Maida Murukku by Vimitha Anand (My Culinary Trial Room)

The celebration is still on with another guest post by my dearest friend Vimitha Anand of  My Culinary Trial Room, she don't need any introduction further as I'm sure all of you know who is she, she comes up with very innovative and creative recipes every time you check her blog. For those who have not visited, don't waste any time, go now na....Vimi thank you for your time doing a guest post for me. Now off to her;

When Arthy of Sumanarthy's kitchen asked me to do a guest post for her in the month of November, I was first hesitant to accept it. Seriously, I just can't find the time to even blog these days and a guest post was totally out of question. But when she gave the theme as Diwali recipes, I thought that I could squeeze in a guest post sometime. After all, I had decided to make quite a few Diwali sweets and snacks and I just had to pick one for her.

I am a sucker for traditional South Indian snack items. And by sucker I mean not in eating it but to make it. The first time I tried Omapodi at home, it drank so much oil that I had to bin it. The second time I tried seedai and most of you know what happened. And to those who are new, it burst right out spluttering my entire kitchen with oil and it took me 2 hours to clean up the mess. And thus come everything to an end. The huss, the brother, and the whole family asked me to stop venturing out of my league. And so have I. Until Diwali came and I started browsing for some easy recipes. The huss was so adamant that I make the muruku under his vigilance. Grrrrr... As for the recipe, I saw this one in a TV cookery show. Its an easy and go-to recipe for beginners like me...

~*What U Need*~ Unbleached all purpose flour - 1 cup Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Sesame seeds - 1/2 tbsp Ghee - 1 tsp Salt - to taste Warm water - to knead dough Oil - to deep fry How I Made it: Place the maida in a clean cloth and steam for 10 mins. Once done, remove and when it is warm, crumble it with your hand. Once it is completely cool, sieve it and collect the flour. If you want you can run it in the food processor or mixie once. In a mixing bowl, add maida, ghee, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, required salt and mix it once. Then add hot water little by little and combine to form a dough. Then divide them equal portions and set aside. Put each ball into the murukku press. Heat oil in a kadai and when hot drop murukkus (you could either pipe it directly into the hot oil or pipe murukku on a greased plastic cover and drop it carefully into the oil. I piped it directly into the oil. Cook on both side till golden brown, remove and drain in kitchen towl. Crush into bite sized pieces and store in an airtight container. Always fry the murukku in medium low flame.

Serve with tea!!!

So that's it Folks... 

 With Love, Signs off!!!

Bajra & Paneer Ladoo (Pearl Millet & Cottage Cheese Ladoo) by Preeti Tamilarasan of

How educating blogging can be, you get to learn and cook dishes from all around the world even when you have not tried or tasted their food before. Another interesting thing that we could learn through blogging is Food Photography, and this person have mastered the art of food photography very well, and I'm sure many of you know this person well, its non other than Preeti Tamilarasan of Indian Kitchen. Now let us see, what she have prepared for us for this Diwali, you might be thinking what Diwali recipe now, buddies its still November for me the celebration is still on. Thank you so much da PT for this wonderful guest post.

Today i'm sharing my 7th guest post for one of my dear blogger friend Karthi from Sumanarthy's Kitchen. We came to know about each other through Facebook and i still can't believe we have known each other for past one year. How soon the time flies by. I always liked her non-veg recipes which resembles my style of cooking. When she asked for a guest post, i was all excited. I took some time and finally came up with the idea of preparing my fav indian sweet "Ladoo" 

Paneer ladoo is made with crumbled paneer and sugar/condensed milk. I replaced sugar with karupatti vellam(palm jaggery), which makes it more healthy. You can also try this with normal jaggery. Lets check the recipe,

Makes 13-14 medium sized Ladoo

Preparation time : 5 mins

Cooking time : 15-20 mins 

Ingredients :

• 1 cup crumbled cottage cheese (Paneer) – homemade or store-bought
• 8-9 tbsp Bajra Flour (Pearl Millet / Kambu Maavu)
• 1 cup grated palm jaggery (karupatti vellam / palm jaggery)
• 1 tsp cardamom powder

Method :

• Dry roast bajra flour on low flame till nice aroma comes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Grind crumbled paneer in a mixie until smooth. Transfer it to a bowl. Combine jaggery and ¼ cup water in a pan or kadhai. Once it melts down completely, remove from the heat and strain it to remove impurities. Pour it back to pan and switch the flame to low. 

