Ariselu(traditional Andhra sweet)

Ariselu is a traditional sweet of south India prepared especially for Makara sankranthi.It is alsoprepared during weddings and some traditional gatherings.Ariselu usually prepared with Jaggary and rice flour.Another variation is using sugar and rice flour.But the one with jaggary one is awesome in taste and when it comes to Ariselu I  always remember with jaggary  ariselu prepared by my Grand mom.Here Iam posting the very simple way.Usually the taste depends upon the quality of jaggery.When it comes to texture,usually the traditonal ones are soft.But the one I prepared little crispy but soft inside.Here goes the recipe.The one deep fried in ghee usually soft.Here in my recipe they are soft inside crispy out side.

Ingredients:

• Rice 2 1/2 cups( 2 CUPS + 1/2 CUP)
• Jaggery 1 1/2 cup
• Seesame seeds 2 tbspn
• Ghee 2 tbspns
• water 1/4 cup
• oil for deep fry

Procedure:

• Soak rice in water around 12 hrs or overnight.
• Next day drain the extra water and dry the rice for atleast 1 hr or 30 mins on a cloth.when the rice is little wet take out from the cloth and put it in a blender.
• Now blend the rice in a blender until smooth and then sieve the extra flour.

• Heat a pan add little water 1/4 cup or just enough to cover the jaggary, and melt the jaggary until it foamy.
• When jaggary starts melting slowly, should be very careful.This entire process take around 10 to 15 mins.
• To check when the syrup is ready add few drops to a bowl of  cold water,if it forms a soft ball then it is ready.
• Reduce the flame to low and start adding rice flour to the syrup slowly and stirring well.Make sure no lumps formed.Stir continuously until it reaches dough consistency.

• When the dough is ready switch of the flame keep aside for half an hour.when cooled mix seesame seeds.
• Take a small lemon size ball and roll it into a small disc by applying little ghee and spread on a greased plate.

• Heat oil in a deep bowl,slowly deep fry one by one on both sides.Drain extra oil by pressing the way I showed in the pic.Then take out, store it in a airtight box.Yummy ariselu is ready.

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Mysore pak

Mysore pak is a sweet dish of southern India, usually served as dessert.It is made of generous amounts of ghee ( clarified butter) sugar and chick pea flour. This dish is very famous in Andhrapradesh and most parts in South India ,can be done in different ways.The one available in sweet shops is quite different which is made only with ghee.But this traditional Mysore pak is made with oil and ghee.The texture of this mysore pak is very nice.our whole family loves this traditional sweet.This is hard outside but soft inside but not like the regular one available in sweet shops which is soft and made with only ghee...I'm missing this sweet here in US..I did'nt see mysore pak in Indian sweet shops.So, thought of preparing at home.Finally I tried first time, it came out awesome.Melt in mouth.. yummy Mysore pak can be made very easily with just few ingredients.Here goes my recipe

Ingredients:

1. Besan 1 cup( or chick pea flour)or sanaga pindi
2. Sugar 1 cup
3. water 3/4cup
4. ghee 1 cup
5. oil 1/2 cup
6. oil to mix besan 5 tbspn

 Procedure:

1. Take 1 cup of besan in a bowl,Heat 5 tbspn of oil to smoking point ( 5 to 10 mins) then slowly add this oil to besan mixture and mix it well.Keep aside this mixture
2. In another pan add sugar and water and heat until liquid is one thread consistancy( around 10 to 12 mins) this is the important step.Keep an eye when the sugar syrup starts bubbling then slowly it forms one thread consistency
   
3. Take another pan, heat ghee and oil until very hot.Both sugar syrup and ghee+ oil  heat side by side simultaneously.keep the burners to medium heat.
   
4. Slowly add besan mixture to the sugar syrup when it just reaches one thread consistency.Mix it well with constant stirring.(keep stove burner in medium )
   
5. Then add slowly hot ghee and oil mixture little by little stirring continuously.
6. Keep pouring the ghee and oil mixture until ghee leaves away the sides.
   
7. Ready baking tray or any cake tray greased with oil.
8. Slowly spread the mixture in the tray and level.Don't press too much.
   
