Rava Laddu

Laddu made from Rava, also know as Semolina or Sooji. This is a simple, easy and fast sweet recipe.



Ingredients needed are: Semolina (Rava/Sooji):2 cups, Grated coconut:1 cup, Ghee:3/4 cup, Sugar:2 cups, Milk:1/4 cup, Cashews(halved):20, Raisins:20 Cardamom (powdered finely):4

Begin to heat 3 tbsp of ghee in a nonstick pan. Fry cashews and raisins separately in ghee and keep them aside. Add rava and stir till the rava is light brown.Allow it to cool till in is warm to hold the mix. Mix Rava, dessicated coconut, sugar, cardamom and raisins. Make small balls by pouring ghee slowly.When the consistency is little loose, make balls off it.Place one cashew/raisin to each ball.The balls will become firm when kept for 15 min.Sprinkle milk over the mix when the balls break and only if needed.

Chandrakala Sweet

This is a milk based rich syrupy sweet. Made with a lot of kova, nuts & raisins.



Ingredients for this sweet are: 3 cups maida (all-purpose flour), 2 cups khova, 2 cups sugar, 10g raisins, 10g cashew nuts, 10 gms almonds, 10 gms pista, 6g cardamoms
1/2 stick butter, Oil for frying, Pinch of salt

Start to mix the flour with butter, salt, lukewarm water and make smooth dough. Knead it well for 5 minutes. The dough should be little tight, Just like poori dough. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
For the stuffing: Mix the khova, sugar powder, chopped nuts, rasinis and cardamom powder. Keep it aside.
Make the sugar syrup: Boil 2 cup sugar with 1 cups of water. The syrup should be thick consistent. To check this, remove with a spoon and it should form a string.
Now, Roll the dough to small circle pooris. Fill it with stuffing over it. Fold the edges using water into half (semicircle). Press gently in corners or roll the corners inwards to pack it. Make sure that the stuffing is compley packed so that it does not come out in the oil while frying.
Deep fry the stuffed pooris. Fry these until golden color in oil. Soak the fried pooris in the sugar syrup for 2 minutes. Remove them and serve them cold.

Palak/Spinach Pappu

Fresh leaves of spinach cooked with dal.



INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of fresh spinach/palak leaves cleaned, chopped and washed.
1 cup toor dal.
6 green chillis medium size.
1/4 teaspoon turmeric.
small lime size of TAMARIND.

For Tadka/Poppu:
3 teaspoons oil.
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin/jeera
1 teaspoon urad dal
1/4 teaspoon methi seeds
4 red chillis
1/2 medium onion chopped
6 curry leaves
2 garlic pods minced OR a pinch of hing

DIRECTIONS TO COOK:
* Cook dal and fresh spinach/palak leaves, green chillis medium size, teaspoon turmeric in a pressure cooker or put it to boil.

* Wait till dal cools down. In a warm water soak some tamarind.

*Untill then in a kadai or pan prepare for the tadaka/poppu.

*Add the poppu/tadka and tamarind juice to dal and simmer it for to a boil.

*Serve with hot rice or roti.

Dahi Vada

Methu vada made with Urad Dal soaked in thick yogurt with seasoning.



We would need 1 cup Urad dal, 1/2 tsp mustard & jeera, 2 whole red chillis, 1 green chills chopped, 4 curry leaves, 1/4 tsp minced ginger, pinch of red chilli powder, cumin & coriander pwd, Asafodita (hing),2 Tbs of Cilantro/Coriander leaves to garnish. 3 cups of yogurt. Oil to fry. Salt to taste.

Soak the urad dal in water for 5 hrs or overnight. Wash & drain the water. Grind it to a thick paste with some salt. In a pan heat the oil. When the oil is warm,on a wet cloth place little dough and make round balls with a hole in the center. Put it in the oil and fry till golden brown.

In a blender, blend the yogurt to a thick consistency. Add water if necessary. Soak the Fried vada for an hour.

In a small pan, put 3 tsp of oil and put the mustard & jeera, whole red chillis. When it splutters add chopped green chills, curry leaves, minced ginger, Asafodita (hing). Add this to the soaked vada in yogurt. Garnish with cilantro & sprinkle it witha pinch of red chilli, cumin & coriander powder. Serve it cold.