Chocolate milk burfi

Deepavali is tomorrow and I Guess the preparations would have been started or finished in some of your homes. This is the last dish I am making for this year Diwali. Try this easy and yummy sweet using milk powder. Milk peda and kaju katli was last year special. This year wanted to give a twist to milk peda. So I made this sweet. This double decker milk sweet was in my bookmark for a very longtime. At last gave a try for this Diwali. Try this yummy sweet

Ingredients:

Milk powder - 300 gms

Sugar powder - 200gms

Dairy milk small bar - 2

Cardamom powder - 2 tsp

Hot milk - 1 tbsp

Ghee - few tsps

Method :

• Heat a nonstick pan, add the milk powder and fry for 2 mins.
• Add the sugar powder and stir completely.
• Add the hot milk little by little and mix it until it becomes like a dough.
• Keep stirring. Add the cardamom powder. Add a tsp of ghee and mix the mixture properly with a ladle.
• Take half of the dough and place it on a roller.
• In the remaining dough, add the chocolate bars and mix well.
• Mix it well and stir occasionally.
• Switch it off once its done. allow it to cool.
• Take the dough on the roller and knead to with hands into a soft dough.
• Use the roller pin and flatten it and place on the plate.
• Take the chocolate dough , repeat the same process . Knead well with hand and rollpin.
• Place this on TOP of the white milk dough and press well. Let it rest well.
• Cut into square burfi shape.
• 
  
  

Mouthwatering yummy milk sweet ready for Diwali..

Ragi Ladoo

Diwali .......Diwali..... Diwali......sweets ..... sweets........sweetss....... 

Laddu or laddoo are ball-shaped sweets popular in the Indian Subcontinent. Laddus are made of flour, minced dough and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe. They are often served at festive or religious occasions. 

Common flours used for laddu include besan (chickpea flour), rava (wheat semolina) and ground coconut. These are combined with sugar and other flavorings, cooked in ghee and molded into a ball shape. Some laddu recipes are prepared using Ayurvedic medicinal ingredients, including methi laddu, multigrain and resin laddu. Nuts such as pistachios and almonds are commonly stuffed into laddus.

The common type of laddos are 

Boondhi ladoo,

Atte ke ladoo

Fried gram ladoo

Besan ke ladoo

Malai ladoo

Kambu ladoo

This time I have tried Ragi ladoo.

Recipe:

Ingredients :

• Ragi flour - 1 1/2 cup
• Sugar powder - 1 cup
• Ghee  - required to make ladoo
• Cardamom powder - required
• Cashews

Method :

• Heat a pan, add 3 tsp of ghee , add the broken cashews and fry it well. Take the cashews and keep it aside. 
• In  the same pan, in the remaining ghee add the Ragi flour and roast it in a pan till the raw smell of the flour vanishes and the color changes a bit.
• Take the roasted flour and sugar powder together in a vessel.
• Add cardamom powder to the mixture.
• Mix it well. Add the fried cashews and press on the ladoo while making balls.
• Add required ghee and make balls or ladoos using hand.
• Make the ladoo shape while the mixture is hot. 

Yummilicious and nutritious ladoo ready for Diwali.

Adhirasam

Adhirasam is a type of Indian sweet from Tamil cuisine. The doughnut like pastry has a long history of popularity in Tamil civilization. They are similar in shape to vadai, but are not savoury and are eaten as a dessert.

Adhirasam is a popular as an offering to the gods during puja prayers, both at home and in temples in Tamil Nadu. According to inscriptions from Krishnadevaraya's time, the sweet was made from rice flour, jaggery, butter and pepper. At the annual festival at the Panchavarnesvar Temple in Nallur(located near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu), an offering of 6000 Adhirasams along with 6000 vadas is made to the Gods; the entire lot is cooked in the temple kitchen between sunrise and 11 pm, for the prayers that take place at midnight, says Wiki..

