Sweet potato ladoo

Sweet potato is otherwise called sweet yam in some places. The Tamil meaning or translation is Seeni kilangu or sarkarai valli kizhangu.
The Indian sweet yams are more sweeter,flavorful, fibrous and starchy. We can distinguish them by their irregular shape and mild pink skin. They come as white or yellow yam depending on the inner color. We can use all kinds of sweet yam in this recipe.

My mom used to simply boil these yams during their peak availability and it is a guilt free snack too. But can we just satisfy ourselves with that natural yam? So one day she made some sweet balls out of it and the whole family started demanding her for this instead of the plain cooked yam:) But I like the boiled yam better than this ladoo, while as usual hubby dear started liking this one and now I have to make a few ladoos for him:)

Sweet potato ladoo along with some boiled ones.

Ingredients:

Sweet potato / Indian sweet yam - 1/2 lb
Freshly shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
sugar - 3 tbsp

Method:

Scrub and wash the yam to remove the sand.
Pressure cook or boil them in water.
If pressure cooking, halve the yam and cook them in 2 cups of water. After getting a whistle , reduce the flame and cook it in medium flame for 5 minutes. Then release the pressure and take it out.
Check by piercing a knife. It should pass freely.
Let it cool and remove the outer skin.
Mash the yam with hand and mix with coconut and sugar.
Shape into tennis ball size laddu (balls) and serve as snack.

Seeni kilangu ladoo is ready!

Kheema kuruma for poori

Weekend breakfasts are always a special in many houses. Hubby dear likes to start his weekends very early in the morning with his Netflix movies and will expect something nice to eat:) Here is a visual treat of the poori and kothu curry kuzhambu I prepared:)

Mutton kheema curry with poori.

Ingredients:

Lamb kheema - 150 gm
tomato - 2 (50 gm)
Potato - 3 (200 gm)
Red onion- 1 (5o gm)
curry leaves- 1 sprig
cilantro- 1 handful
mint leaves - 1 handful
cooking oil- 2 tbsp
chilli powder - 1 tbsp
coriander powder - 2 tbsp
sakthi garam masal powder - 1 tsp
green chilli- 2
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
cinnamon- 1 inch
fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Bay leaf (brinji) - 2
coconut milk - 1/2 cup

Method:

Wash the meat and keep aside.
Take a thick bottom vessel with tight lid.
Heat the oil and add fennel, cinnamon. After they start getting red, add the chopped onion and saute till it get golden brown. Then put the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell vanishes.
Then add the finely chopped tomato, curry leaf, cilantro, mint, green chillies and saute till oil oozes out.
Peel the potato and cut it into small cubes. Put the potato and meat in that wok and saute well.
Add 2 cups of water , turmeric, garam masala and all powders.Cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes. Check if the meat and potato are cooked well. Then add salt and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and switch off.
The curry should be between thick and thin consistency, so that it pairs well with poori.
Kheema kurma is ready!

Serving suggestions:

This will be enough for 4 people.
Serve as side dish with puri / poori, chapathi , idly , dosa , parotta etc.

Note:

*The calorie need of men and women are different. Men need more calories than women.So calculate and serve accordingly.
*Lamb meat is very good for health during winter.
*As poori itself being a heavy breakfast, we may not need much fatty side dish. We may need as little as 150 gm of kheema and it will be difficult to buy that quantity, So while preparing any other kheema dishes, reserve some in freezer for this kuruma.
*Vegetarians can add scrambled paneer instead of meat in this kuruma.