Share Buttons

Showing posts with label FESTIVAL RECIPES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FESTIVAL RECIPES. Show all posts

Thursday, October 20, 2011

TENKUZHAL (TENGOZHAL) CRISPY RICE SPIRALS


TENKUZHAL (TENGOZHAL) CRISPY RICE SPIRALS
Every Diwali in my house and in my mother’s house, one permanent bhakshanam(savory snack dish) is the Tenkuzhal, we call this Tengozhal at home. The reason that everyone used to like this savory snack is because it’s not spicy. Children used to absolutely love this crispy, crunchy snack. Here in Singapore almost all my Indian and non-Indian friends love this snack and request me to bring some for them and Diwali is one such time where we share sweets and savories with our near and dear ones and what better way to share what is prepared at home with love.
TENGOZHAL
Ingredients
Rice Flour - 2 Cups
White lentil/(Black gram skinless)/Udad dal or ready Udad flour - 2 Tablespoon
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp(I love this in the tengozhal so I put more, you can put 1 tsp
Asafetida - a pinch
Butter - 2 tablespoons
Salt as per taste
Coconut oil – 1 tbsp (for the palakkad iyer / keralaiyer touch)(optional)
Oil for frying
You need the Tengozhal press nazhi and you have to use the plate with holes (bigger holes to be precise)
Method
Dry roast the udad dal in a pan and grind it in a blender to make a fine powder. I used the ready flour easily available in the market nowadays.
Dry roast the cumin seeds and when it pops remove, cool it and grind it for one spin in the blender. Don't make it into a fine powder. We are putting it in the blender so that it breaks into half and the aroma comes out.
In a big bowl, Add rice flour, udad flour, broken cumin seeds, sesame seeds, salt as per taste, butter and asafetida. Mix well so that you know everything has blended well. Now add water slowly and make a dough. The dough resembles the dough we make for chapatti / roti. At this stage add the coconut oil and knead well for another 5 minutes, palakkad iyers usually fry the bhakshanams in coconut oil which gives it a very unique and flavorful taste, to remind me of that I added the coconut oil, this is optional and if you want you can avoid it.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, and when the oil is hot add a little piece of dough to check, if the dough rises immediately then the oil is ready for frying.
Now stuff the dough in the nazhi(press) and close the mould. Squeeze it through the mould in big circles or smaller circles. Mind you, keep your hand a bit far once you drop as the steam will hit your hand. Deep fry the Tengozhal in low flame till it is crisp. I like my Tengozhal white and crisp. If your rice flour is good your tengozhal will come out white as mine in the picture and if not you will have to fry till its done to an almost golden brown color. Remove and place on paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Once cool, store it in a air tight container. Indulge in this crunchy delight as and when you want it.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

MEDHU VADAI OR ULUNDHU VADAI (Savory Indian doughnut)


