A - Z Karnataka Recipe Series ~ M for Mysore Pak

So far in my 'A - Z' Karnataka recipe series,
A - Akki Halbai
B - Biscuit Roti
C - Congress Kadalekayi
D - Davanagere Benne Dose
E - Ellu Pajji
F - Field Beans / Avarekalu Payasa
G - Girmit
H - Hitakida Avarekalu Huli
I - Iyengar Bakery Style Masala Toast
J - Jolada Vade
K - Kumbalakayi Idli
L - Limbe Hannina Gojju

My daughter loves and eats only one Indian sweet and my husband loves two more. The common factor between them being Mysore pak and so this beloved sweet is made frequently at our home. I therefore could not leave out this iconic sweet dish from my Karnataka recipe series. Mysore pak or Mysore paaka as it was originally coined is one of the traditional and popular sweets from Karnataka. The term 'Mysore' refers to the place where the dish originated. Where as the term 'pak', pronounced 'paa-k' comes from the word 'paaka' referring to the sugar syrup. 

Mysore, colloquially called Mysuru is one of the important cities in the south Indian state of Karnataka presently and was the capital city of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom for about six centuries. The city of Mysore known for it's royal heritage is the cultural capital of the state and is associated with several iconic things. Mysore palace, Mysore dasara, Mysore silk sarees, Mysore sandalwood soap, Mysore mallige (jasmine) to name a few. And Mysore pak, Mysore masala dose and Mysore saaru from the culinary point of view.

The sweet dish originated in the royal kitchens of Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. The dish was created and named by his chef Kakasura Madappa when he had to present a sweet dish to the king in a hurry. To this day, his descendants run sweet shop in Mysore where Mysore pak are sold as hot cakes. They sell innovative ones made with milk, almonds and cashews as well.

The rich, melt in mouth Mysore pak basically needs three ingredients - chickpea flour, sugar and ghee. Vegetable oil aka vanaspathi / dalda can be used in lieu of ghee though ghee version tastes superior. Some sweet shop versions have turmeric as well for color which is basically not needed. Sugar and water are cooked to reach a sticky syrup and then toasted chickpea flour and ghee are added in parts quickly and vigorously stirred. The mixture turns frothy and porous and starts to come off the pan when done. (I usually cook quarter the recipe and it takes about only 2 to 3 minutes of stirring / cooking after all the ingredients are added.)

The sweet can be cooked to soft melt in mouth versions to hard crumbly kind. Some of the store versions have a light brownish tinge at the bottom. Knowing when to stop is the key in making Mysore pak. Removing off the heat before done doesn't set the Mysore pak and cooking longer turns the sweet harder. The ridges you see on the surface of my Mysore pak is courtesy of my husband. I poured the cooked mixture into the plate and tapped it to set and went away. My husband thought that it needs to be leveled. Instead of using the back of the spatula, he held the spatula upright and kind of stabbed it. 😕

Ingredients:
1 chickpea flour 
1.5 cup melted ghee
1.5 cup sugar

Directions:
* Melt the ghee, if it is not done yet. Grease a small plate with edges, with ghee and keep aside. Use a square shaped one if you have it.

* Sieve and toast chickpea flour on medium flame until you start to feel the aroma, stirring continuously. Turn off the stove and keep it aside.

* Add sugar and a little water just to wet the sugar (about 3 to 4 tbsp. water) in a kadai / pan. Keep stirring and boil until the solution is slightly sticky when touched with fingers. There is no need to bring the sugar solution to any thread consistency.

* Add quickly chickpea flour and ghee in turns to sugar solution, stirring continuously. Take care that no lumps are formed. 

* Cook stirring continuously until chickpea flour is cooked. Initially it bubbles and turns frothy. We get to see the mixture turning porous after a few minutes. 



* Keep stirring until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan.

* Pour the mixture immediately into the greased plate and level it with the back of a spatula.

* Leave it for a couple of minutes and then score it with a knife to squares / diamonds. 

* Cut them into squares once they completely cool down and store them in air tight container.
 

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Protein laddu

My parents used to subscribe a variety number of magazines while we were growing up. The subscription also extended to some of the kids' classics like chandamama and balamithra in Telugu versions  which were exclusively for me. Remember this was way before the kids started to glue on to television sets and I was content with my books and the neighborhood friends. Probably in guise, my parents were trying to see if I can pick up reading and writing skills in Telugu which eventually I did though I have never lived In Andhra and besides ended up being a bookworm. Meanwhile, my young and energetic mother would try the recipes from those magazines which caught her attention. Nowadays she sticks mostly to tedious, tried and tested traditional kind of snacks / sweets when it comes to festivals which I don't even dare to try. 

