Happy New Year 2014

Happy New Year 2014 wishes from Delicious Bhojanam.
It had been a wonderful year in terms of exploring few cuisines. Indeed it was at a slow pace but, each one was worth it. Thanks for all the love and support. Hope it continues thru the next beautiful year ahead. Lets join hands and learn more new recipes from across the globe. Soon a page is going to be dedicated to only visitors recipes.
Here is a wonderful Tutty Fruity Nutty Eggless Olive Cake... just for you. (recipe would be uploaded soon)

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

Sootta Kathrikai Godssu / Burnt Aubergine Spicy Curry

Brinjal / Aubergine / Kathrikai / Baigan  what ever you name you call... it's one kind of vegetable affordable but, not liked by many. It contains low fat but, also low in minerals and proteins. The best smoky vegetable you can have. This dish is an very old one from our grandmothers book. It is generally served along with the hot hot pongal!!!!

Ingredients:

1             -  Big hallow Violet Aubergine
2             -  Red Tomatoes
2             -  Green Chilly
2             -  Curry Leaves Arc
1 inch   - Ginger
1 tbs     - Turmeric powder
1 tbs     - Red chilly powder
1/2 tbs - Sambhar powder
10 ml    - Tamarind Pulp
2 tbs     - Til oil
1 tbs     - Mustard seeds
1/2 tbs - Broken urad dal
1/2 tbs  - Asafatida
2              - Red Chilly
Salt to taste
100 ml - Water
Optional 1  -  Onion 


You can make a spice powder exclusively to add to the godssu
2 tbs - Channa Dal, 1 tbs - Coriander seeds, 1/4 tbs - Fenugreek seeds, 5 - Dry red chilly, 1/4 tbs - Asafatida
Dry roast them and grind them coarsely. Store the powder in a dry air tight container. 


Method / Vidhiee:

1. Wash the aubergine thoroughly and wipe it completely. 
2. Rub some oil over the aubergine.
3. Smoke it over a wood fire or a normal gas stove.

4. Make sure the vegetable turns fully black.
5. In between poke a knife inside the aubergine.
6. If the knife goes smoothly inside it means that the vegetable is cooked.
7. Keep it aside and cool it down.
8. De-skin the burnt aubergine. Chop the inside pulp of it or mash it with a masher.
9. Meanwhile finely chop tomatoes, green chilly, ginger.
10. In a pan add in til oil. Splutter mustard seeds, broken urad dal, asafatida, curry leaves, dry red chilly.
11. Add in the chopped tomatoes, green chilly, ginger.
12. Saute and add in all dry powders to it including salt.
13. Until the tomatoes turn soft saute it.
14. Now add in the mashed aubergine to it.
15. Mix well and add some water to it. Add in the tamarind pulp. Boil it for 3 mins.
16. If needed add in the home made masala powder.
17. Keep stirring occasionally.
18. Garnish with chopped green coriander leaves.

Serve hot along with Pongal!

Hot Rajma Aaloo / Kidney Beans Potato Sabzi

It's winter time and you start looking out for options to make your palate warm with yummy stuffs.
One  of the most sought after staple food for north Indians is Rajma & Chawal otherwise called as Red Kidney Beans with cooked white rice. Made it after a long time last month. Delayed to post.

Ingredients:

200 gms     - Red Kidney Beans / Rajma
3                 -  Big ripe tomatoes
4                 -  Red onions
4                 -  Garlic pods (Optional)
2 inch         -  Ginger
2                 - Cloves/Krambu/Loong
1 stick        - Cinnamon/ Pattai/Dalchini
1                 - Bay Leaf / Biriyani elai/Tez Paththa
1 tbs           - Jeera
1 tbs           - Saunf
1 1/2 tbs     - Dry mango powder / Aaamchoor
1 tbs           - Turmeric powder
2 tbs           - Dry Kashmiri chilly powder
1 tbs           - Dry coriander powder
1/2 tbs        - Dry roasted jeera powder
2 tbs           - Dry fenugreek leaves / kanja vendhaya elai/Kasoori Methi
50 ml          - Tamarind pulp/ Puli thanni/Imli ka pani
3 tbs           -  Channa Masala (Brand of your choice)
2-3             - Green Chillies
4                - Potatoes
700 ml       - Water
3 tbs          -  Oil
1/2 tbs      - Butter
Salt to taste 
Green coriander to garnish


