MITHAI/ MOTICHOOR LADOO
Ingredient:
- Besan/Kadalaimavu/Chick pea flour -1cup
- Chopped pistachios/sliced almonds/ melon seeds- 1 tblsp
- Salt – a pinch
- Clarified butter/ghee – 1 tblsp
- Water – as req
- Food color liquid (orange) -2-3 drops/ saffron – 10-12 strands
- Canola/Vegetable/sunflower/peanut oil -to deep fry
Sugar Syrup:
- Granulated sugar -1cup
- Water -1/2cup
- Cardamom powder/elaichi- a generous pinch
- Food color liquid (orange) -2-3 drops/ saffron – 5-6 strands
- Lemon juice/lemon salt – 1 tsp
Procedure:
- Always use a wide mixing bowl for battering any kind of batter, same as here. Place a wide mixing bowl add the dry ingredients along with the amount of water as required to make the boondhi batter. The batter should be like dosa batter little thinner not too runny.
- Add food color to the batter and stir it well
- Place a kadai/frying pan and pour some oil to deep fry, make sure the oil should not be smoky hot when the oil get enough hot
- Use the boondhi making large ladle so called “Sarani/Jalli Karandi”, use a milk ladle /kuzhi karandi to take the boondhi batter and place over the batter on the boondhi making ladle/sarani/jalli karandi and pour the batter in a clock wise direction in order to avoid the boondhis overlapping.
- The boondhis takes only few seconds to cook so keep an eye on it and once the sizzle sounds off you can take off the boondhis from the oil and drop it over dry tissues/paper towel/any dry paper to observe the excess oil
- While the boondhi’s are resting you can start the sugar syrup process .In a medium vessel mix the water and granulated sugar bring it to boil when it reaches the ONE STRING Consistency ,add the cardamom powder to the syrup and turn off the flame now add the lemon juice /lemon salt to avoid the crystallization
- If you feel that your boondhis are too big or uneven, you can coarsely grind the boondhis and keep it in a large bowl for mixing.
- Add the boondhis into the hot sugar syrup and cover it for minimum of 15 mins or until the sugar syrup is absorbed by the boondhis.
- Now add the chopped nuts to the ladoo mixture. Mix completely and apply some ghee on your palms to make yummy Mithai/motichoor Ladoos.
NOTE:
The boondhi mixture should be bare enough hot to make ladoos. If the mixture become warm/cold it is very hard to make the ball shape.
FIVE STAR-SPL SWEET:
(My Mom’s Invention)
Ingredients:
- Cashew paste – ½ cup
- Whole milk – ½ cup
- Coconut paste – ½ cup
- Granulated sugar – ½ cup
- Ghee – ½ cup
- Food color (any) – 4-5 drops
Procedure:
- Soak the whole cashews into the hot water (preferably) or in room temperature water for about an hour and grind it smoothly and keep aside.
- Grate the fresh coconut and grind it very smoothly and measure it to ½ cup and keep aside.
- In a heavy bottomed kadai, add granulated sugar and milk. Bring it to boil and start adding cashew paste.
- Once the cashew paste is getting thicker, than add coconut paste.
- Add the desired food color at this stage and start adding ghee one tblsp at a time.
- For this delicious recipe you need patience.
- Keep stirring to avoid scorching.
- It will take minimum 20-30 mins to reach the correct texture. In between add ghee as required.
- Within 20-25 mins, the ghee starts releasing the sides of the pan.
- Take a pinch of the sweet and place in between your fingers, If you able to form an NON-sticky ball. Then, the “FIVE STAR” is ready to serve.
BESAN MURUKKU
//A2B influenced Murukku//
Ingredients:
- Idiyappam flour/ rice flour – 1 cup
- Besan flour/ kadalaimavu – ½ cup
- butter – 1 tblsp
- Sesame seeds – ½ tsp
- Asafetida – ¼ tsp
- Salt – as req
- Water – as req
- Oil- to deep fry
Procedure:
- In a wide sauce pan add required amount of oil to deep fry
- In a mixing bowl add rice flour, besan flour, sesame seeds, asafetida and salt. Add room temperature butter to the mixture, mix roughly.
