Indusladies E-book for Diwali!!!

For the upcoming Diwali on October 26th, 2011, Indusladies is compiling an E-Book called “100 Yummy Diwali Sweet Recipes”. We are collecting Sweet/Dessert recipes from various bloggers to be featured in this E-Book.

This E-book will be made available as a free download to our community's 1.3 Lakh+ members. In addition, they are also be making this E-Book available to our 9000+ Facebook fans and Twitter followers. It's LOTS and LOTS of exposure to those food blogs entering the E-Book!!

We believe this would be a nice way to get the word out about a wonderful blog to the entire membership of IndusLadies!!

Are you a Food Blogger? Or do you have friends who are Food Bloggers? Here's a great news for the Food Bloggers out there who have been blogging  for alteast 1 year now...

Those bloggers interested in submitting a recipe for this E-Book...all you need to do is as follows:

1. Send a link from your blog for a sweet /dessert recipe. It should also include the picture of the sweet/dessert. Your recipe, food picture, recipe URL as well as the entire blog URL will get featured in the E-Book.

2. In return, we need you to do two things:

Now make a blog post in your blog announcing the E-Book compilation by IndusLadies and the recipe you are sending for this E-Book. That way inviting your co-bloggers interested to send in their contribution by Oct 10th,2011.

Any blogger interested can send their entry to partners@indusladies.com by October 8th.

My sweet entries to the event are here.

Sweet Karamani/Black Eyed Bean Sundal | Navarathri Special!!!

Hi Friends,

Hope you are having great time this Navarathri. Have been quite busy with the festive season and couldnot blog. Just posting this recipe I prepared today. This sundal is special for Navarathri as it is a sweet one.

Sweet Karamani Sundal is a sundal prepared with vellam/jaggery and this is very tasty.
Tomorrow is Saraswathi Pooja, Kondakadalai/Chickpea/Garbanzo Sundal is prepared and offered to God with other menu for festivals. To read more on Navarathri click here.

IngredientsKaramani/Black Eyed Beans - 4 cups (Brown or white, I used white)
Vellam/Jaggery - 4 cups(powdered)
Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup
Elakka/Cardamom powder - 4 pods

Preparation Method
Soak karamani/blackeyed beans overnite with enough water. Pressure cook for about 4 to 5 whistles with water and a pinch of salt in medium flame. (We should not cook anything without salt)
In a kadai or wide vessel, put vellam/jaggery with 1 cup water and boil well. Let it dissolve fully. Then filter it if any dust or mud particles are there. Wash the kadai and add the filtered jaggery, again boil it well till the raw smell goes and it reduces a bit.
Once its boiled, add grated coconut and mix.
Add boiled karamani and mix. Stir in intervals. Let it boil well and until no water left. Off the stove then add elachi powder mix.

Sweet Karamani Sundal is ready to serve to God.

Soya Bean Sundal | Navarathri Recipes!!!

Soya Bean Sundal is very healthy. This time I have not added coconut. Its good for lowering cholestrol.

Ingredients
Soya Bean - 2 cups (Available at supermarket in Dried Food section)
Olive oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Jeera - a pinch
Curry powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Asafotida/hing - a pinch
Dry Red Chilli - 1no (As per your taste)
Curry leaves - few
Salt as per taste

Preparation Method
Soak Soya bean overnite with enough water. Pressure cook for about 4 to 5 whistles with water and salt in medium flame.
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard wait till it splutters then add asafotida, urad dal, dry red chilli, jeera and curry leaves. Saute till urad dal is brown.
Add cooked soya beans without water.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt and curry powder mix well. Cook for 5mins and Off the stove.
Soya Bean Sundal is ready to offer to God, later enjoy.

This is good with sambar rice as sidedish and for lunchbox.

Notes - I have not used coconut here, if you wish you can add.

Try my other Sundal recipes for Navarathri

Kondakadalai/Chickpea/Garbanzo Sundal
Rajma, Soya, Green Gram Sundal
Pacha Payar Karamani Sundal
Verkadalai/Peanut Sundal

Sorakkai/Bottle Gourd Rava Ladoo Repost!!!

I usually make Rava Ladoo, this time tried with Sorakkai/Bottle Gourd. Sometime back this was showed on TV and tried by my friend.  It was different, tasty and moist.

Ingredients
Sorakkai/Bottle Gourd - 1/2 cup
Rava - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup(as per taste)
Elachi/Cardamom - powder of 2 pods
Ghee - 1 tspn + little more
Cashews/Pistachoes - few
Milk - 1 to 2 tspns

Preparation Method
Grate Sorakkai and squeeze just little water but not fully. Keep it aside.

