Poha Oats Chivda / Chivda Recipe

0

Poha Oats Chivda / Poha Chivda Recipe with Oats

Another interesting and healthy snack item - poha chivda. We all know that poha chivda is very healthy which is low on fats and oils. Now to make it more healthy, I have included another nutritious ingredient - oats. Yes, today's recipe is poha oats chivda.

I have used the thin variety poha that is easily available in the market. Poha also known as avalakki in Kannada and atukulu in Telugu. In English, it is popularly known as flattened rice. This avalakki is easily digestible and is kids friendly recipes. I have made this dish for Diwali and sharing it here. I have already shared the recipe of aval kesari which is prepared with the thicker version of avalakki and tastes similar to paramannnam ( delicious dessert made with rice and milk ). 

This poha oats chivda is very crispy, crunchy and nutty. It is a perfect evening snack or a tea time snack that is loved by everyone. It is one of the guilt free snacks that can be munched on. I have made this oats poha chivda a little spicy to satisfy my taste buds. But you if are on the lower side of spice, then reduce the chilli powder and prepare accordingly. 

Preparation

Dry roast thin aval in a pan until crispy. By the time it turns crispy, you will get a nice aroma as well. Keep stirring continuously and gently. Take care not to break the Aval.

Remove to another plate. In the same pan, dry roast the oats until you get a lovely aroma.

Add to the cooling Aval. In the same pan, add oil.

Once the oil is hot, add peanuts.

Fry until you get light brown colour on them. Remove with a slotted ladle and add to the aval and oats mixture. In the same oil, fry fried channa dal for a minute.

Drain the oil from the fried channa dal with the help of a slotted ladle and mix in the aval mixture. Finally, in the remaining oil, fry slit green chillies, hing, turmeric and curry leaves.

Cook until the green chillies turn crisp. Add this to the oats mixture along with the oil. Add salt, sugar and chilli powder and mix everything well.

Check for seasoning. Transfer to an airtight container. Enjoy as an evening snack with tea.

Ingredients

Aval ( flatenned rice ) ( thin variety )  1 1/2 cups

Oats 1/2 cup

Oil 2 tsp

Peanuts  4 tbsp

Fried channa dal  3 tbsp

Green chillies  2 ( slit lengthwise )

Curry leaves  2 sprigs

Hing  big pinch

Turmeric  1/2 tsp

Salt  to taste

Sugar  1 tsp

Chilli powder  2 tsp

Method

1. Dry roast aval until crisp. Transfer to another plate.
2. In the same pan, dry roast oats until aromatic. Add to Aval.
3. Add oil in the pan and fry peanuts until light brown. Add to aval-oats mixture.
4. Fry fried channa dal in the remaining oil for a minute. Remove to the Aval mix.
5. In the remaining oil, add slit green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric and hing. Cook until the green chillies are crispy. Add to the oats-aval mixture.
6. Sprinkle chilli powder, salt and sugar and mux everything well. 
7. Transfer to an airtight container and enjoy as an evening snack.

Notes

• I have seen people adding cumin powder, coriander powder and other spices like aamchoor powder etc., . You might give it a try to enhance the flavour.
• Dry fruits such as cashews, raisins can be added to give a sweet and nutty flavour.

This post has been submitted to the Livogen Iron Chef contest ...  http://www.livogen.in/iron-chef

Continue ...

palkova recipe / palkova sweet recipe

0

Palkova Recipe / Kova Sweets Recipes

 

Kova is a delicious, creamy and rich dessert that is prepared with milk and sugar. It is so yummy 😋 that it just melts in your mouth. This is also popularly known as palkova. In my grandmother's place, we used to call it as plate kova. Our village which is in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh is famous for this kova.

I remember my childhood days, when my relatives often used to surprise us with this excellent dish. There are just three ingredients that are required to prepare this awesome sweet dish i.e. milk and sugar. The third and the most important ingredient being patience. We need a lot of patience and time to complete the sweet. I have prepared kova with 3 litres of milk and it took almost 8 hours for me to finish it. Now isn't it a long time? But the end result was delicious and fruitful because my kids and my husband loved it so much.

