Black eyed peas fritters / Pakore

Black Eyed Peas Fritters are tasty, delicious and easy to make snack. In the evening, when you crave for something along with a hot cup of tea, these  fritters can be served with tomato Ketchup or Coriander chutney as a satisfying snack.

Ingredients:
For grinding:

• 1 cup Black eyed Peas (soaked for 4-5 hours)
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
• 10-15 mint leaves (optional)
• 1-2 green chili
• 1" ginger piece
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (jeera)

 Other Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Grind all the ingredients listed under "For Grinding" into a coarse paste with little water if needed.
2. Empty into the bowl. 
3. Add fennel seeds and salt. Mix well.
4. Heat oil in frying pan on medium flame.
5. Drop a spoonful of batter in frying pan.
6. Fry till golden brown.
7. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

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Diwali Speacial - Gujiya (Karanji)

Dear Friends,

Wish you a very happy and prosperous Diwali!!!

Deepawali or Diwali is the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It's the festival of lights that's marked by five days of celebration, which literally illumines the country and dazzle with its joy!

Here is the farhar thali which is made for Diwali...Poha Chiwda, Makke (corn) chivda, Shev, mathari, chakali, coconout burfi, Gujiya (Karanji)....

today i am sharing the Gujiya recipe which is in center of the thali around chakali and rest will post soon...

Ingredients

For The Stuffing:
2  freshly grated coconut
1/2 cup nuts powder / choped
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder

For The Covering:
1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
3-4 tablespoon ghee / oil for moyan
1/4 cup milk
oil for frying
milk for sealing

Method

1) For the stuffing:  Heat a pan, add the coconut and sugar and saute on a slow flame till the sugar is melted, taking care the mixture does not becomes too dry. Remove from the flame and add nuts powder and the cardamom powder, mix well and keep aside to cool. Divide the mixture into 8-10 equal portion and keep aside.

2) For the covering:  Take the flour in a bowl and add the hot ghee /oil over the flour. Add the milk and knead into a soft and smooth dough. Cover with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes. Knead again to make the dough more soft.

3) Divide the dough into 8-10 equal balls and roll out each portion into a puri sized small circle.

Place a portion of the filling at the center of each puri and fold the circle in a half-moon shape.    Apply a little milk on the edges and seal it. Remove the excess sides with the help of knife or cutter. Cover with a moist cloth for 5 minutes. Repeat the same process for the remaining dough balls.    Heat the oil in a kadhai and deep-fry the karanji on medium heat till it turns golden brown. Drain on an absorbent paper. Cool and serve.

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Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with chocolate frosting~basket weave

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 11/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups non-fat butter milk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (milk maid)

Chocolate Frosting:

Ingredients:
•1 cup unsalted butter, softened
•3½ cups powdered sugar
•½ cup cocoa powder
•½ teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-4 tablespoons milk

For flowers, fall leaves and pumpkin used buttercream frosting

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 8" cake pan by buttering/greasing and lightly flouring. 
2. For the cake:
3. Combine all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a large bowl. Stir through flour mixture until combined well.
4. Combine vanilla extract and buttermilk in a bowl and keep aside.
5. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.
6. Now, add condensed milk and beat well.
7. Now, add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
8. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes on 350 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes and invert cake onto the cooling racks and cool completely.
11. Instructions for frosting:
12. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. set aside.
    Cream butter for a few minutes in a stand mixer on medium speed. Add sugar mixer and lower the speed of mixer(so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
13. After cake cools completely, place 1 cake layer on a plate, spread with chocolate frosting or you can use raspberry filling. Top with second cake layer, then crumb coat it with chocolate frosting over top and sides of cake.
14. Use 48 tip to do basket weave and then boarder it with the tip 18. Make flower using tip 80 and fall leaves with tip 102 and for Pumpkin on sides use tip 5. Your chocolate buttermilk cake is ready to eat.

Some more chocolate related recipes are below::

• chocolate Pecan Fudge
• Date chocolate balls
• Bread chocolate pudding
• Chocolate cake using yogurt / dahi 

 

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Dates Chocolate Balls

Dates chocolate balls are quiet easy to make, delicious and healthy specially for kids. As all of you know Dates are highly nutritious, this is best way to sneak them secretly into your kids diet.

