Bombay Chewy Halwa - Indian Sweets

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup fine semolina
2. sugar as required in recipe
3. ghee 1 to 1 1/2 cups, as required in recipe
4. 1/5 tsp. citric acid powdered
5. 1/2 cup blanched peeled almonds, halved
6. 1/4 cup green pistachios halved
7. 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
8. saffron as desired
9. food colour red/green/yellow, as desired

Method:

1. Soak semolina in enough water for 3 hours.

2. Drain, rub gently between fingers, wash 3 times with fresh water.

3. Keep aside to settle again, discard top water, grind to a very smooth paste.

4. Add enough water, to make a thin batter.

5. Heat one cup ghee in a large heavy pan, allow to cool.

6. Add batter, stir well, till smooth.

7. Place on heat, cook while stirring continuously, add ghee little by little.

8. Cook to form a transparent, soft lump.

9. Add sugar, stirring again, till it is liquefied, and again a soft lump forms.

10. When ghee starts separating, take off fire, sprinkle citric acid.

11. Stir well, mix in toppings and set in a , rectangular, greased, tray.

12. Make incisions when cooled but still soft.

13. When completely cooled, separate pieces, wrap each in clean thin pieces of polythene or clingfilm.

14. Store in airtight container.

Making time: 1 hour
Makes: 1 kg. approx.
Shelflife: At room temperature 1 week, Refrigerated 3-4 weeks

Spicy Mango Pickle

Ingredients

1. 3 medium raw firm mangoes-chopped in chunks
2. 1 tbsp crushed mustard seeds
3. 1/2 tbsp crushed fenugreek seeds (methi)
4. 1/4 tbsp aniseed (sauf)
5. 1/2 cup red chilli powder
6. 1/2 cup salt
7. 1/5 cup turmeric powder
8. 1 cup oil (any refined oil)
9. glass, china or earthen pickle jar

Method

1. Place chunks in jar. Sprinkle rock salt & 1/2 the turmeric.

2. Shake the jar so the pieces are evenly coated. Keep aside shake jar in a pendulum motion every 10-12 hours, for 2 days.

3. On the third day empty the contents into a non-iron colander and allow the water to drain for 15-20 minutes.

4. Spread out on an old kitchen towel for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Do not use white cloth, since turmeric will stain the fabric or use disposable.

5. In a large plastic or glass bowl, mix all the dry ingredients left.

6. Add the mangoes add half the oil mix very well with clean dry hands or a spatula.

7. Transfer to a clean jar and press down lightly.

8. Pour remaining oil on top. Allow to marinate for 10 days before using.

9. Take out in small quantities for use in a small glass jar.

10. The main jar should always have a layer of oil floating on top.

Note:

Press down the pieces and masala firmly. This pickle will not go bad for over a year even at room temperature

CORN CHIPS WITH SALSA SAUCE DIP

INGREDIENTS FOR CORN CHIPS:

½ cup corn meal flour

1 cup heaped maida

2 tbsp oil

1 pinch turmeric powder

¼ tsp salt

1 pinch pepper

a little water

red chilli powder

INGREDIENTS FOR SALSA SAUCE:

250 gms large ripe tomatoes

1 onion (chopped)

3 green chillies (finely chopped)

2 tsp sugar

¼ tsp oregano

juice of 1 lemon

garlic

½ tsp salt

METHOD:

(for salsa sauce)

Boil and skin the tomatoes. Mix all the ingredients for salsa sauce together. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve chilled

(for corn chips)

Mix all the above ingredients and make soft dough. Keep for a few minutes. Roll it very thin. Cut triangular chips, prick with fork on both the sides. Deep fry on low flame.

Serve with salsa sauce.

Athirasam - Chettinadu Recipes

INGREDIENTS (SERVE TO 4)

· 650 grams raw rice

· 650 grams jaggery

· 1 kg dalda

· ¼ kg ghee

METHOD OF PREPARATION

· Wash and rinse the rice. Strain well and set aside. When dry, powder it.

