Chitra's Food Book

Usually we make vazhakkai poriyal for keerai sambar using this way.But recently my MIL made vazhakkai curry aka poriyal using freshly ground spices.We prepared this as a side dish formor kuzhambu&Pulisaaru(Vendhaya rasam).It was awesome.Basically i love any poriyal if its made with freshly ground masalas like mybaby potato curry and ennai kathrikai poriyal.So i was very happy when my MIL made this for me.Friends,try this raw banana curry if u are looking for a change from your usual poriyal recipe.U will love it.U can also try this without Onions & garlic but these ingredients render a special flavor to this curry.Soon i will share my mom’s vazhakkai podimas and fry recipes here.Lets see how to make this yummy vazhakkai poriyal recipe for rice Smile

Vazhakkai poriyal/Raw banana curry recipe

Vazhakkai poriyal/Raw banana curry recipe using freshly ground spices - Tastes the best with More kuzhambu and rasam !

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Side dishes

Serves:Serves 3

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:15 Minutes

Total time:25 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Raw banana/Vazhakkai - 2 nos ( small)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt & water - as needed

To grind

Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Dhania/Coriander seeds - 1.5 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 2 nos (I used very spicy chillies.Use 4 nos for normal chillies)
Big onion - 1 no
Garlic cloves - 2 nos (optional)
Tamarind - a small piece (1 seed)

To temper

Coconut oil - 1.5 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few

METHOD

Wash and peel the skin of raw banana.Chop into thin roundels and immerse in water till use.
Grind all the ingredients given under “to grind” except onion,jeera and garlic coarsely adding little water.Lastly add chopped onion,jeera and garlic and grind it to a paste.

In a wide plate or bowl,take the raw banana pieces,turmeric powder,ground paste and salt.Mix well.

Heat oil in a kadai and temper all the ingredients given above.Put the masala coated raw banana pieces and saute in low flame for few minutes.Add little water (say 1/2 cup) and cover cook till banana pieces are done.Do not over cook the pieces.After it is cooked well,remove the lid and saute the mixture in high flame for few minutes till the mixture becomes dry and turns golden brown.

Serve with rice,gravy/kuzhambu and papad !

Enjoy !

Note

While cooking raw banana,keep checking once or twice in the middle and add water if needed
Increase the quantity of chillies for more spicy taste.
Use Byadgi chilli for nice color.In that case,add more chillies to get spicy taste.
Addition of tamarind helps to remove the slight bitterness from Raw banana.But its optional.
You can also replace vazhakkai by potato,pumpkin and brinjal.
It tastes the best with rasam rice and mor kuzhambu.

Enjoy this flavorful,spicy vazhakkai curry with rice & gravy ! Tastes yumm!!

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Very good recipes Tags: Vazhakkai poriyal recipe, Vazhakkai curry, Raw banana curry, Raw banana poriyal, vazhakkai fry, raw banana recipes, Vazhakkai poriyal south indian recipe

Today i wanted to share Eggless Gingerbread Man cookies recipe here.But unfortunately i couldn’t finish it on time.I will make that post tomorrow.So i am sharing this cluster beans poriyal recipe which i had scheduled for next week.My Father-in-law is fond of cluster beans sambar.So he used to buy kothavarangai/cluster beans very often.My MIL used to make sambar and this poriyal with it.Its a very easy and yummy poriyal recipe which can be made under 15 minutes.As it has no grinding job,bachelors can also try this recipe.You can make it with or without onion.It tastes good in either ways.It goes well with more kuzhambu & sambar sadam.Lets see how to make this easy kothavarangai poriyal recipe for rice.

Kothavarangai poriyal/Cluster beans curry recipe

Kothavarangai poriyal/Cluster beans curry recipe-Tastes the best with More kuzhambu and sambar !

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Side dishes

Serves:Serves 3

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:15 Minutes

Total time:25 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Cluster beans/kothavarangai – 1 cup ( finely chopped)
Sambar powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp
Yellow moong dal - 1 tbsp
Big onion - 1 no
Sugar – 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut – 1/4 cup
Tamarind – a big pinch
Salt & water - as needed

To temper

Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few

METHOD

Wash the cluster beans.Discard the head and tail portions and chop it finely. In a kadai,heat 1/2 tbsp of oil and saute the cluster beans for a minute.Then transfer this to a pressure cooker base and add yellow moong dal,tamarind,sambar powder,salt and little water( I kept in a small tiffin box and cooked it along with dal in pressure cooker).

Pressure cook in high flame for 2-3 whistles.Tamarind will be cooked well and mashed with vegetable.Open the cooker and drain excess water if any ( if u don’t want to discard the excess water,let it be with cluster beans). Heat a kadai with oil and temper mustard seeds,urad dal and cumin seeds.Add onions and saute till transparent.

Now add the cooked cluster beans( if adding with excess water,allow it to boil well and drain) and boil well for minute.After the poriyal becomes dry,add sugar and mix well.Lastly add grated coconut,mix well and switch off the flame.Serve with rice,gravy/kuzhambu and papad !

Enjoy !

Note

Adding onions is optional here.If we make this poriyal on no moon day/Ammavaasai,we make it without onions.It tastes good in either ways !
Adding little tamarind helps to overcome the mild bitterness of cluster beans.

Try this yummy kothavarangai poriyal and serve with rice n gravy !I served it with broad beans sambar Smile

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Eggless ginger bread men cookies & fruit cake are the ones that flash in my mind whenever i think about Christmas recipes.Last year i shared eggless fruit cake/Plum cake and this year i tried these ginger bread cookies with royal icing for the first time and i was completely happy with the results.I was looking for some gingerbread recipes without molasses and eggs and I found them here.As i have not seen or tasted these cookies,i passed some of these cookies to my friends who had already tasted them in abroad and got thumbs up from them Applause

.Raksha was very much excited to see a batch of cookies with royal icing and she herself started decorating them enthusiastically Happy

.Though i am not happy with the decoration i did,i was satisfied with the cookies.I hope i can make perfect icing in my next attempt.After baking these cookies,i am much more confident to try some more Christmas special cookies like snowball cookies,tutti frutti cookies and sugar cookies.I will try to share them in upcoming weeks.Friends, do try this cookie recipe even if you are a beginner or first timer.I am sure u will get it perfect.I got these cookie cutter from Institute of Baking and Cake art,Bangalore.Don’t worry if u don’t have a gingerbread man cookie cutter.You can try in any other shapes as u like.The best thing with this cookie is that the dough can be made well in advanced,refrigerate and make it for Christmas parties or get together.These cookies are considered as one of the special Christmas gifts too.So try these cookies, wrap them in a sheet and gift your nears & dears for this Christmas 2014 ! Enjoy Party

.Check out myeggless tutti frutti cake recipe if interested !
Lets see how to make these awesome gingerbread man cookies recipe below..

Icing done by my daughter Raksha Silly

Eggless Gingerbread Men Cookies Recipe

Eggless gingerbread men cookie with royal icing

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Cookies

Serves:30 nos

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:12 Minutes

Total time:22 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 200 ml

All purpose flour/Maida - 2.5 cups
Unsalted butter - 100 gms
Powdered jaggery - 1/2 cup ( somewhat tightly packed)
Honey – 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Cooking soda/Baking soda - 1 tsp
Dry ginger powder - 1/2 tbsp
Cloves powder - 1/2 tsp ( i ground 15 cloves)
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powder - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp ( freshly ground)

FOR ROYAL ICING

Icing sugar – 1/2 cup
Cornstarch/corn flour – 1.5 tsp ( i used corn flour)
Lemon juice – 1/2-1 tsp
a few drops of food coloring
Milk or water – 2 to 3 tsp

METHOD

In a wide bowl,take the powdered jaggery and butter in room temperature.Beat them using an electric beater till it turns creamy and fluffy.Now add the honey and again beat the mixture till they get combined well.

In another bowl,take maida and all the powders.Mix well and sieve them.Set aside

Add this sieved maida to the creamy butter mixture and fold them gently.Now use your hands and make a non-sticky dough.Knead the dough well ( do not beat it) in a lightly dusted surface.Use very little maida for dusting only if its needed ( i dint dust the surface.I just made a non-sticky dough and proceeded.My dough was just right for this measurement)

Now wrap the cookie dough in a cling wrap or polythene sheet and refrigerate them for 30 minutes.After 30 minutes,remove the dough and make a small ball out of it.

Dust the work surface with maida and roll the dough using a chapathi rolling pin.Make sure dough is not sticky.Roll it for 1/4 inch thickness.Make it thin.If u make it thick,cookie will become chewy.So roll it thin and uniform.Cut it with the cutter.

Arrange the cookies in a greased baking tray.Preheat the oven at 180c in convection mode and bake at 180c in convection mode for 10-11 minutes till they turn light brown.Keep an eye after 8-9 minutes.Take the tray out and cool them completely by keeping them in racks.The cookies will seem a little soft when hot but they will become crispy once they have cooled completely.

Store in an air tight box till u make decorations.Prepare the icing and proceed.
For Royal Icing,sieve the corn flour & icing sugar.Add a tsp of lemon juice and a tsp of milk/water.Mix well to make a smooth paste.If the consistency is too thick,add a tsp of more milk and make a creamy paste.Divide the icing into small portions and add your preferable food colors.Fill the icing in a plastic bag or zip lock cover and do the icing.Decorate the cookies as per ur wish.Initially icing seems to be thin but it will thicken as time proceeds.I felt the taste of icing was very similar to glucose ;)

Wish u all merry Christmas and a very happy new year in advance !

