Sheedai - Savoury Rice Dough Marbles

SHEEDAI

Sheedai is easy to prepare and is an interesting nibbler's delight, which is mostly remembered only during Sri Krishna Jayanthi. This is the day to celebrate the birth of Lord Sri Krishna, when sweets and savouries relished by babies and children are prepared as offerings to the devine baby .

It is customary for the proffessional cooks to pray and perform a short pooja to the hearth, stove or choola before commencing to prepare a feast.This is supposed to be an assurance for a good feast and protection against any probable fire hazards or accidents. Like wise special care is observed while preparing Murukkus and Sheedais because they have a tendency to erupt and burst like crackers once they touch hot oil, splashing the same on the cook's face. A small quantity of dough is shaped like a cone which represents Lord Ganesha, the Remover of Obstacles and the Sheedai Pillaiyar is fried with a prayer before the whole lot of Sheedais are fried.

Grand mothers love to make 'Cheepees' out of the dough for their adorable baby Krishna. The Sheedai dough is shaped like popsicles or bread sticks and fried and offered to the Lord and then given to the babies in the house.

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour - 2 glasses ( 1 glass holds 250 ml of liquid)
Split black gram dal - 2 heaped tbsps
Butter - 2 tbsps
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Salt - 1 pinch
Coconut gratings - 2 tbsps
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - for frying

METHOD

1. Dry roast black gram dal till the colour changes into red and lets out a pleasant aroma.
2. Cool the dal and grind to a very fine flour.
3. Mix all ingredients rubbing the butter thoroughly into the flour mixture.
4. Add water little by little and knead well till a stiff soft dough is formed.
5. Cover the dough and let it stand for 15 minutes.
6. Pinch small marble sized dough and shape like marbles.
7. Make all the Sheedais and leave them to dry on a kitchen towel for another 15 minutes.
8. Heat oil and drop about 20 Sheedais into it and lower the flame.
9. Cook until they become golden in colour turning them now and then with a perforated ladle.
10. Drain on a paper towel when done, increase flame and drop in the next batch.

Enjoy nibbling the Sheedais whenever you have the craving.

Eggless Chocolate Brownie Cake

Celebrated our Wedding Anniversary on 1st September. Since it was Janmashtami too, had a lot of work, so i decided to bake a tried recipe.Baked this Eggless Chocolate Brownie from Sailu's Kitchen.

Yes i baked a Brownie Cake and frosted it with Whipping Cream and Hershey's Chocolate Syrup and topped with some Cherries. Tasted so Well.

Sending this to EFM - Cakes and Bakes @ Me and My Kitchen.

Quinoa Dosa

 

Quinoa - "Mother of Grains" originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. 

It's name is the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name. Quinoa has light, fluffy texture when cooked, and is mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it alternative to white rice or couscous.

Quinoa Greens

 Quinoa can serve as high-protein breakfast food. Unlike rice or wheat, and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods.

 It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorous and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

Saturday mornings are the laziest mornings of the week. I didn't have mood to do any long process breakfast, but still wanted to eat something that will make everyone happy, especially my Anush. I did try Quinoa pilaf but it didn't seem to excite him or shoj and I too didn't want to make it as a breakfast. He likes dosa's so thought of making it with quinoa. Here it is.....they both liked it so much.

Ingredients:

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2 Cups Quinoa

2 green chili's

1/2 inch ginger

1/4 cup Rice Flour

1/2 cup grated Carrot

1tsp Eno (Fruit Salt)

1 tbsp Salt

2 cups water for soaking quinoa

Oil/ Ghee to spread on dosas

Method:

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1. Soak Quinoa with water for about 20 mins. Grind it in a mixer with green chili's, ginger and rice flour to a dosa batter consistency.

2. Wash, peel and grate the carrots.

Quinoa dosa batter

3. To the batter add salt, Eno, and grated carrots and mix well and set it aside for a min.

4. Heat the skillet and pour a big spoonful of batter and makes dosa by adding oil/ghee.

5. It is good to eat just like this without any chutney (Peanut Chutney)/sambar/podi


Sending this dosa recipe to the event hosted by Dil Se.- for the event : Show me your Dosa!