Vella Seedai | Sweet Rice Balls!!!

Vella Seedai is Sweet Rice balls for Krishna Janmashtami/ Gokulashtami festival. This is also an authentic and traditional sweet for this festival.

Ingredients
Arasi Maavu/Rice flour - 1 cup(Preferably milled) I always carry about 2-3 kgs from India)
Ullatha Maavu/Urad dal flour - 1 tspn(see notes)
Vellam/Round Jaggery - 1cup(powdered or grated)
White sesame seeds/Till/Ellu - 1 tspn
Elakka Podi/Cardamom powder - 2 pinches
Sukku Podi/Dry Ginger powder -a pinch(Optional)
Oil for deep frying


Preparation Method
In a kadai, dry roast the flour to slightly brown. Allow it to cool.
In a wide vessel kadai, add vellam/jaggery with 1/2 cup water, allow it to boil till jaggery fully dissolves, it should start boiling and till raw smell goes. It need not be to string consistency. You can also filter the jaggery water. Mine is mostly clean so I skip this step.
Low the flame, add ellu, cardamom powder and slowly add rice flour to it. Mix till it becomes like dough. Allow it to cool a bit. 
Take some portion of dough and make medium size balls in batches and deep fry in low medium flame till brown.
Do the same in rest of the dough. Allow it to cool.
Store it in air tight container.
Vella Seedai is ready for prasadam for Krishna Janmashtami.

Notes : -Urad Dal powder - Heat a kadai, dry roast Ulatham Paruppu/Urad dal till light brown and cool it. Make fine powder and seive it. -If the consistency of jaggery is not correct, the seedai will break while deep frying. -If required add extra water to jaggery. -Sometimes it becomes chewy if you do not cook properly.

Uppu Seedai | Crispy Rice Balls!!!

Uppu Seedai is a very traditional recipe for Sri Krishna Janmashtami/Gokulashtami click here for details on this festival. This recipe is simple and for people who cannot do it in a tradtional way.I prepared this for last year's festival. I would also be posting traditional recipe soon.

Ingredients
Thenguzhal Maav/Murukku Flour - 2 cups(Store bought.Easily available at all Indian grocery stores) I used what my mom sent from India
Crushed peper - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Fresh grated coconut - 2 tspns
White sesame seeds/Till/Ellu - 2 tspns
Coconut oil - 2 tspns
Unsalted butter - 2 tspns(at room temperature)
Peringayam/Hing/Asafotida - a pinch
Salt as required
Water as required
Oil for deep frying


Preparation Method
In a kadai, dry roast the flour to slightly brown. Allow it to cool.
In a wide vessel, add the flour, salt, pepper, fresh grated coconut and butter. Slowly mix butter with the flour. Add water and make it to a dough.
Cover it with a lid. Heat oil in kadai.
Grease your hands with coconut oil. This will give aromatic seedai.
Take some portion of dough and make small balls in batches and deep fry in low medium flame till brown.
When deep frying stand a bit far from the kadai, as sometimes it might burst a bit if any
Do the same in rest of the dough. Allow it to cool.

Crispy Uppu Seedai is ready for prasadam for Krishna Janmashtami.

Notes : You can also add Jeera instead of Ellu/Sesame seeds. You can also grease your hands with any other cooking oil.

Store it in air tight container and Enjoy.

Chowchow Kadale Paruppu Kootu!!!

Chow chow kadale paruppu kootu is a traditional authentic Kerala and Tamil Brahmin recipe. This is prepared for festivals and occastions. I prepared this for Avani Avittam Festival on Saturday. I have posted previously one more version of Chow chow kootu here.

Ingredients
Chow Chow/Chayote - 1 no
Kadale Paruppu/Channa Dal - 1/2 cup
Fresh Scraped coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 1 no(As per your taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

Talipu/Seasoning
Coconut oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few

Preparation Method
Wash remove, skin, seed and chop into small pieces. (You can use the skin for Thogaiyal/Chutney here.)
Pressure cook chow chow, kadale paruppu with turmeric and a pinch of salt upto 3 whistles.
Grind coconut and green chilli to fine paste with very little water.
When the pressure cooker steam is gone. Mix the vegetable and the grounded mixture in a vessel, add salt, tumeric. Mix well and allow it to boil in low flame.It should be thick in consistency.
Season it with the above mentioned and off the stove.

Chow Chow Kootu is ready to serve in the platter as sidedish or mix it with hot steamed rice.

Notes- - You can also prepare this kootu with Pooshinikayi/White Pumpkin. - You can use any cooking oil instead of coconut oil.

Circulon Contempo 12" Round Grill Pan Product Review!!!

I wanted to post this review since long time, its been in my drafts, so finally posting it up.

When CSN came to me for a review I was happy and agreed, which was announced in this post. CSN has a wide range of Cooking and Kitchenware and Pendant Lighting. Its site is userfriendly and great for online shopping.