MEDHU VADAI OR ULUNDHU VADAI (Savory Indian doughnut)
The Savory Indian doughnut is what my non-Indian friends call our Medhu vadai in Singapore and I tell you they love it to the last bite.
Nothing can beat the crunch of the outside to the softness & puffiness of the inside. It’s bland but when it combines with sambhar or coconut chutney or yogurt, it turns into something else.
I have been trying to make the perfect Medhu vadais since the year 2001 when I got married and moved to Singapore but always ended up making mysore bondas (dropping the medhu vada batter into round balls instead). The taste is the same but the look is different. I wanted it to look like the ones we buy in the hotel. Until one day my friend Vidya who hails from Trichy got me some perfectly shaped doughnut like vadas, crispy on the outside and soft and well cooked on the inside. I asked her for the recipe and she told me that it is difficult to grind in the Blender (mixie) and she usually grinds for the vada batter in the wet grinder. She also told me that you should add water along the way an Urad / Udad dal should be ground into fine bouncy paste. Once I bought my little Premier Wet grinder, I decided to attempt Medhu Vadais with Vidya’s recipe. Now mind you Vidya’s mother is a fabulous cook and a perfectionist. Her mother had given her a tip of adding toor dal while soaking the Urad / Udad dal. This not only makes the vada crispy but also keeps the batter be bound together and makes it easy to make the doughnuts with the batter.
Medhu Vada
Ingredients
Skinless Black gram / Urad Dal – 2 cups
Yellow split Pea / Toor dal - 2 tablespoons
Green Chillies – 4-6 nos
Ginger – ½ inch (optional)
Onion – 1(optional)
Salt – 3/4 tsp
Asafetida (Hing or perungayam) - ½ tsp
Curry leaves – A sprig
Oil- for frying
Method
Soak the Urad dal and toor dal in water for 2-3 hours. Grind the soaked urad dal along with chillies, ginger and salt into a fine paste i.e. when you take the batter in your fingers you should not feel the grains. While grinding like I mentioned before kindly add water slowly, you can sprinkle water. Ensure that the batter doesn’t become watery. The batter should be thick and not like the dosa batter which flows down when dropped from a spoon.
Heat oil in a kadai. Dip your hands in water. Take the batter of the size of a small ball in your palm or a plantain leaf or a polythene sheet and pat it to form a circle. Dip your index finger in water and make a hole in the patted batter in the center. I prefer to do it on my palm as it is easy to maneuver the batter.
Fry the vadas in oil till golden brown on both sides.
Medhu Vadai
Different Types of Vadai
Coriander Leaves and Curry Leaves - You can add curry leaves and finely chopped coriander to the batter.
Spinach Vadai (Keerai Vadai)
You can add any green leafy vegetables like Palak keerai, Arai Keerai, Mullai Keerai, Murunga Elai(drumstick leaves),
Onion Vadai
You can add finely chopped onions,
Cabbage Vadai
You can add finely chopped cabbage,
Potato Ulundhu Vadai
You can add grated potato into the batter
You can use all or any of the permutation and combinations and still have a wholesome and nutritious snack which is very delectable.

RASAM VADA
Soak the vada in Rasam.
Soak the vada atleast for half an hour before serving. Only then the rasam will penetrate into the vada and will taste good.
While serving the Rasam vadai just garnish it with finely chopped coriander and then serve.

SAMBHAR VADA
Soak the vada in Sambhar.
The sambhar should not be very thick. Soak the vada atleast for half an hour before serving. Only then the sambhar will penetrate into the vada and will taste good.
While serving the Sambhar vadai just garnish it with finely chopped coriander and then serve.

DAHI VADA
Soak the vada in Dahi.
Kindly click on the link to follow the recipe. In my recipe replace the moong vada with the Urad vada and follow the method as per the link.

Tips
I have already given you the tip of adding Toor dal alongwith urad dal while soaking.
Here are some more tips :-
- You can add a pinch of baking soda just before making the vada, this makes the vada  
   crisp
- Add a boiled and mashed potato to the batter and mix it well. By adding boiled potato
   the vada will remain crisp and puffy for a long time
- If the batter is watery it will not freely drop into the oil. It will break half way through  
   the journey from your  hand to the oil. If it is like that don’t worry. Add some Rice   
   flour to the vada batter.
- To check if the Vada is cooked fully wash the tip     
  of a knife and pierce the vada. If no batter sticks on the knife then the vada is fully
  cooked or else it needs more cooking.
Neivedyam to the lord.


Thursday, April 7, 2011

SWEET AVAL / VELLA AVAL / SWEET POHA (SWEETENED BEATEN RICE FLAKES)

