Spicy Kuzhi Paniyaram

I had a fascination on kuzhi paniyaram for a long time. I used to love their shape and texture and became a fan of the spicy version which we get in a place called Royal Indian Cuisine here in Atlanta. Its served as part of their regular buffet. So when I had Idli/Dosa batter leftover (a shortcut) after the weekend my first thought was to make spicy paniyaram. You need the Paniyaram kal (or Ebleskiver pan) to make it. So went to my friend's place borrowed it to make the awesome snack.

Ingredients:

1. Idli Batter - 2 to 2 1/2 cups
2. Medium sized onion - 1
3. Green chilly - 2 (1 or 2 more if you need more spice)
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
5. Urad Dhal - 1 tsp
6. Medium carrot - 1
7. Oil as needed.
8. Salt to taste.

Tools Required: 

1. Paniyaram Kal / Ebleskiver pan
2. Skewers - 2

Method:

1. Finely chop the onions and green chillies. Shred the carrot.
2. In a saute pan pour 1 tbsp of oil. Keep the flame in medium. Wait for it to heat up.
3. Add mustard seeds and once they start to splatter, add urad dhal and roast it.
4. Then add the chopped onions and chillies and sauté for few minutes until the onions get cooked. Add salt to taste.
5. Take the batter. Add the carrot and the onion mixture and mix well. Add water to liquify the batter a bit if it is too thick. Add salt to taste.
6. Keep the paniyaram kal in medium flame. Pour 2 tsp of oil into each pit.
7. Once the oil is heated up, take a spoon and pour the batter to about 3/4th of the pit.
8. After a few seconds the batter starts to rise and paniyaram becomes easy to turn. 
9. Turn the paniyaram using the skewers.
10. Repeat this process until the paniyaram batter is boiled and it turns holder brown.
11. Once done prick into the paniyaram with the skewer and take it out. Allow it to strain the remaining oil in a tissue.
12. Serve hot with tomato/coconut/coriander chutney and enjoy.

Karadayan Nombu Adai

Last year Karadayan Nombu was the first time I tried the nombu adai both the sweet and salty version. I know its hardly two more months for this year's nombu and I am posting this now :-) but I saw that this post was in my draft all along. Hence thought would publish it anyway so that it is useful atleast this year. It had come out really well so wanted to share it with enthusiasts who want to give it a try.

The story is that Savithri fought Yama the god of death and won the life of her husband Satyavan by praying. So on the day of Nombu at a specific time married ladies and young girls tie yellow thread(manjal chardu) and pray for the long life of their husbands and a good husband to be.
Nonbu Adai is made and offered as neivedyam .

Here goes the recipe for both adai.

Vella Adai (Sweet)

Ingredients:

1. Rice flour- 1/2 cup
2. Water - 1 cup
3. Elaichi powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Coconut -1/2 cup (Fresh/Frozen, Chopped/Grated)
5. Jaggery - 1 cup
6. Boiled black eyed beans (Also known as chavali, lobiya or karamani) - 1/8 cup

Method:

1. Roast rice flour for 5-10 min. Do not let it change color.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a pan and add the jaggery.
3. Add elaichi powder and let the liquid come to a boil.
4. Add the boiled beans and coconut and mash it well with a wooden spatula.
5. Turn the heat down and slowly add the roasted rice flour and mix it into the liquid as smoothly as possible without letting it form any lumps and take it off the heat once you have gathered the whole mixture together. The mixture should be of the consistency of chappati dough probably a little harder.
6. Once the dough cools down, make them into small balls. Grease idli plates with ghee or oil Press the balls into medium thin round shape. Make a small hole in the middle. Steam for 7-10mins.
7. Serve hot with unsalted butter.

Uppu Adai (Salty)

Ingredients:

1. Rice flour - 1 cup
2. Water - 1 1/2 cup
3. Green chilly finely chopped (1-2)
4. Finely chopped fresh coconut -1/2 cup
5. Curry leaves chopped (4-5)
6. Boiled black eyed beans (Also known as chavali, lobiya or karamani) - 1/4 cup
7. Asafoetida (hing) a pinch
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil - 1 tbs
10. Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Method:

1. Roast rice flour for 5-10 min. Do not let it change color.
2. In a pan heat the oil and add mustard seeds. When they have burst open, add chillies and curry leaves and fry them for 1 min. Then add the water and let it boil.
3. Add the hing and salt to the boiling water
4. Add the boiled beans and coconut
5. Turn the heat down and slowly add the roasted rice flour and mix it into the liquid as smoothly as possible without letting it form any lumps and take it off the heat once you have gathered the whole mixture together. The mixture should be of the consistency of chappati dough probably a little harder.
6. Once the dough cools down, make them into small balls . Grease idli plates with ghee or oil press the small balls into medium thin rounds.Make a small hole in the center. Steam for 7-10mins.
7. Serve hot with unsalted butter.

Coconut/Thengai Barfi

My brother was here for his christmas vacation and we had lots of fun together. He loves to eat as like my husband and they both enjoyed this barfi a lot. In fact I had little left to give to a friend of mine but am glad they wiped the vessel clean :-)) Nothing makes me happier than they joy I saw on their faces when they had this. So here goes the recipe.

Ingredients - 

1. Grated Coconut - 2 cups
2. Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
3. Cardomom powder - 1 tbsp
4. Water - 1/2 cup
5. Milk 1/4 cup (optional)
6. Ghee - As needed to grease the storage vessel

Method 1 - 

1. Pour the water in a sauce pan (kadai) and wait for it to heat up a bit. Keep the flame in between low and medium always.
2. Add the sugar and stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and starts to become a syrup. 
3. After sometime check the syrup for proper consistency (Take a drop in you hand and try and see if a string forms).
4. Now add the coconut and keep stirring for about 20 to 30 min.
5. Add some cardamom powder and stir it well.
6. Then pour down the mixture into a flat even surfaced storage vessel and let it cool.
7. Cut it into pieces and enjoy.

Method 2 - 

1. Take a sauce pan. Add coconut and sugar and mix well.
2. Keep stirring continuously. If using freshly grated coconut the water in the coconut will be enough to melt the sugar.
3. If using store bought dry grated coconut then add the milk to the mixture and keep stirring for 20 - 30 min.
4. Add some cardamom powder and stir it well.
5. Then pour down the mixture into a flat even surfaced storage vessel and let it cool.
6. Cut it into pieces and enjoy.