SWEET BOONDI RECIPE | EASY DIWALI SWEETS RECIPES

ngredients(will yeild 5 cups boondi)

Gram flour/ Kadala mavu Rice flour Cooking soda(sodium bi carbonate) Sugar Rose essence(optional) Cardamom Cloves Cashew nuts Ghee Edible camphor(optional) Salt Food colours(optional) 1 & 1/2 cup 1/4 cup 1 small pinch 1 & 1/2 cup to 2 cups(adjust as per ur taste) 3 drops 1, powdered 2 8 1 tsp 1 mustard size a pinch orange and green

First make sugar syrup ready. In a broad vessel, boil sugar with water just to immerse it. Boil until 2 string consistency. If you swipe the back of ladle and check between ur thumb and forefinger, there will be two strings forming in-between the fingers. Or you can keep a small bowl of water and pour a little syrup in it, it will not dissolve and you can move the syrup and gather it. Switch off the stove. In a mixing bow, mix both flours, salt, cooking soda with water to a thick batter. Like bajji batter. Save a big laddle full for orange colour and another ladle full of batter for green colour in separate small bowls. Heat oil and use a big slotted spoon to make boondis as shown below. You will be needing two big ladles with holes as seen in the picture below(slotted) . One for making boondi and one for draining from oil. Use another deep ladle to spoon the batter. Pour one ladle of batter over the ladle with hole holding it just above the oil and spread it. Wipe the ladle as seen below. Fry with constant turning to ensure even cooking and drain once the bubbles ceases, no need to wait until it gets very crispy. Just make sure its cooked. Drain in paper towel. Repeat to finish the batter. Mix orange food colour and green food colour to the reserved batter. Make boondis in the same way as above

After finishing, just give a heat(no need to boil) to the syrup we prepared and switch off the flame. Put the prepared colourful boondhis to the sugar syrup. Fry cashews, cloves in ghee separately and add it to this. Also add powdered cardamom, essence and edible camphor and mix well with a ladle. Keep mixing. As it cools down, the sugar syrup will be absorbed by boondi and starts crystalizing and becomes dry. Store in airtight container.

Notes Adding colours is optional, you can make it plain. Adding cloves, edible camphor and essence is optional. Smells great even simply with elachi. But I like it with all these :) If you want, you can add more sugar upto 2 cups of sugar for the given recipe. But 1 & 1/2 cup is just perfect for this. Adding rice flour is also optional, but I recommend adding it as it gives a nice texture. If the batter is too thick, you will get boondis with tail. So add more water and try. If the batter is too watery then the boondis may fall flat. So add more gram flour and try. You can also add raisins fried in ghee.

ADHIRASAM RECIPE - DIWALI RECIPES

Ingredients (Makes 20 adhirasams)

Raw rice Jaggery Sesame seeds Dry ginger powder Elachi powder Ghee Oil
Grind it in 2 batches in a mixer to a fine flour.

1 & 1/2 cups 1 cup 1 tblsp 2 pinches 2 pinches 1 tblsp as needed for deep frying

Wash and soak rice for 2 hours atleast. Drain, spread in a white cotton cloth for 30 mins.

Sieve it (optional,if you know your flour is fine, then no need). While you sieve, keep the flour press. That is after you sieve, press it gently so that it locks the moisture and doesn't get dried.Meanwhile, powder the jaggery and heat it with water just to immerse the jaggery. Once its completely dissolved, filter it to remove impurities. Again start heating the jaggery syrup. Boil in medium flame always and stir occasionally. Keep checking the syrup consistency by pouring in water kept in a small bowl. At beginning stage, the syrup dissolves as you pour in water, then at next stage, it will lay a fine thread in the water, but gets dissolved when you touch. After this, at one stage, the syrup gets thicker and when you pour in water, then it wont get dissolved and you will be able to gather it with your fingers and form a loose ball. This is called soft ball consistency and this is the stage, you have to put off the fire. Immediately pour it to the flour little by little. Add sesame seeds, elachi powder and dry ginger powder to the flour. You may need not all the sugar syrup for sure. So be careful after you add 3/4th of the syrup and keep mixing with a ladle or spatula. The dough will be gooey and on sticky side and it will be loose. Don't worry. After some hours, it will get absorbed and get stiff. Keep it overnight at room temperature in an airtight container. You can keep it as such for 2-3 days. If more than that, keep refrigerated. But let it be out overnight atleast for a day. At the time of making, divide into equal sized balls, each of small lemon sized. You can use ghee when you roll as the dough will be slightly sticky Heat oil in kadai and once it is hot, reduce the flame to low. In a zip loc, grease it with a drop of ghee and flatten the dough thick. Carefully drop in oil. Once it rises up, immediately flip it and cook. Once it turns golden brown, drain from oil You must use another laddle and press it to sqeeze out the excess oil as shown, as it may retain some oil in it. Repeat the process for the rest of the dough. Oil should always be in low or medium if needed. You can store the dough for months if keep refrigerated and use it whenever needed. Even fried adhirsams can be in shelf for a week.

