PANAGAM / NEER MORE / VADA PARUPPU - Sri Rama Navami Special

Panagam, Neer Mor & Kosu Malli/Vada Paruppu.

During Rama navami we make neer more - which is nothing but spiced butter milk and panagam - which is flavored jaggery drink, also vada paruppu ( Kosu malli )- which is moong dal salad, and offer it to lord rama. Here we go for the recipe....

Cabbage Kofta Curry - (No Onion No Garlic Recipe)

Ingredients :

For the Kofta Balls :

Cabbage - 2 Cups (Finely Chopped)
Gram Flour / Chick Pea Flour - 3/4 cup + As needed
Cumin seed / Jeera - 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander Leaves - 2 Teaspoon (Finely Chopped)

Ginger - 1 Teaspoon
Green chili - 1 and 1/2 Teaspoon (Finely Chopped)
Salt - As per taste
Oil to fry

For the Gravy : 

Tomatoes - 3 Nos (Medium size)
Ginger - 1/2 Inch

Green chili - 1 No
Curd / Plain Yogurt - 2 Table Spoon
Oil - 2 Table Spoon
Asafeotida / Heeng - A Pinch
Cumin Seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Gram Flour / Chick Pea Flour - 1 Table Spoon
Coriander powder - 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric - 1/2 Tea Spoon
Red Chili Powder - 3/4 Teaspoon (Adjust according to spice requirement)Coriander Leaves - 1 Table Spoon (Finely Chopped)
Sugar - 1 Teaspoon
Salt - As per taste.

Method for make kofta balls :

Heat oil in a deep pan for frying . Mean while take a mixing bowl and add cabbage, cumin / Jeera seeds, ginger, green chilies, salt, coriander leaves lastly add gram flour/ Chick pea flour and mix well just sprinkle water and make a smooth dough, If it becomes too sticky add some gram flour to it. Make sure that u don't add too much water, as it will become sticky, and also don't keep this mixture for long, as it may become watery. Make  a smooth small balls and slowly drop the balls one by one in the hot oil (Make sure its not too hot ) don't crowd the balls, just drop 4 balls at a time and keep the flame in medium and fry it till it turns golden brown in color. Drain excess oil with a help of a absorbent paper.

Method for making gravy :

Put tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, then add the gram flour and simmer the flame and fry till the gram flour for about 2 minutes, now add the tomato puree, coriander powder, chili, turmeric powder, and cook on medium flame, until the tomato starts leaving oil, now add curd/yogurt and fry for a minute.

Now add about 1 and 1/2 cups of water, when it comes to boil, reduce the flame and simmer cook for few more minutes. Adjust the thickness of the gravy accordingly.

Now add the prepared koftas and simmer it for about 7 to 8 minutes. Lastly add the chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with Phulka's or Roti's.

Rasgullas

For making 15 balls :

Ingredients :

Milk - 500 ml
Curd / Plain Yogurt - 2 Table spoon
Water - 1 and 3/4 Cups
Ice Cubes - Few (5 to 6 Pieces)
Sugar - 3/4 Cup
Cardamom / Elachi - Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon
Almond Flakes / Pistachios Flakes  - Few for decoration

Method:

Heat milk in a pan and allow it to boil, then simmer it, and add the Curd/Yogurt to it and mix well, keep stirring gently the milk will start curdling, keep stirring till the whey water becomes clear. Now switch of the stove and add ice cubes and allow it to melt completely.

Take a thin muslin cloth and pour the curdled milk in it and filter the whey water completely. Squeeze the extra water from it and hang it for about 30 minutes so that the water will drip from it completely. After 30 minutes the panner would be crumble in texture. 
Take the panner in a mixing bowl and knead for about 10 minutes, gather to a smooth pliable dough, without any crack on it, and make a smooth balls from it and keep it aside, for this measurement you can get around 13 to 15 balls.

Now heat water in a heavy bottomed pan and add sugar and cardamom powder to it, allow it to boil till the sugar dissolves completely, keep stirring till the sugar syrup boils and starts bubbling now add the balls one by one slowly and simmer it for after 3 to 4 minutes the balls will go to the corners of the pan, now move them to the middle and increase the flame to medium and close the pan with a lid and allow it to cook for about 10 minutes opening the lid every 3 minutes (this is to ensure that the vapor goes out and the sugar syrup does not ooze out) , after 8 to 9 minutes the balls would have doubled in size.

