Athirasam

I made this adhirasam (Indian donuts) for this year Christmas. After posting a version of adirasam using store bought rice flour I wanted to make this traditional adirasam and it came out successfully. Adhirasam is an Indian dessert or snack. It is a very common snack prepared in villages of Tamilnadu. Preparing perfect athirasam depends on the expertise on making the perfect jaggery solution (vella pagu). I have measured everything in gms, using my kitchen scale. As getting a 1/2 kg jaggery pack is easier,I add sugar and make up the other ingredients based on that (otherwise rice and jaggery should be of equal weight). I used the Adora basmati rice we get here. I got my adhirasam batter a little runny, so I added maida (AP flour) till it became little thick. If we are using Indian raw rice (pacharisi) , then there won't be any need to add maida flour. Here is my recipe for the 'Tamilnadu sweet adhirasam'.
Recipe source: I have seen my mom making this along with a maid during festivals.  Now I did this with my Mother-in law's tips on making the perfect adhirasam batter. Adding maida is her tips and it works out perfectly for me. 

Awaiting Baby Jesus....Athirasam for Holy Family.

Athirasam batter.

Ingredients:
Raw rice - 600 gm
jaggery - 500 gm
water - 3/4 cup
white sugar - 3 tbsp
dry ginger powder - 1 tbsp
sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
cardamom powder - 1 tsp
poppy seed (kasakasa) - 1 tbsp
All purpose flour - (if needed)
oil to deep fry
ghee - few tsp

Method:
Rinse the rice. Soak the rice in water for 1 hour.   Drain water completely and spread it on a clean dry paper towel or cloth.  Let it dry for 2 hours. Powder the rice in mixie (little by little) to a very fine stage. Sieve if needed.

In the meantime prepare the jaggery solution. Crush the jaggery into small pieces. Put sugar and jaggery in a vessel, add 3/4 cup water and heat till the jaggery dissolves. Continue heating till we see bubbles and one string consistency. (the jaggery solution when poured from the spatula should fall like a single line at the end.).  Check: Take water in a small cup and pour this jaggery now, it should fall as a drop, but will dissolve soon. we will not be able to roll it into a ball. This is the stage for making soft athirasam. Immediately switch off.

Don't go for uruttu patham (update 2014): if it became soft ball or uruttu patham, then add 1/4 cup water and heat and bring back. {Soft ball consistency. (Soft ball consistency - uruttu patham : If we drop 1/2 a tsp of jaggery solution in cold water, it should not dissolve. We should be able to roll that into a soft ball). (or do this step using a candy thermometer - candy stage temp).}

To the powdered rice, add cardamom powder, sesame, kasakasa, dry ginger powder, jaggery solution. Add the jaggery solution little by little , leaving behind the sediments. Mix well. Add the entire solution if possible (the adirasam should be as sweet as possible) and the batter should be like chapati dough but more sticky, little runny and soft to touch.

Add 3 tbsp milk to this and knead again. This gives soft athirasam. (updated 2014)

 If the dough is more runny like idly batter, add maida flour and give it more thickness. (It is a good idea to prepare a cup of extra rice flour separately to mix with the runny batter). For test run, fry one adirasam immediately and check if tastes / looks good.

Then cover the batter with a cling wrap or clean cloth and let it soak for 3 days. On the third day heat oil in a broad frying pan. Wait till it gets really hot. Reduce to medium flame. Take a plastic sheet, apply some ghee in our hands and on the sheet. Take a small lime size adhirasam batter , flatten it smoothly. Make a small hole in center (for South Tamilnadu adirasam) or just without hole (for Madras Athirasam). Deep fry in low to medium heat. Flip and fry the other side too. Fry the adirasam in small batches and give more time to cook in low heat.

Take out using two spatulas, one to hold the adirasam and another to press and drain oil. Keep in paper towels, let cool and store in airtight containers. It gets softer and tastes good after a few hours.

