Jawarsi Payasam

Happy New Year to all out there!! Entering into the New Year with this sweet recipe. Jawarsi Payasam or Sabudana Kheer is a favourite among kids especially.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp Ghee
• 1/2 cup Jawarsi (Sabudana)
• 2 cups Sugar
• 5 cups Milk
• 1 tbsp broken Cashews
• A pinch of Cardamom powder
• A pinch of Saffron (Optional)

Method

1. Heat a deep bottomed pan and add the ghee and fry the cashews and keep aside.
2. In the same pan, add the Jawarsi and fry it till it starts spluttering and turns white.
3. Now add Milk and place the stove on medium flame. Cook the Jawarsi for around 20 min or till the Jawarsi becomes transparent.
4. Add the Sugar, saffron and cardamom powder and allow the mixture to boil for a few more minutes. Switch off and serve after garnishing the payasam with the fried cashews.

 

Tomato Pulao

This is a yummy tomato rice recipe that I learnt from my cousin Roopa. She makes this every time we visit as it is my daughter's favorite. My daughter has even named this rice as Roopa Peri mammu :-)

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 3 Tomatoes (medium size)
• 1" piece Cinnamon
• 4 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom
• 1 cup thin Coconut milk OR 1 cup Water
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1" piece Ginger
• 2 Green chillies
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/4 tsp Chilli Powder (Adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 2 tbsp Oil (I use Olive Oil)
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
• 2 springs Coriander Leaves finely chopped
• 1 spring Mint leaves finely chopped
• 1 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 cup Paneer cubes

Method

1. Grind the tomatoes, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, green chillies in a mixer and keep aside.
2. Heat the oil in a cooker and add the asafoetida, cumin seeds and bay leaf. When the cumin seeds start crackling, add the ground tomato mixture, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder and saute till it starts to leave oil.
3. Wash and drain the rice and add it to the cooker along with the coconut milk/ water and salt and close the cooker and allow it to cook on low heat for 10-15 min or till done.
4. Around 10 min later add the Paneer cubes and the mint leaves and give it a stir. Taste and adjust the salt or spice requirements and close and simmer for 2 more min and switch off.
5. Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve hot or pack it for your picnic as it tastes good even when cold.

Malai Parwal

This is an awesome recipe from Shanti Krishnakumar's cook book. Not many like Kovakkai in my house but everybody loved this dish and Kovakkai is a very healthy vegetable too.
 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Kovakkai (Parwal / dhondakkai) cut thinly, length wise
• 1 Tomato chopped
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
• 1 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1" Cinnamon Stick
• 4 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom
• 10 Cashews
• 1/4 cup grated Coconut
• 4 Red chillies

Method

1. In a pressure pan, heat oil and add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. When the cumin seeds start spluttering, add the tomatoes and saute well.
2. Add the Kovakkai / Parwal, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt and mix well. Add 1/4 cup water and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
3. Meanwhile, grind the cashews, coconut, and red chillies to a fine paste and keep aside.
4. When the pressure is released from the pan, take out the lid and add the ground paste and garam masala. Add milk and cook in low heat till the gravy thickens and becomes creamy.
5. Serve hot with any Indian flat bread of your choice. It goes well with rice too!

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