Monday, November 8, 2010

Badam Burfi


This recipe can make about 50 pieces.

Ingredients:
==========
  • Badam /Almonds - 3 cups
  • Refined Sugar - 4 and half cups

  • ----> For every cup of badam, add one and half cups of sugar.

  • Ghee - 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup
  • Milk - 1/4 cup(just to grind badam)
  • Saffaron - a pinch(optional)
  • Edible Colour - a pinch dissolved in 2 tsp of water
  • elachi powder - 1 tsp
Use colour only if you are not getting saffaron. Because adding saffaron will give a natural colour to the burfi.

Method:
==========
  • Grease a plate with ghee
  • Boil water and soak badam in hot water for an hour.
  • Drain the water and peel off the skin of badam.

  • Add the badams into a blender.Add little milk and grind into a very coarse paste.
  • Adjust the quality of milk if needed.

  • Heat a non stick saucepan and add 2 tbsp of ghee.

  • On a low flame,add the ground paste and saute for 5 min without break.
  • Now add the sugar and keep stirring.
  • The sugar will melt and blend with the badam paste.Add the colour solution/saffaron at this point.
  • Do not stop stirring even for a min as the badam will get burnt quickly.

  • At a point when the paste starts to thicken,add elachi powder and little ghee and continue stirring.

  • When the ghee is absorbed fully,add little more ghee.
  • Do not add ghee in one shot .Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of ghee in 2 to 4 steps and continue to stir.
  • At a point when the paste does not stick to the pan and the bottom of pan could be seen,switch off the flame.

  • Immediately pour it over the greased plate and spread with a laddle.

  • Allow it to cool under the fan.
  • After 5 min,when its still medium hot ,cut into diamond shapes using a knife(first draw horizontal lines and then diagonal lines)
  • After an hour,tilt the plate on a flat surface so that the burfi slides off the plate.
  • Separate the pieces and store in an air tight container.

Enjoy the rich yummy homemade badam burfi!!!

Note:
====
1)Do not stop stirring even for a min.



Sunday, November 7, 2010

Sambarapuli


Sambarapuli is a traditional brahmin dish.This is more like a dry chutney that can be had with dosa/idly with little oil .This is an excellent side-dish for curd-rice.

Ingredients:
========
  • Coriander leaves - 2 big bunches,nearly 100 to 120 grams
  • Curry leaves - 10 sprigs
  • Urad dal (whole/split) - 100 grams
  • Red chillies - 20 to 25 ,based on one's taste
  • Aafoetida - 1 tsp
  • Tamarind - 1 thick ball,(dia:3 to 4 cm)
  • Jaggery - 1 to 2 tsp
  • Salt - 2 tsp
  • Gingelly oil - 2 tsp
Method:
======
  • Remove the roots and seperate the leaves from the stem.Retain the tender stems.
  • Wash them very well along with curry leaves and strain the excess water.
  • Pat it dry with a towel and let them dry on a towel overnight under the fan.
  • Next day,you must just feel a light moisture in the dried leaves and not more than that.

  • Wash urad dal(if whole) and drain water completely.
  • Heat oil in a kadai.Add the washed urad dal ,asafoetida and roast till golden brown.
  • Add the red chillies and saute for 3 to 4 min.
  • Switch off the flame.Add the tamarind,jaggery into the kadai and set aside to cool.

  • Grind the roasted ingredients to a coarse powder .Add salt at this point and pulse the mixer once again so that the salt is uniformly mixed with the powdered spices.

  • Transfer the powder to a plate and add the dried leaves into the same mixer.

  • Pulse the mixer once or twice such that the leaves are just crushed well.
  • Add the powdered spices to the mixer and pulse it again once / twice.This is done so that the spices gets blended well with the crushed leaves.
  • Transfer the ground paste into a plate.Taste and adjust salt/spice if needed.

  • Make into small round balls by rolling between your palms.
  • Store in fridge and enjoy with curd rice/idly-dosa.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Paneer paratha with homemade paneer


Ingredients:
=========
  • Wheat flour - 1 cup
  • Milk - 1 litre
  • green chillies - 4 to 5
  • cumin seeds - 1 tsp
  • salt - to taste
  • dhania powder - 1 tsp
  • red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
  • lemon juice - extracted from 1 lemon
  • oil - 1 tsp
method:
======
paneer crumbs
===========
  • Boil milk.
  • Squeeze lemon juice into it.
  • The milk will start to separate.Add 1 tsp of jeera to the milk.
  • Pour it into a muslin cloth and squeeze out the excess water.
  • Tie it tight to a door handle/hook and leave for 15 min.Keep a bowl below to collect the drops.
  • Save the stock for making dough.
Dough
=====
  • Mix wheat flour and luke warm stock to form a soft dough.
Paratha
======
  • Open the muslin cloth and just crumble the paneer with your hands.This is jeera paneer .
  • Heat 2 tsp of oil in a kadai.Add finely chopped green chillies and saute for a minute.
  • Add the paneer crumbs,1/2 tsp salt,red chilli powder,dhania powder and saute for 5 min.The stuffing is ready.
  • Make round balls with the dough.(dia:3 cm)
  • Spread each ball into a small roti and keep 2 tsp of stuffing in the middle.Cover it from all the sides and spread it again like a roti smearing little atta flour on both the sides.

  • Cook both the sides on a skillet in a medium flame,smearing little ghee/oil.
  • The paratha should be cooked well and at the same time be crispy.
Serve hot with curd and pickle.