Sesame Rice / Ellu Sadam

Sesame Rice / Ellu Sadam

Sesame Rice is a perfect lunch box special. A simple variety rice which can be prepared for 'Purattasi Saturdays' as a neivedeyam to 'Perumal / Lord Balaji'.  We can even prepare this rice for Aadi 18 or Makara Shankaranthi.

Ingredients:
Black Sesame Seeds - 1.5 tablespoons
Cooked Rice - 1 cup
Urud dhal - 1 tsp
Channa dhal - 2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Peanuts - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 4-5 nos
Asafatedia - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Few curry leaves

Method:
# Dry roast sesame until it splutters well.

# Dry roast other ingredients such as urud dhal, channa dhal, red chillies, asafatedia and salt.
( dhal should change its colour)

# Once everything comes to room temperature, make a fine powder.

# Heat a pan add oil, mustard...let it splutter well then add urud dhal, peanuts, red chillies, curry leaves..once it gets roasted in oil add cooked rice, salt to taste and the sesame powder. ( 1.5 tablespoons of sesame powder). 

# Mix well with rice and serve with papad or raita.

* The sesame seeds powder can be stored in an airtight container for few days / months.
Pl. do try and provide your comments.
Thank you!

Bread Pockets (Airfried Recipe)

Bread Pockets (Airfried Recipe)

Bread Pockets are easy and simple snacks, which can be served during tea-time. These are non-fried, zero% oil with whole wheat bread and oats atta noodles. 

The same recipe can be prepared using stuffed vegetables, potato curry or with planner( cottage cheese). Today I'm using some leftover oats atta noodles with whole wheat bread. These bread pockets can be shallow fried / baked / even deep fried.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat bread - 4 slices
Oats atta noodles - 3/4 cup (leftover noodles)

(just follow the instructions written in the back of instant oats atta noodles packet)

Method:
# Trim the edges of bread.
# Sprinkle little water on bread and roll it with rolling pin....make a thin slice of bread.

# Keep the stuffing and make a pocket shape....use little water to seal the sides.

# Preheat Airfrier @ 180'c for 5- 10 minutes.

# Place your bread pockets in Airfrier and fry @ 180'c for 7-10 minutes.

* You can bake them @ 180'c for 15 minutes.
* Shallow fry on Tawa / non stick pan on medium flame.
* Deep fried on medium flame until it turns golden brown.

Crispy bread pockets are ready to serve.
Do try and provide your comments.
Thank you!

Vella Cheedai ( Sweet Cheedai)

Vella Cheedai (Sweet Cheedai)

Vella Cheedai is deep fried, crispy, sweet prepared for Krishna Janmashtami. I'm sharing my mother-in-laws version.

Before you measure your ingredients need to follow these steps:

* Dry roast the rice flour on medium flame.(colour should not change but you should be able to drawn a line with roasted flour)

* Sieve the roasted rice flour.
* Dry roast urud dal and powder it. (sieve urud dal powder)

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Urud dal powder - 1.5 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 tablespoon
Unsalted butter - 1 tablespoon
Sesame seeds/ til - 1 tsp
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
Oil for frying

Method:
# Mix all dry ingredients together with butter.

# Add little water in jaggery and boil well.

# Strain the jaggery syrup in mixture and mix well.
# Sprinkle water and knead a dough.

# Prepared small marble size balls.
# Heat oil on medium low flame. 

# Fry vella Cheedai in batches.
Initially it will be soft but once it cools it becomes crispy.
Do try and provide your comments.
Thank you!

Vellarikai Kootu (Dosakai Kootu)

Vellarikai Kootu

Kootu is a sidedish served in full meals. There are different varieties of kootu....this is a simple Kootu with Vellarikai (cucumber)/ Dosakai.

Ingredients:
Vellarikai / Dosakai - 2 cups (chopped)
Moong dal /Passi parrupu - 1/4 cup
Grated coconut - 3 tablespoons
Green chillies - 2 nos
Cumin seeds / jeera - 1 tsp
Asafatedia - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Seasoning:
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urud dal - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Curry leaves

Method:
# In a pressure cooker add chopped vellarikai / dosakai, moong dal, turmeric powder with little water and pressure cook for 3 whizles.

# In a mixer jar add coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds and make fine paste adding little water.

# Once the pressure is released, add the coconut paste, salt, asafatedia and boil well.

Switch off the stove.

# Seasoning should be done with mustard seeds, urud dal and curry leaves.

Serve with  variety rice or steamed rice.
Please do try and provide your comments.

Thank you!

Peanut Podi / Verkadalai Podi (Peanut Chutney Powder)

Peanut Podi / Verkadalai Podi ( peanut chutney powder)

A simple and easy Peanut chutney podi / Verkadalai podi which is served with dosa, idli or even with steamed rice. Today I'm sharing my version of preparing peanut podi..... In this recipe the ingredients are dry roasted on medium flame one after another in  gas stove...but I have roasted it in Airfrier.(as in Airfrier everything gets roasted evenly)

Ingredients:
Peanuts - 1 cup
Coriander / dhania seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin / jeera - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tablespoon (optimal)
Red chilli - 8-9 number
Asafatedia - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
# Take peanuts and put it in Airfrier basket and fry @ 170'c for 10 min.

# Allow it to cool and remove the skin from peanuts.

# Add channa dal and fry for just 3 min in Airfrier @ 170'c. Add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, red chillies and fry @ same temperature for another 2-3 minutes.

# Remove from Airfrier and allow it to cool.

# In a mixer jar add all roasted ingredients with salt and asafatedia (without peanuts) and make a coarse powder....now add roasted peanuts and make a coarse powder.

Store this in an airtight container for a month or can refrigerate for 2-3 months.

Please do try and provide your comments.

Thank you!