Pattanam Pakoda

Pattanam pakoda Yes I heard this word in my early age that my grandfather used to say. And that was his favorite snack. My grandmother makes this pakodas very well.  I got the recipe from my grandmother. I don't know why the name came pattanam pakoda, but the taste and texture is very different from normal pakodas. This is a old recipe, which is not very popular like other pakoda recipes.
 I had this recipe in my draft from long time but did not get the time to post. Here I would like to remember my dear grandmother. She is a great cook, and specialist in making recipes like Mysorepak, Badam puri, pulibongaralu( uraddal and rice flour fritters), Pindi miriyam and the list will be going on like this. She likes cooking very much, she used to watch each and every cookery show in TV. Then she used to give instruction to me how to make the recipe. That's how I got interest in cooking I think. Ok now let's check the recipe. This pattanam pakoda recipe is our challenge for this month ICC.

INGREDIENTS:---
Rice flour  --- 1 cup
Fried gram( putnalu, daliya, pottukadalai) powder --- 1/4 cup
Bengal gram flour (besan, senaga pindi, kadala mavu) -- 1 tab sp
Ghee  ----  6 tea sps
Cooking soda  --  1 tea sp
Cumin seeds --  1 tea sp
Finely chopped onions ---  1/4 cup (optional)
Finely chopped ginger  --- 1 tea sp (optional)
Finely chopped cashewnuts --- 1 tab sp
Finely chopped curry leaves  --- 1 tab sp
Finely chopped green chilies  ----  2
Salt ---   1/2 tea sp
Red chilli powder  --- 1/2 tea sp
Oil for deep frying
METHOD:---
1. Take ghee in a mixing bowl add cooking soda and rub with hand till it turn in to frothy.
2. Mix flours, cumin seeds, red chilli powder, salt mix well to combine every thing.
3. Now add finely choped onion, ginger, green chilies, curry leaves, cashew nuts.
4. Sprinkle little water and make a dough to make balls, make balls and set a side
5. In the mean while heat oil in a deep frying pan.
6. Drop the pakodas slowly and fry in a medium heat till they turn in to golden .
Remove from oil and serve hot with coconut chuthey or onion chutney.
Instead of making balls you can make them like normal pakodas
Fry this pakodas in a medium heat only other wise they remain raw in side.

Chettinad Vegetable Biryani-- Kaikari Biryani

Chettinad Vegetable Biryani (kaikari biryani) this the recipe given by Valli for this month Indian Cooking challenge (ICC). There are many biriyani recipe in Tamilnadu region with the influence of Muslim community. I was trying to make all this Tamilnadu style biryani recipes. they are all almost same recipes with little difference in  using masalas. Most of this biryanis are meade with meat like chicken or mutton. But this typical Biryani is made with vegetables which is well known as Kaikari biryani, kaikari means vegetables in Tamil. For this biryani we need few special ingredients...
Marati moggu...  This is a spice looks like clove but not clove check the picture here .
About jeera samba rice this is a short grain rice smells like jasmine rice. This variety of rice available in Tamilnadu specially. In this region people like to make biryani with this rice only. Usually I soak basmati rice for 10 minutes for biryani but this rice need to soak at least for half an hour other wise rice won't cook properly this is my experience. So soak jeera samba rice for half an hour.
Onion for this biryani better use shallots that gives a typical taste and flavor to the biryani. If you didn't find shallots then continue with normal onion   

Recipe source from here
Let's check the recipe........
INGREDIENTS:---
Jeera samba rice  ---  1 and half cup
Mixed vegetables  ---  1 cup (carrot, beans, green peas, cauliflower, potato)
Shallots  ----   3/4 cup ( chinna ullipayalu, sambar onion)
Tomatoes  ---  1 chopped
Green chillies   ---  2
Ginger garlic paste  -- 1 tab sp
Red chilli powder  ----  1 tea sp
Coriander powder  ---  1 tea sp
Tirmeric powder  ---  a pinch
Mint leaves  ---   hand full
Coriander leaves  ----  1/4 cup chopped
Cashew nuts  ---  10
Ghee  ---  1 tab sp
Salt to taste
Water  -----  2  1/4 cup
FOR TEMPERING:--
Bay leaves  ----  2
Cinnamon   --- 1/2inch pieces 2
Cardamom  ---- 2
Cloves   --- 3
Marati moggu  -- 1
Star anise (anasa puvu)  -- 1
Black stone flower (biryani rati puvu) --- little (apinch)
Mace (japatri) --  1/2 
Oil  ----  1 tab sp
METHOD:---
1. Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes.
2. Wash and cut the vegetables in to 1/2 inch cubes and cauliflower in to small florets, keep the green peas ready.
3. Peel and chop shallots, cut the green chillies in to two chop tomato and set a side, wash and chop mint and coriander leaves set a side.
4. Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashew nuts in to golden remove and set a side.
5. Add oil to the same pan add add the whole spices for tempering and saute for one minute.
6. Add chopped shallots, green chillies and fry till onion turn light golden.
7. Then add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw small goes then add vegetables and coriander and mint leaves, saute for one minute.
8. Add chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder mix well and cook till tomatoes are tender.
9. Now add salt to taste and water bring to a full boil.
10. Drain the water from rice and add rice to the vegetables mix well to combine every thing. cover with a lid and cook till done. 
If you are cooking this biryani ni a pressure cooker then cook for 3 whistles.
Remove from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes, then open.
Garnish with fried cashew nuts and serve with onion raita.

