Uppu urundai or uppuma kozhukattai

Uppu kozhukattai or uppuma kozhukattai is actually one of my husband's favourite tiffin, made out of rice flour.Can be made in two textures,depending on whether you are susing rice flour or coarsely ground rice.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Rice flour or raw rice soaked and ground to coarse batter
2. Salt-to taste
3. Oil-for seasoning
4. Mustard-for seasoning
5. Urad dhal-for seasoning
6. Coconut(small pieces or even grated works)- for seasoning
7. Cashew-for seasoning
8. Asefotida-for seasoning
9. Curry leaf-for seasoning
10. Green chilli- for seasoning


METHOD:

1) If using raw rice- soak it for 5 hrs and grind coarsely and make a thin batter adding water.
If using rice flour -Dry fry rice flour in hot pan till aroma comes and mix with enough water to make a thin batter.

2)Heat oil in a pan and season with mustard, asefotida,urad dhal,coconut, cashew,curry leaves and green chillies .

3)Simmer the flame and add the coarsely ground rice with salt, stirring continuously till it becomes thick.

4)Allos the mixture to cool for a while.

5)Apply oil in hand and make balls(before it cools completely) and steam it for 3-5 mins.

6)Can be served hot with coconut chutney.

Ukkarai - a Chettinadu sweet with Bengal gram

Ukkarai or Ukkara is a typical chettinadu sweet with Bengal gram(Kadalaparippu), coconut and jaggery.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Bengal gram(Kadalaparippu) - 1 cup
2. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
3. Jaggery (Vellam) - 1 1/4 cup
4. Ghee - 3 tbsp
5. Cashews - 2 tbsp
6. Cardamom(Elakkai) powder - 1 tsp

METHOD:
1)Lightly dry roast the dal.(Bengal Gram)

2)Cool and soak it in water for 2 - 3 hrs.

3)Drain off the excess water.

4)Heat up a pressure cooker.

5)Add bengal gram and enough water to immerse it in a small vessel.

6)Place it inside the cooker and cook upto 2 whistles- It should be just soft,but not mushy.

7)Drain and mix with coconut.

8)Mix the jaggery with very little water.

9)Place it on fire and stirring continuously, dissolve it.

10)Strain and use this little by little to grind dhal-coconut mixture to a rawa like paste.

11)Add the rest of jaggery water.

12)Mix them in a vessel with 1 tbsp of ghee.

13)Allow it to boil.

14)As soon as the mixture starts boiling, reduce the flame and cook on a low flame, stirring regularly to make sure it does not get burnt.

15)Reserve 2 tsp of ghee for frying cashews and add the rest at frequent intervals.

16)When it starts getting granular, add cardamom powder and cashews fried in ghee.

17)Remove and stir to break up the granules.

Tasty chettinad Ukkarai is ready.