Oats & Dates Laddu

Oats and dates Laddu is a sweet dish and you can surely munch at any time of the day. It is always good to have some thing healthy, when you crave for food. Oats and Dates Laddu not only satisfy your sweet teeth, it helps to fill your stomach with some nutrients.
I have used Oats, dates, jaggery and little Kallu Sakkare (Rock Candy) and dry coconut. (Copra).

Lets see some benefits of having Oats in our diet.
Oats are loaded with dietary fiber. It helps to lower the bad cholesterol in our body. It is full of soluble fiber and good for digestion and obesity. Eating Oats helps to lower the blood pressure and it balances our blood pressure. Oats contain Vitamin E and minerals like manganese, phosphorus, fiber, magnesium and zinc.
These Oats & Dates Laddu is good for kids party, picnic, travelling and as some evening snack.
 Lets see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Oats : 500 Grams
Ghee : 100 Grams
Dry coconut : 1 (Medium size)
Jaggery : 250 to 300 Grams
Rock Candy : 100 Grams
Raisins : 2 Tablespoons
Dates : 100 Grams
Cardamom : 5 To 6 Pods.
Dry Fruits : 1 Handful (I used Walnut, cashew nuts and almonds- Altoger One fist).

Method :

1. Dry roast oats nicely till the raw smell disappear. Drygrind it into powdered consistency.

2. Cut walnuts, almonds and cashews into pieces. Remove the seeds from dates and dry grind it.
3.Dry grind rock candy (Kallu Sakkare) and cardamom seeds till powder and keep it aside.
4.. Fry raisins in 1 tablespoon of ghee and keep it aside.

5..Cut Dry coconut into small pieces and dry grind, keep it aside.
6. Keep a big pan on the fire and put jaggery. Add 1/4 Cup of water. Let jaggery melt nicely.
7. Let it boil nicely till it starts bubbling. Mix it well and leave it for 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Add powdered Oats, rock candy powder, dry ground coconut. Mix it nicely.

9. Add fried raisins and mix it well. Add cut dry fruits and dry ground dates.
10. Mix it well and put off the fire. Add ghee and mix the mixture nicely.

11. Take a handful of the mixture and prepare laddu.
12. Repeat the same with remaining mixture.

Note :

If you feel the mixture is too dry and you are not able to prepare laddu (it does not hold), keep the mixture on the low flame for 1 minute, sprikle One to two tablespoons of milk. Mix it well and put off the fire. Now you should be able to prepare laddu easily.
Use of more ghee is optional. Use of more/less coconut is optional. Use of rock candy is optional. Use of more/less dry fruits is also optional. Use of sugar instead of jaggery is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
25 to 30 Laddus can be prepared. (According to the size).

Dry Jamoon

Happy Yugadi Each and Every One. This April 8 is Chandramana Yugadi (According to lunar Calendar ) and each one will have their own way of celebrating it. Try this Dry Jamoon for the festival and enjoy.
Dry Jamoon is a sweet dish and a perfect desert at any time of the day. You just eat one and then you feel like having one more. That is what happened to me. Dry jamoon recipe which was shown in one of the T. V. Show inspired me to prepare this sweet dish. I am sure that you also will surely give a try and enjoy. Njoy this Yugadi with Dry Jamoons.

Let us know about Yugadi festival and its importance.
It is said that Shree Krishna left this world on this day (End of Dwapara Yuga) and Kali Kala (Kala is year) started from this day.
Yugadi/Ugadi is here. Yugadi means starting of new year. Yuga : Year...Aadi : starting. We have a beautiful song like,
Yuga Yugaadi Kaledaru Yuga Yugaadi Barutide .
Hosa Varushake  hosa harushava hosedu hosedu tarutide...
That does means the new year comes again and again and it is loaded with Joy and Happiness.

