Ravva Kesari (Semolina Pudding)

I made Ravva Kesari (Semolina Pudding) on Diwali day. It took for a while for me to post this recipe. This is a very traditional sweet in India. Many people make this on festivals, or any auspicious occasions. In my childhood I was a great fan of Ravva Kesari. My mom used to make Ravva Kesari on my every birthday.  Somehow I lost interest on this sweet and totally forgot about it. Its been many years I haven’t had this and also didn’t make this at home.  My sister was sick. I picked her from airport and no time for me to buy any groceries. On Diwali day, I found that there are not many ingredients in my pantry and fridge except Semolina (Sooji Ravva), and Clarified butter (Ghee). I want to make something for our breakfast and thought of making Ravva Kesari instead of Upma with Semolina. Many years later, I made this, and it came out exactly the way my mom used to make.  Ingredients are simple, recipe is simple. Best dish to satisfy sweet tooth and a perfect desert for a party. 

Ingredients:

Semolina (1 Cup) – for two people, Clarified Butter (Ghee) – 1 cup or 6-7 spoons – Butter or Vegetable shortening can be used instead of butter, Sugar – 1 cup (Depending on taste), Cashews – 15, Raisins – 15 (Optional), Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods – 2 (Optional), Milk – 2.5 Cup  - I used 1% Milk, Safforn Threads – 10 (Optional),

Orange food color – ½  spoon,

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Preparation Method: Take a pan, Add a spoon of ghee (Clarified butter). Toast the Cashews and Raisins and keep it aside. Add most of the Ghee to the same pan. Add Semolina (Ravva/ Sooji) and fry for few mins on low medium heat till the Semolina gets golden brown color. Make sure the heat is on Low Medium so that the Ravva don’t burnt.  Mean while, Take a pan separately, pour the milk and let it boil. Add the Cardamom pods, Saffron threads or Orange food color to the boiling milk. Add the boiling milk to the semolina / Ravva and stir continuously without having lumps in the Ravva.  Cook the Rava in milk for 10 mins on low flame till the milk absorbs in Ravva. Add Sugar into the mixture. Keep stirring for 5 mins to mix the sugar in Rava and to avoid the lumps. When Rava gets cooked, it leaves the raw smell and becomes a smooth texture. Add the remaining ghee to the mixture. Add Cashews and Raisins to the mixture. Garnish with Cashews and serve hot or cold.
Secret of this recipe: More Ghee / Clarified butter and Continuous Stirring to avoid the lumps... Enjoy !!!

Avial ( Tamilnadu Style)

This is the first time I made Avial. I tasted Avial in few south indian restaurants. I don’t know the actual traditional way of making it.  When my sister asked me to make Adai, I thought of making Avial too.  I remembered the taste I had in Indian restaurants so came up with this recipe. I found it as a mix of all vegetables what we have in the fridge with an addition of sumptuous coconut and yogurt.

Ingredients:
Chow Chow – 1/2 (Peel, wash and cut into small 2 inch length pieces)
Raw Banana – 1 – Peel, Wash and cut to small 2 inch length pieces
Tindoora (Dondakaya) – 8 – 10 in number – (Wash and cut long into 4 pieces)
Beans – 10 in number – Wash Cut into 2 inch pieces
Potato – 1 (Peel, Wash and cut into lengthy thin pieces)
Green Chillies – 4 (as per taste)
Fresh Grated Coconut – 1 small cup -  (I used frozen coconut) - Use coconut milk too instead of coconut
Cumin seeds/ Jeera- 1 spoon
Curd / Yogurt – 2 spoons
Turmeric – a pinch (Optional)

Oil – 1 spoon
Mustard Seeds, Cumin seeds – 1 spoon
Curry leaves – 10 in number

Preparation Method:
Grind grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds. Add little water if required and make a smooth paste. Kept it aside. Take a pan, add all chopped vegetables, salt, turmeric, half a cup water to the vegetables. Cover the vegetables and cook till the vegetables get soft. Don’t cook the vegetables till mushy.  Add the coconut paste to the vegetables, add the yogurt and let it cook for 2 more mins. Remove from the heat.  Take a different pan, add oil and let it heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves to the hot oil. Let it fry for a min and add the tempering to the vegetables.  Serve with Hot rice or Adai.

You can add or make this recipe with Pumpkins, any Squash varieties, Zucchini, Carrots, Drumsticks, Snow Peas or Eggplant/Brinjal etc., I don’t have any of these vegetables at home, so I used what I have for time being)

Adai (Tamilnadu Style): (Healthy, Iron and Protein Rich Pancake/ Dosa/ Crepe)

My sister spent many years in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and she loves Tamil food. She is with me now. This morning she asked me to make ‘Adai’ and she gave me a brief recipe to prepare.  I haven’t tried Adai or tasted Adai before. It was new to me, but thought of making it my own way.  When I heard the ingredients, I sensed that it is very rich in protein, very healthy, tons of iron and easy to make it.  Good thing is, there is no need to ferment or wait for the batter to ferment. It is healthier than Dosa or Idli or any bread / Cereal (cereal because no milk and no sugar).  All you need to give few hours for the ingredients to soak, and that’s it, you can make crispy, spicy, yummy crepes (Adai Dosas).

I served with ‘Aviyal’ (another traditional recipe). It came out so good, very delicious.

Ingredients to soak:

Rice – 1 cup
Toor Dal – ¼ Cup (or fistful)
Bengal gram dal (Chana Dal) – ¼ Cup
Urad Dal – ¼ Cup
Moong Dal – ¼ cup
Methi seeds – ¼ spoon or 4-5 seeds (optional)

Ingredients to add:

Salt – as per taste

Ginger – 1 inch piece
Red chillies – 2 (as per taste, You can also use Green chillies instead red chillies)
Cumin / Jeera seeds – 1 spoon
Onion – 1 small – chopped into small pieces
Curry Leaves – 5 leaves – Chopped into small pieces
Oil – to make Adai


Preparation Method:

Wash Rice, toor dal, Bengalgram Dal, Urad Dal, Moong Dal and Methi seeds with water for 1-2 times, and soak in water for 3-4 hours.  Remove the excess water. Add ginger, green/ red chilles, salt to the soaked ingredients and grind into a coarse paste. Add little water if required while grinding. Make it as dosa batter consistency.  Add chopped onions, curry leaves and cumin seeds to the batter.  Heat the skillet, pour the laddle full of batter and make a crepe / dosa/ pan cakes. Drizzle with oil, turn aside and let it get fry for one more minute.  Serve with Peanut chutney, or coconut chutney or any pickle or Aviyal.  Aviyal is another Traditional Tamilnadu recipe. Adai goes very well with Aviyal. I made Aviyal (recipe in different post) and served Adai with Aviyal.