Old is gold.

Now, I am praying to God !

I do hope the mavilakku comes out well this time & " saves " my name - I am getting a bit anxious, Radha !
Love & regards,
Chithra.

 

Kozukkattai - For Varalakshmi Nombu & Vinayaka Chathurthi.

Outer covering:
Soak 1 cup raw rice in water for 2 hrs, Wash well & drain. Keep 2 cups of water

ready. Grind the rice as fine as possible using necessary water from the 2 cups.

Mix the remaining water with paste , add 2 tsp oil , a pinch of salt & put in a

heavy pan like pressure pan. Keep on fire & cook , stirring continuously to

prevent lump formation. When the dough is completely cooked & has solidified

completely , switch off the flame. Close the cooker & allow it to stand for 10

mts so that the cooking will be complete. Open , cool on a big plate & knead it

very well so that the dough becomes silky without any tiny lump even – this is

most important. ( I usually pass the dough through a puran poli press or

kitchen press as it is called ). Keep the dough covered to prevent from

becoming dry.

I now use the food processor-plastic bade or dough kneader & find it very good to get smooth dough.

Puranam or filling :

Sweet puranam:

I am giving a general method – varies for each family.

Lightly roast 2 tsp whole moong till aroma comes & powder . Add this to the

filling . However this step is optional. Grate coconut fine . For 1 heaped cup of

this ½ cup powdered jaggery is necessary. You can give the coconut a run in

the mixi.Mix both & (moong dhal pdr ) & do the filling. The easy way is to

microwave it on hi for 5 mts. Or you can stir in a vessel on flame till it

solidifies on a low fire , taking care not to burn it. Add cardamom powder.

Cool & make small balls. Take a small lemon size dough, pat it into a

2”disc ,put little filling inside , draw the edges to the centre to enclose it

completely – like how we do for stuffed parota or puran poli. Th tip is slightly

elongated to give the typical look ! Make a batch of 7,8 & steam like idlis for 7

– 8 mts. Don’t keep them close to eachother, to prevent sticking. Cool well &

then transfer to a vessel. Keep ½ cup of water mixed with 2 tsp oil in a cup &

wet your hands with that when making the kozhukkattais.


Ulutham puranam:

Soak ¾ cup urad dhal + ¼ cup tur dhal ( + ¼ cup gram dhal, optional)

For 1 hr, grind slightly coarse with 7, 8 red chillies, salt & hing. Steam this

mixture. Cool & crumble. Heat oil, temper mustard seeds, urad dhal & curry

leaves & add this mixture. Mix well & remove. For this the outer covering is

made slightly elliptical, a little filling loosely kept inside, closed & steamed.

Ellu puranam:

In some houses this is made.

Equal volumes of til seeds ( usually black variety is used, but can use white

also) & jaggery are used. Crush roasted seeds in the mixi well, then add

jaggery & run both together to get a puranam. Adding cardamom powder is

optional. For this also the outer covering is made slightly elliptical, a little

filling loosely kept inside, closed & steamed.
Please go to
Kozukkattai (1)
Kozukkattai (2)
Kozukkattai (3)
Kozukkattai (4)
Kozukkattai (5)
Kozukkattai (6)
Kozukkattai (7)

 

Kai Murukku - Let us plan for Gokulashtami !

The charm of this, both appearancewise as well as tastewise can never be equalled !

Select “ new raw rice” & not the old quality – we prefer the latter for cooking at home !

The proportion is decided by the volume of the flours & not rice or dhal.

Rwa rice - 4 cups

Urad dhal - 1 cup ( this may be slightly excess only)

Butter - 100 gms per 1 kg of flour mixture

Hing - to taste

White til - to taste

Salt

Oil - to deep fry

Wash & soak rice for 1 hr.

Drain & dry by spreading in a cloth till you can grind it.

Powder in the mixie & sieve fine.

Lightly roast urad dhal & powder.

Sieve that also fine.

For 8 cups of rice flour, 1 cup of urad flour is the right amount.

Mix with butter, hing, salt, til seeds & enough water to get a soft dough.

