Carrot Halwa Method 2 my 300th Post!!!

I am excited and happy for my 300th Post. I would like to thank all my friends in blogosphere. Also my first post in this blog was on 10th March 2007 its been 4years in this blogging world.

Carrot Halwa is always my favourite in the sweet list. This time I prepared when hubby left out of country. I have used unsweetned Kova in this.

I had previously posted a different method of Carrot Halwa here and also microwave Low Fat Carrot Halwa. My blog has a wide range of sweets check it out here.

Prep Time - 15 mins
Serves - 2 -3 persons

Ingredients
Grated Carrots - 2 cups
Sugar -  3/4 cup(As per your taste)
Unsweetned Kova - 2-3 tspns(I used Nandini)
Ghee  -  3 tspns
Cashews/Raisins - 1 tspn(fried in ghee)(Optional)

Preparation Method
In a heavy bottom pan/kadai, add 1 tspn ghee and saute carrots. Cook them.
Once its almost cook, you will know by its colour, add sugar and keep stirring, until it becomes thick in low flame.
Add Kova and mix well. Add 2 tspns ghee and stir, until its dry.

Garnish with Cashews and Raisins.

Delicious Carrot Halwa is ready to serve. Serve as it is or with Vanilla Icecream.

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page.

Karadaiyan Nombu | Adai Recipes!

I am reposting this again, since today is the Nombu Festival. I am going off to prepare. Happy Karadaiyan Nombu to all ladies.

Karadaiyan Nombu is on 14th March between 8.00 and 9.30pm. It is a festival celebrated by Hindu married women. The story behind this is Savitri observed fast(upavasam) for the sake of well being and long life of her husband Satyavan. It is continued and believed by tying a yellow thread tied with flowers keeping turmeric at the center in front of Goddess photos. The thread is tied during the time Panguni Masam starts temple priest is best person to get exact time. Prayers are done by Hindu married women offering pooja, vella adai & kara adai, breaking coconut, offering fruits along with betel leaves, betel nuts and turmeric.

After pooja is done, they eat kara adai and sweet adai in plantain leaf with edge.

There are two types of adai sweet and salt. Recipe as follows:

Kara Adai

Ingredients

Karamani(Black eye beans) – 1 cup
Rice Flour – 2 cups
Oil – 5 tspns
Mustard – ½ tspn
Bengal gram/Urad dal – 1 tspn
Asafotida – 1 pinch
Dry Red Chilli – 2 nos
Curry leaves – 10 nos (chopped)
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Salt

Preparation method

Cook karamani(brown or white) in pressure cooker for about 3 whistles and keep aside.
In a thick bottom kadai, season it with oil, mustard, wait till it spulters.
Add Bengal gram, urad dal, asafetida wait till it turns brown.
Add curry leaves and dry red chillies and sauté for few mins.
Add 4 to 5 cups of water. Allow it to boil.
Now add the cooked karamani and salt. Stir for few mins.
Add grated coconut and mix well.
Add rice flour and keep stirring till it absorbs all water in medium-low heat.
Off the stove and mix well like chapathi dough by hand.
Take a plantain leaf or plastic sheet and grease oil on it.
Make small balls, spread by hand to small round patties and make a hole in the center.
Steam the patties in idli cooker or pressure cooker(without whistle) for 20mins.

Karaadai is ready to serve with butter.

Vella Adai

Ingredients

Karamani(Black eye beans) – 1 cup
Rice Flour – 2 cups
Jaggery – 1 ½ cups(you can lessen if you want less sweet)
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Cardamom powder – 1 tspn

Preparation method
Cook karamani(brown or white) in pressure cooker for about 3 whistles and keep aside.
In a thick bottom kadai, put jaggery and water. Wait till it dissolves and filter it to remove mud particles.
Transfer it to a vessel.
Now add the cooked karamani. Stir for few mins.
Add grated coconut and cardamom powder mix well.
Add rice flour and keep stirring till it absorbs all water.
Off the stove and mix well like chapathi dough by hand.
Take a plantain leaf or plastic sheet and grease oil on it.
Make small balls, spread by hand to small round patties and make a hole in the center.
Steam the patties in idli cooker or pressure cooker(without whistle) for 20mins.

Vella Adai is ready to serve.

Note - The quantity of jaggery can be reduced or increased according to one's requirement.

URAD DAL /MEDHU VADAI

MEDHU VADAI IS A DEEP FRIED SNACK. POPULARLY KNOWN WITH COMBINATION OF VADAI SAMBAR IN SOUTH INDIA AS BREAKFAST OR TIFFIN WITH IDLI OR DOSAS.

INGREDIENTS

URAD DAL – 2 CUPS

BLACK PEPPERCONS – 2 TSPNS

CURRY LEAVES – 2 TSPNS( CHOPPED)

OIL – TO DEEP FRY

GINGER – SMALL PIECE
Green chilli - 2 nos

SALT

PREPARATION METHOD

SOAK URAD DAL FOR 3 to 4 HRS.

GRIND LIKE THICK BATTER WITHOUT ADDING MUCH WATER WITH GINGER, Green chilli AND SALT.
NOW MIX PEPPER AND CURRY LEAVES TO THE BATTER
KEEP PAN WITH OIL IN OVEN TO DEEP FRY.
IN A BOWL KEEP WATER DIP YOUR HAND AND TAKE BATTER.
ONCE THE OIL IS HOT TAKE LEMON SIZE PORTION OF BATTER AND MAKE A WHOLE AND DROP IN OIL.
DEEP FRY BOTH SIDE UNTIL BROWN

SERVE HOT WITH SAMBAR OR CHUTNEY. YOU CAN SOAK IN CURDS/YOGURT AND HAVE THAYIR VADAI.

NOTES - YOU CAN ALSO ADD LITTLE RICE FLOUR OR A PINCH OF SODA TO THE BATTER.
If you are grinding in mixie do not prepare vadas immediately after grinding. Allow  for 1 to 2 hrs and then prepare it.