South Indian Sweet Dumpling ( sweet & Savory) இனிப்பு & கார கொழுக்கட்டை

South Indian  Dumpling ( sweet & Savory) 

இனிப்பு & கார கொழுக்கட்டை

Ingredients:

Raw rice  -  2 Cups

Grind the soaked rice into a fine paste. Sufficient water can be added  as the batter will be reconstituted into  a very thin form

In a heavy bottom saucepan, boil the rice paste ( in running consistency)until it thickens to form a solid  dough.

A tablespoon of oil is added to make it smooth and soft. If the dough doesn't stick to the wet fingers, then it is done. If sticky, continue to cook in low flame.

Ingredients for fillings ( 4 types) :

a) Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Jaggery  - 1 and a 1/4 cup

Cardamom  - 1 tsp ( powdered)

b) Black Sesame Seeds  -  1/2 Cup

 Jaggery  - 3/4 Cup

c) Urad Dal  - 1/2 cup
    Green chilli  - 1
    Ginger ( finely chopped)  - 1/2 teaspoon
    Asafoetida  -  a pinch
    Curry Leaves  -  a twig

d) Moong Dal  - 1/2 cup
    Green chilli  - 1
    Ginger ( finely chopped)  - 1/2 teaspoon
    Asafoetida  -  a pinch
    Curry Leaves  -  a twig

Grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Preparation of the filling:
a) Coconut filling: Pound the Jaggery, add 2 tablespoons of water. Melt completely on low flame, strain to remove impurities and bring it to boil again. When the syrup becomes sticky / one string consistency, add the grated coconut. Cook for 2 minutes, add powdered cardamom. Remove from fire. Allow it to cool.
b) Sesame filling: Wash, drain and let the sesame seeds dry on a clean white cloth. Heat a pan and dry roast the sesame. Once cooled, coarse powder it in a mixie, add the pounded jaggery, and do a quick blend. Remove, roll into desirable size balls and keep aside.
c) and d) are savories and follow same steps except for the first ingredient - moong dal / Urad dal.
Soak the dal for half hour, coarse grind it. Steam it for 5 min. Remove, cool and crumble it using greased fingertips. Heat a tablespoon of oil, saute the seasoning - finely chopped ginger and green chili. Add asafoetida and curry leaves. Add the steamed dal, switch off the flame. Transfer to a container and is ready for filling.

                               
Knead the dough again for a smooth texture. Pinch a small lump, roll into a ball. Using greased fingertips of both hands press it at the corner, forming a flattened round shape. scoop out the desired filing, fold and close it by pressing the edges firmly.

Steam the dumpling for 5 min. Serve hot.

My Notes:
This Indian sweet is a favourite of all and has a great significance as it is specially made on Vinayaga Chathurthi,the festival to honour  the Elephant headed God.

The dumpling is called  கொழுக்கட்டை ( kozhukattai) or  மோதகம் ( mothagam) in Tamil.

I have prepared the dough using wet rice paste. Some soak rice, drain and prepare rice flour.Then dry roast it and cool. To this hot water is added to prepare the dough.

For convenience, readymade rice flour especially for kozhukattai can also be bought. Hot water is added to prepare the dough. 

I have fond memories of making this during my childhood days at my paternal grandmother' house. It would be really fun with my cousins competing with each other to make the flattened mothagam without any tear using the dough.

The highlight of any festive at Sholavandan, my birth place, is to distribute the food to needy who may knock door throughout the day during such special days. After prayers and followed by the feast, we take turns to give the food to  kids and elderly, a heartwarming scene to see them devour the delicacies. It was a spirit of sharing incorporated from young.

