Sri Jayanthi Bakshanam

Sri Jayanti - When someone mentions this to you... you know what they are talking about right...only Krishna Jayanti is referred that way....Everyone loves Lord Krishna and his leelaigal. My son is a big fan of Krishna Ommachi (Lord Krishna)...when I told him it is Sri Jayanti - Lord Krishna's birthday...he started saying let us sing Happy Birthday for Krishna Ommachi tomorrow....soooooooo chweet....

Vande Vrindhavana charam Vallavi Jana Vallabham

Jayanti Sambhavam Dhama Vyjayanti Vibushanam
(This verse is from Swami Desikan's Gopalavimsathi)

I have still not decided what bakshanam to prepare for Sri Jayanti....will decide first thing tomorrow morning..

Updates: This is what I prepared Perumalukku thaligai Samarpikka (Naivedyam). Will post the recipes for these soon.....

Vennai Seedai (Rice flour Balls) - Click here for the recipe

Vella Seedai (Jaggery Rice Flour Balls)

Sithurundai (Jaggery Coconut Poornam immersed in Rice Urad Dhal Flour)  - Click here for the recipe

 

Rava Laddu - Click here for the recipe

 

 

Happy Krishna Janmashtami to all my blog readers....Let me know what you guys prepared for Sri Jayanti.

Appam for Avani Avittam

Yesterday August 24, 2010 was Avani Avittam and also happens to be Rakshabandhan ....I made Potato Karamadu (Veggie), Satruamudhu (Rasam), Keerai Moolagootal, Kesari (since it also happens to be pournami and as always I do Satya Narayana Pooja) and last but not the least Urad dhal Vadai (and also had left overs Sambhar and my fav chepankiyangu roast). I had postponed the appam which is quintessential to be made on the day of Avani Avittam for the evening snack. I haven't made this in years...do not ask me what happened in the previous years....  Then I remembered that I did not have a shallow pan...and I knew that this is a must for making appams but I have only flat bottom frying pans...so I ventured making this in with my paniyarakal. I am planning to Pancake Puffs Cast Iron set soon....since my paniyarakal moulds are very small and it gets cumbersome to flip it. After a heavy lunch I set out to make the yummy appams....as mentioned in my earlier posts I am big fan of sweets made with jaggery so I was even more excited in making this.....I did have hits and misses the first two rounds but did get it right...though my first two sets turned dark....it still tasted good...crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.....this can be made with rice flour or maida (all purpose flour). But I love it only the ones made with rice...the maida stuff does not turn that tasty....I could not get good photos...but it was too good....hence decided to post it.

Ingredients: (16 pieces)

3/4th Cup Rice soaked in water for an hour or two
1/2 Cup Jaggery
4 Cardamom
1/2 Cup Coconut
Oil for frying

Drain the water completely from the rice and grind it well. Add the jaggery, cardamom and coconut and blend it along with the rice. Heat the paniyarakal with little oil and lower the heat. Pour into the moulds. Once you see it is cooked and is turning brown ...flip it over to the other side carefully using two spoons. Add some more oil on top the appams. Take it out and place it on a kitchen towel to drain out excess oil when you see the flipped side has also turned brown.
If you are making it using a fry pan always remember that you should only do "ONE" appam at a time and also do it on a shallow pan. I know couple of my friends have been looking for this recipe in my blog...sorry could not post it earlier. Hoping it will come in handy for the upcoming Sri Jayanti and future Avani Avittams....Enjoy!

Schezwan Vegetable Fried Rice

I came across this recipe in yahoo news (which was not a vegetarian version) ...these days we hear about saving money (recession time) and things about cooking at home (I guess we do it all the time)...and this recipe was listed among ten easy doable weekday dinner recipes at home. I am always skeptical about dining in Chinese, Thai restaurants since am not too sure about the food that is served (the big question whether what we are consuming is truly vegetarian keeps popping in my mind....hence I do not venture to any of these restaurants). I kind of feel safer eating at Italian, American and ofcourse Indian restaurants.

