Friday, August 31, 2007

Vella Seedai

Sweet Version of Seedai.
Made of Jaggery Syrup.

Ingredients Needed:
1. Fried and Sieved Rice Flour (as in Salt Seedai) ~ 1 cup
2. Jaggery ~ Little More than 1/2 cup.
3. Salt ~ A Pinch
4. Grated Coconut ~ 2 tablespoons
5. Til (Sesame) ~ 1/2 tsp
6. Butter ~ 3/4 tablespoon
7. Urad Dal powder ~ 3/4 tsp
8. Water ~ 1/2 Cup to make syrup
9. Elaichi Powder
Method:
1. In a bowl take Rice Flour, Urad Flour, Salt, Grated Coconut, Til, and Butter, mix well and keep it aside.
2. Immerse the Jaggery in water and Keep it aside for 10 minutes.
3. Once the Jaggery is dissolved, filter the water out and heat it to make a syrup.
4. For checking the syrup, Take a small bowl of water.
Test for the Syrup consistency:- Pour few drops of syrup in it and the syrup should not dissolve in water. It should loose its shape, while removing it by
hand from the water. (In tamil we call this Thakkali Padham) (Adhirasam Padham).
5. Pour this Syrup to the Rice flour mixture, mix well and keep it aside.
6. Knead well and keep it in airtight container.
7. Next day make medium size balls, dry it for 30 minutes and fry it in oil till dark brown.

Test for Seedai:- While frying, cracks should develop.
.:. Sweet Seedai makes the Krishna Jayanthi more Sweeter .:.
Note:
1. If syrup is not in perfect consistency while frying all balls will loose it shape.
2. If more jaggery is added, it will dissolve in Oil while frying.
3. Seedai, if made one day later, it willl have an even more rich taste.
4. Roast Urad dal without adding oil till golden brown,powder and sieve it.

Vella Seedai

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Uppu (Butter) Seedai

Another Traditional Snack - Seedai.
A Krishna Jayanthi regular.

Seedai making needs you to be near Hot Oil for a long time. Also you need to be careful, as it may splutter, while frying.
I share with you the some of the tips in making seedai that would make it easy for you.


Ingredients Needed:
1. Rice Flour - ( Wash 2 times and dry in a towel and dry grind into powder sieve and keep aside) 1 cup
2. Urad Flour - 1 tsp
3. Butter - 1 1/2 tablespoons
4. Salt to taste
5. Hing
6. Jeera - 1/4 tsp
7. Sesame seeds (Til) - 1/2 tsp
8. Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
9. Water to knead
10. Oil to deep fry
Method:
1. Fry Rice flour in a Kadai . (You should be able to draw lines with this flour)
2. After frying cool it, sieve and measure one cup.
3. Sieve Urad flour and add to the rice flour.
4. In this mixed flour add Jeera, Til, Salt, Hing, Butter and Grated Coconut.
5. Mix well with hands, sprinkle some water and knead .
6. Make small balls and dry it in a towel or paper for minimum 30mins.
7. Heat Oil in a deep Kadai.
8. Prick the rice balls once with a clean needle or toothpick to release the air content in it. [The air content is what makes the Seedai splutter.]
9. Slowly drop a handful of these balls into the Oil and fry till crisp.
10. Cool it and store in a Air-Tight Container.

Note:
1. Drying of Rice balls is important.
2. Never make the balls so round and smooth.
3. You can use store bought Rice flour too, though at times the colour of the Seedai may turn out little dark.
4. Roast Urad dal till golden brown ,powder and sieve it.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Rockin Girl Award


Am thankful to Prema of My Cook Book for passing me the RockinGirl Blogger Award.



I had been very inactive in the past couple of months, this award has brought me into the thick of things.

I would like to pass this prestigious awards to the deserving:-

1. Seema of Recipe Junction

2. Meena of Cooking Pleasures

3. Lakshmi of Veggiecuisine

Tuesday, August 21, 2007










Vella Pidi Kozhukkattai


Jaggery and Rice [Idli rice or Raw rice] makes this Traditional Sweet Snack.

