Karuveppilai Podi / Curry leaves Spice Powder | Side Dish for Idli Dosa

What is more fascinating than using fresh herbs straight from your garden? Well, nothing else in cooking I would say. Pick, wash, use. How easy and intriguing is that. Speaking of fresh herbs, curry leaves always plays a vital part in Indian cooking. 
Curry leaves is well known as Karuveppilai in Tamil and KariBevu in Kannada. Karu - Black/darkened; Veppilai - Neem leaves. Widely used as a

Five Favourites Of Sri Krishna For Janmaashtami - Bennae Murukku - Crispy Butter Snack

BENNAE MURUKKU

This is an easy to prepare 'murukku' and can be turned out instantaneously. It is a 'melt in the mouth' snack , as Baby Krishna's favourite 'bennae' (butter ) is used in preparing the dough.

                                                  

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour ( Store bought flour is fine ) - 3 cups

Roasted gram - 1 cup

Sesame seeds - 2 tsps

Salt - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Butter - 2 tbsps

Oil - for frying

METHOD

1. Grind the roasted gram into a fine powder and just take one cup of flour for the murukku.

2. Combine rice flour, roasted gram flour, salt, chilly powder, asafoetida and sesame seeds in a bowl.

3. Rub in the butter thoroughly into the flour mixture.

4. Add water little by little and prepare a soft dough.

                                                     

5. Grease the mould of the murukku press and fill it with one portion of the prepared dough.

6.Heat the oil for frying.

                                                 

7. Press the  dough directly into the hot oil .

8. Decrease flame to medium and flip the murukkus gently.

9.Cook until the oil stops sizzling and the murukkus turn golden brown in colour.

                                                 

10. Remove the Bennae Murukkus using a perforated ladle and drain them on a paper towel. Increase flame and press the next batch. Regulate heat as and when needed.

                                              

                       

Offer the crunchy Bennae Murukku to Sri Krishna and share the addictive prasaadam with family and friends.

Tarla Dalal's "Healthy Breakfast" Recipe Contest Winner!

August 18th 2011

I was checking my emails and I saw this email with subject "Recipe Contest Winners"....didn't recognize the name, opened the email and I was totally speechless for a second and my mind stopped thinking or I can say it was thinking too many things. I felt I didn't understand the email, read it again and jumped with joy...it's the email from Tarla Dalal's office, saying that I am the winner of the "Healthy Breakfast" recipe contest.  I am getting a personally signed book from her. Waiting for the book to be sent! :-))

Here is the email:

Dear Friend,

CONGRATULATIONS!

You are winner of the Recipe contest "Healthy Breafast"

And kindly send me your full address with pincode so i can send you personally autographed cookbook.

Thanks & Regards

Mruga Dholakia
Nutritionist & Food Researcher
Tarla Dalal's Office
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
For Sanjay & Co. 
A1, 353 Shah & Nahar Industrial Estate 
Dhanraj Mills Compound 
Lower Parel (W) 
Mumbai 400 013 
India 
Tel No.022 43452404. 
Cell : 9833375223
Fax. 24965876. 
  
Website : http://www.tarladalal.com
www.facebook.com/pages/TarlaDalal/207464147348
www.twitter.com/Tarla_Dalal

Wow! what an awesome moment of surprise it is now for me.....no words to express my joy and happiness. Don't know whom to call, Shoj might be in his meeting...but could not stop myself, called him and told him...he too said ok first...then I told him that I will get a personally signed book for winning the contest....he said "thats gud".....:-))

Now finding people to tell everyone, so I think I should stop....yapping with my keyboard ....  :-))