Microwave Fried Moong Dal Snack | Easy and Quick Snacks for Kids

I know I am very late for my own event. I was just procrastinating, nothing else. Plus the fact that I really wanted to make something different. But how different is this fried moong dal? Well it's healthy for one, and very tasty at the same time. Who says healthy and tasty food dont' go hand in hand!

Nutan, who has graciously accepted to host this month's MEC, themed on Tea Time Snack, must be upset with me surely, for not sending an entry much earlier on. I wanted to take these with the evening tea/coffee, never mind I hope Nutan will not say no to these.

So here comes these yummy moong dal fried in microwave completely.

Microwave Fried Moong Dal

Ingredients Needed:

Moong Dal - 1 cup

Salt to taste

Oil -1 tsp

Red chili powder per taste

How to make Fried Moong Dal Snack in Microwave

Wash and soak moong dal for 30 mins. Drain completely. Spread on a microwave safe plate, micro for 2 mins first, toss and again microwave for 1 min.


Mix in oil, salt and chili powder. Microwave again for 5 mins.


Allow to cool, it will turn very crispy.

Sending this to Nutan who is hosting the MEC: Tea Time Snack,. Hope you enjoy what comes out of this Edition!

Bottle Gourd Dosa | Sorakaya dosa ~ 101 Dosa Varieties

Of the many dosas I love, Adai always tops with special attention. Now it becomes really hard for me to decide which one I like more. Let's just say that I love all dosa varieties. Amma makes yummy Adais and this variation with bottle gourd is really very interesting as you get to include the vegetable in your dosas.

Adais are normally considered more healthier than the regular dosas as there is more lentil in Adais than in dosas. So I found this to be even more healthy as we included Sorakaya in it. You will not find it included at all as it gets ground in the batter. You can add as grated as such, but it might make it soggy, while grinding it along with batter made it more crispy.

Bottle Gourd Dosa | Sorakaya dosa

Raw Rice - 1 cup
boiled rice - 1 cup
Bengal, Urad, Toor - 1 cup
Dry Red chilis - 4 -5
Sorakkaya - 2 cups
Salt to taste

How to make Sorakaya dosa

Wash and soak all the lentil for 3 hrs. Then grind with dry red chilies. Once ground to a smooth paste, add grated bottle gourd and run once for it to mix well.

then remove and add cumin seeds and Hing.

Heat a tawa, grease with oil. Scoop a ladle of the batter and spread as you will do with a regular dosa.

Enjoy with chutney of your choice!

This can suit a diabetic diet when taken in moderation.

Aloo Tikki Recipe | Easy and Quick Snack for Kids

Nothing can beat an Aloo Tikki is what I always feel. As for every Indian recipes, there are countless recipes for Aloo Tikki, yet each one will delight you as never. One can't simply stop with one, and it's not really required when you make this healthy swallow fried tikkis, rather than the deep fried ones.

And you can make this very quick as it hardly requires anything else than what you already have in your pantry. I am sure there are not many who might say no for a aloo snack and this one is a party party pleasers as well. When you have a party, this will surely be the easiest and the best snack that you can make to please the little ones who come for the party.

Konda and Peddu love to dip these in tomato ketchup and enjoy. Amma makes this when she either has excess bread on hand or Potatoes. But I am sure you need not wait for that occasion to make these easy Aloo tikkis.

 Aloo Tikki

Ingredients Needed:

Potato - 3
Brown Bread - 5
Cumin powder
Green chili. chopped
Coriander leaves
Chat Masala - 1 -2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - as required for swallow frying.

How to make Aloo Tikki

Wash and make marks on the potatoes, microwave for 7 - 8 mins. Soak in water and peel the skin. Mash well using a fork.

Then trim the sides of the bread, soak in water and squeeze away immediately.

In a bowl, take the mashed potatoes, bread, finely chopped chilies, cumin powder, coriander leaves, salt and mix well. Pinch into small balls, flatten them into small discs.

Heat a swallow pan with 1 tsp oil. When you are done making all the tikkis, transfer to a plate, spread little chat masala on both sides and swallow fry these on hot pan.

