Paal Payasam Recipe / Pal Payasam / Rice Kheer / Rice Pudding Recipe

Paal Payasam

Ingredients
Whole milk - 4 cups
Basmathi rice - 2 & 1/2 tbsp
Sugar -1/4 cup
Crushed cardamom -3
Saffron -few
Chopped almond-10
Raisins - 1tsp
Ghee- 1tbsp
Method
Heat ghee in a pan & fry the nuts till light brown.Keep it aside.
Heat 1tsp of ghee in a pan fry the rice till it slightly changes colour.Do not fry till brown.
Cool & grind it in a blender till the rice breaks into half.
Do not grind it coarse or to a fine powder.
Take a pressure cooker add the broken rice,pour the milk & pressure cook till soft.
Once cooled open the lid,in low flame boil the mixture till its semi thick & the colour of the milk has changed to light yellow.
Now add the sugar ,cardamom powder & saffron cook for couple more minutes.
Switch off the flame add the fried nuts,mix & serve them hot or cold.

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Akkaravadisal Recipe / Sweet Milk Pongal Recipe / Akkara Vadisal Recipe / Akkara Adisil Recipe / Srirangam Temple Special Akkaravadisal Prasadam

Akkaravadisal

Ingredients
Rice-1/2 cup
Yellow moongh dal / Pasi Paruppu -2tbsp
Salt a pinch
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Milk -3 cups
Water - 1cup
Powdered cardamom powder-1tsp
Saffron - a generous pinch
(Dilute it in 1 tbsp of warm milk)
Ghee- 4 tbsp
Cashew nut & raisins - together 2 tbsp
Method
Dilute jaggery in water,filter to remove any impurities.
Heat 1 tsp of ghee & fry the cashew nut & raisins till light brown.Keep it aside
Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a pressure cooker.
Add the washed rice & moongh dal ,fry for 2 to 3 minutes or till nice aroma comes out.
Now pour 2 cups of milk & 1 cup of water a pinch of salt & pressure cook till its soft.
Once pressure cooker is cool open the lid, pour the remaining milk & jaggery liquid.
Cook this mixture in low flame till its thick & well combined.
Add the soaked saffron,cardamom powder,remaining ghee & fried nuts.
Give a nice quick stir & switch off the stove.
Serve them hot or warm.
Note:
a) Colour of the dish depends upon the quality of jaggery we use.
b) If your sweet becomes a bit tight loosen it up by adding warm milk while serving.
c) Increase the quantity of ghee if you want it more rich.
d) Edible camphor/Pacha karpooram can be added .

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Salad Rice Paper Rolls - A Quick Lunch Box Recipe

Salad Rice Paper Rolls

Serves : 2
Making Time - 5 minutes

Ingredients
Grilled chicken strips - 4 pieces
(I used the frozen,thaw & cut them into thin strips)
Carrots cut into thin strips - a handful
Cucumber cut into thin strips - a handful
Bell pepper / Capsicum cut into strips  - a handful
( I used yellow & green colour bell peppers)
Chopped olives - 6
Mashed avocado - 1/2
Salt & Pepper to taste
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Lettuce leaves -2
Rice paper sheets - 2

Salad Rice Paper Rolls

Method
Cut the vegetables into strips,wash the lettuce leaves & pat them dry.
Remove the avocado from the peel & mash them.
Add the lime juice,salt & pepper,mix well till combined.
Fill some warm water in a wide bowl or plate.
Dip a rice paper sheet into the warm water for 15 seconds or till soft.
Remove & lay them on a wooden cutting board/paper towel or on a clean cloth.
Place a lettuce leaf on the rice paper sheet then spread some mashed avocado mixture.
Now arrange the vegetables on top.Sprinkle some salt & pepper to taste.
Gently fold the bottom of each rice sheet over the filling then fold in ends & roll into tight cylinder.
( Check the above picture for reference )
Cut each rolls diagonally & serve them with any sauce your kids love to eat with.
Note:
a) Choose your own fillings like chopped boiled eggs,grilled shrimp,beans,rice,pasta etc.
b) Use your imagination to create your own rolls to impress your kids.

