Uppu Seedai (Uppu Cheedai)

These uppu seedai is favorite of Lord Krishna, which is prepared during Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami) in Tamil Nadu. Though these are easy to prepare, when preparing for the first time, a little extra care need to be taken, because, if not done correctly, these seedais, may burst while frying. (Can see the tips in Notes). These can be kept in airtight container for 2 weeks together. But our bala krishnas (kids) would definitely finish this off soon.

Ingredients

• Rice flour - 1 cup (app. 150 gms)
• Urud dal flour - 2 tsp
• Sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Butter - 2 tsp (room temperatur)
• Grated Coconut - 2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp (or as per taste)
• Water - little (1/2 cup or more)
• Oil - for frying 

Method

• Dry fry the rice flour, urud dal, grated coconut one by one.

                          

                      
                                          

• For the flours nice aroma comes and for the grated coconut, the water content should evaporate.

• Mix the rice flour, urud dal flour, sesame seeds, grated coconut, butter, asafoeida, salt and add water little by little and make a smooth dough.

• Make small sized balls (as shown below) rolling with your hands.
• Let it rest for 30 min.

• Now in a kadai, heat the oil on medium heat.
• Now drop a batch of these balls in to the oil and fry till they become golden brown.

• Do the same with the rest of the balls.
• After removing from oil, place the balls in a kitchen paper, so as to absorb excess oil.
• Keep munching it or store in a air tight container. 

Note:

• When urud dal added is bit more, the balls turn darker in colour.
• To avoid bursting of the balls, using a needle or toothstick, just prick the balls, before frying them.
• Also do not roll them very tightly which will also cause the balls to burst.

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Nei Urundai/Paasiparuppu urundai

When I prepared the murukku, I thought of preparing something sweet to munch along with murukku. I am tired in the eve and hence choose this yummy snack - Nei urundai/paasi paruppu urundai/Ghee balls and prepared this in less than 20 min. With these quantity, I prepared 12 urundais. Next time, planned to do more. Also I was preparing this in a hurry as it was already evening 6.15, so could not take the step wise pictures.

Ingredients

• Moong dal/Split green gram - 2 cups
• Cardamom - 4 pieces
• Powdered sugar - 2 cups
• Ghee - 1 cup
• Cashews - 1/2 cup

Method

• Dry fry the moong dal till nice aroma comes.
• Transfer it to mixer/food processor, along with cardamom and grind to a find powder.
• Sieve it one or more time.
• Meanwhile, in a wok, add 1/2 tsp ghee and fry the cashews and make into small pieces.
• In a big plate, add the powdered dal, sugar, and cashews and mix it.
• Heat the ghee and when it is hot, pour to the mix little by little.
• Start making round shaped balls/urundais.
• If the ghee is too hot, just dust the balls with the dal flour and make tight balls.
• Allow to rest for 1 hr.
• Store in a airtight container.

Note:

• You can use normal sugar and using mixer grinder/food processor, grind to fine powder.

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Murukku / Simple and Easy Murukku

               Murukku is one of my all time favorite. Many people prepare it for festive seasons like diwali, pongal etc... but when I want to munch something, I do these murukkus in bulk and keep it for future use. Today we will see the simple and basic murukku which is very easy to prepare.

Ingredients

• Riceflour - 2 cups
• Black gram/urud dhal flour - 2 tsp
• Melted butter/butter - 2 tsp (at room temp)
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Ajwain / omam - 1 tsp
• Water - 1/2 cup (more or less as needed to make a dough )
• Salt - as per taste (mostly 1/4th tsp)

Method

• Mix the rice flour and the black gram flour.

• To this, add the butter, ajwain seeds, and salt and mix well.

• Add asafoetida.

• Add Water little by little and make a smooth dough.

                 

                  

• In the murukku press, take half the quantity of the dough and put inside.

• In a plastic sheet make a round shaped murukku as shown by pressing the murukku press.

• Meanwhile, heat oil in kadai, in medium flame.
• When it is hot, slowly put one murukku at a time.

• When the iiisssshhhh sound stops from the murukku or the murukku becomes golden colour, take them out from the oil.

• Store in a airtight container and munch it whenever u want.

Note:

• When using salted butter, reduce the salt quantity while adding.
• Ajwain can be replaced by cumin seeds.
• I used store bought flours and they both are already fried. If not fry both the flours for a min or 2. 

Sending this to Lets party @ Jiya's Delicacy and Surabhi of My cookbook

Karuvadu Kuzhambu / Spicy Dryfish Gravy

This recipe I saw in one of the tv show long time back and have written in a piece of paper. When i was cleaning the house, in a drawer, found this, and gave a try. It was really spicy and tangy to have it on a rainy day.

I used Vaalai meen/ ribbon Fish for this gravy.

Courtesy: Google Images

Ingredients

• Vaalai karuvadu - 10 to 12 pieces
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urud dal/Black gram - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - a pinch
• Curry leaves - few
• Shallots - 10
• Tomato - 1
• Chilli powder- 1
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind - 1 lemon size
• Salt - as per taste
• Oil - 1 tsp

Ingredients II (to grind)

• Shallots - 10
• Dry red chillies - 5 to 6
• Tomato - 2
• Black pepper - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method

• Soak tamarind in hot water.

• Soak the washed dry fishes and keep it separate.

• In a pan/kadai/wok, add ingredients from II(to grind) one by one, starting from oil.

• When tomato becomes soft, transfer the contents to mixer/food processor and grind to paste. 

• In the same kadai, add oil, mustard seeds, black gram, cumin seeds, curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, shallots.

              

            

• When shallots become translucent, add tomato and garlic and cook, till tomato becomes soft.

                 

           

• Now add the grinded paste.

• Add little water, chilli powder and turmeric powder.

• Add the tamarind extract.

• Let the gravy start boiling.
• Now add the washed dry fishes and let it cook for 7 to 8 min.

• Check for the salt and switch off the stove.

• Serve the spicy and tangy dry fish gravy with hot rice. 

Note:

• Check for the salt, as the dry fish contains salt by itself.