Heat a thick bottom kadai, add 1/2 tspn ghee, add rava and roast till its slightly brown and gets good aroma. Transfer it to a wide vessel. Add sugar, press and mix well with a spoon.

In the same pan, add 1/2 tspn ghee, add grated sorakkai saute till the raw smell goes. Add this to the rava mixture.


In the same pan, add little ghee and fry chopped nuts till brown. Add this also to the mixture.


Now mix everything finely with a spoon.


Sprinkle little milk as sorakkai is little moist and mix to a soft dough by hand.


Take lemon size of the mix to get round shape.


Store it in an air tight container and enjoy. This will be perfect to eat next day or rests for a 2 -3 hrs. Its good to prepare for guests and festivals.

This recipe along with my Carrot Rice Payasam, Dumroot Halwa and MW Low Fat Carrot Halwa, Carrot Halwa, Jackfruit Payasam are going to Celebrate Sweets Fruits n Veggie by Raks and Nivedita.

This recipe alongwith the following is going for
"IndusLadies.com eBook for Diwali.

Badam Puri - http://simplysara07.blogspot.com/2009/05/badam-puri.html

Seven Cup -  http://simplysara07.blogspot.com/2009/06/seven-cup.html

Maaladu/Besan Ladu - http://simplysara07.blogspot.com/2009/03/maaladubesan-laadu-recipe.html

Holige/Obattu - http://simplysara07.blogspot.com/2011/04/holigeobattu-step-by-step-recipe.html

Sorakayi Rava Laddu - http://simplysara07.blogspot.com/2011/04/sorakkaibottle-gourd-rava-ladoo.html

Carrot Rice Payasam - http://simplysara07.blogspot.com/2011/04/carrot-rice-payasamkheer.html

Rajma, Soya, Green, Red Bean | Mixed Legume Sundal | Navarathri Specials!!!

Navarathri is coming, this month end and this Mixed Legume Sundal is a different recipe and healthy one.

Ingredients
Soya Bean, Green Gram, Rajma, Red Gram  - 1 cup each 
Cooking oil - 1 to 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Asafotida/hing - a pinch
Green Chilli - 2nos (As per your taste)
Jeera powder - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt as per taste

Preparation Method
Soak Rajma overnite for 8 to 10hours. Others for 2-3 hrs. Pressure cook for about red and green gram for 4 whistles with water and salt. Pressure cook Rajma and Soya bean for about 10 whistles in simmer with water and salt.
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard wait till it splutters then add asafotida, urad dal, and curry leaves. Saute till urad dal is brown.
Add add pressure cooked dals and mix well.
Grind grated coconut and green chilli to a course paste without adding water. Add this to the sundal. Cook for few minutes. Sprinkle jeera powder.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt mix well. Cook for 5mins and Off the stove.

Mixed Legume Sundal is ready to offer to God, later enjoy.

This recipe is going to MLLA 39 by Cathy and Susan.

Notes - I make it slightly mashy, if you want whole reduce no of whistles.

Nellikai Sadam | Amla | Gooseberry Rice Recipe!!!

Nellikai Sadam | Amla Rice Recipe is a Kalandha/mixed variety rice. This is a very tasty rice and is prepared without onion and garlic. I usually cook many other vegetable rice like Vangibath, Capsicum rice, Capsicum Bath using curry powder etc adding of Nellikai/Amla/Gooseberry was told by my friend in SG. It is also healthy to eat Nellikai/Amla as it is rich in Vitamin C.

Serves : 2 persons


Ingredients
Rice - 1 cup
Nellikai/Amla(Big) - 3nos (Deseeded and grated)
Curry powder - 3 tspns (as per your taste)
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Bengal gram - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves few
Hing - 2 pinches
Turmeric - 1/4 tspn or less( I like it more)
Dry red chilli - 1no(optional)
Salt


Preparation Method
Cook rice and keep separately.
In a thick bottom kadai, add oil, mustard wait till it splutters. Put bengal gram, curry leaves, red chilli and wait till it turns brown.
Now add the grated nellikai and saute. Keep it in low flame. Do not over cook. Add salt and turmeric.
Add curry powder and fry till raw smell goes.
Add salt and mix well.
Allow it to cool and then mix with rice and serve.


Nellikai Sadam is ready to enjoy. You can serve with any vegetable curry or raitha.

I love as it is :-)


Notes - The Nellikai will be tangy, so add the curry powder accordingly.

