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November 9, 2012

KAJU LOTUS | KAJU FLOWER – DIWALI SWEET RECIPES

Kaju lotus/ Kaju flower recipe with step by step. Whenever I go to restaurants, I never forget to look at the sweets section. Some sweets would be really eye-catchy. One such sweet which caught my attention is Kaju lotus. I wanted to try this for long time but I dint have any clue about it. Last year, during diwali we bought aval vikatan magazine and i got Menu rani chellam’s diwali sweet recipes as supplementary..She had given the recipes of most popular sweets which had the recipe of kaju lotus too. If you are able to make kaju katli , you can easily try this sweet. Its the same procedure with slight variations in the end.

Do watch my video (A small attempt) for making this shape). U can try making Kaju mango, Kaju apple, Kaju strawberry like in sweet stalls using the same dough. Hope mine looks like Kaju lotus. Try to make 6 petals as given in the original recipe. I had cut around 8.. I guess I’ll get the perfect shape in future. I am happy with the result as this is my second attempt. I’ve given the tips to overcome the problems you get while making this sweet. Hope this post would be useful.. Do try and let me know friends. Surprise your family with this colorful sweet for diwali. 


Kaju lotus/Kaju flower recipe


Kaju lotus/Kaju flower recipe Colorful Kaju lotus/Kaju flower recipe - A welcome change from usual kaju katli !
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Sweet
Serves:
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 20 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

  • Cashewnuts - 1/2 cup
  • Food color - Red & Green ( a pinch)
  • Ghee - 1 tsp ( to grease the plate)
  • Milk - 1 tsp ( optional,to troubleshoot)
For syrup
  • Sugar - 1/4 cup
  • Water – 2.5 tbsp
METHOD

  • Powder the cashews at room temperature by stopping the mixie at regular intervals. Wipe the sides & bottom of jar every time while grinding. Use pulse option if needed.  ( I felt this as easy. One more way is run the mixie continuously till you get a fine powder, follow any based on your wish.But do not grind it for long time. Cashews will become a sticky paste)
Kaju-lotus
  • Keep the food color and the ghee greased plate ready. ( I dint have liquid food color , so I added a pinch of food color in 1/2 tsp water and used a few drops)
  • In a vessel, add sugar and cover with water. Heat till it reaches ONE STRING CONSISTENCY .i.e Take a drop of syrup from the back of ladle. Keep it between your thumb & forefinger. When you release you finger,it will form a thin string of 1 inch.This is called one string consistency.
kaju-katli-tile2_thumb1

  • Now add the cashew powder immediately,keep the flame low and stir continuously till it leaves the sides and becomes a thick, non-sticky dough.  After adding the powder, it takes just 3-4 mins in low flame to reach this stage. Be alert.( This is the procedure for kaju katli. U can knead the dough, roll it to make shape ) Stop here if you are making kaju katli . Proceed for kaju lotus..
kaju-katli-tiile3_thumb3

  • Now put the cashew dough in the greased plate and divide the dough into two parts using a spoon. Add few drops of red & green food color in each dough, mix it with spoon for uniform distribution.No problem even if it dint mix properly. We are going to knead it .. Leave it for 5 mins. Let it become warm. If you remove the mixture ( a few seconds before) when it is like slightly sticky chapathi dough, you dont have to add milk. The dough will harden in few mins. If you miss this stage, no worries. If you feel the mixture is dry & crumbly, add 1/2 tsp milk in each half of the dough along with food color (I added 1/2 tsp milk in each dough before kneading.)
    • After it is warm , apply ghee in ur hands & start kneading the dough to make it soft & non-sticky. Do the same for the other dough and start making the shape. Cover the dough while you make the shape to avoid drying.
kaju-katli-tile3_thumb3
kaju lotus tile4
  • Make a big gooseberry sized ball with green dough and make it flat by pressing with your palm.Take a ball of red dough and keep it in the center of green dough. Bring all the corners together and close it to make a ball.( Use the procedure of stuffing kozhukattai & paratha). ( while doing this you may get cracks, don't panic. If you roll tightly , it will become smooth OR Add little more milk and knead the dough. But 1/2 tsp would be enough ). 
kaju lotus tile5
  • Make all the balls, cover it and give a setting time of 30 minutes. Now, using a sharp Knife cut the ball to make a flower shape. While you make the shape, the mixture may leave oil. No problem ( Hope this video helps for better understanding) I have given two videos. Use whichever is convenient. Adjust the number of petals as you like.. As per the original book, the number of petals is 6. I made 7- 8. Use silver warq while rolling the balls if necessary..
  • kaju lotus tile6
Enjoy !


