Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Making of idli/dosa flour

Making of idli/dosa flour
I used to add 1 tbsp of vedayam for ordinary idli/dosa flour also because vendhayam is very good for health. The slight flavour of vendhayan will be present in the idli/dosa you make.

Ingredients:-
Boiled rice - 4.5 cup
Urad dal - 1  cup (urad dal should be whitish then only it is fresh)
Vendayam - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Salt - as required

Preparation method:-
Wash the boiled rice 3 times well in water and soak in water (till the rice is soaked and water remains 2 inch above the rice) for 4 hrs.
Separately wash the urad dal and vendayam together. Soak in water for 3 hrs.
Grind the soaked rice well along with required amount (till it is smooth. when pressed between figure it will be smooth and slight texture will exist). Don't add more water the batter has to be thick.
Grind soaked urad and vendayam. Add water little by little then only the flour will be fluffy and large amount will come.
Mix the ground rice flour and urad flour together with required amount of salt (usually i use my handfull of rock salt and mix).
Leave this flour to ferment for 6 to 8 hrs (according to your  temperature).

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Thenkai and sarkkarai poorana kozhukattai

Thenkai and sarkkarai poorana kozhukattai
Mom used to make this colourful kozhukattai. It is very easy and simple to make this pooranam and kozhukattai. Everyone can try it out. Prepare kozhukkattai mavu as specified in making of idiyappam flour. or you can use the dry or processed idiyappam mavu to make the kozhukkattai

Making of thenkai and sarkkarai pooranam
Very simple to make

Ingredients:-
Sugar - 1/2 or 3/4 cup (according to your taste)
Kesari colour - a pinch
Half coconut - grated 
Cardamon - 4 (powdered)
Water - little to melt sugar
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Preparation method:-
In a heavy bottom pan add, sugar, keasri powder, water and melt. When the sugar syrup is stick add the grated coconut, powdered cardamon and mix well.
When almost the water content is gone it will become thick. Transfer to a bowl and cool it.
The pooranam will become even thick and tight as it cool so take care.


Making of kozhukattai with sugar pooranam filling
For making of kozhukattai flour refer making of idiyappam/kozhukattai . When the kozhukattai flour is made cover with a wet cloth so that the flour won't become dry or break when the kozhukattai is made.

Ingredients:-
Sesame oil - little to make kozhukattai

Preparation of method kozhukattai:-
Apply little oil in your hand and make small balls using the flour.
In a clean and dry plantain leaf (keep shiny portion of the leaf up) apply little oil so the kozhukattai won't stick to the leaf. If you don't have plantain leaf use some thick silver foil of plastic sheet.
Place the kozhukattai flour ball and flatten to thin circle. Keep one tsp of sugar pooranam in the middle of the circle and cover the pooranam. Now it will become a semi circle like protector and close the edge well so the pooranam won't come out.
Boil water in the idli cooker . In the idli plate apply the sesame oil and place all the kozhukattai you made separately (so it won't stick with one another when cooked).
When water in idli maker boils keep the idli plates inside and close. It will take 5 to 10 mins to cook. When cooked the kozhukattai outer flour will become slightly transparent and shiny/glossy.
Leave it to cool and remove from the idli plate very carefully because it will be very soft and will break very easily.
You can try different shape . Don't worry even it it break's first time it will come out well in next set or next time. The main thing is taste which will be very excellent for sure.
Enjoy your tasty coconut, sugar pooranam kozhukattaiwith your friends and family. If you open the saffron colour pooranam will look gorgeous.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Vellam Pooranam kozhukattai

Vellam Pooranam kozhukattai - Preparation time 2 hrs
During vinayagar chathurthi we used to make this kozhukattai. Early morning we used to get up and make the pooranam and keep for making kozhukattai. The outer flour for kozhukattai is made as specified in idiyappam.

Making of vellam, kadalai parrupu pooranam
Ingredients:-
Bengal gram - 1 cup (100 to 150 gms)
Jaggery - 1 ball (when crushed will come to 1 heap cup)
Half coconut - grated 
Cardamon - 4 (powdered)
Water - 1/2 cup to melt the jaggery
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Preparation method:-
In a heavy bottom pan boil water (3 cups). Add washed begal gram till it becomes soft when crushed with hand. One tip to know whether the kadalai paruppu (bengal gram) is cooked well is to check whether the center portion of the dhal is not white.
When cooked remove the excess water and cool it.
Add water to crushed jaggery and melt. Filter and remove the dirt from the jaggery syrup.
Boil the syrup till it is thick. Add grated coconut, boiled channa dhal, cardamon and cook for few mins.
Cool the above mixture and grind to soft paste. Add this to heavy bottomed pan along with ghee and sugar. Cook till the mixture is thick. Take care because when we cool it will become more thick.
Make small balls using the pooranam (size of small gooseberry/ nellikai).