Nowadays she has this habit of noting down making my father note down any interesting and easy recipes that she come across on cooking shows or any magazines. It is done, keeping me in my mind as she knows that I like to try new dishes as long as they are easy and quick ones. This laddu recipe was one among the bunch that came from her a while ago. I tried a couple and this laddu was surely a winner in terms of taste and nutrition though they look rustic. They faintly reminded me of sunnundalu which are dear to me. I don't need to go on singing the virtues of these laddus as the ingredients speak for themselves. My daughter who doesn't like sweets in general had liked these and that is surely a winner recipe to me. As far I go, I am unable to stop myself from popping one into my mouth every time I am near the laddu container. 😋 Try these easy, yummy laddus for this Diwali and I promise that you wouldn't be disappointed.

I tried a small portion of the recipe and still got about 16 standard size laddus. The new peanut packet was misplaced and had only a handful in the bottle which filled up to 3/4th of a 1/4 cup measuring cup. I therefore measured my ingredients based on that but interchanging quantities slightly shouldn't affect the final product. If one is confused with the measurements I have provided, just use one measure each of lentils, peanuts and nuts and double the flours' measurements. Use jaggrey and ghee accordingly.  Also I need to mention that the jaggery I used was a sweeter variety and the laddus were sweeter with the amount of jaggery I used. One may need to adjust the jaggery quantity since the amount of jaggery used in the recipe depends upon the sweetness of the jaggery being used and the preferred sweetness of laddus. 

Ingredients: (Yield - 16 laddus)
3 tbsp. moong lentils (yellow moong dal) 
3 tbsp. black lentils (urad dal with husk)  
3 tbsp. peanuts 
3 tbsp. almonds
3 tbsp. cashews (I replaced half with pistachios.)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. wheat flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. finger millet flour / ragi flour
1 and 1/4 cup powdered jaggery
4 - 5 tbsp. melted ghee
Directions:
* Toast lentils in a pan individually on low flame until moong starts to turn slightly reddish and the black lentils start to change their color as well. Transfer them onto a plate.
* Next toast almonds and cashews individually. Transfer them to the lentils' plate.  
* Next add peanuts and toast on low flame until done. Let them cool and rub between your palms to remove the skin. Or for a quicker version, toast them in a microwave as I did. It takes around 3 to 4 minutes in a microwave to roast this small quantity but giving one or two intermittent breaks is recommended to avoid them from burning. This step can be avoided if using toasted and skinned peanuts.
* Toast flours individually on low flame until they start to change color slightly. I toasted them without adding any ghee but if preferred, it can be done so. 

* Let all the toasted ingredients come to room temperature.
* First the lentils need to be ground since they take longer than the rest of the ingredients. We like to keep our sunnundalu a tiny bit coarser and so I opted to do the same here as well. They can be ground very fine if one chooses to do so. It depends upon one's preference how the texture of these laddus should be. (I did use my blender for this part and continued the next steps in my food processor.)
* Next finely grind peanuts and the other nuts that are being used. Add the flours at the end and just pulse to combine.
* Finally add the ground jaggery and run the blender / food processor until the mixture is combined well.

* Transfer the mixture to a wide plate and run your hand through the mixture and break any lumps if present.

* Add ghee in increments to the mixture and keep working it into the dough. 

* Mix well so that ghee uniformly coats the mixture. Stop adding ghee when a small portion of the mixture can be easily shaped into a ball without breaking. (Initially about 3 tbsp. of ghee can be added and then the rest in increments and as needed. Mostly 1/4 cup should be enough.) 
* Make lemon sized balls out of the mixture and store in an airtight container. 

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Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa

So far in the series,
Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde
Dry Gulab Jamun
Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai

There was a time when I didn't have to bother about what I was putting into my mouth or worry about calories, which sounds like a bygone era when I put it like that. Almond halwa and burfis seem to belong to that period, considering that I haven't prepared either of them in the past 16 years. Yes, you read that right. I somehow remember the last time I made badam burfi in my kitchen, though I cannot tell you what I cooked for my lunch, a couple of days ago. 

These almond based sweets made a regular appearance in my home during the early years of my cooking and I kinda had become an expert in making almond burfis. That was the first sweet I learned on my own after moving to US without my mother in the picture and it was kind an accomplishment for me who hadn't done cooking in a real sense up until then. Somehow over the years I have stopped preparing them as I mentioned earlier and recently my husband was mentioning about my badam burfi / halwa to the kids who seemed to not remember ever eating those. 

