Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Ravva Kudumulu(Vinayaka Chavithi Naivedhyam)

Kudumulu Recipe:




Kudumulu is dish offered to lord vinayaka for Vinayaka Chavithi.
Lord Ganesha represents the power that removes all obstacles in
every aspect of life.Before starting any new work everyone offers
prayer to Lord Ganesha for successful results.
Before starting any puja or vratam first we offer prayer to this deity
and continue with the puja procedure.
He is also worshipped as God of Education and Success.
Vinayaka Chavithi is an auspicious day praying lord ganesha and
offering him his favourite food like Kudumulu , Bellam Undarallu
and Boondi Laddu(besan laddu).


INGREDIENTS:

Rice Ravva-1cup(made with raw rice)
Cumin Seeds-1tspn
Moon Daal/Chana Daal-3tspn
Oil/Ghee-1tspn                                                
Water-1cup+1/4cup
Salt-1/8tspn(for light taste)

PROCESS:

Making Rice Ravva:
Wash the rice and dry on a cotton towel for few hrs.
Once the rice is dry in a grinder grind/grate/pulse
till it turns into ravva (like crakled wheat ravva for upma).
This preparation is to be done ahead of making kudumulu.
If not possible can make with rice flour too.But they turn
out like very smooth balls .

Take a non-stick pan(to avoid sticking to bottom) add oil and once its warm, add cumin.
Once they start to splutter add moong daal and fry for 2-3 min and now add water and
salt just little bit for taste.
As the water comes to boil add ravva mix well and simmer it for 5-10min on very low flame.
Keep stirring for every 2min and check the ravva .
Check if the ravva is cooked well .It will just look like dry upma when done.
     

(At this time can add fresh grated coconut-1/4cup and mix well)
Turn off gas, keep aside ,allow it to cool little down for 5-10min.
When its warm enough wet your hands and make medium size balls by pressing in your palm with fingers.
Repeat with all the mixture.
Now it needs to be steam cooked  for 5-8min.

Can use idly cooker or steamer basket in electric cooker and steam cook for 5-8min.
After they are done, allow them cool down for few minutes.
Now Kudumulu Naivedyam is ready to offer to Lord Ganesha.
While serving as tiffin/breakfast can be served with coconut chutney or avakayi(pickle)
Happy Cooking...!

Monday, August 25, 2014

Vegetable Biryani/Pulav(flavoured rice)

Vegetable Biryani:


Vegetable biryani also called as pulav in telugu is very delicious rice dish flavoured with biryani masala , which i learned to make from my mom.One can add ready made biryani masala too.This is the main dish in any lunch or dinner party for telugu people.It goes well with raita ,sambar or gravy curry.

INGREDIENTS:

Raw Basmati Rice--4cups(serves 3-4 adults)
Water-7.5cups
Oil-2tbspn
Onion sliced-1/2 cup
Green chilli-8(acc to taste)
Ginger Garlic paste-2tspn
Cashew nuts -1/4 cup
Peas-1/4cup
Tomatoes diced-2 small/1large
Beans chopped-1/2 cup
Potatoes diced into 1/2 inch-1/2 cup
Mint leaves chopped-4tspn
biryani masala-1tspn
Red chilli powder-1/4 tspn
Bay leaves-2
Whole Pepper-6
Ghee/Butter-1tspn
Lemon Juice-2tspn







PROCESS:

I usually cook in electric rice cooker.One can use pressure cooker also.
First make everything ready with vegies chopped and rice washed and kept aside.
Take a wide pan, add oil .
Add diced potatoes, saute for 3min till light brown.Take them out in separate plate.
Fry bay leaves ,whole peppers,onion, green chilli saute for 3min.
Add beans ,carrot fry till half done, add peas , ginder garlic paste,mint and saute for a min.
Add  biryani masala powder, chilli powder at this time and washed rice and fry for 3-4min.
If cooking in electric cooker transfer this content into it and set the cooker in cooking mode.
If using pressure cooker start the process in it and cook the rice for 4 whistles and remove from gas
and allow it cool down.
Once the lid comes off , add chopped cilantro for garnish and serve it warm with onion or cucumber raita.
Enjoy the dish with your family.!
















Making Homemade Ganesh Idol(Vinayaka Vigraham)

Homemade Ganesh Murthi:



Hi Friends.
I am adding steps in the form of pictures to make homemade ganesh murthi or vinayaka vigraham for
VINAYAKA CHAVITHI.