BEATEN RICE 
Flattened rice (also called beaten rice) is a dehusked rice which is flattened into flat light dry flakes. These flakes of rice swell when added to liquid, whether hot or cold, as they absorb water, milk or any other liquids. The thicknesses of these flakes vary between almost translucently thin (the more expensive varieties) to nearly four times thicker than a normal rice grain.
This easily digestible form of raw rice is very popular across Nepal, North East India and Bangladesh, and is normally used to prepare snacks or light and easy fast food in a variety of Indian cuisine styles, some even for long-term consumption of a week or more. It is known by a variety of names: Poha or Pauwa in Hindi, Baji in Newari, Pohe in Marathi, Chindé in Bengali, Chira in Assamese, Phovu in Konkani, Chudaa in Oriya and parts of Bihar and Jharkhand, Atukulu in Telugu, Bajeel or Bajil in Tulu, Chudwey in Urdu(Dakkani), Aval in Malayalam and Tamil, Avalakki in Kannada, Pauaa/Paunva in Gujarati, and Chiura in Nepali, Bhojpuri and Chhattisgarhi.
Flattened rice is also a convenience food and very similar to instant mashed potatoes in uses and spirit.
(Info courtesy – Wikipedia)
SWEET AVAL / VELLA AVAL / SWEET POHA (SWEETENED BEATEN RICE FLAKES)
This dish is usually prepared for Krishna Jayanti as Lord Krishna loves Aval (Beaten rice) and Vellam(Jaggery). Since my daughter has a sweet tooth and keeps asking for something sweet once in a while I decided to make the Vella Aval. Personally Iam partial to the savory versions of Aval.
Close up of the Sweet Aval
Ingredients
Poha (Beaten Rice flakes) – 1 ½ cup
Jaggery – 1 cup or 6-7 cubes
Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Freshly grated Coconut - 2 to 3 tbsp, grated
Ghee - 1 tsp (optional)
Method
I have used the thick slightly reddish Aval in my recipe. Check for husks or stones if any and remove them from the Aval. Put the Aval in a colander and rinse it thoroughly. Let it rest for about 15-20 minutes. The aval becomes soft, keep aside.
Meanwhile crush the jaggery with a mortar and pestle. In a wok, add the crushed jaggery and ½ cup of water. You will notice theat the jaggery starts to melt. Add the cardamom powder to the jaggery and when the jaggery completely melts and starts to froth. Add the aval to the jaggery mixture and mix the aval with it properly. Add a teaspoon of ghee. Close with a lid and cook on a low flame. The steam that builds up slowly aids in cooking the aval further. Cook for about 10 minutes on a low flame. Keep opening the lid and stirring every now and then so that it doesn’t get burnt. Finally add the freshly grated coconut. Switch off the gas. Put the lid on the wok and keep closed for 5 minutes. Serve hot. Enjoy the sweet Aval.

I am sending the Sweet Aval to Priya Suresh’s Celebrate Sweets – Sweets with rice event. This event was originally started by Nivedita from Nivedita's Kitchen
I would also like to send this to Srivalli's Breakfast Mela

Friday, November 5, 2010

NAARIYAL KA BARFI / COCONUT BARFI / KOPRA PAAK / COCONUT FUDGE

I Wish All My Readers A Very Happy & Prosperous Deepawali

COCONUT BARFI
Also known as Kopra Paak in Maharashtra
I absolutely adore this wonderful sweet and it used to be my favorite sweet during my childhood and I would happily indulge in it without a care in this world. Nowadays health is a priority and sweet coconut indulgences are a definite no-no, but this Diwali I was remembering my younger, carefree days and decided to make this coconut delight to refresh the fond memories of my childhood when food was associated with smell, taste and indulgent pleasures without a care for health.  Here is a very easy recipe to help you prepare this delicious fudge which you can indulge in….at least during festive times.

NAARIYAL KA BARFI (COCONUT FUDGE)

Ingredients
Coconut - 2 cups grated
Sugar – 1 cup
Cardamom (elaichi) powder – ¼ tsp
Ghee – 2 tbsps
Saffron (kesar) strands – a pinch
Method
Grate the coconut (don’t grate until the shell, else your barfi won’t be nice and white in color).
In a wok, Take one tablespoon of ghee and lightly roast the grated coconut on a low heat
Add cardamom and mix well. Prepare one-string syrup by dissolving sugar in the water.
Now stir the coconut mixture into the syrup. Keep stirring until it mixes well and leaves the sides of the pan. Add, a few strands of saffron to the mixture. Add a tablespoon of ghee and mix well. The mixture gets rounded like a ball and looks a bit dry at this point turn off the flame.
Grease a plate with ghee. Spread the prepared mixture evenly over the plate and allow it to cool. Cut it into square / diamond shapes with a knife while it is warm. Don’t try to cut it when it’s hot. Nariyal ka burfi is ready to be served.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

GLIMPSES OF NAVARATRI IN SINGAPORE & KONDAI KADALAI SUNDAL

GLIMPSES OF NAVARATRI IN SINGAPORE & KONDAI KADALAI SUNDAL
from me to all my readers with love....
Glimpses of Navaratri Festival in Singapore....
The temple at my home





Beautiful Marapaachi dolls, wooden dolls decorated by me. Please click on link wooden dolls to learn how I decorated it @ my blog Sukanya's hobbies and crafts.














