Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Deepavali treat !

I am sure my readers and friends are busy preparing for Deepavali. Here are some special recipes for you all from my kitchen to yours. I have added the time taken to prepare some recipes also. Hope you all like them.

                                            SWEETS for DIWALI
Munthiri kothu (Bunch of grapes)
Total time needed - 2 hours
Tamilnadu special Munthiri kothu made of moong and jaggery.
Jangiri
Total time needed - 2 hours

Jangiri - a Urid dal sweet soaked in sugar syrup
Athirasam
Approximate duration - 3 days to soak and 1 hour to fry.
Traditional athirasam: though seems a lengthy process, it is very easy.

Badusha
Time needed for 15 pieces - 1 hour
Badusha : Will definitely make the family happy:)
Semiya Javvarisi paal payasam (milk kheer)
Time needed - 30 minutes.
Thick rich kheer : great for the Diwali day.
Rava Kesari (sooji halwa):
Time needed - less than 30 minutes
Start your day with kesari for breakfast.

Mohanthal
Time needed - 30 minutes
A quick version of mogandhal.

Badam halwa:
Cooking time - 20 minutes ; preparation time - 20 minutes


Carrot Halwa
Time needed for 5 servings - 30 minutes

Mothi Ladoo
Total time needed - 2 hours
Though seems forever, this is a very easy recipe.
Rava ladoo:
Time required - 30 minutes ; extremely easy.
Rava ladoo - surely a quick and easy recipe for beginners.
Microwave milk peda:
Time taken - 15 minutes
Easiest of all sweets , but will make the celebration a grand one.

Susiyam
Time needed for frying - 20 minutes ; preparation time 30 minutes
Sukiyan or susiyam or suzhiyam : Southern Tamilnadu wakes up with this sweet on most of their celebrations.

                                    SPICY SNACKS for DIWALI

 Ribbon pakoda
Karasevu 


Thukkada:
Easy and quick - will be ready in 20 minutes

Murukku

Coconut milk murukku



Thattai



Vazhaikkai bajji 


Bajji and  vadai are ideal for Diwali day's breakfast or with evening tea.

 Masal vadai 

Easiest and quick spicy snack for Diwali. Excess vadai  can be made into vada curry for next day dosai:)

Ulunthu vadai 
Urid dal vadai holds an important place in many Tamil families on Diwali.
Though it needs a more care to get a perfect shape, we can make a ulunthu bonda with this batter also.


                                               HAPPY DEEPAVALI!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Munthiri kothu

Munthiri kothu - Deep fried moong flour ladoo.  Meaning - bunch of grapes. This is one of the popular snacks made during Deepavali in Southern Tamilnadu and Kerala. This Munthiri kothu recipe is my mom's recipe and I am glad to present you all this during this festival of lights.







Ingredients:
Green gram - 2 cup
(whole moong dal / paasi payaru / pachai payaru)
moong dhal - 1/2 cup (optional)
roasted rice flour - 2 tbsp
shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
dry ginger powder - 2 tsp
cardamom - 10
sesame - 2 tbsp
Jaggery - 2 1/2 cups
Oil - for deep frying
For outer covering:
rice flour - 1/2 cup
maida - 1/4 cup
salt - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Dry roast the greengram till it smells good and gets crunchy (5 - 8 minutes).
Likewise  roast the split moong dal too (this gives more dal taste to the ladoos) along with cardamom.
Dry roast the coconut to  a golden red color.
Cool everything.
Grind them to a coarse fine powder (like sooji).
Sieve and remove any skin of payaru.
Separately roast the sesame and add to the powder (sesame is optional only).

In a separate vessel bring 2 cups of water to boil and add jaggery.  (The weight of jaggery and powder should be approximately equal). Bring to a boil and switch off. Let it dissolve completely.
Strain and retain the pure jaggery solution.
Mix this with prepared powder and make small balls of the size of Amla (or key lime).

In another bowl, add rice flour, salt, maida, turmeric powder and little water.
Mix well so that it can be of thin dosa batter consistency.

Heat  oil for deep frying.
Take two or three balls at a time, dip together in the rice flour mixture and  deep fry. Flip and fry for a minute till bubbles disappear.

Take out , let cool and store in air tight containers.

Munthiri kothu is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as snack.

Note:
This sweet stays good for 2 -3 weeks in room temperature.
In the dipping batter: avoid maida / AP flour if we want to keep this snack for more than 3 weeks.
We can soak and grind rice flour for outer cover and this stays good for more days.
Adding rice flour or pottu kadalai powder while making balls is also optional, but helps in getting the shape if we have added more jaggery solution.
Instead of green gram, we can use split green gram without skin also.

Events:
Sending this munthiri kothu to Priya's Deepavali delicacies event.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yypn4fGjKW4/UlsaLkW8_rI/AAAAAAAANbE/y6UNY64cJQk/s1600/1374427_685166501508701_160502702_n.jpg
Happy Deepavali


Chow chow Paruppu koottu and peel thogayal

Chow chow / Bangalore Kathirikai / Chayote  A dal curry paruppu koottu with chow chow and a spicy chutney using it's peel (chow chow tho...