Madras Mixture

         One of the most typical fried snacks available in any eatery or specialised shops in Tamil Nadu, the Madras Mixture. A mélange of multiple items, the taste is simply wonderful and makes this snack an anytime...no, all-time favourite!! Though the prep can be a bit laborious, the assembling is far less complicated.
While most of the shops tend to add pieces of other items such as Ribbon Sev and so on..this is the most typical recipe..

MADRAS MIXTURE

Ingredients : 

Omapodi / Thick Sev (recipe here) - 250 gms
Unsalted Boondi - 250 gms (if you find this bit difficult to prepare at home, better to buy the readymade one, but plain since we'll be adding salt while assembling)
Roasted peanuts - 100 gms
Curry leaves - 1 cup
Flattened rice (Thin chiwda is best for this) - 100 gms
Roasted gram (Pottukadalai) - 100 gms
Thin Maida biscuits or Namak para (optional) 
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
Asafoetida (Hing) powder
Clarified butter / Ghee


Method : 

1. Heat oil for frying. Using a deep slotted ladle, fry the Chiwda/Poha and curry leaves together, inside the ladle itself. This is helpful as you dont need to chase the flimsy ingredients all over the wok!! Remove and drain excess oil.

2. In a small bowl, make a paste using salt, chili powder, hing and just enough ghee to hold these together, not a runny paste. 

3. In a large bowl, add all the components of the mixture - Omapodi, Boondi, peanuts, fried curry leaves & poha, roasted gram and thin maida biscuits. Toss them together gently. 

4. Now we add flavour to the bland mixture. Transfer a portion of the mixture to another large mixing bowl. Take a little salt-chili paste in your hands and toss the mixture gently so that the spices coat all the ingredients evenly. Check taste, and if OK, put this into the final air-tight container. 
Repeat with the remaining bland mixture, using a portion at a time. Remember to keep the flavours as even as possible between these portions.
Once the entire mixture is in the air-tight container, shake it gently once to twice. 
Your MADRAS MIXTURE is ready to be served!!

Choco-Flavoured Rava Laddu

An easy to make laddu using just a handful of ingredients, but taste - simply out of the world. This one is with the twist of a choco flavour.

CHOCO-FLAVOURED RAVA LADDU

Ingredients :

Semolina (rava) - 1 cup
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
Cashews (broken into small bits) - 1/4 cup
Clarified butter (Ghee) - 1/4 cup + 2 tbsps (for frying cashews)
Cardamom (Elaichi) powder - 1/4 tsp
Cocoa powder - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Dry roast semolina till it lets out an aroma, but do not let it become brown. Transfer to a large plate and let cool to room temperature. Dry grind to a fine powder. Add the powdered sugar and pulse once to mix it well.

2. In a bowl, add the powdered mix. Add the elaichi and cocoa powder and mix well. 

3. Heat 2 tbsps ghee and roast the cashews till golden brown. Add to the rawa mix.

4. Heat the 1/4 cup ghee and pour over the mix. Mix well with a ladle, then using your hands mix again. Prepare laddus when the mix is still tolerably hot, if it cools down the laddus will not hold together.
Press the mixture firmly but gently into the palms of your hand and make into rounds. 
Store in an air-tight container. 

Ribbon Sev(Ribbon Pakoda)

      Another one of my Diwali favourites is the Ribbon Sev or Ribbon Pakoda as we call it!! Again, a simple preparation, the key is to get the dough right..

RIBBON SEV

Ingredients : (Makes about 250gms of Sev)

Bengal gram flour (Besan) - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Clarified butter (Ghee) - 2 tsps

Method :

1. Sieve together Besan, rice flour and chili powder into a clean and dry bowl.

2. Dissolve the salt in a little water, take care to add a little first, lest it becomes too salty.

3. Add ghee, salt dissolved in water and knead into a soft dough using enough water. 



4. Heat oil over medium heat for frying. Stuff a little dough into a murukku or sev press with the Flat sev plate fitted in. 



5. Place a large flat slotted ladle on a plate and squeeze out a portion of the dough on to it. Make any shape you desire. Dip the ladle into the hot oil and let slide out. Fry on low to medium heat till light golden brown. Remove to drain excess oil. Once cooled to room temperature store in an air-tight container.

