Soan Ladoo Recipe / Chana Dal Laddu Recipe / Kadalai Paruppu Ladoo

I have not seen anyone other than our family making this recipe. This unique recipe belongs to my grandma and passed on to our generations. This ladoo is called Soan ladoo because "Soan" in hindi meaning "golden". These ladoo represents golden balls and tastes delicious too.

Soan Ladoo Recipe

I had already posted this recipe long back in 2009 and re-posting again with best pictures
Ingredients
Bengal gram dal / Chana dal - 2 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashewnuts broken - 15 nos
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1/4 cup
Orange / Kesari Color - few pinch

Kadalai Paruppu Ladoo

Method
1. Soak chana dal in water for 2 hours, grind soaked chana dal to slightly coarse paste.
2. Heat ghee and oil in a pan, when hot add cashewnuts fry till golden brown, drain and set aside.
3. In the same hot oil add the ground chana dal paste and 1/2 cup water, reduce heat and mix well.
4. Keep stirring and cook chana dal paste on low heat for about 15 mins until water is absorbed, raw smell leaves and chana dal mixture becomes pale yellow in color.
5. When chana mixture is well cooked add sugar, cashewnuts, cardamom powder and kesari color.
6. Now chana dal mixture will loosen as the sugar starts to melt, keep stirring until the mixture turns to thicken again like Kesari.
7. Remove pan from heat and allow to become warm.
8. When ladoo mixture is warm enough to handel with your bare hands grease your palm with ghee and start rolling lemon sized dough into ladoos.
Decorate ladoos with nuts if desired.

Chana Dal Laddu

Quick Besan Burfi with Condensed Milk

Besan Burfi with Condensed Milk

Ingredients
Besan/ Kadalai Maavu - 2 cups
Condensed Milk - 400 gms
Ghee - 8 tbsp
Cardamom powder - less than 1/4 tsp

Easy Besan Burfi

Method
1. Roast besan flour with ghee in a pan for 15 mins on low heat until raw smell leaves.
2. When besan flour is well roasted add cardamom powder and condensed milk to the pan.
3. Keep stirring until mixture thickens and forms to big mass leaving sides of pan.
4. Transfer mixture to greased plate and cut into desired shapes.
5. Allow completely to cool and enjoy.

Besan Burfi

7 Cup Burfi / Seven Cup Sweet

7 Cup Burfi

Ingredients
Kadalai mavu / Besan - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 cup (melted)
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - 3 cups

Seven Cup Sweet

Method
1. Grease a tray with ghee and keep it ready.
2. Roast besan slightly and allow to cool.
3. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and whisk together to get lump free mixture( will look like Dosa
    batter).
4. Pour this mixture to nonstick pan and place on medium heat. Keep stirring until mixture thickens and forms     to bubbly big mass, which will not stick to sides of pan( will take around 7 to 8 mins).
5. At this stage transfer this mixture to greased tray and level it.
6. Cut them to squares when they are warm ( as we do for any Burfi or Mysore pak) and allow to cool.

Tips
You can substitute 1 cup ghee with 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup ghee
Also can substitute grated coconut with grated carrot.

Seven Cup Burfi

Madras Mixture Recipe ( South Indian Mixture)

South Indian Mixture

Ingredients
Omapodi - 2 cups ----click for recipe
Kara boondhi - 1 cup ----click for recipe
Thick aval / poha - 1/4 cup
Pottukadalai - 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Garlic cloves crushed - 2 nos
Hing - few pinch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Mixture Recipe

Method
1. Deep fry poha, pottukadalai, peanuts, cashewnuts, garlic cloves, curryleaves one at a time in hot oil until crisp and drain on paper towel.
2. Take a container with a lid add fried poha, pottukadalai, omapodi, Kara boondhi, cashew nuts, peanuts, garlic cloves, curryleaves, hing, red chilli powder and very little salt.
3. Cover container with lid and shake well so everything is mixed well.
4. Transfer the mixture to another airtight container as the container in which everything was mixed will be oily.

