Maa Laddu

Thank you is just not sufficient for all the wishes that you guys have showered on us... Yeah the lil is doing good, just gives very lil time to blog and visit your spaces but I am doing my best to visit everywhere. But its gonna take a while before I return normally to all your places!!!

Maa Laddu, always reminds me of my grandmother (My Dad's Aunt, who is no more now) always keeps these laddu's ready and when ever we visited her she used to give us these. A very simple one yet it has high nutritional values, my Grandpa used to say that if little Buna Channa is consumed every day it would help aid in easy digestion and has lotsa protein and fiber. Due to the fiber content the carbohydrate in the gram is absorbed slowly and thus raising the blood sugar slowly, than the same amount of carbs was consumed from any other food source.



Ingredients:

Roasted Gram - 1 1/2 cups (Pottu Kadalai in Tamil, Buna Channa in Hindi)
Fresh Coconut - 3/4 cup grated
Sugar - 3/4 cup or accordingly
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup or Butter/Ghee - 2 to 3 tbsps
Nuts (like Cashewnuts, Almonds etc dry roast and ground coarsely -- optional)

Yields: approximately 15 Laddu's.



Method:

1. Powder Roasted Gram and sift thoroughly. Mix powdered Sugar (the sugar that I used was fine so I dint powder it) and Cardamom Powder.
2. Grate the Coconut without the brown shells and roast it in a pan on medium flame until it turns brown. Let it cool down and run in the mixer without adding any Water or liquids.
3. Bring all the ingredients together and mix well, now add little Milk at a time and blend with your fingers and palms until the mixture takes form.
4. Roll small lemon sized balls and store in airtight containers.

Am sending these Maa Laddu's to Festive Food - Raksha Bandhan 2010

Almond Kheer / Badam Kheer (Paal)

Have you ever been complained about for not eating properly??? Oh thats very common isnt it!!! Calm evening sitting by yourself and watching "King of Queens" and laughing at Doug's clumsy actions and aftermath, suddenly Krish came from work desk complaining that I dont drink sufficient Milk and ladies need a lotta calcium and blah blah!!! He continued - Almonds are good source Vitamin E and rich in dietary fibre... When I heard Almonds my mind wandered off to childhood days while he was still talking about the goods of Almonds, at Ammamma's place Almond/Badam will be picked and laid to dry, when dry the outer shell is cracked open to get the edible nut. We as kids would be so intrigued about the fruit and would ask Ammamma:

We: "When can we eat them?"
Amma: "Kanna, it has to dry, so wait till tomorrow!" cos she know kids could wait only until tomorrow.
We: "Okay Ammamma!!!"

We would run away and play but within the same afternoon we would go back to her a hundred times asking her if the Badam's are dry. After a while there is no putting us back, so she sits with us in the evening to break the shells, the wet shell would neither yield nor would we. Finally breaking open we would eat half of them even before they reach the plate. Laughingly Amma would break and give each of us our fair share. But there will be hardly anything left to take into her kitchen.

Suddenly my hands were thrusted with Almonds only then I realized Krish was still hanging on to his arguement. I gave him a blank look and took them and munched on a few, slowly with so much memories from childhood I went to the kitchen to make Almond Kheer/Badam Kheer/Badam Milk/ Badam Paal or what ever its called as.



Ingredients:

Unsalted Almonds - 1/2 cup
Milk - 3 cups
Saffron - few strands
Sugar - 5 tbsps
Cardamom - 1-2 nos.
Nutmeg - some
Water

Garnishing:

Almond Slivers

Method:

1. Heat Water in a microwave or a kettle and soak the Almonds for 15-20 mins. Use your thumb and press the Almonds to remove off the peels.
2. In a blender or mixer make a fine or coarse (your choice) paste of Almonds with some Milk.
3. Heat the remaining Milk in a heavy bottom pan, when Milk boils pour the ground paste and stir well.
4. Now add the Sugar and Saffrons and cook until the kheer turns thick, when its not as liquidy as Milk but still pourable remove from flame.
5. Remove the Cardamom pods and powder the seeds, add it to the kheer. Using a grater grate the Nutmeg and mix well while Hot.
6. Pour in individual cups or bowl garnish with Almond Slivers and serve kheer cool or warm.