Omapodi / Thick Sev

       Diwali is right round the corner!! And that means lights, new dresses, new decor for the house, everything new!! Not to forget - savoury snacks, sweets, which keep disappearing the moment they hit the storage jars :)
We start off with a pretty simple savoury snack, called Omapodi, a thick variety of sev, that can be had on its own or crushed and used for the South Indian mixture as well. The name comes from Omam, which means Ajwain or Carom seeds; in the olden days the ajwain was manually ground in the Roller stone, Silbatta (Hindi) or Ammi (in Tamil). But to make it easier now, one can use the ready made Ajwain water available in the market, or simply prepare at home by boiling some carom seeds in water and letting it cool down to room temperature before use.

OMAPODI / THICK SEV

Ingredients : 

Bengal gram flour (Besan) - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Chili powder (optional) - 1 tsp
Ajwain water - enough for kneading the dough
Clarified butter (Ghee) or unsalted butter - 2 tbsps

Method :

1. Sift together besan, rice flour and salt so as to remove lumps.

2. Add chili powder and knead into a smooth but stiff dough using sufficient ajwain water and ghee or butter.

3. Prepare the Sev press by fitting in the pin-hole plate. We use the traditional press made of brass, which has inter-changeable plates for different savouries. It's also available in stainless steel, as also with brands such as Anjali.
 

4. Divide the dough into equal portions that will fit into your sev/savoury press instrument. Meanwhile heat oil for frying in a wide kadhai or wok.

5. Reduce the flame to low and slowly press the dough through the instrument and into the oil, into desired shapes. Try to to make connected swirls, much like Jalebi or smaller ones, depending on the size of your wok. Increase the flame to medium heat and let fry till light golden. Remove and drain excess oil.

6. Once cooled down to room temperature, store in an air-tight container.

Stuffed Karela in Gravy

        What's the one vegetable that tops the list of 'Least liked veggies' ??? Of course, Bitter gourd, or the humble 'Karela'!! It's always a challenge to serve the more likeable vegetables in as different and interesting variations as possible, so imagine how much the mind needs to rake up its creative juices to make the un-interesting vegetables, appealing!!
Here, I attempt a simple stuffed Karela in a basic gravy....

STUFFED KARELA IN GRAVY

Ingredients :
Tender Bitter gourd (Karela) - 2 medium
Salt - 2 tbsps
Chili powder - 1 tsp

Gravy :
Tomatoes - 3 medium
Red Pumpkin (cubed) - 1 cup
Onions - 2 medium
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsps
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 2 tsps
Turmeric poweder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 2 tsps

Stuffing :
Crumbled paneer - 1 cup
Finely chopped spinach (palak) - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Oil for shallow frying

Method : 

1. Peel the bitter gourd to remove the ridges and make it as smooth as possible. Cut into 1cm thick roundels, scoop out to make them hollow and add to a bowl. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and 1 tsp chili powder. Shake well and keep aside for about 10 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, grind onions, ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Grind tomato and red pumpkin separately.

3. Wash the bitter gourd roundels well in running water and drain. Steam cook with a little bit of salt sprinkled over them, for about 10 minutes or till 3/4th tender. Keep aside.

4. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a kadhai/pan. Add jeera and let crackle. Add the onion-ginger-garlic paste along and sauté for about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add salt, turmeric pwder, chili powder, garam masala and let fry. Once the oil separates, add in the tomato-pumpkin gravy. Stir occasionally and let cook for 5 to 7 minutes more. Check for salt and turn off the flame once gravy is done.

6. For the stuffing, just keeping it simple - mix together the crumbled paneer, spinach, salt, chili powder and garam masala. 

7. Fill this stuffing inside each steamed karela round. Heat oil for shallow frying. Gently drop in the stuffed karelas and fry on low to medium heat, on both sides till golden brown. Remove and drain excess oil.

8. When ready to serve, warm the gravy. Place the fried karela on the serving plates and gently pour the gravy on top or around. Garnish with coriander.

