Red Aval Ladoo/ Poha Ladoo/ Aval Laddu

       Aval Ladoo is a simple sweet that could be prepared especially at this festive juncture. Here i would like to share healthy version of  traditional Aval Ladoo. Aval ladoo is preapred using white rice flakes and here i am using red rice flakes to make it a bit healthy. I have referred here for this recipe and modified according to my needs.

       Best dish to prepare at this festive season as all of you have some poha (rice flakes) at home to offer god. I had some left over red aval sitting (on the shelves) after preparing Red alval payasam on Onam and i would like to finish it off by preparing these yummy ladoos. These ladoos are liked by my family and friends. Do try these ladoos and let me know the results.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 18-20 small ladoos

INGREDIENTS:
Red Aval/ Flaked Rice/ Poha- 2 cups
Sugar- 1 cup
Cardamom- 5 pods
Ghee- 1/2 cup
Cashews-20
Raisins-20 (optional)

PROCEDURE:

• Dry roast the flaked rice in a pan till roasted smell arises. (small broken ones start to turn golden colour); Allow to cool slightly.

• In a blender jar add the roasted rice flakes, sugar, cardamom pods and finely powder them together; set aside.

• In a broad pan melt the ghee and fry the cashews and raisins; switch off the gas. Remove the cashews from ghee and keep them while making ladoos.

• In the hot ghee add the powdered rice flakes mixture and mix well with out any lumps by constant stirring.
• Make them in to small ladoos when the mixture is  warm and stud them with roasted cashews. 
• The ladoos should be slightly hard to touch. If your ladoo slightly jiggles refrigerate half an hour to one hour to harden the ladoos. If you add more ghee it happens. So no need to worry. After refrigeration your ladoos  will be fine  and never jiggles :-)

• Note: You can reduce the quantity of ghee added in this recipe by replacing ghee with quarter cup of milk. Add milk when you make them into ladoos. If you prepare with milk do refrigerate the ladoos to avoid spoiling.

Do check my other Aval recipe Lemon Aval and ladoo recipe Rava Ladoo.

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Vegetable Paratha

       Stuffed parathas are healthy and tasty too when compared to plain ones. The stuffing varies from Aloo paratha, Broccoli paratha, Beansprouts paratha, Mooli paratha, Cabbage paratha...etc. The mixed vegetable paratha is a healthy version of stuffed paratha. These are colourful and tasty paratha, best as travel food and also aptly suits kids' or adults' lunch box. This does not require any gravies to pair with as it has inside all the vegetables.

       I love this stuffed paratha as it does not require curries and works so easy like one pot meal. Kids too like this because it is a less messy food. Can not prepare food healthier than this in a limited time by incorporating all the veggies.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Cuisine: North Indian
Serves:3

INGREDIENTS:
For stuffing:
Oil- 2 teaspoon
Jeera/ cumin seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
Onion, finely chopped-1
Ginger Garlic paste- 1/2 teaspoon
Carrot, grated-1
Beans, finely chopped-5-6
Peas, frozen/ fresh- 1/4 cup
Potato, boiled-1 medium size
Turmeric powder- pinch
Chilli powder- 1/2 -3/4 teaspoon
Garam masala powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander leaves, chopped- 1 tablespoon

For Paratha:
Atta/ Whole wheat flour- 1 1/2 cups
Oil- 2 teaspoon
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• To make the stuffing, heat oil in a pan and fry the cumin seeds.
• Then add the onion and cook for fifteen seconds till translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste.
• Cook for further fifteen seconds till the raw smell leaves.

• Add the beans and peas. Cook with little salt. Sprinkle some water if needed and cook for about a minute.
• Add the grated carrot and cook for further fifteen seconds.
• Now add tumeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala powder. Cook for fifteen seconds till the veggies dry without much moisture.

• Now add the cooked mashed potatoes and coriander leaves; cook for further fifteen seconds and switch off the gas
• Allow the mixture to cool. Mash the masala slightly with the ladle especially peas and make them into 7-8 balls; set aside.

• To make paratha take atta in a bowl and add the oil and salt. Dry mix with hand and then pour enough water and knead to make a dough.

• Transfer the dough to the flat surface and knead well for 5 minutes until get soft and pliable dough; set aside for five to 10 minutes to get the dough soften.

• To make stuffed vegetable paratha, Divide the dough into 7-8 balls.
• Take one of the ball and spread lightly and keep a vegetable balls inside.
• Gather the edges together and press well to seal well.

