Sev (Deepavali special )

 Deepavali is nearing and the preparation of sweets and savoury starts. So I thought of preparing Sev and here is a recipe for you. Believe me it is easy, quick and yummy. This sev can be prepared and served with the sweet dish of your choice. Here is a recipe of medium thick variety of sev recipe.

Sev/Om pudi (as we call in Kannada ) is a savoury dish and we can munch them any time of the day. (People like me who are fond of fried  items ). It can be prepared using different flours. For example we can use chickpea/gram flour or rice flour and chick pea flour or only roasted channa (hurikadale) and rice flour or even maida flour or even boiled potatoes are also used for preparing sev.
Here I have used 3 portions of chikpea/channa/gram flour/besan and one portion of rice flour. Some spices like chilly powder, jeera are used. I have used butter and no cooking soda added to the flour .
Lets us see the recipe now.

Things Needed :

Besam/Gram/Besan flour : 3 Cups
Rice flour : 1 Cup
Jeera powder : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly powder : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : as required
Butter : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : 2 Cups (Any brand )
Sev Mould.

Method :

1. Put Chick Pea flour, Rice flour, butter, salt, jeera and red chilly powder in a big bowl.
2. Mix it nicely so that butter and other ingredients mixes well with flour.

3. Add required water slowly (little by little ) and form a dough. (thicker than chapati dough).
4. Kneed the dough well. and divide them in to small portion. (not very small).

5. Now just apply little oil around the inner layer of the mould and put prepared sev dough inside.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil. Heat it.
7. Now close the lid of the mould and press straight to the hot oil.  Let it turn slightly golden brown.

8. Turn the other side and cook for a minute and remove from the pan. Put it on a kitchen tissue. Let the extra oil absorb by the towel.
9. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare sev.

10 Sev is ready to serve.

Note :

The dough should not be watery or too thick. Watery dough may absorb more oil and the thick (hard) dough can not be squeezed out easily. Adding more butter may soften the dough and it might take more oil.  For the above said measurement only 2 tablespoons of butter will be perfect. You can also try using hot oil instead of butter. Adding more/less chilly powder is optional. Adding whole jeera might block the holes of the mould. So roast and powder jeera and then use it. ( I just crushed it a little and added ).
Time : 30 to 40 minutes
Servings : according to your requirement.

Oats, Corn Flakes & Almond Laddu : Deepavali Special

Oats, Cornflakes & Almonds Laddu is a sweet dish and we can munch them any time of the day. Deepavali is nearing and the preparation of sweets and savoury starts. Oats & Cornflakes, Almond Laddus are healthy and perfect for festival celebration. It is easy to prepare and can be kept for at least 10 to 15 days. It is my own creation and I am very happy to say Oats, cornflakes & Almond Laddu is delicious to eat and not worry much because there is not much of ghee and no coconut is used in this recipe. One more good thing is that instead of sugar, jaggery is used and you must be knowing the benefits of having jaggery instead of sugar. It contain loads of healthy benefits.

Lets see some benefits of having jaggery in our diet.
Jaggery helps to cleanse our body and act as digestive agent. It provides good amounts of minerals. It adds sweet to the dish in a healthy way. It is always better to use jaggery. It prevents constipation and good for people who suffer from anemia. It has excellent source of Iron and produce good amount of haemoglobin. It helps to detoxify our liver by flushing harmful toxins from our body. It is also good for cough and cold.
I have used Oats, cornflakes and Almonds, a few cashew nuts and raisins.
Oats, cornflakes & Almonds Laddu can be prepared for festivals, kitty parties, kids parties and even you can box them and give it as sweet packs.
Lets see the recipe now.

Ingredients :

Oats : 1 Bowl
Corn flakes : (any brand ) : 1 Bowl
Almonds : 1 Small cup
Raisins : 1/2 Cup
Cashew nuts : 1 Handful or as you wish
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Jaggery :  5 to 6 Tablespoons (Grated ) or 1 small bowl.

Method :

1. Keep a pan on the fire and dry roast oats on low flame for  2 to 3 minutes and keep it aside. Let it cool.

2. Now add cornflakes to the same pan and add 1 teaspoon of ghee. Fry them nicely and remove from the pan .(2 minutes).

3. Fry almonds in the same pan for one to two minutes and remove from the pan. Let it cool.
4. Now fry cashew nuts and raisins till they turn golden brown and remove from the pan. Keep them aside.

5. Dry grind all the roasted or fried ingredients and keep is separately. ( Dry grind them one by one). (Except cashews and raisins).

6. Keep a bigger pan on the fire. Add powdered or grated jaggery and add 1/4 of water to it.
7. Let jaggery melt nicely. It starts to boil. Let the jaggery syrup get one string consistency.

8.Now add powdered cornflakes, oats and almonds. Mix it well. Add fried cashews and raisins. Mix it thoroughly. Put off the fire and    shift the mixed ingredients to a big bowl.

9. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ghee and mix it well.
10. Take a small portion of well mixed laddu mixture and form a laddu. Press it nicely between the palm and fingers and give a ball shape.Prepare the same with all the ingredients,

11. Oats, cornflakes and almond laddus are ready to serve.

12. You can pack them in a box and give it to your near dear ones.

Note :

Frying cornflakes in ghee gives good aroma to laddu. It is better to dry roast oats as we dry grind it. Adding more almonds adds taste to the laddu. Raisins help to add sweet taste. Adding more cashew adds to the taste. Just take care while preparing jaggery syrup. When it melts completely, it starts to bubble. Let it boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Then add the ground powder of ingredients and mix it well. Adding coconut is optional. I have not added.If you are not able to form a ball shape and the mixture is bit dry, sprinkle some hot milk and then prepare laddu. Hot milk helps the mixture to hold it. You can use dates instead of jaggery. (10 to 15 dates should be dry ground and add it to the mixture and then prepare laddu).
Time : 30 minutes.
Serving : 20 Laddu can be prepared.