Adirasam is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as snack with tea / coffee and murukku.
Makes a traditional Indian dessert.

Boondhi ladoo

Sweets and Deepavali are inseparable. Here is my ladoo for you all to enjoy.
My hearty prayers and well wishes to you all on this golden occasion. Happy Deepavali to you all!

Boondhi ladoo prepared.

Boondhi ladoo:

Boondhi ladoo or simply the laddu available in SouthIndia is different from motichoor ladoo. A traditional South Indian ladu resembles the famous Tirupathi ladoo and long lasting in room temperature too. while the mothichoor version is more soft, colorful and should be kept in fridge to ensure the freshness.

This is my mom's recipe and I have seen her struggling during Deepavalis with these to get that shape. Those were the days when moms would start making sweets and savories nearly a week before Diwali. Ladoo is her specialty. Her kitchen is large and well ventilated, so that many can join hands during festival days.
Ladoo making is a laborious task, if we don't plan well ahead. She and her maid would simplify the job by frying the boondhis on one evening and the ladoo making the next day. She used to have a long list of friends to send gifts during Diwali. Those large vessels sleeping now in the attic would be filled with home made murukku, muthiri kothu, athirasam, achi murukku, ladoo and another remarkable sweet which I will tell later . My ladoo saga started again, when we wanted to prepare for a thanks giving.

Ladoo has given me so many sweet memories and it is my most favorite sweet too. Those box of ladoo my chithappa used to buy for me from the Lakshmi vilas, my friend M's loving Tirupathi ladoo came through USPS, my elder uncle's care to take me to Tirupathi in my childhood, Kanagam mama buying ghee ladoo for me, my mom's diwali rushes, the carry home gifts of marriages, hubby's strong passion and possessiveness for these home made ladoos, etc etc:)

Method:

Boondi soaked in sugar syrup before making the ladu balls.

Enjoy:)

Ladoo I made for Valentine's day 2013

Ingredients:

Besan flour (kadalai mavu)- 5 cups (1 kg)
(1 -200 ml cup / 200 gms flour yields nearly 10 ladoo)
(water for boondhi- almost half the flour)
sugar - 5 cups (1 kg)
(water for syrup - almost 75% of sugar measure; 4 cups)
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
oil - 1/2 liter (500 ml)
cardamom - 15
pachai karpuram (edible camphor) - a pinch
cashew - 50 number
raisin - 50 number

Special equipment needed:

1.A perforated vessel to make boondhis.
(If we are doing for a small batch, say 1 cup flour, then make holes on a disposable plate using a skewer. I have done this home made boondhi making plate , before buying a traditional boondhi maker and it was very successful too.).
2. disposable hand gloves to bear the heat. Those days they didn't use gloves, I can't imagine that.

Preparing Boondhi:

Mix the baking soda, yellow food color - 2 drops (optional), with a cup of water and pour it into the four. Add water little by little, till it reaches a thick dosa batter consistency. The consistency should be so thick that, if we place a scoop of batter on the perforated plate, it should not run down (we press and make spheres through the holes).

In the same time heat few tbsps of ghee in a broad wok and fry the cashew nuts and raisins separately. Keep aside.

Now add the oil in the wok and start heating slowly, without reaching the fuming point. Gently pour a ladle of batter over the boondhi making plate and press it to the hot oil. Fry till its done. The final product should be crispy.(My version calls for crispy white boondhis. But if you want, you can make soft boondhis too) . Drain oil , let cool and store them.

Making ladoo:

Then in your convenient time, start preparing the syrup. You may need more time and energy to prepare these balls.

Mix the 5 cups of white-sugar with 4 cups of water and *heat it till we get a two thread consistency. (Test:A drop of sugar syrup put in a cup of cold water remains intact as a hard ball). Switch off and add fried boondhis, cardamom powder, fried cashews, raisins. Stir well.