Note

Make sure your cookie dough is non-sticky.Do not add more flour if u feel the dough is sticky.It makes the cookie chewy.
U can also replace all these spices with “All spice Powder”.In that case,use 1-1.5 tsp of it.
Roll the cookie dough uniformly thin else cookies may turn chewy n hard.
After baking the cookies for 10 minutes,u may feel it soft to touch.But it will become hard n crispy once it cools down completely.
First make one batch of cookies,check whether it has come out perfect after cooling down.Then make the remaining batches by adjusting the baking time.

Try these gingerbread man cookies for this Christmas and gift ur dear ones Smile

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This is my basic South Indian style rasam recipe which i learnt from my Aachi.I make this rasam almost everyday without using homemade or store bought rasam powder and dal.Instead i make it with freshly ground rasam powder.My MIL like this rasam a lot & this is my daughter’s favourite Rasam mammu too Winking

.Last year i shared my dad’s Easy rasam recipe using Instant rasam powder.This is also very similar to that but the ingredients of rasam powder differs slightly.As we are using freshly ground powder,this rasam comes out very flavourful but i tell you it tastes the best when prepared in advance.It needs some standing time for all the flavours to infuse.Beginners and bachelors can also try this recipe.U can make this powder using a small mortar & pestle if u don’t have a mixie.Now lets see how to prepare this yummy rasam recipe.Soon i will post more rasam varieties here.

Rasam recipe

Everyday rasam recipe using freshly ground rasam powder.

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Lunch

Serves:Serves 3

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:10 Minutes

Total time:20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Tamarind – Medium gooseberry size
Ripe tomato - 1 no
Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
Salt & water – as needed
Sugar – 1/8 tsp

For Rasam powder

Dhania/Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp
Garlic - 4 nos
Red chilli - 1 no

To temper

Cooking oil OR Ghee - 2 tsp ( I use oil)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli - 1 no
Hing – a pinch
Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves - to garnish

METHOD

Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes.Take the extract using 1 cup of water and add the finely chopped or crushed tomato,salt,turmeric powder to it.Take all the ingredients in a mixie jar for rasam powder and grind it coarsely( Red chilli is missing in the below picture.Sorry,i forgot to keep it).

Heat a kadai with 2 tsp oil and splutter mustard seeds,jeera and pinched red chilli. Add the tamarind extract mixture and a cup of water.Boil well for 2-3 minutes till raw smell goes off completely.Add hing while it boils.

Now add the freshly ground rasam powder, sugar and add 1/4 cup of water.Allow it to give a full roll boil only once and switch off the flame immediately.Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and transfer the rasam to a bowl. Give a standing time of one hour and serve with hot rice and papad.

Enjoy !

Note

U can also add store bought rasam powder to replace this powder.In that case,add 1-2 tsp of it based on the spiciness u need.
U can also 2 tbsp of dal water along with tamarind extract if u wish.
Dhania adds flavor to this rasam but it takes some time to lend it.So prepare this rasam at least one hour in advance.U can reheat at the time of serving.
Coriander leaves is a must n should for garnishing.
U can use ghee for tempering but i like using oil.

Enjoy this rasam with hot rice adding a drop of ghee.It tastes yum ! This is my daughter’s Rasam Mammu bowl when she was a kid Happy

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When i posted eggless tutti frutti cake recipe,i got request from some of my readers to post tutti frutti cookies too.Even i wanted to give it a shot for long time.So i tried it yesterday for the first time by searching the net.As most of the recipes were similar,i tried it confidently without any confusion.It came out really well and it was tasting more like butter cookies.I am happy to share this yummy,buttery cookies recipe for this Christmas 2014 and it is perfect for parties & other celebrations too.Try this for your kids.They will enjoy it !

Eggless tutti frutti cookies recipe

Eggless tutti frutti cookies for Christmas celebration

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Baking

Serves:15nos

Prep time:50 Minutes

Cook time:15 Minutes

Total time:65 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Maida/All purpose flour - 1 cup
Unsalted Butter - 6 tbsp ( softened, at room temperature)
Tutti frutti – 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup
Milk powder - 1 tbsp ( optional)
Milk - 1/2 tbsp - 1tbsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

METHOD

Take powdered sugar & softened butter in a bowl.Mix well with a whisk until creamy and soft peaks appear.Beat it well for 5 minutes.

In a bowl,mix maida, tutti frutti and milk powder(optional). Add this mixture to the beaten butter mixture.Mix well and make a crumbly dough.Add 1/2 or 1 tbsp of milk and knead a soft non-sticky dough.

Roll the dough to a log shape and wrap in a plastic sheet.Freeze it for 45 minutes.Remove and cut into 1/2 inch thick cookies. You can also roll the dough in a polythene sheet and cut in desired shapes.

Preheat oven in convection mode for 180c.Arrange in the cookies in a butter greased baking tray.Bake it for 15 minutes.The sides of cookie will turn slightly brown.Remove the cookie tray and let it cool.Initially they look soft when hot but it becomes crunchy after cooling down completely.The cookies will come out without sticking to the plate.Suppose if it sticks to the plate after it cools down,bake them again for 2 minutes & then remove,let it cool.You can find the actual taste of these cookies only after they cool down completely.Store in an air tight box.Hope it stays good for 3-4 days.

Enjoy !

Note

Adding milk powder is optional.
Adjust the quantity of tutti frutti as per your wish.But if u add more,cookie may turn soft n chewy.So take care.
If u don’t have tutti frutti in hand,replace it with finely chopped dry fruits.
You should bake the cookies till the sides of cookie turn golden brown as u see in the picture.

Try this yummy,colorful tutti frutti cookies for this Christmas & let me know ur feedback.

Merry Christmas Smile

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Rava Kesari using milk aka Paal kesari ( in Tamil) is the one which i was struggling for years to make it perfect .Thanks to my MIL for teaching me Rava Kesari recipe using this method for beginners.With the help of that recipe,i tried this milk kesari yesterday.It came out really well and i was 100% happy with the result.Its a very simple recipe without condensed milk but tastes rich n flavourful.I have shared all the tips & tricks for beginners to make it easily.Try it n let me know your feedback friends.Ok,lets see how to prepare milk kesari with stepwise pictures.I wanted my paal kesari to be white in color.So i added less saffron.Please use more saffron threads or yellow food color to make colorful kesari Love Struck

Milk kesari recipe/Paal kesari

Rava kesari using milk - Paal kesari recipe

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Sweet

Serves:Serves 4

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:20 Minutes

Total time:30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Rava/sooji/Semolina - 1/2 cup
Milk - 3 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom - 2 nos
Saffron threads - 10 nos
Cashewnuts - 5 nos
Ghee - 2 tbsp

METHOD

Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a pan.When it is hot,add the rava.As soon as u add rava,it should sizzle.Keep the flame in medium high and roast the rava for 2 minutes staying nearby.Remove the roasted rava in a plate and set aside.

In the same kadai,add milk and saffron threads, allow it to boil. When it starts to roll boil,keep the flame completely low and add the rava in one hand and stir the mixture using a ladle in the other hand.Now take a wire whisk and mix it thoroughly.Make sure there are no lumps.Keep the flame low till u mix it well.After mixing,increase the flame to medium and mix till the rava thickens slightly.

Now close the kadai with a lid and cook till rava is done. It takes around 3-4 minutes in medium flame.Stir it once in the middle.

After the rava is cooked well,add sugar by keeping the flame low.The mixture will turn slightly thin.

Keep mixing till all the sugar is melted completely and the mixture becomes slightly thick.Lastly add the remaining ghee and remove the kadai.Transfer it to a bowl immediately.If u touch the kesari,it will be non-sticky.Do not over do & wait for kesari to leave the sides of kadai.Remove it as soon as all the sugar is mixed with rava and becomes slightly thick.The mixture will fall like a ribbon.Don’t panic.It will become thick once it cools down.So transfer it to a bowl and garnish with roasted cashews.( If u keep mixing till kesari leaves the sides,the sugar will crystallize & kesari becomes hard n chewy after it cools down.So pls be careful).

Generally we don’t make pieces for milk kesari.We serve in bowls.If u want to make pieces,transfer the kesari to a ghee greased plate & wait till it becomes warm & thick.Draw lines using a greased knife & make shapes.
Keep the flame medium throughout the process.It takes maximum 3 minutes after adding sugar to finish the process.

Enjoy !

Note

The ratio of rava & milk should be 1:6.As we are adding more milk,there are less chances of lump formation.But make sure you mix it properly with a whisk.
You can add 1.5 cups of sugar if u want mild sweetness.
Add more saffron if u want nice yellow color.I wanted my kesari to be white.So i used less.
Do not over do & wait for kesari to leave the sides of kadai.Remove it as soon as all the sugar is mixed with rava and becomes slightly thick.The mixture will fall like a ribbon.Don’t panic.It will become thick once it cools down.So transfer it to a bowl and garnish with roasted cashews.

