Appam

I prepared this sweet for MahaSivarathri for the first time, It came out so well. This is famous sweet in South india very easy to prepare and taste will be excellent.
Ingredients:
· Grated Jaggery – 1 cup
· All purpose flour / maida – ½ cup
· Rice flour – 2 tsp
· Oil – for deep frying
· Powdered cardamom – 1 tsp
· Dry ginger powder/sukku– ½ tsp
Preparation:
· Mix all purpose flour and rice flour keep it aside
· Boil ¼ cup of water, once the water starts boiling add the grated jaggery to water
· Keep on stirring it, while all the jiggery dissolves. Once you see all jaggery is dissolved, add ginger powder and cardamom to it.
· Mix well for 2 min, turn off the heat
· Add this jaggery mixture to the flour[Maida & rice flour]
· Mix well, till no lumps remains
· Add water if required.

· The batter should be in the consistency of idli batter
· Once the batter the ready, heat oil for fry in pan
· Once the oil is hot, add spoonful of batter to the oil
· The heat should be medium, not too high or low
· Once you see the bubbles around the batter in the oil stops, you can remove the appam from oil · If you remove it before that it will be half cooked inside
· So allow it to cook well
· Drain excess oil with kitchen issue.
Offer it to almighty and pray for world peace and prosperity.

New Year Cake - 2009

I was really excited to see my cake came out so well and it got finished so soon. Irresistable taste.

I prepared the same for New year. The taste will be exactly as the one you get in bakery. Please do try it and leave your comment.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour or baking flour - 1 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Cinnamon(Pattai) powder - 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg(Jathikka) powder - 1/4 tsp
Cloves(Grambu) powder- 1/4 tsp
Dry Ginger powder - 1/4 tsp
Raisins(Dry rates) - 1/4 pound
Dates(Perrecham pazham) - 1/4 pound
Orange and Lemon peel - 1/4 cup
Plum, Cherry, Cranberry,
other dried fruits - 1/4 cup
Cashewnuts(chopped) - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1/4 pound
Sugar - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup (To make caramelized sugar)
Eggs - 3 nos
Salt - 1 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Almond(Badam) essence - 1/4 tsp
orange juice - 1/4cup

Method:

~Slice the dried fruits and coat them with 2 tbsp of flour.
~Mix the fruits with orange juice and keep this closed at room temperature for one day.
~Chop cashews and smear them with almond essence and keep
them also closed for one day.
~Next day,sieve flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, cloves powder and dry ginger powder
together 2-3 times.
~Add fruits, nuts, caraway seeds to the flour and mix well.
~Caramelize sugar in a heavy bottom pan and allow it to cool.
~Whisk the butter and add sugar and whisk well, until it is creamy.
~Separate eggs to whites and yolk.
~Add the yolks to butter & sugar mixture (7) and whisk well.
~Add flour ,a little a time,to the whisked batter and mix thoroughly.
~Add caramelized sugar to this and mix thoroughly again.
~Whisk whites of eggs with vanilla and salt.
~Pour this to the batter.
~Grease a pan and line with parchment paper.
~Pour batter till half the pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 1 - 11/2 hours.
(please check it is done after 40-45 minutes.cooking time depends on the oven used and the depth of the pan.)
~Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling
rack.
~fruit cake ready.

to prepare caramelize sugar:

Sugar: 1/4 cup
Water: 1 tbsp
Warm water: 1/4 cup

Add sugar and 1 tbsp water keep in stove at low medium heat.
When the sugar starts to caramelize , stir slowly with wooden spoon.
The sugar will start to change color from light brown to dark.
In between , keep in microwave the water for 1 min and warm it.
When the sugar starts to turn brown , pour slowly the warm water keep ur face away!
(caution: it splitter so be cautious!).
Let it cool completely then add caramel and the vanilla essence.

Suzhiyam/Maida Roll

This is an authetic dish, i adapted from my grandma. I made of list of recipes my son - sonu likes. He is very much excited and waiting everyday for his special dishes. I would like to thank pritya for conducting such wonderful contest Cooking for kids with Love

This recipe is also called as Thoopam in some towns of tamilnadu. Generally this recipe is made on any celebration.