Switch off the stove and allow it to cool completely add badam flakes or pistachios and chill it for 1 hour. 
Serve chilled. Yummy rasgullas are ready to eat. Sluurrp ;-)

Vegetable Noodles

Looking for a simple yet healthy and tasty noodle recipe ??? Here it is. I am sure kids will love it. This way you can make kids eat vegetables :-) 

VEGGIE PIZZA - ALL HOME MADE

Ingredients :


For the Pizza Sauce :


Olive oil - 1 Table spoon
Tomatoes  (Concasse) - 3 Medium sized
Garlic - 3 Pods (Finely chopped)
Onion - 1 (Finely chopped)
Capsicum - 1/4 th (Finely chopped)
Red chili flakes - 2 Teaspoon
Tomato Ketchup - 1 Table spoon
Oregano - 1Teaspoon
Parsley -1 Teaspoon (Finely chopped)
Fresh basil leaves - 1 Teaspoon (Finely chopped)
Salt - To taste.


For Topping :


Capsicum - 1/2 No (Cubed evenly/ sliced which ever way you prefer)
Onion - 1/2 No  (Cubed evenly/ sliced which ever way you prefer)
Tomato - 1/2 No (De seeded and Cubed evenly/ sliced which ever way you prefer)
Olives - Sliced few.
Mozzarella cheese - As required.


How to concasse tomato:


Using a sharp knife, make a cross on the top of the tomatoes and then take out the cores. Place them in the boiling water for no more than 20/30 seconds or as soon as you see the skin start peeling. Remove the tomatoes from the pan and plunge them into the bowl of icy water. It will then be easy to remove the skins also take out the pips and dry off on a kitchen towel.Then you just cut the tomatoes into small cubes or diamonds.


Method :


In a pan heat olive oil, now add finely chopped garlic, onions saute for a minute, now add capsicum, chili flakes, oregano, parsley and give a quick stir, add tomato concasse, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the tomato ketchup and cook the mixture for some more time. Lastly add the basil leaves and give a stir. Now your pizza sauce is ready.


For making Pizza base :


Maida/All Purpose base - 1and1/2 Cups
Active dry yeast - 1 Table Spoon
Olive oil - 1/8 Cup
Sugar - 1/2 Table Spoon
Salt - 3/4 Teaspoon
Water  - 1/4 Cup
Milk - 1/4 Cup


Method :


Take a broad vessel add olive oil, sugar, salt, and boil the water and add to this, mix well so that the sugar and salt dissolves well, now add milk and yeast, and mix well so that the yeast dissolves, Now add the flour and gather to get a smooth dough (No need to knead much) and keep covered with a wet cloth for an hour.
The size will be doubled in a hrs time.
Now again gather to make a smooth pliable dough, and punch the dough so that the air in the dough will go. Take a aluminum foil and then with a rolling pin roll the dough gently and evenly with out putting pressure, (Adjust the thickness according to your preference, now fold inwards the ends so that u get a good round shape, and also a thicker edges than the middle. Now prick in many places in the centre, to make sure that it cooks evenly. now spread the pizza sauce evenly and arrange the topping as you desired and grate the cheese to cover the topping.(To make it Indian you can even sprinkle gram masala ;-) )
Pre heat oven to 210 Degree C for 10 minutes Now in a baking tray transfer the pizza (With aluminum foil) and bake it for 12 to 15 minutes or until the base and cheese turns golden brown.
Now cut it using a pizza cutter/ Knife, to make wedges. Enjoy it hot.


Notes :


Make sure the dough is not sticky if it so, then add some flour and knead again.
If Active dry yeast is of big granules, then u can add 3/4th Table Spoon, if its fine powder then add 1 Table Spoon


Variations :


You can use any kind of vegetable, the topping can be changed according to your wish.
Baby corn slices can be used, cottage cheese / Paneer pieces can be used.
The toppings suggestions are endless, you may try a few combination of your favorite veggies.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients :


Tomato - 5 No.s 
Chili powder - 1 &1/2 Teaspoon (You can adjust according to the spice you want)
Tamarind - A small bit.
Salt - As per taste


To temper :


Mustard seeds - 1/2 Teaspoon
Urad Dal - 1/2 Teaspoon.
Oil - 1 Table Spoon.
Curry leaves - Few.
Asafoetida - A Pinch.


Method : 


Grind tomato to a fine paste. Then heat oil in a pan, and add tomato paste, chili powder, tamarind and salt and allow it to boil in a medium flame until the oil separates from it. When the oil starts to separate switch off the stove, and transfer it to the serving bowl. Now again heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, when it turns golden brown, add curry leaves and asafoetida, and pour this over the tomato chutney.