9. Let it cool few mins then cut into small rectangles or squares.Usually Mysore pak what we eat is in a rectangular shape.
   
10. Enjoy yummy melt in mouth  Mysore pak.

Note:

• Make sure ghee + oil ( combined)is hot,when you mix in the besan mixture
• Very important step,Always keep an eye on sugar syrup,until one thread consistency( usually after 10 mins you can see liquid bubbling then after 2 to 3 mins it forms one thread consistancy)
• slowly mix besan in the syrup,dont worry about lumps they can easily go away when hot oil added to it.
• Keep stirring until you see ghee+oil leaving sides.
• Don't worry about the color,if you keep stirring longer time even after besan  releases oil then the color of the mysore pak will be more darker.

Uppindi

Uppindi is a traditional recipe from Andhrapradesh..This is prepared with coarsely ground rice also called biyyam rava. This doesn't taste like regular upma but a little different and awesome in taste.My kids love to have this any time. I used to have uppindi during my childhood days when amma prepared at home.I keep watching all the time when amma was cooking  uppindi...Atleast once in a week we used to have uppindi.

                       Now a days  my kids demanding me to cook this for breakfast.Ofcourse worth the time and effort spend on this recipe. Whenever summer comes I sun dry rice and store rava for later use.when I ask choice between uppindi and dosa for my kids they always choose uppindi...Now coming to the recipe I thought of posting this recipe in BM#55 under the theme  kids delight healthy breakfast recipes.

Ingredients:

• Rice rava 1 cup (sun dried rice grinded)
• Moong dal 2 tbspns
• Red chillies 3small
• Onion 1 chopped
• Ginger 2 to 3 small pieces chopped
• Curry leaves 2 strings
• oil 2 tbspns
• salt to taste

Preparation: 

• wash raw rice with water,drain it and keep it in sun light  for one day.
• Later grind rice into coarse powder  and separate flour from rava( I just seive )
• Store the rice in a jar or container.We can use whenever we want to make uppindi.
• Usually I dry more cups of rice and store it .

• Procedure:
• Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds,when splutters add chopped onions,ginger redchillies curry leaves.
• when onions enough fried( should be roasted well) add moong dal( key ingredient) fry well few more mins
• Now add Rice rava which is sun dried and fry few more mins.
• Add 2 cups of water and salt, and let it boil few mins( 3 to 4 mins) in medium to high flame,when the water completely absorbs rava,reduce flame to low and cover the pan with a tight lid.
• Let it cook around 20 mins your uppindi is ready( you can see bottom slighlty roasted and uppindi almost cooked,we love the roasted part)
• Yummy uppindi is ready..This our favorite breakfast for the whole family.Kids love it more than dosas.worth the time and effort spent on this recipe.
• Enjoy uppindi just like that or have it with potato curry)
  

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Pesarattu upma

Pesarattu upma is a popular Andhra breakfast which is very good in taste and healthy recipe too.Here pesarattu means whole moong daal dosa and we can prepare this dosa with yellow moong dal too.But in a traditional method or in restaurants they serve with whole  green moong dal..This is typically served with umpa.The great side dish for this breakfast is allam chutney ,coconut chutney.You can have with  either one or both.This is healthy protein dish which is my favorite too.Coming to upma it is easily made with sooji or upma rava.Iam posting this dish in BM#55 under the theme Healthy breakfast recipes.

Ingredients

For pesarattu

• 1 Cup whole green moong dal
• ginder chopped few pieces( 4 to 5)
• green chilli 4
• jeera 1 tspn
• salt to taste
• chopped onions 3 tbspn.

Procedure:

• Soak whole moong dal in water for whole night or 6 to 8 hrs
• After 8 hrs drain the water and mix ginger,green chilli,jeera, salt, grind into smooth batter.( can add 1/2 cup water while grinding)
• Heat a non stick pan in a medium flame and spread one laddle of dosa slowly.After one side is perfectly roasted turn other side for few secs,then turn again sprinkle chopped onions,green chilli.fold it few secs and take out in a plate.
• Follow the same step for the rest of dosas.