Notes The dough should be very loose when you make adhirsam. If it is stiff, then your adhirsam will become hard and chewy. So you have to add a tblsp of milk and knead the dough well again and try making. This will ensure the adhirsam to be soft. Keep the dough ATLEAST overnight at room temperature. Do not take our from the fridge and make immediately. Bring to room temperature. The rice while grinding should be moist, retain water(need not drip) also the

sieved flour also should not get dry. Otherwise the adhirsam will get crisp and hard. Even the syrup consistency is very important. If sugar syrup passes the soft ball consistency, it will get hard or get dissolved in oil. Sieving is not necessary, but make sure it is powdered fine. If you flatten so thin, the adhirsam will turn very crisp. So make it thick. Cook in low flame to make sure it gets cooked evenly and also make sure not to over cook. It makes the adhirsam harder. Flip immediately once the it rises up after you add the adhirsam in oil. Use ghee when flattening each adhirsam. It will be sticky. The jaggery syrup will be needed depending upon the quality of rice, some need more, some need less. So for safer side, make more. So the given quantity will be more, so keep that in mind. In case, you adhirsam is chewy or hard, steam it for 3 minutes in idli plate/ steamer. It becomes soft. Just for trouble shooting. Will add more tips as I remember or more from my MIL and mom :)

MICROWAVE CORN FLOUR HALWA| EASY DIWALI SWEET RECIPES

INGREDIENTS
Corn flour Sugar Water Ealchi powder Cashews Ghee Food colour 1/2 cup 1 & 1/2 cups 2 cups A pinch 5 nos. 2 3 tsp 1/2 pinch

Mix corn flour,sugar,water and food colour in a large microwavable bowl, without any lumps. Microwave in high for 6 minutes. After 4 minutes in between, mix once. Again microwave for 6 minutes, stirring in between after every 2 minutes of interval.

Fry cashews in ghee till golden brown and mix well. Grease a plate with ghee and pour in the plate and let it cool down for 1/2 hour or so. Cut into pieces and enjoy! It has a texture just like jelly, but sure sweeter than that. Do try and you will agree that this is the easiest halwa you have ever madeNotes

Stirring in between as mentioned is very important to ensure even cooking. Do not reduce the sugar amount,as it will change the glossy look too and end up in porridge ;) The whole process is made in microwave high power. According to oven the cooking time varies plus or minus 2-3 minutes. Consume within one or two days. Refrigeration changes the texture so it is not recommended. There is a easy way to remember the recipe. 1 part corn flour,3 parts sugar,4 parts water. i.e; which ever cup u use, use the same cup and follow the ratio. Simple.

KESAR BURFI WITH KHOYA |EASY DIWALI SWEET RECIPES

Ingredients
Khoya Sugar Saffron Milk Elachi powder Ghee Yellow food colour(Optional) Pistachios 1 cup 1/4 cup 4 strands 1-2 tblsp 3 pinches 1 tsp for greasing a very small pinch For garnish

*You can use a tblsp of curd after adding sugar to get a grainy texture

ake crumbled khoya and sugar in a heavy bottomed /non stick pan. Mix in medium flame until sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes gooey. Soak saffron in milk for some time and dissolve well. Add it to the khoya mixture along with elachi powder and continue mixing in medium-low flame for 7-8 minutes.

Grease a pan and pour the mixture in a greased plate. Level it with a greased butter paper or any other flat thing. Let it set and cool down. Cut into desired shapes.You can Garnish with pistachios before setting over the top and press it. Consume within 2 days. Keep refrigerated. But serve at room temperature. You can shape to cute pedas too and arrange in liners, do it when it is still warm. Its very very easy right?

Notes Initially after making, there was a slight bitter taste, but after hours/next day it was not there. So don't panic like me :) I also made palin burfis with khoya. In that, I added 2 drops of rose essence,it was also very nice. You can add a tblsp of curd in first step if you want a grainy texture.

SHAHI TUKDA | SHAHI TUKRA ~ A ROYAL INDULGENCE!

ngredients
Bread Milk Sugar Ghee / oil Chopped nuts Corn flour Saffron Rose essence 4 pieces 1/2 litre 1/3 cup For deep frying 2 tblsp 1 tsp A pinch 2-3 drops

ethod: 1. Boil milk and add saffron soaked in 3 tblsp of warm milk and the corn flour mixed in 2-3 tblsp of milk to it and simmer the milk until its reduces to a thick but poring consistency. This is called Rabri. Add rose essence at last.If you want you can add the chopped nuts in this stage. Remove the brown sides of the bread and cut diagonally. I cut one piece into four,though cut into two will do.Fry the bread pieces till golden brown and crisp evenly. Use a shallow and small pan so that un need not use more ghee/oil. Deep frying in low or medium low flame is necessary to get crisp and golden brown colour, other wise will end up in uneven cooking.Prepare a thick sugar syrup by boiling the sugar with little water just to immerse the sugar. Soak the bread pieces as you fry them,just for a minute or until you take the next batch.Arrange the soaked pieces in a plate. Fry the chopped nuts in ghee and add it over the bread pieces(if you have not done that in the first step). Pour the rabri over the arranged bread. Serve chilled or warm,as per your wish, I like it chilled!! But make sure you give some time for the bread to absorb the rabri.

