Kaara Boondhi | Diwali Special

I had tried making Kaara Boondhi few years back and it came out very greasy. I guess it is because, my batter was too watery. This time, I mixed the batter to the right consistency and fried it till golden brown and it came out great. We are enjoying this nice spicy Boondhis with Ladoos for this Diwali.


Refer to my Boondhi Ladoo Recipe for pictorial illustrations on the batter consistency and boondhi preparation.

Ingredients:


Besan Flour- 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Salt - as needed
Rice Flour - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli Powder - 1/2 teaspoon or more
Asafotida - a generous pinch
Oil - to deep fry


Cashew Nuts, peanuts - 1/4 th cup
Curry leaves - few


Method:

1. Prepare the batter for the boondhi with the ingredients mentioned. Add little water at a time. My besan flour required approximately 1 cup of water. It really depends on the texture of the besan floor you use. So add water till you get a thick dosa batter consistency. (Refer to the batter consistency picture in my boondhi laddo recipe)
2. Heat oil in a wide frying pan. Pour a spoon full(I used a kuli karandi) of batter in a perforated laddle and let the batter pass through the perforations by moving the spoon in a circular motion. Fry till golden brown.
3. Repeat the same with the rest of the batter. You should wipe the perforated spoon clean before starting each batch of frying. Otherwise the perforations will be covered with batter from the previous batch and you will not get good shaped boondhis.
4. In the same oil fry cashews, peanuts and curry leaves seperately and mix it with the boondhi.
5. Store them in air tight containers after they cool down.

I am sending this entry to the following events


Diwali Special - Sweets & Savories event by Radhika
Serve It - Festival Potluck event by Denny & Krithi
My Diwali My way event by Khushi
Diwali - Festival of Lights event by Anu

Boondhi Ladoo | Diwali Special

Mom would say:"Ammu... Get up... Its 4 AM and all your friends woke up already for firecrackers..." This is how my Diwali starts usually during my school days. We(Me and my brother) would have asked mom to wake us up very early so that we can join other kids in the street for firecrackers. So she would wake up earlier than us, takes a shower and then wakes us up at around 4 AM in the morning when most of the kids in our street wake up on the day of diwali. I would just jump out of the bed, quickly rush to the shower. I would have to literally roll my brother out of the bed to wake him up. Unlike me, he is a good sleeper. By the time, we come out of shower, mom would have the  pooja room set up with all the decorations, new clothes, sweets and snacks. At that point, all my concentration would be on when I would get to wear my new dress and show it off to others. As soon as mom finishes pooja, we would go wear our new dresses and go out to enjoy the fireworks. Since dad doesn't show much interest in fireworks, he would still be sleeping happily, till his usual 5:00 clock alarm. We will finish most of our fireworks in the morning and save the rest for the day.


By then mom would come out and ask me to help her with rangoli. Previous night , me and mom sit together to come up with a special rangoli for diwali. So that design goes on the floor with beautiful colors. I will be very eager to see my opposite house aunty's rangoli design, as she does a very good job making designs. Then I would go for a stroll around the street to see all the rangoli designs that others have made and help them out with designs if they need. It would be 7:00 AM by now and mummy goes off to the kitchen, to start her special cooking for the day.


Dad would also be ready by then with his new white kadhar shirt and dhothi. I love seeing him with his white kadhar shirt and dhothi. His inspection work in the kitchen would start. He would make sure that the mutton pieces are small enough and it is well cooked. Mom would give him a piece to taste. 99 out of 100 times , his answer would be to cook the mutton for one more whistle. Very lovingly, he would bring the plate to the living room where me and my brother would be watching diwali programs, to ask us our opinion on the mutton :-). The day goes on like this with more tasting of mummy's cooking. She would proudly present her idli, poori, mutton curry and Gulab Jamun for breakfast. Diwali lunch was always very special. It used to be very elaborate, with a lot of moms exotic dishes. After the heavy lunch, goddess sleep would doze us off. Again in the evening, rangoli session would start in all the houses. More fireworks, more food, more chatting, lighting diyas and the day would end with a simple comforting meal. Such were the golden days, when we used to look forward for this "Festival of Lights".