Ingredients:

• 15-20 Seedless Dates
• 3-4 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2-3 tablespoon coco powder
• almonds for garnishing

Method:

Heat the pan. Add dates and heavy cream together and Saute it. Mash the mixture with spoon. When it gets mashed completely switch off the flame and add cocoa powder. And divide the dough into 15-20 equal parts and make the balls of them by placing 1 almond in each ball. Keep refrigerated.

if you want more chocolate recipes, then do check

• chocolate Pecan Fudge
• chocolate buttermilk cake
• Bread chocolate pudding
• Chocolate cake using yogurt / dahi 

 

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Bread chocolate Pudding / Halwa

Bread Chocolate Halwa is easy and quick recipe and delicious in taste. I had two big packs of bread and needed to finish them off. Coincidentally, while talking with my sister Shraddha she suggested the recipe for this Pudding. I quickly made this halwa and it turned out very tasty and now its one of my favorite easy to make dessert.

Ingredients:

• 12-15 white bread slices
• 2 cup milk
• 1 can (14 oz) condensed milk (sweetened)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoon butter
• 1-2 tablespoon broken cashews
• 1-2 tablespoon chopped almond

Method:

Grind the white bread in a blender or food processor. Heat the nonstick pan and add the crumbs, milk, condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter. Mix well. Cook it by stirring till thickens. Then add vanilla extract and add broken cashews and chopped almonds. Serve hot or chilled.

if you want more chocolate recipes, then do check

• chocolate Pecan Fudge
• chocolate buttermilk cake
• chocolate date balls
• Chocolate cake using yogurt / dahi 

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Strwaberry cake with buttercream frosting

This is a great moist cake with fresh strawberries, slather with the homemade butter-cream frosting that's truly out of this world. . I made this cake for my daughter's fun party and done icing decoration with clowns theme. It was a major hit! 

Made three clowns and one tiger....decorated with ballons and star sprinkles...

Ingredients:

•     2 cups (approx 1 lb) roughly diced strawberries,
•     2 tablespoon sugar
•     juice from 1 orange
•     2 cup all-purpose flour
•     1 cup sugar
•     1 teaspoon baking powder
•     1 teaspoon baking soda
•     ½ teaspoon salt
•     ½ cup oil (canola/vegetable)
•     1 teaspoon strawberry essence

For Butter cream frosting:   

•     1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
•     3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED
•     ¼ teaspoon table salt
•     1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
•     2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Method :

1) In a stainless steel sauce pan, add the diced strawberries, sugar and orange juice. On medium-high heat, allow the fruit to simmer and slightly soften for about 5-7 minutes.
2) Remove from the heat and set aside to slightly cool. Once the mixture has cooled sufficiently, empty into a blender and puree to a fine pulp. Refrigerate till needed.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 9" cake pan by buttering/greasing and lightly flouring.
4) Add all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a bowl. Stir through flour mixture until combined well.
5 )In a large bowl, beat oil and sugar on medium speed by using hand mixture until combined well. 
6)Then add strawberry essence,1 cup strawberry pulp and flour mixture, mix together and beat on medium speed until well combined.If needed add more strawberry pulp (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup).
7) Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
8) Pour the cake batter evenly in the prepared cake pan.
9) Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick / cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
10) Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then turn over the cooling rack and cool completely. When cool, top with butter-cream frosting.

Instruction for frosting: 
   
Beat butter for a minute with a stand mixer on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes. Add clear vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more.

If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add more powdered sugar sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add more milk 1 tablespoons at a time.



 

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Banana Flower Vada - my 4th guest post by Sathya Priya

Hello Friends,

Today i am here with my 4th guest post "Banana flower vada" by Sathya Priya. She is a new fellow food blogger and she blog over 'mykitchenodyssey' which talks about authentic Chettinad cuisine. I came to know about her, when she left a comment on google+ on my post. When She asked me for a guest post, i immediately said yes and here is her wonderful post. Guys please visit her blog and thanks for your support.

Now over to Priya,

When I started this blog, I looked for some support. Pooja was very kind and 

accommodating. I thank her very much for this great opportunity. Pooja has a 

wonderful cooking blog "Daily Swad Sugandh". I love her recipes a lot and I 

have tried quite a few of them, one among them is babycorn-cashew-curry. It was super tasty and yummy. I hope you guys also enjoy her recipes.

Hi readers my name is Priya. I was born and raised in Tamil Nadu. I got married in 2009. Before marriage my cooking skills were at a very basic level.  After we had our daughter I stayed at home and that’s when my interest in cooking picked up.
After our move to US I got to try different cuisines and I wanted to recreate them for my husband and daughter. In my spare time I wanted to share my experiences with you all, hence this food blog.
Almost all of my Chettinad recipes are from my Mom, Mother in law and my Grandma. They are great cooks and I learnt a lot from them.  I watch cooking shows for menu ideas and to learn new techniques.