Making of kozhukattai with pooranam filling

Ingredients:-
Sesame oil - little to make kozhukattai

Preparation method:-
For making of kozhukattai flour refer making of idiyappam/kozhukattai . When the kozhukattai flour is made cover with a wet cloth so that the flour won't become dry or break when the kozhukattai is made.
En Anubhavam

Apply little oil in your hand and make small balls using the flour.
In a clean and dry plantain leaf (keep shiny portion of the leaf up) apply little oil so the kozhukattai won't stick to the leaf.
Place the kozhukattai flour ball and flatten to thin circle. Keep the pooranam ball in the middle of the circle and cover the pooranam.
En Anubhavam

Now it will become a semi circle or make to sphere and close the edge well so the pooranam won't come out.
En Anubhavam

Boil water in the idli cooker . In the idli plate apply the sesame oil and place all the kozhukattai you made separately (so it won't stick with one another when cooked) or wet a cloth and place over the idli plate (in mine holes will present idli plate ) and keep the kozhukattai.
When water in idli maker boils keep the idli plates inside and close. It will take 5 to 10 mins to cook.
En Anubhavam

When cooked the kozhukattai outer flour will become slightly transparent and shiny/glossy.
Leave it to cool and remove from the idli plate very carefully because it will be very soft and will break very easily.
En Anubhavam
You can try different shape . Like coconut which they will say modhagam.
Don't worry even if it break's it will be very soft and tasty.. The main thing is taste which will be very excellent for sure.
Enjoy your tasty pooranam kozhukattai with your friends and family.

Omam paratha (carom seeds/bishop's weed/ajwain)

Omam paratha (carom seeds/bishop's weed) - Preparation time 15 mins
Some people won't like the smell of omam but it is really good for health. Can be consumed as seeds also. I tried adding omam to wheat flour and made paratha. It smelled good. Omam is good for digestion. Try out if you like the taste you can make this paratha.

Ingredients:-
Omam seed - 1 tbsp
Wheat flour - 3 cup
Salt - to taste
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation method:-
In a mixing bowl add the wheat flour, hand crushed omam, salt, 1 tbsp of oil. Blend all the ingredients well. 
Add required amount of water to make slightly tight dough (the dough you usually used to make for chapathi) i.e. not sticky and tight like puri dough.
From this dough make small balls and round paratha. Heat the tawa and cook with little oil. It smells very good and easily digestible because of the spice omam.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Carrot Rava Kesari

Carrot Rava Kesari - Preparation time 20 mins
I thought of making rava kesari, but without using the artificial kesari colour. Saffron (kumkuma poo) is very costly so, i thought of using carrot to bring that yellowish orange colour. I tried of in a little quantity to findout how the colour comes. It looked and tasted good. Colour won't be like the artificial colour anyway this will be an healthy dish. While eating this kesari occasionally you will get the taste and bite of carrot. Happy Independence day.
En - Anubhavam

Ingredients :-
Small rava - 1 cup (keep the same cup for all (sugar, carrot, water) measurements)
Sugar - 2 cup
Water - 3/2.5 cup
Ghee - 1/2 to 3/4 cup
Grated carrot - 1/2 cup
Cashew - 1 tbsp
3 Cardamon powdered

Preparation method:-
In a kadai add 1 tbsp of ghee, grated carrot and fry till the raw smell of carrot goes off. Transfer to a bowl and keep.
In same kadai roast the rava with 2 tspn of ghee till it changes colour to light brown. Take care and don't burn it. Try to do in low flame.
When nice aroma comes and rava is roasted, add the fried carrot, measured water and boil. The rava will absorb all the water and become thick.
Add measured sugar, cardamon powder and cook. The rava will become thick and starts getting shiny look from sugar. Slowy keep adding the ghee and mix.
Roast cashew in ghee and garnish. Turn of the flame when it becomes thick. It will become dry when it starts cooling.Carrot rava kesari is ready try out. You might like this sweet.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Parotta

Parotta (preparation time 3hrs (including resting time of dough))
When young we used order this dish when ever we go to hotel because this was one dish which mom didn't make. When we went to college mom made this and we tried in our home it was fun. It came out well. Before marriage mom will ask me to cook the rare dishes along with her so that it will be easy to make. So i learnt how to make parotta, Channa masala, noodles, samosa, etc. These are not our regular dishes but we used to make occasionally. This is one of my favourite dish. 
After serving this dish surely everyone will place a loving request to make atleast once a month. All the best.
Now i used to make these dishes as healthy as possible. If you have help you can make in large quantity else you can do it for your family. Slightly time consuming process.
En Anubhavam

Ingredients:-
Maida - 250 gms
Butter - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp

Preparation method:-
In a mixing bowl add maida flour, butter, sugar, salt and mix well. You can add 1/2 tsp of oil and mix the flour well.
Add water as required and make a tight dough (as you make for chapathi). Apply little oil and beat well so the dough will be shinny and soft.
En Anubhavam

Apply oil over the dough and leave for 3 hrs (you can leave it for 4 hrs also).
After resting time make small balls (big amla size). Using rolling pin make a thin circle. Apply oil over the circle along with dry maida flour. Mix this well and spread over the circle (this helps to make layers for the parotta).
Now fold the circle like flip flop (During school days we used to fold the paper for making fan hope you remember it, i think you people remember the same way you have to fold or fold like saree pleats). Keep this folding and roll to circle so that the circle contains layers on the side.
En Anubhavam

Dust flour over the circle and make slightly thick circle using the rolling pin.
The layers will be visible in the circle you made.
En Anubhavam

Now heat the tawa and put the rolled parotta over hot tawa. When cooked on one side turn the parotta and add oil on the sides of the parotta. This helps to cook parotta well on both sides.
En Anubhavam

When brown spots appear the parotta is cooked well.
En Anubhavam

 Transfer to a plate and tap the sides of cooke parotta while it is hot so the layes of parotta will get seperated. You can take this with vegetable kurma or beetroot kuruma.
En Anubhavam

Try it out and provide your inputs.