Method/ Vidhiee:
1. Wash thoroughly and soak rajma in 300 ml of water for atleast 7-8 hours.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop 2 onions and keep aside.
3. Grind the rest of the onions with ginger and garlic.
4. Boil the tomatoes and de-skin them. Make them into a puree.
5. In a pressure cooker add in oil. Splutter jeera, saunf, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf.
6. Add in raw onions and saute for 1/2 minute.
7. Now add in the ground onion mixture.
8. Saute until the raw smell of the onion subsides.
9. Now add in the dry masala powders along with kasoori methi.
10. Add in the tomato puree and tamarind pulp.
11. Mix them well. To it add in the rajma, green chillies and medium diced potatoes.
12. Mix well. Add the remaining water and pressure cook them for 20 minutes.
13. 8-9 whistles minimum has to kept.
14. Once the pressure releases put them back on to the fire.
15. Mash half of the rajma sabzi. Add in green coriander.
16. To end add in bit of cream or butter on top.

Serve hot with white rice, chappati, roti, naan, bread etc..
You can chop onions and add on top as a topping before serving.

Yummy Coffee Coco Brownie (Eggless)

Brownies are always the favorite bakery item apart from the cupcakes and the regular ones. This time during the Golu season i happen to make a dark coffee brownie for those who were bored from the regular sundal. 


Ingredients:

•  1 Cup    - Maida / Refined flour
•  1/2 Cup - Buttermilk / (Boiled milk with 1 tbs Vinegar)
•  1/4 Cup - Coco powder
•  1/2 tbs   - Instant coffee powder
•  3/4 Cup  - Powdered sugar
•  1/4 Cup  - Melted butter
•  20 gms   - Walnuts / Almonds
•  1 tbs       - Baking powder
•  A pinch of salt

Method / Vidhiee:
1. Pre- heat the owen at 180 degree centigrade.
2. In a bowl sieve the maida, baking powder, coco powder, coffee powder, salt, powdered sugar.
3. Mix them well.
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter and keep it in room temperature.
5. Add the buttermilk to the butter and beat them well. If, you are using milk then add in the vinegar and beat the milk well before hand.
6. Slowly pour in the buttermilk mixture over the dry ingredients and mix gently in one direction.
7. Break the walnuts into pieces or semi grind them and add half of them into the batter.
8. In a baking tray add in some butter and grease it well.
9. Pour the batter into it and on top add the remaining Walnuts.
10. Bake the mixture for approximately 25-30 minutes.
11. Check with a thin needle or a toothpick whether they are done. Immerse the toothpick into the brownie if it comes out clean without any batter over it then it means its done.
12. Keep the brownie till it gets cool down.
13. Decorate with the powdered sugar.

Cut into big pieces and serve with tea, ice cream or fruit salads.

Crunchy Yummy Healthy Salad

One of the best options to keep your system functioning is to have salads. Recent times people give importance to healthy lifestyle which in turn calls for a healthy yet yummy diet. Check out this simple salad.

Ingredients:

• 1           - Medium Ice berg lettuce
• 1           - Big carrot
• 1/2        - Cucumber
• 1/2        - Green/Red/Yellow Capsicum
• 1           - Medium Pomegranate
• 200 ml  - Curd
• 1tbs       - Olive oil
• 2 tbs      - Dried mixed herbs
• Salt to taste. ( Put 1/2 tbs less than usual as vegetables itself contain salt in them)

Method/ Vidhiee:
1. In a cup beat the curd. Add in the mixed herbs, salt , olive oil. Mix well.
2. Keep it inside fridge.
3. Meanwhile finely chop carrot, cucumber, capsicum. De-seed pomogranate.
4. In a big bowl and in the chopped vegetables. Over it tare the lettuce into medium peices.
 5. Now add in the curd dressing over the vegetables.
6. Mix them well and cool it in fridge for 10-15 mins.

Serve chill. You can have it as a full meal during evenings.

