Sree Krishna Sweet style "Badhusha" - a Diwali extravaganza

Wish u all a very happy and prosperous diwali.May god bless u with abundant wealth and health.
U want to prepare krishna sweets- melt in mouth style badusha,then here comes the exact recipe to follow.The badhushas were soft as well as flaky.This recipe is a fool proof recipe and can be followed as it is to prepare soft badhushas.

Recipe source:
Saras Kitchen

Ingredients:

1.Maida / all purpose flour     -   2 cups
2.Oil                                        -   1/4 cup
3.Ghee                                     -    1/2 cup
4.Sugar                                    -     2 tsp
5.Salt                                       -     a pinch
6.Cooking soda                        -    a pinch
7.Water                                    -     1 to 2 ounces

For Syrup:
1.Sugar                                    -      1 cup
2.Water                                    -      1 cup
3.Rose water                            -      1 tsp (optional)

Method:
* Take a mixing bowl,add flour,cooking soda,salt and sugar.Mix it well.
* Melt the ghee and let it cool for some time.Bcoz,when we add hot ghee,then there are chances for the badhusha to become brittle.Mix the cooled ghee with oil and pour it to the flour.
* Add little water and prepare a soft dough like that of a chapathi dough.Cover and rest it for an hour.
* After an hour,the dough wud have been incorporated well,as it intakes all the ghee.Divide them into equal sized balls .Pat each ball and slightly press it in the centre,this releases some pressure,while frying.Keep these flattened balls to rest for 5 mins.Cover it with a muslin cloth.

* Place a pan of oil and let it get medium hot.Now slowly drop the badushas into the oil and let it cook completely in medium fire. But make sure,the oil is not less hot,which wud result in breaking of the badhushas.Make sure we have enough oil,so that the badhushas will have space to float.
* Slowly flip the badhushas and cook till it gets golden brown colour.
* Immediately,drop the badhushas in sugar syrup and let it soak for a minute ,flip it around for another minute.Take it from the syrup and keep it on a plate to cool completely.Once cooled.store it in air tight container.

Preparing the sugar syrup:
* Take a wide mouthed pan,add sugar and water.Bring it to boil.After few minutes, take the syrup between ur 2 fingures,it shud form a string,this is the right consistancy.
* Other way to chk the consistancy is,take a plate and place the syrup,it will be like a pearl.If u tilt the plate also,it wont drop.
* Once the syrup reaches one string consistancy,then turn off the heat and add the rose water.

Verdict:
It was yummy and flaky.Resulting in immediate plate emptying.

Thattais - A diwali special

Thattais are south indian snack varieties,which is prepared especially during festivals.I remember the days,where my mom used to prepare in in large batches and share it with friends and foes.This is my mom's recipe,which my friend Priya made me to remember,by giving her thattais.This is a spicy variety of thattai,which u wud never feel like eating just one.My H gave me 4 out of 5 immediately consuming it.(Yeah he will never ever give full mark to any dish.Thats his style.)Give it a try,u will love it.

Ingredients:
1.Rice flour               -          1 cup
2.Red chillies             -           6
3.Garlic cloves          -            6
4.Turmeric pwdr        -            a pinch
5.Chilli pwdr              -            1/4 tsp
6.Ghee                         -            1 1/2 tsp
7.salt                            -            to taste
8.Chana dal                  -             1/4 cup
9.Ground nut                 -             2 tbsp
10.hing                          -             a pinch

Method:
* Soak the chana dal for an hour.
* Grind the red chillies and garlic finely together.
* Brake down the fried ground nut into pieces.
* Take a mixing bowl,add rice flour,ghee,salt,hing,turmeric pwdr,red chilli pwdr,grinded red chilli & garlic,broken ground nut and soaked chana dal.
* Mix them well and form into a soft dough.Apply oil to the dough and keep it ready.
* Take a pan of oil and heat it well.
* Take a zip loc cover,apply oil to it.
* Pinch out a little dough and with ur greased hand, pat it on the ziploc cover into a thin thattai.The thickness shud not be too thin,as it will break easily.And it shud not be too thick,as it will become hard.
* Drop the thattai in hot oil and cook it for a minute or two.Or untill the thattai becomes golden brown.
* Flip the thattai and cook it again ,untill the bubble siezes out.
* Remove the thattais,strain it and store it in air tight containers.

