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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Beetroot Halwa



A variety dessert prepared by using Beetroot.

INGREDIENTS:
  • Grated Beetroot -2 cups
  • Milk - 2 cup
  • Sugar - ½ cup to 3/4 cup  (or as needed)
  • Ghee - 3 tbsp
  • Cardamom powder - ¼ tsp 
  • Almond slices - few
  • Pista slices - few
PREPARATION METHOD:
  • Heat ghee in a Pan.
  • Add the grated beetroot and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes.
  • Add milk and cook till the milk gets completely absorbed.
  • Add the sugar and stir well.
  • Add the cardamom powder and cook in low heat till the ghee oozes out.
  • Remove from fire and let it cool.
  • Garnish with almond slices and pista slices and cut it in a desired shape.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Carrot Broccoli Mezhukkupuratti / Carrot Broccoli stir fry




INGREDIENTS:
  • Sliced Carrot (length wise) - 1 nos
  • Sliced Broccoli - 1 cup
  • Sliced Onion - 1 nos
  • Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
  • Crushed Chilly - ½ tsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1  tsp
  • Red chilly - 2 nos
  • Curry leaves - A few
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil - 1 tbsp

PREPARATION METHOD:
  • Put carrot, broccoli and onion into a pan.
  • Add turmeric powder, salt and little water into it and mix well.
  • Cover the pan with a lid and cook.
  • Heat oil in a pan.
  • Add mustrard seeds, curry leaves and red chillies into it, allow to Splutter.
  • Add cooked vegetable, crushed chilly and mix well.
  • Fry utill it becomes golden colour.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice / Chappathi



Sunday, September 2, 2012

Pineapple Payasam



A Sweet and tangy dessert. Its a variety payasam which has a distinct sweet and tangy taste.

INGREDIENTS:
  • Finely chopped pineapple - 2cup
  • Sugar- 1 cup
  • Jaggery - 1 cup
  • Thin coconut milk - 3 cup
  • Thick Coconut Milk - 1 ½ cup
  • Dried Ginger powder - ¼ tsp
  • Cardamom powder - ¼ tsp
  • Ghee  - 3 tbsp
  • Cashew nuts- 10 nos
  • Raisins - 1 tbsp
  • Sesame - 1 tsp
  • Cumin seed - 1 tsp

PREPARATION METHOD:
  • Add little water in jaggery, let it dissolve and filter it.
  • Heat a heavy bottomed pan, add ghee into it.
  • Add chopped pineapple into it and saute well till it becomes soft. 
  • Add sugar and  filtered jaggery into the cooked pineapple and mix well.
  • Stir continuously and allow to cook.
  • When the pineapple absorbs the jaggery, add thin coconut milk.
  • Stir well and let it boil.
  • When it begins to boil, add thick coconut milk, mix well and boil for a minute.
  • Turn off  the stove and add cardamom powder and ginger powder.
  • Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a pan.
  • Fry cashew nut, raisin, cumin seed, sesame.
  • Add this seasoning into the payasam and mix well.



Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Onam Traditional Breakfast




Traditional Onam breakfast in  my husbands place (Thrissur).

  • Pazham puzhungiyathu (steamed banana)
  • Pappadam
  • Ada - Ila Ada
  • Kaya Upperi (banana chips) - Ethakka Upperi
  • Sharkkara Upperi


Sunday, August 26, 2012

Pineapple Pachadi



It is  a tasty sweet and tangy Pachadi.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Pineapple (finely chopped) - 1 cup
  • Grated coconut - ½ cup
  • Green Chillies (roundly cut) - 4 nos
  • Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
  • Curd - 2 cup
  • Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 ½ tsp
  • Red chilly - 2 nos
  • Sliced Shallot - 1 tsp
  • Fenugreek Powder- a pinch
  • Curry leaves - 1 stem
  • Salt to taste
  • Coconut Oil -1 tsp 

PREPARATION METHOD:

  • Grind the coconut and cumin seeds to a fine paste.
  • Crush  ½ tsp mustard seed.
  • Cook chopped pineapple and green chilly in water along with salt and turmeric powder.
  • When the water almost dries up, add coconut paste and crushed mustard seed into it.
  • When it starts boiling, turn off the stove and allow to cool.
  • Add curd to it and stir well.
  • Heat oil in a Pan.
  • Add mustrard seeds and red chillies into it, allow to splutter.
  • Add sliced shallot and fry it.
  • Pour the seasoning over the pachadi and add curry leaves .
  • Sprinkle fenugreek powder and mix well.

Recommended Combination: Serve with Rice.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Roasted Almond




Very easy to make snack.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Almonds- 1 cup
  • Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

  • Soak almonds in water for 30 minutes.
  • Drain it.
  • Add salt to the almonds and mix well.
  • keep it aside for another 30 minutes.
  • Heat a pan and roast the almonds till we hear a cracking sound from it.
  • Remove it from fire and let it cool.




Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Spicy Boondi




This is the 300th post in my blog. I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone for the support you have extended over the past few years. Thanks again.

Spicy Boondi is a teatime snack.