Madras Mixture

Kara Boondi Recipe

Kara Boondhi

Ingredients
Besan flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Cooking soda - two pinch
Salt to taste
Hing - pinch
Garlic clove crushed - 2 to 3nos
Curry leaves - few
Peanuts - handful
Oil to deep fry
Water required

Diwali Snacks

Method
1. In a bowl combine besan flour, rice flour, cooking soda, required salt and water to form thin bajji like batter.
2. Heat oil in kadai, when oil is hot take a small cup full of batter and pour it through slotted ladel( jalli karandi). The batter will fall like small pearls in oil.
3. Cook boondhi until golden and crisp. Using another slotted ladel scoop out the cooked boondhi and drain it on paper towel.
4. In another pan heat 1 tbsp, roast peanuts, curry leaves, crushed garlic cloves and hing. Remove pan from heat and add red chilli powder. Add the fried boondhi to the pan and give nice stir so masala is coated on boondhi.
Store in airtight container.

Boondhi

Tips
Make sure the batter is not watery or thick. If the batter is watery boondhi will be flat and stick to the bottom of kadai. If thick boondhi will not be crunchy.

Omapodi / Sev Recipe

Lost the original image - will upload soon

Ingredients
Besan flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Ajwain / Omam - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - to deep fry
Butter - 2 tbsp

Method
1. Roast ajwain and dry grind to powder in mixer, soak this Oman powder in 1/4 cup water for 10 mins. Using tea strainer, strain and collect Oman water in a bowl and discrad the residue.
2. In a bowl combine besan flour, rice flour, Oman water and salt, slightly heat butter and add it to the above mixture. Mix well to get soft sticky dough.
3. Grease murukku press with little butter, place sev plate( one with tiny holes) inside the murukku press and fill murukku press with prepared dough.
4. Squeeze dough directly to hot oil and cook until golden brown.
5. Drain sev on paper towel, allow to cool to room temperature then gently crush.
Store it in airtight container.

Tips
Ajwain does not grind to fine powder in mixer because of very little quantity, if you have mortar and pestle better pound with your hand.

Quick Besan Burfi - Doodle Recipe

I love to cook n doodle, I wanted to do this experiment long back and now the time had come. When Blogadda announced doodle recipe contest I was more excited to participate. As Diwali 2013 is nearing here is a simple and neat "Quick besan Burfi" recipe. I hope my doodle is good enough to figure out the recipe. Happy cooking:)

My Doodle recipe is a part of Easy Doodle Recipe contest at BlogAdda.com in association with TastyKhana.com

Mullu Murukku - Diwali Snack Recipes

Mullu Murukku Recipe

Ingredients
Rice Flour - 3 cups
Besan Flour - 1 cup
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp ( at room temperature)
Hot Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp + more if needed
Hot Water - required
Oil To Deep Fry

Mullu Murukku - Diwali Snacks

Method
1. Mix rice flour, besan flour, sesame seeds, red chilly powder, asafetida, butter, hot oil and salt in a bowl.
2. Add hot water little by little to the flour mixture and knead to soft non sticky dough.
3. Grease murukku press with little butter, place Mullu Murukku( star hole) plate inside press and fill murukku press with prepared dough.
4. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan to deep fry, slightly grease slotted ladle( jalli karandi) with oil, squeeze murukku dough onto ladle in round shape.
5. Carefully drop mullu murukku into hot oil, continue with rest of dough.
6. Deep fry murukku until golden color and until bubbling stops on low heat.
7. Drain murukku onto paper towel and once it is cooled to room temperature store it in airtight box.

Murukku Recipe

Chefs tips
1. You can use cumin seeds instead of sesame seeds.
2. If you don't want spice it's optional to add red chilly powder to the recipe.
3. Murukku hot from the oil will be soft and will become crisp as it reaches room temperature.
4. Dalda( vegetable shortening) can also be used instead of butter, but butter is healthier.

Ribbon Pakoda / Ribbon Murukku - Diwali Snack Recipes

 Ribbon Pakoda aka Nada Thenkuzhal is easy to make snack and must for Diwali celebrations.

Ribbon Pakoda Recipe

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cups
Besan flour - 1/2 cup
Pottukadalai / Roasted gramdal - 1/2 cup
Black sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp + more if needed
Oil to deep fry

Ribbon Murukku

Method
1. Grind pottukadalai to fine powder, sieve it and set aside.
2. Mix rice flour, besan flour, pottukadalai powder, red chilli powder, sesame seeds, butter, asafetida and salt in a bowl.
3. Add water little by little to the flour mixture and knead to soft non sticky dough.
4. Heat oil in a kadai or deep pan to deep fry, meanwhile cover dough with damp cloth to prevent from drying.
5. Grease murukku press with little butter, place ribbon pakoda plate( with two straight line holes) inside the murukku press and fill murukku press with dough.
6. Squeeze ribbon pakoda dough  into hot oil in round shape.
7. Deep fry ribbon pakoda on low heat until golden in color and bubbling stops.
8. Drain ribbon pakoda on paper towel and once cooled to room temperature store it in air tight box.
9. Continue the same with rest of dough.