Try this milk kesari recipe for pooja or to celebrate occasions and make it special Smile

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Last week when i went to Salem,my MIL gave me dry roasted & ground kambu maavu/Pearl millet flour and mixed millet health mix powder/Sathu Maavu.My MIL suggested me to try this Kambu sweet puttu with the flour.I tried two versions adding Jaggery and sugar.Both came out very well n tasty.I also made Kambu kanji/pearl millet porridge( savoury version) along with it which i will post soon.We had a healthy,hearty breakfast yesterday.Here are some of the health benefits & names of pearl millet in other languages for your reference.Pearl millet is called as Kambu in Tamil , Bajra in Marathi,Gujarati,Rajasthani,Sindhi,Punjabi,Sajje in Kannada,Sajjalu in Telugu and Kambam in Malayalam.Coming to its health benefits,Pearl millet is a miracle millet which has iron that is 8 times of rice.It is very rich in Calcium,Protein,Iron & Magnesium.It helps to reduce the bad cholesterol level in our body. Its a great body coolant.Its consumed as porridge during summer.It helps to improve the digestion power & heals stomach ulcers too.It helps to improve bowel movements & prevents constipation.It makes our body strong.It helps to increase the secretion of milk for lactating mothers !.Do try this healthy kambu maavu puttu recipe for your breakfast or as evening snacks.U will love it like us.I preferred jaggery version more than sugar version.Try any based on ur liking !

Kambu maavu puttu recipe

Kambu maavu puttu/Pearl millet powder puttu - Sweet version

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Sweet

Serves:Serves 4

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:20 Minutes

Total time:30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Kambu maavu/Pearl millet flour - 2 cups
Salt water - as needed ( we used around 1/2 cup)
Grated jaggery - 3/4 cup or sugar - 1/3 cup
Cardamom seeds – 2 nos crushed
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

METHOD

Take the kambu maavu/Pearl millet flour in a wide bowl.Mix salt in little water and sprinkle it in kambu maavu.Mix well.Add water such that u should be able to shape it roughly as shown in the picture.

Now spread this kambu maavu in idli plate and steam it for 10-15 minutes till the color of flour is changed.Remove the idli plate and take the cooked kambu maavu in a mixie jar.Grind once or twice to powder it because as u steam the flour,there may be lumps formed.So we are grinding the steamed flour to break the lumps.

Take the ground flour in a bowl.Add sugar,cardamom powder & grated coconut.Mix well and serve.If u want to add jaggery,proceed to the next step.
Melt jaggery in a bowl adding little water.Strain the syrup and again boil till it starts to become thick n frothy.Switch off the flame.Add cardamom powder and mix this syrup with the cooked & ground kambu maavu.Add the required amount of syrup and mix well.Lastly add grated coconut,mix well and serve.

Enjoy !

NB: I felt jaggery puttu was very soft than sugar puttu.So make it as per your taste.If serving immediately,u can try sugar puttu else make jaggery puttu because it stays soft n good even after an hour.You can also make spicy version by sauting onions,chillies,ginger & curry leaves in little oil.Temper and mix everything with the cooked flour.

Note

** For making homemade kambu maavu – Dry roast kambu/Pearl millet in a wide kadai in medium flame till it starts to splutter and leaves a nice smell.Do it in batches if u want to make in large quantity.Roasting takes nearly 7-9 minutes.Do not burn them while roasting.so pls be careful.After roasting,switch off the flame and allow it to cool.Grind in a mill OR Mixie for small quantity.Sieve if necessary,spread in a news paper to cool down the flour and store in an air tight box.
Grinding the flour in mixie after steaming is very important.Else the flour will have too much of lumps.But do not over grind the cooked flour because they will stuck to the jar and becomes very thick.Run for small intervals to make it as a powder
Do not sprinkle too much of salt water.It also makes the puttu hard.At the same time,if u add less water,puttu will become dry.
Though sugar puttu is easy to make when compared to jaggery puttu,jaggery puttu was softer than sugar puttu.But taste wise both were very good.So make it according to your choice.
You can also try savory puttu.Just refer my ragi spicy puttu and follow the same directions.

Try this healthy kambu puttu for breakfast or snacks.It tastes yum !

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As far as i know,achu murukku/rose cookies is very popular in Kerala and is called as achappam.But recently when i was browsing for some Christmas special recipes,i found achu murukku is made for Christmas by people in and around Nagercoil.And this is my most favourite snack too.I just love its mild sweetness with flavour of coconut milk.Whenever my Ex-neighbour Mrs.Prema visits her native place in Kerala,i tell her to buy a packet of achappam and coconut oil halwa especially for me.As a big fan of this achappam,i wanted to try them in my kitchen for long time and bought achu murukku mould from Salem,Tamil nadu long back.I tried once some months ago but i couldn’t make it properly.Yesterday i tried it again after referring this& this recipe.I made some slight changes in ingredients as per my convenience and taste.To my surprise,it came out really well and i was so happy and proud that i could make it well without eggs.To make a perfect eggless rose cookies,the consistency of batter and heating point of oil is more important.I have explained them in Method section below.Also go through my notes before u start if u are a beginner.Ok,Lets see how to make this eggless rose cookies/Achu murukku/Kerala achappam at home easily.

Eggless achu murukku recipe/Rose cookies recipe

Eggless achu murukku recipe/Rose cookies recipe for Christmas Celebration.

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Sweet

Serves:15 nos

Prep time:5 Minutes

Cook time:5 Minutes

Total time:10 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Raw rice flour - 1/2 cup
Maida - 2 tbsp
Powdered sugar - 3 tbsp ( use 1/4 cup for more sweetness)
Salt - a pinch
Cardamom - 2 nos
Water + Coconut milk - 1/2 cup +1/4 cup ( 1-2 tbsp more of water)

METHOD

Powder 1/4 cup of sugar & 2 cardamom seeds together.Measure 1/4 cup from it and set aside.In a deep bowl,sieve the maida,rice flour,salt and sugar powder.Mix water + coconut milk and add it to the sieved ingredients.

The consistency of batter should be slightly thinner than dosa batter.Add little more water to adjust the consistency if needed.Heat oil in a kadai and dip the mould in oil till use.The mould should be hot.

Add a pinch of batter to check the heat of oil and as soon as it rises,keep the flame completely low and dip 3/4th of the mould in the batter.When u dip the mould in batter,u should get a ssshhh sound.Immediately keep the mould in oil.Do not touch the mould till bottom of kadai as it may stick.

As soon as u keep the mould inside the oil,it will become foamy and the batter starts to cook.Leave it for 30 seconds in very low flame.Do not wait for the murukku to half cook because u may not be able to release it.You can shake the mould and release the murukku OR hold the mould in one hand and release the corners of murukku from the mould using a knife in other hand.Murukku will release in oil and gets cooked.Cook for 30 seconds and flip the murukku.Again cook for 30 seconds till bubbles cease n murukku turns golden brown lightly.Murukku will be soft while u remove but it turns crispy n hard as it cools down.Remove in a tissue paper and drain the oil.Store in an air tight box after it cools down.Again keep the mould in hot oil & increase the flame.Keep it for few seconds and dip in batter.Reduce the flame and cook it as mentioned above.Repeat the same process.Remember to cook in low flame to get nice color.Also increase the flame as soon as u remove the murukku from the flame.By doing this way,u can adjust the heating level & murukku cooks uniformly.I would like to mention one more point here.ie the top portion takes more time than the bottom.So cook the top portion for 45 seconds & then flip,cook the other side.
It stays good for weeks but i bet the box would be empty before that.

Note

Adding the correct quantity of water/coconut milk is more important to make perfect achu murukku.If u add less water,batter will be thick and rose cookies will be hard n chewy.If u add more water,batter will become thin and it won’t coat properly in the mould.So the consistency of batter is much more important.
The heating point of oil is also more important.If it is too hot,color of achu murukku turns dark brown.So you should cook in low flame at perfect heating point.
Some recipes have suggested to shake the mould after dropping in oil to release the murukku.But i felt the shape of murukku gets changed while shaking the mould.So i followed knife method.
The batter won’t coat the mould if the mould is not hot.So don’t forget to heat the mould every time before dipping in batter.

Do try these yummy eggless rose cookies for this Christmas 2014 and have a great Celebration !!

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Very good recipes Tags: Eggless ahcu murukku recipe, Achu murukku recipe, Achu murukku, achappam recipe, Eggless achappam recipe, Eggless rose cookies recipe, Eggless rose cookies, Rose cookies recipe Kerala, Eggless Christmas recipes.Christmas recipes

Ridge gourd gravy/Peerkangai kuzhambu is one of my favourite and easiest kuzhambu recipes.I love this gravy more than peerkangai thogayal/thuvayal.My MIL call this as peerkangai chutney though it is not thick like our usual chutneys.This gravy goes well with rice more than idli,dosa.I made this for our lunch last week when my in-laws were here.We had a simple yet yummy lunch with this gravy and bitter gourd fry.I will share bitter gourd fry recipe soon.Now lets see how to make this delicious peerkangai gravy recipe for rice.

Ridge gourd gravy/Peerkangai kuzhambu recipe

Ridge groud gravy recipe for rice- Simple n delicious gravy !

