Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu - Chettinad Style Urundai Kuzhambu Recipe

I got this  paruppu urundai kuzhambu recipe from Aval vikatan’s supplementary. It is also known as Kola urundai kuzhambu. This recipe was given by “Mrs.Revathy shanmugam”. So I tried it confidently. I had already tried milagu kuzhambu/pepper kuzhambu from that book and it was a hit in my home. Usually paruppu urundai kuzhambu is made by cooking lentil balls in tamarind sauce adding sambar powder and other spices. This recipe is also very similar but it has chettinad touch. I’ve used soambu/saunf/ fennel seeds here. In Chettinad, people call this paruppu urundai as veg kola urundai. For variations, you can always omit the saunf, use cumin seeds and try it. There will not be much difference in taste & flavor.We loved the urundai a lot.It was soft yet firm.This gravy tastes great when mixed with plain rice adding ghee.I made the gravy slightly thick ..Adjust the consistency as per your need..Do try n let me know how u liked it.

INGREDIENTS

For paruppu urundai/Lentil balls : 1 cup - 200ml Toor dal – 1/2 cup Red chilli – 2-3 nos Hing – 1/4 tsp Jeera  or fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few (finely chopped) Small onion/big onion – 10/1 no (finely chopped) Garlic cloves – 4 nos (-do-) Coriander leaves – few (-do-) Rice flour – 1 tsp Cooking soda - a pinch Salt – as needed

For gravy Tamarind – Medium lemon size Tomatoes – 2 nos Onion – 1/4 cup (finely chopped) Garlic cloves – 8 nos (-do-) Curry leaves – few Sambar powder – 1 tbsp (OR) Red chilli powder – 2 tsp & dhania powder – 1 tsp Rice flour – 1 tsp Salt & water –as needed To grind Grated coconut – 3 tbsp Big onion – 1 no Fennel seeds  or cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp ( optional) To temper Cooking oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp Jeera – 1/2 tsp

METHOD

Wash & soak the dal for 2 hours.Drain all the water & set aside. In a mixie jar, grind the red chillies , hing ,salt , saunf or cumin seeeds & coconut coarsely.Now add the dal & grind it to a coarse, thick paste without adding water. Grind Coconut, fennel, big onion to a smooth paste and set aside. To that paste , add finely chopped onions , garlic cloves , curry leaves, rice flour and coriander leaves. Add a pinch of cookings soda. Mix well and make big gooseberry sized balls out of it. You can either steam the balls in an idli plate for 15 minutes OR you can cook in the tamarind extract as I did. Beginners please choose the steaming method. If you steaming the balls in idli plate, you should add it the end i.e after adding ground coconut paste. In  a kadai , heat oil and splutter mustard seeds ,methi seeds , jeera .Then add the finely chopped garlic cloves & onions. Saute well for a minute. Now add the chopped tomatoes & saute till mushy. Add turmeric & sambar powder. Mix well , boil for a minute in low flame. Then add the tamarind extract , salt with 2 cups of water.Allow it to roll boil for 5 minutes. Now drop the lentil balls one by one into the gravy.Do not stir immediately. Let the gravy boil for 2-3 minutes in low flame.Now stir the gravy carefully so that the balls are not broken. Cover & cook it in medium flame for 5-8 minutes till the balls get cooked & float on top.Take a ball,break it & see whether it is cooked completely.Now add the ground coconut paste , stir well & allow it to boil for 5 minutes. This gravy thickens as time proceeds. So add water accordingly.. Transfer to the serving bowl & enjoy with plain rice adding a drop of ghee !

NOTE

For variations , u can add  1/4 tsp of jeera instead of fennel seeds while grinding along with coconut. Beginners who dont want to cook the lentil balls directly in the tamarind sauce can steam the balls in an idli pot and add them at the end..