 

• Add cardamom powder and ground paneer. Keep stirring to avoid lumps. Once paneer is completely dissolved with jaggery syrup, add bajra flour little by little. 

 

• Add 1 tbsp at a time and keep stirring the mixture on low flame. Initially the mixture will be sticky. Once it starts leaving the sides of pan, remove from the heat and allow to cool for a minute. 

• Grease your palm with oil or ghee and start making small lemon sized ladoo. Store in an airtight container.

Notes :

You can replace Bajra with Oats or wheat flour. 

 

Peanut Mawa Ladoo by Viji @ Virunthu Unna Vangga

Diwali have been a festival we always look forward in our family because of my uncle, he used to be the one person who kick-starts the Diwali mood in our family. Weeks before he will start asking when are you making cookies and sweets, and he will be in joyous mood throughout.On Diwali eve, my uncle and me would go to market to buy fruits and meat to give out to our neighbors, and its like a tradition every year since I was a small child. The year he passed away in 2011 was the last my family celebrated Diwali, looking at his picture makes me burst into tears, I'm known as someone very strong in the family and I'm their strength all the while, but that year I was the one who made everyone in the family to cry on an auspicious day. Ok, I'm so carried away with my sad story, let me bring you to the Diwali mood, I have someone special to share a wonderful recipe for 2013 Diwali, that's none other than Vijayalakshmi Dharmaraj from Virunthu Unna Vangga. Now let us welcome her with her superb Peanut Ladoo;

Hi friends, am really very happy to be here to present guest post on Arthy akka’s SUMANARTHY’S KITCHEN. I am really unexpected that I will do the guest in the festival season... I accepted her invite immediately, when she asked me for the guest post. We both were introduced in our FB chat through some of our friends. She is so polite, down-to-earth and affectionate... She always call me Kutty J, I love the way of she calls me... I learnt many healthy tips from akka, but I implemented very few ;) because of my laziness... Here you can see more non-vegetarian recipes with good photographs. I love her photographs with lively ingredients.

Coming to the recipe, during the short time, I couldn’t prepare any traditional recipe so this is my quick and delicious recipe for the guest post... You can make it anytime within 15 minutes, after you tasted the ladoo, you will make it again and again, am sure about it... J Here I used peanut butter and instant mawa to prepare the cute balls...

INGREDIENTS

Peanut butter – ½ Cup

Mawa/Khoya – 5 Tbsp (I used *Instant Mawa)

Powder Sugar – ¼ Cup

Cardamom powder – ½ Tsp

*Instant Mawa

Milk Powder – ½ Cup

Water – 2-3 Tbsp

Ghee – ½ Tsp

Mix everything into pliable dough, cover it with cloth and steam it in idli cooker or pressure pan for 10 minutes on medium flame. Cool it completely, crumble and use it the instant mawa.

METHOD

·       Take a wide mixing bowl, add peanut butter and mawa mix it well till combines well, it looks like        bread crumbs.

·       Now add powder sugar and cardamom powder mix it well.

·       Grease your hand with ghee and take small amount and start rolling to make balls.

·       Garnish with cashew nuts or almonds.

·       Serve it with coffee/tea.

NOTE

·       You can use fresh mawa instead of instant one.

·       Add ghee roasted cashews and raisins in the dough before making ladoos.

        HOPE YOU LOVE THE CUTE LADOOS...

THANK YOU SO MUCH ARTHY AKA FOR THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY...

Am really very happy to be here as ARTHY akka’s guest.....

Such a simple yet amazing ladoo isn't it, I'm sure many of you will try making these ladoos at home for Diwali. Do let us know how it turned out for you! Thank you so much Kutty for preparing these delicious ladoos for us. Happy Diwali to you and your family.

Paneer Chocolate Peda by Usha Rani (Mahaslovelyhome)

Diwali is just around the corner, I didn't prepare many things this year, so I have blogger friends sharing on their Diwali sweets and bakes for the month of November. Blogging world have introduced so many good friends in my life, despite the distance of our location we are still keeping in touch and have a little chat every now and then. Today, I have someone who would like to share about herself and her world on blogging. let us see who is that okay;

HAPPY DIWALI READERS,FRIENDS,WELL WISHERS

Hi..I am Usha Rani..Who writes at Mahaslovelyhome..Well, I love eating and at the same time cooking too..More than following the same kind recipes, I  like to try new methods on my own Idea...This year I started working more on blog and at the same I am a busy wife and mother of two little boys..I believe in god and prays to lord shiva specially..MAHA Is an one other name of lord shiva and I choosed it for my kids..Without second thought I created blog name with MAHA..This is a small story behind my blog name..You can find all kind of baking recipes,rice varities and all categories recipes  of daily needed In Mahaslovelyhome. Recently, I started another blog where I share tips for food bloggers called as SOME THING HELPFUL...Your encouraging comments makes me to feel happy and gives more energy to cook and share my Ideas..Hope it continuous for ever..Thank you..