Serve hot with Tomato Ketchup.

I want to send this for the Kid's Delight Party  as part of the Chats

Moong Dal Sambar | Pasi Paruppu Sambar | Side dish for Idly, Dosa | Step by Step Recipe

Moong Dal Sambar or Pasi Paruppu Sambar is something that I remember Amma always making during our childhood. Somehow this mild concoction of sambar used to feature a lot on our table some years back. Maybe after my marriage or few years later, I see that we have almost stopped making this variety for Idly or any of the breakfast dishes, as it's mostly less spicy. But the goodness of Moong dal and the fact that it's not so spicy makes it a great dish for kids.

I must confess I have not made this combination in years. So when I finally remembered to make this, it was mostly to avoid the confusion I have on what to make for the afternoon tiffin that hubby dear now takes instead of meals. So I was glad that this sambar ended up being a great dish for kids also.

Plus the fact that making this sambar is like 10 - 15 minutes makes it a super duper dish for those rush hours. Split Yellow Moong dals cooks in 1 whistle in pressure cooker, takes about 10 minutes in microwave. However as I said pressure cooker is the best bet when it comes to cooking our dried lentils. 

I never soak any of my lentils, be it Toor dal or Moong dal. So this went directly into the cooker. 

Step By Step Pictures Recipe

Moong Dal Sambar |Payatham Paruppu Sambar | Pesara pappu Sambar

Ingredients Needed:

For pressure cooking

Split Yellow Moong Dal - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 2 big
Turmeric powder a pinch
Oil few drops
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 2 cups

For Seasoning / Talimpu

Onions - 1 small
Mustard Seeds, Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Dry Red Chilis - 2 medium
Curry leaves few
Oil - 1 tsp

How to make Moong dal Sambar:

Wash and pressure cook the moong dal with chopped tomatoes and sambar powder for 1 whitle. Keep aside for the pressure to fall down.

For seasoning:

Heat a pan with oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal. When mustard pops, add onions and saute onions, curry leaves, dried red chilies till done,

Then pour the cooked dal to the pan, take care to ensure it doesn't spill over as you pour the hot dal into the pan, add salt and required water, if you want a think sambar. Bring it to boil, add coriander leaves.

This goes best with Idlis and makes a great dish for toddlers

I want to send this for the Kid's Delight Party  as part of the Easy Tiffin Dishes

Beetroot Pulao Recipe | Beetroo Pulav - Step by Step Recipe

One more day of school for the boys before their pooja holidays begin. Konda will be feeling sad that she is not going to have her share of holidays as her exams will begin this week. While the boys have been looking forward for this period, I am sure I can't say the same for others at home. Just yesterday they got their birthday dresses and have been asking me when it's going to be. It's another 15 days to go but I am sure they will be asking me everyday.

It's interesting to see how they design their games, they have company for each other and can play the whole day long. Konda joins them when she can, else she keeps herself busy with something. But when they get into that mood together, it's tough task to get them settle down. It was the same story this morning too, when I tried to wake them up for school. Bribing with chocolates or the fact that their holiday starts very soon. Chinnu got up saying he wants noodles for breakfast at school. I never send it for them but they get that idea from other kids who bring it along. I wonder how kids can carry Maggi for school. It gets so dry and not that tasty, yet kids love it so much.

After much persuasion he agreed to postpone the request to another day. I had to think about our lunch preparation only after the kids left and I was really in a fix not knowing what to make. I decided yesterday that it was going to be a pulao today but what it was, was the problem. I saw that I had beets on hand and realised that I had always wanted to make Beets pulao but never attempted. Hubby dear came on to look couple of times and even wondered at the way the beets looked if the rice was going to end up being sweet. He was pleasantly surprised that the Beets Pulao was perfect and very nice too.

