THIRUVADIRAI KALI RECIPE |THIRUVATHIRA KALI

         Thiruvadirai is favored for Lord Shiva, on the day of Thiruvadirai star in Marghazhi (November-December)and  is a festival of great importance. The sweet dish offering on this day, Thiruvadirai kali,  and today i am sharing the recipe of Thiruvadirai Kali recipe. Check out the Thiruvathirai Kootu | Thalagam recipe.
        When I called up mom yesterday for the recipe, she told me the entire procedure and I remember her making in a heavy bottomed Brass vessel called “URULI”. Since I don’t have this here I made in pressure cooker like we make Arisi Upma.

INGREDIENTS:

RAW RICE	1/2 CUP
JAGGERY	1 CUP
WATER	3-4 CUPS
MOONG DAL	2 TBLSP
GHEE	2 TBLSP
CARDAMOM POWDER	A PINCH
COCONUT (GRATED)	2 TBLSP

METHOD:

• In a pan dry roast the raw rice till it becomes reddish brown. Be careful not to get it burnt. Allow it to cool.

• Soak the moong dal for 10 minutes in water and cook this in open flame for 10 minutes or till the dal turns soft and not mushy.
• Drain the water.

• In a Pressure cooker add the jaggery and pour a 1/2 cup of water to this.
• When the jaggery melts filter the impurity and boil the jaggery water for few minutes. Add 3 cups of water to this .
• Add the coconut and cardamom powder to this.

• Grind the roasted rice in a mixer into a rava consistency. Don’t grind it too much into a powder. It should be of semolina(rava) consistency.

• Add this to the boiling jaggery water and add the cooked moong dal.
• Add ghee.
• Mix well and pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.
• Thiruvadirai Kali is ready for neivedhyam.

Notes:

1. It took 4 cups of water for me to cook . The measurement depends upon the nature of rice. If the rice is too old it needs lot of water. If it is new rice, 2-3 cups is enough.
2. You can cook this in open flame as we do for rava upma. Since My mom gave me an easy option I have done this in pressure cooker.
3. Instead of cooking the moong dal separately it can be roasted along with rice and can be ground along with it.

TOMATO SWEET PACHADI RECIPE | THAKKALI PACHADI

    Tomato Sweet Pachadi is my mom’s signature dish and it is liked by everybody at my place including kids. This tomato pachadi is generally served in tamil brahmin weddings and functions. We used to call this as tomato jam. Since i am not a big fan of sweets , i never attempted to try this at home. During my visit to India few weeks back, my mom made this and i clicked the pictures and sharing the recipe with you.
Before going to the recipe I thank all my fellow blogger friends for visiting my space and commenting on my posts. I missed many wonderful posts and will catch up all at the earliest.

INGREDIENTS:

TOMATO	12 NO
SUGAR	2 AND 1/2 CUP
WATER	1/2 CUP
DATES(DESEEDED)	4-5 NO
RAISINS	1 TBLSP
CASHEWNUTS	1-2 TBLSP
GHEE	2 TSP

• Wash and chop the tomato into small pieces.
• In a heavy bottomed vessel ( my mom used pressure cooker), add sugar along with the water.

• Add the chopped tomato to the sugar and stir well.
• Do not add any water,after adding tomatoes, as the tomatoes will ooze out water.
• Keep this in a medium low flame and stir continuously.
• The process will take 35- 45 minutes to reach the pachadi consistency.

• Fry the dates, cashew nuts, raisins separately in ghee and add to the pachadi.
• Mix well.Serve warm or chilled.

KADAI PANEER – SIDE DISH FOR ROTI-PANEER RECIPES

 Paneer recipes are always a  super hit at my home. Though i have tasted kadai paneer  in restaurants many times, somehow I never made this at home. Last week i thought i will try this kadai paneer recipe. I tried out and it was a super hit among my family. It is a very simple recipe too. Do try this Kadai paneer at home.

SHAHI TUKDA | SHAHI TUKRA RECIPE – A WARM WELCOME TO NEW YEAR 2012.

Shahi tukda, deep fried bread dipped in sugar syrup and served with rabdi,topped with nuts.        