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OATS MASALA MORE – SPICED BUTTERMILK RECIPE

Last month when i went for grocery purchase , i happened to see this recipe in quaker oats packet.I memorized the recipe & came home  ..But i couldn’t try immediately.Yesterday,suddenly i reminded about this & tried with the recipe i had in my mind vaguely.I am not sure whether this is the exact recipe given in the packet.But it came out very flavourful , yummy & tasty.So i thought of posting here.Addition of oats made it more healthy.Do check out my Neer more/spiced buttermilk recipe in interested.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Instant oats – 1/4 cup  Thick curd – 1 cup Water – 3 - 4 cups ( add more if needed) Roasted jeera powder – 1/4 tsp Salt – as needed To grind Ginger – 1 inch piece Mint leaves & coriander leaves – 2 tbsp  (together) Green chilli – 1-2 nos To temper Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Coriander leaves – to garnish

METHOD

Grind all the ingredients given under “to grind “ to a smooth paste adding required water.Dry roast oats for 2-3 minutes & powder well. In a wide bowl,take the powdered oats , curd , salt , ground paste , jeera powder and water. Mix it well with a whisk..Temper mustard seeds .. Garnish with coriander leaves if desired ! Serve chilled !

Note

• For variations u can use either coriander leaves or mint leaves alone for grinding.
• Adjust the amount of curd & water as per ur liking.
• U can also add more chillies if u want it more spicy.

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UPPU SEEDAI RECIPE / SALT SEEDAI RECIPE–GOKULASHTAMI RECIPES

Uppu seedai / Uppu Cheedai / Salt seedai is the most important prasadam for Gokulashtami. People in Tamil nadu never fail to make this for Krishna Jayanthi festival. Many people especially beginners worry about bursting of seedai. So I have shared all the possible tips and tricks to avoid bursting. I have given my MIL’s traditional recipe of making uppu cheedai with homemade processed rice flour and urad dal flour. I follow this recipe every year. It comes out very well without bursting. Along with the normal round seedai we also make 2 small rod shaped “Seepankuzhal” for baby krishna. Do refer my fail proof sweet seedai recipe too !

I know seedai must be the favorite snack for everyone just like murukku. Yes, Uppu cheedai / salt seedai is my family's favorite snacks. Whenever we visit Adayar Anandha Bhavan hotel, we buy a packet of seedai without fail. I am trying to make white colored seedai just like shops. I will share that recipe once I get it right. Friends, do try this easy uppu seedai recipe for Gokulashtami or during weekends for your kids. Do not worry about bursting. Just follow this recipe and make perfect seedai.
Watch out the full detailed video recipe for uppu seedai making with homemade processed flour and roasted urad dal flour preparations before you start. Hope you will find it useful :) Lets see how to make this Gokulashtami special recipe uppu seedai with step by step photos and video !

If you want to make seedai using store bought rice flour, please check THIS POST !

Uppu seedai - Video recipe

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Processed rice flour OR store bought rice flour – 1 cup Roasted urad dal flour – 1 tbsp Unmelted Butter – 1 tbsp ( soft, at room temperature) Salt and water – as needed Hing – 1/8 tsp Black sesame seeds – 1.5 tsp Grated coconut – 1 tsp Cooking oil - to fry seedai

METHOD

Grind the grated coconut in a dry mixie jar and make a powder. If u are using homemade rice flour,first u should dry roast the flour for few minutes in low flame till vapour starts to come.Its a must & should step to get seedai without bursting. Take the roasted rice flour and urad flour in a bowl. Sieve once or twice.Add sesame seeds , hing and ground coconut powder. Lastly add the butter and blend it well with the flour using your fingers. Do not give too much of pressure to the flour. Add water and make a non-sticky dough. Make sure there are no cracks. Roll the dough into small balls roughly in a paper or cloth. Do not roll very tightly. Use first three fingers to make balls.. Allow the balls to dry for 20-30 mins before frying. Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry them in batches in medium flame.Keep tossing the seedai to get a uniform color..   Remove when all the bubbles cease.Store in a box after it cools down..