Stuffed Multi-grain Parathas

Day 5 of Navratri and third day of Lakshmi pooja (3 days each for Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswathi), this also coincided with something to prepare for our 10th #FoodieMonday #BlogHop, and this week the theme was food that we prepare during the festival. Anything ranging from Faraali dishes to sweets, to simple daily prasad....My preparation...stuffed Multi-grain Parathas. 
With my new-found love, actually turning into obsession (!!), for millets, this one has both Bajra and Ragi flours with multi-grain wheat flour to supplement and to help in binding.

STUFFED MULTI-GRAIN PARATHA

Ingredients :

For the dough :
Pearl Millet (Bajra) flour - 1/2 cup
Finger Millet (Ragi) flour - 1/2 cup
Soya flour - 1/4 cup
Multi-grain or whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Water as required

For the stuffing :
Finely chopped carrot - 1/2 cup
Finely chopped capsicum - 1/2 cup
Roughly chopped or torn Spinach leaves - 1 cup
Crumbled Paneer - 1 cup
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric (Haldi) powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 & 1/2 tsps
Chili powder - 2 tsps
Oil - 2 tbsps

Method :

1. To prepare the dough, add the flours and salt to a bowl. Knead into a soft dough using enough water. Pour a little oil over the top and knead lightly just once. Leave aside to rest for about 10 minutes.

2. Now the stuffing, heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan, add jeera and let crackle.

3. Add chopped carrot along with turmeric powder, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Now add in the capsicum and spinach leaves as well, salt to taste, mix and again cover cook for 5 minutes more. Stir once and finally add the paneer and let cook uncovered for 5 minutes more. 

4. Add garam masala, chili powder and check salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes more and transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. 

5. Divide the dough and stuffing into equal portions. Make a cup of the one dough round and place the stuffing inside. Seal properly and flatten gently. Now roll out into a thick roti of about 1/2 cm thickness. Repeat with remaining dough.

6. Heat a tawa and place the paratha on it to cook. Cook for a bit on both sides, then let cook using oil / ghee till golden brown and well-cooked. 
Note : Due to use of millet, cook the parathas slightly longer till well done.
Remove and serve hot with desired accompaniment.

Sweet Pongal

Pongal/ Makar Sankranti/Bihu...celebrated under many names across India...One of the greatest Indian festivals..our own Thanksgiving, to nature, our crops, farmers, all that make our every day life great and worth living and looking forward to..

SWEET PONGAL

Ingredients :
Rice - 1 cup
Split Green gram(moong dal) - 1/4 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups + 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 2 cups
Green cardamom (Elaichi) powder - 1/4 tsp
Clarified butter (Ghee) - 1/4 cup
Nutmeg (Jaiphal) powder - 1/4 tsp
Clove (Laung) powder - a pinch (optional)
Cashews - a few
Raisins - a few

Method : 
1. Lightly toast Moong dal in a pan, only until it lets out aroma. Add to the rice and wash both together. Pressure cook with 3 cups water and milk till well done and very soft. It should be easily mashable.
2. Add jaggery and 1/4 cup water to a wok. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, till all water content evaporates and you get a really sticky syrup. 
3. Remove the cooked rice+dal from the cooker and mash well while still hot. Once the jaggery syrup is ready, add the mashed rice to it a little at a time. Stir really well so that the jaggery and rice+dal are well mixed. Add the ghee and mix.
4. In another pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and roast Cashews and raising till golden brown. Add to the rice mix in the wok.
5. Sprinkle elaichi powder, nutmeg powder and clove powder. Mix well. 
Serve warm, and to make it even better, pour a generous ladle of ghee over it !!!

Sprouted Moong Sundal

Day 2 of Navratri, continuing with Ma Durga (3 days each for Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswathi), plus it being Wednesday, Mom & I decided on a "green" prasad. Well..what better than Sprouted Moong Sundal, also known as Pacchai-Payaru Sundal !!!

SPROUTED MOONG SUNDAL

Ingredients :

Sprouted whole Green gram(Moong) - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tbsps
Mustard (Rai ) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Chili powder  - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric (Haldi ) powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) powder - 1/4 tsp

Method :

1. Heat oil in a wok or kadhai. Add mustard seeds and let crackle.

2. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves, sauté for a minute. 

