Kavuni Arisi Payasam / Black Rice / Chak Hao Kheer with Jaggery

     Black Rice / Kavuni Arisi Paysam is very very odd looking blackish pink colored payasam. The dry grapes are almost indistinguishable. The sudden spice of sweetness when you bite the dry grapes without knowing gives kavuni arisi payasam its unique culinary effect.

     

     Black Rice Kheer is very popular in Manipur where it is called "Chak Hao Kheer". Black Kavuni Rice was once served only for royal family in china. It was called "Forbidden Rice” because it was denied to the General public. It was also called Purple Rice or Magic Rice because it changes color after cooked.

      

     Black rice is high in nutritional value and is a source of iron, vitamin E, and antioxidants. The outermost layer of black rice contains one of the highest levels of antioxidants found in food. Kavuni Arisi payasam is a great way to make people have Kavuni Arisi.

    Kids mostly like the blackish pink color and my kid really relished it.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Sweets

Preparation Time: 5 mins  | Cooking Time: 25 mins | Yields: 2 - 2/12  Cups

Ingredients:

Kavuni Arisi / Black Rice	½ cup
Water	2 1/2cups
Powdered Jaggery or Jaggery Syrup	¾  cup
Boiled cold Milk	2 cup
Ghee	1 tbsp
Cardamom	2
Cashew Nuts (optional)	10
Dry Grapes / Raisins	15
To Garnish:
Finely Chopped Almonds	4

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak the rice with 2 1/2cups of water for 4-6 hrs.

2. Pressure cook the rice with soaked water for one whistle in high flame. Then bring the flame into simmer and cook for 15 mins.

3. After pressure has gone remove the lid of the cooker and smash the rice with back side of the ladle.

4. Then add the Jaggery syrup and mix them well.

5. Then add the milk and powdered cardamom. Mix well and again heat the mixture till they become little bit thick.

6. Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a pan, add cashew nuts and raisins. Fry till the cashew becomes golden color.

7. Mix this fried cashews and raisins with the payasam mixture (from 5).

8. Then switch off the flame and transfer it into serving bowl. Serve it hot or cold as per your choice.

Note:

1. You can use fried coconut pieces instead of cashews.

2. You can use sugar instead of Jaggery.

   Click here to view more Kheer / Payasam Recipes.

Read More

Peanut / Ground Nut / Veerk kadalai Sundal

     Normally we boil ground net and eat without further preparation. Try converting it into Sundal; It is really good and a good choice for Navaratri.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Sundal

Preparation Time: 2 mins  | Cooking Time: 5 mins | Yields: ¾ cup

Ingredients:

Raw Peanuts	½ cup
To Temper:
Sesame Oil or Cooking Oil	1 tsp
Mustard Seeds	¼ tsp
Curry Leaves	4 pieces
Red Chilli Powder	½ tsp
Asafoedita / Hing	¼ tsp
Salt	As required
To Garnish:
Grated Coconut	2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak the raw peanuts with enough water for 3-4 hours.

2. Pressure cook the peanuts with soaked water and pinch of salt for 3 whistles in medium flame or till they become tender.

3. After pressure has gone, open the lid of the cooker and then drain the water from the peanut using the strainer.

4. Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and wait for popping, then add the curry leaves for sauté till they become crisp.

5. Now add the red chilli powder, hing and salt; Sauté them for few seconds.

6. Then add the grounts (from 3) and mix them well. Then close the lid of the pan and cook for 2 mins.

7. Add the grated coconut and mix them gently. Then transfer it into serving bowl.

  Serve it immediately with hot herbal chai.

Related Posts:

1. Peanut Lddoo

2. Homemade Peanut Butter

3. Chutney

Read More

Beetroot Chips | Chips Recipes

     Beetroot chips are very colorful and attractive yet are a healthy snack. I saw this recipe in a magazine long time back but forgot where. Chips are usually fried fruits or vegetable slices only. This beetroot chips is fried only after adding a thin coat of besan flour and rice flour just like bajji. Since the coating is very thin, we are calling it as chips only. 

     Click here for more Beetroot Recipes.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Snacks

Preparation Time: 7 mins  | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Beetroot (medium size)	1 (150 gm)
Besan Flour / Kadalai Maavu	¼ cup
Rice Flour	2 tbsp
White Sesame Seeds	2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder	3 tsp
Asafoedita / Hing	¼ tsp
Salt	1 tsp or As Required
Water	3 tbsp
Oil	For Deep Fry

Procedure:

1. Wash and peel the skin of the beetroot.

2. Cut it into four equal parts vertically.

3. Then slice them into thin slices using the slicer. Keep it aside.

4. In a wide bowl, add besan flour, rice flour, sesame seeds, red chilli powder, hing and salt. Mix them well.

5. Then add the beetroot slices (from 3). Mix them gently without damage the slices.

6. Sprinkle the water and mix them well. Leave if for just 2 mins.

7. Heat the oil in a pan, put the slices into the hot oil and fry till the sizzle sounds stops.

8. Take them out from the oil and drain the oil completely. Then keep it on the tissue paper to remove the excess oil. 

9. Allow them to cool down completely and store it in an air tight container for later use.

       Tasty and crispy chips is ready to serve.

