Poha Chiwda

Its Diwali time!! A very happy diwali to you all!!

One of the most commanly prepared snack item for Diwali is Chiwda.
For those guys who are novice to cooking, this is the best option to try as it is the easiest among all the Diwali snacks recipes.

Here is the simple recipe of a healthier version of Chiwda ;)

Ingriedients:
Thin Poha\ Avalakki\ Flaked rice - 500 gms
Groundnuts - 1 cup
Chana dal(the one used for preparing Chiwda) - half cup
Cashewnuts - half cup
Dry coconut pieces - 1 cup
Karipatta leaves - around 10
Raisins - half cup
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Jeera seeds - one forth cup
Sauf\ Fennel seeds - one forth cup
Corainder seeds - half cup
Turemeric posder - 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Green chillies - around 5
Hing \ Asoefatida
Oil
Salt
Sugar - half cup powdered

Procedure:

Preparing Chiwda masala:
1. Dry roast half cup corainder seeds, one forth cup jeera seeds and one forth cup fennel seeds.
2. Grind it to a fine powder in the mixer.

Preparing Chiwda:
1. Dry roast the poha and the groundnuts seperately and keep them aside. While roasting poha, add some salt.
2. Deep fry the cashewnuts, groundnuts, dry coconut pieces, dal, karipatta leaves, raisins and keep it aside.

3. In the same vok, add 4 tablespoon oil, Next add half teaspoon mustard and half teaspoon jeera. Once they splutter, add hing and green chillies. Once they are fried, turn off the gas
4. Next add turmeric powder and chilli powder and also the prepared chiwda masala. Mix it well.
5. Finally add the roasted poha and mix them nicely.
6. Next add all the previously deep fried items to this and mix them well.

7. Add the powdered sugar and the salt and mix well.

Chiwda is ready

Store it in a air tight container once it cools down.



Tips:
1. If you use the thick poha, then they need to be deep fried in Oil before adding to the seasoning.

Ghee\ Sajuk Tup

I still remember in my childhood days, when my mom used to prepare the ghee, our whole house was filled with the aroma of home made ghee. I remember how much i used to love this aroma and also the home made ghee.

Now I try to give the same to my daughter. Preparing ghee is a fortnightly affair for me.

Below is a simple step by step preparation of ghee from milk cream.

Procedure:

Collecting the milk cream

1. Collect the milk cream daily in a steel or glass container. Keep it in the fridge.

2. Initially add 1 tablespoon curd. Daily after adding the milk cream, stir it and keep it back in the fridge immediately.

3. Over a period of 2-3 weeks, once good amount of milk cream is collected, ghee can be prepared.

Preparing Ghee

1. Transfer the milk cream in a juicer. Add some water (around 2 cups) and run the juicer for about 2-3 minutes.

2. You will see the butter seperating from the butter milk.

3. If not, add some more water and run the juicer for about 2-3 minutes.

4. Trasfer the butter to a vok, and rinse it with water 2-3 times. This will allow the residual butter milk to be washed away. 

5. After seperating the butter, the leftover part is the butter milk. Tranfer the butter milk to a seperate container and enjoy it later.

6. Heat the butter for around 20 minutes.

7. You will see that initailly the butter melts and then turns into ghee. Below are some pics.

7. Transfer the ghee to a steel container.

8. The next day, it will solidify as shown below

Tips:

1. The vok used the prepare the ghee is loaded with ghee. Instead of directly putting it for wash, I usually prepare some curry in that. This way we do not waste any ghee.

Plain Dosa\ Plain Roast

Dosa is just an all time favourite in my family. My hubby wouldn't mind eating it everyday and my daughter can eat it even all three times a day. Thats the same case with me too.

Earlier I used to buy the readymade dosa batter. Once I tried preparing the batter at home and the dosas came out really crispy and delicious. From then onwards, every saturday I prepare the dosa batter. Our sunday breakfast menu is fixed - Plain dosa with sambhar and chutney.

Ingriedients:
Dosa rice - 4 cups
Urad dal - One cup
Methi seeds - one-forth teaspoon
Poha\ Avalakki - half cup
Baking soda - a small pinch
Water
Oil - for frying Dosa

Procedure:

Preparing Dosa Batter
1. Wash and soak the dosa rice, urad dal and methi seeds atleast for 8 hours. I usually soak it in the morning and prepare the batter in the late evening.
2. Wash and soak the avalakki (Poha) 2 hours before preparing the batter.
3. To prepare the batter, grind the soaked dosa rice, urad dal, methi seeds and avalakki in the mixer. Grind the avalakki seperately in the mixer as it gets ground very fast.
4. Store this batter in a bigger conatiner as after fermentation, the dosa batter increases in quantity.
5. Add a pinch of baking soda , mix well and keep it outside for around 12 hours. I usually keep it overnight and prepare the dosas next day morning for breakfast.

Preparing Plain Dosa
1. Add salt to the dosa batter and mix well.
2. Heat and grease a non stick tava with oil.
3. Pour a laddle full of batter on the tava and spread it in a circular motion. Keep it on a high flame.
4. Sprinke some oil on the dosa from the sides.
7. Once the lower side is golden brown, turn to the other side. and keep on a medium or low flame.
8. Now turn it back to the original side and fold over.
9. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve it hot with Chutney and Sambhar

Beetchi Koshimbir\ Beetroot Salad

Did you know that our healthy salads can be also made very delicious and mouth watering.

Below is one such recipe to prepare the simple yet delicious beetroot salad. This simple recipe can be easily made a part of our everyday meal :)

Ingriedients:
Beetroot - 1
Groundnut powder - 2 tablespoon
Lime juice - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - half teaspoon
Salt

Procedure:
1. Grate the beetroot and keep aside.
2. In a bowl, add the grated beetroot, groundnut powder, sugar and salt and mix well.
3. Sprinkle lime juice before serving

Serve it as a side dish with Dal-Rice.

Tips:
1. Lime juice turns bitter with time, hence sprikle it just before serving.