Tangy tomato chutney is ready to be served. Its the best combination for idly, dosa, oothappam.

Coriander Almond Chutney

Ingredients :


 Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Almonds - 10 No's
Green Chilies - 6 to 8 No's
Lemon Juice - (From half lemon)
Salt - As required Water - As required


 Method:


 Clean coriander leaves, remove the root part (you can use the stem part, just cut the roots alone)and chop it. In a blender add the coriander leaves, almond,green chilies and salt, grind it to a smooth paste, lastly add the lemon juice and mix it well. You can store this chutney in fridge. This goes well with sandwich, samosas, and a very best combination for masala papad :-D Tastes better if served chilled.

Whole wheat Poori/Puri with Besan Sabzi (No Onion No Garlic Recipe)

No onion No garlic recipe :

For Making Poori's :
Ingredients :


Whole Wheat flour - 1 Cup
Rava/Semolina - 1 Tablespoon
Oil - 2 Tablespoon
Sugar - A generous pinch
Salt - As per taste.


Method :


Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, and add water little by little and knead to a firm dough. Now divide the dough in to 10 equal portions and roll out and deep fry it in oil, until it turns golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot.


For making Besan Sabzi : Serves 4 Persons
Ingredients :


Large potatoes - 2 No's
Oil - 2 Tablespoon
Cumin seeds/(jeera) - 1/2 Teaspoon
Heeng/Asafoetida -  A Pinch
Besan/Gram Flour - 2 Teaspoon
Bay leaf - 1 no
Yogurt/Curd - 4 Tablespoon
Grated ginger - 1 Teaspoon
Green chilies - 1 Teaspoon (Finely chopped)
Coriander/Dhania powder - 1 Tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Chili Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves - 2 Tablespoon (Finely chopped)
Water - 1 & 1/2  cup


Method :


Boil potatoes with required salt and cut them in to cubes. Now in a bowl mix curd, ginger, green chilies, turmeric, coriander, chili powder and salt together to a paste. Now heat oil in a saucepan for a minute and then add cumin seeds, asafoetida, after cumin seeds crack, add bay leaf, now add gram flour and fry for half a minute until the flour turns golden brown.
Then add the yogurt/Curd mixture to it and fry in medium flame for about 2 minutes, or until the paste starts to leave oil from the sides, now add the cubed potatoes and let it cook for about 2 or 3 minutes. Now add water to it , and allow the gravy to boil for 5 minutes on medium flame. Lastly add finely chopped coriander leaves. Adjust the water according to the thickness of gravy you prefer.


Yummy and tasty sabzi for poori, Roti.

Cream of Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

Carrots - 2 medium sized (Roughly Chopped)

Milk - 1/4 cup

Water - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1/2 medium sized (Finely Chopped)

Garlic - 4 pearls

Tomato - 1/2

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - A generous pinch.

Oil - 1 tsp
Butter - 1/2 tsp

Cream - 2 tsp (for garnishing)

Salt- as required

Bread Slices - Cubed in small  sizes ( toasted )- Few

Method :

Cook chopped carrots with 1/2 cup water, until it becomes soft, allow it to cool.

Heat oil in a pan, add onions, garlic with a pinch of salt and saute for few minutes, then  add  tomato  and saute till it becomes mushy. 

Now add cooked carrots and onion tomato mixture to a blender and grind it to a smooth paste.

Heat pan add butter to it and add the ground mixture to it fry for a minute or two, now add milk, pepper powder, garam masala powder, required salt and bring it to a short boil. 

Switch off and garnish with cream. Serve hot or warm with garlic bread or soup sticks.

Khara/ Savoury Buns

Ingredients :


Maida/All Purpose flour - 1 Cup
Wheat Flour - 1/2 Cup
Active Dry yeast - 1 Table Spoon
Milk - 1/4 Cup (+1 Table Spoon if needed)
Water -  1/4 Cup (+1 Table Spoon if needed)
Olive oil - 1/8 Cup
Sugar - 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt - 3/4 Teaspoon
Chopped Garlic - 1 Table Spoon
Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1 & 1/2 Table Spoon
Dry Chili Flakes - 1 Table Spoon


Method :


