Sweet Aval

Yet another aval recipe...Simple recipe,requires no gas,easy to make and a perfect evening snack ;)

Ingredients:

1.Aval(beaten rice-thick)......1 cup

2.Grated jaggery.............1/2 cup

3.Grated coconut............1/2 cup

Procedure:

1.Wash the aval nicely,until all the impurities leaves.Soak tis with 1/4 cup of water for 1/2 hr.(I used red aval here)...

2.After soaking it will turn to be soft and chewy.Now add in grated coconut and jaggery.Mix well until all the ingredients bind nicely.Allow tis to set for 10 more minutes and serve.

Aval Upma

Ingredients:

1.Aval(white/red-thick version)- 1 cup

2.Green chilies.......2

3.Chopped Curry leaves n coriander leaves to garnish

4.Oil........2 tsps

5.Mustard seeds(1/ tsp),channa dhal(1 tsp),few broken cashew nuts and urad dhal(1 tsp) for seasoning.

6.Turmeric powder & asefotida a pinch

7.Salt to taste.

Procedure:

1.Wash aval well and remove all impurities.Soak it with 1/4 of water for 1/2 hr.

2.Heat oil in a pan,splutter mustard and all dhals-fry till golden color.

3.Now add in chopped green chilies,turmeric powder and asefotida.

4.Finally add in soaked aval,salt and chopped curry and coriander leaves.

5.Mix well and close it with a lid.Stir often(say once in every 3 minutes).Cook tis way for 10 minutes and switch off the flame.Allow tis to rest for 5 minutes and then serve it hot.

This requires no side dish at all.Beaten rice(aval) has good fibre in it,red aval is healthier than the white one.

Bread Cup Pizza

This is my first "best" experience in baking,bcoz i got a big applause from my family n friends for tis recipe.And tis is always close to my heart ;)First of all i should thanks sharmispassions for sharing tis lovely-tasty recipe with us all..Here i introduce bread cup pizza,a super duper easy snack time recipe...I hav altered certain ingredients from the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1.Whole wheat bread/milk bread/maida bread.......4

2.Grated cheese........4 tbsps

3.Chopped capsicum(i used green).......4 tbsps

4.Onion chopped......4 tbsps

5.Boiled corn kernels.......4 tbsps

6.Ketchup......1 tbsp(1/4 tbsp for each bread)(Original recipe calls for pizza sauce,i used ketchup as i cudn't find tat product in nearby super market)

7.Red chilli sauce/ black pepper... a pinch for hotness

8.Ghee/ butter to grease the bread

Bread cup pizzas are ready

Procedure:

1.Cut the edges of bread slices.Cut it to a circle shape(i used a cup to get the shape quickly).

2.Grease the both sides of bread with ghee/butter.

3.Now place the bread slices inside muffin cups and press them with a finger so tat they sit well and make place for the filling.

4.Now fill it with a tbsp of corn,onion,capsicum, ketchup and cheese.

5.Original recipe didnt use pepper/red chilli sauce,but here i used red chilli sauce.Use red chilli sauce/pepper powder not both,bcoz both may make the pizza more hot.

6.Pre-heat oven for 10 mins with 180 C.Now place the bread cups inside the oven and bake it for 10 to 12 mins at 180 C.

7.When the outer crust turns golden brown n they r done.

Note:I have OTG,hence it took 10 to 12 mins to bake,but microwave may take much less time to complete.So do accordingly.

Pav Baji

Hot Pav Bajis are my favourite snack time food,sometimes i prefer having it for breakfast too.I love the pav bun's softness and fluffiness so much.Having tat golden crispy-soft buns with spicy baji is a heavenly delicious experience...Lets do it in a quick simple way and have fun ;)

Ingredients:

1.Pav buns.......4

2.Butter..... 1 tbsp

3.Boiled potatoes......1 cup

4.Chopped onions......1 cup

5.Chopped tomato.....1/2 cup

6.Ginger garlic paste.....1/2 tbsp

7.Turmeric powder.....a pinch

8.Boiled Green peas.......1/2 cup

9.Pav baji masala powder.....1 tbsp

10.Red chilli powder/Green chillies.....according to the taste

11.Salt needed

12.Oil......2 tbsps to fry

13.Coriander leaves....for garnishing

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan,add chopped onions,ginger garlic paste and tomato one after the other.Fry till they cook well.

