Manoharam

 Ingredients 

 1/2 cup Moong dal

 1/4 cup Raw rice

 1/2 cup sliced coconut

 1/2 cup  jaggery 

 1/4 cup Water

 1/2tsp Cardamom powder 

 1/2tsp dried ginger powder

 1/4 cup Sugar

Wash the lentils and rice well and soak them in water for 3 hours. Gind it into a smooth paste without adding water. Add a little water if required.

Now heat the oil in a kadai and pour the batter into the oil through a perforated spoon

Fry on low heat till golden brown. Remove from the heat and fry till all the batter is done.

Fry the coconut in the same oil until light brown.

In another pan, add jaggery powder, cardamom powder, dried ginger  powder and water and bring to a boil.  If there is dirt in the jaggery, it should be filtered.

When it becomes a one thread consistency, add the roasted bunthi and coconut and mix well.

Turn off the heat and remove from the heat and stir well.  After 10 minutes, sprinkle a little sugar and mix again.

Delicious manoharam is ready

When cooled, it can be stored in an airtight container and stored for up to a month

Pumpkin Pulinkari |പുളിങ്കറി

• 150 g Pumpkin 
• 150 g Ash gourd 
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup grated Coconut
• 4 Dried red chillies
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp Fenugreek
• Curry leaves
• a lemon size Tamarind
• 1 tbsp Jaggery 
• Salt - to taste
• 1 tbsp Coconut oil 
• 1 tsp Mustard 
• 2 Small onions
• Curry leaves

Peel and wash the pumpkin and Ash gourd and cut into small square pieces

In a frying pan, fry coconut, dried chillies, fenugreek, coriander and curry leaves till light brown.

When cools down,  grind it into a coarse powder.

In a pressure cooker, add cubed pumpkin, ash gourd, powdered spices, tamarind, turmeric powder, enough salt and 1.5 cup of water and cook until a whistle comes.

When it cools, open the cooker and if there are any pieces, mash well with the back of the spoon.  Add jaggery and a little water if required and turn off the heat when it boils.

Heat coconut oil in another pan, splutter mustard seeds.Fry chopped onion and curry leaves and pour over the curry.

Delicious Pumpkin Pulinkari is ready. This curry tastes better when eaten with yoghurt.

Rasagulla || Bengali Rasagulla

Rasagulla 

• 2 litre Milk 
• 1/4 cup Lemon juice/White vinegar
• 1.5 cup Sugar
• 4 cups   Water
• 6 Crushed Cardamoms

• In a large saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over high heat.As soon as the milk comes to the boil, add lemon juice and stir gently. Stir until milk separates completely separates into curds and whey.
• Line a large sieve with muslin cloth and sit over a large bowl or saucepan. Strain the cheese into the sieve and run some cold water through it. Wrap the cheese in the cloth and hang it to allow the excess water to drain for 1 hour.
• Knead the paneer into a soft dough .Divide the dough into 20 portions.Shape into smooth balls.
• Mix sugar,water and crushed cardamom seeds in a largr sauce pan.when the water comes to a boil drop the paneer balls slowly into the sugar syrup one by one.
• Cover and cook on low flame for 20-25 minutes.
• Delicious Rasagulla is ready

Ney Payasam

  On this Navratri day, you can prepare a delicious Neypayasam.  Neypayasam is the easiest to prepare.

 Ingredients

•  1/2 cup Raw Rice
•  300 g of jaggery
• 5 tbsp of ghee
• 5 Cardamoms
• 3/4 cup

 How to prepare

 Wash and soak rice in water for 3 hours.

 Melt jaggery in 1 cup water and strain.

Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the soaked rice well over low heat.

Add three cups of boiling water and crushed cardamom , cover and cook over low heat.

Boil the rice till it bevomes soft.  Water can be added occasionally if required.

Add jaggery and a tablespoon of ghee to the cooked rice and mix well.

When the rice and jaggery are well combined, add the grated coconut.

When all the ingredients come together and  starts to thick, add a tablespoon of ghee and turn off the heat.

Delicious ghee stew is ready.

Aval Unda (Riceflakes Ladoo)

• 200gms Rice flakes
• 300 gms Jaggery
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 5 cardamoms
• 1 small piece dried ginger.

In a heavy-bottomed pan, roast rice flakes,cardamom and dried dinger on low heat without adding oil.  Stirring should be done without taking hands.  In 4 minutes it will be crispy.

Add a cup of water to the jaggery, boil it and strain it.  Heat the filtered jaggery again and turn off the heat when it becomes one string consistency.

Grind the roasted rice flakes after it has cooled down.Add the roasted coconut and grind again.

Transfer it to a bowl, pour  jaggery syrup little by little and mix well.  Add the jaggery until it reaches the stage where it can be rolled out.

Make small balls when it is slightly warm.

Delicious aval unda(rice flakes ladoo) is ready.