Suzhiyam for sweet sonu

Ingredients:

For Inner Stuffing:

• Grated cocunut 1 cup


• Jaggery 1 cup


• Cardamom 1tsp

Outer Batter:

• maida 1cup


• Salt - Pinch


• Water - required

Method:
Poornam (stuffing):

• dissolve jaggery in 1cup water and filter.
• then boil this and add grated cocunut ,cardamom.
• Keep stiring it till it reaches a consistency to make balls
• Don't over cook it then the balls will become hard.

Outer Batter:

• mix maida,salt and water to make semi thick batter[Just like dosa batter]

Make even balls with poornam/stuffing and roll it on this batter and deep fry it in the oil.

Suzhiyam is ready for serve.

Stuffed Dry Jamun

I m really glad to present the second recipe for Cooking for kids with Love

This recipe i got from my mom Mrs. ponmodi Illagovan. My mom just loves her grandson tasting her recipe, She enjoys looking her grandson from Webcam as she is in India and i m in United states.

I tried this for the first time last month, My kid loved it and started asking for it whenever he remembers. I prepared it today, since he has been pinging to prepare it for long time.

Here it is for you. I believe every kid will definelty will love it.

Ingredients for Jamun Balls:

• Milk powder - 1 cup


• Maida - 1/4 cup


• Baking soda - 1/4 tsp


• Water - required

Make a thick dough [just like chappati batter]

Stuffing:

• Badam - 1 tsp


• Pista - 1 tsp


• Cashews - 1 tsp


• Dry grapes - 1tsp

Grate everything, mix it keep it aside

For Dusting:

Sugar powder - required.

Sugar Syrup:

• Sugar - 1 cup


• Water - 2 cups of water


• Rose water - 1/2 tsp

Method:

• In the Make medium balls, by stuff 1/2 tsp of stuffing mix.


• Heat oil in the pan, fry these balls to golden brown


• Keep it aside.


• Heat 2 cup of water in a pan, once it boils add the sugar.


• Keep stiring to make a thin sugar syrup. remove it from heat once all the sugar dissolves to get a thin syrup.


• Add the fried balls to the sugar syrup.


• Just wait for exactly 7 min, remove it from sugar syrup and keep it aside


• Wait for 10 min.


• Now add the jamun balls and dust it in the sugar powder, cool it for a while

Stuffed Jamun is ready for serve.

Sweet idly/Karuppati idly

Sweet idly/Karuppati idly by Mrs. Poonmudi Illangovan

Sonu's all time favourite - Sweet Idly

I have seen my kid sonu eating this dish, without any problem from his grandma[My mom], Whenever i visit my hometown, she is ready with this dish, to serve her grandson. There is some special taste when my mom prepares this dish, More than me, my kid whose is 2 year old is ready to eat this anytime.

About this dish:

Whenever there is some special occasion at my place, you have definitely see this dish ready.This is famous among interior of south india @ places like Karaikudi,Chidambaram.

As for as i know this is my family's traditional dish. My mom prepares batter of this idly with the hand grinder made of stones, this gives a special taste to this recipe. I use only by blender for preparing the batter.

Karupatti/Jaggery is mixed in this idly, which is a rich source of iron and very nutritious for kids.

I am glad to present this dish for the contest Cooking for kids with Love conducted by pritya earlier intiated by sharmi

Ingredients:

• Boiled rice/Puzungal arisi – 1cup
  
• Urad dal – 1/2cup
  
• moong dal - 1/4cup
  
• Jaggery – 1cup
  
• cardamom powder– 1/2tsp
  
• Grated coconut – 1/4cup - for garnish
  
• moong dal - 4tsp - for garnish
  
• Ghee – 2tbsp

Method:

• Soak rice, urad dal, moong dal overnight and grind it next morning.
  
• The batter should be thick
  
• add 1/4 tsp of salt to the batter and allow it to fragment for 12 hours atleast.
  
• Once the batter is ready.
  
• Then dissolve jaggery and cardamom in 1/4cup water,allow it to boil,filter and take the syrup.
  
• add this syrup into idly flour.
  
• soak 4tsp moong dal for 1hr and roast it.
  
• grease idly plates with ghee and pour flour.
  
• Sprinkle coconut and roasted moong dal on each idly.
  
