VIJAYA DASAMI SPECIAL - WHEAT PAYASAM

Ingredients:
Broken Wheat – 1 cup
Jaggery – 3/4 cup powdered or 6 or 7 pieces
Water - 4 cups
Milk – 4 cups
Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Cashew Nuts – 6 nos
Raisins - few
Method:

• Heat Ghee in a frying pan, add Cashew Nuts, Raisins and fry till Cashews turn golden brown and keep it aside.
• Pressure cook the broken wheat with 4 cups of water up to 2 whistles.
• Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to boil.
• Reduce the flame and add cooked cracked wheat and let this simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. keep stirring every 2 to 3 minutes.
• Then add jaggery and stir this mixture and cook for about 10 minutes. or until it thickens up a little.
• Finally add fried cashews,raisins and cardamom powder.mix well.
• payasam ready.

Serve hot or chilled.

I have to say thanks to my friend Suganthi for sharing this recipe.

Idli / Dosa / Milagai podi

Ingredients:
Urad dhal - 1 cup
Channa dhal - 1/2 cup
Peanuts - 2 tbsp ( optional )
Seasame seeds - 1/4 cup
Red chillies - 20 nos
Asafetida powder - 1 tsp
salt to taste.
Method:

• Roast the urad dhal,channa dhal,seasame seeds, and peanuts until slightly golden and remove from heat.
• In the same pan add 1/2 tsp of oil and roast the red chillies.
• Cool all the ingredients and Grind them to a coarse powder along with salt, and the asafetida.
• Allow to cool and store them in airtight container. Serve with idli,dosa and rice.

Paruppu Vadai / Masal vada

Ingredients:
Channa dhal - 1 cup (soak for an hour and drain completely)
Ginger - small piece
Sombu / Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves - few (chopped )
Curry leaves - few( chopped )
Onion - 1/2 ( chopped )
Green Chillies - 2 (chopped)
Red Chillies - 3 nos
Oil - for deep frying.
Salt to taste.
Method:

• Grind channa dal,ginger, fennel seeds and red chillies coarsely without adding any water.
• Add chopped Onion,green chilies, corriander leaves, curry leaves and salt. mix everything well.
• Heat oil for deep frying.Take a small amount of mix, flatten it lightly and shape them into round.
• Put it into hot oil and fry them until they turns brownish and crispy.

Serve hot with hot tea.

Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients:

2 cups - Basmati rice
1 lb - Vegetables (Carrot,Beans,Potato,Green peas )
3 tbsp - Ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp - Yogurt / Curd
1 - Big onion ( sliced thin )
5 - Green chillies
1 - Tomato ( chopped )
1 - Star anise
1 - Clove
1 - Cardamoms
2 - Bay leafs
1″ - piece of Cinnammon
1 - tbsp - Chilli powder
1/2 cup - Chopped mint leaves
1/2 cup - Chopped coriander leaves
3.5 cups - water
3 tbsp - Oil
1 tbsp - Ghee
Salt to taste.
Method:

• Wash and soak the rice in water 15 minutes.
• Wash and cut the vegetables into medium sized pieces.
• Heat the oil in the cooker.Add the star anise, cloves, cardamon,cinnammon and bay leafs and saute for a minute.
• Add sliced onions and green chillies and fry till they start to brown.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for about 2 minutes.
• Now add vegetables along with the chopped tomatos and saute till the juice dries up.
• Add chilli powder,curd ,chopped mint leaves ,corriander leaves and salt to the taste.mix well. now close the lid 5 minutes.
• Now add ghee and soaked rice, mix it very gently, then add 3&1/2 cups of water, mix well.(slowly)
• Cover and cook with the weight on, until you hear 1 whistle.
• Switch off gas flame. Allow the cooker to cool naturally.
  Serve hot with raitha.