Rose cookies(Eggless)

Ingredients

1 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup Sugar or Jaggery
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp rice flour
Cardamom powder for flavour
Oil for deep fry
Required water(1/2 cup)

Method

1.Sieve flour and sugar.
2.Add sugar,cardamom powder and rice flower. Mix without any lumps.
3.Batter should be little bit thick.
4.Heat oil in medium flame and place the rose cookie achu(mould) kambi in the oil.
5.Once oil get heated take the achu and dip half way in the batter and fry in hot oil.
Repeat the same for all.
6.Fry until color turns to light brown. Place into tissue paper to observe excess oil.

Crispy rose cookies/achu murukku.

Notes:

Add 1 egg and a tsp of vanilla essence for egg version.

Chakkarai pongal | sweet pongal

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice
1 cup moong dal
1 cup jaggery
3 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp cashews and raisins
pinch of edible camphor
pinch of salt
2 generous pinch of elachi powder

Method

1. Wash the rice and dal.
2.In a bottomed vessel add required water(2-3 cups) and allow it to boil.
3.Once boiled add the rice and dal. Allow it to cook until its done 100 %.
4.In a sauce pan add 2 tbsp of water and jaggery. After jaggery melts strain and keep aside.
5. Now add the jaggery to cooked rice and stir well and even. Let it cook for 2-3 mins.
6. Add pinch of salt,edible camphor and elachi powder. Mix well/
7.In a sauce pan heat ghee and roast cashews and raisins.
8.Add roasted cashews and raisins along with ghee to the pongal.
9.Mix well until its done. Switch off the flame and serve.

Notes:

1.when rice is 100% done no water should be there. You can also pressure cook rice and dal.
2.Adjust sweetness by increasing jaggery measurements.
3. Cooking rice in vessel gives you nice taste to your pongal.

Coconut ladoo | sweets

Ingredients

1 cup fresh grated coconut
3 tbsp ghee
3 tbsp sugar(1/2 cup nearly)
Generous pinch of elachi powder
1/2 cup milk
Few saffron strands

Method

1.In a pan add ghee and coconut. Roast for 3-4 mins in medium flame.
2.Soak saffron in milk.
3.Add milk,sugar and milk. Allow it to cook  until it gets done.
4.Allow it to cool and make small ladoo shape balls. Refrigerate and enjoy.

Since we are cooking in milk it won't caramelize or become harder.

Note

Shelf life 2 to 3 days in refrigerator

Flan

Ingredients                                                  

                                                                  

1 can Condense milk
1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla essence
3/4th cup sugar

Method

1. In a pan add sugar. Let in caramelize in medium flame for 4-5 mins. (Should be in light dark brown in color).
2. Simmer completely and pour the caramelized​ sugar to two 6 inch cake pan / any mould / small steel or aluminum bowls as you wish. Preheat oven to 325°F
3. In a bowl whisk eggs, evaporated milk, condense milk and vanilla essence. Pour onto top of sugar caramelize.
4. Take a big bottom tray and fill 3/4th warm water. Place a filled cake pan into it.
5.Let it bake for 50-60 mins or until knife comes out clean.
6. Refrigerate for four hours.
7.With the help of knife gently poke the edges around. Turn upside on a serving plate. Beautiful caramelized top FLAN ready to be served.

Yummy yummy yummy. We add scoop of whipped cream or ice cream as topping. Good as it too.

Note
Instead of baking we can also steam as same as idly. Steam until knife comes clean.
I used 9 inch pan for water filling and 6 inch pan for making FLAN. Once I used silver utensils like wide bottomed plate and bowl. Same results.