I wish all my readers and friends a very Happy new year 2012 . To welcome the New year I wanted to make a sweet and immediately Shahi tukda came to mind. A rich and royal dessert from the land of Hyderabad, is an easy one to make. So go ahead to try this out and impress your family and friends for this New year party.

INGREDIENTS
TO MAKE RABDI:

MILK	2 CUPS
MAIDA | CORN FLOUR	1/2 TSP
SUGAR	2 TBLSP
SAFFRON	A PINCH

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

BREAD  SLICES (WHITE BREAD)	3-4 SLICES
SUGAR	1/4 CUP
GHEE	TO FRY THE BREAD
CASHEW NUTS	7-8 NO
PISTA	FEW
CARDAMON POWDER	A PINCH

• Combine all the ingredients given under the rabdi table (except sugar)and boil this without forming any lumps for a sometime under medium flame stirring continuously.
• Be careful not to get it burnt. When it reaches a pouring consistency switch off the flame and keep aside.Add sugar and mix well.

• Cut the edges of the bread and make it into small triangles.
• Before cutting the bread just keep them open in plates for 15 mins and let the moisture gets absorbed from the bread.

• Heat ghee in a kadai in a  low flame  fry the bread pieces and drain it in a kitchen towel.

• Make a sugar syrup by adding little water to the sugar.
• The syrup should be sticky and no string consistency has to be formed.
• Keep it aside.
• Dip the fried breads in the sugar syrup and take out in a second.

• Fry the cashew nuts and pistachios  ( i didn’t add pistachios) in a tsp of ghee.
• Arrange the bread dipped in sugar syrup, in a plate.

• Pour the rabdi over this and garnish with nuts.
• Serve chilled.

1. The rabdi can be made a day before the party and kept in the fridge.
2. Always fry in ghee as oil will spoil the taste.

CHANNA CHAT WITH KHATTA MEETHA CHUTNEY

NO ONION –NO GARLIC RECIPE.
  As kids are at home , most of the time I am spending  in the kitchen making something or other to satisfy their craving. At the same time ,in the corner of the mind i want to make their snack little healthy too. This channa chat recipe i found in a Tarla dalal cook book and my kids enjoyed this and thank god I have time to click the pictures , as they were playing down when i was making this. Here comes the recipe of Chana chat – A kids friendly recipe.
Check out my
Aloo tikki chaat recipe
Bread channa recipe

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE KHATTA MEETHA CHUTNEY:

CUMIN SEEDS	1/2 TSP
CHOPPED MINT LEAVES	1 CUP
CORIANDER LEAVES	1/2 CUP
GREEN CHILLIES	3-4(CHOPPED)
GINGER	A SMALL PIECE
LEMON JUICE	3 TBLSP
SUGAR	1 TBLSP
CHAT MASALA	1/4 TSP
SALT	TO TASTE

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

BUTTER	1/2 TBLSP
CUMIN SEEDS	1/2 TSP
BOILED CHANNA	1/2 CUP
BOILED POTATO	1 NO
PANEER CUBES	1/4 CUP
CAPSICUM (CHOPPED)	3-4 TBLSP
TOMATOES(CHOPPED)	1/4 CUP
SALT	TO TASTE
LEMON JUICE	1/4 TSP
CORIANDER LEAVES(CHOPPED)	1 TBLSP

METHOD:

• Combine all the ingredients mentioned in the khatta meethi chutney table into a smooth paste .
• Add a tsp of water while grinding if required.

• Cut the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds from inside.
• Chop tomato , capsicum and potato into small cubes.
• 
• Heat butter in a kadai and add the cumin seeds.
• When they crackle add the boiled channa , potatoes, tomatoes ,capsicum and paneer( i didn’t use as i don’t have it in hand) and cook for a minute.
• Remove from flame and allow it to cool.

• When cool, add the khatta meethi chutney , salt, lemon juice and coriander leaves . Mix well.

• Serve immediately.

See you all soon with an interesting recipe before the New year.

EGGLESS TUTTI FRUITY CAKE

           Wish all my readers a very Happy and merry Christmas. I actually planned to make Dates and Walnut cake for Christmas, but kids wanted something new. So i got hooked up with this recipe and I referred from here also. I couldn’t even time to take proper pictures as kids were  in a hurry to finish this soon.

