Blogging for my Friend - Murukku and Gulab Jamuns....mmhh crunchy and yummy :)

When I asked my friend Swapna do you want me post anything for you and have any snaps, she was very excited :). So, these are Swapna's recipes and I feel happy to post them on my blog. Since she is busy with her kid I am glad to share her recipes with all of you. I hope you all will like them. Any non bloggers who wish to post their recipes can send them to my email id vishkamenani@gmail.com. I would be glad to share them on my blog.

For Murukkulu

Ingredients :

Rice flour - 2 cups
Gram flour -1/2 cup
Sesame seeds - 1-2 tbsp
Butter melted - 1/4 stick
Chilli powder - 1-2 tbsp or more
Salt to taste
Water enough to make the dough
Oil for deep frying

Muruku maker for making murukkus

Method :

1. In a bowl mix together everything except oil meant for deep frying. You should make the dough thick and not loose or thin consistency.
2. Now heat oil in a deep frying pam, place a golf sized ball in the murruku maker (choosing the plate of whichever deisgn you want) and press it in hot oil.
3. Fry the murkus until they are slightly reddish and remove them onto a tissue draining excess oil.
4. Store in air tight containers and serve as snacks.

For Gulab Jamuns

Ingredients :

Gulab Jamun Mix - 1 pack MTR Brand (you can use any store brought)
Baking soda - a pinch
Water/Milk - 1/4 cup or until the dough is consistent enough to make firm balls
Oil for Deep Frying
Sugar Syrup ( Made from 1/2 litre water and 500 grams sugar)

Method :

1. In a bowl, add one pack of the Gulab Jamun mix and add baking soda along with milk/water and make a firm dough consistent enough to make small balls. Mix carefully to avoid lumps.
2. Then the keep the dough aside and prepare sugar syrup.
3. In a deep pan, add water(1/2 ltr) with sugar(500 gms) and boil it on medium heat until it reduces to half the amount.
4. Then in another deep pan, heat oil and dee fry small balls made out of the dough we made and remove them onto a tissue paper to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaning dough.
5. Let them cool and then put them slowly inside the sugar syrup made. After sometime you can see that the gulab jamuns absorb the surup.
6. Then serve them cold or as it is.

Vishu's Tip :

•  For soft and smooth Gulab Jamuns use milk rather than water to prepare the dough.
• For Murukkulu to have that crunchy yet melt in mouth taste add butter.

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My 50th Post and some sweet hojaye with - Rasmalai !

Blogging for me has now become an addiction of sort. My husband says you are making me fat ;) trying new recipes from all the wonderful blogs out there. One thing I have learnt from my blogger friends is not only do they share their recipes with so much care and dedication, they also inspire, impart knowledge, unite all of us under this platform. I appreciate and thank each and everyone for taking their time to visit my blog and comment on the recipes.

So, atlast I have reached the 50th post in Food Lovers and am so excited about it. Here's Rasmalai to sweeten your tongue on this occassion :D. I was planning to make this for S's birthday this week, but didnt want any disasters on that day as this is the first time I am trying this recipe. I thank Vineela for sharing this recipe with us. Rasmalai came out very nicely and I am glad S liked it a lot. Hope you all will too :).

Serves 2
Cooking and Preparation Time 30-45 mins

Ingredients :

For Milk Syrup

Milk  - 2 cups ( I used 2% fat )
Sugar - 4 -5 tbsp approx or more as you prefer

For Making the Rasgulle

Milk - 2 cups
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Muslin cloth
Dry cloth

For making the Sugar Syrup in which the Rasgulle should be boiled

Sugar 1/2 cup approx
Water 3/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tbsp or 2-3 crushed

For Garnishing

Pistachios and Almonds - 1/2 cup chopped
Saffron Strands - 4-5 (optional)

Imp Note : There is a recall on Pistachios due to the fear of Salmonella outbreak right now. So, you may want to check about it and buy before doing this recipe. I had Pistachios which I purchased very earlier.

Method for making Cream with the milk :

1. Heat milk in a container and keep stirring it until it is reduced to 1/4 of its amount. Once the milk starts to boil add the sugar and keep stirring it occassionally on low heat to make it like a thick consistency. Then keep it aside for cooling.

