Grapes Sheera Recipe / Sheera Recipe

Sheera, a popular prasadam in Perumal temples is prepared with milk and no added colours. Also known as sooji halwa and kesari, this is a traditional sweet, prepared at home with milk or water, during festivities and for breakfast as well. I was tempted to make it with these grapes (in Australia) which was so tasty. 

INGREDIENTS:

Double roasted rava/sooji - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Grapes puree - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cashew and raisins - few

Cardamom powder -  1/4 tsp.

Saffron strands - few (optional)

METHOD:

Grind grapes in a mixie. I have used seedless grapes. 

In a kadai, heat a spoon of ghee and fry the cashew and raisins until golden brown, keep aside. 

In the same kadai, fry rawa (sooji) until you feel a nice aroma. 

Add hot water gradually, stir quickly so that no lumps are formed. Add ground grapes, little ghee. Cover with a lid and allow it to get cooked. 

Now add sugar, stir, mix well. Add some more ghee. Initially while adding sugar, the mixture looks like forming lumps. Do not panic. Mix well, stir continuously mashing the lumps, and the sugar melts well. Add remaining ghee.

Add cardamom powder, fried cashews and raisins. Cook until the mixture comes together, forms a mass and separates from the pan.

Serve warm or hot.

BESAN COCONUT BURFI

INGREDIENTS:

Besan (Gram flour) - 1/2 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 1/4 cup
Ghee - 3/4 - 1 cup

Broken cashews - 3 tablespoon

Cardomom powder- 1/8 tsp.

METHOD:

Grease a tray with melted ghee and keep aside.

Grate coconut, slightly grind in mixie, just a whirr and keep aside.

Sieve and dry roast besan until good aroma comes. Keep aside. Fry cashews in a spoon of ghee until golden brown. Keep ready.

In a pan add sugar and little water to immerse sugar and bring it to one thread consistency.

At this stage, add coconut gratings and roasted besan, mix well without lumps, add ghee little by little. Keep stirring. Add ghee-fried cashews and cardamom powder. 

When the mixture leave the sides of pan and is little thick, pour into the greased tray, tap the tray and level the surface. When warm cut it into desired shape.

Besan coconut burfi is ready. 

Khoya barfi / Mawa burfi

I had been busy these days shifting my house to Coimbatore. Being literally tied up & busy with personal works. Some of my readers asked me to post some easy Diwali sweets / savouries recipes. So I thought of posting a very easy to make, quick burfi recipe, which has been laying in my drafts since long. Khoya barfi or mawa barfi can be made within 15 minutes. I will get back to blogging soon.

INGREDIENTS:

• Khoya - 2 cups (unsweetened) 
• Sugar - 1/2 cup 
• Cardamom - 2 (powdered)
• Cashew - 6 (optional)
• Milk - 2 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tsp 
• Pistachios - to garnish
• A few drops of rose water or any essence - optional

METHOD:

• Bring khoya to room temperature. Grate or crumble it before measuring.
• Grease a plate with ghee and keep it ready. 
• Soak cashews in hot water for half an hour and  grind it to a thick paste along with milk.
• Slice pistachios and keep ready.
• Heat a heavy bottomed /non stick pan, add ghee. When it melts, add crumbled khoya, cashew paste and sugar.  Mix well, keep the stove to a medium flame and stir continuously until sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes sticky. 
• Add cardamom powder, mix well and stir continuously in medium-low flame until the mixture comes together like a mass. There will be a slight change in the color. 
• Pour the mixture in the greased plate. Level it to 1/2" thick with a greased wooden spatula . Garnish with few sliced pistachios on top.
• Leave it to cool down. Once set, cut into desired shapes. Store khoya barfi in an air-tight container.

Mixed nuts burfi

INGREDIENTS:

Unsalted almonds, cashews, pista, walnuts - 3 cups
(I used the whole almonds with skin. Any combination of nuts can be used.)
Sugar - 2 1/2 cups
Water - 1 cup
Ghee - 1/2 to 3/4 cup

METHOD:

Dry roast the nuts separately until slightly warm, be careful not to burn the nuts. Cool and dry grind to a coarse powder. Grease a tray and keep it ready.

