Okkarai (Diwali Special)

Okkarai/ Ukkarai 

Ukkarai is a traditional South Indian dessert prepared for Deepawalli. A gluten-free, tasty and delicious dessert for Deepawalli celebration.

Ingredients 

Channa dal - 1/2 cup

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Jaggery- 3/4 cup

Ghee- 2 tablespoons 

Cardamom powder- 1 tsp

Cashews- few.

Method 

# Dry roast both the dal until it turns golden in colour.

# soak for 1hr.

# Remove water...grind the soaked dall coarsely.

Refer the picture 

# Steam the the batter  for 15-20 minutes.

# Allow it to cool down. Pulse it in mixie/ crumble well.

# Add 1/4 cup water and dissolve Jaggery. Filter the Jaggery to remove impurities.

# Make a thick syrup / consistency of the Jaggery  should  hold a ball shape once dropped in plain water. 

Refer pictures:

# Add the dall crumble to the thick Jaggery syrup and mix well.

# Fry cashews in ghee. Mix with  okkarai.

#Add Cardamom powder and mix well.

Do try this recipe and provide your comments.

Thank you!

Pannivaragu Kara Pongal/ Proso Millet Pongal

Pannivaragu Kara Pongal/ Millet Pongal 

Good morning!

Navaratri is all around the corner...so thought of sharing a millet Kara Pongal with Pannivaragu/ Proso Millet / Barri.

Kara Pongal is a savoury version of sweet Pongal. The same recipe can be made with normal raw rice which I've shared last year.

Ingredients:

Proso Millet- 1 cup

Moong dal- 1/4 cup

Ghee - 1.5 tablespoons 

Pepper- 1 tsp

Cumin/ jeera - 1.5 tsp

Salt to taste 

Cashews- few

Asafoetida/ hing - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves few

Method:

# Wash and soak Pannivaragu for 1/2 hr.

# Discard the soaked water from millet.

# Wash moong dal, mix moong dal and millet add 1.5 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whisles.

# Dry roast pepper and cumin. Make a coarse powder.

# Once pressure is released,  mash Pongal well.

# Add Asafoetida and salt.

# Heat a kadai add ghee. Fry cashews, pepper and cumin powder, curry leaves and pour into the Pongal. Mix well and serve.

Payatham Urundai/ Moong dal ladoo

Payatham Urundai/ Moong dal ladoo

As Festivals are around the corner...so I'm sharing a traditional South Indian special ladoo (payatham urundai / moong dal ladoo). 

A delicious festival special ladoo.

Ingredients:

Yellow moong dal- 1 cup

Sugar - 3/4th cup

Cardamom powder- 1.5 tsp

Ghee - 1/2 cup

Chopped cashews- few

Method:

# Dry roast moongdal until you get a nice aroma. Allow it to cool down completely.

# Make a fine powder in mixie. If you want a fine texture you can sieve the flour.

# Make a fine powder of sugar as well.

# Mix moongdal powder, powdered sugar, Cardamom powder together.

# Divide the mixed flour in two portions.

# Fry cashews in ghee.

# Mix the fried cashews with the moong dal and powdered sugar.

# Heat ghee well...slightly smoke should come...Mix wilh moong dal and powdered sugar.

# Start making ladoos.

#Once it comes to room temperature store it in airtight container.

Pl. do try and provide your comments.

Thank you!

Angaya Podi

Angaya Podi / Powder

Angaya podi is one of the most important dish which is served to a mother during Post delivery. This medicinal podi which is served with steamed rice, hot ghee/ gingerly oil. This is a best medicine for those who are suffering from digestion.

I'm sharing my mother-in-laws version of preparing this delicious Angaya Podi / powder.

Ingredients:

Sundakkai / Turkey berries - 2 tablespoons

Manathakkali Vathal/ black night shade berries - 2 tablespoons

Vepam poo / dry neem flower - 1 tablespoon

Pepper corns - 1 tablespoon

Jeera / cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon

Dhania / Corriader seeds - 1 tablespoon

Toor dal - 1.5 tablespoons

Salt - 1 tsp / as per your taste

Asafatedia - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - handful

Method:

# Dry roast all the ingredients one after another...on medium flame. You will get a nice aroma when you dry roast the ingredients one after another.

# Allow it to cool down completely.

# Make a fine powder and store in an airtight container.

Notes:

Donot roast all ingredients together...they may not roast well / may burn.

Do try and provide your comments.

Thank you!

