Avalakki Chakkuli /Flattened Rice Chakli

ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ /Flattened Rice/Aval/ Poha or Poa is prepared using the rice. Avalakki chakli/chakkuli/muruku is one of the quick crispy, crunchy fried snack and chakli/chakkuli/muruku is loved by most of us.

Avalakki Chakkuli can be prepared whenever you want it.  

I have used flattened rice, rice flour, salt and curd. 

Chakkuli is one of the famous snack dish that loved by many. It can be munched any time of the day. It goes well with all the time. Kids love to eat chakkuli and is a perfect snack for their tiffin box.Ladies can enjoy this chakkuli during their get together or kitty party, one dish party, picnic and travelling too. Avalakki Chakkuli is good for kids snack box. 

Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients 

Thick Avalakki/Poha/Aval/Flattened Rice : 1 Cup
Thick Curd/Yogurt : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Rice flour : 2 Cups or little more
Chilly Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ellu/Sesame seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera / Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : To taste
Butter : 1 Tablespoon
Cooking Oil : 2 Cups

Method :

1. Clean and wash Avalakki/flattened rice and soak mix it with thick curd for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Grind it in dry grinder with out using water.

3. Put the ground avalakki mixture in a big bowl. Add rice powder, chilly powder, jeera, sesame seeds and salt.

4. Add butter and mix it nicely and prepare dough. Add water if required. Kneed the dough nicely.
5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put oil and let it get hot. (Medium flame).
6. Now put a small portion of the dough and press it in circle shape. Prepare 3 to 4 chakkuli on the plate.

7. Put this chakkuli and fry on both sides. Remove it from the pan once it is done.

8. Put it on a kitchen tissue and let the extra oil absorb by kitchen tissue.

9. Repeat the same with remaining dough.
10. Serve hot Avalakki Chakkuli with a cup of coffee or tea. Store it in a airtight glass bottle.

Note : 

Let the dough consistency be like normal chakkuli dough. Not so hard or very soft. Adding spice more /less is optional. No need to add more butter. It might turn soft and absorb more oil.
Time : 30 Minutes.
20 to 25 Chakkuli can be made. (According to size).

Karchikai

ಕರ್ಚಿಕಾಯಿ, karchikai is one of the traditional sweet dish.

There are varieties of preparations of  Karchikai. The stuffing can be with, coconut, khoya (khova), paneer, semolina, dry fruits etc.

karchikai, a sweet dish is normally done during Ganesha festival, Deepavali and other festivals too.
It is called in different names in different places.
Karchikai - Karnataka,  ghughra - Gujarat, Karanji - Maharastra, Karachika - Tamilnadu, Nevri in Goa. It is also known as Gujias.
 I have used chiroti rava ( thin variety of semolina) and copra (dry coconut), sugar, raisins and cardamom. One has to kneed the dough well to get good crispy karchikai. You can just put them on the kitchen slab and beat them with chapati roller slowly. So it helps the dough to be soft.
Lets see the recipe now:

Things Needed :

For the outer layer :
Chiroti Rava/Thin variety of Semolina : 2 Cups
Maida / Alpurpose flour : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : A Pinch
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
For Stuffing :
Dry Coconut /Copra : 1 (Small one)
Sugar : 1/2 Cup
Raisins : 2 Tablespoons
Cashew Pieces : 1 Tablespoon
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
To Fry :
Cooking Oil : 1 Cup

Method :

1. Put Chiroti Rava in a big bowl. Add maida, ghee, salt and mix it well.
2. Put required water and prepare dough. Keep it aside.

3. Dry grind coconut, sugar and cardamom.

4. Put dry ground ingredients to a pan. Keep the pan on the fire. Mix all the ingredients nicely.
5. Let it get bit thick. Put off the gas and add raisins, cashews and leave it for cooling.

6. Now take the dough and knead it well.
7. Divide them in to small portion.

8. Roll them as small chapati and place a tablespoon of coconut mix.

9. Fold and join the ends and close it well. (Press a little at the edge and give a desired shape).

10. Keep oil on the fire and heat. Fry Karchikai on low and medium flame on both sides.

11. Remove from the oil and put it on a kitchen tissue.

12. Put them in a airtight box once it is cooled. Serve crispy crunchy Karchikai.

Note :

The outer layer dough is prepared with chiroti rava. It has to be kneaded well. Place the dough on chapati rolling board and hit it slowly with the help of rolling pin. It helps the dough to be soft and you can roll the outer layer as thin as you like. You can add less/more sugar to the stuffing. (Optional). Adding dry fruits helps the Kachori to be tasty.  Use of cooking soda is optional. ( I have not added). Adding maida is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes
25 to 30 Karchikai can be prepared.

Little Millet Pongal. (Saame Huggi)

Sankranthi is for this year is over. But still we do prepare ponal/huggi very often. Here is a recipe of Sweet Ponal/Chakkara Pongal which is prepared using Little Millet and Moong Dal.