Sajja boorelu

Sajja boorelu this is one of the oldest traditional recipe from Andhra cuisine. Specially south regions of Andhra pradesh, people use bajra and sorghum in the place of rice. In my childhood we use to get this millets fresh bach in Sankranthi season. We use to have sorgham as pridge and my mother used to make rotis with sorgham flour. And  the other millet bajra, my grand mother used to make sajja boorelu. Specially for Sankranthi sajja boorelu, Ariselu, chekralu are must snacks at home, along with these snacks we kids enjoy regupandlu (Indian wild berrys) and sugar cane. Some times my grand mothe used to make regu vadalu (sundried pappad with Indian wild berries)
                                                                  Sajja boorelu is the recipe for this month ICC........ 


Lets check the recipe.......

Sajja pindi ---   500 gms

Jaggery  ----  200 gms grated

Grated coconut  ---  50 gms

Sesame seeds  ---  25 gms

Cardamom powder  ---  1 tea sp

Water for kneading the dough

Oil for deep frying.

METHOD:-

1. Add 1/2 cup water to jaggery and cook till jaggery completely melts, strain and allow it to cool till room temperature.

2. In a big mixing bowl take sajjapindi, grated coconut, sesame seeds, cardamom powder, add jaggery water to the flour mix well.

3. Now add little by little water and make a soft dough(just mix amd make a dough don't over knead the dough).

4. Take a banana leaf or a plastic cover apply a little ghee, take a big lemon size ball and press it in to a circle like a small puri (wet your fingers).

5. Heat oil in a deep frying pan, drop this sajja boorelu in to the hot oil and fry till golden

Store them in a air tight container.

Note:-- Jaggery water and water that we use for making the dough that should be warm not hot or cold water.

For Sajja pindi freshly ground flour in the mixee or in the mill will be good choice other then store brought flour.  

When we are making the boorelu with sajja pindi they turn in to dark brown color some people don't like that color so they add a little bit of saggu biyyam (sago) to the sajjalu  and grind in to a powder this will done in the mill we can not do this in the blender or mixee.

Rajasthani Badaam Halwa

Rajasthani  Badaam Halwa this is the recipe for this month Indian Cooking Challenge. The recipe is simple with less ingredients. I know there is a Badaam halwa recipe in Tamilnadu that is cut in to pieces before serving. I never made it but I tasted it many times, this badam halwa have grains of badaam This I have tasted in my aunt's (atta) place. 
                                                                                      This Rajasthani recipe is almost same like Tamilnadu recipe. When Valli announced this delicious badaam halwa recipe for ICC I wanted to check the texture. I goggled a lot but didn't find any picture of typical Rajasthani Badam Halwa . There are many versions of badaam halwa but I need a picture of typical Rajasthani recipe picture. Finally I decided to make this Halwa with out knowing the texture. That came out so well, tasted delicious, but only this is my badaam paste is little over fried. So take care when you frying the Badaam paste. when I was frying the badaam paste Some body rang the bell and i keep on talking with them and for got about the halwa on the stove. So don't go any were when you are making the halwa. In my halwa only the color is little dark the taste was heavenly delicious.
Let's check the recipe...   
INGREDIENTS:---
Almonds  ---  1/4 cup
Ghee (clarifaid butter) ---  4 tab sp
Sugar  ----  4 tab sp
Cardamom --- a big pinch
Water or milk for grinding the almonds

                                                                    

METHOD:---
1. Soak almonds for over night.
2. Wash and peel the almonds, after peeling wash the almonds again.
3. Grind the almonds in to a fine paste using water or milk (I used milk to give the Halwa a rich taste.).
4. Heat ghee in a non stick pan and add the almond paste and roast till it turn in to pink color.
Keep the heat low and keep stirring till the almond paste turn in to pink color.
5. Once almond paste turn in to pink start adding water little by little to bring halwa consistency  keep stirring..
6. Add sugar and cardamom powder (I grind sugar with cardamom seeds and added to almond mixture.).
7. Mix well and cook till  ghee leaves from the sides.
What mistakes I made is :--
My Almond paste is not finely griended There are some pieces left in the mixee jar with out checking I added the almond paste to the ghee
My almond paste is little over fried, Don't leave it on the stove keep stirring till you finish the Halwa 

