Dates and Nuts Ladoo Recipe – Dates Laddu Recipe - Sugar Free Sweets Recipes

To start with this year’s Diwali recipes, here is an easy and simple, sugar-free Dates nuts laddu recipe. This recipe is similar to Dates and nuts roll I posted few years back. But its procedure is much easier than dates roll. I tried this with the leftover pack of dates. It tastes so good and flavorful too. With a nice flavor of ghee and crunchy taste of nuts, this dates ladoo is sure a healthy choice for kids and adults with good calories. Use soft dates (Medjool dates) if you like soft ladoo or use regular, hard dates like Lion dates for slightly, chewy and hard ladoo. Its your choice finally. Chopping the nuts is little time consuming otherwise this ladoo can be prepared in few minutes. If you want to ease this chopping job, you can grind coarsely and then roast it. Friends, do try this healthy, sugarless sweet for this Diwali and enjoy ! Lets see how to make dates and nuts ladoo with step by step pictures.

Check out my Dates and Nuts Roll Recipe.

Dates Nuts Ladoo Recipe

Sugar free dates and nuts laddu recipe

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: 12

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Dates - 1 cup / 15 nos ( I used Lion Seedless Dates) Chopped Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup Chopped Almond - 1/4 cup Melon seeds - 2 tbsp Chopped pista - 1 tbsp (optional) Poppy seeds / Khus khus - 1 tbsp Desiccated coconut - 1 tbsp (optional) Ghee - 1 tbsp + for greasing hands

HOW TO MAKE DATES LADDU

1. Wash and chop dates roughly. Grind to a coarse paste. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a kadai and roast the nuts.
3. Once golden, add poppy seeds and coconut.
4. Roast for a minute. Lastly add ground dates.
5. Mix well till it becomes a whole mass.
6. Remove and cool down. Grease hands with ghee.
7. Make balls and arrange the ladoo in a plate.

DATES AND NUTS LADOO - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash the dates and chop roughly. Grind to a coarse paste and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a kadai. Roast the cashew nuts, almonds and melon seeds in low to medium flame. When they start to turn golden, add poppy seeds and desiccated coconut. Roast for a minute. Do not burn anything. To this add the ground dates paste. Mix in medium flame till everything comes together as a whole mass. Initially you will find it difficult to mix the dates and nuts. But when the dates paste gets heated, it become easy to mix. Once everything comes together as a mass, switch off the flame.  Let it become warm. Grease your hands with ghee. Make balls / shape ladoo. Arrange in a plate. Once the ladoo comes to room temperature, store in an air tight box. Use within a week for best taste. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of nuts as per your taste. I used 1/4 cup, you can use 1/2 cup too. Do not add sugar or honey. Its not necessary. You can use soft dates or regular dates. But taste and texture of ladoo differs. Do not over cook the mixture after adding dates paste. Ladoo may become hard and chewy after cooling down. Just cook till it comes together as a mass. Greasing your hands with ghee helps to give a shine to ladoo and also adds nice flavor.

Try this easy, yummy dates and nuts ladoo recipe and enjoy !

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Pavakkai Chips / Crispy Bitter gourd Chips with wheat flour – Karela Chips Recipe

 I learnt this crispy bitter gourd chips recipe from my MIL. During my recent visit to Salem, my MIL gave me some fresh, home grown bitter gourd (Pavakkai in Tamil, Karela in Hindi, Kākarakāya in Telugu, Hagalakayi in Kannada, Pāvaykka in Malayalam). She also suggested me to try this crispy pavakkai chips for Sendhil and Raksha. 

Usually pavakkai chips is made using besan flour, rice flour or Maida and corn flour. But I used wheat flour and rice flour as suggested by my MIL. It came out super crispy and tasty. We all loved it. It tastes less bitter as we are slicing the bitter gourd thinly and deep frying it. Also it stayed crispy for more than an hour. It is prepared without curd, maida or besan flour. If you want to avoid deep frying, you can bake them in an oven but taste varies. Friends, do try this crispy pavakkai chips and enjoy with sambar rice or as teatime snack !