 

Godumai Rawa Upma / Broken Wheat Upma with Thakkali Thair Patchadi

Off late the broken wheat has taken over the rice meal. Broken wheat considered as a sumptuous, easily digestible and easy to make main course ingredient. Down south of India in Tamilnadu broken wheat has been in used as main ingredient for various main course dishes. One of such is this Upma.

Fresh morning with heavy, healthy breakfast... Try it!!!!

Ingredients:

• 250 gms  - Godumai Rawa / Broken wheat
• 1 tbs        - Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tbs     - Cumin seeds
• 3-4          - Dry red chillies
• 2 tbs       -  Sesame oil
• 1 tbs       - Asafatida
• 1 tbs       - Broken urad dal
• 2 arc       - Curry leaves
• 500 ml   - Water
• 100 ml   - Water for soaking
• Salt to taste

Method / Vidhiee:
1. In a pressure cooker add in oil.
2. Once it gets heated up add in mustard, cumin, broken urad dal,asafatida, dry red chillies and saute till they splutter.
3. Do not turn them black. Hence, lower the flame.
4. Add in the curry leaves.
5. Soak the broken wheat for 10 mins before you start this process.
6. Add in the broken wheat after straining the water.
7. Stir well and add salt, 500 ml water to it.
8. Or you can measure it as 1 cup of broken wheat to 3 cups of water.
9. Pressure cook and leave minimum 3 whistles.
10. After the pressure is off open the lid of the cooker. Mix the upma well.

Serve hot with any chutney or with tomato curd patchadi.... see below for the method.

Thakkali / Tomato Thair Patchadi

Ingredients:

• 2         - Medium sized red tomatoes
• 1         - Green chilly
• 1 arc   - Curry leaves
• 1 tbs    - Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tbs - Asafatida
• 1/2 tbs - Dry red chilly powder
• 1/2 tbs - Turmeric powder
• 2 cups  - Beaten curd
• 1/4 tbs - Sugar
• 1/2 tbs - oil
• Salt to taste

Method/ Vidhiee:
1. Finely chop the tomaotes and green chilly.
2. In a pan add in oil and splutter the mustard seeds along with curry leaves and asafatida.
3. Add in the chopped tomatoes and green chilly.
4. Now add in turmeric powder, red chilly powder, sugar and salt.
5. Saute till the tomatoes turn soft.
6. Cool them and add into the beaten curd.

Garnish with green coriander and serve it along with Upmas, dosa, idllies, chappattis.

Aachari Masala Chappathi with Hari Dahi Panneer

Bored of the regular chappathi's and oily red gravy's. Tried a different simple yet yummy tasting versions.

Aachari Masala Chappathi
Ingredients:

• 250 gms - Atta
• 1 tbs       - Dry coriander powder
• 1 tbs       - Dry red chilly powder
• 1 tbs       - Dry turmeric powder
• 1 tbs       - Dry jeera powder
• 1/2 tbs    - Aamchur / dry mango powder
• 2 tbs       - Any pickled gravy
• 2 tbs       - Chopped green coriander
• 1/2 tbs    - Salt
• 50 ml      - Water
• 
  

Method/Vidhiee:
1. In a bowl mix in atta, dry ingredients, salt and mix well.
2. Add in the aachar/pickle into it and knead well.
3. Sprinkle water as and when required and knead it tight.
4. Keep aside them for 1 hour.
5. After an hour make small balls of the dough and flatten them into chappati.
6. Cook them on tawa with til oil.

Serve hot with any subtle gravy dish.

Hari Dahi Panneer

Ingredients:

• 250 gms - Panneer / Cottage cheese
• 1 bunch  - Pudina / Mint
• 2 tbs       - Green coriander puree
• 1/2 cup   - Curd
• 1 tbs       - Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbs    - Jeera powder
• 2             - Green chilly
• 50 gms   - Blanched almond
• 1 tbs       - Garam Masala
• 1             - Onion
• 1 tbs       - Kasoori Methi / Dry fenugreek leaves
• 2 tbs       - Oil
• 1 tbs       - Whole jeera
• 1/2 tbs    - Saunf
• Salt to taste
• 100 ml Water