In a kadai, dissolve sugar in water and make one string consistency syrup. Add nuts powder and mix well. When the mixture starts boiling, simmer the stove and stir continuously in low flame. Once it starts to thicken, add ghee and keep stirring until the mixture leaves the sides of the kadai. Pour it into the greased tray. While still warm, cut into desired shape.

AMRITHA KALASAM RECIPE / AMRUTHA KALASAM RECIPE / AMIRTHA KALASAM RECIPE

With green gram (No coconut)

With moong dhal (With grated coconut)

'Amrutha Kalasam' is a Prasadam offered to 'Sri Garudan' to seek His blessings. It is a special offering to 'Garuthman', popular in 'Tirukkannamangai' and almost all 'Garudaazhwar' in Perumal temples. During Aadi month Swathi star which is Garudan's avathara day, this delicacy is prepared and after offering the same to Him, it is consumed as His prasadam.

In 'Tirukkannamangai Bakthavatsala Perumal' temple, people worship 'Garudan' and offer 9 yards saree with checks and 'Amritha kalasam Prasadam' and seek His blessings. It is a belief that offering it to Him and consuming them as His Prasadam will get rid of Naga dosha, insect bites, skin problems, and also to get rid of fear. It is believed that childless couple will be blessed with children, also men and women whose marriages are getting delayed due to various reasons, will soon get married . This offering is made on all Thursdays,Sundays, Swathi stars and also on Aadi Swathi, the star of Garuda.

A quick note on 'Prasadam':
'Prasadam' is the food that is offered to God. It is the practice of Hindus to offer food to God before eating it. Everything you offer on your altar becomes prasadam, the grace of the God, and is called by various names Prasadam, Bhog and Naivedhyam. The offerings can be fruits, sweets, bakshanams or anything but doing it with love and devotion is important. Bhagavath Geetha says, “Krishna accepts the offering made to Him with love”. In Iyengar households, whatever we cook is offered to 'The Supreme Lord Narayana' and it is termed as 'Kandarula pannuthal'. 

Nandambakkam Ramar temple Garuda Vahanam

Now, to the recipe:
 
INGREDIENTS:-

Green gram dhal / Moong dhal - 1 cup
Scraped coconut- 3 tablespoons (optional)
Crushed jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
Cardamom (powdered) - 2
Ghee - 1 tablespoon

METHOD: 

Soak dhal for 2 hours. Drain water and grind to a coarse paste.

Dissolve jaggery in little water and filter to remove impurities.

Heat a kadai, pour in the dissolved jaggery and allow it to boil until it diffuses its raw smell. Now add scraped coconut, cardamom powder and ground dhal and mix well without any lumps. Add ghee and saute until it binds together. When warm, make small balls and shape like 'kalasam' (coconut/modakam shape). Arrange them in idli plate and steam cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Amirtha Kalasam is ready for offering to Garudaazhwar.

PAAL ALWA RECIPE / MILK HALWA RECIPE

Pretty excited. My blog 'Shanthisthaligai' is Ten!! Special thanks to everyone from the bottom of my heart, for your continuous support and taking time to show your love by visiting my blog, reading, trying out recipes, mailing me and leaving comments. Love you all! 💕💕

Celebrating my blog's 10th anniversary with Paal Alwa!
Paal alwa / Milk Halwa is a simple, mouthwatering dessert/halwa. We can make it easily at home with minimum ingredients.  

INGREDIENTS:

Milk - 1 ltr.
Sugar - 2 cups
Saffron - few strands ( soak in a spoon of warm milk)
Sliced pistachios - optional
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp.
Curd - 1 tablespoon 
Ghee - 1/4 cup

METHOD: 

Boil milk. Pour milk in a heavy bottomed pan and allow it to boil it reduces to 1/3rd. Stir in between. Now add sugar, stir well. When it thickens again, add curd and stir continuously. The mixture will thicken and become grainy. Adding curd gives the grainy texture for halwa. Stir well, add ghee, cardamom powder, sliced pista. Mix well. When ghee oozes from the sides, switch off the flame. Mix well and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with saffron.   

