Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Rawa Laddoo

Sweet balls prepared using Semolina

Time Required: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 Cup Rawa/Semolina
¾ Cup Ghee/Clarified Butter
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
½ Cup Desiccated Coconut
½ tsp Elaichi/Cardamom Powder
Chopped Cashew nuts fried in Ghee
Few Dry Grapes

Method:
Mix Rawa and Coconut. Heat Ghee in a kadai and add Rawa and fry until an aroma arises. Remove from fire and mix Sugar, Elaichi/Cardamom and nuts and mix well. Adding little milk tie the mixture into laddoos/balls.

Mysore Pak

This rich sweet dish is popular in the regions of Mysore.  This is prepared using Clarified Butter/Ghee and Gram Flour.

Time Required: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 Cup Kadale Hittu/Besan/Gram Flour
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Ghee/Clarified Butter

Method:
Heat a Kadai and add Kadale hittu and dry-roast for a minute on low flame and keep it aside.  Heat 1 cup of water in a thick bottomed pan/vessel and add Sugar.  Stir until Sugar dissolves.  Now, add half a cup of Ghee and stir for 2 to 3 minutes on low flame.

Add the roasted kadale hittu to the Sugar syrup and stir continuously ensuring that there are no lumps formed.  Keep adding the rest of the Ghee until bubbles start forming on the surface and the mixture becomes light and starts to come out of the sides easily.

Pour this mixture on a greased tray.  Cut into desired shapes. 

Because of the heat the color of the pieces will become golden brown at the bottom and light yellow in the top.  When it cools down store in air tight containers.

Vegetable Khitchdi

A Rice dish prepared using split Green Gram and assorted vegetables.  A very healthy and complete meal.

Time Required: 40 Minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 Cups Rice
1 Cup Hesarubele/Moong Dal/Green Gram Split
2tbsp Oil
1tsp Garam Masala Powder
1tsp Red Chili Powder
3 Green Chilies, Slit
8 String Beans, Chop into 1″ pieces
1 Carrot, Dice into 1″ long pieces
1 small Capsicum, Chop into 1″ long pieces
1 Potato, Diced
1 Onion, Chopped into big pieces
6 - 8 Double Beans or Peas
2 - 3 Garlic, Chopped finely
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste

Method:
Roast Hesarubele and keep aside.  Soak Rice for 30 minutes.  Heat Oil in the pressure cooker, add Garlic, Chilies and Onion and saute.  Add Capsicum, Beans, Carrot, Double Beans/Peas and Potato one by one.  Now, add Rice and Hesarubele and mix well.  Add Salt, Chili Powder, Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala and stir fry for a minute.  Add 4½ cups of water and close the cooker and cook until it the cooker whistles once.  Remove and serve hot with 
Raitha.