Note

    • The consistency of sugar syrup is very important here. One string should be compulsory.
    • After adding cashew powder, keep on stirring till the cashew gets cooked and makes a dough.. To know the correct consistency, you can check by making a small ball which will be non-sticky. Dough will slide from the pan without sticking.
    • Try to knead the dough when it is warm.  If you feel the dough is dry and crumbly, add little milk.
    • If the dough is correct, you may not need milk. U can directly start kneading and rolling. Adding milk may reduce the shelf life of the sweet, flatten the balls you may not get the exact shape too.
    • Setting time of 30 mins is necessary for the balls. If you have added more milk to knead the dough, the milk will settle in the bottom of the ball after the setting time. No problem, just wipe it with a tissue and start cutting the shape.
    • This sweet will come out well for sure if you have practice in making kaju katli. Beginners can also dare to give a try because if I make it, anyone can.
    • Try making the balls slighlty oval in shape to get the exact shape of kaju lotus as in sweet stalls.


METHOD–1






Try this sweet and make this diwali a colorful one :)



Try this sweet stall style Kaju lotus and make this diwali a colorful one !
kaju lotus piece
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY DIWALI, BYE..


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November 5, 2012

Nei Urundai - Pasi Paruppu Urundai - Moong Dal Laddu



Nei urundai / Payatham maavu urundai ( Moong dal ladoo in English) is the one & only sweet my aachi (grandma) & mom makes for every diwali.This is one of the easiest & healthy sweets.. We call this as “Nei vilangai “in Tirunelveli . People from tirunelveli may know this name. But the common name is Payatha maavu urundai. Maa ladu is also similar to this. But Fried gram dal / Daliya (Pottukadalai) is used in maaladu whereas moong dal is used here. Otherwise its the same procedure. It can be made in ten minutes. Include this easy, healthy, South Indian laddu in your diwali sweets menu. Try and let me know how it turned out. Do check out my Maa ladoo recipe too !





INGREDIENTS
Yields 10 medium sized laddu.
1 cup - 250ml
  • Yellow Moong dal / Paasi paruppu – 1/2 cup
  • Sugar – 1/2 cup
  • Cardamom - 2 
  • Ghee – 1/4 cup ( Use 2 tsp less as per need) 
  • Fried cashew nuts – few

METHOD
  • Dry roast moong dal in low flame till you get a nice smell. Powder it nicely. Sieve the flour. U’ll get 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp powder. Fry cashews in little ghee ( say a tsp ) and set aside.
IMG_7907IMG_7908IMG_7909IMG_7910IMG_7911
  • Now powder the sugar along with cardamom. You’ll get around 3/4 cup. The ratio of powdered moong & sugar should be 1:1.5. If you like mild sweetness , you can add 1:1 too..
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  • Mix  & add the fried cashews. Melt 1/4 cup of ghee and add to the mixture. Make balls tightly when it is warm.. Enjoy!!
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  • Store in a box and u can have it for 10 days.