MYSORE PAK RECIPE / MYSORE PAK POROUS RECIPE

The traditional porous mysore pak is a melt-in-mouth sweet made during festivals, functions and marriages. When I was young, elders at home made these type of mysore pak only. Being in Coimbatore, I can still remember the days when Krishna sweets soft mysorepa (I mention it as mysorepa and not mysorepak) was introduced. Elders would say, "Mysorepagunna kara karannu vaaila potta karaiya vendamo? Ennamo po" i.e., Mysorepak is meant to be crunchy and melt in mouth instead of being soft. Krishna sweets mysorepa is known for its taste and easy making though. 

Traditional mysorepak is a challenge to make. It requires continuous attention. I generally post stepwise pictures only for most needed recipes, because I don't have any assistance and some recipes need timely click. This is one such recipe.  Unfortunately, there was no power and the weather was also very gloomy. I had to be really fast and I couldn't click the final busy seconds, as I was concentrating on the right texture. Still, I have clicked with available light and to my might for easy understanding. As I felt it would be helpful/useful to all if I wrote the minute details and tips, it really took long time to write this post than making mysore pak.😃

HAPPY DEEPAVALI ! 

INGREDIENTS:
Gram flour / Besan  - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 1/2 cups OR 
A mixture of Ghee - 1 cup  and oil -1/2 cup 
Sugar - 2 1/2 cups
Water - see method

METHOD:

Grease a tray with ghee and keep ready.

Sieve besan and keep it ready near the stove. (Some people dry roast besan). 

Take sugar in a thick bottomed kadai, add water, just to immerse the sugar and make sugar syrup for soft ball consistency. If you add a drop of syrup in a small plate of water, you should be able to roll it to a ball, without dissolving in the water or you can check the syrup with your index finger and thumb to get a thick, long one string consistency.  Meanwhile, melt ghee+oil mixture in another stove, in medium flame and keep it ready too. When you get the sugar syrup consistency, put the flour little by little in it, simultaneously add a ladle of hot melted ghee also and stir it non-stop without any lumps. 

NOTE: THE GHEE SHOULD BE REALLY HOT. Keep an eye so that it doesn't get burnt. A mixture of oil and ghee as mentioned in the ingredients, is safe and best to use as it prevents quick burning. It was really like multitasking. 😍

Each time when you pour the hot ghee mixture, the mixture hisses and frothes and you can see air bubbles. Pour the ladle of ghee in such a way that it spreads all over the mixture.These bubbles finally turn into beautiful pores and makes the mysore pak porous. This is the secret of porous mysorepak. 

Stir continuously in medium flame. Repeat the process until besan and ghee is finished. When the whole mixture becomes frothy, leaving the sides of the kadai (need not become a mass) switch off the flame and quickly transfer the mixture to a greased tray. Just tap the tray to get a uniform surface. (Do not press with a spatula to even the surface).  Wait just for a couple of minutes. When it is still hot, run a greased knife to get the desired shape. Allow it to cool and then take out the pieces.

Traditional, porous, crunchy mysore pak is ready. 😅😋

You can see the air bubbles in this picture.👇👇

OOSI THENKUZHAL MANOHARAM RECIPE / MANOHARAM RECIPE / MANOHARAM WITH OOSI THENKUZHAL

Manoharam is a South Indian sweet made during festivals and functions. Manoharam in Tamil means beautiful. There is a practice of giving manoharam paruppu thengai (cones) as seer during brahmin marriages and family functions. Usually it is done with thenkuzhal. My mom and grandma makes this with oosi thenkuzhal. I have posted oosi thenkuzhal recipe earlier. For a change I also made it with oosi thenkuzhal and the sweet will be an easy bite even for elders.

Click here for Manoharam made with regular thenkuzhal.

Click here for Oosi thenkuzhal recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Oosi thenkuzhal crushed -  5 cups
Crushed jaggery - 1 cup

Ghee - to grease hand

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp.

NOTE: There is no hard and fast measurement for jaggery syrup. Just add syrup to bind the thenkuzhals. Adding more will make this manoharam soggy because oosi thenkuzhal is very thin.

METHOD:

Crush oosi thenkuzhal into small pieces in a bowl and transfer to a wide plate. 

Crush and powder  jaggery. Dissolve in half a cup of water, strain without any dirt or mud.

Heat jaggery and make soft ball syrup out of the jaggery. Drop a little of jaggery syrup in a cup of water, and using your hand try making a soft ball. This is the perfect consistency for the jaggery syrup. Add cardamom powder. Mix well.