And so I thought of including this badam halwa aka Indian version almond pudding, which is a super delicious treat in this week's sweet series. There is no need for any occasion to enjoy this yummy halwa though it makes a great addition to any festive platter. It is also a common item sold in Indian sweet shops. This is a quite easy, straight forward recipe for even newbie cooks since it tests only one's stirring skills. Blanched almonds are ground to a paste and cooked along with ghee and sugar until it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan, resulting in a literally melt in mouth halwa. All one needs to do is to not to leave the stove unattended and stir the halwa frequently which is not very tedious though it sounds so. Use a non stick pan to cook this and there is no need to stir continuously that much, I feel. 

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: Around 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup almonds 
3/4 cup milk
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp. ghee
1/4 tsp. saffron strands or 2 drops of yellow food color (optional)
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom (optional)

Directions:
1. Soak saffron strands in 1 or 2 tbsp. hot water if using and keep aside.
2. Rinse and add almonds to a microwave safe bowl. Pour enough water to cover almonds.

 3. Microwave the almonds along with water for 3 minutes and carefully remove the bowl. Carefully drain the hot water and rinse them once. Alternatively, the almonds can be soaked overnight or can be immersed in hot water for sometime. This is done to facilitate the peeling of almonds. Or one can always use blanched almonds instead and avoid steps 2 and 3.

4. Peel the skins of almonds one by one. Place an almond between your thumb and the next two fingers. 

* Put a slight pressure on the almond with the thumb and do the upward slide motion. 

* The skin will come off. Repeat the step with the remaining almonds.

* Transfer the almonds to a blender and add milk. Grind them to a fine paste. Add a little extra milk or water if not grinding easily. Transfer the mixture to a pan, preferably a non stick one. One can use a thick bottomed pan as well but the chances are more of the mixture getting stuck to the bottom and it may need constant scraping. 

* Add 2 to 2.5 tbsp. ghee to the ground paste and put the pan on medium flame.

* Cook the mixture for five minutes, stirring frequently and add sugar.

* The mixture becomes loose when sugar is stirred into the paste. If you notice any tiny clumps of almond paste, rub them with the back of a spoon or spatula you are using.

* Keep stirring frequently and continue to cook. Add saffron strands along with the water if using, stir well and keep cooking. Keep scraping the sides of the pan as well while cooking to avoid the almond paste sticking. The below picture is after 15 minutes of stirring / cooking and you notice that it has thickened. It kind of resembles semolina halwa in looks. (I kept changing the heat setting to medium and a little lower than medium on my gas stove while cooking.) 

* Add the remaining ghee at this point and continue to cook. 

*  The mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan and one would even notice the mixture turning porous (holes appear) when stirred as in Mysore pak preparation, though not as much. One can add a little ground cardamom at this point for flavor, if preferred. Keep stirring further and cook until the mixture clumps into a single mass and leaves the sides of the pan. Also the ghee would have completely absorbed by the halwa at this point. (It takes about 10 to 12 minutes after the ghee addition.)

* Turn off the stove. Transfer the halwa to a container or serve it warm. Garnish with chopped almonds before serving, if preferred.

Notes:
1. One can add more ghee in the halwa preparation, if preferred.
2. Blanched almonds can be used instead of soaking and peeling the almonds.


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104.You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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A - Z Indian Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi Series ~ N for Nei Choru / Ney Choru

Nei choru is a mildly spiced, richly flavored ghee rice version from Kerala / Malabar regions. Nei choru literally means ghee rice and the dish is cooked in a base of ghee, making it an aromatic and flavor loaded one. Ghee rice is a savory rice preparation which is popular in southern parts of India albeit with minor regional variations. Khuska or kuska rice is a similar dish that includes mint and cilantro as well in the preparation. Ghee rice is even reserved for celebratory occasions and it has been a popular choice in the region for years, especially for vegetarians, when picking a simple yet rich tasting dish for parties, small or big. 

I started cooking for this marathon with nei choru since it was a simple dish to start with before plunging into the world of layered biryanis. I remember enjoying it very much in spite of it's simplicity. If not a fan of elaborate, time and energy consuming biryani preparations which have a laundry list of ingredients and steps, then this would be the basic version to try without getting intimidated. Ghee rice provides a very delicious base for spicy curries, kormas or even dals. A short variety, aromatic rice called jeerakasala / jeerakasamba / kaima that needs no prior soaking is the preferred choice of rice in the Malabar regions to prepare ghee rice. Basmati rice would be a great substitute if not able to find the mentioned rice. Keralites seem to pair ghee rice with non veg versions but this parippu curry was one of the suggested side dishes for the vegetarian folks. The pairing sounded so unusual initially but after tasting it, I have to admit that this combo go real well.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice*
4 to 6 tsp. ghee (One can use more.)
1/4 cup cashews and raisins
1 cup peeled and sliced onions (divided)
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon piece
1 bay leaf
1 and 3/4 cup water
salt to taste
* A short grained rice called jeerakasala is used locally but basmati rice can be substituted in it's place.

