Masala Pori / Masala Puffed Rice

This is a very easy to prepare recipe in less than 10 min of time which is healthy too. For festive days, like Vijayadasami or Vinayaga Chathurthi, we used to buy more Pori/Puffed rice and most of the time, it is left unused. So we can make this Masala Pori using the leftover Pori.

Ingredients

• Puffed rice/Pori - 3 cups
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds -  a pinch
• Peanuts - 2 tsp
• Cashews - 5 to 6
• Roasted Gram/Pottu Kadalai - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Dry Red Chillies - 2
• Chilli Powder - 3/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt - For taste (1/2 tsp
• Sugar - For taste

Method

• In a Pan, or wide vessel, add oil and when hot add mustard seeds.

• Then, add the peanuts, cashews, roasted gram, curry leaves, dry chillies and start frying it.

• When the nuts becomes slightly brown, add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and add the puffed rice and start frying it.

• Add the salt and mix the puffed rice, very well so that the powders are well coated.

• Add the sugar finally.

• Great tea time snack is ready.
• Can be stored in air tight container.

Nutella Brownies - No Egg / No Butter Recipes

Last week went very busy due to Deepavali and the day before Deepavali my kids went to India along with my mother. After that I am feeling very lonely. In day time, since I go office, I feel bit ok, but again after coming home, I start thinking about them. I didn't show any interest in cooking, eating or even sleeping. I miss them so much. I am waiting for the day of their arrival by December end. I just want to share a quote which I came across in the FB - "Without children my wallet would be full of money, house would be clean but my heart is empty". So so True... Isn't.

I did not cook any new recipes, all these days. This one is in my draft for a long time and just thought of posting this. I took the recipe from Jeyashri's Kitchen who needs no introduction. The recipe outcome was too good. Thanks dear for the wonderful recipe. I did not added the coffee powder as in the original recipe and added little baking soda. Here we go to the recipe.

Ingredients

• Nutella - 1 cup
• All Purpose flour - 1 cup
• Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 1/4 cup
• Yogurt/Curd - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 2 to 3 tsp (according to taste)
• Walnuts - a handful

Method

• Sift the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda thoroughly.

• Melt the Nutella in a double boiler method. (In a big pan add water and allow to boil. Place nutella in another small pan and keep it in the boiling water and let it melt).

• In another bowl, add curd/yogurt, oil, milk and vanilla essence and mix well.

• Add this mixture to the nutella and if you need you can add sugar at this stage.

• Mix the nutella mixture so that sugar dissolves.
• Add this mixture to the mixed flours.

• Blend nicely without any lumps.
• Add the walnuts (or any nuts of your choice).

• Coat the baking tray with little oil and then with flour, so that it does not get stick to the bottom.

• Bake it for 20 to 25 min or the stick inserted in the middle of the brownies, comes out clean.

• Cut and serve the brownies. 

Galagala/Wheat snacks/Diamond cuts

Galagala / Kalakala - first time heard from my mom only. The name itself looks different for me, when my mom told, that she will prepare this snack in the evening. I said ok. When I returned from office, last Saturday  she gave me these. It is similar to maida diamond cuts. When I asked her, she said, she did with wheat flour because of health reasons. Also when I asked her, why it is called as galagala, she just said, when it is shaken, it sounds like that, so it is called as galagala. But she also does not know the actual name. Friends, if any of you know this is the actual reason it is named as galagala or any other reason behind it, plz share.

Since this is prepared by my mom, I could not take the stepwise pictures. Will update later time, when i prepare. Now to the recipe... 

Ingredients

• Wheat flour - 2 cup
• Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp (adjusted according to taste)
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Rice flour - 2 tsp
• Bicarbonate of soda - 1/5 tsp
• Salt - as per paste
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Oil - for frying

Method

• Add all the ingredients except oil in a vessel.
• Add just 2 tsp oil to it.
• Make a soft dough and leave the dough for 15 min.
• Take small portion of the dough and roll like a chappathi.
• Cut into diamond shapes.
• Heat oil in a kadai in medium heat.
• Fry the galagala in batches and when they are slightly brown, remove from oil.
• Store in a airtight container.

Notes:

• Wheat flour, can be replaced by All purpose flour/maida.

This goes to following events
Lets Party - Fest Celebration Event hosted by Preeti's kitchen life and Surabhi's My cookbook
Kids Delight - Healthy makeover by rasi and valli
Diwali Bash @ cooks joy
Celebrate Navrathri/Diwali @ Simply food and by Jagruthi
Give me some snacks by Pari
My Diwali Basket @ thaushaltcook
Bon Viviant - Festive feast @ Sumee's Culinary bites
WTML by Preeti and Gayathri
EP Series by Julie and Divya
CWF - Whole wheat flour by @Nivedhanam and kiran