Nada Thenkuzhal Recipe

Chefs tip
1. You can avoid pottukadalai flour and double quantity of besan flour( for 2 cup rice flour use 1 cup besan flour).
2. Squeeze ribbon pakoda dough in hot oil otherwise ribbon pakoda will go into pieces.
3. Use 1 tsp garlic powder in recipe if preferred.

Thenkuzhal Murukku Recipe - Diwali Snack Recipes

Thenkuzhal Murukku Recipe

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cups
Urad flour - 1/2 cup
Black sesame seeds - 1 and 1/4 tsp
Butter - 3 tbsp
Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp + few pinch if required
Oil - to deep fry

Thenkuzhal - Diwali Snacks

Method
1. Mix rice flour, urad flour, sesame seeds, asafetida, butter and salt in a bowl.
2. Add water little by little to the flour mixture and knead to soft non sticky dough.
3. Heat oil in a kadai or deep pan to deep fry, meanwhile cover dough with damp cloth to prevent from drying.
4. Grease murukku press with little butter, place thenkuzhal murukku plate( with three holes) inside the murukku press and fill murukku press with dough.
5. Dip slotted ladel( Jalli karandi) in oil and place it on plate. Squeeze murukku dough on the ladels in round shape.
6. Carefully drop the murukku into hot oil and continue with rest of dough.
7. Deep fry murukku on low heat until golden in color and bubbling stops.
8. Drain murukku on paper towel and once cooled to room temperature store it in air tight box.

Thenkuzhal Recipe

Chefs tips
1. Idiyappam flour or homemade rice flour can be used instead of store bought rice flour.
2. To make homemade rice flour- soak 1/2 kg rice in water for 2 hours, drain rice and dry it in shade for 4 hours. Give the dried rice to flour and ask them to grind until smooth.
3. To make homemade urad dal flour- Roast 3 cups whole urad dal on low heat until slightly browned and aroma rises. Allow to cool and grind it until smooth, measure and use it in recipe.
4. Murukku hot from the oil will be soft and will become crisp as it reaches room temperature.
5. Dalda( vegetable shortening) can also be used instead of butter, but butter is healthier.

Chicken Seekh Kabab Recipe

Chicken Seekh Kabab

Ingredients
Minced chicken - 500 gms
Besan flour - 1/4 cup
Garlic cloves minced - 6 nos
Ginger minced - 2" piece
Pudina / Mint leaves minced - handful
Coriander leaves minced - handful
Red chilly powder - 2 heaped tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 heaped tsp
Egg( beaten) - 1 no
Salt to taste
Ghee or butter for basting
Wooden or Metal skewers - required

Minced Chicken Kebab

Method
1. Roast besan flour in a non stick pan on low heat until slightly turns pale in color and aroma rises, set aside and allow to cool.
2. Soak wooden skewers in water for 10 mins to prevent skewers catching fire.
3. Mix minced chicken, garlic, ginger, herbs, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, beaten egg, required salt and roasted besan flour to a bowl. Mix well until soft dough is formed.
4. Grease your right palm with oil, hold bottom tip of the skewer in your left hand, take a handful of chicken mixture in your right hand and shape it into ball. Place skewer in the chicken ball and start spreading the chicken mixture along skewer evenly and thinly( if you spread it thick and heavily the chicken mixture will drop from skewer). Continue same with rest of mixture.

Method to cook on tawa or pan
1. Heat tawa or flat pan, when hot place the prepared chicken skewer on the pan in a row leaving some space in between.
2. Cook them on low heat for about 10 to 12 mins, smear ghee or butter on the chicken skewer and keep turning the skewers so it evenly cooks on all sides until golden brown.

Seekh Kabab

Method to cook in grill/ oven
1. Pre-heat oven at 200c, place prepared chicken skewers on the grill in a row leaving some same in between.
2. Place the grill tray on the top rack of the oven( so direct heat falls on chicken skewer).
3. Cook for about 10 to 12 mins, bast ghee or butter with brush on the chicken skewer and keep turning the skewers so it evenly cooks on all sides until golden brown.