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Kesar Kalakand / Kesar Kalakandh Recipe / Instant Kesar Kalakand / Microwave Kesar Kalakand / Easy Kesar Kalakand Recipe

Kesar Kalakand

Ingredients
Ricotta cheese - 15 oz can ( 426 gms)
Condensed milk - 14 oz can ( 396 gms)
Chopped nuts - 1tbsp
Saffron crushed - 2 generous pinches
Warm milk - 1tbsp
Crushed cardamom -3
Method
Grease a pan with little ghee,sprinkle the nuts & a pinch of cardamom powder evenly & keep ready.
Dissolve the saffron in warm milk & keep it aside
Mix the ricotta cheese & condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl.Make sure there are no lumps.
Microwave for 10 minutes uncovered.
Mix in intervals between every 2 minutes.
Just 30 seconds before the end add the saffron & remaining crushed cardamom powder.Mix & microwave.
You will see that the water has completely evaporated,pour it on a tray & spread the top evenly.
Cool for sometime & cut into pieces.Store them in Fridge
Note:
a) Each microwave is different so the cooking time can vary.

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Poosanikai Kootu Recipe / Ash Gourd Kootu Recipe / Kootu With Tamarind

Poosanikai Kootu

Ingredients to be pressure cooked
Cubed Poosanikai / Ash gourd - 1/4 cup
Tur Dal/Toor dal -1/4 cup
Raw peanuts -1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder -1/8tsp
Water required amount
Ingredients roasted & ground to a smooth powder
Fresh coconut-1tbsp
Coriander seeds-2tsp
Urad dal-1/2tsp
Channa dal-1/2tsp
Red chillies-2
Hing-a generous pinch
Oil- few drops
Tempering ingredients
Oil-2tsp
Mustard-1tsp
Curry leaves-few
Red chillies-1
Other ingredients
Diluted tamarind juice-1 cup
Jaggery or brown sugar-a generous pinch
Method
Pressure cook the above ingredients till cooked.
Add the ground paste,jaggery & tamarind juice, cook for 1 or 2 minutes,till raw smell disappears.
Heat oil in a pan & temper it with above ingredients.
Pour this into the cooked dal,mix & switch off the stove.
Best served with rice.

Inspired by Jeyashri

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Kerala Kadala Curry Recipe / Kadala Curry Recipe / Kerala Style Kadala Curry Recipe / Kadalai Curry Recipe / Kerala Kadalai Curry

Kerala Kadala Curry

Ingredients dry roasted & ground to a smooth paste
Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 & 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Whole pepper - 6
Cinnamon - a small piece
Cardamom - 1
Fennel seeds / Somph - 1/2tsp

Method
Dry roast the coconut till brown colour.Do not burn them.
Now add the other ingredients,saute for a minute & switch off the stove.
Cool the mixture, pour some water & grind it to a very smooth paste.Keep this aside.
Ingredients for tempering
Coconut oil - 6tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Chopped small onions - 5
Ingredients to be pressure cooked
Black channa / Brown Kondaikadalai / Kala Channa - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups add more if needed
Chopped Onion - a handful
Chopped tomato -1 small
Slit green chillies - 2
Curry leaves few
Salt to taste

Method
Take a pressure cooker & add all above ingredients.
Pressure cook till the channa is cooked.Wait for the whistle to go off and open it.
Heat oil in a pan & temper it with above ingredients.
Once the onions are slightly brown pour the cooked channa.
Now add the ground paste and cook till the gravy is thick.
Switch off the stove and garnish with curry leaves.
This is best served with Kerala puttu or Aapam.




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Drumstick Pickle / Munagakaya Aavakaya / Drumstick Pickle Andhra Style