Balushahi for ICC

Badushah or Balushahi  both are almost same recipes only the names are different. In North India they know this as Balushahi. Not only in Indian cuisine it is very popular in Nepali, Pakistaani and Bangladeshi cuisines but with different names. In south India it is very popular as Badushah. What every the name was it is my Fathers and my favorite sweet.
This is the challenge for this month Indian Cooking Challenge. ICC I was missing this challenges from long time. This is an easy to make Indian sweet but you have to take care of some points like. When you mixing the dough you can add butter or ghee first but that should be relay cold. Means keep the butter in the fridge before you using cut in to small pieces then rub it in the flour with your hands till the flour turn in to crumble texture. If you follow this you get a flake balushahis. Use fresh curd not the sour one add butter or ghee and baking powder as per measurements. If you add little more then what we gave in the measurement the balushahis will brake in the oil. If you add less then measurement your balushahis will become like rock so just follow the ingredients and mesurements.
I tried many times this sweet before but didn't get the perfect balushahis this time I almost reached. First time they blast all over the kitchen when I was frying them. so keep the heat in medium low oil should not be very hot. If you drop a small ball in to the oil that should come up after 2 minutes not immediately. I your oil is very hot balishahis won't cook in side and they turn golden out side very fast, so take care of heating the oil. Second time my badushas turned soft like soft dumplings that because I didn't add baking powder and soda. so take care of ingredients and mesurements so that you can get crisp out side and melt in mouth balushahi like what I got this time. They are crisp out side flaky and melt in mouth in side
Lets check the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:---
All purpose flour/ Maida  ---    1 cup
Baking soda  --  1/4 tea sp
Baking powder  ---  1/8 tea sp
Unsalted butter ----  1/4 cup (cold butter cut in to small pieces)
Yogurt (curd)  ---  1/4 cup
Oil for deep frying
Sugar  ---- 1 cup
Water   --- 1/3 cup
Cardamom powder a pinch
Chopped pistachios for garnish

METHOD:--
1. In a big mixing bowl take flour, baking soda, and baking powder mix well once and add cold butter and mix with your fingers.
2. Mix butter and flour till the flour turn in to bread crumb like texture.
3. Now add curd and make soft dough don't knead the dough cover and set a side for half an hour.
4. Now make the sugar syrup, In a pan add sugar and water bring to a full boil and reduce the heat to low and boil till syrup is almost one thread but not reached one thread consistency.
If you touch the syrup with your fingers that should stick to your fingers but should not form thread.
5. Add cardamom powder and remove from the heat and set a side.
6. Make small balls out of the dough and lightly flat them on your palm and make deep dent in the center.
6. Heat oil in a medium heat to check if the oil is hot enough or not drop a small piece in to the oil, if this small piece of dough take 2 minutes to come up then you oil is ready to fry.
7. Now slowly drop the balushahi s one by one in to the oil, fry 4 to 5 at a time don't crowd the pan.
8. Fry the balushahis till brown one side the slowly turn the other side and fry till golden both sides.
9. Remove from the oil and drain them on a kitchen towel.
10. Dip this fried balushahis in the sugar syrup remove immediately, din't leave them in the syrup for long time they become soft so remove immediately.
Garnish with chopped pistachios and serve.    

Dapka Kadi

I hate lizards and flies, at the movement I saw them I will be behind them and will send out of my house. When I finish my kadi and set my bowl to take pictures, two flies came in to my house. I was very busy for one hour in sending them out, finely I am tired but I couldn't send those two flies out. But those are hidden some were in the house, At the movement I started taking pictures one came in front of my camera lance and one on my hand. Now tell me how can I take pictures, again started running behind those flies finely I send them out after one hour, then took my pictures peacefully.
                                                                    For this month Indian Cooking challenge Valli has chosen this delicious dish called Dapka kadi grom Gujarathi cuisine. This is almost like panjabi kadi but with little sweet taste. But that sweet taste is a highlight for this kadi and totally different from South Indian morkozhalambu. For kadi pakodi we make pakodis with chick pea flour. In this recipe we use split moong dal batter to make dapkas. Thanks for the recipe Valli and vaishali
INGREDIENTS FOR KADI:--
Curd  ---  2 cups
Besan(chick pea flour)  ----  5 tab sp
Ginger green chilli paste --  1 tea sp
Curry leaves  ---  6
Sugar  ---  3 tab sp
Salt to taste
Ghee --- 2 tea sp
Cumin seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp
Mustard seeds --  1/2 te asp
Dry red chillies ---  2
INGREDIENTS FOR DAPKA:--
Moong dal (split yellow gram)  --- 1 cup
Oil   ---- 1 tab sp
Ginger and green chilli paste ---  1 tea sp
Sugar  ----  1/2 tea sp
Soda bi carb  ---  a pinch
Salt to taste
METHOD FOR DAPKAS (MOONG DAL DUMPLINGS)
1. Soak mung dal in enough warm water for 4 hours, after 4 hours drain water and blend moond dal in to a fine past in a blender or mixee.
2. Transfer the dal mixture in to bowl add ginger and green chilli paste, salt to taste, sugar, sodabi carb mix well and set a side.
METHOD FOR KADI :---
1. Take besan in a mixing bowl add curd little by little and whisk well.
2. Add 4 cups of water to curd and besan mixture, whisk well to avoid lumps.
3. Add ginger green chilli paste, sugar, salt to taste, mix well and cook in heavy bottom pan on a medium heat, stir in between and cook till it starts boiling.
4. Heat ghee in a small fry pan add mustard seeds let them popup then add cumin seeds, when the cumin seeds crackle add curry leaves and red chillies, add this tempering to kadi  mix well and cook for 5 more minutes on a low heat.
5. Just before serving again bring the kadi to boil and take a little moond dal batter with your fingertips and form in to small dumplings and drop slowly in the boiling kadi.^
6. Keep the heat in low flame and drop all the moong dal batter dumplings in to boiling kadi and wait for five minutes or till dapkas starts floating on the top of the kadi.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotla. I didn't made rotlas but we enjoyed this with roti and rice.
While adding Dapkas to kadi first drop one dapka and wait for it to float to top and then continue with the rest of the batter.
I that didn't come up then your batter is too thin, add little besan to dapka batter and try again.