Wear your gloves and start preparing the cute balls out of that hot boondhi mix. Rub some melted ghee to get a good shape. Hurry up, before they get solidify. Make sure that each and every ladoo gets a cahsew and a raisin:)
If you can't do it fast, it may crystallize and the ladoo won't hold together. If it solidifies , don't panic. Just heat the sweetened boondhi with a drop of water, make sure it melts and start making the remaining ladoo.

Boondhi ladu is ready!

Note:
* //If making small quantity if ladoo, then no need for 2 thread consistency syrup. Single thread is enough. //

We can make these ladoos using ready-made boondhis too. But buy the boondhi without salt or seasoning.
Don't be anxious on the results. The ladoo will turn out successful for all.It will be much easier, if we split and do the process as said in the anecdote.
Add 1/2 cup milk powder to boondhi syrup mixture, before making the laddu. This gives a more rich taste.

My treat for you all on  Diwali::

Sweets:
Boondhi ladoo
Jangiri
Athirasam (with rice flour)
Baklava
Maladdu
Gulab Jamun
Carrot halwa
Rasgulla
Wheat Halwa
Mysore bah
Maida Burfi
Badam katli
Milk peda(MW method)
Rava ladoo
Besan flour ladoo

Savories:
Murukku
Cashew pakoda
Ulunthu Vadai
Cinema theater samsa
Ribbon Pakoda
ordinary pakoda
Thukkada
Vaazhai poo vadai
Masal vadai

Payasam and kesari:
Semiya Javvarisi Paal Payasam
Paruppu payasam
Pineapple kesari
Rava kesari

For health:

Sukku malli coffee
Deepavali Legiyam
Home made Digestion syrup

Enjoy and have a beautiful Deepavali!

Jangiri

Jangiri is a South Indian version of Jilebi. Jilebi is made of a sour batter, while jangiri is made with black gram without fermentation.

Recipe source for me:  Our beloved Jegatha achi , who was the binding factor of most us. I have never met anyone like her. She was the most dedicated and trustworthy lady for anyone who approach her. 

This is my mom's most favorite sweet.She got the recipe from her chithi, Jegatha achi  (we fondly call her thoothukudi achi).  I admire that grandma very much because of her  hospitality. She became my mom's mom and supported her, gave her a beautiful life and made all of our lives beautiful with her love and care. She used to buy clothes for us for all the Diwali and sometimes gold jewelry too. Her gift for my wedding is very special for me, a beautiful ring. Most of my happy memories include her and she is a proof that God created some special women resembling angels. 

  'According to aachi, this is a very simple sweet, that can be prepared without much grocery or special equipments'. After trying it my own, I too acknowledge her words:)

Happy Krishna Jeyanthi!

Ingredients:

Urad dhal - 1 1/2 cup
(whole black gram without skin)
Rice flour - 3 tbsp
(1 tbsp rice flour per 1/2 cup of urad dhal)
baking soda - a pinch
(very small pinch...too much will make jangiri puffy and oily)
orange food color - a pinch
(I mixed the red food color and yellow kesari powder to get this color)
salt - 1/4 tsp
oil(to deep fry) - 200 ml
sugar - 3 cup
water - 2 cup
rose essence - 3 drops
cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Soak urad dhal in water for 2 hours. If possible keep the soaking inside refrigerator to avoid jangiri drinking the oil.(Yes, sour urad dal batter may absorb more oil).
Grind the dhal with very little water to a thick batter. (The batter should be like a softened butter).
Mix the food color, rice flour, salt, a pinch of baking soda and run in mixer again.(Don't keep the batter for long time. Immediately start making jangiri, else it will absorb oil. The perfect jangiri should not be oily).

Fill a zip lock cover with this batter and cut a very small hole in a corner as shown in figure. The hole should be approximately of 4 mm diameter size and not more than that.

Jangiri batter filled in zip lock cover.

(The authentic procedure calls for making a jangiri cloth. For making that cloth, select a new cotton cloth (bigger than a men's kerchief) and make a small hole using a sharp skewer and do 'satin stitch' around the hole very tightly like a button hole. The hole should be  of 4 mm diameter).