Beautiful ombodhu padhi(9 steps) golu at Siva Durga Temple @ Potong Pasir, Singapore.


Dandiya Raas at the Swimming complex, organized by the Gujarati mandal, Singapore

KONDA KADALAI SUNDAL
Konda Kadalai Sundal gets its name because it has a dome on top representing a kondai(a knot). Every chana or kadalai should have distinctive name so this was equated to a hair knot tied by women. It is made during the Navaratri festival. It is also distributed as Prasad in temples.

Ingredients
Konda Kadalai - 250 grams
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Udad dal - 1 tsp
Green chillies – 3-4
Red chillies – 1-2 broken into 2 halves
Turmeric -1/4 tsp
Asafetida (Hing) - a small pinch
Freshly grated Coconut – 1-2 tbsps
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste.
Curry leaves – a sprig
Coriander leaves for garnish
Method
Soak the Konda Kadalai in water overnight. In the morning rinse out well, add some turmeric powder and a cup of water and pressure cook it for about 3-4 whistles. Don’t throw the water in which the chana has been boiled as it contains a lot of nutrients. Keep the boiled chana aside.
In a Kadhai (wok), Add oil, when it is hot, Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to crackle, Add udad dal and the red chillies, when the udad dal becomes slightly pink, add the green chillies and the curry leaves and fry well, now add in the boiled Konda kadalai and turmeric, asafetida and salt. Mix well. Cover the kadhai with a lid. Don’t add water, The boiled chana already has some water, so let it cook. Once all the water is soaked up Add freshly grated coconut and some coriander leaves and mix well.
Serve hot with Rice and Rasam or enjoy it as it is.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

KARANJI (THE INDIAN COCONUT FILLED SWEET PUFF)


I would like to WISH all my visitors A VERY HAPPY & PROSPEROUS DEEPAWALI.



This Diwali was extremely busy for me as I was juggling between my work, kids, home, meeting decorators for my new home and in the process of moving out of my current home which is being painted for Diwali and it was getting difficult to reach my laptop amidst all this confusion.
On top of all this Diwali shopping for the entire family, lighting up the house, making Rangolis and ofcourse preparation of sweets and savories. I always make it a point to make sweets and savories at home, coz the house feels and smells festive.
We can always buy sweets/savories from a shop and share with neighbors, friends or relatives during the festive season but these people can buy it from the shop and eat as well. When we make something by taking efforts and share it with others there is a personal touch to the gesture. Homemade sweets and savories have a different feel to it. It may not be perfect like the one’s you get in a shop but the key ingredient in it is “LOVE”.
We can involve the whole family in the sweet –savory making process, this creates a bonding, an anticipation for what’s going to come out of the group efforts, an excitement and a festive feeling with lovely aromas wafting in the air at home. The feeling of celebration is there as this is an activity we don’t indulge in usually. We must keep this beautiful tradition alive instead of buying off shelves.
This Diwali I made Chakli and Karanji alongwith a few other things. I would like to share with you’ll the recipes. Wish you’ll a happy, safe and fun-filled Diwali again.



KARANJI (THE INDIAN COCONUT FILLED SWEET PUFF)
Karanji or the Indian coconut filled sweet puff. Karanji is a sweet that is usually prepared in most Maharashtrian houses for Diwali. In north India karanji is known as Gujiya. Preparing Karanji requires a lot of patience and maybe a bit time consuming especially the rolling, filling and sealing, but the pleasure of popping this delectable sweet. Crispy on the outside and the light coconut sweet filling inside which literally melts in your mouth is insurmountable. My daughter is so excited about biting into the puff for the pleasure of getting to the filling hidden inside. The filling is like a sweet hidden treasure.
Ingredients
Ingredients For Dough:
Maida -1 cup
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Salt a pinch
Warm milk / water to prepare dough. I used milk so that my karanjis are whiter in color.


Ingredients For Filling:
Grated Dry Coconut - 1 cup
Powdered Sugar – ¾ cup
Cardamon powder - 1 tsp.
Nutmeg Powder - a pinch
Poppy Seeds (Khuskhus)
Raisins - 10 to 15 raisins


Method
Method For Dough:
Mix all the dough ingredients & knead using water. Add enough water to make soft pliable dough, similar to the chapatti dough.