2.Now add in boiled potatoes and green peas and mash well the potatoes.

3.Add turmeric powder,pav baji masala,red chilli powder and needed salt.Cook well for 10 minutes with 1/4 cup of water to make it a thick gravy.Now Baji is ready with coriander garnishing.

4.Slit the buns horizontally,grease butter on both the sides,roast them in a tava till golden.

5.Serve it super hot with masala tea...ohh tis sounds great isn't it?!!!!

French Fries

Yesterday i tried french fries in my oven!!I guess Grill mode works prefect for this.And also i feel this is the healthy way of doing french fries as it consumes only few drops of oil.It has become my family's fav snack :)

Ingredients :

1.Potatoes(big)..........4

2.Red chilli powder and salt a little

3.Oil....1/2 tbsp

4.Ketchup or cheese dip

Procedure:

1.Cut the potatoes length-wise and half boil it.

2.Take the cookie tray (got with the oven),grease with oil,spread the half-boiled potatoes and drizzle some red chilli powder and salt evenly on it.

3.Again drizzle few more drops of oil on top of potato.In the mean time pre-heat the oven for 10 mins with 180 deg C.

4.Toast the potatoes in grill mode for 15 minutes with temp 180deg C.

5.Serve it hot with ketchup or cheese dip ;)

Note:I use electric oven not a microwave so take care of the temp and timer if u use a microwave.I heard tat microwave cooks food faster than an oven.

Thaen Kuzhal Murukku

Here comes my Diwali Special Murukku!!

Ingredients :

1.Rice(pachcharisi)....5 cups

2.Urad dhal .........1 cup(fry dryly till golden color)

3.Butter........5 tbsps(or its upto u)

4.Cumin seeds............3 tbsps

4.Salt to taste.

5.Asefotida.......2 tbsps(water solved)

6.Water as u need.

Procedure:

1.Grind rice and fried urad dhal in food processor or flour mill(it should be in fine powder state).

2.Divide flour in to small parts and mix the other ingredients according to the measure.

Note:Making that big amount of flour in one session isn't easy.And if the wet flour is kept for long time,the murukku will turn red and start to absorb more oil as well.

3.Put the wet flour mixture in murukku press in hot oil and fry till the bubbles settle.Take out from hot oil and let it cool down and store them immediately in an air tight container.

For detailed procedure,see mullu murukku recipe.Thanks n Hope u all like tis :-)

Ribbon Bakoda

Its been a very long time since i blogged.I was bit busy with guests and travel.Have been to nagercoil,kutralam,kanyakumari for the vacation with my family and the trip was so memorable that i njoyed it to the fullest.Here posting my latest recipe,did this for the guests and writing it here as everyone said that it tasted good :)

Ribbon Bakoda:


Ingredients:

1.Besan flour..........2 cups


2.Rice flour............. 1 cup


3.Hing a pinch


4.Red chilli powder.........1 tsp


5.salt to taste


6.Butter.............. 4 tbsp


7.White sesame seeds..........1 tbsp(soaked and drained)

Procedure:

1.Sieve gram flour and rice flour in a deep wide bowl.Bring in the chilli powder,salt,hing and sesame seeds and give it a nice mix.


2.Later add butter and blend well.At last add needed water and make it like a chapati dough.


Note:If u r doing in a large volume,divide the dry flour into small portions.Use the wet flour immediately,otherwise the bakodas will turn too dark in color.

3.Put a small portion of it in ribbon press and press it in hot oil.Fry till it reaches the golden color or until the bubbles in oil settle down.

4.Remove excess oil and store it in an air tight container after it cools.