 

Ulunthu Kali - Urad dal Halwa

Ulunthu Kali yes this is the recipe for ICC for this month. This is a very traditional recipe from Chettinad region. Ulunthu means Urad dal , Kali means any cereals cooked in water like a thick poridge. This kali is made specially when the girls attain puberty, grand mothers make this to feed the girls for 15 days to give good health and strength to bones. Ulundu is rich in calcium, protein and jaggery is rich iron and gingely oil gives good strength to spinal cord.
                Few days back when I was talking to Valli about ICC recipes. She told me about this but she did not get the proper recipe and she told me that she likes it very much and wanted to share with all of us in ICC. That time I did not say any thing to Valli but I remember my friend Vijayalakshmi(Vijji) she is from Karaikudi. She gave me one recipe and she told me gingely oil is must in this recipe. When I tried with gingely oil I did not like the flavor but that is the original way to make this sweet and it's good for health too. Then again i spoke to valli and she told me, When she tasted this, it taste like Halwa with lot's of ghee in it. Then I spoke to my Aunt and she gave the second recipe and she told me ading sesame oil is a traditional way of making this recipe. But you can change this traditional recipe to halwa by using ghee in the place of sesame oil. In the origenal recipe they use palm sugar to give a sweet taste. This also can change with normal jaggery or sugar. You can add grated coconut and fried cashewnuts to make this dish more delicious. Thanks to Valli for chosing this healthy and delicious recipe for ICC. Because I don't know about this wonderfull recipe before that, thank you somuch valli.
And my special thanks to my friend Vijji and Priya Aunty.
Raw rice  -- 1/2 cup wash and dry in the sade rice should be totally dry
Urad dhal  --- 1/2 cup dry roast lightly how we do for murukus
Grated jaggery  --- 2 cups
Water  -- 2 cups
Gingeli oil  --- 2 tab sp
Ghee  ---- 2 tab sp
Mix rice and dhal make powder in the mill
Take jaggery and water in a pan heat  till the jaggery dissolve compleetly.
Strain the jaggery add gingely oil again keep it on the heat  and bring to a full boil.
Pour the flour in the center of the jaggery water like a heap, reduce the heat completely, insert a laddle in to the pan  close with alid and cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
switch off the heat and mix quickly with out forming lumps.
Let it cool for few seconds add ghee mix well and make small balls.
This is the traditional way of making this Ulunthu Kali

Ulundu --- 1 cup

Raw rice --- 1/2 cup
Gingley oil -- 25 ml( or ghee 25 ml.)
Jaggery --- 1 cup
Cardamom --- 3 powderd
Grated fresh coconut --- 1/4 cup optional
Cashew nuts ---- 10 fried in the ghee optional
Water --- 3 cups

Dry roast rice and dal lightly and grind in to a thin rava consistency ( like puttu powder consistency) and set a side.

Take jaggery sprinkle little water and dissolve remove from heat strain and set aside.

Now heat 3 cups water in a heavy bottom pan bring to full boil add dal and rice powder add half oil mix well and cook till it become thick paste like halwa

Now  add carbamom powder mix well and remove fom heat and add remaining oil, grated coconut if using mix well garnish with fried cashew nuts and serve.

You can use palm sugar or normal sugar also but that change the taste.

Patishapta A Bengali Delicacy

This recipe I wanted to try from long time but some how I could not make it. When I saw this recipe in this months ICC, I just wanted to take this challenge. Thank you so much Valli for the recipe. Patishapta is one of the traditional Bengali sweet, which is not much Popular like other Bengali Sweets. This sweet crepes I made for todays break fast we like the insted as a desert . I reduced the sweet and added some dry fruits like raisins, cashew nuts. I served it with condence milk and chocolate sauce, That was perfect for me yummm....
                                                                     I made them in a small amount so I reduced the amount what Valli has given. Thanks Valli for this delicious challenge. 
     INGREDIENTS:---
Coconut    --- 1 cup(grated I used fresh coconut)
Khyoa   --- 100gms
Sugar  ---  1/4 cup
Raisins --- 1 tab sp
Cashewnuts  -- 10 cut in to small pieces
Cardamom  --  3 powderd.
Ghee  ---- 1/2 tea sp
FOR CREPES:---
Maida (All purpose flour)  ---  1 cup
Sooji  or fine semolina ----  1 tabsp (i used fine rava(chiroti rava) so i didn't grind the rava. IF you are using normal rava then grind rava to make it fine rava)
Rice flour   ----- 1 tabsp
Milk    ----  2 cups
FOR SERVING:
Condenced milk ( i used chocolate sauce also)
METHOD:---
1. Heat ghee in a pan fry raisins and cashewnuts till golden remove and set a side.
2. Grind sugar and cardamom seeds in to a fine powder.

3. Add grated coconut to the same pan mix for a while.

4. Add powdered sugar to the  coconut and give a good stir.

5. Now add khoya mix well to combine every thing

6. Add fried cashewnuts and raisins mix well.

7. Now take Allpurpose flour, rava, rice flour  and a pich of salt in a mixing bowl.

8. Add milk to the flours mix well to make a thin batter.

9. Make sure there should not be lumps in the batter.

10. this batter should be like ravadosa batter

11. Heat a pan keep the heat low and pour the batter, spread like a circle (like pan cake).
Let the pan cake cook littel golden on the down side then slowely flip the pancake other side and cook for a while.

