Sithurundai (Sweet Poornam Koftas)

This is also one of my favorite's. It is very simple and easy to make. They are also referred to as "Sugiyan" or "Seeyam" but only when they are made for Shardhams (Ceremonies). We prepare this for Sri Jayanti and Kaarthigai Deepam.

Items needed for making this :

For the Filling (Poornam)

1 Cup Fine Coconut
1 Cup Jaggery (about 6 pieces of Achchu Vellam)
4 Elaichi/Cardamoms

For the Outer Layer (Koftas)

1 Cup Rice Flour
1 TBSPN Urad Dhal Powder (Click here for the recipe of Dhal Powder)
Water

Oil for Frying

Dissolve the jaggery in little water and add the elaichi and coconut. Make it into a smooth ball.
Let it cool.

For the outer layer - Mix the rice flour, urad dhal powder in enough water. It should have the consistency of bonda/bajji.

Heat the oil. Take the poornam and dip it in the rice urad dhal flour mixture and coat it well. Add it to the oil. Fry it well in the oil. The yummy sithurundai is ready!

Vennai Seedai (Rice Flour Balls)

This is one of the items I prepared for this year's Sri Jayanthi...am going with the word Vennai Seedai because this does not have coconut added to it just rice flour, urad dhal flour and butter.... and also happens to be son's fav!

Let us get to the method of making it  -

1 Cup Rice Flour
2 Tsp Urad Dhal Powder
3/4th Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Zeera
3/4th Tsp Till (vellai ellu)
1/2 Stick UnSalted Butter

This seems so easy to make but lands us in difficulties if something goes amiss.....like it might burst all over...

So you keep in mind not to make it totally round as for the shape is concerned, make sure the urad dhal is sifted well, do not make the dough too hard and also the urundais hard and if you are adding coconut especially the frozen are fresh ones make sure the water is not too much in it...

And one more point you must not try just by putting one or two ....you must put as much (say the ones you make it with a cup of rice flour) with just enough oil to immerse them ...that is also one important point to avoid it bursting!

Hey! do not get scared seeing all this....like the way I gave it a try you can do too....when you make it it is absolutely delicious....crunchy....my son calls it seeda and loves it....

I use the rice flour available at the grocery store...in general they make it at home but I did not take that much strain.  I just make urad dhal at home. Microwave the urad dhal for about 2 minutes stirring it every 30 secs or you can do it on the stove top too...do not turn it too brown. After it cools down grind it and sift it. Use the smooth powder you get after sifting it. Having all the prep work done...let us move on to the fun part of making it....

Take a cup of rice flour. Add urad dhal flour (as prepared above), hing, salt, zeera, butter, till and make it into a soft dough by sprinkling water. Roll into small marble sized balls. Back home they will spread this on a clean muslin cloth..

Take oil that is required for frying the seedais that you made with one cup of rice flour. After the oil gets heated as mentioned do not put one or two try seeing how it works...put all of them in the oil. Leave it for some time and then turn it slowly. You can take it out when the salasala sound of the oil stops....when the sound stops that means it is done.....The yummy seedai is ready for Sri Jayanthi.

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.

Karumuru Thattai

Since we went out for dinner last night I have left overs of yesterdays spinach macial, carrot veggie and sambhar hence nothing much to do in the kitchen today.... My son has been asking me for seedai since last week...though it is also easy to make...I am scared to do it alone (when put in oil there is a chance for it to splash all over and end up getting messy....the trick is to always roll the seedais into irregular shape and the seedai balls should be to be brim of the oil ....even though I know it...I do not venture into that).

I have been thinking of making thattai....if we are making this in India it is a laborious process. They soak the rice in water and then dry it in a clean muslin cloth. Take it to the mill (or grind in the mixie at home) to grind it to be made into thattais, murukkus, seedai etc. I do not have to any of it. I haven't made thattai in years....I love it so much.

Ingredients: (makes about 20 thattai of the size you see in the picture)
1 1/2 Cup Rice Flour
1/2 Tsp Urad Dhal Flour
1 Tsp Red Chilly Powder
3 Tsp Ghee
2 Tsp Channa Dhal (soaked in water for couple of hours) or If you have forgotten to soak it then you can use peanuts (roasted) or pottukadalai. I used the pottukadalai since I had not planned ahead!
1/4 Tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
Water
Wax Paper for making the thattais
Oil for frying

If you have urad dhal powder you may use it as is. If you do not have it then dry roast it in the pan or take 2 tsp of urad dhal and microwave it for a minute (the time varies depending on the power of your microwave).
Grind it into fine powder.

Take the Rice flour in a bowl. Add the Urad dhal powder, red chilly powder, asafoetida, ghee, turmeric powder and the pottukadalai.

Knead it well by adding water as needed. Make it into a nice ball (the dough should not be too soft or too hard).

Now heat the oil for frying the thattai.

Take the wax paper. Make small balls and flatten it with your fingers. Poke it using a fork so that it does not puff up while frying in the oil. Do not allow them to dry for too long before frying them in oil.

Make couple of them and fry it oil. As you fry simultaneously flatten the balls (thattais)..this will keep them from drying. Crunchy thattais are ready to be served. This took me less than an hour to make them (including the prep time).

I do not like giving my son store bought fried items. Whenever we eat the store bought snacks he always asks for it...I end up giving him some cookies since I do not want him to eat it. Today I was so happy serving him home made thattais...