Cucumber Juice

Ingredients:

Kirby cucumber/ Keera Dosakaya 1
Mint Leaves 2
Ginger 1/2 inch piece
Yogurt 1/2 cup
Sugar 1 tbsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Wash and peel cucumber.
Wash mint leaves. Peel fresh ginger and keep aside.
Chop cucumber roughly and grind it along with mint leaves and ginger piece.
Strain the juice and keep aside.

Beat yogurt and sugar thoroughly and mix in the strained cucumber juice.
Serve with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Notes: Don’t strain if you like the cucumber pulp.

Rasmalai

Rasmalai.

Rasamalai is a Bengali sweet dish made of freshly curdled milk called chenna. Chenna is kneaded thoroughly and made into small disks. These cheese disks are then cooked in bubbling mild sugar syrup till they are extremely soft and spongy. Cooked chenna disks are then soaked in thickened milk flavored with saffron. Rasmalai is served chilled garnished with chopped almonds and pistachios.
Makes: 5 – 7 Rasmalai

Ingredients:

Chenna 1 Cup
Whole / Skimmed Milk 3 cups
Pistachios 5
Almonds 3
Saffron few strands
Sugar 1 cup + to taste

Method of preparation:

Soak pistachios and almonds in warm water for few minutes.
Peel the soaked nuts and finely chop them.
Soak saffron in a tbsp of milk for few minutes.

Boil milk in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium – low flame until it reduces to half and coats the back of the spoon. Keep stirring during the process to avoid scorching.
Once milk is thick, remove from heat.
Stir in sugar, saffron milk and refrigerate for sometime.

Crumble the chenna and thoroughly knead it with help of hand.
After 5 – 7 minutes of kneading, take lime sized chenna and roll it into soft ball.
Slightly flatten the ball and repeat the same with remaining chenna mixture.

Bring to boil a two cups of water on high heat in a small width deep pan, add a cup of sugar.
Once the water starts bubbling, slowly place the flattened chenna disks into the water.
Let the water bubble for 3 – 5 minutes, after which chenna disks almost double in size.
Remove each chenna disks from hot water and dip into cold water.
Carefully squeeze out all water from the chenna disks and put them into previously chilled milk.
Garnish with chopped nuts and serve rasmalai chilled.
Notes: Make sure to chenna mixture doesn’t crumble once kneaded.

Suggestions: Chenna disks break in syrup – Knead the chenna mixture thoroughly next time. Test with one disk and proceed with others. Don’t overcook them in the mild sugar syrup.
Variations: Some add a hint of plain flour to the chenna mixture to make the process easier. Milk in rasmalai can be flavored to hearts content with various fruits and nuts. Santra Rasmalai / Orange Rasmalai (where orange slices are cooked with milk), Rasmalai with Basoondi (when milk is reduced to 1/4th), Strawberry Rasmalai (when chopped strawberries are added to boiling milk). Some versions of instant rasmalai call for bread or eggs instead of chenna.
Other Names: Rasmalaai, Ras Malai, Rasamalai, Kesar Pista Rasmalai, Kesari Rasmalai, Roshomalay, Rassmalai.

Mixed Fruit Chaat

Mixed Fruit Chaat.

Here, fruit chaat is made of sweet mango, banana, orange, papaya, pineapple and water melon. Lemon or lime rind is prepared by grating the top skin of the whole lemon or lime. This rind is mixed with lemon juice and juices of other fruits for flavoring the chopped fruits. The flavored mixed fruits can be served on a bed of sweetened yogurt or flavored yogurt or custard.
Makes: 3 – 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Mango 1 small
Baby Banana 1
Orange 1 small
Papaya 1/4 of Small One
Pineapple 1/4 of Small One
Water Melon 1/8 of Small One
Sugar to taste
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice 2 tsps
Lemon Rind 1/2 tsp
Plain Yogurt 1 Cup
Honey 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Smoothly whisk yogurt with honey and chill it.
Peel and divide orange into sections.
Chop mango, banana, papaya, pineapple, water melon into small pieces removing outer skins and seeds if any.