Notes:

I used low fat milk,since I ran out of full cream milk stockhehe,not calorie conscious,I swear You can reduce a litre of milk to half and make rabri rich too instead using corn flour. You can add sugar in rabri if you want.Just a table spoon or two will do. If you use oil for deep frying,oil smell will be there in the dessert,so I if you are afraid of so much ghee,you can try toasting method as its far way better than the oil smell. Just fry the nuts in ghee and add,that will give you the ghee smell.

RASMALAI - AN EASY WAY TO MAKE STILL SINFUL INDULGENCE!

Ingredients
Rasgullas(Haldirams or any ready made) Milk Evaporated filled milk Sugar Saffron Cashew nut Pistachios Elachi powder; Ghee 1 tin (5-7 nos.) 2 & 1/2 cups 1/4 cup 1/4 cup(add more if you want) A pinch 6-8 nos. 5-6 nos 2 pinches 1 tsp

Warm 2 tablespoons of milk and crush the saffron to it and keep it soaked till neede ake an heavy bottomed/non-stick vessel, grease the

bottom of the pan with few drops of ghee.(this is to prevent burning of milk at the bottom) Boil milk for 20-30 minutes in very low flame. Keep stirring now and then.
When the volume reduces almost half,add the saffron soaked in the milk,evaporated filled milk and boil for 2 more minutes. Chop the nuts and fry it in ghee till golden brown and add it to the milk too,add the sugar and simmer for few minutes. (Is this is called rabri/rabdi)?. Squeeze the sugar syrup from the rasgullas,take care you don't squeeze the rasgullas hardly(this will make the rasgulla break),just squeeze it gently. Add it to the milk when it is still hot. Let it get soaked. After cooled down,refrigerate and serve cold. Thick boiled milk with the caramelized smell of the evaporated milk + the saffron when combines, is the meaning of divine smell! Delicious!! The rasgullas dunked becomes soft and combines well with the rabri!

Do not add more than the mentioned evaporated milk as it will turn the rabri look ugly in colour. Also too much of saffron will spoil the taste,make sure you add just a few strands. Keep refrigerated and tastes best when served cold.

COCONUT BURFI RECIPE | THENGAI BURFI RECIPE - EASY DIWALI SWEETS RECIPES

Ingredients (Makes 12 14 pieces)

Coconut, grated Sugar Elachi powder Cashews Ghee 1 cup heaped 1 cup 2 pinches 5 1 tsp

Take a pan and fry cashews till golden brown and set aside.Keep a tray ready greased. Heat coconut and sugar together. Mix well. Continue heating with constant stirring in medium flame. the sugar will melt and form a thick liquid. Continue this until the mixture starts leaving the pan and forms a foamy whitish bubbles while stirring. Colour should not change. Add cashews, elachi lastly. Pour immediately to the greased tray and level it with a greased aluminium foil to give it a smooth finish. Cut in to pieces while it is still warm.

The time taken to get the end consistency varies upon the pan thickness you use, heat and moisture in coconut. If you are going to add fried gram dal/ pottu kadalai, then add in place of cashews. If you set the mixture in tray for so long until it cools down, then it will be difficult make pieces. I used my pizza cutter for making pieces . If you keep stirring even after the consistency reaches, then the sugar will get caramelised and colour will start to change.

KARA SEV | EASY DIWALI SNACK RECIPES

INGREDIENTS
Gram flour/kadala mavu Rice flour Asafoetida powder Turmeric powder Pepper , crushed coarsely Jeera /cumin seeds Butter,softened 1 cup,heaped 3/4 cup 1/4 tsp 1/8 tsp 2 tsp 1 tsp 2 tblsp

Oil Salt

For deep frying As needed

Sieve gram flour if it has any lumps. Take both flours in a bowl,melt butter and add it to it. Add crushed pepper and jeera,salt,turmeric and asafoetida. Mix well.Add enough water to make a stiff dough.But there shouldnt be any cracks. Make as a smooth dough. Take the murukku press with the same plate we use to make murukku. Fill the press with dough and press in hot oil in large circles. Do not make too many layers.Just two circles. Fry in medium flame on both sides till the bubbles and shhhhsounds ceases Drain in paper towel and break roughly into pieces. Store in air tight container. The pepper flavour incorporates well the next day. So start eating from the next day

Notes You can do the authentic way in which the dough is rubbed through a big laddle with holes. But I found it difficult as i had only a small laddle and I could not bear the heat, so this is the easier way. No big difference too. Eat after a day to enjoy the pepper flavour fully. Store in airtight container.

OMPODI / PLAIN SEV | DIWALI SNACK RECIPES

ngredients:
Gram four/kadalai mavu Rice flour Butter(at room temperature) Hot oil Ajwain/Omam Salt Oil 1 cup 1/2 cup 1 tblsp 2-3 tblsp 1/8 cup As needed for deep frying

Method: 1. Dry roast omam,just till warm and powder it in the mixer.Then add 1/4 cup water and grind again .Filter this and keep aside. 2. Sieve gram flour and rice flour together and add salt,butter,hot oil and the omam extract and mix well. 3. Then add water as needed(careful,needs very less) and mix well,form a sticky dough.

