Quinoa Laddoo

Tags

how to make Quinoa ladoo, Quinoa, Quinoa Desserts, Quinoa Indian recipes, Quinoa Indian style recipe, Quinoa Laddoo, Quinoa Ladoo

Happy Deepavali to everyone 🙂 My celebrations would go less if I don’t have any laddoo 😛 So I was wondering which laddoo to prepare. For the usual mothichoor laddo I don’t have the laddle to prepare. So I decided to make something different. Here is Quinoa laddoo…Because of its gluten free nature, I couldn’t bind it at all. Then found the trick from here and these are the lovely healthy laddoo’s 😀

Ingredients:

Quinoa : 1 cup

Jaggery : 1/2 cup(can be replaced by sugar)

Ghee : 2 tablespoons

Water : 1 tablespoon

Milk : 1/4 cup (any kind I used whole milk)

Method:

1. If you have pre washed Quinoa proceed to step 3
2. If it is non pre washed Quinoa, wash it thoroughly for at least 4 to 5 times. Drain the water. Spread the quinoa seeds over a kitchen cloth and dry it inside home. (no directly sun drying) I left it for a days time.
3. Next grind quinoa to Suji/Semolina consistency.
4. Heat ghee in a pan. When it hot enough add the grinded quinoa and roast it in slow flame.
5. Roast till it turns nice golden brown and the raw smell goes off.
6. Stir continuously to get uniform roasting.
7. In another pan heat  jaggery with water till it dissolves.
8. Filter out for any impurities and mix with quinoa.
9. Warm up the milk and with the above.
10. Form a nice dough. As quinoa is gluten free, it does not hold together. So milk helps in binding.
11. Now form balls with it by applying little ghee in the palms.

Now quinoa laddoo is ready 🙂

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

Rice Kodubale/Ring Murukku

Tags

how to make kodubale, Karnataka Recipe, karnataka snack recipe, Kodubale, kodubale recipe, rice kodubale, ring murukku, spicy kodubale, Spicy muruku, Spicy ring murruku

This is one of the very famous Karnataka’s tasty teatime snack and one of my favorite 🙂 These are irresistible and I keep munching them. They are very easy to prepare as well. This is going to be my Diwali savory snack 🙂 They will not go wrong in taste anytime. Some people also call it ring murkku. But as I knew this only from my Bangalore days I call it the spicy Kodubale 🙂 These are deep fried. Soon would like to try it the baked way , so stay tuned….

Ingredients: 

Rice Flour : 1 cup

Semolina/Suji/Rava : 1/4 cup

Maid/All Purpose Flour : 1/4 cup

Grated Coconut : 1/2 cup

Oil : 3 tablespoon

Red Chili : 5 to 6

Asafoetida : 1/4 teaspoon

Salt : 1 teaspoon

Ajwain/Carom Seeds : 1/2 teaspoon

Water : 3/4 cup

Oil : for frying

Method:

• Dry roast semolina and all purpose flour for 2 to 3 mins. And set it aside.
• Grind grated coconut and red chili together to a fine paste with little water.
• Mix semolina, all purpose flour, rice flour and the grated coconut, red chili paste.
• Add salt, carom seeds, water, asafoetida and oil with the flour.
• Make a fine dough.
• Now roll it to strips and cut it to small pieces.
• Roll it to small rounds/rings, pinch edges.
• Heat oil for deep frying. Keep it in medium hot.
• To check if oil is in correct stage to start frying, just drop a small piece of dough, it should pop up. Now oil is ready to fry.
• Now slowly put these ring to fry. Fry till the sound of oil subsides.
• Put them in a kitchen towel and drain excess oil.
• Store in an air tight container.

This is a great tea time snack.

Sweet Somas/ Coconut Gujiya (Baked)

Tags

Baked Gujia, Baked Gujiya, Baked kajjikayalu, Baked Somas, Baked Sweet Somas, coconut gujia, Coconut Gujiya, Gujiya, kajjikayalu recipe, Somas recipe, Sweet Somas, Sweet Somas recipe

Diwali preparation in full swing , here is a traditional recipe which is tuned a little healthier 🙂 You can have it guilt free 🙂 We call this as sweet somas in TN. Gujiya usually prepared with mawa, but the filling can be changed. So here it is with coconut and jaggery(gur). Replacing sugar with jaggery make it much better. I have prepared this with both All purpose flour and Whole wheat flour.

