Homemade Chocolates

My mom always made these for our birthdays and we all used to love it because we can get to eat more. Now as a mom, I would still prefer giving these chocolates to my daughter than the store bought ones as it is made without artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup or any other preservatives. This is a simple recipe that takes less than 10 min to make and you can use your creativity to make a variety of chocolates.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk powder
• 2 tsp Cocoa powder (Adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 cup Sugar (Adjust to taste)
• 1/4 cup chopped dry fruits & nuts like Cashews, Almonds & Raisins (Optional)

Jangiri

Jangiri is everybody's favorite and especially in Tamil Nadu. It was always thought to be difficult to make at home and generally made by the experienced cooks at the weddings. But actually it is not very complicated at all. This Diwali, lets make Jangiri and surprise our families. After checking out a lot of recipes, I zeroed in on this one. I used the ketchup bottle to squeeze out the jangiri.

Ingredients

For Jangiri

• 1 cup Urad Dhal
• A pinch of Salt
• 1 tsp Rice Flour
• 1/2 tsp Food Colour
• Oil for deep frying

For Sugar Syrup

• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Water
• A pinch of Cardamom Powder

Laddu

Laddu is a must have in our house for Diwali. My grandma and mom are experts in Laddu and here is the recipe for you to enjoy on Diwali!

Ingredients

For the Boondis

• 3 cups Gram flour (Besan)
• A pinch of yellow food colour and a pinch of kesar food colour
• 2 tbsp broken cashews and 2 tbsp Raisins fried in 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp small sugar candy in the shape of diamonds (diamond Kalkandu)
• Oil to fry

For the Sugar Syrup

• 3 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Water

Utensils required: Big Perforated spoon with round holes for making the boondis, laddle and a perforated spoon to remove the boondis from oil.

Cashew Burfi

This is a very easy recipe from my mom that lets you make yummy cashew burfi in only a few minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Cashew Powder (Powder the raw Cashew nuts in a mixer)
• 1/3 cup Ghee
• 1/3 cup Milk Powder
• 1 cup Sugar (Adjust to Taste)

Chakkarai Appam

This Appam is my favourite and for every function or festival at home my mom makes this and this is a must in my house for Krishna Jayanthi. This is my grandmother's recipe that will never fail you.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rava
• 1 cup Maida (All Purpose Flour)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Milk
• Pinch of Cardamom
• Oil to deep fry

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients except oil, in a bowl and keep aside for 3-4 hours.
2. Heat Oil in a kadai. Add a small drop of the batter in the oil and if it sizzles up immediately then it means the oil is ready. 
3. Using a tablespoon, pour the batter in the oil to make the appams. Cook the Appams on medium flame only, otherwise they wouldn't get cooked.
4. Flip them when they turn brown and remove them using a slotted spoon once they are completely browned on all sides.
5. Drain the excess oil on a paper towel and store them in an air tight container once they cool down completely.

Akkaravadisal

"Inno Thiru Aadi Pooram, yemakkaka anno ingu Andaal avadharithaal. 
Kunnaadha vaazhwaana vaikuntha vaan bogam thannai igazhnthu Azhwaar thirumagalaaraai"


Today being Thiru Aadi Pooram (Andaal's birthday), this is the special prasadam made for this day. This is an Iyengar speciality and the recipe is from my mom.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Raw Rice 
• 1/4 cup Moong Dal
• 1 1/2 cups Jaggery (Adjust to taste)
• 6 cups Milk
• A handful of Cashews (broken to bits)
• A handful of Almonds (broken to bits)
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• A pinch of Cardamom powder
• A pinch of Saffron strands (optional)

Method

1. In a pan, heat 1 tsp ghee and fry the cashews and almonds till they turn golden brown. Keep aside.
2. Fry the moong dal and rice in the same pan till they turn a light golden brown.
3. In a cooker vessel, add the rice dal mixture and 5 cups of milk and place it in a cooker and cook it for 5-6 whistles.
4. Melt the jaggery in a small vessel and filter the jaggery. Add this jaggery to a thick bottomed vessel along with the cooked rice dal mixture, remaining ghee, remaining milk, cardamom powder and saffron.
5. Simmer and cook for a few minutes till the mixture reaches the desired (semi solid) consistency.
6. Garnish the Akkaravadisal with the fried cashews and almonds.

