Onion crackers

I spend my evenings usually over a cup of tea with some snacks to keep me refreshing for the rest of the day. When these snacks that accompany your tea are baked, then it makes for healthy eating. Here is one such snack that is simple to make and also tastes great.
 
Ingredients:
Chick pea flour -2 cups
Melted butter - 2tblsps
Onion -1(finely chopped)
Green chilies -2(finely chopped)
Chopped coriander leaves - 2tsps
Sugar -1tsp
Salt -1tsp
Oil -1cup
Warm water - 1/4 cup

Method:
Combine everything into a stiff dough. Rest for 5 minutes. Then divide them equally. Roll them into small balls. Make small discs out of each ball using a rolling pin. Prick with them with a fork. Place them on a greased baking tin. Bake them at 180 c in a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.

Note:
To give a biscuit like texture to the cracker, chickpea flour can be substituted with all purpose flour.

Sago and beaten rice kitchadi

Chennai's deluge occurred at the end of the month, when my kitchen's stock is bare minimum. It poured cats and dogs which prevented me from venturing out to purchase my groceries. So, I was forced to cook with little ingredients that were there in stock. There was little sago and little beaten rice. I combined them both in my own way and cooked a delicious kitchadi for breakfast.
Sago is high in carbohydrate and low in protein and fibre. Hence, its caloric value is also high. However, the carbs fall in the category of macro nutrients, which is energy boosting.
Beaten rice is rich in micro nutrients and filling. Together, they can keep the hunger pangs at bay for longer time.

Ingredients:
Sago -200gms
Beaten rice -100gms
Chopped onion -1/2cup
Chopped green chilies -2tsps
Peanuts -1cup
Black peppercorns - 2tsps
Grated coconut -2tsps
Chopped coriander leaves -1tsp
Oil and Salt -as required

Method:
Grind the beaten rice coarsely. Sprinkle enough water over it to soak. Keep it aside. Spread the sago on a colander. Sprinkle sufficient water on it. Allow the water to drain. Keep it aside. Sprinkle water again after half an hour and repeat the process till the sago swells double its size. Grind the peanuts and black peppercorns coarsely. Combine the soaked sago, soaked beaten rice, salt, ground peanuts and ground pepper corns.
In a frying pan, fry the chopped onions and green chilies in little oil. Then, add the sago and beaten rice mixture. Stir cook till the sago becomes soft and is blended well with the beaten rice. Garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves. 

Pray for chennai

Chennai is under deluge. It has been raining cats and dogs for over 23 hours. It has crossed the century's rainfall mark. More rains are predicted. At this rate, Chennai may be drowned and become just one water body. Please pray for Chennai.

WINGED VISITORS

This video shows the birds that visited my backyard after the recent  deluge in Chennai. These birds are hydrophobic though they like to be near the water while searching for food. In the mornings, they can be seen on tree tops having sun bath. When the water dries up, they  disappear to another  water body nearby. Interesting
.

Vermicelli upma

Vermicelli is a made of wheat and like noodles it lends itself to different kinds of cooking. It is easy to cook and light on the stomach. Vermicelli upma is famous in Southern states of India and its preparation is similar to the preparation of semolina upma.

Ingredients:
Roasted Vermicelli - 2cups
Onion -1
Green chillies -1 or 2
Mustard seeds -1tsp
Black gram -1/2tsp
Grated coconut -3tblsps
Curry leaves - few
Salt and oil - as required

Method:
Chop the onion and green chillies finely. Keep it aside. In a pressure cooker heat little oil and mustard. When the mustard crackles, add the black gram and fry till it turns brown in colour. Next add the onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Stir fry for few seconds. Add 2 cups of water and the roasted vermicelli. Close and cook under pressure for 5 minutes. Open the cooker and garnish with grated coconut. Serve along with any chutney of your choice. 

Happy Diwali

During Diwali, many kinds of sweets are prepared according to ones taste and ability. It is also distributed to friends and relatives. Some prefer to stick to the traditional mysore pak and boondi ladoo, while others would like to try something different. Here I have listed few sweets from the traditional category and otherwise. So ahead and try them.

                                   Date roll

                                    Unnakaya

 

Ladoo

                                   Manoharam

                                    Mysore pak

                                     Cashew nut squares (kaju katli)

                                     Carrot halwa

                                     Elai adai

                                    Vermicelli halwa

                                    Nei appam

                                     Tutti frutti cookies                        

Here you go for more sweets .

Happy Diwali and happy cooking.

Boondi ladoo

Boondi Ladoo is a traditional sweet of India prepared with chick pea batter and sugar syrup. Chick pea batter is poured over hot oil through a perforated ladle. This results in crispy small pearls which are soaked in sugar syrup and rolled into balls. There are many types of ladoos. In South India it is known as boondi ladoo, while in the North is known as mothi choor ladoo. Then, there is this special ladoo or Triupathi ladoo, which is rich in taste and flavour sans any colouring.
Boondi ladoos are served on various occasions including weddings and festivals like Diwali.



Ingredients:

For the batter:
Chick pea flour -1cup
Rice flour -1tsp
Eating soda -1pinch
Oil for frying

For the sugar syrup:
Sugar -2cups
Water -1cup
Orange food colour -1/4tsp (optional)

For garnishing:
Cashew nuts -2tsp
Raisins -1tsp
Clarified butter -1tsp

For flavourings:
Green cardamom -2
Cloves  -1
Nutmeg -1 pinch
Edible camphor -1pinch


Method:

Pulverize the items listed under flavouring into a smooth powder. Fry the cashew nuts and raisins in clarified butter.
Combine sugar, water and food colour. Heat it over a medium flame  to prepare half thread consistency syrup.


    batter poured on the perforated ladle and tapped

Mix the chickpea flour, rice flour, and eating soda in little water and prepare thick batter of pouring consistency. Heat oil in a wide frying pan. Place a perforated ladle over the frying pan. Pour a ladle full of batter on the perforated ladle. Gently tap it so that the batter falls into the oil to form small pearls or boondi.

                          fried boondis

 Fry them in batches to finish the entire batter. Soak the fried boondis in the prepared sugar syrup. Stir in the flavourings. Close and keep it a aside for 5 minutes. Then, mash them lightly and add the garnishing. Roll into small balls while it is still warm. Allow it to cool. Store in  airtight jars.