You can find step by step pictures at the end of the post.

Below are made with Maida

 

 

Below are made with Wheat flour

Ingredients:

For the filling:

Grated Coconut : 1/2 cup

Roasted Gram(Channa Dalia)/Pottukadalai : 1/2 cup

Jaggery/Gur : 1/4 cup (You can increase it as per your taste)

Poppy Seeds/Khus Khus : 1 tablespoon ( optional this gives a lot of crunchiness)

Cardamom/ Elaichi : 2

Water : 1 tablespoon

For the covering:

All purpose Flour(Maida)/Whole wheat flour : 1 1/4 cups

Corn Flour : 1 tablespoon

Oil : 1 teaspoon + extra to brush

Salt : a pinch

Water : as needed to knead dough

Method:

• Mix all purpose flour or wheat flour with corn flour, oil, salt. Add water slowly and knead a soft dough.
• Cover it set aside for at least half an hour.
• Next Grind the roasted gram/pottukadalai along with cardamom to Suji/Rawa  consistency and set aside.
• Heat a pan and dry roast grated coconut till nice aroma comes and water content goes off.
• Next dry roast poppy seeds for just 2 mins.
• Place the jaggery in the pan, add 1 tablespoon water and heat it. Heat till it gets meted.
• Now add jaggery syrup with roasted gram flour, coconut, poppy seeds and mix.
• It should not be watery, just a dry mixture.
• After half an hour, form small poori’s with the dough.
• Take a small round bowl and place it over the poori and squeeze it, remove the extra edge to form a nice round shape.
• Now place the filling in between and fold over.
• pinch the edges. Make sure they are pinched properly otherwise they would open up while baking or frying.
• Now take a fork and pinch on the edges. Or with a pizza cutter the edges can be trimmed off. I used fork, as I don’t have a cutter.
• Preheat oven to 390 F and grease baking tray with oil.
• Now place one by one and brush them with oil.
• Bake for 12 mins in one side. Then remove flip sides and bake for another 12 mins on the other side.
• Remove and cool down for few mins. Now the baked somas/Gujiya is ready 🙂

As always this can be deep fried in oil.

Jaggery can be replaced by sugar.

 

Puran Poli

Tags

Bobatulu, Boli, Channa dal puran poli, easy poli recipe, Poli, Puran Poli, Puran Poli with plain flour, Puran Poli with wheat flour

Diwali’s second sweet preparation from my kitchen 🙂 Love this puran poli /sweet flat bread. I have done with both wheat flour and plain flour. Stuffing came out really well. This brings me memory of my childhood days, when we used to travel from Chennai to Madurai via train (Vaigai express) many vendors sell this puran poli and I love them so much. When ever my mom travels, she never misses to bring me these 🙂 Both me and my sister loves this. Not a common thing done at my home, we always buy it from outside. Now I do it often 😛 These are rich in protein with the lentils.

If you are looking for a healthy option, then go with wheat flour. Plain flour turns out soft than wheat flour. I somehow like it more with wheat flour 😉

This is with Wheat flour

 

The following is with plain flour

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour/Plain Flour(maida) : 1 to 1 1/2cup

Channa Dal/Toor Dal : 1 cup ( I used Channa dal)

Jaggery : 3/4 cup

Salt : 1 pinch

Water : as required to knead dough

Oil : 1 teaspoon

Ghee/Clarified Butter : to drizzle over poli

Method:

• Soak Channa dal for 3 hours. Then pressure cook it for 6 whistles with just enough water to cover it.
• When the pressure subsides, check for extra water, if there is any drain it.
• If not just mash it with potato masher or blend it in mixer to get a fine powder.
• Now mix either whole wheat flour or plain flour with a pinch of salt and add oil. Use water and mix it to form a soft dough. Rest it for 15 to 20 mins.
• Take jaggery in a pan and mix very little water and heat it to form a nice paste.
• Take a heavy bottomed pan, add the powdered channa dal, jaggery paste and mix well and heat. When these two mix, they would leave out water. Heat until they form to a dough consistency. It should be thick. ( no more water content is present)
• Now roll the wheat or plain flour dough with rolling pin to a round roti.
• Make it to thin edges and thick center. Now make small balls stuffing of the dal mixture.
• place int the center and pinch the edges.
• Now roll this to round shaped poli with the rolling pin. If needed add flour to dust.
• It can be either thin or thick, I made it medium sized.
• Now heat a griddle or tawa. Place the poli and drizzle some ghee over it and cook for few mins.
• Turn the other side and drizzle some over ghee the other side and cook for few more mins.
• Serve with ghee 🙂

 

Thirattupaal/Paalkova (Chettinad Style)

Tags

authentic thirattupaal, Chettinad Desserts, Chettinad Foods, Chettinad Palaharam, Chettinad style thirattupaal, healthy paalkova, karupatti, paalkova, pillaiyar nombu, Thirattupaal, Thirattupaal recipe

Diwali nearing and list of sweets lining up 🙂 Thirattupaal is a very common sweet in my place. This is the Chettinad style thirattupaal. Only difference in this style is that instead of sugar we use palm candy(karupatti) And that taste is a little different from normal paalkova. And this is quite healthy and better than normal refined sugar. Gur/Jaggery can be replaced instead of palm candy(karupatti) This is as well a healthy option.

Ingredients:

Milk : 1 liter (whole milk works best)

Palm Candy/Karupatti : 3/4 cup ( can be replaced by Jaggery/Sugar)

Lemon Juice : 1 teaspoon

Salt : a pinch

Method:

• Take a heavy bottomed pan, pour milk and boil it.
• Keep boiling in medium heat.
• Break down karupatti to pieces. In another small pan, heat karupatti with very little water and let it boil. Then filter out for any impurities.
• When milk simmer add the above karupatti liquid or directly add jaggery powder/sugar.
• Keep stirring for a while. If karupatti is used then milk will curdle automatically. (somehow mine did not curdle, so I used lemon juice to make it curdle)
• If jaggery or sugar is added, then lemon juice needs to be added in few mins after adding them.
• Make sure to keep stirring and add a pinch of salt. At one stage all the water content would evaporate and become thick. Then stop and cool.
• This is a fabulous dessert 🙂

Optional Elaichi powder can be added for a bit of flavor. This whole process takes around 45 mins to one hour.

Energy Bars (No bake, no cook)

Tags

Dates and nuts bar, dates bar, Energy Bar, energy bars, Homemade energy bars, no cook no bake nuts bar, Raw Energy Bar, Raw Snack Bar, sugarless energy bars

These are the easiest and very tempting energy bars. A very healthy bar. Adapted this from my friend Charanya @ Yes I am Vegan. She had posted it long back, recently I made these with few changes.Thanks Charu for such a wonderful recipe 🙂 For sometime now I had been feeling little lazy and easily get tired. These bars are quite amazing. Very tasty and gives a lot of energy. Though they are a bit high on the carbs because of the nuts, eating in moderation helps a lot. The most inviting part is , it is no cook, no bake and sugar free 🙂 So here we go…

 

Ingredients:

Dates : 1 cup(de seeded)

Dry Figs : 7 to 8

Cashews : 1 1/2 tablespoons

Almonds : 1 1/2 tablespoons

Walnuts : 1 1/2 tablespoons

Chia Seeds : 1 tablespoon

Poppy Seeds(Khus Khus) : 1 tablespoon

Raisins : 3 tablespoons

Cacao Powder : 1 tablespoon

Method:

• In a food processor add dates, cashews, almonds, walnuts, chia seeds and process till all of them combines well. I made it to a coarse one.
• Take it in a bowl, add raisins poppy seeds and cacao powder and mix well. Raisins would have some water content which would bind with the others.
• In a tray, place a parchment paper, place the above mix and press it tight. Bring it to the desired thickness.
• Pop it in fridge for 12 hours. Then cut them to slices as bars.
• Store in an airtight container in fridge.