This recipe alongwith Strawberry Milkshake is going to Healing Food Berries Event by Smitha started by Siri.

Mysore Rasam!!!

Rasam is very good for digestion and tastes great with rice and curds.

Today I am giving Mysore Rasam recipe, which was also asked by my uncle in chennai. So here is the recipe mama. Hope you like it.

Ingredients
Puli Thanni/Tamarind water - 1 cup(Soak lemon size tamarind in water and squeeze out the water and filter it)
Tuvaram Paruppu /Toor Dal - 1/2 cup(Cooked and mashed with water by hand or whisk)
Peringayam/Asafotida - 2pinches
Manjal/Turmeric powder - a pinch
Thakalli/Tomato - 1no
Vellam/Jaggery - a small gooseberry size
Salt
Talipu/Seasoning
Ghee - 1 tspn
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Curry leaves - few

To Grind
Dhaniya/Coriander Seeds - 1 tspn
Tuvaram Paruppu /Toor Dal - 1/2 tspn
Milagu/Pepper - 1/4 tspn(As per your taste)
Jeeragam/Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Varamilaga/Dry Red Chilli - 1no
Thengai thuruval/Fresh Grated Coconut - 2 tspns

Preparation Method
In a kadai, dry roast all the ingredients above to grind to slightly brown except coconut. Once to off the stove add grated coconut and mix. Allow it to cool.
Grind it with water to fine paste and keep aside.
In a vessel, add tamarind water, tomato, turmeric, a pinch of salt and allow it to boil, until raw smell of tamarind goes.
Then add the ground mixture and boil.
Add cooked toor dal and mix. Check for salt.
Add jaggery.
In another pan, add ghee, oil, mustard, wait till it pops, off the stove. Then add asafotida and curry leaves.
Pour this in the prepared rasam. Off the stove.

Mysore Rasam is ready to serve. Enjoy rasam with hot steamed rice.

Upma | Uppittu Restuarant Style!!!

From yesterday Mahalaya Paksham is starting for the next 15days and cooking is done without Onion and Garlic. For Dinner it will be only tiffin. So I prepared this for my in laws and it was yummmmy... I know many of you dont like. But I like it anytime of the day and love it cold or leftover.

Ingredients
Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups + 1/2 cup if required
Cashewnuts -  5 nos slit or broken
Ginger - 2 tspns chopped
Any cooking Oil - 5 tspns or 1/4 cup
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Jeera - 1/4 tspn
Channa Dal - 2 tspns
Hing/Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Coriander - 2 tspns chopped
Green chilli - 1 no slit 
Salt

Preparation Method
Dry roast the Rava in a kadai until slightly brown and smells good. Transfer it to a plate and let it cool.
In a same kadai, add oil, mustard, wait till it pops, then add jeera, channa dal, wait till its brown, add curry leaves, green chilli, cashews and ginger. Saute till cashews are slightly brown. Add water, chopped coriander and salt. Allow it to boil. Check for salt. you can add a drop of oil here also.
Once its boiled, reduce the flame and add rava, stir continuously and not forming lumps. Mix well evenly.
Close the lid and wait for 5 to 10mins for rava to cook.

Upma | Uppittu is ready to serve. You can serve this with Coconut chutney /Sugar/Sambar.

Notes/Tip -
If salt is slightly more, add 1 tspn of ghee and mix well and garnish fresh grated coconut.

This recipe is going to Vrat Ka Khana Event by Kalyani.

Green Gram Adai

Adai is a popular breakfast/tiffin in Tamilnadu. This time I have added green gram and it was good. I have already posted the recipe here and here.

Ingredients
Rice - 1/2 cup
Green Gram/Pacha Payru - 1 1/2 cups
Channa Dal - 1/4 cup
Toor Dal/Tuvaram Paruppu -1/4 cup
Urad Dal/Ulatham Paruppu - 1 table spoon
Dry Red Chilli -1no
Green Chilli - 1 no
Ginger - 2" piece
Rice flakes/Aval/Poha - 1 tspn
Asafotida/Hing-1/4 tspn
Salt to taste
Curry leaves -few

Preparation Method
Rinse and soak Rice and Dals in water for about 3 to 4 hours.
Then grind to slightly coarse paste in a mixie or blender with chilli, ginger and salt. Transfer it in a bowl and add asafotida and curry leaves. Leave it for 2 to 3 hours.
Then heat a tawa/skillet and spread like dosa. You can make it thick or thin and crisp whatever you like.
Put oil turn and cook for 2mins.

Serve as it is with Ghee/Aviyal/ Molagai Podi/Curds and Jaggery.

