Navarathri Special - Hayagreeva and Payaru/Green gram sundal

Hi
Posting late for Day 2 of Navarathri.I prepared Hayagreeva a sweet and green gram/Payaru Sundal.

Hayagreeva is a sweet dish pepared with only three ingredients.Gram dhal, jaggery and coconut.It is offered as a neivedyam to lord Hayagreevar-the embodiment of knowledge!!!

INGREDIENTS
Gram dhal/Kadale paruppu 1 cup

Jaggery 3/4 cup

Coconut /dry coconut 1/2 cup

Ghee 2-3 tbsp

Cardamom powder 1 tsp

Cashew nut few

Raisins few

PREPARATION

Soak the gram dhal in water for 1/2 hr

Pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles. It has to be cooked thoroughly

Heat a pan and add the cooked gram dhal ans stir well.

To this add the grated jaggery and mix thorougly. Cook it in a low flame while continuously stirring it for 3-4 minutes. Using a masher is recommended to get a homogenous mixture.

When it starts to become thick add the coconut and cardamom powder. Mix well.Switch off the stove.

Heat another pan and add ghee to it. When sufficiently heated add the cashew. When it starts to brown add the raisins. Pour this into the prepared sweet.

Serve warm.......

This is sure to be liked by all at home:-)

GREEN GRAM/ PAYARU SUNDAL

Green gram 1 cup

Coconut 1/3 cup

Mustard 1 tsp

Black gram dhal 1/2 tsp

Green chillies 2-3( cut into small pieces)

Asafoetida 1/4 tsp

Oil 1 tbsp

PREPARATION

Soak green gram in water overnight

Next morning drain out the water, wash it well and cook it with very little water in a pressure cooker upto 2 whistles.Should not be over cooked as it will turn mushy

Heat a pan, add oil to it. When it is heated , add the mustard and when it splutters add the black gram dhal, chillies and asafoetida and saute it.

Now add the cooked green gram to it and mix well. Add the necessary salt to it and mix well. Cook it for 2 minutes.Switch off the stove

Add the fresh grated coconut and mix well.

Serve warm........

These were the neivedyam's on day 2 for the goddess at my home
Hope you all are having a great time with all the festivities around you!!!!!

See you all tomorrow with the third day's prasadam!!

Till then happy cooking:-)

Navarathri Special--Rava kesari and White channa sundal

Hi
Toay is day 1 of Navarathri and is a special occasion to us. We arrange dolls of dieties which is popularly called as Kolu/Golu.These nine days prayers and puja is done for goddess Durga, Saraswathi and Goddess Lakshmi.Neivedyam of a sweet and sundal is also offered to the Goddess.Guests are invited and Tambulam is offered.
So, For the coming nine days, i shall be blogging about the prasadams i make and a glimpse of my golu too!!!!!

RAVA KESARI

INGREDIENTS

Rava 1 cup

Ghee 1/4 cup

Sugar 1 1/4 cup

Water 1 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp

Kesari powder a pinch

Cashew and raisins few

PROCCEDURE

Heat a pan, add ghee to it. Heat it on a very low flame.

Now add the rava and roast it. It will absorb all the ghee.

When it is well roasted, add the water and stir well.Within a few minutes all the water would have been absorbed by the rava.

Now add the sugar and stir well or else lumps will form.I use a hand beater to whisk it well.

At this point the mixture will become a little watery.

Now add the Kesari powder , cardamom powder. Mix well.Close it with a lid(not tight)and let it simmer in a very low flame till it starts to thicken.

When it becomes sufficiently thick, switch off the stove.

Take a tbsp of ghee in a pan. Add cashew and raisins. When it starts to become a little brown add this to the prepared Kesari. Mix well.

Serve warm!!!!!

WHITE CHANNA SUNDAL

INGREDIENTS

white channa/ Chick peas 1 cup

Salt as per taste

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Green chillies 3

Asafoetida a pinch

Coconut scrapping 1/4 cup

Oil 1 tbsp

PROCEDURE

Soak chick peas overnight in water , use lot of water.

Next morning Drain the water, wash it well

Cook this in the cooker in excess water with salt added up to 4-5 whistles. When you add more water and cook for 4-5 whistles, it will cook very well and will not be mushy too.

Now add oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add cut green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida ans saute well.

Now add the cooked peas and mix well and cook on a very low flame to 2-3 minutes.Add a little salt at this stage too.

Switch off the stove and ad the fresh coconut scrapping. Mix well.