Happy Vinayaga Chathurthi to all. :)

Mysore Pak - Gram flour cake ( மைசூர் பாக் )

Mysore Pak - Gram flour cake  ( மைசூர் பாக் ) 

 Ingredients:

Gram flour ( கடலை மாவு )  -  1 cup
Sugar ( சக்கரை )  -  1 1/2 cup
நெய் ( Ghee / clarified butter )  - 3/4 cup











Steps:

Heat half of the clarified butter (ghee) and roast the gram flour in it for 3 min in medium flame.
In a heavy bottom pan, add sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Let the sugar melt and form a syrup. It should form a single thread consistency. Scoop a small amount of the syrup and let it flow down, if you see it flow like a thread, then it is time to add the flour.
With the medium flame of heat, add in the flour. Stir continuously in same clockwise direction.
Warm the remaining ghee, add to the cooking mixture and continue stirring. Stirring continuously is very much required.
When the mixture leaves the sides of the pan, it is time to remove from the flame.To confirm, wet yr finger tips and touch the flour mixture. If it doesn't stick then it is done. Though it may look like molten lava, it will solidify upon cooling.
Transfer it to a greased tray/ plate.
Allow it to set for a few minutes. While it is still warm, cut into desired shapes  by making impression using a knife. Otherwise it is hard to cut when it has set completely.
Separate it into pieces once it has cooled thoroughly.

My Notes:

Mysore Pak is a simple but rich, traditional sweet undisputedly unanimous  to South Indian weddings, functions, since ages. It does wonders  to the "Indian palate" as a dessert. 

We should accept that it has undergone changes not only in colour, texture and size but also in the name - from Mysore Pakku to Mysore Pak to current trend of calling Mysore Pa. The courtesy to the last name is to be given to the popular sweet makers who created the silky soft melt in the mouth version.

Those days the sweet was big blocks of brownish, slightly hard, crumbly with honey comb texture while currently its  yellowish soft smooth melt in mouth texture. It is still sought after by many as it is considered the original Mysore Pak.

The former texture and colour is got by boiling the sugar syrup a bit longer and cooking the mixture until the ghee separates out of the mixture.By this method we get the honey comb texture. 

In the latter version, the syrup is single thread and the flour is not cooked longer. It ends up with the soft texture  oozing with ghee. :)

My younger son has a sweet tooth, this is one of his favourite sweet. He prefers the soft, melt in mouth but with less ghee. So my version is a modified one with less ghee and 3/4 of the regular proportion of sugar. The right amount of water is important for the sugar syrup. Neither less nor more. Less will make it crystallize and more water will take extra time to form the right syrup consistency. Once the sugar syrup is formed, cooking the flour mixture is fast as it has already been half cooked in ghee. By roasting the flour with generous portion of ghee, we can avoid lumps from being formed in the later stage.

Corn Broccoli Rice ( ப்ரொக்கொலி சோள சாதம் )

Corn Broccoli Rice ( ப்ரொக்கொலி சோள சாதம் )

Ingredients:

Brown Rice ( தீட்டாத பழுப்பு அரிசி) -  1 cup

Broccoli  ( ப்ரொக்கொலி ) -  Medium size - 1

Fresh Corn / Maize ( சோளம் )  -  1 whole

Ginger  ( இஞ்சி )  -  1"

Shah Jeera ( கருஞ்சீரகம் )  - 1 tbsp

Black Pepper  ( மிளகு )  -  1 tbsp

Coconut milk  ( தேங்காய் பால் )  - 1 cup

Olive oil ( ஆலிவ் எண்ணெய் )  -  2 tbsp

Clarified Butter ( நெய் )  -  2 tbsp

Steps:

Wash and soak 1 cup of brown rice in 1 cup of water for 20 to 30 minutes.

After the soaking time, heat olive oil in a pressure cooker. Add Shah jeera. As it splutters, add in finely chopped ginger. Fry till fragrant. Add 1 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water. Add salt and the soaked rice with the water. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and 3 minutes in low flame.

Boil the sweet corn, allow it to cool and separate the kernels. Keep it aside.

Split the broccoli into small florets, wash well. In a pan, add a tbsp of clarified butter, saute the broccoli for  3 minutes and toss in the corn kernels.

Once the steam from the pressure cooker has settled, open it. Fluff the rice while adding in the sauteed vegetables. 

Pound the black pepper coarsely and add to the cooked rice. Add the remaining 1 tbsp clarified butter, mix well without breaking the rice.

Close the cooker and allow a standing time of 5 min and then serve the food.

Serve the hot rice with any curry or a salad. It tastes well as it is also.

My Notes:

A simple, delicious and nutritious meal.

 I avoided garlic and onion as I had prepared the dish as an offering for Shridi Sai for this Thursday prayer. It tasted great without garlic and onion.