Aadi Paal

This is a payasam made of coconut milk and jaggery and is a must have on the Aadi pandigai (the first day of the tamil month of Aadi.). This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

• 3 cups Coconut Milk 
• 1 cup powdered Jaggery
• A pinch of Cardamom powder
• A pinch of Saffron (Optional)
• A handful of Cashews broken to bits
• A handful of Raisins
• A handful of Almonds broken to bits
• 1 tsp Ghee

Method

1. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed vessel. Add the cashews, raisins and almonds and roast them till they turn a golden brown and keep these aside.
2. Add around 1/4 cup water to the jaggery and microwave it on high for 3 min till the jaggery melts. Strain it and add to the hard bottomed vessel and heat on medium high till the jaggery liquid thickens and froths up.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the coconut milk extract, cardamom powder and saffron. Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes.
4. Add the roasted nuts and raisins and serve!

Rava Kesari

This is another of my mother's recipe who is an expert in Rava Kesari. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rava
• 1 cup Ghee
• 2 cups Sugar (Adjust to taste)
• 2 cups Water
• A pinch of Cardamom
• A pinch of Orange-Red Food Colouring (Optional)
• 1/2 cup Raisins & Chopped nuts (Cashews/Almonds)

Method

1. Heat 1 tsp Ghee and roast the raisins and the nuts till they turn golden brown and keep aside.
2. Now roast the Rava in the same pan till it turns golden brown and keep aside.
3. Add water to the pan and bring it to a boil. Simmer the stove and add the roasted rava slowly and mix well so as to not form any lumps. Cook the rava till it is done.
4. Add the Sugar and mix well. Then add the remaining ghee and mix well till all the lumps are removed.
5. Add the cardamom and the food colouring and mix again.
6. Switch off the stove and garnish the Kesari with the roasted raisins and nuts.

Strawberry Cake

We went Strawberry picking in a nearby Farm and got a lot of fresh Strawberries. So I had to think of a way to use them and decided to make a Strawberry cake as it is my sister's birthday too. The original recipe was for cupcakes but I made a round cake and decorated it with fresh Strawberries. We celebrated her birthday with this cake while she is celebrating with her family in Blore. Happy Birthday Divya!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup All Purpose flour
• 1 1/2  tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 3/4 cup Milk powder
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1 cup Strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup (slightly) hot Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• A few drops of lemon juice plus 2 tsp sugar for the strawberries

Method

  1) Wash and slice the strawberries. Mix in the lemon juice and the sugar and keep aside for about 15 minutes. This helps to bring out the flavour of the strawberries.

  2) In the meanwhile, preheat the oven at 350F and line a cake tin with Parchment paper and grease the sides with butter.

  3) In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and the vanilla with a hand blender or with a wire whisk, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the sugar and the milk powder and beat until soft. Add the baking powder and baking soda and stir in half the flour, add half the milk and beat until soft, for about 2 minutes. Put in the remaining flour and milk and beat again until soft for 2 minutes. Mix in the strawberries with their juices.

  4) Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes or till done (until a skewer comes clean).

  5) Allow the cake to completely cool down while you prepare the strawberry cream frosting. (If the cake is hot the frosting will melt and not stay.)

  6) Apply the frosting on the sides and top using the back of the spoon / basting brush and decorate it with some fresh sliced strawberries.

Suggestions / Notes

1. I would suggest you keep the leftovers of the cake (if any) in the refrigerator as it may not keep well outside for more than a day since we have used fresh fruits here.

Strawberry Buttercream frosting

This is a delicious frosting made with fresh Strawberries.

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  Butter, softened at room temperature
• 2 cups Powdered sugar  / Icing Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• A pinch of Salt
• 1/2 cup fresh whole strawberries

Method

1. Puree the Strawberries in a blender.
2. Beat butter in a bowl for a minute or until smooth. Mix in the sugar and the Strawberries puree and beat until smooth and creamy. You can adjust the consistency by adding more sugar if frosting is too thin or strawberries if it is too thick.

Ada Pradaman

This is a Kerala delicacy served in most of the Sadhyas. This is a payasam or pudding made of rice Ada and jaggery.