Arthy Suman is a simple,homely girl whom I visited through her blog..I appreciate her interest on cooking and "SUMANARTHYKITCHEN" is one of my most liking blog.I like her Non vegetarian recipes and some of innovative baking recipes too...Even I book marked few and sure will share the results...I also wonders by seeing her patience where she replies to each comment..Recently  In FB I saw her pic in Venisri wedding anniversary album.Love to see the food bloggers and how beautiful when they meets directly..Wish one day I will meet  at least few of our co-bloggers too..After seeing her status "ABOUT GUEST POSTS" in FB I send a message and she replied within seconds..Actually I planned to post this in my blog on DIWALI, but changed the Idea and writing as guest post in her blog. And Iam with double happy to share this recipe in co-blog on festival time.

Thank you so  much for accepting to write a guest post Arthy..I believe,you liked the post and try next If you are Interested..Hope you will..

Once again Personally, 

I WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY AND PEACEFUL DIWALI TO U N UR FAMILY..

ABOUT RECIPE: Ricotta cheese is always in my shopping list and I love to try gravies and sweets with R.C. well,All the co bloggers are busy in festival preparations and their posts tempting me much more and forced to try some thing..While searching fridge, noted this packet and coconut powder and with remaining ingredients created this peda..This is very easy to make and saves your time..You need just 5 INGS and that`s really quick to cook..Try this when you get some paneer in your kitchen and enjoy.

CATEGORY-SWEETS/RICOTTA CHEESE SWEETS/FESTIVAL RECIPES

PREPARATION TIME-10 MINUTES

COOKING TIME-15 MINUTES

WHAT YOU NEED

Ricotta cheese- 300 gms

Sugar-1/2 cup

Cardamom powder-1 tsp

Hershey`s cocoa powder- 2-3 tsps

Desiccated  coconut powder-1/4 cup

HOW TO COOK

Blend Paneer in  mixy jar..

Then heat pan with ghee and add paneer and sir continuously  for 5 minutes in medium flame...

Now add sugar and mix well..You can see some liquid type of consistency..

Keep flame in low and stir without stopping until it thickens..Add in cardamom powder too..

When the time paneer turns tight and hard it will separates from pan...It looks like a ball now and completely dry too..

Once you feel,it is done apply some ghee to plate and keep half of the the paneer dough..

To the remaining paneer add in cocoa and cook for 2 more minutes by mixing every second..Then turn off..

After 5-8 minutes apply some ghee to palms and start making pedas..Take goose berry size plain paneer mix into hands and take the same quantity of choco paneer  mix also..

Combine those and give a shape like PEDA.. (By pressing cookies cutters i got those designs on pedas)..

Yummy Paneer chocolate peda is ready..Serve warm or cold...

MAHAS NOTES

 I ground paneer  directly in the mixy jar..(forgotten removing water from the packet)

So,mine paneer mix is wet for and stirred long time..

If you use store bought ricotta cheese,then drain paneer from water and start grinding.

You can try this fresh home made paneer too..If it looks too thick you can add 1-2 tsps of milk..

Use good quality cocoa powder for best taste.

If you want burphi do like this,cook for few more minutes until it turns dry then spread a paneer layer on plate and on top spread another paneer choco layer and cut into desired shape..After some time separate the slices and serve

You can add some nuts on top for rich look..Try chocolate horlicks powder for a change/if available.

Now isn't that a wonderful sweet for this Diwali? Do try making this Paneer Chocolate Peda for your family and do tell us how it turned out for you !Thank you Usha for sharing such a delectable dish for us today. Happy Diwali to you and your beloved family.

Onion Raita My Style

Ingredients:

5 onions (chopped finely)
3 tbsp of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of plain yogurt

Mix all the above ingredients together and chill before serving.  Garnish with chopped coriander. Best served chilled.

This is very simple to prepare isn't it? Do try and let me know how it turned out for you!