5.Can be stored for 2 weeks or more.A Good home-made snack is ready to make any evening really special.


U can do this for any family function(like seemantham,naming function etc)or for occasions like diwali,janmaashtami...so adding this to savouries n snack list.Njoy eating:)

Masala Puffed Rice

Masala puffed rice was my favorite n stomach filling snack during my college(hostel) days :-).I often do this crunchy snack for my li'l one as it is very easy and simple,and also can be made in minutes.

Ingredients:

1.Puffed Rice...........3 cups

2.Split channa(Pottu kadlai).......1/2 cup

3.Roasted groundnut..........1/2 cup

4.Cashew nuts.........10-15 nos

5.Red chilli(dry)..........3

6.Salt to taste.

7.Hing/Asafoetida....a pinch

8.Curry leaves......... few

9.Turmeric powder.....1/4 spoon

10.Oil...........2 spoon

11.Garlic cloves......10 to 15 nos

12.Mustard Seeds...........1/2 spoon

Procedure:

1.Dry fry the puffed rice,split channa and cashew one by one.Keep them aside.

2.Heat a kadai,add oil,mustard and allow this to splutter.Then add dry red chilli,turmeric powder,hing,curry leaves,garlic and salt one after the other.

Note: Slit garlic cloves to get it fried quickly.

3.Later add fried split channa,groundnuts,cashews and puffed rice.
.
4.Fry this for 5 to 10 minutes.

5.Store it in a air tight container once cooled down.

A perfect snack for a movie time,for an evening with tea,for a lunch snack etc.Consume within 2 to 3 weeks.

Tip:

If u like u can add raisins and any other nuts.Avoid oil fried nuts and sev,that will change the original taste to usual savoury.

Mullu Murukku

Murukku always remind me of  Diwali.Those sweet days will stay in my heart forever!!!I'm very much interested in cooking right from my school days,Amma and me used to prepare murukku for every diwali,we usually have a nice chat that time.Since i've seen her way of doing(tips n tricks) for years,i got good results in my very first attempt.

Yesterday,i did this mullu murukku with my mother-in-law who is an expert in doing all savories and sweets,i really admire her cooking skills!!She used to give more tips on cooking,especially the way she explains the recipe is always interesting.Here below i've posted the mullu murukku recipe and some snaps.

Ingredients :

1.Raw rice(Pachcharisi)......3 Cups

2.Moong dhal(Paasi paruppu)........1 cup

3.Channa Dhal(Kadalai paruppu)......1/2 cup

4.Split channa Dhal(pottu kadalai).......1/2 cup

5.Butter.........6 tsp

6.Sesame seeds(white preferred).......1 spoon

7.Hing........1 tsp

8.Salt to taste

9.Oil needed to deep fry.

Procedure:

1.Dry fry rice and dhals seperately.

2.Once cooled down,mix rice and dhal together.Grind it to fine powder.

3.Take the grounded flour in a big bowl,now bring in the salt,sesame seed,butter and hing(water solved).

Note: Follow the same order of mixing ingredients to get a right mixture.

4.Mix well,add needed water and make it to a chapathi dough consistency.Don add too much water,else it will take more time to boil.

5.Now take a hand full of dough,make a ball  shape and put it in the murukku press.

7.In the mean time heat oil in a kadai.

6.Press it directly on hot oil.Or u can press it on the reverse side of jalladai karandi(previously oil greased) and then fry it in oil.

7.Always do it in low/medium flame.Flip(turn) it often,so that murukku get boiled and crispy on both sides.

8.Once the bubble settles down,filter out the extra oil and take out the muruku.

9.Now the mullu murukku is done.Store this in an air tight container.Can be stored for a month.

Tips:

1.Always wet ur hands before placing the dough in press.


2.Also wipe inner and outer sides of the press with wet hands and take out the extra dough,after each press.This helps for the smooth flow and prevents the left over flour from drying.


3.Don wait until murukku turns brown.Once the bubble(in the oil)settles down,u can take that out .That is the right time and consistency.


