SEVEN CUPS CAKE

                   This sweet,very easy to prepare, yet delicious, can be said to be a simpler form of the MSC Delight, a sweet, the recipe of which,happens to be my first post.All the ingredients are very much available always in our kitchen shelf.This sweet has partly the taste of Mysorepak and partly the taste of coconut barfi with a flavour of ghee.

Ingredients:

1. Milk                                        : 1 cup
2. Grated coconut                       : 1 cup
3. Besan ( Channa dhal flour )       : 1 cup
4. Ghee                                      : 1 cup
5. Sugar                                      : 3 cups

Method:

1. The grated coconut can be ground in a mixi, to make it fine, without any water.

2. Mix all the ingredients in a thick bottomed vessel.

3. Keep on stirring on medium flame.

4. When the mixture starts thickening, reduce the flame and continue to stir on the simmering flame.

5. Once the mixture leaves the sides of the vessel without sticking,off the flame.

6. Transfer the mixture to a greased tray and cut into desired shapes.

Note: 
The beginners can try with half of the above ingredients, for which we can get nearly 500 grams of the sweet. The preparation takes less than fifteen minutes

                                   

GARLIC PICKLE

     
                     Homemade pickles are totally free from preservatives and chemicals,which cannot be avoided in pickles bought from the markets.A little planning,however busy we may be, to spare some time to prepare the pickles at home gives us the satisfaction of using our own product with less oil and spices ,minus the various chemicals used for preserving.The pickles can be made according to the items available in the season at a cheap price.The traditional lime pickle,Narthangai pickle, vadu mangai,avakkai etc. can be stored for a longer time with salt ,oil,mustard,chilli powder and oil as natural preservatives.

                       Now  I made this garlic pickle as the price has come down from Rs. 150 to Rs.80 per Kg.The small ones are sold at Rs.40 per Kg.Garlic,also has a lot of medicinal properties,almost known to all.

Garlic Pickle

Ingredients:

Garlic                                                           : 250 grams or 2 cups of pods
Chilli powder                                                : 3 tsp
Fenugreek powder                                        : 1tsp.
Mustard                                                        :1/2 tsp.
Tamarind                                                      : 1 lemon size
Asafoetida                                                     : 1/2 tsp.
Salt                                                               : 2 tsp
Gingelly Oil                                                    : 4 tbsp.
Powdered Jaggery                                          : 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder                                            : 1/4 tsp.

Method:

1.Peal the garlic into pods.This can be the time consuming part of this pickle, to be done while watching the TV or listening to music.

2.Heat the oil in a thick bottomed tawa and add the mustard.

3.When they splutter,add the asafoetida and and the pods of garlic.Saute well, to avoid burning.

4.When the garlics are half cooked, add a thick extract of tamarind,salt,turmeric powder and chilli powder.Keep on stirring.

5.Add the fenugreek and jaggery.Mix well.

6.Once the garlics become soft and all the water is absorbed, switch off the flame.

Note:

1.The pickle can be refrigerated for a period of 3 weeks.For a longer life,vinegar and other chemical preservatives are to be added.They are totally avoided by me as I prepare the quantity, that can be consumed within 3 weeks.

2.Whenever  tamarind is to be used,soak in hot water and take a thick extract.The left over tamarind can be used for sambar or rasam.

3.Fenugreek is one of the essential items for any pickle.So 50 gms. or a 1/4 cup of fenugreek can be roasted on a tawa without oil and powdered in a mixi.This roasted and powdered fenugreek comes handy for making any pickle.Also it is said to be a good fibre,recommended for people with diabetes,hypertension and for lactating mothers.

4.Salt,chilli powder and oil can be added more or less according to our own taste.

INIPPU ( SWEET ) KOZHUKATTAI )

                                Thanks to Lord Vinayaka, the first and foremost God, as my first post in 2012 happens to be a recipe for one of the main items to be offered to Lord Vinayaka on the occasion of Vinayaka Chathurthi.

Ingredients:

Channa Dhal                                       1/2 cup
Powdered Jaggery (vellam)                 1 cup
Grated coconut                                   1 cup
Rice Flour                                           2 cups
Ghee                                                  2 tsp.
Oil                                                      2 tbsp
Cardamom powder                               little

Method:

1.Soak channa dhal for 2 hrs. and pressure cook well.Mash when it is hot.

2.In the same pressure cooker or any other thick bottomed vessel,add the powdered jaggery and the grated coconut to the cooked dhal.Mix well.

3.Heat the mixture on a low fire.Keep on stirring to avoid lumps.Add the ghee and the cardmom powder and off the flame when the mixture thickens.This sweet mixture is ready for filling.

4.Boil 4 cups of water in a thick vessel.Lower the flame and add the rice flour,gradually with constant stirring.Add one tbsp. of oil.Switch off the flame,once the flour is cooked,absorbing all the water.This cooked rice flour is to be used for the outer covering.

5 Smear the oil on your palm and fingers.Take little of the cooked rice flour and make it into a ball of a lemon size.Press with fingers and mould it like a small roti using the fingers.

6.In the moulded and pressed round shaped outer covering, keep one tsp. of the sweet filling mixture and close it in the shape of a semi circle.Press the outer edges and seal.Nearly 50 kozhukattais can be made from the given ingredients.

7.Plastic moulds in the shape of onions can also be used.Smear the inside of the mould with oil and coat with the cooked rice flour, using one finger.Fill with the sweet filling and seal the opening with the same outer covering mixture.Open the mould and gently take out the onion shaped kozhukattai.

8.Steam cook the kozhukattais in the vessel, used for steam cooking the iddlies.

Notes:

The sweet filling can also be made exclusively out of coconut and jaggery, for those who like the taste of the coconut or when coconuts are grown at home.Channa dhal can be avoided.Add one more cup of grated coconut.

Peanut Chat

                                             My daughter makes this chat item frequently during tea time.The preparation is nothing but the mixing of ingredients.Yet the taste is very good and now one of my favourite tea time recipes.




Peanut Chat

Ingredients:

Ground Nut [ Peanut ]       : 1 cup [ roasted ]
Tomato                              : 1 medium size
Onion                                : 1 medium size
Chat Masala                      : 1 tsp.
Chilly Powder                    :1/2 tsp
Green Chilly                       : 1
Lemon Juice                      : 1 tsp.
Salt                                    : To taste

Method:

               Chop the onion,tomato and green chilly finely.Remove the husk and split the ground nuts.Mix all the ingredients and set aside for an hour.A tasty chat item is ready.

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.