3. Add the moong sprouts, along with turmeric powder, salt, chili powder and hing. mix well. Let cook for about 5-7 minutes, stir once or twice in between.
Remove and serve as desired.

Lemon Rice

Day 3 of Navrathri, and mum completed the 3 days of Durga Pooja (3 days each for Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswathi) Today the prasadam was Lemon Rice, a simple to make, yet delicious rice variety that's quite popular in South Indian kitchens. The variations one can make with this dish is quite amazing, from a simple seasoning to veggies, peanuts, one's creativity is the limit!!

Here comes the recipe ......

LEMON RICE

Ingredients :

Rice - 1/2 cup

Turmeric (Haldi) powder - 1/2 tsp

Finely chopped vegetables (Mix of carrot & capsicum) - 1/2 cup

Peas - 1/4 cup

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

For seasoning :

Sesame Oil - 2 tbsps

Mustard (Rai) seeds - 1/2 tsp

Bengal gram - 1 tsp

Green chili - 1 large

Curry leaves - a few

Method :

1. Boil or pressure cook washed rice with 1 cup water. Take care not to over-cook, we need a pulao consistency where the grains are separated but cooked. Once done, spread on a plate gently using a fork and let cool to room temperature.

2. Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds and let crackle. Add the bengal gram, curry leaves and chopped green chili. Saute for 1 minute. 

3. Now tip in the vegetables along with turmeric powder and salt and let cook till 3/4th done. 

4. Once the vegetables are done, add to the rice. Add lemon juice as well and again using a fork, gently mix all of these with the rice till uniformly done. Check for salt. Optional to garnish with chopped coriander.

Warm the rice before serving.

Papaya Banana Smoothie

Got some over-ripe fruits at home? Papaya and banana especially can look quite discouraging to consume on their own if too ripe!! But it's criminal to waste food! So here's a healthy and yummy alternative to not just use, but enjoy them!!

PAPAYA-BANANA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients :

Semi-ripe Papaya (cubed) - 1/2 (or 1 whole if small)
Ripe Banana (cubed) - 1 (I used robusta)
Honey - 3 to 4 tbsps
Thick curd - 1 cup
Milk - 2 tbsps
Clove powder - a pinch

Method :
1. Blend together the papaya and banana pieces.

2. Add the curd and milk and give it another whirl.

3. Finally add the honey and pinch of clove powder, pulse once and transfer to serving jar.

4. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Optional to add fruit chunks and/or dry fruits for added nutrition.

Potato & Cheese stuffed tartlets

     Starters are just that, a great start to any meal, or just on their own, the perfect accompaniment to catching up on some gossip, or in more technical terms...preparing and balancing one's appetite for the bigger meal ahead!!
For this tartlet, I chose an English-style stuffing, simple potatoes and peas with minimal spices. The stuffing tasted simply wonderful and proved that, sometimes, less is more!! 

STUFFED TARTLETS

Ingredients :

For the tartlets :
All purpose flour -1 cup
Bajra (Pearl Millet flour) - 1/2 cup
Soya flour - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder - to taste

Stuffing (for the spicy version):
Oil - 1 & 1/2 tbsps
Boiled and mashed potatoes (with salt)- 1 cup
Boiled peas - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
Mixed herbs - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Crushed chili flakes - 1/4 cup
Grated processed cheese - 1/4 cup or 1 cheese slice

Stuffing (for the sweet version) :
Butter - 1/2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Boiled and mashed Sweet potatoes - 1 cup
Chopped apples - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Misc : 
Grated cheese - for sprinkling
Oil for frying

Method :

1. Let's prepare the stuffing first. [The sweet version is totally optional, I just made it for a variation and since apples are so in season and with the right crunch :) ] Heat 1.5 tbsps oil in a pan, and add the mashed potatoes and peas. Stir the mixture till the oil is well mixed in.

2. Add salt to taste, garlic powder, pepper powder, chili flakes or chili powder and stir well into the mashed veggies. Let cook for about 2 minutes on low flame. Now add the grated cheese/cheese slice and the herbs. Stir again and check for salt. Let cook for 1 minute more and turn off the flame. 