H likes to try out different cuisines though!! Since he is fan of chinese food too....I noted this recipe and made simple modifications to modify it my way. This is my first attempt in making chinese food....the fried rice came out well and I ate it too...it was not that bad after all......but this time it was not that spicy will try to make it spicier next time..

Ingredients:

1 Cup Basmati Rice
1/2 Cup Orange Juice (this helps in keeping the rice moist)
1/2 Cup Stir Fry Sauce (you may use Soy Sauce too)
1 Tsp Grated Ginger
3 Red Chillies (you may add more if you like it spicier)
Vegetables - Onion, Carrots, Cauliflower,Capsicum, Broccoli (you may also add baby corn) cut lengthwise
Salt
Turmeric
Olive Oil
Water

Soak the rice in enough water for half an hour or so. I cook the rice in microwave...you may do the way you want.
Mix orange juice, stir fry sauce, red chillies by breaking it into pieces, grated ginger and salt.
Take oil in a pan and add turmeric and the veggies and cook it (First fry onion and capsicum)...add carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and add little bit of salt. Take them out of the pan and keep it aside.
Now add the mixture that has been prepared earlier and cook it till the mixture starts boiling.
Add the veggies and the rice. Mix it well....the yummy fried rice is ready to be served!! Enjoy!

Chepankiyangu (Colocasia/Arvi) Roast

This is one of my fav's ....I never buy this veggie since H is not a big fan of it and I am also lazy to cook this just for me....but bought this veggie this time during my trip to the grocery store ...thought will make my son try it..he is a big fan of fried items...I guess all kids are. Since H was not a big fan of it although I was tempted to eat this during my pregnancy never ate it and had it just a week before my delivery after my mom landed...ate to heart full though I was told by all my friends to eat light meals when I get closer to the due date!! So after three long years I made this veggie again. We even make this veggie combining tamarind paste with it...I like that one too.....will try making it in another couple of weeks....after giving it a break...so that H will also give it a try! My son liked it and I gave him couple of pieces.

This is simple to make and yummy to eat! I am sure all kids will love it....

Ingredients:

6 Medium Sized Chepankiyangu
Oil for frying
1/2 Tsp Red Chilly Powder
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
1/2 Tsp Salt

Pressure cook the veggie with the skin up to 3 whistles. After the pressure is released. Peel the skin off the veggie and slice them into medium sized pieces (it should not be too thin) and spread the turmeric well over it.
In a bowl mix salt and red chilly powder.
Heat oil in a pan and fry these pieces. Take them after they turn slightly reddish brown and place it on a kitchen towel to drain the excess oil. Later turn it on to bowl containing the spices and mix them well.
The yummy chepankiyangu roast is ready to be served.....once in a while it is OK to indulge (and savour) in yummy dishes like this.

Coconut Burfi (Thengai Burfi)

I made this on the occasion of Thiruadi Pooram - "Andal's birthday". I was contemplating on what to make ..with so many festivals following the suit...namely Avani Avittam (Aug 24, 2010), Sri Jayanti (coming up on Sep 1,2010) ...hence I resorted to preparing the coconut burfi for Thiruvadi Pooram - "Our dear Andal's birthday"...(it reminds me of the coconut macaroons on the list of recipes to be tried...I will have to put it off for a while I guess). This was my first attempt in making the burfi...it turned out pretty simple and easy. I did not have to bother about the quality of the coconuts, breaking them or scraping it carefully without getting the shell part...I skipped all that since I used the coconut which comes in a packet....packetaiy pirithal podhum (it is enough to open the cover). I know there are lot of versions for making the coconut burfi - like some add condensed milk or plain milk or even rava...but I took the version which is normally made by my patti...this used to be made in our house whenever the nuts were cut from the tree like once in six months or so.. do you know that person who is dextrous at the art of climbing can only climb and cut it!! ...the person who usually used to come for cutting them used to remember his next visit and will be there for his next climbing expedition ....and will be there at our door a step right on time...we had so many coconuts cut from the trees that surrounded our house...we made lot of items with coconut as the main ingredient - burfi was the one, then thengai podi was another...I am not able to recollect the other stuff we made using coconut..and we also got some coconuts that just had coconut water in it ...it used to be so sweet (I do not like the ones we get here...they aren't that tasty)!! It used to be so much fun...counting them and segregating them....we used to have a store room with just the coconuts in it!!

