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........

 

 

 

Aval Payasam

I love payasam of any kind.When i was browsing i happened to come across this wonderful simple       delight.Its so simple that i made it in no time.I loved this especially because my little one who is one year old enjoyed this much.

Ingredients:(serves 4)

Aval//poha-1/2 cup
Jaggery -1/4 cup + 2 tblsp(adjust as per your taste)
Milk       - 1 cup
cardamom powder- a pinch
cashews,raisins - as required
Coconut(grated)-1 Tbsp(optional)
Ghee- 2 tsp


Method:
Heat a pan with 2 tsp of ghee and fry the cashews till golden brown and in the same pan,
add the aval and fry till golden brown.
Boil milk and add the fried aval to it and cook in medium flame till  the aval is done.
Add the jaggery,elachi and mix well,add milk if needed and mix well in low flame. Don’t boil
more than a minute otherwise the milk will start curdling.

Yummy aval payasam can be served hot or chilled.Enjoy!!!!

Wheat Halwa

Ingredients:
Wheat berries- 2cups
Sugar- 4cups
Cashews- 1/2 cup
Ghee- 11/2cup(150gm-200gm approx)
cardamom- 1tsp
Yellow food colour- a pinch dissloved in milk.

Step 1:
 Clean and soak the wheat berries overnight.

Step 2 :
 After it becomes tender, grind it in a blender adding water. Filter this on the sieve.Squeeze out the milk from the berries and filter the liquid. Repeat the extraction process by blending the wheat berries adding some more water. Discard the ground berries after extracting the milk thoroughly.
                                                                         
Step 3 :
Leave the milk to stand for another 24 hours so that it turns a little sour. The thicker portion of the milk will settle down.If there is too much of thin liquid on the top, slightly tilt the vessel to discard it.

Step 4 :
Make sugar syrup by mixing sugar and a cup of water. Keep stirring in medium flame till you obtain a thick, sticky syrup( one string consistency).

Step 5:
Add the wheat milk and stir it . It will start to turn thick.
Add the food colour and ground cardamom and keep stirring.

Step 6 :
Roast some cashews in ghee till golden brown and add it to the halwa. Boil a cup of water and pour it in the halwa. Keep stirring. Hot water is added to enable more cooking of the halwa by delay the thickening process.Keep stirring.

Step 7:
Melt the ghee and add to the halwa , few tablespoons at a time and keep stirring.The stirring process may take about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir till the halwa absorbs the ghee completely and does not stick to the vessel anymore and becomes a thick mass of ball.

Wheat halwa is ready.Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Badhusha

 Ingredients :
Maida / All Purpose flour - 5 cups
Butter (room temperature) - 1 cup (ie., 2 sticks)
Curd - 2 Tablespoon
Cardamom Powder - 1 teaspoon
Baking Soda - 1 teaspoon

For Syrup:
Sugar - 4 cups
Water - 2 cups

Step 1:
Use butter at room temperature.(If butter is refrigerated,take it and keep it out atleast for 4 hours to bring it
to room temperature). Take butter in a large bowl and beat with hand until it becomes smooth and  watery.
(this process takes about 30-35 minutes)

Step 2:
In a seperate bowl mix maida,cardamom powder and baking soda.

 Step3 :
 Now combine the beaten butter with the maida mixture (add little water if necessary) and knead well until it becomes smooth and shiny.

Step 4:
 Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
In the mean time prepare the sugar syrup by adding 1 cup water to 4 cups sugarand keep the stove in medium.Turn it off when it comes to 1 string consistancy.(this takes about 40 minutes)

Step 5:
Divide the dough into samll balls and shape it as shown below.

Step 6 :
Keet oil in a kadai and fry the shaped badhushas in batches of 3-4.
(Tips :  Once the badhushas are cooked on one side flip them over and prick one or two holes in the badhusha with a toothpick.Thiscooks the badhushas even and also when put in the sugar syrup,the sugar
gets evenly spread in it and gives a great taste.)

Step 7 :
Once fried,immerse the badhushas in the hot syrup.Flip them over and take them out once the next batch
is ready to be put in the syrup.

Yummy badhusha   ready to eat.Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!