Adhirasam is made popularly during Deepavali for nombu. I remember my paati making the adhirasam dough and keeping it for 6-9 months..the traditional delicacy has not become extinct, it is still loved by all. Enjoy the adhirasams and have a wonderful Deepavali. I will update stepwise recipe sometime sooner.

Ingredients: 

Raw rice - 1 cup

Jaggery 3/4 cup

Water

Cardamom powder -2 tsp

Oil

Method:

Wash and soak the raw rice for half an hour. After 30 mins, drain the soaked rice well without water. Take a cotton cloth or dhoti type cloth or even cotton towel. Spread the cloth and take the drained rice and spread it over the cloth nicely.

after 20 mins - half an hour the moisture from the rice reduces. It should be little wet.

Grind it either on mixer or in the nearby mill in your area.

As soon as making it into fine powder, sieve it.

Meanwhile take the jaggery and water in a pan. Heat it until it dissolves. Strain the dirt particles no allow it to boil nicely. The consistency of the syrup must be until it gives a stone sound.

Do remember this must be done before the rice flour ( ground heat vanishes).

Keep stirring the jaggery. Add the cardamom powder. To check the consistency. Take a cup of water. Take a spoon of syrup and add to the water, when you throw it it must not dissolve, it gives a Tak sound like u threw a stone. That is the correct stage. Now switch off and add the rice flour little by little and stir well.

Athick dough will be formed while you stir by adding rice flour. Once done, transfer it into a airtight box.

Once you area lets touch it. Knead it along with a tsp of gingely oil.

Make small balls from the dough. Take a sheet or leaf and press into round shape by pressing with your fingers.

Heat oil in a pan, place the pressed adhirasams in the oil. Flip and fry on both the sides.

Remove it from oil and press using another ladle to remove excess oil. 

Yummy sweet donuts are ready for nombu. You can store for any number of days.

Mullu thenkuzhal / Mullu murukku

Deepavali is on October 29th. Everyone must be deciding on the sweets and savouries to be prepared. Today we are going to see a common savoury Mullu thenkuzhal , nothing different from the traditional one. I have missed to post this murukku in these years. Therefore I am updating now in my blog.

Mullu thenkuzhal is very tasty and crispy to munch. It's easy to make as well. Try this Mullu thenkuzhal for your Diwali.

Ingredients :

• Rice flour - 3 tbsp
• Besan flour - 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds  or sesame seeds  - 2 tsp
• Water
• Asafoedita
• Salt
• Oil for frying

Method:

In a wide vessel, add rice flour, besan flour.

Add cumin seeds or sesame seeds ,asafodita, required salt.

Heat a tbsp of oil and pour it in the flour mixture. Knead the dough by adding required water. Make a soft dough.

Heat oil in a pan, take the murukku press put the star nozzle and take a ball of dough and fill in the mould. 

Close and press the mould inside the hot oil. Deep fry on bothe the sides and strain it.

Store in a airtight box for a week, it will stay crispy!

Multigrain sundal / navadhaniya sundal

Navarathri's 6th day today and my 5th day's neivedhyam was multigrain sundal or navadhaniya sundal.. Simply bored of making the regular one grain sundal.. So just tried adding everything together and tempered with spice powder . It tasted yum.. My hubby just loved it. It was too tasty and yummy. A must try for your golu this year.

I have added 9 types of grains into this sundal. They are green peas, white peas, greengram, black chickpeas, white chickpeas, horse gram, butter beans, blacked eyed white peas and peanuts. Everybody knows the nutritive value of all these pulses. You will not regret making this sundal. It is very easy , simple and healthy.

Ingredients :

Kollu - 1 tbsp

Pacha payiru - 1 tbsp

Vellai karamani - 1 tbsp

Verkadalai - 1 tbsp

Mochai - 1 tbsp

Karuppu mookadalai - 1 tbsp

Vellai mookadalai - 1 tbsp

Pachadi Pattani - 1 tbsp

Vellai Pattani - 1 tbsp

Salt

Mustard seeds

Curry leaves 

Green chilly - 1

Coconut - few pieces

Channa dal - 2 tsp

Red chilly - 3

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Water

Asafoedita 

Method:

Wash and soak all the grains in water for 4 hours.

