Semiya Paysam

Semiya payasam is a tasty sweet thats made on festival days as naivedyam.
Its easy to make and takes less lime and tastes yummy.Can also be served as
desert for lunches and dinners for friends and family.

INGREDIENTS:

Semiya/Vermicelli-1cup
Saggubiyyam-1/4cup(optional)
Milk-4cups
Sugar-1-1.5cup(acc to taste)
Water-1cup
Ghee/butter-1tbspn
Cardamom powder-1/2tspn
Cashews-2tspn
Raisins-2tspn

PROCESS:

In a sauce pan add water and milk and allow it come to boil.
Takes around 20-30min on medium.
Keep stiring to avoid sticking to bottom.
Meanwhile heat a pan add ghee and roast cashews and raisins.
Add semiya/vermicelli and roast till golden brown, add saggubiyam
and turn off heat and keep aside.
Once the milk comes to boil add this semiya mixture to it and stir.
Cook on medium till semiya is soft and saggubiyam is cooked well.
Turn off heat , add sugar( as desired) and mix well.
Add cardamom powder and mix well.

Offer the sweet to god as naivedyam and serve it to family and friends.!
Vedi Vedi Semiya Payasam ready....!
(Serve it warm or refrigerate and serve cold.Either way it tastes delicous.!)

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...!

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.!

Chewy Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies

Yummy and Healthy oatmeal and raisin cookies that everyone would love.Kids will defintely love them.For me it works as a breakfast with some hot tea or Coffee, sometimes as an energy bar or as an evening snack.You can make your own variations according to your taste and can also be made as Bars.
Prep time:10min Total time:30min Yields:24 cookies
INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
6tspn Unsalted Butter(softened)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1tsp ground cinnamon
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, raisins, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Gradually add oat mixture; beat just until combined.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown but still soft, 12 to 16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

PLAIN COOKIES!

A very simple and yummy cookies recipe is here for you all.This is the best way you can feed your family healthy food.Check them out...

INGREDIENTS:

Maida/all purpose flour-1cup
Butter-3/4cup
Powdered Sugar-3/4cup
Sooji/upma ravva-1/4cup
Baking soda-1/4tspn
Elaichi powder-1/2tspn
Cahews/badam/pista-for topping

PROCESS:

Preheat oven@ 190deg centigrade or 350F.
Take a baking plate,apply butter to it .
Take a mixing bowladd butter to it and stir it to a smooth paste.
Now add powdered sugar to butter and mix well ,till it becomes soft paste.
In other bowl add maida,sooji,baking sodaelaichi powder and mix well.
Add this mixture to the butter paste little at a time and keep mixing it .
Now you can mix it with your hand,knead well into a soft dough.
Now make small balls of this dough and press cashew or any dryfruit of your wish as topping and give a design on the cookie according to your thought.

Make small sized ones as they will expand into bigger size when they are baked.
Place the cookies you have prepared in the baking pan that is made ready .
Place each one with 1-inch gap and bake them in the oven for 25min.
Please keep checking for every 8min.It may be done before 25min as each oven temp and timing vary.
Once they turn into golden brown take them and out and allow them to cool.

Yummyyyy and crispy cookies are ready to serve..Enjoy them

RAVVA LADDU! (Semolina Balls)

A very yummy sweet recipe is here for all of you.I just love ravva laddoo..I guess its the easiest recipe of  sweet and tastes delicious..My hubby loves them alot..Looking at them you just cant wait to have them ..So no more waiting ,just try them and enjoy them with your family..

INGREDIENTS:

Sooji/Upma ravva/Semolina-1cup

Sugar-1cup(acc to ur taste)

Cashews-10 whole nuts

Raisins-10

Desi Ghee-25-30gms

Boiled milk-1/2 cup

Grated Fresh Coconut-25gms

Elaichi /cardamom powder-1tspn

PROCESS:

Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai. Once the ghee is hot enough, simmer the flame and roast cashew nuts and raisins.
Once the raisins balloon up, remove. Then roast the grated coconut.
Remove once done. Keep all these aside. Add the remaining ghee and roast the Rava till its well roasted and aroma starts coming out.Then add the sugar. Mix well for 3-4min .
In a bowl, take all the roasted Rava, Nuts, Coconut and add the Cardamom powder.
Then slowly add the warm milk little at a time into the bowl. Check if you are able to gather as balls.
Then start making laddu in batches .Initially they are wet laddu ,leave them aside for 10-15min until they dry and energy boosting tasty ravva laddu are ready to eat and enjoy with your family...!

NOTE:

While roasting the Rava, make sure you have the flames in sim, else there is a chance of the rava getting over roasted.
Its enough to add only the required amount of milk to get you form balls. Depending on the rava and the sugar at times we may not use all the 1/2milk.
Since we add milk and coconut, its best to consume within 5 days of making them. If you store them in fridge, you can have them for a week or 10days.