Sieve the flour's together twice and keep separately. In a mixing bowl add milk & water (Both should be luke warm) then sugar, yeast to it, and mix well so that yeast dissolves completely. Now take a separate  bowl add the sieved flour, make a dent in the middle and pour the above mixture in the dent, add olive oil, salt, chopped garlic, coriander leaves, chili flakes and gather to make a pliable and loose dough.
Apply oil over the dough and cover the mouth of the bowl with a cling wrap with enough room for the dough to rise.Keep in a warm place for an hour. After an hour the dough would have raised well almost double the size. 
Now Punch the dough, so that the air in the dough release. Then make six equal balls ( above measurement ) and arrange it in a greased baking tray. pre heat oven to 190 degree C. Till then the dough balls we have made will again rise a bit
Brush the buns with milk and bake at 190^oC  for 13-15 minutes or until the top starts turning golden brown in color. Take it out and brush again with butter when it is hot.


Enjoy with butter when it is still warm :-)

Khasta Kachori

Ingredients :


For Making 12 Kachori's


For making Dough :


Maida/All Purpose Flour - 1 Cup
Cold Water - 1/2 Cup
Cooking Oil - 2 Tablespoon
Salt - 1/4 Teaspoon


For Filling :


Yellow Moong Dal - 1/4 Cup (No need to roast just ground finely)
Fennel Seeds - 1 Teaspoon (Coarsely ground)
Coriander Seeds - 1 Teaspoon (Coarsely ground)
Red Chilly Flakes - 1 Teaspoon
Ginger Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Dry Mango/ Amchur Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon
Heeng/Asafoetida - A Pinch
Salt - 1/2 Teaspoon or (Adjust according to taste)
Oil- 1 Tablespoon
Water - 2 Tablespoon
Oil - For Deep frying


Method:


In a mixing bowl add maida, oil, and salt mix well so that it forms a crumble like texture, now slowly add cold water to it and mix well so that it forms a soft dough. No need to knead too much. Keep aside covered for 15 to 20 minutes.


Filling Preparation :


In a mixing bowl add ground moong dal, coarsely ground fennel and coriander seeds, red chilly flakes, ginger & amchur powder, heeng, and salt, lastly add oil, mix well. Now dry roast this mixture in a pan for about 3 minutes in medium flame. Then add 2 tablespoon of water to it and mix well and keep aside for 5 minutes so that the mixture absorbs the water well.


Method for making kachori's :


Now knead the dough for about 1 to 2 minutes, and divide it into 12 equal parts. Now flatten each ball with hands(like a disc), with edges slightly thinner than the middle, now add a spoon full of mixture in the centre and gather all the sides together slightly press in the middle and keep aside. Repeat the process for the remaining balls.


Meanwhile heat enough oil in a deep pan for deep frying. If you put a pinch of dough in the oil, it should come up slowly, that's the correct temperature to fry kachori's.
Now take each ball with the gathered side upwards and press it slowly with end of your palm, make it to form a even small disc shape, (not too thick not too thin)
Now put 5 or 6 filled kachori's one by one in the hot oil, and leave it for about 3 minutes, do not disturb it. It will puff up nicely, when all the kachori's are puffed up well, turn over and let it get cooked well, the other side too. Fry until both the sides turn golden brown color, drain it in a paper towel. Repeat the process for the rest of the kachories.
Crispy kachori's are now ready to eat. 


How to eat Kachori's :


Take a kachori and make a hole in the middle add a teaspoon of Meetha (Sweet) chutney & Hari (Green) Chutney and now add little sev on top, and yummy kachori's are ready to eat :-)

Baked Bread Rolls

Ingredients:

Wheat Bread - 5 slices
Ghee / Oil - 2 Teaspoon

For the stuffing:

Onion - 1 (Finely chopped)
Potato - 1 
Carrot - 1
Peas - a handful
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Fennel(Sombu) powder - a pinch (optional)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 Teaspoon
Red chili powder - 1/2 Teaspoon 
Garam masala powder - 1/4 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves - 1 Tablespoon
Oil - 1 Teaspoon
Salt - As required

Method :

For the stuffing :

Cut the veggies into small pieces and pressure cook them with turmeric powder until it becomes soft. Keep aside. Mash the potatoes well and add it to veggies. Heat oil in a pan, add sombu powder (Optional), ginger garlic paste, saute for 2mins, then add chopped onions saute until slightly browned. Then add the veggies, chili powder and garam masala powder, required salt and give a quick stir.Sprinkle little water just for the masalas to combine well with the veggies.Cook covered for 5mins, giving it a stir in between.Switch off and garnish with coriander leaves.Now the stuffing is ready.