This recipe is going to Vrat Ka Khana Event by Kalyani.

Nutty Banana Milkshake!!!

Nutty Banana milkshake is also prepared for my son, who sometimes doesnt eat nuts but loves banana. 

Ingredients
Banana - 1 no
Milk - 1 cup (boiled and cooled)
Sugar/Honey - 1 tspn.
Nuts - Badam/Almond and Pistachos 2nos each

Preparation Method
Take the nuts grind it for 2 whips in a mixer jar, then add chopped banana, sugar and milk and blend it well. Transfer it to a tumbler/glass.

Serve it chill or as it is.

This recipe  along with my Badam Burfi is going to Almonds Desserts Events by Anu.

Manga Thenga Chammanthi | Raw Mango Coconut Chutney

Manga Thenga Chamanthi | Raw Mango Coconut Chutney is a Kerala dish. Its simple and tasty.

I
ngredients
Raw Mango - 1/2 no
Fresh Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Green Chilli - 2 nos
Salt

Seasoning
Coconut Oil or Cooking oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Venthayam/Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Dry Red chlli - 1 no

Preparation Method
Grind all the ingredients above to coarse paste.
Then season it with the above.

Manga Thenga Chamandhi is perfect combination for Kootu Sadam.

This recipe with brocolli soup is going to Shilpa's Life is Green Event.

Brocolli Soup!!!

Brocolli Soup is a simple and healthy soup. Its good for health as its rich in iron. This is for my son, who love soups.

Ingredients
Brocolli - 4 big florets
Milk - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Turmeric - a pinch
Pepper powder - a pinch
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash and rinse Brocolli.
In a vessel, add brocolli, water, salt and turmeric.
Allow it to cool and blend with milk in mixie/blender. Add pepper and warm it.

Serve warm as it is or with Garlic Bread.

Brocolli Soup is ready to serve.

Peas Pulao | Restuarant Style !!!

Peas Pulao is one of my favourite food and I cook on weekends. You can say its my Weekend Specials too. Its simple, delicious and flavourful. My family loves this a lot. Do have a look at other pulao varieties here.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 2.5 cups
Green Peas - 1.5cups(Fresh or Frozen) I used frozen, thawed.
Spices -Bay leaf/Cinnamon/Cloves/Cardamom - 1 no each
Green chilli - 1 no
Ghee - 1 tspn
Onion - 1 no(Finely chopped)
Oil - 4 tspns
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 4 cups
Jeera - 1 tspn
Ginger and Garlic - 2 to 3 tspns(Finely chopped)
Salt

 Preparation Method
Wash, rinse and soak basmati rice in water.
Heat pressure cooker, add ghee, oil and spices. saute for 2 mins. Add Jeera and saute. Add greenchilli, onion, ginger and garlic. Saute till slight brown.
Add milk and stir. Add water and allow it to boil.
Now add rice, salt and mix well.
Finally add thawed green peas.
Close the lid and cook (dum) for 10mins or pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.

Restuarant Style Peas Pulao is ready to serve.

You can serve this with slightly spiced gravy or dal.

Notes - Can use normal rice also, but its very good in Basmati Rice. I recommend preparing it with Basmati Rice.

Amani Kozhakattai Payasam Step by Step Recipe | Vinayagar Chathurthi Recipe!!!

WISH ALL MY READERS A VERY HAPPY VINAYAGAR|GANESH CHATHURTHI. GANAPATHI BAPPA MOURYA!!!!


Amani Kozhakattai Payasam is prepared with rice flour dough and cooked in jaggery and milk.


Preparations are started for Tomorrow's Vinayagar Chathurthi at my home. Some of the dishes are Ullandhu Kozhakattai, Poornam Kozhakattai,Karjikai/Somasi, Ellu Urudai, Paruppu Payasam, Sundal and more. For more recipes on Vinayagar Chathurthi you can browse Indusladies Forum for more recipes here.


Steps

Dough

Take little dough.

Spread it lengthwise.

Take little portion and make small balls.

Place it in the idli plate and steam.

Recipe
Ingredients
Kozhakattai Maavu - 1 cup(Approximate 20 tiny balls) to make the dough click here.
Vellam/Jaggery - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup
Rice - 1/2 tspn
Elakka/Elachi - 1no


Preparation Method
Steam the kozhakattai urundai, with other kozhakattai and keep ready.
Heat a vessel, add vellam/jaggery with little water, let it dissolve. Filter it if any mud particles are there.
Grind coconut, rice and ellaka in mixer or blender with little water to fine paste.
Again boil the vellam/jaggery till raw smell goes, then add milk, kozhakattai urundai. Mix well an boil in simmer flame.

