Monday 7 November 2016

TRADITIONAL FOXTAIL MURUKKU

Foxtail millet is a versatile crop which can be cultivated in any season of the year with the shortest crop cycle of sixty to ninety days. No other crop can be grown in such a short period, 

According to Dr. Narasimma Rao, the former scientist of the Agricultural University, foxtail millet and jower should be included in the subsidised food scheme to prevent the incidence of diabetics.
Its scientific name is Setaria italica.

This millet is a host of nutrients with a nutty flavour. 
fiber rich, high protein and low glycemic index of the foxtail millet is nowadays becoming very popular in our region. We are consuming all the millets weekly thrice in any other form. thinai murukku is one of them. 

Crunchy and tasty thinai murukku..

How to make?

Ingredients:

Foxtail millet flour two cups leveled
Bengal gram flour with chilly powder one spoon, ajwain grain powder one tablespoon and one pinch of asafoetida  one cup leveled
Cow butter one tablespoon
Sesame seeds one spoon
Salt to taste
Adequate water
Sesame oil to deep fry
You can use refined peanut oil also to deep fry.

Procedure:

Blend Bengal gram one cup with red chilly powder, ajwain seeds and asafoetida into a  fine powder.
In a dry bowl, mix the millet flour and Bengal gram flour, salt well in a dry mode.
then add butter and mix again.
Add adequate water and knead into a soft and non-sticky dough.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium flame.
Take a portion of the dough and fill it in a murukku press having a star hole disc.
Squeeze into two turns small rough spirals over a ladle.
Drop in the oil.
Deep fry the six murukkus at a time
Allow to deep fry until both sides are well fried and sizzling oil bubbles cease.
Drain the excess oil and collect the murukkus in a dry plate or tissue paper as you opt.
Repeat the process.

One full plate murukkus are ready to enjoy with your family members!

Do try out..!


















Sunday 6 November 2016

KAI MURUKKU/ HAND RICE SPIRALS

This snack involves long process but the taste is great. It is an art of making swirls perfectly.


Ingredients:
















Raw rice three cups
Urad dal 100 gms
Cold press coconut oil one tablespoon
Sesame oil one tablespoon
Refined oil to deep fry the suthu murukku
Cumin seeds one spoon rubbed
Cow butter one lemon size room temperature
Salt to taste
Adequate water

Procedure:

Soak the raw rice for two hours and drain the water and allow to dry in sunlight on a dry cloth or on a newspaper until the water excess be absorbed and the rice is with moisture.
Blend the rice into fine flour and sieve the flour to get a finest flour.
Dry roast the urad dal into cream white and aroma wafts.
Blend the urad dal into a fine powder.
Sieve the flour in order to get finest flour.
Mix them well in a dry bowl.
Add Salt and mix well.
Add butter and blend well.
Add water as per need and knead into a soft dough.
Add cumin seeds and incorporate them into the dough.
Add pure cold pressed coconut oil.
Knead well to get non-sticky.
Take a lemon sized dough and pinch with three fingers into a long rope shape. 
Twist and press gently and for a circle about two or three turns.over a polyethylene or plastic sheet.
You can swirl three murukkus at a time and deep fry them. 
Heat oil and drop the murukku one by one by hand.
Deep fry the murukku until the sizzling sound of oil ceases.
Drain the murukku when it becomes golden brown on all sides.
Collect in a dry bowl.
Repeat the process in batches.
Crispy and tasty kai murukku is ready to have.

Do view another version using boiled rice as follows:
We can make the kai murukkus by using boiled rice. The process is slightly different. Soak the IR 20 or idli rice fir two hours. Grind into a smooth batter adding salt. Blend the Bengal gram and ajwain seeds into a fine flour. Dry roast urad dal. Blend it into fine powder. Mixing proportion is Rice batter (250 gms idli rice or IR20+Urad dal flour one spoon+50 gms of Bengal gram flour+salt to taste+cumin seeds sesame seeds (optional)+one tablespoon of cow butter+adequate water.