• Flatten the balls and dust with atta and spread the stuffed balls into parathas.
• Do not apply much pressure while spreading the parathas.

• Heat a tawa and sprinkle little oil and cook the parathas on both sides.
• Serve with pickle or curd.

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Sabudana Vada/ Sago Vada

       Sabudana vadas are easy to make snack originated from Maharashtra. It is generally served with green chutney or ketchup. I made this vada years before and now i am again making this vada for this blogging purpose. Tasty crunchy vadas when consumed hot. After a while the  outer layer stays mild crunchy and the vadas tastes similar to patties.

       Apart from the soaking time of sago seeds the vadas hardly takes minutes to prepare. Wonderful evening snack with a cup of tea. For the surprise guest visits also easy to make huge numbers in minutes. Generally prepared at the time of Navarathri or Dussehra fasting time food.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Soaking Time: 2 hours
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Cuisine: Maharashtra
Serves:15

INGREDIENTS:
Sago seeds/ Sabudana/ Chowari/ Jawarisi, soaked- 1/2 cup
Potato, cooked and mashed- 1(1 cup)
Peanuts/ Ground nut (with or without shell)- 1/4 cup
Green chillies, chopped- 2-3
Ginger, chopped- 1/2 inch
Coriander leaves, chopped- 1 tablespoon
Salt- to taste
Lemon -1/2

PROCEDURE:

• Soak the sago seeds in water for 2 hours. Drain the water using a sieve or with hand and set aside.
• Pressure cook  the potato for three whistles on medium flame till soft. When the steam releases allow the potato to cool. Peel the potato and mash well using hand or masher.
• Roast the peanuts till crunchy; allow to slightly cool. Pulse the peanuts twice or thrice in a blender as a coarse pieces; set aside.

• In a bowl add the mashed potato, drained sago seeds, crushed peanuts, green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves, salt and lemon juice.
• Mix well and make small vadas out of it. If you feel its soggy add a teaspoon of corn flour or rice flour to get the correct consistency.(I have not added)

• Take lemon sized mixture and form vadas out of it and set aside.
• Heat oil in a pan till smoking hot. Reduce the flame to medium and start frying the vadas till crispy texture with golden colour.

•  Serve with spicy green chutney or sweet chutney or ketchup.

• Note:
• Add half a cup more sago seeds to get more crunchy vadas.
• Boil potatoes a day before and refrigerate to save time and to get nice texture.
• Add rice flour or corn flour if you feel the vadas are soggy.
• You can use peanuts with or without shell for this recipe. You could use roasted peanuts too. If you use roasted peanuts just heat them to lift up the flavours.
• Adjust the spice level of vadas according to your taste.

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Mushroom Masala Dosa/ Mushroom Dosa

       This a simple to make spicy dosa, filled with mushroom masala. Healthy tasty and low calorie filling and also tastes alike non veg preparations. Does not require any side dish for a dip but if you want you can serve with sambar or chutney. I used to make chapathi rolls also using this filling. Dosa or chapthis filled with mushroom masala tastes great.

        Generally masala dosa is prepared with the potato filling. Which adds more carbohydrate in your diet. And also have to precook the potatoes and the masala preparation takes time. But mushroom cooks in no time; this recipe saves your time and is also a healthy alternative. So i have replaced potatoes filling with this spicy mushroom filling.

INGREDIENTS:

Button Mushroom, chopped- 10-12nos (150-200 grams)
Dosa batter- 8 big ladle
Onion, chopped- 1(medium)
Green chilli, chopped-1
Ginger, chopped- 1 teaspoon
Garlic, chopped- 1 teaspoon
Tomato, chopped-1 small
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves- 1 strand
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Garam masala- 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander leaves, chopped- 2 teaspoons
Salt- to taste
Oil- 2 teaspoons

PROCEDURE:

• Heat oil in a pan and add onion and saute till it becomes translucent in about a minute.
• Add green chillies, ginger and garlic, curry leaves and saute till the raw smell of the ginger /garlic leaves.

• Add tomato and cook in medium high flame to allow the water oozes from the tomatoes and evaporates.
• Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala mix well and cook for thirty seconds on low flame.

