Rava Kesari

Rava kesari is a simple sweet made with minimal ingredients. Whenever I feel like having sweet, I instantly make kesari. Even back home, when an unexpected guest pops into our house my mom used to make bajji and kesari..its such a simple dish can be made in no time...

Ingredients:

1 cup Rava

1 cup sugar (Adjust according to taste)

2 tbsp ghee

1 tsp cardamom powder

few strands of saffron

cashew nuts
Raisins

a pinch of food color

2 cups water

Preparation:

Fry cashews and raisins in 1/2 tsp of ghee in a pan . Reserve for garnish!!!

Use the same pan to roast rava, until light brown. Remove from heat.

In a non-stick pan, add water, cardamom, food color and saffron strands. Cover and let it boil. Add roasted rava slowly to the boiling water. Mix thoroughly to avoid lumps. Once the water is absorbed by rava, add sugar and mix well. Let it cook in medium heat. Adjust sugar to ur taste. Finally add ghee, roasted cashew and raisin. Mix well. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with Bajji and coffee....

Rava Ladoo

Rava ladoo is a all time favourite sweet. It can be made very easily. Any festival season, u can find these home made ladoos in our house. I love these small semolina ladoos for their wonderful flavour and taste. U just wonder how such simple ingredients gives wonderful flavours..Aw some.. My MIL prepared this ladoo and I helped her little bit..:)



Ingredients:


1 cup Rava
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp ghee
cashew nuts
pinch of cardamom powder
1/4 cup milk


Preparation:

Heat ghee, fry cashew nuts till golden. Remove from heat and transfer to kitchen towel.
Add rava to the ghee and fry till light golden color. Remove from heat.
Add 1 cup of sugar to a non-stick pan. Add just enough water to immerse sugar.
Keep stirring over medium heat. Once the water start to boil.
check one string consistency. check the liquid between ur thumb and index finger. A string will be formed.
Add roasted rava, cashew nuts and cardamom powder. Keep Stirring on medium-low heat. After sometime u can see the moisture getting evaporated. Try making a ball out of the mixture. If ur ball holds firmly, remove from heat.
when its warm, spread few tbsp of milk in ur palm and start making balls.Let it set for sometime..
Rava Ladoo is ready!!!

Rava Kichidi

Rava kichidi is another special breakfast recipe in South India. I think kichidi is made in the restaurant as a evening Tiffin. When we were in Coimbatore, my mom used to get kichidi and carrot juice in the evening... Heart warming food... Here I am gonna share the recipe!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup semolina/ Rava
2" ginger chopped
1 onion chopped
1 cup Mixed vegetable (Ur choice)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp channa and Urad dhal
3 green chillies
curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp lemon(optional)
2 cups water
Curry leaves
Cashew Nuts
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Roast rava in pan for few minutes. The color changes to light golden.. thats when u have to remove and transfer to a plate. Let it cool down. U can also find roasted rava in Indian stores...

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, channa and urad dhal, cumin, Cashew nuts( if u are using roasted cashew nuts u can add it before serving) and curry leaves. Once the mustard starts popping, add chopped ginger fry till the aroma oozes out. Add onion & green chillies and fry till onions become translucent. Add the vegetables ( I usually use the ready made frozen vegetables. If u are using fresh vegetables, chop them into small pieces) and saute for couple of minutes. Add water and salt. Cover the pan, Allow the water to boil. Once the water starts boiling add Rava in a slow and steady pace. Keep stirring continuously until all the lumps vanishes. It will take about 10 mts to absorb the water. Finally add Ghee and mix well. Add lemon juice and remove from heat. Mix well. Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Coconut chutney.

This is my contribution for FIC-YELLOW hosted by Sunshinemom of TONGUETICKLERS !!!!!

Tomato Bath (Thakkali Upma)

Tomato bath is a comfort food... When I was in Bangalore, most of their dishes would end with 'bath' like bagala bath, bisibela bath, tomato bath etc... I wonder why? I guess bath is rice in Kannada (not sure)!!! This recipe here uses rava instead of rice... In Tamil cuisine it is known as thakkali upma.

Ingredients:

1 cup rava/semolina
4 ripe tomatoes chopped
1 onion chopped
3 green chillies
1" giner finely chopped
2 cups water
salt to taste



Seasoning:

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dhal
1 tsp channa dhal
curry leaves (optional)

Preparation:

Fry rava for few minutes in a wok till it changes to gold color. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Heat Oil in a pan, add the seasoning items one by one.... Add ginger and fry till aroma comes...add chopped onions and fry till onion becomes translucent. Add tomatoes and saute till tomatoes become mushy. Add salt and water, cover and cook for 10 mts. Once the water starts boiling...slowly add rava to the mixture. Stir continuously, otherwise u will get lumps!!! Keep stirring with all ur strength (kidding) until all the lumps are cleared and rava is cooked (approx 10mts). Finally, u can add little bit of ghee... purely optional...Remove form heat.

Serve hot with Pickle!!