Oats & Peanuts Ladoo

This month for "Something Sweet" I have invited " Divya Pramil of You Too Can Cook " to share a wonderful recipe with all of us.In my words her space is filled with yummy recipes & beautiful pictures. Do take some time & visit her space here.
In Her words

When Sreevalli, asked me to do a for a guest post I was not able to send her one immediately, but she was kind and patient enough and gave me enough time to send her a post. Though I was ready with the recipe, I had my special post (300th post) coming up so I had to delay this guest post, which when I explained to her, she kindly understood and obliged. (Thank you so much Sreevalli). I came to know about Sreevalli and her blog recently, the best thing that caught my attention immediately was her brilliant and clean blog design and clicks, needless to say she has good collection of recipes too with drool-worthy pictures that will push you to try some. 

As per her request I made a simple delectable sweet with oats and peanuts, that is both healthy and delicious. Its so easy to make and way more healthier than ghee sweets. Moreover it keeps well for more than a week or even 10 days, in normal room temperature. The cardamom pods added gives the ladoos a very appetizing aroma and flavor, whereas peanuts and oats combines together to make a delicious combo. These ladoos have a powdery texture and melts in your mouth as you bite, you will definitely enjoy relishing the flavors in it. You need a very few minutes to make these and they make a very delightful and sweet evening snack. If you are conscious about the calories that sugar can give you can try replacing with jaggery or palm jaggery. So now lets move on to the recipe. Hope you like it. Thanks again Sreevalli for the opportunity..!!

Makes 6 small ladoos 

Total Preparation Time - 15 to 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1. Oats - 1 cup (50 grams)
2. Peanuts / Groundnuts - 1/2 cup (50 grams; roasted & skinned)
3. Sugar - 1/2 cup (5 spoons / 50 grams)
4. Cardamom pods - 2 
5. Milk - 2 to 3 spoons or as required

PREPARATION METHOD

• Dry roast (i.e. roast in pan without oil or fat) peanuts and oats together in a medium flame for about 3 to 4 minutes. 
• When done remove from flame and set aside until it reaches a bearable temperature. 
• Now add this roasted oats peanut mixture and sugar into a blender and grind into a fine powder. 
• Then remove from the jar and empty it on a plate. Sprinkle milk little by little and simultaneously rub the mixture well using your hands. Do this until you can press some flour well into a firm ball that does not fall apart. 
• Then take some amount of the flour and make balls by pressing firmly. 
• Serve or store in airtight boxes. Keeps well for 7 to 10 days when stored in an airtight container. 

 

TIP 1: You can try the same ladoos without peanuts. 

TIP 2: You can add some ghee and make the ladoos if you want it to be more rich. 

TIP 3: Instead of sugar you can use palm jaggery also, it will be more healthy. 

Healthy and tasty ladoos are now ready!! You will love the flavors for sure!!

I love to thank Divya Pramil for sending this delicious recipe to my guest post. 

Soft Garlicky Bread Sticks with Dipping Sauce - A Guest Post

For the Guest post series of "Something Sweet " I have invited "Julie of Erivumpuliyumm" to share a yummy recipe here. She has a beautiful space with lots of wonderful recipes which you would love try on.
Coming to the post in her words.. 

Sreevalli @ Ammaji's Recipes asked me if I can join her guest post series"Something Sweet", I happily accepted the request.I was a bit busy at home but she gave me ample time to decide the recipe and the date too,so sweet of her.Sreevalli has a wonderful space and an experienced blogger since 2009,admire her lovely clicks & yummy recipes.Thank you Sreevalli for making me a part of your guest post series,feeling very happy.

This time,I would like to share soft garlicky bread sticks.The name itself sounds flavorful.Isn't it?? I love those long cylindrical shaped soft ones a lot.Perfect with a bowl of soup or great with some dipping sauce.If you love those from pizza huts,you will definitely love this garlicky ones too with a homemade dipping sauce.Do give this a try & Enjoy !!!

Servings ~ 17-18 bread sticks

Ingredients

1.all purpose flour 3 cups

parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons grated sugar 2 tablespoons

garlic powder 3 teaspoons

salt 1 1/4 teaspoons

minced fresh basil  3/4 teaspoon or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

2.active dry yeast 2 teaspoons

water 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (70° to 80°)

olive oil 2 tablespoons

To brush

butter, melted 1 tablespoon

Dipping sauce

tomato sauce 3/4 cup

oregano 1 tsp

italian seasoning 1/2 tbsp

garlic powder 1/2 tsp

Method:

Bread Sticks

• Take leukwarm water or microwave water on high for 45 secs.Add yeast to this and let it stand to become frothy.(about 5-7 mins)
• In a large bowl,combine all the ingredients listed under 1.Mix with a wire whisk to combine.
• Add the frothy yeast mixture and make a dough that is not very sticky and not very smooth.Add in the olive oil half in the bowl and half on top of the dough.Combine well.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 20 portions. Shape each into a ball; roll each into a 9-in. rope. Place on greased baking sheets/parchment paper lined tray. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40 -60 minutesor until doubled.
• In the mean time,preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place in the oven and bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.(Mine was done at 17-18 mins).Remove to wire racks to cool. Brush warm breadsticks with butter.