• Add the mushroom and salt; keep the flame on high to dry out till moisture oozes out from the mushroom.
• When the water almost evaporates add the coriander leaves and stir well; switch off the gas.
• Heat dosa pan and grease with few dops of oil ; add a big laddle full of dosa batter.

• Spread the batter as a paper thin dosa and add few drops of oil on top of the dosa.
• Keep the mushroom masala on top of the dosa at the centre and allow to cook the dosa till golden colour.
• Fold the dosa  and serve hot.

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Prawn Gravy/ Prawn Thokku/ Spicy Prawn Curry

    This spicy curry goes well with rice, chapatti, idiyappam, appam, etc. Easy to prepare within 15-20 minutes and is absolutely tasty. The red chilli and green chilli cuts the sweetness of the prawns and make perfect spicy curry. Whereas coconut milk balances the spiciness of the prawn curry. For people who love your curry to be extra spicy, you can cut down on the coconut milk.

INGREDIENTS:

Prawn (cleaned and de-veined)-250grams

Oil-3 teaspoons

Mustard seeds- ½ teaspoon (optional)

Fenugreek seeds- ¼ teaspoon

Fennel seeds- ¼ teaspoon

Dry Red chilli-1

Onion chopped-1

Green chilli-2

Ginger chopped-1 teaspoon

Garlic chopped- 2 cloves

Tomato chopped-2

Turmeric - ¼ teaspoon

Chilli powder-1 teaspoon

Coconut - ½ cup

Coriander leaves-2 teaspoon

Curry leaves-little

PROCEDURE:

• Pour oil in the pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, dry chilli and curry leaves one by one.
• Add onion and green chilli cook till translucent pink colour. Then add ginger and garlic when raw smell leaves add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 mts.

• Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and little water. When it comes to boil add the prawns. Cook the prawns for 2-3 minutes.
• Then add coconut milk bring it to boil and add coriander leaves along-with curry leaves. Do not over cook the prawns because it tends to become rubbery. 
• Note: people those who are health conscious avoid the coconut in this curry.

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Pineapple Cake/ Three Layered Pine apple Cake/ Pine apple Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

      I often bake up this moist Pineapple Cake. This is one of my favourite cakes. Together with the icing looks both gorgeous and rich in taste. I baked this cake on the occasion of my Birthday.
 

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CAKE:

Butter- 175gms

Sugar- 1 ½  cups

Salt-pinch

Eggs-3

Milk- ¾ cup

Self-rising flour- 2 cup

Baking powder- pinch

Pine apple essence- 2 teaspoons

yellow food color- 2 drops (optional)

FOR THE ICING:

Whipping cream- 500ml

Icing sugar- 3-4 teaspoons

Pine apple essence- 1 teaspoons

yellow food colour- 2 drops

green food colour – 4 drops

PROCEDURE:

CAKE PREPARATION:

• Take three 18 or 20 cm cake pans and line with baking parchment paper/ wax paper/ butter paper or grease with butter. Then dust with flour to cover all over the pan by shaking the pan and tap out the excess flour by inverting and tapping the pan. If you use spring form pan follow the procedure by keep the paper on the base and fix the tin and cutting the excess paper (or) if you use normal cake tins without loose bottom take a square piece of wax/ butter paper and fold it in the middle and again fold once again to get four equal sides and cut the edges as a curved to get a round sheet if it does not fit cut little more deep (or) Mark the edges of the of the pan using a pencil and cut the paper (or) Using a compass take the radius of the cake tin and draw on the paper and cut using a knife.
• Keep a drop of oil and spread it and keep the paper on top of it and make it stick on it.

• Preheat the oven 180^oC for 15 minutes.
• Beat the butter well then add the sugar and salt. Mix well using an electric mixer until creamily mixed together.
• Add eggs one by one and whisk well between each addition. Whisk well till frothy. Then add the milk, food colour, pineapple essence and beat well. Add the cake flour half cup at a time and fold well till combined.
• Scrap the mixture into the prepped up cake tins and smoothen the surface with a spatula.
• Bake until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool the cake in wire rack and cut the cake if your cakes top is not level, to get a leveled top.

 CAKE DECORATION:

• Ensure that the whisks and the container used for whisking are chilled prior to whipping the cream.
• Whip the whipping cream well using electric mixer. Add pineapple essence and whisk well. Add icing sugar and whip again in between adding of each teaspoons of icing sugar.
• Divide the whole icing prepared into two lots. Further divide one of the lots into two. In that add yellow food colour to one lot and green  food colour to the other. Keep inside fridge till you use.

