Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Chocolate Milk Burfi


Ingredients:
Condensed milk:  14 oz (400 gms)
Milk powder: 2 cups
Heavy whipping cream: 1 cup
Chocolate chips: 1 cup
Ghee: 1 tablespoon
Chopped almonds: 2 tablespoon (optional)

Procedure:

Step1:
Mix together Milk powder and heavy whipping cream to a thick crumbly paste

Step2:
Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a saucepan and add the milk powder cream paste.
Also add the condensed milk and stir together

Step3:
After a while the mixture becomes more liquid and stir continously in a medium low flame

Step4:
After 10 - 15 minutes, the mixture will thicken, forms a mass and starts coming off the sides.It will frothy at this stage

Step5:
Remove from the flame and pour 2/3 of the mixture in a greased 7"X7" square pan (You can also line it with parchment paper)

Step6:
In the remaining mixture add the chocolate and stir it well so that the chocolate melts in the heat itself

Step7:
Spread this chocolate mixture on top of the white mixture prepared in Step5

Step8:
Allow around 4-6 hours so that it sets well and then cut into desired shapes

Note:
If you see that the mixture is not set after a couple of hours and still it is sticky, keep it in a refrigerator for 2 hrs
If it still does not set, take out the mixture and cook for a couple of more minutes and then pour it again in the pan. However the chocolate layer will be mixed.
If the pan is microwave safe best option is to heat it in microwave for 2 or 3 minutes.
If everything fails, just roll into balls and flatten it. It will still taste awesome.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

SAKKARAI PONGAL


Ingredients
Raw Rice: 1/2 cup
Moong dhal: 1 tablespoon
Jaggery: 3/4 cup
Cardomom:4
Milk: 1/4 cup(optional)
Ghee: 4 tablespoon
Cashew: 10
Nutmeg powder(Jathikkai podi): a pinch (optional)

Procedure:
Step1:
Dry roast rice and moong dhal separately for 2 min each.

Step2:
Mix both rice and moong dhal in a pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water and cook for 3 whistles

Step3:
Meanwhile take the grated jaggery in a pan. Add 1/2 cup of water and melt the jaggery.
Once it has melted strain the liquid to get rid of any impurities

Step 4:
Now take this jaggery syrup again in the pan and boil it until it reaches a kind of thick consistency (The syrup will first come to a boil with bubbles. After that lower and flame and cook for 2-3 min with constant stirring).No need to check for any thread consistency

Step5:
Take the boiled rice, moong dhal mixture and mix it along with jaggery syrup. Do this until the mixture has blended well with the jaggery. Also add milk at this stage. 

Step6:
Add  2 tablespoon of ghee little by little and stir well

Step7:
Take 1 tablespoon of ghee and fry the cashews. Add this to the pongal

Step8:
Finally add the remaining ghee and mix well

Note:

  • Coconut can be chopped into small pieces and fried in ghee and can be added to this pongal
  • If the pongal is very thick boil little milk and add.Make sure the milk is not piping hot. Otherwise it will curdle when mixed with jaggery







Tuesday, September 18, 2012

HOMEMADE GANESHA IDOL

Vinayaka Chathurthi always meant clay pillayar, erukam poo, kudai (umbrella), Kozhukkatai and lots of fruits during my childhood days.
I still remember those moments where I would accompany my Dad early in the morning to get the clay pillayar.I used to get additional pair of eyes and extra clay from the seller just to make another small pillayar on my own.
Last year I made this pillayar (Ganesh) using my daughter's play dough since we do not get the traditional clay pillayar in US.
Play dough Ganesha

Here is the video in youtube for the procedure. It is quite easy to follow.




Last year I made the pillayar using Kozhukkatai dough using the above procedure





Rice flour Ganesha

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Moong dhal Sundal

This is a very easy sundal that can be done in less than 15 minutes.Since the moong dhal cooks very fast there is no need for any soaking or preparation

Ingredients:
Split moong dhal: 1 cup
Water: 3/4 cup
Salt: 1 tsp
Oil: 2 tsp
Grated coconut: 1/4 cup
Hing: a pinch
Red chillies: 2
Green chillies: 2
Turmeric powder: a pinch
Red chilly powder: a pinch(optional)
Curry leaves: a sprig
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal: 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves: a sprig (for garnishing)

Procedure:
Step1:
Cook the dhal with 3/4 of water in low to medium flame for 10 minutes.
Do not over overcook . Otherwise it will become mushy.
Also do not use pressure cooker to cook this

Step2:
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.Once it starts spluttering add urad dhal and curry leaves.
Split the red chillies and add. Add the green chillies and hing

Step3:
Add the cooked dhal now

Step4:
Add the grated coconut and fry for a few seconds

Step5
Remove from fire and add chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

GOBI 65 RESTAURANT STYLE

Ever since Jay posted it, I had been making this almost every week.I had tried various recipes for Gobi 65 before and this is the one that my whole family loved it.

Gobi65

Recipe Source: Tasty Apetite