 

NOTE - TIPS AND TRICKS TO AVOID BURSTING OF SEEDAI

Dry roast the wet rice flour for few minutes slightly if  you are using homemade processed rice flour. First important thing to avoid bursting is to “SIEVE” the flour once or twice. U should sieve all the flour ( urad dal flour , rice flour and fried gram flour if u use). Sieving the flour properly reduces 90% of bursting. Secondly u should not roll the seedai very tightly. U should roll it to a loose ball using three fingers. No problem if its not a proper round. Dry the seedai in a paper or towel for 30 minutes before frying. If you want to deep fry immediately, prick the seedai with a small needle to avoid bursting. Most of the time pricking may not be necessary because by the time you finish rolling all the seedai, it would have dried.. Beginners can try deep frying few seedai in “small tempering kadai” . If it comes out well , proceed in a big kadai. Color variations may be there slightly. But you can check whether it bursts or disperses in oil.. If this seedai breaks or dissolves in oil, it means fat  ( ghee / butter) content may be more or oil temperature is too high or too low. If  seedai bubbles too much after you drop into oil , it shows the ghee or butter or oil  content is more. So add more rice flour to the dough and make again. The color of seedai depends on the color of urad dal flour. If you roast the dal to golden brown, seedai will also turn brown. Uniform heating is also important. In my observation, low to medium flame is sufficient to get a well cooked , nice color seedai. Keep tossing every now and then.

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VELLA SEEDAI | SWEET SEEDAI RECIPE | VELLA CHEEDAI - GOKULASHTAMI RECIPES

Vella Seedai / Sweet Seedai recipe with jaggery ( updated with video and step by step photo) is a must and should neivedyam recipe for Gokulashtami in Tamil nadu houses. I never knew about vella seedai till my marriage and now this has become my favourite. Every year I follow my MIL’s traditional and authentic recipe for vella cheedai and uppu cheedai using homemade rice flour. It comes out very well without bursting . Please refer the “Note” section for tips to avoid bursting. Usually we make the size of this sweet seedai bigger than uppu seedai. We also make 2 “Seepaankuzhal “ (small rod shaped) in each variety which is specially meant for baby krishna. I give this to my daughter every year  . Every year I make seedai with homemade processed rice flour . This year , for a change I tried with store bought rice flour which I use for making idiyappam. I followed same recipe for both and I din’t find any big difference in taste and color. Deep frying part is important to get a nice color and uniform browning. I have given in detail under “Method”. But cracks are unavoidable .First picture is with home made rice flour and the second one with store bought rice flour . I have made a full video on how to make vella cheedai just for beginners. Please watch it before you start doing. Hope you find it useful :)

Do check out my traditional uppu seedai recipe too !

If you want to make seedai using store bought rice flour, please check THIS POST !

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Processed rice flour  OR Store bought rice flour – 1 cup Roasted urad dal flour  – 2 tsp Soft butter at room temperature - 1/2 tbsp (optional) Grated jaggery –1/2 cup  Grated coconut – 1 tbsp Sesame seeds – 1 tsp Salt – a pinch Cardamom – 2 nos Water – just to cover jaggery ( around 3-4 tbsp)

