Rasagulla

Rasagulla - preparation time 45 to 60 mins
I love this sweet very much. My dad used to go to calcutta for official work, when he returns he used to buy us this famous rasagulla. We used to fight for this sweet. Still the taste lingers in my mouth. Old memories are very beautiful. I tried this sweet when one litre of milk curdled. Don't worry when the milk is curdle just check whether it doesn't smell bad and sour. Usually we used to drain the water, wash well and mix with sugar and take else i will give to person who is helping on my household work. This time i thought of making rasgulla in the curdled milk.

I asked friends and start trying out.They asked to boil on vessel but, i used pressure cooker and prepared.

Ingredients:-
Milk - 1 lt
Curd - 1/2 cup to curdle the milk 
Sugar - 100 gms or 150 gms according to your taste
Water - 2 cups

Preparation method:-
Boil the milk in a vessel and add the curd.

The milk start curdling. When you get clear water and panner drain the water using filter.

Wash the panner well so the sour taste of curd/lemon will goes off.
Put the panner in a thin white cloth and hung it so all the water in panner goes off. You can also tie the cloth tightly keep this over a filter and keep some weight over it. The water drains down.

Knead the dough using your hand atleast for 20 to 25 mins i.e. till the dough becomes soft.

Now start making very small ball (1 inch or less). Keep these ball separately.
In pressure cooker add sugar and water. When water starts boiling add the balls slowly and carefully.

Close the cooker and wait for 3 whistle. Switch off the flame.
When you open and see the small will twice the size when compared to original one.

Take care and use big cooker so, space will be enough and it will become spongy and soft.
When cool keep in refrigerator and serve chill. Surely all your family members will love it. When i gave to my dad he told it tasted as in shops. This is big credit to me.

Karuveppillai thogayal (Curry leaf rice paste)

Karuveppillai thogayal (Curry leaf rice paste) - preparation time 10 mins
My mom's place (grandma's home) is very big. On backside they had a curry leaf tree. When we go for annual leave we use to enjoy grandma's cooking (including my mom). We used to climb tree and prick the leaves fresh for this thogayal. Curry leaves is very rich in iron content and good for hair. You can cosume this directly as leaf or make this thogayal and take with hot white rice and roasted pappad. It will be very tasty.

We can make wonders with curry leaves also :-)

Ingredients:-
Curry leaves - 1 cup (leaves taken from 15 to 20 strings and washed well)
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Red chili - 3 to 5
Asfoetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind paste - less than 1/4 tsp or little tamarind water
Sesame oil - 2 tbspn
Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Preparation method:-
In tawa heat oil. Add urad dhal, roast to golden brown. Keep aside.
In same tawa add the red chili and roast to dark red color. Keep along with roaste urad dhal. Now roast the hing and add to the other ingredients.
When roasted ingredients are cool grind to coarse powder along with hing, salt, sugar and tamarind.
Now add the curry leaves and little water to grind. Make to thick thogayal by adding required amount of water.
Heat the tawa add little oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to brown and garnish karuveppillai thogayal.
Mix this paste and sesame oil with white rice and take with roasted papad. Surely you will love this dish.

Note:- Some people don't like the raw smell of curry leaves for them you can add the curry leaves paste in the garnishing tawa along with spluttered mustard, brown urad dhal and fry with little sesame oil for few mins and transfer to serving bowl.