Sesame Bar or Sesame Chikki

Sesame chikki is very nutritious and good for health. Sesame seeds are rich in oil  and proteins. These are used in various cuisines all around the world..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

What you need:

Sesame seeds-3/4 of a cup

Grated jaggery-1 cup
Sugar-1 tablespoon

Ghee-1 tablespoon
Cardamom powder- 1 teaspoon

Oil-1 teaspoon to grease the plate



                                                   

                                                   

      Preparation:

1. Dry roast the sesame seeds on a low flame until they turn light brown in colour.  Allow them to cool and grease a plate with oil and keep it aside.
2. Melt the jaggery in a non stick pan or heavy bottomed vessel. Filter it using a stainless steel net and add the sugar. Boil it again to get a thick syrup. 
3. Check the consistency of the syrup by dropping a drop of it in a bowl of water. It should form a hard ball.
4. Add the ghee, sesame seeds and cardamom powder to the syrup and mix it well.
5. Turn off the stove and pour this mixture onto the greased plate. Allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes Once it has dried, break it into pieces and store them in an air tight container.

          Note: If you avoid filtering the melted jaggery, you may find sand in your chikki.

Madata Kajalu or Tapeswaram Kajalu

Happy Diwali to all of you :)

Madata kajalu are very popular in Andhra and they are also called Tapeswaram kajalu. Tapeswaram is a village in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh and is famous for this sweet.
Let's see how to make them.

                                         

                                                                       
                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

What you need:

For the Dough:

Maida or all purpose flour-4 cups
Baking powder or cooking soda-a pinch
Hot ghee-3 tablespoons

For dusting:
Bengal gram flour (besan)-1/4 a cup
Ghee-3 tablespoons

For the syrup:
Sugar-4 cups
Cardamom powder-1 teaspoon
Lemon juice-1 teaspoon

Oil for deep fry

                                                       
                                             

      Preparation:

1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl and add baking powder, hot ghee and mix it well. Make a soft dough (like poori dough) by adding water a little by little.
2. Cover it with a wet cloth and leave it for half an hour. Kneed it well and divide the dough equally into four balls.
3. Roll two balls into big circles (not too thin) using a rolling pin and on one circle, apply the ghee and sprinkle the gram flour over the surface.
4. Cover it with another circle evenly and start rolling it upwards like a mat. You can refer to the picture. At the edge, wet with water and close firmly.
5. Now cut the tube into one inch pieces using a knife and keep aside the two uneven edges (from the top and bottom of the tube). You will see layers from the side view of each piece.
6. Press lightly on the top of each piece with your finger or rolling pin. Do not press them too hard, otherwise the shape will be ruined.
7. Boil the sugar in a heavy bottomed vessel and make a syrup of one string consistency. Add the cardamom powder and lemon juice to it and turn off the stove. Cover it with a lid.
8. Heat the oil in a pan or wok and fry 4 or 5 pieces of the dough on a low to medium flame.
9. Once they turn golden in colour, remove them and immerse in the syrup for 1-2 minutes until they absorb it. 
10. Transfer them onto a large plate and allow them to dry and do like-wise with the rest of the dough.

Once they dry, store in an air tight container.You won't be able to resist eating them one by one :)

Note: Avoid frying the kajalu on a high flame because they will not get cooked well on the inside. If you are making small circles, you can place three circles on each other and roll into a tube. Adding lemon juice prevents the crystallization of the sugar syrup.

Karapu Kajalu or Spicy Kajalu

Karapu Kajalu is an all-time favorite snack for children. These cumin flavored kajalu are very crispy and tasty. We can also make plain kajalu  and add powdered cumin seeds, chilly powder and salt to them or we can coat them with sugar syrup (one string consistency). Thus at a time we can prepare both karapu kajalu (spicy kajalu) and teepi kajalu (sweet kajalu).
Let's see how I made these karapu kajalu :)

                                         
   

What you need:

Maida (all purpose flour)-2 cups
Wheat flour-2 cups
Cumin seeds-2 tablespoons
Chilly powder-1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch (optional)
Salt to taste
Hot oil-2 tablespoons for the dough
Oil for deep fry

                                                   

                                                 

  

Preparation:

1. Grind the cumin seeds, chilly powder, salt and turmeric powder into a powder in a mixer jar. 
2. Take the maida and wheat flour in a large bowl. Add the ground powder and two tablespoons of hot oil and mix it.   
3. Add water little by little and make a tough dough (like chapathi dough). Cover it with a wet cloth and keep it aside for half an hour.
4. Kneed it well and divide into four equal portions. Roll each portion into a big, thin circle using a rolling pin. Dust with dry flour if necessary.
5. Cut the circle vertically and horizontally to make small rectangles using a biscuit cutter or a knife. You can also cut them into square or diamond shapes. Now make holes on them using a fork to avoid bubbles while frying.
6. Heat the oil in a frying pan or kadai and fry the cut pieces in batches to golden brown colour on a medium  flame. Transfer them onto a paper towel and allow them to cool.  

 Once they cool down, store them in an air tight container.
     

