Maida burfi (Diwali special -2)
Ready to serve Maida burfi
Makes : around 50-75
Time taken: 30 minutes in all
Maida/All purpose flour the name it self indicates that it is a multi purpose ingredient used in a host of savories, cakes, biscuits etc I have also put up Maida namkeen on this blog long back. This burfi is an easy but a very delicious sweet dish and can be stored for more than 15 days if stored in air tight containers and for about a month in the refrigerator. I am preparing it for the first time and the picture may not be perfect and will put up a better picture of the final burfi in a couple of weeks. Here is my version of the dish…
What you need to have:
1 Maida – 1/2 cup
2. Sugar – 3/4 cup
3. Pure ghee/oil/dalda – 1/4 cup
4. Cashews -7-8
5. Saffron strings – a few
6. Cardamom – 3
7. Water for sugar syrup – little more than half(approximately)
Ingredients of Maida burfi
Other ingredients of burfi
What you do with what you have:
1 Sieve maida in the sieve to get rid of any impurities. Place a wide pan with the required quantity of ghee in it on medium flame. On being heated add powdered cashews and fry till done and and sieved maida to it and fry it on medium/low flame on adjusting the flame till you get a pleasant aroma but make sure you do not burn it. Transfer it to a plate and add cardamom powder to it and keep it aside. Keep another plate greesed to spread the burfi mix beforehand.
Maida being fried in pure ghee
2. Place a wide pan with little more than 1/2 cup water in it and add sugar to it and bring it to boil on adjusting the flame and bring it to 1 string consistency.(when you touch the sugar syrup between your thumb and fore finger there must be a single string)
Sugar being boiled
3. When the syrup reaches one string consistency adding saffron strings switch off the gas and add fried maida-cashew mix to it and keep stiring till it becomes a little hard for you to stir but still in a semi solid form.(Adding maida to sugar syrup should be done off the gas) Spread it on a greased plate kept ready beforehand and either level it withback of a flat bowl or the roti roller to required thickness. Cut it to required shape and transfer it to a plate for a closer view of the dish.
Fried maida cashew mix being added to sugar syrup Ready to serve maida burfi
Makes : 50-75 (thin burfi)
Time taken: 30 minutes in all
Good to remember: 1. Maida should be fried with powdered cashews on medium flame till you get a pleasant aroma for better taste. Also for easy cutting of burfi.
2. Sugar syrup level plays a main role in this dish.
3. Thinner the burfi more the number would be and hence better to spread it very thin on a greased plate or a wooden plank.(Today i have used 1 cup sugar andit turned out top be extra sweet so i felt that reducing the quantity of sugar would serve the purpose.)
Jwari atta/Sorgham atta chakli (Jolada hittina chakli-Diwali special-1))
Ready to serve Jwari/Sorgham atta chakli
Sorgham/Jwari/Jola/jolu in diiferent languages is a gluten free millet used in the preparation of roti by the north karnataka people is now widely used by one and all due to the huge health benefits of the wonder millet. I have already put up Jwari roti , jwari atta semiya and today i would like to put up jwari atta chakli which really tasted crispy and yummy too. Please do give a try for this Diwali!!!still 2 more days to enjoy the festival. Here is my version of the recipe and to add to the long list of chaklis on this blog…..
What you need to have:
1 Jwari atta – 5 cups
2. Roasted black gram dal – 1 cup
3. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
4. Black pepper – a few (around 10-12)
4. Red chili powder – 3 teaspoons
5. Asafoetida powder – 2 teaspoons
6. Sesame seeds – 2-3 teaspoons
7. Butter – 2 teaspoons
8. Salt – as needed
9. Water- as needed
Roasted Blackgram dal with cumin & black pepper added
What you do with what you have
1 Dry roast blackgram dal in a wide pan till you get a pleasant aroma and transfer it to a wide plate and add cumin and pepper to it. On cooling powder it in the mixy to a fine consistency.
