Rava Pongal

                                                       Rava Pongal

       Instead of making pongal with rice, why not try with sooji or rava.  I once saw this recipe very long back on a cookery show. I wanted to try this, but was bit vary of it, as it involves quite a lengthy procedure. But somehow, i made up my mind to try it.
      This rava pongal is a very tasty dish and needs no side-dish. But I made moong dhal gravy.

Cuisine: South Indian
Servings: 4 persons
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
Sooji or Rava: 1 cup
Moong Dhal: 1/2 cup
Salt as needed
Ghee: 2 table spoons
water as needed

For Tempering:
Curry leaves: A few
Jeera: 1/2 tea spoon
Pounded Pepper: 1/2 tea spoon
Ginger pounded: 1/2 inch
Asofotedia: 1/2 tea spoon
Oil: 2 tea spoons
Ghee: 3 tea spoons
Cashews: A few

Method:
1. Place a kadai on the stove over medium flame and dry roast the rava till it becomes lighter in weight. Keep it aside.
2. Take  3 litre pressure cooker and place it on the stove, add 1/2 table spoon ghee, add the washed moong dhal, add 1 cup water and cook for 4 to 5 whistles or  else cook it directly with out cooker, till the dhal attains a mashy consistency.
3. In a kadai add 1 1/2 cups of water and heat it over medium flame, when the water is about to boil, add the rava slowly and stir continuously so that no lumps are framed, add 1/2 table spoon ghee and close it with a lid. Let it cook for 2 minutes.
4. When the rava absorbs all the water, now add the moong dhal and stir well, till the rava and moong dhal blends well.
5. Add salt and remaining ghee and mix well.
6. In a small kadai, add oil, ghee and heat it, now add jeera,pounded pepper, pounded ginger, asofotedia, cashews and curry leaves.
7. Fry till cashews become golden brown, add this tempering to the rava pongal, mix it well.
8. Serve it hot with chutney of your choice or sambar.

Note:
1. If you are conscious of using ghee, you can replace it with oil.
2. But adding ghee gives good aroma and taste.

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

                                Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

    Eating regular sandwiches was boring, so I tried a sandwich with banana and peanut butter, it turned out to be very tasty. I liked the taste instantly. This recipe is quite easy and can be made in a jiffy. You will need only a very few ingredients.

Ingredients:
Bread: 8 slices
Peanut Butter: 4 tea spoons
Ripe banana: 1 (Finely chopped)
Butter: 1 tea spoon (Optional)

Method:
1. Take a slice of bread, spread the peanut butter and few banana pieces and close it with another slice.
2. Toast this sandwich on a hot tawa, smearing a drop of butter.
3. When it becomes golden brown on both sides, take it out of the tawa.
4. Cut it into triangles and serve hot.

Note:
During hungry hours, this recipe comes handy.

Bread Pakoda or Bajji

                                                     Bread Pakoda or Bajji

      In north India it is called as pakoda, whereas in south, we call it as Bajji. One Sunday evening, I and my son were carving to eat something crunchy, spicy and hot.
      When I searched the fridge there was no suitable vegetable for frying bajji's, suddenly, I saw bread, why not fry bajji's using bread. But my son will point blankly refuse it, citing it as "Bajji". So , I made pudina coriander chutney, made sandwich and dipped the sandwich in bajji batter and deep fried it.
      When done, I cut it into triangles, it looked beautiful with layers in it. Bajji batter layer, bread, colorful green chutney. It was crunchy with a twist of green chutney.

Cuisine: Indian                                                                             Ratio
Servings: 4 to 5 persons                                                         Besan: Rice
Cooking Time: 25 minutes                                                              2: 1
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
Bread: 10 slices
Besan flour: 2 table spoons
Rice flour: 1 table spoon
Finely powdered jeera: 1/2 tea spoon
Chili powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Cooking Soda: 1/4 tea spoon (Optional)
Food Color Orange: A pinch (Optional)
Salt as needed
Water as needed
Oil for frying

For Green Chutney:
Mint or Pudina: A handful or 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves: A handful or 1/2 cup
Onion: 1/2 no
Green chili: 1 no
Salt as needed
Chat Masala: 1/2 tea spoon (Optional)

Method:
1. Take the bread slices, if you want to cut the edges, cut it or otherwise you can use as whole.
2. Cut the bread slice into 2 triangles and keep it aside.
3. Take a wide bowl, add besan and rice flour, add in salt, jeera powder, chili powder, food color, cooking soda and mix well.
4. Add water and make into dosa batter consistency neither too thick nor thin. Keep it aside.
5. In a mixie jar,add the washed pudina and coriander leaves, half onion, salt, green chili and grind it to a fine paste and add chat masala to it.
6. Take a bread slice, smear the chutney over it evenly and place another bread slice over it and dip it the bajji batter and fry it in hot oil over medium flame.
7. Drain oil and take it out, when all the bubbles settles down.
8. Cut it into half and serve hot.