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Sweet

Serves:Serves 4

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:10 Minutes

Total time:20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Ridge gourd - 1 no ( medium sized)
Tamarind - Medium gooseberry size(slightly more than small gooseberry)
Green chillies - 5 nos
Curry leaves - few
Hing/Asafetida - 1/2 tsp ( 1/4 + 1/4 tsp)
Small onions - 15 nos ( peel n chop into chunks)
Salt & water – as needed

To temper & saute

Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 2 tsp

Coriander leaves - to garnish

METHOD

Wash and scrape the skin of ridge gourd.Do not peel the entire skin.Just remove the ridges.Chop them into small cubes.Peel and chop the small onions roughly into small chunks.Slit the green chillies & chop into small pieces.
In a pressure cooker base,take the chopped ridge gourd,salt,tamarind along with 1 cup of water.Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle or 3-4 whistles in high flame.Remove and let it cool. (I kept in a tiffin box and pressure cooked it along with dal)

After it cools down,drain the excess water in a bowl and grind the cooked ridge gourd along with tamarind to a smooth paste. Add this paste to the reserved ridge gourd water.Add hing and few,torn curry leaves.Check for salt.

Heat oil in a kadai and temper mustard seeds,urad dal,chana dal,hing,chopped small onions and slitted green chillies.

Now add the ridge gourd paste water.Add 1/2 cup of more water and let it boil for 2-3 minutes.Lastly add the finely chopped coriander leaves and garnish it.Mix with plain rice adding few drops of gingely oil and serve hot.It tastes yummy !

Note

You can follow the same recipe and make gravy using pumpkin.Please check this link.
Adding small onions gives the best taste.But you can also add big onions if u don’t have small onions in hand.
Asafetida/Hing is the star ingredient for this recipe.We add it twice in this recipe.Once during tempering and the other when the gravy boils.So never skip this ingredient.

Enjoy this yummy gravy with plain rice.It tastes yum !

Technorati Tags: Peerkangai kuzhambu,Ridge gourd gravy,ridge gourd recipe,Peerkangai recipes,Peerkangai gravy,ridge gourd gravy recipe,kuzhambu recipes

Very good recipes Tags: Peerkangai kuzhambu, Ridge gourd gravy, ridge gourd recipe, Peerkangai recipes, Peerkangai gravy, ridge gourd gravy recipe, kuzhambu recipes

People in & around Tamil nadu,Kerala knows very well about this vedi cake/vettu cake recipe i guess.For people who are new to this recipe,let me tell u what it is.This vettu cake aka vedi cake is nothing but sweet bonda/deep fried dumplings made using maida,sugar and eggs.Its one of the famous tea shop snacks recipe in Tamil nadu as well as Kerala just like samosa & besan bonda.When i shared tea shop style besan bonda recipe,our fellow blogger friends were asking me about this vedi cake recipe in the comments section.At that time,i wasn’t aware of this recipe.I also vaguely remembered seeing this bonda in Tirunelveli/thoothukudi tea shops which is called as "Muttakose"( Info by my sis Radha ;)).Then I started hunting for this recipe to try on my own.But most of them were with eggs.Of course the authentic version uses eggs but being a vegetarian,i was looking for eggless version and finally i found it fromHERE.When i saw the picture in her blog,i was so excited as it resembled the one we get in Tamil nadu tea shops.Not just the picture,her recipe is also perfect.I have tried it twice so far and it came out very well.She also shared some tips with me when i mailed her asking some queries :) So I made some slight changes and shared the recipe here.Do try it this weekend and enjoy your tea time with your family Happy

.Also don’t forget to try out myinstant besan bonda-tea shop style for a spicy accompaniment Winking

.But remember u should serve everything hot to enjoy its best taste Drooling

Vettu cake/Sweet bonda recipe

Vettu cake/Sweet bonda recipe - Tea shop style !

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Sweet

Serves:8 nos

Prep time:45 Minutes

Cook time:5 Minutes

Total time:50 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Maida - 1 cup
Cooking soda - 1/4 tsp
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp ( refer notes)
Water - as needed
Butter- 1/2 tbsp (softened,optional)
Cardamom - 2 nos
Salt - a pinch
Cooking oil - as needed

METHOD

Powder 1/2 cup of sugar and cardamom together to a fine powder.Remove and measure 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp from it.Take the powdered sugar in a bowl and add little water to cover it ( say 3-4 tbsp).Let the sugar dissolve well.Then strain the syrup and set aside.

In another wide bowl,sieve maida,cooking soda and salt.To this add the softened butter and mix well. Add the sugar water and mix well.Check for sweetness.If u want more,add 1-2 tbsp of powdered sugar extra.Add few tbsp of water only if necessary and make a non-sticky dough.Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.Then cover the dough and set aside for 30-45 minutes.Do not make a sticky dough Or add more flour after kneading the dough.So making a non-sticky n soft dough is very important.

After the resting time,take the dough and pinch into golf balls size. Heat oil in a kadai to deep fry.

Put a pinch of batter in oil and as soon as it rises,simmer the flame completely and drop 3-4 balls in oil based on its size.Let it cook in slow flame.Toss it once or twice in the middle.Cracks will form automatically.Hence its called “Vedi cake/Vettu cake”.Cook till the balls turn golden color.Remove in a tissue.It may be soft while u remove but it becomes hard n crispy as it cools down.Store in an air tight box after it cools down and enjoy with your tea/coffee !

NOTE: Do not deep fry for long time because bonda may turn hard n chewy.Also adjust the quantity of sugar based on taste.This recipe will give u mild sweetness.So add 2-3 tbsp more if u want.Here i used butter.In shops they add dalda.
Deep fry only in low to medium flame for uniform cooking.

Enjoy this crispy tea shop sweet bonda with your tea/coffee ! It tastes yum!

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Very good recipes Tags: Tea time snacks, tea shop bonda recipe, Tea kadai bonda, sweet bonda recipe, Vettu cake recipe Kerala, Kerala sweet bonda recipe

Generally people of Tamil nadu love to make different varieties of kuzhambu for their lunch.We don’t like to eat the same sambar,vathal kuzhambu or rasam everyday.Even in my home,both mom & MIL make at least 7 varieties of kuzhambu for a week.They don’t repeat a kuzhambu at least for 10 days.For my MIL’s kuzhambu varieties,few tsp of our homemade sambar powder is all u need.There are no or very less grinding work.Whereas my mom’s kuzhambu varieties have some grinding job but it tastes flavourful & awesome as most of them are freshly ground with Nellai touch.Both are completely different in procedure and taste.Here i have shared nearly 30 kuzhambu recipes of my mom & mil under one page for easy n quick reference.Most of these gravies are simple & easy to make for beginners and bachelors too.Among these 30 gravies,u can find some varieties of vegetable sambar recipes and brahmin style arachuvitta sambar.Similarly u can find varieties of Vathal kuzhambu like sundakkai vatha kuzhambu,Poondu kuzhambu,Puli kuzhambu,Manathakkali vatha kuzhambu,ennai kathrikai kuzhambu,brinjal masala kuzhambu & Kara kuzhambu recipes along with an iyengar style milagu kuzhambu recipe.Other than this,u can also find mor kuzhambu,paruppu urundai kuzhambu,Poricha kuzhambu,bittergourd/Pavakkai pitlai,Vazhaipoo kulambu,Yam,pumpkin and ridge gourd gravies too.Please click on the picture to view the respective recipe.I have given most of the recipes with step by step pictures.Soon i will update the remaining kuzhambu recipes in my blog and add them here.Thanks for visiting this page.Do try all these kuzhambu recipes and enjoy cooking varieties! Very soon,in the year 2015,u can expect some yummy n easy lunch menu recipes in my blog.Stay tuned Cool

.Ok,lets see the collection of South Indian kuzhambu recipes !
Please don’t forget to leave your feedback in the comments section if you try any of these kuzhambu recipes.It will help others too ! Thanks Happy

South Indian Kuzhambu recipes

Tamil nadu style kuzhambu varieties for lunch !

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Gravies

Serves:Serves 3

Prep time:20 Minutes

Cook time:15 Minutes

Total time:35 Minutes

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Very good recipes Tags: Kuzhambu recipes, Kuzhambu varieties, South Indian kuzhambu recipes, South indian kuzhambu varieties, Easy kuzhambu recipe, Gravies for rice, Kuzhambu recipes tamil, Different kuzhambu recipes, Kulambu variety

Last month i shared our homemade mixed millet flour/energy mix powder/sathu maavu recipe here.Using that flour,i have shared an instant sathu maavu dosa recipe too.Recently i tried sweet & savoury porridge/kanji using my millet energy mix powder for our Sunday breakfast.It came out really well and it was flavourful too.Making this millet porridge is just a 10 minutes job.You can try sweet or savory version based on your liking.If u have less time in hand to prepare your breakfast,this millet porridge is an easy & healthy option with health benefits of all the millets in one dish.Its one of the ideal recipes for weight loss too.It keeps u energetic and full.Do try it n let me know your feedback Happy

.If u don’t want to make millet powder on your own,u can also buy the organic millet powders available in stores and prepare this porridge.But homemade millet powder is economical always ! You can try this porridge for one year old babies too.But keep in mind,u should add just 1 tsp of this powder for 2 cups of water,make it really watery and give them for the first time.If it suits them,u can increase the quantity of powder gradually.Check out my millet flour ladoo/Sathu maavu urundai recipe using jaggery if interested !