Onion Bonda ( Onion Fritters)

Onion Bonda is a fried dish. A cup of hot coffee or tea and a plate of these onion bondas are perfect snack in the evening. It makes us munch more and more and no doubt onion bonda is a good combination for lunch or dinner too.
Onion Bonda is prepared using besan,rice flour and some spices. Though eating fried dish is not good for health but once in a way it is ok to have them. It is simple, easy and quick to prepare. Most of the ingredients will be always at home and when ever you feel like having some pakodas you can prepare it quickly. It is always better to have home made dishes.

Lets see the recipe now.

Ingredients:

Besan/Channa flour/ Kadale hittu/Kadale Maavu : 1 Cup
Rice flour : 1 Cup
Onions : 2 to 3 (Medium sized)
Green chilly : 2
Red chlli Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 
Ginger : a small piece
Oil : 1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons
Sodium bicarbonate/ Cooking Soda :  a pinch

Method : 

1. Remove the outer skin of onions and wash it. Wash coriander leaves, curry leaves and green chilly.
2. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and remove the outer skin and wash it again. Grate it.
3. Cut onions, green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves into thin pieces.
4. Put rice flour, besan/channa flour, salt and a pinch of sodium bicarbonate in a big bowl.

5. Add cut chilly, red chilly powder, grated ginger and jeera to the rice flour mixture. Add hot oil to the mixture.
6. Mix all the ingredients nicely and then add required water and mix it nicely and prepare the dough.

7. Keep a frying pan on the fire. Put oil and heat.
8. Take little dough and just roll it a little (giving a round shape) and leave in hot oil.
9.Fry them nicely on both sides, remove from the oil and put it on the kitchen tissue.

10. At time you can prepare 4 to 6 bonda at time.

,

11. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare onion bondas.
12. Serve with ketch up or coconut chutney.

Note :

Mix all the ingredients nicely and then add water little by little. The dough should be thick. Thick dough helps to give a a ball shape while dropping the dough to the frying pan. These onion bondas are soft in side and crispy outside. Adding more or less chilly is optional. Adding 2 Tablespoons of hot oil helps the bonda to get crispy. The size of the bonda according to your wish. (small/big). You can also add little raw coriander seeds. Crush the coriander seeds and then add it to the dough while preparing. Adding little water helps the bonda to be soft. Do not make it more liquid. Then you can not make it as round and it absorb more oil while frying.
Preparation time : 5 Minutes
Cooking Time : 15 minutes
Total Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 3 to 4.

Carrot Poori

Carrot Poori is a fried dish. This is another version of our Mangalore buns. Mangalore buns are very famous in Udupi, Mangalore and Malnaadu places. This poori can be prepared immediately just after mixing the flour.

Carrot Sweet poori can be eaten for breakfast, as snack or even for dinner. It is easy and quick to prepare and it does not take (absorb) much oil.

Lets see some benefits of having curd (yogurt) in our diet.
Curd is one of the important part of Indian diet. It has a number of health and nutritional benefits. Eating curd every day helps our body system cool. It improves our digestive system and helps to get rid of stomach problems. It boosts our digestion. It is high in calcium and protein. It works as an energy booster. It works as an antioxidant. Curd is stress buster and increases immunity. It is also good for hair and skin.
Carrot Poori is good to pack for school kids as sanck, traveling, ladies get together, kitty parties even Navaratri prasadam. (Prepare smaller pooris to give it to kids who visits to see the dolls kept at home).

Things Needed :

Wheat flour : 1 Cup
Maida : 1 Cup 
Carrots : 2
Banana : 1
Curd : a small cup
Ghee : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Cooking soda : a pinch (optional)
Salt : a little
Oil : 1 Cup (to fry)

Method : 

1. Wash and scrape out the carrot outer skin, wash it again and grate it.

2. Take a big bowl. Add grated carrots, banana, ghee, jeera/cumin seeds and salt.
3. Add a small cup of curd and smash banana and mix all the ingredients nicely.
4. Add maida/plain flour, wheat flour and prepare the dough. ( Do not add any water ).

5. Allow the dough to rest for  5 minutes.
6. Kneed the dough well and divide it into small ball size. Just roll them as round and  keep it aside.
8. Keep oil for heating on the fire. Keep a spoon of oil separately in small plate.
9.. Now take a ball size dough and dip in the oil (which is kept in a small plate and roll poori.

10. Arrange the rolled pooris in a plate. Fry them in hot oil on both sides and remove it from oil and put it on a kitchen tissue.

11. It helps to absorb extra oil. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare pooris.

12. Serve Carrot, Sweet Pooris with chutney or any other curry you have prepared.

Note : 

Use of cooking soda is optional. I have not used it. Curd helps the dough to be soft. Adding sugar is optional. Adding sugar adds to the taste. If you feel the dough is too watery use little wheat flour and bring it to needed poori dough consistency. You can use dry wheat flour instead of oil to dip before rolling the poori. Use of oil helps the frying oil to be clean. Use of more banana is optional. (It takes more flour. You can use only wheat flour instead of adding maida. (Plain flour).
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 5  ( 20 small porris can be prepared).