4. Press through the ompodi/idiyappam press in heated oil(oil should be heated just right,i.e; if you add a pinch of dough it should raise up immediately,dont heat till oil fuming) 5. Form a circle in the oil and make sure you dont overlap.
6. Turn carefully immediately and cook till the bubbles ceases(takes very less time,less than a minute) 7. Drain in paper towel and repeat the process for rest of the dough. 8. Keep in an air tight container after cooling down,tastes best from the next day :)

Notes

If you find it difficult to press through, then sprinkle a little water to loosen the dough.

RIBBON PAKODA / OLA PAKODA | EASY DIWALI SNACKS

Ingredients:
Rice flour(or idiyappam flour) Gram flour/Kadala maavu Pepper powder(coarse) Butter Oil Asafoetida powder Salt & water Oil
Method: 1. Mix rice flour,gram flour,pepper powder,butter(softened),oil,asafoetida,salt well.

2 cups 1/2 cup 3/4 tsp 2 tblsp 2 3 tblsp 1/2 tsp As needed For deep frying

Then add water little by little to make a stiff,non-sticky,dough. Apparently heat oil in a kadai.Fill the murukku press with the prepared dough, with the ribbon pakoda plate. Press the dough in hot oil in a circular way to form a single layer. Dont layer so much,just one layer to ensure even and quick cooking.

When the bubbles reduces,flip the pakoda and cook again till the bubbles ceases and the shhh sound reduces. Drain it in the paper towel,after cooled down store in airtight container to enjoy these crisp flavourful pakodas!
The flavour of this snack is more the next day,I loved the pepper flavour in it!

Notes:

I Added pepper powder as I like the pepper flavour and I wanted the pakoda to be more on whiter side. You can replace the pepper powder with 3/4 tsp red chilli powder and 1/8 tsp turmeric. Make sure the pepper powder is fine enough to get through the press holes. Sometimes if its grainy, then it gets stuck in the hole.

SWEET SOMAS RECIPE (SOMASI) | DIWALI SWEETS RECIPES For outer layer Maida/all purpose flour Corn flour Oil Salt 1 cup 1 tsp 1 & 1/2 tblsp A generous pinch For filling Pottu kadalai / fried gram dal Sugar 1/2 cup 3/4 cup

Coconut,grated Elachi

1/2 cup 1

Mix flour,corn flour, salt and oil well. Then sprinkle water to make stiff dough. Needs only near 1/4 cup water, so careful while adding water. Keep aside for at least 2 hours. Mean while grind fried gram dal first into a coarse rava like powder. Grind sugar into a fine powder with ealchi. Grate coconut and dry roast well till the moisture evaporates. Fry in medium flame for until it becomes dry and wafts nice aroma. Take the ground fried gram dal, sugar powder and cooled roasted coconut in a mixing bowl. Mix well and keep it in a airtight container. Now again knead the dough to smooth. Divide into 15-16 equal balls. Roll each into thin pooris. Now spoon 1 or 1 & 1/2 tblsp of the pottukadalai powder into this and grease well the sides of the poori. You need not fully grease, half of the sides is enough. Cover it as shown in the picture and seal the side well. Now use a cutter or knife to trim the edges. Make sure you trim it over the area where you sealed. Leave some area sealed while you cut, otherwise there are chances of opening up while frying. Repeat the process for all. Keep covered until you deep fry. Deep fry in hot oil in medium flame both sides flipping in between, until golden in colour. You can fry 3 4 per batch. Or how much ever your kadai/oil holds.

Notes The powder I have given, usually I make it double the quantity and refrigerate. It is very nice to eat it as such. Or it can be a good side for chapathi too. My Mom even fills and makes poli kind of thing with this. When greasing with water, make a broad sealing to ensure that it wont open up while deep frying, also make sure you trim it with in the sealed area. If the somas opens up while frying, then the oil gets spoiled. Adding oil while making dough is to make it crisp. It helps in using less water while making the dough. Dough should be stiff to get crispy outer layer. Don't change the proportions much in the stuffing. You can use somas cutter spoon for trimming as I have used. You can also use a pizza cutter, pastry wheel cutter or even knife. Or you can also fold the

edges. But folding edges may result in uneven cooking.

