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.

                                        
  
                   

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.