Pressure cook the grains with little water for up to 3-4 whistles.

Heat a kadai, add little oil and fry red chilly, coriander seeds and channa dal.

Grind it in a mixer into a coarse powder.

Heat the kadai, add oil temper mustard seeds , green chily , asafoedita and curry leaves.

Add the boiled grains and salt. Close and cook for 3-4 mins.

Open and add the coarse powder and stir well. Close and cook for 5 more mins.

Tasty healthy nutritious multigrain sundal ready !

Mochai sundal / butter beans sundal

Mochakottai is butter beans is a variety of pulses. It's health benefits are butter beans are extremely rich in protein and contain the eight essential amino acids required for a health body. They provide protein without adding many calories and saturated fats that the dairy and meat products generally do. They contain certain essential nutrients which are required for the detoxification process. Hence, they help in reducing the occurrence of certain inflammatory, degenerative, and cardiovascular diseases. Further, they help in maintaining the optimal health of the human body. Lima beans are major sources of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. These dietary fibers bind the bile acids present in the intestines and slow down the metabolism of carbohydrates. This way, lima beans help in reducing blood cholesterol levels in the body. Good sources of soluble fiber, lima beans absorb water from the intestines and produce a gel-like substance which is essential for lowering the metabolism of carbohydrates in the body, thereby resulting in slow absorption of sugars from the intestines. Eventually, this prevents the sudden spike of blood sugar level after meals; benefiting diabetic people.

Navarathri 3rd day my neivedhyam was Mochai sundal.it was too tasty and a different sundal from the usuals. When it has so many benefits, why not try it?

Recipe 

Ingredients :

Butter beans or mochakottai dried - 1 cup

Channa dal - 2 tsp

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Red chilly - 3-4

Mustard seed - 1 tsp

Curry leaves

Salt

Oil

Water

Method:

Wash and soak the Mochai in water for 8 hours.

Pressure cook the beans for up to 3-4 whistles.

Heat a kadai, add little oil and fry red chilly, coriander seeds and Chenna dal.

Grind it in a mixer into a coarse powder.

Heat the kadai, add oil temper mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Add the boiled beans and salt. Close and cook for 3-4 mins.

Open and add the coarse powder and stir well. Close no cook for 5 more mins.

Yummilicious and nutritious Mochai sundal ready for neivedhyam...

Kollu sundal / Horse gram sundal

Navarathri and sundal go hand in hand.. This year navarathri has begun and everybody want make some different Sundals for neivedhyam. As such sundal itself is healthy , to make it even more healthy, make kollu sundal which is very nutritious and tasty as well. It is very easy to prepare like all other Sundals..

Wishing you all a very happy navarathri!

Ingredients :

• Kollu - 1 cup
• Mustard seeds
• Urad dal
• Green chilly - 1
• Red chilly - 1
• Salt
• Coconut- grated 
• Curry leaves 
• Oil

Method:

• Take the horse gram and wash it nicely. Just rinse it twice and soak it with water and leave it for overnight.
• Pressure cook the kollu for up to 3 whistles.

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves.
• Add the slit green chilly and red chilly and stir for 2 minutes.
• Add the kollu and stir well. 
• Add salt and close and cook for sometime until the kollu is mixed well with salt and tempering.
• Add the grated coconut and cook for two mins.

Healthy neivedhyam ready for today. 

Hash brown

Hash brown is an American breakfast . Hash browns or hashed browns are a simple preparation in which potato are pan-fried in a rectangular shape pattie after being shredded, julienned, diced, or riced, in the style of a Swiss Rosti. In some cultures, hash browns or hashed browns can refer to any of these preparations, while in others it may refer to one specific preparation. Hash browns are a staple breakfast food at diners in North America, where they are often fried on a large common cooktop or grill, according to Wiki.

