Rice crackers/Chekkalu

Rice Flour - 1 1/2 cups
AP Flour/Maida - 1/2 cup
Ginger - 1 inch
Green Chilis - 5
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Chana daal - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves(torn) - few
Peanuts - handful
Butter - 2 tbsp
Oil - for frying

Grind the ginger and green chilis with some water. Soak the chana daal in some water for 1/2 hr. Break the peanuts into smaller pieces. Mix all the ingredients well except the oil. This should form a soft dough.
Spray some non-stick spray or add a few drops of oil on a plastic sheet or a large ziploc bag. Form gooseberry sized balls for the dough and place on one side of the plastic bag, fold over the other end and press to form flat discs. Alternately use your hands to do this. Heat a heavy bottom pan with oil and fry them until golden brown. Drain, cool and store in an air-tight container.

If you mix the dough to the right consistency and fry at the right temperature, they do not absorb more than a few tbsps of oil.

Gavvalu

AP Flour/Maida - 2 cups
Salt - a pinch
Butter/Ghee - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 3/4 cup + water to knead the dough
Oil - for frying

Mix the maida with salt and melted butter. Knead with water, to form a soft dough. Make chickpea sized balls of the dough and press on the end of a fork. Roll out the dough, to form the shape of the gavva. Alternately, if you have the wooden block to make these, use the block. The fork method work great here. I could not take pictures during this step. Heat a deep bottomed pan with oil and fry them. Make these gavvas ahead and cover with a damp cloth. I tried making some while the rest were frying, but it was a stretch. Fry them and set aside. In another pan, heat the sugar with 3/4 cup water and mix till the sugar dissolves. Cook till the mixture thickens and reaches a 1 string consistency. When you touch the solution with your fingers, a sting should form. Else, add a few drops of this solution to a bowl filled with water, and it should hold its shape.
Pour this solution on the fried gavvas and mix well. When the coating starts to harden and turn white, mix again. Stir once every 5 mins, till they are completely cooled down. This will ensure that they do not lump together. Store in an air tight container when they are completely cool.

Poornalu - Stuffed sweet dumplings

Poornalu are a traditional sweet lentil stuffing, dipped in batter and deep fried. They were a festival staple, and I have never seen them being made any other time. I am not a fan of the sweet stuff, but I love the savory outer coating. When I was younger, I would eat the crispy outer coating, and give the filling to my mom. The filling is similar to the one we use for poli.

For the filling: 

Channa Daal - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Cardamom - 1 pinch

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

For the coating:

Raw rice - 2 cups

Urad daal - 1 cup

Salt - 1 tsp

Canola/Vegetable/Sun flower Oil - to deep fry

Soak the channa daal for 4 hrs. Drain and set aside. In a vessel that fits in a pressure cooker, add the daal and 1/2 cup water. Cook for 4 to 5 whistles. Remove and cool.

When the daal cools, mash it. Add the grated jaggery and coconut. In a pan, add this mixture and cook on medium flame. This will become runny as the jaggery melts, but will solidify after a while. When the mixture is thick, turn off and cool.

Soak the rice and daal for about 6 hrs. Grind with water. This should be thicker than the consistency of dosa batter. When a ball of filling is placed in the batter, it should not sink to the bottom.

Make rounds of the filling, golf ball sized. Dip these in the coating.

Heat a pan with oil and when it is hot, drop these balls and fry on medium high, until golden brown. Drain onto a paper towel and serve hot.

Chakkara Pongal

Chakkara Pongal is my aunt's special dish. This is her recipe:

Rice - 1 cup

Moong daal - 1/4 cup

Water - 4 cups

Grated Jaggery - 2 cups

Cardamom powder - a pinch

Ghee - 1/2 cup

Raisins and Cashews - 2 tbsps each to garnish

In a pressure cooker, add the daal, rice and water. Cook for 3 to 4 whistles and turn off.

In an other pan, add the grated jaggery and 1/2 cup water. Let this mixture melt and come to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes. When a drop of this is added to some water, it should remain in place and not spread in the water.

Open the cooker, and mash the rice and daal. Pour the jaggery mixture into the rice and daal.

If it is too runny, place on stove top and cook till it thickens. If if is too thick, add some milk and coook some more.

In a pan, heat the ghee and fry the cashews and raisins, till the raisins plump up and the cashews are golden brown. Add this to the pongal, and add the cardamom powder.

Mix well, and serve hot.

Shahi Gobi (Whole cauliflower cooked in spice mix)

This is one veggie dish that is very elegant to look at, and will serve as the show stopper at your next dinner party. It is also very simple to prepare. The trick is to try keeping the cauliflower whole, through the cooking process. I did not have much of a problem with this step. Also, I had a packet of Khana Khazana Murgh Makhani/ Paneer Butter masala mix, and I used that for the gravy. It is so simple, and tastes just like the restaurant ones. All you need to do is mix the powder with water and add the veggies and cook. Very simple, and great to have on hand for those last minute meals that need to be special too.

Small Cauliflower - 1
Gravy:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1
Green chilis - 2
Khazana Chicken Makhani masala - 1 pack
Water - 2 cups
Tomato puree - 1/2 cup
(or)
Refer to my Butter chicken recipe for the gravy

Marinade: (Optional)
Yogurt - 1/4 cup
Red chili powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Lemon - 1/2 squeezed

Cut the stem and leaves off the gobi. Remove as much as the stem as possible, leaving only the florets intact.
Fill a pot with water and when it starts boiling, add 2 to 3 tbsp salt and the gobi. Cook till 3/4th done, about 6 to 8 min. Remove and set aside.

Additional step (Optional) : Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and apply all over the gobi. Bake in a 425F preheated oven for about 20 min, until slightly browned on top. Not sure if this step adds any special flavor to this dish. Next time I plan to omit it.

In another pan, add a tbsp oil, and fry the chopped onions and chilis. Fry till soft. Mix the Khazana masala with 2 cups water and add to the pan with the tomato puree. Mix well.
Else, follow my recipe for the gravy from my Butter Chicken recipe.


Add the gobi to the pan, spoon some of thee gravy on top of the flower and close the lid. Cook on low heat for 10 to 15 min. Garnish and serve with naan, rotis or rice. Cut and serve table side.

This is a very beautiful dish and tastes really good.

I have used others mixes such as Tikka masala and chettinad chicken. They are really good.

Rasgulla

Milk - 1/2 gallon

Lemon juice - 1/2 cup (diluted with 2 tbsp water)

Cheese cloth

Sugar - 2 cups

Water - 5 cups

Cardamom pods - 5

In a thick bottom pan, boil the milk.

When the milk starts boiling, add the lemon juice and stir till the paneer separates.

Keep aside for 10 min. 

Strain the paneer into the cheese cloth and wash under cold tap water, to remove any residual lemon flavor.

Squeeze well and remove unto a plate.

Knead the paneer well, like a roti dough.

Knead till the paneer is soft and forms a ball in your hand.

In a pressure cooker, add the water, sugar and crushed cardamom pods.

Mix till the sugar dissolves.

Form small balls of the paneer and add to the pressure cooker.

Don't crowd the cooker, as the balls will expand in size.

Close the lid and cook till 2 whistles.

Cool and serve chilled.