Deepavali Special - Thengalu

        Thengalu is a very traditional snack made with rice and urad dal. It is a must in every Brahmin household during Diwali festival and other important occasions..

Ingredients:

Urad dal - 1 cup

Rice - 4 cups

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 to 2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method:

First wash the urad dal and rice separately and dry them on a cloth for around 4 to 5 hours. They must dry in shade..

Once they are dry, roast them on low flame. Urad dal should be roasted till it is nice  golden in colour. Rice should be roasted for only 2 to 3 minutes till it becomes warm. 

Now grind both of them together into fine powder. Now take them in a large bowl and add cumin seeds , asafoetida and chilli powder. Mix it properly. 

Heat oil in a pan for frying. Once the oil is hot add around 2 tbsp of oil to the ground powder and mix well. Now take a thengalu making machine that is similar to the chakli machine. 

This generally has three holes on it. 

Now just take little powder and mix it will with water to form dough. Knead the dough properly. The more you knead the softer and crispier the thengalu are going to turn out. 

Do not mix the entire powder together. Once the dough is formed, place it in the thengalu maker and press. Once the thengalu comes out , put it in the hot oil and fry it on medium flame till they are nice and golden.

Store them in an air tight container and enjoy them with your evening tea.

Enjoy cooking !!

Deepavali Special - Kaaja

           Kaaja is a very popular sweet in the eastern states of India and also Nepal. It's hard on the outside but juicy from within. It doesn't take much time to make it and can be stored for almost a week.. I have heard that it's very popular dish of Orissa and is also offered to Puri Jagannath as one of the chappan bhog offered to the Lord...

Ingredients:

Maida - 1 cup + 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1 1/4 cup

Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil for frying

Method:

    Take maida in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp of ghee and mix properly till the flour crumbles in texture.

Now add water and make a smooth dough. Cover it with a wet cloth and allow it to rest for 30 mins.

     Till the dough rests, make the sugar syrup. Take sugar in a pan. Add 1 cup water to it and heat it to form a syrup. If u want a lite syrup coating boil it for only 5 mins just like gulab jamoon. But i like an extra sugary texture on the dish. So i boil it till it is one thread consistency. Switch off flame and allow it to cool.

Now roll the entire dough into a thin sheet. Melt the rest of the ghee and add the 2 tbsp maida to it to make thin paste. Apply it on the rolled dough .

     Start rolling the dough from one side as in the picture. In between keep applying a paste of maida and ghee to get the textures. After rolling the dough into long strip. Cut it into 1" size pieces. Press them slightly.

     Heat oil in a pan and fry them in medium to low heat till they are nice golden brown. Remove them and soak them in sugar syrup for 2 to 3 minutes..

      

      Tasty Kaajas are ready to be enjoyed in this festive occasion.

Enjoy cooking !!!

Hayagreeva

 A very special dish and very close to my heart. This dish is offered to the deity of Sode Vadiraja mutt everyday...
The feeling that you experience when you relish it just cannot be explained.. try it during this festive season..

Ingredients:

Channa dal - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1.5 cup

Dry dessicated coconut - 1/2 cup

Khus khus (gasgase) - 2 tbsp

Cashew, dry grapes and Almonds - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Wash the Channa dal and pressure cook it for 4 to 5 whistles in a pressure cooker with little water.

Once cooked, strain the water and slightly mash the dal.. the cooked water can be used in making rasam or sambar.

Now heat a pan and dry roast khus khus in medium flame till it splutters. Remove it in a plate. Now add two tbsp ghee to the pan and roast all the nuts till they are golden in colour. 

Keep them aside 

Now take the jaggery with little water and heat it. Once the jaggery melts and starts forming syrup, add dessicated coconut to it.

Now add mashed Channa dal and mix well. Also add the khus khus and nuts to it. Cook on low flame for another 5 mins till everything come together and thickens. Now add the cardamon powder and rest of the ghee and mix well and switch off the flame.. 

Serve it with all the other festival delicacies..

Enjoy cooking!!!