Rava Ladoo

Ingredients:
Rava/Sooji - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Warm ghee (as required)
Cashewnuts - 10
Raisins - 12
Cardamom powder - 2 pinches
Warm milk (to sprinkle)

Method:
Dry roast the rava in low-flame till a nice aroma wafts without burning. Let it cool and powder it.
Then powder the sugar.
Fry the cashews and raisins till they're changed to golden colour.
In a hollow plate, add the powdered rava, sugar, cashews, raisins and cardamon powder and mix.
Now add ghee little by little and continue mixing. Make balls of equal size out of this mixture.
If the mixture becomes dry while making balls, sprinkle some warm milk and continue making them.
Enjoy or store them in airtight container.

Note:
If you add too much milk instead of ghee, consume the ladoos within 2 to 3 days.

Tip:
Dry roast 3 tbsp. of cardamom for 4 to 5 minutes. Let it cool. Then powder them with a little sugar. Store the powder for future use. This can be done during festive seasons. Store it in a small container. Use within 3 weeks.

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Onion Tomato Chutney with Gongura

Ingredients:
Onions - 3 (sliced)
Tomato - 1 (chopped)
Gongura/red sorrel leaves - 1 cup
Garlic - 3 cloves (large)
Dry red chillies - 3
Byadgi chillies - 4
Whole urad dal (skinned) - 1 tbsp.
Bengal gram - 2 tbsp.
Salt
Sesame oil

To temper:
Mustard + cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp.
Urad dal - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - few
Sesame oil

Method:
Saute the leaves in a little oil till they become tender. Remove and keep aside.
In the same pan, fry bengal gram and urad dal till golden color. Add chillies and fry till they become crisp. Remove.
Again in the same pan, add oil and saute onions (till they change color), garlic, tomatoes and salt.
Blend them all into a thick paste.
Temper with the given ingredients. Serve chutney with any breakfast.

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Idli

When it comes to making idlis, there is a certain ratio to be considered. I usually use a 4:1 ratio. While I surfing on the net, I came across a site that contained a different ratio for making idlis. It was written 2:1.

Ingredients:
Parboiled Ponmani rice - 2 cups
Whole urad dal - 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Cooked Sona Masoori Rice - a handful
Salt - 1.5 tsp. (or as per taste)

Method:
Wash the rice and urad dal (each in separate bowls) 3 times. Add the fenugreek seeds to the rice. Please do soak both in drinking water.
First grind the urad dal in wet grinder (reserve the soaked water till then).
Add water little by little while grinding.
Grind the dal till it becomes a fluffy batter.
Pour the batter in a vessel.
Then grind the cooked rice and rice in the wet grinder till the rava consistency is achieved.
Remove and add it to the urad dal batter.
Then include salt and mix it well.
Ferment the batter overnight.
On the next day, the batter will be found foaming and twice the original amount.
Gently mix with a ladle and pour it in the idli moulds.
Fill the batter 3/4th the volume of idli moulds.
You can also grease the moulds with oil as desired.
Steam for 12 minutes.
Remove from heat.
After 5 minutes, serve and enjoy the idlis with your favourite side dish.

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Gongura Masiyal

A very simple masiyal.

Ingredients:
Gongura/red sorrel leaves/pulicha keerai - 3 small bunches
Salt (as per taste)
Sesame/Gingely oil
Garlic - 4 big cloves (crushed)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Whole urad dal - 1 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 2 (each divided into 3 pieces)
Fenugreek seeds - a pinch

Method:
Pluck the gongura leaves. Remove the petiole or stem from the leaf (if present). Wash the leaves thoroughly.
Boil the leaves with a little water. Allow them to cool.
Blend them into coarse paste (give it a pulse).
Heat the oil and add mustard seeds (allow them to crackle), cumin seeds and urad seeds (fry till golden colour).
Next, add fenugreek seeds and cut red chillies.
Add the crushed garlic and saute till light golden colour.
Reduce the heat and add the coarse gongura paste.
Sprinkle required salt and mix with gongura.
Saute the greens for 2 to 4 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Serve and enjoy with hot steaming rice.

Note:
Most of the sourness is preserved in the red sorrel leaves. When consuming with rice, add a little gingely oil.

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Chickpeas Paneer Sundal

Ingredients:
Brown chickpeas - 1 cup
Cottage cheese/paneer - 200 gm (low fat)
Salt (as per taste)
Chaat masala - 1/4 tsp.
Ginger - 1.5 inch (chopped)

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp.
Whole black gram (de-husked) - 1 tsp.
Whole dry red chillies - 3
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Oil

To garnish:
Grated coconut
Grated carrot

Method:
Soak the chickpeas for 8 hours. Discard the water. Then add fresh water and required salt.
Pressure cook upto 3 whistles.
Strain the chickpeas and keep aside.
Cut the cottage cheese into small cubes. Keep aside.
Heat a little oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, black gram and cumin seeds.
Allow the mustard seeds to crackle and roast the black gram till they are shaded to a golden colour.
Now add the asafoetida, dry red chillies (divide each chilli into two or three pieces), ginger pieces and curry leaves.
Add the chickpeas and cottage cheese. Toss 'em.
Finally sprinkle the chaat masala and toss 'em again.
Garnish with carrot and coconut. Serve.

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Curry Leaves Thuvaiyal

Ingredients:
Curry leaves (tender) - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Urad dal/Black gram (whole & dehusked) - 2 tbsp.
Garlic - 2 big cloves
Dry red chillies - 3
Salt (to taste)
Tamarind (deseeded) - 1/2 tsp.
Gingelly/sesame oil

Method:
Heat a little oil and roast the urad dal till it changes into a golden colour. Remove and keep aside. In the same pan add garlic, red chillies and tamarind and fry.
In a chutney jar, add roasted dal, chillies, tamarind and garlic. Grind.
Add curry leaves, coriander leaves in small batches and continue the grinding process.
Mix with a spoon in between. Add salt and sprinkle little water. Blend the mixture into a thick paste.
Enjoy with curd rice, dosa or any other main dish.

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