All these evergreen memories make me miss home during this time of the year. The least we could do from here is to do a quick pooja in the morning before going to work and light some diyas in the evening. And is there a celebration without sweets and snacks?


This is the first time I tried to make Boondhi Ladoo and I should say, it was not as tough as I thought. It came out perfect and it tasted delicious. Far better than store bought ones. Once you get the consistency of the syrup right, you will get perfect ladoos.

This recipe yields about 20 ladoos.

Ingredients:

1. Besan Floor- 2 cups
2. Yellow food color -  a pinch
3. Water - 2 cups approximately
4. Oil - to deep fry

For the Syrup:

1. Sugar - 2 cups
2. Water - 1 1/2 cups
3. Cardamom powder - 1 teaspoon
4. Saffron - few strands
5. Yellow Food Color - a pinch

 Cashew nuts- few roasted in ghee

Method:

1. First start preparing the sugar syrup by mixing sugar and water. Also add saffron and yellow food color. Let it boil and reach the single string consistency. Best way to check this- take a bowl of water and drop a little sugar syrup in it, the syrup should not dissolve and you should be able to form a soft ball out of the syrup with your hand. Remove the syrup from heat as soon as it reaches the single string consistency.
2. In the meantime, prepare the batter for the boondhi with the ingredients mentioned. Add little water at a time. My besan flour required approximately 2 cups of water. It really depends on the texture of the besan floor you use. So add water till you get a thick dosa batter consistency.
3. Heat oil in a wide frying pan. Pour a spoon full(I used a kuli karandi) of batter in a perforated laddle and let the batter pass through the perforations by moving the spoon in a circular motion. Take the boondhis out before they turn very crispy. You should not fry it till golden brown.
4. Remove the fried boondhis and drop it in the warm sugar syrup. The sugar syrup should still be warm.
5. Repeat the same with the rest of the batter.  You should wipe the perforated spoon clean before starting each batch of frying. Otherwise the perforations will be covered with batter from the previous batch and you will not get good shaped boondhis. I used the boondhis from the last batch to make a coarse powder before I dropped it in the syrup.
6. Let the boondhis stay in the syrup for about 15 to 20 minutes. The sugar syrup should be in a temperature for you to handle with your hands. Add cardamom powder and fried cashew nuts.
7. Start making ladoos out of the boondhi and syrup mixture. The ladoos will still be a little loose. It will take about an hour to firm up.

If handled properly the ladoos will stay for up to 4 days in air tight containers. You can also refrigerate it up to a week. But ladoos taste good at room temperature. So, if you keep them in the refrigerator, allow it to come to room temperature before you serve.


I wish all my readers a Very Happy and a Safe Diwali.








I am sending this entry to the following events


Diwali Special - Sweets & Savories event by Radhika
Serve It - Festival Potluck event by Denny & Krithi
My Diwali My way event by Khushi
Diwali - Festival of Lights event by Anu

Beetroot Curry

When I saw my dad eat this beetroot curry with rotis, I was shocked. He is a very picky eater when it comes to vegetables and I have never seen him eating beetroots till then. My mother-in-law made this curry and so I thought, my dad ate this without having any other option. After he got up from the lunch table, I went to him quickly and asked how he ate the beetroot curry. He replied with a smile in his face “It was really good”. I grew up seeing him and he was my role model even for my eating habits. So I wanted to try it out for myself and I loved the taste. From then on, this beetroot curry visits our kitchen every once in a while.