Method/ Vidhiee:
1. Cut the panneer into medium pieces.
2. Finely chop the onions and slit the green chillies.
3. In a pan add in the oil. when hot add in the jeera, saunf and green chilly.
4. To it add in the finely chopped onions.
5. Once they turn golden brown add in the dry masalas.
6. Meanwhile grind the almond into paste and add it to the onion.
7. Lower the flame. Add in salt and stir well.
8. Whisk the curd with coriander paste.
9. Boil the almond paste for 3 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally.
10. Add in the curd coriander mixture to it and stir well again.
11. Add in the panneer to the gravy. Close the pan and let it boil in low flame for 7-8 minutes.
12. Add water how much ever diluted you require.
13. At end garnish with green coriander and serve hot with chappathi or rice.

Aaloo Secret Sabzi (no onion or tomato)

Current prices of Onions in India makes a foodie to venture out for non onion recipes.
A day when you do not have onion, tomatoes in your refrigrator and no other veggies to go for other than potatoes. So the dish just happened and became a real hit!!!!

Serves 4
Ingredients:
6          - Potatoes
7          - Medium sized carrots
2          - Green chillies
3          - Garlic pods
1 tbs    - Kashmiri chilly powder
1 tbs    - Dry coriander powder
1 tbs    - Dry jeera powder
1/2 tbs - Turmeric powder
1 tbs    - Amchoor powder
1 tbs    - Jeera
1/2 tbs - Saunf
1 tbs    - Kasoori Methi/ Fenugreek leaves
Salt to taste
2 tbs    - Oil
500ml  - Water

Method or Vidhiee:
1. Wash carrots and dice them into chunks.
2. Grind the carrots with garlic.
3. Wash the potatoes dice them into medium chunks and soak them in water.
4. In a pressure cooker add in the oil.
5. Heat it and then add in Jeera, Saunf, green chillies.
6. To it add in the ground paste and lower the flame.
7. Saute them for 1 min.
8. Add in the dry masala powders and saute for 2 mins.
9. Now add in the potatoes and coat them with the paste.
10. Finally add salt and kasoori methi.
11. Add water and pressure cook till 3 whistles.
12. After they are done add in chopped green coriander.
Serve hot with rice/ Chappati/ Dosas.

Tip:
You can add in any other vegetables also. Most suitable would be green peas.
This dish might be bit sweet but you can balance with the chilly powder
Dish does not require Garam Masala powder.

Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayagar Chaturthi

Ganesh chathurthi is the festival celebrated by Hindus in India.

Its the birth day of Lord Ganesha who is always considered as a favourite god of all from small baby to oldies. Ganesha idols are made in various forms from ancient dancing , sitting postures to the modern computer Ganesha. These idols are painted in various colours. On this auspicious day Modhaka/Kuzhukattai’s which are favourite to Ganesha are made in households and offered to god. These are then distributed among poor and rich as prasadam. This festivals extends for 10 days in northern part of India especially Mumbai. Ten days poojas are done then the idol of Lord Ganesha is immersed in sea water. This is done as a farewell and ask Ganesha to come back next year again.

Lets now learn how to make his fav dishes J

There are essentially two ways of making the dough…One is by soaking the rice and grinding it, which is pretty elaborate but very tasty, and the other is using rice flour. I shall explain both the procedures below.

KOZHAKATTAI DOUGH BY SOAKING RICE:

Raw rice-1 cup

Salt

Coconut oil.

Water

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Soak the raw rice for 2-3 hours and grind in the mixer or grinder to a smooth batter. It does not matter how much water you use as it gets cooked in it finally.
2. Pour the batter in to a kadai. Make sure that there are no clots and add 1/2 -3/4 spoon of salt and a spoon of coconut oil.
3. Switch on the stove setting it on medium low  and keep stirring to avoid clots.
4. After a few minutes, you will find that the water content is rapidly used up to cook the rice batter, and it slowly thickens.
5. After a few more minutes, it will thicken and be cooked. The signs for that is you will find that when you stir, it comes together as a ball.
6. Also the whiteness of the raw rice will give way to a very slightly off white cooked rice ball.
7. Immediately transfer to a bowl and add a spoon of coconut oil.
8. With your hands, knead the ball inside the bowl by smoothing it and bring it together. This step is very integral as this is what binds the dough and takes away the stickiness.
9. At this point, the dough should be well cooked and seamlessly shape in to a ball.
10. Set aside in the bowl and cover with a lid.

