MOTICHOOR LADDU

The Diwali vibe sets in only when the aroma of sweets and savories pervades the entire home.

Every Diwali, I try to prepare something new, in the sense that I make a sweet I haven't prepared before. This Diwali, I prepared Motichoor Laddu, a scrumptious delicacy that melts in your mouth.

Thank God, I got it right on my first attempt, and it tasted good too!

Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali! 🪔✨

 INGREDIENTS :

 

GRAM FLOUR- 1 CUP

SUGAR --1 CUP

WATER- 1/2 CUP

ORANGE FOOD COLOUR

COOKING SODA--A PINCH

SALT--A SALT PINCH

GHEE --1 TBSP

CASHEW NUTS---AS REQUIRED

OIL FOR FRYING

CARDAMOM POWDERED   

 

 PROCEDURE :

 

1. In a bowl take gram flour,a pinch of cooking soda,water and whisk to a smooth batter.Take care to blend it to smooth batter thats neither thick or watery.

 

2.Heat oil in a pan and when its hot enough,pass the batter through a perforate ladle or boondi ladle.Slightly press the batter and see if it takes the shape of small pearls.

 

3.Don't worry about the shape,as we are going to pulse it in the mixie.Take care not fry it too crispy.

 

4.Now take the fried boondis in a mixer jar and run it in the pulse mode for a couple of seconds.

 

5.Keep the boondi crumble aside.Meanwhile in a pan dissolve sugar and water.When it is fully dissolved,switch on the stove.

 

6.Keep stirring,till the syrup reaches sticky consistency,add the food colour,pinch of salt and switch off the stove.

 

7. Now transfer the pulsed contents to the sugar syrup and switch on the stove and keep stirring in mild heat till it thickens and water evaporates.Now switch off the stove.Mix cardamon powder,cashew nuts and ghee and allow it rest for 15 minutes. 

 

8.Now roll it into laddus of uniform size.You have to do it when its still warm,else the laddus will disintegrate.

 

 

SIMPLE POTATO CURRY

Planning makes your work easier, and cooking is no exception.

Today, I was totally confused about what to prepare for lunch, especially when it came to choosing between a palya or a curry. With only potatoes and colocassia on hand, I settled for potatoes and decided to prepare a potato curry.

But my dilemma didn't end there! I began questioning myself: What kind of curry should I make?

I wasn't in the mood to prepare anything elaborate, so I finally settled for a simple potato curry without onion or garlic.

Initially, I was a little sceptical. Should I post such a simple preparation on my blog? But then, my mind gave me the go-ahead. After all, there might be a rookie cook or even someone feeling too lethargic to spend much time in the kitchen who would appreciate a simple, fuss-free recipe!

 INGREDIENTS:

 

POTATO- 500 GRAMS

SAMBAR POWDER/ KULAMBU POWDER- 2 TSP

CHILLI POWDER- 3/4 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER- 1/4 TSP

SALT TO TASTE

OIL- 1 TBSP

CURRY LEAVES- 2 SPRIGS

CUMIN SEEDS- 3/4 TSP

MUSTARD- 3/4 TSP

ASAFOETIDA- 1/2 TSP

 

PROCEDURE :

 

1.Wash,wipe and steam cook potato with skin intact for 2 whistles and switch off.

 

2.On cooling,peel the skin and chop the steamed potatoes into two halves and keep it aside.

 

3.Heat oil in a pan  and splutter mustard seeds,cumin seeds, all the spice powders,asafoetida,curry leaves and switch off.

 

4.Now add the salt to the oil and transfer the chopped potatoes and toss till the potatoes get coated and takes in all the spices.Fry in medium heat without burning.

A SPICY TWIST TO COCONUT CHUTNEY

 

Chutney is a mainstay in any South Indian breakfast spread. I normally prepare the subtly flavoured coconut chutney, but yesterday, I decided to try a spicy version instead. It tasted darn good!

Even as a sambar lover, I vouched for this chutney as an apt accompaniment to idli and dosa. But what truly surprised me was how much I enjoyed it with plain rice and a dollop of ghee!

 INGREDIENTS :

 

TOOR DAL- 2 TSP

GRAM DAL- 3 TSP

URAD DAL- 3 TSP

COCONUT GRATINGS- 1 CUP

RED CHILLIES- 4-5 

GINGER- SMALL PIECE

GARLIC CLOVES-4-5

TAMARIND-GOOSEBERRY SIZE

ONION- 1

CURRY LEAVES- 2 SPRIGS

SALT TO TASTE

 

FOR SEASONING:

 

OIL- 2 TSP

MUSTARD-3/4 TSP

ASAFOETIDA- 3/4 TSP

CURRY LEAVES- 1 SPRIG 

 

 

PROCEDURE

 

1. In a pan heat oil and roast all the lentils.Then add in the red chillies and roast well.

 

2.In the remaining oil roast coconut,chopped onions,ginger,garlic,curry leaves and roast well

 

3.Roast tamarind to soften it .Allow the roasted ingredients to cool.