Dipping Sauce

• Simmer the tomato sauce along with the seasonings in  a pan for 10 minutes and enjoy !!

 Notes

* I used dry basil in this recipe.

* I feel 9" was too long,you can always reuce the size to 7".

* Brushing the top with butter after bake prevents the crust from drying.

* You can use bread flour too instead of all purpose flour as the original recipe calls for it.

* You can alter the amount of seasoning as per tastes in the dipping sauce or use a store brought dipping suace too !!

I would like to thank "Julie" for sharing this wonderful recipes with all us today. Here is small flower as a token of thanks.

 

Ada - Guest post by Reshmi of Funwidfud

I'm again back with guest post " Something Sweet" after a long time. Today our guest Reshmi of Funwidfud is here to share a traditional kerala recipe with all of us & she is also the first guest in my blog this year.. :)
In Reshmi's words:
When  Sreevalli of Ammaji Recipes asked me for a guest post some time back,  I was totally hooked up with multiple jobs.. but before I could tell a list of tasks in front of me she told that I can chose a later date, for which I accepted..I totally left it there and was moving around when around the corner I remembered about the guest post. Now cooking was fine but clicking it was very difficult..Finally when I saw a little sunshine I went with this simple but a traditional recipe of Kerala.

      Ada is a sweet delicacy from Kerala.These are steamed  rice pockets filled with sweet coconut filling.  It is know as ela ada because of the way it is made. Usually plantain leafs are used to cook them, but due to the unavailability of them here I have experimented with parchment paper and its a success. They are enjoyed as snack/sweet during evenings with tea as well as can act as breakfast if you have a sweet tooth in the morning.

Ingredients

Rice Flour-1 cup(pathiri/puttu/idiyappam powder)

Salt- pinch

Water-11/4 cup

Coconut oil-1/2 tsp

Grated Coconut-1/2 cup

Jaggery-2 cubes

Rock sugar/kalkandam-2 tbsp(optional)

Cardamom seeds-from 2(crushed)

Parchment paper- 4 to 5 nos( 10" square approx.)

Method of preparation:

1. In a bowl add rice flour, coconut oil and salt.

2. Bring water to rolling boil  and turn off the heat. Add 1 cup of water to rice powder and mix well with a spoon. Close the vessel and set aside for 10 minutes.

3. Now when the dough is warm to touch mix it with hands to form a soft and pliable dough. you can add more(1/8 cup) of the boiled water if needed.

4. Mix the grated coconut along with powdered jaggery, rock sugar and cardamom powder and mix well and set aside.

5. Now take a lemon sized ball of dough, place it on the parchment paper, grease your hands with coconut oil and flatten the dough with your fingers to a circle of equal thickness.

6. Now add 3 to 4 tbsp coconut filling in the center and fold the parchment paper to half and press the sides of dough so that it sticks together.

7. Heat water in a steamer and when steam starts to come place the parchment paper into it with the open end folded and placed to bottom.

8. Steam it for 5 to 7 minutes and remove it on to a plate. Continue cooking for the whole dough.

9. Serve warm.

Notes:

1. You can add raisins, cashews to the filling.

2. Adding more filling is up to you. In that case you will require to increase the amount of coconut, jaggery.

3. This ada is usually made using banana leaf. Since that is not available here I made using parchment paper. If cooking with plantain leaf you have to follow the same method.

I want to thank Reshmi for making this post possible. 

  

Junnu

After a long break in blogging I'm back with my guest post series "Something Sweet". For my second guest post I have invited "Smitha Joga of Smitha's Spicy Flavors" to share a sweet recipe with all of us. I'm so happy that she accepted my invite even with her busy schedule & had sent me a delicious sweet which is my all time favorite. 

In Smitha's Words: 

This is my first guest post. Sreevalli of Ammaji's recipes was so kind to ask me to do a guest post long back. But due to my computer problems I didn't get a chance to get to it till now! Thanks Sreevalli for asking me to do it! :)

I chose this simple sweet recipe for this special post called "Junnu". I am sure whoever has tasted this in the past would really like to revive this memory yet again.