Note:
1. Adding rice flour gives bajji, a crispy touch.
2. Adding cooking soda and food color is optional.

Jigarthanda

                                                       Jigarthanda

          Recently we visited Madurai for the first time, a good place and one must visit. We went to the world famous Meenakshi Amman temple in the evening.
          During our stay in Madurai, I wanted to taste Madurai's famous dessert Jigarthnada.  My son was very hesitant to taste. He made a big fuss and refused it. On the first day of our stay, after dinner, we tasted jigarthanda in a shop near to the hotel we stayed. It was nice.
          But after browsing in the net, we came to know about "Vilakuthoon Haneefa's Jigarthanda". We went and tasted the jigarthanda, this time my son wanted to have a mini portion, he liked it instantly. Even in Chennai, he wants to taste " Murugan Idli Shop Jigarthanda". Now he has become a big fan of "Jigarthanda".
          He wanted me to try the recipe at home. After browsing and seeing in the menu of Haneefa's, I came to a conclusion how jigarthanda is made and tried at home, which becomes instant hit with both my son and husband.

Ingredients:
Badam Pisin or Agar agar: 10 gms
Flavored Milk (Butter scotch): 500 ml
Nannari Syrup: 5 ml (Optional)
Ice Cream (Butter Scotch or Vanilla): 3 scoops
Thickened Milk Cream (Rabri or Basundi): 100 ml
Sugar as needed
Water as needed

Method:
1. Soak badam pisin in water for 5 to 6 hrs, until it becomes transparent jelly like crystals.
2. Boil milk, cool it down completely, add 1/2 cup sugar and Butter Scotch essence and place in the refrigerator to chill, it should be very chill, nearing to freeze.
3. You can buy Nannari syrup available in the market and use it.
4. Boil 1/2 litre milk and reduce it to 1/4 of its volume adding sugar and bringing it to consistency of Rabri or Basundi.
5. When everything is ready, assemble jigarthanda.
6. Take a tall glass, add 2 table spoons of badam pisin to it, then add nannari syrup, add in the flavored milk, add rabri and a scoop of ice cream. Now the tasty jigarthanda is ready.

Note:
1. The flavored milk should be very chill, otherwise the jigarthanda won't taste good.

Badam Halwa

                                                         
                                                        Badam Halwa

     Badam Halwa, the most expensive sweet in the market. This sweet is quite simple to make at home, only a very few ingredients are needed to make this.
     Badam has many health benefits, it is considered as body coolant. It is consumed as such and also made into various sweets as Badam halwa, Badam katli, Badam milk , etc. Even it is used as thickening agent in some gravies and curries.  Coming to the recipe.

Cuisine: Indian Sweet
Servings: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
Badam: 100 gms
Saffron: A few strands
Sugar: 50 gms
Milk: 2 tea spoons
Cardamon: 2 no's finely powdered
Ghee: 50 ml

Method:
1. Soak the badam in hot water for 4to 5 hours or overnight.
2. When it is completely soaked, peel off the skin.
3. Grind the de-skined badam into a fine paste using a mixie jar.
4. Place a pan on the stove over medium flame and add a tea spoon of ghee.
5. Now add the badam paste and stir well so that it does not stick to the pan for 5 minutes.
6. Add sugar too it and 1 tea spoon of ghee and mix well.
7. As the sugar melts it becomes watery, do not panic. It always tends so.
8. Keep on stirring adding ghee in between.
9. Add the cardamon powder. Soak saffron in a tea spoon of milk for 10 minutes, add this saffron to the badam halwa.
10. Keep on stirring, add the remaining ghee and the halwa appear glossy and comes out of the pan with out sticking. Put off the stove.
11. Transfer it to a serving bowl.

Note:
1. Adding saffron is optional, if you want you can use food color as well.
2. Since saffron is natural, I used it.
3. This halwa stays well for a week, if refrigerated.

Kesar Kulfi

                                                             Kesar Kulfi

 
      The name reminds me of my childhood memories, during summer holidays, after dinner, we all used to assemble in the open terrace and sit and chat. Elders used to chat, we children used to play, at that hour if we happen to hear bell ringing, me and my cousin used to pester our parents to buy us "kufli". Usually the "kulfiwala" come after 9 p.m. ringing bells, announcing their arrival.

     Kulfi with nuts coming in between make is very interesting to eat.Initially after my marriage, I used to make kufi using instant kulfi mixes available in the market. They come with free moulds. However in recent times, kulfi moulds are available in the market.

