ellu urundai / til ke laddu / sesame seed balls / chimmili / nuvvula undallu

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 Sesame Laddu / Black Sesame Ladoo / Chimmili / using Jaggery 

Chimmili or also known as nuvvula undalu ( sesame sweet balls ) is the famous dish of the Telugus from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This is especially prepared on the occasion of Nagula Chavithi that falls on the 5th day after Deepavali. On this auspicious day of Nagula Chavithi people go the snake hills and perform puja. They offer Prasadam, eggs and milk and pray to the pious snakes.

I wanted to prepare this sweet since a long time. It so happened that when I went to my maternal uncle´s place, I met a good friend of his who is an Ayurvedic doctor by practice. He had suggested the consumption of this sweet on a daily basis for healthy bones. He insisted on the usage of black sesame seeds and jaggery. Since then, I had the ingredients ready, but it was just that I did not focus much on it.

Now on this auspicious day, I have planned to prepare this as Naivedhyam to the Snake God. We are using black sesame seeds in the preparation of this sesame sweet. Basically, chimmili is prepared with white sesame seeds, but keeping in mind the doctor´s suggestion, I prepared this using both the black and white sesame seeds. Black sesame seeds are more healthier than that of the whiter version. Black sesame seeds are the original sesame seeds. They are washed thoroughly over and over again. They are then dried and put in the mill to extract the oil from them. The remaining fiber content after removing the oil from the sesame seeds is known as telaga pindi in Telugu. This telagapindi is also rich in calcium and considered to be very healthy and is hence used in the preparation of many curries. We prepare pindi vadiyalu with this so called telaga pindi.

Coming back to our recipe, just three ingredients go into the preparation of chimmili - black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds and jaggery. The making of chimmili is also very easy. Nuvvula undalu is also similar to the chimmili in the taste. But it differs on the terms of texture and preparation. Nuvvula undalu is made with jaggery syrup and the sesame seeds are not grounded to a powder. But in chimmili, the sesame seeds are grounded to a coarse powder and mixed with grated jaggery. They are then given shapes and offered to Snake God as Prasadam. You can also refer to my other healthy sweets that should be had on a daily basis.

Preparation

Take black sesame seeds in a pan. Dry roast them on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to another plate.

In the same pan, dry roast the white sesame seeds and fry on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and allow them to cool completely.

Meanwhile, grate the jaggery or make a powder in the mixie jar and keep aside. When the sesame seeds come down to room temperature, make a coarse powder of them in the mixie jar. Do not run the mixie jar for a long time as the sesame seeds will release the oil completely. Just pulse it for a few seconds each time until you get a coarse powder.

Transfer to a big plate and mix the sesame seeds powder, salt and jaggery.

Mix well. If you are unable to mix it evenly with your hand, then transfer the entire contents to a big mixie jar and run for a few seconds to get it mixed evenly. Give shapes to the resultant mixture and store in an airtight container. Consume each ball a day ( morning or evening ). This kale til ke ladoo is especially advised for all the ladies for healthy bones.

Ingredients

White sesame seeds  1 cup

Black sesame seeds  1 cup

Jaggery  1 1/2 cups

Salt a pinch

Method

1. Dry roast the black sesame seeds and white sesame seeds separately one after the other. 
2. Allow them to cool completely. 
3. Mixie the sesame seeds to a coarse powder. 
4. Add jaggery and mixie once again for even mixing of the jaggery with the sesame seeds powder.
5. Give shapes as round balls and store in an airtight container.

Notes

• You can also add half a teaspoon of cardamom powder while mixing. 
• A pinch of salt should be added to these chimmili balls to equalise the taste of the jaggery. 
• There is no requirement of ghee as sesame seeds have oil in them which help to give shapes easily to the chimmili or the nuvvula undalu ( sesame seed balls ). 
• Dry roasting the sesame seeds is optional. You can start off with grinding the seeds and mixing with the jaggery to prepare this delicious til ke laddu. 

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murukku recipes / murukulu / Jantikalu

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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.

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Sabudana Vada Recipe / Sago Vada

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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. 

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aval kesari / poha kesari

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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.
  
  
  

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