Take another look at the Badam Kheer - served with love.



I am sending Almond Kheer to

Divya's Sunday Snacks and

Notyet100's Holi Event

Kobbari Ladoo/Coconut Laddoo

Festivity means we would love to be at our Ammamma's, she makes delicious and yummy treats for us... Kobbari laddoo's are one of her best we love to have then warm and fresh from the stove... The traditional way of making these laddoos require a lot of time but now that every traditional dish has a short cut ;D The original recipe that my Grandma made used Goats Milk, freshly grated dried Coconut and Jaggery.

Now that today is 27th Feb, it has lotsa significance, My Dad's Bday and 3rd Blog Anniversary, it so happened that I wrote my first post 3 years back on this same day, but with little intentions of making this a food blog, later I moved all the non food related posts to my other blog ultimatley making this a full and full foodie blog. Unlike other bloggers, I havent made many posts just crossed my 100th post few weeks back. I always feel I have to do so much and while I am held up in other things I am not doing justice here.

Primarily, it wouldnt have been possible to come 3 years in this culinary journey without the support and encouragement of you gals, I used to disappear often while your words and concerns made me come back, wish to continue blogging giving you all more recipes from home ;D. Meanwhile enjoy these Kobbari Laddos and small treat for all of you.



I would like to pass it on to all my fellow blogger, please do accept this "Thank you" from MemoryArchieved.



Ingredients:

Half and Half - 2 cups (Whole Milk)
Milk Powder - 3 cups
Sugar - 1/4 cups
Desiccated Coconut - 2 1/4 cups + some for dusting
Cardamom - 2 pods
Nutmeg - a dash (scrapped)
Rasins - 2 tbsps
Cashewnuts - 1 tbsps
Ghee - 2 tsps + 1 tsp for rolling

Garnishing:

Saffron Strands - a few
Pistachio - a few



Method:

1. Heat a heavy bottom pan add the Half & Half (whole milk)when it starts boiling add Milk Powder and Sugar mix well to avoid lumps.
2. Keep stirring the mixture all the while keeping the flame on low to medium until the mixture reduces to half.
3. Meanwhile remove the Cardamom pods and make a fine powder. Heat 2 tsps of Ghee and fry the Raisins and Cashewnut and set aside.
4. Now add the Cardamom Powder and the Nutmeg Powder and mix well, throw in the Coconut and mix well until it forms a ball. Do not cook on high flames or over cook, else the Coconut will give up Oil.
5. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 mins or until the dough is handleable. Pinch small lemon sized balls and push a Raisin or Cashewnut to the center and roll them into balls. If they stick to your hands apply Ghee before rolling them.
6. Spread some Coconut in a plate and roll over the balls so the Coconut spreads evenly over the balls. Garnish with Saffrons and Pistachios. Once cool store them for upto 10 days.

You can also check my Coconut Diyas



I am sending the Kobbari Laddoo's to

Divya's Sunday Snacks and
Notyet100's Holi Event

Peanut Chikki

No reason to make sweets and when it comes to Chikkis (Peanut Burfi/Kadalai Burfi) well all one needs is some time and patience. Today dawned so well on me, I had all the patience and heart to make some nice Chikkis and eat them up even before I could get some decent pics... Well thats how much I could control myself, the first time I made chikkis I dint care to mix the Sugar well while caramalizing and they turned dark and a lil burnt after that I learnt the trick of stirring the Sugar continuously and also did know to balance Sugar and Peanuts ratio. Ever since then, its make chikkis and finish 'em off immediately ;)... There are two ways of making Chikkis one with Sugar - the easy way and the other with Jaggery the time consuming way. Shall post Chikkis with Jaggery soon, until then have fun relishing this.

