orema

Shankarpalli recipe i tried during Diwali , but due to lot of posts which i posted during diwali time, i couldn’t post this recipe of shankarpalli. So i am posting this finally for Christmas.Though i wanted to bake something couldn’t do , as i was running out of time. I adapted the recipe from here but i followed  my own way of making it. Wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and will see you all soon with interesting recipes.

INGREDIENTS:(yields approx 1 and 1/2 cups)

MAIDA | ALL PURPOSE FLOUR	1 CUP
RAVA | SEMOLINA| SOOJI	1/4 CUP
GHEE(MELTED)|CLARIFIED BUTTER	1/4 CUP
SUGAR	1/4 CUP
OIL	TO DEEP FRY
SALT	A PINCH
WATER	TO KNEAD THE DOUGH

METHOD:

• Powder the sugar in a mixer.
• In a wide bowl add the maida, rava,powdered sugar , ghee and salt. Knead it into a stiff dough . You can add little water while kneading.

• Cover this and keep it aside for 1/2 an hour.
• After 1/2 an hour, take out a small ball of dough and roll it into a thick circle.
• Shankarpallis should be slightly thick.
• Using a pizza cutter or a knife cut it into diamonds.

• Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying.
• Fry these diamonds in a medium low flame till they become golden brown.

• Be careful as they become burnt soon.
• Repeat this for the rest of the dough. Drain the fried one in a kitchen towel and after some time store this in a airtight container.

Note:

1. You can make syrup with sugar and add it to the flour mix instead of adding water.
2. Fry in medium low flame. Be careful while frying as this will get burnt fast.

          

SPINACH DAL

Dal palak | spinach dal is an easy and comforting dish and though i have tasted this in restaurants never tried at home. But my friends here, used to make this often for rotis.For a change from usual Keeari masiyal and keerai poriyali tried this dal palak which a bunch of palak which i got from the Indian store . To my surprise the kids and hubby loved this a lot and they finished the entire bowl in no time.

My friends normally add tomatoes but since i didnt have on that day, i replaced it with 1 tsp of lemon juice in the last.
INGREDIENTS:

PALAK | SPINACH	2 CUPS
ONION	1
GINGER(CHOPPED)	1/2 TBLSP
GREEN CHILLI	2
SALT	AS NEEDED
SUGAR	1/2 TSP
TOOR DAL(COOKED)	3/4 CUP
LEMON JUICE	1 TSP
OIL	1 TSP
CUMIN SEEDS| JEERA	1/2 TSP
ASAFOETIDA	A PINCH

METHOD:

• Wash the palak and chop them finely. 

•  chop the onion , ginger and green chillies finely.
• 
• 
  
• In a pan add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and add the ginger and green chilli.
• 
• Add the onions and saute till they turns pink.
• 
  

• 
  
  Add the chopped palak and add sugar and salt.
• Cook in a medium flame till the spinach shrinks.
• This will take 4-5 minutes.
• 
• Add the cooked toor dal and mix well. If it is thick add water to reach a kootu consitency.
• 

• Bring this to a nice boil. Switch off the flame and squeeze the lemon juice.
• Serve hot with rice | roti.
• We had with rice and vazhakkai curry.

        

Soup is always welcome at my place and i always try new combos in making soups. Few years back when we went to Kottayam, we stayed in a resort and since we are vegetarian most of the time the chef prepared the meal  according to our specifications and one rainy day evening he made a carrot ginger soup and till we tasted the first spoon he was beside us waiting for our response. It was too good and he told me the recipe too as i can make it at home for kids too. Though i tried this few times never blogged the recipe and finally today i am sharing the recipe.
I am going for vacation from today but have scheduled some posts. For any queries , please keep posted will get back to you in  the New year 2013.

I couldn’t take proper stepwise pictures but will update soon.
INGREDIENTS:(SERVES 4-5)

CARROTS	4
GARLIC	4-5 FLAKES
GINGER	A SMALL PIECE
BLACK PEPPER POWDER	TO TASTE
SALT	TO TASTE
LEMON JUICE	1 TSP

METHOD:

• Peel the skin of the carrots and and chop them roughly.
• Peel the skin of garlic and ginger.
• In a bowl add carrot, garlic,ginger and add 1/2 cup of water.
• Pressure cook till 3 whistles.

• Once cool,discard the ginger and grind the rest in a mixer into a smooth paste.
• Add 2-3 cups of water to this.

• Bring it to a nice boil and add salt and pepper.
• Just before serving add lemon juice.
• Enjoy hot soup with the wellness of carrot and flavor of ginger.

NOTE:

1. Do not reheat after adding lemon juice.
2. Do not add too much of ginger. Don’t forget to discard the ginger before grinding.

 

LOW FAT KOFTAS

   I never know that we can make koftas with Cabbage  and this is the first time i attempted and it turned out well and was a super hit among the kids. Actually i wanted to deep fry the kofta ballas as i did for Malai Kofta Recipe, but after i start putting one ball in oil, i felt it absorbed more oil. So i immediately changed the idea of deep frying it and made it in a paniyaram pan. Though it took little extra time , but still we can have guilt free koftas.

INGREDIENTS: (SERVES 4-5)
FOR KOFTAS –(MAKES 12 KOFTAS)

CABBAGE ( FINELY CHOPPED)	2 CUPS
PANNER(SCRAMBLED)	1 CUP
BESAN | KADALAI MAAVU	3 TBLSP
RED CHILLI POWDER	1 AND 1/2 TSP
GARAM MASALA	2 PINCHES
SALT	AS NEEDED
OIL	1- 2 TBLSP

FOR GRAVY:

ONION	2
TOMATO	2
RED CHILLI POWDER	1 TSP
TOMATO KETCHUP	1 TSP
GARAM MASALA	TO TASTE
KASOORI METHI	2 PINCHES
GARLIC	3 FLAKES
MILK	1 CUP
OIL	2 TBLSP

METHOD: for making koftas.

• Add the chopped cabbage and scrambled paneer in a wide bowl and add salt.
• Keep this aside for 15 minutes after mixing well.
• 

• Now squeeze out the extra water as much as you can and keep it aside.
• Add red chilli powder, garam masala, little salt,besan and mix well.
• Now start making balls. If you still can’t bind this properly add 1-2 tblsp of besan to this cabbage paneer mixture and start making balls.
• It yielded approximately 12 balls for me.

• Heat a paniyaram pan, and add little oil to this and start cooking the kofta balls in a medium low flame. This will take little time but instead of deep frying this method is ok.
• Cook all sides by turning it around till it becomes golden brown in color.

• Koftas are ready. Keep this aside.

For gravy:

• Roughly chop the onions and peel the skin of the garlic.Saute this in a tblsp of oil till the onions turn brown.
• Grind this into a smooth paste along with tomatoes,chilli powder, kasoori methi and tomato ketchup.
• In a pan add oil and add the ground masala.
• When it leaves oil on the side add the milk ( i used full cream milk) and add 1 cup of water too. Make the gravy little thin as after adding the koftas the gravy will thicken . Add garam masala to this and mix well.

• When the koftas are completely cool, add to the hot gravy and switch off the flame.

• Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note:

1. These koftas stayed in the gravy as it as for 4- 5 hours.
2. Always ensure that  the water is completely squeezed out from the cabbage paneer mixture.