Ingredients:

1. Beetroot-1 large, peeled and chopped finely
2. Oil- 2 teaspoons
3. Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
4. Onion - 1 medium, chopped
5. Tomato- 1 chopped finely
6. Moong dhal- 1 fistful
7. Salt - to taste

To grind:

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Garlic - 3

Fennel seeds/Saunf -2 teaspoons

Green chilli- 3

Method:

1. Make a fine paste of the ingredients under the To grind section and keep it aside.
2. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add mustard seeds.
3. After it splutters add the finely chopped onions and let it saute till it becomes soft.
4. Now add the tomatoes and saute for a minute.
5. Add the washed moong dhal and give it a quick stir. 
6. Add the chopped beetroot along with the ground mixture. Add salt and water if needed. The consistency should not be too watery nor too thick.
7. Pressure cook till one whistle and switch off the heat. Check for consistency after the pressure is released and serve with rotis.

Vegetable Cutlet

Last night I set the alarm in my cell phone and went to sleep.  For some reason, my phone decided to switch off on its own.  Today morning, I jumped out of bed, panicked to see the clock read 6:45 AM. But luckily, today is Pizza day at school and I managed to pack lunch for me and my husband with leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. This story has nothing to do with this post, just another reason for me to use the drafts which is my blog saver :-) .

Ingredients:

1. Carrots, beans, cauliflower – 2 cups chopped
2. Peas – ½ cup
3. Potatoes – 2 large
4. Onion – 1 large finely chopped
5. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tablespoon
6. Green Chillies – 3 finely chopped
7. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
8. Salt – to taste
9. Egg – 1 optional
10. Breadcrumbs – 2 cups (for the coating)
11. Oil – To fry
12. Cilantro leaves – ¼ cup chopped finely

Method:

1. Cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker and mash it with a fork and leave it aside.
2. In a pan, add the chopped vegetable, just enough water to soak the vegetable, salt, turmeric, 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and cook it till all the water is evaporated. Keep it aside.
3. In a heavy bottomed pan, add a tablespoon of oil. Once it becomes hot, add the chopped onions, remaining ginger garlic paste, salt and green chilies. Sauté till the raw smell goes away.
4. Now add the cooked vegetable and the mashed potato. Combine well. Add peas and let it cook for a minute or so. Remove from heat. Let it cool down a little bit, so that you can make cutlets out of this mixture. Check for salt and spices and adjust if needed.
5. Once the mixture cools down a little bit, add chopped cilantro leaves. The mixture should be firm enough to make cutlets. If the mixture is too loose, add more potatoes or I use a little bit of breadcrumbs.
6. In a bowl, beat an egg and leave it aside. If you do not want to use egg, mix maida with water to make dosa batter like consistency and leave it aside.
7.  Have the breadcrumbs in a plate or bowl to coat the breadcrumbs
8. Take a handful of the vegetable mixture and make shapes of your choice. Dip it in the egg bowl or the maida liquid. Then, place the cutlet in the breadcrumbs and coat it completely.
9. Repeat it for the rest of the vegetable mixture and deep fry it till golden brown.

Serve it with Ketchup.

Back to Life Back to Reality and a Recipe

Back from a wonderful trip to India a week ago. We are still settling in. We managed to have as much fun we could have in the three weeks time. This trip was all about my little one spending time with the family. He sure was pampered to the core by grandparents from both sides of the family and I am glad he experienced it.




I was not in a mood to cook anything fancy last week. This is when drafts come in handy and I am using one of my recipes from draft.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1 lb
2. Onion - 1 big chopped finely
3. Tomato - 1 small chopped finely
4. Oil - 1 tablespoon
5. Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
6. Curry Leaves - few
7. Ginger Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
8. Green Chillies - 3 or 4 slitted
9. Fresh ground pepper - 1 tablespoon
10. Salt - as needed

Method:

1. In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves once the oil gets hot.
2. Add Onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute till all the raw smell goes away.
3. Add tomatoes and wait till it gets mushy and soft.
4. Now add the chicken pieces and give it a quick stir.
5. Add a little water, cover the pan and cook the chicken until it is just about done.
6. Once the chicken is cooked, wait till most of the water is absorbed.
7. Add freshly ground black pepper and mix it well. Wait till oil separates from the chicken.

Serve it with fresh rotis or over rice.

