Paravannam / Pal Payasam / Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

This is the first recipe I made as a newly wed bride. All most all South Indian brides will be asked to make this. Paravannam is a sweet dish made for Pongal which is a harvest festival celebrated by South Indians in the month of January.

This sweet dish is also made for Ratha Saptami which is Sun God's birthday and also the first day of Spring. In India spring starts in February. We offer his favorite sweet dish to god and welcome spring.

There are two reasons why I made this today even though there is no festival today. My mom is staying with us in SA for few days and this is her's and my daughter's favorite sweet dish. I made it exactly like how my mom used to make this.

This is my 
100 th post...already.... hurray.......  

1/2 cup Rice

1 1/2 cup Milk

1 cup Water

1/2 cup Sugar

3-4 Cardamom / 2 pinches of Cardamom Powder

2 tablespoon Cashews

1-2 tablespoons of Raisins

1. Wash and clean rice and keep it aside. Boil a cup of milk and water in a heavy bottemed pan. Add rice to milk and mix it. Stir it every 3 minutes so that the bottom is not burnt.

2. Remove cardamom cover.Add a teaspoon of sugar to the cardamom seeds and press this with a roller pin to a fine powder.


3. When the rice is cooked and the milk is almost absorbed, add the remaining milk and mix it . Cook it again till the milk is absorbed.  Now add sugar and cardamom powder. Cook it till the sugar dilutes and whole thing comes close. 

4. In a small pan, heat ghee, fry cashews till light brown and then add raisins. Fry raisins for few seconds. When raisins puff up , add ghee with cashews and raisins to cooked rice and mix it.


5. Offer it to god and have a happy life ...
   

Chapati / Roti / Phulka / Indian Flat Bread

Chapati / Roti / Phulka is an Indian flat bread made with whole wheat flour. No meal is complete without these in many North Indian families. 

Many find it difficult to make. Few of my South African Indian friends asked me for this recipe. Follow these simple steps to make soft rotis. 

(Makes 8 )

2 1/4 cups of Whole Wheat Flour / Atta

1 cup Water 

2 pinches Salt (Optional)

2 teaspoon Oil (Optional)

1. Sift atta into a big bowl. Take out 1/4 cup of atta which you need to add later. Add salt and oil. Mix it. Make well in the middle and gradually add water (1/4 cup at a time). Bring together atta and water till it can bind together.

2.  Form a ball of the dough. Punch it down and knead it to a smooth and soft dough for about 5 mins. Cover it with a damp cloth for 30 mins.(For gluten formation).Add 1/2 of the remaining atta to the dough and knead it again for 5 mins. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Use the other 1/2 of the remaining dough for dusting while making chapatis.
 
3. Dust each ball with atta and press it down. On a flat surface roll this into a thin circle using a roller pin.

4. Heat a flat pan. Place each rolled chapati on it. Turn over when you see tiny bubbles on the surface. Cook till brown spots are formed on the surface. You use also press chapati with a folded cloth till chapati is puffed up or remove the chapati from flat pan and puff up on direct flame. (Do this only when you serve the chapatis immediately.) 


5. Eat this with Curries and / or Dals (Lentils)

Jeera Aloo (Potatoes with Cumin Seeds)

 

It's winter here in SA. So we are eating more North Indian food than South Indian.

 Jeera Aloo is quick, simple delicious dry curry. This simple recipe along with dal becomes a real treat. Cumin seeds an corinader brings so much flavour to this curry. 

Enjoy this mouth watering recipe with roti or rice.  

 

 

3 Potatoes

1 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds / Jeera

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 tablespoon Coriander Powder

1 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

3/4 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoon chopped Coriander 

1.  Peel and dice Potatoes. Heat a pan with oil. Add cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds starts to crackle, add potatoes. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix it and cover it with a lid. Saute every 5 mins. till potatoes become soft. Curry will be done in 15- 20 mins. Finally add chopped coriander.

3. Easy and tasy curry for rotis and rice.