Ingredients:

Peanuts - 1 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1 1/4 cups
Cardamom Pods- a few - finely powdered
Nutmeg - a dash
Salt - a pinch
Desicatted Coconut - 2 tbsps (You can also mix colors -- optional)

Method:

1. Dry roast the Peanuts, let it cool down, dehusk them and make a coarse powder. I always ensure that some Peanuts stay whole, if you wanna make them all powder well go ahead they come out well too.
2. In heavy bottomed pan heat the Sugar on low to medium flame keep stirring all the time until the Sugar is melted completely and caramalized. If stirred continuously the Sugar will not burn and give a bitter taste and the color is also not very dark.
3. Throw in Salt, Cardamom and Nutmeg mix well, keeping the flame on low, add the ground Peanuts combine well and immediately remove from flame.
4. Pour the mixture on to a greased plate/tray or parchment paper. Sprinkle the Coconut, roll it flat using a rolling pin. Thickness of the Chikkis purely depend on your rolling.
5. With a pizza cutter or knief cut the flattened Peanut bar into desired shape while warm. You can also draw lines while warm and then break them up when cool.

Am sending my Peanut Chikki to
Asankhana's Holi Event and Divya's Healthy Snack Event

Besan ka Peda

After a laborious and demanding weeklong I started this week a lil chilled out, probably because of a couple hours of stress relieving dancing and a great weekend biking till my legs became soar, I felt there was something deficient oh yeah I did figure out what did you guys??? No sweets for such a long time but I did make brownie he he, I can see the stern look on your faces, it was all over though… I promise to post a brownie recipe shortly. Oh you doubt me, hey I promised Srivalli that I would send her some sweets for her Mithai Mela and I did keep up, so will I keep up my brownie promise too…

About Besan ka Peda/Laddoo is usually made back home when some unexpected guests turned up, this is a very simple and quick to make sweet, just under 15 mins your cooking will all be over cool it and make laddoo’s another few more min’s, guaranteed under 15 mins…



Ingredients:

Gram Flour (Besan flour) - 1 cup
Organic Sugar - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Cardamom a few pods
Saffron Strands a few
Craisins 10-12 (or any dry fruit or nut of your choice)
Baking cups 10-12



Method:

I am gonna tell you guys the usual stuff by the time you start reading you will know all about how to make it. Initially sift the Gram Flour and set aside Powder the Cardamom. Mix the Saffron Strands in Milk and let it stand for 5-10 mins. Heat one tbsp of Butter and add the Flour and roast it until brown, now throw in the Sugar and Cardamom Powder in about a minutes time add the Milk and keep stiring all the while until the dough leaves the walls of the pan. Cool it for 10 mins and roll them into small peda and put them in the baking cups and press in the Craisins. For the measurement that I have given, you will make 10-12 peda's indeed depending upon what size you make!!!

Okay the usual stuff again I am sending in these Pedas to

Mahimaa's -- 15 Minutes Cooking and



Srivalli's -- Mithai Mela

Aam Kulfi

Aam/Mango Kulfi is a delightful dessert. I love the creamy and the smooth texture of Kulfi. Ever since I saw Kulfi recipes over the blogsphere I was tempted to make it...



Ingredients:

Mango - 1 no. ripe
Milk - 2 cups
Non Fat Milk Powder - 3/4 cup
Condensed Milk - 2-3 tbsps
Sugar - 2tbsps (Optional)
Almonds - 3 tbsps coarsely chopped
Gelatin - 1 tsp
Warm Water - 3 tbsps
Saffron - a few strands

Finishing:

Saffrons - a few strands
Pop Sickle molds

Method:

1. Dissolve Gelatin in Warm Water and set aside. Puree the pulp of Mango and set aside.
2. Heat Milk, Milk Powder and Condensed Milk in a heavy bottomed pan, keep stirring all the while and add the Saffron Strands.
3. When the Milk mixture thickens (in about 5-6 mins) add the dissolved Gelatin.
4. Add in the Almond Chunks and let cool. When cool add Mango Pulp.
5. Drop few Saffron strands into the molds and pour the mixture and cool for a couple hours.

Most of us know about Teresa Cordero, she is cooking from Gloria Chadwick's newest cook book called Food and flavors of San Antonio -- this week special and having a give away at her place for more details click here.