KOZHAKATTAI DOUGH USING RICE FLOUR:

Rice Flour-1 cup

Water-2 cups

Salt

Coconut Oil- 2tbs

Method/Vidhiee:

1. In a kadai, pour the water, add coconut oil and salt and allow to boil.
2. Immediately, simmer the stove and add the measured 1 cup of rice flour in to the water.
3. Use a whisk and remove all the clots quickly.
4. With a spatula, rapidly stir in the mixture as if will thicken using the water to cook the rice.
5. As before, keep stirring until you see that the water is all gone and the entire batter scoops up in your ladle as a single mass.
6. Stir for a few more minutes until you are satisfied and the batter does not stick. This would happen only if, the water is not used up so do not fret.
7. Transfer to a bowl, add another spoon of coconut oil and knead well to form a  ball.
8. Set aside covered in the bowl.

Use this smooth outer dough to make delicious Vella Kozhukattai, Uppu Kozhukattai and Ammini Kozhukattais.

VELA KOZHUKATTAI

Grated coconut-1 cup

Grated jaggery(Depending on brand, degree of sweetness etc)- 1/2 – 3/4 cup

Powdered cardamom-1 tsp

Milk-1 tbsp

Water-2-3 tbsp

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Always prepare the poornams or filling ahead as the outer dough has to be made last just before consolidating the Kozhukattais.
2. In a kadai add the jaggery and very little water about 2  Tbsp and 1 tbsp milk and allow to melt.
3. When the jaggery is well melted add the fresh grated coconut and mix well.
4. Also put in the powdered cardamom and stir in well until the mixture leaves the sides.
5. I prefer to make my poornam a little thicker by keeping it on the stove for a longer time to enable me to make them in to balls.
6. Cool the poornam filling and make them in to little balls.

1. Keep the Kozhukattai outer dough prepared and ready as per instructions. Keep it covered under a moist cloth and over that a lid to preserve the moisture and the warmth.
2. Create an assembly line with the Poornam balls, outer dough, greased idli plates and a small cup having 2-3 spoons of coconut oil.
3. Grease your palms with coconut oil and then take a ball of the outer dough and smoothen it between your palms.
4. Make a little depression with your thumb and make it in to the shape of a diya with smooth sides.
5. Fill the depression with the coconut jaggery poornam and close the edges and seal it with your fingers.
6. Continue until you finish the poornam filling.

TIPS:

1. If your sweet poornam/filling is not as thick as you would like it to be, don't fret. Allow it to sit on the stove for a couple of minutes more and add 1 spoon or two of wheat flour. This will bind them together.
2. Another option is to make rough balls and pop them in to the refrigerator for a few minutes. This will automatically firm them up.
3. Before steaming the prepared Modhakas, keep them covered as if they exposed to the air etc, they get dry and crack up. This might render the  poornam to seep out during steaming.

UPPU KOZUKATTAI

Bengal Gram- 1/2 cup

Urad Dhal-1/4  cup

Green Chillies-3- 4

Hing

Salt

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Soak the Bengal Gram and Urad Dhal for about 3 hours just as you would for Paruppu Usili.
2. Used the proportion of 1/2 cup of bengal gram to 1/4 cup of urad dhal. If you want more numbers, of Urad Dhal balls,  you can extrapolate it to 3/4 cup of bengal gram to 1/2 cup of urad dhal.
3. Grind the bengal gram and urad dhal in the mixer with salt, green chillies  and curry leaves with as little water as possible. The water added is  important as this affects the final consistency of the urad dhal crumble.
4. It should not be ground too smooth but a little short of that, a little coarse.  Add hing and  a spoon of oil and mix it in well.

