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Breakfast, Fasting Snacks, Kids Special Menus, Snacks, Sweet Dish

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

Snacks

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..
Snacks

Shankarpali with a twist

Shankarpali With a Twist
Ingredients
1 cup Sooji
1/2 cup Rice Flour
1/4 cup Melted Ghee
Salt to taste
1 tsp Cummin seeds
1 tbsp Green chilli paste,
1 tbsp Peanuts fried or roasted
1tbsp Roasted Dalia
1 cup Cornflakes
1/2 cup Badam sliced or roasted
1/2 cup Cashew nuts (7 to 8 cashew nuts) roasted
 
For Seasoning
1tsp Fennel Seeds powder,
1tbsp Sugar Powder (optional)
Rock Salt as per taste,
 
Method
Make a dough by mixing Sooji, Rice Flour, Cummin Seeds, Chilli Paste, Melted Ghee and knead well. Set aside for half an hour.
Roll the dough like a thin thepla (thick roti) and cut into desired shape with a pizza cutter. Golden Fry.
Now in a large bowl, add the fried Shankarpali, Roasted Dalia, Fried or Roasted Peanuts, Cornflakes, Roasted Badam, Cashew nuts. Add Fennel seeds powder, Rock Salt and sugar powder (optional) and mix well.
*You can spice up the recipe by adding fried curry leaves, whole Moong dal, walnuts or chilli powder.
Salads

Stir Moong Dal Salad

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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.

Snacks

Potato Peanut Wrap Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup of Boiled Potato mashed
½ Cup Peanut Boiled
1 tsp Grated Coconut
4 – 5 leaves Ice Berg Lettuce / Cabbage
Chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste

Method:
Mix all the above ingredients and toss well.

Serving:
Fill the salad on a Iceberg Lettuce leaf and wrap it. Else, you can serve the salad on lettuce leaves too.

Note: For Jain Preparation of the salad, you can use boiled banana instead of potato.