Shanthi's Cookbook

Urad dal - 1 cup

Rice Flour - 3 cups

Ajwain - 2 tbsp

Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp

Clarified butter - 2 tbsp

Salt- according to taste

Red chilli powder - according to taste

Oil - for deep frying

Water - little.

1. Dry roast Urad dal and make it into a fine powder. The recipe needs 1 cup of Urad dal powder/flour.

2. Mix 3 cups of rice flour to this in a large bowl.

3. Add Sesame seeds, ajwain , salt and red chilli powder.

4. Now add butter and mix well.

5. Make it into a nice soft dough by adding water (it takes very little water).

6. Heat the oil.

7. Take the dough and put it into the Muruku mold. Squeeze out the Murku out and deep fry after the oil is hot.

6. Fry till it turns into light brown and take it out on a wide plate. Drain out excess oil by putting it on a tissue paper.

Storage : After the Muruku s cool down, you can store them in a air tight bag/ziplock bag to retain freshness.

* If you don't know what to do with left over rice OR want to quickly make a rice item for a party/potluck or a get together, try this one next time.

Cooked Rice : 2 to 3 cups

Onions : 2 medium

Tomato : 1 medium

Potatos : 1 medium

Carrot and peas : 1 cup

Garlic : 3 cloves

Ginger : 1 tsp

Green Chilli - 1

Coriander - chopped

Masalas : 2 tbsp (I use a combination of Everest-Kitchen king, Shahi Biryani and chole Masala)

Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp (according to your taste)

Coconut Milk - 2 tbsp

Whole Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp (for garnishing)

Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp

Salt

1. Wash and cut up the vegetables. Slice onions long. Make Potato into medium cubes, chop garlic and ginger. If you have frozen mixed vegetables , you can use that or make small cubes of carrots and get a handful of peas.

2. In a deep bottom sauce pan, heat up some oil. Saute onions, add green sliced chilli, garlic and ginger. Now add potato pieces, carrot , peas, a little chopped coriander. Sprinkle tumeric and salt. Cover with a lid and let them cook on a medium flame for abt 5-8 minutes till they are tender. Mix from time to time.

3. Now add the masalas, red chilli powder and coconut milk. Put the lid back on and let it cook for some more time.

4. It you have leftover rice , heat it up in a microwave for abt 3-4 minutes. When rice is warm, its easy for it to get mixed with the masalas. ( it shouldn't be too hot too, just warm to touch). Mix it well along with 2 tbsp oil. Season it according to taste.

5. Garnish it with rest of the Coriander and cashews.

Serving suggestion : Serve hot with Raita or can be eaten with any other vegetable/egg side dish.

Besan - 2 cups

Sugar - 2 cups

Water - 4 cups

Cardamom - 1 tbsp crushed

Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp

Sliced almonds - 1 tbsp

Raisins - 2tbsp

Ghee / Clarified butter - 2 tbsp

Oil for deep frying

Water

1. Take the besan and sift the flour. Add water to it and mix it well till it attains a liquid consistency ( as that of a dosa batter). Mix well without lumps.

2. Heat the clarified butter and roast the cardamom, cashews, sliced almonds and raisins .. on a low flame and keep it aside.

3. Meanwhile prepare Sugar Syrup by mixing equal quantities of water and sugar. Heat this on a Medium flame and let it cook till it attains a thread consistency ( when u mix the syrup with a spoon and lift it , the flow on the syrup from the spoon should form a straight line with the syrup cooking below)

4. While that's getting done, heat the oil for deep frying in a deep bottom sauce pan.

5. With the help of a skimming laddle (as shown),

pour the besan batter over the laddle so that they fall as little drops into the hot oil. They start to bubble up as soon as they sink in the oil and float up. Fry them till they turn light brown. These are called Boondi.

Now drain them off the oil and immediately drop them into the sugar syrup made in step 3.

6. Now mix in the roasted nuts and raisins into the syrup and the boondis. Mix well till the boondis completely take up the syrup.

7. While its still hot, take the quantity into one hand, made a ball / round and place it on a different plate. (This part is a lil difficult, but you will soon get the hang of it by the time you roll a few laddus :-) )

Some people like to add food color (yellow) while doing step 6. But that's optional.

Storage : Store them up in an air tight container at room temperature. They are good for 2 weeks.

Consume quickly. Because they tend to lose freshness soon. Enjoy!