Banana Flower Vada:

This is an authentic Chettinad dish. In Chettinad every part of the Banana tree is used for cooking. Banana flower (வாழைப்பூ) is very rich in fiber. It is a little bitter though. This a good way to get everyone to eat Banana flower. My mom, my mother in law and my grandma all make this delicious Vada. Banana flower is a little difficult to clean but trust me it will be worth the work. In thailand banana flower is used in soups and curries.
       

Ingredients:

    1 Medium size Banana flower
    1 small onion
    A pinch of asafoetida.
    A inch of turmeric.
    Salt as required.
    Oil for frying.

To Grind:

    1/2 cup Toor dal (soaked for half and hour and dried).
    4 Red chilies.
    1/2 tbsp Fennel seeds.
    1/4 tbsp Cumin seeds.
    1 tbsp grated coconut.

Method:

1. Peel the Banana and remove the stem and cut it in to small pieces.
2. Soak the toor dal for half an hour and drain the water and dry with damp paper until moisture is absorbed.
    
   
   
3. Grind the ingredients under "to Grind" to a coarse consistency.
4. Mix the ground items, cut peeled banana flower, onion,turmeric, salt and asafoetida .
5. Make small balls out of it and flatten it .
6. Deep fry them for 2 mins on one side and flip it over and let it cook for another 1 minute .
   
7. When the color changes to brown, remove it from oil and drain excess oil on kitchen towel paper.
8. Serve hot with rice.
9. You can serve it as in an appetizer too.

Note:

After you clean the banana flower keep it in a airtight container so that it wont change its color.
If the mixture is too thin add some rice flour and mix it again.

Hope you've enjoyed Priya's delicious Vada! Thanks for stopping by my space..
Would you like to post your recipe on my space, please send me an email on dailyswadsugandh@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you soon. Be my guest! 

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Black eyed beans curry / Chowlai ki sabzi

Black eyed peas curry is delicious and nutritious, eaten with plain steamed rice or vegetable pulao or even Indian flat breads, it is the comfort food for me. It is a simple, quick curry that is perfect side dish for a nutritious meal.

Black eyed peas is packed with proteins, vitamins and minerals, making them ideal for growing children.

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins

Ingredients :

• 1 cup chawali / black eyed beans
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai / sarson)
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• pinch of asafetida
• 1 small onion roughly chopped
• 1 medium tomato roughly chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves (lehsun)
• small piece of ginger (adrak)
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves
• 5-6 curry leaves

Method:

1.Soak black eyed beans in water at least 4-5 hours and next drain excess water. Boil with 1 cup of
   water with turmeric powder and salt till cooked in a pressure cooker.
2.Blend onion, tomato, ginger, garlic cloves into a paste and keep aside.
3.In a pan, add oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and asafetida and saute it for a while.
4. Next add grinded paste, saute it till it starts to leave oil.
5. Now add red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Stir them well.
6.Add black eyed peas, salt to taste and water as required to achieve desired consistency and simmer for a few minutes.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with plain steamed rice, pulao or jeera rice(cumin seed flavored rice) or with Indian flat bread (chapaties /rotis).

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Churma - Authentic Rajasthani Sweet Dish

Churma is a popular Rajasthani delicacy usually served with dal-baati. Dal Bati Churma is a traditional complete one dish and the most popular dish of the Rajasthani cuisine. Churma is made using coarsely ground wheat flour and cooked with ghee and sugar. It is usually rich in calories. 

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 2 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
• 1/4 cup fine semolina
• 1/4 cup ghee for moyan (melted and warm)
• warm water as needed for kneading
• 1 cup ghee for Frying
• cup powdered Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 2 tablespoon chopped almonds
• Cashews,rose petals for garnishing

Method:

1. Take wheat flour, besan and semolina in a large bowl and add hot ghee into it for moyan and mix till it resembles bread crumbs.
2. Add warm water as needed and make a stiff dough and knead well. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 8 -10 round or elongated shapes.
4. Heat ghee in a large kadhai / fry pan and deep fry these on a very low flame for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown and crisp.
5. Drain on absorbent paper and allow them to cool.
6. Coarsely grind them into a fine powder (churma) and transfer into a bowl.
7. Add the sugar and chopped almonds to the ground mixture in the bowl. Add cardamom powder and mix well.
8. You can also add nutmeg powder or powdered nuts if you wish.
9. Garnish them with cashews, rose petals and almonds.
10. Store them in an airtight container.
11. Serve with hot dal-baati.

Extra Tip : Add 3-4 tablespoons of hot ghee to the churma, divide the mixture into 10-12 portions and shape into churma laddoos.

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