While chopping, collect the juices or scraps of mango, orange, pineapple, melon into a bowl.
Mix all the collected juices with lemon juice, lemon rind and sugar.
Soak all the chopped fruits into its own juices and chill them until ready.
Serve the mixed fruits over the bed of chilled yogurt.
Notes: Make sure to adjust the quantity of fruits to your preference.

Suggestions: Fruit Chaat is all pulpy – Choose fruits that are fresh and not overripe.
Variations: Finely ground black pepper or red chile powder or chaat masala can be sprinkled on the fruit salad. Choice of fruits is unlimited. Try using ripe guava, strawberry, cantaloupe, musk melon, etc…
Other Names: Fruit Salad, Fruit Chat, Seasonal Mixed Fruit Salad

Strawberry Orange Juice

Ingredients:

Strawberries 15
Banana 1
Orange juice 1/2 cup
Honey 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Remove stems and chop strawberries into halves.
Peel and chop banana into circles.

Blend strawberry halves and banana slices along with orange juice.
Add more orange juice if needed.
Top it with honey if you like.

Notes: Too much of orange juice spoils the taste.

Almonds Powder

Almonds Powder.

Almonds are roasted till they change color. Red chiles are fried in few drops of oil till aromatic. While red chiles spice up the powder, tamarind brings the sourness to the mixture. The roasted almonds are then ground into fine powder along with other spices.
Makes: around 1 1/2 Cups of Almonds Powder.

Ingredients:

Almonds 3/4 Cup
Tamarind 1 inch sized piece
Whole Red Chiles 2 – 3
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil few drops

Method of preparation:

Heat a pan on medium – low heat, add almonds and roast till they change color.
Add cumin seeds and tamarind to the same pan and briefly fry them.
Add few drops of oil in the same pan, add red chiles and fry till aromatic.
Remove roasted ingredients onto a plate and cool to room temperature.

Grind almonds, tamarind, red chiles, cumin seeds and salt into fine powder using a spice blender.
Store the powder tight in a jar and it stays fresh for couple of weeks.
Serve almonds powder with idly, dosa, steamed rice and ghee etc.
Notes: Make sure not to burn any of the ingredients.

Suggestions: Adjust the red chiles for spice.
Variations: You can also add a tsp of coriander seeds to the mixture if you wish.
Other Names: Almonds Powder

Badam Halwa

Badam Halwa.

Almonds are blanched and the skin is removed. The almonds are then ground into smooth paste with enough milk. The almond paste is then slowly reduced along with sugar into thick gooey halwa. Finally badam halwa is garnished with sliced almonds.
Makes: around 1 1/2 Cups of Badam Halwa.

Ingredients:

Almonds 1 Cup
Sugar 1 1/2 Cups
Milk 1/2 – 3/4 Cup
Cardamom Powder a big Pinch
Ghee 1 Tbsp

Method of preparation:

Take a handful of almonds aside.
Slice some almonds for garnish.

Soak almonds in warm water for couple of hours.
Peel the skin off of the almonds and grind the peeled almonds along with reserved almonds into smooth paste with enough milk.

Heat a heavy pan on medium heat, add almond paste.
Stir briefly and add the sugar and cardamom powder.
Cook on low – medium flame for the almond paste to come together.
Keep stirring the almond paste to avoid scorching.
When the halwa comes together and stops sticking to the sides of the pan, remove from heat.
Stir in ghee and remove the almond halwa from heat.
Once halwa is cool enough to handle, form it into desired shape and garnish with sliced almonds.
Notes: Make sure to stir the almond paste well.

Suggestions: Make sure halwa doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan before removing from heat.
Variations: Check other recipes with almonds here.
Other Names: Badam Halwa

Butter Balls

Venna Vundalu.

Venna vundalu are one of the signature sweets of Andhra. These are made from freshly made home made white butter. Rice flour is made into soft dough using the butter and deep fried till golden and crisp. These are then added to jaggery or sugar syrup which forms a nice coating once cooled. These are nice light golden color on outside if used sugar syrup and dark golden if used jaggery syrup.
Makes: around a cup of Venna Vundalu

Ingredients:

Rice Flour 1 Cup
Butter 1/2 Cup
Salt a pinch
Sugar 1/2 – 3/4 Cup
Ghee or Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Bring to boil around half a cup of water and remove from heat.
Mix thoroughly rice flour, butter and salt with enough boiled water to make soft dough.
Make small 1 inch sized balls out of the prepared rice flour dough and keep aside.

