 

INGREDIENTS:

Khoya                                    –150 gms

Soda bicarb                          – 3 pinches

All purpose flour                 – 1 cup

Sugar                                    – 2 cups

Water                                    – 1 cup

Cardamom                           – 4-5 pods seeds crushed

 Rose water                           – a few drops

Milk                                       – a few tsp (to knead the dough)

 Ghee                                     – 200 ml

Oil                                          – 200 ml

METHOD:

Mix khoya, all purpose flour ,soda bicarb  and make a dough by adding   milk little by little to form a smooth dough.

Take  a saucepan make  sugar syrup with water and sugar in low flame till the sugar fully dissolves and the syrup starts thickening till one thread consistency.

Add the crushed cardamom seeds, and rose water and mix well.

Make sure that the syrup is still warm when you fry the balls and drop them into the syrup.

Once the dough is prepared make small balls out of it.

Heat oil and ghee together in a frying pan  Oil should not be too hot. Now drop the balls one by one and deep fry them.

Once the balls are deep fried drop them into the warm sugar syrup directly.

Balls will enlarge in size and become very soft.

Remove them from syrup and arrange it in serving dish. 

This can also be kept in refrigerator and then served cool.

Khoya Gulab Jamun

VERMICELLI AND SABUDANA KHEER / PAYASAM

 VERMICELLI AND SABUDANA  KHEER / PAYASAM

Vermicelli and Sabudana Kheer

Ingredients:

Vermicelli / Semiya                    -   1 cup

Sabudana [sago]               - 1/4 cup

Cashewnuts                       - 10 tbsp

Raisins                              - 5 tbsp

Cucumber Seeds               -  3 tbsp

Charoli seeds                    -  3 tbsp
[Saara paruppu]

Warm milk                        - 2 1/2 cups

Milkmaid                          - 1/2 cup

Cardamom                       - 3 crush seeds

Ghee                                - 2 tbsp
 
Method

Take a  deep pan add ghee and roast the nuts raisins and cucumber seeds till golden brown. Remove and keep aside.In the same pan,roast the vermicelli till it slightly changes in colour.

Now mix in the  warm milk and stir well.Let it come to a boil.

Cover and cook for  till the vermicelli and sago  is cooked.

Mix in the milkmaid and stir well.Add the crushed cardamom and keep stirring.

Add the roasted  nuts and raisins. Serve warm.

MASAL VADAI

Masala Vadai

Ingredients 

Channa dal  /Kadalai paruppu    -  1 cup 

 Red Chillies                                  -  2

Fennel seeds /Sombu                       -  1 tsp

Onion                                                 -  2  finely chopped

Green chillies                                    -  2 finely chopped

Curry leaves                                     -  few 

Coriander leaves                             -  few finely chopped

Salt                                                    -  to taste

Oil                                                      -  deep frying 

Method :

Soak Channa dal [kadalai paruppu] in water for 2 hours.

Drain the water completely. Keep 2 tsp of channa dal aside.

Grind 2 red chillies and fennel seeds first and then add the rest of the channa dal and grind coarsely without adding water .

Then add finely chopped onions,2 tsp which was kept separately  finely chopped green chillies, finely chopped coriander leaves and few curry leaves to the above mix.


Heat the oil . Take the mix of small lemon sized ball, flatten it with your hands and gently slip it into the oil.

Keep in medium heat and fry the vadas both sides till golden brown and crisp. Repeat the same procedure for the rest of the mix. 

TEA TIME - SNACKS SPICY MIXTURE

                    TEA TIME -  SNACKS SPICY  MIXTURE 

SPICY MIXTURE STEPS

INGREDIENTS  FOR SEV:

Besan flour                                  -  2 cups

Rice flour                                     -  2 tbsp

Chilli powder                               -   to taste

Salt                                              -   to taste


INGREDIENTS KAARA BOONDHI:

Besan Flour                                 -  2 cups 

chilli powder                                -  to taste

salt                                              -  to taste


OTHER INGREDIENTS:

Pottu kadalai (split gram dal)          -  1/2 cup 

Peanuts                                              -  1/2 cup

Cashew nuts                                       -  1/2 cup

Aval  [ or ]  flattened rice                -  1 cup 

Curry leaves                                      -  2-3 sprigs

Oil                                                      -   for  frying

SPICY MIXTURE

METHOD:

Heat oil in a  pan for deep frying .


SEV MAKING:

Fry Sev using murukku press

         

Mix together gram flour, rice flour, salt & chilli powder to for a dough. 

Place the dough into a murukku press with a disc with tiny holes. 

Squeeze into hot oil in a circular motion. 

Fry this till it is light golden & drain on a paper towel. Repeat this process with the rest of the dough

KAARA BOONDHI:

Kaara Boondhi

Mix together gram flour, salt &  chilli powder to make a thick batter.

Ladle this batter onto a slotted spoon with tiny holes [ Laddoo ladle ] . 

Spread it slowly with another ladle so that small balls of batter fall into the hot oil.

Fry this till crisp & golden. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

                              Fry  pottu kadalai.......

  Fry peanuts........

                            Fry  cashew nuts.....  

         Fry Aval [or] poha.......

Fry the curry leaves

  

In a  big plate or wide  bowl , mix the sev, boondhi, fried peanuts, gram dal,Cashewnuts aval & curry leaves together.

 Add some more salt & chilli powder

                                                      Mix it well

After this mixture cools to room temperature, transfer & store in an airtight container. 

                    Yummy spicy Mixture is ready to eat anytime .......

SWEET RAISIN BUN

SWEET RAISIN BUN

Sweet Raisin Bun

Ingredients:

Plain flour                       -  1kg

Whole milk                      -  1 cup

Unsalted butter               -  1/2 cup

Sugar                              -  1/4 cup

large eggs                       -  2

Salt                                 -  1 tsp

Yeast                              -  3 tsp

Water                             -   1-2 tbsp  [if needed]

Sultanas                          -   10 tsp    


METHOD:

Warm the milk [lukewarm]

Mix all of the ingredients together (except the water). If the dough seems dry add 1 tablespoon of water. Add the second tablespoon if really needed.

Once all of the ingredients are fully mixed place the dough on a lightly floured surface.

Knead until the dough for approximately 10 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Place the bowl in a warm area.

Allow the dough to rise until it has almost doubled in size (about 1 hour).Grease your  pan.

Split dough in half and then split those halves in half again so you have 4 even sections.

Divide each section in half again and then divide into 3 even balls. You should then have 24 balls of dough.

Shape dough balls in your hand by rolling. Continue until all rolls are smooth and ball shaped.

Place the rolls in your buttered pan. 

Cover the rolls with a damp towel and let rise in a warm area for 15 to 20 minutes. You can let them rise for up to an hour if needed. The rolls should have doubled in size.

Remove the damp towel and give egg wash and bake at 375 degrees  for 14 to 17 minutes or until the rolls are light golden brown.  The color will be very light and  make sure you don’t over cook.

Remove from oven and brush each of the bun’s top with melted butter immediately to keep the buns soft, even after cooling down. 

Sweet Raisin Bun