Red Bean Kozhakattai

Ingredients

For the outer covering:

Raw rice(sticky variety preferable) - 1 cup 

Water as required

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Stuffing :

Red beans                            - 1 cup (soaked overnight or for 6-8 hours)

grated coconut(fresh or dry) - 1 tbsp

mustard seeds                      - 1 tsp

red chillies                            - 2 

oil of choice                         - 2 tsps 

turmeric powder                  - 1/2 tsp

asoefatida                            - a small pinch

salt as per taste

Black sesame seeds             - 1 tsp

Directions:

Soak rice for 2 -4 hours and grind it into a fine batter after draining the excess water.  Heat a pan and pour the batter in it. Keep stirring to avoid lumps until the batter thickens to dough consistency. Take off heat and keep it closed.

Drain the soaked water from the beans. Pressure cook the soaked beans with water. Be careful not to overcook the beans.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter add two red chillies and saute for a minute. Drain the excess water from the cooked beans. Add the beans to the pan and saute with salt, turmeric and asoefatida for a couple of minutes. Switch off the stove and add the grated coconut.

Divide the dough into equal size balls of desired size. Apply some oil on your hand and knead the balls in your hand when the dough is cold enough to handle. Flatten the ball and place a spoonful of the cooked beans in the center of the ball. Close the ball all around the beans stuffing completely.Repeat the same with the other balls.

Steam the balls in a steamer for 10-15 minutes or until done. Decorate the top with black sesame seeds.

It can be served fresh with chutney of choice or freeze them for later.

Oats Laddu

Ingredients

Old fashioned oats                    - 1 cup

Powdered Jaggery                     - 1/2 cup

Chopped Pecans and walnuts    - handful

Cardamom powder                   - 1/2 tsp

Clarified butter (ghee)              - 1 tbsp

chopped fresh coconut              - 1/2 cup

a very small pinch of salt                 

water as needed

Heat a pan and add all ingredients into it.Cover the pan and let the the oats cook and all the ingredients blend together. Switch off stove once the oats is cooked. 

Roll them into balls while mixture is warm. Makes about 15 small sized balls.

Recipe source : http://quicknhealthy.blogspot.com/2013/03/aval-laddu.html

Made the below nutriball with chopped dried plums, chopped toasted walnuts, almonds and pecans.

puttu and sodhi

Mix black rice flour, white rice flour and ragi flour in equal proportions. Add a pinch of salt and lukewarm water. The flour should be wet enough for steaming. It should not be made to a dough.


Then layer the flour, grated coconut and chopped spinach(கீரை)steam cook in puttu maker. Alternatively place the flour with கீரை and grated coconut in a cloth and cook it in a steamer. If desired heat little oil in a pan add mustard seeds, urad dal and red chillies, once mustard seeds splutter add the cooked puttu in the pan and saute for few minutes for extra flavour.


the puttu once steamed.

Sodhi goes well with puttu.

Chop brinjal lengthwise. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds( வெந்தயம்), dry red chilles and curry leaves, allow the mustard seeds to splutter and then add the brinjal. Saute for few minutes with sambar powder. Chopped green chillies could be added for spice instead of red chillies. Add tamarind water and turmeric powder to this. Allow the brinjal to cook. Once cooked add diluted coconut milk and allow it to simmer for sometime in low flame. Then add thick coconut milk and switch off the stove once it starts to boil.



The puttu and sodhi combination.