2. Sieve both sorgham atta and roa sted blackgram dal powder together in the sieve and add chili powder,sesame seeds, butter and salt to it and transfer it to a wide bowl.
Sieved Blackgram dal atta and Sorgham atta
3. Add a cup of warm water and mix it well with your hands till the bread crumbs are formed. Now add normal water and make a tight dough so that it can pass through the chakli mould checking for salt. Place required quantity of the dough in the mould and press it into round spirals as shown in the image below.
Sorgham atta chakli dough
Ready to fry chakli
4. Place sufficient oil in a wide pan over medium flame. On being heated ( check by dropping a little dough if it comes up slowly it is ready) drop the spirals from step-3 into the heated oil in batches and fry on both the sides till brown and crispy. On cooling store them in air tight containers and will stay afresh for more than a fort night!!Yummmmmmm 
Sorgham atta chakli being fried
5. Transfer it to a bowl/plate for closer view of the dish. Sorgham atta chakli ready to be served
Makes -120-130 of the above size
Time taken : 1 and 1/2 hours
Good to remember: 1. Sorgham flour should be fine to make the chakli crispy so also the roasted blackgram dal flour and fresh too.
2. Oil should be heated to a normal temmperature to fry chakli.
3. Adding butter makes chakli crispy.
4. Adding a part of warm water is to make the dough ideal for the dish.
Veg fried rice
Ready to serve veg fried rice
Serves: 4-5
Time taken: 1 hour
I had some veggies which i wanted to put to a good use up like preparing veg fried rice. This dish involves a little bit of knife work as these veggies are to be cut fine and are to be par boiled and should be crunchy. Veggies like french beans has to be cooked but should be crunchy to relish the dish. Every one has their own version of the dish and here goes my version of veg fried rice. You can relish with any side dish of your choice.
What you need to have:
1.Long grain rice 1 cup
2. Ghee or cooking oil – 1 tablespoon
3. Spring onions chopped- 4-5
4. French beans chopped – 1/2 cup
5. Carrots – 1/2 cup
6. Chopped Capsicum – 1/2 cup
7. Green peas – a handful
8. Chopped garlic pods – 2 teaspoons
9. Cashews – a handful
10. Chopped green chili – 1 teaspoon
11. Pepper powder – 13/4 teaspoon
12. Soya sauce – 2 teaspoons
13. Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
14.. Spring onion greens – a handful (to garnish)
15. Salt – to taste
16. Cooking oil/ghee – 2 teaspoons
17. Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
Fresh chopped veggies
Ingredients of seasoning
What you do with what you have:
1 Wash and drain water from rice and cook it in the cooker in such a way that rice is cooked but grainy. Either spread it on a plate or in a wide bowl. Powder pepper in the mortor and pestle and keep it aside.
Cooked basumati rice
2. Wash and chop all the veggies including capsicum fine and keep it aside. Just keep the capsicum seeds as well separately so that it can be used in the seasoning as shown in the image-3.(it is placed next to chopped green chili) Also chop the spring onion whites fine and reserve finely chopped spring onion greens to garnish finally. Peal and chop garlic pods too fine and keep it aside.
3. Place a wide pan with 2 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame. When heated add chopped green chili and fry till done. When fried add chopped garlic and fry till you get a pleasant aroma. Add cashews to it and fry till light brown.
Chopped green chili, garlic and cashews being fried
4. When done, add capsicum seeds and fry for a minute and then add chopped spring onion whites and fry till done adding a little salt. 
Seasoning in progress
5. Add chopped French beans from step-2 to it and cook till crunchy. When it is about to be done, add chopped carrots and green peas to it and cook till crunchy.
Veggies being fried till crunchy
6. When done , add 1 teaspoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons of soya sauce and also add pepper powder from step-1 to it and give a stir. Finally add cooked rice from step-1 to it and give a storng stir checking for salt. Finally garnish with chopped spring onion greensfrom step-2 to it and transfer to a serving plate and enjoy with any side dish of your choice. As usual yummmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!
