Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Beans Parupusli

Parupusli, name itself takes me to my Mom's place. The whole house will be aromatic with her cooking. Its been long since i made usli. Got some fresh beans @ home so decided to make it today. Besides When i make usli i  pack it as a Side-dish for the breakfast too. Saves My Time!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients
2 cups chopped beans
1 cup of toor/tuvar dal
5-6nos red chillies
one tight fist curry leaves
a pinch of hing

Seasoning
3-4 tbsp oil (Be generoussssssssssssss)
1-1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of turmeric

Method
Soak tuvar dal for half an hour. Grind the soaked dal, red chillies, curry leaves and hing. Add no water. let it be not so fine paste, lil coarse will be fine. It should of the masala vada batter consistency.In case it bcomes watery, jus add some besan flour.

Heat oil in a kadai, be generous. splutter mustard seeds, add turmeric and some curry leaves.Now add the tuvar dal batter. stir and cook. Let it cook. you can see the raw color changing to a golden yellow.
Add some oil, if necessary.

It takes about 5-6 minutes for the tuvar mixture to cook. Well cooked usli has no moisture/water, has a crumbled texture.

Now add chopped beans. check the salt. Keep the flame low, cover and cook.Stir often to avoid burning. Take it of the flame when the beans is cooked.


Beans can also be pre-cooked and add it here, but i have used uncooked beans. In case of using cooked beans, pls do strain the excess water and add it to the usli.


you can make parupusli using Fresh Methi leaves, Banana Flower, Cabbage and even Bitter gourd.
Goes great with Rasam Saadam.

Coconut Suhiyan

Suhiyan is one of our favorite sweet. Usually i will prepare with Channa Dal. This time i tried using coconut.


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For filling i followed recipe from my dear friend Lavi

For Outer covering:

Rice- 1cup
Urad Dal- 1 cup

1. Allow it to soak rice & urad dal for 3-4 hrs.
2. Grind into smooth paste.add little salt.
3. The batter should be in exact consistency.(not too thick or thin)
4. Dip the coconut balls in batter one by one,deep fry in oil.
5. When it will turn golden brown,remove from oil serve hot.

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I am sending this recipe to following events Kids Delight at Spicing your life



and Jihva Special Editon : The Festive Series. JFS:Diwali .

and Sireesha's Sweet series

and Priya's Feast Diwali contest

Monday, October 05, 2009

Chocolate Almond Cookies

Turn it into a little gift, simple and nice!

Ingredients A

250g butter
120g icing sugar (I used 90g)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Ingredients B
300g plain flour, sifted
200g ground almond
200g toasted wholed almond, halved
** Use wholed blanch almond instead of skinned almond. I tried skin almond and it's not as good as wholed blanch almond.

Decoration:
100pcs small paper cups
500g cooking chocolate, melted / semi sweet chocolate
150g toasted nibbed almond

Method:

  1. Cream A till well-combined. Mix in B to form soft dough. Shape into small balls and wrap up half almond. Bake at 180C till golden brown. Remove and leave to cool
  2. Decoration: Place cookies into small paper cups, cover cookie with melted semi sweet chocolate and spinkle some nibbed amond on top. Chill in the fridge to set the chocolate before storing in a container.