 

I have already shared the recipes of Kalakand and condensed milk which are also prepared in the same procedure as this kova.

Procedure

Take milk in a pan. Put it on low flame.

Cook until it becomes thick. Keep stirring occasionally to avoid milk burning at the bottom of the pan. Also, do not forget to scrap the edges of the pan once in a while. When the milk thickens,

add sugar and stir until it dissolves completely.

When the milk is completely dissolved, the milk mixture tends to liquidify again.

Keep cooking until the mixture becomes thick again.

Switch off the flame and bring it to room temperature. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Stays good for upto a week.

Ingredients 

Milk   3 litres
Sugar  1 cup
Lots of patience

Method

1. Heat milk in a wide and thick bottomed pan. Cook on a low flame. 
2. Keep stirring occasionally to avoid burning at the bottom of the pan. Also, keep scraping the edges of the pan. 
3. When the milk becomes almost one third of the original quantity ( thickens ), add sugar and mix well.
4. Cook further until it thickens and switch off the flame.
5. Bring it to room temperature and store in a glass jar.
6. This sweet Kova stays good for upto a week.

Notes

• This paalakova can be prepared in a quicker way with condensed milk as well which will be discussed soon in this site.
• Palakova can also be prepared with kova. Just add sugar to the unsweetened kova and cook till you reach the desired consistency. 

Continue ...

murukku recipes / murukulu / Jantikalu

0

Jonna Pindi Jantikalu / Jowar Flour Murukku

After a long time, I could again do my favourite task - posting on my blog. I was down with a severe ear infection and weakness due to which I could not update my blog. I wanted to try my hand at different recipes and post them as soon as possible, but I was so weak that I could not stretch that far. I am so happy that I am back on time, just for the Diwali season. 

Diwali is the most awaited festival of all ages. Children and youngsters wait for the crackers and the elders wait for meeting with relatives and friends. There are many sweets and snacks that are prepared well in advance for the D-Day. Happily sharing the homefoods with your family and friends and having a lovely chit-o-chat give such an immense pleasure. I like whenever I have any relatives or friends visiting my place, especially during the festive season. I have my brothers-in-law, co-sisters, sisters-in-law, co-brothers visiting my place once a year for either Pongal, Dussehra or Deepawali.

This year I have one sister-in-law and parents-in-law visiting my place for Diwali. Hence this post is dedicated to them. Todays snack is Jantikalu ( in telugu ), Murukulu or also popularly known as chakkilalu. These are fritters which are deep fried in oil. These jantikalu are a highly addictive snack and I bet you cannot stop with just some. I am sure you would ask for more. They are crunchy and tasty and a  perfect tea time or evening snack.

These jantikalu are made with jonna pindi ( in telugu ) or jowar flour. They are very easy and simple to prepare. I could make a bunch of them in just half an hour. Mix in all the necessary ingredients and deep fry. It is as simple as said. These murukulu can be stored for upto 20-30 days Now lets not waste any more time and get straight to the method of preparation.

Preparation

Take jowar flour in a bowl. Add sesame seeds, cumin seeds, ajwain, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, salt, hing and finely chopped curry leaves.

Mix in well with your fingers or a whisk. Sprinkle hot ghee in the flour and crumble it well.

Once the ghee is evenly distributed with the flour, add hot water in the flour little by little.

Initially mix with a big spoon or ladle to mix. Later mix well with your hand to make a dough.

To check if the dough is of the right consistency, put a portion of the dough in the murukku press and try to make a jantika. If you are able to press it smoothly and easily with not much difficulty, then it is the right consistency. If it is too hard for you to press, then sprinkle little more water and try again. If it becomes very watery, then add more flour and adjust the seasoning as well. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.

Take a portion of the dough and put it in the murukku press.

