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August 28, 2014

Sweet Appam Recipe With Wheat Flour - Instant Wheat flour appam with banana

 Sweet appam recipe

Usually we make instant sweet appam with wheat flour / godhumai maavu inippu appam / wheat appam with banana for Ganesh Chaturthi, Gokulashtami, Diwali and Karthigai deepam. It can be made with or without paniyaram pan. Being a calorie conscious women, I always make sweet appam in paniyaram pan to reduce oil consumption. But yesterday I purposefully tried this deep fried version to post in my blog. I made it with wheat flour, banana and jaggery asking the recipe from my MIL. It was awesome. I couldn’t resist myself stopping with one or two.

My MIL usually make this instant appam using maida, banana and sugar for our guests as evening snacks. It comes out super soft, spongy and fluffy. We make this instant wheat flour appam on Ganesh chaturthi evening and offer Lord Ganesh. If you have the practice of offering appam for Vinayagar chaturthi, do try this one. U will love its softness and taste. Ok, lets see how to make this sweet appam recipe using wheat flour, banana and jaggery with step by step pictures and video ! I have shown 2 methods in video - Deep fried appam without paniyaram pan and appam in paniyaram pan.


sweet appam with wheat flour


Wheat flour appam recipe


Sweet appam recipe Sweet appam recipe using wheat flour, jaggery for Ganesh chaturthi, Karthigai deepam and Gokulashtami
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Sweet
Serves: 7 nos
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 5 Minutes
Total time: 10 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Wheat flour - 1 cup
  • Fully Ripe banana - 1 no ( You can use yelakki/poovazhai or rasthali banana)
  • Grated jaggery - 1/2 cup ( add 2 tbsp for more sweetness)
  • Rice flour - 1.5 tbsp
  • Cooking soda - a big pinch
  • Salt - a pinch
  • Cardamom seeds - 2 no ( crushed)
  • Cooking oil - to deep fry
  • Water - as needed
HOW TO MAKE SWEET APPAM - METHOD

  • In a wide bowl,take all the ingredients except oil and water. Mash the ripen banana and add to the flour. Add the required water and make a thick batter.The consistency of batter should be like thick idli batter. It should be pourable.
sweet appam 2
  • Heat oil for deep frying. Use less oil to get a nice round shape. Take a small curved ladle and pour a ladleful full of batter. Make one or two at a time. Appam should rise slowly from the bottom to top. This is the correct heating point. It helps the appam to cook evenly. If the oil is very hot, appam will brown outside and it doesn’t get cooked inside. So keep the oil at right heating point. First check with a drop of batter and proceed further. Pour a small ladle of batter and splash the oil over the top of appam while it cooks.
sweet appam 3
  • As soon as the color of appam turns golden brown, flip it and cook the other side till golden brown. Remove & drain in a tissue paper.
  • You can also make this appam using paniyaram pan to use less oil. Please watch the video. I have shown in detail.

    Sweet appam is ready to serve.Enjoy !
Note

  • For variations,u can add maida and sugar instead of wheat flour and jaggery.
  • U can also make spicy version by adding finely chopped onions, ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves & green chillies along with hing. It tastes great. 
  • Do not add more cooking soda. Less than a pinch would be enough. Adding more soda makes the appam absorb more oil.  Sometimes appam disintegrates in oil if Soda goes more. 
  • Banana gives a super soft, spongy texture to the appam. Never skip it.
  • It stays soft and good for hours. So yoou can make them in advance too.

Make this super soft and delicious appam & offer GOD !
Here is the appam after a bite by me ::P
sweet appam bite


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August 27, 2014

Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes | South Indian Vinayagar Chaturthi Recipes

Ganesh chaturthi recipes
List of South Indian Ganesh Chaturthi recipes / Vinayagar chaturthi prasadam recipes / pillayar chaturthi special recipes list. In Tamil nadu people make prasadam recipes like kozhukattai varieties, Sundal, vada, ladoo recipes and No onion no garlic South Indian lunch menu for Ganesh chaturthi pooja. I have the shared the links of those recipes with list of ingredients needed for making neivedyam recipes and some useful tips for making crack free kozhukattai. 