I am having 1/2 bar in the morning and half after workout in gym. This is simply energetic and tastes awesome 🙂 Easy to make as well!!!

Mooli Paratha/Radish Stuffed Flatbread

Tags

Daikon recipes, Mooli, Mooli Paratha, Muli Paratha, Paratha, Radish Paratha, Stuffed paratha

Stuffed paratha’s are always the best and it tastes yum 🙂 My hubby is not a fan though, he always prefers rice over roti and me the vice versa 😛 He would be mad when I send him paratha’s for lunch. So I take advantage of making paratha only for me at times. Here is my way of preparing doing Mooli Paratha. As Radish/Daikon is a very watery vegetable making paratha is a bit of mess. There are 2 ways of preparing it, here is my way.

Ingredients:

Mooli/Radish/Daikon : 5 to 6 inch piece(Grated finely)

Whole Wheat Flour : 3/4 cup +extra to dust

Salt : 1/4 teaspoon

Red Chili Powder : 1/2 teaspoon powder

Black Pepper Powder : 1/2 teaspoon powder

Turmeric powder : 1/4 teaspoon

Water : as required to kneed the dough

Method:

• First grate mooli, add salt, red chili powder, black pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt.
• Now mix well. Take another bowl and squeeze out the water content from this.
• Now take the wheat flour and mix this squeezed water content to it. Set aside the radish.
• Do not add extra salt as we already have mixed it with the mooli.
• Now mix everything and make dough, if needed add extra water and make a nice dough and rest it for 15 mins.
• Now roll the dough to have a round flat bread with thin edges and thicker center.
• Now place a ball of the squeezed radish mixture in the center and fold the outer edges and pinch it.
• Use extra flour and dust the base and roll as a round flat bread.
• Heat griddle and place this paratha and cook for few mins. Add ghee/oil/butter over it and cook both the sides well. Fresh mooli smell arises from the paratha 🙂
• Serve with any gravy 🙂

The other way of preparing this is heat oil in a pan, add mooli and spices and cook for few mins until the water content gets rid of. Then put this in the center of the flat bread and roll as usual. I prefer not to over cook veggie. So I go by the other way.

Oats Banana Bites

Tags

easy oats bars, Oats, Oats Banana Bar, Oats Bar, Oats recipes, Oats Vegan bars, Simple Oats recipe, Vegan snack bars

Back with a baking post. Had some ripe banana’s and wanted to finish it. Then prepared this Oats banana bits with apple sauce. Have prepared this long ago and forgot to post it. If you buy snack bars from super market, this is a great option for home made.

Ingredients:

Oats flour : 1 cup

Rolled Oats : 1 1/2 cups

Unsweetened Applesauce : 1/4 cup

Banana : 2 (fully ripe)

Baking powder : 1 teaspoon

Cinnamon ground : 1 teaspoon

Salt : 1/2 teaspoon

Brown Sugar : 1/4 cup(can be replaced with honey)

Vanilla Extract : 1 teaspoon

Oil : 2 tablespoons

For Chocolate Syrup:

Chocolate chip : handful

Butter : 2 tablespoons

Method:

• Mash banana well and mix with unsweetened apple sauce.
• Mix oats flour, rolled oats ,baking powder, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar together and whisk well.
• To this add the banana, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla extract, oil and form a dough. It should be thick just like cookie dough and not runny at all.
• Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a baking tray with oil.
• Spread the dough in the baking tray and make it to uniform rectangle shape.
• Bake for 40 mins.
• Cool down and then cut it to small pieces.
• Then heat a small sauce pan, add the chocolate chips and butter. stir until they melt.
• Now pour over the pieces. I have done it for few pieces and left others.
• For vegan option we can use without chocolate syrup 🙂
• Store in an airtight container in fridge.