Mushroom Briyani/ Pulav

Me: Kavin, did you notice that there is something new today around the trees.
Kavin: Looks carefully around a tree and comes back with a smile saying "Mushrooms". Why there are mushrooms today?
Me: Because it rained yesterday and the land is damp. Mushrooms grow anywhere it is damp.
Kavin: Amma, can I go and touch the mushrooms?
Me: They are wild and poisonous mushrooms and not edible. So you cannot touch them.
Kavin: What do you mean by edible?
Me: You call something edible, if you can eat it.
Kavin: Why is this mushroom wild?
 
The conversation about mushroom goes on and on and on between me and my 2 1/2 years old on a cloudy day before he sits in the car to go to his daycare. I am completely enjoying this phase of motherhood answering all his why and what questions. Sometimes I also need to do some research before I answer his questions :-) .


So today is a post about "The meat of the vegetable world"  .


This mushroom briyani/pulav has become a frequent visitor to our kitchen nowadays. All of us in our house like this simple dish which has a lot of flavor from the mushrooms. Mushroom briyani paired with cucumber and onion raitha is a heavenly combination.

Ingredients:

1. Mushroom - 1 pound
2. Basmathi Rice - 1 cup
3. Onion - 1 thinly sliced
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
5. Tomato - 1 large finely chopped
6. Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon/ more if desired
7. Coriander powder - 2 teaspoons
8. Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
9. Oil - 2 tablespoons
10. Whole garam masala - 2 cloves, 2 cardamom, 2 inches of cinnamon
11. Cilantro leaves - 1/2 cup
12. Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
13. Salt - as needed

Method:


1. Clean the rice and soak it in 2 cups of water.
2. In a heated pressure cooker, add oil. Once the oil gets hot, add the whole garam masala.
3. Saute till the aroma of the garam masala comes out. Add onions and ginger garlic paste. Saute till the onions become soft and translucent
4. Now add the tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Let the tomatoes get mushy.
5. Add chilli powder and coriander powder. Cut the mushrooms into bite sized chunks and add it to the masala.
6. Saute it till most of the water oozed out of the mushroom is absorbed.
7. Now add the rice and water. Check for salt and adjust if needed.
8. Cook in the pressure cooker for 2 whistles.


Serve it with Cucumber and Onion Raitha.

Peanut Butter Pillows

Couple of weeks back, I prepared these little treats for the little hands. It is fun to prepare and the filling can be anything of your choice. My filling was just peanut butter. But some fruit jelly along with the peanut butter would have been even better. Or, for chocolate lovers, peanut butter with few pieces of chocolate chips will be an excellent treat.


Ingredients:


This recipes makes 18 pillows.


1. Puff Pastry - 1 sheet
2. Peanut butter - 1/3 cup - 1/2 cup
3. Fruit Jelly - 1/4 cup

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


1. Thaw the pastry sheet to room temperature. Sprinkle some flour over an even surface and roll out the sheet a little bit.
2. Fold the sheet like a book to form a crease in the middle. Using a pizza cutter, cut along the crease formed.
3. Stack the 2 sheets(Make sure you sprinkle some flour in between the 2 sheets to avoid them from sticking together). Using a pizza cutter, cut it into half lengthwise. Then make 18 even squares. Since you have a stack of two sheets you will get 36 squares. (Huh... I feel like I am in a math class.A picture to explain this would have been much better.)
4. Remove the top squares from the bottom squares and set them aside for later.
5. Using a spoon, place a small amount of peanut butter. If you are using fruit jelly or chocolate chips, spread the peanut butter a little bit and place the fruit jelly or chocolate chips. Repeat this for all the 18 squares.
6. Using a pastry brush or your finger, dampen the edges of each square with water. Top each square with another square that we saved earlier.
7. Use a fork to crimp and seal the edges. Make sure the edges are well sealed, otherwise the filling might ooze out while baking.
8. Place these squares on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush each square with milk and sprinkle sugar generously on top of each square.
9. Bake them for about 8 to 12 minutes or until they are perfectly golden.


Allow them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. They are super delicious when they are slightly warm.