In the mean time add sugar and water in a wide mouthed vessel and bring it to a boil. Heat the syrup till it reaches the single string consistency (oru kambi patham in Tamil). It means, if you pour the syrup using a spatula, the last drop should drip like a single string. If heated above that we will get double string and finally the crystallization will occur. So stop with the single thread consistency. Switch off and add the flavoring agents.

Now heat a wide wok with enough oil (1.5 cm high) and wait till its sizzling hot.
Now reduce the flame to minimum and squeeze the jangiri batter in the hot oil.

First make a two or three concentric circles in clockwise direction and then make swirls like petals in anticlockwise direction. (see the image below). Flip once and put the crispy jangiris in sugar syrup.

Let the jangiri soak for a minute or till the next batch is ready.

Take the soaked jangiri out and arrange in a plate.
Jangiri is ready!

Top and bottom views of jangiri, showing the pattern.

Jangiri served.

Diwali 2013

For Hubby's office party 2013

Note:

1)The jangiri should be stiff and not soggy. The rice flour helps in getting stiff jangiris. But the tubes of the jangiri should be filled with sugar syrup, just like a honey comb:)
2)Makes 20 to 25  palm size jangiris if we are grinding using an Indian mixie. If we are using an Indian wet grinder, then we will get 50 jangiris. It can stay good for almost 3 days in room temperature and can be stored for three weeks in fridge.
3)The jangiris are usually made during Deepavali or any Indian festival.
But they are mainly served as one of the desserts in Tamilnadu  marriages.
4)We can make a double layered jangiri also, by doing some circles over the swirls again. These mega jangiris are called 'kalyana jangiri', which are usually made in a bride's home to give to the bride groom's family as 'carry home gift' along with many other snacks and goodies:)

update:
I made this jangiri for a party in hubby's previous office on Dec 5 2012, as per his wish:)

Glad that it came up to my satisfaction and hubby kept a lion's share for himself:).

Notes: (For parties)
For making 80 - 85 big size standard jangiri , we may need the following proportion.
Urid dal - 3 1/4 cup
raw rice - 5 tbsp
Soak them together for 3 hours and grind with 1 tsp salt, food color, pinch of baking soda.

Sugar syrup:
sugar - 5 cup
water - 2 cup
consistency - till we see bubbles around sides , one string stage. Add cardamom powder - 1 tsp and rose essence - few drops.

For deep frying:
Use 2 cups of corn oil and 1 cup ghee.- in a shallow frying pan.

Don't let the fried jangiri soak for more time. Just dip, flip and let it soak less than a minute. Take out and let cool before storing.

Aval vellam

Aval vellam is a special offering prepared during Saraswathi pooja and Krishna Jeyanthi. Because of its simplicity , we can prepare this sweet in just 10 minutes.
I am sending this sweet dish to Shanthi's State special event on behalf of TamilNadu and Purva's Festive food event for krishna Jeyanthi.



Ingredients:
Poha / beaten rice / aval (thicker variety)- 1 1/4 cup
vellam / jaggery / brown sugar - 3/4 cup
shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
cashew - 10
cardamom - 3
Raisin - 10
almond slices - 10

Method:
Wash and clean the poha. Soak it for 3 minutes and drain the water completely.
Take 1/2 cup of water in a wok and heat it along with the jaggery.
As the jaggery dissolves, filter and remove the impurities.
Again heat it to achieve a thicker solution called one string consistency.
(One string consistency means, if you take the stirring spoon out of the jaggery solution and if you can get a thing string dripping as the last drop , it is called so).
Mix the poha, cashews, shredded coconut, powdered cardamom, raisin , almond and stir well.
Immediately switch off the flame.
Aval vellam is ready!

Note:
We can roast the nuts and raisins in ghee before adding. But I stick to the more simpler old version.

Serving suggestions:
In my home town, this sweet is served as a starter snack during festive occasions as soon as the guest arrives.
Serves 4 people.