In Tamil nadu, we celebrate Vinayagar chaturthi by buying a new idol. We perform abishekam and pooja for the idol by offering fruits, 3 kozhukattai varieties, Chana dal/Kadalai paruppu sundal, Ellu urundai. We also make rice along with full meals for lunch menu including urad dal vada and payasam on Pillayar chathurthi day for prasadam. On the same day evening, we prepare sweet appam using wheat flour or rice for naivedyam. 

The next day morning we keep some fruits and for afternoon, we offer paruppu sadam / Dal rice with ghee. We do the same till we leave the idol in water. Usually we keep the idol in our house for 3 days & this is how we celebrate Ganesh chaturthi in a grand manner. North Indians make modak ( steamed & fried) and ladoo varieties for this festival.


Ganesh chaturthi recipes

In this post, I have shared all the links for different categories such as easy kozhukattai recipes , authentic kozhukattai varieties, sundal, vada, karijikai recipe and ladoo varieties in one page for easy and quick reference. I have also shared some small video recipes on how to make kozhukattai dough with approximate water measurement, Eco friendly Ganesh idol using kozhukattai dough and how to shape modak/soppu. 

Yesterday I posted a full video recipe on “How to prepare kozhukattai easily with stuffing and steaming part” to help beginners. Please click on the specific pictures to view the recipes. I hope all these videos and recipe links would be useful to you all. Do try these recipes and have a great celebration.

Here is the picture of Ganesh idol I bought recently.

Vinayagar chaturthi recipes

Ganesh chaturthi special recipes


Ganesh chaturthi special recipes List of Ganesh chaturthi recipes | Vinayagar chaturthi prasadam recipes !
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Festival
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15-45 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 25-75 Minutes



INGREDIENTS
Ingredients needed for kozhukattai & vada
  • Homemade rice flour or store bought rice flour
  • Jaggery
  • Oil/ghee
  • Cardamom seeds
  • Water &Salt
  • Urad dal & spices
  • Moong dal
  • Grated Coconut
Ingredients for sundal
  • Chana dal/Chickpeas
  • Grated coconut
  • Green chillies
  • Salt & water
  • Cooking oil/Coconut oil
  • Tempering ingredients
Ingredients for other sweets
  • Rice flour
  • Maida
  • Sugar
  • Grated coconut
  • Cardamom
  • Banana
  • Besan
  • Paneer
  • Rava/sooji
  • Ghee
  • Moong dal
  • Poha/Aval
Click THIS LINK for Payasam Recipes


Vinayagar chaturthi recipes video


No onion no garlic lunch menu
No onion - No Garlic lunch menu


South Indian Full meals with serving order
South Indian full meals with serving order

Making full meals on Ganesh chaturthi is optional. We have this practice. So I have included it here. Please skip it if you don't have the practice. 

GANESH CHATURTHI SPECIAL RECIPES 


Homemade ganesh idol
Homemade Ganesh idol video

Traditional kozhukattai maavu preparation



Chana dal sweet kozhukattai


Fried modak recipe


Ukadiche modak

Ulundu kozhukattai

Easy ellu kozhukattai recipe
Ellu Kozhukattai

Easy Ulundhu kozhukattai


Mothagam/Thenga Pooranam Kozhukattai
Thengai poorana kozhukattai

Easy sweet pooran kozhukattai
Easy sweet pooranam kozhukattai


Easy paal kozhukattai recipe
Paal kozhukattai

Moong dal pooran kozhukattai
Moong dal poornam kozhukattai

3 Kozhukattai varieties
3 traditional kozhukattai recipes


Chana dal sundal recipe
Chana dal sundal
Ulundu vada with pepper
Urad dal vada with pepper
   

Karjikai/Sweet samosa recipe
Sweet samosa/ Karjikai


Sweet appam recipe using wheat flour & jaggery
Sweet appam recipe
  
Ammini kozhukattai
Ammini kozhukattai


Sweet Ammini Kozhukattai
Sweet ammini kozhukattai


Sweet pidi kozhukattai
Sweet pidi kozhukattai



Easy kara kozhukattai
Easy kara kozhukattai


Javvarisi kozhukattai


LADOO RECIPES


Aval ladoo
Aval ladoo

Rava laddu
Rava ladoo

Moong dal ladoo
Moong dal ladoo
Click THIS LINK for Payasam Recipes. 