Directions:
1. Wash and soak rice in water for about 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.(This step is optional. No need to worry if you forgot.)
2. Heat 2 tsp. ghee in a pan and or directly in  a small pressure cooker. Add cashews and toast on medium flame until golden brown. Don't burn them. Remove them with a slotted spoon onto a small plate. Add raisins next and toast them (by shaking the pan so that they are evenly toasted) until they turn plump. Remove them with a slotted spoon onto the cashew plate. Next add half of the onions and 2 tsp. ghee (I added oil here.) and saute on medium flame until they turn golden brown, stirring continuously. This is the only step in the recipe that calls for some attention. We want the onions turn golden brown with sweet flavor. Don't saute on high flame or don't leave the onions unattended since they can burn easily and would turn bitter and not suitable to use in the dish. Transfer the onions to another bowl.
3. Add the remaining ghee to the pan / cooker and add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Saute them for few seconds and add the remaining onion slices and. Saute until translucent. 
Next add rice, water and salt. Mix well and taste the water. It should be a little on the salty side. If using pressure cooker, close the lid and cook for 3 whistles. If using a pan, add 1/4 cup more water than the quantity mentioned in the ingredients' list. Cover and cook on low flame, without keeping peeking into the dish until done, about 20 minutes.
4. Steps 2 and 3 can be done simultaneously using two different pans, to cut down the cooking time.
5. Garnish with raisins, cashews and fried onions. Serve warm with any Kerala style coconut based curry / parippu curry. (Recipe here.)

So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A for Ambur Biryani
B for Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao
C for Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao
D for Donne Biryani
E for Ek Toap na Dal Bhaat
F for Fada ni Khichdi
G for Gutti Vankaya Biryani
H for Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani
I for Iyengar Puliyogare
J for Jaipuri Mewa Pulao
K for Kashmiri Pulao
L for Lucknowi Biryani

M for Motiwale Pulao

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Celebrating 10th blog anniversary with Sukhdi / Gud Papdi

This post has been due for a couple of months now but the lazy me kept postponing it. My blog reached a milestone last December, hitting the 10th year mark. Quite an achievement from a personal stand considering that I lose interest in things after a while. Thanks to my readers and fellow bloggers who visit and leave a positive trail and keep me going.

I thought the celebration deserves a treat and so, here comes the sukhdi aka gud papdi. This sweet dish seems to be a quite popular one in Gujarat and the neighboring state of Rajasthan. The basic preparation includes only three ingredients - wheat flour, jaggery and ghee which all are considered to be healthy ones. Yes, in spite of the flak the butter receives because of it's calorie content, the traditional belief in India is that ghee in moderate amounts is good for the body. I am neither fond of nor prepare ghee laden sweets, the only exception being 'Mysore Pak' which is a favorite of everyone at my home including the father-daughter duo who claim to be sweet phobics.

This is a quick preparation but tests your arm strength since you need to keep stirring the mixture the whole time. Properly made sukhdi has a melt in mouth texture. Additional ingredients like nuts / spices can be added to the basic preparation. I used very pale colored jaggery and my sukhdi had a brownish yellow hue but somehow they are looking yellow in the pictures. (That's for people who are wondering why my sukhdi have that color. And also they look firm since they were in the refrigerator for a week or so by the time I took pictures.)

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour / atta
1/2 cup ghee 
1/2 cup powdered jaggery
 
Method:
* Grease a plate or a circular pan which is at least one inch deep. Take care to powder the jaggery leaving no bits and chunks.
* Heat ghee in a wide non stick pan on medium flame and add the wheat flour. Stir well so that the whole flour is coated with ghee. Continue to stir without stopping until the flour attains a darker hue than the one you started with and you begin to notice the aroma, about 5 to 7 minutes. (If the mixture appears dry while stirring, add a tbsp or more of ghee and continue to stir.)
* Turn off the stove and remove the pan from the heat. Place it on the counter top or any solid surface and immediately add the jaggery and stir quickly to mix until the jaggery gets incorporated into the mixture.
* Pour the mixture into the greased plate and even out the surface with the back of a spatula. Cut into desired shapes when the mixture is still warm and set it aside to let cool. When the sukhdi cools, separate the pieces and store in an airtight container.

This goes to Blogging marathon #73, under the theme 'Sweets prepared in less than an hour'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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