Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

 

             
        Condensed Milk..... milk from which water is removed and sweetened,it will be very thick in consistency.It can be used in making so many varieties of dishes....It's quite easy to buy a sweetened condensed milk from the shop, but its much more simple ,easy and healthy to make it at home,which I always prefer. It takes around couple of hours, after which you have a jar of simple, creamy sweetness.

Ingredients:

• 1 ltr full fat milk
• 200gms sugar 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda.

        

Method:

• Heat milk in a deep bottom pan.                          
• When it boils add 200 grams sugar and 1/2 tsp baking soda.Baking soda will keep condensed milk stay fresh for longer.
• Keep stirring until the milk thickens. Stir at least once a minute, if not more often.
• Keep heating in low flame and stir continuously, until it becomes so thick.
• When only 1/3 quantity of milk is left,check the consistency by taking a drop of milk in a cup,allow it to cool and now it should be in one string consistency.
• As you can see in below photo the milk has become nice and thick. At this point turn off the gas and let the milk gets cool down completely. 
• Do not over cook the milk or else it will turn solid once it cools down.

 Condensed milk is now ready.

      

      This homemade Condensed milk can be used for baking egg-less cake and to make many sweets like carrot halwa,kheer,Palkova/milk halwa....
       Store the condensed milk in an air tight container and keep it in refrigerator or can be used immediately...

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Arachuvitta Kadhamba Sambar

Prep Time: 15 mins     Cook Time: 10 mins       Serves : 5

        Arachuvitta Kadhamba sambar ......The word "Arachuvitta" is a Tamil word which means to grind..."Kadhambam" means mixed....This is a type of sambar that has freshly ground masala made of coconut, Red dry chillies,coriander seeds, channa dal,pepper and cumin with mixed vegetables. This is a very traditional South Indian Sambar,very tasty and can be served as side dish for rice,idli and dosas...

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal(Thuvaram parupu) - 1 cup
• Mixed Vegetables of your choice
• Tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball
• 1/2 cup Onion
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 small piece Jaggery
• Salt for taste.

Roast and Grind:

• 4 Dry red chilli
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Jeera
• 2 tsp Chana Dal / Kadala Paruppu
• 1/8 tsp Fenugreek / Vendhayam
• 1/4 cup Coconut
• Hing 

        
To Temper:

• 1 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• 1/2 tsp Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves few
• 2 Small Onions sliced

Method:

• Pressure cook toor dal with turmeric powder and enough water till its cooked , mash it well, keep aside.
• In a kadai add 1 tsp oil and roast the ingredients under 'to roast and grind' until golden brown and grind it to a coarse powder or a fine paste by adding little water. Keep aside.

       

• In the same kadai, heat 1 tbsp of oil,add the Onions,saute for a min,add chopped tomato and saute it well.

     

• Add the veggies,I used Brinjal,carrot,beans,Avarai,Capsicum. Saute till raw smell goes.
• Add little turmeric powder,water and boil it till the veggies are semi cooked

     

• Now add the ground paste,Cooked dal,tamarind water and allow it to boil till the veggies are cooked and is soft.Add required salt.

         

• Allow it to boil till the sambar is thick and is of desired consistency.
• Add a small piece of jaggery and mix it well.
• At last in a pan add 1 tsp Ghee,add the items under to temper and mix it to the Sambar.....

         

Arachuvitta Kadhamba Sambar is ready to b served with Idli/Dosa/Rice...

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Vendakai Poriyal / Okra / Lady's finger fry

 Vendakai Poriyal.....Vendakai is the tamil name for Lady's finger or okra and poriyal means stir fried.This is a simple recipe where the okra is roasted with onions and green chilli on a low flame.It goes very well as a side dish for Rice and rotis.....

Prep Time: 5 mins    Cook Time: 10 mins  Serves : 3  

Ingredients:

• 1 Onion
• 2 Green Chilli
• 15 - 20 Lady's finger /Okra/Vendakai
• Salt for taste

       

To Temper:

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard
• 1 tsp Urad dal
• Curry leaves

Method:

• Heat oil, add the items under ' to temper' then add onion and fry till slightly browned. 

       

• Then add Okra and saute till it shrinks in volume.
• When the stickiness is reduced, sprinkle very little water and cook covered for 3mins until it turns soft. Then give a quick stir, add required salt and keep stirring.

       

• Once the stickiness is fully gone and it turns dry switch it off.

      

Serve hot with Rice / Roti.....

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Brinjal Curry Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins   Cook Time: 15 mins   Serves : 4

         Brinjal Curry is a simple delicious dish made by cutting brinjal into pieces and cooked with chopped onion,tomatoes along with coconut and spices.It is a semi dry recipe which goes well with rice and rotis...

Ingredients:

• 5 - 6 Medium size Brinjal
• 3 Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Onion finely chopped
• Salt
• Coriander leaves

To Grind:

• Coconut - 1/2 cup 
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• 3 - 4 Cashews
• Chilli Powder - 2tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

      

To temper:

• 2 Cinnamon stick
• Curry leaves few

Method:

• In a mixer put all the ingredients to grind and grind it to a thick fine paste,by adding very little water.
• Wash and cut the brinjal to medium sizes.
• In a pan add 2 tbsp oil and fry the Brinjal in the medium flame with little turmeric powder and salt.
• Close the lid and cook in low flame until the brinjal is soft.Keep aside.