Ingredients:
2 Cups Coconut (fine powder swad brand)
11/2 to 2 Cups Sugar (based on how sweet your sugar is and also your taste buds)
4 - 5 Cardomom (roast it in ghee and then powder it)
Nuts (Roasted in ghee)
Few Strands of Saffron
1/4 Cup Water
Few Tsp's Ghee

Start by greasing the plate with ghee. Keep it aside.
Take a heavy bottom pan and add the sugar and dissolve it with little water (1 Tbspn). Turn on the stove.
Add the coconut and stir it well.
When it is comes frothy (they actually say it as pora poranu varambodu) add ghee. This burfi does not require a lot of ghee. Add the cardomom and the saffron. Pour it on the greased plate. Spread the nuts (roasted in ghee) and pat it on top with wax paper/parchment paper if needed (to hold the nuts). Cut into pieces when they are warm itself. Enjoy! It does not take more than 15 minutes to make this burfi. I know this is one of H's favorites and my son had couple of pieces too....."Andal Thiruvadigale Charanam".

Mangai Masiyal (Mango Pappu)

Mango or Raw Mango is liked by one and all....and we like all the dishes prepared with it like pickle, rice, kuyambu (which is called mangai kottai kuyambu). One thing is in US you get raw mango all the time...in India we do not get raw mango all the time. Mangai masiyal is a fav dish ...I made this after a long time..I found good mangoes this time in our Indian store. This is also very easy to do.

Ingredients:

1/2 Raw Mango (is enough if you happen to pick a big one)
1 Red Chilly (you may use the green ones too)
1/2 Tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/2 Tsp hing
1/2 Tsp Urad Dhal
1/2 Tsp Channa Dhal
1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
3/4th Cup Cooked Toor Dhal (nicely mashed)
1/4 th Tsp Turmeric Powder
Curry leaves
Sambhar Powder
Salt
Oil

(Note: You may add little tamarind water if the mango is not that sour)

Peel the skin off the mango and slice them (slice it the way you do for mango vella pachadi). I microwave the mango pieces with enough water and cook them (you may directly fry them in oil too).

Take oil in a pan. Add the ingredients listed for tadka (mustard, hing, turmeric, urad dhal, channa dhal, curry leaves and the red chilly). Add the cooked mango (reserve the water - you can add the water if it gets too thick), Sambhar powder and salt and cook it for few minutes. Then finally add the cooked dhal and mix it well (add the reserved water if needed). Garnish with coriander leaves. It goes well with rice.

Thenkuzhal

I am not sure as to why on Earth this karumuru stuff got a name synonymous to that of a sweet..."then"kuzhal!! Kuzhal is a wind instrument (like nagaswaram)....likewise when you break the thenkuyal you can see that it is hollow....and "then" (do not read this word the way you do in English though) it is Honey ( தேன்). The word "Kuzhal" always reminds me of the kural - "kuzhal inidhu yaazh inidhu enbatham makkal mazhalai sol kelaadhavar"... true isn't it...

This was the first karumuru my son had and he loved it. When my friend came back from her India trip she brought back thenkuzhal made by her patti...since I never game my son store bought namkeen he had never tasted these.... he loved the thenkuzhal and enjoyed the ones that my friend got for him...He was around 16 months or so at that time....I made the same for Diwali last year but somehow did not get it right....I made it yesterday and it turned out pretty good....Hence wanted to post it... this might come in handy for my friends to make Sri Jayanthi Bakshanam which is falling on Sep 1, 2010.

