Kola Urundai

 Kola Urundai

Kola Urundai is prepared during Gokulashtami/ Krishna Jayanthi .   On Krishna's Janmashtami / birthday, we offer him food,  sweets and snacks which kids likes to eat very much.   And Kola Urundai is one of the crispy snacks. .  

Ingredients: 

Rice flour - 1 cup ( Flour made out of  Maavu  arisi )

Urad dhal flour – 1 tbsp

Cooking Butter – 5 tsp  ( in room temperature )

Hing powder – 2 pinches

Salt to taste

Method: 

Oil - to deep fry  ( can use coconut oil / sunflower oil )

Mix all the ingredients & enough cold water to get a soft dough, without any cracks.

Pinch out a marble size of dough and shape them into thin cylinder.  Let the edges are thin and pointed.  Now gently bend and join the two ends.  

Shape all the kola Urundai in the same way. 

Deep fry them in oil. 

Very crispy and tasty Kola urndai is ready to serve. 

Note  :          

*  For Rice Flour :  Wash & soak ( Maavu arisi / Patni chawal ) rice for 1 hr.  Drain & dry by spreading in a cloth .  Powder in the mixie & sieve fine before use.

**  Urad dal flour : Lightly roast urad dhal & powder it .  Sieve to get fine Urad dhal  powder.

Thani Kootu

 Thani Kootu

Thani Kootu is prepared on special occasion called Kalyana Pondugal.  Jaggery is used to enhance the taste of this kootu. We can serve the Kootu as it is or we can mix this kootu with any cooked veggies of our choice.  Generally veggies like Brinjal, Broad beans, Raw banana, Yam, Snake gourd etc can be added .  We have to cook veggies separately with salt.  Finally add this kootu and sautee it nicely to combine well . 

Let us see the preparation of Thani Kootu. 

Ingredients. : 

Cooked Tur dal : 1 cup

Gingelly oil : 1 tbsp

Gram dal/Channa dal : 1/4 cup + 2 tsp

Urad dal : 1 tsp

Mustard seeds : 1/4 + 1/4 tsp

Coriander seeds : 2 tbsp

Red chilly : 10

Hing powder : 1/4 tsp

Grated coconut : 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp

Tamarind paste : 3 tsp

Jaggery powder : 2 tsp

Coconut Oil : 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves : 3 arc

Water : 2 cups

Method :  

In a tsp of gingelly oil fry red chilly, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, Hing, 2 tsp of channa dal till dal changes its colour lightly. Add coconut and an arc of curry leaves and sautee for a couple of minutes. 

Let it cool. Grind it to a very fine paste. Can add little water to make it a thick fine paste. 

In a small 2 ltr cooker , add 2 tsp of gingelly oil.  Add 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds. When it starts to pop up, add 1/4 cup of channa dal ,. Sautee till dal changes its colour lightly. Add an arc of curry leaves and give a nice stir. 

Add water + Salt + Turmeric powder + Tamarind paste + jaggery powder + Ground chilly paste and mix nicely. 

Close and cook for a whistle. 

After opening, add cooked  and mashed Tur dal and an arc of curry leaves and give a nice boil. 

Consistency should be thick, accordingly adjust water. 

Switch off the flame.

     Separately, In 1 tbsp of coconut oil, temper with mustard seeds.  When it starts to pop, add urad dal and fry till dal changes it colour lightly.  Add 1 tbsp of coconut and fry till it becomes light brown in colour. Pour over Thani kootu. 

Mix everything nicely .

Very tasty Thani kootu is ready to serve. 

In this recipe, you can increase or decrease quantity of  chilly, tamarind and jaggery as per your taste preference. 

If you want to add brinjal in this kootu....  stir fry brinjal with salt . When it is cooked , finally add few ladle of thani kootu and mix everything nicely and sautee it for a couple of minutes. Remove from flame. 

In the same method, we can add Snake gourd, Yam, Raw banana or broad beans with Thani kootu. 

Mathura Peda

 Mathura Peda

Generally, druing Krishna Jayanthy / Gokulashtami, sweets prepared using milk is from Cow milk.  But you can prepare the same sweet using Full cream/ buffalo milk. In Mathura , Dhoodh Peda is prepared using Cow milk.  

Ingredients:

Paneer : Prepared from half ltr cow milk

Plain Khoa : Prepared from half ltr cow milk. 

Sugar : 6 tbsp 

Ghee : 2 tsp + 2 tsp

Milk : 1 ladle

Method : 

Cook half a ltr cow milk till it becomes very thick and water evoporates completely. Keep this khoa ( Maawa ) separately. 