For this you need play dough clay that you can find in many store in USA in the Arts and Crafts aisle.
Usually you get different color combo pack or a single color.Depending on your wish to use different colors
to decorate the idol you can use the dough.
Its very smooth.Take small dough at a time and make the parts first and then attach the bits with wet
hands so it sticks well.
You can decorate eyes , jewellry on the idol with glitter, fancy bindi,stickers or paint.
I am showing the basic steps for you , as the festival is in 3 days you can get the dough and try .
You can make the idol a day ahead or on the festival day too.It takes very less time around 15min.
Place it on some flat surface like a small mandap. You can also make a flat surface with play dough like
mandap and place idol on it.

First make ears,head (small ball),nose,hands, legs (make them litlle thicker than hands),Tummy part(big round ball).
Then combine each parts in places with wet hands .









 Hope you give a try to this homemade ganesh idol for this chaturthi festival .
After puja you can immerse the idol in a tub of water , it dissolves well in few hrs.
Then can water this to  tree in your backyard .
Checkout my vinayaka chavithi recipes too...!

Goduma Ravva Upma( wheat ravva upma)

Goduma Ravva upma , cracked wheat ravva upma:




Goduma ravva is finely crackled wheat that one can find in indian grocery store.
It is good for health compared to sooji or rice ravva.Anyone can have this as
breakfast or as light tiffin for dinner.Its very good for Diabetic people.

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat Ravva(finely crackled) : 1Cup(serves 1person)
Water-2cups
Onion Diced-1/4cup
Green Chilli-1
Peas-2tspn
Potatoes Thinly Diced-1/4cup
Ginger Finely Chopped-2tspn
Peanuts/cashewnuts-2tspn
Cilantro-2tspn
Turmeric-1pinch
Salt acc to taste

Tadka/Popu:
Oil-2tspn
Chana daal-1tspn
Urad daal-1tspn
Cumin -1tspn
Mustard seeds-1tspn
Red Chille Dry-1
Curry Leaves-2tspn

PROCESS:

Heat a non stick pan , add oil and popu ingredients .
Once they start to crackle add onion,green chilli,potatoe pieces
and saute till light brown , add peas,,ginger,roasted nuts and saute for a min.
Add water and salt and cover till it comes to boil.
Now add wheat ravva and stir and cover and cook on low heat for about 10 min.
Keep checking and stirring for every2-3 min .
Usually its cook on low temp , and with the pressure that builds inside.
After 10min you can notice the ravva cooked and quantity also increases as ravva is cooked.
Turn off gas andd cilantro and mix.
Warm and healthy Goduma Ravva Upma is ready to serve.
Can serve it with peanut chutney, avakai or sambar.

Eat healthy and delicious food and stay healthy.!


Parvanam/ Andhra Rice Pongali

PARVANAM - RICE PONGAL WITH JAGGERY(BELLAM)


Pongal or bellam pongal or parvanam is a sweet dish made with rice, bellam ghee and nuts.Its very popular sweet made on festive occasions in andhra especially.There are many variations to this depending on the region, i am sharing the one we make in andhra.Almost for every auspicious occasion we make this and offer to god/goddess.For gruhapravesam(house warming),first we boil the milk on high heat and its starts to spill all over which is good sign for the house owners .Then they add washed rice and once its cooked they add jaggery and make pongal.We also make it for Sankranthi festival,lakshmi pooja, ganapati pooja.Very easy to prepare and delicious to taste.
Here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Raw Rice-1cup
Jaggery/Bellam-1.5cup or 2cups(acc to taste)
Milk-1.5cup (for pressure cooker process)
Milk-500ml(for cooking in pan process)
Sugar-1/2 cup (acc to taste)
Cardamom powder-1/2tspn
Cashew nuts/1/4cup
Raisins-3tspn
Ghee/Butter-2tbspn

PROCESS:

We can cook this dish in pressure cooker too.Iam sharing both processes.
First wash and rice and keep aside.
In a small pan add ghee and fry cashew nuts first and then raisins
Take them in a plate, along with remaining ghee and keep it aside
a) Pressure Cooker:
Add washed rice, 2.5cup water and half cup milk and pressure cook for 4 whistles
and turn off and wait for the pressure to come down and lid comes off.
Then turn on gas on medium heat , add 1cup milk and cook while stirring in between
 so it doesnt stick to bottom.
Once its thickened, turn off the gas add jaggery and mix well till jaggery melts and combines well with rice.
Once can add 1:2 ratio of Rice:Jaggery or can add 1.5 cup jaggery and 1/2 cup sugar according to your taste.Add cardamom powder and Add fried cashew nuts and raisins and remaning ghee.
Yummy and sweet pongal is ready to offer to god and later you can enjoy it with your family and friends.

b)Pan Process:

Traditionally pongal is cooked in a pan or pot on stove.
Can use a stainless steel or non stick sauce pan/pot with litlle depth .
Take a pan add 1.5cup water and 500ml milk and turn the gas on medium and allow the milk come to boil.
Then add washed rice and let it cook half covered ,
by stirring for every 2-3min so it doesnt burn in the bottom.
Once the rice is cooked and soft, and the mixture is thick , turn off the gas.
Add jaggery  cardmom powder and mix well .Add cashewnuts and raisins.
Sweet Pongal/Parvanam is ready...!