      I used to make badam milk and freeze it but it was crystalline in texture, sometime I added fresh cream to make it creamy, but the result was not as expected.While browsing, I saw somewhere corn flour is used as thickening agent not only for Chinese sauces, but also for desserts.

     So I added fresh cream to the milk and few nuts, cardamons and finally a paste of cornflour and boiled it. Cooled it completely and then freeze, the kulfi's came out really well, creamy and tasty. So decided to post the recipe.

Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 6 persons

Ingredients:
Toned Milk (ie 3% fat): 1/2 litre
Badam and Cashew nuts: Finely chopped 3 tea spoons
Sugar: 2 table spoons
Saffron: Few strands
Cornflour: 1 table spoon
Fresh Cream: 1 table spoon (Optional)
Cardamon: 2 nos finely powdered

Method:
1. Boil milk in a sauce pan, when it is boiling add sugar and stir well for 2 minutes till the sugar melts.
2. Now add the chopped nuts and stir well.
3. Add the saffron and fresh cream and simmer the flame.
4. Take cornflour in a very small bowl and make it into a smooth paste using little water.
5. Now add the cornflour paste to the milk and stir continuously so that no lumps are formed.
6. Now add the cardamon powder mix well and put off the flame and allow it to cool completely.
7. When it is cool, pour it into the kulfi mould and freeze it for 4 to 5 hrs or overnight.
8. When it frozen completely take the mould and place it under running water for 2 minutes.
9. Open the mould and take the kulfi out using knife (ie, Scooping it off).
10. Serve the kulfi immediately and enjoy.

Note:
1. If you are using full cream milk instead of toned milk, you can avoid fresh cream.
2. As full cream milk is more creamier, do not add fresh cream.

Valzhai Poo Parupu Usili (Banana Flower)

                                        Valzhaipoo Parupu Usili (Banana Flower)

       Many are dreaded by the word "valzhaipoo pooriyal" as its making involves a lot of work, cleaning and also its method of cooking is a long process.
       I am also vary of it, but since my son relished the dish, I take the pains of cooking it with much joy. Cleaning and retaining its color is a big task.

Cleaning the flower:
      First smear oil on your palms otherwise it may leave dark stains. Open the leaf, collect flowers discard leaf (Purple One), while peeling the leaves will get softer and paler in color and the flowers will get smaller. Keep peeling until you reach the white yellow flower heart.
     Pick a flower open, observe the inside, you will notice a matchstick like stem inside the flower and a feathery plastic like petal. You will have to remove the both, otherwise your banana flower will be hard and bitter.
     Likewise clean all the flowers and cut it into small pieces (Chop) and immerse it in whisked curd (1/2 litre) watery in state and rest it for 1/2 an hour, otherwise the banana flower may turn black (dark).  Coming to the recipe

Cuisine: South Indian
Serving: 3 to 4 persons
Preparation Times:
For Cleaning: 30 minutes
Cutting and Resting Time: 1/2 an hour
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
Banana flower or Valzhai poo: 1 number
Onions finely chopped: 1 number (Optional)
Whisked Curd: 1/2 litre
For Usili:
Bengal or Channa Dhal: 100 gms
Red Chilies: 2 nos
Salt to taste
Oil as needed
For tempering:
Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon
Bengal gram and urad dhal: 1 tea spoon
Oil as needed

Method:
1. Clean the banana flower as mentioned above and cut it into tiny pieces and immerse it in whisked watery curd liquid. Keep it for 1/2 hour
2. Soak bengal gram for 1 hour and grind into coarse paste adding red chili and very little water and salt as per taste and asofotedia.
3. Take the  bengal gram paste and place it on a idli plate and steam it for 10 to 15 minutes or till it is cooked.
4. Take the cooked bengal gram, it will be like besan idli, cool it and then pulse it in a mixie jar for less than a minute. It will become coarse powder. Keep it aside.
5. Chop the onions finely and keep. When everything is ready, switch in the stove.
6. Place a pan in one burner and place a sauce pan filled with water on another burner.
7. When the water starts boiling, add the chopped banana flower after washing it thoroughly leaving no reminence of curd.
8. Put off the flame, drain the water and keep it aside to cool.
9. In the other pan, add 3 tea spoon of oil, when oil is hot add mustard seeds, when it flutters, add onions and stir well till becomes translucent.
10. Now add the valzhai poo and stir well for 2 minutes, add little salt for onions and valzhai poo.
11. After stirring for 5 minutes, add the coarse bengal gram, idli powder, which we have done already to this valzhai poo and mix well.
12. Drizzle some 2 tea spoon of oil, simmer the stove, close the pan with a lid and allow it to cook for ten minutes.
13. The besan idli powder, which we have added becomes well cooked and a nice aroma comes from it. Put off the stove.
14. Transfer it to a serving bowl. serve it with hot sambar rice or goes well with vathakulambu.