The first milk of cattle after delivering a calf is called 'Junnu paalu' in our language, 'paalu' standing for milk.
This is steam cooked with some jaggery and black pepper to make is awesome pudding known as 'Junnu'.
Because of the thickness and creaminess of this milk, it forms a delicate pudding with a creamy texture without the addition of any other ingredients.
Well this was in the times when the 'first milk' was readily available like in the villages or even in the city, when your milkman would bring 'Junnu paalu' and offer it to you for a nominal price.
I have probably eaten the actual Junnu only once or twice in my lifetime, but the delicate taste has forever made a mark in my brain!
Now during present times, its very rare that we can get 'Junnu Paalu'. So I tried to make this delicacy using the ingredients readily available to us and I think it came out perfect, absolutely just like the actual 'Junnu'.
But I had to use eggs and so its not eggless like the actual and real 'Junnu'. Maybe some day that also will be possible. :)
Its a very simple recipe which churns out this amazing and delicious Milk Pudding. The combination of jaggery and pepper in  the real junnu is perfectly compensated by the sweetness is condensed milk and black pepper. The eggs bring out the right texture in the pudding, very close to the real one.

Ingredients:
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz)
2 cups milk
2 eggs
pinch of black pepper
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Method:
Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl along with eggs
Grease a steel bowl ever so lightly with oil.
Steam cook it in a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes. 
Remove and cool before flipping over onto a plate. 
Flip it twice to bring it right side up.
Serve warm or cold.
Enjoy!!!

I once again want to thank Smitha with those beautiful flowers for sharing this yummy sweet with all of us.. :)

Coconut-Oats Ladoo’s - Guest Post by Lubna Karim

Today I'm very happy to announce about guest post series "Something Sweet". For my first post I invited Lubna Karim of Yummy food  who is well known in blog world for her "Food Photography" series. She is here to share her yummy recipe with all of us. 

Narration by Lubna: 

This is my first ever guest post in the blog wold and I thank Sreevalli of Ammaji Recipes  for this. When Sreevalli asked me to do a guest post on her blog, she said she wanted a traditional dessert or sweet or cake for the post. With no further thinking, I settled with this recipe…as this recipe is sweet and traditional too….

Before going further into the recipe...I want to share something sweet associated with the recipe. I am not so very sweet/dessert loving person. I rarely make them…but my sweet little sister is a huge fan of sweets. She can munch on sweets at anytime of the day or even at night. It is only because of her…I try to learn new sweet recipes….. However they might turn out…she is the only one who appreciates, admires and relishes. Upon calling for help in making sweets….she does grating/mixing/frying…..and with much patience waits for me to complete the recipe…. So that she can attack on. 

Some days back when she was here, she had this urge to eat something sweet and I was in no mood to make something elaborate. So I thought of making this simple and gratifying sweet. When I told her what I was going to make…she jumped with joy and even got ready to help me out with scraping the coconut…such a sweet girl…As more than half of my work was done by her….it took very less time for me to whizz up these golden ladoo’s….before I start to shape the second one, the first one was already taken by her….saying….let me taste it….to that I can tell you if everything is in proportion or not..….Jshe was very happy to eat it off and she complimented me saying she has never tasted such yum ladoo’s…there are more tastier than the store bought ones….may be because you made them with love for me….with mouth filled with ladoo she planted a kiss on my cheek….my kiddo little sweet sis….Scroll down for the recipe…

Kobbari Louz/Kobbari Undalau/Coconut-Oats Ladoo’s:

The original or traditional recipe doesn’t include oats and nuts. It is purely optional. It is your choice to add or not to add. But the nuts will give nutty taste and texture to the juicy and chewy coconut ladoo’s.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of fresh grated Coconut

¾ cup Jaggery, grated

¼ tbsp. green Cardamom powder

4 tbsp Oats, optional (I used Quaker Brand Oats)

3 tbsp Dry nuts powder, see notes

Ghee, for binding

PREPERATION:

Dry roast oats on low flame, cool and grind to fine powder.

Combine grated coconut and jaggery in a heavy bottom cooking vessel and keep stirring on a low flame.

After sometime jaggery starts to melt and gets combine with fresh grated coconut, add cardamom powder and mix well.

Cook until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the vessel. Turn off the flame and add oats powder along with dry nuts powder. Mix well.

Leave it to cool for sometime and when the mixture is still warm, grease your palms with ghee and shape into ladoo’s of your desirable size.

Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'. J

STORAGE:

You can store them for a week in an air tight container.

NOTES: For ‘Dry Nuts Powder’, I used 1 tbsp. of each cashews, almonds and walnuts. Tossed in microwave on high for 1 minute and powdered coarsely. You can even make a fine powder. I did coarse powder to get that nutty flavor.

To round off I would love to thank Lubna Karim for accepting my invitation to this event & for her prompt response too :)