The murukku press is easily available in the local market or in any supermarket. Gently press in the hot oil in circular motion to get a round murukku. As soon as you press, you will see enormous bubbles covering the murukku.

Gradually, the bubbles reduce and you will be able to see the chakkali.

Flip to another side and fry until golden brown in colour. Remove with the help of a slotted ladle onto a tissue paper.

Repeat the same with the remaining dough until all used up. Allow the jantikalu to come to room temperature and it is ready to be stored in an airtight container. Of course, you can also serve it immediately as well.

Ingredients

Jowar flour  1cup

Oil for deep frying

Cumin Seeds  1 tsp

Sesame Seeds  1 tbsp

Ajwain  1/2 tsp

Chilli powder  1 tsp

Salt  to taste

Hing  pinch

Finely chopped curry leaves  1 sprigs

Ginger garlic paste  1 tsp

Ghee  3tsp

Method

1. Take all the ingredients except oil and ghee in a bowl and whisk well. 
2. Sprinkle hot ghee in the flour and mix evenly. 
3. Add hot water slowly to make it a perfect dough.
4. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. 
5. Put a portion of the dough in the murukku press and make  a murukku in the hot oil.
6. Fry until golden brown and remove onto an absorbent paper. 
7. Repeat from step 5 until all the dough is used up.
8. When the murukku comes to room temperature, store it in an airtight container. 
9. Can be stored for upto 20-30 days.

Notes

• You can substitute chilli powder with green chilli paste or add both. 
• You are always free to increase or decrease the amount of chilli powder and other ingredients as per your desire. 
• You can skip ginger, but do not skip the garlic paste. It gives a very nice flavour and taste to the jantikalu.
• Hot ghee is required to add to give a nice crunchiness to the snack. 
• These type of fritters can be prepared with a combo of various other flours which I will be posting in the near future. 
• The oil should be just hot enough for deep frying. To know the correct amount of hot, add a small piece of dough in the hot oil. If it comes up gradually, that is the right temperature. If it rises immediately, then it means the oil is very hot. In such a case, you can either reduce the flame or add more oil to bring the oil to the right temperature.

Continue ...

Sabudana Vada Recipe / Sago Vada

0

Sabudana Vada Recipe / Sago Vada

After 4 special recipes for Navrathri - carrot kheer, pulihora, soya bean sundal and aval kesari, today I am posting another healthy and easy dish for the fifth day of this Navrathri season. Sago vada or fritters are again a Dussehra special recipe.

There are two types of these pearls. The first variety is big and the second is tiny balls. I have prepared these vadas with the first variety. You can also prepare these vadas with the second variety of peals as well. This is a no onion and no garlic recipe which is perfect for the festiveseason.

This is also a perfect evening snack on a chilly or a rainy day. Addition of mild spices give that extra oomph factor to the fritters. They are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and are a bit chewy. Throw in all the ingredients and spices accurately to get a great snack that your family craves for.

Like the other dishes, this dish is also very easy to prepare with simple ingredients that are readily available in the kitchen. These sagggubiyyam vadas can be prepared in just 15 minutes provided you soak the sago 3 hours earlier.

Preparation

Soak sago 3 hours prior to preparing the snack.

Grate the potato just before you start making the snack else it will turn black in colour. Keep aside. Drain the excess water from the sago. Squeeze out the water from the sago with your hands and take it into a bowl. Squeeze the water from the grated potatoes as well. Mix with the squeezed sago.

Add all the spices that are mentioned in the Ingredients list.

Mix everything well. Add rice flour and mix with your hands. 

Add coriander leaves, mint leaves and chopped curry leaves. Mix everything well.

Check for seasoning. Add more as per your taste. Shape the dough as small vadas.

Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.

Once the oil is hot, gently drop the vadas into the oil and fry on a medium to high flame.

Fry until the vadas turn into golden brown colour. Remove onto a tissue paper to absorb the excess oil.

Serve hot plain or with any chutney or tomato ketchup.

