Ashoka/Asoka Halwa

Quite famous in Thanjavur/Tanjore, which is frequently served in weddings and other special occasions.

Ingredients:
Moong dal - 100 gm
Wheat flour - 100 gm
Maida/APF - 50 gm
Sugar - 400 gm or as per taste
Warm milk - 2 tbsp.
Saffron strands - a pinch
Saffron food colour - 1 tsp.
Roasted cashewnuts - 20
Roasted raisins - 15
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp.
Ghee - 1 cup + 3 tbsp.

Preparation:

Dry roast the dal in a kadai till it releases a nice aroma. Let it cool. Wash the dal and soak for 20 minutes. Boil the dal in an adequate amount of water till they become mushy.

While the dal is getting cooked, add saffron strands and saffron colour to the warm milk. Mix them & keep aside.

 Meanwhile, mash the dal immediately when they are mushy enough. Dissolve the sugar with the dal.

Mix the coloured milk with the dal and sugar mixture. Keep aside.

Heat 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp. of ghee and add the wheat flour and maida. Mix them with ghee without any lumps. Stir continuously without burning till the mixture is turned into golden color in low flame.

Once the colour changes into golden, add the moong dal mixture and begin stirring. When the halwa becomes thick, mix the roasted nuts, raisins & cardamom powder.

Now start adding the remaining 1/2 cup of ghee little by little with continuous stirring. When the halwa leaves the sides of the pan and releases ghee, pour it in the ghee greased vessel and spread them evenly. Serve warm.

Note:

After cooking the dal, discard the excess amount of water (if any).

Halwa can be kept at room temperature for 8 hours after cooling. Refrigerate them after 8 hours.

Adapted from a recipe book

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Idli Podi

In every household, idli podi differs according to its family taste. They add tamarind, garlic, lots of/less chillies, roasted chana dal (pottukadalai), curry leaves, sesame seeds, etc. This podi is just a simple variation which I usually prepare at home before blogging.

Add urad dal/ulutham paruppu to the kadai. Start to dry roast without burning.

The urad dal should be roasted like this. Remove from kadai and keep it on a plate for cooling.

Dry roast the chana dal/kadalai paruppu.

Dry roast till golden brown and cool.

Dry roast methi/fenugreek seeds/vendhayam and peppercorn/milagu for a few seconds.

Add oil and heat it.

Add whole dry red chillies. I added only a small amount so that my kids can tolerate the spice. You can add 12-15 chillies according to taste.

Add a pinch of salt and sauté in low flame. Salt is added to avoid excessive sneezing.

Saute till crisp and let them cool.

First add the chillies and grind them.

Then add the roasted chana dal, peppercorn and fenugreek seeds.

You can grind them coarsely or finely as desired.

Then add the roasted urad dal and grind.

Add garlic with skin, salt and pinch of asafoetida. Grind for a few seconds.

Idli podi is ready.

Ingredients:

Urad dal - 3/4 cup

Channa dal- 1/4 cup

Peppercorns - 8

Fenugreek seeds - a pinch

Whole dry red chilli - 8 (or according to taste)

Garlic (with skin) - 7

Asafoetida - a pinch

Salt (to taste)

Oil - 1/2 tsp.

Method:

1. Dry roast the urad dal and channa dal separately till it changes to golden brown color without burning. Cool them.

2. Dry roast the pepper and fenugreek seeds till you get a nice aroma. Cool it.

3. Heat 1/2 tsp. of oil, add whole red chillies and salt. Sauté till the chillies turn crispy. Cool.

4. First add the chillies and grind them. Add urad dal, channa dal, fenugreek seeds and pepper one by one in dry mixer jar and grind them.

5. Add garlic, salt (to taste), asafoetida and grind for a few seconds.

6. Remove and cool them. Store them in an air-tight container which can be kept in room temperature for one month. After one month  refrigerate them.

7. Add sesame oil with this powder or podi and enjoy with idlies or dosais.

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Sprouted Black-eyed Peas and Bottle Gourd Adai

Decided to go pictorial in method.

Ingredients:
Idli rice or parboiled rice - 2 cups
Sprouted red lobia/karamani/black-eyed peas - 1 cup
Split black gram/urad dal - 1/4 cup
Bottlegourd - 1 cup (chopped)
Onion - 3/4 cup (chopped)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs (chopped)
Ginger minced - 1 tsp.
Green chilli paste - 1 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil (to sprinkle on adais)

Method:
Photos taken on a cloudy day.

        Rice and urad dal before rinsing. Rinse till water runs clear.

       Soak the rice and dal for 3 hours. Before 3 hours.

Rice and dal after 3 hours.

Sprouted Red lobia. Grind rice, dal, red lobia with little water into light coarse batter. The batter should be neither thick nor thin.

Batter...

                  

Add chopped bottle gourd to the batter.

Add chopped onions.

Add minced ginger.

Add green chilli paste

Add chopped curry leaves.

Add required salt.

Mix all well in batter.

Heat tawa. Take a ladleful of batter and spread. Sprinkle little oil on sides. Cook both sides. Serve with any chutney.

Presentation:

Sent off to Priya's "Let's Sprout" event.

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Prawn Fry

Ingredients:
Prawns (cleaned & deveined) - 250 gms
Sambar onion/shallots (peeled and sliced) - 15
Garlic paste - 1 tsp.
Ginger paste - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - 10 to 15 leaves
Cloves - 2
Desi cinnamon stick - 1
Saunf- 1 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder -1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil - 2 tbsp.

Method:

Pour the oil into a frying pan. Keep the heat in medium flame. Once the oil is heated, add saunf, cinnamon and cloves and allow to crackle.

Add the onions and curry leaves. Fry till the onions change colour.

 

  Add ginger-garlic paste. Sauté till the raw smell fades away.

 

Add red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and stir.

 

Add the prawns and stir.

Add salt.

 

 

Add 1/2 cup of water.

 

 

 

Cover and cook for 4 minutes.

 

 

 

Remove the lid and allow the water to dry.

 

 

 

Sauté till the prawns are dry.

 

 

 

 

Serve hot.

PS: Curry leaf is a must to get the tasty flavour.

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