Deepawali Sweets - Bournvita Fudge!

Bournvita Fudge for Deepawali

We tasted this fudge during my sister’s wedding at Mysore. Father had “imported” the then famous cooks from Chennai for the grand occasion. They usually operated in groups of tens or more, forming their own “sets”. When they trooped into our house in white dothis, shirts and anga vastrams (cloth worn on the shoulders by men) my little daughter, who was only three or four years old at the time, enquired with wide eyes, why the “strike” was coming into our house. We were all awed by the way the ‘‘strike’’ managed not only the cooking and serving, but also the other important chores, and even the minuscule details in the wedding.

One chap was all the time behind my husband, serving him with all sorts of dishes the moment they were ready. My jovial husband wondered why that person was so friendly with him in particular, but enjoyed the hospitality anyway, along with helping of fresh warm Bournvita fudge too. Sometime later after the wedding was over, to my poor husband's horror, (and to everybody else's mirth!) he found out that the person who took such good care of him was especially appointed by the Head Cook, to ‘look after’ the eldest mappilai (Son- in-law ) of the family, lest he feels neglected and shoots trouble in the wedding!

INGREDIENTS:
Plain white flour or Maida – 1 cup
Bournvita - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3 cups
Ghee -1/4 cup

METHOD:
1. Heat ghee in a pan and roast the flour on a low flame, till it gives out a pleasant aroma. Take care that it does not burn. The consistency of flour and ghee mixture should be like a thick paste.
2. Keep the roasted flour mixture aside.
3. Dissolve the Bournvita in little warm water and keep aside. It should be thick like condensed milk.
4. Add one cup of water to sugar and boil till one thread consistency.
5. Add the roasted flour and stir to blend with sugar syrup.
6. Add the bournvita and blend well.
7. Keep stirring till the mass thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan.
8. Pour on a greased plate and allow it to cool and set.
9. When it feels firm and still warm, use a knife and draw one set of diagonal lines on the cake. 10. Draw another set of diagonal lines in the opposite direction. This will make nice diamond shaped cakes.

Pop a piece into your mouth while its still warm, and melt away in ecstasy, as it melts in your mouth!

Note: It took me many trials to get the right texture for this fudge! However, whatever you land up with still tastes delicious! If you remove the fudge too soon from the fire, then you will land up with Bournvita Halwa instead of fudge! My kids would roll it onto a spoon, to get giant sized lollipops! If you cook it too much, then you will land up with hard and brittle pieces rather than a firm and soft fudge!

Here is a useful link I found on sugar stages, with videos! ‘Soft ball stage’ best describes the consistency for Bournvita Fudge.

This post goes to JFI Nov '08 Festival Treats hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all Seasons, as well as Pallavi's Yummy Festival Feast at Pallavi of All Thingz Yummy, as well as Sunshinemom's FIC Brown event at Tongue Ticklers!

Thai Pineapple Curry - simplified version!

This is one of my favourite dishes in Thai food. It is a combination of pineapple and mixed veggies simmered in rich coconut milk and spices usually served with brown rice or jasmine rice. If you have been to Thai restaurants, you know what I am talking about. I happened to come across "thai spice blend" powder in one the ailes of the grocery store and thought of trying it out.

Ingredients:
Onions thinly sliced-1/4 cup
Carrot sliced-1/4 cup
Capsicum chopped big-1/4 cup
Pineapple chunks-1 cup
Lite Coconut milk(Canned)-3/4th of a can
Salt
Thai spice blend powder-1 tbsp(depending on the spice level)
Coriander leaves- to garnish
Oil-2 tsp

Method:
Heat oil in a pan, add onions and carrot. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add capsicum and pineapple pieces. Fry for another minute. Add salt, coconut milk and spice powder. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with jasmine rice or brown rice.

Note: The veges should not be fully cooked. They should be crunchy.
Veggies like baby corn, broccoli, tofu can also be added.

The Versatile Uluttam Vadai

The Versatile Uluttam Vadai

The split black gram dal is a very nutritious pulse. Soak some, grind with spices, and fry, and you get the versatile Uluttam Vadai! Besides being the perfect accompaniment with idli, for an ideal breakfast combination, this vadai makes a tasty dish in a variety of avatars! Vadai Curry is prepared by immersing the cut pieces of crisp hot vadais in hot and spicy sambar. For the exotic Thair Vadai, dip the vadais in warm water, gently squeeze out the oil, and immerse in seasoned curd. Rasa Vadas are hot vadais soaked in flavourful rasam, and lighter on the stomach than the Sambhar or Vadai Curry! The best Vadais we have tasted so far are the ones distributed at the Hanuman temple on Saturdays. The fact that the vadais had adorned Lord Hanuman as a garland along with the tulasi (basil) garland lends it a divine flavour. Whenever we visited our village, Rukmini prepared the most exotic vadais. That is the magic of this dish. Whenever and wherever you happen to relish it, it seems to be THE best. To prepare the delicious Rukmini Vadais (as we have named it) we can follow the given recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
Split black gram dal – 2 cups
Fresh ginger – 1’’ piece
Salt – ½ tsp
Pepper – ¼ tsp
Onion – 1 very small
Curry leaves – a few
Cooking oil – for frying

METHOD:
1. Wash and soak black gram dal for half an hour.
2. Cut onions very finely into thin thread like slivers.
3. Drain the dal. Add ginger and salt, and grind coarsely without water.
4. Sprinkle very little water if the dal mixture sticks to the jar.
6. Add onion slivers, curry leaves and crushed pepper and mix well.
7. Heat oil in a kadai.
8. Dip your hands in water, and the take a lemon size ball of the dough, and pat it into a thick vadai.
9. Make a hole in the center using your finger.
10. Gently slide the vadai into the hot oil.
11. The vadais can also be patted to shape, on a banana leaf or a sheet of plastic.
12. Fry the vadais in batches of four or six, till golden brown in colour.
This vadai will be slightly crisp and firm on the outside, and soft inside, as shown in the picture.

Relish vadais as they are, or with a chutney dip, or make any of the variations with sambhar, rasam and curd!


A Note from Dibs: Although a relatively easy dish, there are huge variations in the texture of the vadais. There are two important factors in vadai making. One is the consistency and texture of batter, and the second is oil temperature for frying.

I don’t like to add soda and so on to any of my cooking. It is my experience that, how firm or soft a vadai is, depends on the amount of water used in grinding, as well as how smooth or coarse the batter is. Half an hour of soaking is sufficient for soft vadais, when the climate is not too cold! I have found soaking the dal for longer duration prouces rubbery vadais. A smoother batter with more water gives a softer and spongy texture. Very little water, and coarse batter like Rukmini vadais above, give a nice firm texture.

As with any deep frying, the temperature of oil should be closely monitored. If the oil is not hot enough, the vadai will eventually cook, but will result in a very oily and soggy vadai. If its too hot, the outside will quickly burn, leaving the insides uncooked. A best practice is to test, by dropping a spec of batter in the oil. If it rises immediately to the surface, and not burnt, the temperature is right. If oil is not hot enough the batter will sink and rest at the bottom. If its too hot, oil will smoke, and batter drop will be burnt in no time!


This post goes to My Legume Love Affair event started by Susan of 'The Well Seasoned Cook', and hosted this time by Sra of 'When my Soup Came Alive' !