Rava Laddu

Rava Laddu

                                                  This traditional and easy to make sweet, was prepared earlier by me using a lot of ghee.Later,I came to know about this recipe from my friend Ms.Rani Kala,in which less ghee is used.

Ingredients:

Rava / Sooji                :  1 cup

Sugar                           : 1 1/2 cups

Ghee                            : 2 tbsp.

Cardamom, raisins, cashew,cloves.

Method:

1.Heat 1/2 tbsp. of ghee,fry the cardamoms and cloves, 2 each and powder or crush in a mortar.Fry the cashew and raisins and keep aside.

2.In the same tawa, heat 1 tbsp. of ghee, roast the rava well and keep aside.

3.Take 1/2 cup of water in a pan,add the sugar and let it boil.Keep on stirring till a sticky consistency is reached.It may take around 5 minutes.

4.Remove the pan from the stove and add the roasted rava, mix well and the mixture may look watery like a kheer.Don't panic.As time passes,the sugar syrup is absorbed and it is ready to be made into laddus.

5.Add the powdered cardamom,cloves and the roasted cashew and raisins.Mix well and smear the palm with ghee and make it into balls.

Time taken              : 20 minutes.

Finished product     : 12 laddus.

Pineapple Halwa

                                       This sweet halwa was a part of the dessert in a dinner hosted by my daughter.This is similar to our Rava Kesari with the additional ingredient of pineapple.Here all the ingredients are available through all the seasons,either in frozen or canned form, a great blessing to those interested in cooking.Actually, this dessert item turned out from the left over pine apple after making the pineapple upside down cake.The ghee is the real taste maker in most of the halwas.

Ingredients:
Roasted rava/Sooji : 1 cup
Sugar : 2 cups.
Pine apple : 2 round slices of medium size( fresh/canned)
Saffron : a few shreds
Ghee : 3 tbsp.
Milk : 1 cup
Cashew nuts, badam, raisins,cardamom powder,lemon yellow colour

Method:
1.Cut the pineapple into small pieces and soak the saffron in the milk.Roast the cashew,raisins and the badam in 1 tbsp of ghee and keep aside.

2.Boil 2 cups of water, add the yellow colour and allow the pineapple to get cooked in it for a few minutes.

3.Then add the milk.When the water and milk starts boiling,add the rava little by little   and keep on stirring to avoid lumps.After all the water and milk is absorbed and the rava gets cooked,mix the sugar and stir well adding 2 tbsp.of ghee.This is the time when more lumps form and try to crush them.As the halwa starts leaving the sides of the vessel,add cardamom powder,the roasted cashews,badam and raisins.The delicious dessert item is ready.

　

Rava Pongal

                               This different type of Pongal, may be common now, was introduced to me many years back by Ms.Pankajam,a great culinary expert.This dish tastes very good when taken hot and it can be prepared in no time with the common ingredients.Oil is the real taste maker and if oil is reduced,the Pongal becomes sticky and may form lumps.


Rava Pongal

 Ingredients:

1. Roasted Rava/ Sooji                      :   1 cup
2. Moong dhal/Pasiparuppu                :  1/3  cup
3. Oil                                                 :  2  tbsp.
4. Ghee                                             :  2  tsp.
5.  Pepper                                          :  1 tsp.
6. Cumin seeds/ jeera                        :  1 tsp.
7. Salt                                                :   to taste
8. Finely chopped ginger                   : 1/2 tsp.
9. Curry leaves and cashews as desired.

Method:

1.Pressure cook the dhal.See that the dhal does not get over cooked.

2.Use a thick bottomed vessel or a non stick kadai for making the Pongal.Heat the oil and add the pepper and cumin seeds.When the pepper splutters,add the ginger,curry leaves and asafoetida.

3.Then add 3 cups of water.When the water starts boiling,add the cooked dhal and stir well.

4.Then add salt and the sooji little by little.Keep on stirring to avoid lump.

5.Slowly the water gets absorbed and the sooji is cooked well.Heat the ghee,roast the cashew and add. The pongal is ready to be eaten with coconut chutney or idli sambhar.

Ground nut(Peanut) chutney

                                   
                                                    The credit of this chutney along with the Pesarat goes to my friend Chitra.It tastes very good not only with Pesarat but also idlies and dosas.The natural red colour of the chutney makes it more presentable and the best add on product with the sambar.

Peanut Chutney

Ingredients:
Big onions                          : 2
Tomatoes                            : 1

Red chillies                        : 3

Roasted ground nut             :2 tbsp
Garlic                                 :4 pods

Salt                                     : 1/2 tsp
Oil

Method:
 1. Cut the onions and tomatoes.

 2. Heat oil in a kadai,roast the red chillies and remove them.

 3. Then saute the onions.When they turn brown,add the tomatoes,garlic and salt.The adding of salt with the tomatoes softens them and makes the process quick.Cool after the tomatoes get fried well.

 4 .Grind the chillies and the  ground nuts with the husk removed, first in a dry mixi.Then add the onions,garlic and the tomatoes.Do not make the chutney very fine.Let it be a little coarse.

 5. Season with mustard,asafoetida and curry leaves.A delicious chutney is ready.



 

Pesarat

                                This  dosai variety,a popular Andhra delicacy is always a spl.item for us in my friend Chitra's house in Madurai.Peanut chutney goes very well with this.Guests can be entertained even with a short notice as the batter is ready for use immediately after grinding.It is also a high source of protein for growing children and adults.

Ingredients:
Whole green gram           :  1 cup.
Raw  rice                         : 2tbsp.

Green chillies                  : 4

Ginger                             : a small piece
Salt                                 : 1 tsp.
Big onions                        : 2

Method:
1. Soak the green gram with rice for 3 to 4 hrs.

2.Cut the chillies,ginger and onion into small pieces.

3.Grind the soaked dhal,chillies,ginger in a grinder or mixi,adding water once or twice.Add salt and remove on reaching the dosa consistency.

4.Cut coriander and curry leaves into small pieces and add to the batter.It is ready for use.Heat the tawa,spread the batter on it, add oil,strew the sliced onions on it immediately.If you add the onions even a little later,the dough gets cooked and the onions tend to come out.When the top side turns brown,turn the dosai to the other
side.It is ready to be served with peanut(ground nut) chutney.About 8 dosas can be prepared out of 1 cup of dhal.