Millet flour porridge recipe

Millet flour porridge recipe/Millet sathu maavu kanji recipe for breakfast

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Breakfast

Serves:Serves 2-3

Prep time:5 Minutes

Cook time:10 Minutes

Total time:15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Millet flour - 3 tbsp
Water - 5 cups

For sweet porridge

Grated jaggery - 1/3 cup
Cardamom seeds - 2nos ( crushed)
Boiled milk - 1/4 cup ( as needed)

For spicy version

Thick curd - 3 tbsp
Salt - as needed

To temper

Cooking oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Hing/asafetida - 1/8 tsp
Red chilli or mor milagai - 1 no ( pinched)
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - little

METHOD

Take 5 cups of water in a big bowl and mix the millet powder without any lumps.Use a wire whisk.Add a pinch of salt and let it boil well for 10minutes in medium high flame.Stir it once or twice in the middle because it may overflow.The porridge will thicken slightly and its color changes with a shine.It shows that the millet flour is cooked well.

Now remove half of the porridge to another bowl for making savory version.Let it cool.In the mean time,add grated jaggery to the remaining half of the porridge and boil well in low flame.Jaggery melts and mixes with porridge.Color of porridge changes to golden yellow based on the color of jaggery.After the jaggery is melted,allow the porridge to boil for 2 minutes to remove the raw smell of jaggery.Lastly add the crushed cardamom seeds.Mix well and add little milk before serving.Mix well n serve ! ( Do not add milk when the porridge is boiling.It will curdle the mixture.So add boiled milk only after u switch off the flame)

Take the porridge reserved for savory version. To this,add 3 tbsp of lightly sour curd.Mix well with a wire whisk or beater.Add the required salt and temper all the above said ingredients.
- You can also add finely chopped raw mango pieces & green chillies,ginger to this porridge to make it more flavourful!
Add the tempered items to the porridge.Mix well and serve !

Enjoy !

Note

If u are trying this porridge for the first time,just follow the above measurements.This would give u medium thick consistency porridge.
If u want thicker porridge,add 1 tbsp more millet powder Or if u want thinner porridge,add 1 cup of more water.Adjust as per ur liking.
You can also add sugar in place of jaggery.In that case,add 2-3 tbsp.Check for sweetness and add more.
Adjust the quantity of jaggery as per your taste.
You can also add finely chopped raw mango pieces & green chillies,ginger to this porridge to make it more flavorful!

Try this quick n easy millet flour porridge for your breakfast and have a healthy start of the day !

Technorati Tags: Millet porridge recipe,Millet recipes,Millet flour porridge recipe,Millet porridge for breakfast,millet powder porrdige recipe,Millet kanji recipe,Sathu maavu kanji

Very good recipes Tags: Millet porridge recipe, Millet recipes, Millet flour porridge recipe, Millet porridge for breakfast, millet powder porrdige recipe, Millet kanji recipe, Sathu maavu kanji

I wish all my friends and readers a very happy New year,2015 Party

.I should have posted this cake recipe before Christmas.But i couldn't do it as i was busy with some personal work Worried

.Better late than never,here is this easy microwave plum cake/ dry fruit cake recipe for you all.Try this cake for your kids as evening snacks or for this New year 2015 and have a great celebration Dancing

.I tried this recipe from “The Hindu” Christmas special recipes edition.I made some changes in the actual recipe to make it more soft n flavourful.It came out really spongy and crumbly as well.I tried this cake twice with and without cocoa powder too.Both came out well but i liked the one without cocoa powder.Its a very easy n awesome cake recipe that can be made in 3 minutes using a microwave.It can also be done in pressure cooker i guess.Please check this link for my cooker cake recipe to get some idea.Also check out my Christmas fruit cake recipe using convection mode if interested ! Lets see how to make this easy,yummy,eggless,no butter,no condensed milk microwave fruit cake recipe in 3 minutes at home easily !

Microwave plum cake recipe/Fruit cake

Microwave plum cake/Fruit cake recipe for Christmas !

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Cakes

Serves:10 pieces

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:3 Minutes

Total time:13 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

For 1 cup = 250 ml

Maida - 1 cup
Sugar or brown sugar - 1/2 cup ( 100 gms )
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Curd - 1 tbsp ( semi solid,fresh)
Cooking soda - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1/4 cup / 60 ml
Lion dates syrup - 4 tbsp
Water - 1/2 cup/125 ml + (2 tbsp extra,only if needed)
All spice powder OR powdered cinnamon,cloves & nutmeg – 1/2 tsp
Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp (optional)
**Finely chopped dry fruits n nuts - 1/3 cup (add more if u wish)
Orange zest - 1 tbsp

** I used cashews,badam,pista,walnut,plum,cherries,tutti frutti,raisins

METHOD

Heat 1/2 cup ie 125 ml of water in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute.Put the finely chopped nuts & dry fruits in water and let it soak for 10 minutes.

In the mean time,sieve maida,cocoa powder,baking soda,baking powder and set aside.
To the soaked dry fruits mixture,add sugar,oil,curd,vanilla essence,orange zest and lion dates syrup.Mix well till sugar dissolves.

To this, add the sieved maida mixture & all spice powder .Fold it well in one direction.Cake batter would be slightly thick but pourable.If u feel the mixture is very thick,add 1 –2 tbsp of warm water to it and mix well.

Grease a microwave safe bowl with oil generously and pour half of the cake batter till half of the bowl.Cake will rise till the rim.So you should bake in two batches.

Microwave in high power for 2-3 minutes ( mine is 800w.It took 3 minutes ).Please keep an eye after 2 minutes based on the power of your microwave.If u over bake it,cake will burn or the sides will be dry n chewy.Please be careful.

Remove the bowl after 2 minutes & insert the back of spoon.If the spoon comes out clean or with little crumbs,cake is done.If u see the uncooked batter in the spoon,keep it for another 30 seconds and test it again.If not done,keep it for 30 seconds more.Cook till your cake is done.Remove the cake from microwave as soon as its done and keep it outside for 5 minutes.Run a knife all through the sides and loosen it.Invert it in a bowl.Cake will come out easily.Some of the portion might be sticking to the bowl.But that’s fine.Serve hot if u like or keep the cake completely covered and set aside for an hour.It tastes the best when served after 1-2 hours as the cake needs some standing time for all the flavour to infuse well.But don’t let the cake open.It will dry soon.

If u want to make the cake without cocoa powder,do refer the pics below.U will get some idea.Also check out the cake batter consistency which is missing in cocoa version.

No need to refrigerate the cake.You can keep it outside for 2 days but keep it covered else cake will become dry.( i always store my cake inside the oven after it cools down because that is the safe place to avoid ants)

Enjoy !

Note

This cake takes maximum of 3 minutes to cook in microwave 800w power.So keep an eye after 2 minutes if yours is more than 800w.
Over baking makes the cake hard n chewy.Take care.
This cake remains soft even for two days if properly covered and stored.Else the outer layer will turn dry.
Adding cocoa powder is optional.U can skip it and use the other ingredients as given above.No need to reduce the quantity of water or oil.

Try this easy microwave cake recipe for New year,2015.Have a fantastic year ahead !!

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Hi friends, I hope u all had a great new year celebration.I had a wonderful day with morning darshan at a nearby perumal temple for vaikundha ekadesi, breakfast with thisrava kesari,lunch at Rajdhani Restaurant and above all i bought my favourite red color Handbag in JP nagar central mall as New year gift Laughing

.The day went on really well more than i expected but we missed our daughter Raksha as she is in Salem for vacation.Tomorrow we are going there & spend this weekend with my in-laws Happy

.
Coming to this recipe,I must thank my friend Sudha for insisting me to try rava kesari recipe using microwave.She gave me a recipe too.I made some modifications & tried it yesterday for New year celebration.We loved it a lot.Here i have used oil & ghee after watching Revathy shanmugam mam’s recipe in youtube video and i also referred Mrs.Mallika Badrinath’s Microwave recipes book for the timing and method.I added yellow food color and pineapple essence.So its flavor was very similar to pineapple kesari.But i tell you its not the authentic pineapple kesari version.So u can follow this recipe in my way using pineapple essence or just add cardamom powder with kesari color.It tastes great in either ways! Try this easy,hassle free microwave rava kesari for poojas,special occasions and for your guests.I am sure it will come out great !!

Rava kesari - Microwave version

Rava kesari recipe using microwave !

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Sweet

Serves:Serves 2

Prep time:4 Minutes

Cook time:4 Minutes

Total time: 8 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Rava/sooji/Bombay rava - 1/4 cup
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Water – 1.5 cups
Ghee - 1 tbsp + 2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Yellow food color - 2 pinches
Pineapple essence or cardamom powder - little ( as needed)
Cashew nuts – few ( to garnish)

METHOD

Take a big microwave safe bowl & add oil + ghee.Choose a big bowl because rava will rise well while cooking & it may spill.
Add cashews & roast it for 2 minutes in high power(mine is 800w power). Keep an eye after 1 minute.If cashews turn golden brown quickly,remove it.No need to keep it for 2 minutes.Remove cashews alone & add rava to the oil+ghee mixture,mix well so that rava is well coated without any lumps.

Roast the rava in high power for ONE minute.Open the microwave,mix well & again roast it for a minute.So roasting takes TWO minutes here.Take care that rava doesn’t get burnt.So stand nearby and watch carefully.Remove the rava bowl and keep aside.