INGREDIENTS:

ALL PURPOSE FLOUR	1 AND 1/2 CUP
CORN FLOUR	3 TBLSP
BUTTER	6 TBLSP
POWDERED SUGAR	1 CUP
BAKING POWDER	1 TSP
BAKING SODA	1/2 TSP
SALT	1/4 TSP
CONDENSED MILK	1/2 CUP
PLAIN CLUB SODA	1/3 CUP
VANILLA ESSENCE	2 TSP
TUTTI FRUITTY	4 TBLSP
RAISINS	1 TBLSP

EGG REPLACER:

WATER	2 TBLSP
OIL	1 TBLSP
BAKING POWDER	1/2 TSP

METHOD:

• Cream the butter and sugar using a hand beater.
• Add condensed milk, vanilla essence.

• Run the contents mentioned in the egg replacer table in a mixer.
• Mix it well to the sugar and butter mixture.

• Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda for even mixing.
• Add the flour to the wet mixture and fold nicely using a spatula.
• Add the soda water and fold this evenly.

• Add tutti fruity and raisins to this and mix well.

• Grease a baking tin( mine is 7 inch round tin) and transfer the mixture to the tin.
• Bake it in preheated oven at 160 degrees for 40 to 45 mins. My cake got done in 45 mins.

NOTE:

• Adding orange zest will add a nice flavour to the cake.
• Instead of using plain soda orange flavored soda can be added.

Tiffin sambar recipe, Side dish for idli, dosa

  Tiffin Sambar, A popular, tasty South Indian gravy made by simmering lentils and
shallots along with tamarind extract. Tiffin Sambar or Idli Sambar is a popular side dish
recipe for idli or dosa in many hotels in South India, which is made by replacing yellow
moong dal instead of the usual toor dal. I adapted this recipe from my mother who always
makes this version of sambar to pair with Pongal or idli or dosa. We make the usual toor
dal version to pair with rice. Moving on to the recipe of hotel style tiffin sambar. Look out
for my restaurant style Sambar Vadai recipe for an interesting variation.

VEN PONGAL RECIPE | KHARA PONGAL RECIPE

   

“Ven Pongal recipe with video and step by step pictures, A popular South Indian breakfast made by cooking rice and lentils, garnished with cumin, whole pepper and cashews topped with ghee. Ven Pongal or Khara Pongal is a popular South Indian breakfast recipe made with raw rice and yellow moong lentils. In Tamil Brahmin households, we make this Ven Pongal in the month of

Margazhi, also called as Dhanur maasam. Nothing like savouring this delicious

Pongal with chutney and sambar along with a piping hot cup of filter coffee. I

sometimes also make Ven Pongal for dinner. Nowadays, many of us refrain from

eating white rice due to health reasons. Hence, I have also tried making Ven Pongal

by replacing rice with either millets Thinai Ven Pongal or sooji Rava Ven

Pongal

SOUR CREAM DIP RECIPE

       Sour cream dip recipe I learnt from my daughter and which she learne from her friend’s mom as she made this for us on a weekend along with burger. This tasted so yummy and few days back i made this for her and i don’t know the original source of the recipe, since i just made as per my daughter’s  instructions . If it is from any one of your space please let me know.
Also check out my

• Hummus recipe
• Aamras recipe

INGREDIENTS:

SOUR CREAM	1 CUP
SPRING ONION (GREEN PART ONLY)	2-3 TBLSP
CAPSICUM(VERY FINELY CHOPPED)	3 TBSLP
SALT	TO TASTE
GREEN CHILLI	1 NO
LEMON JUICE	FEW DROPS

METHOD:

• Chop the greens of the spring onion and the capsicum into very fine pieces.
• I used all the three colors(red,green, yellow) of the capsicum.
• Roast the green chilli in open flame.

• Take the cream in a wide bowl and beat this nicely with a spoon.
• Chop the roasted chilli finely.
• Mix everything to the cream and add salt and lemon juice.

• Serve with chips | or with breads.

• This can be kept in the fridge for a day. Always use this on the day when it is made.