Samba Rawa Pongal / Gothumai Ravai Pongal - Go Healthy!

Cream of Wheat Pongal:

Ingredients:

Wheat semolina 1 cup
Mung dhall 1/2 cup
Milk 1 cup
Salt
Green chili 1 chopped
Ginger 2" chopped
Curry leaves few
Peppercorns 2 spoons
Cumin seeds 2 spoons
Cashew nuts few
Ghee/oil 1/4 cup.

Method:

Cook mung dal/lentils till tender.

Dry toast the semolina and add to the above lentils. Further add 2-3 cups of water. Add salt too, cover and cook. Once all the moisture is sucked up, add a cup of milk and remove from heat.

Now, heat oil in a pan, and add the remaining items, tempering spices. Run this over the pongal made above. Mix well, and serve warm.

Kesari / Sooji ka Halwa - How Sweet Is That?

Zaffroni Sooji Ka Sheera:

Saffron Infused Semolina Halwa. Rawa Halwa. Rawa Kesari.

It isn't what I exactly planned it to be, blogging about nothing! I mean the usual stuff, I know sometimes (okay, okay kool...many a times) my recipes are not so blog worthy. Come on, how many people would actually ruin a simple dessert!! Are there really someone' who waits for my recipes to be published in order to cook a meal?! But, I still wanna work out so hard to re-create what Mommy fixed 'just like that' ! Love to record every single-simple everyday recipes!! However, I could never say that I perfected it though...that is a different story!!! Yet, it brings lots of happiness to imitate Mom's style of cooking:) Yeah, just the usual's, no fuzz menus:) I dunno, whenever am kind of home-sick' this sort of cooking therapy helps me to feel better! Well, so if you really care about my regular recipes, here you go...

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Condensed milk 1/4 cup
Whole milk 3 cups
Sugar 3/4 cup
Ghee 1/4 cup
Saffron few strands
Cashew nuts 1 fistful
Raisins 1 fistful.


Method:

Heat ghee and add the nuts and raisins, once they turn fragrant, set aside.

In the same oil, add sugar and a cup of water, bring this to thick syrup. Further add milk and condensed milk. Bring this to boil.

Add powdered saffron and semolina, cover and cook. Add ghee if necessary. If the moisture is all sucked up, its done.

Serve warm or chilled as a dessert.

Restaurant Style Rawa Pongal / Sooji Pongal / Semolina Pongal

Restaurant Style Rawa Pongal:

Ingredients:

Rawa 1 cup
Mung dal 1/4 cup
Farm fresh milk 1 cup
Green chilies 1 or 2 finely chopped
Ginger 2" chopped
Curry leaves few
Peppercorns 2 spoons
Cumin seeds 2 spoons
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Salt to taste
Cashew nuts 15-20
Ghee 1/4 cup.

Method:

Soak lentils for about 40 minutes or 1 hour before cooking.

Add just enough salt and cook the lentils in a pressure cooker, till tender.

Heat ghee in a pan, add the nuts and fry till golden brown, set aside. Further add the spices mentioned above and wait till they turns aromatic, set aside as well.

Heat about 3 cups of mashed lentils, once it is bubbling hot...add the toasted rawa to it. Once it is almost done, add warm milk. If necessary, heat the content for few minutes.

Mix the fried spices and nuts to it, serve warm with chutney, sambar and vada. Enjoy.

Sooji Tamatar Bath / Rava Thakali Upma / Semolina Tomato Upma

Rawa Tomato Bath:

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Cashew nuts 5-7
Green chilies 3 sliced
Curry leaves few
Garlic 6 cloves
Onion 1 sliced
Mint leaves 10
Cilantro 4 springs
Tomatoes 3 chopped and crushed
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Fennel seeds 1/2 spoon
Bay leaf 1
Cinnamon 1 stick
Cloves 3
Ghee few spoons.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, add the whole spices, chilies, curry leaves and cashew nuts. Wait till the sizzle.

Add the garlic, onions, mint, cilantro and tomatoes. Fry real good.

Further add salt, turmeric and chili powder.