Bring to boil sugar and quarter cup of water in a sauce pot.
Once sugar forms a thick syrup ( 2 – 3 thread consistency), remove from heat.

Heat enough ghee or oil in a deep pan on medium high heat.
Slowly drop the rice flour balls into the hot oil in batches.
Deep fry the balls till golden color and remove onto the absorbent paper.
Immediately add these fried butter balls into the sugar syrup.
Repeat the same with any remaining leftover rice flour balls.
Once the syrup cools down and forms a white layer on the fried rice flour balls, serve them as a snack.
Notes: Make sure to get the sugar syrup right.

Suggestions: If the deep fried butter balls are not soft inside and crisp outside, mix in some more butter to the dough and try again.
Variations: Some recipes call for one part of plain flour (maida) along with three parts of rice flour. Jaggery is also used instead of sugar for the coating.
Other Names: Venna Tho Vundalu, Seedai.

Onion Bonda

Ullipaya Bonda

Ingredients:

Plain Flour/ Maida 3 cups
Plain Yogurt 1 cup
Onion 1 small
Green Chiles 2
Curry Leaves 3
Salt few pinches
Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Peel and finely chop onion.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chiles.
Wash and tear the curry leaves.

In a mixing bowl, slowly mix plain flour, yogurt and salt together with required amount of water.
The flour mixture needs to be flowy but tight.
Leave the flour mixture covered for atleast 3 hours.
Finally add chopped onion, green chiles and curry leaves to the above mixture just before making.

Heat oil in wok to medium high heat smoking hot, take golf sized balls out of the mixture and drop slowly in oil.
Repeat the same until the wok is full.
Fry each one until golden brown on both sides.
Remove onto absorbent paper and repeat the same with remaining mixture.
Serve hot with any chutney.

Notes: Add a pinch of soda-bi-carb to bonda mixture if bonda doesn’t seem to be soft and puffed up.

Garlic Balls

Vellulli paaya vundalu

Ingredients:

Garlic pods 10-15
Tamarind 2 inch sized ball
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Dry whole red chillies 5-8
Salt to taste
Oil 3 tbsps

Method of preparation:

Soak tamarind in a tsp or two of oil and keep aside.

Heat a drop of oil in pan, add urad dal. 
Roast the urad dal until it turns light brown.
Remove from heat and add a tsp of oil and dry red chillies in same pan.
Roast red chillies until you can smell them.

Grind urad dal, red chillies and salt into somewhat fine powder.

In the same pan, add 2 tbsps oil and garlic pods.
Saute them for few minutes or until they turn light brown.

Using mortar and pestle, first mash the tamarind until soft.
Then add red chilli urad dal powder.
Mix them together thoroughly with the pestle.

Finally add garlic pods and mash the whole thing together.
Make small balls and serve with rice and ghee.

Notes: These garlic balls stay for weeks if stored tight.

Puffed Rice Balls

Maramarala undalu

Ingredients:

Mamra / Puffed Rice 4 cups
Jaggery 1/2 cup
Green Cardamom 1

Method of preparation:

Lightly bruise the cardamom.
Grate or pound the jaggery into small pieces.

Heat a deep vessel on medium flame, add jaggery, cardamom and 1/4 cup of water.
When jaggery turns to thick consistency much like honey, remove from heat and add mamra.
Stir quickly and thoroughly to stick all the mamra to the jaggery syrup.
While it is still warm, take handful of mamra mixture and make ladoo out of it with both the hands.
Repeat the same with the remaining mamra mixture.
Store tight and they stay good for weeks.

Notes: Mamra ladoo can be made with any type of puffed rice.

Jowar Ladoo

Jonna Laddu

Ingredients:

Jowar Flour 1 cup
Rice Flour 1 tbsp
Powdered Sugar 1 1/4 cup
Cashews 2 tbsps
Raisins 1 tbsp
Ghee 2 tbsps or as necessary

Method of preparation:

Heat a pan, add ghee and cashews.
Once cashews start to change color, add raisins.
Remove and reserve the fried cashews and raisins for later.

