Tag Archives: delicious

Diwali Special Besan Laddu

Besan Laddoo for the Diwali festival for my near and dear ones

Besan Laddu(Laadu) is a typical Maharashtrian sweet delicacy which brings water in the mouth the moment we hear its name. But along the year’s originality of the dish is lost in commercial viability. Earlier days Deepawali means preparing sweet dishes, buying new clothes and gifts. Decorating the house, drawing rangolis and it was truly a major festival in Hindu calendar. But nowadays everything is ready made and readily available. In such readymade world, local delicacies get lost. To revive the dish I am sharing the recipe of Besan Laddu I learned over the years from my mother and added little twist but retained its originality.

Here I am sharing my secret of making laddoo; crispy and soft

Ingredients :

2cups of Besan (Gram flour)
1 1/2 cup of Powdered sugar
1 cup of Ghee (Clarified butter)
1 tsp Elaichi (Cardamom) powder
1/2 tsp Jaayphal (Nutmeg) powder
Sliced Pista (Pistachio) for garnishing
1 tbsp milk

Method :

In a large bowl mix the besan and the milk and knead the mixture with your bare hands so well till you get dry crumbs of the mixture. Keep it aside for 15 min. till that time heat the ghee in a pan and add the mixture we prepared and roast the mixture on a very low flame for about 20 to 25 min until it changes the colour and the texture by spreading a nice aroma. Gram Flour should be roasted on a low flame until the ghee releases from the flour. If gram flour not roasted well then it will stick to the teeth.

Now cool the mixture and add Elaichi powder, Jaayphal powder, and powdered sugar and mix well.
Putting few ghee drops to your palm start making small or medium-sized laddoo.Store it in an air-tight container.

Important note from the chef:
• Any roasting process should be done on low flame.
• Ghee and sugar according to diet and taste.
• Nutmeg powder should be used in sweet recipes as it helps in digestion and gives nice aroma to the food.

Happy Deepawali once again

Choco Almond Burfi

During the festival, we prepare sweet dishes as an offering to the God and Goddess. This time especially on the occasion of Dussehra I am preparing a sweet dish as an offering (Naivedhya) which is quick and simple,i.e. Choco Almond burfi

Ingredients :
1 cup soaked Almond (Badam) ( 18 to 20 approx )
1 tbsp fresh cream
2 tbsp Cocoa powder
1 tsp Cardamom (Elaichi) powder
Few drops of chocolate essence
Powdered sugar 3/4 cup
2 tbsp clarified butter(Ghee)
Method:
Soak the Almond (Badam) for 1/2 an hour. After completely soaking peel the skin and grind it into a smooth paste by adding the fresh cream.
Now heat a pan and add ghee. Once ghee melts, roast the paste till it stops sticking to the pan. Now add Cocoa powder and powdered sugar, stir for another 5 to 7 min. Add Cardamom powder and chocolate essence and stir well. Finally, pour the mixture into a greased plate and give it the desired shape and garnish it with syrups, dry fruits or dusting powdered sugar over it.

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Rava Bonda

Rava Bonda
For the stuffing
1 Cup of Rava (Suji)
1/2 Cup of Coriander Leaves Chopped
1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp Jeera
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Tsp Hing
1/2 Cup Grated Coconut
Salt To Taste
2 Green Chillies finely chopped
A pinch of Sugar
5-6 Curry Leaves
1/2 Tsp Urad Dal
1/2 Tsp Chana Dal
2 Tbsp Oil
1 to 2 Cups of Hot water
 
For the batter
1 Cup Besan
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tbsp Chilli Powder
Salt to Taste
Oil for Deep Fry
 
Method
Heat 1 Tbsp Oil in a Kadai and add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add chana dal, urad dal, hing, curry leaves, green chillies. Roast till they turn light brown. Add roasted Rava(Suji), sugar, salt and lemon juice. Add hot water and stir the mixture till it turns thick. Add Coriander leaves and set aside. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
 
Now, you can shape it as you wish.
 
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the batter. Dip the Suji Mixture ball, making sure that the batter covers all the sides.
Deep Fry on a medium flame. Serve with coconut chutney..

Stir Moong Dal Salad

Stir Moong Dal Salad

Ingredients
½ cup spilt moong dal
½ cup grated coconut
Salt to taste

Seasoning
½ tsp mustard seeds
Pinch of hing
Chopped green chilli
1 tsp of oil

Method
Soak the split moong dal for an hour. After an hour, cook the dal for 5 to 10 minutes. Add a little salt while cooking. Take care that the dal should be soft and not sticky.

Heat a tsp of oil, add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add green chilli, and curry leaves. Then add the moong dal and mix it well.  Add grated coconut. Serve warm.

Tomato Uttapam

Ingredients:

2 cups of Dosa Batter
½ cup Tomato Puree
1 tbsp Cumin and Coriander powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Method:
Mix all the above ingredients well. Grease a shallow pan with a little oil. Rubbing it with a cut potato prevents the dosa from sticking to the pan. Heat a non-stick Tawa. Take a ladle of batter and spread it on the tawa making a nice round dosa. Pour 1 tsp oil around the dosa so that th edge can be lifted up easily. Turn the dosa very lightly and apply some oil at the edges. Serve hot with chutney or Idli Chutney Powder (Malagapudi/ Idli Pudi).