NEI APPAM RECIPE | KRISHNA JAYANTHI RECIPES

Nei appam is generally made during Krishna jayanthi |Gokulashtami along with Uppu seedai and Vella seedai.  We also make this for Ganesha Chathurthi and Karthigai Deepam too. Even for working women who cannot come and make all items elaborately after coming back from office, they can offer Nei appam and Aval payasam for neivedhyam. This nei appam my amma makes very nice and generally she deep fries it . But i made in paniyaram pan . So sharing today the recipe of nei appam  which i learnt from my mom.

INGREDIENTS: MAKES 12 APPAMS

RAW RICE	1/2 CUP
URAD DAL	1 TBLSP
RAVA | SOOJI	1 TSP
JAGGERY	1/4 CUP + 1 TBLSP
GHEE	AS NEEDED
CARDAMOM POWDER	A PINCH
COCONUT GRATED	2 TBLSP

METHOD:

• Soak the rice, urad dal and rava for 2 hours.
• Drain the water and grind this into thick paste without adding much water. When  it is done, add the jaggery and pulse till it mixes to the rice mixture.

• Add coconut and cardamom powder to this and pulse again.
• The batter is ready, Let this be like a ildi batter consistency.

• Heat the paniyaram pan and add ghee to this. Spoon in the batter and keep the flame low. When it becomes golden brown flip on the other side. Add some ghee and cook till golden brown.
• Repeat the same for the rest of the batter too.

• Nei appams are ready for neivedhyam.

• If deep frying add ghee plus oil in a pan and spoon(little bigger spoon) in  for one appam at a time.

Note:

• Instead of urad dal you can add 2 tblsp of wheat flour to ground rice and jaggery mixture.
• You can add mashed banana (1 banana) to get pillow soft appams.
• A pinch of baking soda can be added just before making this.
• If you feel the jaggery has impurities then grind the rice separatelythick, and melt the jaggery in little water and add filter this and add this to the rice paste.

Technorati Tags: nei appam recipe,neyappam recipe,Gokulahtami recipes,krishna jayanthi recipes,janmashtami recipes,Easy sweet recipes,Indian sweet recipes,karthigai deepam recipes,ganesha chaturthi recipes

METHI PAKODA RECIPE |METHI PAKORA RECIPE

Methi pakoda is an easy and quick snack which i tried for the first time. This methi pakoda turned out well and we had this as an evening snack with hot tea on a rainy day. I have tried Methi pakoda kadhi but this is a different recipe of pakoda which i tried from a cook book. If you have Methi leaves in hand, just go ahead to make this methi pakodas.

INGREDIENTS: SERVES 3-4

METHI LEAVES	2 CUPS
BESAN |GRAM FLOUR	1/2 CUP
RICE FLOUR	1/4 CUP
SAMBAR POWDER*	1-2 TSP
JEERA POWDER	1/4 TSP
AMCHOOR POWDER	2 PINCHES
CORIANDER LEAVES	1 HAND FUL
SALT	AS NEEDED
GARAM MASALA	1/4 TSP
ONION	1
OIL	FOR DEEP FRYING

*Sambar powder can be replaced with coriander powder and red chilli powder.

METHOD:

• Wash the methi leaves and chop them roughly.
• In a wide bowl add the methi leaves and add the rice flour, gram flour, sambar powder,coriander leaves,amchoor powder,jeera,salt and garam masala.
• Add chopped onions to this.

• Add little water to this and make it to a dough consistency.
• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. when the oil is hot, keep the flame to medium.
• Spoon in the dough in small batches into oil and deep fry them till golden brown.

• Drain excess oil in kitchen towel and serve hot with tomato ketchup.

       NOTE:

1. Adding amchoor powder lessens the bitterness of the methi leaves in the pakoda.
2. Mint leaves can be added instead of coriander leaves.

Check out my other methi leaves recipes:

• ALOO METHI
• METHI LEAVES SAMBAR
• METHI THEPLA
• METHI PULAO
• METHI MALAI MUTTER
• PANEER METHI MAKHANI
• METHI PARATHA

Technorati Tags: Methi pakoda recipe,methi pakora recipe,quick snacks recipes,Methi leaves recipes,recipes using methi leaves

ONION CHUTNEY | VENGAYA CHUTNEY RECIPE|SIDE DISH FOR IDLI

Onion chutney was introduced to me when my mom was here. Very long back i learnt the recipe of vengaya thogaiyal recipe from my mami and tried it few times at home too. But this onion chutney i have never tried or tasted. When i posted the recipe of WHEAT DOSA Ii placed this onion chutney near by the dosa. Many readers asked the recipe of that. So i made this vengaya chutney last week for idlis. Try out this easy onion chutney (without coconut).
Also check out my

• Kadamba chutney
• Tomato ginger chutney

INGREDIENTS: YIELDS 1 CUP

SHALLOTS | SMALL ONION	15
URAD DAL	1 TBLSP
RED CHILLI	4-5
TAMARIND	A SMALL PIECE
SESAME OIL	2 TSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
SALT	AS NEEDED

METHOD:

• Peel the skin the onions and wash it nicely.
• Pat dry it and add little oil and add the urad dal and red chilli. In a low flame roast this till golden brown. Keep it aside.
• In the same pan add the shallots

• Roast this in a low flame till golden brown.
• Allow this to cool and grind this along with tamarind and salt into a smooth paste.

• Add little water while grinding.
• In a pan add sesame oil and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When done add this to the chutney.