METHOD

Click this LINK for processed rice flour

In a pan dry roast the flour till vapour comes out lightly.Do it in low to medium flame.Do not over roast the flour. Sieve and set aside. In a bowl , take 1 cup of  roasted rice flour and 2 tsp of urad dal flour..Sieve them once or twice. ( This step is very important to avoid bursting) .Grind the grated coconut finely to a coarse powder. In a pan take the grated jaggery & add little water to cover it. Heat & melt it to make a thin syrup. No need to boil it. Remove & filter the syrup to discard the impurities. Strain & add this syrup to the flour , cardamom powder , sesame seeds & grated coconut, softened butter. Mix well to make a dough.. Make sure the dough should be not be sticky.It should not have cracks.It should be thick..Add syrup accordingly. Sometimes syrup itself would be sufficient to make the dough OR u may have to add little extra water to make the dough. Make small balls out of the dough & deep fry them in batches.Allow the balls to dry for 15-20 mins before frying. Before deep frying check the heat of oil by dropping a pinch of dough. If it rises immediately , oil temperature is just right. Lower the flame to low & drop the seedai 4 to 5 at a  time.After u drop the seedai , do not disturb it for few seconds.( stand 2 feets away from the kadai for safety ,luckily it dint burst for me so far).If u start to stir immediately , seedai may break and dissolve in oil.After few seconds, turn it once to prevent sticking. Always deep fry in low to medium flame to get a nice color . Keeping the flame high turns the seedai black & inside portion will not be cooked properly.U don’t have to wait till all the bubbles cease. Once the seedai turns golden brown , remove & drain in a tissue paper. Initially it tends to be soft , but it hardens & becomes crispy when it cools down..

Crunchy Sweet seedai is ready..

NOTE

First important thing to avoid bursting is to “SIEVE” the flour once or twice.. U should sieve all the flour ( urad dal flour , rice flour & gram flour if u use). Sieving the flour properly reduces 90% of bursting.. U must roast the flour slightly for few minutes in low flame if u are using homemade rice flour. Secondly u should not roll the seedai very tightly. U should roll it to a loose ball using three fingers.No problem if its not a proper round.. One more tip is to prick the seedai with a small needle to avoid bursting..Dry the seedai in a paper or towel for 20 mins before frying.. Beginners can try deep frying few seedai in “small tempering kadai” .If it comes out well , proceed in a big kadai.Color variations may be there slightly. But u can check whether it bursts or disperses in oil.. If sweet seedai breaks or dissolves in oil , it means jaggery may be more or oil temperature is too high or too low. If Seedai bubbles too much after u drop into oil ,it shows the fat ( ghee or butter or oil) content is more..So add more rice flour to the dough & make again.. The color of seedai depends on the color of urad dal flour. If u roast the dal to golden brown ,seedai will also turn brown. Uniform heating is also important. In my observation , I feel low to medium flame is enough to get a nice color and crispy seedai. Do check out my uppu seedai recipe too !

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Instant Nei Appam Recipe - Karthigai Deepam & Gokulashtami Recipes

This is an instant version of Nei appam recipe. Traditionally nei appam is prepared using raw rice and jaggery. Usually I make appam using wheat flour & banana in paniyaram pan.My MIL also makes an appam using raw rice which is our family favourite.But I wanted to try a quick appam recipe without soaking rice and without banana. Yes this sweet appam is prepared without banana but still it comes out soft and spongy. When I was going through my cook books, I got this recipe given by Mrs. Mallika badrinath. I tried the recipe as such but I was not happy with the result. It came out crispy  & tasty but it looked dry & a bit hard . So I just added little cooking soda & it made a great change to the recipe. It came out super soft n fluffy with crispy outer layer. I was very happy & thought of blogging it for gokulashtami and Karthigai deepam festival.With superb flavor of ghee, it was awesome.If you are ghee conscious like me , use cooking oil or gingely oil for frying. It tasted good for both. I used paniyaram pan for shallow frying. U can also try deep frying it looks like chettinad vellai paniyaram with flower edges. U can see that picture in step by step clicks..Friends , do try this easy, instant nei appam recipe for krishna jayanthi & Karthigai deepam and let me know ur feedback.

Do check out my traditional nei appam recipe with raw rice , sweet appam with banana & wheat flour.