- Now add water little by little to form a soft stiff dough, grease the murukku press inserted plain(single hole) mold with oil
- Start squeezing the dough in a circular motion about a circle over any damp cloth or any greased flat ladle. Place max of 4 murukku at a time, do not over crowd the pan.
- Allow it to cook for few seconds and flip it around gently, once the sizzle sounds off
- Place the crispy Besan murukku over the paper towel to drain off excess oil.
- Cool completely and store it in an air tight container
NOTE:
- Sieve the urad flour finely, that will helps to shape and taste the murukku way better.
- Always cover the remaining dough with a damp cloth to keep the dough moist.
KAJU KATLI/CASHEW BURFI:
Ingredients:
- Whole cashews – 1 cup
- Granulated sugar – ½ cup
- Water – ¼ cup
- Ghee – ½ tsp
- Cardamom powder- 1/8 tsp (optional)
Procedure:
- Finely grind the cashews and keep aside.
- In a sauce pan add the granulated sugar along with ¼ cup of water. Bring it to boil, once it reaches the one-string consistency, add the powdered cashews.
- In a medium-low flame, cook the cashews for about 3-4 mins. You will able to form a mass ball. Sprinkle some freshly grounded cardamom powder and turn off the flame.
- When the dough it still warm, knead the dough with ½ tsp of ghee over any clean counter for about 5-8 mins or until you will the smooth dough.
- Place the dough over the counter and place a piece of butter sheet/ parchment sheet to roll the dough nice, thin and evenly.
- Cut into diagonal pieces and store the katli’s in an air tight container.
THENGAIPAL/COCONUT MILK MURUKKU:
Ingredients:
- Idiyappam flour/ rice flour – 1 cup
- Urad dhal flour – ¼ cup
- butter – 1 tblsp
- Sesame seeds – ½ tsp
- Asafetida – ¼ tsp
- Coconut milk (1st squeeze) – ½ cup
- Coconut oil – for greasing
- Salt – as req
- Water – if req
- Oil- to deep fry
Procedure:
Making urad dhal powder:
- Dry roast the urad dhal in a pan, until nice aroma comes out. Cool completely and grind it very finely. Sieve the flour and store it in an air tight container for long shelf.
Murukku procedure:
- In a wide sauce pan add required amount of oil to deep fry
- In a mixing bowl add rice flour, urad dhal flour, sesame seeds, asafetida and salt. Add room temperature butter to the mixture, mix roughly with your fingertips.
- Now add thick 1st squeeze coconut milk little by little to form a soft stiff dough, grease the murukku press inserted plain(3 holes) mold with coconut oil
- Start squeezing the dough in a circular motion about a circle over any damp cloth or any greased flat ladle. Place max of 4 murukku at a time, do not over crowd the pan.
- Allow it to cook for few seconds and flip it around gently, once the sizzle sounds off
- Place the delicious Thengaipal murukku over the paper towel to drain off excess oil.
- Cool completely and store it in an air tight container
NOTE:
- Sieve the urad flour finely, that will helps to shape and taste the murukku way better.
- Always cover the remaining dough with a damp cloth to keep the dough moist.
- Always use freshly squeezed 1st coconut milk to attain the flavor.
MAIDA STICKS:
Ingredients:
- Maida/ All-Purpose flour – 1 cup
- Powdered sugar – ¼ cup
- Butter – 1 tsp
- Cardamom powder – 1/8 tsp
- Salt – a pinch
- Oil – to deep fry
- Water – as req
Procedure:
- In a wide mixing bowl, add AP flour, powdered sugar, salt, cardamom powder and room temperature butter/ ghee. Mix roughly.
- Add water little by little until to form a mass ball, knead the dough for at least 5-6 mins. Allow it to rest for some time.