Gongura Rice/ Gongura Pulihora

Gongura Rice/ Gongura Pulihora

In South India we make a lot of one pot meal which is easy to make and packed with flavours. 

Gongura Rice is a spicy, tangy delicious variety rice which is a perfect for Lunch Box.

There are two varieties of Gongura one is green leaves with maroon stems (red sorrel leaves) and another one is green leaves with green stem. 

The red sorrel leaves are more tangy / sour in taste. In Tamil it is called as 'Pullicha keerai,'.

Today I'm using red sorrel leaves (Gongura) to make Gongura rice. In this recipe I' ve included a small marble size tamarind which gives a nice flavour to the rice...and also a little jaggery as it balances the spices and tangyness and enhances the taste.

Ingredients:

Cooked rice - 1.5 cups

Gongura / red sorrel leaves - 1 bunch

Peanuts - 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Channa dal - 1 tsp

Urud dal - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Red chilli - 2 nos

Gingerly oil - 2.5 tablespoons

Asafatedia - 1/4 tsp

Jaggery powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste.

Roasted powder:

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Methi / Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Corriader seeds - 1 tsp

White sesame seeds - 1.5 tsp

Red chilli - 3-4 nos

Method:

# In a pan dry roast mustard, methi seeds, corriader seeds, red chilli, tamarind and white sesame one after another. Allow it to cool down completely.

# Wash and rinse gongura leaves.

# Heat a pan add one tsp of oil, add gongura leaves and fry for 3-4 minutes or until it becomes soft in texture. Allow it to cool.

# Make a powder of roasted ingredients.

# Make a fine paste of fried gongura leaves.

# Heat a pan add oil, fry peanuts, add mustard seeds let it splutter well add urud dal, channa dal, red chillies and wait till it slightly changes its colour. 

# Add gongura paste, grounded spice powder, turmeric powder, salt, asafoetida and cook well. It takes 7-8 minutes on medium flame for gongura paste to cook. Once oil seperates from pan and gongura paste becomes thick like pickle add jaggery powder mix well switch off the flame.

#Add little salt and 1 tablespoon of gingerly oil to cooked rice and mix well.

# Add 1/2 of gongura paste to the rice, mix well. Do not break the rice. Add oil as required while mixing gongura paste and rice. If needed add more of gongura paste or else you can store the paste in an airtight container.

Gongura Rice is ready to serve. 

Please do try and provide your comments.

Milagu Sadam/ Pepper Cumin Rice

Milagu Sadam/ Pepper Cumin Rice

Milagu means Pepper in Tamil. Milagu Sadam is a flavourful rice with freshly ground pepper and cumin. A simple, delicious tasty variety rice which can also be offered as a Neivedayam during Navratri...specially on Saturdays.

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - 1 cup

Pepper - 1 tsp

Cumin / jeera - 1/2 tsp

Channa dal - 1 tablespoon

Peanuts - 1 tablespoon

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Urud dal - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Asafatedia - less than 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

# Heat a pan add 1 tsp of oil, add channa dal roast till slightly it changes its colour add pepper, cumin and roast / fry on medium flame until you get a nice aroma. Switch off and allow it to cool.

# Make a fine powder of above roasted ingredients.

# Add salt, asafoetida, freshly ground pepper powder to the rice.

# In the same pan add oil, add peanuts fry on medium flame, add mustard, urud dal, curry leaves. Let mustard splutter well and urud dal change its colour, pour the seasoning in rice. Mix well. 

# Mix well and serve.

Please do try and provide your comments.

Thank U!

Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice

A simple, easy, delicious rice recipe made with few ingredients in your kitchen. A South Indian Special variety rice which we make for Aadi Perukku, Kannu Pongal, Navaratri etc.

Ingredients:

Cooked rice - 1 cup

Grated coconut - 1/3 cup

Coconut oil/ refined oil - 1.5 tablespoons

Mustard seeds- 1.5 tsp

Urud dal - 1 tsp

Red chilli- 3-5

Peanuts - 2 tablespoons

Asafatedia - a pinch

Curry leaves few

Salt to taste

Method:

# Heat a pan add oil, add peanuts fry well. Remove in a separate plate. In the same pan add mustard seeds let it splutter well add urud dal once it slightly changes colour add red chilli, grated coconut and saute well on medium flame it should not change its colour, add salt, asafoetida, curry leaves and switch off the flame. Add the fried peanuts 

# Mix cooked rice with coconut seasoning.

Coconut Rice is ready to serve.

Please do try and provide your comments.

Thank U!