Add jaggery syrup to the crushed thenkuzhals. Mix well with a spatula. Grease your hands with ghee and make rough balls out of it.  When still warm and tighten and shape to even sized balls. 

Delicious Oosi thenkuzhal manoharam is ready.

PUMPKIN SEEDS AND NUTS ENERGY LADOO RECIPE / PUMPKIN SEEDS AND NUTS ENERGY BALLS RECIPE

Pumpkin Seeds and Nuts Energy ladoo / Energy balls can be made with or without added sugars. These are easy to make, simple and healthy and is very nutritious.

Pumpkin seeds (yellow pumpkin seeds, NOT ashgourd seeds) also known as Pepitas, are good sources of magnesium, pottasium and zinc. They aid in lowering cholestrol, promote good prostate and helps in boosting metabolism. They are loaded with Omega 3 fatty acids and the antioxidants found in pumpkin seeds assist in maintaining blood sugar levels and is helpful in preventing complications of diabetes. It is also helpful in menstrual disorders and insomnia. Though available, these seeds are bit costly in India. My son sent me these from U.S.

Recently, I received a Turbo chopper from Preethi Kitchen Appliances. Preethi Turbo chopper is an easy to use, handy equipment used for chopping onions, cabbage, greens and nuts. Dips and chutneys with tomatoes, herbs, etc. can also be made with this small chopper. It just needs one press and does its job fast. I have used this Turbo chop for making this energy ladoos. You can also use a dry mixer jar.

INGREDIENTS:

Pumpkin seeds - 1/2 cup (yellow pumpkin seeds, NOT ashgourd seeds)
Cashews - 1/2 cup
Almond - 1/2 cup
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Roasted gram -1/4 cup
Raisins- 1/2 cup
Palm candy - 1/4 cup
Honey - 3 tablespoons
Nutella - 160 gms.
Ghee- to grease hands

METHOD:

Dry roast pumpkin seeds, cashews, almond, peanuts and roasted gram separately, on low heat until hot. If kept in fridge, bring to room temperature and then dry roast. 

When cool, grind along with palm candy to a coarse powder. 

Now add raisins, honey and nutella, whip until mixed well. 

Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Grease hands with ghee and shape to balls, pedas, or squares. If cutting like square, transfer to a tray, press the surface evenly with a greased cup and cut into desired shape.

MAALADU / MAALADOO / MAALAADU / ROASTEDGRAM LADOO

Maladu / Maa ladoo is an easiest, simplest and quick to make, healthy sweet made with pottukadalai (roasted gram). Ladoo courtesy: My sister Radha. The ladoos in the picture were made by my sister. 

INGREDIENTS:

Pottukadalai (Roasted gram) - 2 cups 
Sugar - 1 and 1/2 cups OR Boora sugar - 1 and 1/2 cups. 
Cashews - 10 
Ghee - 3/4 cup 
Powdered cardamom - 1/2 tsp. 

METHOD: 

Heat a pan and dry roast pottukadalai until hot. Pound it to a fine powder. Powder the sugar finely using a mixie. OR you can also use the boora chakkarai (boora sugar) which will be available in the stores. 

Break cashews into small pieces and fry it in a spoon of ghee until golden brown. Keep aside.

Melt ghee in the same pan. This should be warm while shaping the balls. 

Mix together powdered pottukadalai, powdered sugar, cardamom powder and ghee-fried cashews. Add the melted ghee little by little and shape into balls. (DO NOT POUR IN THE ENTIRE GHEE. POUR A LADLE OF GHEE AND SHAPE FOUR OR FIVE BALLS) Repeat the procedure for the entire mixture. Shape all the balls tightly. 

NOTE: Little milk can be sprinkled if felt difficult to shape.

CASHEW BADAM KESAR BURFI / KAJU BADAM KESAR BURFI / CASHEW ALMOND BURFI / KAJU BADAM BURFI

INGREDIENTS:

Cashewnuts - 1 cup
Almonds - 1 cup
Sugar - 3 cups
1st quality saffron strands - 3 finger pinch
Milk - approximately 1/4 cup
Melted butter or ghee - 1/2 cup
2 to 3 drops of yellow food colour (optional)

METHOD:

Soak cashewnuts in water for an hour. Soak almonds separately in hot water for an hour. Soak saffron in 2 tablespoons on warm milk.