• Now steam it in idly cooker for 10 - 15 min.
  
• Remove the idly from steam and serve hot.

Sweet Idlly or Karuppati idlly ready.

Paal Panjamirtham / Jaggy Milko fruit

Panjamirtham - means mixture of five healthy and nutrient ingredients.

My five ingredients include Milk,Honey,Fruits,Jaggery and Dry ginger powder.

All the above mentioned ingredients are rich source of vitamins.

I am happy to publish my Second entry for Kids - event - Milk contest, initiated by sharmi and conducted by preety.

All kids will have great fun enjoying this dish :)

Ingredients:

• Banana – 1 ripen
  
• Dates – finely grated – ¼ cup
  
• Raisins/Dry grapes – 2 tsp
  
• Milk – 1 cup
  
• Jaggery grated– 1/2 cup
  
• Dry ginger powder/sukku – Pinch
  
• Honey – 1 tsp

Preparation Method:

• Boil the Milk, heat it till it becomes 1/2 to 1/4 glass, the milk should be thick. Do this keeping the milk in medium low flame. Keep this aside.


• Powder the grated jaggery.


• Take a separate bowl, smash the banana,add the grated grapes, add the dry grapes, jaggery,dry ginger powder,honey and the add the warm milk to this mixture.


• Cool it slightly and serve to the kids.

Paal Kozhukattai/Milk Modhak

Special recipe for the Kids-event-milk contest.
This recipe can be even served to a kid who is 8 months old.
Thanks for initiating this contest sharmi - Kids event and good work preety for supporting it.
I am sure they are gonna love it, give them a treat for their hunger.

They just can't resist eating this.

Ingredients:

• Rice flour - 1/2 cup
• jaggery or sugar - 1/2 cup
• milk - 1/2 cup
• cardomoms – 10
• grated coconut - 4 tsp
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Dried nuts for decoration.

Method:

• Mix rice flour + hot water + pinch salt make a dough, the consistency should like chappati consistency.
• Make tiny balls with your finger tips or you can use Murukku achu and make tiny length strips.
• Boil 1/2 cup of milk and keep it aside.
• boil 11/2 cup water and allow it to boil, add 1 tsp of channa dal, allow it cook for 5 min
• now add the balls to the boiling water
• The balls will get cooked, some will get dissolved in the water, once it reaches semi consistent stage.
• Add the boiled milk mixed well, add to mix well together.
• Now add the sugar/grated jaggery to the mixture, keep the heat in medium flame.
• Now it to reach Semi consistency stage.
• Now add cardomoms powder, grated cocunut.
• Sprinkle some dried nuts before you serve.

Paal Kozhukattai is ready.

Payasam

Ingredients:

• Semiya - 3 tsp


• Milk - 2 cups


• Sugar - 1/4 cup


• Dry fruits and nuts - 3 tsp


• Ghee - 4 tsp


• Yellow color - pinch


• Cardamom - 2 [crushed]

Preparation Method:

• 1. Dry roast the semiya till light brown and keep it aside.


• 2. In a wide pan, add the milk,sprinkle cardamom - boil till it thickens


• 3. Now add the semiya to it, keep stiring till the semiya gets cooked


• 4. In another pan, heat the ghee - roast the dry fruits and nuts.


• 5. add the color to the mixture

Puffed Rice balls

Poori Urundai/Karthikai Deepam Recipes

Ingredients

• Poori/Puffed rice - 2 cups


• Powdered jaggery - 1 cup


• Chukku /Dried ginger- ½ tsp


• Cardamom powder - ¾ tsp

Preparation Method

• Heat 3/4 cup of water in a kadai, once the water boils


• Add the powdered jaggery to it


• Make a thick consistency of the jaggery


• Try pouring a pinch of boiling jaggery mixture in water, it should be solid shape


• If this happens, your jaggery mixture is ready


• Now add cardamom powder,dry ginger powder and mix well


• Keep in the flame in lower medim, add the puffed rice to the mixture


• Mix well and switch of the gas


• Make mediun sized balls out the mixture when it is warm.

Sweet Puffed rice balls are ready for Puja.

