Authentic Adhirasam

Deepavali, festival of lights. It is the most important festival for kids,as they enjoy eating more sweets, wear new dresses and light crackers. One of the most traditional sweet for Deepavali is Adirasam. My mom used to make lot of sweets and she starts with neivelanga urundai as first sweet every time. Me and my sister too will start our Deepavali recipe with same urandai. From my childhood I have seen my mom doing this Adirasam for every deepavali. I remember from my childhood I used to help my mom in making this recipe and I tried this recipe individually after marriage and it came so good. This recipe got published in Aval Vikatan this month as Deepavali special with step by step pictorial representation.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice (Maavu arisi) - 1/2 kg
Paggu jaggery (paagu vellam) - 300 gm
Elachi powder - 2 teaspoon
Dry ginger powder (sukku podi) - 3/4 teaspoon
Water - 1/4 glass
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Oil - for deep frying

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for 2 hours. Drain water from rice and spread it on clean cloth and dry it for 20 mins under fan. Leave little moisture with rice. Don't allow it to dry completely.
2. Grind the rice in mixer/ blender to little coarse powder. Make sure, it shouldn't be too much coarse or too much fine powder.
3. In a separate pan, mix jaggery and water and boil. Once jaggery gets dissolved, filter the jaggery extract to remove impurities.
4. In a washed pan, again boil the jaggery extract by adding sukku powder. Once second string consistency is attained switch off the flame and add elachi powder. To check second string consistency, add little jaggery syrup in water. It wont get dissolved. Instead you will be able to make balls out of it as shown.
5. Now add the rice flour little by little to jaggery syrup and stir continuously using backside of wooden ladle, such that no lumps are formed. For half kg rice, 300- 325 gm of jaggery is required.
6. After mixing rice flour and jaggery, finally add a tablespoon of ghee and mix well. The mixture will be little sticky and gooey at this stage. Transfer the entire mixture to another bowl and keep aside for 2 -3 days (No need to refrigerate). All moisture will be absorbed and mixture gets stiff.
7. Grease plantain leaf/ ziplock cover and take little portion of adirasam mixture (small lemon size) and flatten the dough. The dough should be flatten into medium thickness, it shouldn't be too thin or thick.
8. Simultaneously heat oil in a kadai and carefully drop flatten dough into oil. Once it raise up, flip the dough and make sure, both sides are golden brown in colour. Make sure, in medium flame the dough is fried in oil.
9. Once the adirasam turns golden brown colour, remove it immediately from oil and squeeze out excess oil by pressing the adirasam between 2 flatten ladle.
10. Allow it to cool and then store it in airtight container.


Yummy, tasty and soft adirasam is ready to be served.

Tips:

1. The dough should be gooey while the mixture is preserved for 2 days, if not adirasam will become hard and chewy.
2. If jaggery syrup consistency is missed, then adirasam will get dissolved in oil.
3. Cook adirasam in low flame, such that it doesn't get burnt. Flip immediately once it raise up after leaving into oil.

Apple halwa

Apple halwa is the easiest halwa one could make without much strain with simple ingredients. Apple halwa is scrumptious dessert. We all know a famous saying "An apple a day keeps doctor away". Such a nutrition rich fruit is apple. But it is very difficult for me to consume apple as such. So I tried this recipe and used to consume now and then. Apple when  it is roasted in ghee, it gives nice aroma. This apple halwa has its own flavour, so I have not added any additional flavour. Kids love this recipe to the core, make it Diwali special. This recipe got published in August Avalkitchen book.

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time : 45 mins
Serves : 4 no

Ingredients:

Apple - 3 no (grated)
Ghee - 5 tablespoon
Milk - 2 tablespoon
Milk powder - 1/2 cup (150 gm)
Sugar - 1/2 cup (150 gm)
Cashewnut - 10 nos
Cardamom powder - 1 teaspoon (optional)
Kesari powder - 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Heat 3 tablespoon of ghee in a heavy bottom kadai and add grated apple. Saute well until juice evaporates and apple get nice aroma.
2. Add Sugar and milk powder to kadai and mix well until everything gets mixed up.
3. Mix kesari powder in milk and add it to kadai and mix well. Cook well in medium flame until halwa starts leaving the sides and ghee ooze out.
4. In a separate kadai fry cashewnut in ghee until it turns into golden brown colour. Add fried cashewnut to halwa and mix well. Switch off the flame.

Hot, tasty and yummy halwa is ready to be served.

Tips:

1. Cardamom powder can be added optionally in step 3. But it is better to taste the apple halwa with its original flavour.
2. Instead of milk powder, even unsweetened koya (palkova) can be added.
3. You can also boil apple and smash and fry it in ghee and same steps can be followed from step2. Slightly taste will differ and to feel crunchiness of apple it is better to grate and make halwa.

Carrot burfi

Carrot burfi is simple yet it is classic dessert prepared in less time. Almost it varies little from coconut burfi. We can prepare this burfi at home with simple ingredients available at home. I tried this recipe for aval kitchen. This sweet got published in Aval Kitchen during August 2016. As carrot contains its nature color and sweetish flavor it adds an additional richness to this recipe. I love to eat the burfi hot, as I don't have patience to wait until it cools off :).