Note:
The spice level can be altered to one's taste.Make sure the ghee shud be added only the specified level.If we add too much ghee,then there are chances for the thattai to become brittle.The oil for frying shud be really hot as we do it for appalams.

Mutton Semiya - Ramzan Special

Mutton Semiya  is one of the famous dish,which muslims prepare during ramzaan.My friend Ayeesha,gave me the recipe .We thoroughly enjoyed this dish.This resembles biriyani,but in semiya texture.My h was sceptic about the taste,at first look.After finishing two bowls,he was addicted to its taste.Give it a try.U will love it.

Ingredients:

0.Vermicelli           -            2 cups

1.Onion                  -            1

2.Tomato                -             1

3.Green chillies      -             2

4.Mint leaves          -            a hand full

5.Coriander leaves  -           a handfull

For pressre cooking:

1.Mutton                 -           300 gms

2.G&G paste           -           1/2 tsp

3.Chilli pwdr          -            1/2 tsp

4.Turmeric pwdr     -            a pinch

5.Cinnamon,cloves  -             2 of each

For tempering:

1.Cinnamon             -          half an inch

2.Cloves                  -          3 to 4

3.Fennel seeds         -          1/2 tsp

Method:

* Pressure cook the ingredients under "for pressure cooking" for 3 whistles .

* Take a pan,add oil and splutter with the tempering ingredients.

* Saute the onion ,green chillies and scald in well.

* Now add the tomato and saute , till it oozes out oil.

* Now add the cooked mutton and mix it with mint and coriander leaves.

* Add 4 cups of  mutton broth and bring it to boil.

* Now add the fried semiya and cover it.

* Turn the stove to medium and cook the semiya ,stirring in between.

* Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Notes:

* Some vermicellis brand wont need 4 cups of broth.Then u can add 3 1/2 cup  broth.

* Dont forget to roast the semiya,if not bitiyani would become soggy.

* We can even try with chicken or shrimp.But the mutton gives extra ordinary taste.

Krishna Jeyanthi Special - Diamond Chips

Its been 3 months.since I blogged .I had my in laws visit and some health issues,these restrained me from blogging .My friends were asking me to return back soon.I shud mention here, about my beloved friends,who enquired about my absence.I owe to them a lot.Thank u friends for ur continous support.And I promise u that,I will be regularly posting,blog hopping.Here I am ,with a festival recipe.This is my MIL's recipe.She prepared it and bought it  from India .Its foolproof recipe.Give it a try.

Recipe source: MIL

Ingredients:

1.Maida                  -         2 cups

2.Powdered sugar  -          1 1/2 cups

3.Salt                      -          1 tsp

4.Baking soda         -          a pinch

5.Ghee                    -           1 tbsp

6.water                    -           1/4 cup (or as needed)

Method:

* Take a pan ,add ghee and roast the maida flour.Roast it untill we have a  nice aroma.

* Add the roasted maida flour,powdered sugar,salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl.Mix them well.

* Form a soft dough ,by sprinkling water .

* Rest the dough for an hour.Keep it tightly  covered.

* Divide the dough into equal sized balls.

* Using a rolling pin roll it into  thin rotis.Leave the rotis to dry for 10 mins.

* Cut the rotis into diamonds and fry  till it turns into golden brown biscuits.

* Wipe off the excess oil and store in a air tight container.

Notes:

Sugar level depends on individuals taste.If u want the diamond biscuits to be less sweet ,then u can add 1 cup of powdered sugar ,instead of  1 1/2 cups.Keep in mind,powdered sugar differs from sugar in quantity.Fry the chips in medium heat,as there are chanced for the chips to get brown soon.

Sending this to Bookmarked Recipes event hoted by Priya and Aipi

Anjaneyar vadai / Milagu vadai / Temple style crisp pepper vadai

Milagu vadai or pepper vadai are well known as Anjaneyar vadai.Because,these vadais are made as offerings to lord Anjaneya.These vadais are connected using a thread and garlanded to the Lord.The speciality about these vadais are ,they are fat free.Since ,we are not adding water to the mix while grinding,it will not absorb much oil.These also resembles the thattai.We used to munch these vadais,when we go to Nanganallur Anjaneyar temple.My SIL gave me the complete recipe and also a secret.If we are frying the vadai as normal vadais,then the crispness may not last longer.So inorder to retain the crispness,we are going to partial fry the vadais.Then we are going to deep fry them for the second time as batches.This wil make the vadais crisp.

