Masala Dosa

Masala Dosa is an all time favourite at our house.
Once I was starting to make Poori Bhaji, and as  I was cutting onion and green chillies my husband entered the kitchen and asked me what was I upto. I said I'm going to make Poori bhaji - he said make it masala dosa - so now u know how much favourite it is.

Ingredients:

2 Potatoes, peeled, washed and cut into cubes

1 Onion thinly sliced

4-5 Green chillies, chopped

1 piece Ginger

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

Few Curry leaves

1 tsp Mustard

1 tsp Urad dal

2 tsp Cashew nuts (Optional)

2 tsp Oil

1 cup water

Salt As per Taste

Dosa Batter - to make Dosas

Method:

Heat oil in a cooker. Add mustard and allow it to splutter well. Add urad dal and cashew nuts.
Add chopped Ginger, Green Chillies, curry leaves. Add onions and fry till they turn glassy.
Add potatoes and fry. Add turmeric powder and mix well. Add water and salt and mix well.
Cover with the lid with the whistle on.
Lower the flame after first whistle and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes.
Allow the pressure to drop and mash the potatoes well with a ladle.
Check the water consistency as required.

Prepare Dosa. Cook both sides. Add masala in the center of the Dosa and fold.
Serve with coconut chutney or Sambar.

 

Thenga Chammanthi / Coconut Chutney

This is our favourite chutney for Kanyi. Yes, my husband loves kanyi - especially during rainy season or winter or for dinner after a heavy lunch. So this is the chutney or chammanthi I usually make for Kanyi. Its very simple and the tamrind gives a tangy edge to it.

Ingredients:

1 cup Grated Coconut

2 tsp Chana Dal

4 Red Chilli

1 garlic

1 piece tamrind

1/2 tsp Asafoetida

2 small onions

Few Curry leaves

Salt As per taste

Method:

Heat oil. Add chana dal, red chilli, garlic, asafoetida, small onions, curry leaves and fry.
Add coconut and fry till brown. Add salt.
Allow to cool and grind in mixie without adding water or using as little water as possible to grind.
 

Kozhukattai / Uppu Kozhukattai

Uppu kozhukattai is one of  my favourite snacks which I love for breakfast and dinner.
Its very simple to make and very good for health too because it is steamed and not much oil also.
I usually make it with raw rice soaked for few hours but you can make it with rice flour also.

Ingredients:

2 cup Raw Rice soaked for 4 hours

1 cup Grated Coconut

5 Red chilli

Curry Leaves

1 tsp Mustard

1 tsp Urad Dal

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil for tadka

Method:

Grind soaked rice coarsely.
Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard, urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves.
Add ground rice, coconut and salt and mix well.
Keep stirring till the batter becomes a thick paste.
Remove from heat and make small balls.
Steam cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve hot with Ulli chammanthi.

 

Garlic Rice

Garlic Rice is a very simple recipe which i learnt from my mother in law.

It is very good for our health and of course tasty too.

Ingredients:

1 cup      Cooked Rice           

4             Garlic

4 tbsp     Grated Coconut

4             Red chilli

1 tsp       Sesame oil

Salt         As per taste

Method:

Heat sesame oil in a pan.
Add red chillies and garlic and fry well.
Add coconut and fry till light brown.
Allow to cool and grind without adding water.
Mix to cooked rice. Add salt as per taste and mix. Serve.

See how simple it is!!!!

Shakkarpara Or Sweet Diamond Cuts

Shakkarpara or sweet diamond cuts is another diwali  hit in our house which my mom makes for every diwali. This is very simple to make, not much effort but tastes really good. It is basically plain diamond cuts coated with sugar syrup which gives it a sweet taste. If you want to try something really simple and yet get good remarks you should definitely try this.

Ingredients:

1 cup Maida

1 tsp  Ghee or oil

1 pinch Salt

Water to knead dough

Oil to Deep Fry

For Sugar Syrup:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tsp Lime juice

Method:

Mix Maida, ghee and salt and add water little by little to make a smooth dough and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Prepare 1 string consistency sugar syrup by mixing sugar and water and boil for 5-10 minutes.
Add lime juice at the end to prevent crystallisation of sugar.

Divide the dough into 4 or 5 balls. Apply little flour on the board and roll evenly as thin as possible.
Use plastic sheet or wax paper on you rolling board if you have difficulty in rolling.

Make straight lines using knife or pizza cutter. Make diagonal lines to form small diagonal shapes.

Heat Oil and add the doamond cuts. Keep turning them so that they cook evenly.
Cook till golden brown in colour. Transfer to a kitchen towel and immediately dip in the sugar syrup.

Mix well and remove to a plate. Allow to cool.

Sugar coated little diamond biscuits are ready.

Besan Ka Ladoo

I remember my mom making besan ka ladoo for every diwali and at some other festivals and occassions as well. I have seen her making these with a lot of love ever since I was a small kid and always love it for its simplicity - no complications in making, in its flavor or in anything about besan ke ladoo. So I decided to go for it this diwali. Here's my mom's recipe for Besan ke Ladoo.

Ingredients:

1 cup               Besan or Gram Flour

1/2 cup            Ghee, melted

3/4 cup            Powdered Sugar

1 tsp                Cardamom Powder

Method:

Heat a kadai or pan and fry besan till you get a good  aroma of roasted flour and it turns slightly brown in colour. Remove from heat.
Add ghee little by little and mix well.
Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder and mix. Add some more ghee if necessary.
The consistency should be such that you can shape into balls easily.
Apply some ghee in your palms, take a portion of the mixture and make into balls while the mixture is still hot .
Arrange in a plate and allow to cool.
Delicious Besan ka Ladoo is ready - and yeah don't forget to add lots ok love while you make them!!!

Badusha

Wowwwwwwwww  Badusha!!!!!!!!!!!!
Badusha is my husband's only favourite sweet. I had no idea how to make it until yestarday when I watched few videos in youtube and referred some websites for the recipe. Then only I realised how easy it was and thought I should definitely give it a try. And that's how Badusha is on top of my Diwali Sweets list. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

For Badusha:

 

2 cup      Maida

 

2 tsp       Curd

 

2-4 tsp    Ghee

 

2 pinch   Cooking Soda

 

Water to knead dough

 

Oil to deep fry

 

For Sugar Syrup:

 

2 cup       Sugar

 

1 cup       Water

1 tsp        Lime juice

Method:

Sieve Maida and cooking soda. Add curd and ghee to it and mix roughly with water.
Do not knead too much, mix the flour with other ingredients just roughly.
Keep the dough aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare sugar syrup. Add sugar and water to a bowl and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and keep for 15 minutes in loe flame to form a thick sugar syrup of 2 string consistency.
Add lime juice to prevent sugar syrup from crystallizing.

Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Oil should not be too hot.
Prepare small balls out of the dough and push in the centre to look like a doughnut.
Put the balls in the oil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes in low flame.
Turn sides frequently and always keep the flame low.
If oil gets too hot remove pan from heat and allow the balls to cook.
Drain the balls into a kitchen towel and dip in sugar syrup for few minutes.
Remove and arrange in a plate.
When all the balls are done pour sugar syrup over the badushahs and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Garnish with almond and your Badusha is ready.