Adhirasam

Today am here with diwali recipe "Adhirasam" which is very important recipe in south Indian traditional cooking. My mom is expert in making it, am not that good. But this year my dream of preparing it without her help had succeded some what. I know it has to be more thin, but it tasted very good .Finally my dream of making adhirasam individually has come true.

It was really a challenging task, but I have to learn it at some point because, it's one of the main item in all of our tamil nadu pooja's and weddings.

Adhirasam is my all time favourite. In my childhood, I used to like adhirasam made with sugar instead of jaggery. My mom never forgot to make a special batch of adhirasam with sugar specially for me. I tried it 2-3 times, but when frying it broke. This time am really happy 😊 by making it successfully. My preparation for diwali have started with adhirasam.

Please try it with home made rice powder(recipe is available in this page). Store bought ones will not work out I have tried it.

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Dry ginger powder - 1/4tsp
Elachi powder -1/4 tsp
Ghee - 1 tblsp
Oil - as needed for deep frying

Method:

Wash and soak rice for 2 hours. Drain, spread in a white cotton cloth for 10 -15 mins. Do not let it dry for long time some moisture should be there.

Grind it in 2 batches in a mixer to a flour. Grind to fine flour. Sieve it and add dry ginger and elachi powder to it.

Meanwhile, powder the jaggery(I used organic powdered jaggery) and heat it with water just to immerse the jaggery.

Once its completely dissolved, filter it to remove impurities. Again start heating the jaggery syrup.

Boil in medium flame always and stir occasionally. Keep checking the syrup consistency by pouring in water kept in a small bowl. At beginning stage, the syrup dissolves as you pour in water, then at next stage, it will lay a fine thread in the water, but gets dissolved when you touch. After this, at one stage, the syrup gets thicker and when you pour in water, then it wont get dissolved and you will be able to gather it with your fingers and form a loose ball. This is called soft ball consistency and this is the stage, you have to put off the fire. Immediately pour it to the flour little by little.

You may need not add all the sugar syrup for sure. So be careful after you add 3/4th of the syrup and keep mixing with a ladle or spatula. The dough will be on sticky side and it will be very very loose. Don't worry. After some hours, it will get absorbed and get stiff. It is a must for the dough to be loose as after some time it gets thick.

Keep it overnight (2 days if possible, for better result) at room temperature in an airtight container. But let it be out overnight atleast for a day. At the time of making, divide into equal sized balls. You can use ghee when you roll as the dough will be slightly sticky.

Heat oil in kadai and once it is hot, reduce the flame to low. Grease ur fingers with ghee and flatten the dough in a plastic sheet or plantain leaf . Carefully drop in oil. One buy one, I got 8pieces but don't have patience till all done so clicked with whatever done.

Once it rises up, immediately flip it and cook. Once it turns golden brown, drain from oil.

You must use another laddle and press it to sqeeze out the excess oil as shown, as it may retain some oil in it. Repeat the process for the rest of the dough. Oil should always be in low or medium if needed.

Notes:

The dough should be loose when you make adhirsam. If it is stiff, then your adhirsam will become hard and chewy. So you have to add a tblsp of milk and knead the dough well again and try making. This will ensure the adhirsam to be soft.

The rice while grinding should be moist, retain water, also the sieved flour also should not get dry. Otherwise the adhirsam will get crisp and hard.

Even the syrup consistency is very important. If syrup passes the soft ball consistency, it will get hard or get dissolved in oil.

Sieving is not necessary, but make sure it is powdered fine.

If you flatten so thin, the adhirasam will turn very crisp. So make it thick.

Cook in low flame to make sure it gets cooked evenly and also make sure not to over cook. It makes the adhirasam harder.

Flip immediately once the it rises up after you add the adhirasam in oil.

Use ghee when flattening each adhirasam . It will be sticky.

You can store the dough for months if keep refrigerated and use it whenever needed. But keep the dough at least overnight at room temperature.

Even fried adhirasam can be in shelf for a week.

Fruit And Nut Chocolate

rajini's yummy recipies/facebook.comChocolate, is a magical word isn't it. Chocolate has become one of the most popular food types and flavors in the world, and a vast number of foodstuffs involving chocolate have been created. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes have become traditional on certain holidays. 

I am crazy about chocolates. So decided to prepare them on my own, and i succeed too!. Why don't u people try and enjoy it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup milk powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 cup powdered or icing sugar
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
Dried fruits and nuts as of your choice
A tiny pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons milk 

Method:

1.Beat the sugar and butter very well until creamy in large bowl.