Followed by 3 cups of water. Bring this to boil. And add the semolina evenly...without any lumps. Do not disturb. Cover and cook briefly.

Once the moisture has all sucked up, its done...remove from heat.

Serve steaming hot along with mint chutney.

Semolina Pudding / Sooji Kheer / Rawa Payasam

Semolina Kheer:

Ramzan Payasam. Ramzan Kanji. Sweet Porridge-Ramzan special. Thari Kanji.

Sometimes, its very easy for me to be a terrible cook...no, its not a joke. I make blunders, okay some huge blunders, simply irrevocable mistakes while fixing even good old simple recipes. The each time, I tried to whip this sooji kheer, I was managing to bring some kind of gooey halwa. But nothing seemed to bother me, despite the result...was trying n trying in vain with various proportions. Whom am I kidding, stirred and stirred until the plain rawa begged me to let it go!!! Oh boy, finally on the other day, AK said...I need to give it one more shot, by frying the semolina in ghee before heading out to prepare anything. Hmmm, makes a perfect sense, why haven't I thought about it! Anyhow,..I also drastically reduced the semolina content this time. Ooops, I can't believe myself...I finally arrived at perfect kheer. Oh my, this is the one' I was aiming for, the whole time:) It was so delicious and am happy to share the recipe with you all, trust me...its easy:)

Ingredients:

Semolina 4 teas spoons
Whole milk 4 mugs
Cardamom 3 crushed
Saffron few strands
Sugar to taste
Almonds, thinly sliced
Ghee 2 teaspoons.

Method:

Fry the semolina in ghee and set aside.

Heat milk along with sugar and reduce them into half of its original volume. Add cardamom and saffron too.

Fry the almonds and set aside as well.

Now cook semolina, with 1/4 cup of warm water for few minutes and add the same to the thickened milk, top them with nuts...bring this to boil and remove from heat.

Serve either warm or chilled.

Restaurant Style Rawa Dosa

Hotel Style Rawa Dosai:

Saravanaa Bhavan Hotel Style Rawa Dosai. Restaurant Style Rawa Dosa. Paper Thin Rawa Dosa. Rava Dose. Sooji Dosa. Semolina Crepes.

Though I claim here, its Restaurant style but I have to admit that mine isn't that perfect after all! But I am glad that I tried.:) I am not a big fan of Saravana Bhawan's food.:( I am sorry. One main thing is 'its totally vegetarian' and the second thing is 'I feel its kind of greasy' always! Anyway...that's my opinion. But many of my vegetarian friends consider this place, heaven. They simply rave over the number of tiffin items prepared there. Well, I ought to contradict my own statement now...I love Hotel Style Paper Roast and Onion Rawa Dosa...which is very hard to fix at home (or at least for me). Aaah can I say this after gazing at so many food blogs out there, girls are super smart competing with Restaurant secret recipes!

Between, I have been trying to perfect this recipe to win some lucky fellow's heart, here. Hmmm, indeed I did.:) Well...he liked my 'rawa dosa' better than Saravana Bhawan's, he he. I know he is lying to me...but its kind of sweet.

Ingredients:

Semolina/Sooji/Rawa 1 cup
All purpose flour 1/4 cup
Butter milk to liquid the batter
Salt
Hing/Asafoetida pinch
Green chilies finely chopped
Cilantro finely chopped
Ginger finely chopped
Peppercorns few
Cumin seeds few
Curry leaves few
Grated coconut 1 spoon
Sesame oil or ghee.

Method:

Make a thin batter using all the above said ingredients except oil. Make them too watery like buttermilk in fact.

Heat up the skillet, make them too hot...now run oil.

Sprinkle the batter unevenly and reduce the heat...now join those dots using batter. Turn over high heat. Run spoon full of oil and remove from heat.

Well...the griddle should be super hot to achieve perfection, maybe don't consider your first dosa...mostly they won't budge.

Enjoy with chutney and sambar.

Samba Rava Pongal

Godhumai Ravai Pongal:

Cracked Wheat Pongal. Samba Godhumai Rava Pongal.