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time; 20 mins

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1 1/2 cup(grated)
Coconut - 1 cup (grated)
Sugar - 2 1/4 cup
Ghee - 4 tablespoon
Cardamom powder - 1 teaspoon
Almond - 5 nos
Cashew - 5 nos

Method:

1. Grease tray with butter or ghee and keep it aside.
2. Wash,peel the skin and grate carrot. Grate using bigger hole in grater.
3. Grate fresh coconut and keep it aside.
4. Heat 2 tablespoon of ghee in a thick bottom pan/ kadai and add grated carrot and saute well in medium flame until carrot turns little soft.
5. Add grated coconut and mix well until raw smell of carrot and coconut vanish off.
6. Now add sugar, cardamom powder and mix well until carrot mixture foaming up.
7. Add remaining 2 tablespoon of ghee and stir frequently until moisture evaporates and thick consistency is formed. Make sure when you take small portion of mixture outside, you can make balls out of it. It is the right consistency and indication to switch off the flame.
8. Pour the burfi consistency to greased tray and press the mixture with spatula tightly. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. With the greased knife cut into square shaped burfi.
9. Once it is cooled off completed, you can cut into pieces and serve by adding badam/ cashew over it.

South Indian Authentic Tirunelveli Pulikuzhambu

Pulikuzhambu is one of the easiest kuzhambu variety that could be made instantly if pulikuzhambu podi is handy. In every tirunelveli home, this recipe is made more often. I love this recipe especially when my mom makes it. During my college days, my friends used love this recipe. One of my college friend requested to post this recipe in my blog post. It can be served with hot steam rice,gingelly oil and sutta applam.  It can also be served as a side dish for dosa, upma and adai.

Separate pulikuzhambu podi is prepared and stored at home,similar to sambar powder and rasam powder. It is one of the handy spice powder that should be available in home. If we add any vathal such as lady finger vathal, manathakali vathal to this puzhikulambu it is called as vatha kuzhambu.

Onion and garlic add additional flavour to this pulikuzhambu. Any one of the following vegetable can be added while making this pulikuzhmabu such as drumstick, potato, senai kizhanghu (Yam), brinjal, bitter guard or lady's finger.

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 4 nos

Ingredients:

Small onion/ shallots- 25 nos
Garlic cloves - 10 to 15 nos
Curry leaves - few nos
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
Drumstick - 1 no (cut into 1 inch length)
Tamarind - 1 (big lemon size)
Pulikuzhambu podi - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Manathakali podi (optional) - 1 teaspoon
Jaggery - 1 small piece / (1 tablespoon)
Gingelly oil - 4 tablespoon



Method to prepare Manathakali podi:

1. Heat one teaspoon of oil in a kadai and add manathakali vathal and few curry leaves to it. Roast well and allow them to cool off.

 

2. In a mixer, blend off the above mixture and store it in a airtight container. When ever this pulikuzhambu is made, you can add one teaspoon of it, which is good for health and adds additional flavour to kuzhambu.



Method:

1. Soak tamarind in luke warm water and make a thick tamarind juice and extract it. Add rock salt, turmeric powder, puli kuzhambu podi and mix well and keep it aside.



2. Heat 3 tablespoon oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds,once mustard seed splutter add fenugreek seeds, saute it for few seconds and add garlic, curry leaves and onion one by one. Mix well and saute it, until shallots turns translucent colour. Finally add drumstick and saute well.



3. Add tamarind mixture to kadai and allow them to boil until raw smell vanish off.



4. Kuzhambu turns thick and almost oil starts oozing by its side, at this stage reduce the flame and optionally you can add manathakali podi.



5. Mix well and finally add jaggery  and one tablespoon oil before switching off the flame.



Yummy, tangy and spicy pulikuzhambu is ready to be served. Serve it with hot rice and sutta appalam.

Tips:

1. Gingelly oil is generally used for making this kuzhambu, it gives nice aroma to kuzhambu.
2. Adding jaggery at last gives little sweetness to this kuzhambu.

Puli Kuzhambu podi

Like Sambar Powder and Rasam Powder, Puli Kuzhambu powder is also another handy ingredient in our kitchen. We can easily make instant kuzhambu using this Puli Kuzhambu (Powder) Podi . Instead of adding coriander powder and red chilli powder for the puli kuzhambu, this Puli kuzhambu podi has a great flavour because of the combination of the given ingredients. We can easily increase the ratio of each ingredient and make large quantity and it has a long shelf life. We can even keep it for 6 months to an year by carefully handling the podi with the use of air-tight container and also using dry spoon.Even it could be refrigerated.