Method for filling:
Roast the grated dry coconut flakes lightly. Keep aside. Roast poppy seeds. Grind them once in a mixer. The mix should be coarse not to fine. Mix the powdered sugar and all the above ingredients. Fry the raisins in ghee until plump and add to the mix

Method for making Karanji:
Make small oval shaped puris from dough, not too thin not too thick. Place the filling in one half of round. Fold over the other half, sealing in the mixture. This is a task which has to be done with patience. If the dough rolled out is too thin it will crack and the filling will fall out. If it is too thick then the karanjis will not taste good.
Seal edges by twisting or pressing together. Apply some water or milk so that it will seal properly (don't apply too much of water as it will not seal properly).You can use a Karanji / Curry puff mould for neater karanjis. Deep fry in hot ghee on a low flame till light brown on both sides. Drain on tissue paper to absorb excess ghee and cool completely before storing. Karanjis can be stored for weeks and is ideal to prepare during Diwali as we need to pack sweets and share with relatives while visiting them during the festive season.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

CHAKLI (SPICY SPIRALS)


CHAKLI (SPICY SPIRALS)
Chakli a crispy, spicy, spiral shaped treat. Chakli is an all time favorite and loved by all at my home. It’s an excellent tea-time snack and the best part is it has a shelf life of about a month if stored properly. Masala chakli tastes heavenly with ginger tea. Do try it out sometime.
Ingredients
Rice flour – 3 cups
Gram flour (Bengal gram flour) - 1 cup
Udad dal flour (white lentil flour) – 1 tbsp
Butter – 2 tbsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Red chilly powder – 2 tbsps
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Asafetida (hing) - 1½ tsp.
White sesame seeds (Til) - 1 tbsp.
Carom seeds (Ajwain) – ½ tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil to fry
Method
Mix the flours, Sieve the flours together, add all the dry ingredients like coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafetida, sesame seeds, carom seeds and Salt as per taste. Add the butter and mix with the flours. Mix everything well before adding water. Now add a little bit warm water and make a soft dough (dough should be softer than the chapati dough.). Taste dough and season with salt. Mix well. Keep for a while (about 10-15 minutes) for everything to come together. Now knead once more. In the meanwhile, heat oil on a medium flame. Put the chakli dough in the mould. Use the plate with the star design on it. Hold the chakli mould over the frying pan. Hold it a bit high as once the dough drops into the oil hot steam will come up and you can burn yourself with the steam. Press dough and let it pass though the mould as spirals into the oil or you can also alternatively press out spirals onto a baking sheet /plastic cover and then deep fry in oil on medium flame till golden brown in colour. Fry till they are crisp. Put the fried chaklis over a tissue paper so that it soaks extra oil.

Once cool store it in an air tight container.

Can be stored for a about a month if stored properly.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

POORI (The Fried, Puffed Whole Wheat Bread), Awards & a Tag


POORI (The Fried, Puffed Whole Wheat Bread)
A puri or poori or boori is a South Asian unleavened bread prepared in many of the countries in South Asia including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is consumed for breakfast, or as a snack or light meal. Puri is also the Georgian name for bread.
Puri is most commonly served at breakfast. It is also served at special or ceremonial functions; they sometimes are part of ceremonial rituals along with other vegetarian food offered in prayer as prasadam.
Puri can be made with Whole wheat flour (Atta) or with all purpose flour (Maida). Puri is often served with potato masala, chana masala, korma, and goes well with most North Indian gravies. In some Indian states it is served with halwa and in Maharashtra it is relished with Aamras.
In the north east of India, Puri is served with a special mixed vegetable which is prepared during puja and its also eaten with mistanno, a special kind of dessert prepared with rice, milk, sugar.
A variant of the puri is the bhatura which is three times a puri and thus a single bhatura, served with chole (spicy chick peas), often constitutes a full meal.
Another variant of the puri popular in the eastern states of West Bengal and Orissa is the Luchi.
(Some of the info courtesy:-Wikipedia)
Ingredients
Mix together in a bowl:
2 cups Indian whole wheat flour
1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Method
Slowly add about 3/4 cup warm water, just enough to form a firm dough, and knead till smooth. Cover, let rest at least 1/2 hour, and knead again briefly. If resting more than 1 hour, punch and knead dough again before rolling out.
Divide into small balls about golf-ball size, and roll out into 6" rounds on an oiled board. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or saucepan. Add a little salt to the oil to keep it from smoking. Fry the puri one at a time, holding them under the oil on the first side until they puff. Turn and fry till light brown; drain. While frying, the bread puffs up. After they become golden-brown in color, they are removed and served hot along with some accompaniment.
Serve as soon as possible as Puris are not so good later.