Click THIS LINK for all Kozhukattai varieties




VIDEO LINKS
3 Kozhukattati varieties



How to make Kozhukattai maavu in 2 ways (traditional methods)



Kozhukattai dough using store bought rice flour in 3 ways.

Homemade Ganesh idol using kozhukattai dough

How to make soppu / cup using kozhukattai dough


Last but not the least, here are some tips and tricks to avoid breaking or cracking of kozhukattai

TIPS FOR SOFT AND CRACK FREE KOZHUKATTAI WITHOUT BREAKING
  1. Use good quality rice flour. If you are planning to make by grinding rice, buy raw rice ( in tamil nadu we call as “maavu arisi) ie. the rice used for making rice flour. Its of different quality , not the one we use for pongal. It is cheaper in cost too.
  2. For store bought idiyappam flour and kozhukattai maavu, we need water upto 1.5 cups. For home made processed rice flour, water quantity may vary from 1.5-1.75 cups.
  3. Always add the required water while making the dough. If the dough becomes sticky or dry , cracks may form in kozhukattai. Keep the unused dough covered with a wet cloth or a lid while you make modakam.
  4. Its always better to prepare the outer covering after making pooranams/ stuffings to prevent the dough sitting for long time.
  5. U can also add a ladle of milk along with water while making dough. It helps to prevent cracks.
  6. U can refrigerate the unused dough be keeping in an air tight box & use the next day or the same evening.
  7. Pooranam can be prepared the previous day and refrigerated. If  you feel there is excess water in dal pooranam, add little gram flour to thicken it. For ellu pooranam, add little rice flour.
  8. Apply sesame/gingely oil in your hands every time when you make the shape.
  9. Always place the idli plate arranged with kozhukattai after the water in the idli pot starts roll boiling. This helps for quick cooking & also the kozhukattai remains white in color and crack free.
  10. Last but not the least, do not cook the kozhukattai in idli pot for long time which may lead to cracks. (maximum of 7-10 mins is enough)
  11. U can identify the cooked kozhukattai by its shining look. Always remove the kozhukattai after it becomes warm. Do not remove when it is hot. Kozhukattai may break.
      Thanks for visiting this page. Hope you find this page useful. Wish you all a very happy Ganesh chaturthi celebration !

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August 26, 2014

ELLU KOZHUKATTAI RECIPE | SESAME SEEDS MODAK - GANESH CHATURTHI RECIPES

Ellu-kozhukattai-recipe
Ellu kozhukattai recipe / Sesame seeds modak / till seeds modak with an easy, no cook ellu pooranam for beginners. I wanted to make a separate post for ellu kozhakattai recipe last year itself. But I shared it in my kozhukattai varieties post along with sweet poorna kozhukattai and ulundhu poorna kozhukattai.

Basically ellu pooranam for this kozhukattai is prepared by making jaggery syrup. Sometimes ellu pooranam may become chewy or hard if the consistency of syrup goes wrong. So, today I have shared a no cook version for beginners. Generally we make 3 kolukattai with sesame seeds and jaggery stuffing just for sastram as none of us like ellu kolukattai except Sendhil. 

We also offer ellu urundai for Ganesh chathurthi. So my MIL keeps the ellu urundai itself as stuffing and make this kozhukattai. But this year, as she is with me, I asked her to suggest me some easy method for beginners to prepare this ellu pooranam instead of the usual method. She immediately suggested me this easy, no cook pooranam. I was so happy and I tried it immediately. It was awesome in color as well as taste.

Beginners and people who look for easy stuffing can try this way. U can make it within minutes. In this post, I have included a full video recipe for kozhukattai maavu making as per my readers request. Don't forget to go through the tips for making crack free kozhukattai I have given at the end of this post. Hope it will be useful to you all.

Wish u all a very happy Ganesh Chathurthi !!

