Ramya Venkatraman

Colorful Kesari

2008-02-15T10:33:00.006+05:30

Ingredients:

Rava (Sooji) - 1 cup

Sugar - 1.5 cups

Water - 3 cups

Ghee - 8 spoons

Garnishing:

Cashew - 5

Kismis - 10

Cardamom - 1 pod (Peel of the skin and grind it with 2 spoons of sugar)

Method:

In one spoon ghee fry cashews, kismis and remove it and keep it aside. In the same pan fry sooji till the color changes and raw smell of sooji goes off. Spread this in a plate and allow it to cool.

Add water to pan and when it starts boiling lower the flame. Add sooji slowly and stir continuously so that no lumps were formed. Stir continuosly till all the water gets absorbed and the sooji is fully cooked.

Then add sugar and mix well with sooji and stir till it solidifies. Add ghee mix well.

Make two portions of this white kesari. To one portion add orange color and to the other add
green color. Grease a plate and level the orange portion and then over it level the green
kesari.

Now colorful kesari is ready!!!

Rasgulla

2008-01-30T22:24:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 litre
Lemon juice - 4 spoons
Maida - 2 spoons
Water - 6 cups

Syrup:

Sugar - 1.5 cups
Water 1.5 cups
Milk - 1 spoon

Method:

Heat milk and when it rises up add lemon juice and stir well and heat it till the milk splits properly (Note: When it splits properly it will seperate in to clean yellowish water and white curds).

Pour this in a cloth and drain the water.Wash the panneer thrice with clean water to remove the lemon contentSqueeze the cloth so that water will come out of panneer.Put a tight knot around the paneer and hang the cloth for 1 hour.

Remove the paneer, add maida and knead the dough with flat surface of palm for 15 minutes and keep it aside for 15 minutes.

In a medium flame boil 6 cups of water in a pressure cooker. Divide the dough in to 16 equal portions and make balls without applying much pressure. Ensure that there are no cracks in the ball.As and when you make the balls drop it in the boiling water. Then close the pressure cooker lid and heat till the first whistle.

Make the sugar syrup by adding sugar and water in medium flame. Once the sugar fully dissolves add milk and raise the flame and heat for 5 minutes.

Allow the sugar solution to reach warm temp and remove the impurities by pouring the syrup through a muslin cloth or a fine filter.Once the cooker depressurizes remove the balls and place it on a plate and allow it to cool. Then squeeze the balls to remove the water and drop it in to sugar syrup.

yummy yum Rasgullas are ready!!!

Paal Payasam

2008-01-17T14:09:00.000+05:30

This payasam can be prepared with Rice / Semiya & Sago / Semiya

Ingredients:

Milk - 1/2 litre (2.5 cups)
Sugar 1/2 cup
Semiya - 1/4 cup
Sago (Javarisi) - 2 spoons
Ghee - 1/2 spoon

Note: If Raw Rice is used take - 1/4 cup.

Garnishing:

Cashews - 5
Kismis - 10
Elachi - 1 (finely powdered)

Method:

Dry roast semiya till it turns golden brown and allow it to cool.
Roast cashews and kismis seperately in ghee. Wash them with water so that the ghee wont float in the payasam.
Wash sago and keep it aside
Boil milk in a vessel whose capacity is twice that of the milk content.
Once the milk boils remove from heat and add semiya, sago and drop a spoon to the bottom of the vessel. This spoon will do the stirring action and will not allow lumps to form.
Place this vessel in a pressure cooker and allow the cooker to whistle for 4 times.
After cooker depressurizes add Sugar, cashews, kismis, elachi and mix well.

Tasty Paal Payasam is ready!!!

Coconut Burfi

2008-01-11T17:19:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

Coconut – 2 cups (If the scrapped coconuts were not very fine then dry grind it in mixie for just 2 seconds)
Sugar – 1 cup
Ghee - 2 spoons
Kadalai mavu – 2 spoons

Garnishing:

Cashews - 10
Cardamom – 2 (remove the skin and powder it along with one spoon sugar)
Kismis - 15

Method:

With One spoon ghee fry scrapped coconuts till it turns to yellowish colour and then keep it aside.

In a pan add sugar and water to just fill the sugar and boil it in low flame till the entire sugar dissolves then increase the flame and heat for 7 mins.
Add coconut and stir continuously till the water drains and the mixture becomes thick. Add kadalai mavu and stir till it leaves the sides of the pan.
Add cardamom and fried cashews.
Grease a plate with a spoon of ghee and pour the burfi and allow it to cool.
Cut in to desired shape after 15 mins with a knife applied with ghee.

Now sweet –o- sweet Coconut Burfi is ready!!!

Kuchi Kizhangu / Tapioca Chips

2008-01-08T09:56:00.002+05:30

Ingredients:

Tapioca(Kuchi Kizhangu) - 1 (large)
Oil - 1/2 litre (To fry)

Garnishing:

Chilli Powder - 1 spoon
Salt - To taste
Hing - one pinch

Method:

Wash Kuchi Kizhangu and peel out its skin.

Slice Kuchi Kizhangu in vertical direction in to small thin pieces and spread it on a cloth to absorb water.
Heat oil in pan for 5 mins in medium flame and then fry these slices till the outer edges of the slices turns golden brown.

Spread these fried slices in a paper to absorb the oil and then mix it with chilli, salt and hing.

Thiruvadhirai Kali

2007-12-24T14:34:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Jaggery - 2 cups (grate the jaggery and then measure it)
Channa dhal - 2 spoons
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Water - 3 + 1/2 + 1 cups
Ghee - 8 spoons

Garnishing:

Cashew - 10
Elachi - 2 (remove the skin and finely powder with 1/2 spoon sugar)

Method:

Soak rice for 1 hour then spread it over a white cloth till it drys
Dry roast the dried rice along with channa dhal

After it cools dry gring it in mixie till it becomes like rawa.