Serve warm or cold!!!!!!!!!!

Do enjoy my Virtual Golu!!!!!!!

Fougasse

This month challenge of Fresh from the oven was Fougasse.Claire from Purely food challenged us to bake Fougasse from Richard Bertinent

INGREDIENTS

500g All purpose flour

350ml water

10g yeast (fresh if possible)

10g (1 level tsp) sea salt

PROCEDURE

Preheat oven to 190C

Prove the yeast in a little warm water. Let it froth up.

Pour this yeast mixture into the flour. Add salt. Mix well and knead it into a soft dough

Transfer this to a wooden board, and knead the dough till it becomes pliable. Nearly 7-8 minutes.

Keep it covered in a warm place to rise..atleast 45 minutes.

Now transfer this to a wooden board and shape it into an oblong shape. Cut it into two. Now make slits along the veins

Bake it for 12-15 mutes or till it starts to become brown

I added rosemary and thyme to the dough. It had great flavour.

Surely i am going to bake this frequently.

Thank you claire !!!!!!!

Till then Happy Baking!!!

Banana Bread

Hi
Blog hop Wednesday again!!!!!This wednesday Radhika paired me with Nupur of Uk rasoi.Both Nupur and Radhika have got amazing recipes. Do hop on to their pages to see and try out the mouth watering dishes.This week i decided to try Nupur's simple banana bread as i haven't been baking for a long time.

INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour 1 cup

Whole wheat flour 1 cup

Ripe bananas 2(medium sized)

sugar 1/3 cup

Demerara sugar 1/3 cup

Butter 1/3 cup

Baking powder 1 tsp

Salt a pinch

Milk 1/4 cup


PROCEDURE

Preheat the oven to 180C

Sift both the flours together with salt and baking powder. Keep it aside.

Cream sugar and butter together.

Add mashed banana and beat it all together.

Fold in the flour mixture to this.

Add milk to get the required consistency

Transfer this mixture to a greased loaf tin

Bake for 30-35 minutes or till done

Serve warm with a cup of coffee

Delicious bread ready!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Nupur!!!


Linking this to Radhika's Blog Hop Wednesday

Kheera/Paneer payasam

Hi
It is wednesday and time to Blog hop Started by Radhika. This week i am paired with Madhusmita of Redspice.in . Since i felt like eating some sweet, i chose to make this payasam.

INGREDIENTS

Milk 500 ml

Paneer 1/2 cup( i used 1/2 lt of milk to make this)

Sugar 1/2 cup or to taste

Saffron few strands


PREPARATION

Boil 1/2 lt milk. When it starts boiling, switch off the stove, squeeze in a lemon and stir well. It will start to curdle and the whey will separate. Strain it and tie it in a cloth for all the water to separate.

To make paneer in microwave see this step by step procedure

Heat a thick bottomed pan, add the other 500 ml of milk. Boil it till it reduces to half its original volume.

Add a few strands of saffron and reduce he heat.

Now add the sugar and mix well. Do not boil now.

When the sugar has dissolved add the paneer. Mix well. Remove from heat and cool it down

Garnish with pistachios or almonds and serve

I loved this.
Linking this dessert with

Oats Rava Idli with Coconut Chutney

Hi
Idli is a regular in Breakfast in most of the households, especially in a south Indian home like mine.I try to as many varieties as possible. One such is this Oats Rava idli fron Raks kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

Oats powder 1 1/4 cup OR Oats 1 cup

Godumai Rava 1/2 cup

Curds 3/4 cup

Water 3/4 cup

Carrot 1(big)

Green capsicum 1 (small)

Coriander 2 tbsp

Eno's fruit salt 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

FOR THE TEMPERING

Oil 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Black gram dhal 1 tsp

Bengal gram dhal 1 tsp

Asafoetida 1/4 tsp

PREPARATION

Dry roast the oats powder till a good aroma comes out or oats and then powder it.

Shred the carrot and capsicum very finely

Heat oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds, blackgram dhal, bengalgram dhal and asafoetida.

Now add the carrot ,cut coriander and capsicum and fry it till it becomes a little soft.

Now add the rava to it and continue to fry for 1 more minute.

Switch of the stove and let it cool.

In a bowl add the above mixture, oats powder, curds and water with the required amount of salt. Make it into a semi thick batter. It should not be runny

Add the lemon juice to this and mix well.

Grease the idli plates .

Now add the eno's fruit salt, mix well. It will froth up.