For spicy puris:
When making the dough, add the below mentioned dry ingredients:
Turmeric – a pinch
Red chilly powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Salt as per taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mix the dough well then add water and mix and follow as above.
AWARDS & A TAG
Coming to the awards, I received the Kreative Blogger Award from Priti.
Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful awards with me I truly appreciate this.

The
Kreativ Blogger awards have some rules …
1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog
.
3. Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated

So 7 things about myself.. Let's see if you find this interesting...
• I am a very social person
• I love blogging and in the panel to write for a few other blogs as well.
• I am a real estate agent which was not my field of study and I was featured on TV in Singapore
• I love singing and have won many accolades in the past.
• I love to cook and especially find street food extremely tempting.
• Iam a vegetarian and always find alternative recipes that vegetarians can enjoy.
• Iam a very straightforward and emotional person and expect people to be the
same with me.
And here are some of the tags I received:
•What is your current obsession?
Real estate & blogging

•What are you wearing today?
Iam at home and wearing my well worn and comfortable cotton gown

•What’s for dinner?
Pav bhaji

•What’s the last thing you bought?
Pants

•What are you listening to right now?
Teri Ore from Singh is King

•What do you think about the person who tagged you?
I think she is very talented

•If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Mumbai anytime - Amchi Mumbai is where my heart is

•What are your must-have pieces for summer?
I think 4 quarter cotton pants and soft, pastel colored Cotton kurtis, I love to wear pastel colored Lucknowi Suits, Iced Sugarcane with ginger and lemon (my favorite) gallons of cold water.

•If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
I think I would love to go to Venice

•Which language do you want to learn?
Mandarin, Telegu & Kannada

•What’s your favourite quote?
God helps those who help themselves

•Who do you want to meet right now?
God

•What is your favourite colour?
Blue

•What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own clo
set?
I think my latest wine color formal top which looks professional & slick.
•What is your dream job?
Cook and serve people with no expectation in return except for compliments

•What’s your favourite magazine?
Womans Era

•If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
Buy a decent purse and wallet as both of what I have are worn out.

•What do you consider a fashion faux pas? (faux pas mean error in etiquette.. )
To wear bindi and jumkas with western outfits

•Who are your style icons?
I like Simi Garewal…she is class personified…..

•Describe your personal style.?
Classic & simply elegant

•What are you going to do after this?
Watch TV

•What are your favourite movies?
Jaane Bhi do yaaron, Khubsoorat, Jhooti, Golmal, Amol Palekar movies are my absolute favorite.

•What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?
Bodywash, Face Powder and Lipstick

•What inspires you?
Compliments, gratitude and encouraging words.
•Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Hairstyle that you are comfortable in, Eyeliner to define your eyes and lipstick to define your lips. As Priti said I would like to say the same, Know what's suits you, never overdo your makeup, try to keep it simple and comfortable.

•What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
Go Shopping

•Coffee or tea?
Tea

•What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Hug my little ones. Listen to some soothing music or try to catch up on an old comedy movie

•What is the meaning of your name?
Sukanya means “A good girl”
•Which other blogs you love visiting?
There are millions of blogs and every blog is creative

•Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Gulab jamun and Gajar ka halwa

•What's the best feeling?
To love and be loved in return

•Who do you love most and why ?
I love my kids the most, because they are the most perfect beings in the world to me

Here is my new question: Reason(s) for you to blog?
I love blogging
Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight or ten other people.

So now it's time to award & tag others and I would like to share all the awards and tag with. Sireesha , Sowmya , LG, Purva , Priyanka, Usha, Asha, Sanghi and Priyaraj
Please accept the awards and ignore the tag if you have done before.


