How to make Ada for Ada Pradhaman / Paalada | Homemade Ada Recipe

Homemade Ada Recipe

Learn how to make Ada for Ada Pradhaman /palalda Pradhaman /Payasam.
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Makes: 1 to 1.5 cups
Ingredients:

1. Unakkalari /Raw rice - 1/2 cup( see notes)
2. Ghee - 1 tsp
3. Sugar - 1 tsp
4. Water - to prepare batter
5. Banana leaves,cut into rectangles - as required

Instructions:

Wash and soak rice in plenty of water for about 1 hour.

Drain the water completely and spread the rice on a clean kitchen towel and allow it to dry for about 30 to 45 minutes.

 

Transfer it to a blender and grind to form a fine powder.

Sieve it to remove any leftover grains.Next add ghee and sugar to the rice flour.

Add sufficient water and mix well form a smooth batter ( like dosa batter).Meanwhile boil water in a large pot.

Take a piece of banana leaf and drizzle the batter over it.Roll it gently and tie with a string. 

 

Once the water comes to a rolling boil,add the rolled banana leaves and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Now remove the rolls from water .Peel the ada carefully.

Cut it into small squares and wash the ada if it is sticky.Soak ada in hot water until required.

NOTES

• You may  use pachari if unakkalri is not available.
• You can also use unroasted rice flour to prepare ada.In that case just add sugar ,ghee and water to the flour and mix to form the batter.
• For Ada Pradhaman ,cut the ada into slightly larger pieces.
• 

Healthy Oat and Date Laddu | Oat and Date balls | No Added Sugar

Oat and Date Laddu

Healthy Oat and Date balls( Vegan, No added Sugar)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Maked: 15 to 18 laddus
Ingredients:

1. Olive oil /coconut oil- 2 tsp
2. Oats- 1 cup
3. Pistachios - 1/4 cup
4. Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup
5. Flax seeds - 2 to 3 tsp
6. Soft Dates - 20 to 24( or according to taste)

Instructions:

Heat  oil in  a pan,add oats,pistachios and cashew nuts.Fry for about 5 minutes over medium low flame.Allow it to cool slightly  and grind to form a coarse powder.

Add the oats and nuts powder to a mixing bowl.Add the pitted dates and flax seeds.

Mix well using your fingertips ,until combined.( use a food processor ,if desired.)Roll it into 1.5" balls.Store in an airtight container.

NOTES

• You can also use almonds ,walnuts or any other nuts of your choice.
•  Adjust the quantity of dates according to your taste.
• I halved the recipe as you can see in the pics.

Carrot Halwa | Gajar Halwa | Indian Sweet Recipes

Carrot Halwa

Popular Indian sweet/pudding made using grated carrots and milk.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 5 to 6
Ingredients:

1. Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp
2. Grated carrots - 4 cups( 4 to 5 large carrots)
3. Milk- 4 cups
4. Sugar - 3/4 cup( or to taste)
5. Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
6. Cashew nuts- 15 to 18
7. Ghee- to fry cashew nuts

Instructions:

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan .

Add grated carrots and saute for 5 to 7 minutes.Next add milk and bring it to a boil.

Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes over low flame ,stirring well in between.Cook until the carrots are soft and the milk is evaporated.

Now add sugar and mix well.Cook until it turns thick for about 3 to 4 minutes,stirring well in between.Fry cashew nuts in ghee until it turns golden brown and add it to the halwa.Mix well and serve warm or chilled. and serve.

NOTES

• Adjust the quantity of sugar according to your taste.
• You can also add one pinch saffron along with the milk for better flavor.
• I actually scaled down the recipe to 1/2,as you can see in the pics.
  

Kaju Katli | Kaju Barfi | Indian Sweet Recipes

Kaju Katli

Kaju Katli- Poular Indian sweet made using cashew nuts.(Gluten Free cashew nut fudge)-
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3
Recipe source: Vegrecipesofindia, you can find the original recipe here.
Ingredients:

1. Cashew nuts - 1 Cup( at room temperature)
2. Sugar - 1/2 Cup
3. Water - 5 tbsp
4. Ghee - 1 tbsp( for vegan version use coconut oil)
5. Saffron - 1 small pinch( or use 1 tsp rose petals)-this is optional

Instructions:

Grind cashew nuts to form a fine powder.( Be careful not to grind it too much,or you will end up with cashew nut butter).keep aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan,combine together sugar and water.Cook over low flame until sugar is completely dissolved.

Now add cashew nut powder and mix well.Cook over low flame,stirring continuously.