INGREDIENTS:
  • Besan Flour/ Kadalamavu - 1 cup
  • Turmeric powder- 2  pinch
  • Asafoetida powder - 2 pinch
  • Chilly Powder - ¼ tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Curry leaves - few leaves
  • Oil for frying

PREPARATION METHOD:
  • Add turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, chilly Powder and salt to the besan flour and mix well.
  • Add water to the flour mix to make the batter smooth (slightly thicker than dosa batter).
  • For making Boondi we need a perforated spoon (laddle with small holes)
  • Heat oil in a pan .
  • Hold the laddle above the hot oil (1 - 1½ inch above) and pour 2-3 spoon batter to the ladddle and rub with another spoon.
  • Fry Boondi till it is crispy and collect it in a bowl.
  • Repeat the same process with the remaining batter.
  • Heat little oil in a pan.
  • Add curry leaves and fry it.
  • Mix the fried curry leaves with boondi and serve.



Monday, August 20, 2012

Maavunda / Rice Ladoo



Maavunda / Rice Ladoo is a  snack popular in the central parts of kerala. Its very easy to prepare and can be stored for several days  without any taste change.

INGREDIENTS:
  • Raw Rice flour(fine powder)- 2 cups
  • Jaggery(grated) - 1 cup
  • Grated Coconut(Finely grated) - 1 cup
  • Dry Ginger powder / chukku podi - 2 pinch
  • Cardamon powder / Elakka podi - 2 pinch
  • Salt water

PREPARATION METHOD:
  • Sprinkle little salt water in the rice flour and mix well.
  • Add grated coconut in to the flour and mix well.
  • Heat a heavy bottomed pan and roast the rice flour and grated coconut  in medium heat till it is crisp and  golden colour . 
  • Remove from fire and let it cool.
  • Add little water in jaggery and let it dissolve.
  • Bring this syrup to boil in a vessel, stirring constantly till one-thread consistency is reached.
  • Add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and the roasted rice powder into it and mix well.
  • Remove from fire and make small balls out of the mixture.(it will be hard to make balls if the mixture is cold)
  • Apply little rice powder on your hand so that it doesn't stick. 
  • Sprinkle some rice powder over the ball to prevent it from sticking together.



Sunday, August 19, 2012

Kerala Mixture




Its a very popular teatime snack in kerala. As the name implies it is a combination of seva, boondhi , fried peanut and spices.

INGREDIENTS:
For Seva:
  • Besan Flour/ Kadalamavu - 1 cup
  • Turmeric powder- a pinch
  • Asafoetida powder- 2 pinch
  • Chilly Powder - ¼ tsp 
  • Salt to taste
For Boondhi:
  • Besan Flour/ Kadalamavu - 1 cup
  • Turmeric powder- 2  pinch
  • Asafoetida powder - 2 pinch
  • Chilly Powder- ¼ tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Split dalia / Pottukadala- 4 Tbsp
  • Peanuts - 4 Tbsp
  • Curry leaves- few leaves
  • Asafoetida powder - 2 pinch
  • Chilly Powder- according to your taste
  • Salt to taste 
  • Oil for frying

PREPARATION METHOD:
  • Add turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, Chilly Powder and salt to the Besan flour and mix well.
  • Add little water to make a soft dough.
  • Heat oil in a pan.
  • Put the dough in a string hoper / idiyappam maker and press it into the oil. 
  • Fry both sides in medium heat.
  • When it is crispy, remove from oil and drain it. 
  • Repeat the same process with the remaining dough.
  • Crush the fried seva with hand to make it smaller pieces and keep aside. 
  • Add turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, chilly Powder and salt to the besan flour and mix well.
  • Add water to the  flour mix to make the batter smooth (slightly thicker than dosa batter).
  • For making Boondhi we need a perforated spoon (laddle with small holes)
  • Heat oil in a pan . 
  • Hold the laddle above the hot oil (1 - 1½ inch above) and pour 2 -3 spoon batter to the ladddle and rub with another spoon.
  • Fry Boondhi till it is crispy and collect it in a bowl.
  • Repeat the same process with the remaining batter.
  • Keep the fried boondhi aside.
  • Heat little oil in a pan.
  • Add the peanuts, curry leaves and split dalia and fry it.
  • Remove from oil.
  • Add the fried peanut, split dalia, curry leaves, salt, chilly powder, asefetodia powder to the sev and boondhi and mix well.
  • Now it is ready to serve.



Saturday, August 18, 2012

Jalebi




Jalebi is a sweet and crisp snack prepared using uraad daal and sugar syrup. It is liked by everyone irrespective of their ages.

INGREDIENTS:
  • Urad Daal - 1 cup
  • Sugar -  2  cup
  • Water - 3/4 cup
  • Food color (red and yellow) -  4 -5  drops
  • Oil for frying

PREPARATION METHOD:
  • Soak Urad daal for 30 minutes.
  • Grind Daal very well with little water to make a thick batter.
  • Dissolve Sugar in water.
  • Boil this syrup in a vessel, stirring constantly.
  • When the syrup is sticky (test by touching with thumb and index finger), turn off the stove and keep the syrup aside.
  • Add the food color when the syrup is warm.
  • Heat oil in a pan.
  • Take a Ziplock bag make a hole in it.
  • Put the batter in the bag and squeeze it into the hot oil in the shape of Jalebi.
  • Fry both sides till light golden colour. 
  • Put it into the warm syrup and soak it for a minute.
  • Take out from the syrup and serve.