Rava Lodoo

Amma's Recipe #16

I love these Rava Lodoos. They are specially made during Krishna Jayanthi (I know, krishna jayanthi is long gone and you may wonder why am posting it now. Well my little krishna has been keeping me very busy) and this year my mom sent these to me from my hometowe. They were so good. The texture is what is really enjoy when eating them. It holds together so well and when you bite into it you can still feel the roasted rava and the crunch from the sugar.

You will Need:

500g Ravai/Sooji

500g Regular White Sugar

1/2 Cup Of Milk (approx.), Broiled & Cooled

50g Cashew Nuts, Broken

50g Raisins

1/2 tsp of Cardamom Powder

100ml Ghee

The Cooking:

Step 1:

Heat ghee in a kadai and add the cashews and raisins once the ghee heats up. Fry them until golden Brown and the  raisins are puffed up.Remove them and keep aside.

Step 2:

In the same ghee add the rava. Roast the rava on medium heat till it gets a really light tan. This would take around 10 mins.

Step 3:

Now add the roasted cashews and raisins along with cardamom powder and sugar. Mix quickly for a min.

NOTE:  DO NOT STIR TOO LONG.  The sugar will begin to melt and caramelize. One quick stir to just bring everything together.  

Step 4:

Take off heat and let it cool few mins before shaping them

NOTE: Dont cool the rava completely.  It should be warm in order to shape them. If its at room temperature the ladoo will not hold its shape.

Step 5:

Sprinkle milk little by little.  Dont pour everything in a go. Just add enough milk for the ladoos to hold its shape.

Step 6:

Make the ladoos

This can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for upto to 3 days.

Happy Cooking!

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Ganesh Chaturthi & Elai Kozhukattai!

Lord Ganesh is worshipped in almost all hindu festivals and he is called as the god of the beginnings. Every temple & any auspicious occasions begins with worshipping of Lord Ganesh.  Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayaka Chathurthi is celebrated in the honour of this elephant headed in the Indian Hindu community. Traditionally, an idol of Lord Ganesh is kept at houses and are decorated with flowers and herbal leaves and worshipped for 3 or more days. Later the clay idol is put into lakes / rivers / wells or beaches along with the herbal leaves. It is said to purify the water. 

And the food that is cooked as offerings are typically Spicy Chickpea Sundal, Kozhukattai, Ladoos (Rava Ladoo recipe coming soon)and fruits. But it varies from every household. And I love Kozhukattai! Its my breakfast/lunch/dinner on vinayaka chathurthi.  

Technically I have never come across Elai "kozhukattai". There is Ela Ada / Elai Adai with is a Kerela sweet make in the same say which has chopped jackfruits. And there is "Olai" kozhukattai, the same dish made in olai and steamed. So am really not sure if its right to call this Elai Kozhukattai but it is and its absolutely delicious. 

You Will Need:
2 Cups of Rice Flour
Little Salt
1/2 tsp of Coconut Oil / Vegetable Oil
Approx 1 1/2 - 2 cups of water

Coconut Poornam / Filling:
1 1/4 Cups of Freshly Grated Coconut
1/ Cup Jaggery, Broken 
Little Salt
1/4 tsp of Cardamom Powder
1/2 tsp Ghee 

The Cooking:

Step 1:

Preparing the Filling / Poornam. 
Place a heavy bottom pan on  medium heat with jaggery. Add a dash of water to help melt the jaggery. Once its melted completely with no lumps strain it through a sieve. Then bring the jaggery back on heat. Once the jaggery begins to bubble around the sides add the grated coconut. Let it cook for few mins till the coconut has drained all the excess water and the fillings has started to thicken a little. Sprinkle the cardamom powder and the ghee and give a good mix. Take off heat and keep aside. 

Step 2:

Preparing the Rice Flour Dough:
Place the flour on a large bowl.
Pour the water, oil and salt in a bowl and bring it to a rolling boil. Once the water comes up to a good boil gently and carefully pour the water into the flour and mix with a wooden spoon / steel spatuala.

NOTE: The consistency you are looking for is a non sticky soft dough neither dry or crumble or too watery.  

NOTE: The mentions water quantity is approx. It may require more or less to achieve the consistency. 

Step 3:

Preparing the Kozhukattai:
Place the banana left directly over the stove to welt the leaf. This makes easy folding. Now oil your palms well and make a lime sized ball out of the rice flour dough. Then cut rectangles out of banana leaf and apply little oil. Then flatten the ball of dough on the leaf using your fingers. Make sure it does not go out of the leaf. Then take the filling and stretch it over the spread rice flour. 

NOTE: If you want little less in sweet then spread the filling in over in half of the rice flour. If you want more sweet (that's how I like mine) spread the filling fully over the rice flour. 

Then just fold the banana leaf into half and seal shut slightly flattening it with your palm. 

NOTE: You can simply do by folding the banana leaf into half or make a parcel and tie with twines to make it more fancy.

Step 4:

Steaming the Kozhukattai:

Now place the prepared kokukattaies into a steamer and steam for about 7 - 10 mins or until the rice flour is completely cooked. 





Happy Cooking!