My friend, who is not comfortable with brown rice, said that this dish is a comfort food. Yep, with the brown rice releasing sugar slowly, this food keeps our mood swings balanced. 

Simply enjoy the nutty chewy whole grain. :)

Coarse Wheat grain pudding (கோதுமை ரவை கருப்பட்டி பொங்கல் )

Coarse Wheat grain pudding 

 ( கோதுமை ரவை கருப்பட்டி பொங்கல் )

Ingredients:

Coarse Wheat grain /Wheat rava (கோதுமை ரவை )  - 1 cup

Moong Dal ( பாசிபருப்பு )  - 1/4 cup

Palm Sugar ( கருப்பட்டி )  - 1 1/2 cup (pounded)

Ghee  ( நெய் )  -  4 tbsp

Cashew nuts ( முந்திரிபருப்பு ) - 6 to 8 ( halved )

Steps:

Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan. Fry the cashew nuts and keep aside. In the same ghee, roast the wheat rava and the moong dal separately until fragrant.

Transfer the wheat rava and moong dal to a container, add 3 cups of water. Close the vessel and place it in a pressure cooker and cook well.
Once cooked and still warm, mash the wheat rava and dal together. keep aside.
Add one cup of water to the pounded palm sugar. Heat and allow it to melt completely. Strain to remove the impurities and bring back it to boil. Boil for 3 to 4 min.
Add this syrup to the cooked wheat rava and mix well. Add in the remaining 2 tbsp ghee and cook in a low medium flame for another 3 to 4 min.
Finally add in the fried cashew nuts and serve this as a starter for a lunch or as a dessert.

My Notes:

Way back in mid '90 s, my Mother got the recipe of  wheat rava venn pongal ( savory pongal with pepper and cumin) from one of the cookery show in Doordarshan channel, Pothigai and used to prepare that as an alternative healthy version and also when we get bored with the rice venn pongal. Later on, we felt why not the sweet version as well instead of the regular rice sakarai pongal.

In the last few years, I have substituted the jaggery for palm sugar as the later is more healthy and gives an authentic flavor.

I prepare this often as an offering for Shridi Sai Baba at the temple as well as to our satsangh. Food with wheat products are specially offered to him.

It is a hit at one of the Lalitha Sahasranamam Parayanam session at a friend' place.

It is easily cooked and liked by all. 

I include moong dal mostly in my sweet pongal recipes so as to have the protein part in the dish and also it enhances the pongal' taste. 

The seasoning - cardamom and camphor which is synonymous with sweet pongal is not used here as I feel that both over powers the unique flavour of palm sugar. So this dessert is relished with the simple yet striking flavour of palm sugar. But it is a personal choice. If you feel, an Indian sweet is incomplete without cardamom , just go ahead and add. 

Elephant foot Yam Fry ( சேனை கிழங்கு சாப்ஃஸ் )

Elephant foot Yam Fry  ( சேனை கிழங்கு சாப்ஃஸ் )

                                

Ingredients:

Elephant foot Yam ( சேனை கிழங்கு )  - 200g
Dry red chilli  ( மிளகாய் வற்றல் )  - 2
Coriander seeds  ( தனியா )  - 1 tbsp
Garlic ( பூண்டு ) - 3 cloves
Turmeric powder ( மஞ்சள் தூள் )  -  1tsp
Tamarind  ( புளி )  - a small portion
Fennel seeds  ( சோம்பு )  - 1 tsp
Curry leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை )  - 1 twig
Coconut oil ( தேங்காய் எண்ணெய் )  - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste ( தேவையான அளவு உப்பு )

Steps:

Peel, wash and slice the yam into thin small squares .
Boil water in a pot, add the tamarind shredded into pieces followed by turmeric and yam.
Add salt and let it cook.
Half boil the yam, remove from fire, drain the water.
Dry roast red chillies, coriander seeds and garlic. Allow it to cool, grind to a fine powder.
Coat the yam slices with this powder. Mix well and allow it to stand for 10 min.
In a pan add coconut oil and season with fennel seeds and curry leaves.
Add the marinated yam. Fry until golden brown.
Serve the finger licking Yam fry with steam  rice and sambar. It goes well with curd rice or just snack it ;)

My Notes:

Elephant foot yam' skin is thick and  muddy. Slice off the thick skin, wash well.