MAGIZHAMPOO THENKUZHAL | DIWALI SNACK RECIPES

Ingredients
Idiyappam flour/Rice flour Roasted moong dal flour Coconut milk Sugar candy/kalkandu powder Sesame seeds Ghee Salt Oil 2 cups 1/4 1/2 cup 1/4 cup 2-3 tblsp 2 tsp 2 tblsp Use 1 tsp if flour has no salt for deep frying

Method We have some preparations before making the murukku. Roast moong dal/paasi paruppu till golden,cool down,powder it and sieve it. Grind 3/4 cup coconut with little warm water and extract coconut milk from it. Powder the sugar candy. Warm the coconut milk and dissolve the powdered sugar candy in it. Use this warm milk while making dough. Take rice flour, moong dal flour,sesame seeds,ghee, salt(if using) in a bowl and mix well. Add coconut milk and enough water gradually to make a smooth stif dough. THere should not be any cracks too. Take the star holed plate in the murukku press and fill it with the prepared dough. Heat oil in kadai , apparently draw murukku in circles in greased ladles. Drop carefully in oil and fry in medium flame. Fry both sides till golden colour or the bubbles ceases. Drain from oil to paper towelsNotes

Just 1/4 cup coconut milk is enough,use plain water for the rest. More milk makes cooking time long and harder murukku too. Using more sweet makes the murukku brown in colour also becomes harder. Always deep fry in medium heat. I had already the powdered moong dal, so I have not shown those steps..hehe. If your murukku breaks while making, try sprinkling more water and knead and try again. Use finest rice flour to avoid this. You can also replace moong dal powder with urad dal powder.

THENKUZHAL MURUKKU | DIWALI SNACK RECIPES

Ingredients
Rice flour/ Idliyappam flour Urad dal flour Butter + Oil Asafoetida Jeera or sesame seeds Salt and water Oil
Method

2 cups 1/4 cup 3 tblsp 1/4 tsp 1 & 1/2 tsp As needed For deep frying

1. I used store bought urad dal flour. So I slightly dry roasted(you can skip this too) in a pan with out
changing its colour. Mix flours,butter (melted),oil,asafoetida,jeera,salt well and then add water to make a non sticky dough with no cracks. Heat oil in kadai apparently, enough to deep fry the murukkus.Fill the murukku press with this dough with murukku hole plate. I always grease some laddles and make murukku first in that then drop them in oil. This way we can make decent shapes also our hands wont feel the heat. Deep fry in medium flame. Cook both sides till the Shhh sound ceases and murukku turn golden in colour. Drain in paper towel and cool down completely before storing them in airtight containers.

This will be tasting great for weeks, you can enjoy for so many days when stored in airtight containers. The middle inside of the murukku has hole,which makes it light and crispy. May be thats why they named as thenKHUZHAL ?

Notes Make sure you keep the dough covered through out to avaoid drying of the dough. Even if you want to make in large numbers, do it in batches. As if you make more dough and keep for while you make murukku, the last batches tend to get fried in deep golden colour,so colour may be different. Make sure the rice flour you use is fine in texture. Other wise the murukku will break. Even if the urad dal powder is less, the murukku will break. For this murukku my mom says its not necessary to fry urad dal / urad dal flour. They just give rice and urad dal to the mill and get it ground and make murukku. So if you get ready-made urad dal flour at stores, you can use it as such too. If you add more urad dal powder, then colour will vary. Also takes long time to cook and crispiness also reduces. But only if you add very much more than the mentioned ratio. Approximation works fine. Butter give whiter colour and crisp texture(mom&MIL says so) Make sure you deep fry in enough oil,otherwise the murukku,if touches the bottom of the pan will lead to un even browning. After few batches, you may want to top up more oil for frying,as it gets absorbed.

KAI MURUKKU | GOKULASHTAMI RECIPES

Ingredients: ( Around 25 pieces)

Raw rice(I used sona masoori) Urad dal flour Ghee 1 cup 4 5 tblsp 5 tblsp

Sesame seeds Asafoetida Salt & water Oil

2 tsp 1/4 tsp as needed For deep frying

Soak the rice for at least 2 hours and drain the water,spread it in a clean cloth or news paper to absorb the excess water. Grind it to a fine powder in a mixer. Sieve the flour(you can add the remaining coarse rice to the next batch grinding). Fry the urad dal flour until nice aroma wafts.( You can fry the urad dal and powder,sieve it too. I used ready made store bought urad dal flour). Mix rice flour,urad flour,sesame seeds,ghee,asafoetida and salt well. Add water and make it to a smooth pliable dough. The dough should not have any cracks. Also take care not to add more water. So be careful when you add water. Add slowly and little by little. ake small ball and make twists/murukkus in a news paper. Refer the video how I made. Its bit tricky,but sure you can learn. Make all the dough to murukkus. Heat enough oil in kadai and drop 3-4 at a time. Use dosa flipper (dosa thiruppi)for taking the murukku from the paper. ook in medium flame. Flip the murukku after it floats on top and the shhhhsound ceases. Fry until both sides are evenly cooked up to golden in colour. Store in airt tight container after cooled down. The flavour is in its best when eaten from the next day.

Notes

For one cup rice I got approximately 2 cups of flour. Frying urad adds flavour to the murukku. I used black sesame,you can also use white. You can replace ghee with butter. If your dough breaks while making murukku,just sprinkle little water to make it pliable. Warning: For the first batch, drop the murukku and check if it bursts.

Some times this also bursts. I had some bad luck when I was studying 12th std and was trying to help my mom and ended up some hot oil spills over my face and neck. Just a warning to be careful. Not that it will !!

