Arrowroot Halwa(koovakkali)

This halwa popularly known as thiruvathirakkali is prepared on Thiruvathira,considered Birthday of Lord Shiva

Kali and koottu are offered as neivedyam.

A simple never fail recipe..

Arrowroot powder-1/4 cup

Jaggery powdered-1/2 cup

Grated or thin sliced coconut-1 tbsp

Cardamom powder- a pinch

Water- 3/4 cup

Ghee-2 tbsps

Method

Dissolve jaggery in water and strain impurities

Heat on medium flame till it turns into   consistency of a syrup

Dissolve arrowroot powder in water and cook it in low flame till it turns transparent

Add jaggery syrup at this stage along with coconut scrapings and ghee

Keep stirring till halwa leaves sides

Add cardamom and a spoon of ghee before turning off the stove

Allow it to cool

You can transfer into any mould of your choice and turn upside down after it cools down completely

Wheat Moong Dhal Halwa

Halwa is an irresistible sweet for any festive occasion.Not a guilt free sweet though with loads of ghee and sugar/jaggery :)

Unparalleled aroma and texture makes this sweet overpowering 

Now lets get to the recipe

Wheat flour/atta- half cup
Moong dhal--half cup
Sugar-2 cups
Ghee-1 cup
Cardamom powder-a pinch
saffron-few strands
cashews and raisins fried in ghee and kept aside-1/4 cup

Method

Slightly roast moong ghal in a dry kadai till nice aroma comes and soak in water for half an hour

Meanwhile in a kadai add one tablespoon ghee and fry cashews and raisins and keep aside

Add one more tablespoon ghee and add wheat flour little by little to it stirring continuously.Keep the flame low.

When a nice aroma emanates turn off the stove and transfer the wheat flour to another plate

Pressure cook moong dhal for 3 whistle.Mash the dhal till its mushy.Add sugar in the kadai and add water till the sugar immerses.Boil till sugar dissolves completely and reaches one string consistency (when u touch the syrup with your forefinger and thump and pull them apart gently a single thread will be formed)

Now add the mashed dhal and mix well.Add wheat flour little by little.Keep adding the ghee occasionally and stir continuously.

When the halwa does not stick to the bottom of the kadai and ghee oozes,turn off the stove.Add cardamom powder and saffron strands at this stage

garnish with fried cashews raisins and serve hot..

Kozhukkattai

Kozhukkattais
Preparation of Rice Flour for kozhukattais
Soak 2 cups of raw rice(preferably maavarisi)in water for about an hour.Spread the rice on a towel and let the water completely drain.Powder the rice in a mill or in a mixie.Sieve the powder in a fine sieve.

Keep it aside.This rice flour can be used for both vella and uppu kozhukkattais

Preparation of covering for poornams

In a wok add about 2 and quarter cups of water and let it come to a boil.Add a pinch of salt and two ladles of sesame oil.Add rice flour little by little while stirring continuously with other hand.switch off the stove when the rice flour turns color to off white.
Cover the dough with a wet towel and keep aside.Once cool knead the dough well without lumps.

Vella Kozhukkattai

grated coconut-1 cup
jaggery-3/4 cup
cardamom powdered -half teaspoon
ghee-one tbsp

Method

Add grated jaggery and coconut together in a wok in medium flame till the jaggery completely melts and a nice aroma comes.Add cardamom powder and ghee when the mixture turns a litttle thick and can be rolled into balls.

turn off the stove at this stage

Take the prepared dough and roll into an amla sized ball and dipping your fingers in oil flatten it into a "soppu".Iam not an expert in this area so bought a mould this time and it made things pretty easier.
Smear the inside of mould with oil and fill the mould with a small amount of dough and spread the dough inside the mould so as to make room for poornam and place a small urundai of poornam inside and cover it with the dough again.carefully open the mould and perfect shaped kozhukkattais are ready to cook

Place the kozhukkattais on a steamer of idli cooker.Steam cook for five minutes till water drips from the top of  the cooker lid.

Softy yummy kozhukkattais are ready..

Rasmalai

Rasmalai

Milk-Two litres
Lemon juice-1 tbsp
sugar-half cup
saffron strands-a few
cardamom-1/4 tsps
sooji-One spoon
pista,almonds-cut lengthwise
Water


Method
Boil milk in a wide mouth pan stirring till it comes to a complete boil.Add lemon juice while still boiling and turn off the stove.
Keep stirring and then strain the water and seperated chena(paneer)in a muslin cloth.Tie the cloth and hang it for about 15 minutes till all the water drains.


Knead the paneer into soft till your hands become oily and the sough becomes soft.

Add one spoon of sooji(rava)into the mix and knead again.Keep it aside for 10 min.

Take small sized balls(size of an amla)and roll into smooth balls and flatten a little in the middle with your thumb.

In the meantime in a pressure cooker heat two cups of water with 2 tbsps sugar and few strands of saffron.

Place all the flattened discs in the cooker and keep in low flame till one whistle and turn off.

Boil milk in another pan till it reduces to half with a few strands of saffron and two tbsps of sugar(add more if you have a sweet tooth)

Wait till the paneer and the milk cools and place the discs in the lukewarm milk.

Garnish with saffron cut almonds and pistachios.Refrigerate for atleast two hours before serving

Besan Laddoo

Besan Laddoo

Gram Flour-1 cup
Sooji-1 tsp
Ghee-1/4 cup
Powdered sugar-3/4 Cup
cardamom powder

Method

In a MW Safe bowl add suji and ghee first then gram flour and keep it in MW high for 3 minutes.
Take it out and stir and again keep it in MW High for 2 minutes.The temperatures in different makes of oven vary.

So the gram flour should slightly change color and should give out a nice roasted aroma.

Take it out ,add cardamom and then roll into balls.

You can add more ghee according to your choice

since i watch calories with every food i prepare,i kept the ghee quantity to moderate level.

If you add more ghee the laddoos will have a glossy finish and will stay longer..

Corn Flour Halwa

I had been thinking of making a quick and hassle free sweet for my "little hidumbi",whos a very fussy eater..I was surfing thru blogs when I came across this very easy microwaveable sweet in Raks kitchen...Thanks for a simple recipe Raji...

Corn Flour Halwa

Ingredients
Corn Flour-1 cup
Sugar 3 cups
Water-4 cups
Rose milk essence-few drops
cashew walnut pista finely cut-1 tbsp
ghee-1 tbsp

Method

Put everything except nuts and ghee in a microwaveable bowl.Mix well.Keep the bowl in MW High for 4 minutes.Stir the mixture and again keep it for another 4 minutes stirring in between every two minutes.After the 2 minutes mix in the chopped nuts ghee and again microwave for 4 minutes.The mix would have a gummy texture.Grease a plate and spoon out the mix onto the plate.Smear ghee on the bottom of a small davara or small glass and even the mix out.Cut into whatever shapes you desire.

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..