KIDS SNACKS

Maida Biscuit

Maida-2 cups
Butter -2tsp
Red chilli powder-1 tsp
Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Salt-
Oil-to fry
Asafoetida- a pinch
Mix ever1ything well and knead into a stiff dough and roll into slightly thick chappathis .Cut diagonally into small diamond shaped pieces and then fry in hot oil.Store in an airtight container.

BAKING

Dates and raisins cake

Ingredients
All purpose flour-1 cup
Butter-2 tbsp
dates pitted and chopped-quarter cup
baking powder 1 tsp
baking soda-half tsp
sugar-3/4 cup
vanilla essence-1 tsp
condensed milk-half cup
raisins-one handful.
Method
Preheat oven to 180degree centigrade or 350 degree fahrenheit
Soak dates and raisins in warm water for 15 minutes.Sift baking powder cooking soda and APF in a sieve.
In the meantime beat butter and sugar till smooth and fluffy either with a hand whisk or an electric beater.Put the soaked dates and raisins in a blender and blend for a second.they must be crushed and not made into paste.

add this to the butter sugar mix and blend well.Add condensed milk and mix in the flour gradually.fold in the mixture.do not stir vigorously..add the vanilla essence and blend well.Grease a baking tray with oil and flour and then pour the mix and gently tap the tray to avoid formation of air bubbles.
Bake for 30-40 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 degree centigrade.Take out when a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

IDLY

Sponge Idli

Ingredients

Idli rice-3 cups
Urad dhal-3/4 cup
fenugreek-1 tbsp
salt

Method

Soak rice and dhal+fenugreek seeds seperately overnight.It is best to wash and soak.Next morning add rice and grind to a smooth but not very fine paste.take the batter out and then add urad dhal and fenugreek and grind by adding water in between.add some ice cubes 5 minutes before you are about to take out the batter.the batter should be fluffy.Mix both batters together adding salt and keep the batter outside for about 4-5 hours.The batter should be of this consistency for spongy idlis

Steam cook them in idly discs like this

enjoy kushboo idlis with any chutneys of your choice;))

GRAVIES

onion tomato subji

onion-3

tomato-4

green chillies-slit-3

mustard

asafoetida

curry leaves

coriander leaves

oil

method 

cut  onions lengthwise and tomatoes slit green chillies . in a pan, splutter mustard seeds in one teaspoon of oil and add onions and green chillies+curryleaves and saute till the onions become translucent.

after the onions become translucent add finely chopped tomatoes ,turmeric powder asafoetida and salt.fry them on low heat till the tomatoes turn mushy.

add half cup of water to this and let it simmer for 5 mnutes.switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves .Add a quarter tsp of sugar to adjust the taste.serve hot with idli dosa or roti.

Thogayals

Green Chillies Thogayal
Ingredients

Green Chillies-8-10
Salt
Tamarind-a little
Coconut oil-1 tbsp
black urad dhal split-1 tsp-for seasoning

Method

Grind all ingredients except urad dhal and oil and season with mustard and uraddhal.perfect for idlis and dosas and very easy to make too

Inji(ginger) thogayal

Ingredients

Ginger-a 2inch piece
curry leaves -few
coriander leaves-little
grated coconut-one tbsp
urad dhal-1tsp
chana dhal-1tsp
red chillies-2-3
asafoetida-if powder-1 tsp
oil
Method

Grate ginger.In a pan add oil and roast the dhals till slightly brown and add the grated ginger salt coconut grated red chillieS asafoetida and curryleaves .Stir in for 1 minute turn off the stove and coriander leaves.Let it cool and then grind it to a coarse paste.A compliment for curd rice and goes with dosas and idlis too..

Sugiyan

SUGIYAN

Raw rice- 1 cup
Urad dhal 1 cup
Green Gram Dhal-1 cup
Coconut-half cup grated
jaggery-3/4 cup
cardamom-a pinch
Dry ginger powdered-half tsp
salt
ghee
oil
Method

Soak Rice-Urad dhal for 2 hours.Grind to a smooth batteralong with a little salt.Meanwhile lightly roast greengram dhal till a nice aroma comes.Pressure cook the dhal  just for one whistle and grind it along with grated coconut and dry ginger.Boil Jaggery in a pan and strain the impurities.Boil it till the syrup thickens add the ground mixture to it and mix well adding a little ghee if needed.stir till all the moisture is evaporated and the dough can be made into balls.dip it in the batter and fry in medium hot oil.Crispy sugiyans are ready to serve

BEVERAGES

Kumbakonam Degree Coffee

Coffee Powder-preferably fresh ground with 80%coffeebeans-20%chicory
Hot water
Full cream milk-simmering for about 10 minutes after boiling point
sugar
Method

Add 4 tsps of coffee powder in a medium filter and add boiling water little by little with a ladle.

wait for 15 minutes when all the extracts gets collected as decoction.
Take two tbsp of thick decoction and add the boiling milk to it.Add sugar if needed and swish twice till froths are formed at top.Serve hot with a drop of decoction topped up.
Tip

Do not add cold milk and heat the coffee.The taste will be lost.

PAAL PAYASAM

Paal Payasam

Unakkalari-Half Cup
water half cup
Milk-2 Litres
Sugar-one and half cups
Cardamaom
Ghee
Cashew Raisins
Method

Boil water and milk together in a pressurecooker.Add the washed rice into this and close the lid without putting weight.Let it simmer for about 20 minutes.Open the lid carefully and check if the rice is cooked.If so add the sugar and again close the lid and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.turn off the stove and once it cools down add cashew raisins fried in ghee and the cardamom powder.Serve hot or chilled

Rava kesari

Rava Kesari

Rava-1 cup
Sugar-2cups
water-3cups
Ghee-1 and half cup
Cardamom
Edible camphor-a pinch
Kesar color

Method

Roast rava in 2 tbsp of ghee.Do not roast till it changes color.Roast it till its hot enough to touch.At the same time boil water in a vessel with a pinch of color and pour this boiling water to the rava.Keep stirring to stop formation of lumps.Close with a lid and slow cook for10 minutes.then add the sugar and the mixture will become a little gooey.this stage  add ghee little by little and break the lumps and keep stirring till it leaves the sides of the vessel and ghee oozes from it.turn off the stove and add cardamom and camphor..Serve hot..