Grease your palm with oil and then clean the yam. This is a precaution to avoid itchiness one may experience while cleaning and slicing.Also after slicing, soak in salt water for few min before boiling.

While boiling yam, tamarind is added to get the tangy taste.

There are many recipes related to this yam. Mostly it is prepared with onions, tomato and spices added to it.
The coconut oil used in this recipe gives an added flavour to the fry. Yam and coconut oil is a great combination.
Frying is alternatively done on a hot tawa ( flat griddle pan ) for uniform roasting.
I learnt this simple, tasty version from my friend.
I remember tasting such at my aunt' place in Chennai though haven't learnt the recipe from her.

Horse gram steamed cake ( கொள்ளு இட்லி )

Horse gram steamed cake

கொள்ளு இட்லி

Ingredients:

Parboiled rice ( புழுங்கல் அரிசி )  -  2 cups

Horse Gram  ( கொள்ளு )              -  1/2 cup

Fenugreek seeds  (  வெந்தயம் )   - 1 tsp

Salt                                                     - 3 tsp

Steps:

Horse gram will have impurities like small stones. Clean and soak it separately for minimum 3 hours.

Wash and soak the rice as well. It needs minimum 2 hours but no harm in soaking an additional hour.

In a wet grinder, grind the horse gram first together with the fenugreek seeds to a very fine paste. 

You will get a fluffy texture similar to the urad dal batter.

Remove and then grind the soaked rice until a fine texture. This is done as you would do for normal idli batter.

Add salt and mix both horse gram and rice batter into an uniform consistency.

Mixing well plays a part to get  soft idlis. 

Leave the batter undisturbed to let it ferment overnight or minimum 6 hours. 

grinded horse gram 

horse gram & rice batter

Mix the fermented batter to get an uniform smooth consistency. Scoop out and pour in the mold ( idli plate) and steam . The time taken to cook is the same as normal idli, around 4 to 6 min. 

Serve the hot horse gram idli, as the steam cake is called in tamil, with sambar and coconut chutney.

My Notes:
Horse gram is a protein rich healthy lentil.
The steam cake is slightly dull in colour not as white as the normal idli. A slight differ in taste as well.
It is an excellent breakfast together with sambar ( lentil curry ) and coconut chutney.
Eat while it is hot.

Red Radish Avocado Salad ( சிவப்பு முள்ளங்கி அவகோடா சாலட் )

Red Radish Avocado Salad ( சிவப்பு முள்ளங்கி அவகாடோ சாலட் )

Ingredients:

Red Radish  - 1

Snow Peas  - 8 to 10

Avocado -  1/2

Cabbage leaves  - 2

Carrot  - 1/2

Almonds  - handful

Garlic  - 5 cloves

Butter  - 1 tbsp

Salt & pepper  -  to taste.

Steps:

Wash all the vegetables.

Slice the radish thinly.

Peel and fine chop the garlic cloves.

Remove the strings along the edges of snow peas and trim at ends.

Cut the carrots and almonds into thin strips.

Cut half of the avocado into bite sized pieces.

In a skillet add butter. 

As it melts, saute the snow peas for 1 to 1 1/2 min until it is crisp tender.

Transfer the snow peas to a plate and using the same pan roast the garlic. 

Roast until fragrant and toss in the radish pieces. 

Saute for a min. Remove from fire. Mix with the other ingredients . Add pepper and salt.

In a serving bowl, spread the cabbage leave and add in the salad.
A hearty salad is ready.

My Notes:

Snow pea is eaten fresh as a whole with the pod when it is still unripe. It's an excellent source of dietary fiber loaded with vitamins and minerals.It is used in stir fry recipes as well.

The raw flesh of radish has a crisp texture with a pungent and peppery flavor. Radishes owe their sharp flavor to the various compounds produced by the plant like glucosinolate, myrosinase and isothiocynate.

Avocado is not sweet, but it is distinctly and subtly flavored and has a smooth texture. It is popular as a dessert but also used in savory  dishes.  It has a high calorie count but is balanced with high healthy monounsaturated fats and thus can be consumed in moderation.

My memory of avocado brings me back to my teenage days where I remember tasting it in Kodaikanal(Tamilnadu) back when i was 15. It was referred to then as the butter cup fruit.