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Yield: 1/2 kg

Ingredients:

Red chili - 250 gms

Coriander Seeds - 250 gms

Thoor Dal - 100 gm

black urad dal -100gm (split dal)

Black peppercorns-100 gm

Cumin Seeds- 100 gm

Raw Rice -100 gm

Curry Leaves-few

Oil - 2 tablespoon

Method:

1. Heat little oil in kadai and roast red chili, coriander seeds, urad dal, thoor dal, peppercons, curry leaves and cumin seeds one by one.
2. Finally dry roast raw rice and keep all ingredients aside and allow them to cool off.
3. Grind it in flour machine or blend it even in mixie and sieve it.
4. Store this powder in airtight container and add one or two teaspoon of this spice powder when ever pulikuzhambu is made.

Green gram dal Rice/ Pacha Payiru Saadham/ Mung Bean Rice - 20 mins recipe

In nellai (tirunelveli) ulundu sadham is so famous. Very frequently my mom used to make this recipe. When my mom was not there at home, I tried the same recipe by altering the major ingredients with green gram dal and made this rice. It came out so good. It doesn't need major side dish. It can be served with papad or potato fry or with fresh curd.

Green gram dal is very good for health and rich in protein and helps in increasing stamina. Sprouted mung bean is steamed and given as major side dish in kerala.

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 2 nos

Ingredients:

Green gram dal - 1/4 cup
Ponni Boiled rice - 3/4 cup
Red chilli - 3 nos
Garlic - 4 nos (finely chopped)
Curry leaves -few
Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Split urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
Hing - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil -3 teaspoon
Water - 3 cup

Method:

1. Wash and soak Mung bean and rice for 20 mins. Drain water and keep aside.



2. Heat oil in pressure pan and add mustard seeds, when mustard splutter add urad dal and jeera. Saute it for a min and then add curry leaves, red chilli, garlic and mix well.



3. Add finely chopped onions and cook well until onion turns translucent color. Finally add hing, turmeric powder, soaked rice and mung bean, 3 cups water and salt to taste.



4. Mix well and check for salt. Pressure cook the above mixture for 4 whistles.

Simple, yummy, tasty and healthy Mung bean rice is ready to be served. Serve with plain curd or by adding a teaspoon of ghee with vadam/ potato fry.

Paneer Tikka

Paneer tikka is a marinated paneer/cottage cheese cubes, arranged on skewers and grilled or baked over oven or tawa. Specifically this recipe is called tandoori paneer tikka, as the paneer is cooked in tandoor which lends a subtle smoky charcoal flavor to paneer. Paneer tikka is usually served as starter.

I have tried paneer tikka in both tawa and grill microwave. My mother-in-law loves paneer so much. My entire family loves it, that too when it is served hot. Varieties of paneer tikka can be made such as pahadi paneer tikka, kashmiri paneer tikka, achari paneer tikka and more. Combination we make for each variety of tikka's marination makes the difference, I have just made a normal paneer tikka.

Ingredients:

300 gm paneer - cut into 2" squares/ cubes
Capsicum - 1 large , cut into 1" pieces (remove layer by layer)
Onion - 1, cut into 4 pieces
Tomato -1, cut into 8 pieces (optional)
Skewers stick / tooth pick - 4

Marinade:

Yogurt/ Thick curd  - 1 cup, hang in a muslin cloth for 40 mins
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Black salt - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Amchoor powder (Mangai podi) - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Tandoori masala - 1 teaspoon
Butter - 2 tablespoon
Oil - 2 tablespoon

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients of marinade in a bowl.



2. Add fresh paneer cubes, cubed onion, capsicum and tomato. Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.



3. Dip skewers stick in water for 20 mins.
4. Heat one teaspoon of oil in a non stick pan/tawa or a well seasoned griddle. Coat the paneer and veggies with the marinade and place them on the tawa. Shallow fry it on a medium flame.Make sure veggies/ paneer doesn't get burnt.
5. As a whole we can make it in 3 batches and 3 tablespoon of oil is required.
6. When one side is cooked, flip to other side and cook gently. Paneer will get cooked faster than veggies.



7. Another way is to arrange the paneer, veggies alternatively in skewer / tooth pick. Heat tawa and place the paneer arranged skewer stick on it and add little oil. Leave space between paneer and veggies since it helps in cooking evenly.



8. Rotate the skewer stick, until all 4 sides are cooked evenly. Apply butter over paneer evenly while frying.

Method using Microwave(convection):

1. Mix all ingredients of marinade in a bowl.



2. Add fresh paneer cubes, cubed onion, capsicum and tomato. Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
3. Dip skewers stick in water for 20 mins.
4. Grease grill rack. Arrange paneer on skewer sticks and place over rack.



5. Set your microwave oven at 200 deg using the oven (convection) mode and press start to preheat.
6.Put the tikkas in the hot oven.
7.Set the preheated oven for 15 mins and cook for 15 mins.
8. Apply butter over the tikkas and grill for 10 mins.

Yummy, hot and spicy paneer tikka is ready to be served. Serve with onion and lemon slices.

Tips:

1. Skewers need to be dipped in water, it helps in preventing the stick getting burnt while cooking.
2. Water need to be completely removed from curd, else this tikka masala would not get coated over veggies and paneer.