 Note: Instead of mixing both maida and wheat flour, you can also use either maida or wheat flour.           

Motichoor Laddoo

Thinking about what to prepare for Deepavali? May be you can try this recipe. I came across this Motichoor Laddoo recipe on a TV show recently. I didn't have a perforated ladle with holes small enough to make motichoor laddoo but since this recipe involves grinding the boondi later on, it wasn't an issue. The laddoos came out very well and I felt that making these was much easier than making boondi laddoos. You can check my "Boondi Laddoo" recipe under the "sweets" label in my blog.
Let's move on to the recipe.

                                       

What you need:

Bengal gram flour or besan-1 cup
Sugar-1 cup
Milk-1/2 a cup
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Cardamom powder-1 teaspoon
Melon seeds-1 teaspoon
Ghee-for deep fry

Preparation:

1. Mix the gram flour, turmeric powder, milk and water in a wide bowl and make a batter of pouring consistency.
2. Boil the sugar with sufficient water in a pan and make a syrup of one string consistency. Add the cardamom powder and turn off the stove.
3. Heat the ghee in a wok or kadai and make boondi with the batter using the perforated ladle. No need to bother about the size and shape of the boondi because we are going to grind it shortly.
4. Add the boondi to the syrup and do repeat the process with the remaining batter. Once the boondi has soaked in the syrup and cooled down, grind it into a powder.
5. Add melon seeds and make lemon sized balls. We can make the laddoos easily without applying ghee or water to our palms unlike for boondi laddoo. Let them settle for half an hour and store them in an airtight container.

Serve the delicious laddoos to your guests during Deepavali and enjoy :)

Note: You can add dry fruits like almonds, cashews and pistachios instead of melon seeds. If you want you can add saffron food colouring to the sugar syrup to get richly coloured laddoos.

Katte Pongali or Spicy Pongal

Katte Pongali is one of the healthy and tasty rice dishes. It is simple to prepare and is easily digestible from children to aged people. It contains carbohydrates (rice), proteins (split green gram)) and fat (ghee),  vitamins (cashew  nuts) and gives strength to us.
Let's see how to make  Katte pongali.

  

                           
What you need:

Rice-1 cup
Split green gram or pesara pappu-1/4 a cup or 1/2 a cu
Green chilly-3
Finely chopped ginger-1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Curry leaves-a few
Cumin seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Pepper corns or miriyalu-1/4 teaspoon
Cashew nuts-8
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Asafoetida or inguva-a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil-1 tablespoon
Ghee-3 tablespoons

Preparation:
. 

1. Dry roast the split green gram and rice for two minutes on a medium flame.
2. Allow it to cool and wash it with water. Pressure cook it with four cups of water until four whistles by adding turmeric powder, pepper corns, salt and oil.
3. Let the cooker cool down and heat the ghee in a pan.
4. Add cashew nuts, cumin seeds, cut green chilly, asafoetida, ginger if you are using and curry leaves one by one and fry it for a minute on a low flame. 
5. Turn off the stove and add this to the cooked rice and dal. Mix it well and serve it hot with coconut chutney.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Note: You can replace green chilly with dry chilly and pepper corns with pepper powder.                    

Kobbari Pachadi or Coconut Chutney

Kobbari pachadi is one of our favorite chutneys. We prefer to have it with rice. Sometimes  I make coconut chutney for idly and dosa using green chillies.
Let's see how this chutney is made :)

                    

                     

                                                                                                          
                                                         
                                                       
What you need:

Fresh coconut cubed-1 cup
Deseeded dry red chilly-6
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds-1 teaspoon
Bengal gram dal or chana dal-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Curry leaves- a few
Tamarind- a small berry sized
Peeled garlic cloves-a few
Salt to taste 

Oil-1 tablespoon

                                         

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a nonstick pan and add dry chilli. Fry them for few seconds on a low flame and add turmeric powder,  bengal gram dal, cumin seeds and  coriander seeds one by one.
2. Stir them for a minute and add garlic cloves, tamarind, coconut pieces and curry leaves fry for one more minute.
3. Mix them well and turn off the stove and allow them to cool.
4. Grind them into a paste by adding salt and sufficient water.
5. Transfer it into a serving bowl and have it with hot rice and papad. Enjoy :)

Note: You can replace garlic with asafoetida or hing. 

Avise ginjala Podi or Flax Seeds Chutney Powder

I came to know about the health benefits of Flax seeds or Avise Ginjalu (Telugu) and that they contain high levels of dietary fibre, lignans, micronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids. Studies show that flax seeds lower cholesterol but excess consumption may cause some disorders like skin irritation or breathing problems.  I started searching for them in grocery shops and super markets. Unexpectedly, I found them in an organic food stall at an exhibition. I bought a small packet and decided to try making chutney powder.

Let's see how I made flax seed chutney powder..    