Myself and my brother live in two different time zones...that we can't always talk:( We have 17 hours difference (He is in Australia)...so he should stay up all night and I should get up too early to get hold of him. So, does this have changed anything at all for me!! No, he still tracks me down for my mistakes.:( Good that I don't get 'kottu' on my head anymore.:)

Pari mailed me Y'day. It had usual blah blah blah stuff and something about my blog!

In his own words: "I checked your blogspot - was disappointed to see too many unhealthy and crap foods like the cheese chilli and fried cheese sticks etc - horrible and junk food. how on earth you could eat the cheese sticks fried? never expected such foods from you. you can have a competition with mcdonalds :)Searched ur site for samba rava upma, samba rava dosai and samba rava idly recipes. Couldn’t find any."

I am pretty upset myself, felt very awful...am I deviating from the track?? Well, as per his wish, here is a recipe for him, using Samba Rava - 'Godhumai Ravai Pongal'. Hope he will be bit happy now.:)

Ingredients:

Godhuma Rawa/Samba Rawa 1/2 cup
Moong dal 1 table spoon (well cooked)
Whole black peppercorns 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Curry leaves
Cashew nuts 10
Ghee/butter few spoons
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Melt ghee in a pan and add cashew nuts. Fry them till reddish brown. Set aside.

In the same ghee fry curry leaves...till crisp.Fry pepper and cumin seeds. Let them pop and splutter well.

Dry toast the cracked wheat.

Now heat the well cooked moong dal. Add 2 cups of water and followed by cracked wheat. Cover and cook.

Once they are done, run the tempered items and remove from heat.

Garnish with fried cashew nuts and curry leaves.

Serve warm with pickles.

MTR Rava Idly

Rawa Idly: (MTR style)

Steamed Pancakes. Semolina Steamed Cake. Spiced Idly. Spicy Sooji Idly.

MTR - Rava Idly. Well, now if I claim its MTR style rawa idly, don't think that I opened a ready MIX MTR rawa idly packets!! MTR - Mavalli Tiffin Rooms, Bangalore is famous for this rava idly...it is said that they experimented this dish, when they we were out of rice flour, during world war II. Since then, rava idly became part of the culture.

Idly is something that I make once in a blue moon! Can you believe this and don't curse me or anything for being a South Indian & saying this. I hate Idly/ anything carbohydrate for that matter. Anything that is fermented is definetely is not my cup of tea!:( As I was staying away from my home for pretty long time in my life never liked hostel food, maybe that the reason, I hate breakfast! And after I started cooking never owned a idly cooker, who has time to make breakfast! Anyways, my breakfast will be either oranges or hard boiled eggs or sometimes just carrots!!!

So this idly was made when I visited home(India). I carefully altered the rice batter to semolina batter(Rawa/Sooji). Though even this is carb' its kind of 'chaltha hai'(its okay) for me. Spiced up a little!:) Now I feel sorry for telling...I hate idly, did I really say that!!!

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Idly batter 1 cup
Salt
Butter milk
Green chilies 3 finely chopped
Cilantro leaves finely chopped.

Tempering Spices:

Chana dal 2 spoons
Urad dal 2 spoons
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin 1/2 spoon
Peppercorns 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil few spoon.

Method:

Mix semolina and idly batter togather. Add salt, buttermilk, chilies and cilantro leaves to it.

Temper the spices and run to the batter mixed above.

Let this stand for a about 2 hours. When semolina sucks in all the moisture and comes to heavy batter like consisteny its ready.

Add a cup of water to your steamer/idly cooker. Greese the idly mold and fill the laddles with the batter. Nver overflowing...

Steam cook for about 10 minutes. Perfect, nice aromatic idlies are ready.

Makka Cholam Rawa Upma

Corn Meal Upma:

Corn Meal Kitchedi.

Ingredients:

Corn Meal 1 cup
Vegetables 1 cup(carrots, beans, peas, potatoes....)
Salt to taste
Onion 1 large sliced
Garlic 2-3 cloves sliced
Chilies 2-3 sliced
Curry leaves few
Cilantro leaves few
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Oil.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustards and curry leaves. Wait till they pop up.

Then add garlic, onion and chilies....fry real good for few minutes.