In a non-stick pan add 2 tsp of ghee and crumbled paneer. 

cook in low flame till it becomes dry. 

Add sugar and cook till it becomes dark brown in colour.  Keep stirring in between. 

Let it cool. 

Grind nicely by adding milk and make a paste.  Keep it aside.

In Pan add 2 tsp ghee and Plain khoa .  

Sautee for a couple of minutes .

Add Paneer paste and mix nicely. 

Keep stirring and cook till it become thick. 

If you take some portion, it should be easy to shape. 

Remove from fire. 

When the mixture is still warm, prepare Peda in the desired form. 

You can make them into round balls or oval shape or square. 

I have made them into disc and put a dent in the middle . 

Optionally you can coat this Peda with sugar powder. 

You can also decorate it with sliced Badam nuts. 

Very tasty Mathura Peda is ready for offering / Neivedhyam. 

Note :  For home made Paneer , kindly refer Paneer recipe given in the link.  You can also use store bought Paneer. 

Jai Sri Krishna.  

Karmabai Kichadi

 Karmabai Kichadi

In Puri Jagannath temple, daily they use to offer Chappan Bhog ( 56 types of food ) to lord Krishna. 

One of the famous Chappan Bhog is Karmabai Kichadi.  This dish is prepared in a very simple method traditionally, just like Karmabai used to prepare.  Karmabai, a poor women, is a devotee of Lord krishna, who used to offer this Kichadi daily to Lord Jagannath.  Hence, the dish name is Karmabai Kichadi.  All the items are cooked raw, no temper or saute' are done. 

Ingredients: 

Rice : 1 cup

Whole green gram : 1/2 cup

Water : 4 cups

Salt to taste

Ginger: 1 tsp

Pepper crushed : 1 tsp

Cumin seeds , crushed : 1 tsp

Hing powder : 2 pinches

Ghee: 2 tbsp .

Method: 

Soak Whole green gram overnight.

As per Traditional method,

In a cooker, Mix all the ingredients and cook properly. 

Offer with ghee to Lord Jagannath and serve hot. 

Instead of traditional method, We can saute' cumin , pepper and ginger in ghee and cook this kichadi, to enhance taste.  

Jai Sri Krishna!

Radhe Krishna !

Kanika ( Sweet rice )

 KANIKA 

In Orissa , for lord Jagannath , ususally Chappan bhog is prepared , i.e 56 types of food is offered for Neivedhyam daily.  One of the Chappan bhog is Kanika.  It is very similar to South Indian Sarkarai Pongal with little variation. Kanika is a favourite food of Sri Krishna. 

Let us see how to prepare Kanika. 

Ingredients: 

Rice : 1/4 cup

Sugar : 1/4 cup

Kadalai paruppu ( channa  dal ) : 1 tbsp

Ghee : 1 tbsp+ 1 tbsp

Bay leaf : 1/4

clove : 1

Green cardamom powder : 2 pinches

Cinnamon stick : 1/8 inch

Nutmeg powder : 1 pinch

Salt : 1 pinch

Raisins : 1 tbsp

Water : 1 cup

Method : 

Soak Channa dal for 2 hrs.

Drain and add it along with rice .

Cook rice in pressure cooker nicely. 

In a Pan, add 1 tbsp of ghee and saute' bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon stick . When it leaves a nice aroma , remove it from ghee and keep it aside.  we are adding whole masala just for flavour. 

Now add a ladle of water and sugar. 

When sugar melts completely add cooked rice+ dal mixer, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, salt and raisins . 

Mix everything nicely and cook for a couple of minutes. 

Add 1 tbsp of ghee and switch off the flame. 

Keep a tulsi leaf and offer Kanika to lord jagannath . 

*  Note :   You can use Basmati rice too for preparing this dish.  If using Basmati rice, then prepare it using rice : water in 1 : 2 ratio.  

Jai Sri Krishna.

Radhe Krishna.

Varuni ( Milk based drink )

 VARUNI 

Varuni is a drink , which can be prepared during Krishna Jayanthi.  Krishna's elder brother, Balaram like this drink very much.  It's a very simple recipe ... Just mix all the ingredients and serve. 

Generally, we should use all the milk & milk products from cow milk only,  for all the prasadham we offer to Baghavan Sri Krishna. 

Method: 

Cow milk :  1 cup

Fresh cow curd : 3/4 th cup

Fresh cream : 1/2 cup

Sugar : 3 tbsp

Honey : 1/2cup

Rose water : 1 tsp ( optional )

Boil milk. Add cream and sugar and mix them nicely. Let milk comes to room temperature. 