          

                                            

Ingredients:

Flax seeds-1 cup
Dry red chilly-6
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds-1teaspoon
Tamarind-a small berry sized (optional)
Garlic cloves-4
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil-1 teaspoon

                           

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add broken red chilli and turmeric powder. Fry them on a low flame for a minute. Now add flax seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fry for two more minutes.
2. Add garlic cloves and tamarind pulp and turn off the stove. Once the contents get cool, add salt and grind them  into a powder in a mixer jar.
3. Leave the powder outside for 3-4 minutes and transfer into an airtight container.

Serve it with steamed rice and ghee or with idly or dosa :)

                      

Note: You may also add hing, curry leaves, and a table spoon each of urad dal and gram dal.

Cabbage Stir Fry

Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C and fiber. Cabbage is prepared and consumed in many ways. The simplest options include eating the vegetable raw or steaming it. Cabbage has been used as a medicinal herb. Both mashed cabbage and cabbage juice have been used to remove boils and treat warts, pneumonia, appendicitis and ulcers. Excessive consumption of cabbage may cause bloating (increased intestinal gas).

Let's see how to make a simple and tasty stir fry of cabbage.

                                 

                               

                                  

What you need:

Cabbage shredded-4 cups
Cut green chilly-3
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Hing (inguva or asafoetida)-a pinch
Fresh coconut (grated)-2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds-1/4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1/4 teaspoon
Gram dal-1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves-few

Salt to taste
Oil-2 tablespoons

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a nonstick pan or kadai and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, gram dal and hing. Once they splutter, add curry leaves, green chilly and turmeric powder.
2. Now add the shredded cabbage and stir it for two minutes. Add salt and cover it with a lid.
3. Cook it for 4-5 minutes stirring in between on a medium flame. Remove the lid and keep stirring for two minutes on a low flame. 
4. Add grated coconut and fry it for two more minutes.
5. Turn off the stove and transfer it into a serving bowl. Serve it with steamed rice and dal.

Note: Hing and fresh coconut powder give a nice flavor and taste to this dish. So I have avoided adding ginger garlic paste to it.

Home Made Garam Masala

Garam Masala has special importance in Indian cuisine. Adding garam masala is a finishing touch to many vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.This powder of mixed spices not only increases the taste, but also gives a nice flavor to the dish. I added a few extra spices to the garam masala made by my mother. Let's move on to the recipe of  Garammasala.

 



                                

What you need:

Coriander seeds-1 cup
Cloves-1 teaspoon
Cardamom-5
Cinnamon sticks-2
Peeled garlic cloves-5 (optional)

Additional:
Sajeera-1 teaspoon
Nutmeg-1
Mace-4
Bay Leaves-2

Preparation:

1. Dry roast the coriander seeds in a pan on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes or until they become light brown.
2. Lower the flame and add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, sajeera, nutmeg, mace and bay leaves. Fry them for 1-2 minutes.
3. Turn off the stove and add the garlic cloves. There is no need to fry the garlic cloves. They absorb heat from the remaining spices in the pan.
4.  Allow the spices to cool and grind them into a powder. After 3-4, minutes transfer the powder into an airtight container.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Note: You can also add star anise and black pepper corns.

Cauliflower Stir Fry

Cauliflower can be roasted, boiled, fried, steamed or eaten raw.  Cauliflower is low in fat, low in carbohydrates but high in dietary fiber, folate and vitamin C.
Let's see how to make cauliflower stir fry.

                                  

                                

What you need:

Cauliflower florets-2 cups
Chilly powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Coriander powder-1 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon

Salt to taste
Oil-2 tablespoons

Preparation:

1. Clean and place the cauliflower florets in hot salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain the hot water and wash again with cold water.
2. Heat the oil in a non stick pan or kadai and add the cauliflower florets. Add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste and mix it well.
3. Add salt and cook it for 4-5 minutes on a medium flame by covering with a lid and stirring in between.
4. Remove the lid and add chilly powder and coriander powder. Mix it well and stir for 3-4 minutes on a low flame.
5. Turn off the stove and transfer it into a serving bowl. Serve it with steamed rice and rasam.

Note: You can also add garam masala before turning off the stove.

Godhuma Pindi Halwa or Wheet Flour Halwa

Happy Dasara!
Godhuma Pindi Halwa is a simple and healthy recipe.It can be prepared during festivals as prasad or nivedyam. If we have sudden guests at home or we feel like having something sweet, we can make this halwa easily. This recipe doesn't require many ingredients either.

What you need:

Wheet flour-1 cup
Sugar-3/4 cup
Ghee-1/4 cup
Water-2 cups
Almonds-few
Raisins or dry grapes-few

Preparation:

1. Heat the ghee in a pan and fry almonds and raisins for a minute on a medium to low flame. Transfer them       into a bowl.
2. Now add the wheat flour and fry till it turns brown in colour and gives a nice aroma.
3. Lower the flame and add sugar and water to it and stir continuously without forming lumps.
4. Once the halwa thickens add the fried almonds and raisins. Add one tablespoosn of ghee and mix it well.
5. Transfer it onto a greased plate and cut into desired shapes. Children will enjoy the halwa in fun shapes :)

Note: You can add the dry fruits of your own choice like cashews and

pistachios.