Add salt and veggies. Cover and cook the veggies. Maybe when they are almost done.

Now stir-in cornmeal and 3 cups of water. When all the moisture is absorbed and cornmeal gets well cooked, remove from heat. Add cilantro leaves and few more spoons of oil.

Serve as evening dinner, light and healthy!

Semolina - Garlic Upma

Rawa Kitchedi:

Rawa Upma with lots of garlic!

Never really appreciated rawa kitchedi/upma kind of stuff. It was one of the cruel dish they make it at hostel all the time. There were several occasions my mess bill used to be NIL. I never show up to the mess hall at all....managed to eat out, big time!So off lately...whenever I am kind of in a hurry, where nothing comes to mind...I don't think it is so bad to make kitchedi after all. Hmmm....I could infuse lots of spices if I want!! So on one such busy day.....Garlicky Umpa!

Ingredients:

Rawa/semolina/sooji 1 portion(it rises to 3 fold)
Red/green chilies 2 sliced
Onion 1 large coarsely chopped
Garlic 1 whole head peeled
Tomato 1 chopped
Carrots 1-2 chopped
You could use as many as veggies you want!(beans, potato, cauliflower and peas)
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetid 1 pinch
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons(be generous to avoid stickiness)

Method:

Toast semolina in a heated pan, carefully without burning them...then set aside.

In a deep, wide pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves. Wait till they splutter up.

Then add chilies, garlic and onions....fry real good. One could add salt right here...to hasten the procedure(of frying onions).

Then add veggies and tomatoes to it. Cook them well covered for few minutes.

Then add pinch of turmeric and toasted rawa. Add 3 portions of water. Cover and cook over sim heat....until all water is absorbed and kitchedi is kind of throwing up oil on the sides.

Hmmmmm...its ready, transfer the contents and consume immediately....it tastes awful when it left to stand over!

Makka Cholam Rawa Kesari

Corn Meal Kesari:

Makki ki Semolina Kesari. Makka Chola Rawai Kesari.

When all the sudden if you have visitors at your tea time....this could be ur handy easy fix choice! One could make it by the time tea is ready! Yeah....indeed I did it!

Ingredients:

Corn meal 1 cup
Sugar ¾ cup
Milk 3-4 cups
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Orange food color less than ¼ spoon
Cashew nuts 20 - halved
Golden raisins 1 fistful (dry grapes)
Ghee ½ + ½ cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast ‘corn meal’ for few minutes…..till fragrant. Transfer it to a bowl. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat ½ cup of ghee. Add cashew nuts and fry them till they turn to golden color. Set aside.

In the same oil, fry raisins till they pop. Set this aside too.

Now add sugar, cardamom seeds and kesar color(optional). Add ½ cup of water and continue to boil

When it comes to boiling point. Add ‘corn meal’ without forming any lumps. Use wooden spatula (greased with oil or ghee).

Further add 3-4 cups of milk + cashew nuts + raisins + ghee. Continue cooking.

When it is done…sucking up all the milk and moisture; oil shows up on side. Remove from the stove and transfer it to display bowl.

Serve warm or cold as a dessert.

Simple and easy to fix dessert.

Anasi Pazha Pongal

Pineapple Pongal:

Sweetened Pineapple Rice. Anasi Pazham Pongal

Sweetened Pineapple Rice. Annasi Pazha Pongal.

This is my friend Farah's recipe. She is my next door neighbour back home. She was also teaching in the same school....I used to go to (years back & not to my class tho') When they moved into our neighbourhood....she was kind of excited and eager to see me. I was thrilled as well! So we both met(during my last vacation to India) nearly after 8-9 years! We were catching up old days memories. God...she remembered all my dress and shoe colors too! Amazing! Later I happen to know Farah as turned out to be a great cook(Entrepreneur, Recruiter, Guest Lecturing...what not)! When she prepared this 'Pineapple Pongal' for the Dhaawat, it was super hit that day! I felt like trying that recipe since then....so here it is!

I know what is going on in your mind right now...I didnt have much time....to transfer the contents to display vessel and do that special clicks for y'll. Had.....important engagements that day...so soon after cooking....I was rushing off!