For upma

• 1 cup sooji ( upma sooji available in market)
• 21/2 cups water
• 1small onion chopped
• mustard seeds
• green chilli 3
• ginger chopped few
• curry leaves
• urad dal 1 tspn
• chana dal 1/2 tspn
• oil 2 tspns
• salt to taste

Procedure:

• Heat a pan add oil,when it is hot add mustard seeds.urad dal,chopped onions,green chilli,ginger,curry leaves.
• Fry well all ingredients and add water.
• Let it boil for 10 to 15 mins in medium flame.
• Now slowly add sooji and mix it well.
• Yummy upma is ready now.

Ginger chutney or Allam chutney

• Ginger 8 to 10 small peices( 1 lime size allam cut into pieces)
• Tamarind soaked in hot water( gooseberry size)
• Jaggary 1 small pieces grated( lime size or 50 gms)
• mustard seeds 1 tspn
• urad dal 3 tspn
• Methi seeds 1/2 tspn
• Asafodita or hing 1 pinch
• Turmeric a pich
• curry leaves 3 strings
• oil 6 tspns

Procedure:

• Take oil in small pan or bowl heat oil add methi seeds,urad dal,mustard seeds,curry leaves fry well until get nice aroma in a medium flame add hing.switch off the stove.
• Take out extra oil with drainer and separate oil,Now add tamarind paste,jaggary, ginger pieces,salt little turmeric to the mixture..Grind all into smooth paste.
• After grinding add oil to the chutney( which was left after filtering ingredients.)
• Yummy allam chutney is ready.

Coconut chutney recipe here

• coconut frozen or fresh grated 1 cup
• fried chana dal 1/4 cup
• garlic pods 3 to 4 small
• mustard seeds 1/4 tspn
• jeera 1/4 tspn
• curry leaves 1 string
• green chilli 3
• red chilli1
• oil 1 tbspn
• urad dal 1 tspn
• lemon juice 1 or 2 tspns

 Procedure

• Heat oil in a pan fry garlic,green chilli ,jeera for few mins until little raw smell goes off then add grated coconut,fried dal ,fry few mins then switch off the flame.
• when cooled grind all into fine paste..add water as per your taste.For tempering add mustard seeds when fried add urad dal and curry leaves..
• When tadka cools down slowly mix into coconut mixture..add lemon juice and mix it well.

Now enjoy yummy pesarattu with upma coconut chutney and ginger chutney.

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stuffed Idli sandwich

Idli is a traditional breakfast in south Indian households.Idli is a savory cake of south India that is most popular through out the country.Most often eaten as breakfast or as a snack,idlis are usually served in pairs with chutney, sambar or mixtures of dry spices.I usually cook idli once in week. I keep variations in chutney.Now this time it was a little challenging as I wanted to prepare something for my picky eater  who just started her school after long summer break..  .That's when I tried stuffed idli (concept suggested by one of my friend,Vaishali). To my surprise this time lunch box came out empty fully satisfied.Here goes my wonderful recipe.Iam posting this recipe in BM#55 under the theme healthy breakfast recipes.

Ingredients:

•  Idli batter ( for 12 idlis)( I use idli rava 2 cups and urad dal 1 cup for idli batter)
•  1 small onion finely chopped 
• 2 potatoes 
• 1 carrot
• green peas( 2 to 3 tbspns)
• Turmeric powder 1/4 tspn
• Mustard seeds 1/4 tspn
• Oil 1tbspn
• chilli powder very less( optional )
• salt to taste ( very less)

Procedure:

• Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds when it starts spluttering add finely chopped onions.when onions fry well add boiled and mashed potatoes,other veggies and fry well.( you may use your choice of stuffing but make sure stuffing should be dry so that it can go as a binding)

• Take a lemon size bowl of the stuffing and pat it as a thin patties to be place above the batter.

• Now take 3 tbspn of  thick idli batter and pour it in idli moulds and keep the flattened stuffing patty in the batter slowly( place the patty carefully else the stuffing may sink in the batter)

On top of each stuffed batter again pour 2 tbspn of batter just to cover the top,and cook it for 20 mins or until idli is well cooked .Yummy stuffed idli is ready.