Wheat Maida Halwa

Godhumai Halwa

Ingredients:

• Maida flour – ½ cup


• Wheat flour – 1 & 1/2 cup


• Sugar – 3 & 1/2 cup


• Butter/ghee – 150gms


• Cashew – 5nos


• Almonds - 5nos


• Raisins - 10 nos


• Salt – pinch


• Water – 3 cups


• Food color – reqd


• Cardamom – 2tsp
  

Preparation Method:

• Heat 2 tsp of oil in a kadai.


• fry cashews,almonds and Raisins till they are golden brown and keep aside.


• Now in the pan, add maida,wheat flour and saute till raw smell goes off and turn golden brown, make sure that doesn't burn.


• Boil 3 cups of water once the water reaches boiling point add the food color


• Add the sugar, keep stiring continously.


• now the sugar dissolves, add the roasted flour and stir till they are mix together well


• Now add the powdered cardomom and roasted nuts mix well.


• Before removing from heat add 2 tsp of ghee.

Wheat-Maida Halwa is ready to serve

Papaya Halwa

Ingredients:

• Papaya(Ripen one) - 1[Medium size]



• Milk - 1 glass



• Sugar - to taste



• Cardamom - crushed



• Ghee - 4 tsp



• Cashews,Badam,Dry grapes - Mixed 3 tsp

Preparation Method:

• Wash and remove the Outer cover from Papaya


• Grate it into thin slices, Do it with a carrot grater.


• Remove the water from the slices by slightly squeezing it.


• Heat the 2 tsp of ghee in the Kadai.


• Add the squeezed and sliced Papaya to that.


• Keep stirring it till all the water evaporates from it.


• Now add the glass of milk and allow it to boil for some time.


• Add sugar to the mixture once the milk nicely mixes well.


• Add ghee as and when required.


• Just keep a watch on it, cause it may burn if u keep it in high flame.


• Once everything mixed well and lump comes out.


• Heat a Ghee in a separate kadai, Nuts and dry grapes and add it to the mixture.

Small kids who refuse to take fruits, this way parents can help them in consuming nutrient diet.

Suraikai Halwa/Locki Halwa/Squash Halwa

Ingredients:

• Suraikai/Squash - 1[Medium size]



• Milk - 1 glass



• Sugar - to taste



• Cardamom - crushed



• Ghee - 4 tsp



• Cashews,Badam,Dry grapes - Mixed 3 tsp

Preparation Method:

• Wash and remove the Outer cover from suraikai/squash



• Grate it into thin slices, Do it with a carrot grater.



• Remove the water from the slices by slightly squeezing it.



• Heat the 2 tsp of ghee in the Kadai.



• Add the squeezed and sliced Suraikai/Squash to that.



• Keep stirring it till all the water evaporates from it.



• Now add the glass of milk and allow it to boil for some time.



• Add sugar to the mixture once the milk nicely mixes well.



• Add ghee as and when required.



• Just keep a watch on it, cause it may burn if u keep it in high flame.



• Once everything mixed well and lump comes out.



• Heat a Ghee in a separate kadai, Nuts and dry grapes and add it to the mixture.

Moodhagam

Ingrediants:

Rice - 1 1/2 cups[soaked overnight]

For Puranam

Jaggery - 1 cups
cococunt - 1/4 cup
Cardomom - 3 nos
Ghee - 4 tsp

Preparation method:

Making Purnam:

Boil 2 cups of water
Grate the Jaggery, and add to the boiling water.
Mash all the clumps and wait till all the jaggery gets dissolved in water. Once done, turn off the heat and filter the jaggery.
Heat pan, add ghee, once it is hot add cardomom, then add coocunt and stir for 3 min, then add the jaggery, mix when till the water evaporates, turn off the heat when u see everything rolls together.
Cool it aside

Making outer cover:

Grind the soak rice in a blender, with some salt to taste.[Grind it like dosa batter]
Heat the pan, add the grinded mix, keep stiring it continously, till all the water evaporates
and the mixture rolls to a soft dough.Turn off the heat

Grease ur add with ghee or oil, knead the dough well.

Make small balls of the dough, press it to ur desired size, Keep 2 tsp of Puranam in the dough, close all the sides, press it properly, handle it softly

Steam all the Moodhagam in an idli steamer.