Recipe Source: Viji Anni

Ingredients:
1.Urad dal                  -         1 cup   (160 gm)
2.Pepper                     -         1/2 tsp
3.Hing                         -         a pinch
4.Salt                           -        1/4 tsp

Method:
* Wash and soak the urad dal for an hour.
* Drain it and grind it in the mixie without adding water.
* The grinded mixture should be coarse not a paste.
* Mean while pulse the pepper and break it roughly.
* Take a bowl,mix the grinded urad dal,hing,salt and  broken pepper.
* Mix them well.
* Heat oil in a pan or kadai.
* Take a tbsp of hot oil and pour it on the vadai mix.
* This will make the vadai even more crisp.

* Take a ziploc cover,grease with oil.Grease ur hands also with oil to tap the vadai thinly.
* Take small lemon sized balls and pat it on the cover into a extremely thin vadai.
* Mark a hole in the centre.(This will cook the vadai faster.)
* Cook the vadai in oil on both sides.
* Remove the vadai,when it is light brown colour.(The trick here is, we are going to fry the vadai again in batches.This makes the vadai crisp always.Even after days.)
* Once all the vadais are cooked till light brown,place them on paper towels.
* Take the slightly browned vadais in batches and cook them again till it turns golden brown as shown in the 5 th picture.
* Store in clean ,air tight containers.The vadais will be crispy for longer,since we had double fried them.

Note:
* Ensure that,the vadais are patted thinly.If not they will become hard .
* At any point of time ,dont add water to the mix, while grinding.
* Making holes in the vadai will make the vadai to cook faster and crisper.
* Adding hot oil to the vadai mix will make them crisper and crunchier.
* When frying the vadai for the second time,keep an watch on the vadai,as there are chances to get black.
* We can also add  a tsp broken urad dal to the mix to get crunchier vadais.

Sending this to Aipi and Priya's Bookmarked Recipes

Puran Poli / Paruppu poli - Tamil New year special

Wishing u and ur family a wonderful and  prosperous new year.May god bless u with abundant wealth and health.This is a very special occasion for us.My mom and MIL will prepare a feast and all our relatives will gather and have fun .Since we are all alone here,I prepared  a simple meal with Tomato sambar,pudalangai poriyal,rasam, puran poli and milagu vadai.I have prepared chana dal filling for the poli.The poli was awsome and was soft too.I have adapted from saras.Give it a try ,u will love it.Will post the recipe for milagu vadai soon.

Recipe Source:
Saras Kitchen

Ingredients:
For Dough
1.All purpose flour / Maida - 11/2 cups
2.sugar - 1tbsp
3.Oil - 1/4 cup
4.Salt - A pinch
5.Food lemon color - As required

For Filling:
1.Channa Dhal - 3/4 cup
2.Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
3.Ghee - 1 tbsp
4.Cardamom pwdr.

Method:
For the dough:
* Mix all the ingredients ,except oil and prepare a soft and elastic dough.
* Knead it well for atleast 5 minutes.
* Cover the dough with oil and keep it aside for an hour.
* Take the dough and knead it again.
* Divide them into equal sized balls.

  

For the filling:
* Pressure cook the chana dal with 1 cup of water.
* After the whistle is removed,strain the water.smash it well.
( My dal was over cooked,so I took a muslin cloth and squeezed out the excesss moisture.)
* Take a pan ,add jaggery and little water.
* Turn the stove to medium low and let the jaggery get dissolved into the water.
* Filter the jaggery and again mix with smashed chana dal .Add ghee and cook the mixture.
* The moisture in the jaggery- chana dal mix will get reduced ,when we cook it .
* Turn off the stove ,when the mixture curdles like halwa.Add cardamom pwdr.
* Cool completely and divide the mixture into equal sized balls.

Assembling:
* Take the dough- ball,tap it and place the filling inside.
* close and roll it as a thin chapathi.
* Cook it in a tava for 2 minutes ,both sides.
* Apply ghee to both sides and store it.

Note:
We can use any filling for the poli like coconut,dry fruits etc.Adjust the filling according to the dough balls.