Note:

1. Mine took nearly 3 tbsp water or adjust the water quantity till the flour mixture coat well with the slices.

2. Fry the slices bath by batch. Do not overload the frying pan.

Read More

Poriyal / Fry Recipes

Banana Flower Stirfry

Kothavarai Masala

Beans Poryal

Spicy Potato Fry

Seppang Kizhangu Fry

Pumpkin Stir Fry

Easy Brinjal Fry

Simple Potato Fry

Aloo Methi Fry

Bitter Gourd Chips

Tri Color Poriyal

Agathi Keerai Fry

Brinjial Tomato Fry

Carrot Masala

Potato Fry

Carrot Egg Fry

Maravalli Kizhangu Fry

Ponnanganni Keerai Fry

Chettinadu Potato Fry

Beetroot Poriyal

Raw Banana Fry

Drumstic Leaves Dal Fry

Beans Fry

Grated Carrot Fry

Raw Banana Podimas-III

Raw Banana Podimas-II

Potato Coconut Masala

Avarakkai Spicy Fry

Cabbage Dal Kootu

Egg Fry

Brinjal Spicy Fry

Raw Banana Podimas-I

Cabbage Kootu with Channa Dal

Carrot Poriyal

Read More

Yellow Flower

Read More

Eggless Whole Wheat Smiley Face Cookie

     Kids will not eat cookies just because they are good.  Sometimes we have to attract them by making the cookies in shapes like cartoons etc. Smiley is a simple and easy to make shape yet the cartoonish feel makes kids fall in love with them. This Cookie was a big hit in our family and I strongly recommend this to be tried out.

Recipe Cuisine : International | Recipe Category: Cookies

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Baking Time: 10 mins | Yields: 13-15 Cookies

Ingredients:

For Cookie:
Whole Wheat Flour	1 cup
Butter	½ cup
Icing Sugar	1/3 cup
Vanilla Essence	1 tsp
For Smiley:
Icing Sugar	1 cup
Milk	1 tbsp
Yellow Liquid Food Color	¼ tsp
Brown / Black Liquid Fool Color	¼ tsp
Vanilla Essence	½ tsp

 Click here for Homemade Icing Sugar Recipe.

Procedure:

Procedure for Cookie: 

1. Add the butter in a wide bowl. Beat the butter using the electric beater or hand beater or wire whisk till it becomes fluffy.

2. Now add the icing sugar and vanilla essence, mix them well. Then beat it till the mixture becomes fluffy.

3. Now add the wheat flour and mix them well. Knead it into a pliable and soft dough.

4. Roll the dough into ½ inch thickness circle (like chapathi) on the dry rolling surface using the rolling pin. Before rolling, sprinkle the wheat flour over the rolling surface to avoid the flour getting sticky.

5. Now cut the rolled circle using the 2 inch diameter circular shape cutter.

6. Take out the cookies using the flat spatula and keep it on the ungreased baking tray. Leave ½ inch space between the cookies.

7. Preheat the oven for 200 degree Celsius.

8. Bake the cookies for 10 mins at 180 degree Celsius.

9. Allow it to cool down completely and then take them out from the tray. Again cool them on wire rack.

Procedure for Smiley Face:

10. Now take 1 cup of icing sugar in a bowl, add 1 tbsp of milk and vanilla essence. Mix them well with whisk till they become pouring consistency.

11. Now divide this icing mixture (from 10) into ¾ and ¼ parts. Pour them into two separate bowls.

12. Add yellow color to the  3/4^th quantity bowl. Mix them well and keep it aside.

13. Add brown color to the  1/4^th quantity bowl. Mix them well and keep it aside.

14. Pour these two mixtures into the piping bags or squeeze bottles or thick plastic cover with small hole. Close the bags tightly.

15.  Now using the yellow color icing draw the outer circle for the cookies. Leave it for 5 mins.

16. Then fill the circles with the yellow color icing. If the icing mixture is too thick you can add 1 tsp of water. Leave it for 10 mins.

17. Now you can draw eyes and mouth using the brown color. Leave it for 5 mins.

After 5 mins your smiley cookies are ready to serve.

Click here for more COOKIES Recipes.

:-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)

Read More

Carrot Idli - Kids Lunchbox Idea

     The idea for Carrot Idli came when I wanted to provide a vegetable along with Idli for my kid lunch box. It was liked even by elders.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Breakfast

Preparation Time: 5 mins  | Cooking Time: 10 mins | Yields: 4-5 Idlies

Ingredients:

Idli Batter	½ cup
To Temper:
Oil	1 tsp
Mustard Seeds	¼ tsp
Chana Dal	½ tsp
Curry Leaves	Few pieces
Chopped Onion	2 tbsp
Grated Carrot	3 tbsp
Salt	To taste

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and wait for popping.

2. Add chana dal and curry leaves. Fry them till they become crisp.

3. Then add the chopped onion and fry they become translucent.

4. Add the grated carrot and salt. Sauté till the color of the carrot becomes yellow color.

5.  Allow it to cool down completely. Then add this carrot mixture with idli batter. Mix them well and leave it for 2 mins.

6. Grease the idli plate with oil and pour ladle full of carrot  idli batter (from 5).  Steam cook them for 8-10 mins.

10. After 10 mins remove from the flame and leave it for few mins or apply water to the rare side of the plate.

11. Using the spoon, scoop out the idlies from the plate and serve with chutney and sambar.

Note:

1. Adjust the carrot level according to your taste.

2. Addition of onion is optional.

Read More