Boondi Laddu

Boondi laddu is our family's most favourite laddu. Every once in a year I make these for festivals.

Ingredients:

Bengal Gram flour - 2 cup

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Cooking soda - a pinch

Sugar - 1.5 cup

Water - 1 cup

Kesari powder (Saffron colour) - 1/2 tsp

Sugar candy cubes (Kalkandu) - 1 tbsp (optional)

Cashewnuts - 10 (broken)

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 2 pinches

Cooking camphor - a pinch

Oil (for deep frying)

Method:

Sift the bengal gram flour, rice flour & cooking soda.

Add enough water to make a batter.

It should be in a dosa batter consistency (not too watery or too thick).

Heat oil for deep frying in a deep wide kadai.

Place the boondi laddle (jaarini karandi) above the kadai and pour a cup of batter and shake.

Drops of batter should fall in the hot oil.

The boondi should come up immediately in oil and it should be half cooked.

When you press the boondi between your fingers it should be soft (it should not be crispy and breakable). Proceed with the remaining batter.

Meanwhile in another burner in a thick pan, add the sugar and water to prepare the sugar syrup.

When the sugar syrup reaches one string consistency remove from heat and add the cardamom powder and kesari powder. Mix well.

Now add the boondi, ghee roasted cashews, ghee & cooking camphor and mix well.
Keep aside till it becomes warm.

Add the sugar candy cubes and mix.

Make them into medium size balls. You should work very fast before this mixture becomes cool.

The sugar crystallizes when it cools.

Enjoy the beautiful and tasty laddus!

Note:

1. For making laddus it's good to have another person for help.

2. When the sugar crystallizes, sprinkle little warm milk and make balls.

3. If you feel that you have lot of boondi and little syrup, don't worry about it. Just add the required boondis to the syrup and retain the remaining boondis and vice-versa.

4. Adding colour and sugar candy is optional. Add sugar candy when the mixture is warm.

5. If you add raisins, it should be consumed within 2 days. :)

6. You can also add saffron strings and cloves.

Sent off to Saraswathi Iyer's " sweets & Savouries " event & Shanthi Krishna Kumar's

"Dussehra , Dhanteras & Deepavali " event.

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Paruppu Payasam

This payasam, I specially made for celebrating the Saraswathi Pooja.
Ingredients:
Bengal gram - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup
Coconut milk- 1/4 cup
Cashewnuts - 12 (broken)
Raisins - 12
Cardamom powder - 2 pinches
Dry ginger powder - 1/4 tsp
Coconut slices - 1/4 cup
Ghee

Method:
Dry roast the bengal gram till the raw smell fades off.
Pressure cook them .
Remove the excess water.
Mash them coarsely.
In a pan add the jaggery powder and little water.
Let it boil. Remove the dusts by straining.
Now in the medium low heat add the jaggery and bengal gram.
Let this mixture thicken.
Now add the milk and let them blend well.
Add the cardamom powder and dry ginger powder.
Switch off the heat.
Add the coconut milk.
Finally add ghee roasted cashews, raisins, coconut pieces.
Serve warm.
Note:
When the payasam cools, it thickens. You can add little warm milk to make it thin.
I used tinned coconut milk.

Sent off to Saraswathi Iyer's "Sweets & Savouries" event and Shanthi Krishna Kumar's "Dussehra, Dhanteras and Deepavali".

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Mullu Murukku

Here comes another type of murukku! In this recipe, I added Bengal Gram flour and Red Chilli powder. It's my husband's favourite murukku. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 4 cups
Urad dal - 100 gm
Bengal gram flour - 1/3 cup
White Sesame seed - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Salt (to taste)
Oil (for deep-frying)

Method:
Dry-roast the urad dal till they become light golden-brown in medium-low flame.
Cool and powder them.
Sift the rice flour, urad flour and Bengal gram flour.
In a wide vessel add rice flour, Bengal gram flour, urad dal flour, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, salt, red chilli powder and finally ghee. Mix very well.
Gradually add water in little quantities and knead it into a dough.
Make a small dough-ball and insert it in the murukku presser with a star pattern.
This is what I did to get a good spiral shape. I cut a plantain leaf into small squares.
I applied oil on the surface of cut leaves.
Then slowly designed the spiral shapes of dough on the leaf.
Deep-fry the murukku in hot oil by gently sliding the spiral dough from the banana leaf.
Fry on both the sides.
When the hot oil bubbles settle down, remove the murukku from oil.
Cool and store them in an air-tight container.

Sent off to Saraswathi Iyer's "Sweets & Savouries" event and Shanthi Krishna Kumar's "Dussehra, Dhanteras and Deepavali" event.

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Fresh Red Chilli(es) Mandi

This Chettinadu recipe actually consists of green chillies but I used fresh red chillies.

Ingredients:

Fresh Red Chillies - 300 gm

Garlic Cloves - 12

Tomatoes - 5 (chopped)

Tamarind - medium lemon size

Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

Sesame Oil

Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 2 pinches

Salt (to taste)

Method:

Cut each red chilli into 8 pieces.

Chop the garlic cloves into BIG pieces.

Soak the tamarind in 1/3 cup of water and extract the juice.

Heat the sesame oil in a pan and add mustard seeds & urad dal.

When the mustard seeds crackle, add the garlic cloves and fry till it becomes golden-brown.

Add the red chilli pieces and fry them for at least 5 minutes medium-low flame.

Now add the tomatoes and saute them till they become mushy.

Add the red chillies & salt and mix them.

Add the tamarind juice and asafoetida.

Cook the mixture till it becomes as thick as a gravy.

Remove the mixture from the heat.

Keep it in the refrigerator after it cools down.

Best served with curd rice.

Sent off to "Think Spice: Red Chillies" hosted by Lakshmi Venkatesh which was started originally by Sunita Bhuyan .

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Awards!!!

These are the awards I've received from my blogger friends.
Yum-Yum Blog, 360 Degree Foodie & Giant Bear Hug Awards passed by Priya-


Gold Friends Award passed by Sanghi-


Best Blog Darts Thinker, Beautiful Site, Inspiration & Brilliant Blog Awards passed by Sushma Mallya, Padma & Shubha-

Thanks so much for the awards, friends!

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Spicy Tomato Curry (Tomato Kozhumbhu)

This curry is one of the dishes belonging to the Kongunadu cuisine. I cooked this dish following the instructions given here by indosungod. When I was searching for dry red chillies in my kitchen pantry, I realized that I ran out of it. So for a replacement, I used sambar powder. We loved the sour taste and enjoyed it with hot, soft and fluffy idlis.

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 3 (medium-diced)
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Shallots/Pearl onions - 15 (peeled and sliced)
Curry leaves - 6
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - 2 tsp (chopped)
Oil
Salt (to taste)

To Blend:
Coconut (grated) - 2 tbsp
Red onions - 1/2 (chopped)

Method:
Heat 1/2 tsp of oil and fry the chopped red onions till it becomes brown.
Add the grated coconut and mix well and fry for a minute.
Blend them into a smooth paste.
In a kadai, heat oil and add the mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds crackle, add the sliced pearl onions and fry till brown.
Add the curry leaves.
Add the diced tomatoes and saute till it becomes half mushy.
Now add the blended paste, sambar powder and mix.
Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil.
Finally, add the salt and coriander leaves.
Serves as a good side dish for idlis, dosas and paniyarams.

Sent off to Priya's "RCI-Kongunadu Cuisine".

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