      

• In the pan add 1 tbsp oil,add the items to temper.
• Add in Onion and fry until it turns golden brown.
• Add the tomatoes and fry till it becomes mushy.

     

• Now add the ground masalas fry for few mins in medium flame and add 1 cup of water.
• Allow it to boil,then add the fried brinjals.

     

• Cook covered in low medium flame for 5 mins.
• Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Rice / Roti

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Homemade Ghee

                                     

Ghee is a class of clarified butter prepared by melting and simmering butter (which is churned from cream/Malai),  until all the water evaporates and the milk solids settle at the bottom.Ghee is rich with antioxidants and acts as an aid in the absorption of vitamins and minerals from other foods, serving to strengthen the immune system.
A well-prepared ghee is shelf-stable. When kept it in an airtight container without refrigerating it last for 2-3 months. When kept in a refrigerator, ghee can last up to a year.
A little amount of ghee makes the food richer and adds lots of flavor to the food.

Ingredients: 

• Butter ( Homemade Butter /Shop) 
• Curry leaves / Drumstick leaves optional 
• Salt optional 

Method: 

• First take the butter from fridge and keep it outside for atleast 15mins and allow it to come to room temperature. 
• Then heat the butter in a kadai in medium low flame.The butter slowly melts down, keep stirring.To avoid burning its better to keep in low flame. 

        

• Once it has melted down completely,allow the butter to boil. 

        

• It boils with a sound and the ghee becomes frothy and within few minutes it turns to light brown ghee,Add salt,Adding salt is optional. 

        

• Now add curry leaves or drumstick leaves dipped in buttermilk and switch off. Leaves added will give extra flavour.

        

• Now filter the ghee into the ghee container 

       


Homemade ghee is ready.

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Channa Aloo Masala

         Channa Aloo Masala is a delicious Indian recipe recipe , with chickpeas and potato in onion tomato gravy with spices.Popular curry served as a side dish with batura, rice, roti, paratha and can also be used for making Channa chaats....

Prep Time :10 mins        Cook Time:10 mins        Serves:4

Ingredients:

• Channa - 200 gms
• Aloo - 200 gms
• Onion - 1 big size, finely chopped
• Tomato - 2 medium sized roughly chopped
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Garlic - 5 to 6 pods
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Curry masala  - 1 tsp
• Salt for taste

      
To Temper:

• fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamon - small piece

Method:

• Soak Channa overnight.
• Boil channa and potato in cooker adding little salt
• In a pan put 3tsps of oil, add fennel seeds cloves and cinnamon
• Now add the ginger ,garlic and onions,fry till light brown
• Add  the tomato and the dry powders and fry in low flames till the tomatoes get smashed.Allow it to cool.
• Grind it and add the mixture to the boiled channa and aloo.
• Add water and boil according to the consistency required.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with chappathis,Batura,Parathas and can be used for Channa Masala Chaat 

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Gulab Jamun

Prep Time: 20 mins  Cook Time: 20 mins  Makes: 35 - 40

         Gulab Jamun is a popular dessert made up of milk solids.Gulab means rose and Jamun is a berry which is dark in colour.This delicious dessert consists of soft fried dumplings soaked in rose flavored sugar syrup.Gulab Jamun can be served either with sugar syrup or dried,by draining the syrup and rolling the balls in desiccated coconut.Lots of variations can be done in this,kala jamun(adding sugar in the dough and after frying, the sugar caramelizes and gives it its dark, almost black color),Stuffed jamun(Stuffing with nuts while rolling the balls)...It tastes great by itself or served with ice cream....Check out my Gulab Jamun Recipe using Ready made Instant Gulab Jamun Mix...

Ingredients:

• Gulab Jamun flour  - 200 grams ( readymade)
• Oil for deep frying
• Ghee 2 tsp
• Water 

For sugar syrup

• Sugar - 700gms
• Water - 600 ml
• Cardamom - 3 powdered
• Rose Essence - 3 drops optional

Method :

• Put the gulab jamun mix in a bowl and check for the lumps.
• Now add water gradually and knead gently into soft pliable dough.let it rest for 5 mins               

         

• In a big pan, mix sugar, water , cardamom powder.
• Bring it to boil and stir until the sugar dissolves completely and boil it for 5 mins and Keep it aside.I added rose essence and color .

            

• Apply ghee on both the palms and shape the dough into small balls without any breaks.

         

• Heat the oil ,do not overheat,when a small portion of dough is dropped then it should raise slowly to the top,then the oil is ready for frying.    
• Deep fry the Gulab Jamuns in low flame until golden brown color.
• Do not fry the jamuns in high flame as it will get the brown color quickly but inside will not be cooked .
• Stir it gently for even cooking and browning.
• Drop the fried Jamuns in hot sugar syrup.
• Soak them until they completely absorb the sugar syrup.        

Gulab Jamuns are ready to serve either hot or cold. 

  

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