Method for making the Paneer with which we will make Rasgullas :

1. Heat milk in a separate container and bring it to a boil. Immediately add lemon juice while keep stirring and remove from heat else the milk curdles.
2. Now pour this mixture into a muslin cloth and run it under cold water for one min. Then, tightly bind the cloth removing all the excess water.
3. Again, put the mixture into another cloth and make it complete dry. If wet you may not be able to make them as they dont hold together. So, make sure its completely dry.
4. Then, you can see nice white dough like thing. Knead it nicely. Make small and round circles with the dough and press slightly as you do for chapati dough cirlces before rolling them.
5. After preparing all of them then keep them aside to start preparing the sugar syrup.

Method for making Sugar Syrup :

1. Add all the ingredients mentioned and bring it to  a boil. Then add the dumplings or small pressed circles into it slowly and let the syrup boil covering it for few mins. You will notice that circles or dumplings will double their size.

For the last step :

1. Then remove them slowly out of the sugar syrup and add them (onl the dumplings) to the milk cream we prepared.
2. Add some of the the chopped pistachios, alomonds and saffron strands.
3. Refrigerate it for 2-3 hours before serving.
4. Garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds before serving.

Have a wonderful weekend all of you ;) !

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Ugadi recipes - Pulihora and Poli/Obattu

 

Once again, I wish everyone a Very Happy Ugadi !! Puran Poli/Obattu/Bakshalu and Pulihora are some of the Ugadi recipes which are prepared on this festive day. Pulihora can be made in many varieties with lemons, tamarind, mangoes, coconut etc. The one I made is with tamarind pulp and is called Pulusu Pulihora/Tamarind Rice.For something sweet, I made Bakshalu which is made by stuffing the mixture of chana dal and jaggery powder in dough and shallow frying it.

For preparing Puran Poli you need to have lot of patience or else you may end up with a mess :D. Basically, the stuffing should be very dry then, think you are almost done.

So, here is the way how to make them.

Tamarind Rice/ Pulusu Pulihora

Serves 2-3
Cooking and Preparation Time - 30 mins (I generally make Pulusu or Tamarind Pulp 1 day before and keep because it gives a nice taste next day)

Ingredients :

Tamarind Water - 3 cups
Chana Dal - 1/4 cup
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Cumin and Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tbsp each
Dry Red Chillies - 3
Green Chillies-3
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - 10 approx
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil 2-3 tbsp

Method :

1.  Take a thick bottomed vessel, heat oil in it and add asafoetida, peanuts, chana dal to it.
2. When peanuts and dal are changing color add mustard, cumin seeds, turemric powder, red, green chillies and curry leaves.
3. Add salt and the tamarind water to it.
4. Keep it on medium heat and let the tamarind water become a thick paste stirring occassionally.
5. Let the paste cool and store it in the fridge or outside covered if you are preparing the pulihora the next day.
6. Cook 2 cups of basmati rice and mix it with the paste made.
7. Pulihora is ready :).

Puran Poli/Bakshalu/Obattu

Serves 4-5 approx
Cooking and Preparation Time - 20 mins for making 5-8 polis
(I prepared the stuffing, dough yesterday and stored it in the fridge)

Ingredients :

For the Stuffing you will need :

Jaggery made into rough powder - 1 - 1.5 cups
Chana Dal - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tbsp

Method  :

1. Wash the dal and pressure cook with sufficient quantity of water until one whistle. The dal cooked should not be broken and smust be slightly soft. Drain the water and place the dal on a dry cloth or tissue for almost 45 mins to 1 hr to make it dry.
2. Make a paste of the above mentioned cooked dry dal and powdered jaggery using a grinder/food processer along with cardamom powder.
3. The paste which we call Purnam should be dry and when made should come out as a firm ball.
4. If it is not dry and cannot be made into a ball cook it on medium to low heat for 10 mins approx stirring continously without burning it. Let it cool and then try to make the stuffing balls which you should be able to as the purnam becomes firm which is all we need to make the Polis.

