Rawa laddu

A simple laddu made from semolina [rava]

Ingredients:
1 cup fine wheat sooji/rava
1 cup sugar
2-3 cloves
Few strands saffron(optional)
1 tea spn raisins
1/2 tea spn cardamom powder
1/2 cup water
1-2 tbl spn Ghee

Method:
Slightly crush cloves and keep aside.
Heat ghee and add cloves, raisins. The cloves and raisins slightly puff up in hot ghee. Add sooji and fry on medium heat mixing continuously till a nice aroma comes out of it. Take out the sooji in a plate.
In the same pan, add water, sugar and heat. Add the saffron strands. Boil it for few minutes.
Switch off the heat and add sooji and mix well. Add cardamom powder and mix well. At this stage, the mixture becomes too watery which is perfectly fine. It gets dry as time passes. Close the lid of the pan and let it sit for about 15-20mins.
When it is dried and can be handled, apply some ghee to hands and make laddoos.
When they are cooled to room temperature, store in air tight containers. Finish them within 1 week.

Makes about 8-10 laddoos

PS:
The cardamom powder should not be added till the end. If it is added before, theladdoos loose their aroma.
Some people add milk at the end when the laddoo mix becomes too dry. Avoid this situation as much as possible. This decreases the shelf life.
If the mixture does not get dry after keeping for about 20mins, you can slightly heat it to get it dry.
If the rava is not roasted properly, the laddoos

Rava dosa

Ingredients

Riceflour-1 cup
Rava or sooji- ½ cup
Maida- ¼ cup
Salt to taste

For seasoning

Mustard seeds- ¼ tsp
Green chillie-1 chopped finely
Pepper- a few
Curry leaves- a few
Ginger- a small piece chopped finely
Coriander leaves- a few chopped finely
Onion- ½ chopped finely
Oil and ghee

Method

Mix the rice flour, maida and rava and add water and salt to it. 

The batter should be watery and flowing. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add onions and other ingredients .Fry for 2 minutes till the onion turns transparent. Add this to the rava batter.

Heat the tawa (the tawa should be very hot while u are pouring the batter) and take one ladleful of batter and spread on the tawa starting from the sides and finishing off in the middle as rava dosa cannot be spreaded like ordinary dosa. 

Drizzle ½ tsp of oil and ¼ tsp of ghee on the sides. 

When it becomes golden brown turn it over.

Serve hot with sambar.

Aloo curry

Aloo curry

Ingredients

Potatoes- 5
Onions - 1 large chopped finely
Garlic- 5 cloves or garlic paste- 1 ½ tsp
Chilli powder- 1tsp
Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
Garam masala -½ tsp
Mustard seeds- ¼ tsp
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Coriander leaves- 2 tsp finely chopped
Oil - 4 tsp
Salt to taste


Method

Grind garlic to a paste. Pressure cook potatoes , peel the skin and cut them into cubes.
Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds. When it splutters add the curryleaves and garlic paste. 
Fry till the raw smell of the garlic disappears and add onions . fry for some time and add chilli, turmeric ,garam masala powders along with salt. 
Then add the potatoes. Mix well, Simmer the flame , close with a lid and cook for 10 to 15 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot

Masala Pachapayaru Sadam {green lentils rice ]

Masala Pachapayaru Sadam

Ingredients:

Pachaipayaru  - green gram
Green gram sprouts -    ¼ cup
Cooked rice -  1 cup (loose form)
Garlic  -   4 pods
Chilli powder - 1 spoon 
Garam masala powder - 1 spoon
Curry leaves
Tomato - 1
Ghee - 2 spoons
Salt
Small onion - 6
Green chilli - 1  

Method:

Cut green chilli, garlic, onion and tomato into pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and add green chilli, garlic, curry leaves,
onion, tomato and saute.
Add masla powder, chilli powder, salt and fry well.
Add cooked rice, sprouts mix well and remove from stove.

SPICY OATS UPMA

INGREDIENTS-

Oats- 2 cups

Minced ginger- ½ tsp

Ghee- 3 tsp

Curry leaves—a few

Water- 4 and 1/2 cups

Urad dal- 1 tbsp

Salt- as required

Channa dal- 2 tsp

Asafeotida- a pinch

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Sliced green chilies- 3 (chopped)

Dried red chilies- 2

Sliced onion- 1

Oil- as required

PROCEDURE

Roast the oats in a pan without oil for about 3 mins and keep it aside. 

Heat some oil in the pan and add urad dal, chana dal, mustard seeds, green chillies, dry red chillies and fry for some time till the dal turns golden brown. 

Now add sliced onions, minced ginger and curry leaves.

Sauté the onions till they are tender, add asafetida and salt. 

Add water and allow it to boil for some time and then add the roasted oats.

 Keep stirring till all the water is absorbed and oats are thoroughly cooked and serve hot!!

SERVING TIPS- TASTES BEST WITH TOMATO CHUTNEY, AND SHOULD BE CONSUMED IMMIDIATELY WHEN HOT ONLY!!

Oats pongal

Ingredients

Oats - 1 cup
Bengal gram dal - 1/ 2  cup
Kaaramani ( black eye peas ) - 1/4 cup
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder -1 tsp
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Salt - as needed
Ghee - as needed

Method

1. Heat a frying pan.
2. Add karamani, fry and pressure cook  with bengal gram dal.
3. Sprinkle water on oats and set aside.
4. Heat a frying pan.
5. Add oats, water and cook.
6. When oats are cooked, add karamani, dal, salt and stir well.
7. When the contents have mixed well, remove the pan from the stove.    
8. Heat ghee in a frying pan.
9. Add asafoetida, pepper powder, cumin powder and add to the contents.
10. Mix well and serve. 

Malpau

Malpau 

Ingredients :

1 kg khoya
250 gm refined flour
50 grm corn flour
10 gm cardamom powder
50 gm chopped pista
1 gm saffron
1 ltr water
50 grm fennel seeds

For sugar syrup :

1 ltr water
2.5 kgs sugar
1 gm saffron.

Method :

Boil the water and add the sugar and cardamom and let it boil for some time till all the sugar disolves and allow it to cool ..

Method :

Boil the water , grate khoya into it , mix with all the dry ingredients and make a smooth mixture.
Put oil in the pan on medium flame for frying , pour some mixture into the heated oil , the oil should not be very hot
Flip the malpau take it out when it becomes little stiff and golden brown in colour.
Drop thiss straight into the sugar syrup..