Sireesha of mom’s recipes has passed me the Scrumptious Blog Award. Thank you Sireesha!!!
It is the Scrumptious Blog Award -a blog award given to sites who:
Inspire you
Encourage You
May give Fabulous information
A great read
Has Scrumptious recipes
Any other reasons you can think of that make them Scrumptious!
The rules are:
Put the logo on your blog or post.
Nominate at least 7 blogs
Let them know that they have received this Scrumptious award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

Sireesha also passed me the Fabulous Blog award


I would like to pass this award to my following blogger friends:


I would like to send Puris to the Festive food event organized by Purva & Priti, as Puris are cooked during most festivals in many parts of India

I would like to send this recipe to Raks "Cooking for Guests" Event as I make these when guests come over and serve it with aaamras, potato masaala or chole.

I would also like to send Puris to EC’s WYF: Festive treat as Puri is a festive treat.


Wednesday, March 11, 2009

KATACHI AMTI, WHEAT PURAN POLI & RANGA PANCHAMI

WISH ONE AND ALL A HAPPY HOLI


KATACHI AMTI, WHEAT PURAN POLI & RANGA PANCHAMI

The last time I made Puran Poli was during Ganesh Chaturthi and then I had promised to share with everyone the recipe of Katachi Amti. This is a by-product of Puran poli and hence becomes as precious as the main dish. Maharashtrians make Puran poli on Holi day. I would like to share with you’ll about Holi in Maharashtra.

Holi In Maharashtra

Holi is known as Shimga or Rangpanchami in Maharashtra. People of Maharashtra have their own grand style of celebrating Holi. The day they celebrate with colors is known as Ranga Panchami and comes five days after Phalgun Poornima.

One day before Ranga Panchami, a huge bonfire is made and an effigy of Holika with child Prahlad in her lap is kept on the logs. Usually, Holika's effigy is made of combustible materials, whereas, Prahlad's effigy is made of non-combustible one. Almost 40 days before the Holi Festival. People go on throwing twigs, dried leaves, branches of trees left through the winter besides any other combustible material they can spare, on to that log which gradually grows into a sizable heap.

On the day of Holika Dahan which usually falls on the night of Phalguna Purnima, the effigy is set alight. Next morning the ashes from the bonfire are collected as prasad and smeared on the limbs of the body. If spared by the fire coconuts are also collected and eaten.

Metaphorically though, the fire is meant to signify the destruction of evil - the burning of the 'Holika' - a mythological character and the triumph of good as symbolized by Prahlad. However, the heat from the fire also depicts that winter is behind and the hot summer days are ahead.

Dhuli Vandan, is an important festival in Maharashtra and it coincides with the Holi festival. It is celebrated on the day after Holika Dahan in Phalguna month. The festival is of great importance to farmers and agriculturalists. The ashes of Holika burned on the previous night and soil are worshipped by the farmers for a good harvest. In 2009, the date of Dhulivandan is March 11.

Dhuli Vandan is observed in Maharashtra when the rest of the country plays holi with colors. Nowadays, Dhulivandan in its strict traditional sense is limited to rural areas. In cities most people play Holi with colors on the day.

Historic significance of Holi in Maharashtra

During the Maratha regime this festival was celebrated with great pomp and grandeur. It was on a Holi festival day that five-year-old Jijabhai, daughter of Lakhooji Jadhav innocently splashed coloured water and threw gulal on young Shahaji, son of Malajirao Bhowale. Taking it as an auspicious event, the two children's engagement was announced that very day. Soon they were married. Later, Jijabhai gave birth to Shivaji, the founder of great Maratha empire.

Festival and Food

Festivals are always marked with good food and Maharashtrians usually make Puran Poli Besides people drink sugarcane juice and feed children with watermelons that are in season.


KATACHI AAMTI

As promised in my previous post on Puran Poli during Ganesh Chaturthi, I am blogging here the recipe of katachi aamti. Katachi Aamti is very popular in my marital home at Pune. They love it so much that they drink little bowls(vatis) full of it. The amti has a hot-sweet taste. I don’t like the sweet taste though, so I add less jaggery, so that the jaggery just enhances the flavor but doesn’t sweeten my amti too much. Katachi Amti is prepared using the water from the chana dal that is boiled for preparing the puran. Yo’s Kaku (Father’s brother’s wife) who lives in Barshi, Solapur, prepares this with lot of enthusiasm and love. She was telling me that it is known as “yelavni” in the solapur region. I think what changes the dynamics of the taste to this amti is using chana dal water.I didn’t use goda masala in my amti as I didn’t have it and I feel that goda masala has a very strong flavor which doesn’t suit my palate too much, but the original recipe has goda masala.