To make the dough :

Maida/All purpose flour - 1 cup
Ghee - 1-2 tbsp
Water enough to knead

Method :

1. Make dough with sufficient quantity of water, ghee and keep it aside.

 To prepare the Polis :

 Ingredients :

 Dough Kneaded
 Purnam/Stuffing of Jaggery and Chana Dal
 Oil/Ghee for shallow frying
 Aluminium Foil/Plastic Sheet for rolling

Method :

1. Divide the dough and stuffing into marble sized balls and place them on a plate or paper (Step 1 in image).
2. Apply oil on the aluminium forl/plastic sheet and roll out the dough ball into a small round using a rolling pin or stretching it with your hand.
3. Now place the stuffing ball in the center of the rolled out dough and cover it by bringing the edges together.(Step 3 in image).
4. Grease your hands with few drops of oil and roll the ball with a rolling pin slowly starting at the edges and then towards the center making it into a thin and circular shape.(you can also press with hands instead of using a rolling pin).
5. Heat a non stick pan with 1/4 tbsp of oil/ghee and then place this rolled out poli removing it from the aluminium foil.
6. Fry with small quantity of ghee on both the sides and the Bakshams/Polis/Ubattu are ready to be served. 

 

 

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Garjalu/Kajjikayalu

I went missing soon after my first recipe posting this year as I was busy arranging things at our new apartment we have moved into 3 weeks back. Finally, after getting bored of sorting things I am back to my favorite task these days which is blogging :).

I made this sweet called Kajjikayalu which we call Garjalu for the holidays. Garjalu/Kajjikayalu are made by stuffing a sweet mixture inside a rolled out maida/all purpose flour dough circle which are deep fried. The mixture is dry and is prepared with suji/semolina, dry coconut, sugar, chopped almonds or cashews and cardamom powder.

Preparation and Cooking Time Approx 1 hr

Makes Around 20 and varies depending upon the size

Ingredients :

For the dry filling mixture or stuffing :

Ghee 2 tbsp
Semolina/Suji/Rava – ½ cup
Sugar – ½ cup
Dried coconut – 1/2 cup

Chopped Cashews 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder – 1 tbsp
Oil for deep frying

For making the dough :

All purpose flour – 1 cup

Salt - to taste
Water enough to knead the dough
Ghee – 2 tbsp

 

Method :

1. Make a smooth dough not too soft with the all purpose flour/maida, salt, water and 2 tbsp ghee. Keep it aside covered for 30 mins.
2. In a pan dry roast the dry coconut with 1 tbsp of ghee without burning and keep it aside. In the same pan dry roast suji/rava with 1 tbsp of ghee till it changes color to light brown. Keep it aside and let it cool.
   
3. Now mix sugar, cardamom powder, chopped cashews, dried coconut and rava together which makes the stuffing ready.
4. Now roll the dough thinly into a circle shape/ puri.
5. Now put 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle of the circle.
6. Wet the the half part of the circle on the corners/edges and close it like a semi circle sealing it tightly. Then press the ends and twist the edges so that the stuffing does not come outside making a kajjikaya shape.
   
7. Now deep fry them and remove them onto a tissue paper to remove excess oil. Before frying make sure you make ample amount of kajjikayas ready for frying so that it will be easy.
8. Cool and store them in air tight containers and can be stored for 2-3 weeks.
   

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Payasam with Vermicelli/Kheer

When it comes to having something sweet made of milk the one thing I like is kheer. Kheer/ Payasam is often offered as a part of prasadam to God mostly in South India. I used to relish this dish back home in India whenever it was made, without getting bored. It is can served hot or cold.

Serves 4-5 people
Cooking Time 20 mins or less

Ingredients for preparation :

Vermicelli - 1 Cup
Milk 2 1/2 cups
Cashews/Almonds(or any dry fruit of your choice) roasted in very less or 1/4 tbsp ghee
Saffron 3-4 thread
Sugar - 1/2 cup (increase or decrease according to your taste sweet level)
Ghee 1/4 tbsp

Method :

1. First roast the dry fruits of your choice ( i used cashews ) in ghee and keep aside.
2. Then roast the vermicelli in 1/4 tbsp ghee (or you can use roasted vermicelli available at Indian stores).
3. Heat a vessel and add the roasted vermicelli to it and immediately add the milk and mix well.
4. Then add the amount of sugar you want according to your sweet level and mix it well.
5. Add the saffron and cashews and keep stirring on medium heat till the milk comes to a boil.
6. Then check if the vermicelli is cooked and the dish is ready.
7. Serve hot or cold by itself or some prefer to have it with puri too.

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