Sarkkarai Pongal / Sweet Pongal

Wishing  u all a very happy pongal .Pongal ,bring back memories, to my home town.My grandpa will celebrate Pongal elobarately.Especially " Mattu Pongal ",we used to call all our friends and fo, for a grand dinner.After coming to US ,the celebration has gone down a bit.But still,we have the spirit of celebration.

                                 Prepared sarkkarai pongal ,vadai along with lunch menu.

Ingredients:
1.Sona masoori rice                   -              3/4 cup
1.(a) Milk                                   -              2 1/2 cup
2.Jaggery                                    -              1 1/4 cup
3.Ghee                                        -              2 tbsp
4.Coconut milk                           -               1 tbsp
5.Cashews                                  -               1 tsp
6.Raisins                                     -               1 tsp
7.Cardamom pwdr                      -               a pinch
8.Salt                                           -               a pinch

Method:
* Wash and soak the rice for half an hour.
* Powder the jaggery well.
* Take pan and add milk ,bring it to a boil.
*  Add the rice ,cover and cook for 10 mins or untill rice gets mashed up.
* Now add the jaggery and mix well.Add the salt.
* Add coconut milk now.mix it well.
* Add cardamom pwdr and turn off the heat.
* Take a pan separately , add ghee and fry the cashews with raisins.
* Now pour ,the fried cashews and raisins to the cooked rice.
Serve hot with spicy vadais.
Check the recipe for masala vadai here

Sending this to Kurinji's "Pongal Feast"

Coconut Laddoo with a rava twist ( Diwali encounter)

 My Diwali sweets ends with this special sweet.I was abt to prepare  coconut burfi,but matters changed when my syrup got me into  tragedy.So i gave a twist by adding rava to the sweet.Believe me it tasted awsome.When i gave to my friends,they said it remainded there childhood days,where we get these rava-coconut laddoo from sonpappadi vendor.I was thrilled to hear these comments as it was abt to be wasted.From now on, my perception abt cooking got a new turn.The moral is"We can adjust anything and form a new dish".It was a thrilling - wonderful experience and i shud thank saras for giving me valuable ideas.

Coconut rava laddoo!!!

 Ingredients:
1.Shredded coconut                      -     4 cups
2.Roasted Rava                             -     1/2 cup
3.Sugar                                         -       2 cups
4.Condensed milk                        -        2 tbsp
5.Ghee                                          -        2 tbsp
6.Cardamom pwdr                       -        1 tsp


Method:
* In a pan, add sugar and cover it with water.
* Bring it to one string consistancy, i.e when u place the syrup in a plate,it shud not move.
* It shud be like a pearl.
* At this point, add  coconut  and mix it well.
* Let it mix well with the syrup.
* Now add rava and mix it.
* Chk the sweetness now,if u feel it is low, then add the condensed milk.
* Finish the sweet by adding  ghee and sprinkling some cardamom pwdr.
* At this point, the mixture wud have become thick ,with no water.
* Then its ready to shape .
* Now take it from the stove and grease ur palm with ghee.
* Shape them into small balls.
* Cool the balls in a plate and transfer it to a air tight container.
* Refrigerate it,as it has coconut.

Note:
If u dont want to add condensed milk, then go ahead and replace it with 2 cups of sugar.
Coconut Barfi

Seven Cup Cake

Seven cup cake - as the name itself declares,has seven cups of ingredients.We are going to take same measuring cups for all the ingredients.This sweet will just taste like mysore pa.My MIL will do this recipe for diwali.This is a easy recipe.I gave a try for this diwali and it came out really gud.

Update:
I have prepared this recipe several times now.So its a fool proof recipe.

 

 

Ingredients:
1.Besan Flour                 -   1 cup
2.Shredded coconut        -   1 cup
3.Ghee                            -    1 cup
4.Sugar                           -     3 cups
5.Water                          -     1 cup
6.cooking soda               -    a pinch

Method:
* Mix all the ingredients except cooking soda in a pan or kadai.
* Mix them evenly without any lumps.
* I used my hand mixer and gave it a blend, it gave the mixture a soft texture.
* Now turn on the stove and start cooking slowly ,by mixing it frequently.
* Make sure that the mixture doesnt form any lumps at any point of time.
* At one point  the mixture will blow out like a foam, at that point,add the cooking soda and continue stirring.