NOTE
  • U can adjust the sugar quantity as per your taste buds. But 1:1.5 would be enough. If you like very mild sweet, 1:1 will be enough.
  • Always add melted hot/ warm ghee. Initially mix with a ladle and when it is warm use your hands to mix well.
  • Add the mentioned quantity of ghee. If you want to increase u can add 1- 2 tbsp more. Adding more ghee reduces the sweetness. Add ghee little by little until you are able to make the ball. If the mixture is too dry , you cant shape the balls. U'll get cracks too. In that case, add little more hot ghee and proceed.
  • Do not use cardamom powder.
  • After adding ghee, the color of laddu will be changed. This shows the correct form.
For Maa ladu : 

Powdered Roasted gram dal / pottu kadalai - 1 cup
Powdered sugar - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/3 cup ( takes less than this quantity)
Cardamom seeds - 3 nos ( powdered)
Fried cashews - few

Dry roasting the dal is optional. I don't roast it. Powder the dal first and then sugar.. Mix them well.  Add hot melted ghee little by little.  Spare some ghee. Once warm, mix with ur hands and make balls. If you are not able to shape it or if you get cracks, add little more ghee.



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November 4, 2012

SUGAR SYRUP RECIPE FOR INDIAN SWEETS | STAGES OF SUGAR, JAGGERY SYRUP WITH PICTURES & VIDEO –INDIAN KITCHEN BASICS

one string consistency

I wanted to make this post on"How to make sugar syrup recipe for Indian sweets with step by step pictures" for long time. Sugar syrup consistency is most important to make a perfect sweet. Starting from Gulab jamun till chikki, all the sweets depend on the consistency of the sugar syrup. When I was a beginner, I dint have the confidence to do this post because making sweets is always a nightmare to me.

 Before my marriage, I have seen my mom making Nei urundai , thenkuzhal  & thukkada for every diwali. My dad used to buy all the popular sweets from famous stalls and we enjoy eating varieties of sweets & savouries. 

After marriage , the story is just the reverse. My in-laws & my hubby never buy sweets from stalls for diwali because my MIL is a pro in making sweets. She can easily make badushah , adhirasam ,burfis, halwa etc and they taste out-of-the world. It took almost 5 yrs for me to try sweets on my own.I started making some easy sweets like rava ladoo for last year diwali..


          We all know most of our Indian sweets are based on sugar & jaggery. The success of the sweet mainly depends on the consistency of syrup. So I would like to share the different stages of sugar & jaggery syrup and some tips to identify the right consistency which I learnt with the help of tips given by experts like Mrs. Mallika badrinath, Menu rani chellam. I have tried my best to make u understand the various stages with step by step pics.. This post is purely for beginners like me & for my own reference.. Experts , please excuse & do share your tips for better understanding.


HOW TO PREPARE SUGAR SYRUP & REMOVE THE SCUM/DIRT

I used 1/2 cup ( 100 gms) of sugar & 1/4 cup of water .
  • Take a proper vessel of suitable size. Please do not use copper – bottom kadai or iron kadai because these vessels retain heat for long time and may change the consistency of the syrup even after taking out from the fire. Also iron kadai changes the color of the end product. If you are planning to use these vessels, its better to transfer the syrup to another vessel after the desired consistency is reached.
  • For lesser quantity of syrup, use small or medium sized vessel. Now take the sugar in the bowl or kadai and add water just to cover it. Here I used 1/2 cup sugar & 1/4 cup water. The more water you add, more time is taken to reach the consistency. Usually the ratio of sugar & water is 2:1.
Sugar scum tile1
  • Keep the fire in low ( Sim) and allow the sugar to dissolve completely by stirring well. Make sure there are no sugar crystals at the sides of the pan. Wipe them and add to the syrup.
  • Once the sugar is dissolved completely & started boiling, add 1 tbsp of milk to remove the scum. Always keep the flame low. After few seconds , the scum floats on top. Remove using a perforated ladle. Finally strain the syrup using a strainer and discard the scum/ dirt. Now your syrup looks clean. This step is optional if your sugar is of good quality.
sugar scum tile2
sugar scum tile3
  • Again keep in low fire and start to boil for various consistencies. After it started to boil , please do not stir or disturb. Over stirring will affect the correct consistency.
  •  Its always better to switch off the flame while you test the syrup in your fingers. If it continues to boil, it may quickly go the next stage and cheat you.



