Rava Payasam | Sooji Kheer | Semolina Kheer

Rava Payasam or sooji kheer is one of the easiest payasam which you can make when you have sudden guests at home. I feel anything with rava makes life easier when we are not prepared what to cook or feel lazy to prepare 😜. I wanted to click some sweet recipe with my new camera and I was thinking so many recipes and finally end up with this easy dessert Rava Payasam.

You can view some of the delicious Payasam / Kheer recipe from the below links...
Carrot Kheer
Javvarisi Payasam
Semiya Payasam
Paneer Kheer
Pasta Payasam
Quinoa Payasam
Mango Payasam

So let's go to the easy Rava Payasam Recipe. 

Rava Payasam Recipe

Preparation time: 5 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Serves: 4

Recipe Category: Dessert | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

Semolina / Rava - half cup

Full cream milk - 2 cups

Water - 1 cup

Sugar - 3/4 cup ( can increase or decrease according to your tastebuds )

Ghee - 2 tsp

Cashew nuts - few

Raisins - few 

Cardamom - 2 (crushed nicely or 2 pinch of cardamom powder) 

Saffron - a pinch to give nice colour (optional)

Method 

1. In a large pan, add 1 tsp ghee and when slight hot, add the rava.

2. Start frying the rava ( 3 to 4 min in low flame ) and keep it aside. (Do not over fry, as it may turn the rava to brown colour and payasam does not look good ).

3. In the same pan add the remaining ghee and start frying the cashews and the raisins separately and keep them aside. 

4. In the same pan, add the milk and boil it. Meanwhile, crush some cardamom and add to it.

5. Make the flame to low and add the roasted rava little by little.

6. Rava starts to cook and the payasam / kheer starts thickening. If you want, you could add some water or milk, at this stage. Now add the fried cashes and raisins.

7. Allow the payasam to boil for a min and switch off the stove.

8. Delicious and easy Rava Payasam is ready to  be served.

Notes:
1. Rava Payasam tends to thicken, when it cools down, so you can add some milk to make it to thin consistency.
2. Instead of milk, you can add condensed milk and make it rich. But reduce the sugar quantity, accordingly.

Vara Milagai Chutney | Red Chilli Chutney | Kaara Chutney Recipe

Vara Milagai Chutney or Chilli chutney popularly know as Kara Chutney has become my favorite chutney now a days. I first tasted this chutney in my chithi's house. She is a great cook and cooks variety of chutneys. When I tasted this chutney for the hot hot idli's, I could not resist myself from asking some more. So here goes the easy recipe for the Vara Milagai Chutney.

Some chutney recipes for you to view
Groundnut chutney
Coriander chutney
Pottukadalai Chutney
Coconut chutney

Mint coriander and yogurt chutney

Vara Milagai Chutney

Preparation time: 5 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Serves: 4

Recipe Category: Sidedish | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

Red chillies - 10 nos
Onion - 1 medium sized ( or 10 shallots )
Tomato - 1 medium sized
Tamarind - a small piece
Garlic cloves - 4 to 5
Salt - as per taste
Water - as needed

For Tempering
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp (Gingely oil works best)
Mustard seeds - 2 pinch
Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few

Method

1. Take the mentioned ingredients. ( I had only 3 cloves of garlic and so added 1 tsp of garlic paste while grinding)

2. Transfer them to the food processor adding little water. Add required salt. 

3. Grind to a coarse paste. 

4. In a pan or vessel, add oil and then the tempering ingredients one by one. Fry till light brown. 

5. Now add the ground paste.

6. Sauté it nicely till the extra water and raw smell goes off.

7. When it comes to thick consistency, switch off the stove. 

8. Serve it with hot idlis or dosas. I had it with hot kuzhipaniyaram. 

Notes:

1. Adding shallots gives more taste. 

2. The spice level of the chutney can be increased or decreased as per the taste.
3. Gingely oil gives a nice taste, compared to other cooking oil. So try to use gingely oil.