Ingredients:

Raw rice rawa 1 cup
Milk 4 cup
Milk Powder 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Pineapple finely chopped 1 cup
Pineapple essence 1-2 spoons
Saffron few strands
Cashew nuts 10 slitted
Golden Raisins 10
Dark Raisins 10
Cardamom pods 3 crushed
Ghee 1-2 cup.

Method:

Wash rice in running water several times.....or until water runs clear. Keep it aside.

Mix pineapple and sugar in a bowl and set aside.

In a cooker.....add milk and 2 cups of water. Let it boil. Then add rice to this. Cook this over medium heat....until rice comes to pongal consistency.

Now heat ghee in a wide non-stick pan. Fry cashews and followed by raisins. To the same oil add saffron and cardamom too.

Add sugar + 1 cup of water....bring this to syrup consistency. Now stir-in cooked rice and continue cooking over low-medium heat. Maybe until..rice is all soft and incorporates sweetness in it.

Remove this from heat. Now add pineapple chunks and + milk powder, pineapple essence and ghee to this.

Serve either chilled, hot or at room temeperature.

Rawa Kushka:

Semolina Biriyani. Rawa Biriyani. Sooji Biriyani. Hot n Spicy Rawa Kushka. Masala Rawa Upma.

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Thick Coconut milk 2-3 cups
Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 large – thinly sliced
Ginger- garlic paste 2 spoons
Tomatoes 2 finely chopped
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Mint leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Coriander leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cloves 3-5
Cardamom pods 5 semi crushed
Star Anise 2
Bay leaves 3
Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Ghee/clarified butter 1 cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast semolina in it till fragrant. Then transfer it to a bowl.

In the same skillet, heat ghee. Now add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, bay leaves, marathi mokku and fennel seeds in it. Fry for few minutes.

Then add slitted chilies and allow it to splutter. Then followed by onions, fry them real good. Maybe till the onions turn to golden color.

Now add ginger + garlic paste. Fry them real good. Further add mint and coriander leaves. Fry them till they wilt.

Now add chopped tomatoes and continue frying. Maybe till tomatoes loose their water content and oil shows up on sides.

Add salt, chili powder, lemon juice and sauté for few minutes.

Add 3 cups of coconut milk and allow it to boil.

Now stir in ‘semolina’ without forming any lumps. Cover and cook.

Once semolina is done and oil shows up on sides….remove it from the stove.

Serve warm along with onion or cucumber raita.

Hot n Spicy Semolina-Chicken Upma:

Semolina Chicken Biriyani. Rawa Chicken Biriyani. Sooji-Chicken Biriyani. Hot n Spicy Chicken-Semolina Bath. Hot n Spicy Chicken-Semolina Upma. Masala Chicken Upma. Rawa Biriyani.

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Chicken –(boneless, skinless) cubed ½ cup
Thick Coconut milk 2-3 cups
Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 large – thinly sliced
Ginger- garlic paste 2 spoons
Tomatoes 2 finely chopped
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Mint leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Coriander leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cloves 3-5
Cardamom pods 5 semi crushed
Star Anise 2
Bay leaves 3
Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Ghee 1 cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast semolina in it till fragrant. Then transfer it to a bowl.

In the same skillet, heat ghee. Now add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, bay leaves, marathi mokku and fennel seeds in it. Fry for few minutes.

Then add slitted chilies and allow it to splutter. Then followed by onions, fry them real good. Maybe till the onions turn to golden color.

Now add ginger + garlic paste. Fry them real good. Further add mint and coriander leaves. Fry them till they wilt.

Now add chopped tomatoes and continue frying. Maybe till tomatoes loose their water content and oil shows up on sides.

Now stir in chicken and sauté it real good. Maybe till it turns to opaue.

Add salt, chili powder, lemon juice and sauté for few minutes.

Add 3 cups of coconut milk and allow it to boil.

Now stir in ‘semolina’ without forming any lumps. Cover and cook.

Once chicken and semolina is done and oil shows up on sides….remove it from the stove.

Serve warm along with onion or cucumber raita.

