Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Akkara Adisal/Akkaravadisal - Iyengar Style

Akkaravadisal is an authentic iyengar recipe which is offered as prasadham in many Perumal temple.  The texture would be of like jaggery-rice pudding.  Though the preparation would recall slightly of sakkarai pongal, this delicacy is cooked fully in milk with lots of ghee and would come out as rich, creamy, and smoother texture.  

Ingredients:
Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Moong dhal -  3 tsp
Jaggery - 1/2 cup (heaped)
Milk (Boiled) - 1/2 liter
Ghee - 6 tsp or more as desired
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Edible camphor (optional) -a pinch
Cashews - handful or as desired
Dry grapes/Raisin - handful or as desired

Preparation:
1. Boil half liter of milk and allow itself to cool.
2. In a heavy bottomed pan, add 2 tsp of ghee and fry the cashews and raisins.  
3. Later in the same kadai, fry the rice+moong dhal mixture until the rice flakes turn crispy and slightly brown.
4.  Add 1 cup of cooled boil milk + 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 5 whistles or until rice turns soft.
5. Once the pressure is released, mash the cooked rice+dhal mixture well.  
6.   Crush the jaggery, dissolve in very little water, strain out the dust and add it to the cooked dhal and mix well.
7.  Keep in medium flame and keep stirring.  Add the half of the remaining boiled milk in between and keep stirring.  The mixture tends to absorb all the milk and tend to thicken.  Add ghee in between while stirring.  Add a pinch of cardamom powder and edible camphor and keep stirring.  Add the remaining milk and stir continuously.
 8. Add the fried cashews and raisins finally and switch off the flame.  The dish should be in pudding consistency.  Keep in mind when you switch off the flame as it tends to thickens when it cools down.
9.  Offer to God and serve with love, it would taste divine..

Enjoy the lip smacking smooth, creamy, rich recipe and the taste would last for hours...

Monday, August 15, 2016

Gulab Jamun

Gulab jamun is the most popular and loved desert among many Indians.  I prepared this recipe with MTR Gulab jamun mix which is very easy and can be done in half an hour.  An ideal jamun would be soft, spongy and would melt in mouth and the taste lasts for a long period of time.  The flavor of cardamom with a pinch of edible camphor would give an addictive taste to this desert.


Ingredients:
MTR Gulab jamun mix - 200g
Sugar - 300 g
Water - 2.5 cups
Cardamom powder/cardamom essence  - a pinch or few drops
Edible camphor -a pinch
Oil - As required for frying

Preparation:
1. Open the MTR gulab jamun mix packet and transfer the contents (You can use any brand of your choice).  Knead gently well by adding water little by little.  The mixture should be kneaded into a soft dough and small soft balls could be made from it without any cracks (Refer picture).  Set aside for some time.

2.  Take 300g of sugar and add 2.5 cups of water to it.  Keep in medium flame stirring in between.  After 5-7 minutes, the sugar starts to boil and color changes slightly.  Let it boil for some 2 more minutes and at this stage add cardamom essence and a pinch of edible camphor to the  sugar syrup.  Maintain in flame for a minute and switch off the stove.

3.  In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil and fry the soft balls in low flame until it is cooked well and turn golden color on all sides.  Please note while frying, the oil should be kept in low to medium flame, otherwise the balls would turn brownish outside but would not have cooked well inside.  Also fry the balls in small batches. 
4.  Put the fried jamuns in the sugar syrup and repeat the process for rest of the dough.  The size of the jamuns would increase slightly after getting immersed in sugar syrup.  
5.  Serve it warm or chilled as per your family taste.  Warm gulab jamuns are best when served with chilled icecream :-).