Add 3 cups of water to this mixture and pressure cook.
Add 1/2 cup of water to jaggery and heat it till it melts. Then remove the impurities and allow it to boil for 5 mins.
Add cooked rice rawa, ghee and mix it thoroughly in jaggery and kep this mixture in low flame for 10 mins.
Garnish with roasted cashew's and elachi

Thiruvadhirai kali is ready for Nivedhiyam!!!

Sarkarai Pongal

2007-12-20T13:42:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 1/2 cup
Moong dhal - 2 spoons
Jaggery - 1 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup + 1 spoon
Water - 3 cups

Garnishing:

Elachi - 1 (Remove the cover and fine powder it along with little sugar)
Cashew - 3

Method:

Wash Rice and moong dhal. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook.
Once its cookedd Mash rice and moong dhal.
In a bowl add jaggery with 1/4 cup water. Once it fully dissolves, remove the impurities by filtering it in a muslin cloth.
Heat the jaggery syrup for 3 mins, then add mashed rice, moong dhal and 1/4 cup ghee.
Stir the mixture till it becomes a lump. Add elachi powder and mix well.
In one spoon of ghee saute the cashews and decorate it over Sarkarai Pongal.

Tasty Sarkarai Pongal is ready !!!

Vazhai poo Paruppu Usili

2007-12-19T12:04:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

Vazhai poo - 1
Toor dhal - 1 cup
Red chillies - 2 nos
Hing
Urad Dhal - 1 spoon
Mustard - 1/4 spoon
Refined Oil - 1 spoon

Method:

Soak Toor dhal for 2 hrs along with red chillies.
Grind Toor dhal coarsely with out water.

Pressure cook and spread it in plate to cool.

Grind this in mixie for just 5 seconds. Now the paruppu would be in seperated (udhir) form.
Add refined oil in pan and mustard seeds. When it splutters add urad dhal, when it turns golden brown add vazhai poo and cook for 10 mins.
Add paruppu usili to vazhai poo and Vazhai poo paruppu usili is done!!!

Ven Pongal

2007-12-17T15:27:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 2 cups
Moong Dhal - 1 cup
Water - 7 cups

Garnishing:

Cumin seeds - 1.5 spoons
Pepper - 1/4 spoon
Cashew - 10 pieces
Curry leaves
Ginger piece - 1/4 spoon
Ghee - 4 spoons
Refined oil - 1 spoon

Method:

Wash rice and moong dhal. Add water and pressure cook.
After its cooked smash the rice and moong dhal mixture.
To this add cumin seeds, pepper, cashew, ginger pieces sauted in refined oil.
Add ghee, curry leaves and mix it well.
Can serve 4

Now the lip-smacking hot Ven Pongal is ready!!!

Traditional Vatha Kuzhambu

2007-12-14T15:13:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

Sambar powder - 3 tablespoons
Turmeric - 2 pinch
Hing - 2 pinch
Tamarind - one big marble size ball
Channa Dhal - 1 tablespoon
Rice flour - 1/4 spoon (dissolve rice flour in 3 spoons of water)
Jaggery (gud) - small piece
Water - 1 cup

Garnishing:

Fenugreek - 1/4 spoon
Red chilli - 2 nos
Mustard - 1/4 spoon

Method:

In one cup add sambar powder, turmeric, hing & Channa dhal with water to soak.
In another cup add tamarind with water to soak.
Pressure cook the contents in both the cups. After its cooked mix both. (note: With additional 1/2 tumbler water take out the tamarind pulp and remove its impurities).
Add 1/2 cup water, jaggery, rice flour and heat for 5 mins.
Splutter the mustard seeds in oil, in low flame add fenugreek, red chilli and pour this over kuzhambu. At the end add curry leaves to it. Can serve 4 people.

Traditional Aracha Kuzhambu

2007-12-14T12:38:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

Sambar powder - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric - 2 pinch
Hing - 2 pinch
Tamarind - one big marble size ball
Vegetables - any sambar vegetables
Toor dhal - 1 tumbler (add water till the dhal soaks)

Paste Ingredients:

Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
Channa Dhal - 1 tablespoon
Fenugreek - 1/4 spoon
Cumin - 1/2 spoon
Red chilli - 2 nos
Grated coconut - 3 spoons

Dry roast coriander, kadalai paruppu, fenugreek, cumin, red chilli. After it cools grind this along with coconut by adding water.

Method:

In one cup add sambar powder, turmeric and hing with sufficient water. In another cup add tamarind along with water. In another cup add toor dhal with water. Pressure cook all these items along with the vegetable. After its cooked, grind thoor dhal in mixie so that it will be fully mashed. Mix the pressure cooked items, grinded paste and add 1/2 tumbler water(Note: Take out the tamarind pulp and remove its impurities). Boil for 5 mins and add curry leaves to it. Splutter the mustard seeds in oil and add it to kuzhambu. Now the hot arachu kuzhambu is ready. Can serve 4 people.

Tomato Thokku

2007-12-14T10:17:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 4
Chilli powder - 1/2 spoon
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Salt to taste
Refined Oil - 8 spoons
Hing
Mustard - 1/4 spoon

Method:

Heat the oil in pan and put mustard seeds. After it splits add the tomatoes and turmeric powder and cook for 5 mins. Then add chilli powder & salt. Cook till the water drains and oil oozes out from the sides. After the thokku cools, store it in a air tight container. It will stay for 5 days.