I have used Moong dal, little millet, jaggery and ghee.
Eating jaggery and ghee is good for this cold season. Ghee helps us to get the moisture to the skin that is necessary. Jaggery helps the body to keep warm and energetic. Moong dal provides the carbohydrates that we need to do the daily chores.
Let us see some benefits of eating jaggery in our diet.
Jaggery provide good amounts of minerals and vitamins. It helps to cleanse our body. Helps digest the food easily. Jaggery provides energy to the body since it has carbohydrates. Jaggery is good for cough and cold. It is a rich source of iron.
Let us see the recipe:

Things Needed :

Little Millet : 1 Cup
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup (Powdered)
Cardamom : 2 to 3 Pods
Cashew and raisins : 2 Tablespoons
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons.
Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Turmeric powder : Very Little (A pinch)
Water :1 1/2 to 2 Cups.

Method :

1. Clean and wash Moong dal and Little millet.

2. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put a teaspoon of ghee and fry raisins.
3. Add washed moong and fry nicely for a minute. (On medium flame).
4. Add a glass of water and let it cook for a minute. Add washed little millet and cook till it turn soft.
Add more water if required.

5. Powder jaggery and cardamom. Keep it aside. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

6. Add powdered jaggery once the little millet is cooked.
7. Add turmeric powder and 2 tablespoons of ghee and stir slowly. Let it mix well and cook.

8. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt at the bottom.
9. Let jaggery melt and mixes with pongal nicely. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee and powdered cardamom.

10. Mix the pongal well and let it cook for a minute. Shift the pongal to a serving dish.
11. Fry cashews with 2 Teaspoons of ghee and pour it on the pongal. Add coconut and mix it nicely.

12. Serve " Little Millet Pongal " along with other dishes, have it as a desert, or as you like.

Note : 

You should cook Little millet till it is soft. Frying moong dal helps the pongal to get aroma and it taste better. Add required water and cook well. Adding more/less ghee is optional. Adding more/less jaggery is optional. Adding coconut to pongal is optional. I did not use pressure cooker because the content gets smashed which does not taste good.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5.

Apple Haalubai (Apple Rice Cake).

Apple Halubai / Apple Rice Cake 

Haalubai is a sweet dish, Haalu bai is prepared using coconut, raw rice, jaggery, cardamom and ghee. It is one of the traditional dish done during Nagara Panchami festival. Rice is soaked and ground along with coconut and added jaggery and cardamom. This ground dough is stirred on the low flame till it is cooked. Adding ghee at the end and normally spread the cooked dough on the banana leaf. The spread Haalubai is cut when it is cooled according to their wish either diamond or square. Served with the ghee on the top of halubai is very tasty to eat.
Lets see Some benefits of eating Jaggery and  Apples in our daily diet.
Eating jaggery, include the ability to cleanse our body, act as a digestive agent, sweeten our food in a healthy manner and provide good amount of minerals.
Apples deserve to be called " nutritional power houses".  They contain Vitamin C which are natural antioxidants. They help the body's resistance against infectious agents. Apples contain  B- complex vitaminsand these vitamins help us in maintaining red blood cells and the nervous system in good health. It contain dietary fiber.. Eating apples help to reduce the risk of diabetes. Lower the levels of bad cholesterol.
Here in this recipe. I have added, grated Apple and tried it. Adding apple taste good. This Apple Haalubai is one of the recipe appeared in Vijaya Next. I am sure each and every one will love this dish "Apple Haalubai".

Things needed :

Raw Rice : 1 Cup
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Apple : 1 (Red )
Cardamom : 4 to 5 pods
Ghee : 2 to 3 Table spoons.
Water : required
Salt : a little

Method :

1. Wash and soak Raw rice for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Grate coconut and remove the cardamom seeds from the pods.

3. Grind coconut, cardamom and soaked rice nicely till fine texture.

4. Remove the ground dough from the mixi (liquidizer ) to a big bowl or pan.
5. Add a pinch of salt and jaggery to the dough. Add required water. ( The dough consistency should be like dosa dough or little more watery).
 6. Wash and grate apple and add it to the batter. Mix it nicely.

7. Keep the rice mixture on the fire. (low flame). Stir continuously till it is cooked. Add ghee in between.

8. When dough thickens and starts to leave the pan remove the dough and spread it on a banana leaf or ghee spread plates. Allow it to cool.

 9. Cut Halubai according to your desired shape.

10. Put a spoon of ghee on the top just before serving.

Note : 

You must stir until it is cooked properly. Adding more ghee will give a better taste. Adding more or less jaggery is also optional.
You can also add ripe banana instead of apples.
Time : 15 to 20 minutes. (Soaking time extra).
Serves : 5 to 6.