 3. For the sweet version, heat butter and oil in a pan. Add the chopped apples and let cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Add in the cooked sweet potatoes and mix well. Add salt to taste, very little as we only want to enhance the sweetness in contrast! Add pepper and chili powder as well and stir in till well-mixed. Let cook for 2-3 minutes more and remove. Let cool.
4. Now for the 'tartlets'..... Sieve together the flours and add the salt and pepper powder. Knead into a soft but firm dough using sufficient water. Divide into small and equal portions. 

5. Heat oil for frying. Roll out a dough portion into a puri or a round 2 inches in diameter. Wrap over an aluminium cupcake mould and press gently. Prick all over with fork and drop carefully into the oil. 
Press down to hold the mould in place for few seconds and to let the fried puri retain its shape before the mould frees itself. Then remove the cupcake mould out of the oil and let the puri fry on low heat for few seconds more. 
Do not fry till golden brown and crisp as we will be further baking these along with the stuffing.

6. Repeat with the rest of the dough and drain excess oil. Now fill the puris with the prepared stuffing and sprinkle grated cheese on top. Preheat oven at 170 deg C. 
[Note : I use a microwave oven, so to pre-heat I tend to place some water in a micro-proof bowl and run it on high for a minute or so. ]

7. Arrange the stuffed puris or tartlets in a baking dish and bake for about 10-15 minutes till cheese turns golden brown. In the micro, I baked them for about 7-8 minutes.
Serve hot with desired accompaniment.

Mirch ka Salan

Mirch Ka Salan, a typical Hyderabadi dish, the very mention of which can get our taste buds tingling!!!

Salan, or curry, is a popular base that is combined with several vegetarian and non-vegetarian options - Mirch, Gobhi, Gosht and many more, list would be endless.

[Note : The original recipe calls for Bhavnagari Chillies, but since I couldn't get those, used the Bajji Mirchi instead. The taste was just as awesome, trust me :) ]

MIRCHA KA SALAN

Ingredients :

Bajji Mirchi - 8 

Capsicum (cut into 1" long strips) - 1/2 cup (optional)

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1/4 tsp

Chili powder - 2 tsps

Dhaniya-Jeera powder - 2 tbsps

Tamarind (Imli) pulp - 1 tbsp

Chopped fresh coriander - 2 tbsps

Water - 2 cups

Oil - 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Dry Masala

Roasted Peanuts - 2 tbsps

Roasted jeera - 1 tbsp

Roasted Sesame(Til) - 2 tbsps

Grind to a paste

Ginger - 1/2" piece

Garlic - 6 cloves

Onion - 1/2 cup (chopped)

Tomatoes - 1 cup (chopped)

Coconut (fresh, grated) - 3 tbsps

Method :

1. Wash and slit the chilies. De-seed and fry in oil. Or you could shallow fry in lesser oil, which is what I did! Drain and keep aside.

2. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan, add jeera, mustard seeds, methi seeds and curry leaves. Let crackle. Now add the ground paste and stir well. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the dry masala mix to this gravy and stir again. Let cook on a medium flame till oil starts to separate. Add 2 cups water and tamarind pulp and bring to a boil.

4. Finally add the green chilies and capsicum , along with chopped coriander. Check for salt and let simmer on low till gravy thickens.

Serve "hot" :)

Quick fix Pasta with leftover veggies

A quick fix Pasta in White Sauce using ingredients mostly available at home...became an instant hit with my niece and nephew!!! As a plus I used up the leftover Broccoli-peas curry from the morning as well!

                                                       PASTA IN WHITE SAUCE

Our theme for the 6th Foodie Monday Blog Hop - Pasta :)

Ingredients : 

Boiled pasta (Penne or Farfalle works best) - 2 cups
Cold Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Cheese slices - 2
Maida - 2 tbsps
Whole wheat flour - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Olive oil / Butter - 1 tbsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Crushed Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Oregano / Mixed herbs (I used the small packs that usually get left-over each time one orders pizza!!)
Chilli flakes (optional)
Spicy tomato sauce for the garnish

Method : 

1. Heat oil / butter in a pan. Add in the vegetables as desired. For this recipe I used leftover Broccoli-Peas curry from the morning, so I added them along with the pasta, since they didnt need extra cooking!