Ela ada | Banana leaf wrapped kozhukattai

Recipe source:MIL

Ingredients                                                    

1 cup raw rice
1/2 cup water
salt

For stuffing

1/4 cup sesame seeds/Ellu
1/4 cup jaggery
2 pinch of cardamom powder

Method

1.Soak rice for 2 hours. Drain the water and spread on dry cloth. Let it become dry under fan. Meanwhile wash and clean banana leaf and cut into medium size rectangle shape.
2.In a bottomed pan roast the grounded rice flour. Add required water,salt and stir continuously. Allow it to cook soft and switch off the  flame.
3.Take the dough out and knead well for an minute.
4.Meanwhile In a pan roast the sesame seeds. Wait until it crackers. Switch off the flame and cool down. Grind into coarse powder.
5.Powder the jaggery(i grated). Mix grounded sesame seeds,cardamon powder and powdered jaggery. Stuffing is ready.
6.Now take medium size balls from the prepared dough and place in the banana leaf. Gently press with your fingers to flatten thin. Place some sesame filing in center and wrap it.(make sure you flatten thin base)

7.Heat the idly pot and steam for 12-15 mins.
8.Take out and transfer to a serving plate. Enjoy hot. It's so soft and melting.

Fruit kesari pudding | Kalyana kesari

Ingredients

1 Apple

1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 cup grapes
Few cashews
Few raisins
Few Sliced almonds
1 tbsp tutty fruity
1 cup Rava
1 cup sugar + 1 tbsp
1 tbsp ghee+ 1 tsp

1 tbsp oil
Few drops Pineapple essence
2 cups hot boiling water

Method

1.Add 1 tbsp of sugar to chopped Apple,pineapple and grapes. Let it sit for 15-30 mins. First start boiling water.
2. In a pan add 1 tbsp of ghee and oil. Roast cashews and raisins. Transfer roasted cashews and raisins to plate.
3.Add Rava and roast nicely in the ghee for 3-4 mins. Add hot boiling water to it. Stir continuously without any lumps and rava gets cooked.
4.Now add sugar and stir. Add yellow food color, pineapple essence and give a nice stir.
5. Now add sugar soaked fruits and mix well.
6.Finally add roasted cashews, raisins and tutty fruity and a tsp of ghee. Mix well and switch off the flame. Garnish with sliced almonds.

Enjoy hot

Notes

1. You can add any fruits additional like pineapple,pear, berries etc. But Apple grapes  and pineapple goes well.
2.Adjust sugar as per your taste buds. 1:1 ratio was perfect for us.
3. Don't use too fine Rava for kesari. Normal Indian Rava gives you perfect texture and taste.

White chocolate cranberry pistachio Fudge

Ingredients                                                 

white chocolate morsels - 1 1/2 cups
condensed milk - 3/4 th cup
dried cranberries - - fistful
pistachio- 2 tbsp (salted and roasted)
vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method

1.Mix condense milk and white chocolate in a sauce pan. Stir continuously in medium to slow heat until chocolate melts. off the flame
2. Add dried berries and pistachio and vanilla essence too. Mix gently.
3.Line a parchment paper on baking tray and pour the prepared fudge and tap it gently. Refrigerate for minimum 3 hours to max.
4.Remove the parchment paper and cut into desired shapes. Store and feast your tummies.

jalebi | sweets

Ingredients

1 cup minus 2 tbsp Maida
2 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp hot oil
pinch of baking soda
3/4 th cup curd
yellow edible color

For sugar syrup
1cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
yellow edible color
generous pinch of cardamom powder

Oil for deep fry

Method

1. Mix everything under ingredients table. beat well. Allow it to ferment for 12 hours minimum same as idly batter.
2.Prepare sugar syrup with 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Boil for 15 mins in medium flame. Just wait for one string consistent. Switch off the flame and add lime juice.
3.Heat oil in a wide pan in medium flame.
4.Beat the fermented batter until fluffy. It should be in pouring consistant.Fill the batter in piping bag and draw the shape on hot oil. Draw 2-3 jalebi at a time and wait to cook on both sides. once you see crispy jalebi take out from the oil and immediately transfer to warm sugar syrup.Let it stand for 1-1/2 min in sugar syrup. Transfer to a plate

Enjoy hot jalebi !

Notes

Alternatively ziplock cover can be used for piping.
cook in medium heat.
Transfer immediate from oil to sugar syrup. it will prevent soggy.
Once you draw on hot oil it will be double the size. So watch your jalebi drawing size.