Peanut Chikki

- submitted by Dahlia on 02-27-2008 (Kadalai Muttai, Peanut Brittle, Moongphali Chikki)

Ingredients Peanuts - 1 cup (roasted) Sugar/Jaggery/Brown sugar - 3/4 cup Cardomon Powder - 1/4 tsp

Method 1. Melt the sugar/brown sugar in a non-stick pan till it turns honey brown in color. 2. Crush the peanuts and add it to the melted sugar with a pinch of cardomon powder. 3. Put this mixture immediately into a greased plate or tray. 4. Spread it to the desired thickness using a rolling pin. 5. Immedietly cut it with a greased knife. 6. After it cools, separate the pieces and store in air tight containers.

Tips - You can make the same chikkis with sesame seeds, cashews and other nuts too.

Kozhi Rasam

- submitted by Dahlia on 11-13-2010

(Chettinadu Kozhi Saaru, Chicken/Mutton Rasam, South Indian Chicken Soup)

Ingredients Chicken - 1/2 lb (bony pieces) Shallot onions - 5-8 (chopped) Tomato - 1 (chopped or mashed up with hands) Green Chilly - 1 Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Chicken Masala - 1/2 tsp Cilantro - 3 springs (chopped)

For tempering Oil - 2 tblsp Peppercorns - 1 tsp Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp Red chilly - 1 Garlic pods - 5 or 6 Curry Leaves - 5 leaves

Method 1. In a pressure cooker add the bony chicken pieces, onion, green chilly and tomato. 2. Add about 5-6 cups of water, salt and turmeric powder. 3. Pressure cook for 7-8 whistles. We want the bones to break down and release all its essence. 4. In the meantime, coarsely grind the ingredients under 'For Tempering' using the pulse mode. You can also use a motar and pestle to crush the ingredients. 5. Heat oil in a small pan, add the coarsely ground masala and fry for a minute. 6. After the pressure goes down, open the cooker and turn on the heat. 7. Add the tempering, chicken masala and chopped cilantro to the rasam.

8. Bring it to a boil and switch off. Serve it piping hot.

Serving Suggestion - This rasam is traditionally served with white rice. - You can also have it as a soup. This is a very comforting dish on a cold winter day or when you have cold.

(Puran Poli, Boli, Obatu, Bobatlu) Ingredients Bengal Gram(channa dal) - 2 cups Jaggery/ Sugar - 2 cups Maida (All Purpose Flour) - 1 3/4 cups Cardomon Powder - 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder/ Yellow Food Color - 1/4 tsp Butter/ Ghee/ oil - 2-3 tblsp (for kneading) Butter/ Ghee/ Oil - for frying bolis (as needed) Water - as needed to make the dough Salt - a pinch boli on the tava

Method 1. Mix the maida, turmeric powder/ food color and salt together .Add enough water and make it into a very soft dough. 2. Add the butter/ghee/ oil to the dough and knead again until the dough becomes soft and pliable.

3. Cover with a moist kitchen towel and let it rest. In the meantime make the filling. 4. Boil the channa dal with plenty of water until it is soft but not mashy. 5. Drain all the water and powder it in the mixie. 6. Take this dal powder in a pan, add the jaggery/sugar and cardomon powder and heat it. The jaggery/sugar will melt and form a thick and gooey mixture. 7. After the dal mixture is cool enough to handle, start making the bolis. 8. Make marble sized balls with the dough and lemon sized balls with the dal mixture. The dal mixture should be bigger than the dough only then the final boli will taste good. 9. Take a dough ball roll out into a small circle. Flour the surface to prevent sticking. 10.Keep the sweet dal ball in centre of the rolled out dough. Bring all the sides of the dought to the center to cover the filling completely. 11.Seal it nicely and press it again to form a circle. 12. Place it in between 2 greased plastic sheets. Just press with your fingers till expands to the desired circumference. 13. Cook the bolis on a hot griddle using some butter/ghee/oil. remove when brown spots appear on both sides. 14. Serve it during festival times or even serve for dinner.

Sweet Pongal

- submitted by Dahlia on 01-22-2012 (Chakkarai Pongal, Gud ka Chaawal, Sweet Rice Porridge) Ingredients Raw Rice - 1 cup Moong Dal - 1/2 cup Jaggery (crushed) - 1.5 cups Ghee - 1/4 cup Water - 4 cups (to cook the rice and dal)

Tip :- You can substitute 4 cups of water with 2 cups water + 2 cups milk or 2 cups water + 2 cups coconut milk. Water - 1 cup (to melt the jaggery) Cardamon Powder - 1/2 tsp Cashews, Almonds, Raisins or Coconut Pieces - about 1/4 cup (Use as per your preference or whatever you have on hand) Saffron Strands - a pinch (optional)

Method 1. Take a pressure cooker and dry roast the moong dal for about 5 minutes. 2. Add the rice to this. Now add the 4 cups of water (with milk if adding) and 1 tsp ghee. 3. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles till the rice and dal is cooked soft. You can also cook the mixture in a rice cooker or an open pot. 4. In the meantime, heat 1 tblsp of ghee and fry the nuts and raisins. Keep this aside. 5. Next, melt the crushed jaggery with 1 cup of water in a heavy bottmoned pot/pan. 6. Once the jaggery has melted, you can strain it to remove any dirt. This step can be skipped if the jaggery is pure. 7. Return the strained jaggery back to the pot. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. 8. Mash the cooked rice-dal mixture partially and add it to the simmering jaggery syrup. 9. Add the remaining ghee, cardamon powder, saffron strands and the roasted nuts. Mix together and let it simmer for few minutes till everything comes together into a gooey pongal consistency. 10. Switch off. The pongal continues to thicken as it cools. Serve as a snack, dessert or a meal.