Chiroti / Chirote | Holi Recipes

Chiroti is a famous sweet in Karnataka and Maharashtra states. 

When I was thinking of preparing a colorful sweet for Holi, I thought of making Cheroti in multi-colour. I remember seeing a Chiroti in tri-colour of Indian Flag in a TV program 15 years back.

Recipe Cuisine : Karnataka | Recipe Category: Indian Sweets

Preparation Time: 20 mins  | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Yields: 20 nos.

Ingredients:

For Poori:
Maida	1 cup
Ghee	1 tbsp
Salt	A pinch
Water	As Required
4 Food Colors (optional)	½ tsp in each color
For Paste:
Rice Flour or Corn Flour	2 tbsp
Melted Butter	2 tbsp
For Syrup:
Sugar	½ cup
Water	½ cup
Cardamom	1
For Deep Fry:
Oil	As Required

Procedure:

1. In a wide bowl, add maida, salt and 2 tbsp of ghee. Mix them well with your fingers. Now this should look like a bread crumbs.

2. Then add water little by little and knead it into a soft dough.

3.  Divide this dough into 4 equal parts. Add different food colors to each ball and make atleast 4 different color dough. Keep it aside for 30 mins.

4. Meanwhile, add rice flour and melted ghee in a small bowl. Mix them well and make them into smooth paste. Add more ghee till you bring it into paste consistency.

5. For sugar syrup add the sugar and water in a heavy bottom pan. Cook in a medium heat till the syrup reaches single string consistency. Then add either cardamom or cardamom powder. Mix them well and keep it aside.

6. Now roll the 4 colors dough into 4 rotis using dry flour.

7. Apply rice flour paste (from 4) over the rotis.

8. Now place one color roti over another color roti. Again place 3rd color roti over the previous rotis. Again place the 4th color roti over these rotis.

9. Now roll these rotis gently into a single log. At its end apply water and roll them tightly.

10. Now cut this log into ½ inch thickness circles.

11. Again roll these rotis into a small circles using the rolling pin.

12. Now heat the oil in a frying pan and slide the roti. After few seconds, press it with  the help of the ladle. After few seconds, turn over it carefully and fry the roti till it turns into golden on both sides. Then take it out from the oil and drain the oil using the tissue paper.

13. Then immediately immerse the hot chiroti in the sugar syrup. Allow it for few seconds to absorb the sugar syrup and take it out from the syrup and keep it aside.

14. You can do these two steps (12 and 13) for all the rotis.

      Colorful and tasty Chiroti is ready to serve.

Note:

1. Using colors is optional. You can make Chiroti without colors too.

2. You can use powdered sugar instead of sugar syrup. If you can use powdered sugar, immediately sprinkle the sugar after take the roti out from the oil

Read More

Soft Round Bun

     Even though I had attended classes for making yeast products like Buns, there was always hesitation for trying them.

     I recently met my friend Maha, who is expert in baking Cakes, Buns and Pizzas. Based on her encouragement, I tried my first yeast based food. The Bombay Bun had come out very well - spongy and tasty.

Slideshow video for quick recap:

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Baking | Yields: 7 Buns

Preparation Time: 15 mins  | Fermentation Time: 1 hr

 Proofing Time : 45 mins | Baking Time : 12 mins

Ingredients:

Maida	1 ¼ cup
Sugar	3 tbsp
Salt	½ tsp
Active Dry Yeast	1 tsp
Water	½ cup
Butter	1 tbsp
For Glaze:
Oil	1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Heat the ½ cup of water in a bowl still it becomes lukewarm. Switch off the flame.

2. Add sugar, salt and yeast. Leave it for 10 – 15 mins. You should not stir the mixture.

3. After 15 mins the yeast dissolves completely and becomes frothy. Now mix them gently.

4. Sieve the flour and add butter, now mix the butter and flour gently with your fingers.

5. Add the yeast mixture (from 2) with the flour mixture (from 4).

6. Knead the dough till soft and elastic. This will take about 10-12 mins for the dough to become elastic.

7.  Put the dough in greased air tight box and keep this box in a warm place for an hour for fermentation. I have kept this box in an oven. Do not open the box in between before the fermentation period.

8. After fermentation, the volume of the dough becomes double.

9. Punch the dough and release the gas from the dough.  Knead the dough gently with flour.

10. Make tomato size (50 gm each) balls from the dough and arrange the balls on the greased baking tray. Gently brush the buns using water.

11. Again close the tray and place it in a warm place for 30-45 mins for proofing. Again I have kept the box inside the oven.

12. After 45 mins, again the balls become double its size.

13. Now take the tray out from the oven without damaging the balls. Preheat the oven for 10 mins at 200 degree Celsius.

14. Now place the tray in the oven and bake it for 12 mins at 200 degree Celsius.

15. Take the tray out of the oven and immediately brush the oil on the top of the buns. Allow it to cool down completely and take the buns from the tray and serve.

Note:

1. I have kept the tray in the oven for fermentation, but you can keep it in any air tight place.

      Click here for more Baking Ideas.

