Ravva Laddu

Ingredients:

Sooji/Semolina - 1 1/2 Cup
Coconut grated - 1 1/2 Cup
Ghee - 2 Tbsp
Sugar - 1 Cup
Water - 1/4 cup
Almonds + Cashews - 10

Method:

• Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a soup pan and fry sooji in low flame until u get a nice aroma. (But don't over fry it). Transfer it into a bowl.
• Heat another tbsp of ghee and fry chopped almonds & cashews. You can use electric chopper/grinder.
• When they are done, add coconut and fry until you get nice aroma, sweety smell. (But again don't over fry it).
• Add the above sooji to this and mix finely. Transfer all this mixture into bowl again.
• Now add sugar and water. Boil it until you get nearly one string consistency.
• Now switch off the stove and pour the above mixture.
• Mix it well and allow to cool.
• When it is warm enough to touch, make this into small balls. (I got 15)

Thats it! Delicious yet easy sweet is ready!!

Air dry them and store in air tight container.

For this sweet, don't have to use more ghee. So, NO Guiltysss, MORE Happysss :-)

Semiya Halwa (Vermicelli sweet)

This is one of the sweets my mom specialized in.

Ingredients:

Semiya (vermicelli) - 1 cup
Milk + Water - 2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cashews & Raisins - fried in ghee

Method:

• Fry vermicelli in little ghee under low-med flame till you get nice aroma and also golden color.
• Simultaneously, boil milk + water in soup pan.
• Add fried vermicelli to the boiling milk, stir and allow it to cook completely. Cooking hardly takes 3-5 mins.
• Cook completely but not overcook.
• Now, add sugar and stir continuously till this mixture gets thickened. This hardly takes 8-10 mins.
• Add ghee, fried cashews and raisins. Mix again.
• Pour this mixture in a ghee greased plate and allow it to air dry.
• When its almost dry, cut it into desired shape and allow to dry completely.
• Now separate the pieces and transfer into a container.

That's it! Simple yet Rich tasty sweet is ready!

Serve immediately since no one can wait to taste it!

You can preserve them for few more days in refrigerator.

Spicy Pongal

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Pepper seeds - 8 - grounded
Ginger - 1/2 inch - Chopped finely
Green chillies - 2 long - cut into thin circles
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Zeera - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Ghee - 1/2 tbsp
Salt
Water - 3 cups

Method:

• Heat oil in a steel vessel and do the seasoning with zeera and curry leaves.
• Add ginger, chillies, pepper powder and saute.
• Now add pre-washed rice and dal mixture to this.
• Add water, salt and ghee.
• Put this vessel in pressure cooker and cook as you cook rice for 3 whistles.

You can do directly in Pressure Cooker/Pan also.

Serve this hot spicy pongal as it is or w/coconut chutney/pickle/rasam/chilli powder mix.

One of my friends in California served this with Red chilli powder mixture. She did this with red chilli powder mixed with salt, lemon juice and mustard zeera seasoning.