Lemon Poha / Lemon Aval

Aval is my favorite in any form. Most of the Lazy day's breakfast / evening snack will be based on Aval / Poha only. It is so simple to make in minutes. Last weekend I prepared Lemon Poha for breakfast and my kid loved it. It was finished just in minutes.

So thought of sharing this simple recipe here.

Ingredients:

Aval / Poha - 2 cups
Lemon - Half of medium size
Red chili - 1 (increase if you prefer spicy)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Peanuts - 1 tbsp (optional)
turmeric - 1/8 tsp
salt- as per taste
Curry leaves - a sprig
Oil -1 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Clean and wash Aval in colander with running tap water for 45 sec to 1min.
2. drain water and keep it aside.
3.Heat oil in a kadai /pan and add Peanuts and saute until they turn light brown. Then add mustard seeds, urad dal, red chili, curry leaves one by one.
4.saute for  a min, (dont let the ingredients burn) and add turmeric powder and little salt. Give a quick stir and switch off the flame.
5. Now add lemon juice from half a lemon.
6.Add the washed Aval and stir well.
7. Now switch on the stove and stir for a minute. (Just the aval should become hot) Do not cook for more time. Adjust salt by tasting now.

Notes:
1. If the Aval is not tangy add another tsp of lemon juice.
The lemon which i used was Juicy and medium tangy.
2.Turmeric tends to burn quickly,so add the turmeric in hot oil, stir quickly and switch off the flame.
3. It is important to on the flame and stir for a minute at last / until the poha is hot, otherwise, the poha will be raw in taste and smell.
4. If you cook more time after adding lemon, it will turn little bitter.
5.Salt and lemon can be added anytime even after cooking so adjust if needed.

Pori Urundai

Karthigai Deepam Wishes to you all.
Hope everyone havin fun lighting up Deepam, candles at home. It is an exciting festival for us in childhood (Even Now). We will be expecting this day from deepaavali and preserve some night crackers. And it is another Festival with lots of eatables. Mom will be preparing  "kozhukattai vilakku", rava appam,vadai, and other snacks to offer.

Though we cannot do much outside here, we are lighting few candles and Oil lit lamps at home safely. :)

Now lets move on to today's Recipe. No karthigai deeapam gets fulfill without these Pori Urundai.
It is really simple to make.

Ingredients:

Pori / Puffed Rice - 2 cups
Jaggery powder- 1/4 cup
Water - 1/8 cup or little less than 1/4 cup (just to immerse jaggery)
Elachi powder - 1 pinch
Dry ginger / Sukku powder - 1 pinch
Ghee - 1 tsp (to grease palms)

Preparation:

1. Check for any impurities in Pori, clean it and keep aside.
2. In a large pan/Kadai, add jaggery and water and let it boil.
3. In the mean time, heat another pan and slightly dry roast the Pori. Do not change color, just a min or two will be sufficient. Transfer to a plate and let it cool down.
4.Now check the consistency of Jaggery mix, If you put a drop of it in water, it should not dissolve, that is the rite consistency.
5. Add pori to the jaggery mix and switch off the flame. Stir well and quick.
6.Make sure the jaggery is coated well on the Pori.
7.When it is hot / warm itself, grease your palm with ghee and make balls.

Store them in air tight containers.

Notes:
1. You need to be real fast to make the balls, So if you are new making this, first make in little quantity as mentioned. If you have a helping hand to make balls, you can increase the quantity for sure. I am comfortable with this quantity so I go with this.
2.Adding Sukku powder is optional, But we used to add sukku in almost all Jaggery based recipes.
3.Frying pori is optional, but it gives crispiness for longer time.

Sweet Wheat Dosai

In my school days, sometimes mom prepares this dosai for evening snacks. This can be prepared quickly and easily with the ingredients available at home. Few days back I prepared this as after school snack for my daughter. she tasted it for first time and loved it.
It is rich in fiber and Iron as we add jaggery.

