Til/Sesame seeds Laddo

I had as usual left buying the “Chikki” jaggery till the last minute and forgot all about it. So I decided to make the kind of laddo that my MIL/Mom made with out “Chikki” jaggery.  To get to the proportions I rang my SIL who was not too sure about the proportions but told me to take more til/Sesame seeds than the ground nuts. She had put every thing in the mixer and got lovely laddos  but  I used  two ways to get the job done one was the mixer and the second was my MIL’s old Khal and Batta.

Ingredients:

1 cup til/Sesame seeds, roasted

¼ cup roasted & peeled groundnuts

¼ cup roasted dry coconut/chobra/khobri (optional)

1 cup jaggery, grated (you can take a little less than 1 cup)

Cardamom seeds/elichi peeled

Method 1: Using the Khal batta

1.       Take the til/sesame seeds, groundnuts and dry coconut and cardamom in the khal and pound it with the batta. you will see the seeds become into a powder a bit oily.

2.       Add the jaggery and continue pounding till the whole thing becomes a nice homogeneous mass.

3.       Make balls and nice soft “til/sesame seeds laddos are ready.

4.       The whole process of pounding took me about 15 minutes thanks to my MIL’s  Khal and Batta.

Method 2: Using the mixer:

1.       Make powders of the til/sesame seeds, ground nuts, dry coconut and cardamom.

2.       Next I transferred all the mixture to the Khal and Batta and added the jaggery and pounded the mixture till the whole thing becomes a nice homogeneous mass. you can add the jaggery and run the mixer  for the same job.

Make laddos in the usual way. Happy Sankranti to you!!

Happy Makar Sankranti to All!!

Hara Bhara Kabab

Things have become pretty hectic in Office and so I have not blogged or visited any of my fellow bloggers.  I intend to rectify this now on.

Hara Bhara Kabab  is something that had made some time ago I came across the photograph and remembered that I had not blogged this.

I made this when my kids told me to make them  when they saw me blanching some palak, leftover after making palak salad.

Here is what I did

Ingredients:

1 cup spinach/ palak, blanched

½ cup peas, steamed with a little salt

2 green chillies

2 cloves garlic (optional)

A handful of coriander

2 big potatoes, boiled

6 sliced of bread soaked in water and squeezed dry

Salt

Rava/bread crumbs

Oil to fry

Method:

1.       Grind to a fine paste the palak/spinach, peas, green chillies, garlic, coriander.

2.       In a big bowl grate the boiled potatoes.  Ad the palak and bread mixture.

3.       Add the salt. Mix to make the dough. ( Do not knead it  a lot as it becomes sticky).

4.       Apply a little oil to your hands and Make small flat balls with the dough.

5.        In a bowl add the rava or bread crumbs  and coat the balls with the mixture.

6.        Shallow fry with a little oil. Reddish on both the sides.

7.       Serve hot. Here I have served with pungent red chutney and tamarind chutney.

Khara Pongal/Hoogi/Khichidi and Good Saar

The day before "Sankranti" is celebrated as " Bhoji", on that day we prepare "Sajji rotti" or bajara roti, "tumgai" or stuffed brinjal, "Hoogi " which is "Khara Pongal" or "Khichidi" and "Good Saar"!

Of all these "Hoogi or Kahara Pongal was always my favourite, these plus papad and pickle!! Kaya Bahar Hai!

I am sending this recipe to Kurinji's Pongal Feast Event.

To make "Khara Pongal" I used

Ingredients:

½ cup moong daal (I used the yellow skinless one you can use the one with skin)

¾ cup basmati rice

1 tblspn homemade ghee

3-4   cloves

3-4 pepper

2 an inch long pieces of cinnamon/dalchini

Mustard

Jeera/ cumin seeds

4 cloves garlic (optional)

1 tomato

Coriander

Haldi/turmeric

2 cups water

Salt

Method:

1.       Wash the rice and daal together and drain. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

2.       Grind together the garlic, tomato and coriander.

3.       In a kadhai heat ghee and fry the cashew nuts and keep aside.

4.        In the same ghee and add the pepper, cloves and cinnamon in quick succession. When they crackle add the mustard and jeera.

5.       Add the ground tomato puree and fry till the ghee comes out.

6.       Add the rice and daal mixture, turmeric and fry till the rice and daal dry out.

7.        Transfer to an appropriate container for the cooker.

8.       Add the water, salt and cook in the cooker for 2 whistles.

9.       Remove garnish with the fried cashew nuts.

10.   Serve hot with Good Saar.

To make Good Saar

Heat 1 tsp home made ghee crackle the mustard, hing/asafoetida, curry leaves and red chillies. Add in tamarind, rasam powder, jaggery, water and salt. Boil the mix. The taste of the saar should be sweet and sour.