Rawa Kesari - Tamil Nadu Style

Kesari:

Semolina Halwa. Semolina Halva. Semolina Haluva. Rawa Kesari. Rava Kesari. Rawa Halwa. Sooji Ki Halwa. Sooji Halva. Sooji Halwa.

Kesari, name comes from the word 'kesar'/saffron...as it is traditional way to make this simple pheasant dessert. But later, saffron is replaced by food colors(especially orange). Only I could only associate 'Kesari' as lovely orange colored Halwa.

Pari, my brother loves this so much. So, I made this when I visited home.

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Sugar ¾ cup
Milk 3-4 cups
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Orange food color less than ¼ spoon
Cashew nuts 20 - halved
Golden raisins 1 fistful (dry grapes)
Ghee ½ + ½ cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast ‘semolina’ for few minutes…..till fragrant. Transfer it to a bowl. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat ½ cup of ghee. Add cashew nuts and fry them till they turn to golden color. Set aside.

In the same oil, fry raisins till they pop. Set this aside too.

Now add sugar, cardamom seeds and kesar color. Add ½ cup of water and continue to boil

When it comes to boiling point. Add ‘semolina’ without forming any lumps. Use wooden spatula (greased with oil or ghee).

Further add 3-4 cups of milk + cashew nuts + raisins + ghee. Continue cooking.

When semolina is done…sucking up all the milk and moisture & oil shows up on side. Remove it from the stove and transfer it to display bowl.

Serve warm or cold as a dessert.

Simple and easy to fix dessert. I like it warm than cold. As it gets hard…when served cold.

Somas:(Country Style)

Sweet Recipe.Kajjikaya in Andhra. Karanji in Gujarat. Somas in Tamil Nadu. Traditional Sweet Recipe.

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

All purpose flour 2-3 cups
Baking soda ¼ spoon
Salt as per taste
Warm water 1 cup
Ghee or clarified butter 1 cup
Working Flour few spoons
Working oil or ghee few spoons.

For Filling/Poornam:

Sooji/Bombay rawa 6 spoons
Poppy seeds 6 spoons
White Sesame seeds ¼ cup
Finely grated Coconut ¼ cup
Finely chopped Cashew nuts ¼ cup
Sugar ¾ cup
Ghee few spoons.

For Somas:

Refined Oil – for deep frying.

Method:

For Dough or Crust:

Add salt and baking soda to warm water. Let it dissolve well.

Bring all purpose flour in a large bowl. Make a well….now run the above solution to it. Slowly throw in the flour and prepare a smooth dough. Add ghee or butter while making the dough or as a finishing touch. Keep them refrigerated for 20 minutes(well covered).

For Filling:

Heat a deep wok over low-medium range. Toast gently sesame seeds and set aside.

Toast Bombay rawa and set aside too.

Now in a clean bowl, bring toasted sesame seeds, toasted rawa, poppy seeds, grated coconut, chopped cashew nuts, sugar and ghee. Mix them real good and set aside.

Making Somas:

Now make equal parts out of the dough. Maybe each varies into small lemon size.

Knead them gently using limited working flour or ghee.

Now take a spoon full of filling mixture and place right at the centre of the above chappathi/kneaded sheet. Cover them to one side(like a semi-circle) Gently twist the edges without having any gap. Repeat the same for as much as ‘Somas’ needed.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Gently fry the ‘Somas’ in it. Maybe till the outer crust is crispy and turns to golden color. Fry only few at a time, never load the oil.

Leave the fried ‘Somas’ over kitchen tissues for few minutes.

Repeat the same for each batch. Allow them to cool and then store in a air-tight container.

Serve warm or later as a Tea time snack. Can be taken as a dessert after meals too.

Rava Laddu:

Rawa Laadu.

Ingredients:

Bombay rawa - 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Grated Coconut 1/2 cup
Finelt chopped cashewnuts 1 fistful
Cardamon seeds powder 1 spoon
Ghee 1 cup.

Method:

Toast rawa till golden color and set aside.

In a blender.....blend togather toasted rawa and sugar togather.

In a small pan, heat ghee and fry the chopped cashewnuts till golden-reddish color.