For the bread rolls:

First cut the edges of the bread. Then roll slightly using a chapati roller, and cover it with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside for 5-10mins.Then add the stuffing inside each rolled bread, wet the sides of the bread with water and seal the edges.

Apply ghee evenly on all sides. Meanwhile preheat oven at 200 deg C for 10mins and bake it at 200 deg C for 15-20mins or till the rolls turn golden brown in color. Check in between and turn over if required.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Variations:

You can replace green chillies in place of red chilly powder.

Cumin/ Jeera powder can be added.

Pav bhaji masala can be added.

Notes:

• Cooking time differs from oven to oven, so check after 12 minutes, if not proceed.
• Butter can be greased over each roll.
• If you find uneven cooking then you can turnover the rolls in between.

Finger Millet/Ragi Dosai / Mint Chutney / Pudina Chutney

Ingredients:

Ragi(Finger Millet) flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2 -3 Nos.
Salt - As per taste
Onions - 3/4 Cup (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - 2 Table Spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Curry leaves - 4 or 5 Leaves
Thin buttermilk - As required


Method :

In a bowl add ragi flour, rice flour, chillies, coriander, curry leaves and salt , add little by little buttermilk to this and make it into a thin batter. Keep it as side for say half an hour. For tempering heat pan add 2 teaspoons of oil put mustard seeds, when it splutter add cumin seeds. Heat a non-stick griddle, pour a ladle full of batter in circular motion and fill the centre with batter. Add a spoon of oil around. Fry till golden brown, turn over and fry for another 2minutes. Tasty and cripsy ragi dosa is ready to be served with pudhina chutney.

Mint Leaves/Pudhina Chutney :
Mint leaves – Handfull
Big Onion – 1
Tomatoes (Medium size) – 2
Shredded coconut – 1 table spoon
Garlic flakes – 2 or 3 no.s
Green chilles – 2
Salt – as needed
Sauté all the above ingredients in a table spoon of oil . Grind it to a coarsely paste.

Sakkarai Appam

Ingredients:
• 1 cup Maida (All purpose flour)
• 4 Teaspoon Arusimavu (Rice flour)
• Little more than ½ cup Sugar
• 3 Teaspoon grated coconut
• 3 Teaspoon Rava
• 1 Teaspoon Elachi powder
• 1 Tablespoon Cashew nut (cut in to small pieces)

Mix all the above ingredients with water in a bowl, the consistency should be thick and pourable. Rest the batter for about 15 mnts. Heat oil in a deep pan, and pour the batter slowly using a ladle, fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain excess oil using a tissue paper.

Paani Puri

Ingredients: For Puri's : (Around 50-60 puri's) 

3/4 cup - Rava
1/4 cup - Maida
Salt as per taste.

Mix rava, maida, salt together in a bowl. Gradually, add water and knead to a dough. Keep aside for 1 and half hrs. Then roll out in to a big chappathi and using a cookie cutter cut it in to small circles amd deep fry it. Puri is ready now.

Ingredients: For Meetha Chutney (Sweet chutney)

50 grams - Seedless Dates
1/2 Cup - Jaggery
Salt - As per taste
Chilli powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera powder (Roasted and ground) - 1/2 Teaspoon

Soak dates in hot water for half an hour and grind it to a smooth paste. Heat pan add grated jaggery, dates paste, add chilli, jeera powder, salt and simmer it for 10 minutes. Add water to it to make it in to a watery consistency.

Ingredients: For Paani

1/2 Bunch - Coriander leaves
1/2 Bunch - Mint leaves

1-Lemon
Salt as per taste
1 - Table spoon Chaat masala
1 - Teaspoon Black salt.
Green chillies - As per your spicey requirement.

Grind Coriander, mint leaves along with salt, green chilles, lemon juice. Add water to it to make it thin watery consisitency now add chaat masala to it . ( As Black salt and chaat masala both has salt in it , so be careful while adding salt). Now your paani is ready.Hint : Please refrigerate sweety chutney and paani for minimum 2 hours before serving. This adds up taste.

Ingredients: For Stuffing

Boiled big potatoes (2-3)
Chilli Powder
Salt as per taste

Mash boiled potatoes, add chilli and salt to it. For additional taste chopped coriander leaves can also be added. Stuffing is ready for use.

How to serve :

Take one poori, make a hole in the centre, add a spoon full of filling, add some finely chopped onions, pour a spoon of paani, add a spoon of meetha chutney , garnish with some coriander leaves. 