Mint Watermelon Juice

Ingredients:

3 cups of watermelon (chilled)

5 mint leaves (or as you prefer)

1 tsp of sugar (optional)

Blend all the ingredients above and ready to be served for a nasty, horrible weather. Hehehe...this is lunch for me. Do try and enjoy!

Quick Thengapaal Appam/ Indian Pancake

Ingredients:

750g rice flour
1 tsp of yeast
A pinch of salt
A pinch of sugar
2 cups of water
1/2 cup of cooked white rice
1 cup of coconut milk
1/2 cup of grated coconut

Blend cooked rice, sugar, yeast and grated coconut with a little water then add rice flour and for a couple of minutes. Now pour this mixture into an airtight container with a pinch of salt and let it ferment for at least 7 to 8 hours or overnight (the consistency of mixture should be thick something like idli mixtures)

After the mixture sits to ferment, mix 1 cup of coconut milk to dilute the fermented mixture, it should be watery not thick to make sure you get crispy edges with spongy middle. Mix the coconut milk only when you are ready to make the appam.

You need appam pan, heat appam pan on low flame and pour a ladle of mixture and rotate the pan to get thin and crispy edges and the balance mixture will form spongy middle. Cover and cook until the edges turn golden brown and crispy. Now remove it to a plate and serve with freshly squeezed coconut milk (added with sugar).

Now our Thengapaal Appam is ready to be eaten, do try and let me know how it turned out for you!

Drumstick Leaves Thanni Chaar

Ingredients:
2 cups of drumstick leaves
1/2 cup of masoor dal (soaked)
1 onion sliced thinly
1 green chilli (slit)
3 garlic pods (peeled)
1 tbsp of coconut cream
Salt to taste

Boil masoor dal until the dal is cooked and soft, add sliced onions, garlic and green chilli let it simmer further, now add in the leaves and boil for another 5 minutes. Finally add coconut cream and salt, add salt to your preference. 

Now our Drumstick Leaves Thanni Chaar is ready to be served. Do try and let me know how it turned for you!

Home-made Mango Ice-Cream

Wow, it has been nearly a month since I have updated my space, as some of you may have known the reason to my disappearance is due to demise of my paternal aunt. I was in my parents house for two whole weeks, busy with prayers and rituals, now I'm back to my house and started blogging. I cooked many dishes but no time to take good pictures for my blog. Thank you so much to all my friends who have sent their condolences. 

Now let's get back to today's recipe, I made this ice-cream sometime ago but couldn't find time to blog about it. My husband loves ice-cream, it is a must have in our fridge as he love to have it while watching tv, I have planned to make ice-cream at home, this is a very easy method and anyone can make it at home. Come, let's see how easy it is to make this ice-cream;

Ingredients:

2 cups of mango puree (blend mango without adding water)

2 cups of milk powder

2 cups of chilled milk

2 cups of cream

1 cup of sugar

2 tbsp of cornflour

A pinch of salt

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 cup of chopped mango

Blend all the ingredients above except for chopped mango, and pour all those things blended into an airtight container, mix in the chopped mango to the ice-cream and freeze it for few hours.

Remove all the frozen ice-cream, blend until smooth and refreeze overnight. I poured some of the ice-cream into individual glasses for easy serving. Now our home-made Mango Ice-cream is ready to be served. Best eaten on a hot sunny day. do try and let me know how it turned out for you!

I'm sending this post to Kauser's Kitchen Event

                                    

Moong Dal Kozhukattai

Ingredients:
2 cups of raw rice (soaked and drained)
1/2 cup of whole moong dal
1/4 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup of sugar (reduce or add to your preference)
A pinch of salt

Dry blend the soaked raw rice and steam for 15 minutes, remove to a bowl and break all the lumps so that you will have lump free flour, let it cool down. Now dry roast whole moong dal until a nice aroma is released from the dal, let it cool down for a while then pulse it the blender once (we are looking for coarse grains not fine nor whole).

Boil the dal with salt and some water to soften it do not add so much of water as we will be using the water for the dough preparation later. Let the dal cool so that easier to work with it, slowly add the cooked dal to the rice flour we have prepared earlier, add sugar and coconut. Mix well and shape it into kozhukattai, steam for 10 minutes or until its completely cooked.

Let the kozhukattai cooled before serving, now our Mong Dal Kozhukattai is ready to be served. Do try and let me know how was it!