Ganesh Chaturthi Special - Kesar Modak

    This is a simple recipe which can be made in less time but tastes heavenly...On the special occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, try this simple yet special recipe...

Ingredients:

Milk - 1/2 cup

Milk powder - 2 cups

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Saffron - 1/2 tsp (few strands for decorating too)

Ghee - 2 tsp

Method:

Heat milk in a pan. Add cardamom powder and few saffron strands and mix. 

Now add milk powder and mix well. See that there are no lumps formed. 

Add sugar and a tsp of ghee to it. Keep mixing till the sugar dissolves and and again starts forming solid again. This might take around 10 mins.

Once it form a single lump and comes together, remove from the flame. Allow it to rest and cool down for 5 mins.

Now take a little of the dough and give the shape of the Modak. You can use fork and make stripes on it. Use few strands of Kesar to decorate the Modak.

Modak is ready to be served on Ganesh Chaturthi.

Enjoy Cooking!!!

Godhi Halwa

     Godhi Halva or wheat halva is a quick sweet which u can make in few minutes. This is also served as Kada prasad offered by the Sikhs.. but the prasad also has devotion and divinity with it.. so let us just call it Godhi Halva...

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 cup melted

Water - 3 cups

Cashewnuts (optional)

Method:

Heat ghee in a pan. Roast cashews in it and remove once they are golden.

Now add wheat flour to ghee and roast it on med flame till the wheat is golden brown and turns aromatic.

Meanwhile heat water in another pan and add sugar to it. Boil till the sugar dissolves in the water.

Once the wheat is properly roasted, slowly add the sugar water to it. Mix well so that no lumps are formed.

Within two minutes the wheat soaks up the water and starts to thicken. Keep stirring till it forms lump and starts to release the ghee on sides.

Remove from flame. Garnish with cashews and serve.

Enjoy Cooking!!!

Milk Powder Peda

       This is a recipe which can be done quickly  and this also a healthy one. This will be a sure favourite among kids...

Ingredients:

Milk Powder - 1 1/2 cups

Sugar powder - 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Milk - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Pistachios - 1/4 cup (chopped)

Method:

Heat ghee in a pan. Add milk to it. Mix once. Now add milk powder to it and mix well without forming lumps. 

Now add sugar powder to it. Mix well.

Keep stirring continuously. Within five minutes it thickens. Now add cardamom powder and mix well.

Once the milk powder mix forms a lump and leaves the pan remove it from heat and allow it to cool down.

Once it is half cool, make small balls out of it and press slightly on one side. Place a pistachio on top of it.

Serve to your family and friends.

Enjoy Cooking !!!

Dry Fruit Ladoo

   Healthy recipe to keep kids healthy and fit. Very easy to make and it doesn't require much effort.

Ingredients:

Dates - 1 cup

Cashewnuts - 1/2 cup

Almonds - 1/2 cup

Pistachios - 1/2 cup

Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp

Jaggery - 1/4 cup

Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:

Chop cashewnuts, almonds and pistachios coarsely. 

Dry roast them and keep aside. Also dry roast poppy seeds on low flame. Allow it to cool.

Deseed the dates and grind them to a paste.

Heat a pan. Add jaggery and a tsp of water. Let it melt. Once it's done add dates paste to it. Also add the roasted nuts to it and mix well.

Cook on low flame till all the ingredients come together and form dough like consistency.

Add a tsp of ghee to it and switch off the flame.

Now divide the mix into small portions once it is little cooled.

Roll it into laddoos and coat it with the poppy seeds.

Give these laddoo to your kids one each everyday. It will make them strong and healthy.

Enjoy Cooking!!!

Huli Chitranna

   A dish which has many different small elements but worth a try because it tastes so good. This recipe is generally served in temples as Prasada... 

Ingredients:

Cooked rice - 2 cups

Tamarind - 1 lemon size

Green chillies - 2 to 3

Red chillies - 2 to 3

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard - seeds - 1 tsp

Channa dal - 2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Groundnuts - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves - 10 to 15

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Dry powder:

Channa dal - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

Spread the cooked rice in a plate and allow it to cool. It should not be mushy.

Soak the tamarind in water for sometime and extract the pulp.

Heat 1/2 tsp oil and add turmeric to it. Add it to the rice and mix well.

Not again heat rest of the oil and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add groundnuts, channa dal, urad dal and asafoetida and fry till the groundnuts become golden. 

Now add slit green chilles, red chillies and curry leaves. Fry everything well and switch off the flame and allow it to cool.

Now dry roast all other ingredients mentioned separately and ground them to a fine powder. Mix the powder first with the rice properly. 

Next mix the tempered spices with the rice and mix well add salt as per taste.

Serve hot along with some papad or sandige..

Enjoy Cooking!!

Puliyogare (Temple style)

        Who doesn't like temple puliyogare.. the taste is just awesome may be it is because it's been consecrated and is offered as a prasad..

        I have tried to recreate it many times. Finally have come a little bit closer to the dish.

So here is the recipe for it...

Ingredients:

Tamarind - 1 lemon size

Jaggery - 1 large size

Sambar powder - 4 tsp

Curry leaves - 10 to 20

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Black sesame seeds - 4 tsp

Channa dal - 3 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Pepper - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Cooked rice - 2 cups

For tempering:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Channa dal - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Groundnut - 1 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for around 2 hours or you can also soak it in hot water for 30 mins.

Squeeze all the juice from the tamarind. Take a heavy bottom pan and add to it. Keep it on medium flame. Once it starts to boil, add jaggery powdered and also required amount of salt.

Let it start cooking for some time till it thickens. It should form a paste like consistency. Add curry leaves to it. Meanwhile  roast the sesame seeds in a separate pan in low flame. Powder it and keep ready.

Also roast separately Channa dal, jeera and pepper and powder them.  Once the tamarind paste thickens, add sambar powder and sesame powder to it. Mix well and switch off the flame after two minutes.

Now take a pan and add oil to it. Once hot add mustard seeds, Channa dal and urad dal to it.

Also add turmeric and ground nut and fry till ground nut turn crisp and fried. 

Once all the elements are ready.. spread the rice in a large bowl. Add 4 tsp of the cooked paste, 2 tsp of channa dal powder and and the tempering and mix everything properly. 

This is one dish which tastes equally nice when served both hot and cold..

Enjoy the dish...

Happy cooking!!

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!!!