 

4. Take all the roasted ingredients in a mixer jar along with water and grind to thick paste.

 

5. Add the seasoning to the prepared chutney and mix well.

 

TIFFIN SAMBAR --METHOD 3

One thing I have always loved about visiting restaurants and hotels is tasting their scrumptious sambar. I often wondered what made hotel sambar so special and unique.

After I developed an interest in cooking, I tried to replicate that distinctive hotel or tiffin sambar by exploring various recipes from different sources. Though I couldn't quite recreate the exact taste, my versions came pretty close!

Yesterday, I tried another variant of tiffin sambar, and believe me, it was on par with the sambar served at hotels!

If you prefer your sambar to be a bit sweeter, you can add a little jaggery to it.

 INGREDIENTS :

 

MOONG DAL- 4 TSP

ONIONS (BIG)-  2

TOMATOES (BIG) -2

GREEN CHILLIES-2 

GARLIC CLOVES--5-6 NOS

SAMBAR POWDER- 3 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER- 1/4 TSP

SALT TO TASTE

 CORIANDER LEAVES --FOR GARNISHING

 

FOR SEASONING :

OIL-  2 TSP

MUSTARD- 3/4 TSP

CUMIN SEEDS- 3/4 TSP

CURRY LEAVES-2 SPRIGS

ASAFOETIDA-1/4 TSP 

PROCEDURE :

 

1. Wash,rinse the lentil and soak it in water for 30 minutes and leave it side.

 

2. In a pressure cooker take chopped onions,tomatoes,green chillies,soaked lentils,garlic cloves salt,turmeric powder and cook for 3 whistles.

 

3.On cooling,remove the lid and add sambar powder and turmeric powder and cook for another whistle and switch off.

 

4. On cooling,remove the lid and with the help of masher,mash it well.

 

5.Prepare the seasoning and add it to the sambar and mix well.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves  and mix well.

KEERAI VADAI

Keerai, or greens as they are called in Tamil, are both nutritious and delicious. After using araikeerai to prepare sambar, I used the leftover greens to make these tasty, crispy vadais.

To retain the crisp texture, grind the ingredients to a coarse consistency without adding water. The moisture released from the greens and salt is sufficient to bind the mixture. Adding water will make the batter soggy, causing the vadais to absorb more oil while frying.

You can use any variety of greens for this recipe, and each one adds its own unique flavour and nutritional value.

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

URAD DAL--1 CUP

GRAM DAL- 1/8 CUP

RAW RICE - 3 TSP

GINGER CHOPPED- 1 TSP

GREEN CHILLIES- 2 NOS

RED CHILLIES-2 NOS

CUMIN SEEDS- 1 TSP

SALT TO TASTE

GREENS CHOPPED- 1 CUP.

 OIL FOR FRYING

 

PROCEDURE:

 

1. Soak gram dal,urad dal raw rice for 2-3 hours till it softens.

 

2.Drain the water and  grind the lentils t in mixer grinder to a little coarse consistency without using water.

 

3.Take the ground batter in wide bowl.Add salt,cumin seeds,chopped greens and mix well.

 

4.Heat oil in a pan. Flatten it on a plastic sheet or palm and make hole in the centre and fry it in hot oil.

 

5.When the vadas are fried,take it out and serve with chutney and serve. 

 

  

PUMPKIN CHUTNEY

 

I always stash a kilogram of pumpkin in my fridge because this versatile vegetable can be used in numerous recipes. After preparing a curry, I used the remaining portion to make this delectable chutney.

The natural sweetness of the pumpkin, the creamy richness of coconut, and the tanginess of tamarind come together in a delightful confluence of flavors. I thoroughly enjoyed it with steaming hot rice and a dollop of ghee.

INGREDIENTS :

 

PUMPKIN- 250 GRAMS

GRAM DAL- 3 TSP

URAD DAL- 3 TSP

RED CHILLIES- 2 NOS

GREEN CHILLIES-2 NOS

ASAFOETIDA SOLID- SMALL PIECE 

COCONUT GRATINGS- 1/2 CUP

SALT TO TASTE

TAMARIND- GOOSEBERRY SIZE 

 

SEASONING :

 

MUSTARD- 1/4 TSP 

CURRY LEAVES- 2 SPRIGS

ASAFOETIDA-1/4 TSP

OIL- 2 TSP 

 

PROCEDURE :

 

1. Wash,peel and chop the pumpkin into pieces and keep it aside.

 

2. In a pan heat oil and roast the lentils along with red chillies,green chillies and solid asafoetida and keep it aside.

 

3.In the same pan add the remaining oil and roast pumpkin pieces,tamarind till the veggie softens.

 

4.Roast coconut gratings/pieces too in the oil.

 

5.Transfer all the roasted ingredients to a mixer jar along with salt grind to thick paste using very little water.

 

6.Transfer the chutney to a vessel.Prepare the seasoning and pour it over the chutney and mix well.