Add curd, honey, rose water  and mix them nicely. 

Garnish with a leaf of Tulsi and offer it to lord Krishna. 

Radhe Krishna. 

Tomato Sweet Pachadi

 Tomato Sweet Pachadi

     Sweet pachadi is  prepared for special occasions like New year, Aavani avittam, Marriage etc.  We can prepare Mango sweet pachadi, Tomato sweet pachadi etc.   Consistency of the sweet pachadi will be like Jam. 

Let us see how to prepare Tomato Sweet Pachadi. 

Ingredients : 

Beetroot : 1/4 portion

Country Tomato : 2

Sugar : 3/4 cup

Ghee : 1 tbsp

Cashews : 2 tsp

Raisins : 2 tsp

Cardamom powder : 1/4 tsp

Method: 

Peel skin and grate Beetroot.  

Make tomato puree by grinding it in mixie. 

In a pan heat ghee and roast cashews till it becomes golden brown. Remove and Keep it aside. Add Raisins in ghee and fry till it puffs up. Remove and keep it aside.  We can use this fried cashews and raisins for garnishing. 

In the same kadai, fry grated beetroot for 5 mts in low flame.  Keep stirring now and then.  Add tomato puree and cook till all the juice evoporate . 

Add sugar and cook till the consistency comes to thick paste. 

Add cardamom powder and give a nice stir. 

Switch off . 

Mix fried cashews and Raisins.

Very tasty Sweet pachadi is ready to serve. 

*  Optionally you can add fresh fruits in this sweet pachadi. 

you can add Apple, banana, grapes, etc. 

Let chopped fruits soak in sweet pachadi at least for half an hour before serving to get rich taste. 

*  Using Country tomato for the recipe gives authentic taste.

* You can prepare this recipe by using only tomato , without Beetroot.  But adding Beetroot give rich colour as well as taste.  

Paav Bhaaji

 Paav Bhaaji

One of the famous Chaat items of Maharashtra is Paav Bhaaji.    Bhaaji is served along with toasted Paav freshly with yummy salted butter and fresh onions . 

Paav ( Bun ) :  6

Onion : 1 tbsp ( finely chopped )

Capsicum : 1 tbsp ( finely chopped )

Ginger paste : 1/4 tsp ( crushed )

Garlic paste : 6 to 8 ( crushed )

Coriander: 1/4 cup ( finely chopped )

Kasuri methi powder : 1/4 tsp

Sugar : 1/2 tsp

Salted Butter : 2 tbsp

Oil : 1 tsp

Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp

Paav Bhaji masala powder : 1 tsp

Kashmiri chilly Powder : 2  tsp

Lemon juice : 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Tomato : 2 ( chopped ) 

Potato : 2 ( skin peeled & chopped )

Carrot : 1/2 ( chopped )

Beetroot : 1 tbsp ( chopped )

Green Peas : 1/4 cup

Extra salted Butter for toasting Paav . 

Method :

In cooker, Cook potato, carrot, beetroot,  tomato  and peas adding  salt in a cup of water .   

When it gets cooked nicely, drain vegetable stock in a separate vessel.  we can use this water later.  Mash cooked veggies nicely. 

In a broad pan , add a tsp of oil and temper with cumin seeds

Add 2 tbsp of salted butter, chopped onion, capsicum, a tbsp of chopped coriander leaves, Sugar and kasuri methi and cook in high flame.  Keep stirring for a minute.  

Add half portion of Paav bhaji masala, 2 tsp of chilli powder and give a nice stir.

Immediately add vegetable stock .

cover and cook for 3 mts. 

Check for water now and then. If it becomes too dry, add a ladle of water.

Add mashed veggies, balance half portion of Paav bhaji masala .

Cook for 3 mts .

Add lemon juice and give a boil. 

Remove from flame. 

Bhaaji for Paav is ready. 

Serving: 

Split Paav in the middle . No need to cut into half, let the edge of the paav is still in contact. 

In hot tawa,  add a tsp of salted butter, a tsp of chopped coriander leaves and a tbsp of Bhaaji ... mix nicely.

Take a paav and toast in this butter mixer nicely, to get it coated on all the sides as well as in the middle of the paav . 

At a time you can toast as many as Paav , tawa can occupy. 

Serve toasted paav with sufficient Bhaaji .

Garnish with finely chopped fresh onions and salted butter. 

Enjoy lipsmacking Paav Bhaaji.