Adhirasam is my daughters all time favourite. My grandmother and my maternal aunt makes wonderful adhirasams. I was always frightened to try adhirasam thinking that it was a bit complicated
recipie and I have failed trying it once,i confess. But it was a big success this time.Follow the procedure as below step by step and you too will be proud as iam now.Ok here you go...

 

 

 

Ingredients:
Raw rice                 : 1 & 1/2 cups
Jaggery                   : 1 cup grated
Dry ginger powder :  2 pinches
Cardamom powder : 1 tsp
Oil                           : for frying (approximately 2 cups for this quantity)

 

 Soak rice for atleast 2 hrs.

Drain and spread it in a white cotton cloth for 30 minutes.When you touch the rice ,you should feel its moistureness.If its too dry,then the adhirasam will turn out hard.

I grinded in the small mixie jar ,so I had to grind it in two batches.

Seive the grinded rice flour and keep it seperate

Now in a separate vessel,add 1 cup of jagerry with 1/2 cup of water and let it boil to make the paghu/pakkam

To check the patham/consistency of the paghu,take little water in a cup and drop a bit of the paghu in the water.As you see below,the paghu should not get dissolved in the water,instead it should remain
intact.You should be able to roll that drop into a small ball.Ghe patham/consitancy of the paghu is very important.

Now add this paghu to the grinded rice flour LITTLE by LITTLE. Don't get over excited and add all at once,then you will end up getting some other pathartham instead of adhirasam :)

 The final product will be like this.It shouldn't be too thick nor watery.Let it sit in an airtight container for like one/two days...... longer  than 2 days ,I would recommend putting it the fridge.

Now after a day,its time to make our yummy adhirasam.....who wants one?....:))
Make it into balls as shown below

 Flatten it with fingers

 As you can see,it takes very little oil.Keep the flame in e medium high when you slip the dough in the oil,then reduce it to medium.Dont over cook.It will just take a minute to make one adhirasam.

 Flip it over,let the flame be in medium and don't over cook :)) warning!!!!

 Press it with two ladles to drain the oil

 Adhirasam ready!!!!!!!!! phew........

 

 

 

Sweet Paniyaram

 Paniyaram..... a food that always makes me nostalgic.This is such a healthy food that requires very little oil/ghee ,yet gives you the satisfaction of indulging into a heavenly treat.My mom used to make it as a breakfast, and the left over panniyarams I used to eat it every now and then when I pass by the kitchen :) The batter iam using here is the one we make for kandarappam,which is another traditional delish .Well, in the midst of fatty foods and fast foods which are not healthy , iam happy to share with you all an authentic food which our parents and grandparents have grown up eating.Here you go.........

 

Ingredients
Raw rice-1 cup
Idly rice -1 cup
Urad dhal- 1/4 cup
Green gram dhal-1 table spoon
Thoor dhal-1 table spoon
Channa Dhal-1 table spoon
Jaggery -1 ½ cup
Grated coconut-(1/2 cocunut)
Cardamom  -6


Procedure :
Soak  Raw rice,Idly rice,Urad dhal,Green gram dhal,Thoor dhal and Channa Dhal for 1 hour. Grind it in the grinder  for 10 minutes. Now add the grated coconut and grind to a smooth paste. Finally add the powdered jaggery and the powdered cardamom and grind till the jaggery gets mixed well with the batter.
The batter should be in the consistency of dosa batter(neither watery nor very thick)

Step 1:
Heat the paniyaram  pan and add a drop of ghee/oil.I personally will recommend ghee for this.
There is no difference in the taste using ghee/oil, BUT the flavor/aroma that the ghee gives for any sweet is irreplaceable, irresistible, ir.... errrrrr.......

 

 

Step 2: Using a small ladle,fill the pan with the paniyaram batter to 3/4th as below.

 

 

 

 

Step 3: After a minute or so,you can see that the batter gets bulged on top and the sides browned.

It will look as picturized below.It is an indication that the bottom is cooked and time to flip the bottom side up.

 

Step 4: Now once the bottom side is flipped up,it will look as below.After 1 minute or so the other side will be cooked as well.When done transfer it to a plate and enjoy