Paruppu Boli (dhal stuffed sweet parathas)

Boli is a south Indian sweet similar to a sweet stuffed paratha.
I got introduced to this boli in the train journeys from Chennai to Tirunelveli. The total traveling time may consume around 12 to 14 hours. Usually we board the train in the late evening and will reach Tirunelveli for breakfast:)
But before an hour to reach the destination, we have to halt in a station called 'vanchi Maniyachi' . It is the memorial spot for the Indian freedom fighter Mr. Vanchi Nathan. The train usually stops there for nearly 20 minutes , as it is a jucnction and also to get signal. But it will be a good time for the street vendors to sell their homely Boli, vadai ,Murukku, coffee, tea and Idly. The famous dishes are Murukku and boli.You know what, this stop will be my long waited one to get my favorite 'Boli'. I love to finish off my breakfast there with these yummy bolis alone. One more place famous for boli is Kadamboor in that area. My taste buds always crave to taste and compare them in different places. The differences I found were, the Maniyachi Bolis are thinner and made with sesame oil, while in other places they use ghee on the thicker version of boli.
Still it gives a native taste and I love it very much. I tried it last month and it came out very well.   Here is the recipe and you can try it this weekend:)


Paruppu Boli/ Maniyachi Boli / Sweet paratha.

outer layer:
All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
baking soda - a pinch
salt - a pinch
Sesame oil - 1/2 cup

Mix the flour, salt , baking soda, Turmeric powder and mix well.
Add water little by little to get a thick chapathi dough like consistency.
Coat it with little sesame oil and cover it with a wet cloth.
Leave it for 4 - 6 hours . Mom used to make this dough in the morning and use it in the evening by 3 pm, so that we could have it with tea.(This setting time makes the dough very flexible and manageable. In the mean time prepare the stuffing or pooranam).
After that divide the whole dough into 15 equal portions.
Shape them in to balls. Keep aside.

stuffing:
Channa dhal (Bengal gram) - 1 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
cardamom - 3
shredded coconut - 1/4 cup

Soak the dhal for 2 hours. cook the channa dhal completely and drain water.
(We can use the water to make rasam / soup).
Mash the dhal to fine paste using a mixie / a spatula.
Heat 1/4 cup water and dissolve the jaggery in it. Then filter any dust / sand present.
Mix the jaggery solution with mashed dhal and heat it in a wok.
Add coconut and powdered cardamom now.
Let it loose all the moisture and become a thick mass.
Switch off stove and let it cool.
Divide it in to 15 equal size balls.

Method:
Take one 'all purpose flour ball'.Apply oil to it. Using a rolling pin flatten it to a circle. Do not use flour to spread the circle. Instead apply oil generously to spread it.
Take one 'stuffing ball'. Place it on the center of the circle.
Now fold it with the covering dough closely , so that no stuffing can be seen from outside.
Now again apply some oil and carefully spread it to a thin circular shape (approximate diameter should be 5 - 6 inch). Don't worry if you see some pooranam from inside in this stage, as it will become fine after frying.
Heat a dosa tawa. Evenly apply sesame oil on the tawa .Reduce flame and fry the bolis on both sides till we see some brown dots all over.
Again increase the heat, apply oil, reduce heat and fry the bolis in lesser heat.
Take out and store in a container.
Like wise proceed with the rest of the dough.
Paruppu Boli is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as dessert or evening snack.
Makes 15 Bolis .
The leftover boli (if any) can be wrapped in ziplock covers and kept refrigerated for a week.

Note:
Like wise we can make numerous verieties of sweet stuffed bolis like, coconut boli , date fruit boli, sesame boli, fruits boli, ghee boli, Jeera boli (boli soaked in sugar solution) etc. I have tasted some varieties in the sweet stalls of KK nagar , Chennai,India :) . You can experiment any thing with it and will become a fan of bolis soon:)

Sending this boli to Purva's Holi haii ! event.