Check out my white colored potato chips recipe, Raw banana chips and French fries too !

Pavakkai chips / Bitter gourd chips recipe

Pavakkai chips recipe / Crispy bittergourd chips recipe

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Snacks recipes

Serves: 3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

Bitter gourd - 2 Wheat flour / Atta - 1/2 cup OR Wheat flour + rice flour - 1/4 cup each Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Coriander seeds powder / Dhania powder - 1 tsp Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds powder - 1/2 tsp Salt - as needed Water - to sprinkle Cooking oil - to deep fry

HOW TO MAKE BITTERGOURD CHIPS

1. Wash and slice bitter gourd thinly and take in a bowl.
2. In that bowl mix wheat flour, rice flour, gg paste, spice powders, salt along with bitter gourd.
3. Mix without water. Then sprinkle water slightly, coat the flour and bitter gourd.
4. Rest for 10 minutes. Then add remaining rice flour, give a good mix. Set aside.
5. Heat oil to deep fry. Drop each pieces separately and fry in medium flame till golden in color.
6. Flip and cook the other side till crispy. Remove and drain in a tissue paper.
7. Serve hot with sambar rice or as teatime snack.

BITTER GOURD CHIPS RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and chop bitter gourd very thinly. Slicing thinly helps to remove bitter taste. In a bowl, take the sliced bitter gourd. Add wheat flour, rice flour, salt, red chilli powder, dhania powder, garam masala powder, fennel powder, ginger garlic paste. Mix well. Sprinkle little water to coat the bitter gourd and powders. Rest for 5 minutes. Mix well and its ready to deep fry. If needed sprinkle little rice flour n water. Heat oil to deep fry. Drop a pinch of bitter gourd and check if it rises to the top immediately. Now sprinkle the bitter gourd pieces one by one in oil. Do not clutter them. Cook in batches of 10 to 15 nos. based on the quantity of oil in the kadai.   Cook in medium to high flame till it becomes golden in color on one side. Keep tossing in oil. Flip and cook the other side till there are few bubbles in oil. Cook till crispy and golden in color. It takes more time to cook. Do not wait for all the bubbles to cease completely. Chips may burn. Rmove at the right stage. Check for crispy taste. Add more wheat flour or rice flour if necessary. Mix and make chips.  Remove the chips in a tissue paper and serve hot for crispy taste. You can serve with sambar / rasam rice or as tea time snack. This bitter gourd chips stays crispy for an hour if fried properly. Enjoy !

Note

You can use besan flour instead of wheat flour but taste varies. Deep fry the bitter gourd pieces by tossing it whenever needed and by adjusting the flame. It takes slightly more time to cook than other chips recipes. You can fry in high flame too but keep tossing and stay nearby else  it will burn. Color of this chips will be on the dark golden brown shade as we are using wheat flour. Adjust the quantity of wheat flour and rice flour as per the size of bitter gourd.

Try this crispy pavakkai chips and enjoy !

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Kondakadalai Masala Sundal Recipe – Black Chana Sundal Recipe

I learnt this kondakadalai masala sundal recipe from my neighbor. Last year during Ganesh Chaturthi I got this black chana sundal from her as prasadam. It was so flavorful and tasted yummy. Raksha loved it a lot. I asked the recipe from her and started making it regularly at home for Raksha’s sake. Generally, for offering God we need to make no onion no garlic sundal during Navaratri.

For every occasion, I make a portion of sundal without onion garlic, reserve it for pooja and make the remaining sundal by adding masala. For making this masala sundal, we are using onion and kurma powder / garam masala powder which enhances the taste and flavor. We can make this sundal using white kabuli chana / chickpeas or black ones based on our wish. Both tastes great. Friends, do try this masala sundal by reserving some soaked legumes. You will love it. Lets see how to make karuppu kondakadalai sundal / black chana sundal adding masala with step by step pictures.