· Make thick syrup of jaggery and mix it with the flour in slow fire and stir well to avoid lumping.

· Add sufficient ghee while mixing and keep it a side for 2 hrs

· Then, make balls and press it with hand to bring it to flat round shape and fry in dalda till crisp and golden.

· When cold, store in an airtight container.

Medhu Vada - South Indian Dishes

Ingredients

1. 4 cups urad dal
2. 1 cup ordinary rice
3. 1 tsp. ginger grated
4. 1 tbsp. coconut grated coarsely
5. 8-10 whole pepper corns
6. 1 tsp. cumin seeds
7. salt to taste
8. oil to deep fry

Method

1. Wash and soak dal and rice together in plenty of water overnight.

2. Drain, grind to a soft batter, a fine grain should be felt in it.

3. Do not make the batter thin. It should be thick enough to shape vadas.

4. Add all ingredients and beat well with hand to incorporate air.

5. Heat oil, wet palm and take an idli sized lump on fingers palm side up.

6. Make a hole in the middle with thumb.

7. Slip gently into hot oil, repeat for more.

8. Or use a medhu vada press.

9. Fry 5-6 at a time on medium flame.

10. Drain, serve hot with chutney and sambar, or accompany with idli.

Making time: 1 hour (excluding soaking & grinding time)
Makes: 35-40 vadas.
Shelflife: To store batter for 2 days, refrigerate without adding any other ingredients. Add just before making, and continue as above.

Kashmiri Pulao

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups long grain rice (basmati)
2. 2 cups milk
3. 1/2 cup cream beaten smooth
4. 1 tsp. sugar
5. salt to taste
6. 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
7. 3 cloves
8. 1" cinnamon
9. 3 cardamoms
10. 1 bay leaf
11. 2 tbsp. ghee
12. 1 cup canned chopped mixed fruit (drained)
13. 2-3 edible rose petals

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for 15-20 minutes.

2. Mix milk, cream, sugar, salt. Drain rice, keep aside.

3. Heat ghee in a heavy pan.

4. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, bayleaf, cardamoms, cloves.

5. Allow to splutter. Add rice and fry in ghee for 2 minutes.

6. Add milk, cream, mixture.

7. Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil.

8. When boil is reached, cover and simmer till cooked.

9. Each grain should be cooked, but separate.

10. Mix in drained fruit very gently.

11. Garnish by sprinkling finely broken rosepetals.

12. Serve hot with a curry or tadka dal.

Making time: 45 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Shelf life: Fresh and piping hot

Kesari Kulfi - Indian Sweets

Ingredients

750 ml milk-full cream

1 tsp cornflour

1 tsp gelatine

1 tin condensed milk

125 gm khoya

10 pieces almonds

10 pistachios

10 cashewnuts

1 pinch of saffron

1tsp cardamom powder

5 drops of saffron essence

Method: -

Mix cornflour and gelatine separately in 2cups with a little cold milk

Boil milk. Add the cornflour. Add gelatine. Remove from fire and stir till gelatine dissolves. Let cool.

When the milk cools, add condensed milk and grated khoya. Powder the nuts and add that as well

Put in a blender and churn along with the saffron and the essence Mix Well

Set on the freeze in kulfi moulds or in an aluminum container

Kesari Kulfi ready!!.

Rice Roti - South Indian Dishes

Ingredients

1. 2 cups rice flour
2. 1 cup overcooked soft rice
3. salt to taste
4. water
   

Method

1. Blend the cooked rice to a smooth paste in a blender.

2. Use water as required.

3. Add salt to the flour.

4. Add blended rice paste, knead into a soft dough.

5. Take a ping pong ball sized dough.

6. Roll in some dry flour, pat into a thin chappati.

7. Do the above with your palm or with a rolling pin.

8. Place on a warmed griddle, apply water with hand on upper side.

9. Invert and roast on wetted side till cooked.

10. Invert again and puff up like chappati or on direct flame.

11. Serve hot with saagu, or other gravy vegetable.

Making time: 20 minutes
Makes: 4-5 rotis
Shelf life:Best fresh