Ingredients

Sago 1/2 cup

Potato 1 ( medium sized )

Salt to taste

Coriander Powder 1 tsp

Cumin powder 1/2 tsp

Chat masala 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Mint leaves 2 tsp ( chopped )

Coriander leaves few

Curry leaves 1 tsp ( chopped )

Rice flour 3 tbsp

Method

1. Soak sago in water for 3 hours
2. Grate the potato just before making the snack.
3. Squeeze out the water from both the grated potatoes and sago.
4. Mix all the spices in the potato and sago mixture and mix well.
5. Add the greens and mix again. Give shape as vadas. 
6. Heat oil in a pan and drop the vadas gently into the oil. 
7. Fry until they turn to a golden brown colour and remove onto a tissue paper. 
8. Serve hot.

Notes

• You can skip the spices if you do not like the flavours. 
• Let the oil become hot. If it is not hot enough, then the vadas will absorb too much oil. 
• You can add finely sliced onion if not preparing for the festive season. Since I was preparing for the festive season, I made it without onion and garlic. 

Continue ...

aval kesari / poha kesari

0

Aval Kesari Recipe / Navrathri Specials

Aval or avalakki or atukulu or flattened rice is the main ingredient for the fourth day of our Navrathri festival. Today's recipe is aval kesari. This is yet another simple dish that can be prepared very easily. This is also one of the beginners dish.

Atukulu kesari is a perfect sweet for this festive season. Atukulu or flattened rice is very light on the tummy and is easily digestible. It is rich in carbohydrates and iron. The best feature of avalakki is it is fat-free. So it is a highly recommended guilt-free snack. You can also check my recipe for poha oats chivda which is yet another healthy guilt-free snack. 

Aval kesari is a slightly chewy sweet made with milk and sugar. It is similar to the paramannnam ( rice payasam ) that we generally prepare during Pongal. I have seen many people preparing this sweet with water, but I prefer to make it milk. This gives a lovely richness to the dish and makes it delicious 😋. The preparation of poha kesari is similar to that of poha payasam or poha kheer, excepting that we do not add any colour to the dish and the consistency varies for each dish.

You can add any kind of dry fruits as per your choice to get extra energy from them. I have added raisins, cashews, almonds and pistachios. But you could also include chironji seeds, dates or any other dry fruits as well.

Preparation

Soak almonds in water for 15 minutes. Remove the skin and set them aside. Heat a pan. Add flattened rice and dry roast on a low flame until crisp.

Once the aval has become crisp and you get a nice aroma from it, transfer to another plate.

In the same pan, put ghee.

Roast all the dry fruits that you wish to add. Keep them aside.

In the remaining ghee pour milk. Let the milk get hot.

Meanwhile, crumble the aval into tiny pieces with your hands. Alternately, you can also put in the blender.

Add the crumbled aval and mix well. All the milk will be absorbed by the aval and the aval become soft.

Once cooked and soft, add sugar and colour.

Mix well and sprinkle cardamom powder. Give a nice mix.

Add a little black pepper powder.

This gives a lovely flavour to the dish. This is purely optional. Now add the roasted dry fruits and mix everything well. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Ingredients

Aval ( flattened rice ) 1 cup

Milk. 1 1/2 cups
Sugar 1/3 cup
Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
Black pepper powder  pinch
Kesar colour  pinch
Dry fruits  1/4 cup

Method

1. Soak almonds and remove the skin. Keep aside.
2. Dry roast aval until crispy. Transfer to another plate.
3. Add ghee in the pan and roast the dry fruits. Keep aside.
4. Pour milk in the remaining ghee and let it become hot.
5. Add crumbled aval and cook until soft.
6. Add sugar and colour and mix well.
7. Sprinkle cardamom powder and black pepper powder.
8. Put the roasted dry fruits and switch off the flame.
9. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• The sweet tends to thicken upon becoming cold. So add hot or warm milk just before serving.
• You can also prepare aval kesari with water instead of milk. You might not get the richness when prepared with water.
  
  
  

Continue ...