Check out my other Sundal recipes too.

Black chana sundal recipe / Kondakadalai Masala sundal

Black chana sundal / Karuppu kondakadalai sundal with masala flavor

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Sundal recipes

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Brown chana/ chickpeas - 1 cup Big onion - 1 (finely chopped) Garam masala powder / Kurma powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp Green chilli – 1(slit into 2) Salt - as needed Grated coconut - 1/4 cup Coriander leaves - to garnish To Temper Cooking oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp Asafetida / Hing - 1/8 tsp Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE BLACK CHANA SUNDAL

1. Wash and soak brown/ black chana in required water over night or 8 hours.
2. Drain the soaked water and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
3. In a kadai, heat oil. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds , hing and curry leaves.
4. When it splutters, add onion and green chilli. Saute till transparent.
5. Add garam masala powder, salt Mix well. for a minute in low flame.
6. Add cooked chana, mix well. Cook for minute.
7. Lastly add grated coconut. Switch off the flame.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves.

CHANA SUNDAL RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and soak chana / chickpeas in a bowl adding enough water. Soak it for 12 hours or overnight for best result. The next day, drain the water and add the soaked chana in a pressure cooker. Add enough water to cover the chana. Pressure cook it for 2 to 3 whistles in low flame. Remove after the steam is released completely. Press to check it soft and well cooked. Drain the excess water if any and set aside. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds. Add hing, curry leaves. Saute finely chopped onion and a  slit green chilli. Lower the flame completely and add the garam masala powder in oil. Saute quickly. Add the cooked chana, required salt and mix well. If necessary, add little water too. Let it boil in low flame for few minutes. Lastly add grated coconut, mix well and switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves. If you wish, you can add some lemon juice too. Serve warm or hot ! Enjoy.

Note

You can use white or brown chana. White tastes the best but we use brown chana for festivals. To make the chana soft, you can add a pinch of baking soda while soaking in the water. Drain the soaked water completely, wash it twice and then pressure cook. For variations, you can add chilli powder in oil instead of green chilli.

Friends, do try this masala chana sundal for a variation and enjoy !

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Sundal Varieties For Navratri – Navarathri Sundal Recipes

In South India, Sundal is the most important and must prepare prasadam recipes during Navaratri. 9 varieties of sundal is prepared during these nine days / 9 sundal vagaigal (Nava means 9 , ratri is night) festival in Tamil nadu. Apart from tradition, there are some scientific reasons to consume legumes / navadhaniyam during Navratri days. Though we can make varieties of sweets and snacks, sundal recipes are mainly prepared and distributed as prasad to friends and relatives who visit our house Golu.

The most common sundal varieties are chana /chickpeas/  kondakadalai sundal using white and brown ones, peas/ pattani sundal, green gram dal / pachai payaru sundal, Cowpeas / karamani sundal, Field beans/ mochai sundal, Kidney beans / rajma sundal, moong dal/ paasi paruppu sundal, and 9 mixed legumes / navadhaniyam sundal. 

The basic preparation of sundal recipes is very simple. For this, legumes are soaked overnight, pressure cooked, tempered with spices and finally garnished with grated coconut. Some sundal recipes like chana dal sundal, sweet corn, green gram, cowpeas, moong dal sundal recipes can be prepared instantly without soaking. 

All sundal recipes should be prepared without onion and garlic as we are offering to God. But nowadays people make variations by adding garam masala, sundal powder etc. So far I have shared more than 15 different types of sundal recipes in my blog. Lets see the list of all sundal recipes under one page in this post.