12.  Now spread a tab sp full coconut mixture in the center of the pan cake and fold from both sides to close the filling.

13. Serve Patishapta with sweetend condenced milk.

Sarva Pindi - Ginnappa - Tapala Chekka for ICC

Sarva Pindi - ginnappa or tapala chekka these are the names for this mouth watering snack in Andhra Pradesh. The name is different but the recipe is almost same, and the main ingredient is rice flour.In my mother's place we used to call this as tapala chekka. Her version  of this recipe is with grated bottle gourd, ginger green chilli paste and soaked chana dal. she never add onions to this recipe.After marriage my MIL's recipe is with onion, spring onion , ginger garlic paste and peanuts. And my MIL used to call this as Ginnappa or karam appalu.What ever the name is the recipe is little similar to Akki roti which is a very famous snack in Karnataka.
You can make many variations to this recipe with adding grated bottle gourd, chopped greens like menthileaves, palak and totakura. Sarva pindi - Tapala chekka is the recipe which Valli has chosen for this month ICC. And here I used the great old version of Serva pindi given by Usha. Only thing I added to this recipe is grated bottle gourd. Now here is the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:---
Rice flour -- 1 cup
Sesame seeds -- 1/4 cup
Soaked chana dal - 1 tab sp (optional, remove from water and add to the flour)
 Peanuts -- 2 tab sp (roaste and remove the skin,crush then little bit)
Cumin seeds --- 1 tea sp
Green onion chopped -- 1 tab sp
Curry leaves -- 1 spring chopped
Salt  -- 1/2 tea sp or according to your taste
Oil -- for frying the appalu (rice pancakes)
Bottle gourd  --- 1/2 cup grated
For paste:--
Green chillies --- 5
Garlic -- 3 cloves
Onion --- 1 small chopped
Coriander leaves -- 1/2 cup chopped
Grind all above ingredients in to a coarse paste.
METHOD:----
1. Take rice flour in a mixing bowl  add  crushed peanuts (soaked chana dal if using), sesame seeds, cumin seeds, chopped green onion, ground paste, salt, chopped curry leaves.
2, Squeeze the water from grated bottle gourd and add this to flour mix well to combine every thing well.
3.Now add 1/2 cup warm water to the flour mixture and make a soft dough this dough should be like a soft chapati dough.
4. Divide the dough in to equal portions.
5. Spread little oil on the frying pan or a wide vesal (ginne or tapala).
6. Take one portion of the dough and press it with your hand like a flat cake and make holes in the middle of the cake with your finger.
7. Sprinkle little oil on top of the appa and drop little oil in the holes.
8. Keep the flame in mediun heat, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
9. Remove the cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 more minutes or till the cake turnes in to golden brown.
10 Then flip the cake other side and cook for 2 minutes remove from cake from pan and serve hot.
Serve with coconut chutney ot simply with tomato sauce and my choice is
Take 1 tab sp of chopped onion and 1 tab sp of chopped tomato, 1 tab sp of coriander add a pinch of salt and 1/4 teap of coriander and cumin powder(dhaniya jeera powder) mix well to combine every thing
Sprinkle this onion and tomato mixture on the top of appa sqeeze a little lemon juice and and enjoy yummmmmmmyyyyy...

Iyengar Bakery Khara Biscuits For ICC

I am back with ICC recipe. I could'nt post my recipes from last 2 months and I missed last months ICC too. This month I don't want to miss the challenge because it's my all time favorite. Thanks to Champa for this mouth watering recipe.I just love those Iyengar bakerys benne biscuit,masale toast and khara bun.I enjoyed baking this flavour full biscuits. Thanks to Valli for choosing this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:----
All purpose flour(maida) --- 2 cups (250 g.)
Butter ----- 1/3 cup (50g.)
Sugar ---- 4 tsp (20g.)
Salt ---- 1 tsp (5 g.)
Green chillies ---- 2
Coriander leaves --- 1 tab sp chopped
Yogurt or Curd ---- 2 tab sp

METHOD:----
1. Pre heat the oven at 170 c.
2. Grease the baking tray with little butter or oil and leave a side.
3.Shift flour,salt in to a mixing bowl and set aside
4. Take butter(make sure your butter should be at room temperature) and sugar in a other bowl, beat well till sugar and butter turns creamy.
5. Add curd to butter and sugar mixture continue to beat.
6. Now add flour and salt, mix slowly with your hands mixwell
7.Mix well to combine every thing. In this stage you feel that the dough is stiff then add 1 more tbsp cured and mix well
8.Add chopped green chillies and coriandr leaves to the dough and mix well to combine every thing.
9.Roll the dough in to 1/4 in thick circle and cut with cookie cutter
10.Place them on the greased baking tray and bake for 15 minutes at 170 c
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.Transfer this crisp spicy biscuits in a air tight container.
We enjoyed this yummy biscuits with Mango juice

Suruttai Poli

The recipe sounds like Kajjikayalu but shape lookes like rolled puri with a sweet filling.This is a very new recipe to me, Suruttai Poli this months Recipe for Indian cooking challenge,this recipe was shared by Nithya's mom a big thanks to her for this new and delicious recipe.when you making this polis one thing you have to keep in your mind is spread the filling and rool the puries when they are hot other wise they become crispy and you may not able to rool the puri.And don't fry the puri till golden color remove the puries white. Thank you Valli for choosing this recipe for this months challenge.

