Pani Puri

Maida- 1/2 cup
Rava- 1/2 cup
Baking powder- 1 pinch
Salt
Boiled and diced potatoes- 1/2 cup
Green gram- 1/4 cup (soak green gram for 6 hrs and pressure
cook for 1 whistle)

How to make

1. Mix the above ingredients with cold water and make it into a smooth stiff dough. Close the dough with a wet cloth and set aside for 15 minutes. Make small even sized (round biscuit size) balls from the dough and roll into small circles. Put one by one in hot oil and press well with laddle to puff up. Fry till crisp and golden brown.
   
   
2. Make a hole with thumb on top of each pani puri. Put little cooked green gram, boiled potato & little sweet chutney and fill it with green chutney (pani).
   
   
3. Serve immediately.

Pav Bhaji

8 pavs (squarish soft buns about 4" x 5" size)
butter to shallow fry.

For Bhaji:
capsicum chopped fine 1
onions chopped fine 2
tomatoes chopped fine 2
chopped mixed vegetables (beans, carrots, cauliflower,
potota, beans, bottle gourds, etc.) 2 1/2 cups
shelled peas 1/2 cup
butter 2 tbsp.
pavbhaji masala 2 tsp.
chilli powder 1 1/2 tsp.
turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.
sugar 1/2 tsp.
salt to taste
water (in which vegetables were boiled) 1 cup
each ginger grated, garlic crushed 1/2 tsp.
juice of 1/2 lemon.

How to prepare

1. Pressure cook mixed vegetables and peas till well done.
   
   
2. Mash them coarsely after draining.
   
   
3. Heat butter in a pan.
   
   
4. Add ginger-garlice, capsicum, onion, tomatoes.
   
   
5. Fry for 2-3 minutes till very soft.
   
   
6. Add pavbhaji masala , chilli powder, turmeric, salt, sugar and fry further 2-3 minutes.
   
   
7. Bring to boil.
   
   
8. Simmer till gravy is thick, stirring and mashing pieces with masala, in between.
   
   
9. Add lemon juice, stir.
   
   
10. Garnish with chopped coriander and a block of butter.
    
    
11. For Pavs:
    
    
12. Slit pavs horizontally leaving one edge attached. (To open like a book).
    
    
13. Apply butter (as desired) and roast open on a griddle till hot and soft with the surface crisp on both sides.
    
    
14. Serve hot with bhaji, a piece of lemon and chopped onion.

Onion Pakoda

Kadalai Maavu (Besan) 1 cup
Green Chillies 2 finely chopped
Rice flour 1 tsp
Rawa 1 tsp
Onion lengthly chopped 1 cup
Ghee 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Red Chilli Powder to taste
Coriander and Curry Leaves
Pinch of soda (optional)
Oil for deep frying
Water to knead.

How to make

1. In a mixing bowl, put Onion slices, Chopped Green Chillies, Coriander and Curry Leaves, Salt, Soda and Ghee.
   
   
2. Mix everything with hand and leave it aside for about 20 minutes.
   
   
3. Now, add Besan, Rice Flour, Rawa and mix thoroughly.
   
   
4. Need be, sprinkle some water.
   
   
5. Heat Oil in a kadai, roughly make small fritters and deep fry in oil.
   
   
6. Drain out excess oil and store in an air tight container.
   

Boli

Bengal gram(Kadalapariappu) 2 cups (it is besan flour Fine,
free flowing powder produced from milling chana dhall
(dehulled and split desi chick peas). Free from lumps,
specks, discolouration and infestation.
Sugar 2 cups
Allpurpose flour(Maida)  1 1/2 cups
Gingelly Oil  1/2 cup (sesame oil)
Nutmeg(Jathikka) powder  Few pinches
Kesari powder  Few pinches (kind of like saffron)(for
yellow colour)
Rice flour for spreading on board
Ghee for frying.

How to make

1. Boil the gram with plenty of water. When nicely cooked, strain.
   
   
2. Add water once again, boil & drain.
   
   
3. Add sugar & nutmeg powder to the cooked gram & keep on low heat till the mixture becomes semi solid. Stir constantly.
   
   
4. Remove from fire & grind to a fine paste.
   
   
5. Add kesari powder to the maida flour and with a little water and make into a dough.
   
   
6. Pour gingelly oil into the dough & knead it, until it becomes very soft. Keep it aside for 2 or more hours.
   
   
7. Make equal number of balls with the dough & the gram mixture.
   
   
8. Take a ball of gram, cover it with maida ball & turn onto a floured board (rice flour to be used on the board) & roll out as thinly as possible.
   