I am sending Aam Kulfi to

Anu's -- RD for Summer



Aquadaze -- Frozen Dessert My Aam Khand recipe also goes to this event.



Mahimaa's -- 15 Minutes Cooking



Manina's -- Eating with the Seasons

Priti -- FF:Summer Treat My Aam Khand recipe also goes to this event.



Srivalli's -- Mithai Mela My Aam Khand recipe also goes to this event.



For more Kulfi recipes visit Prathibha and Priya

Doodh Peda

Oh yeah, all your screams are audible to me… I had decided not to make any more sweets atleast for another few days but its so ruled that I make some yum yum yummy treats. Ok we all know the drill to make Doodh Peda’s… As a child I was so much into interior designing (I acquired this from my Papa) and cooking shows (definitely from Mamma), hope you all know about Good Food Guide show, Rupa Gulati and ofcourse Tarla Dalal… Those were the days when I used to sit with Mom and watch those shows and that lil voice behind saying “Mommy see what she is doing”, “See how she is doing” and then I expected her to make nice delectable dishes… She did manage to satisfy everyone, a house full of people with different taste and different time they choose to eat…

I still remember, the oven that Mom used to have that Ol’ one with all the lil accessories for making cake and we (myself and my Brother) used to help her make Cakes, cookies and Veg. puffs(she makes just like the store bought ones) and wait to get the last lick of the mixing bowl :) Days haven’t changed yet; even today we take pleasure in licking the bowl, a lil fight as to who gets the bowl and the spatula… She has taught even my aunts daughters how to cook and the irony lies her she let go of me… I call her to find out recipes most of the days :) and also remember to peek into my lil note in which I took note of the recipes that I watched when I was young and today I came across this nice Sweet lil pedas.

Now, you will ask me this why I had to make sweets in spite of the oath. We are visiting a friend/relative of ours, and I take immense pleasure in adding a personal touch to whatever I take but I had very little time to really think and make something so I iterated thru my lil book and found this…

For more pictures from my kitchen visit My Other Blog



Ingredients:

Milk Powder – 2 cups
Condensed Milk – 1 can (14 OZ)
Butter – ½ cup
Saffron – few strands
Water – 2 tsps
Finishing:
Raisins – few
Pistachio – few
Baking Cups
Food Color – few drops (optional)



Method:

1.Take a large wide mouthed microwave safe bowl and heat Butter just until it melts, it took 40-45 sec, cos I left the Butter out in the morning when I started in the afternoon it was came down to room temp.
2.Now add both the Condensed Milk and Milk Powder and heat for 2 – 3 mins stir in between a couple of times.
3.Heat Water and add Saffron. Mix with the dough and Microwave for a 2 more mins
4.Cool for 5 mins they will become like chappathi dough now roll them into your desired shapes.
5.Press in Raisins or Pistachios or any desired nuts or sprinkles.

Note: You can divide the dough and mix with Food Color and make desired shapes.

It took less than 15mins for me to make this, simple and tasty...

Doodh Peda goes to:

Mahimaa's -- 15 Minutes Cooking and



Srivalli's -- Mithai Mela

Aam Khand

Aam Khand is basically the same as Shrikhand, as we all know the only difference is Mango Pulp... I first tasted this when I was in school, a Gujarathi friend of mine (Dipti Pujara), used to bring Aam Khand as Chappathi's side for her lunch... I instantly became a fan of Aam Khand, later at college another Gujarathi friend of mine (Mona Ganatra) had brought Shrikhand after their New Year celebrations... I asked her for the recipe and ever since then I started making them for chappathi's but no one other than my lil brother likes Aam Khand...