Tips: always make sure  batter should be thick.
         use more batter in the bottom than top portion.

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Phirni

Phirni is a popular North Indian sweet dish.Easy to make is a kind of rice pudding.usually South Indians prepare payasam a sweet dish similar to phirni,unlike payasam it does not use whole grains of rice.Phirni made with coarsely ground rice,flavored with lots of saffron,cardamom,lot of nuts.It is usually thick in consistency and we can make it thin by adding more milk as per our taste.phirni can enjoyed well when it is cold.I'm posting this recipe in Blogging Marathon in#55 under the theme in no bake desserts.

Ingredients:

• Milk 1 liter
• Basmati rice 4 tbspn
•  Sugar 6 tbspn
• Saffron strands few
• Chopped pistachio few
  

Procedure:

• Soak basmati rice in water for about half an hour.
• Drain,pat dry on an absorbent kitchen towel and blend into coarse powder.
• Mix 3 tbspn of cold milk  to the coarse powder and keep it aside.
• Now boil remaining milk in a bowl.Simmer it to medium flame when the milk about to rise.
• Now add coarse riceflour paste to the boiled milk and mix it slowly.Let it boil 10 mins then add sugar and cardamom powder.
• Switch off the flame when it just thickens and rice powder just cooked enough.
• Sprinkle some chopped nuts and keep it in refrigerator until just thickens
• Enjoy when chilled.

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KAJA(Traditional Andhra sweet)

Today's dessert is a traditional recipe from Andhrapradesh, called Madatha kaja or kaja.A special coastal Andhra dish. Refined wheat flour with sugar is made into layered dough, and lightly fried in oil to make kaja later soaked in sugar syrup for few mins.This crispy sugar coated kaja is our all time favorite dessert.When I made first time I love to the core as I never thought that we can prepare kaja at home.In coastal Andhra this dessert is very common during celebrations.Coming to the recipe as this is my very first recipes so I haven't taken pics nicely..Such a simple easy recipe one should try.I'm posting this recipe in BM#55 Under the theme no bake desserts.

Ingredients:

• Maida(all purpose flour)2 cups
• Ghee 2 to 3 tbspn
• Rice flour little bit 1 tbspn for dusting
• water 1 cup for syrup
• oil
• sugar 2cups
• Baking soda 1  pinch
• Rose water( optional)1tspn

Procedure:

• Take a bowl and mix maida,2 tspns ghee,water( enough to knead the dough) and knead well like we do for chapatis.Keep the dough aside and cover it for 10 to 15 mins.
• In another bowl take 2 cups of sugar and add 1 cup water.Keep it on stove and boil it until sugar dissolves well ,(adding rose water gives nice flavour to the syrup this is optional)..syrup should be like one thread consistency(this takes around 10 to 15 mins). then switch of the stove.

Step by step

1.Take small quantity from the bowl around big lemon size and make a round ball.

2.Make thin chapathi with the round ball.Apply 1 tpn of ghee on top of it and sprinkle some rice flour .

3.Make another chapathi  by taking another round ball,and put this chapathi on top of first chapathi.

4.Apply some ghee on top of it and sprinkle some flour(rice flour)on top of it.

5.wet your hands with little bit of water and slowly flatten the edge( edges should be tightly packed).
( you may use another chapathi after applying ghee and rice flour for more layers)

6.Now roll it as shown in the pic

7.Now cut into small pieces as shown in the pic.,by using knife.

8.slowly press rolling pin on top of each piece(don't press too much )

9.Repeat the process with all the pieces.

Now heat oil in a kadai for deep fry.

10.In the mean time get ready the sugar syrup.Add 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water boil until sugar syrup thickens just one string consistancy.

11. When the oil is hot slowly drop the pieces in the oil

12.when they almost fried we'll take out from the stove and  put in the sugar syrup bowl.

13. Let it stay for 1 or 2 mins then take out in plate.Delicious kaja ready now.

Note::

Sugar syrup should be little more than one string consistency( little thick),then kaja will be more firm and crispy.
Take out kajas from oil and keep 1 or 2 mins aside before dropping them in sugar syrup( syrup should be warm but not too hot or else kajas might turn soft)

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