5. Place a seasoning kadai on the stove, add oil and mustard, When the mustard splutters, add it to the ground paste.

1. Grease 1 or 2 idli plates and fill the firm ground  paste in the idli plates. Steam in the pressure cooker for 12 – 15 minutes. Switch off gas and remove the plates and allow to cool.
2. Transfer the cooked dhal idlis to a plate and pour 1 spoon of coconut/gingely/canola oil on them and slowly crumble them with your oiled fingers.
3. Try to do this when its still warm.
4. Now with the help of a oil greased hands again, press the crumbles in to 1 inch balls. Keep covered in a container to retain the moisture.
5. Close like a coconut and make a little tuft resembling a coconut.,
6. Keep your hands oiled when you are working with the Outer Dough.
7. 

   Place the prepared modhaks in greased idli plates and steam in the pressure cooker for 12 minutes.
8. Switch off stove, and after a few minutes transfer.

AMINI KOZUKATTAI

Green chillies -2 cut in to small pieces.

Curry Leaves – 2-3 strings

Hing/Asefatida

Mustard

Broken Urad Dhal.

Salt.

Oil

Method/Vidhiee:

1.      The outer dough of Kozhukattais have negligible salt. So take the dough and add sufficient powder salt and mix it in by kneading well. If you feel the dough is a little dry, add a few drops of coconut oil to your hands.

2.      Make a smooth ball.

3.      Greasing your hands, shape it in to smaller balls, say, the size of naphthalene balls and keep covered in a bowl.

4.      Complete the dough by making small balls and arrange on greased idli plates.

5.      Steam them in the pressure cooker without weight for 10 minutes on high. As they have already been cooked once, it will cook in steam pretty fast.

6.      Once the cooker is switched off, wait for a few minutes and collect all the balls on the serving bowl.

7.      In a seasoning kadai, add 2 spoons of oil. When hot, add broken urad dhal, mustard, green chilies, hing and curry leaves.

8.      Drop over the kozhukattais and mix well.

Delicious Mini/Ammini Kozhakattais are ready to be served.

Janmashtami/Sri Jayanthi/Krishna Jayanthi Basic Snacks

This festival is one of the most sought of festival of hindus in India. The day is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Krishna or otherwise called as Lord Vishnu. It is said that Lord Krishna likes some of the following sweet & savoury accompanied with white cow butter. So to learn about his favourite eatables scroll below. Make it and celebrate the day along with your fellow beings.

UPPU SESDAI
Ingredients:
Rice flour - 2 cups
Soak rice in water. Drain it and dry it on a thin cloth. Once its dried grind it into powder.
Be sure to strain the rice powder once and take of the little granuels.
Uradh Dhall / Ulatham parupu - 1/2 cup
Asefatida - 1tps
Unsalted white butter - 1/2 cup
Warm water - 1/2cup
Salt - As per taste
Sunflower Oil - to deep fry

Method/ Vidhiee:
1. In a pan dry roast the rice flour till it turns hot. Keep stirring so that it doesn't turn brown. Keep the flame low.
2. Once its done, transfer them to a big bowl. Let it cool.

3. In the same pan dry roast Uradh dhall/ Ulatham Parupu till they turn golden brown.
4. Once they are done transfer to a plate and cool it.

5. Once the dhall is cool. Take it and grind into fine powder. To have fine powder use strainer to strain the granuals.
6. Take the bowl which has rice flour. To it add dhall powder, salt, asefatida & white butter.

7. Mix well and do not press hard.
8. To it sprinkle warm water at times needed and make it into a semi solid dough.

9. Note that this dough would not come like a chappatti dough.
10. Roll on ball and see whether it doesn't crack.
11. Once the mixture is done roll the mixture into small balls and dry them.

12. In a heavy bottom pan heat oil.
13. Once the oil is hot lower the flame and add the balls one by one on to the side of the pan.
14. Leave it for 1 min and then keep rolling the balls.

15. You can raise the flame in middle and then again lower it so that the balls turn brown.

16. The balls should turn light brown colour.Means its done.
17. Take them out on a tissue paper and drain excess oil.

18. Once the balls cool down a bit tranfer to a air tight box.
19. Do not close the box immediately as water vapour may form inside it and it would get spoilt.
20. Close half the box for ten min then fully close it when once all the mixture is done.

Enjoy the UPPU SEEDAI savoury. Present it to Lord Krishna and enjoy it with all your near and dear ones.