Now the murukkus are “ twisted” with hand, using fingers.

This is done on a soft wrung cloth so that they will not become dry.

Heat the oil.

Lower 4, 5 murukkus at a time, very carefully - otherwise, the shape will be lost.

When they start “ going round” in the oil, turn over & fry.

They will float in the oil when done.

Now remove to a kitchen tissue.

Store airtight.

Note: I am not expert at " twisting" murukkus ! My co-sister Vijayam came & helped me. I thank her for the gesture.

 

Uppu Seedai - mine is unconventional, but comes out best !

I find this non-traditional recipe very good for making uppu seedai, but the colour is not white.

Maida - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Cooking soda - a tiny pinch

Hing poder - ½ tsp

Coaresely powdered pepper + jeera - 1 tsp ( optional)

White til seeds - 1 tbsp

Lime juice - 2 tsp

Salt

Oil - to deep fry

Mix to bread crumb consistency, maida, soda & ghee.

Add salt , hing, pepper-jeera powder & til seeds.

Sprinkle water little by little to get a slightly stiff dough.

( The plastic blade of the food procesor is ideally suited - add water in teaspoons gradually)


Pinch small amounts & roll lightly into tiny balls.

Do not knead into tight balls – this is very important.

Cook only few at a time to prevent disintegration.


Dry the balls & deep fry on a low fire till bubbles stop completely.

Once you lower the balls in oil, do not be in a hurry to turn them over. They are likely to break. Wait till one side is fairly well cooked before the batch is turned over.


This may take more than 10 mts.

Cool & store airtight.

Optionally 1 tbsp coconut powder may be added or MW 2 tbsp grated coconut on Low for 10 mtes, powder & add. Traditionally fresh coconut used to be added, but I find that it takes a long time to become crisp.

 

Sweet seedai - Excuse me, this is not vella seedai !

I thank my I L friend whose recipe this is & who kindly gave me her consent to post this recipe in this forum. I have made slight modifications. Vella seedai is already posted in " I love sweets".

Yet another Janmashtami Spcecial.

Milk - ½ cup ( cold)

Ghee - ½ cup

Sugar - ½ cup

Maida - 2 ½ cups ( roughly)

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Oil - to deep fry

Take ghee, milk & sugar in a small deep container.

Blend them using electric hand blender till a buttery consistency is reached.

If you do not have an electric hand blender, do this with your right hand – will take 10 mts.

Add cardamom powder & go on adding maida till a dough is got.

This can be done with the plastic blade of the food processor.


It can be a little more stiff than chappathi dough.

Pinch out small portions & roll lightly into small balls.

Heat oil in a kadai.

When the oil becomes very hot, lower 12-15 balls.

Do not crowd - important.

Do not be in a hurry to turn them over. Disturbance may make them disintegrate.


Fry on a low flame till bubbles subside completely.

Cool completely & store airtight.

 

Sweet Whole moong Sundal – Navarathri is approaching !

Whole moong is muzu pachai payaru.

Whole moong - 1 cup

Jaggery - ¾ cup

Freshly grated coconut - ½ cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Lightly roast moong & soak for 4-6 hrs.

Wash & boil in just enough water till soft.

Drain the excess water, add jaggery & boil.
This is done so that the drained moong water is not wasted.

Strain & boil again till it turns syrupy.

Add the cooked moong & simmer till blended.

Add cardamom powder & Coconut.

Remove, add ghee & mix well.

The same sundal can be made with black eyed peas ( vellai karamani & sivappu karamani). It will be equally delicious.

 

Peanut Sundal – A simple sundal with Verkadalai !

Raw peanuts - 1 cup

Salt

Hing - ½ tsp

Red chillies - 3,4

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Soak peanuts in boiling water for minimum 2 hrs.

Drain & add fresh water.

Pressure cook for 3 whistles, adding little salt.

Drain thoroughly.

Heat oil in a kadai & temper red chillies, mustard seeds, urad dhal , hing & curry leaves.

Add drained peanuts & sauté for a few mts.

Similarly, any other whole pulse can be made into a sundal.