Ingredients are for a measure of 10 Nos.
1. Raw Rice 3/4 cup
2. Jaggery 3/4 cup
3. Grated Coconut 2 tablespoons
4. Pinch of Salt
5. Water 2 cups
6. Ghee 1 tsp
7. Elaichi Powder
Method:
1. Clean the rice with a dry towel to remove the husk and dust, if any.
2. Dry roast in a pan till light brown.
3. Cool it and make a thin rawa consistency powder.
4. Mean time, soak jaggery in water and keep it aside.
5. Now filter the Jaggery water to remove the mud and dust. Let it boil in a pan.
6. Add Grated Coconut, Ghee, Salt, Elaichi powder and Rice Rawa. Mix thoroughly.
7. Close with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.
8. When it is still warm make oblong balls and steam it...

Traditional, Healthy Snack for a Festival day. *

Note:
1. If rice is not fried properly, the steaming will
* not cook the rawa properly.
2. If you are using Raw rice, no need to wash it.

This is My submission for JFI(Rice) hosted by Sharmi of Nivedhyam

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Vaangi Bhath
Lunch box, Picnic and Get together Recipe.

Ingredients Needed:-

1. Cooked Rice 1 cup (Cooking must be such that each grain is separate.)
2. Brinjal pieces 3/4 cup
3. Salt to taste
4. Tamarind Pulp 3 tsp
5. Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
6. Ghee 1 tsp

Ingredients for Making into powder:-
1. Coriander Seeds - 2 tsp
2. Channa dal - 1 tsp
3. Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
4. Dried Red Chillies - 4 (according to taste)
5. Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp
6. Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
7. Cinnamon stick - one small piece
8. Green Cardamom - 2
9. Dried Kopra or Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
Roast everything with 1/2 tsp oil till golden brown.
Cool and powder these
.

Vangi Bhath
Ingredients for tempering:-
1. Mustard Seeds
2. Urad dal and Channa dal 1/2 tsp each
3. Curry leaves
4. Ground Nuts
5. Cashew Nuts


Method:-
1. Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a Kadai and add tempering ingredients.
2. Now add Brinjal Pieces and fry for 5 minutes.
3. Then goes the Tamarind pulp, Turmeric and Salt. Cook till done.
4. Add 2 table spoons of Powder, Cooked Rice, Ghee and Mix well.
5. Check for Salt and Spice
.

_/*\_ Serve this Brinjal Rice Meal hot with Papad and Raita. _/*\_

This is my submission for JFI(Rice) Hosted By Sharmi of Neivedyam

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Pitlai
Pitlai is a thicker version of sambar which is served with Paruppu sadam. [Dal Rice]
Pitlai can be prepared with Bitter gourd, Brinjal etc.

Another version of this Pitlai can be made with Vegetables and Chickpeas.

Ingredients Needed:
1. Bitter gourd 3 (Cut into round pieces, apply salt and keep it aside for 30 minutes)
2.Tamarind water 1 cup (small gooseberry size tamarind soaked in water)
3. Salt to taste

4. Turmeric Powder
5. Jaggery

6. Hing

7. Cooked Chick peas (Optional)

8. Cooked Tur Dal 1 cup


Ingredients for Paste
1. Dhania seeds (Coriander) 2 tsp
2. Channa dal 1 tsp

3. Urad dal 1 tsp

4. Black pepper 6 to 7 nos
5. Dry red chillies 3 to 4 (according to taste)
6. Grated coconut 4 tablespoons.
7. Rice 1/4 tsp
8. Oil 2 tsp

Ingredients for tempering:
1. Mustard seeds

2. Curry leaves

In oil add all items except coconut and fry till golden brown and keep it aside In same oil fry grated coconut till golden and keep it separate. Add 2 tablespoons of fried coconut to the above ingredients and make coarse paste.
Method:
1. Squeeze Bitter gourd pieces to remove excess bitterness.Cook separately with turmeric powder and keep it aside.
2. In a vessel pour tamarind water, cooked Bitter gourd pieces, Hing, Salt, Jaggery and cook till raw smell of tamarind goes.
3. Now goes cooked Tur dal, Chickpeas, Grinded paste and cook till gravy thickens.

4. Temper with Mustard seeds, Curry leaves and pour over this pitlai.
5. Now add remaining fried coconut.

# Serve hot with rice. #

To give crunchy bites, I had added while tempering 2 tsp of channa dal.