According to Hidndu Panchangam The New Year starts on Yugadi/Ugadi Day. We have two types of Panchangams. One Panchanga is done according to Chandra's  (Lunar Calendar)(Moon) movements and the other one is done according to Soorya/ Sun's movements. People of Karnataka (A part of Karnataka), Andra Pradesh and most of the places in North India celebrate Chaandramaana Yugadi.
It is called in different names like, In Maharastra it is known as Gudi Padwa ( in Marati ). The Marwari of Rajastan celebrate Yugadi, the same day as their new year and they call it Thapa. In Sindh, Sindhis celebrate it as Cheti Chand, beginning of their new calendar year. The Manipuris call it as Sajibu Nongma Panba. (New Year Day). The Hindus of Bali and Indonesia also celebrate their new year on the same day as Nyepi.
In Karnataka and other parts of South India people prepare the prasadam with Jaggery and Neem flowers mix.  This is called Bevu (Neem) Bella ( Jaggery - Sweet ). After Special Pooja every one will eat this special prasada. Bevu -Bella is a symbol of difficult and happy days in the life.
I just read about special pachadi done on Yugadi Day and liked it too.

Special Pachadi Recipe for Yugadi/Ugadi Day.
These are the ingredients used in preparing the Special Pachadi. Each ingredient is related with one guna (nature) and eating this symbolizes that One should face the world with courage and lead a good life. (That is the message it spreads).
Ingredients to prepare Special Pachadi.
Neem buds/flowers for its bitterness, signify sadness.
Jaggery for sweetness, signify happiness.
Green chilly/Pepper for its hot taste, signify anger.
Salt for saltiness, signify fear.
Tamarind juice for its sourness, signify disgust.
Unripened Mango for its Tang, signify surprise.
After knowing the significance of this pachadi I am surely prepare this along with other dishes.
One more importance of this Yugadi Day is " Panchanga Shravana " in temples. The head priest read and convey the phalaphala ( That year's happenings (Good and Bad ) according to the panchanga. Many people are really curious to know about their future too.
Lets celebrate and enjoy and pray God that keep all of us in good health and take care.

" SARVE JANA SUKHINO BHAVANTUH ".

Now coming back to the dish I feel this is something you can prepare and keep it. It taste better next day. It can be served with breakfast/lunch.
In the original recipe they have added sugar powder in the dough also.  But I don't think so that is needed. They have used paneer, kova, curd, sugar powder so and so on. Ghee was used for frying jamoons. I have set my self with minimum ingredients and of course no to adding sugar powder to the dough. I used oil to fry the jamoons.
I have used, home made paneer, bread, a little curd and milk powder. Fresh copra (dried coconut) is used here.Copra from our Birthi mane Brahmavara and sugar. (to prepare sugar syrup).
Lets see the recipe Now.

Ingredients :

For dough
Paneer : 2 Tablespoons (1/2 litre milk)
Bread pieces ( Used brown bread) : 2 to 3 pieces.
Milk Powder : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Curd : 1 Tablespoon
For stuffing :
Cashew pieces : 8 to 10
Candy sugar : 8 to 10
Cardamom seeds : 3 to 4 pods.
For the syrup
Sugar : 1/2 Cup or less than 1/2 Cup
Water : 1/4 Cup
Cardamom powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
For coating 
Dry coconut/Copra / Desiccated coconut : 1/2 Cup ( 1/2 Copra).
Remaining Sugar syrup
To Fry :
Oil/Ghee : 1 Cup (I have used oil )

Method :

1. Take a big bowl and put bread and powder it by hand. Add paneer, milk powder and curd.

2. Mix it nicely. Divide the dough into small marble or little bigger than marble size.

3. Keep cashew pieces, candy sugar and cardamom seeds in a tray or plate.
4. Powder 2 pods of cardamom and keep it aside. Grate dry coconut and keep it aside.
5. Keep a bowl on the fire and put sugar and 1/3 of water and let it boil . Mix it in between so that sugar melts nicely and quickly.

6. Let the sugar syrup gets into one string consistency. Keep on low flame.

7. Now take a small size of divided dough and flatten a bit. Keep a piece of cashew, a sugar candy and a cardamom seed.
8. Bring all the sides to middle and form a small ball again.
9. Repeat the same and prepare cashew , sugar candy stuffed balls.
10. Arrange these balls in a tray/plate.
11. Keep oil on the fire, let it heat. (Low flame).