Drumstick Pickle

Ingredients
Drumsticks -2
( Wash ,wipe & cut them into 1" pieces)
Mustard-3tsp
Methi -1 tsp
Red chilly powder -3 tsp heaped
Salt - 1 & 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - a large lemon size ball
Sesame oil -3/4 cup
Tempering
Mustard - 1tsp
Hing-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves -2 springs
Method
Dry grind mustard & methi to a coarse powder,keep it aside.Do not dry roast.
Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes & extract the pulp from the tamarind.
Cook the pulp till it reduces & you get a thick paste.
Heat oil in a pan in medium high flame deep fry the cut drumsticks till colour changes & its cooked inside.Remove & let it cool
In the same oil temper it with above ingredients.Cool the tempering
Now take a wide bowl mix the chilly powder,salt & mustard methi powder.Add the fried drumstick & gently mix them .Do not break the pieces.
Add the cooled tamarind paste & the cooled tempering.
Mix them well till everything is well combined.
Cover it with a lid & leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
Next day mix gently,cover & keep it for one more day.
3rd day mix & store it in a clean glass jar.
No need to add any preservatives.Try to keep a layer of oil on top of the pickle always.
I usually keep all the pickles in fridge.
Enjoy it with hot rice!
Note:
If you are going to keep the pickle outside then make sure there is no water at all in the pickle.Otherwise your pickle will go bad.
If making in small quantity i prefer to keep it in fridge.
For extra flavour garlic can be added.

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Curry Leaves Rice / Kariveppilai Rice / Karuveppilai Sadam Recipe / Karivepaku Annam Recipe

Karuveppilai Sadam

Ingredients roasted & ground to a semi smooth powder
Channa dal - 1tbsp
Urad dal-1tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
Methi seeds-10
Jeera/Cumin - 1tsp
Whole pepper - 1tsp
Red chillies-3
Coconut-1tbsp
Curry leaves - 2 cups
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Hing - a generous pinch
Tamarind - a small gooseberry size
Jaggery or brown sugar - 1/8tsp
Oil-1/2 tbsp
Tempering
Mustard-1tsp
Urad dal -1tsp
Cashew nuts-6
Red chillies-2
Curry leaves-few
Oil-1 tbsp
Other ingredients
Cooked rice-1 cup
Salt to taste

Curry Leaves Rice

Method
Heat oil in a pan & fry all the above ingredients till light brown on all sides in low medium flame.
Do not burn the dal or curry leaf while frying.
Cool them & dry grind along with the jaggery to a semi smooth powder.Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan & temper it with above ingredients.
Now add the cooked rice,salt & required amount of the powder.
Mix gently till well combined.
Switch off the stove & serve them with papad/chips or raita.

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Carrot Halwa Recipe / Gajar Halwa Recipe / Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients
Grated carrots - 1 & 1/2 cups
Sugar-1/2 cup
Milk-1 cup
Ghee-2tbsp
Chopped cashew nuts or almonds-2tsp
Cardamom powder-1/4tsp
Method
Heat 1tsp of ghee in a pan fry the nuts till light golden brown,keep it aside.
In the same pan add remaining ghee & saute the grated carrot in low flame till raw smell disappears & shrinks.
Now pour the milk & cook the carrots till its soft & all the milk is absorbed by the carrots.
Now add the sugar,cardamom powder & cook till everything is well combined.
Cook till ghee separates from the pan,mix in the fried nuts.
Switch off the stove,garnish with some chopped pistachio & serve them warm !
Note :
a) Make sure that the carrots are fried well till raw smell disappears before adding milk.
b) Sugar quantity depends upon the sweetness of the carrot,so add accordingly.
c) Condensed milk can be added for extra richness.

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Kathirikai Rasavangi Recipe / Brinjal Rasavangi Recipe

Kathirikai Rasavangi

Ingredients roasted & ground to a smooth paste
Urad dal -1 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Channa dal -1/2 tbsp
Red chillies-2
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Oil-1/4 tsp
(Heat oil & fry above ingredients till light brown.Cool & grind to a smooth paste)
Tempering
Oil-2tsp
Mustard-1tsp
Urad dal -1/2 tsp
Red chillies-1
Curry leaves -few
Hing-a pinch
Other ingredients
Brinjal -6 cut into cubes
Tamarind a small gooseberry size
( soak in water & remove the extract )
Cooked & mashed toor dal -1 cup
Salt to taste
Jaggery-1/2tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Method
Heat 1tsp of oil & fry the brinjals for 1 or 2 minutes.
Add the tamarind juice,turmeric powder & salt.Cook till brinjals are cooked.
Now add the cooked dal,ground masala & jaggery.Boil till the gravy is semi thick.
Switch off the flame.
Heat oil in a pan & temper it with above ingredients.
Pour this tempering into the gravy.
Add curry & coriander leaves,mix & best served with plain rice.

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