Cook the cashew nut mixture for about 7 to 9 minutes ,till the whole mixture comes together and turns more like a soft dough.Transfer the cashew nut mixture onto a plate.

Add ghee and  saffron /rose petals ( if using).When the heat of the mixture is fine to handle,knead the mixture lightly.( if the mixture is dry,you can add 1 or 2 tsp of milk).

Place the warm dough on a parchment paper or a greased plate. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top .Using a rolling pin,roll the dough to a thickness of  3 to 5 mm.

Cut into diamonds using a sharp knife.Allow it to cool completely.Store in an airtight container.

.NOTES

• Sieve the cashew nut powder to remove tiny bits ,if desired.
  

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies | Gluten Free Cookies | Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Easy and delicious ,Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe Source:Foodnetwork,You can find the original recipe here.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 18 to 20 cookies
Ingredients:

1. Peanut butter- 1 cup( see notes)
2. Sugar - 3/4 to 1 cup( i used 1 cup brown sugar)
3. Egg - 1

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180 deg C.Line a baking tray with parchment paper.In a mixing bowl,mix together peanut butter,sugar  and egg until combined.

Roll it into 1 or 1.5" balls.Place on the prepared baking sheet 1" apart.Gently press with a fork to flatten.Bake until golden around the edges for about 10 minutes.Let it cool for 5 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack,as it may crumble easily while warm. 

.NOTES

• I used homemade peanut butter.If you are using store bought peanut butter(with added sugar),adjust the quantity of sugar,according to your taste. 
• You can also add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract ,if desired.
• If you like chewy cookies,do not flatten the dough too much and bake for exactly 10 minutes.
• If you prefer crunchy cookies,flatten the dough a bit more and bake for about 11 to 12 minutes.
  

Rabdi | Rabri | Milk-based Indian dessert

Rabdi

Classic Indian dessert made using thickened milk,cardamom and nuts.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:

1. Full fat milk- 1 ltr
2. Sugar-1.5 to 2 tbsp( or according to taste)
3. Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
4. Almonds,sliced- 2 to 3 tsp
5. Saffron strands -to garnish( optional)

Instructions:

In a heavy bottomed pan /non stick pan,bring milk to a boil over medium flame.

Reduce the flame to low.When a layer of cream/malai appears on the surface,gently move it to the sides of the pan using a spoon.Stir the milk gently every 3 to 4 minutes to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Keep collecting the cream/malai until milk is reduced to almost 1/3 rd of its original quantity.

Now add sugar,boil for about 10 minutes.

Add cardamom powder and almonds,mix well until combined.Garnish with saffron strands and serve chilled.

NOTES

• Rabdi can be also served with Jalebi, Shahi tukda or can be used to make Banarasi Lassi.
• Adjust the quantity of sugar according to your taste.
  

Kerala Bonda | Fried whole wheat and banana cake

Kerala Bonda

Popular Kerala tea time snack made using whole wheat flour , banana and jaggery.(also known as undanpori in North Kerala.)
Prep Time: 10 minutes ( 2 hours for fermentation)
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes: 20 to 25 bondas
Ingredients:

1. Jaggery,grated-3/4 cup
2. Sliced coconut(cut into small pieces)-1/4 cup
3. Whole wheat flour- 2 cups
4. Baking soda- 1 large pinch
5. Salt-1 pinch
6. Cardamom powder,freshly ground-1/2 tsp
7. Small banana(preferably palayankodan pazham)- 3 nos
8. Water-as required
9. Ghee-1/2 tbsp
10. Coconut oil-for deep frying

Instructions:

In a heavy bottomed pan,melt grated jaggery adding 1/4 cup water.Keep aside.Allow it to cool completely.

Heat ghee in a pan and add the coconut bits.Fry until it turns golden brown.Keep aside.

In another bowl,mash the bananas using a fork.

Add melted jaggery and fried coconut ,mix well until combined.

In a mixing bowl mix together whole wheat flour,baking soda,salt and cardamom powder using a fork.Add the banana -jaggery mixture and 1/4 cup water to the dry ingredients and gently mix until combined.

Add more water if required,and mix gently to form a sticky dough.Do not over mix.Cover and allow it to ferment for about 2 hours.

Heat oil in a pan over medium flame.Dip your hand in water(to avoid sticking) ,take a small portion of the dough and shape it into a lemon sized ball,then carefully slide the dough off your fingers into the hot oil.Repeat with the remaining dough.

Fry until it turns deep golden brown,turning once or twice in between.(Make sure that you cook it over medium flame ,else the bondas will brown too quickly and remain uncooked inside.) Drain onto a kitchen towel.Serve with tea.