2. In a bowl, whisk together milk, Maida + Wheat flour and salt leaving no lumps. Pour the milk mixture into the pan stirring all the while.

3. When it starts to thicken add the garlic powder and let simmer. Don't forget to keep stirring. Check for salt and add the pepper powder as well.

4. Drop in the 2 cheese slices and keep stirring till the cheese melts and mixes well with the milk. Let simmer for 2 minutes. Add the chili flakes if you need it extra spicy.

5. Now add in the boiled pasta and stir. [I added the leftover curry at this point.] Cover and let simmer for about 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in between and let cook for a minute more so the sauce coats the pasta well.
Tip : If pasta has cooled down and sticking together, drop it for a split second in hot water and take out immediately, This will shock the pasta and make it easier to mix in with the sauce.

6. Finally sprinkle the oregano and stir once. Remove and serve hot with lightly toasted brown bread.
Optional to half-cook this on flame and bake it with more cheese and tomato sauce(till cheese melts and forms golden brown spots) on top as I have done.
This is the basic sauce. One can also add in chopped and blanched spinach, capsicum, zucchini and so on for the vegetable touch.

Simple Sooji Halwa

When we talk of Sooji halwa or Sheera, it immediately brings to mind the ghee-dripping semolina delicacy served piping hot with Pooris or on their own in stitched leaf bowls, or 'Donas' .
The South Indian variant that we make is called Rawa Kesari; known to get its name from the Kesar or saffron colour that gets added to the halwa. Also my mother tends to add the water and sugar at separate stages, allowing the sooji to cook first and then stir in the sugar.

Now the halwa in this recipe is as basic as it gets. The ultimate omnipresent sweet that is favoured in most festivals, temples, after-dinner dessert...the list is endless!! 

This goes in for the 5th FOODIE MONDAY BLOG HOP....yayyy, we are on to the 5th week now :) 


So here goes the recipe (credit : vegrecipesofindia.com)

SOOJI HALWA

Ingredients : (Serves 4)

Roasted Rawa/Sooji/Semolina - 1 cup
Ghee/Clarified Butter - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Sugar - 3/4 to 1 cup
Cashews - a few
Raisins - a few
Saffron strands
Cardamom/Elaichi powder - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed or non-stick pan. Now add the rawa and stir till ghee coats it evenly. Add the cashews and start roasting both the ingredients in the ghee till they start becoming golden brown and ghee gets fully absorbed. 
Note : Do this patiently on low flame, as we want the rawa to get cooked well without getting burnt.

2. Meanwhile, heat water along with sugar and let boil, only till sugar dissolves. Stir occasionally.

3. To the sooji pan, add raisins and cardamom powder and mix well. 

4. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the sugar syrup to the rawa and stir simultaneously. Mix well, so that the water gets absorbed and no lumps are formed. The mix will start to thicken and slowly reach the halwa consistency. 

When the mixture starts leaving the sides, remove from the flame and serve. 
Note : Some types of rawa might need more water to cook, so you will need to adjust accordingly.

Quick & Easy Chat

Fourth #FoodieMonday #BlogHop - Kiddie food :) 
Kids love junk food, anything that ir crunchy, crispy, quick to grab and eat, except that it isn't healthy !!! So here's something that is crunchy, tasty, can be put together quickly and is healthier :)

JHATPAT CHAAT

Ingredients :

Boiled potato - 2 (medium), diced
White chickpeas - 1 cup (Soaked overnight and drained)
Fresh Pomegranate seeds - as required
Chopped apple - as required
Brown bread slices - 4 to 5
Boiled sweet corn - 1 cup
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Green chutney - as required
Tomato ketchup - as required
Sev or other Farsaan (optional)
Jeera powder
Chaat Masala
Chopped Coriander (optional)

Method :

1. Cut the bread slices into squares and roast without using oil till crisp on a tawa, or in a microwave.

2. In a bowl, mix together the diced potato, chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, diced apples, boiled corn and brown bread squares.

3. Add the green chutney and ketchup and mix lightly. Sprinkle Jeera powder and chaat masala. Mix lightly again.

4. Just before serving, garnish with the Sev/farsaan, chopped onion and chopped dhaniya. Serve.