4.If u r making in a large quantity,then split the flour into small portions and add butter,salt etc according to the measure.If u keep the wet dough mixture for a long time,it will turn sour and muruku would look reddish,tastes slightly bitter and also consumes more oil.

Butter.....gives crispness.
Salt and sesame seeds.....for the taste
Hing.......for the aroma,taste and digestion

Some will add jeera(cumin) seeds instead of sesame seeds.This is usually made during diwalis,weddings and some carnivals.Though it is time consuming,the outcome will be great and appreciating.Kids love a lot and healthier when compared to LAYS or  KURKURE :-).My son is very fond of this and he will never stop with one.Gud day!!

Vegetable Cutlet

I guess,i was doing my 6th standard,when i tasted cutlet for the first time.But,I didnt like the taste and the color.It was horrible as it was over cooked n cold.So i never loved to eat it anywhere.But during my college days,my friends took me to "the sangeetha restaurant" trichy(one of my fav hotels in trichy) for a birthday party.Party went well,there cutlet was served as the starter,again after a long gap i had to eat it,but to my surprise,it tasted very delicious,texture n taste was tempting too.Then whenever i visit any chat corner,i started ordering for it.My friend used to prepare this in a very simple way,and here i'm sharing the yummy recipe with u all......

Ingredients:

Makes 8 medium sized cutlets

1.Bread(whole wheat/maida) - 4

2.Boiled n mashed potato - 3/4 cups

3.Boiled green peas - 1/4 cup

4.Half cooked chopped carrot - 1/4 cup

5.Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup

6.Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp

7.Salt to taste

8.Oil for frying.

9.Coriander leaves,sliced carrot,sliced onion for presentation.

Method:

1.Dip bread slices one by one in water,squeeze out the water from the bread and keep this damp bread aside.

Note: Don cut down the edges of the bread,bcoz it has high nutritional value.

2.Heat kadai,pour 3 spoons of oil,add onion once heated.

Once the onion is cooked,add red chilli powder,salt,carrot,peas n mashed potato.

3.Mix it well,Switch off the flame.Mix the damp bread to the veg mixture,mix it well and let it cool down.

4.Now take a lil portion of it,roll it on a greased plate to any shape(food moulds help u here,to get variety of shapes).Dough should be thick enough,so that they look like a cutlet,at the same time,it should stay together when they r deep fried.

5.In the mean time heat oil,on a deep frying pan.Fry cutlets one by one,so that they are not broken at any point.

6.Fry till golden brown.Serve it hot with sliced veggies,hot chilli sauce and tangy tomato sauce.

Have this spicy cutlet with hot masala tea on a weekend evening.Ohh!! that will be so enjoying :-)

Crispy Pakoda

Ingredients:

Serving 2 persons

1.Besan flour.........1 cup

2.Rice flour..............1/4 cup

3.Onion (Thinly chopped).......1 cup

4.Green chilies(finely chopped).... 2

5.Coriander leaves(finely chopped)...... a little

6.Chopped ginger and garlic.....2 spoons

7.Red chilly powder..........1/2 spoon

8.Salt to taste.

9.Oil fry deep frying

10.Water

Procedure:

1.Firstly,put besan flour,rice flour chopped onion,green chilly,coriander leaves,ginger garlic,salt & chili powder in a bowl,and mix well.

2.Since onion naturally has got some water in it, the mixture binds together well,if need, u can sprinkle a spoon of water to it.

3.In the mean time heat oil in a deep frying pan.

4.Once the oil is heated,put the pakoda mixture (just like sprinkling) in oil.Fry till it turns golden yellow color.

5.Filter out the extra oil and place the fried pakodas on a tissue paper.

6.Serve hot or after it cools down.This does not need any side dish.

7.Easy to make,can be prepared in minutes.The best snack for evenings with hot tea :)

8.If u want pakodas to be soft-soft,then add little more water to the mix,the batter should be like little pasty.This will make the pakodas soft enough.