Do check out my other easy kozhukattai recipes
Do refer my video post on “How to make kozhukattai dough and ganesha idol using kozhukattai dough” if interested.


Ellu pooranam for kozhukattai

Easy ellu kozhukattai recipe


Easy ellu  kozhukattai recipe Easy , no cook ellu poorana kozhukattai recipe for beginners !
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Festival recipes
Serves: 10 
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 20 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
 1 cup - 240ml
For stuffing
  • Black or white sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
  • Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
  • Grated jaggery - 1/4 cup
  • Cardamom seed -1 no
for kozhukattai dough
  • Store bought idiyappam or kozhukattai flour - 1 cup
  • Water - 1.5 - 1.75 cups
  • Gingely oil - 1 tsp
  • Salt - 1/2 tsp
HOW TO MAKE ELLU KOZHUKATTAI - METHOD

  • Dry roast ellu / black sesame seeds in a kadai till it splutters. Remove and dry roast grated coconut in the same kadai for few seconds. Switch off and let it cool.
Ellu kozhukattai 1
  • In a mixie jar, grind the grated coconut along with cardamom coarsely. Then add roasted sesame seeds and grind it. Add finely grated jaggery or powdered jaggery and run once or twice. Remove in a plate. Stuffing is ready.
Ellu kozhukattai 2
Ellu kozhukattai 3
  • Now make the kozhukattai dough. Heat water in a bowl adding required salt & a tsp of oil. When the water comes to a boil, add rice flour and mix well without lumps in low to medium flame. All the water would be absorbed by the rice flour. Switch off the flame and allow it to become warm. Knead well and make a non-sticky dough. Keep it covered with a wet cloth till use. ( If you feel, water quantity is less, add some hot water to the dough and knead well). 
     

  • Now grease your hands with oil and take a small lemon sized ball. Make soppu/ cup and keep a tsp of stuffing. Close it and make shapes.See the picture below for different shapes. Arrange them in a idli pot. Boil water in a idli pot. When it comes to roll boil, keep the idli plate. Steam it for 5-7 minutes. Do not over cook for long time. Kozhukattai may crack. After steaming, switch off the stove. Do not remove the kozhukattai when it is hot. It will break. Leave it for few minutes and them remove in a plate.
  • Offer GOD & Enjoy !




Note


  • If you want to follow the authentic method, first melt the jaggery and strain it. Make a thin syrup and add grated coconut and roasted sesame seeds. Mix well till the mixture leaves the sides of pan. Remove and let it become warm. Make small balls out of the stuffing and make kozhukattai as given above.

Try this easy,no cook ellu poorana kozhukattai and offer Lord Ganesh !
Ellu kozhukattai

TIPS FOR CRACK FREE KOZHUKATTAI
  1. Use good quality rice flour. If u r planning to make by grinding rice, buy raw rice ( in tamil nadu we call as “maavu arisi) ie. the rice used for making rice flour. Its of different quality , not the one we use for pongal. It is cheaper in cost too..
  2. The water quantity I have given above is for store bought idiyappam flour and Anil kozhukattai maavu. For home made processed rice flour , water quantity may vary from 1.5-1.75  cups.
  3. Always add the required water while making the dough. If the dough becomes sticky or dry , u’ll get cracks. Keep the unused dough covered with a wet cloth or a lid while u make modakam.
  4. Its always better to prepare the outer covering after making pooranams/ stuffings to prevent the dough sitting for long time.
  5. U can refrigerate the unused dough be keeping in an air tight box & use the next day or the same evening.
  6. Pooranam can be prepared the previous day and refrigerated.
  7. Apply sesame/gingely oil in ur hands every time when u make the shape.
  8. Always place the idli plate arranged with kozhukattai after the water in the idli pot starts roll boiling.. This helps for quick cooking & also the kozhukattai remains white in color and crack free..
  9. Last but not the least , do not cook the kozhukattai in idli pot for long time which may lead to cracks.( maximum of 8-10 mins is enough)
  10. U can identify the cooked kozhukattai by its shining look..Always remove the kozhukattai after it becomes warm.Do not remove when it is hot. Kozhukattai may break.


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