    DIFFERENT STAGES OF SUGAR SYRUP
    I have given the definition of each stage & the sweets which are made in that consistency. I have covered the most important stages with pictures. I am not able to check 3 string consistency as I can't bear the heat.. My fingers started burning. So I poured the syrup in a small plate and proceeded further. I switched off the flame in each stage to take pictures. If you have any doubts in the pictures or steps , please comment it. I’ll try to clear them..
    Please keep in mind the time taken for the syrup to reach consistencies varies based on the vessel we use , flame and the amount of water we add to sugar.

    Take the required amount of sugar in a bowl/kadai and add water to cover the sugar. Here I used 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water . Beginners, always keep the flame low while making sugar syrup else you may miss the right stage. Similarly its always better to switch off the flame while you test the syrup in your fingers. If it boils, it may quickly go the next stage and cheat you.

    sugar syrup tile1
    THIN SYRUP : This is the first stage. The sugar dissolves completely, clears & it gets a shine. After removing the scum , the syrup boils and gets a shine. In this stage the syrup wont be sticky just shiny .This stage is not required for any sweets. So it is not much important. For beginners, keep the flame low always.

    STICKY SYRUP : This is the second stage. Here the sugar syrup becomes little thick.Take little syrup in a ladle and touch it with ur  fore finger. When you slide the thumb over fore finger , it feels sticky. This is used for Gulab jamun.

    HALF – STRING CONSISTENCY  Its always better to switch off the flame while you test the syrup in your fingers. If it boils, it may quickly go the next stage and cheat you. In this stage , when you test between ur thumb and fore finger , it strings & cuts off immediately. This syrup is used for jangiri, jelabi , Kajas, gulgul. Some people say sticky & half string consistencies are similar. So both can be used to make gulab jamun. In the below picture, hope you can see the string is cutting when I stretch it.

    sugar syrup tile2

    ONE- STRING CONSISTENCY
    This is the most important stage. Here a thin long string is formed up to 1- 2 inches when tested in between thumb and fore finger. One more way to check the syrup is : pour the syrup in a small plate with water. It wont dissolve immediately and when you try to gather the syrup, it will be dissolved. Also when you pour the syrup in a ladle, the last drop falls slowly and forms a small string. Kaju katli, badam burfi , Thosha , badushah, mysore pak are made in this syrup. Refer the cover picture too.  Its always better to switch off the flame while you test the syrup in your fingers. If it boils, it may quickly go the next stage and cheat you.

    sugar syrup tile3

    TWO STRING CONSISTENCY Two strings are formed when tested between fingers. Generally this syrup crystallizes very soon . So sweets which require a sugar coated look need this consistency. cashew burfi ,boondi ladoo, mohanthal  is made in this consistency..

    sugar syrup tile8

    THREE STRING CONSISTENCY
    Here string becomes thicker and when tested , string is formed in 2, 3 places. Dhal burfi requires this syrup. Sugar crystallizes very soon in this stage.


    GATHERING CONSISTENCY
    Pour little syrup in water, it can be gathered using ur fingers but you can;t make a ball. It is required for some burfis and boondi ladoo can also be made in this consistency. 
    sugar syrup tile4

    SOFT BALL CONSISTENCY
    Pour a small amount of syrup in a plate of water. If rolled with fingers, syrup should form a small ball in the water itself.. You can take and make a soft ball out of it. It is called as thakkali padham in tamil. This is used for adhirasam.

    sugar syrup tile7

    HARD BALL CONSISTENCY
    When u pour syrup into the water & roll it , you should be able to make a ball and if you drop the ball, you’ll get a “tung” sound. The color of the ball is changed. This is used to make peanut chikkis/ kadalai mittai and pori urundai. I tested the sound by dropping it in the plate. 

    sugar syrup tile6

    The remaining stages are soft crack , hard crack & golden brown caramel ( last stage). Brown caramel stage is required for making Tirunelveli halwa recipe. So I have shared about this in that post. As we don’t need them for making many sweets, I have not discussed here. They are used for making toffees.