Easy nei appam

Easy nei appam recipe using rice flour and rava for gokulashtami and karthigai deepam

Cuisine: Indian Category: Sweet Yields: Serves 3

Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Total Time: 15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup-200ml

For batter Store bought rice flour – 1/3 cup Fine Rava or Upma Rava/ sooji – 1/2 cup ( use fine rava for nice texture) Wheat flour OR Maida – 1/3 cup Grated jaggery – 3/4 cup Grated coconut – 3 tbsp Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp Cooking soda / Baking soda – 1/4 tsp Salt – a pinch Cooking oil or ghee – As needed Water –As needed ( I used 1 cup water)

METHOD

In a wide bowl , take all the ingredients mentioned above except cooking soda & mix well adding required water.The consistency of batter should be semi thick & pourable. (If the jaggery has impurities, you should boil and melt it adding 1:2 ratio of water and jaggery. Then strain it through a metal filter and add that water to the mixture.) Add cooking soda 10 minutes before making appam. Mix well and let it sit.  In a paniyaram pan , add 1 tsp of ghee in each hole & pour the batter. Cover cook for few minutes in medium flame. Flip it using a spoon or a small stick like thing. Cook again for few minutes till u get a nice golden brown color. If u want to deep fry , heat a pan with little oil & pour the batter using a small ladle. Deep fry one by one to get a nice shape.Splash the oil over the appam while it cooks to get a nice flower shape with frills in the sides. Remove & serve hot or cold.

Note

Consistency of batter is important..It should not be too thick or thin. U can also use cooking oil instead of ghee. I used ghee for my daughter & oil for ourselves.But add it generously.. Always cook in medium flame else it will be burnt..I felt the color of appam turned darker for ghee than oil.  This appam stays soft for long time. It tastes crispy when hot & soft when cold.. If u want to skip baking soda, u have to add 1 ripen mashed banana OR you should mix the batter in the morning and make appam in the evening so that batter gets fermented.  If u want the appam to be crispy, cook in low flame for long time. You can also try skipping soda. But you should eat the appam really hot otherwise it will look dry.

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SWEET BEEDA RECIPE

I am a big fan of sweet beeda.My lunch in restaurants never completes without a beeda.In some hotels , beeda is not served in thali .So we used to roam(me & my father) around in search of beeda shops..Now after marriage,Sendhil buys beeda specially for me though he don’t like it much..Recently my MIL gave me a box of gulkand.Though there are many yummy gulkand recipes , beeda flashed in my mind ;)..But never thought i could make beeda at home until i saw this video. Thank u so much vidya lakshmi.From now on I can have yummy home made beedas happily .This beeda is not only tasty,but also helps to digest food easily. Edible calcium paste is helpful for daily dose of calcium needs..So friends , if u have betel leaves in hand ,try this beeda recipe & let me know ur feedback. I hope step by step pictures gives u a clear idea.Surprise ur guests & elders at home with this beeda after a heavy lunch menu.For a simple beeda recipe , please refer “Notes” section..

INGREDIENTS

To make one beeda

Beetal leaves/ vettrilai /paan leaf – 1 no Sunnaambu /Edible calcium paste – a trace Supari / paakku – 1/4 tsp Paan masala – 1/4 tsp (optional) Sweetened dry ginger or amla – 1 small piece (optional) Colored dessicated coconut strands – few Gulkand – 1/2 tsp Sweet saunf – 1/4 tsp Cloves – 1 no (optional) Cherries – few Plum – 1 no Tooth pick – 1 no

METHOD

Wash the beetle leaf , pat dry with a cloth. Fold the leaf & cut it half way through the stalk part(kaambu) .. Apply less than a pinch of sunnambu/lime on the back side of leaf. pinch. Adding more burns the tongue , take care.. Now roll one edge of the leaf to cone shape..Roll the other edge similarly & make a cone (pouch shape)to keep all the ingredients inside. First add the supari , then keep the dessicated coconut ,pan masala , sweet saunf , gulkand. At last keep a clove & cherries . U can also add a pinch of cardamom powder..Close it.   Place a plum on top of beeda & insert a tooth pick OR use a clove to seal it..Serve &enjoy !!

NOTE

To make a simple beeda recipe , wash the betel leaf & apply sunnambu on both the sides.Use supari , saunf , sugar , cardamom powder ,little honey and make beeda as mentioned above..Seal the beeda with a clove..

Finish ur lunch with a banana & homemade beeda ! It tastes delicious :)

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