Aadi Koozh / Ragi Porridge / How to cook Ragi Ambali

Aadi Koozh is a ragi porridge offered as prasadam to Amman / Ammavaru during the tamil month of Aadi. Usually aadi koozh is served with karuvattu / dry fish kuzhambu, drumstick leaves stir fry, small onions, green chilles. I have tried to create the flavors of this porridge which brings back the memory of Aadi masam in chennai.

Ingredients : 

Ragi flour - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Cooking Ragi Koozh: : 

Raw rice - 1/4 cup

Fermented Ragi batter

Water - 3 cups

Hot water - 3 cups

Mixing Koozh / Porridge: 

Buttermilk (mix 1/2  yogurt with 1 cup water)

Cooked Ragi koozh 

Salt

Raw onions

Raw green chilies

Procedure : 

1. Mix well 1 cup Ragi flour with 2 cups water without lumps. Ferment the batter for 8 to 10 hrs.

2. Grind 1/4 cup raw rice to a big coarse powder.

3. Boil 3 cups of water and add the broken rice and cook. Once rice is cooked and all the water will be absorbed.

3. Now add 3 cups hot water and mix well

4. Now pour the fermented ragi batter. Keep stirring while pouring. 

5. Keep stirring until ragi is cooked ( about 10 mins ). Koozh will turn dark in color once cooked.

6. Dip 4 fingers in cold water and tap on the top of cooked Ragi. Ragi must not stick to the fingers .

7. Mix 1/4 cup curd with 1 cup water to make buttermilk.

8. Scoop some cooled koozh in a bowl and add enough salt. Now slowly dilute the koozh with buttermilk and top it with onions.

Step by Step Video :

KitKat Cake | Hot water chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting cake

This is a chocolate flavored cake covered with coffee flavored chocolate ganache. Then lined the cake with kitkat candies bar and top it off with some colorful candies. Kids and myself enjoyed making the cake and it was wonderful in taste.  

Ingredients : 

All purpose flour - 2 1/2 cups

Cocoa powder- 1 cup

Baking powder - 2 tsp

Baking soda - 2 tsp

Sugar - 2 cups

Eggs - 3

Oil - 3/4 cup

Milk - 1 1/2 cups

Vanilla extract - 1 tablespoon

Hot water - 1 1/2 cups

Chocolate Ganache ingredients : 

Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips - 1 cup

Heavy Whipping Cream - 1 cup

Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp 

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

 

Chocolate Frosting ingredients: 

Chocolate Ganache

Heavy Whipping cream - 1 cup

Vanilla extract - 1 tablespoon

 

Cake Decorating ingredients: 

KitKat

Colorful candies ( M&M, white chocolate chips, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate covered almonds)

Pirouline cookies

Ribbon to tie around

 

Procedure : 

Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit

1. Sieve together the following dry ingredients: 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 cup cocoa powder, 2 teaspoon of baking powder, 2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt.

2. In a stand mixer add 2 cups of sugar,3 large eggs and mix well.

3. Now add 3/4 cup oil and mix well in slow speed.

4. Next add 1 1/2 cups of milk and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

5. Now slowly add the shifted dry ingredients to the mixer

6. Lastly add 1 1/2 cups of hot water and mix well

7. Pour the batter to prepared cake pans. Bake it for 35 mins or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean

8. Once cooled remove from cake pan and trim to level the top

Coffee flavored chocolate ganache: 

1. Heat 1 cup of heavy cream. Cream must just start to boil.

2. Strain the hot cream into 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips and mix well till smooth

3. Add 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp of instant coffee powder and mix well

4. Cover and refrigerate for 10 mins

Chocolate Frosting ingredients: 

1. Whip 1 cup cold  heavy whipping cream until soft peaks formed

2. Pour chocolate ganache and whip till well mixed

3. Fill the cream in piping bag

Assemble and ice the cake

Decorate the cake with KitKat and candies

Step by Step Video :

July 4th Rice Krispies Treats | Red, White and Blue Rice Krispies Treats | Happy 4th of July

It’s time to celebrate the 4th of July. 