Tip : You can add white sesame seeds powder or seeds, but be careful that the balls don't burst.
        You can also add jeera powder or seeds as above.
Caution : To much of water or butter would make the balls crackle like small bomb in oil or might dissolve in oil. Hence, be careful and test one first and then if it turns well start the process

VELLA SESDAI
Ingredients:
Rice flour - 2 cups
Soak rice in water. Drain it and dry it on a thin cloth. Once its dried grind it into powder. Be sure to strain the rice powder once and take of the little granuels.
Uradh Dhall / Ulatham parupu - 1/2 cup
Elaichi / Elakai/ Cardamom  powder - 1tsp
Unsalted white butter - 1/2 cup
Warm water - 1/2cup
Salt - 1/4tsp
Jaggery - 1/2 cup (If your jaggery is dark brown this measurement is ok. If, its light brown then ou can take 3/4 cup  measurement)
Sunflower Oil - to deep fry

Method/ Vidhiee:
1. In a pan dry roast the rice flour till it turns hot. Keep stirring so that it doesn't turn brown. Keep the flame low.
2. Once its done, transfer them to a big bowl. Let it cool.

3. In the same pan dry roast Uradh dhall/ Ulatham Parupu till they turn golden brown.

4. Once they are done transfer to a plate and cool it.
5. Once the dhall is cool. Take it and grind into fine powder. To have fine powder use strainer to strain the granuals.
6. Take the bowl which has rice flour. To it add dhall powder, salt, cardamom powder, jaggery and mix well in a processor.
7. Mix well with unsalted white butter.
8. To it sprinkle water at times needed and make it into a semi solid dough.

9. Note that this dough would not come like a chappatti dough.
10. Roll on ball and see whether it doesn't crack.
11. Once the mixture is done roll the mixture into medium sized balls and dry them.

12. In a heavy bottom pan heat oil.
13. Once the oil is hot lower the flame and add the balls one by one on to the side of the pan.
14. leave it for 1 min and then keep rolling the balls.
15. You can raise the flame in middle and then again lower it so that the balls turn brown.
16. The balls should turn light brown colour.Means its done.
17. Take them out on a tissue paper and drain excess oil.

18. Once the balls cool down a bit tranfer to a air tight box.
19. Do not close the box immediately as water vapour may form inside it and it would get spoilt.
20. Close half the box for ten min then fully close it when once all the mixture is done.

Enjoy the VELLA SEEDAI savoury.
Present it to Lord Krishna and enjoy it with all your near and dear ones.

Tip : You can add copra or dry coconut for the crunch flavour, but be careful that the balls don't burst.
Caution : To much of water or butter would make the balls crackle like small bomb in oil or might dissolve in oil. Hence, be careful and test one first and then if it turns well start the process

KAJURKAI
Ingredients:
Maida - 1/2 cup
Atta -1/2 cup
Khus Khus / Poppy seeds - 2tbs
Elaichi/ Cardamom - 3 pods
Ghee - 3tbs
Copra / Dry coconut -1/4cup
Badam - 2-3
Kismis - 5
Sugar powder - 1/4cup
Rice powder - 3tbs
Water
Oil - to fry

Method/ Vidhiee:
1. Soak poppy seeds for 1 hr. Wash it and drain them.

2. Grind them and fry in 1tbs ghee.
3. Dry raost the copra and cool it.

4. Cut kismis and badam into small bits.
5. Mix well copra, poppy seeds, kismis, badam, rice flour, sugar powder and keep aside.

6. In another bowl mix atta, maida, salt and make a dough.
7. Flattent the dough and cut into round rings.

8. Fill in the rings with the poppy seeds mixture.

9. Put water drop on the sides of the rings and close it semi-circle.

10.Close them and seal it.
11. In a pan heat oil and keep in low flame.

12. Put the Kajurkai's into oil and fry till they turn golden brown.

11. Drain them on to a tissue paper and sprinkle sugar powder over it .

Enjoy by sharing with others.

VELLA OPPRA
If you some of the VELLA SEEDAI dough. You can make one more sweet VELLA OPPRA.
Sprinkle the dough into the hot oil.
Keep strring till it turns brown.
Drain it on to tissue paper.
It would turn crisp once it cools down.

This sweet can be given as VELLA OPPRA to young kids and oldies who cannot chew :)