Seekh Kabab on grill

Keema Pasta Biryani / Mutton Kheema Macaroni Biryani

Kheema Pasta Biryani

Ingredients
Minced Mutton Keema - 250 gms
Macaroni / Pasta - 250 gms
Onion minced - 1 no
Tomato chopped - 1 no
Ginger & garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Curd - 2 tbsp
Chopped mint leaves - handful
Chopped coriander leaves - handful
Cinnamon stick - 2" piece
Cardamom - 4 nos
Cloves - 4 nos
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water - 1/2 cup

Mutton Kheema Pasta

Method
1. Cook pasta al dent as per box instructions in salted water. Drain pasta, mix 1 tsp oil and set aside.
2. In a deep pan heat oil, add whole garam masalas and onions, saute till onions turn brown.
3. Add ginger & garlic paste to the onions and saute till raw smell leaves.
4. Add keema to the pan and stir fry for 3 mins.
5. Next add chopped mint and coriander leaves, tomatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and curd to the pan, stir fry everything on medium heat for 5 mins.
6. Now add water to the pan, stir well and cook keema covered on medium heat for 8 to 10 mins.
7. Once keema is cooked, add salt to keema, stir well and cook uncovered until the gravy slightly thickens.
8. Finaly toss pasta to the keema gravy, mix well until keema and pasta are dry.
Serve hot Keema Macaroni Biryani with raita

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

Hyderbadi Chicken Dum Biryani

Ingredients for the Rice

Basmati rice - 4 cups

Cardamom - 2

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 2"

Bay leaves - 2

Water - 6 cups

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Ingredients for the chicken gravy

Chicken with bone - 750 gm

Onion chopped - 2 nos

Tomato chopped - 2 nos

Mint leaves/ Pudina chopped - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves chopped - 1/2 cup

Green chilli whole - 1 no

Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tbsp

Curd - 2 tbsp

Red chili powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Fennel powder - 1 tsp

Cardamom - 2 nos

Clove - 2 nos

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Bay leaf - 1

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water - 1/4 cup

For layering and garnishing

Ghee - 4 tsp

Chopped cashew nuts - handful

Coriander leaves chopped - 1/2 cup

Fried onions - 1/2 cup (optional)

Saffron - 8 strands

Warm Milk - 1/4 cup

Hyderabadi Biryani Recipe

Pre-cooking preparation

1. Wash and soak basmati rice in 6 cups water.

2. Soak saffron strands in 1/4 cup warm milk until the milk absorbs color from saffron and turns orange in color.

3. Marinate chicken pieces with 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste, 2 tbsp curd, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp fennel powder, chopped mint and chopped coriander leaves for at least 1 hour.

Method to make rice and gravy.

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves given under rice ingredients. 

2. Sauté for few seconds, add rice to the pan along with water in which it was soaked.

3. Season rice with enough salt, stir well, cover pan with tight lid and cook rice until 3/4th done.

4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure pan to make chicken gravy, when oil is hot add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves given under ingredients for gravy. Sauté for few secs.

5. Add chopped onions, whole green chilli and stir fry for few secs, add 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste and stir fry until raw smell leaves.

6. Now add chicken pieces along with marinated mixture to the pan, stir fry for few mins.

7. Next add chopped tomatoes, rest of red chilli powder, required salt, stir fry for few more mins and add 1/4 cup water, stir well.

8. Cover pan with lid and pressure cook chicken gravy for 10 mins.

9. Once pressure is released, remove lid and cook chicken gravy until semi dry.

Assembling and putting biryani on dum

1. Keep a heavy bottomed tawa or griddle on medium heat.

2. Grease little ghee at bottom of deep vessel.

3. Spread some gravy along with chicken in bottom layer, then sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and fried onions on the gravy, then layer some rice above the gravy layer.

4. Again spread some gravy along with chicken above rice layer, sprinkle coriander leaved and fried onions continue the same process with rest of the gravy and rice.

5. The top most layer should be rice, sprinkle chopped cashew nuts, saffron milk mixture and rest of ghee on top of rice.

6. Cover vessel with tight lid and place vessel on top of hot tawa.

7. Let vessel stand on tawa for 10 to 15 mins.

8. Before serving mix well and serve.

Chicken Dum Biryani Recipe