Enjoy these healthy bites 🙂

Uzhundhu Vadai/Medu Vada

Tags

how to store cooked vada, how to store cooked vadai, Indian Potluck recipes, Medhu Vada, Medu Vada, Potluck recipes, Sambar Vada, Sambar Vadai, trick to get shaped vadai, ulundhu vadai, uzhundhu vadai, vada recipe, Vadai

Uzhundhu vadai is a very common dish in south Indian families. And who doesn’t love it 🙂 Packed with proteins but it is completely deep fried in oil. This is the only point that stops me from preparing it. But we make sure to prepare this on any festive occasions. Yesterday my hubby said there is a potluck in his office today and asked me if I can prepare some thing. I was a little confused, what ever option I give, he would tell me prepare which you are comfortable with 🙂 mmm this is quite difficult. Was chatting with my friend that time and she said prepare sambar vada, that would be a great option. I immediately soaked Urad dal and here it is 🙂

Ingredients:(makes 20 small to medium vadas)

Urad dal : 1 1/2 cup

Green Chili : 4

Ginger : 2 inch piece

Onion : 1/4 of large chopped finely (optional, but it gives a great taste)

Black Pepper : 1 teaspoon ( I used ground powder)

Cumin seeds : 2 teaspoons

Asafoetida : 1 teaspoon

Salt : 1 teaspoon

Curry Leaves :Few chopped

Oil: for deep frying ( I use sunflower oil fro deep frying)

Method:

• Soak Urad dal from 4 hours to overnight with water.
• After soaking drain off the water. Chop green chili, ginger add with soaked urad dal
• Either in a food processor or wet grinder (I prefer wet grinder) grind the drained urad dal , green chili, ginger by just sprinkling water over it.
• Make sure it doesn’t get stuck in the blender or grinder.
• Remove batter, add cumin seeds, asafoetida, salt, chopped onion, chopped curry leaves and mix.
• Take a bowl with water, drop a small piece of batter and check if it floats. If it floats then batter is in right consistency.
• If it is watery then it would absorb more oil, if it is very thick then it would be very hard.
  • If watery as a savior add either rice flour or urad flour.
  • If it too thick sprinkle some more watery and check the consistency.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan to deep fry.
• Take a plastic cover and rinse it. Have water set aside. Wet your palms with water.
• Take some batter and make balls out of it.
• Flatten it in the plastic cover. Make a hole in the center.
• Ensure oil is hot enough by dropping a piece of batter in the oil and it should bump up soon.
• Now slowly drop the vada in oil and fry it till the oil sound reduces.
• Place it in a plate with kitchen towel and drain excess oil.
• Serve with chutney or sambar

I had dipped them in sambar and sent for potluck 🙂

Storing vada:

If we leave it outside at room temperature it would become soggy after 2 to 3 hours. So I prefer to store in an airtight container and put it in fridge.

Reheat vada when ever necessary. Either in conventional oven at 350 for 3 mins or in microwave oven for a minute.

Kondakadalai Sundal/Kala Channa Sundal/Blackchickpea Sundal

Tags

Black Chickpea Recipe, easy sundal recipe, Kalachanna recipe, Kondakadalai, Kondakadalai Sundal, Navarathri Sundal recipe, Navrathri Recipe, Sundal

For Saraswathi Pooja today made this sundal for neivadhyam. For sundal usually white chickpea is used and I didn’t have stock so used the dark one 🙂 It turned out yummy 🙂

Ingredients:

Kondakadalai/Kala Channa/Black Chickpea : 1/2 cup

Salt : 1/2 teaspoon

Oil : 1/2 teaspoon

Mustard Seeds : 1/4 teaspoon

Urad Dal : 1/4 teaspoon

Curry Leaves : Few

Asafoetida/Hing : 1/8 teaspoon

Water : as required

Grated Coconut : 1/5 tablespoon

Method:

• Soak chickpea in water over night.
• Pressure cook it with salt for 6 whistles with water enough to cover it.
• Let it cool and set aside. If there is excess water drain it after it cools down.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal. Let it crackle add curry leaves, hing.
• Stop and add coconut and mix.
• Now mix this with the cooked chickpea.
• Sundal ready 🙂