In the same pan, add jowar flour and rice flour.
Roast on low flame for a minute by stirring frequently to avoid burning.

In a mixing bowl, mix together roasted jowar flour, powdered sugar, fried cashews and raisins.
Add warm ghee when necessary and roll the mixture into lime sized balls.
Store tight and these jowar ladoo stays for months.

Notes: Make sure not to burn the jowar flour while roasting.

Coconut Rava Ladoo

Kobbari Rava Laddu.

Sooji is fried in little ghee till its golden in color. Freshly grated coconut is also fried in ghee till golden in color. Sugar is made into thick syrup and added to the fried sooji and coconut. While the mixture is till hot, its formed into small ladoo.
Makes: around 7 Coconut Rava Ladoo.

Ingredients:

Fine Sooji 1 Cup
Sugar 1/2 Cup
Grated Coconut 1/2 Cup
Ghee 2 tsps
Almonds 6
Green Cardamom 2

Method of preparation:

Bruise the green cardamom and remove the black seeds and discard the green skin.
Thoroughly grind the black seeds with a pestle and keep aside.

Microwave almonds in few tablespoons of water for half a minute.
Peel off the skin and thinly slice the blanched almonds.

Bring to boil quarter cup of water, add sugar.
Let the sugar dissolve and sugar syrup thicken a bit.
Don’t cook till the sugar makes a single thread.

Heat a tsp of ghee in a nonstick pan on medium heat, add grated coconut.
Fry till the coconut turns golden color and remove onto a plate.
Heat another tsp of ghee in the same pan, add sooji.
Stir frequently and fry sooji on medium flame till sooji turns light golden color.
Then stir in the roasted coconut, cardamom powder, sliced almonds and sugar syrup.
Cook for a minute or two till the sooji comes together.
Remove from heat and let the sooji cool down a little.
Grease hands with dollop of ghee, take small amounts of sooji mixture and form into ladoo.
Store tight coconut rava ladoo in a jar and it stays fresh for couple of weeks.
When ready to serve, microwave the coconut rava ladoo for half a minute or less.
Notes: Don’t overcook once the sugar syrup is added to sooji.

Suggestions: If the sugar syrup gets too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water and cook till the required consistency.
Variations: You can also add fried raisins and cashews to the sooji mixture before making into ladoo.
Other Names: Sooji Laddu, Rava Ladoo, Coconut Rawa Laddu.

Dry Fruits Ladoo

Dry Fruits Ladoo.

Dried fruits like dates, raisins, apricots etc are mixed with nuts like cashews, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans etc.. and formed into tight balls called ladoo. Serve these dry fruits ladoo as a tea time snack or as a energy booster through out the day.
Makes: 8 – 10 Dry Fruits Ladoo.

Ingredients:

Pitted Dates 15 – 20
Cashews 5
Pistachios 14
Almonds 7
Golden Raisins 10

Method of preparation:

Finely chop the dates and the raisins.
Soak almonds in warm water for sometime and peel of their skin.
Pat dry the almonds.

Crush the cashews, pistachios and almonds into small bits using a pestle or a quick pulse in the processor.
Alternatively, chop the nuts with help of a large knife.
Add all the prepared ingredients in a mixing bowl and press with a fork or back of a spoon to mix.
Divide the mixture into around 8 – 10 portions.
Take each portion into hand and press to form into a ball.
Store dry fruits laddu in a dry tight jar and serve as a snack.
Notes: Make sure dates are not too dried but still hold their softness for easy binding.

Suggestions: If dates are too hard, then cover and microwave for couple of seconds to soften them. All quantities are approximate, adjust them according to your preference.
Variations: You can also add various nuts like walnuts, pecans and dried fruits like apricots, grapes etc.. Sugar or jaggery can also be added for more sweetness which also helps in binding. Dessicated coconut or dried coconut can be added but it reduces the shelf life of dry fruits laddu. Cardamom powder can be added for flavor.
Other Names: Dry Fruits Ladoo, Dry Fruits Laddu, Dry Fruits Laddoo.