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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Fish Fry

 

Ingredients:
Fish - 4 big pieces
Garlic paste - 2 tsp.
Ginger paste - 1 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 2 tbsp.
Roasted and powdered cumin - 1 tsp.
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp.
Chinese 5 spice powder - 1/2 tsp.
Lime juice - 1 tsp.
Salt (as per taste)
Oil (to shallow fry)

Method:
Make a thick paste with all the ingredients (except the fish and oil).
Make 2 to 3 slashes with a knife on both sides of the fish. (I have used karimeen/pearl spot fish without the outer skin).
Apply the paste on both sides. Marinate for half an hour. If marinated more than half an hour, refrigerate them.
Take a tawa and pour a little oil. When the oil is hot enough, place the fish pieces and fry (cook) on both sides.
Enjoy as a side dish or as the only dinner.

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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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