Ingredients for the filling:--- Roasted gram (putnalu,Veyinchina senaga pappu, chetney pappu, daliya dal) Roasted gram --- 1 cup Sugar -- 1 cup Cashew nuts -- 20 Grated coconut -- 1 tab sp Ghee -- 1 tea sp Cardamom --- 3 Method for filling:--- 1. Chop cashew nuts in to small pieces. 2. Grind roasted gram,sugar, cardamom in to a coarse powder. 3. Heat ghee in fry pan add cashew pieces and fry till glonden then add grated coconut give anice stir,Remove from the heat immediately. 4. Add gram and sugar mixture to fried cashew,coconut mix wel to com bine every thing,cover and leave a side. Ingredients for papad(puri):-- Maida -- 1 cup(all purpose flour) Water -- for mixing the dough aprox.1/4 cup Salt -- a pinch Oil for frying 1. Take maida,salt mix wel to combine the add water little by little and knead a stiff dough. this should be in a puri dough consistency.Cover and leave it a side for 30 minutes. 2. Pinch a small potion from this dough and make golfe ball size balls. 3. Rol this balls in to thin circles,prick with a fork to make sure the puries shouldn't puff up when we fry them in ahot oil. 4. Roll all the puries and spread them on a paper,leave them aside for 10 minutes. 5.Heat oil in a deep frying pan till the smoking stage the reduce the heat and slowly drop the puries in to the hot oil. 6. Turn the puri other side make sure that the didn't change the color they must be in white in color. They shoul be flexible when you remove from the oil not crispy. 7.Remove from the oil and spread 1 tab sp filling immediately on the puri and roll it tightly and place it fold side down in a serving plate.

Gujarati Dal From Sukham Ayu For Indian Cooking Challenge

Gujarati dal... that is the recipe for this month s Indian Cooking Challenge. This recipe was choosen by Sri valli from Jigyasa Giri& Pratibha two proud Authors of The Ayurvedic cook book-Sukham Ayu,Which is the winner of the 2nd place for best health and Nutrition book in the World 2009.This Gujarati dal recipe is from there book,In this book they give many healthy recipes and Ayurvedic tips too.Thanks to both of them for sharing this recipe with us and big thank to Sri valli for choosing this delicious recipe.

Comming to the recipe Gujarati dal is a simple and little sweet and tangy lentil curry which is a perfect combination with rice and roti .This recipe contains drumstick and yam,kokam since I am living in Libya here I don't get those ingredients so I skiped them and just fallowed the recipe and here I go....
INGREDIENTS:---
Split red gram/red lentils/Toor dal -- 3/4 cup
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 tea sp
Few drops of oil
Drumstick -- 2 cut in to 3 inch pieces(I didn't use this)
Yam --- 4-5 pieces i inch pieces(I didn't use this)
Hard dry dates --- 4
Raw Groundnuts --- 1 tab sp
Green chillies -- 4 slit
Ginger -- 1 inch piece grated
Soft dry Kokam -- 4-5 pieces or tamarind pulp 2 tab sp (I used tamarind pulp)
Jaggery --- 1 tab sp
Coriander powder -- 1 tea sp
Roasted cumin powder -- 1/2 tea sp
Garam masala -- 1/4 tea sp
Coriander leaves -- 1tab sp chopped
Salt --- 1 tea sp or according to your taste.

For Seasoning :---
Ghee -- 1 tea sp
Mustard seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Fenugreek seeds -- 1/4 tea sp
Cumin seeds --1/2 tea sp
Dry red chilies -- 2 broken
Asafoetida -- a pinch
Curry leaves --- 1Spring.
METHOD:---
1. Wash and soak dal in enough water for half an hour then add turmeric powder and oil to dal and cook till dal become soft.
If you would like to cook it in a preasure cooker then cook the dal for 2-3 whistles.
2.Remove the dal from heat and mash well.
3. By the time soak dry dates in hot water for 10 minutes
4. In a other pan take drumstick pieces,yam pieces add 1 cup of water and cook till the vegetables are tender.
5.Now add mashed dal to the vegetables fallowed by all other ingredients exept garam masala,coriander leaves and seasoning .
6.Add 1 cup water and cook in a low flame for 15 more minutes stir in between.
7.At the same time heat ghee in a small pan add mustard seeds,let them popup then add fenugreek,cumin seeds, broken red chillies,asafoetida and curry leaves.
8.Pour this seasoning into the dal and cook for another 5 minutes.
9.Remove the dal from heat and add garam masala mix well and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice or roti.

KHANDVI FOR ICC

This month's Indian Cookin Challenge is KHANDVI a delicious Gujarati snack.I never made Khandvi before and never tasted also. when Sri Valli choosed Khandvi for this month's challenge I am very happy to try this one. I tried it for few times still I am not happy with this ,It dosen't came out perfect.But hubby dear likes it very much, I have to try this for one more time let's see.Thank you so much valli for choosing this delicious snack and thanks Lata for the recipe,I have choosed Lata's recipe..