Read More

Orange Yogurt Smoothie with Mixed Fruits

      Yogurt and Orange combination gives a very sweet and sour taste to a mixed fruit smoothie. The Aroma of Orange also makes the smoothie very tempting. A Bread Sandwich along with this smoothie will be a very energetic and filling breakfast.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Smoothie

Preparation Time: 7 mins  | Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients:

Chilled Yogurt / Curd	1 cup
Orange Juice / Orange	1 cup / 2
Apple	1/2
Banana	1
Fig	2
Sappota /Chikku	2

Procedure:

1. Remove the skin of the banana and cut it into small pieces.

2. Peel the skin of the apple and chop it into small pieces.

3.  Peel the skin of the fig and sppotta and chop them into small chunks.

4. Extract the juice from the orange and keep it aside.

5. Grind all the fruits (from 1 – 3), orange juice and yogurt into a smooth paste using the blender or mixie. Serve it immediately.

Note:

1. You can use store bought orange juice also.

2. I have used chilled yogurt but you can use without chillness.

3.  I have used fresh orange juice and orange pulp without seeds.

4. Use any fruits instead of Apple, Fig and Sappotta.

Read More

Curry Leaves Idli Powder / Karuveppilai Idli Podi

     Curry Leaves Idli Powder has a different taste and aroma from standard idli powders.  Podi dosa with this podi tastes very good. The good thing about this podi is that it makes people to intake curry leaves which they avoid normally.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Homemade Powders

Preparation Time: 20  | Yields: 1 1/4 cup

Ingredients:

White Whole Urad Dal / Mulu Vellai Ulunthu	1 cup
Curry Leaves	1 -  ½ cups (tightly measured)
Red Chilli	7
Salt	As required

Procedure:

1. Dry roast the urad dal till nice aroma comes out and also turns into golden color.

2. Dry roast the red chilli till the nice aroma comes out.

3. Dry roast the curry leaves till they become crisp.

4. Allow all the roasted ingredients to cool down completely.

5. Powder them with salt using the dry mixie jar and store it in an air tight container.

Note:

1. Adjust the red chilli level according to your taste.

2. Adjust the curry leaves quantity also.

Read More

Peas Paratha

      The greenness of the Peas Paratha makes it very tempting to have a bite. Peas Paratha is one of the best Paratha variety I have made.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Breakfast

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 10 mins | Yields: 8-10 Parathas

Ingredients:

For Stuffing:
Fresh Peas	1 cup
Green Chilli	1-2
Ginger	1 inch
Coriander Leaves	Handful
Salt	To taste
Amchur Powder	1 tsp
To Temper:
Oil	2 tsp
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
For Dough:
Wheat Flour	1 ½ cup
Water	As required
Oil	1 tbsp
Salt	As required
For Paratha:
Oil	For making parathas

Procedure:

Procedure for making dough:

I. In a bowl, add the wheat flour and salt. Mix them well. Then add water little by little and knead into a soft dough. Keep it aside.

For Stuffing:

1. Pressure cook the peas with ¼ cup of water for 1 whistle in a high flame.

2. After pressure has gone, strain the water from the peas and allow it to cool down completely.

3. Grind the green chilli and ginger into a paste using the dry mixie. Take  it out from the jar and keep it aside.

4. Now add the peas (from 2) and grind them into a coarse paste using the same jar.

5. Then add coriander leaves and salt. Again grind them into a coarse paste.

6. Heat the oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and wait for popping. Add the ground green chilli paste ( from 3) and fry for a minute.

7. Then add the peas paste ( from 5) and amchur powder. Mix them well and sauté until the mixture becomes thick.

8. Allow it to cool down completely and make lemon size balls from the mixture. But the stuffing ball should be smaller than dough ball.

9. Now divide the dough (from I) into a lemon size balls.  Now dust the dough ball and roll it into a small circle. Keep the stuffed ball in its center. Then bring the edges to the center.

10. Press them gently, again dust the stuffed balls and roll it carefully.

11. Heat the tawa and transfer the paratha, sprinkle the oil and cook both sides till the black spots starts.

Click here for more Paratha Recipes.

Read More

Onion Tomato Bread Sandwich | Bread Recipes

The good thing about Onion Tomato Bread Sandwich is the all the ingredients are daily used ingredients and will be always available in the kitchen. From availability of ingredients point of view, this is an easy and quick to make recipe.

Click here for more Bread Recipes.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Bread Recipes

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 5 mins | Yields: 5-6 sandwich

Ingredients:

Bread Slices	8
For Stuffing:
Oil	2 tsp
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
Curry Leaves	1 spring
Onion	3
Tomato	1
Red Chilli Powder	1 tsp
Salt	To taste
Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves	1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Peel the skin of the onion and chop them into very very thin and small pieces.

2. Wash and chop the tomato into small pieces.

3. Heat the oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and wait for popping.

4. Then add the curry leaves and sauté for few seconds.

5. Next add the chopped onion (from 1) and sauté till the onion becomes translucent. At this time you should keep your flame at medium.

6. Then add the chopped tomato (from 2) and fry till the tomato becomes mushy.

7. Next add the red chilli powder and salt. Mix them well.

8. Sprinkle little water and close the lid of the pan. Cook until the raw smell of the red chilli powder goes off. Switch off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves. Mix them well and keep it aside.

9. Remove the brown edges of the bread slices.

10. Apply butter on both sides of the slices.

11. Spread Onion-tomato mixture on the 4 bread slices. Then close these slices with remaining slices.

12. Make the sandwich using the sandwich maker or grill.

13. Otherwise, apply butter and roast the slices until they turn into golden color. Now spread the onion-tomato mixture and cover it with another slice. Serve it immediately.

Note:

1. You can use wheat, ragi, madia breads.

2. Use tomato puree instead of tomato.

Read More