In a vessel,heat water in gas stove till it starts to roll boil and add it to the roasted rava.Take care,it splashes.After adding water,add food color.Mix well without lumps.

Cook the rava for TWO minutes in high power covering with a lid. Choose a big bowl because rava will rise well while cooking & it may spill.After 2 minutes,remove the bowl,mix well, cover it with the lid & cook again for ONE minute.Rava will thicken and gets cooked very well.Now remove the bowl.
- Add sugar,essence & mix well without lumps.

The mixture will turn watery & small lumps may form.Mix quickly and break the lumps.As u mix,mixture will thicken slightly due to the heat of glass bowl & lumps will break.Make sure u break all the lumps.If u touch the mixture,it will be slightly sticking to the fingers.

Keep it in high power for 30 seconds,remove & mix well. U will see the rava leaving the sides of bowl.Immediately add 2 tsp of ghee.Mix well & transfer to a plate or bowl.Do this process quickly else kesari may turn hard because of the heat of glass.If u touch,mixture will be non-sticky.
Mixture will be semi solid initially. But it becomes thick & well set as it cools down.So don’t panic.

Serve in a bowl by garnishing with roasted cashews.U can also reheat the kesari for one minute in high power before serving ! But this step is optional.

NOTE :Timings may differ based on the power of your microwave.If its more than 800w,the entire process needs lesser time than mentioned and if the power is less than 700w,time taken may be more.So keep an eye and do it carefully if making for first time.

Note

Rava has to be cooked well else kesari turns chewy n hard.
Adding right amount of sugar also helps to give u soft kesari.
Adding oil helps to retain the moisture & prevents the kesari turning hard even after it cools down.Skip it & add ghee alone if u wish.
Adding pineapple essence is completely optional.U can add cardamom powder or saffron as u wish.
Here i used more water than mentioned in the original recipe.It helps to make lump free and perfectly cooked kesari.

Try this easy microwave rava kesari and enjoy your day !

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In this New year,with all your support and blessings,i have planned to start biryani series from this week.I guess most of u make ( Both vegetarians & Non-vegetarians) make biryani in weekend especially on Sunday.Even i too make biryani mostly on Sundays,make myself free and enjoy my time with my family.To me,Biryani is an easy to make yet very rich & delicious one pot meal that make everyone drool over its smell & color.I keep trying varieties of biryani recipes by watching TV shows,by referring blogs or cookbooks.I thought of blogging the same here as it might be useful to people who look for varieties of biriyani recipes.So every Sunday,you can expect some yummy biryani & pulao recipes in my blog.Actually i wanted to start this series with “How to cook Basmati rice” post.But i still have some work pending to bring that post here.As i am in Salem,i couldn’t do it.So i thought of starting this series with this popular biryani recipe in which i used jeera rice.Generally vegetarians have less options for biryani varieties.So i used to refer non-veg biryani recipe too & try it by replacing chicken or mutton with vegetables like mushroom,Gobi/cauliflower and soya chunks.You can find one such examplehere.Even today,i have shared Dindigul thalapakatti biryani which is the most popular mutton biryani of Dindigul district.For this recipe,I referred so many sites and read readers comments to get some idea about its color,the rice used in it etc.Finally i landed upon here& tried this biryani by making small changes in the actual recipe to achieve its brown color.I used mushroom & soya chunks/meal maker in place of mutton Tongue

.The taste was awesome.It came out super flavourful with minimum masala.Raksha & Sendhil loved it a lot.Raksha told me to make the same biryani next day too for her lunch box .So i made a minimum quantity for her using rice cooker.Now i can confidently try this biryani for my guests too.I served this biryani with simple onion raita as a side dish.I made fruit custard for dessert & curd rice as well.So last week we had this biryani,raita,fruit custard and curd rice for our lunch.It was simple yet divine !
i will try my level best to collect the best biryani recipes,try them in my kitchen and share it here.Wish me Good Luck Happy

.Leave your feedback or share the picture if u try any biryani recipes from this series.It will motivate me to try n post more.Check out my other biryani & pulao recipes that are popular in my blog Cool

Dindigul biryani

Dindigul biryani veg version

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Lunch

Serves:Serves 2

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:20 Minutes

Total time:30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Jeera rice/Jeeraga sambar rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups ( use 2.25 cups for softer rice)
Mushrooms– 8 nos
Soya chunks – 10 nos
Cooking oil – 2-3 tbsp
Big onion - 1 no
Tomato - 1 no ( small)
Green chillies - 3-4 nos
Biryani leaf - 1 no
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Dhania powder/Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as needed

For spice powder

Cinnamon - 2 inch piece
Kalpasi/Black stone flower - 1 no
Saunf/Fennel seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Cardamom - 2 nos
Cloves - 3 nos

METHOD

Take the ingredients given under “For Spice powder” and grind them nicely to a fine powder.You can also use a mortar & pestle to do this job.But powder it well else u will get spices in mouth while eating.( Suppose if ur mixie doesn’t grind smaller quantities,just double the above ingredients,grind it and use half the powder for this recipe.Use the remaining in kurma or gravies.)

Finely chop onion and tomato.Slit green chillies.Boil 2 cups of water and soak the soya chunks.Wash and clean the mushrooms.Set aside.

Wash the jeera rice and set aside.I used Nawab brand.NO NEED TO SOAK IT.In a pressure cooker base,heat oil + ghee and saute the biryani leaf.Then add onions,green chillies.Saute till onion turns transparent.Then add ginger-garlic paste.Toss well till raw smell emanates completely.Keep the flame medium.Now add finely chopped tomato and saute till it becomes mushy.Add salt to quicken the process.Now add coriander powder & ground spice powder.Roast it well till u get a nice smell.Keep the flame low as it may burn.Now add water and washed rice.

Check for salt & spiciness.Close the cooker and pressure cook in very low flame for one whistle.It takes nearly 8-10 minutes.After the steam is released,open the lid and fluff the rice with fork.Serve hot with raita ! Enjoy !

Note

I did not soak the rice.So i used 2 cups of water.If u soak the rice for 30 minutes,use 1.5 cups of water and add few tbsp of more water if necessary.
The spice powder is very important.Do not skip it.
You can make this biryani with either soya chunks or mushroom.U can also use other vegetables but the flavor n taste of this biryani may change as carrots give sweet taste to the rice.
You can also add finely chopped coriander & mint leaves at the end before closing the cooker.But i din’t use it.

Do check out my other biryani & pulao recipes that are popular in my blog Cool

Enjoy this biryani with onion raita and have a happy meal with your family Smile

.Have a nice weekend !!

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Very good recipes Tags: Dindigul thalapakatti biryani recipe, Dindigul thalapakatti biryani, Thalapakatti biryani recipe.Biryani recipe, Sunda biryani, rice recipes, lunch recipes, Weeknend lunch menu

Don’t u get tempted to try if u come across a recipe titled “Mc Donald’s style Veg Burger Recipe” ?? Batting Eyelashes

I know many of your answers would be YES Happy

.Yeah,i too tried Veg burger for the first time in my kitchen after getting very much tempted by watching this video.In that video,he had shared the recipe of Mc Donald’s style McVeggie burger patty recipe with easily available ingredients in all our pantries and moreover it was Eggless!.I just made few changes in the ingredients & method as per my convenience.I replaced corn meal with powdered corn flakes just like my KFC style Veg Stripsand i used crushed garlic instead of garlic powder.The result was awesome!!The Patty was super crispy outside and soft inside.I also tried grilling in my convection oven instead of deep frying and it came out pretty well.You can also opt for shallow frying if you are calorie conscious.What ever be the method of cooking,patties taste great.This recipe is really a keeper and i am planning to make it for my daughter’s birthday party too.Sendhil loved it a lot and i guess he won’t take me to Mc Donald’s anymore as i started making it at home regularly Winking

.Very soon,i will share my daughter’s most favourite KFC Potato krisper/Aloo burger recipe which would be more of our Indian style.Friends,do try this easy burger recipe using store bought burger buns and mayonnaise & let me know how it turned out for you Happy

.Procedure may seem a bit lengthy as i made bread crumbs & corn meal on my own.If u have them readymade in hand,making this burger would be really easy !!

Mc Donald’s Veggie burger recipe

Veg burger with homemade burger patty recipe – Mc Donald's style !

Cuisine:International

Category:Snacks

Serves:4 nos

Prep time:60 Minutes

Cook time:10 Minutes

Total time:70 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

For arranging burger

Fresh Burger buns - 4 nos
Lettuce leaves - few
Shredded celery - as needed ( i used cabbage)
mayonnaise - as needed
Sliced tomato - 4 slices
Cheese slice – 4 nos ( optional,i dint use)

For burger patty

Boiled potatoes - 3nos ( medium)
Cooked peas - 1/4 cup
Carrot - 1 no ( finely chopped)
Onion - 1 no ( finely chopped)
Garlic crushed – 4 nos
Thick poha/Aval – 1/2 cup ( soak in water for 20 minutes)
Salt & water – as needed

Spice powder recipe

Chilli flakes – 1/2 tsp
Amchoor powder –1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Salt – as needed
Paprika – 1/2 tsp

For batter

Maida - 1/2 cup
Corn flour – 1/4 cup
Corn meal OR powdered corn flakes - 1/4 cup
Oil – 1 tbsp
Water - as needed

Bread crumbs - 1 cup ( to coat)

METHOD

Finely powder the cornflakes in a mixer and keep in a bowl.Mix all the powders given under “ Spice powder” and set aside.( If u are using raw corn flakes,microwave it in high power for 1.5 minutes & then powder it)

Wash and soak poha in hot water for 20 minutes.Then crush & squeeze it with ur hands very well.It will become a dough like thing.Keep it covered & set aside.