I even called up home earlier to get the kids' reaction and Athamma said Peddu liked it and ate. It works like this, even if one likes it, I believe we can persuade the other kids to eat it..:)

Step by Step Picture Recipe

 

Beetroot Pulao

Ingredients Needed:

Rice, - 2 cups
Beetroot - 1 big
Onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 2 small (1/2 cup or little more)
Green Chilies - 2 medium
Mint Leaves - handful
Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Butter - 2 tsp
Garam Masala - 2 pinches
Cashew nuts - few

Whole Spices

Bay Leaf - 2 small
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 2"
Cardamon - 2

How to make Beetroot rice

Wash and soak rice for 15  - 20 mins. Pressure cook with 4 cups or less water (Water depends on your rice ). Once the pressure falls, remove and add 1 tsp of butter and cover it again and keep aside.

To make the Beetroot Masala.

Wash and peel the beetroot outer skin. Chop into small slices, microwave for 10 mins or till done. Grate or pulse it couple of times. Keep it aside.

Heat a non stick pan with butter, add all the wholes spices, saute, then add onion juliennes, chopped green chilies, simmer or cook on high for couple mins, till the onions starts turning colour. Add the cashew nuts.

Then add chopped tomatoes, mint leaves, add salt, red chili powder and simmer till tomatoes turn soft. Once the tomatoes turn to paste, add the grated beetroot. Mix well.

Cover with lid and simmer for 2 mins.

Now add the cooked rice and mix everything well. Simmer for couple minutes and serve with Onion Raitha.

These make a colourful dish on a party table - Kid's Delight Party

Dry Yellow Peas Masala Vadai | Pattani Paruppu Vadai | Peas Fritters

There is no denying my love for deep fried snacks. If they come in round circles, with dal and crunchy bites in between, I am sold! Imagine such a delicious treat taking shape from the thought of doing away with excess stuff on hand. This recipe originally came into being because Amma had lots of Whole White Peas / Yellow peas with her. Not knowing how to use it up, she thought she might make Vadas with them. I know I love the idea.

These delicious vatana vadas make a great appetisers for the Kid's party. Of course you got to tweak the recipe a bit if you are serving it for below 5 yr olds. But otherwise the recipe is prefect and tastes simply too good. You can imagine how good if I am planning to have excess of white peas on hand..:)

The first time I actually got these peas and read about them or rather realized that there is a different type of peas all together, was when I made the Ragda Patties. The night I was to make it, I realized I didn't' have it and bought it the next day. I am still not sure if these are called white peas or yellow peas. It's called the Yellow peas in English, while called White Vatana in hindi. Now don't ask me what it's called in Tamil, I tried hooking a conversation with the salesperson and asked the name, she simply replied it's "yellow patani", can't beat the simplicity of that statement right!

Patani Vada

Yellow dried Peas / White Peas - 1 cup
Mint leaves - handful
Coriander leaves handful
Curry leaves - handful
Salt to taste
Gram flour / Besan - 1 tbsp
Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 medium.

Grind to paste:

Garlic, 2- 3 cloves
Green chilli - 2 medium
Ginger  1"

Oil for Deep frying
Water just enough to make the batter

How to make the Patani Vada / Vatana Vada:

Wash and soak the peas in water overnight. Then drain water and grind the peas coarsely.

Take in a bowl, add the ginger garlic chili paste, finely chopped mint, coriander and curry leaves, besan, salt, red chili powder, onions, and mix well. The batter will have some water by now, if required sprinkle little water.

Heat oil for deep frying, take out small balls and flatten them as vadas and gently drop into hot oil.

Cook on both sides and drain on kitchen towel.

These make a lovely add on for a party table - Kid's Delight Party

Calories to Lose Weight

Image byjsogo - Flickr

Are all calories treated the same way? The American public has been told through the media that consuming more calories than the body burns leads to weight gain. Doing the simple math this statement seems to make sense but is only partially true.

My grandmother was a nutritionist well ahead of her time – she never believed the old school of nutritional thinking that all calories are created equal. She understood that fat, protein and carbohydrate calories are different. One way to visualize that belief is to ask yourself – ‘is eating 500 calories of pure sugar the same as eating 500 calories of pure protein?’

How could different forms of calories affect you? Modern research now shows that the calories from proteins, carbohydrates, and fats have different reactions within your body in a way such that some calories really are healthier than others.  The key to this notion is your metabolism.