Ingredients

Katache Pani – 1 and ½ cups

Mashed Chana Dal – 1 ½ tbsps

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 3 tsps

Cinnamon - 1 piece

Bay leaves - 2

Curry leaves -8-10

Garam Masala - 2 tsps

Goda Masala – 2 tsps (optional)

Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsps

Asafetida - a pinch

Tamarind paste - ½ tsp

Grated Jaggery – 1 tsp

Grated coconut - 3 tbsps

Salt as per taste

Coriander leaves for garnish

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

Take 2 teaspoons of Cumin seeds and dry roast it till it crackles. Keep aside. Now dry roast 3 tablespoons of grated coconut and roast until faint pink color and aromatic. Now run both in a blender to make a fine paste. Keep aside.

In a wok, add oil, when its hot, add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, when the mustard seeds start to crackle add in the curry leaves to it, then add a pinch of asafetida, now pour the katache pani (water from the boiled chana dal), add the mashed dal, then add, red chili powder, garam masala, goda masala, tamarind, jaggery, and salt to it. Bring this to boil and then add coconut paste. Boil for some time, add water if it’s too thick. Mix well and let it boil for about 10 minutes.

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve hot with puran poli.


WHEAT PURAN POLI

This is the same recipe as blogged before, the only difference being that the refined flour has been replaced with wheat flour. Wheat is a healthy option and doesn’t alter the taste too much and the Puran poli tastes yummy anyways.

Ingredients

Bengal gram (chana dal) - 2 cups,

Jaggery - 2 cups

Wheat flour -2 cups

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Cardamom powder -1 tsp

Nutmeg powder 1/4th tsp

Dry ginger powder(soonth) -1/4th tsp

Ghee as required

Method

Grate the jaggery, keep aside. Soak the Bengal gram for about 2-3 hours. Then add water enough to immerse the dal completely and a bit on top. Cook chana dal in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles till it turns soft. Drain out excess water until the dal is absolutely dry. You can retain this water to make Katachi Amti (I will blog this recipe later). Mash the chana dal into a paste. In a wok, Add one tablespoon of ghee, then add the cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and dry ginger powder(soonth), Now add the grated jaggery, when the grated jaggery melts, add the chana dal paste and blend both well, and cook further. You will notice that the mix has become watery, which scared me out of my wites, thinking that this attempt is going to fail too. So I urgently called my mother-in-law in Pune and asked her what to do, she said don’t worry, it is like that, “Don’t cook for too long in the wok, the chana dal paste will harden and you don’t want it to get hard. She said, immediately switch off the gas and wait for the mix to cool down, then put it in the mixie and blend twice till you see it is completely mixed up, this mix, we must add in the wok and cook it on a low flame till it comes to a dough like consistency, which happens very soon, like 2-3 minutes time. Once you see it has come to a dough like consistency put off the gas and Allow the mix to cool so you can make balls out of the mixture. Make 20 balls out of it and keep aside

Mix wheat flour, a pinch of salt, oil and water and knead the dough.

The dough will be very soft and sticky dough. Keep this aside for about half an hour till it sets. Then knead again, by punching it and folding it. You can remove all your frustrations on the dough…Imagine the joys of cooking….

Knead well and divide the dough into 20 equal portions.

With greased palms, take one portion of the dough and flatten it into a disc of the size of the palm. Place a ball of "chana jaggery" paste in the centre and fold the disc from all sides to cover the paste completely.

On a well-floured board, gently roll out each poli with the help of a rolling pin into a 6 inches disc. This can get tricky as the paste does try to slide out. Use a little flour if that happens.

Roast each poli on a hot, dry girdle.Add a teaspoon of ghee around the poli , once you see some spots on the backside flip over, you will see your Puran polis puff up. Once done, Remove on a plate. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee or a bowl of warm milk and with steaming hot Katachi Amti.


I would also like to send Wheat Puran Polis and Katachi Amti to Purva of "Purva's Dawat" for "Festive Food-Holi" event.


Wheat Puran Polis, go to Roma of "Roma's space", who is guest hosting "JFI-Wheat" this month, an event started by Indira.





I would also like to send this to PJ’s Tasty Bites for Toddlers event

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails
LinkWithin Related Stories Widget for Blogs
YOUR TEXT HERE