2.Add milk powder. Cocoa and salt to this and mix well.The mixture will be something like very fine bread crumbs.

3.Now heat a non stick kadai and add the mixture to it. Stir on medium flame for 10 minutes. Add milk,fruits and nuts and stir for 5 minutes.The mixture will turn glossy and butter will begin to melt.

4.Remove from flame once the mixture leaves the walls of the vessel, pour on a greased plate.

5.Refrigerate for 30 minutes. And make nutties.You can allow the mixture to set in any moulds are even cut into diamonds instead of making nutties.

6. And Again refrigerate for 30 minutes.

7. Remove them from molds and store them in a air tight jar. 

8.After the mentioned setting time,these chocolates need not be refrigerated.They keep well for around a week at room temperature.

Notes:

1.Flavours like vanilla can be added to it.

2. Use good quality chocolate powder and milk powder( I used cadbury powder, everyday milk powder and amul butter).

Amla Murabba/Indian Gooseberry Pickle

Amla murabba, is a famous rajasthani recipie. Amla is local name of Indian gooseberries. We can get it easily in all places. But gooseberries are rich in iron and calcium. I recently came across this recipe, and started working on it 5 days back. As am going to my home town I want to take something different to my Mil. Anyway I prepared it successfully and taste is awesome too.

Benefits Of Amla (Indian Gooseberry)

Slows Down Ageing

Cures A Sore Throat

Fights Against Heart Disease

Increases Diuretic Activity

Increases Metabolic Activity

Reduces Blood Sugar

High In Digestive Fiber

Boosts Immunity

Prevents Formation Of Gall Bladder Stones

Prevents Ulcers

Is Anti-Inflammatory

Improves Eyesight

Purifies Blood

Strengthens Bones

Cools The Body

Prevents Constipation

Prevents Jaundice

Reduces The Risk Of Cancer

Protects Your Liver

Makes Skin Glow

Brightens Skin

Reduces Pigmentation

Prevents Lice

Prevents Greying Of Hair

Helps Increase Hair Growth

Ingredients:

1/4kg (indian gooseberries)
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
100g saffron (kesar) strands
3 cups water

Method:

Wash the amlas thoroughly. Prick them with a fork at regular intervals.

Boil enough of water in a deep non-stick pan, add the amlas and boil on a high flame for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

Combine the sugar and 3 cups of water in a deep non-stick pan, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 8 minutes, while stirirng occasionally.

Add the amlas, mix well and cook on a slow flame for 30 minutes, while stirring occasionally or till the amlas are soft. Cover it with a lid and keep aside to mature for 24hrs.

Drain the amlas from syrup.

Put the syrup back into the deep non-stick pan along with the cardamom powder and saffron, mix well and cook on a high flame for 8 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Add the drained amlas, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Cool it completely and store in an air-tight glass container and start using it after 2 days .

Beetroot Halwa

Yummy, colour full ,tasty "Beetroot Halwa" very tempting and tasty Indian recipie. Mostly all of us prepare carrot Halwa, but beets are very good source of manganese, potassium and copper. They are also a good source of dietary fiber,magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron and vitamin B6. Feeding Beetroot to kids as poriyal is really tuff Job 🤔 so I usually covert it into cutlets and Halwa. Even those don't like beets will eat this . Try it out and pls comment! Ur suggestions are always welcome ☺

Ingredients :

Beetroot grated - 2 cups 
Sugar -1/2 cup( I used Organic brown sugar)
Milk - 2 cups
Cardamom powder -1/4 tsp
Almonds/Badam - 10
Cashew nuts - few
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Unsweetened khoya - 100 grams (optional)

Preparation

Wash, peel the skin and grate beetroot. Food processer makes the job easy. If u don't have one , no worries just grate it in big holes of hand grater.

Cut almonds, cashews and pista into thin strips. Heat a tsp of ghee, fry the nuts and keep it aside.

Method:

In a Kadai add grated beets and 2 cups of milk and cook the beetroot on low flame, stirring in between. Cook till the beetroot becomes soft and most of the milk gets evaporated.

At this stage add sugar and cook till sugar dissolves and gets mixed well with the beetroot.

Add cardamom powder, remaining ghee and cook stirring for a few more seconds on low heat.

Garnish with nuts and mix well. Serve hot or warm.

Note:
Using full fat milk gives richness to the halwa, so I used cow milk.

It's takes 30 min to prepare this . Don't make it too dry.