Sliver 6 almonds. Keep aside. Peel the remaining almonds. Drain soaked water and grind cashews and almonds in a mixie, to a fine powder. Add very little milk and grind again to a smooth thick paste. Use as little milk as possible while grinding.

Grease a tray with melted ghee and keep ready.

Combine the ground paste and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan, and cook on medium heat. Now the sugar will dissolve and the mixture will become watery. Keep stirring continuously in medium heat, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add slivered almonds, reduce heat and keep stirring until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and turns like a dough. Wet your fingers, pinch a little from the dough and roll it to a small ball. If you can and it doesn't stick to your hand, then it is done. Alternatively you can take a pinch from the dough and rub it to a plate. If you can roll without sticking, then it is done. Switch off the stove, add ghee little by little, simultaneously stirring the mixture until the ghee mixes well. Now add soaked saffron alongwith soaked milk and mix until it spreads well in the dough. Pour the mixture to the greased tray and level the surface evenly with a flat spoon or spatula. Cut into rectangle shape or desired shape with a knife, when cool.

Delicious kaju badam barfi / kaju badam kesar barfi is ready. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

NOTE:
The colour from saffron itself will be enough for the burfi. You can use food colour if your prefer to. 

MINI KAJU KATLI / KAJU KATLI / SMALL CASHEW KATLI

I used to think about making mini sweets, savouries and desserts during festivals, especially during diwali, when we have varieties of sweets and savouries in surplus. My earlier mini savoury was the making of button pepper thattai/mini pepper thattai. I just loved the trend of making the minis in sweets and savouries. Now its time for mini kaju katlis. These mini katlis will sure leave you begging for more. Do try this simply irresistible bite-sized treats for this diwali and enjoy one or even two of these fun little treats! 

INGREDIENTS:

Cashewnuts - 1.5 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Water - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1 tsp.
Rose water - 1 or 2 tsp (optional)

INGREDIENTS:

Dry grind cashews in a mixie to a smooth, fine powder. Pulse at short intervals. Do not grind at a stretch as it will become oily and sticky.

In a pan add sugar and water and boil it to make one string consistency. Boil the syrup a little more (a little more than one thread and little less than 2 threads is the sugar syrup consistency).

Lower the flame, add cashew powder to the syrup, while stirring continuously for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame, add ghee, rose water(if using) and keep stirring in the pan until the mixture turns like a dough. Allow it to cool for a few minutes. When the dough is still warm, knead it to a smooth, firm dough using your hands. Meanwhile, grease the backside of a plate or plastic sheet or clean kitchen counter, and also the rolling pin with melted ghee and keep ready. Place a portion of the cashew dough on the greased surface and flatten it to a circle with the greased rolling pin. Roll the dough to approximately 1/3" thickness. If using a plastic sheet keep another greased plastic sheet on top and flatten it.

After 10 minutes, cut into diamond shape using a small sized cookie cutter. If you want a bigger piece use a knife and cut into diamond shape or any shape of your choice.

NOTE: Bring cashews to room temperature if kept in fridge.

HAYAGREEVA / BANDI / MADDI

Lord Hayagreeva is the God of wisdom and knowledge. Hayagreeva Jayanthi falls on Aavani(tamil month) shravanam (star) / Shravan month . The oofering / naivedhyam is a sweet called "Hayagreeva"/"Maddi"/"Bandi". Offering this sweet to The Lord on any Tiruvonam day, gives knowledge and wisdom to the children and they will perform well in studies.  Lord Hayagreeva, give us the power to discriminate between right and wrong.

INGREDIENTS:

Chenna dhal - 1 cup
Crushed jaggery - 1 cup
Cardamom - 4
Scraped coconut - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 ladle

METHOD:

Choose red variety of jaggery ( paahu vellam) and crush it. Powder the cardamoms.

Wash and pressure cook chenna dhal. When cool, drain the water and keep aside. Do not mash it.

Dissolve jaggery in 1/4 cup of water and strain it without any mud.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan, pour in the jaggery and allow it to boil till it diffuses its raw smell. Now add scraped coconut, cardamom powder and boiled chenna dhal and mix well . Add ghee and saute till thick. Offer it to The Lord.