INGREDIENTS:---
Gram flour (besan) -- 1/3 cup
Sour curd -- 1/3 cup
Water -- 1 cup
Sugar -- 1 tea sp
Ginger garlic paste -- 1 tea sp
Green chilli paste -- 1/2 tea sp
Turmeric powder -- 1/4 tea sp
Asafoetida powder -- 1/4 tea sp
Salt -- 1/4 tea sp or according to your taste
Oil ---- 3 tab sp
FOR SEASONING:---
Oil -- 1 tea sp
Mustard seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Sesame seeds -- 1 tab sp
Grated coconut -- 2 tab sp
Chopped coriander leaves -- 2 tab sp

METHOD:---
1. Greas a flat plate with little oil and keep a side.
2.Take gram flour,salt,ginger garlic paste,green chilli paste,curd, water in to a bowl and mix well to make a thin batter(make sure that no lumps in the batter)
3. Now add sugar, Asafoetida, turmeric powder to the batter and mix well.
4.Heat 3 tab sp oil in a thick bottomed pan and pour the batter,stir continously in a medium heat till it turns in to a semi liquid.
5. Now transfer this cooked flour to the greased plate and spread the batter in to a thin layer and leave it to cool.

6. Once it is cool cut in to strips with a knife, roll this strips in to spirals.
7.Heat 1 tea sp oil in a pan add mustard and sesame seeds let them popup then pour over this seasoning on rolled khandvi
8. Sprinkle grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves and serve.

CHEGODILU FOR ICC(LATE ENTRY)

Indian cooking challange hosted by srivalli at SPICE YOUR LIFE is a great chance to try some traditional Indian recipes.As you all know I am very much interested in trying different recipes so when valli announced the challenge I just dropped a mail to her that Iam going to join ICC..., that time I didn't even think is it possible to take challenge or not every month. This month I couldn't post the ICC recipe on time, because of some family problems, but I don't want to miss any recipe from the challenge so I tried the recipe yestarday and recipe is chegodilu, they came out realy so crisp like store brought chegodilu. This recipe is totally different then mine, in my recipe (what i learnt from my mom) I don't boil the water to mix the dough and I mix the rice flour with fried chick pea flour(putnala podi,daliya,porikadalai) any way will post my recipe some other time now here I go with the recipe CHEGODILU from Srivalli s INDIAN COOKIN CHALLENGE


INGREDIENTS:---
Rice flour --- 1 cup
Water -- 1 cup
Split yellow moong dal -- 1&1/2 - 2 tab sp
Cumin seeds -- 1 tea sp
Sesame seeds -- 1 tea sp
Chilli powder -- 1 tea sp
Ghee or oil -- 1 tab sp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying


METHOD:---

• Soak moong dal in water for half hour to 1 hour
• In a deep bottom pan, boil water, then add salt, ghee and moong dal. Bring it to boil.
• Simmer and slowly add the rice flour.
• Using a rolling pin or the ladle, mix the flour with water by stirring it well.
• When the flour is mixed, turn off the heat immediately.
• Cover with a lid and leave a side for 10 to 15 min.
• Once the dough is cool add chilli powder,cumin and sesame seeds and mix well.
• Knead this dough till you get a smooth dough
• Adjust the spice depending on your taste.

FRYING THE CHEGODILU:---

• Heat a deep frying pan with enough oil to fry 3-4 chegodilu at a time, If you are conscious of not using too much oil then simmer once it gets hot, the temperature should not be smoking hot.
• Grease your fingers with oil and a pinch out a small lemon(golf) size ball and roll between your palms to form a thick rope.
• Bring the two ends together and press to hold the both ends like a ring.
• Make sure the ends are firmed pressed as not to give out during frying.
• Continue with the rest of the dough until you are done with the entire batch.
• You can eaither cover with aplate or a cloth to prevent the dough from getting dried.
• At the same time heat oil in adeep frying pan and check if the oil is in the correct temperature, by dropping a little bit of the dough in to the oil.
• Now gently drop the rings or chegodilu in batches like 4-5 at a time .
• The flame should be on high till the chegodilu come up to the surface, then lower The flame to medium and cook till you get a golden color on the chegodilu
• When the chegodilu are golden all over, using a slotted ladle, remove from oil in to a kitchen towel and cool.
• Store in an air tight container for longer life.

NOTES:-- Remember to turn the heat to medium to high and high to medium for getting the chegodilu golden color and also to be cooked evenly. only this way you get crispy chegodis. this should not be cooked on a low flame as they will absorb more oil and can turn soggy also at times.
VARIATION:-- Instead of cumin seeds and sesame seeds 1 tea sp Ajwain(vamu, omam) can be used along with the chilli powder.