Sunday, August 24, 2014

PALAKOVA--DOODH PEDA

Palakova / Doodh Peda in 15 min:




 Palakova is very yummy sweet dish very popular in andhra region.Its one my favourite sweet since my childhood.Now its my kids favourite too.I never miss to have it when iam in India.Soft and chewy sweet made with milk and sugar.I remember my grandma making this dish for all of my cousins when we went for summer holidays to our native place Palakol, in west godavari dt.I recollect many memories whenever i make this dish for my family.Generally its very time taking process thats followed in Andhra while making this in traditional way on the gas stove by boiling the milk for long time and continuosly stirring it, adding sugar, ghee.But i tried to make it in microwave that it turned out very tasty.It just takes 3min of cooking time in microwave and allowing it cool down to make the peda or kova.


One can make this easy homemade peda or kova for festive occasions like Diwali, Vinayak Chavithi, Lakshmi puja and offer to god and share with your friends and family.

INGREDIENTS:

Milk Powder-2 cups
Sweetened Condensed Milk-14oz can
Ghee/butter-1/4 cup/1stick
Cardamom powder-1tspn
Cashews/Pistachios/Raisins to


PROCESS:

Take a microwave safe bowl preferably a glass one which is deeper.
Add butter and microwave for 30sec to 1min just to melt the butter/ghee.
Add milk powder and mix it.Add condensed milk and mix all the ingredients
well .

Now microwave the bowl uncovered for 1min .
Remove and mix the content well and place it again in microwave for another 1min.
Remove and add cardamon powder and mix well and place it again for 1min.
Remove and mix well and keep the mmixture aside for 10-15min to cool down.

Once the mixture is cool enough , just warm to handle with your hands take a spoonful
and make round balls or flat circle shaped peda's and place them on greased plate.
Garnish with nuts according to your taste.refrigerate them so they are firm and store them
in ziplock or storage box and refrigerate them and serve at room temperature.

I hope you will give a try to this recipe and let me know about your views.
Enjoy it with your family and friends.!








Tuesday, August 5, 2014

MINI PEPPER MASALA CURRY

Yummy Masala Gravy Curry with Mini Peppers..!



I just tried this recipe with Mini sweet peppers and it turned out yummy.This masala curry can go with either roti/tortilla or with rice items such as biryani/fried rice/plain rice.You can find mini sweet peppers packed with colored peppers in almost any grocery store in USA.I hope you will give it a try and enjoy it with your family and friends.Here is the recipe..

INGREDIENTS:

Mini red peppers -1package washed (12-14)
Roasted peanuts-1/2cup
Onion -1cup sliced
Sesame seeeds-2spoons( lightly roasted)
Red chilli-2(according to taste)
Tamarind paste- 1tspn
Garam masala powder-1tspn
Red chillie powder-1tspn
Salt to taste
Turmeric-1/2 tspn
Oil-1tbspn

Popu/Tadka Ingredients:
Oil-1tbspn
Mustard seeds-1/2tspn
Cumin seeds-1/2tspn
Curry leaves-6-8


PROCESS:

Take the mini peppers and slit them on two sides and keep them aside.
Take a wide pan add 1tbspn oil and add red chilli and once they change colour add onions
and saute them till they turn golden brown and take them in a plate, allow
 them to cool.Once cool, add them to the grinder/blender along with roasted 
peanuts, sesame seeds, tamarind paste and make masala mixture by adding 
some water just to make thick paste.

Now turn on the gas and take the same wide pan add 1tbspn oil once warm add tadka ingredients
Now add mini peppers,add salt according to taste and saute them for 3-5min till they turn soft.by covering with lid and checking them in between.



Then add the masala paste ,add all the powders(masala ,red chilli,turmeric) and stir well and add some water
1/2 cup and cover the lid and cook for 5-10min till you get the needed consistency that you like to serve.
Turn off and take it into serving bowl and serve with warm rice or roti/naan.
(You can add or delete few ingredients according to your family's taste, can add a spoon of sugar if u like,can add some butter while sauteying  can add cream at the end to get  creamy texture.)


              Enjoy this yummy curry which is  spicy but can taste some sweet bites of pepper.




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