Butter Murukku for Indian Cooking Challenge

Butter murukku or Jantikalu has been my ever favorite in savories. When this recipe was selected for Indian Cooking Challenge this month, I was pretty relaxed since I had posted it earlier. I dint want to make it all over again since there were loads of savories at home. So here I am reposting the dish for the challenge. :)

White/ Plain Butter Murukku (Jantikalu)

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 5 cups
Urad dhall flour(fry in dry pan and powder it) - 1 cup
Butter - 50 gms
Asafoetida - a pinch
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Salt - for taste


Method:

Beat butter nicely in a plate and add all the other ingredients to it and mix well. Partition the mixture into multiple parts. Take one portion of the above mixture and add adequate water to it to make dough. Now put the dough in the muruku maker and squeeze it in the oil and fry till it becomes crisp.

Note: Do not mix the entire mixture into dough at one stretch. Doing that would lead to change of color of the dough when left alone for a long time. So make the mixture into dough by adding water as and when required.

Now to make it more interesting, lets add flavors to the same dough.

Orange Butter murukku

Add little chilly powder and food color orange or red along with the above ingredients and make muruku in the same way. This would give you a gharam flavor and interesting look and feel.

Green Butter Murukku

Grind coriander leaves and some green chillies(according to your taste) very finely and add this to the above dough and mix well. This would give you the flavor of coriander leaves and would be hot with chillies too.. :)

You can make another variation of using mint leaves too.

Yellow Butter Murukku

Add a pinch of turmeric power and a little lemon extract to it and mix well. This would give yummy flavor as well as attractive color to it. :)

Along with this post I wanted to make a reminder for our ongoing event - "Garnish the Dish". We are happy to get a lot of entries so far, but we are pretty sure that lot more of you would be interested too. Do take part and make us more thrilled. :) Last date to send entries would be October 6th.

Click on the logo to find more details on the event or visit www.innovativein-laws.blogspot.com.

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Vinayagar Chathurthi Celebration and Sweets :)

Ganesha Festival, popularly known as Ganesh Chaturthi, or Vinayaka Chaturti, is the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu God of wisdom and auspiciousness. The elephant-faced Hindu god Ganesh is one of the most popular deities in Hinduism and is today worshipped around the world. Lord Ganesha is slowly becoming the face of Hindu religion. In 2009, the date of Ganesh Festival is August 23. The Ganesha Festival ends with the immersion of the idol on Ananta Chaturdasi day on September 3.





Since I have a really huge collection of Ganeshas at home, I love to arrange them all as a golu and celebrate it on a grand scale.

Guess what....??? I have place 108 idols of Ganesha in my Golu :):):)

Ganesha Festival is observed on the fourth day of the Shukla Paksha (Waxing Phase of moon) in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August - September).

The josh is spread all over the house on the festival day. Starting from a grand kolam in the entrance. Then maa yelai(mango leaves) as thoran. All of us dressed in traditional wear of our culture and so on..




The puja starts with prayers to lord Parvathi - mother of lord Ganesha.

We have a tradition of making parvathi's face by mixing turmeric powder with water. This year I made it all by myself, and was so happy with the outcome. :)





Then comes the puja for the hero of the show or the birth day boy. :) The Ganesha idol is made out of clay and is decorated with flower garlands, arugampul(grass) garland etc. Various ashtothrams are read and puja is performed.




Now coming to the important part of the pooja. The neivithiyam or prasadam. :) A long yummy list of items are made for the lord.

* Kudumu(idly)
* Udhu untallu(Steamed Dhall balls)
* Undrallu Sundal(steamed rice balls mixed with channa sundal)
* Modakam(modak - Steamed rice flour dumplings stuffed with coconut jaggery filling)
* Jillidikayalu(Another form of modak but semi circle in shape with three types of fillings - cashew filling, sesame filling and coconut filling)

Kudumu and udhu untallu(idly and steamed dhall balls)

Sweet Dumplings/Modakam/Jillidikayalu

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 1 cup
Water - 1 1/4 cup
Salt - a Pinch

Method:

Heat the water in a bowl adding some salt to it. When it boils, simmer the stove and add the rice flour and mix quickly. Immediately switch it off and keep it aside for ten min. Then kneed the dough smoothly adding little cold water and 2 tsp of oil to it.

To make modak either use the mould if you have one, else make small balls from the dough and press it to make cup shape, add the filling to the center and close it to make the drop shape.

To make the semi circular ones, make small balls out of it and press it to make a flat circular disk(you can use your chapathi press or simply a greased cup to press the ball). Put a spoon of filling in the center and seal the corners by pressing.

