I have been out of blogging since my little princess arrived.. Srivallis Indian cooking challenge has brought me back again. I really had no time to make changes in the recipe or type a bit about it! just followed the recipe as it was given and it came out yummy with white rice!

here is the recipe i followed blindly!

Source: Simran of Bombay Foodie

Ingredients Needed:

For Pakoras:

Besan / Chickpea Flour – 1/2 cup
Onions – 1 medium
Salt to taste
Red Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Water
Oil for Deep frying

For Kadi

Curds / Yogurt – 1 cup
Besan/ chickpea flour – 1/3 cup
Water – 3 – 4 cups
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds- 1 tsp
Ajwain/ Carom Seeds- 1 tsp
Methi / Fenugreek seeds- 1 tsp
Onion -1 large
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt to taste
Red Chili powder – 1/2 tsp

Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
Amchur/ Dried Mango powder – 1 tsp

Method to prepare:

For the Pakoras

Slice onions length wise. In a bowl, take the chickpea flour, add salt, red chili powder. Make a batter with water to get a semi thick consistency.

Heat a pan/ kadai with oil. When it is hot, dip onions in the batter and gently drop into the hot oil. Deep fry until crispy.

Drain and keep aside.

For the kadhi

Make a paste with yogurt and besan, then mix with water to make a very thin batter.

Heat a tbsp of oil. Add a tsp each of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, carom seeds and methi. Let splutter for a few seconds.

Add onion slices, fry till they turn light brown.

Pour in the yogurt/besan batter, add turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for at least half an hour.

Keep stirring occasionally.

When you feel it is pretty thick, add the reserved pakoras, bring to boil. Add garam masala and Amchur powder to the gravy just before removing from stove.

My 3 yr old son waiting for the photo session to end!

October has been crazy for us. A very very busy month. 2 appointments with HDB in 2 weeks – for buying and selling of our new and old home, 2 birthdays – my son and my hubby celebrate their birthdays 4 days apart, and packing, recycling and discarding the unwanted things in our old home and finally- the most important thing – dreaming, redesigning, renovating, furnishing and lot of other projects in our my new home …

And on top of all this the Gulab Jamun Challenge. Before this perfect recipe i tried gulab jamuns from 4 other sites – all different recipes. All turned out hard small balls after frying… i waited and waited for it to be  soft in the sugar syrup but no.. all were the same, it didnt become soft in the syrup..

I finally gave up and was about to email Srivalli that im out of the challenge, then luckily i came across this site Show Me The Curry The quantity of the recipe was small so i thought why not give a last try. I followed thr recipe exactly. And it turned out perfect.. I’m jumping with joy now!!

I feel so sad for wasting a lot of things during my tril period but i think you should try try again for the perfect one!!

Here goes my perfect recipe for the Indian Cooking Challenge – this was a challenge for me Srivalli

Ingredients:

Instant Dry Milk (Milk Powder) – 1/2 cup (I used fernleaf full cream milk powder)

All Purpose Flour – 2 tbsp (i used Prima Plain Flour)

Yogurt – 2 tbsp (i used home made in room temparature)

Clarified Butter – 1 tbsp (i used QBB)

Baking Soda – 1/4 tsp

Water – 2 cups

Sugar – 2 cups

Rose Essence – few drops, optional

Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp or to taste

Saffron – few strands, optional

Oil – for deep frying

Method:

1. Make the syrup in a pan by adding Water, Sugar, Rose Syrup, Cardamom Powder and Saffron.

2. Put the pot on the flame and bring to boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer.

3. Meanwhile, get the oil for deep-frying ready. Heat up the oil on low-to-medium heat.

4. For the dumpling, in a mixing bowl , add in all dry ingredients i.e Instant Dry Milk , All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda.

5. Mix well and add in the Clarified Butter and after that slowly start mixing in the yogurt. Make into a dough.

6. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Make desired size balls, make sure they are smooth and do not have any creases.

7. Test the oil by dropping a small piece of dough, if it sits at the bottom of the pan for a minute before coming to the surface, the oil is ready.

8. Carefully drop 3-4 dumplings in the oil and keep rotating them for an even color.

9. Once the dumplings are a dark golden brown, take them out into a paper towel.

10. Bring the syrup to another quick boil and drop in the dumplings.

11. Turn off the flame and cover the Gulab Jamuns and let them soak in the syrup for 45 minutes to an hour.

12. Gulab jamuns can be served hot or cold. This recipe makes about 10-15 Gulab Jamuns.

Tips:

1. The one thing we cannot emphasis enough is the temperature of the oil for frying…it is the key to making good gulab jamuns. It has to be on low-to-medium heat.

2. The dough is a little on the crumbly side…so use a little oil on your hands and make the ball and flatten it out and then roll it to a ball…this will help smoothening out the cracks

This post also goes to First Cooked Food Event

This is my first entry for the Indian Cooking Challenge. I have been thinking to make this since Srivalli posted it but thanks to her last reminder! i just ran to my kitchen, grabbed all the ingredients and started making this after reading her mail.

I have tasted rava laddoo before but i can proudly say the ones i made today was the best LOL!  May be i was reluctant to make it because i thought it might not taste good or whatever.

Here is the recipe from Srivalli. I made minor changes to it and it really really came out yummy!

• Rava / Semolina – 1 cup
• Sugar – 1 cup (i added around 3/4th cup even that was too sweet for me!)
• Ghee – 25 gms
• Milk – 25 ml (i used around 30-40 ml)
• Cardamom powder – a pinch
• Cashew nuts – 10 whole nuts
• Raisins – 10 nos
• Grated fresh coconut – 25 gm
• I added a pinch of salt too.

Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai. Once the ghee is hot enough, simmer the flame and roast cashew nuts and raisins. Once the raisins balloon up, remove. Then roast the grated coconut. Remove once done. Keep all these aside.

Add the remaining ghee and roast the Rava till its well roasted and aroma starts coming out.

In a bowl, take all the roasted Rava, Nuts, Coconut and add the Cardamom powder. Then add the sugar and salt . Mix well.

Then slowly add the warm milk into the bowl. Check if you are able to gather as balls. When you find that milk added is enough to get you laddos, transfer it back to the kadai and cook in sim for 2mins. Mix well and then cover it and let it rest for 2 mins. Then immediately make balls or laddoos.

It came out perfectly but sadly my kiddos were not impressed! They wanted the ‘orange’ laddoo! But my Dh was very happy with the surprise sweet!