Butter Murukku

My kid's summer vacation has started and i have made a long list of munchies to be made throughout the summer and this one topped the list.He likes this murukku a lot.

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 2 cups

Urad Dal/Black Gram flour - 1/2 cup

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Chillipowder - 1 tsp

Melted butter - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Water for mixing the dough

Method:

In a bowl,mix the rice flour,urad dal flour,asafoetida,salt,chilli powder and mix well.Add the melted butter and mix till they resemble bread crumbs.Now add water little by little and knead into a soft dough.
Heat oil in a pan.Place a little amount of dough in the murukku press.
Drop a little bit of dough into the oil.If it rises up immediately,then the oil is ready for frying.
Squeeze the murukku press directly into the hot oil in a circular motion.
Fry in high heat for 1 minute.Then in a medium flame fry the murukkus till they become slightly brown in color and there is no more sizzling.
Drain them in a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Allow them to cool.
Store in airtight container.

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Upma Kozhakattai/Steamed Rice dumplings

Upma Kozhakkatai is another traditional Tamil Brahmin Recipe.It can be had  for breakfast or dinner.The best thing about this recipe is, it consumes very less oil and it is steamed.
Brinjal Gothsu is usually served as a side dish.

Ingredients for Upma Kozhakkatai:


Broken Raw rice - 1 cup

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Channa dal - 2tsp

Split Urad dal - 1 tsp

Dry red chillies - 3

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Curry leaves - a sprig

Water - 2 cups

Oil - 2tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in a pan.When it is hot add the mustard seeds.When they splutter add the channa dal,urad dal and asafoetida.When the dal is brown add the broken red chillies and curry leaves.
Add 2 cups of water and required amount of salt.
When the water starts boiling,add the broken raw rice.Keep on stirring on low flame till it becomes like a mass.Turn off the heat.
Spread it on a plate and allow it to cool.
Then make small oblong shaped balls.Arrange them on a greased idli plate and steam them for 15 minutes.
Kozhakkattais are ready.

Ingredients for Simple Brinjal Gothsu:

There are soo many recipes for Brinjal Gothsu.Here Iam giving a very simple,easy to make shortcut Gothsu.

Eggplant/Brinjal - 5(Tomatoes can also be substituted for Brinjal.In that case reduce the quantity of tamarind by half)

Onion - 1 Big

Green chillies - 2

Tamarind - size of a marble

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Split urad dal - 1tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - a sprig

Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

Chop brinjal into small cubes.Soak the tamarind in water and extract a cup.

Heat oil in a pan.When it is hot add the mustard seeds.When they splutter add the jeera and urad dal.

When they are slightly brown,add finely chopped onions and curry leaves.Then add turmeric powder.When the onions are translucent,add the chopped eggplant.Saute till the eggplant is  cooked and becomes little bit mushy.

Add the required amount of salt.Then add the tamarind extract and allow them to boil for about 5 minutes.

Serve with Kozhakkatais.

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Beans Paruppu Usili/Beans with cooked toor dal

Paruppu Usili can be made with vegetables like beans,cauliflower,clusterbeans,cabbage ,my favourite being the one made with vazhaipoo/plaintain flower.

Ingredients:

Chopped beans - 2 cups

Microwave them for about 8 minutes until they are tender.Keep them aside.

For the dal mixture:

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Dry red chillies - 4

Salt to taste

Asafoetida - a pinch

Other ingredients:

Mustard seeds - 2 tsp

Gingelly oil - 4tbsp

Curry leaves - a sprig

Method:

Soak the toor dal in water for 30 minutes.Then drain the dal and place it in a colander for about 30 minutes.
Then coarsely grind the toor dal with red chillies,asafoetida and required amount of salt.While grinding,no water should be added.
In a greased idli plate,spread the dal mixture and steam for about 10 minutes.


Allow them to cool completely.Then crumble them with your palm.You can also blend them in a mixie.

In a pan, heat the gingelly oil.when it is hot add the mustard seeds.When they splutter add the crumbled dal and curry leaves.
Saute for 2 minutes till the Dal sizzles.Add the boiled beans and saute for about 3 minutes till the beans mix well with the dal mixture.


The best combination for paruppu usili is morkozhambu or vathakuzhambu.



Iam sending this to MLLA - 12th Helping event hosted by Annarasa for the month of June.




This event was actually started by Susan of "The Well Seasoned Cook"

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Chocolate chip cookies

Ive tried so many recipes of the chocolate chip cookies from the internet.This one is the best.I found this recipe in  Baking bits .It had straw berries in it.I omitted it and halved the recipe and made some changes according to my taste.This is definitely a keeper.
It does not spread out so much and it is chewy and not very crisp.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 1/4 cup
White sugar - 1/4 cup
Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Semisweet chocolate chips - 3/4 cup(or 1 cup if you want chocolate chips more )
Baking soda - 3/4 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 1/2 cup(softened at room temperarture)
Egg - 1
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 def F.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl,add the allpupose flour,baking soda and salt and mix well.
In another large mixing bowl,cream the butter,white sugar and brown sugar until it is very soft.
Then crack the egg into the sugar-butter mixture and beat until the egg is fully incorporated.
Stir in vanilla essence.
Then slowly mix the dry ingredients with this wet mixture and finally add the chocolate chips.
Drop 1 table spoonful of the dough into the baking sheet leaving 1 1/2 inch space between them.
Bake for 12 minutes until the cookies begin to brown .This way the cookies will be slightly crisp on the edges and chewy on the inside.
Cool for 2minutes in the baking sheet and transfer them to a wire rack.

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Keerai /Spinach Poriyal

Ingredients:

Spinach/Palak - 3 bunches
Onion - 1 medium(finely chopped)
Moong Dal/Split yellow Peas - 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Dry red chillies - 4
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 Tbsp

Method:

Chop the spinach and cook in little amount of water in which turmeric powder is added, until soft.
Soak the moondal in water for 30 minutes.Then Microwave for about 7 minutes till its just cooked.Dont overcook them.It should not be mushy.
Drain and keep them aside.
In a pan,heat the oil.When it is hot add the mustard seeds.When they splutter ,add the red chillies and onion.
When the onions become slightly brown,add the spinach and cooked moongdal and required amount of salt.
Saute for some time.When it is dry add the grated coconut.Cook on low fire for about  2minutes.
Serve with rice.

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