For more Aam Khand pictures from my kitchen please visit My Other Blog



Ingredients:

Yogurt - 1 1/2 cups
Ripe Mangoes - 1
Cardamom - 2 pods
Saffron - a few strands
Water - 2 tbsps
Sugar - 2-3 tbsps (optional)

Garnishing:

Nuts - few
Saffron - a few strands



Method:

1. Wash, dry and peel Mangoes, deseed and make a puree without adding any water or milk.
2. In a dry cloth (Muslin/cheese cloth, I used Organic cotton towel) pour the Yogurt, tie and hang it allowing the water to drip. Time, depends on what Yogurt is used, I used Yogurt, (homemade) made from 1% Milk it took nearly 5 hrs for all the water to drain. Greek Yogurt is creamy and hence many prefer it for the taste.
3. Powder the Cardamom discarding the peels. Heat 2 tbsps of Water add the Saffrons, let it sit for a few mins.
4. Mix all the ingredients, if you are a sweet lover add Sugar and check for sweetness.
5. Top with Nuts and Saffrons, serve chill.

Note: I did strain the Yogurt since it was homemade.

Aam Khand goes to Eating with the Seasons hosted by Maninas

And to Refreshing Drinks - RD for Summer hosted by Chandrabhaga

The picture goes to Jugalbandi.

Undurallu

Late afternoon yesterday, we were having a casual talk and one led to the other and I realized that we were talking about our childhood, food and what not??? Kris told me that he likes Undurallu... I was confused whether I heard it right or not so I asked him again "yeah Undurallu!!!" he said, I sincerely felt ashamed and confessed that I havent heard of such a name, he was shocked... He did tell me how to make the dish but I felt so bad that I havent heard such a word, cos I was the better of the two in Telugu and everyone says I speak good Telugu and I use more Telugu words while conversing, which many of us in Tamilnadu dont do (We use more of Tamil words as its comfortable and mingle with people speaking in Tamil more)...



I was desperately waiting for night fall so I could call Mom, to find out about Undurallu... I did recollect Ammamma mention the dish but no idea about the name... Finally it was 8:30P.M. (6:00A.M. IST) tring tringgggg

"Hello!!!" my Dad answered.
"Dad, do you know what Undurallu is???" I asked not even a hello, no how are you, nothing at all...
"What???" he asked confused.
"Undurallu" I said.
"I understand you are talking about some stone" he said laughing (rallu means stone in Telugu)
"I wanna speak to Mommy" I said... My Mom was watering the plants in morning...
"Hello!!!" she said... I asked her the same question
"I dont know!!!" she said laughing and confused I did brief her about the dish she said Ammamma used to make it but she said she hasnt heard of the name... Next it was my Nannamma's turn... My Mom was hesitant to wake her in the morning but I did insist on talking to her finally, even she dint know the name... There was a triumph of victory on my face and a green light flashing in my head and a voice echoed "I Pass" ;)

I waited another hour to make another call, this time it was my Mother-in-law, she told me how to make the dish, I immediately made up my mind to make Undurallu the next... Later I realized that I liked the name and I did include it in my dictionary ha ha ha... Now to the recipe... Again its called as paal kozhukattai in Tamil...

Ingredients

For the balls:

Boiled Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Water as required
Cooking Oil - 1 tbsp

For the Syrup:

Cane Sugar - 3/4 cup
Dessicated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Water - 3 cups
Salt - a pinch
Cardamom - a few pods
Dry Ginger - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Wash and soak the Rice in Water for 7-8 hrs and grind it to a smooth paste, by adding little Water at time. Heat a non stick pan and add Oil pour the dough and mix with a spatula (medium flame). We do this to make the dough pliable when the dough forms a ball moving away from the walls of the pan is the right time to remove from heat. Roll them into small balls, again do not press them too hard they will become hard.



Meanwhile prepare the syrup by heating Water in a large heavy bottom vessel, when it comes to a rolling boil add the Cane Sugar and let it dissolve. Now powder Cardamom along with its peels and drop it in the syrup, also add a dash of Dried Ginger and Salt let it come to a rolling boil. Now filter the syrup, this removes the Cardamom Peels and Ginger skin along with any dirt in Cane Sugar. Bring the syrup again to a boil adding Salt and Coconut, when it comes to a rolling boil drop the balls slowly and cook until the balls are soft. Do not cover the vessel while cooking... Serve warm...