• Black Chana Sundal / Karuppu kondakadalai sundal

• Green peas sundal / Pattani sundal

• Green Gram Sweet & spicy sundal without soaking

• Chana dal sundal / Kadalai paruppu sundal

• Thengai mangai pattani sundal / beach style sundal

• Sweet corn sweet sundal & spicy sundal

• Cowpeas/ Karamani sundal without soaking

• Moong dal sundal / Paasi paruppu sundal

• Kidney beans / Rajma sundal

• Peanut sundal / Verkadalai sundal

• White cowpeas sweet sundal / Vella Karamani sundal

• Chickpeas sundal / Vella kondakadalai sundal

• Green gram masala sundal & sweet sundal

• Navaratna sundal / Rangoli sundal

CLICK FOR NAVARATRI RECIPES COLLECTION

CLICK THIS LINK ON HOW TO KEEP GOLU AT HOME.

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Eggless Wheat Flour Pancake Mix Recipe – Homemade Pancake Mix Without Eggs

Eggless wheat flour pancake is one of our favorite weekend breakfast recipes. We love to have it with chocolate syrup and honey. I have heard my sister and friends in abroad telling me about store bought pancake mix. I got tempted to try eggless homemade pancake mix and prepared it. It came out so well, soft and fluffy. Raksha and Sendhil loved it. Usually all purpose flour / Maida is used in store bought pancake mix. But I am happy that I tried it with some healthy alternative, whole wheat flour instead of Maida. I used Choco chips in my pancake batter. You can add blueberries, mashed banana for healthy variations. Friends, do try this easy pancake mix at home and make the pancakes instantly.

Eggless, homemade pancake mix recipe

Eggless, homemade pancake mix recipe with whole wheat flour / atta.

Cuisine: International

Category: Breakfast

Serves: 3 cups

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 5 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

For homemade pancake mix ( 1 cup = 240ml) Wheat flour/Atta - 3 cups ( I used Aashirvaad brand) Baking powder - 3 tsp / 1 tbsp ( use fresh powders for best result) Cinnamon powder - 1.5 tsp Salt - a big pinch Sugar – 3 tsp/ 1 tbsp To make pancake Pancake mix - 1 cup Water - 2 tbsp. Milk - 1 cup ( boiled, at room temp) Cooking oil - 1 tbsp ( use odorless oil, I used refined oil) Melted Butter - 2 tbsp Vanilla essence - 1 tsp Choco chips – 1 tbsp Wheat flour – 1/2 tsp ( mix with Choco chips to avoid sinking)

HOW TO MAKE EGGLESS PANCAKE MIX

1. In a wide bowl mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and sugar.
2. Store in a box. Homemade pancake mix is ready.
3. To make eggless pancakes, take 1 cup of pancake mix in a bowl.
4. Add milk, water, butter,vanilla essence and cooking oil.
5. Mix without lumps. To this batter, add 1 tbsp of choco chips mixed with wheat flour. Heat a tawa and grease with butter.
6. Pour a small ladleful of pancake batter. It should be thick and round.
7. Cook in medium flame. Flip and cook the other side too.
8. Remove and serve with honey / maple syrup.

HOW TO MAKE PANCAKE MIX AND EGGLESS PANCAKE AT HOME - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

To make homemade pancake mix, take wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Store in an air tight box. Homemade pancake mix is ready. To make eggless pancakes with the mix, take 1 cup of pancake mix in a bowl. Add the mentioned quantity of melted butter, vegetable oil, vanilla essence, boiled milk at room temperature and water.  Mix well to make lumps free batter. In a small bowl, take choco chips and add 1/2 tsp wheat flour. Mix well and add to pancake batter. This step helps to avoid choco chips sinking in the batter.  Batter should be thick but flowing. Heat a pan / tawa. Grease with butter. Pour a small ladleful of batter. Do not spread it. Make it thick and small. Cook in medium flame till it bubbles on top. Flip the other side and cook till golden. Remove in a plate. Make the other pancakes and stack them.  Drizzle chocolate syrup or honey or maple syrup. Enjoy ! Enjoy !

Note

This pancake mix stays good for a month. Consistency of the batter should be thick, smooth but flowing. Cook the pancake in low to medium flame patiently.

Try this homemade, eggless pancake mix and enjoy !

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