Pressure cook potatoes,peel the skin,mash it well.Cook the peas and keep it ready.Chop the carrots and keep it in hot water till use.Chop onions.

In a kadai,heat oil and saute onions,crushed garlic cloves till onion turns transparent.Now add the carrot and saute till its soft.Add some salt to quicken the cooking process.Lastly add the mashed potato and cooked peas.Add little water & let the carrot cook for some time.After carrots are cooked & water is absorbed,add the spice powder mix.Adjust salt.Mix well & Mash it with the back of ladle.Finally add the soaked & squeezed poha and mix well.Poha acts as a binding agent here.So mash it really well and make the entire mixture to a thick dough. Switch off the flame & let it cool.

After the mixture is cooled down,wrap it in a polythene sheet like a cylinder as shown in the picture.Cover the edges using a rubber band.Refrigerate it for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- After 30 minutes,remove the patty dough and roll it tightly.Cut it into roundels.Refer picture below.The size of the patty should be the size of burger.Roll the patty on the kitchen counter or a plate to bring uniform thickness and to make a perfect round.

In the mean time,prepare the batter & bread crumbs.To prepare bread crumbs,remove the corners i.e brown part of the bread and powder it in a mixie.Set aside in a plate.Homemade instant bread crumbs is ready.For the batter,mix all the ingredients given under “ for batter” and add little water to make a thick dosa batter consistency.Keep it ready.

Now dip the patty and in maida batter.Again dip in bread crumbs.Repeat the same once again.Yes,u have to coat it twice to get a super crispy exterior.

Now heat oil to deep fry and check the temperature by dropping a pinch of batter.If it comes up,simmer the flame completely and drop the patty.If the heat of the oil is high,patty will burn.So take care.Cook only in low flame till they turn golden brown in both the sides.Flip it whenever needed.Deep fry,remove & drain in a tissue.Repeat the same procedure and keep all the patties ready.

For arranging the burger : Take the burger bun and slit into two roundels.Toast in dosa pan by drizzling oil or butter.Take one portion of the bun and apply mayonnaise using a spoon.

Wash and chop lettuce & celery.Place some of them on the bun.Now keep the patty.Above the patty keep some lettuce leaves,tomato slice & cheese slice.Cover it with another portion of toasted bun.( i applied mayonnaise on both the portions of bun as we love it that way)

Serve immediately with ketchup !! Enjoy it to the core !!

Note

Use fresh burger buns for best taste.
As per the actual recipe,u have to refrigerate the boiled potatoes for 6 hours.But i skipped that step.
I have used corn flakes powder instead of corn meal here. U can add corn meal if u have in hand.
I coated the patty twice in the batter & bread crumbs to make a crispy exterior.But make sure oil is in right temperature else patty will get burnt.
You can make the patties instantly instead of refrigerating it for 30 minutes.In that case,take a ball of dough and pat it to bring the shape and proceed as given above.
If u r planning to make this for parties,u can make the dough very well in advance and refrigerate it by tightly wrapping in sheet & keep it covered.This dough stays good for 2 days in refrigerator if properly stored.
- Adjust the quantity of mayonnaise as per ur taste.You can also add keep some onion rings,tomato slices & cheese slices if u like.

Try this veg burger recipe for your family.I am sure u won’t step into Mc D anymore ! Tongue

Veg Burger – After a bite by me Winking

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“How to make my chapati soft ??” was my biggest worry when i was new to cooking Doh

.Not just me,making a soft chapathi would be the dream for many beginners in cooking.When i was a beginner,i used to make chapatis hard,chewy and sometimes like roasted papad too Not talking

.As we were newly married,Sendhil couldn’t scold me instead he used to make fun of my chapathi Tongue

.Once my MIL told this method & suggested me to give a try.When i tried it for the first time,i couldn’t believe the results.It came out really soft.I felt very happy and excited to see my chapathi soft like a kerchief.More than me,Sendhil was feeling much more relieved Laughing

.Thanks a ton to my MIL for teaching me this wonderful recipe.After making this chapathi successfully,i attempted phulka/roti and now i can confidently make phulka/roti & chapathi anytime.Soon i will share my phulka recipe too.Before going to this rrecipe,let me tell you,this is not zero oil roti or phulka.I hope u know the difference between roti & chapati.You would have come across many soft chapathi recipes using milk,hot water,ghee etc.This is one such kind.Here i have used oil & curd to bring the softness.So fat is used in this recipe.Please do not attempt this recipe if you are calorie conscious or if u are in diet.This recipe is purely for beginners & bachelors who craves for making soft chapathi.You can dare to try this recipe for your lunch box & to your guests as well.It stays soft for long time.I have given some general tips to make soft chapathi dough.Hope this will help.Lets see how to make soft chapati.

Soft Chapati recipe

How to make soft chapati

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Dinner

Serves: 5 nos for 1 cup

Prep time:35 Minutes

Cook time:1 Minutes

Total time:36 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 200 ml

Wheat flour/atta - 1 cup
Cooking oil OR Gingely oil - 1 tbsp
Curd - 1 tbsp ( Not too sour & thick, I use semi solid curd)
Water – 1/3 cup (+/- 1/2 tbsp)
Salt - 1/4 tsp

Oil or ghee - for brushing(optional)

METHOD

In a wide bowl or plate,measure the flour/atta & take it.Add curd,oil & salt to it.Mix it well so that curd & oil spreads well with atta.Now sprinkle water in small quantity & try to make a soft,non-sticky dough.No problem if the dough sticks lightly to your hand.Knead the dough well at least for 5 minutes.If possible beat in a hard surface.Keep it covered for minimum 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes,dough would become very soft.Now make golf sized balls out of the dough & keep in the bowl.Take one ball, roll it without any cracks,pat it slightly & dust in the flour.Keep the remaining balls closed till use.Roll the ball into a uniform,thin circle.Dust it once in the middle only if necessary.

Put the chapathi in a news paper or sheet & cover it well.Do not keep it one over the other.Roll the other chapathis & spread it.Heat a good conditioned non-stick pan & put the chapathi.Reduce the flame to medium.Keep rolling.U will see some bubbles appear on the top of chapathi.Immediately flip the chapathi.

Cook the other side in low flame by pressing it using a ladle so that corners will cook well.Remove and brush with ghee or oil if needed.Serve hot with kurma.

If u want to store the chapathi,spread a towel inside a hot pack & stack the chapathis one above the other.Close it with napkin & store it. It will stay soft for hours.If u want to pack the chapathis for lunch box,just fold the chapathi like a triangle & stack it.It will remain soft.

Note

These are some of the general rules to be followed to make a soft chapathi or phulka.

The quantity of water may vary based on the atta u use.Aashirvaad takes little more water than Pillsbury.The water quantity i have given here is an approximate measure.It may vary for multi grain atta.
Do not add all the water while kneading the dough.Sprinkle water only in small quantities.If u feel u have added excess water,u can add little flour to it but u should add few more drops of oil & knead it really well else chapathi will come out hard.
Rolling the chapathi of uniform thickness is necessary for uniform puffing else chapathi won’t puff up in some places.Also never roll the chapathi very thin like a transparent sheet.They will roast like a papad.
Do not over dust the chapathi in flour.Do it once or twice.If u dust more,chapathi may come out soft but it will look dry.
Do not leave the chapathi dough or rolled chapathi in air for long time.It will become dry & gives u hard chapati.So keep it closed till use.
Heat of the flame is very important while cooking chapathi.It should be low to medium.Never cook in high flame.It will become a papad.Flame should be high only for making phulkas and that too while showing in direct flame.
Always brush the chapathi with oil or ghee if u keep for long time.No need to brush if u consume immediately.

Try this recipe at home & enjoy soft chapathi for dinner or lunch with your favourite side dish.I served it with paneer kurma ! It was yummly !!

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Onion pakoda must be one of the favourite evening snacks for most of us.We generally make it using gram flour & rice flour.For a change,i tried it adding our homemade mixed millet flour/Millet sathu maavu powder.It came out really crispy and flavourful.Raksha & Sendhil liked it very much.I was also happy that i could give them a healthy deep fried snack using millets.And now i am typing this post munching these crispy pakoras,its yumm Winking

.Friends,Try this snack recipe for your family & enjoy with evening coffee or Tea.
Check out my other millet recipes here !

Millet flour onion pakoda recipe

Onion pakoda recipe using millet flour

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Snacks

Serves:15 nos

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:5 Minutes

Total time:15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

To make the batter

Mixed millet flour - 1/3 cup
Gram flour - 1/4 cup
Rice flour – 1 tbsp
Big onion - 2 nos ( medium )
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing/Asafetida - 2 pinches
Finely chopped green chillies - 1 no
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves – few
Mint leaves – few
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Hot oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee – 1/2 tsp ( I used frozen ghee)
Water – Very little ( say 1.5 tbsp)
Salt – as needed

Cooking oil - to deep fry

METHOD

Wash and slice big onions thinly.Wash and chop ginger,green chillies,mint,curry leaves,coriander leaves & set aside.

