Phirni / Firni / Rice Pudding

Phirni is a thick and creamy pudding made from ground rice,milk, sugar and saffron. 

This traditional Indian dessert is worth trying for any special occasion! 

Try and enjoy with your loved ones.

Ingredients: Serves - 4 to 5 (approximately) 

Basmati rice - 1/3 cup 

Full cream milk - 1 litre 

Sugar - 1/2 to 3/4 cup 

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp 

Saffron - few strands 

Nuts - for garnishing

Directions:

Wash and drain the basmati rice.

Add water and allow to soak the rice for 30 minutes.

Drain it completely and allow to dry in cloth.

Once it is dried, grind it into coarse powder using pulse mode.  Keep aside.

Add one liter of milk in a heavy bottom pan; allow to boil.

Take few strands of saffron in a bowl, add 1/4 cup of hot milk into that and allow to soak.

Add rice powder gradually into the boiling milk and stir well to avoid lumps.

Continue cooking in low to medium flame till the rice is cooked and milk quantity reduced to half.

This process will take approximately 15 to 20 mins.

After that add sugar, cardamom powder, saffron infused milk . Give a mix and continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes.

Switch off the gas.  Once it becomes warm ; Transfer to a serving bowl and top it with nuts.

Let it refrigerate for at least 5 hrs before serving for best taste!

Now tasty and creamy Rice Phirni is ready to serve.

Caramel Palada Payasam | Palada Pradhaman | Onam Special Payasam | Kerala Style Easy Palada Payasam

Here's an interesting, easy to make Kerala Style Caramel Palada Payasam!  

Palada Payasam / Pradhaman is one of the traditional payasam varieties in Kerala and a must served dish during their special occassions such as Ona sadhya.

Try out this best suited for any special occasion and give your feedback.

Ingredients: Serves 4 to 5 approximately

Rice ada - ½ cup (store bought)
Sugar - ½ to ¾ cup
Full cream milk – 4 to 5 cups
Cashew nuts - 10 to 15
Raisins – 5 to 10 pieces
Cardamom powder - 1 to 2 tsp
Ghee - 1 to 2 tbsp
Water - 3 to 4 cups (to cook ada)

Directions:

Heat water in a pan. Once the water starts to boil add Rice ada and allow to cook for 10 minutes.  Switch off the gas.

Drain the excess water completely, rinse with cold water and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a pan; fry cashews and raisins till it turns slightly golden brown in colour. Keep aside.

Heat milk in a open pan and allow to boil in medium flame.

Add drained ada and allow to cook till becomes soft and milk thickens.

Keep stirring in equal intervals.

To caramalise the sugar:

Take a dry pan; melt the sugar in slow flame till it reaches golden colour.

Now add 1/4 cup of water to the caramel; give a thorough mix and switch off the gas. Keep aside.

(Note: Be cautious of hot spatters / splashes when you do this)

Pour caramel to the milk ada mixture. Stir thoroughly.and continue cooking.

Check for sweetness and add extra sugar according to your taste.

Add cardamom powder, roasted raisins and cashews. Give it a mix and switch off gas.

Serve warm or chilled.

Delicious Caramel Palada Payasam is ready to serve!

Note:

Here I used store-bought ada, as preparing from scratch is time consuming.

When the payasam is cooled, it tends to get thick. So before serving add some milk till it reaches the desired consistency.

Adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste.

The cooking time will differ according to size of the ada.

Chocolate Pudding Recipe | Easy Pudding (without Egg) | No-Gelatin, No-Agar Agar Pudding in 15 mins

Here is an easy to make chocolate pudding recipe in just 15 minutes. Kids will loves this smooth and silky pudding.

Try it out and give your feedback.

Ingredients: Serve - 3 to 4 approximately.

Full Cream Milk – 2 cups (500 ml) 

Sugar – ½ cup 

Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp 

Cornflour – 2 tbsp 

Choco chips – 1 tbsp (optional) 

Butter – 1 tbsp 

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

                                      

Directions:

Take a pan, add Cocoa powder, Sugar and cornflour.  Give it a mix.

Now, slowly add milk and stir well to avoid lumps.

Now transfer pan to the stove.

Heat the pan in slow flame in till it thickens, stirring continuously.

When it thickens, add butter, choco chips (optional) and vanilla essence.  Give it a quick mix and switch of the gas.

Allow to cool it is warm, stirring in between.

Transfer to serving glass and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs.

Serve chilled.

Tasty chocolate pudding is ready to serve.

வெந்தய குழம்பு | Vendhaya (Fenugreek) Kuzhambu

Vendhaya kulambu is easy to make, delicious kuzhambu / gravy, which I learnt from my mom. It is very flavorful, tangy and spicy gravy suits best with rice, idli and dosa.

Try it out and give your feedback.

Ingredients: 

Small onions - 15 to 20 

Tomato – 1 small 

Tamarind - 1 big gooseberry size 

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp 

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp 

Coriander powder- 2 tsp (heaped) 

Salt – to taste 

Dry Roast and Grind: 

Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp (taste the gravy and add more to suit you). 