Ready to serve fried rice A closer view of fried rice garnished with spring onion greens
Time taken : 1 hour
Serves : 4-5
Good to remember: 1. If one knows to cook the rice rightfully in the cooker can do it, else can cook directly.
2. Veggies must be cooked but crunchy.
3. One can even add chili sauce if need to be spicy.
Arbi paratha
Ready to serve Arbi paratha with chutney powder & curds
Makes 6-8
Time taken: 45 minutes
Arbi is a tubular variety of root of colocosia leaves available in india. It is also known as Kesuvina gadde in kannada. Arbi paratha is a gluten free paratha which i wanted to put up since a long time which got materialized today. Though i had clicked pictures long ago but remained in my library, so i thought i should as well put it up now. It tastes really yummy . Here goes the recipe of Arbi paratha even though is very rarely prepared , yet yummy!!!
What you need to have:
1 Cook & mashed ed Arbi -4-6
2. Wheat flour – 1/2 cup
3. Besan flour – 1/3 cup
4. Green chili paste – 1/2 teaspoon
5. Cumin seeds – a pinch
6. Carom(ajwain) – a pinch
7. Chopped cilantro – 2 teaspoons
8. Lemon juice – 1/2 teaspoon
Fresh Arbi vegetable (colocosia tube root)
Other ingredients of Arbi paratha
What you do with what you have:
1. Wash, peal and cook Arbi veggie in the cooker not adding water to the veggie till done as usual for about 20 minutes.
2. When done, cool it and grate it or smash it and keep it aside.
3. Sieve both wheat atta and besan atta in the sieve along with salt and transfer it to a wide bowl. Add smashed and cooked Arbi from step-2 to it. Also add green chili paste, cumin seeds, carom seeds, chopped cilantro, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Mix the whole mix and then slowly sprinkle water as needed and make a soft paliable dough and keep it aside for about 10 minutes closing it with a damp cloth.
4. Pinch out lemon sized ball from the dough and roll it dusting it in wheat atta into a 3 ‘ discon a thick plastic sheet. Apply either oil or ghee on it and fold it into a semi circle and apply oil to it. Again fold it to a triangular shape and again dust it in wheat atta and roll it on a thick plastic sheet into a 5-6″ disc as shown in the image below.
Pinched out ball, semi circular fold, triangular fold & finally rolled paratha
5. Place a roti skillet on medium flame spraying a little oil. Place rolled paratha on it roast till done.
Rolled Arbi paratha being roasted
6. When it is done, flip and spraying a little oil roast it on the reverse till brown dots appear on the paratha.
Arbi paratha roasted on the reverse
7. Transfer it to a serving plate and relish with chutney powder and curds!!!!!!!! Ready to serve Arbi paratha with curds & chutney powder
Makes 6-8
Time taken: 45 minutes
Good to remember: 1. Arbi veggie root should be cooked to soft consistency.
