Hot and Sweet

Last week when my husband brought snacks from our regular grocery store they smelled stale and tasted bad. So this time I tried to prepare those snacks at home. They tasted very good and to my surprise it took very less time to prepare these.(Just above an hour).Actually I wanted to prepare these for Diwali but as my husband is running behind me for some home made snacks I prepared a little earlier..

Recipes:
Mixture:
Boondi:
Besan-2cups
Salt to taste
Rice flour-3tbsp
Water-11/2cup and you need two perforated ladles and one normal ladle to prepare this.

Method:

1. Mix all the above ingredients by adding little by little water.
2. Now heat oil in heavy bottomed pan. When the oil is hot, hold a perforated ladle few inches above the oil.Pour boondi into oil with the help of normal ladle.Just take batter into ladle and you rotate it in concentric circles on the perforated ladle(In circular motion).Use little batter every time.
3. Fry boondi till it attains golden yellow color and drain on an absorbent paper.

Note:
I found my perforated ladle clogged after every turn making hard to pour boondi in hot oil.I just washed it in  running water and wiped with clean, dry cloth.

Omapodi or Karapusa:
Ingredients:
Besan-1cup
Rice flour-2Cups
Ajwain-1teaspoon
Sal to taste

Method:
Mix all the above ingredients with water to make dough(Softer than chapathi dough).
Fill muruku press with dough to half and rotate in hot oil.
When they attain golden yellow color remove them to an absorbent paper.

Fry 1/2 cup of peanuts and few curry leaves in hot oil.
For mixture mix boondi, karapusa,peanuts and curry leaves along with salt and chilly powder ,1tsp of oil thoroughly and store it in air tight container.(With this you can make nearly 1kg of mixture)


Kaju Burfi:
Cashew nuts-2cups
Sugar-11/2cup
Water-1/2cup

Method:

1. Grind cashew nuts to a fine powder.
2. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan mix sugar and water and stir it on low flame for 10 minutes,till all the sugar melts and syrup thickens.
3. Now add cashew powder and mix well and stir on low flame for nearly 10 minutes.
4. Switch off the flame and let it cool, until it is warm enough to handle.
5. Now transfer it to clean bench top and work on it for nearly 2-3 minutes.
6. Grease the rolling pin and roll the dough into 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into diamond shapes.

Mava Cake

Baking is really fun and these days I am enjoying it a lot.Mava cake is an Indian cake  and in this cake mava (Khoya) and cardamom plays an important roles along with butter which gives beautiful texture and pleasant smell to the cake.

Ingredients:
Plain flour-11/4 cup
Cardamom powder-1/2tsp
Baking powder-1/2tsp
Mava(Khoya)1/2cup
Butter-6tbsp
Milk-4tbsp
Sugar-1cup
Eggs-2

Method:

1. Mix plain flour, cardamom powder and baking powder and keep it aside.
2. Beat together mava,sugar and butter at medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Now add eggs one at a time and beat at medium speed.
4. Now add flour mixture and milk and mix thoroughly and gently with the help of a spatula.
5. Preheat oven to 180 degree centigrade(Nearly for 15 minutes)
6. Grease the cup cake moulds and pour the batter evenly into the moulds.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Notes:

To prepare khoya boil 1 liter milk in heavy bottomed sauce pan. Reduce the heat and simmer it. Keep stirring frequently so that the milk does not stick to the pan.

As the milk gets thicker stir more vigorously till you get thick,dry lump.

Remove from the pan and cool it completely before use.

This whole process takes 11/2 to 2 hours and one liter milk yields nearly 1/2 cup of khoya.

Ridge gourd curry

Some times simple things make me very happy. Seeing innocent, beautiful smile on my daughter's face, he artful talk with close friend, having simple delicious curry in a meal will enlighten my mood and make my day happy.This is one such curry which is simple yet tasty and flavorful. Again this is Amma's recipe who uses sambar powder in most of her dishes to make the dish more flavorsome.

 
Ingredients:
Ridge gourd-1medium sized(Peeled and made into cube sized pieces)
Onion-1medium sized(Roughly chopped)
Carrot-1small(Made into bite sized pieces)
Potato-1medium sized(Made into cubes)
Tomato-1medium(Chopped)Sambar powder-2tsp
Turmeric-1tsp
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder-2tsp(Adjust to your taste)
Cumin seeds-1tsp

Method:

1. Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.
2. When they start spluttering add onion and fry till it become transparent.
3. Add sambar powder and fry till it releases nice aroma.
4. Now add carrot and potato and fry for 3-5 minutes
5. Now  add ridge gourd and tomato and add turmeric and salt
6. Reduce flame to medium and cook with covered lid for nearly 10-15 minutes.
7. Add red chilly powder and mix well
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot rice or roti. 

Short Bread Cookies

It has been many days since I posted the recipe as I was busy with moving to a new house.Yesterday afternoon I baked some short bread cookies which tasted divine and these little koalas made me very happy with their beautiful shape and melt in mouth taste.

Ingredients:
Plain flour-11/2cups
Butter-112gms stick at room temperature
Large egg yolk-1
Salt to taste(Pinch)
Powdered sugar or icing sugar-3/4 cup
Vanilla essence-1/2tsp
Milk-2tbsp.

Method:

1. Beat butter and egg yolk at medium speed till the mixture is light and smooth(Takes 2-3 minutes)
2. Now add  powdered sugar and again beat at medium speed for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly and gently with the help of spatula.
4. Form a ball with the mixture and make it into soft dough.
5. Flatten into disc shape and cover it with  a plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour.
6. After one hour take it out from refrigerator and roll it in between two plastic sheets to 1/4" thick .
7. Cut into desired shapes with the help of cookie cutter.
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degree centigrade and bake nearly for 15-20 minutes.
9. Repeat the same with the remaining dough.