Hash browns are very simple and easy to make , most importantly very tasty too.here comes the recipe

Ingredients : 

Potatoes - 2

Salt

Herbs or white pepper - 1 tsp

Corn starch - 2 tsp or eggs - 2

Oil or butter ( according to your taste

Method :

Take the potatoes and wash it well. Peel the potatoes and grate it using a grater and transfer it into a vessel.

Add cold water to it and rinse nicely to remove its starch.

Add white pepper or if you like herbs add it.

Add salt and corn starch or eggs.

Mix all of the together nicely. They will blend and mix well.

Heat a Tava, take one spoon of the mixture and place it on the Tava like patties .

Sprinkle oil or butter and roast on both sides.

Yummy finger licking hash browns are ready. Serve hot with tea / coffee. 

Ragi thattai / kezhvaragu thattai

Lord krishna is calling.. Hope everyone is busy preparing snacks or neivedhyam for janmashtami which is tomorrow. I just made these crispy thattais using Ragi flour. Normally we make with rice flour or even maida.. But this Ragi thattai is easy to make and also healthy for eating. On the name of lord krishna , we consume snacks on this day. We make Seedai, murukku, thattai, Vella Seedai, palkova, 

Recipe for thattai :

Ingredients : 

Ragi flour - one cup

Moong dal - one tbsp( soaked)

Chilly powder -1/2 tsp

Salt

Asafotida - 1 tsp

Curry leaves 

Oil

Water

Method : 

In a wide vessel, add the above ingredients one by one.

Heat oil in a pan, once it is hot. Take a tbsp of oil and pour it in the vessel with ingredients.

Knead the mixture into a soft dough. Make small balls out of it.

Take a plastic cover or Ziplock and place the balls and flat with your palm or fingers to make thattai.

Place in the hot oil and fry.

Flip on both the sides and fry till crisp and till the bubbles reduce.

Remove it from the oil and place it on the kitchen towels to remove excess oil and transfer into a air tight box.

Yummilicious thattai ready for lord krishna!

Avocado paratha

Today ' s post is about a healthy dinner or breakfast option. What is it when it is done with avocados?

It's a paratha , it's an Indian bread made using avocados. For a Long time I was planning to buy avocados, but didn't buy till date. For today's dish , courtesy is my Cousin who bought me some avocados so that at least I. Oils innovate some dishes. Thanks to her.

Nutrients of avocados:

Hass avocados are a nutrient-dense fruit. Why is nutrient density important? According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, nutrient-dense foods are those foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and other substances that may have positive health effects, with relatively few calories. They are lean or low in solid fats, and minimize or exclude added solid fats, added sugars, and added refined starches, as these add calories but few essential nutrients or dietary fiber. Nutrient-dense foods also minimize or exclude added salt or other compounds high in sodium. Ideally, they are in forms that retain naturally occurring components such as dietary fiber.

With nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients per 1-oz. serving, avocados are a good nutrient choice.

Avocados – the Nutrient Booster

Why increasing absorption of these nutrients matters: Alpha- and beta-carotene can form Vitamin A in the body, which is important for proper growth and reproduction as well as good eyesight.  Vitamin A is involved in immune functions, vision and cellular function. Vitamin A also supports cellular growth and differentiation, playing a critical role in the normal formation and maintenance of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs.

Let's go the recipe:

Verdict from my kid : Amma, the chappathi is Super soft and wonderful. She just loved it. Mamma happy.... Courtesy for today's snaps is my kid. 

Ingredients :

Avocados - 2 ripe

Garlic pods - 2

Lime juice - half lime

Green chilly -2

Salt

Coriander leaves - finely chopped

Wheat flour / atta - 1 1/2 cup 

Oil - for making chapathies

Water if needed

Method :

In a big vessel, take the ripe avocadoes and cut open it.  