Mullu Murukku

Rice flour 3 cups Besan flour 1 cup Red Chilli powder 2 teaspoons Asafotida powder 1 teaspoon Salt 2 teaspoons or as per taste Butter or Ghee 4 tablespoon Oil for deep frying

Method: Sieve both rice and besan flour. Put it in a broad vessel. Add red chilli powder, asafetida and salt and mix well. Melt butter or ghee and pour over the flour. Mix once again. Divide the flour into 3 to 4 parts. Then add water little by little in one part of the flour and make a soft dough. Heat oil in a Kadai. Take small quantity of dough and put it in the Murukku Press with single star plate and squeeze it in circular motion directly to the hot oil. Fry till it becomes crispy and nice golden yellow. But ensure not to brown. Once the prepared dough is finished, then take another part of the flour and make dough and proceed as above.

JALEBI | DIWALI SWEET RECIPES

Ingredients
Maida/All purpose flour Corn Flour 1 cup 2 tblsp

Thick Curd Cooking soda Ghee Yellow food colour Oil + ghee

3/4 cup(approximately) 1 pinch 2 tblsp 1/2 pinch for deep frying

For Sugar syrup

Sugar Water Lemon juice Yellow food colour Rose essence/elachi powder Method 1 cup 1 cup 1 tsp 1/4 pinch Optional

1. Mix maida,corn flour, cooking soda,ghee and yellow food colour in a bowl. Add curd and make a thick
batter by adding more water... Consistency should be like vada batter. Keep it in a warm place for 12 hours/overnight or until it ferments well.Next day mix well with a ladle. It should be a sticky thick batter of dropping consistency.

Apparently boil sugar with water,food colour, until one string consistency. Say 15 minutes in medium high flame. Then add lemon juice, essence/elachi,saffron and keep in lowest heat possible. In a flat bottomed pan, heat oil+ ghee. Level should be very low as shown in the pic. Take a cloth with a smallest hole in the middle or a durable Ziploc bag with hole in the middle. Fill with the batter and draw circles in a medium heated oil. oil should

never fume. Also it should be enough to fry the jalebis porous and crisp. So adjust the heat accordingly. Make 3-4 circles per piece and end the circle by overlapping the tip when you end, otherwise the shape wont be good.
Fry on both sides till crisp and drain it and add immediately to the hot sugar syrup. Let it be dunked in the syrup for 2 minutes at least. After some time, drain it and arrange in a plate.

Notes The batter consistency is very important,it should be thick like vada batter. If its runny, then jalebi will become flat. Dont add cooking soda too much. While cooking jalebi, keep flame medium to make it crisp. Fermentation is very important. If you doubt if the batter will ferment or no, you can add a tsp of dried yeast and ferment for less hours. If using ziploc, use a durable one(thick) as otherwise the bag will tear. Lemon juice prevents sugar from crystallizing. If you want jalebis to be more on tangier side, add more lemon juice than mentioned.

Magilampoo Murukku

Rice Flour - 2 cups Roasted Green Gram Dhal (Moong) flour - 1/2 cup Powdered sugar - 2 tablespoons Butter or Ghee - 2 tablespoons Coconut Milk - 1/4 cup Salt - 1/2 teaspoon or as per taste Oil for deep frying Method: For Green gram dhal flour, dry roast 1/2 cup green gram dhal (Moong dhal) till its colour changes to light brown. Cool it and powder it. Sieve it and take half cup powder. Powder required sugar also. Mix rice flour, dhal flour, salt, sugar, butter or ghee thoroughly. Add coconut milk and again mix it well. Then add water little by little and make a soft dough. Heat oil in a kadai. Take small quantity of dough and put it in the Murukku Press with single star plate and squeeze it in circular motion directly in the hot oil. Fry till it becomes crispy and remove. Finish all the dough like this. Store it in an air-tight container

RASGULLA | PANEER DESSERT RECIPES

Ingredients
Milk(full cream) Lemon juice Sugar Water Elachi powder Ice cubes Nuts (optional) 1 Litre 3 tblsp 2 cups 3 &1/2cups 1 pinch 12 nos For garnish

Heat the milk,when it start to boil,simmer the flame, add the lemon juice and stir properly. Heat further until the whey water clearly separates. Put off the flame. Add the Ice cubes and mix well. Updated : ice cubes are added to stop the curdling at that instant. It prevents the chenna to become hard and helps for soft texture. Take a metal strainer,lined with a cheese cloth/muslin cloth(I used my dupatta). Pour the curdled milk in it. Wash it well in the running water under the tap to remove the lemon smell and sourness Then squeeze the excess water gently and hang it for 30 minutes. I just squeezed the excess water now and then very gently as my dupatta dint drain the water by itself. But its not a must if the cloth is proper. After 1/2 hour,take out the paneer in a bowl.I will be now more like a crumble look wise. w knead this for 7-10 minutes gently to make it like a soft and smooth dough.

Make smooth equal sized small balls. I made some 25 balls,you can adjust the number according to the size you decide to get. Apparently take the sugar,elachi powder and water in a pressure cooker and boil it.
After the sugar gets dissolved completely and the syrup boils,add the balls made carefully one by one. Cover the pressure cooker and cook it till you get one whistle in low flame. After a whistle,simmer more and keep for another 5 minutes. Put off the flame and let the pressure gets released by itself,then open the lid to see the rasgullas by now it would have doubled in size. Cool down and refrigerate and serve chilled!