     
    STAGES OF JAGGERY SYRUP
    Jaggery syrup is almost the same as sugar syrup. The widely used consistency is soft ball & hard ball stage which is used for making adhirasampori urundai & peanut chikki . So I have given the pictures for those stages alone. For making syrup, add very little water just to cover the jaggery.This helps in reaching the consistency faster..
    jaggery syrup tile1
    • After the jaggery is melted completely , strain it to remove impurities and again allow it to boil.It becomes frothy.At one stage , it becomes thick like honey and when you pour it , the last few drops drop very slowly forming a string.
    jaggery syrup tile2
    • Now pour this syrup in a plate with little water. U’ll be able to gather and make a small ball.This ball has no proper shape. This is the right stage for making adhirasam. Add this syrup to the rice flour, make dough and proceed.
    jaggery syrup tile3
    • For hard ball stage, allow the jaggery to boil for few more seconds. It will thicken. When u pour few drops on a plate with water and gather , it will roll and u can make a hard ball. If you drop the ball , you’ll get a “tung” sound..

    jaggery syrup tile4

    NOTE
    • Once the sugar is dissolved completely , do not keep stirring. Over stirring will affect the right consistency.Keep the flame low and stir if needed.
    • After the sticky stage (pisukku padam) is reached , the half string consistency is reached within a minute, Stay alert.
    • Similarly one string is also reached within few seconds. The consistency should be checked when the syrup is hot . when the syrup becomes warm , it will reach the next stage and may cheat u. So I checked everytime it by switching off the stove.
    •  The  time taken to reach the consecutive stages is very less. The total process gets over by 15 mins in low flame.
    • When you feel you have missed the correct stage, just switch off the flame  , add little water , mix well and proceed again to get the perfect stage.
    • For dry jamun, badusha, jangiri .. by the time u dip them the sugar may crystallize. To avoid this add few drops of lime juice . OR add little water , boil it and again make the syrup.

        I’ve tried my best to explain the stages according to my understanding.Take this as reference and try. U can surely get them by practice because if i can make, anyone can make it easily Winking smile

        Here is the link for the video for different stages of sugar and jaggery syrup.






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        November 2, 2012

        Oma podi / Omapodi Recipe - Plain Sev Recipe

        Plain sev recipe

        Omapodi is my daughter’s favourite snack. It is also known as Plain sev. Yesterday I tried Oma podi recipe for the first time by referring a cook book. It came out really well with simple ingredients. The flavour of ajwain/omam is the highlight of this recipe. If you don't like ajwain flavor, you can skip it and add hing. Its taste will surely reming you store bought sev. Its very easy to prepare. Do try this for your kids during this Diwali. Store in an air tight box and consume within a week.

        Oma podi recipe


        INGREDIENTS
        1 cup - 250ml
        • Gram flour / Besan / Kadalai maavu – 1 cup
        • Rice flour - 1/4 cup
        • Hot cooking oil Or melted butter – 1 tbsp
        • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
        • Ajwain /Omam – 1.5 tsp Or Hing - 1/4 tsp
        • Water –  as needed
        • Salt –  as needed
        • Cooking oil - to deep fry
        METHOD
        • Dry roast omam/ajwain for 2 minutes or soak it in water for 30 mins. Grind it to make a coarse paste & strain it well. Keep the water aside.
        IMG_7705IMG_7706IMG_7707
        • Now in a wide bowl, sieve the flour , add salt, turmeric powder, hot oil & the ajwain water.
        IMG_7710IMG_7711IMG_7720
        • Mix well and add little more water to make a dough. No problem even if the dough is slightly sticky. It will be easy to press in oil. Make a smooth dough and fill it in the press by placing the idiyappam mould.
        IMG_7722IMG_7699
        • Heat oil in a kadai, put a small piece and if it rises immediately the oil temperature is just right. Now press the dough in a circular manner. Do not crowd the oil. Just one round is enough. Cook for few seconds and flip it, remove after the “sssssh “ sound & bubble ceases.
        IMG_7728IMG_7727IMG_7725
        • Deep fry as mentioned and place them in a tissue. After it cools down, break them into pieces and store in a box.
        IMG_7726IMG_7760


        NOTE
        • If you find hard to press, sprinkle little water, mix well & press in oil.
        • Always maintain the oil in right temperature by adjusting the flame otherwise omapodi turns brown in color..
        Omapodi


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