Happy Independence Day. 

This year celebrating with red, white and blue Rice Krispies Treats…

 

Ingredients : 

Rice Krispies cereal (or crispy rice cereal) - 6 cups

Butter - 3 tablespoons

Mini marshmallows - 1 - 10 ounce package  / 4 cups 

Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon

Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Mini marshmallows -1 cup  (optional) 

Red, white, blue sprinkles

 

Procedure : 

1. In a wide nonstick pan melt 3 tablespoons butter. Once butter is fully melted add the marshmallows and start melting in low-medium flame.

2. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp vanilla and mix well.

3. Pour the melted marshmallows to Rice Krispies cereal, add 1 cup mini marshmallows and mix well

4. Pour the mixture to a greased pan and even it out add some red, blue and white sprinkles and press it down. Once cooled and Rice Krispies are set, cut into squares.

Notes: 

Spray well the bowl, knife, spatula.. all the utensils used with non stick cooking spray as melted marshmallows are very sticky. 

Adding whole marshmallows while mixing is optional. I like to see chunks of marshmallows while eating rice Krispy treats 

Step by Step Video :

Khubani Ka Meetha | Hyderabad famous sweet

Khubani Ka Meetha is an Indian sweet made from dried apricots originating from Hyderabad. This is great dessert for crowd. Usually I make this for get together for large group of people. This tastes best with vanilla ice cream.

 

Ingredients :

Dried Apricots - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Water - 2 Cups

Red Food Color - 3 to 4 drops

Lemon juice - 1 Teaspoon

Special Gadgets needs : 

Whipping Cream - 1 cup

Condensed Milk - 3 Tablespoon

Rose essence - 3 Drops 

 

Procedure : 

Soak 1/2 cup dried apricots in 2 cups of water for 5 hours

Apricots will be plumped up now 

Add soaked apricots with water to a sauce pan and boil

Cover and cook for 10 mins

Add 1/2 cup sugar and cook for 5 mins

Add few drops of red food coloring and mix well

Fry 2 tablespoons chopped almonds in ghee

Whip 1 cup heavy cream with 3 tbsp condensed milk and 3 drop rose essence / flavor 

Whip only until flowing consistency 

Spoon some cream and top it with cooked apricot s and fried nuts.

Step by Step Video :

Mango Kulfi | Quick Mango Kulfi | Mango Kulfi in 5 minutes | No Cook No Churn Mango kulfi

Mango Kulfi is perfect delight for summer days. This is a quick and easy mango kulfi recipe. It do not need any special ice cream machine, just a simple blender works fine. 

This kulfi can be made using fresh mangos or canned mango pulp. If using fresh mango use 1/4 cup of sugar to the recipe. It tastes best with cardamom and saffron, awesome combination of flavor for a dessert

Ingredients : 

Mango pulp (canned) - 1cup

Condensed milk - 1/2 cup

Heavy whipping cream - 1/2 cup

Milk - 1/2 cup

Saffron - 1 teaspoon 

Cardamom pod - 1 teaspoon

Special Gadgets needs : 

Popsicles mould/ Kulfi mould 

Popsicles sticks

 

Procedure : 

1. In a blender add 1 cup mango pulp, 1/2 cup condensed milk, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1 tsp saffron and 1 tsp of cardamom pods and blend till think and creamy.

2. Pour the mixture to a jar and add some chopped pistachios and mix in.

3. Fill in the kulfi mould, cover the top with a small piece of foil and make a small slit and insert a popsicle stick. 

4. Freeze for 5 hours. 

5. To remove kulfi from mould, dip the mould in hot water and twist and remove from mould and sprinkle some chopped nut and enjoy.

Notes: 

1. If using fresh mango pulp, Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the original recipe

Step by Step Video :