Two hormones are primarily responsible for fat storage and fat energy – insulin and glucagon. These two hormones balance against each other to keep your body running properly. As you blood sugar waxes and wanes these hormones are released – for example, if your blood glucose is too low, the pancreas will secrete glucagon to raise it.

The key is to pay attention to certain foods that affect insulin release much more than other foods such as white breads, sugars, most baked goods, and most processed snack foods.  All these foods typically do is give you a short burst of energy and then a let-down. Proteins, however, will release glucagon which can decrease hunger.

How this is tied to The Diet Solution Program is that part of Isabel’s method focuses on balancing food intake that regulates these two hormones which will cause fat burning while building muscle. Food proportions in the correct ratios are key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.  If you tie that to the right foods for your unique metabolism type, the calories you eat when you are attempting to control appetite and lose weight should result in a healthier result.

Can Chocolate Reduce Cardiovascular Disease?

Recent studies (both experimental and observational) have suggested that chocolate consumption has a positive influence on human health, with antioxidant, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, and anti-thrombotic effects as well as influence on insulin sensitivity.

We frequently hear of the anti-oxidant benefits in the bioflavonoids of chocolate. Many are so surprised when I tell them that Cacoa (the true spelling) is a plant and as such, considered a "super food". When I lecture, I frequently talk about the power of super foods and they do not have to be sourced from a rare rain forest berry that you've never heard of much less afford. So much of our standard food supply can be considered full of "superfoods" if we just look at the nutrient profile and chocolate is at the top of this list.

Not just any chocolate will do. Much of the chocolate on the market is processed with alkali. This is a process used in Dutch Chocolates and unfortunately, it destroys most of the beneficial flavonoids. Remember, that white chocolate has no flavonoid benefit at all.

Chocolate is also good for the mood. Chocolate also has a more direct stress-reducing effect. It contains a compound called anandamide also known as the "bliss chemical" that binds to certain receptors in the brain to promote relaxation. This happens in a manner similar to the effect of some components of marijuana though the effect is much more subtle (and much more legal!). Chocolate contains enzyme inhibitors that decrease the body's ability to metabolize anandamide, thus "prolonging the high."

High in magnesium, Iron and copper, chocolate also contains lesser amounts of calcium, zinc, Vitamin A, niacin, and phosphorus.

How do you choose a quality chocolate that will be beneficial to your cardiovascular health?

1. Choose the darkest chocolate bar you can tolerate. The higher cocoa, the lower the sugar. I recommend 85-99%. This can be bitter for some so beginning at a 72% and moving up might be your best choice.
2. Choose an organic bar to avoid the pesticide residue.
3. Choose a chocolate bar that has not been processed with alkali.
4. Be kind to our global neighbors and choose "Fair Trade". Sourced from ethically traded cacao farms ensuring fair trade, responsible labor practices and sustainable farming

Your chocolate bar ingredients should be limited to; Cocoa, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Liquor and Sugar. Of course the higher cacao content will reduce the sugar content. Remember, sugar suppresses the immune system.

A very small amount goes a long way with this beneficial super food. 1-3 squares is a sufficient amount. If you're anything like me, having chocolate in the house may not be a good idea if you are in a weight loss mode. One would think that the slightly bitter taste might detour most from over eating.

Not me, I'm a true chocoholic! This is the reason I don't have a chocolate supply. It's my Friday night movie treat. Only purchase that in which you know you have control over.

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the association of chocolate consumption with the risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders.

Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and observational studies.

Data sources Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, IPA, Web of Science, Scopus, Pascal, reference lists of relevant studies to October 2010, and email contact with authors.

Study selection Randomised trials and cohort, case-control, and cross sectional studies carried out in human adults, in which the association between chocolate consumption and the risk of outcomes related to cardiometabolic disorders were reported.

Data extraction Data were extracted by two independent investigators, and a consensus was reached with the involvement of a third. The primary outcome was cardiometabolic disorders, including cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease and stroke), diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. A meta-analysis assessed the risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders by comparing the highest and lowest level of chocolate consumption.