Notes

Use lemon juice as mentioned and the milk should boil while you add the lemon juice. The kneading part is very important,knead smooth and soft with patience.

SWEET DIAMOND CUTS/ MAIDA BISCUITS RECIPE

Ingredients(makes 5-6 cups of the snack)

Maida/ all purpose flour Sugar Ghee Oil Salt 2 cup 1/2 cup 1 tsp To deep fry 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Mix flour, salt, 1tsp of sugar and ghee in a bowl. Add enough water to make it a pliable dough. Dough
should not be too soft. It should be just right.keep aside for 20-30 minutes. Powder sugar to fine powder and keep a side. Knead the dough again after some time and divide dough into 6 equal parts. Roll as thin as possible evenly with generous dusting. With the use of the cutter/ knife, cut out thin strips as shown below. Again cut diagonally to make little diamonds. Use a thin dosa spatula to take it out from the rolling board. Dont worry if everything gets together.

 Heat oil in a kadai and when it is hot, gently gather the diamonds and drop in a sprinkled way as much as possible. Once you drop in hot oil, the diamonds that got together will separate as it gets cooked. Cook in medium flame with constant turning to make sure it is evenly cooked. Once the bubbles and sound completely ceases, then take it out from oil and immediately add 2-3 tblsp powdered sugar to it and toss well to coat everything evenly.

Notes You can use an elachi while you powder the sugar. You can use store bought icing sugar too. You can use knife or pizza cutter to cut into diamonds. Use a metal spatula to take out from the rolling board. If the dough is too sticky, then it will be difficult to take out. So use generous dusting.

PAAL KOZHUKATTAI ~ WITH COCONUT MILK

ngredients:
Idiyappam flour/rice flour Coconut milk powder Water Sugar Milk+ water cardamom powder Ghee Sesame oil Salt
Method: 1. Take a non stick pan and mix milk,1 cup water,ghee and the rice flour (add a pinch of salt if u r using rice flour,i used store bought idiyappam flour and it had salt in it, so dint add).

1 cup 50 gms pack 2 & 1/2 cup 3/4 cup 1/2 cup + 1 cup 2 pinches 1 tsp 4 tsp A pinch

Heat this in medium flame with constant stirring until the water evaporates and forms a dough. Add 4 tsp sesame oil now and knead the dough. The dough should have got cooked almost and this can be confirmed if the dough is non-sticky. (Dont cook in high flame,cook in medium flame as this will make sure that the dough gets cooked) Keep covered and take your convenient portions little by little and make tiny balls of desired size. I made it in size of seedai as mentioned in premas blog. Now take 2 cups of water in a heavy bottomed vessel and heat it until lukewarm. Add the 1/4th of the coconut milk powder to get a thin milk. Mix well without lumps. Bring to boil.(Be careful,it may overflow now) Add the rolled tiny rice balls in two parts. Add half of the balls and wait until the milk boils again and again add the remaining balls. Boil in medium flame for 3 minutes or until the balls float on the top. By now the milk would have gone thicker. Add cardamom powder,sugar and mix well until it gets dissolved ake remaining 1/2 cup water and heat it until lukewarm. Add the remaining coconut milk powder and mix well to get thick milk. Put off the stove and add this thick milk and mix well. Serve hot or chilled as per your wish and enjoy this delightful sweet.

Notes:

I have used sugar,you can replace with jaggery. You can use coconut milk cream or our drinking milk too. Donot boil after you add the thick milk as there are chances of curdling. Increase or decrease the sugar amount as per your taste. If you are replacing the coconut milk powder with else milk or coconut milk cream or fresh coconut milk,write to me your doubts,I will try my best to clear.

SANDESH RECIPE | PANEER DESSERT RECIPES | EASY DIWALI SWEETS

Ingredients:

Full cream milk Lemon juice Water Sugar(powdered) Corn flour Pistachio Green food colour

1 litre From 1 lemon 2 tblsp 7 tblsp 2 tsp 2 tblsp few dorps

ethod:
1. Boil milk. Dilute lemon juice with water and add it to the boiling milk and keep stirring till the milk curdles completely.
Strain the paneer/Chhena in a muslin cloth(I used one of my dupattas). Hang it for 1/2 hour or till all the water drains. I just squeeze excess water now and then in the 1/2 hour Grind this chhena with sugar and corn flour in mixer until smooth. Take a non stick pan and heat this mixture on very low heat for 8-10 mins. Take care not to change the paneer colour. I added the green colour in this stage,while heating the mixture. When the mixture turns dry and thick remove from fire and transfer to a bowl. Add the powdered pistachios and the green colour. Knead well and make into desired shapes. Decorate with pistachios. Keep refrigerated till serving time.

