chakralu / murukulu / jantikalu

my all time favorite snack!!!

ingredients :
senagapindi / besan :2 cups
biyam pindi / rice flour  : 2 cups
vaamu / ajwain : 1tsp
karam / red chilly powder : 1tsp
salt : 1 1/2tsp
inguva / hing : 1/2 tsp (optional)
turmeric : 1/4 tsp ( just for color , optional)
water -  1 cups + 2 tbs
oil for deep frying

- mix all dry ingredients very well ( senagapindi , biyam pindi , vaamu , karam , salt , inguva , hing , turmeric )

- make soft dough by adding water little at a time .

- select the desired shape of chakralu mold , make log of dough and put it in the chakralu press and press it .

- Now heat oil on deep bottom pan on medium high and  when oil is hot , carefully transfer the pressed chakralu dough to the frying pan .

- When the fried on one side until golden brown color( it may take 5 - 7 minutes), turn them to other side and let them fry until golden brown color ,for not than another 5 minutes( you know when they are done when it stop bubbling or when all the bubbles are gone)

- Now  transfer them to a plate and repeat this process until you are done with all the dough .

- Let them cool for some time and when the are completely cooled  , transfer them to a clean and dry air tight container and they will stay for more than a month .

veg pulao in rice cooker

Ingredients :
rice - 4 cups (rice cups)
carrots - 2
cabbage - small piece
potato - 1 big
onions - 2 medium size
ginger - 1 inch piece
garlic - 4 cloves
green chilly - 1
mint - few stems
cinnamon - 2 mall pieces
cloves - few
cardamom - 2 pods (only seeds)
bay leaf - 2
salt - 3 tsp
oil / ghee - 2tbs
water - 8 cups

- wash peel and chop all the vegetables ( carrots , potato , cabbage , onions , green chilly )

- ground ginger , garlic into rough paste .
- heat oil / ghee in a wide pan on medium low heat , when oil is hot add bay leaf , cinnamon ,        cloves , cardamom seeds and fry until u small all the spices (they burn in no time) .

-  add chopped onions , green chilly and and fry until they turn golden brown

- add ginger garlic paste until it leaves the raw smell

- now add all the chopped vegetables (carrots , potato , cabbage ) , mix them and saute until they are half cooked.

- add chopped mint and mix it and let it cook for few secs until  until nice aroma comes

- add the rice , mix every thing and let it fry until rice looks glossy and shiny .

- transfer the sauteed rice and vegetables mixture to the rice cooker , water , salt and  mix it well

-now cover it and let it cook.

- in middle of cooking , open the lid and mix it so that all the vegetables won't float on top.
- once veg pulao is done , don't open the lid immediately...let it stand for 5-10 minutes .

          veg pulao with tomato egg curry

It goes very well with potoato kurma / chicken curry / gravy / raita

boondi laddu

Welcome new year with boondi laddu!!!

Ingredients :

senagapindi  / Gram flour - 2cups

 sugar - 2 cups + 2tbs

 water - 4 cups (2+2)
salt - pinch

 cardamom seeds - 1 tsp

edible  camphor -  pinch(optional)

 cashew nuts - 2 tbsp

 raisins - 2 tbsp

Ghee /clarified butter - 2 tbsp 

oil for deep frying

make smooth batter by mixing 2 cups of senagapindi with 2 cups water , salt (it should look like dosa batter or honey consistency) and leave it a side of 10 minutes .

Mean while take a wide pan to  prepare sugar syrup by  adding 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water . bring it to boil and on high heat . once it start to boil , reduce the flame to medium low and simmer it until syrup gets to 1 string consistency. check for the sugar consistency as shown in the pic .

Now  heat oil in a heavy bottom  pan on medium heat, once the oil is hot ... place the boondi ladle on top of the frying pan(little hight)  ladle should not touch the oil ,with  a small cup and pour batter slowly in to the boondi  ladle so that the batter drips in the hot oil by forming tiny little rounds(boondi).

stir them so that wont stick to each other fry them until  boondi gets  golden color .

 once they are done , take them to a clean and dry  bowl .

 repeat the same process by taking 1 small  cup of batter at a time for the rest of the batter.
now take all the 2tbs of sugar , add cardamom seeds , edible camphor and ground it to fine powder .

take another  small pan and add the ghee to it and fry cashew nuts and raisins and they turn golden brown color .

Now add this sugar powder to the the sugar syrup and mix it well . check if the syrup if hot , if not reheat it until syrup gets hot(boodi absorbs syrup very well when syrup is hot).

now add fried boondi , fried cashew nuts and raisins to the syrup and mix it well and take it off from the heat and  cool by stirring once in a while so syrup is absorbed by boondi evenly .

once the mixture is worm enough to touch , start making laddu by taking fist full of soaked boondi and press it between 2 hands by making it in round shape(almost ).should be little quick here...if the mixture gets cool , syrup from crystals and can't make laddu with it .

Once they are cooled store them in a clean airtight container , they will be good for up to 2 weeks(if they last!!)

comming back!!

Hi there,
Had a baby and took long break by knowing I'll be back!!!
Now I came to know  how much effort it takes to publish one post , it starts with capturing the pics and edit them , writing the script...kudos to all the bloggers who are doing  it like  service(expecting nothing) by spreading their knowledge , education , skills , passion...last but not least , here is my special thanks to all the busy moms who have very limited time  and  manage to express themselves through blogging .
This is new me but with same old passion for cooking .
It is beautiful that Iam comming back on new year's day and  I wish all my fellow bloggers a very happy Ugadi .