In a wide bowl,take all the ingredients except cooking oil and ghee.Mix all the ingredients well without adding water.Onions will leave water while u mix.So mix everything together.

Heat oil to deep fry.Take a tbsp of hot oil and add to the flour.Add ghee.Mix well.Then sprinkle few drops of water and make a dough.

Put a drop of batter & check the heat of oil.If the batter comes up immediately,oil is ready.Reduce the flame to medium high & pinch in a portion of batter and drop in the oil in a sprinkled manner. Cook till onions turn golden brown.Remove in a tissue and enjoy eating hot with tea !

Note

Gram flour is used for binding and rice flour for crispiness.
You can follow the above recipe and make pakodas with kambu maavu or thinai too.
Hot oil is added to give crispy pakoda.Don’t skip it.Ghee is for softness.

Enjoy this crispy millet onion pakoda with tea/coffee ! Tastes yum !!

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Its Avarekalu(Hyacinth beans/Flat beans/Indian liva beans in English,Surti papdi in Hindi,Chikudukaya/Anapakayalu in Telugu and avarekai/Mochakottai in Tamil) season in Bangalore.Here people buy them in Kgs and make avarekalu pulao, avarekalu saaru/sambar,uppittu/upma,avarekalu sagu etc with it.You can find avarekalu recipes in all the houses,hotels and even in marriage feast in this season.I too learnt few yummy recipes with avarekalu from my School moms friends.Yesterday we moms had a small get together at Tara’s house to celebrate this new year and we all prepared a quick & yummy lunch menu.I madeeggless chocolate cake.Megha made this avarekalu-methi pulao and Tara made Karnataka’s one of the most popular masoppu saaru recipe along with white rice,raita and gram flour bonda.It was a simple yet very filling,delicious and healthy lunch menu.I learnt this pulao from Megha and clicked the stepwise pictures too for my reference.Today i made it in my house for our lunch and for the sake of my Sunday special lunch recipe series too.So here u go,my second recipe in this series,Avarekalu Methi Pulao.Its a very yummy,flavourful one pot meal which can be made under 15 minutes.You can prepare this pulao easily for your lunch box during busy morning hours if u have avarekalu ready in hand.Very less chopping works and moreover this recipe would be apt for avarekalu sesaon.I used sona masoori raw rice instead of basmati rice as i felt this recipe tasted yummy with raw rice.Finally the choice of rice is yours ! Do try this easy n yummy avarekalu methi pulao recipe with simple onion raita as side dish for your Sunday lunch menu,enjoy and spend time with your family Happy

.
Check out my first post in this series : Dindigul Thalappakatti Biryani using Msuhroom & Soya chunks

Avarekalu-Methi Pulao Recipe

Avarekalu methi pulao recipe - Easy rice recipe to prepare in weekend & lunch box !

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Lunch

Serves:Serves 3

Prep time:10 Minutes

Cook time:15 Minutes

Total time:25 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Avarekalu/Flat beans/Mochakottai - 1/2 cup
Methi leaves/Fenugreek leaves - 1/4 cup
Good quality sona masoori raw rice - 1 cup ( soak for 15 minutes)
Cooking oil + Ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 1 no
Big onion - 1 no
Water - 2 cups ( my friend used 1.75 cups)
Salt - as needed

To grind

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Green chillies – 3-4 nos (medium)
Cinnamon - 2 inch stick
Cloves - 3 nos
Cardamom - 2 nos
Big onion - 1/2 no
Coriander leaves - 3 sprigs
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Ginger – A small finger size
Garlic cloves - 5 nos

METHOD

Wash and chop methi leaves.Keep avarekalu ready.For avarekalu, u don’t need to remove the skin.Just wash n keep aside.Wash and Soak rice in water for 15 minutes.

Grind all the ingredients given under “to grind” to a smooth paste adding water.Set aside.

In a pressure cooker base,heat oil+ghee. Add the bay leaf,saute for a while.Now add the chopped onions and saute till transparent.Add methi leaves & avarekalu.

Mix well for a minute and add the ground masala paste.Saute till its raw smell goes off.Now add the soaked rice with the required water and salt.Cook in high flame for 5 whistles or 1 whistle in low flame.Remove and serve hot with raita !

Note

For variations,u can use only methi leaves & make this pulao.
You can replace methi leaves with mint leaves along with avarekalu.But use mint leaves in very small quantity.
Adding more oil+ ghee makes this rice taste yummy.So use accordingly.
Use less coconut & onions for grinding else coconut make the rice look dry.
U should use more spices to get a nice aroma.So i used 3 cloves,2 cardamom & 1 big stick cinnamon.

Enjoy this yummy averakalu pulao recipe with simple onion raita & curd rice !

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Kalkandu( Rock sugar in English & Kal Sakkare in Kannada) sadam aka Kalkandu pongal was in my to-do list for years.I had a recipe in my cook book which was waiting for me to try.Pongal is around the corner.This is the perfect time to blog this recipe.Actually it was mentioned as kalkandu bath recipe in my book.But whatever be the name,its method was very similar to our sakkarai pongal/sweet pongal using milk & sugar.I tried it this morning for the first time and it came out finger licking good.We all loved it very much.I packed it to my school moms friends.Everybody liked it so much & gave thumbs up!! This kalkandu pongal is a very rich sweet rice recipe.We can make it for any special occasions & festivals.Rice cooked in milk gives a super rich taste & flavor.Please don’t forget to add the spices i’ve given here.That’s the highlight for this recipe.One thing i would like to say is “ Do not compromise on the quantity of ghee”.It not only makes the pongal tasty but also helps to balance the body heat developed by rock sugar.My MIL usually tells us to consume moderate quantity of kalkandu pongal because over eating may upset your stomach ( ie may cause loose motion trouble).I am not sure about this.So take care and consume less.
Ok,Lets see how to prepare this yummy kalkandu pongal/rock sugar pongal.
Wish u all a very happy Pongal 2015 !
அனைவருக்கும் எனது இனிய பொங்கல்நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள் !!

Kalkandu pongal recipe

Kalkandu pongal for thai pongal festival !

Cuisine:Indian

Category:Sweet

Serves:Serves 4

Prep time:5 Minutes

Cook time:15 Minutes

Total time:20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Yellow moong dal – 1 tbsp(optional,i dint use)
Raw milk - 2.5 cups
Water - 1/2 cup
Sugar candy/rock sugar - 1/2 cup( heaped) OR Powdered rock sugar - 3/4 cup+2 tbsp
Salt - a pinch

Spices for flavor

Ghee - 3-4 tbsp
Cardamom - 2 seeds( crushed)
Cloves - 1 no
Saffron threads - few
Nutmeg/Jathikai - a very small piece

METHOD

Wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes.In the mean time,boil raw milk + water in a pressure cooker base.When it comes to a boil,add the washed rice draining the water.Let it pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.It takes nearly 10-12 minutes.After the steam is released,remove the lid & mash the rice well.Keep aside ( Note : If u want to add moong dal,roast it in a tsp of ghee & add to pressure cooker along with rice.)

Take the rock sugar and break it using a hammer or rolling pin by wrapping it in a news paper.Now it will be broken into small pieces & easy to powder in mixie.If u grind the rock sugar without breaking,mixie blade may break.So its better to follow this procedure.Suppose if u have small candies ( ie diamond kalkandu)u can powder it directly.

After opening the cooker,add the powdered rock sugar & mix well.It will melt soon & mixes with the rice.The mixture will become watery now.Keep stirring by adding a tbsp of ghee. Keep the flame medium.

In the mean time,roast the cashews,clove & nutmeg.Powder the nutmeg & cardamom.Add it to the pongal.Add saffron threads too.Mix well.After some time,Pongal will turn thick and start to leave the sides of cooker.Now add all the remaining ghee along with roasted cashews.Remove & let it cool.No problem if the pongal is slightly thin.It will thicken completely once its cooled down.
- Please make sure the pongal has moisture content when u switch off. ( ie it should be slightly watery n mushy. Don’t make it very thick .) This is very important ..
- Once it cools down,the consistency will be correct else it will become very hard.If u feel , all the water is absorbed and if it looks dry , add little boiled milk, Mix well and switch off the flame.

Add a tsp of ghee & serve.
Enjoy !

Note

I have not used moong dal as per the recipe given in the book.If u wish to add,roast it in a tsp of ghee & add to rice in cooker.
Adjust the quantity of sugar candy as per your taste.I felt the ratio of rice & rock sugar should be 1:1.5 for perfect sweetness.U can also add 1:2 ratio if u have sweet tooth.
Do not compromise in the quantity of ghee.It not only makes the pongal tasty but also helps to balance the body heat developed by rock sugar.
My MIL usually tells us to consume moderate quantity of kalkandu pongal because over eating may upset your stomach ( ie may cause loose motion trouble).I am not sure about this.So take care and consume less.

Prepare this rich,creamy,delicious kalkandu pongal for this pongal festival and have a great celebration !

Once again, i wish u all a very happy pongal Happy

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