Ribbon Pakoda I

                     This savoury item was earlier prepared by me using more besan flour and less rice flour.
Later after tasting the pakodas made of more rice flour and less besan flour by my sister in law, Ms. Muthu Lakshmi,I found them to be more crispy and follow her recipe.

Ingredients :

1. Rice Flour                               1 cup
2. Besan Flour                             3/4  cup
3. Roasted Channa dhal ( Pottu Kadalai )     3/4  cup
4. Butter                                                 3 tsp
5. Chilly Powder                           1/2 tsp
6. Salt                                               1 tsp
7. Asafoetida                            1/8 tsp
8. Oil                                2 cups

Method  :
1. Powder the the roasted channa dhal finely in a mixi and sieve all the three flours.

2. Mix all the ingredients.Add water and make the dough.This must be of the right consistency,not very rigid and not very loose.It should be little flexible.

3. Using the murukku mould with the disc, meant for ribbon pakoda,press the dough into the hot oil.Turn it and remove from oil once the bubbles stop.This can be prepared within 30 minutes.

Note :

In the picture shown above the pakodas were made using the disc meant for Seepu Seedai.That disc is one of the six discs, sold with the wooden mould for making murukkus.Those wooden moulds could be got only from Karaikudi region in those days.Now they are sold in some of the stores in other cities also.The Pakodas can also be made with common Ribbon Pakoda discs.

PEANUT / GROUND NUT LADDU

                     This nutritious sweet, free from ghee and prepared with the common ingredients has its unique taste.This recipe was passed on to me by my friend, Ms.Anitha Venkatesh.

Peanut Laddu

Ingredients :

1. Peanut / Ground Nut                                   1 cup
2. Powdered Jaggery /  Karupatti                    1 cup
3. Dried ginger  powdder ( Sukku Podi)         1/2 tsp
4. Cardamom powder                                      1/4 tsp

Method :

1.Clean the ground nut ,free from the outer husk.

2. Powder the nuts in a mixi.

3. Add the powdered jaggery to the powdered ground nut in the mixi and then switch on the mixi for 1 or 2 minutes till they get mixed together.

4. As the ground nut is oil based, all the ingredients get blended together.Make them into balls. 

NEI URUNDAI / GHEE SWEET

                         This is a common sweet in all our families from time immemorial.The sweet is made of moong dhal,sugar and ghee.Yet only Nei ( ghee ) has become the name of the sweet.It is a rich sweet and can be prepared easily.

Nei Urundai

Ingredients :

1. Moong Dhal / Pasi Paruppu   -1 cup
2. Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
3. Ghee  -1/2 cup
4. Cardamom  - 4
5 .Cashew  -10

Method :

1. Roast the moong dhal in a thick bottomed tawa till it becomes a little brown or till it gives an aroma.Be careful to keep on stirring; oterwise it may get burnt.Let it cool.

2. Finely powder the roasted moong dhal, using the big jar of the mixi.It is not neccesary to seive.If seived, the flour becomes fine and the sweet may stick in the pallates while eating.

3. Powder the sugar and the cardamoms and mix with the powdered dhal.

4. Roast the broken piecce of cashew in a little ghee and add with the sugar,dhal mixture.Once again mix well.

5. Heat the ghee and add it to the mixture.Stir well using a spoon as the ghee is hot.Make them into balls, pressing firmly with the fingers to avoig breaking.

Note :

For the above ingredients, 25 sweet balls of 1 inch diameter can be prepared.

MURUKKU I / THENKUZHAL

        This is typically my mom in law's recipe, which I have been following for a long time.She is an expert in cooking.I am always grateful to her for the recipes of the traditional sweets and savouries.
         We call this snack as Thenkuzhal to differentiate it from the hand made murukkus where the mould is not used.The rice flour can be home made or bought from the store.The urad dhal has to roasted before powdering.

Ingredients:

1. Rice Flour   - 2 cups
2. Urad Dhal Powder - 1/2 cup
3. Butter  - 1 tsp.
4. Salt  - 1 tsp.
5. Asafoetida  - a pinch
6. Seasame  or   Zeera ( optional  )   - 2 tsp.
7. Oil  - 2 cups


Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients well, except oil, together.

2. Add water slowly to get the consistency of the chappathy dhal.

3. Heat oil and using the murukku mould, press the murukkus in the oil.

4. when one side is cooked, turn it to the other side.When the bubbles stop, remove from oil.

Notes:

1. It is very important to sieve the rice flour and urad dhal flour.The salt and the sesame or zeera should be free from impurities.Even a small lump in the dough can cause flutters in the oil and make the hot oil to spill out which is quite dangerous.

2. Instead of butter, hot oil can also be added to get crisp murukkus.

3. When we are making for 4 cups of rice flour, the dry flours and the ingredients can be mixed together.But dough has to be prepared only for 2 cups of rice flour plus ingredients.After preparing the murukkus for that dough, the next set of dough has to be made. If the dough is made together for a large quantity,it may become sour,making the murukkus red or brown in colour.

4.My mom in law is very particular to maintain the white colour of the murukkus and at the same time they should also get well cooked in the oil.

