Happy Sri Rama Navami :)

When I was working in a school (in Bengaluru), I tasted kosambari and Muskmelon (kharbuja) panaka on Sri Rama Navami Day. I liked them and they are quite different from our Rama Navami dishes. I have already posted what we make in Andhra and Telangana on Sri Rama Navami (vada pappu, panakam and pulihora or mango rice). I asked one of my ex-coleagues how to make kosambari and muskmelon panaka to share with you :)
Let's see how to make them..

                                                  


Kosambari                                                                                                                                                                                                                  


                                    

What you need:

Skinned green gram (yellow moong dal)-1 cup
Grated carrot-2 tablespoons
Finely chopped green cucumber-2 tablespoons
Grated raw mango-1tablespoon
Grated fresh coconut-1 tablespoon
Finely chopped green chilly-1
Chopped coriander leaves-1 tablespoon
Salt to taste                                                           

 Preparation:

1. Soak the green gram for half an hour in water and drain it.
2. Take a mixing bowl and add the soaked green gram, grated carrot, chopped cucumber, grated raw mango, chopped chilly and coriander leaves.
3. Add salt to taste before serving and mix them well.

        The colourful and healthy kosambari is ready to serve now which helps to cool our body in summer.

  Note: You can also add lime juice instead of raw mango. If you want, you can season the salad by   adding a few mustard seeds, skinned black gram, a pinch of hing and a few curry leaves to one teaspoon of hot       oil.


Musk Melon Panakam:

Musk melon is rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin A and C. It improves our immune system and is also good for the skin.


                                                 

What you need:
Ripe musk melon-1
Grated jaggery-1/4 a cup
Cardamom powder-a pinch
Water-4 cups
Preparation:

 1. Wash and cut the musk melon. Deseed it and squeese the pulp into juice with your palm in a container. 

 2. Add the grated jaggery (remove the impurities if any), cardamom powder and water to the musk melon        and stir it till the jaggery melts.

     The delicious musk melon panaka is ready to serve now :)

Note: You can also add one tablespoon of lime juice to this drink. You can dry the melon seeds and use them in sweets like motichoor laddoo.

Jilebi (Instant)

Happy Ugadi :)  - Ugadi Subhakankashalu :)


                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
                                                             

      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    What you need:  

For making the batter:

Maida (all purpous flour)-2 cups
Rice flour-2 tablespoons
Yogurt (curd)-2 tablespoons
Baking powder-a pinch
Eno fruit salt-1 teaspoon (main ingredient)
Orange juice-2 tablespoons (optional)
For the Syrup:
Sugar-2 cups
Water-2 cups
Lime juice-1 teaspoon
Cardamom powder-1/4 of a teaspoon
Oil and two tablespoons of ghee for deep fry                                       

                                 

 Preparation:

1. Mix the maida, rice flour, baking powder, yogurt, eno fruit salt and orange juice to make a thick batter of pouring consistency using sufficient water.
2. Melt the sugar in water and boil it until it reaches single string consistency.
3. Now add the cardamom powder and lime juice. Mix it well and turn off the the stove.
4. Make a hole in a Ziploc bag and fill it with the batter.
5. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan on a low flame and squeese the batter into swirls carefully when the oil is not too hot.
6. Fry them until they turn light brown in colour on both sides and immerse them into the warm sugar syrup for a minute. 
7. Transfer them onto a serving bowl and enjoy them :)

          Note: You can also use an empty ketchup bottle instead of ziploc bag to make the jilebi..

Simple Potato Stir Fry

Potato is a kid-friendly vegetable.. They love eating this starchy vegetable in many forms like chips, fries, samosas, cutlets, masala curry, stir fry, etc.
Let's see how to make this simple potato stir fry :)          

                       

                                            

What you need:

Cubed  potatoes-2 cups
Chilly powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)-1 teaspoon

Salt to taste
Oil-4 tablespoons
For seasoning-a few mustard seeds, cumin seeds and some skinned black gram (urad dal).

                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a wok (kadai) or pan and add the skinned black gram, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the skinned black gram turns light brown in colour, add the cubed potatoes.
2. Stir fry them for two to three minutes on a medium flame and add turmeric powder and salt.
3. Mix it well and cook it cover for two minutes. Lower the flame and add chilly powder.
4. Fry it uncovered for five to six minutes and make sure it doesn't burn. Add the crushed dried fenugreek leaves and fry for two more minutes.
5. Turn off the stove and transfer the stir fry into a serving bowl and serve with hot rice and pappu charu or rasam or majjiga charu (majjiga pulusu).

Note: After transferring the fried potatoes into the serving bowl, do not cover it immediately. Allow it to cool for 2-3 minutes to avoid the softening of the dish from the steam that builds up when left covered.

Malpua

Happy Holi :)
Malpua is a dessert from North India. It is a deep fried pan cake that has been dipped in sugar syrup and is generally made with maida (all purpous flour) and mawa (koya) or suji. It can be served chilled or warm with rabri. I have made them with a few changes and they are delicious :)    
Let's move on to the recipe now..

                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

What you need:   

For making the batter:

Maida-2 cups
Corn flour-2 tablespoons
Bengal gram flour-1 tablespoon
Cooking soda-a pinch
Ghee-1 tablespoon
Eno fruit salt-1/4 a teaspoon (optional)
Yogurt or curd-2 tablespoons
Pinch of saffron soaked in a tablespoon of milk

For the Syrup:
Sugar-2 cups
Water-2 cups
Lime juice-1 teaspoon
Cardamom powder-1/4 a teaspoon
Oil for deep fry                                       

Dry fruits - some chopped cashews and almonds for garnishing                                    

 Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients except the eno salt in a wide bowl and slowly keep adding water to get a pouring consistenecy that is not too thin not too thick.
2. Cover it and keep it aside for two hours. Melt the sugar in water and boil it until it reaches single string consistency.
3. Now add the cardamom powder and lime juice. Mix it well and turn off the the stove.
4. Add eno powder to the batter, mix it well and rest it for ten minutes before deep frying. Heat oil in a wide frying pan and when it is hot, lower the flame and pour a laddleful of batter in the oil in small pancake shapes.
5. Fry them on a medium flame until they turn golden brown in colour on both sides. Do likewise with the remaining batter and immerse them in the sugar syrup while the syrup is still warm.
6. Transfer them onto a serving plate and garnish with dry fruits. Crispy outside and soft inside like a cake..delicious..

          Note: You can also  add roasted fennel seed powder (saunf) or black pepper powder to the batter.