12. Fry jamoons on low flame till they turn golden brown. (You can fry 4 jamoons at a time).

13. Put this fried jamoons in ready sugar syrup and just turn them to get the sweet content on their outer layer. Let it be in sugar syrup for 3 to 4 minutes.

14. Now remove the jamoon to a plate.
15. Pour the remaining content of sugar syrup to the coconut gratings. Mix it nicely.
16. Roll the fried and sugar syrup dipped jamoons on dry coconut mixture slowly turn them around.

17. Arrange the Dry  Jamoons in a tray.
18. It is bit crispy when they are just made. Taste better on next day.

Note :

Do not use fowl coconut gratings. It might smell bad. Do not add more curd, you may not be able to form thick balls. Do not add any ghee or oil while preparing the dough. Do not add more water while preparing the sugar syrup. It takes longer time to be string consistency. Adding more sugar is optional. Keeping a small sugar candy helps amoon to get good taste. 

Preparation time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes (Including sugar syrup). 
15 Dry Jamoons can be prepared

Linking this to : Yugadi Special :  Jayashree Trao - http://www.evergreendishes.com/

Dry Fruits Cake (Without Egg)

Cake is desert and I prepared in this way of using Maida /All purpose flour, butter/ghee/oil.

It is nice to have a piece of cake when you have tea or coffee. Having a piece of cake has no particular time. This is an eggless cake.

I have used some dry fruits (very little amount) at the end just before baking. It adds to the taste and gives nice colour too. No egg in this cake. 

Lets see the recipe now :

Things Needed 

All purpose flour/Maida : 2 Cups

Sugar : 1 Cup

Curd : 1/2 Cup

Cardamom : 3 to 4 pods

Oil : Little more than 3/4 cup

Baking Soda : a pinch

Baking powder : 1 Teaspoon

Dry Fruits : 2 Tablespoons .(Almonds, cashews, raisins, Fig and dates).

Method :

1. Sieve Maida, baking powder and baking soda and keep it aside.

2. Dry grind sugar and then add curd, oil and grind it till it gets fluffy.

3. Add cardamom and grind for 1 minute.

4. Remove from the liquidizer and put it in a bowl.

5. Cut dry fruits into small and keep it aside.

6. Now take a big pan and put ground oil, sugar and curd mixture. 

7. Add sieved maida and slowly mix all the ingredients well.

8. Greece the baking tray with oil.

9. Pour this mixture to the tray and add dry fruits on the top. 

10 . Bake this in the oven for 25 minutes ( 180 degree C). 

11. Just insert a knife edge to make sure cake is baked well. 

12 Serve fresh dry fruits cake with a cup of Tea/Coffee.

Note :

You should have an oven to bake the cake. or try in micro wave ...baking option. You can use ghee/butter instead of oil. (any cooking oil). Adding curd makes the cake soft and fluffy. Adding vanilla essence is optional. More dry nuts can be added.

Time : 

Total time 25 to 30 minutes to bake  + 10 minutes to preparation  

Serves : 25 small pieces can be made.

Walnuts-Besan Burfi

Walnuts Besan/Kadale Hittu/Channa flour Burfi is a sweet dish and you can have them at any time of the day. Walnuts are one of the healthy nuts and besan helps to bind the burfi. It is also one of the easiest burfi that you can prepare with in short time. It is simple and quick sweet.

Let us see the benefits of Walnuts in our diet.
Walnut trees have been serving the mankind since 7000 B.C. Two third of the world's walnut production is from California. Walnuts are very good for reduction of bad cholesterol in our body. It helps the metabolism and control diabetes. They have good anti oxidant and anti inflammatory properties. It is said that they are good mood busters.
As I said it is an easy recipe and can be done quickly. I prepared this sweet to take it for my sisters and in laws. Though I clicked pic after  I cut it and packed it inside the zip bag once it is cooled, I am not able to find those clicks. Will post some more pics later when I prepare this burfi again.