- Meanwhile heat the oil in a kadai/ wide sauce pan for frying
- Now divide the dough into two equal parts and start rolling the dough like chapathi (I usually prefer little thicker side).
- Using a sharp knife/ pizza cutter, cut into thin strips as desired.
- Once the oil get enough hot, gently drop some of the maida strips to the oil at the same time do not over crowd the pan.
- Allow it to cook for few mins in a medium-low flame and keep stirring the oil as much and don’t let it get burnt.
- Once the sizzle sounds off, take the Maida Sticks from oil and place over paper towel to drain off any excess oil.
- Cool completely and store it in an air-tight container and enjoy.
BOONDHI LADOO
Ingredient:
- Besan/Kadalaimavu/Chick pea flour -1cup
- Cashews/raisins -10 nos
- Salt – a pinch
- Clarified butter/ghee – 3tblsp
- Water – as req
- Food color liquid (yellow) -2-3 drops
- Canola/Vegetable/sunflower/peanut oil -to deep fry
Sugar Syrup:
- Granulated sugar -1cup
- Water -1/2cup
- Cashews/pistachios/badam -5-10 nos (finely chopped)
- Cardamom powder/elaichi- a pinch
- Lemon juice/lemon salt – 1 tsp
Procedure:
- Always use a wide mixing bowl for battering any kind of batter, same as here place a wide mixing bowl add the dry ingredients along with the amount of water as required to make the boondhi batter. The batter should be like dosa batter little thinner not too runny.
- Add food color to the batter and stir it well
- Place a kadai/frying pan and pour some oil for deep frying, make sure the oil should not be smoky hot when the oil get enough
- Use the boondhi making large ladle so called “Sarani/Jalli Karandi”, use a milk ladle /kuzhi karandi to take the boondhi batter and place over the batter on the boondhi making ladle/sarani/jalli karandi and pour the batter in a clock wise direction in order to avoid the boondhis overlapping.
- The boondhis takes only few seconds to cook so keep an eye on it and once the sizzle sounds off you can take off the boondhis from the oil and drop it over dry tissues/paper towel/any dry paper to observe the excess oil
- While the boondhi’s are resting you can start the sugar syrup process .In a medium vessel mix the water and granulated sugar bring it to boil when it reaches the ONE STRING Consistency ,add the cardamom powder to the syrup and turn off the flame now add the lemon juice /lemon salt to avoid the crystallization
- If you feel that your boondhis are too big or uneven, you can coarsely grind the boondhis and keep it in a large bowl for mixing.
- Now you can add the hot sugar syrup into the coarsely grounded boondhis along with a tsp of ghee and mix it, once everything is incorporated well you can make ladoos out of this
NOTE:
The boondhi mixture should be bare enough hot to make ladoos. If the mixture become warm/cold it is very hard to make the ball shape.
MAIDA BISCUIT/DIAMOND BISCUIT:
Ingredients:
- Maida/ All-Purpose flour – 1 cup
- Powdered sugar – ¼ cup
- Butter – 1 tsp
- Cardamom powder – 1/8 tsp
- Salt – a pinch
- Oil – to deep fry
- Water – as req
Procedure:
- In a wide mixing bowl, add AP flour, powdered sugar, salt, cardamom powder and room temperature butter/ ghee. Mix roughly.
- Add water little by little until to form a mass ball, knead the dough for at least 5-6 mins. Allow it to rest for some time.
- Meanwhile heat the oil in a kadai/ wide sauce pan for frying
- Now divide the dough into two equal parts and start rolling the dough like chapathi (I usually prefer little thicker side).
- Using a sharp knife/ pizza cutter, cut into diagonal shapes as desired.
- Once the oil get enough hot, gently drop some of the diamonds to the oil at the same time do not over crowd the pan.
- Allow it to cook for few mins in a medium-low flame and keep stirring the oil as much and don’t let it get burnt.
- Once the sizzle sounds off, take the diamond biscuits from oil and place over any paper towel to drain off any excess oil.
- Cool completely and store it in an air-tight container and enjoy.