2. Paratha dough should be knead to a soft rolling consistency.
3. Rolling on a thick plastic sheet is recommended to gain a proper shape.
4. One can roast parathas using either ghee or cooking oil.
5. One can relish with side dish of her/his choice or even dry chutney powder.
Betel leaf rice (veeledhele chithranna)
Ready to serve Beetle leaf rice( Veeledhele chithranna)
Serves :3-4
Time taken: 45 minutes in all
Betel leaf is considered to be auspicious among the indians. It is immensely used during all occasions like the weddings,house warming and also in fixing some business deal etc.. Betel leaf is a heart shaped leaf that exhibits unmatched medicinal properties. Betel leaf’s medicinal uses are hugely underrated, but highly efficient. Take a dive in the world of medicinal uses of betel leaf you will be amazed. It is amazing analgesic and you get relief from pain . One can just paste the leaf and drink the juice to get relief from pain. Like wise it also eases constipation. It improves digestion and also improves hunger, it reduces gastric pain , it also improves oral health. We also prepare rasam which i will put up in the coming days. Here goes the recipe for betel leaf rice…
What you need to have:
1 Cooking oil – 2 teaspoons
2. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
3. Black gram dal – 1 teaspoon
4. Asafoetida powder – 1/2 teaspoon
5. Chopped onions/shallots – 1/2 cup
6. Garlic pods – 6-8
7. Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
8. Chili powder – 1/4 teaspoon
9. Curry leaves – 2-3 sprig
10. Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon(to garnish)
11. Chopped cilantro – 2 teaspoons(to garnish)
12. Sprouted moong bean- 1/2 cup(cooked or raw sprouted Moong bean but optional)
12. Cooked rice – 1 cup
Ingredients of wet masala:
- Betel leaves – 4 (fresh and tender prefered)
- Cumin seeds -1 teaspoon
3. Pepper either white or even black- 1/2 teaspoon
What you do with what you have:
1. Wash and drain water from Basumati rice and keep it aside. Cook it in the cooker in such a way that rice corns are separate but cooked.
2. Place a wide pan with 2 teaspoons of cooking oil in it. When heated, add mustard seeds to it. When it is about to splutter, add black gram dal to it. Once it is fried add curry leaves to it. Add chopped garlic pods and fry till done. Add turmeric powder, chili powder and add chopped onions to it and fry till done adding a little salt so that onions is not burnt.
3. In the mean time, grind betel leaves, cumin and pepper in the mixy adding a little water to a fine consistency. Add this wet masla to the seasoning from step-2 to it and fry till the raw smell disappears.
4. Mix cooked rice from step-1 to it and give a stir with the wooden spatula. Sprinkle chopped cilantro, squeeze lemon juice once the rice is mixed well with the masala check for salt. One can even add either sprouted Moong bean either raw or cooked which is an option. Relish with salad or any side dish of your choice. As usual yummmmmmmmm
5. When done , transfer it to a bowl for closer view of the dish. Ready to serve betel leaf rice/chithranna
Ready to serve Betel leaf rice(chithranna) with tomato-onion salad
Serves 3-4
Time taken: 45 minutes in all
Good to remember: 1. The betel leaf used should be fresh and tender for better flavour.
2. Rice should be cooked in the right way for a better look and taste.
3. Using sprouted moong is an option but tastes yummy . I have not added as i wanted to relish betel leaf flavour exclusively.
4. One can even use either peanuts, cashews while seasoning too.
Instant kodo millet idli (Instant Varai idli for upavas)
Makes -12-16
Time taken – 45 minutes in all
Varai/kodo millet/chinese millet/thinnai in konkani, english and tamil respectively. The health benefits of this millet i have put up in detail in the recipe here. I have already put up a few recipes of this millet on this blog namely varai idli, dosa, undi, masala upma and varai kheer and today i would like to put up instant varai idli which needs no fermentation and can be prepared instantly like the rava idli. Here is my version of the recipe….
What you need to have:
1 Varai/Kodo millet – 1/3 cup
2. Semolina/sujee – 1/4 cup
3. Yoghurt/curds – 3/4 cup
4. Carrots(grated) – 1/2 cup
Ingredients of seasoning and garnishing:
1 Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
2. Bengalgram dal – 1/2 teaspoon
3. Chopped green chili – 1/2 teaspoon
4. Chopped ginger – 1/4 teaspoon
5. Cashews – a few
6. Raisins – a few
7. Curry leaves – a few
8. Fresh grated coconut – 2 tablespoon
9. Chopped cilantro – 2 teaspoons
10. Black salt – 2 pinches
11. Cooking soda – 1/2 teaspoon(fresh)
12. Salt -a pinch(as needed)
13. Sugar -1/4 teaspoon(optional)
What you do with what you have:
1 Place wide pan with 2 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame. When heated add mustard seeds to it. When it splutters add bengal gram dal to it and when fried add cashews, raisins and aslo add chopped green chili, to it. Once done, add curry leaves to it , Now add sujee and fry till you get a pleasant aroma adjusting the flame. Once it is done, add grated carrots and ginger to it and fry till it crimples a little. Finally switch off and add kodo millet (varai) and give a stir. (make sure you pulse varai in the mixy for a few seconds)
2. Allow to cool the mixture by transferring it to a wide bowl. Transfer curds to the mixy bowl and pulse it for a few second to clear the lumps so that it gets easily mixed with the fried idli mix. Add it to the mixture in the bowl. Add salt, sugar, chopped cilantro, grated coconut and stir well to bring it to the required consistency. Also add water so that it is at the right consistency as shown in the image below. Add soda as well and keep it aside for 10 minutes till water starts boiling in the idli steamer.
