Friday 23 April 2010

Kothavarangai/ cluster beans





Ingredients:


Kothavarangai/cluster beans 500 gms
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Urad dal 1tsp (optional)
Onion 1
Green chilli 2
Dry chilli  2
Coconut (optional) ( i didnt use in this)
Curry leaves
Chilli powder1tsp
Corriander powder 2tsp or (instead of chillipowder and corriander powder you can use sambar powder)
i used chilli powder and corriander powder.
Salt
Turmeric powder







Directions:

Wash the beans and cut into small pieces. Boil the beans for 10 mins till it's half cooked. Drain the water and keep the beans aside.
Add oil in a pan, after oil gets hot, add mustard after it splutters add urad dal, red chilli,curry  leaves , chopped onion, fry onion till it is gloden brown, add turmeric ,green chilli, saute for a while and add chilli powder, corriander powder.
Add boiled beans, salt and if needed add little bit of water so that it wont burn. Close the lid cook for a while and finally add coconut stir for a minute. Turn off the heat and serve for white rice, dal rice, curd rice.  It taste yummy.  I hope you enjoy this recipe.


Tuesday 20 April 2010

Bobattu / Puran poli



 





Ingredients:


A cup of channa  dal (Bengal gram lentil)  
One and half cup maida
one cup jaggery
4-5 tbsps of oil
1 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of salt
3-4 tbsp ghee or butter




Directions:


Soak channa dal in water for 2 to 3 hrs and drain them and add a cup of water in a pressure cooker  and cook until it become soft and mashy.  Cool that and mash them once again with spoon or masher or you can even grind into paste.
Add oil in a thick pan and after oil gets heated, add the dal paste and  jaggery, stir it for a while until it forms lump so that you can prepare small balls for stuffing.  Stir in a low medium heat and it should not burn.  
Add cardamom powder to that lump and mix well.  Switch off the heat and let it cool but it should be warm enough to make the smalls and start making the balls with this mixture and keep them aside.
Prepare the dough with the help of maida, pinch of salt, 3 tbsps oil and water to make a very soft and sticky dough.
Grease oil in your hands to mix the dough and take a portion of dough and flatten it (what ever size you want) in silver foil or banana leaves.  Place the balls which you already prepared in the centre and cover the edges of the dough from all sides such that sweet lentil balls cover completely.
 Now gently flatten the balls with your fingers to form 5" or 6" circular  poli (shape as you like) Grease oil in your hands if it gets sticky.  Fry the bobattu/poli on a low heat in tawa or a thick pan.  Toast poli's both the sides until brown spots appear.
Add ghee on both the sides while frying and serve them hot.

Monday 12 April 2010

Rava Ladoo



Rava Ladoo is one of my favourite sweets and i simply adore these ladoos.  My mom used to make ladoos  and i remembered one instant recently when i was about to deliver my son Pranith,  i asked my mom "Mummy i feel like eating rava ladoo and murukku, she prepared for me immediately" i can not forget those things.  I love my mom so much. God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.


Ingredients

1 cup of sooji/semolina course
1/2 a cup of sugar or 3/4 (add according to ur taste)
Cardamom powder 1 tsp
3tbsp ghee
10 Raisins
15 cashewnuts
Warm milk to make the ladoos.


Directions

Heat a pan, add ghee and toast the cashews, raisins and keep them aside. 
Add sooji in the same pan roast for few minutes until the raw smell goes off and keep aside.  Now add sugar, cardamom powder, toasted cashews and raisins, few tsp of ghee (optional), Sooji and mix well.  Sprinkle warm milk on top it and using your hands form small balls i mean ladoos.  Be careful while forming the ladoos as it will break and hence it should be done gently and place it on the plate by decorating cashews on top of it.  Note:  you can also add coconut by roasting them in ghee. This is optional but if you add coconut, then you can't store ladoos for longer period. 
And now the ladoos are ready  and have fun by making these.