Knead into a soft and nonsticky dough.
Take one tablespoon of coconut oil in a small cup to smear the fingers and palm.
Smear the hands and take one portion of the dough and make the murukku by rolling and twisting the dough ropes with the help of thumb, forefinger and middle finger. the forefinger and middle finger.
Just three rounds around the bottle cap. Make murukkus over the dry white cloth.









Heat the oil to deep fry.
Take off the murukkus from the cloth using a spatula and Deep fry evenly into a golden brown and crispy murukkus. 
Collect them in a tissue paper or newspaper to absorb excess oil.
Store them. one week shelf life.


Friday 4 November 2016

SESAME SANTHAGAI

This is one of the delicous versions of santhagai. 













Ingredients:

Santhagai (Rice string hoppers) I already posted how to make santhagai)
Sesame seeds black and white one cup 
Curry leaves 10 nos
Shallots or bellary onion finely chopped half cup
Red chilly three slit
Cilantro leaves finely chopped
Ginger gratings one spoon
Asafoetida one pinch
Sesame oil one rablespoon
Mustard seeds one spoon
Turmeric half spoon
Chana dal one spoon

Procedure:

First of all, you have to make ellu podi.
Dry roast the white and balck sesame seeds( equal quantity)
Set aside to cool down.
Blend in a mixer to  coarse texture.
Soak the boiled rice for two hours. Then grind it into a fine batter with little salt.
Steam the batter in idli slots of the idli steamer.
Squeeze into long string hoppers using santhagai press.
Keep aside.
Heat the frying pan with sesame oil over a medium flame
Add mustard seeds to splutter.
when it starts to splutter, add chana dal, onion, red chillies, curry leaves.
Saute for a while till the onion turn translucent.
Reduce the heat to the low level.
Add turmeric and asafoetidea.
Add string hoppers and give a gentle stir.
Sprinkle salt and sesame coarse powder and mix.
Add finely chopped cilantro leaves and stir well.
Switch off the flame.

A flavourful ellu santhagai is ready to have as a delicious breakfast.
Either evening tiffin or light dinner.
You know, the sesame seeds are rich with calcium, magnesium, iron  and dietary fibers.Sesamin and sesamolin, the contents of sesame seeds are balancing the cholesterol level and good for the heart-health.






Thursday 3 November 2016

VENDAIKKAI PULIKUZHAMBU/OKRA TAMARIND CURRY

This is one of the traditional kuzhambu varieties served in the south Indian homes.the recipe is different in every home according to their unique taste. We are ardent fans of this pulikuzhambu made with vendaikkai/ladysfinger vegetable in the tamarind base.


Ingredients:

Okra/lady's finger veggie quarter kg.
Tamarind a medium size lemon
Bellary onion/shallots finely chopped one tablespoon
Curry leaves 10 nos
Apple tomato half finely chopped
Turmeric one spoon
Sambar powder  two spoons
Salt to taste
Sesame oil quarter cup
Asafoetida one pinch
Jaggery a gooseberry size
Fenugreek powder (roasted) half spoon
Cilantro leaves chopped half cup
Adequate water.

Procedure:

Soak tamarind in a cup of water for half an hour.
Wash the lady's fingers and wipe with dry cloth.
Allow to dry for ten minutes.
Chop them into small pieces.
Heat the frying pan with sesame oil.
add mustard seeds. When it starts to crackle, add onion and curry leaves.
Add lady's fingers pieces and give a good stir until the veggie fried and shrink
Sprinkle little asafoetida and half spoon of roasted fenugreek powder.
Add turmeric powder and sambar powder,
Let the flame be low level.
Add tomato dices and give a quick stir.
Pour tamarind extract.
Followed by the required salt and jaggery.
Bring to boil till the gravy texture reached.
Add cilantro leaves. Switch off the flame.

A delicious gravy is ready to have with hot steamed rice and a spoon of sesame oil.















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