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Gulab Jamun

These spongy, melt in your mouth balls need absolutely no introduction. Its popular all over India. The one festival that comes in my mind when I think of GULAB JAMUN, is Diwali! The night before Diwali, my mom makes dozens of these to be given to family & friends on Diwali. And she made these for every Diwali as far as I can remember. My bro buys the readymade jamun mix and I used to help my mom shaping the jamuns (I was a kid that time) and she would fry it and soak them in sugar syrup. This dessert definitely holds beautiful memories for me.  

Then we made these with Khoya and we never bought the readymade mix again. So, don't wait till Diwali, I know you already want to...A grand dessert that can be made easily! 

You Will Need:

For the Jamuns:

250gms of Unsweetned Khoya, at room temperature.

75 gms of Plain Flour

Oil to Deep Fry

For the Sugar Syrup:

1.5 Cups of Water

1.5 Cup of Sugar

1 tsp Rose Water

1 Cardamom

Sliced Almonds to Garnish!

The Cooking:

Making the Jamuns:

Place the khoya in a wide bowl and mix with your hands till smooth & not lumpy. Then add the flour and again mix them together to form a smooth dough.

Cover it with a wet tea towel and rest the dough for 30 mins. Make small balls out of the dough.

Note: Big Jamuns pose a risk of cooking unevenly.

Note: Cover the jamun balls with wet tea towel to avoid them drying out.

Heat a heavy bottom kadai with oil. Drop the jamuns one at a time and cook till they are light brown.

Note: I always do a test jamun first. Just fry one and see if its holding its shape and is cooked through. Cracks, soggy or not holding its shape then add little flour. Mix well and fry. 

Note: Keep the heat down. When fried on high temperature the center will be uncooked and the outside will brown very quick.

Note: DO NOT CROWD the kadai. Fry in small batches.

Note: DO NOT STIR as soon as you them in, they will break. Wait for a min and gently nudge them to the surface.

Once done place them on a paper towel to observe excess oil.

Meanwhile, add the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then add the crushed cardamom and rose water. Simmer this for few mins till the syrup is sticky and little thick.

Add the fried jamuns to the sugar syrup and let it soak till serving. 

Happy Cooking!

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Launching My FB Page & My Favourite Gajar Ka Halwa!

Here have a spoonful of my favourite Gajar Ka Halwa & say hello to my Facebook page ShobsKitchen! I am super excited I tell you. My first blog post was on 2011 where I shared my mom's recipe of Prawn Pepper Fry (still no photo of the dish....*smacks head*). But then I called it quits since I was busy studying. Its only after my marriage in 2012 I started blogging full time, coz I started cooking more...Duh! So coming to my new I just launched my facebook page & I will be sharing all the recipes that are in my blog and a lot more I will be blogging about, interesting food facts, cooking & kitchen tips, contests, food quiz, anything & everything about food. And I would love to hear from you too. You can also share recipes, tips, reviews anything about food on the page.  So do take a peek and hit the LIKE button if you like my blog. 

Amma's Recipe #12 

Now Gajar Ka Halwa....mmmm oh I just love this dessert. Hearing the name alone makes me drool. This recipe is shared & exclusively cooked by my mom. And whenever she makes this it will be my Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, Don't believe it? Ask my mom!  Not to forget the spoonfuls that goes into my mouth every-time I enter the kitchen. Its heavenly & to me its the world's best dessert. Period. This and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, ah killer combination...Damn I starting to crave right. 

You Will Need:

1 kg Carrot, Skinned and Grated
500g White Sugar
250g Unsweetened Khova 
500 ml Milk
1/2 Tsp Cardamom Powder
50g Cashew Nuts
Generous Pinch Of Saffron Soaked in Milk / Orange Food Colouring mixed in little milk
100ml Ghee

The Cooking:

Step 1:

Heat 2 tbsp of ghee on a heavy bottom pan. Add the grated carrots and saute for 2 - 3 mins.

Step 2:

Boil the milk (keep some for the khova) and pour this over the sautéed carrots. Let it cook for 15 - 20 mins on medium flame till the carrots are cooked and the milk has reduced.

Note: Boil the milk and simmer for few mins till it thickens a little.  

Step 3:

Now add the sugar and stir well. Let the sugar melt and the carrots will start to bubble. Meanwhile, add some milk to the khova and make it to a smooth paste. Now this into the carrot halwa. Mix well to break any lumps. 

Note: Adjust sugar to your liking. Use a litre of milk if not using khova.

Step 4:

Add cardamom powder and saffron / food coloring. 

Step 5:

Heat a kadai and add the remaining ghee. Add the cashew nuts and roast till they turn a golden brown. Pour this into the carrot halwa and simmer for 5 mins till the carrots are completely cooked and a nice halwa consistency is seen. 

Note: You can add nuts you want like melon seeds or sara paruppu / Chirongi seeds. 

Serve hot or cold with vanilla ice cream....or just have it straight from the kadai like me ;) 

Other Recipes by Amma:

Chicken Dum Biryani

Mutton Dum Biryani

Dindigul Mutton Biryani 

Cucumber Raita

Biryani Kathirikai

Muttai Milagu Varuval

Cauliflower Masala Fry

Mutton Soup

Mutton Pepper Fry

Aatu Moolai Varuval / Bheja Fry

Happy Cooking!

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