My Mother-in-law learnt about this recipe from her Mother-in-law, who was from Ramachandrapuram, a small village close to Madurai. R'puram is a very serene and a lovely place with lots of fields and trees all around. There are only a handful of families living there and they are a very closely knit community. The village has a small temple and a school to educate the kids... No tar roads, rather filled with gravel and some are just the rut of the wheels...

Day starts very early for people there and ends early too, people are very helping and innocent... Many families have their sibblings and kids in UK, US and other parts of the world and ofcourse many have moved away from the place for education and work, but still they get along once in a year during the ceremonies held at the temple.

This goes to Shama's Grammathu Kaimanam / Village Special Recipes Event --- April 2009

Almond Fudge

Who doesn't likes Fudge??? I am just crazy about chocolates, brownies and icecream oh yeah a combo of these for dessert mmm that sounds really interesting and I can't wait until dessert time... I got a call on Sunday that friends are coming home for lunch, I was almost done with lunch but I couldn't think of anything I could make in just 15 mins for dessert, I quickly went thru the pantry for something nice to make; my eye caught the can of condensed milk in the pantry and I grabbed it to make Fudge, but slighly different I turned them into bars ha ha...



Ingredients:

Condensed Milk - 2/3 of a can
Dark Chocolate - 1 cup
Butter - 2-3 tbsps
Sugar - 2 tbsps
Milk - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Vanilla Essence - 1 tbsp
Almonds - 1/4 cup chopped

Method:

1. Heat a heavy bottom pan and melt Butter, now pour the Condensed Milk and keep stirring.
2. Sprinkle the Salt and add one tablespoons of Sugar at a time and check for sweetness.
3. Drop the Chocolate and Vanilla Essence and stir well all the time. Mean while line a baking pan with Aluminium foil and set aside.
4. Mix the chopped nuts, if chocolate turns thicker add a little Milk ensure it is pourable (neither too thick nor too thin)and pour over the pan and allow it to cool and let it set for 15-20 mins in a refridgerator.
5. Always cook on medium or low medium heat. Serve cool or at room temperature.

Almond Fudge goes to Poornimas "For the Love of Chocolate!!" event.

Rasmalai

Happy Diwali to You. Diwali is a festival of lights and fireworks. For those who are away from home or staying alone, there is always next time to spend with our families each time is unique though. So this time I wanted to make one of my Mom's speciality yup Rasmalai... Everytime I see a post of Rasmalai I used to call my Mom to tell her that I miss her Malai's, this time she suggested that I make it. So did I try it and ofcourse it came out well.



Ingredients:

For the Malai

Milk - 1/2 gallon
Vinegar - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Water

For the Ras

Milk - 1/2 gallon or Heavy Cream
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Cardamom Pwd - 1 tsp
Saffrons - few strands
Pista - 1/4 cup chopped
Almonds - 1/4 cup chopped

Method:

1. Heat Milk in a saucepan and keep stirring continuously not allowing a thin film to form at the bottom of the pan.
2. When Milk comes to a boil add the Vinegar remove from flames and set aside for the Milk to curdle and form soft Cheese.
3. Now strain the Cheese using a Muslin cloth and knead the cheese (still in the muslin cloth) for it to loose the water over another cloth. Take care not to strain too much, else the Malai balls will break down.
4. Make small marble sized balls and press them on the top to form a circle or you can make it into any desired shape. Do not press the Malai's too much they will not absord the sugar water and they tend to become hard.
5. Boil Water and Sugar in a large pan, when Water boils add the Malais one by one and let it cook and absorb the Water. The Malai will expand in size so use a bigger pan or bowl. Remove from Water and set it aside.
6. Boil Milk or heavy cream in another saucepan, stirring continuously until the Milk condenses.
7. Add Sugar, Saffrons and Cardamom Pwd and keep stirring it well enough until the Milk looses its liquid form, add in the chopped nuts.
8. When the Milk cools down drop in the Malais and refridgerate and serve them cool.