Thanks CSN for the opportunity.

This Grill Pan, when I saw first, I liked it very much. I have seen grill pan which is square but when I saw this just like a tawa/skillet. I loved it.

I am using this for grilling bread, you can also use this for Paneer tikka and grilled vegetables as well. Its very good and handy.

Hope you also like it.

Will post this recipe soon.

Cheers,
Saraswathi

Vegetable Cutlet!!!

I love Veg cutlets and always had at restuarants in Bangalore. We get good ones when we are on train to chennai. This one is my Father in laws speciality and it was so yummy. Thanks for teaching me Dad. I had previously posted Potato Cutlet checkout the post.

This is a perfect starter for parties.

Ingredients
Beetroot - 1/2 cup
Carrot -1/2 cup
Potato -1/2 cup (Boiled and mashed)
Green Peas -2 tspns
Kadalai Maavu/Besan - 2  to 3 tspns
Bread crums - 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn 
Garam Masala - a pinch
Onion - 1no
Curry leaves - few
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method
Boil the potatoes and mash it. Keep it separately.
Chop all the vegetables into small pieces.
Cook all vegetables in pressure cooker except onion with very less water and salt for 2 whistles. Remove excess water. (If excess save it for soup and drink.)
Transfer it to a wide vessel. Slightly mash it when its hot.
Add kadalai maav/besan, onion, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala and make medium size balls.
Take in your palm slowly and firmly press once and coat bread crums on both sides. Don't over press, it may break while deep frying.
Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry till golden brown.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup or enjoy as it is.

Notes: - You can also shallow fry instead of deep frying.

- You can also bake.

- You can also add chopped green chilli, I didnt add as it will be spicy for my kid and my inlaws.

- You can do it without onion also. - You can also add Pudina/Mint leaves.

This recipe is going to Monsoon Medley Event by Sukanya and Serve it Fried by Denny and Krithika.

Cooking with Love - Host lineup!

Hi Friends,


Cooking with Love is a series of Event. A tribute to all our family and relatives. Each relation plays an important part in everyone's life.

Do drop me an email if you wish to host the event at simplysara07(at)gmail(dot)com.

Themes	Month	Hosts
Grandmom	Jan-Feb	Saraswathi  Iyer
Granddad	March	Shama
Mom	April	Nithu Bala
Dad	May	Nayna
Aunty	June	Akheela
Uncle	July	Saraswathi
Themes	Month	Hosts
2013
Spouse	Jan	Hema
Kids	July
Sister	August
Brother	September
Cousins	October
Friends	November
Lovers	December

Feel free to mail me your suggestions.

Thanks & Regards,
Saraswathi

Sajjige/Rava Kesari Type 2

Sajjige this is a sweet prepared for Sathyanarayan Pooja or Pournima Pooja or any ocassion. This was prepared by my Mother in law for Aadi Perukku. It was very tasty. I have prepared another version of Kesari Bath and Pineapple Kesari taught by my  Dad.

Ingredients
Chiroti Rava/Upma Rava - 1 cup
Water -  2.5 cups
Sugar - 1.5 cups (If you like less sweet can reduce accordingly)
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Banana - 1/2 no(chopped)
Cashews/Raisins - 2 tspns
Elachi powder/Cardamom - a pinch

Preparation Method
Boil water and keep aside.
Heat a kadai, add 1/2 tspn ghee and fry cashews and raisins till brown. Transfer it to a plate.
In the same kadai, add 1/2 tspn ghee and roast rava till you get good aroma and slightly brown.
Now add warm water and mix it. You can use whisk for easy mixing and to avoid lumps.
The mixture should not be very thick it should be thin. Reduce flame and wait till rava is completely cooked.
Add little ghee and mix. Now add sugar and mix well. Add chopped banana, a pinch of elachi powder and mix well.
It should not be thick. So it will be soft later. Add left over ghee.
Off the fire and add the fried cashwes and raisins.

Offer to God and then enjoy.

Sajjige is ready for Prasadam.

Notes : - You can skip banana and prepare.

- You can also lessen ghee and add oil or vanaspati. - Can be consumed within 2-3 days, need not be refridgerated.

Create n Carve Roundup!!!

Dear Friends,

I am herewith posting the roundup of Create n Carve Fruit n Vegetable Event. I would like to thank Nayna for giving an opportunity to guest host her event. Thank you friends for sending your entries.

Entries by Nayna

Cantaloupe Melon Carving

Marigold Flower 

Carnation Table Decoration

Carnation Flowers

Entries by Elena

Romantic Fruit Display with Candles

Cute Fruit Sculpture

Spring Flowers by Shobha

Crabby Sandwich by Vatsala

Hope you enjoy the roundup. Until next post, have a nice day.

Cheers,

Saraswathi