3. Place a idli steamer with required quantity of water in it and bring it to boil . Greece the idli mould and pour the instant Varai idli mix in each of the mould and steam it for 20 minutes or till done. (to know if done or not insert either the back of a spoon or a knife into the cooked idli and it should come out clean.)
4. Transfer it to a serving plate and relish with either coconut chutney or any chutney powder of your choice.As usual yummmmmmmmmm!!!!
Time taken: 45 minutes
Makes: 12-16
Good to remember: 1. One can even roast semolina separately to avoid it getting burnt.
2. Always use fresh and sweet yoghurt for better taste.
3. Pulsing varai is to get to the consistency of semolina to help it to get easily combined with semolina in the idli mix.
4. One can even add Eno salt in place of soda.
Avrekalu pulav/pilaf
Serves:4-5
Time taken : 1 hour
Avrekalu/Hyacinth bean is a seasonal beans available only during 3-4 months of a year. A variety of dishes can be prepared and i have already put up a few of them namely Avrekalu huli, hasi khara, hichikida bele, mixture Avrekalu khara idli, roti etc and today i would like to put up a one pot meal to add to the long list on this blog. Avrekalu pulav has a distinct flavour due to the double pealing of this bean. Here is my version of the dish….
What you need to have:
1 Basumati rice – 1 cup
2. Avrekalu (double pealed) – 1 and 1/2 cup
Fresh Avrekayi (beans)
Double pealed Avrekalu
Ingredients of seasoning:
1 Cashews – a few
2 Chopped onions -1 cup
3. Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
4. Bay leaf – 1
5. Cinnamon stick – 1″
6. Cloves – 2
7. Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoons
8. Cardamom – 2-3
9. Ghee/cooking oil -1 tablespoon
Ingredients of wet grinding:
1 Grated fresh coconut – 1/2 cup
2. Green chili – 2
3. Ginger – 1″ piece
4. Garlic pods -2-3
5. Cilantro – 2-3 teaspoons
6. Cloves -2
7. Kopak buds (marata moggu) -2
8. Bilimbi -2-3
What you do with what you have:
1 Wash and drain water from Basumati rice and keep it aside. Peal off the skin of Avrekayi beans and soak the beans in water for about 5-6 hours and then peal it again and is shown in image-3.
2. Place a cooker on medium flame with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in it. While being heated, add cumin, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf to it and when done add cashews to it and fryt till done.
3. While being done , add chopped onions ,turmeric powder and a little salt and fry till onions turn transparent.
4. In the mean time grind all the ingredients of wet masala in the mixer to a fine consistency adding water in steps. When onions is done , add the wet masala to it and give a stir till you get a pleasant aroma.
5. Add double pealed Avrekalu to it and finally add rice from step-1 to it and also add required quantity of water , also check for salt and close the lid of the cooker and cook for 20 minutes.
6. When the pressure is released transfer a part of it to your serving plate and enjoy with tomato-onion salad!!!Yummmmmm as usual!!!!!!!
Serves :4-5
Time taken: 1 hour
Good to remember: 1. Avrekalu should be fresh for better taste.
2. Use quality Basumati rice for the dish.
3. One can enjoy the dish with any side dish of his/her choice.
4. Spice level should be adjusted as per your pallot.