MAIDA KUZHI PANIYARAM

                       Thanks to Mrs.Revathi Shanmugam, the great culinary expert for the exact measurements of this sweet delicacy. The most endearing thing about her recipes is that,many of her recipes include the common ingredients available in any kitchen.There is a clarity in her demonstration and the dishes are also very tasty.
                    We used to do this with the appam batter by adding karupatti,which gives it a unique taste and it is called Mukulizhyam.That may be little laborious.But the given recipe can be tried immediately and it is also soft and tasty.

Ingredients:

Maida                                                    1 cup
Rice flour                                              1/4 cup + 1 tbsp.
Powdered Jaggery                                 1 and a half cup
Banana                                                  1
Cardamom Powder                                little
Oil and ghee                                           as required

Method:

1.Add water to the jaggery till it is immersed.Heat till the jaggery dissolves.

2.Mix the maida and rice flour well.Add the jaggery water using a stainer.

3.Mash the banana well and add.The consistency of the batter should be similar to that of the dosa batter.

4.Add the cardamom powder and let it ferment for 1 hour.A little baking soda can be added if preferred.

5.Fill 1/4 of each kuzhi of the non stick kuzhi paniyara vessel with a mixture of oil and ghee.
Pour the batter to 3/4 of the kuzhi and fill all the kuzhis.

6.When the paniyaram is cooked, turn it and let the other side get cooked.Then remove from the vessel.

Notes:

1.Wheat flour can also be used instead of maida.

2.Adding fried nuts are optional.

3.Nearly 40 paniyarams can be prepared from the given measurement.

4.A non stick kuzhipaniyara tawa is my choice and the paniyarams come out very well.

VEGETABLE RAVA KICHADI

                                              This easy to prepare tiffin item may be common; yet very tasty, if cooked in the right way.This goes well with coconut chutney.


 
Ingredients :

Roasted Rava                                            :   1 cup
Water                                                      :  3 cups
Cooking oil                                               :   2 tbsp.
Mustard                                                    :   1/ 2 tsp
Channa Dhal                                             :   1 tsp
Finely chopped vegetables                        :  1 cup
Onion                                                      :  1 medium size ( to be sliced )
Tomatoes                                                :  1 medium size  ( to be cubed )
Red chillies                                               : 2
Salt,  Turmeric powder, curry leaves,  coriander leaves .

Method :

  1. Heat the oil in a thick bottomed tawa. add the mustard and curry leaves.

  2.When the mustard splutters, add the channa dhal and the broken red chillies.Take care        that the channa dhal doesn't get burnt.

  3. Then add the finely chopped onions and saute well.When the onions turn brown, add the finenly cubed tomatoes.On the tomatoes getting shrunk,add the chopped vegetables.Saute them on a low fire.

  4. When the vegetables are cooked well, add water, salt to taste and turmeric powder.Switch on to high flame.

  5. After the water starts boiling, without reducing the flame, add the rava slowly, constantly stirring  the mixture.Once all the rava is transferred to the tava and the mixture starts thickening, reduce the flame.

  6. When all the water is absorbed and the rava is cooked, add coriander leaves, mix well and switch off the fire. Adding some ghee or garnishing with nuts for enhancing the taste are optional depending on the availability, occasion and preference. 

Notes :

•    Oil is the real taste maker of the dish as we add water in the ratio of 1: 3. Less oil would make it sticky.
•   The vegetables to be added are carrot, potato, beans, peas etc.Using just one or more vegetables is purely according to our convenience and taste.
•   Oil means any cooking oil we use at home. Instead of tomatoes,  1 tsp. of lime juice can be added.
•   Red chillies are added as the kids can't  differentiate between sliced green chillies and beans.

     

 

COCONUT BOLI

                          The preparation of this sweet, I came to know from my mother in law, a culinary expert. This sweet goes well with a full South Indian meal,especially with the payasam.

Coconut Boli

Ingredients:

  
  Maida                                       :  2 cups
  Oil                                           : 4 tbsp.
  Ghee                                       : 3 tbsp.
  Grated coconut                         : 2 cups
  Powdered jaggery                     : 1 cup  
  Cardamom Powder                    : 1/2 tsp.


Method:

1.Put the coconut and the jaggery in a thick bottomed vessel and place it on a low fire.Keep on stirring constantly to avoid burning of the mixture.Add cardamom powder and 1 tbsp. of  ghee.The jaggery must melt completely and get mixed well with the coconut.Remove from the stove once the mixture thickens.This sweet mixture is for the filling and can be prepared in advance and stored.

 2.Add water little by little to the maida,1 tbsp.of oil and knead it into a dough.The dough should be flexible.If desired, permitted yellow food colour can be added. Pour the remaining oil over dough and set aside for 3 to 4 hours. 

3.Make the dough into 15 to 17 balls of equal size touching oil.Flatten the ball in a circular shape of about a diameter of 4 inches. Fill with about 2 tsp of the sweet filling and seal in the shape of a ball.Press it very carefully like a paratha smearing with oil.Care should be taken to see that the inner filling does not come out.Repeat the same with all the balls.

4. Heat a tawa and gently toast them on both sides using ghee.