Gajjar Ka Halwa

This is an all time favorite in my house during the winter months


Ingredients :

Gajjar : 1.5 Kg

Milk : 250 ml or (100 gms khoya and 75 ml milk)          
Ghee: 200 grms
Sugar : 250 grms
Cardamom : 5-6
Cashew Nuts : 100 grms
Almond :   100 grms


Preparation :

Grate the gajjar and keep aside take a thick bottomed pan and heat the ghee in it, and saute the gajjar once it is sauteed well add the milk (milk & khoya) and let it cook till done once the milk evaporates add the sugar
and powdered cardamom to it mix well till the sugar dissolves completely and then garnish it with fried cashew and almonds. Serve this hot or cold and can be eaten along with roti as well.

Naam Kadi / Shakar paara

This is one of the easiest of sweets and can hardly go wrong and can be stored for at least a week or two.

Ingredients :

Maida (All purpose flour) : 1 kg                  
Salt : 1 tsp

Ghee : For frying                                    
Sugar : 300 gms
Cardamom : powdered 1/2 tsp
Rice flour : 3-4 tbs



Preparation :

Knead the flour with salt and water and let it rest for 45 mins then roll them into sets of three make a paste of the rice flour and ghee and spread it on the rolled dough and layer them one on top of the other roll this and cut them and roll these and cut into diamond or square shapes and fry in ghee till they are crispy. Make a mixture of powdered sugar and cardamom powder and sprinkle on the crispy biscuits while hot. Cool it and store them in a dry place.

Besan & Coconut Ladoo

Diwali or any other festival is incomplete without sweets of different varieties and in huge quantities. This is one of the easiest receipies


Ingredients :

Gram flour (Besan) : 500 gms
Desiccated Coconut : 150 gms
Ghee : 150 to 200 gms
Sugar : 200 gms
Salt : 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder : 1/2 tsp
Dry Fruits : Cashew nuts, Raisins, Almonds diced and roasted in ghee

Preparation:

Heat ghee and then add the gram flour to it and roast it till it losses the raw smell, to this add the desiccated coconut and mix well keep stirring the mixture so that it does not burn and then add the sugar, salt & cardamom powder and mix well till it comes to a thick consistency now add the dry fruits and mix well. Let it cool for some time and then make them into golf sized balls another option is to spread the mixture evenly onto baking trays and cut them into diamond or square shapes and let it cool.

Karamani / String beans curry

The string beans is a vegetable which is seasonal, today i am posting the vegetarian version of the recipe  usually this is made with dry shrimp (erra (tamil) royalu (telugu).

Ingredients :

 String beans : 500 gms            

Onion : 1 medium sized                    
Tomato : 4 medium sized
Mustard seeds : 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1/4 tsp
Oil : 1 1/2 Tbs
Curry leaves : 2 sprigs
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Chili powder : 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation :

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker add the mustard and cumin seeds once they splutter add the curry leaves and sliced onions to it and saute till translucent now add the string beans which have been cut to 1 inch size pieces  Add the turmeric, chili powder , diced tomatoes and salt to taste and mix well to this add about 1/2 cup of water and pressure cook for two to three whistles. Open and check if the water still remains put it on heat till the water evaporates serve this with chapaties or rice.

Mixed Vegetable Sambhar

Sambhar is one of the common dish made across South India this is served with all the three meals in a day.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal : 1 1/2 cup

Onion: 1 medium sized                    
Tomatoes : 3 medium sized
Curry Leaves : 2-3 sprigs
Coriander : 1 bunch
Green Chilies : 4
Tamarind extract : 1 golf sized ball
Vegetable Choice : Pumpkin, Butter nut squash , Capsicum, Carrots, Drum Stick, Radish etc etc
Oil : 2 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida/hing : pinch
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Red Chills powder : 1/2 tsp
Sambhar powder : 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation :

Pressure cook (3 whistles) the dal with the turmeric and mash it and keep it aside (for people who don't like chunks of tomato boil it with the dal). Take a wok and heat oil now add mustard and cumin seeds and once they splutter add the hing, curry leaves, onions and saute till translucent now add the green chillies and the vegetables of your choice here i have used drum stick, carrot, capsicum, tomato and saute for some time now add the red chili powder and tamarind extract and let it come to a boil add this mixture to the pressure cooker with the dal now add salt, sambhar powder and water if needed pressure cook this for two whistles(depending on the vegetables used u can reduce or increase the cooking time) . Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot steamed rice with ghee.

Tomato Rasam

This is something every meal has to have in a tamil household and is very good for digestion and is a home remedy for the common cold as well as indigestion. Everybody has there own recipe or the different  proportions used to make there own rasam powders. There are many rasam powders available in the market and the only one I have tried and tested is the MTR rasam powder which is good.

Will follow up with the recipe for the rasam powder which we make at home.

Ingredients :

Tamarind 2 tbs or the size of a golf ball (note this is not the ready made paste)
Coriander 1/2 bunch

Curry leaves 2-3 sprigs        
Tomatoes 3 medium sized
Garlic pods - 2
Rasam powder - 3 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida/hing - a pinch
Turmeric - a pinch
Red chillies - 2
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation :

Soak the tamarind in water for half an hour remove the extract completely and keep aside to this add mashed tomatoes coriander and curry leaves, salt to taste and put in the rasam powder at last and don't stir this into the rasam. Now for the tempering/tadka heat oil add the mustard & cumin seeds once the splutter add the garlic which should be mashed and then add the turmeric and asafoetida/hing and the red chillies and add to the rasam. Heat this rasam mixture along with the tadka and let it come to a boil, please note as soon as it comes to a boil it should be taken off the heat.

Paruppu Vadai

This is the vadai that we make on all festivals and this is easy to make and the mixture can be stored in fridge for upto 2 days. This makes a wonderful snack in the evenings during winter months.

Ingredients:

1/2 Kg Channa dal
100 gms Urad dal

4-5 Green Chilies (as per taste)                
3 one inch pieces of Ginger

1 bunch Coriander                                          
2 mdum sized Onions
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Preparation:

Soak Channa & Urad dal for two hours drain the water and grind coarsely and keep aside. Make a paste of the ginger and green chillies and add to the ground pulses. Finely chop the onions and coriander and mix all of them with salt to taste. Make flat rounds with the mixture and deep fry till golden brown and serve with mint chutney or any other chutney of your choice.

Paruppu Vadai