Results From 4576 references seven studies met the inclusion criteria (including 114 009 participants). None of the studies was a randomised trial, six were cohort studies, and one a cross sectional study. Large variation was observed between these seven studies for measurement of chocolate consumption, methods, and outcomes evaluated. Five of the seven studies reported a beneficial association between higher levels of chocolate consumption and the risk of cardiometabolic disorders. The highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease (relative risk 0.63 (95% confidence interval 0.44 to 0.90)) and a 29% reduction in stroke compared with the lowest levels.

Conclusions Based on observational evidence, levels of chocolate consumption seem to be associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of cardiometabolic disorders. Further experimental studies are required to confirm a potentially beneficial effect of chocolate consumption.

Full Study:
http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d4488.full

Nutella and Dark Chocolate Cookies | Dark Chocolate Cookies with Nutella| Eggless Chocolate Cookies

On a Sunday it's not uncommon to see the kids playing through the day. The long hours of endless playing leaves them tired towards the late evening and before you can realise they are off for a nap, which extends almost towards their bed time. Imagine waking them up for their dinner and then expecting them to sleep right away!

I had been planning on this Nutella Cookies with Dark Chocolates for a long time and decided I am not going to procrastinate any more. Seeing me get busy with the butter box that comes packed with muffins on their cover, alerts my boys that something chocolate in underway. That's sure enough not to get them sleepy. When asked when they are going to hit the bed, they promptly told me, once I give them the chocolates that I was making. They patiently waited for it to get done, I mean how much patience can you expect from boys, soon to be 5 yr old.

These hot cookies sold literally like hot cakes! I mean the adage fitted so well. They were content only after being satisfied with their share of these sinful chocolate cookies.

Nutella and Dark Chocolate Cookies:

Ingredients Needed:

Nutella and Dark Chocolate - 1 cup
All purpose flour / Maida - 2 tbsp
Icing Sugar - 2 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1 tbsp (as per requirement)

How to make Nutella and Dark Chocolate Cookies

Pre heat oven at 170 Deg C.

Melt Nutella and Dark Chocolate in microwave. In a bowl, take the melted chocolate, add flour and icing sugar. Mix well. 

To get the dropping consistency add milk and mix till you get a smooth thick dropping consistency.

Grease a baking tray and place drops of the batter.

Bake at 170 Degree C for 15 - 20 mins, till your cookies are done. It took me about 18 mins to get the right texture.

The cookies get harden when you allow them to cool. Will be very gooey and chewy but for chocolate lovers like my kids, it's a heavenly treat!

These make a lovely add on for a party table - Kid's Delight Party

Healthy Wheat Flattened Rice Bhel | Healthy Recipes for Diet | Step by Step Recipe

Next in the "No Fasting No Feasting" Diet Plan series, is this healthy Bhel that makes up for those hungry times in between meals. This is almost no oil in this healthy snack as I used just about 1/2 tsp of Olive oil. Surprise part of this Bhel is the fact that my kids loved this so much that, there wasn't much left for the adults at home.

Couple of days back when I was talking to my dietitian, she said she made this healthy Bhel. I wanted to try it right away but came around doing it this morning. She made with regular wheat, and was not sure if Samba Godhuma will behave the same way. I still have the most of the packet left, after making the Godhuma Halwa. I was planning to make the halwa again, but another alternate healthy recipe surely appeals more.

Other than the wheatgrain, rest of the ingredients are readily available in your pantry. You can just about improvise on this recipe and add whatever you want, just use your imagination.

This is suitable for Diabetics, you need not add peanuts to make sure it fits well.

Wheat Beaten Rice Healthy Bhel

Ingredients Needed:

Wheat - 1 cup

Beaten Rice / Thick Poha - 1 cup

Roasted Channa Dal / Dalia - 1/2 cup

Roasted Peanuts - 1/4

Seasoning:

Olive Oil - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves - few

Green Chilies - 2 medium

Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

How to make the Wheat Poha Bhel:

Heat a kadai, when it's hot add the wheat, keep tossing around. The thin hard wheat will expand or get bloated when it's cooked. Keep stirring for couple of minutes, remove to a plate.