Immediately pour this into idli plates and steam it for 5 minutes or till done

CORIANDER COCONUT CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS

Coconut 1/2 cup

Coriander 1/2 bunch

Green chillies 1( or according to your taste)

Fried gram dhal 1 tbsp

Asafoetida 1/2 tsp

Mustard 1 tsp

Oil 1 tsp

PREPARATION

Grind the coconut scrapping along with the green chillies,cut coriander, fried gram dhal, asfoetida and salt with the required amount of water smoothly.

Heat oil in a small pan , add mustard to this. When it splutters take it and pour it into the chutney

Serve these warm idlis with the chutney of your choice

NoteI have used quaker oats and Samba Rava


VERDICTA very fluffy, tasty and healthy dish packed with the goodness of oats and veggies.

Linking this to Radhika's Scrumptious Breakfast

Thank you Raks Kitchen for sharing this recipe and Radhika for motivating me to cook more:-)

Kal Dosai With Chettinad Chutney

Hi
I learnt to make Kal dosai from my Mother-in-law.I have never tasted such a soft dosai until i came here. The flavour of the fenugreek in the dosai is so inviting:-)


INGREDIENTS
Raw rice 1 cup

Par boiled 1 cup

Black gram dhal 1/2 cup

Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil as necessary

PREPRATION

Soak both the rice together in enough water for 3 hours

Soak the dhal in a vessel with enough water for 3 hours

Soak the Fenugreek seeds in little water for the same time

Wash the soaked dhal well, drain the water and grind it into a very smooth fluffy batter with minimum water.Take it out and keep it separately

Wash the rice and drain out the water. Grind it with the fenugreek seeds with the water that is soaked in. It givs a tremendous amount of flavour to the Dosai. Grind it to a very smooth batter

Now add the ground Dhal paste to this with the required amonut of salt. Run the grindr for a minute so that it mixes properly.

Cover the batter and leave it to ferment overnight.

Next day, Heat a Tawa or Dosai kal, Pour a ladle full of batter into it. Do not spreead it thinly.Sprinkle a tsp of oil around it.

Cover it with a lid and cook it on medium flme, till blubbles till holes start forming on top and it is cooked.

DO NOT FLIP IT OVER

Serve warm with Chettinad chutney or any other chutney of your choice.


CHETTINAD CHUTNEY

I happened to taste this chutney when i met a fellow blogger in a craft class. She had prepared this and i just couldn't resist tasting it. Raji had done it so well, that i wanted to make it. I called for the recipe and here it is

INGREDIENTS

Onion 2 {medium sized

Tomato 1

Red chillies 2

Coconut scrapping 2-3 tbsp

Fried gram dhal/ Pottukadalai 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1tsp

Oil 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Slice onions thinly.

Cut the tomatoes finely

Heat a pan and add oil to it. Now add the rd chillies and fry them well

Dunk in the onions and continue to saute them till they turn translucent.

Now add the tomatoes and cook them for 5 more minutes in medium flame.

Let it cool down

Transfer this to a mixer. Add the coconut, fried gram dhal and salt.Grind it to a smooth paste.

Temper it with mustard seeds.

Serve with Dosai/Idli/Uthappam

Thank you Raji for this wonderful recipe.

Do try out this Dosai variety. It is the softest and the tastiest dosai. Thank you amma for this recipe. This recipe is definitely a keeper

Linking this to Sameena's Dosai rcipes

Almond Chocolate Biscotti

HI
This month's challenge of Sweet punch was to bake almond chocolate Biscotti and the recipe was chosen from Joy of Baking.
INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour 1 3/4 cup
Sugar 2/3 cup
Eggs 2
Baking powder 1 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
Chocolate pieces 4 oz
Almonds 3/4 cup
PROCEDURE

Preheat the oven to 180C
Blanch the almonds. Remove the skin. Toast it and slice it thinly.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a plate.
Beat the eggs and sugar till fluffy- approximately 5 minutes
Now add the vanilla and beat further for a minute or so.
Now add the flour mixture and mix well
Add the almond and chocolate pieces to this.
Grease a tray and line it with a baking sheet.
Make two oblong logs from this and place it a little apart.
Bake it at 180C for 25 minutes
Remove it from the oven. Cool it and slice it into thin slices.
Reduce the oven temperature to 165 C and bake the slices for 10 minutes.
Turn all the slices down and further bake it for 10 minutes to get the best yummy almond chocolate Biscotti's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!