Lets see how to prepare it.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1/2 cup
Jaggery powder - 1/3 cups
water - 1 cup
elachi powder - 1 pinch
Dry ginger powder / sukku powder - 1 pinch
cashew nuts - 1/2 tbsp ( chopped)
grated coconut -1 tbsp
ghee -2 tsp


Preparation:

1.Add Jaggery, sukku powder with water and bring to boil. (no need of string consistency)
2.Add elachi powder, flour and jaggery water and mix to a batter consistency
3. Now roast cashews, coconut in a tsp of ghee and add it to the batter.

4. Now heat the pan and make small and thick dosai (like oothappam thick)
5. Sprinkle little ghee on the edges and cook well on both the sides.

Serve Hot or warm.

Tips:
1.Always keep extra 1/2 cup of hot water ready. In case if the jaggery mixed water is boiled for little long time that wont be sufficient to have batter consistency.
2.Instead of grated coconut, tiny coconut pieces can be added.
3. The ratio given is medium sweet, adjust according to your taste.

Linking this post to Varada's event

Peanut Balls/ கடலை உருண்டை

GroundNut / Peanut - Ground nut / peanut balls- Another Back to school snack recipe.Which is healthy and easy to make in minutes. Peanuts are good source of protein, and rich in magnesium iron and calcium, which are playing essential part in our kids growth. We love to eat it in any form. weekly once I make Steamed Peanuts in season, and try to add in the recipes like upma, and variety rices. So some how, we consume these nuts more often.

Made these balls too for Ganesh Chathurthi this year. As we were starting to a long trip on the same night, I could not post the recipe. Even after coming back some how missed these to post. So here the recipe for you.

Ingredients:

Ground nut / peanuts(without skin) - 1 cup (roasted / non roasted)
Jaggery powder- 1/2 cup
elachi powder - a pinch

Preparation:
1. If you use the roasted ones, just roast it for a minute. Just to make sure it doesnt have any moist in it. and keep aside. If it is non roasted, roast it in simmer until the nuts are roasted well in all sides.
2. Let it cool down completely.
3. then add it to the mixer and make it to powder, when it is half done, add jaggery and elachi powder, and powder it.
4.Spread it in a plate and make balls out of it.
5.Store it in air tight container and serve

Notes:
1. Non- roasted means not the fresh ones in shell. It is the dry de-shelled peanuts.
2. I prefer roasted peanuts for this, as it gives a fine powder consistency.
3. I have used non roasted as the roasted ones were not in stock.
4. You can make it to a fine powder or leave some crunch to much as i did.
5.Jaggery quantity, 1/3 cups will be sufficient if you do not want it to be too sweet.. (Mine is sweet tooth as you know :)))

Linking this recipe to Beulah’s First Blog Anniversary Give away @ FullScoops

Ellu Urundai / எள்ளுருண்டை

I was just checking the pics in my laptop today and found the pics of Ellu Urundai.. So thought of sharing it today.I have made these during Ganesh Chathurthi and dint get time to post it...  Ellu / Sesame is good for health if it taken in right quantity. Especially for children I prefer these kind of snacks instead of store bought ones.

You can consider ellu urundai for after school snack for kids. I still remember the ellu urundai which my aunt brings, when she visits us. Those were made using "ural - ulakkai" and the taste is unbeatable.

 I prefer making them in small quantities and making them fresh often instead of storing for more days.

Ingredients:

Sesame (black / white / brown) - 1/2 cup
Jaggery powder - 1/4 cup
Elachi powder - a pinch (optional)

Preparation:

1. Dry roast sesame and cool it down
2. In mixer jar add roasted sesame and pulse it for 10 seconds then add jaggery, elachi powder to mixer grinder and run for another few seconds or until they blend and powder well.
3. take the mix in a plate and make them as required sized balls, and store in air tight container.

You can just make these yummy balls in your afternoon leisure time and treat your family with Nutrients.
Notes:
1. Make sure to roast the sesame until it sputters, do not burn. roast in low flame
2. Let it cool down completly, otherwise when it mixed with Jaggery, it will start melting and the right texture would not be attained.
3.In-take in right quantity. Not suitable for pregnant ladies.

Linking this recipe to Beulah’s First Blog Anniversary Give away @ FullScoops