Use the thick poha, next add the poha to the hot pan, keep stirring again. Cook for couple of minutes until the poha is lightly browned. Remove to the plate.

Then in the same pan, slightly toss the roasted channa dal, followed by roasted peanuts. Remove to the plate.

In the same pan, add olive oil, finely chopped green chilies, red chili powder, curry leaves. Toss well, then added the cooked grains. Toss everything well so that the spice powder gets mixed well with the grains.

Notes: For the kids, remove the green chilies, curry leaves and serve.

This makes a healthy bhel that you can snack anytime you feel hungry.

Sending this for Kid's Delight Party as this makes a wonderful starter, which is also healthy.

Celebrating 3 years with Kid's Delight Party Event!

I like to do most things in my best known customary ways. Like doing something always in a similar pattern. Like forgetting to remember that this sweet little blog of mine turned 3 years few weeks back, then celebrating the occasion with the Kid's Delight event.

I still remember the morning when I was checking out my Cooking 4 all Seasons FB page, that also had Chinnu's picture. Peddu climbed up my lap, he was hardly 2 then, and asked where his picture was. I was taken aback realizing I never actually thought about it. That's when the idea to start a new blog came to mind. I expanded with it and wanted to select a blog name that can reflect the many things I want to share in this space. While the other site name and the Chinnu's picture, were accidental, I made sure I clicked a similar one of Peddu and I did. The first time I created and added his picture, his joy was ecstatic.

I celebrated the first anniversary with a new event that celebrated food for Kids. I know it's good and great if your kid can eat the food you make for the rest of the family, but that hardly ever happens right. Even at my home, most times if one kid eats something, the other two say no and the only one dish/ingredient all three say YES is for anything Chocolate! But one can't live on just chocolates right.

Thus came into existence the Kid's Delight, an event featuring all Kid Friendly Recipes. Since its inception, I have been hosting the event in this space, earlier this year I requested my blogger friends to guest host for me and it's been great interacting with them, brainstorming for ideas and thoughts that will make the little ones get happy.

I have been always happy with the way each of the dish that I had made for the kids was received. Even if one of them liked it, it was enough for me. Another twist in this event was the fact that, the entry you send need not just be for your kid, or other little ones in your family, neighborhood etc, it can also be something that you enjoyed as a kid yourself. There, doesn't that make it more exciting?

Coming to the event now, on the occasion of Spice your Life! completing 3 years, I invite you all to join me in celebrating with a Kid's party. When it's a kid's party, it naturally needs to be themed, including the food. I know kids love chats, pizzas, chocolates and ice creams. But a party needs to have other entries too, to make it complete.

So make something that will be fitting a party mood, approved by a kid, who is willing to eat at a party.

Guidelines for the event:

From now until Oct 15th, you are welcome to join me for the celebration with a party for the kids.

The entries have to be Vegetarian. (Eggs are allowed only in baked dishes)

Multiple entries are accepted.

I am not accepting entries from archive as I want us to think new ideas..:) But then if you have something that's very important like a list of items for a party etc, let me know.

Finally link back to the event's Announcement page or this page. If you can use the logo, it will be great.

Send me an email with the post details to spicingyourlife@gmail.com, with following details

Subject: Kid's delight Party

Name

Recipe Name

Post URL

Picture

Remember to send by Oct 15th!

I hope you will join me and make this grand.

I leave you with some ideas for themed dishes:

Chat Recipes 

Chocolate Feast

Crunchy Snacks

Healthy Snacks for Kids 

Paneer Recipes 

Restaurant Recreations 

and for a general idea on what kids like you can check Kid Friendly Recipes 

Jalebi Recipe | How to make Jalebi Step By Step Recipe | Indian Cooking Challenge for August

For this month's Indian Cooking Challenge, I was very late to decide on a dish. It was so late that I hit on the first recipe that was on my draft. I am not sure where I got this recipe, it's been in my filing for a long time. So it was a big risk that I was taking in suggesting to the team.