Ingredients

2 Cups Raw Rice Flour
1 Tbpsn Urad Dhal Powder (Dry roast urad dhal and grind it. Sieve it and then use)
1 Tsp Jeera
1/4 Tsp Hing
3/4th Tsp Salt
1/4 Stick Unsalted Butter
Water
Oil for frying

Take the Rice Flour and mix the urad dhal, salt, jeera, hing and butter. Mix well by sprinkling water from time to time. You may add the oil that you have heated to bind it well. Make it into a soft dough.
Heat the oil. You need the Murukku Press to make these. Spread the oil that is getting heated in the press. Take small balls put in the press. Make thenkuyal by squeezing the press (achu) over the oil. Take it out when the noise stops (the salasala satham of oil). Some people say that thenkuzhal has to turn brown.....but I would say the authentic ones have to stay white in color (the trick for that remains in making the urad dhal!) ....Enjoy the karumuru thenkuzhal!

Chocolate Cups

To all the chocolate lovers - here you go.....Chocolate Cups for you!! I got inspired to make these after receiving a mail from Godiva (monthly offers) about their chocolate cups....so the journey (pondering over it) towards making the chocolate cups started there...it was just one more reason to make/try something different. We never know where the inspiration comes from.. :). If you google for the same there are 100's of recipes on the same. Immediately I bought the Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate bar (for baking needs).
I thought at least if I had this in the pantry I can make it any time. But it has been lying ever since that is because the last few times I tried something it did not come out right and I got upset so never tried something different for a while and did not want to venture making these cups too ...the sheer fear of getting it wrong. Today I was too bored and "it was come what may" I will give it a try ...I was glad I got it right...this kind of boosted my energy to try some more new stuff that I have been thinking for a while...I have not filled it with anything...but just wanted to post it....I am thinking of what to fill it with....but for now they are in my freezer. I would think of something exotic to fill each one with...am going to try different filling for these....for now lets get to the recipe for making this yummy cups!

I would say you can make these with just anything from your kitchen....I tried the small one (see photo) (the round one with the kuzhi karandi)...when I googled there were comments like it is tough....but I would say this was the easiest thing to make.....

You need one 4 OZ  Ghirardelli chocolate semi sweet bar and 2 Tablespoon Whip cream (I guess this is optional). It makes 4 cups. Microwave it for about 2 minutes.

Carefully spread this on the cups you have...I tried it by making it on the baking cups by spreading it on the inside...I choose to spread it on inside of the cup cake liner because even if the liner gets stuck...I would still be able to fill the cups and have my desert...I guess the safest bet is to spread the chocolate on the inside (you can try spreading it on the outside too)... Place them in the freezer for about an hour then remove the baking cup liner ...voila!! the  chocolate cup cake is now ready to be filled with your fav ice cream/fruits what not....have you seen anything easier than that....Enjoy!! Let your imagination run .....look around ...you can use muffin pans, stainless steel cups (are the best bet I feel), individual baking cups or just plastic cups.. Enjoy!!

Greek Salad

Atlong last I got all the items needed for making the greek salad this weekend. I have been planning to make this since the time I got back from California trip. We had this in CPK (if you cannot make out what this place is - it is California Pizza Kitchen) when we ordered the Mediterranean Pizza. It was too good. So I wanted to try it out as a salad. Will try to mimic this pizza too some time.

I made this yesterday for dinner and it turned out pretty good. I was happy with the result. I followed the recipe given on the feta cheese package but made some changes to suit my taste....the salad was awesome....It is a very simple salad but pretty filling and you get to eat this yummy salad (with a low calorie content).

Ingredients (Serving Portion 2)

2 Handful Lettuce chopped
1 Cucumber cut into cube size
1/2 Bell Pepper cut into small pieces
Onion few thin slices
Olives (Add it as per your taste - I am not a big fan of it)
1/2 Tbspn Olive oil
1/2 Tsp Oregano (This was the first time I tasted it....and I felt it tastes like omam/ajwain....need to dig and find out whether they are the same!!)
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tbspn freshly squeezed lemon
2 Tbspn Feta Cheese

Mix all the above ingredients except feta and lemon. Add Feta and Lemon just before serving.....Enjoy the simple yet delicious salad... eat to your heart's content - without the guilt of adding those "extra" calories .....since it has all the goodness in it! I liked it so much that am making it again for tonight's dinner....