Take the has from it. Put it in the vessel. Smash it well using a potato smasher until no chunks . Add the lemon juice.

Add the grated garlic pods ,green chillies and coriander leaves.

Add salt and add the wheat flour and knead the dough using the pulp itself.( I did not add any water).

Add the flour little by little while kneading it. Once the dough is ready. Add a tsp of oil and mix the dough.

Allow it to rest for 15- 20 mins.( I kept for 2 hrs).

Like the normal chappathi, make into small balls and roll it using the rolling pin by dusting on the flour.

Heat a Tava and keepin high while making chapathies , place the chapathies and flip over on both the sides. Sprinkle oil if required.

Wonderful soft avocado paratha share ready. I served it with cucumber onion tomato raitha..Enjoy!

Beetroot kesari

August is here, so all the festivals would be around soon. Aadi masam has started, Aadi pathinettu was celebrated last Tuesday  and Aadi pooram is tomorrow. Everybody will be confused as what sweet to make. It should be simple and easy and healthy as well.

My kiddo requested for kesari and I wanted to avoid adding Colour. I have made quiet a few combos of kesaris. When I opened the fridge I found beetroot, then thought why not add these to the kesari? 

Kesari was too yummy , tasty and colourful 

Try this for any one day for neivedhyam.hope you all like it.

Ingredients :

• Ghee - 1/2 cup
• White Rava - 1 cup
• Sugar - 3/4 -1cup
• Water - 3 cups
• Beetroot - half puréed
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Nuts - optional ( I have just garnished with roasted almonds)

Method:

 

• Heat a pan, Dry Roast the Rava and keep it aside.
• In the same pan, add the beetroot purée and the required water for the kesari.
• Add sugar. Mix well. Close it with lid and allow the beetroot purée to be boiled and cooked well( raw flavour should vanish).
• Once the purée is boiled nicely. Add the rava. Allow the rava to boil. Close the lid.
• After the rava is cooked well ,add Ghee  and cardamom powder. Cook till ghee comes out.
• Add the nuts , if you are adding. I have garnished few almonds.

too.

Mouth melting soft kesari is ready to serve for God!

Walnut mini muffins - air fryer

Hi all,

 After nearly 4 months , started writing. For the past four months have been very lazy and lethargic to even cook as my parent in laws and parents. I sited us and again I went on a vacation. Now I am back to my den. Happily relaxed and no much cooking, no work At all . 

Now it's my turn to go back to my work, so just started the blogging too today. I am motivating myself to write regularly. Please do motivate me by your encouraging comments and feedback.

Today I am sharing a simple muffin recipe. You can make any changes that you want to make. I ,add these for my kid's class party on her last day of school. Hope you all like it.

Ingredients :

All purpose flour - 115 gms

Butter - 100 gms

Sugar / powdered sugar - 115 gms

Eggs -2

Baking powder -1tsp

Salt - a pinch

Milk - if needed

Walnuts powdered or crushed - 1 cup

Vanilla Essence -2 tsp

Method :

In a mixing bowl , mix the bitter and sugar with a hand mixer until it becomes fluffy and frothy.

Add the eggs to and beat well.

Add the vanilla Essence and pulse it quickly.

Now at all the dry ingredients together. apf , baking powder, salt ,crushed walnuts.

Mix nicely until it's mixed well into a cake batter. If it's too thick sprinkle little milk and beat the batter.

Once done. Pour the batter into moulds whichever you have.

Sprinkle some crushed walnuts on TOP for crunchy feel.

I have used silicon moulds which I had.

I am using air fryer to bake. Preheat the airfryer for 5 mins at 200 degrees.

Place the cups inside the baking tray of the fryer and close it and set the temperature to 200 or even 180 deg for 10 mins. Check with a tooth pick or skewer if it's done by pricking .if nothing sticks to it , the cake is baked.

If it comes out wet, give 2 more mins standby time for it to to bake well.

Walnut mini muffins are soft and so fluffy.