    

AVAL PAYASAM WITH JAGGERY | FESTIVAL RECIPES

    Aval payasam is made generally during gokulaashtami and i have already posted the version of aval payasam with sugar Here. Aval payasam with vellam |jaggery is the one which is made during festival at our house. So i wanted to post the recipeof aval payasam with jaggery as Gokulaashtami is nearing. The jaggery which i bought this time is not so good in colour and so the payasam did not gain the vibrant brown colour as the usual vella payasam get.

INGREDIENTS : SERVES 4

AVAL | POHA |RICE FLAKES	1/3 CUP
MILK	2 CUPS
JAGGERY	1/2 TO 3/4 CUP
GHEE	2 TSP
CASHEW NUTS	FEW
CARDAMOM POWDER	A PINCH

METHOD:

• In a pan add ghee and roast the cashews till golden brown and keep it aside.
• Add the aval in the same pan and dry roast this till golden brown.
• Allow this to cool and just pulse this once in the mixer. This step is optional. You can continue without doing this.

• Add 2 cups of milk to this and start boiling this. Let the milk boil and after sometime keep the flame low and stir in between.

• In a pan add jaggery and add 1/4 cup of water. Melt the jaggery.
• Filter the impurities and boil it for 2 minutes.
• switch off the flame.

• Switch off the flame in the milk also. Poha tends to cook faster.
• Let both the milk mixture and jaggery becomes cool.
• Mix them both and add cardamom powder and cashew nuts.

• Aval payasam is ready for neivedhyam .

Note:

1. Never add jaggery syrup to hot milk. it will get curdled immediately.
2. Do not heat the payasam after mixing the jaggery and milk. this will get curdled.
3. You can skip the step of grinding the poha too.
4. Raisins can be fried and added to the payasam

Technorati Tags: aval payasam with jaggery,poha kheer,janmashtami recipes,gokulahtami recipes,poha recipes,indian festival recipes

  

PALAK KOFTA GRAVY|PALAK KOFTA CURRY RECIPE

Palak kofta gravy we first tasted in a restaurant in Vietnam and as i mentioned in the Aloo capsicum gravy post, this is another restaurant style gravy which you can try at home . I didn’t deep fry the Koftas but coked in the paniyaram pan as i did in the Cabbage Kofta recipe. We had this with Lachha parathas which i have posted here.

INGREDIENTS FOR KOFTA (MAKES 7 KOFTAS)

PALAK (Chopped)	1/4 CUP
POTATO(bolied and peeled)	2
BESAN | GRAM FLOUR	1 TBLSP
CORIANDER POWDER	1/2 TSP
RED CHILLI  POWDER	1/2 TSP
JEERA POWDER	1/4 TSP
OIL	1-2 TBLSP

FOR GRAVY :SERVES 4

ONION	2
PALAK	1 CUP (TIGHTLY PACKED)
TOMATO	1
RED CHILLI POWDER	1/2 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER	1/2 TSP
JEERA	1/4 TSP
GARAM MASALA POWDER	2 PINCHES
KASOORI METHI	2 PINCHES
MILK	1/4 CUP

METHOD:
FOR MAKING KOFTAS

• Combine all the ingredients under the  Ingredient table “Kofta”,except oil and mix well. Ensure that the mixture is tight. If you feel it isbit loose add 1 tblsp of besan to this to make it thick.
• Make small balls( koftas )out of this and heat the paniyaram pan.

• Add little oil in each hole and place the koftas into it.
• Cook in a medium flame by turning it on both sides. Let it turns into a golden brown colour. Add little oil if needed.

• when the koftas are firm and cooked, switch off the flame and keep it aside.

FOR GRAVY

• Chop the onions finely. In a pan add oil and saute the onions till they become light brown.
• allow this to cool and add the tomato and jeera.

• Meanwhile wash and chop the palak and and cook it hot water for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp of sugar while cooking to retain the colour.
• When it is cool, take out the water and make the spinach into a fine puree. Reserve the water to use it for gravy.

• Finely grind the onion tomato mixture into a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan and add this paste and saute well. Add the coriander powder, garam masala and red chilli powder.

• when the raw smell of the masala powder goes, add the palak puree and add the reserved water which we kept aside after cooking the palak.
• Now add in the milk and mix well. Let this boil for 2 minutes. Add kasoori methi and switch off the flame.

• Palak gravy is ready . Before serving add in the kofta balls to the hot gravy and serve with roti | parathas.

             
NOTES:

1. Green chilli can be added instead of red chilli powder. If adding green chilli grind with the palak.
2. You can replace cream instead of milk.
3. Koftas can be deep fried too instead of making in paniyaram pan.
4. I have kept the koftas in the gravy for 3 hours and it didn’t break in the gravy.

Technorati Tags: palak koftagravy,palak recipes,healthy recipes,side dish for rotis,side dish for chapathi,northindian recipes,kofta recipes,vegetarian kofta balls

Lachha paratha recipe, how to make lachha paratha

Lachha paratha, a popular layered Indian flat bread recipe, with detailed step by step pictures and video of how to make lachha paratha.

Lachha paratha is the one which i wanted to try for a long time, it finally worked out during the long weekend last week. Lachha paratha turned out flaky and we enjoyed with Palak kofta Gravy.  During our childhood days, we used to eat the Kerala Malabar Parrota in a friend’s place and we too help her mom in making the parrota. In that same way i have tried this Lachha paratha and let me share the recipe of Lachha Paratha.
Also check out my other popular Indian flat bread recipes.

• Palak lachha paratha
• Kulcha recipe