Diwali time and its not enough to make just sweets and let go I would like to share the Hard Working Food Blogger Award passed on to me by Ramya to my foodie friends
Valarmathi, Anudivya, Liz, Hetal, Daily Meals, Alexa, Chou, Divya, Pavani, Suma

Coconut Diya and Lentils

Today is a special day for Goddess Saraswathi (Goddess of education), why only this day??? Anyways years back we (me and my brother) would long for Saraswathi Pooja, just because this is the only day when elders ask kids not to study yahoooooo... Holiday for Saraswathi!!! oh not really, but officially elders say not to study for a day... Above all there will be lotsa sweets and snacks awaiting us throughout the day, when we near dusk all kinds fear creep in about the next day studying, anyway thats part of life... I wanted to make a special sweet for a special occasion then came the thought of Coconut Diya.

My Diya may not be perfect enough, I dint take much time to craft it well I say... I lil secret I would share with you, I dint have milk powder, rather had Infant Formula which I substituted for Milk Powder ha ha ha...



Ingredients:

Coconut Powder - 1 cup
Milk Powder - 3/4 cup
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 tbsps
Cardamom Pod - 1

For Decoration:

Sprinkles
Pista



Method:

1. In a bowl add Water and Milk Powder and mix well. Heat the mixture on low heat stirring frequently.
2. Add Sugar and mix well then add the Powdered Coconut. Grind the Cardamom Seeds and discard the pod and sprinkle over the mixture.
3. Cook until the mixture is thick enough to roll them into balls. Let it cool.
4. Roll them into small balls and make a nossel to resemble a Diya or cover a diya with a plastic sheet, place the ball and press to take the shape of the diya.
5. Decorate with Sprinkles and place a Pista for the light.



Lenthils:



Lenthils are not never a difficult dish to make... Soak the Lenthils for a few hours they will take a lotta Water, after around 4 hours they will be bulged up. Boil Lenthils in Water and Salt in just 5 mins they will be cooked.

In a pan heat Oil once Oil is hot add Mustard Seeds and let it crackle, then goes Curry leaves and Red Chillies and a pinch of Salt. When Onion turns golden toss the boiled Lenthils and let it stand for a few mins and serve hot.

Aranti Pandu Kachayam

Everytime I get Bananas from the stores I always wish I made Kachayam for snacks dont know why I waited all these days to make them. Namo and Myself would be very excited when my Mom makes Kachayam. We would run to the kitchen every now and then and have them hot from the skillet... That was good old days...





Ingredients:

Bananas - small 2 nos. ripe and sweet
All Purpose Flour - handful
Sugar - 2 tbsps powdered
Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Water - few tbsps
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Peel the Bananas and mash them in a large bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients except Water and Oil.
2. Sugar itself will give the dough a thick consistency, if needed add Water and bring the dough to Idly Flour consistency.
3. Heat Oil in a skillet, when it is hot reduce the flames and always keep it in medium.
4. Using a spoon drop the dough into Oil and roll them if needed until it is cooked.
5. If Oil is not hot enough then increase the flames but before the dough is dropped in, reduce the flames and cook the balls slowly on medium flames so that the dough inside cooks well.

Bhoondi Laddu

Ingredients:

For Bhoondi

Besan Flour - 2 cups

Salt a pinch

Oil for frying

Water

For Sugary Syrup

Sugar - 11/2 cups

Water - 1/4 cup

For Laddu

Butter - 1 tbsp

Cashews

Raisins

Water

Method:

1. Mix Besan Flour, salt and Water and bring the batter to a consistency like idly batter.

2. Heat oil and maintain it in a medium flame. The oil should be hot.

3. On a filter spoon pour the batter and rub into the oil wok with another spoon.

4. The filter spoon should be held well above the hot wok, otherwise the batter will thicken.

5. Remove the Bhoondi's when they turn a little brown.

6. If the bhoondi's become hard they cannot be used to make laddu.

7. Meanwhile heat a vessel add sugar and water. Sugar will melt and form a syrup.

8. Do not allow it to thicken up. Allow it to cool for a while.

9. Pour the syrup and mix with the bhoondi while the syrup is warm.

10. Fry cashews and raisins in butter and add then to the Bhoondi.

11. Mix well and make small balls. To avoid bhoondi's sticking to your palm dip your hands in water.