• Take a hard board and draw 20 cm diameter line and cut the board and cover with aluminium foil and cut the foil to approximately 22cm diameter. Fold the excess 2cm on the opposite side and stick with a tape.
• Cut both the cake into to horizontally into two equal halves so that you will get 4 layers( from that i have used 3 layer cake you can make 4 layer cake also). Using a pastry brush remove the crumbs sticking to the cake.
•  Keep a teaspoon of icing on the board and keep the first cake.

• Apply 2 -3 tablespoon full icing and spread evenly over the cake leaving 1cm border. Keep the second cake slightly press with hand to stick the cakes together. Apply icing on ton top of second cake and keep third cake on top of that. Apply icing ontop of third cake and keep fourth cake.
• Crumb coat (applying a thin layer of icing to seals the crumbs) the cake using a palate knife or icing spatula and allow to set the icing on fridge for 15 minutes
• Then spread a thick layer of icing over the cake.
• Insert the nozzle and fill the icing on the piping bag. Hold the piping bag 90⁰ angle and keep the icing on the cake on your desired design.
• I have used here leaf nozzle (green), petal nozzle (yellow) and star nozzle (green, yellow) to decorate this cake.

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Stuffed Bread Bajji/ Potato Stuffed Bread Fritters/ Potato Stuffed Bread Pakora

       Bread Bajji is always my favorite snack. I was knowing only simple bread bajji before marriage and years back once we happened to buy bread bajji from a shop and they stuffed potato inside and we liked it a lot.  The Bajji was so filling and yummy. Bajji was soft on inside and so crispy on outside.

       If i have leftover bread inside fridge i used to make simple bread bajji frequently for evening snack. Tasting stuffed bread bajji made me to try that and it came out really well and tasty. After having this bajji you wont feel hungry any more. A perfect hunger snack. Easy to make snack in minutes. Perfect with a cup of tea in the evening. School going kids love to taste this treat after returning from school with hunger. Left over bread can be utilized in this manner to make this bajjis. This is a must try dish for potato lovers.

INGREDIENTS:
Bread slices- 4- 6
Oil- 2 cups (to fry)

For stuffing:
Jeera- 1/4 teaspoon
Onion, chopped- 1/2
Green chilli, chopped-1
Ginger garlic paste/ chopped-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon(optional)
Chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder- big pinch
Potato, mashed-1(1 cup)
Salt- to taste
Coriander leaves, chopped- 1 teaspoon

For the batter:
Gram Flour/ Kadalai maavu- 1 cup
Rice Flour- 1/2 cup
Corn Flour- 1 tablespoon (optional)
Asafetida- 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Baking soda/ Soda podi- pinch
Oil- 1 to 2 teaspoon
Salt -to taste

PROCEDURE:

• First prepare the stuffing for the bajji by boiling the potatoes. Pressure cook the potato for 3 whistles on medium flame.
• Once the steam releases peel the potatoes and mash them with potato masher or with hand.
• Heat oil in a pan and jeera; then add the chopped onion and green chilli for about thirty seconds. Cook till soft then add the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell leaves for thirty seconds.

• Add turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala powder and saute for fifteen seconds.
• Add the mashed potato and salt; mix well till uniformly combined.

• Add some coriander leaves and switch off the gas.
• Allow the mixture to cool.
• Take a tablespoon of stuffing and spread over the bread slices. Add more filling if required. 

• Flatten the filling well using a palatte knife or backside of the spoon.
• Keep another bread slice to cover the stuffing. Press with your hands to stick both slices and the stuffing together.(Otherwise while dipping inside the batter the stuffing may fall); 
• Cut the sandwiched bread slices diagonally to get two sandwich from one sandwich. If you are using sandwich bread (bigger size)give one more diagonal cut to get 4 sandwich from one sandwich; set aside.
• In a bowl add gram flour, rice flour, corn flour, Asafetida, chilli powder, baking soda, oil and salt; dry mix with hand or using a spoon.

• Add water and mix well till you get the bajji batter consistency (If you drop the batter using a spoon it has to fall)
• Heat oil in a pan till smoking hot and reduce the flame.
• Dip the sandwiched bread slices with stuffing inside the batter.

• Drop the slices inside the hot oil and fry them on both sides till crispy.
• Drain from oil and keep on top of kitchen towl.
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup or spicy chutneys.

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