GULAB JAMOON FOR ICC

Gulab jamoons are my all time favorite dessert I can have any time.when I saw Valli has choosen Gulab jamoon for this month s chalenge I was exited to try one more version of jamoons.valli has given three recipes of jamoon s those three recipes are almost same but with very little difference but I have choosen Alka s recipe because I tried almost the same recipe before also. For the first time when I tried that was a big disaster and second time jamoon came out very heard and this time they were just melting in the mouth.Thank you so much for the recipe Alka, and thank you so much for the Indian cooking challenge Valli. and here I am with the Delicious Gulab jamoon recipe from Alka of Sindhi Rasoi
                                                                   

MAKING KHOYA (KHOVA)(MAAWA) (unsweetened condensed milk) :---
Milk --- 1 & 1/2 litre this will give you 250 gms of condensed milk(khoya)
In a heavy bottom pan pour milk and start boilling the milk in a medium flame.
mix in between and let it boil till milk become thick.If you are boiling milk in a stainless steel pan then add 2-3 stainless steel spoons in to the milk to avoid burning.
Make sure the flame should be in medium and keep on boiling After some time the milk should become thick like in the down pic.Keep on mixing other wise in this stage there are chances that milk will burn in the bottom.
With in few min. the thick milk will become like a semi solid like crumbled paneer(crumbled cottage cheese) at this time switch off the heat and let it cool.

Now mash Khoya a little and leave a side. This Khoya (condensed milk) you can use for making Gulab jamoons, peda,milk burfi and many more milk sweets and also for some rich Nawabi and Kashmiri recipes here I used it for making Gulab jamoons for Indian cooking challenge.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING JAMOONS:---

Khoya --- 250 gms

All purpose flour -- 1&1/2 tea sp

Corn flour -- 1 tea sp

Cardamom powder --- 1 tea sp

Oil for frying

METHOD FOR MAKING JAMOONS....

Mix all above ingredients in a big mixing bowl and mix well till it turn in to a very soft texture.

Keep mixing till the dough is really very soft.

Now make very small size balls(bit larger then pebbles) as they swell up after frying and soaking in the sugar syrup.

Make sure that the surface of the balls is really smooth with out any cracks.

In case the cracks refuse to go away, slightly wet your palms with water and roll the flour till absolutely smooth.check the below picture.NOW LET US SEE HOW TO MAKE SUGAR SYRUP FOR GULAB JAMOONS..........

Sugar -- 500 gms

Water -- 1&1/2 cups

Cardamom powder -- 1 tea sp

Milk --- 1 spoon

Few threads of saffron

Rose water -- 2-3 drops

METHOD:----

Mix water and sugar and start boiling

Add a spoon of milk to remove impurities (if any impurities in the milk, will form a scum on surface)

Now add cardamom and saffron and boil till you get a sticky syrup.

gulab jamoon syrup is not very dense not to dilute as in rasgulla.

Strain the syrup, add rose water when the syrup is slightly cooled.Do not add rose water while syrup is boiling or it is very hor that gives a bitter taste to the final product.Now start frying the jamoons. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and drop 2-3 jamoons at a time and fry in a very low flame.

While frying jamoons stir the oil with a slotted spoon but not to touch gulab jamoons.Means you have to keep on swirling the oil with out tossing or turning Gulab Jamoons.

Fry till light brown in color, remove from oil and drop them in to the sugar syrup.

Let the jamoons soak in the sugar syrup for few hours. They will surely swell up.

These Gulab Jamoons can be stored in the same syrup till consumed
If there are cracks in the balls before frying it will burst open while frying, in that case adding a bit of cornflour will surely help

Enjoy this delicious Gulab Jamoons cold or hot.

JANTIKALU OR MURUKU FOR INDIAN COOKING CHALLENGE

Who don't like crispy, yummy muruku with a cup of coffee or tea? I just like to have this crispy variety snacks any time. I tried muruku with urad dal powder before also. Nothing much difference between my recipe and what valli given for ICC for this month. Ohh already this is a 4th challenge, we have finished 4 recipes very successes fully. Realy a big hug and thanks to valli because of her only we are trying different recipes and especially for this recipe It's just super hit. And coming to the recipe I didn't make any change here it is….

INGREDIENTS:---
Raw rice – 4 cups
Urad dal – 1 cup
Water – app 1/2 cup or more
For seasoning:--
Cumin seeds – 1 tea sp
Sesame seeds – 1 tea sp
Asafoetida – 1/2 tea sp
Salt to taste
Butter – 75 Gms

METHOD:---
1. Wash and drain the rice (I soaked rice for over night). Shade dries the rice for 1/2 hr.
2. In the same time dry roast the urad dal to light brown, allow it to cool.
Now first grind rice in to fine powder (check here for how to make rice powder at home)
3. Then grind urad dal into fine powder.
4. In a wide vessel, take both flours along with salt to taste mix well and add sesame seeds, cumin seeds to the flour and mix well.
5. Now add asafetida to the flour If you are using solid asafetida the make sure it dissolve in water completely. If it is not dissolved properly, when deep frying the muruku there are chances for the asafetida to burst our due to air bubbles.
6. Mix the asafetida very well then add butter.
7. Gather everything well and you will get more of a crumbling mixture.
8. Now slowly add water and knead a dough which is little softer then puri dough.
9. Heat enough oil in a deep frying pan to fry muruku s
10 Once oil is hot enough, simmer to low the flame.
11. Take muruku aachu, wash and wipe it clean.
12. Then divide the dough in to equal balls.
13. Fill the muruku maker with dough.
14. You can either press it directly over the hot oil or press over a papper or gently slide it down in to the hot oil.
15. But since the quantity mentioned here is less, you can press it directly over the oil in the deep frying pan.
16. Cook over medium flame, using a slotted spoon; turn it over to the other side to ensure both sides turn in to nice golden color.
17. You will know by seeing the color that it is cooked.
18. Remove to a kitchen paper and store it in an air tight container.