As always I had decided on a off Saturday to venture into this but totally forgot to mix the batter and allow it to ferment. So I ended up mixing the batter in the morning and let it ferment through the day. Knowing our climate, I was sure it will all get fermented. We had earlier made Jangiri. Athamma was recollecting on how her neighbor used to make these Jalebis. Then my grandmom walked in and said that my grandpa used to make Jalebi. I was always told how well he used to cook, especially the traditional sweets and savories, I actually he was around to get the recipe.

Thinking of Jalebi, remind me of another incident. For our wedding reception, Daddy arranged for hot Jalebi with Vanilla ice cream, a combination that wasn't so famous 12 years ago. Daddy is always known for his style and way of doing things and this went on to become another of doctor's well known acts. I can still remember the rush the dessert section had. We ran short of this even after he had planned for twice that number. We came to know that many went for second and third helping of the Jalebi. That was exactly what I was remembering when I took one bite of this Jalebi I made. No wonder, there is something remarkably addictive when you bite into a hot Jalebi, tart and sweet and full of sugary juice that gushes out.

I had doubled the amount of flour I used and later seeing that I wasn't getting crispy jalebis, I added more cornstarch as I went on. I must have added about 3 - 4 regular ladle full of the cornstarch which might equal to one more cup approx.

Step by Step Picture Recipe for Jalebi

 

Add curds, cornflour to the flour

Add the hot oil

Lime juice,

Followed by food colour

Combine everything well.

Make sure there are no lumps

This was the consistency I got after fermentation. As I have mentioned it was too thin, so I added more cornflour and made it thick.

This consistency was right!

Jalebi Recipe:

Ingredients Needed:

For the Jalebi batter

All purpose flour / Maida - 200 gms
Curds/ Yoghurt - 2 cups
Lime Juice - 2 tsp
Cornstarch / Cornflour - 150 gms apprx*
Hot oil - 2 tbsp
Food colour - orange / saffron / yellow
pinch of salt

For the Sugar Syrup

Sugar - 2 cups
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Water - Just enough to cover the sugar and melt.

Oil for deep frying

How to make Jalebi

The recipe asks you to ferment the batter overnight. I completely forgot and mixed the batter at 10 am and left it to ferment till 4 pm.

In a bowl, take the flour, add salt, then add in the curds, whisk well. Then add lime juice, cornstarch, safron colour, and finally the hot oil. Mix everything well together and make sure there are no lumps. The batter needs to be thick.

I mistook and made the batter little thin, so I had to add more starch to thicken the batter.

Once this is done, set it aside to ferment.

To make the Sugar Syrup

When the batter is all ready, get the sugar syrup ready. Take a pan with sugar, add just enough water to cover all the sugar. Keep stirring so that the sugar melts. Strain if required. Add line juice to avoid sugar crystallization. But few did after few days.

Then again cook till you get a syrupy consistency. Keep it warm.

Making the Jalebis.

Heat oil in a kadai. It is advised that once oil hot, you reduce to medium low flame. But I saw that my Jalebis were getting soggy when I do that.

Spoon batter into a piping bag / zip lock bag or even your milk/ any thick plastic cover. Cut a tiny hole at one end, pipe the batter into the hot oil.

Fry till it's crisp and starts changing colour. This took about just couple of seconds for me, I had to be really quick with piping and turning the jalebis.

Flip and cook on both sides. Once done, drop the hot jalebis into the warm sugar syrup.

Done dunk them for long, flip on both sides and remove with a slotted spoon.

This is best served hot/warm.

Notes: I noticed that the batter had to be really thick for the Jalebis to be crisp. Also it helped when the oil was hot. I have read in other books that it is advised to reduce the flame to medium. This might be something one has to do seeing how it turns out for them.

Lime juice gives that tart taste to the Jalebis, but I am told once the batter ferments overnight, it also aids to that effect, which is why some recipes don't use lime juice.

Having a really thin hole, makes sure your Jalebis turn out thin and crisp.

To all my ICC members, please link your Jalebi post to Mr. Linky.