Things Needed :

Besan /Channa Flour/Kadale Hittu : 2 Cups
Sugar : 4 Cups
Ghee : 2 Cups
Cardamom : 4 to 5 pods
Walnuts : 1 cup

Method :

1. Dry grind walnuts. Powder cardamom pods with little sugar. (A teaspoon of sugar).
2. Put sugar in a big pan and add 1/2 cup of water. Mix it well and keep it on a low flame.

3. Mix in between and let it completely dissolve.
4. It starts boiling. Starts to bubble. Check with one thread consistency.
5. Add besan/kadale hittu/channa flour slowly and mix it nicely with sugar syrup.

6. Add ghee little by little while stirring. Add walnuts and stir little more. Keep stirring until it leaves the pan. Add cardamom powder.

7. Stir for little more and pour it a ghee applied tray or plate.

8. Cut it according to the desired shape once it is slightly cool.

9. Enjoy whenever you want a piece or serve .

Note : 

One should do it on a low flame to get the best burfi. Adding more/less ghee is optional. Adding any other flavour than cardamom is also optional. You can add paccha karpoor, clove or cinnamon powder. Adding any other nuts One should use the pure channa flour (Channadal powder). Do not roasted chenna/hurikadale/pottu kadale flour. Burfi may not taste the same.
Time : 20 to 25 minutes
Serves : as required.

Seethaphal Kesari Baat

Kesari baath is a sweet dish. It is prepared using Rava (semolina), sugar and ghee. We can add fruits while preparing this sweet dish. For example bananas are used to prepare sapatha (prasadam for Satyanarayana Pooja). Like wise we use pineapple, apple and mango and many other fruits. Here I have used Custard apple/Seetha Phal (sugar apple / custard apple) and prepared Kesari baat.
Seethaphal goes well with semolina and it adds beautiful aroma to the Kesari Baat.

Lets see some benefits of Eating Seethaphal/Custard apple/Sugar apple fruit.
Seethaphal/Custard apple is rich in copper. It helps in good digestion. It also helps to ease bowel movement and good for people who suffer from constipation. It has a good source of potassium and magnesium and they help to keep the blood pressure in control. It has a abundance of dietary fiber and helps to slow down the absorption of sugar. It also helps to reduce the cholesterol level. Seethaphal is rich source of iron and good for people who suffer from anemia.
Seethaphal Kesari Baat is a tasty sweet dish and can be eaten any time of the day.

Things needed : 

Semolina/Rava/Sooji (Medium) : 1 1/2 Cup
Sugar : 3/4 to 1 cup
Seethaphal fruits : 2
Ghee : 1/2 Cup
Cardamom : 4 to 5 Pods
Saffron : 3 to 4 Rakes or Turmeric powder
Dry fruits : (Raisins and Cashew nuts) : 2 Tablespoons
Water : 3 Cups

Method :

1. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
2. Keep water for boiling.
3. Remove the seeds and put Seethaphal/Custard apple pulp in a bowl.

Seethaphal fruit Pulp

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of ghee and let it melt.
5. Put cashew pieces and fry for 10 seconds. Add raisins and let it fluff  and turn golden colour.
6. Add Rava and fry till the raw smell disappear. (at least 5 minutes).

7. Add boiling water and mix it well and let it cook for 2 minutes.
8. Add sugar and seethaphal pulp. Mix it thoroughly (Stir continuously). First it turns as liquid.

9. Keep stirring it. Slowly it starts to thicken. Add remaining ghee at this stage.
10. It starts to leave the sides. Now put off the fire and add Saffron and cardamom.
11. Mix it well and shift it to the serving bowl.

12. Serve as snack or with breakfast dish or as a desert after lunch or dinner.

Note :

You need to fry rava nicely till the raw smell disappear. You can add more nuts if you wish. Adding more ghee is also optional. Keep water for boiling, Use of food colour is optional. (better not to use any artificial colour). Good and natural turmeric powder should be used.( very little or it might give bitter taste). Adding more sugar is also optional.
Time : 20 minutes (All together)
Serves : 5 to 6