Ammni Kozhakattai Payasam is ready to offer for Lord Vinayagar and Enjoy!!!

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take a picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Do follow me on Instagram id - saraswathiyer for more food stories and recipe ideas.Thank you.

Lemon Pickle

This has been lying in my drafts since long time....Pickles time....My in laws like pickles a lot, so this Lemon Pickle is for them. Even though I don't eat pickles, I have stock for my family.

Ingredients
Lemon - 20 nos(Nice yellow in colour)
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tablespoons(As per your taste)
Oil - 1/2 cup (any cooking oil I use Gingely Oil/Nalla Yennai or Olive Oil)
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Hing - 1/4 tspn
Venthayam podi/Fenugreek seeds powder - 1/2 tspn
Salt as required


Preparation Method
Wash, wipe and cut lemon into small squares. In a glass bowl or porcelein bowl, add lemon, salt and red chilli powder. Mix and leave it for 1 to 2 hours.
Then season it with oil, mustard wait till it splutters. Off the stove add Hing(Asafotida) and venthaya podi.
Mix well and leave it for a day. Keep mixing in intervals with a wooden or plastic spoon.

Yummy Lemon Pickle is ready. A perfect for curd rice/Kootu rice.

Notes: - For longer shelf life store in refridgerator. - If you are using steal spoon, do not leave it in the box as it will rust.

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Strawberry Milk Pudding!!!

I have been having Pudding here after coming to SG and my son loves it a lot. There are many flavours and the favourite one is Strawberry. Its rich in Protein. I tried the pudding with agar agar for the first time and everyone liked it. These Puddings are popular in Singapore and Malyasia.

Ingredients
Agar Agar | China Grass | Kadal Paasi - 2 cups or 2 handfull
Milk - 2 cups
Water - 1 cup
Strawberry Essence - 1/2 tspn(I used Complan Strawberry flavour)
Salt - 1/2 tspn
Sugar - 1 cup

Preparation Method
Soak agar agar with water for about 1 to 2 hours.
Heat it and boil it until its fully dissolved in water.
Add milk and stir. When it starts boiling add sugar and complan. stir well and boil in low flame till sugar dissovles. Off the stove. Filter it and allow it to cool.
Allow it to cool a bit and pour it in the jelly moulds.
Allow it to cool fully to set. Then store it in refridgerator.

Serve chill.

Yummy Strawberry Milk Pudding is ready to serve.

Note :
Strawberry essence is suggested instead of complan.
You can pour it in steal or ceramic cups when hot.

This recipe is going off to Joy from Fasting to Feasting by Lubna and Berries Event by Anu.

Arasi Paruppu Payasam | Happy Gokulashtami/Krishna Janmashtami!!!

Payasam is a mix of Rice, Jaggery and choice of Dal. Here I have used Channa Dal/Kadalai Paruppu, its very aromatic and tasty. I have posted few payasam varieties here. I prepared this for Avani Avittam Festival on Saturday.

It was perfect and everyone liked at my home. This recipe was taught by my Mother in Law, Thanks a lot.

Pic courtesy : Google images

Wish you all a very Happy Gokulashtami!!!


Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients
Rice - 1/2 cup(I used Ponni)
Channa Dal/Kadalai Paruppu - 2 tspns
Vellam/Jaggery - 1.5 cups(powdered or broken)
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup + Rice - 1/2 tspn(for grinding)
Elachi powder - 1/4 tspn
Milk - 1 glass
Ghee - 1 tspn
Cashews/Raisins - 2 tspns


Preparation Method
Wash, rinse rice and channa dal. Pressure cook upto 3 whistles with water.
In a vessel, add vellam/jaggery with 1/2 cup water and allow it to dissolve. If required add more water, once its fully dissolved, filter it and again start boiling in low flame on occasional stirring till the raw smell of Jaggery goes.
Grind the coconut and rice with little water to fine paste.
Once the pressure is gone, take the rice and dal mix and mash it with a laddle/karandi.
Add the rice, dal mix to the jaggery, coconut paste and mix well.
Finally add milk and boil well. It should be to medium consistency. off the stove


Heat ghee in a pan, add cashews and raisins. Fry till brown and add to the payasam.


Delicious Payasam is ready for Neivedyam and Enjoy it warm or chill!!!

Once again wish Happy Gokulashtami to all friends celebrating the festival.


Until my next post. Happy Weekend.


Cheers,
Saraswathi