Paruppu Podi/Dal Powder

Paruppu podi/Dal powder is south Indian special spice powder that can be mixed with white rice and with some ghee, taste delicious . This powder can stay good for over a month if stored in an airtight container.

Preparation Time : Under 15 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 10 minutes


INGREDIENTS:

Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Roasted Split  Gram Dal/Pottu kadalai - 1/2 cup
Dry red chilli - 4 no.s
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic - 4 cloves
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - as required
Oil - 1 teaspoon(For frying garlic)

METHOD:

1. In a pan, dry roast toor dal for 2 minutes.

2. Now add cumin seeds and black pepper and fry for another few minutes.

3. Now add dry red chilli to that.

4. Now add roasted split gram and fry for a minute and turn off the stove.

5. Set aside the above contents. Now in the same pan, add a teaspoon of oil. Roast garlic , till they turn golden brown.

6. Allow the contents to cool completely. Then before grinding add salt and asafoetida powder. Grind them to a smooth powder.

7. Paruppu podi/ Dal powder is ready. In hot rice, mix some ghee and add some paruppu podi . It taste delicious. Papad as a side dish goes well for this dal powder rice !.

SEE ALSO: Sambar powder, Dosai podi ,Rasam powder

Moong Dal Dosa

Healthy, protein rich moong dal/pasi paruppu dosa. This dosa is made only with moong dal without adding any rice ! Hence it is ideal for people who are looking for protein rich foods to lose weight and get fit .

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Yields - 5 to 6 no. of dosa

INGREDIENTS:

Moong dal/ pasi paruppu  - 1 cup
Green chilli - 1 no
Ginger - 1 inch sized
Coriander leaves - as required
Salt - as required
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - For making dosa

METHOD:

1. Soak moong dal for 4 to 5 hours.

2. Now drain the water from soaked moong dal and grind it with ginger and green chilli (Do not add salt now). When you are grinding, add little water, so that you get a smooth and thick paste.

3. Now , add turmeric, chopped coriander leaves and salt. Add water to your desired consistency. The batter should be little thick and flowing consistency.

4.  Spread the batter on a pan. Add oil and cook on both sides.

5. Serve with any chutney of your choice !.

SEE ALSO: Mint Coriander Chutney, Tomato Onion Chutney 

Kalakand

Kalakand is a sweet made using condensed milk and paneer. This sweet requires very less time to prepare and doesn't require any additional sweetener or sugar . The sweetness in the condensed milk is enough and taste very delicious !.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time:  15 minutes
Yields: 17-18 pieces

INGREDIENTS:

Condensed Milk - 1 can (300 gms appox.)
Paneer - 1 cup(From 1 liter of whole milk)
Whole milk - 2 table spoon
Cardamom powder -1/2 teaspoon
Chopped nuts - as required for garnishing( Cashews,almonds)

METHOD:

1. In a large vessel, boil 1 liter of whole milk. When it boils well and raises up , add lemon juice ( 1/2 lemon squeezed). The milk starts to break.

2. Filter the paneer in a thin white cloth. Squeeze out all the excess water from the paneer.

3. Grease aluminium foil with ghee and place it on a plate and set aside. Crumble the paneer to pieces. Now in a pan, add condensed milk and warm it in medium and low flame.

4. Now add crumbled paneer, 2 tablespoon milk and cardamom powder .

5. Now mix the contents well. Keep stirring them in a medium flame. The mixture starts to thickens.

6. The texture of kalakand should be moist and grainy( as in picture below). It takes approximately 7 to 8 minutes to get that texture. Don't  over cook as it will turn very dry . The mixture should be moist,juicy and soft.

7. Now pour the mixture in the greased aluminium foil. Sprinkle chopped nuts on the mixture. Press gently with your hands so the chopped nuts stick to the mixture well.

8. Allow it cool down. Then, cover it with another aluminium foil.

9. Refrigerate it for 2 hours. Then take it out and cut in to pieces using knife.

SEE ALSO: Milk peda, Milk powder gulabjamun, Padar peni

Urad dal /Ulundu Murukku

Urad dal murukku is the tastiest murukku/chakkli and loved by everyone. Usually in India, they powder urad dal in machines outside and make this murukku. As we are staying abroad, and we dont have such machines here for that, I tried making it at home by pressure cooking the urad dal and mashing it . It came out well and also very delicious . Please follow the steps as given below, and you will get tasty murukku in short time !.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Yields : 40-50 murukku

INGREDIENTS:

Whole Urad dal - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 3 cup
Black sesame seeds - 3/4 teaspoon
Salt - 1 1/4 teaspoon
Water - as required
Butter - 1.5 table spoon

METHOD:

1. Dry roast urad dal for 2-3 minutes , until you get a nice aroma and they are hot to touch. Please remember not to over roast.

2. Now , add 1.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker and add this urad dal. Pressure cook for 1 whistle in high and simmer mode for 10 minutes and switch off the stove. Once the pressure settle, open the lid and mash the dal with back of a wooden ladle.

3. Now allow dal to cool down and grind them in mixer to a smooth paste. The reason for grinding after pressure cooking is,  we need to make sure there isnt any whole urad dal  in the paste. If the urad dal is not mashed well, chances are that they may burst when deep fried in oil. So after grinding, make sure that there is no whole urad dal and should be a smooth paste.

4. Now in a bowl, take rice flour,sesame seeds and salt. Mix well. Also add melted butter and mix well. Now add the urad dal paste to the rice flour. Mix well. Add water if required.  The dough should be smooth and soft. Shouldn't be too hard (Else, you will have hard time when using hands press ;)) and also shouldn't be too soft or watery .

5. Grease your hands press (murukku/chakli maker)  with oil. I used the three holed urad dal murukku jalli as shown in picture below.

6. Now put some dough in to the hand press, and press in to a round shape on the back of the frying ladle.

7. Deep fry them in oil, until they change to slight brown. Once you put the murukku in oil, you hear a "shhh" sound. Once the sound stops, it means your murukku has been cooked. You can take it our from oil.

8. Allow them to cool down.Store them in a  airtight container. It can stay for two to three weeks.

SEE ALSO:  Tape murukku, Butter murukku, Omapodi.

Sweet Maida Biscuits

Sweet maida biscuits/ shankarpali is common sweet snack made during Diwali season. A very tempting and tasty snack for kids  ! .

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Serves : 5 servings

INGREDIENTS:

All purpose flour/maida - 2 cups
Sugar -1/2 cup
Ghee - 2 teaspoon
Cardamom - 3 no.s
Baking soda - a big pinch
Salt - a pinch
Water - as required
Oil - for deep frying

METHOD:

1. Take some sugar and cardamom and grind them to a fine powder( Note: When you want to grind cardamom, dont use lot of sugar. Grind in less sugar, so that cardamom gets powdered well). Now grind the remaining sugar also to a fine powder.

2. In a bowl, take all purpose flour, salt,baking soda,powdered sugar and  ghee.

3. Mix them well. Now add water little by little and make a smooth dough. Remember that, as we have added sugar, it requires very less water to form the dough. So add water little by little. The dough should not be too soft or too hard.

4. Now divide the dough to seven equal portions. Take a ball of dough and flatten it. Dont make it too thin. It should be slightly thicker than chapatti.

5. Now cut them in to square shapes.

6. Deep fry them, until they are golden brown.

7. Allow them to cool down. Store them in a air tight container.

SEE ALSO: Maida biscuits(Spicy)