Sago Vadai

Ingredients :

Sago(Javvarisi) - 100 Grams (Small Size)
Gram Flour - 2 Table Spoon
Green chilles - 3 Nos (Finely chopped) 
Chilly powder - 1 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves - 2 Table Spoon
Onion - 1 No (Big Size) (Finely Chopped)
Salt as per taste


Method :

Soak javvarisi(Sago)for about 45 minutes. Then squeeze out the water from sago. Mix sago, chopped onion, green chillies, coriander, chilli powder, salt, add gram flour to it. Do not add water for mixing. The moisture in sago is good enough. Heat oil in a pan, shape the mixture like masala vadai and deep fry it till it turns to golden brown. Serve hot with chilly sauce.

Pita Sandwich-Desi Style

Ingredients:

Pita Bread - 3
100 grams - Big onion
50 grams - carrot
50 grams - cabbage
50 grams - capsicum
50 grams - Beans
2 Teaspoon - Oil
Sambhar powder - 2 Teaspoon
Pav bhaji masala - 1 Teaspoon
Mozzarella cheese

Method :


For Filling :
Cut all the veggies into julienne (Thin strips) type. Sauté onion with oil in a pan for 2 minutes in high flame, add carrots, beans, add sambhar powder, salt, let it cook for some time until the raw smell of sambhar powder goes off, add cabbage and capsicum, pav bhaji masala, blob of butter, make sure the veggies are not over cooked, let it be crunchy.

Cut the pita's in to half toast it with salted butter. Stuff the filling inside each pita top it with mozzarella cheese, microwave it for few seconds, so that the cheese gets melt. Serve it with tomato ketchup.

Milk Poli

Ingredients :


For Making Poli :
1 cup - Maida
pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon - Ghee
Oil - enough to deep fry

Mix maida, ghee, salt in a bowl, gradually add water and knead to a stiff dough. Roll out into thin round shape and then fold it, so that it forms a semi circle, then roll again, and deep fry it in oil and keep them aside.

For Sugar Syrup :

Sugar - A little more than a cup
Water

Boil sugar in a pan with water to a string consistency, dip the fried puris one by one in this syrup, so that both the sides of puri is coated with the syrup.

For Flavoured milk:

Boil milk with saffron and add cardaomom powder. Pour this milk over the sugar dipped puris, and garnish it with grated almonds.

Poli is ready to be served.....

Cabbage Pakora

Ingredients:

Cabbage - 1/4 kg

gram flour/ besan flour - 1/2 cup

rice flour - 1/4 cup

Green chillies - 2 or 3 nos

chilli powder - 1 to 2 teaspoon

Ginger - optional

curry leaves - 1 tablespoon

Asafoetida / perungayam - 1 pinch.

salt as per taste.

oil for deep frying.

Method:

Cut the cabbage into julinee type. slit/ chop green chillies, roughly chop curry leaves. Mix everything above in a large bowl, add gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, asafoetida, ginger(if desired), salt and 2 tablespoon of hot oil (Mixing hot oil gives a crispier pakoras, and also prevents sogginess).Mix well and sprinkle very little water, and mix well to a form a dry mixture, make sure that not to add more water, as adding more water will not give you a crispy pakora. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan,when the oil is hot, put the mixture in a sprinkled way and deep fry in medium flame. Fry till golden in colour and serve hot as a coffee/tea time snack or as starter…

Variation:

Instead of asafoetida and curry leaves you can add a handfull of chopped mint leaves and a teaspoon of fennel seed,make this very flavorful. you can add 1 medium size onion cut length wise to it.

CRISPY MAIDA CHIPS with a twist

Ingredients:

All purpose flour/ Maida - 1 cup

Omam/ Ajwain - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt - As per taste.

Butter - 1 teaspoon

Oil - for deep frying

Chaat masala - As per taste.

Method:

Mix maida, omam, chilli powder, butter, salt (use little salt than the required). add water little by little making it to a pliable soft dough. Take a lemon size of dough and roll it like chappathi and cut it in to thin strips. Heat oil in a deep fry pan and fry these strips until golden brown. Place it over a tissue paper to absorb excess oil. Then generously sprinkle chaat masala over the fried stripes and mix it with hand so that the stripes or nicely coated with chaat masala. I used less salt in the dough as chaat masala has salt in it. Enjoy the chips with tomato ketchup.


Notes :


You can steam the Maida/All purpose flour for 10 minutes and then allow it to cool, and proceed with the same preparation. This way it will consume less oil.