To Grind: 

Coconut - ¼ to ½ cup 

For Seasoning: 

Fenugreek seeds - ½ tsp 

Fennel seeds - ½ tsp 

Curry leaves - 1 sprig 

Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp (Preferably sesame oil) 

Directions:

Heat a pan add fenugreek seeds and dry roast it in low flame; till  it changes colour. Allow to cool and grind it into fine powder.

Add coconut in mixer and  grind it into paste by adding water. 

Soak the tamarind in water.  After sometime squeeze and extract the juice; keep it aside.

Heat oil in a kadai and season with fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.

Once it splutters, add small onions and fry  till the colour changes slightly.  Next add chopped tomatoes and salt, fry till tomato becomes become soft.

Then add tamarind extract, all spice powders and allow to boil.

Once it is started to boil, add coconut paste. Give it a mix. Once it started to boiling again.

Close the pan with a lid; let it simmer for 10 minutes or till the oil comes out. 

Last, add fenugreek powder and give it a mix.

Remove from fire and serve hot with steamed rice.

Note:

You may adjust the salt and spice levels to suit your taste.

The colour of the kulambu depends upon the colour of the spice powders you are using.

you can also add sambar powder instead of red chilli powder and coriander powder for this

Pesarattu | பச்சை பயறு தோசை | Green Gram Dosa | Healthy, Protein Rich, Gluten Free Dosa | பெசரட்டு

Green Gram Dosa / Pesarattu is an easy to make, healthy dosa that doesn't require fermentation but can be used directly after grinding. If planning to prepare for breakfast, you may have to soak Green Gram overnight.

Try and give your feedback.

Ingredients: Green gram / பச்சை பயறு – 1 cup 

Raw Rice – ¼ cup 

Green chillies – 2 or 3 

Ginger – 1 big piece 

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp 

Salt – as required 

Oil – to drizzle over dosa

 For Topping: Chopped Onion

Directions:

Wash green gram and rice thoroughly ; allow to soak for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.

Once it is soaked; drain the water completely.

Take a mixer add drained green gram and rice along with jeera, green green chillies and ginger & salt.

Grind into paste by adding water. Transfer it to a separate container and mix well. 

 The batter should not be too thick or thin.

Heat the dosa pan; pour a ladle full of batter and spread it in circular motion from inside.

Drizzle some oil over the dosa, close with the lid and allow it cook or flip it and cook on both sides.

Remove dosa from the pan and serve hot with Ginger chutney / Coconut chutney.

Note:

You can increase the amount of green chilli, according to your taste.

Addition of rice , gives crisp texture to dosa.

Paneer Sandwich | Paneer Veg Sandwich | Grilled Paneer Sandwich | Kids Favorite Lunch Box Recipe

Try this yummy, filling and healthy Paneer sandwich / Paneer vegetable sandwich for your kids lunch box /for breakfast or tea time snack with hot tea!

Ingredients: (serves 1 or 2): 

Bread – 4 to 6 slices 

Paneer – 1 cup (grated) 

Carrot – 1 tbsp (grated) 

Onion – 1 tbsp (finely chopped) 

Chilli powder – ½ tsp 

Garam masala powder – ½ tsp 

Salt - to taste 

Coriander leaves –1 tbsp (finely chopped) 

Butter - to toast the bread 

Tomato sauce / ketchup - 1 to 2 tbsp 

Note: You may adjust salt and spice level to suit your taste.

Directions:

Take a bowl add grated paneer, onion, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, grated carrot, corriander leaves, tomato sauce and salt.

Mix it well and keep aside. 

Spread the paneer mixture on one slice of the bread and cover it with the another slice. 

Spread butter on top of the bread and close the grill.

Grill the sandwich till it becomes golden brown in colour, it will take about 2 to 4 minutes.

Cut the sandwich into half and it is ready to serve.

Note:

Instead of tomato ketchup, you can try green chutney.

You can also prepare this sandwich in tawa.

Tomato Rice | தக்காளி சாதம் | Tomato Rice in Pressure Cooker | Thakkali Sadam | Lunch Box Recipes

Hi, Looking to make quick and easy rice variety for your lunch / picnic / children school box needs or how to make better Tomato Rice.  

Here's an interesting and simple recipe for you to prepare Tomato Rice using Pressure Cooker.

Serves - (2 to 3 approximately)

Ingredients: 

Rice - 1 cup (ponni raw rice or basmati)
Water - 2 cups (to cook the rice)
Tomato - 2
Onion - 1
Green chillies - 2
Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder- 3/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

For seasoning:

Oil - 1 or 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 1
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Directions:

Wash and soak the rice in water for nearly for 15 minutes.

In a pressure cooker, add oil and ghee. Once it becomes hot, season it with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and fennel seeds.

Once it crackles; add chopped garlic, onions and green chillies.  Stir well till it becomes translucent.

Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and corriander pwder.  Sauté well till the tomatoes become soft.

Add 2 cups of water to the tomato mixture and allow to boil. Once it starts boiling add drained rice.

When the water starts boiling, mix well and check for salt.

Close the cooker with the lid.  After the first whistle simmer for five minutes and switch off the gas.

Serve hot with any coconut thogayal / raita.

Note:

Amount of water will vary according to variety or quality of rice.