Bring the blended rawa + sugar in a bowl. To this add heated ghee along with nuts. Further add cardamon seeds powder too. Mix them with hands.

Now makes equal parts out of it and make small balls/ladus and set aside.

Serve warm or later.

Kappa Bonda:

Topiaca Bonda. Maravalli-Kizhangu Bonda. Masala Bonda.

Ingredients set 1:

Topiaca 1 large - cooked and mashed
Onion 1 small chopped
Garlic 3 cloves chopped
Green chilies 3 finely chopped
Curry leaves few chopped
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Salt
Ghee few spoons.

Ingredients set 2:

Gram flour 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1 spoon
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

In a kadai/wok. Heat ghee. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Let them pop well.

Now add green chilies, curry leaves and garlic pieces to it. Fry them till fragrant.

To this add chopped onion and fry real good. Followed by add mashed topiaca. Add salt, turmeric powder too. Cook them over medium heat till there is no moisture. Maybe it should be thick like a batter.

Now make equal parts out of it. Like round balls.

In a seperate bowl. bring all the set-2 ingredients togather except oil. Make a thick batter out of it.

Heat oil in deep frying pan. Dip the topiaca balls in the batter prepared above and deep fry them in oil Fry few in each batch.

Serve warm as a snack.

Halwa Poori:

Fried Halwa Poori. Kesari stuffed in Poori. Sweet Poori.

Generally I use left over 'kesari' to stuff this poori. Its pretty much like 'poli'. Stuff some nice sweet filling and depp fry instead of pan-frying!

Ingredients:

For Making Halwa:

Rawa/Sooji/Semolina - 1 cup
Sugar 3/4 cup
Saffron 1/4 spoon
Milk 1-2 cups
Salt 1 pinch
Ghee 1/4 cup.

For Making Poori:

All purpose flour - 1 cup
Salt 1 pinch
Soda 1 pinch
Warm milk 1/4 cup
Ghee few spoons
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Halwa Preparation:

In a pan, heat ghee. Toast emolina till fragrant and then set aside.

Wet-grind saffron using few spoons of milk.

In a deep, heavy bottomed pan.....heat sugar. Add 1/4 cup of water...bring it to bubbly syrup like condition.

Now stir-in toasted semolina without forming lumps. Further add saffron.

Cook over medium heat. Add milk and ghee.

When the halwa is done. Transfer it to display bowl. Then refridgerate it to cool down.

Poori Preparation:

In a wide bowl, sift...flour, salt, soda and ghee. Using warm milk knead them into tuff dough.

Mae equal part out of it.

Making Halwa Poori:

Knead the dough into small poori. Place 1-2 spoon of halwa in the centre. Fold it and knead again. Repeat the same to all the dough.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. When the oil is smoky hot. Fry poori one by one.

Then leave this over kitchen tissue for some time.

Serve warm as a snack.

Noi Arisi Upma:

(Cracked Rice Upma/Arisi Rawa Upma)

One can buy commercially cracked raw rice/cracked par-boiled rice for this recipe. Or if you just only have whole rice.....dont panic. Its very simple to crack it down. Wash the whole rice several times and let it get well soaked in water for 20 minutes. Then spread then in a clean cloth or plate or kitchen tissues and sun dry them. Again if it is severe winter out....no worries. Dry roast the rice in medium heated pan. At the same time, do not turn their color. Just roast to remove moiture. Then using a blender crack the rice.

Ingredients:

Cracked rice 1 cup
Onion 1 large finely chopped
Curry leaves 1 cup
Dry red chilies 6-8
Chana dal 1 fistfull
Urad dal 1 fistfull
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Salt to taste
Oil 1 cup.

Method:

In a large wok, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Let them pop and splutter well.

Then add asafoetida, chana dal and urad dal....fry them till the dals turn golden-reddish color.

Now add dry red chilies and curry leaves. Then followed by onions. Fry them real good until onions turn golden color.

Now add cracked rice and fry them for few minutes...let the rice get well coated with oil. Then add enough water and salt to this. Cover and cook over medium heat.

Serve hot with ginger thokku or tomato thokku.