   
9. Apply a little ghee on griddle & fry (like we do for chappatis) the boli on it.
   

Rava Laddu

Rawa  2 Cups
Maida  2 Cups
Grinded Sugar 2 Cups
Ghee 1 Cup
Cardamoms  7-8

How to make

1. Put 1 cup ghee over a heavy bottomed pan and roast rawa over low heat. Once you get a good aroma, remove from fire. Keep aside.
   
   
2. In the same heated pan, put 2 teaspoon ghee and roast maida over low flame for 2 minutes.
   
   
3. Then add the roasted Rawa and roast again for 2/3 minutes.
   
   
4. Once you get a good aroma, remove from fire and spread it over a plate. Let it cool slightly.
   
   
5. Then add the grinded sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well. make shapes of Ladoos, when still warm.
   

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun Khoya or unsweetened Khoya  500 gms/17.64
ounces
Sugar 500 gms/17.64 ounces
Cardamom  7-8
Water 2-1/2 Cups
Cornflour 100 gms/ 3.53 ounces
Rose Essence 1 tablespoon
Soda 1 pinch
Saffron a pinch

How to make

1. Bring the water, rose water and sugar to boil. Add saffron to it, remove from fire. Keep it aside.
   
   
2. Mash the khoya in hand and pass it through a fine sieve.
   
   
3. Make powder of the cardamom. Add to it along with the cornflour.
   
   
4. Mix cooking soda in little water. Add to the mixture above. Mix all the ingredients above but don't knead too much.
   
   
5. Then make small balls and fry over low flame. Keep over sieve for excess oil to drain off.
   
   
6. When you put the gulab jamun in sugar syrup, it must be quite warm.

Carrot Halwa

 Carrots 1/2 kg (preferably Red Delhi Carrots)
Milk 1 litre
Cardamom 4 to 5
Sugar 1/4 kg
Charmagz 1 tbsp(dried melon seeds)
Ghee or cashew nuts 100 gms
Almonds a few

How to make

1. Scrap carrots and grate them.Bring milk to a boil in a heavy bottomed pan.Add grated carrots.Cook on medium heat stirring occasionally without closing the lid till the mixture is fairly dry(Opp-30 to 40 mts).
   
   
2. Add sugar, cardamom crushed and melon seeds,mix well till everything becomes semi solid dry. Then add ghee and fry well by adding the nuts cashew nuts and badam. Decorate with silver foil and serve after getting cold.

Rice Flour Pudding

Milk 2 cup.
Sugar 1 cup.
Rice flour 2 oz
Rose water 6-8 drops
Almonds 1 oz.
Nuts 1/2 oz

How to make

1. Mix rice our into the milk and mix until smooth.
   
   
2. Cook over medium heat until a creamy consistency is achieved.
   
   
3. Simmer and add sugar and stir for 2-3 minutes more.
   
   
4. Cool it and then add the rose water, almonds and nuts
   
   
5. Pour into individual dishes and serve.
   

Rava Kesari

Semolina (Rava) 100 gms.
Ghee 60 gms.
Water 1 ½ cup
Sugar 4 tbsp.
Cashewnuts(kaju)  5 nos
Raisin(kishmish) 10 nos
Green Cardomom crushed 5 nos

How to make

1. Heat 3 tpsp ghee in a wok(kadai).Fry the semolina till golden.Remove.
   
   
2. Boil the water ,add the semolina and cook for a few minutes until the semolina is fully cooked.
   
   
3. Add the sugar and crushed green cardamom;cook till the sugar dissolves completely.
   
   
4. Add the fried cashewnuts and raisins;Mix well
   
   
5. Serve hot.

Semiya Payasam(Vermicelli Pudding)

Vermicelli(Semiya)  200 gms
Ghee 4 tbsp
Cashewnuts(kaju)  5 nos
Raisin(kishmish) 10 nos
Milk 10 cups
Sugar 2/3 cup
Green Cardomom crushed 5 nos
Saffron ,dissolved in 2 tbsp of warm milk  1 tbsp.

How to make

1. Fry the cashew nuts and raisins 2 tbsp ghee and keep aside.
   
   
2. Fry the vermicelli in the remaining ghee till it turns redish;keep aside.
   
   
3. Boil the milk in heavy bottomed vessel until the milk is reduced to half its quantity.Add the fried vermicelli and simmer until the vermicelli cooks fully.
   
   
4. Add the sugar and green cardamom powder;Simmer for another 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves completely.
   
   
5. Add the fried cashew nuts,raisins, and saffron mixture,mix well. Serve hot or cold.
   
   
6. Variation :To make aval(beaten rice) payasam,proceed as above except substitute vermicelli with 50 gms of fried beaten rice.