* Keep a greased pan ready for cutting the cake.
* Now the consistancy of the cake will be like a halwa-without sticking on the pan.
* At this point,pour the content to the greased pan and leave it for 5 mins.
* Then slice the cake and cool it for half an hour.
* Then remove the slices and store it in a air tight container.
* This will be gud for 1 week without refrigerating.

Note:
Make sure that the we pour the content on the greased pan immediately at one stretch.Bcoz after pouring ,this content becomes solid immediately.

Laddoo

Ladoos are most famous  in India and it is apt for all festivals,occasions.Laddoos are tiny balls fried in oil , soaked in sugar syrup and shaped . My love for laddoo got a shape after watching saras's blog.I thought of giving it a try and here it is.My Diwali sweets starts with this .

Ingredients:

For Boondhi:
1.Besan flour        -  1 cup
2.Rice flour          -   1 tbsp
3.Baking soda      -    a pinch
4.Yellow color    -   a pinch
5.Water                -   1 cup
6.Cashews           -   2 tbsp


Laddoos

For syrup:
1.Sugar                    -    11/2 cup
2.water                    -    1 cup
3.Cardamom pwdr  -   1 tsp


Method :
Boondhi :
* Take a mixing bowl ,add besan flour,rice flour,baking soda ,color and salt.
* Pour water little by little and form it like a bajji batter.
* Chk the consistancy by pouring it through the skimmer.
* If the batter falls down in medium speed ,then the batter is in right consistancy.

Checking the consistancy using a skimmer

* Pour oil till half of the pan .Test the heat of oil by dropping little batter ,it shud come up immediately
 without turning brown.
* Place  skimmer near the oil and pour the batter .boondhis will fall down slowly.
* Fry boondhis in batch.Clean the skimmer for every batch .Because if we dont clean,then we will get tails in boondhis.

Frying boondhis

* Fry boondhis and keep it aside.

Syrup:

Syrup shud be prepared simultaneously.
* Take a bowl , add sugar ,water and bring it to boil.
* When u see white fumes in the syrup, turn ur stove to slow and chk the consistancy.
* Pour sugar syrup in a plate ,and it shud stand like a pearl.
* At this consistancy turn off the stove and keep it aside.
* After 2 to 3 mins, add boondhis to the syrup with cardamom pwdr,ghee and cashews.

Mixing boondhis,syrup,cashews,ghee,cardamom pwdr

* Keep it for 10 to 15 mins .Bcoz it shud absorb the sugar syrup.
* Grease ghee in ur palm , squeeze excess syrup and form into small balls.


Store it in a air tight container, it will last for more than 10 days.

 



Murukku/Chakli

Diwali is nearing, and my mind started revolving around chennai.My mother wud have started preparing all snacks and sweets.We all will sit around the stove and look at those snacks getting ready.But we will never try untill it is offered to god.We all will got to sleep ,with greater hope and happiness the next day we are going to have.
Early morning we will get up and have ganga snanam ,wear new dress and run to the street and fire all crackers.I will be a decent spectator and with limited crackers.My sis will be the one who fires all big bombs.I love to watch all kids roaming and firing crackers in our streets.Hmm Those are memorable days.
Here I am going to giv u my MIL and mom's recipe of murukku.Its a very easy and quick recipe.Within half an hour u can finish this recipe.

 



Ingredients:
1.Rice Flour                       -   1 cup
2.Urad flour  (sieved)         -   1/ 4 cup
3.Cumin seeds                     -   1 tbsp
4.Butter                                -   1 tbsp
5.Hing                                  -   a pinch
6.Oil for frying

Method:
* Mix all the ingredients together , add little water and make a dough.Add salt to taste.
* Make sure that the dough is soft and non-sticky.



Soft murukku dough

* Take a muruku press and form small circles in the skimmer as shown.

Or we can use simple round mould in the murukkku press

Updated picture'

* We can also press the murukkus on a aluminium foil or Ziploc cover in batches and transform them in to the oil.
* Keep the stove on medium and fry murukkus untill the bubbles siezes out.
* Wipe off excess oil using a tissue and store it in a air tight container.
* It will be tasty and perfect one for Diwali.

 

Note:
All flours are available in any indian shop.But I fried urad dal , powdered in mixie and sieved.
If u dont have a siever,never mind, use ur steel tea filter.I used my tea filter.If u want a spicy murukku u can add chilli pwdr to the dough.
Chakli