To make filling:

1) Coconut jaggery filling for Modak

Ingredients:

Coconut scrapping - 1 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Cardamom powder - a pinch

Method:

Take coconut and jaggery in a heavy bottom pan and heat it until the jaggery mixes and comes to a sticky consistancy. Now switch off the flame and add the cardamom powder and mix well.
Use this to stuff in modakams.





2) Coconut sugar filling for Jillidikayalu(kolukattai/Dumpling)

Ingredients:

Coconut scrappings- 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cashews - few(optional)

Method:

Take coconut scrappings and sugar in a heavy bottom vessel and heat it till the sugar melts and the coconut gets cooked. Finally add broken cashews to it and use as filling.


3) Sesame Filling for Jillidikayalu(Kolukattai/Dumpling)

Ingredients:

Sesame - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1 1/4 cup

Method:

Fry sesame in a pan adding little water to it. Once the water eveporates and the sesame crackles, switch off the flame and let it cool for a while. Once it is absolutely cool, powder it along with jaggery and use it as filling for kolukattai.


4) Cashew Filling for Jillidikayalu(Kolukattai/Dumpling)

Ingredients:

Cashew - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup

Method:

Fry cashews adding few spoons of ghee to it. Once it turns goden brown switch off the flame and let it become absolutely cool. Finally powder it in the mixie along with the sugar and use it as filling for kolukattai.

All of them taste absolutely yummy.. :) I am crazy for the modak shape and also for the cashew filling. :) Happy celebration :)

Modakam(modak - Steamed rice flour dumplings stuffed with coconut jaggery filling)

Jillidikayalu(Another form of modak but semi circle in shape with three types of fillings - cashew filling, sesame filling and coconut filling)

Wish you all a very happy Vinayagar Chathurthi :)

My collection at the pooja

I am sending this post to Purva's FF event.

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

My Interview and Khaman Dhokla :)

First and formost, I am a really excited little cook today. Guess why?????? I have been featured as the Diamond Chef in www.solkadi.com. Do take a look at my interview there :):):)

Dhokla Dhokla every where, all are yummy to see!!!!! This is the rhyme that runs in my mind after seeing the updates from others. ;) I am really happy to be part of a super cool event called Indian Cooking Challenge (ICC) that Srivalli started. If not for this event, I am sure I would have never tried Dhokla. :)

I am happyyyyyyy!!!!! It came out so well and all at home enjoyed relishing it. So here is my Khaman Dhokla. :)




Ingredients:

For Batter:

Bengal Gram flour / Besan - 1 & 1/2 cup

Curd - 1/2 cup (not very sour)

Water - 1/2 cup

(I used 1 cup of buttermilk + 2 tblspns of water)
Cooking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For seasoning to be mixed to the batter (to be added just before cooking):

Oil - 1 tbsp

Turmeric a pinch

G. Chili paste - 3 nos

Sugar - 1 tsp

Citric acid - quarter tsp ( A big pinch)
Eno - 1 packet (green colour fruit lime) + sprinkle or dust few bits on the plate

For tempering:

Sesame seeds Mustard Seeds Curry leaves Grated coconut Coriander leaves

Little water ( 2 tblspn) + Oil to be topped on dhoklas

Method:

Mix first 1/2 cup curds with 1/2 water. To this add the besan and mix well to get a lump less batter, the consistency should be of idli batter, more of dropping not pouring consistency. Slowly add more water if needed else, add the soda. Keep it aside to rise for 1 hour.

If you are using a pressure cooker, fill the pan with water, place a plate over which you will have use a plate for steaming the dhoklas. Thali plate can be used for steaming.

To the batter mix in the citric acid, oil, salt, sugar, green chili paste and turmeric powder. Mix well. This has to be done just before pouring to the plate.

Meanwhile have the pan on stove, and let the water start boiling. When the water reaches the rolling stage, you can mix the eno to the batter (Save little of eno for dusting on the plate), mix gently, you will see bubbles coming out.

Dust or sprinkle the plate with eno. Then immediately pour the batter to the plate. Place the plate carefully inside the pressure pan and cover with lid. You need not use the whistle. After covering you will find steam coming out of the outlet, simmer and don't disturb for almost 5 -7 minutes.

After 5 -7 minutes, remove the lid and proof it using toothpick or knife. If the knife comes out clean and does not have any batter sticking, then its done. Cover back and let it remain on flame for 1 min and switch off the gas and allow it for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, mix 2 tblspn of water along with a tsp of oilRemove the plate from the pan, pour the water and oil mix over the top.

For seasoning, heat a pan with oil, add curry leaves, sesame seeds, mustard seeds and finely chopped green chilies. When mustard starts popping, remove and pour over the dhokla.

Now cut them neatly into desired shape and sizes.

Serve it with green chutney. :) Happy making and enjoy eating :)

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com