Notes:

Tastes best when served chilled Adding corn flour and pistachio powder is optional. I have not tried though without those two ,but saw in another cook book without those.
Kaju katli

Ingredients (Makes 14-15 pieces)

Cashew nuts 1 cup(levelled)

Sugar Water Milk Ghee Method:

1/2 cup(heaped) 1/4 cup 1 tblsp Just for greasing

1. Powder the cashews in a dry mixer. You have to be careful here, just grind it in a stretch, dont stop in between and grind. You will be sure able to see the powder in the transparent lid, so keep grinding until you get fine powder.This will not take much time. Also never grind the cashew which is cold,taken from the fridge,grind it when it is in room temperature. When I ground 1 cup of cashews, I got more than a cup of cashew powder, but I used 1 cup,heaped(like a mountain) cashew powder. There was some 2 tblsp left for me.
Boil sugar with water and keep stirring. Keep little water in a small bowl and just pour few drops in the water to check the consistency. If you pour few drops, it should lay a fine thread that doesnt gets dissolved in water immediately when you touch. At this stage,low the flame add the powdered cashew and keep stirring.Say for 3-4 minutes in low flame and your mixture gets thick and starts boiling, switch off the flame. Smear ur hands with water and test by rolling a small pinch of the mixture in between ur fingers. You should be able to form a non sticky ball. This is the correct consistency. Keep stirring in the pan itself with the ladle and the mixture turns more like a dough.When the mixture is still warm,take it to another clean platform/countertop and keep kneading. Mine was a bit dry, so I sprinkled some milk and kept kneading.The dough was grainy till then, but after kneading the dough really became smooth. I used gloves for kneading,so if you want u can use little ghee while kneading. oll the dough into thin layer and cut it diagonally to make pieces.You can first draw lines lightly with the knife tip and then cut into diamonds to get perfect shapes.

Notes: 1. I used milk only as my mixture was dry while kneading. If its fine then no need to add milk while kneading. 2. If you add milk while kneading,shelf life is less,so keep refrigerated. 3. Use less water to make sugar syrup to get the consistency quickly. While making sugar syrup,keep the flame in medium if you are nearing the consistency. 4. If you add cashew powder before the sugar syrup reaches the consistency, then the dough will be sticky. So the sugar syrup consistency is important.

5. While powdering,if you grind for more time,the powder sticks and gives a coarse looking powder. But thats ok,it will be smoothed when you are kneading. But note that coarse look on result of over grinding is different from the real coarse powder. So dont get confused. 6. Till the end your mixture will not be that smooth,but when you knead the mixture turns to a smooth dough. So dont panic like me ;)
COCONUT BURFI RECIPE | THENGAI BURFI RECIPE - EASY DIWALI SWEETS RECIPES

Ingredients (Makes 12 14 pieces)

Coconut, grated Sugar Elachi powder Cashews Ghee 1 cup heaped 1 cup 2 pinches 5 1 tsp

Method

1. Take a pan and fry cashews till golden brown and set aside.Keep a tray ready greased. Heat coconut and
sugar together. Mix well. Continue heating with constant stirring in medium flame. the sugar will melt and form a thick liquid. Continue this until the mixture starts leaving the pan and forms a foamy whitish bubbles while stirring. Colour should not change. Add cashews, elachi lastly. Pour immediately to the greased tray and level it with a greased aluminium foil to give it a smooth finish. Cut in to pieces while it is still warm.

Notes The time taken to get the end consistency varies upon the pan thickness you use, heat and moisture in coconut. If you are going to add fried gram dal/ pottu kadalai, then add in place of cashews. If you set the mixture in tray for so long until it cools down, then it will be difficult make pieces. I used my pizza cutter for making pieces . If you keep stirring even after the consistency reaches, then the sugar will get caramelised and colour will start to change

CARAMEL BREAD PUDDING (EGGLESS) | PUDDING RECIPES

Ingredients
Bread slices Milk Sugar Sugar for caramel Vanilla essence Nuts(optional) 8 1 & 1/2 cups 2/3 cup (11 tblsp approx) 2 tblsp 1 tsp for garnishing

Method

1. Tear the bread into pieces and add milk to it. Mash it well with potato masher. Mix vanilla and sugar and keep aside.

2.
keep ready the vessel(flat 6 inch bowl or any other similar) and heat a pan with sugar and 2 tsp water. Tilt the pan frequently for even heating and take care not to burn the sugar. At one stage the sugar starts turning deep golden yellow. . Pour the caramel in the vessel and tilt to coat the bottom and a bit in the sides as well. Let it set for two minutes and pour the bread mixture to it Steam cook it by covering the vessel with aluminium foil with holes pricked for the steam to escape. Steam for 20-25 minutes. fter that,cool down and keep it in refrigerator for 2 hours minimum and then invert it to a plate. You can cut it to desired shape before serving.

Notes Be sure you dont over heat the sugar syrup after it turns golden in colour, otherwise it may taste bitter. Also take care not to burn it in the sides of the pan,tilt it frequently to avoid this. You can top with nuts if you like. Dont add more milk or sugar than mentioned. The pudding by itself is gooey and sticky, so adding more of any one of the above may not set properly. Give at least a day for setting, before serving/eating to enjoy the fullest flavour! I used my pressure cooker for steaming,without the pressure regulator(valve/weight)