Ingredients

• 1 packet Rice ada / rice flakes (200gm)
• 500gm Jaggery (Adjust to taste)
• 2 Cans Coconut milk (Alternately extract the coconut milk from 3 coconuts)
• 1/4 cup Cashews, raisins, fried coconut slices
• A pinch of Cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp Ghee

Method

1. Wash the ada and cook it in boiling water for around 15 - 20 min or until it becomes soft but firm. Strain and rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking.
2. Melt the jaggery in 2 cups of water and strain it.
3. Heat the ghee in a deep pan. Fry the raisins, cashews and coconut slices and keep aside.
4. Now add the ada and saute in ghee for 3-4 min adding more ghee if required at medium heat.
5. Add the melted jaggery and simmer stirring occasionally.
6. Add 1 can of coconut milk and allow it to simmer till it thickens.
7. Now add the other can of coconut milk and add the cardamom powder. Mix well, cook for a few min at low heat and switch off.
8. Garnish with the fried cashews, coconut slices and raisins and Serve hot or cold.

Pal Payasam

This is the most loved payasam and very easy to make but it just takes a long time. It is also one of the must have dish in a Kerala Sadhya.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Raw Rice
• 2- 3 litres Milk
• 1 1/2 cup Sugar (Adjust to taste)
• A pinch of Cardamom
• A pinch of Saffron strands
• 1 tsp Ghee (Optional)
• 4 tbsp Raisins and Broken Nuts (Cashews, Almonds) - (Optional)

Method

1. Wash the rice and add it to a pressure cooker along with around 1 1/2 ltr milk, cardamom powder and saffron and allow it to cook for 6 whistles.
2. When the steam subsides, open the cooker and add the remaining milk and simmer it stirring occasionally. Let it cook till the milk has reduced and the desired consistency achieved.
3. Add the sugar and simmer for 10 more min.
4. You may serve it as it is, or optionally heat a small pan with the ghee and roast the nuts and raisins in it and add it to the payasam and serve.

Suggestions/ Notes

1. Generally the nuts and raisins are not added to the pal payasam but I like to add it and give a crunchy taste to it.
2. This Payasam can be served hot as well as cold. It is nice in any way!

Wheat Flour Halwa

This is my friend Deepa Parul's recipe. She taught me and my mom this easy recipe and we make it very often. I made this today and I thought I ll post it right away.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Whole Wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cup Ghee
• 1 1/2 cup Sugar (Adjust to taste)
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 cup chopped Nuts( Almonds and Cashews)

Method

1. Heat 1 cup ghee in a deep saucepan and add the nuts and fry them till they turn a golden brown.
2. Add the Wheat flour and stir well. Then add the milk and stir continuously. It will become thick now.
3. Add the sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup ghee and keep stirring till the halwa comes off nicely without sticking to the pan. Wheat Halwa is ready to serve.

2 min Microwave Mug Cake

This is a great recipe when you are in no mood to bake but have a craving for a yummy chocolate cake! All you need for this is a microwave and a microwaveable mug!! It is unbelievably simple and yet very tasty..

Ingredients (For 1 mug)

• 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• 3 tablespoons Sugar
• 3 tablespoons Oil
• 3 tablespoons Milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
• 1/8 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract

Method

1. In the mug, mix together all purpose flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt.
2. Add oil, milk and vanilla and mix well with a spoon. Make sure there are no lumps underneath.
3. Microwave on high for 2 min.
4. Cool it completely before removing it from the mug. Cake is ready to eat!

Suggestions/ Notes

• Take a tall mug such that the batter is filled only to half of it. Also make sure that the mug is microwave safe!

Chakkarai Pongal

Chakkarai Pongal or Sweet Pongal is the main dish made during the Pongal festival (which is the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu). It is also made on all important functions or festivals at home. They are also offered as Prasadam in most of the temples. This recipe is another of my mother's treasures and an ultimate sweet dish.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rice (Sona Masoori)
• 1/2 cup yellow moong dal
• 2 cups Water
• 3 cups Milk
• 2 1/2 cups Jaggery
• 3/4 cup ghee
• 1 tbsp ghee
• A pinch of cardamom powder
• A handful of Cashews and Raisins

Method

1. Wash and add the Rice and Dal to the pressure cooker along with milk and water. Cook for 6 whistles.
2. Melt the jaggery in a big pan with 1/2 cup water and allow it to boil. Pour 1/4 tsp of the jaggery syrup in 1/2 cup water. If it dissolves then the jaggery syrup should still boil. If you can make it into a small ball, then simmer the stove.
3. Mash the cooked rice and dal and add it to the jaggery syrup. Be careful while adding as it may splutter.
4. Then add the 3/4 cup ghee and cardamom powder to it and mix well. Simmer for 2 more min and switch off.
5. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a small pan and fry the cashews and raisins and pour it over the chakkarai pongal.