Kodubale (Cripy Spicy Donuts)

This is another snack i prepared for Ganesha. Preparing these dishes was nostalgic for me.... reminded me of my mom preparing kodubale and rave unde before we went out on a vacation and even for school picnics. I prefer giving both my kids these home made snacks rather than chips which little ones are usually fond of. Thankfully my kids too prefer homemade snacks to readymade.

KODUBALE:



Ingredients:

2 cups rice flour
1/2 cup huri kadale/bhuna chana/putnala pappulu (ground to powder)
1/2 cup grated & powdered dry coconut (dry coconut is best if you want to store the snack)
1 tbspn jeera
1 tbspn red chilli powder
1 & 1/2 tspn salt
1/4 tsp hing
3 tblspn hot oil
Oil for deep frying

Method of Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients mentioned above except oil.
2. Once all the dry ingredients are mixed well, add the hot oil and again mix well.
3. Add water and knead dough of the above ingredients.
4. Roll the dough into long cylinders of 6 inches in length and 1/2 inch diameter (apprx measurement). Picture shown below for reference.



5. Bring both the ends of the cylinder and join it.
6. Deep fry 6-7 kodubales at a time for 4 mins depending on the size of the kadai. (You have to fry them thoroughly so that it does not soft after it cools)

Store this in an air tight container. Stays crispy for more than a week.

Rave Unde (Rava Laddu)

It has been very long since i have posted on my blog, most important reason being my settling down in a new place, school for kids, a minor accident. Now i'm back to the comfort zone in my new place and back to browsing the net and continuing my internet activities.....
Ganesh festival celebrations are so extensive in mumbai and it was very nice to witness it first hand after listening about it all these years. In my mom's house we treat Ganesha with a huge spread of home made goodies for the festival. The preparations start a week in advance. I too prepared a simple fare for the Lord starting 3 days in advance. I made Rave Unde, Kodubale, Chakkli, Ellu Unde, Nippattu and Kadubu (with Kadubu pudi).

Rave Unde (Rava Laddu):



Ingredients:

2 cups chiroti rava (very fine variety)
1/2 cup milk (warm)
1 and 1/2 cup sugar (powdered) (You can alter it as per your taste)
3 tblspns cashew and raisins (fried in ghee)
4 tblspns ghee
4 pods cardsmom (powdered)

Method of preparation:

1. On medium flame fry the cashew and raisins in 2 tblspns ghee and remove.
2. In the same kadhai with the left over ghee, add another tblspn ghee and fry the rava. U need to keep stirring it continously to avoid burning.Fry till it gives out a pleasant aroma. This will take around 5-6 minutes.
3. Take this into a large mixing bowl and add cashew and raisins, powdered sugar, cardamom powder and warm milk and mix well.
4. Grease your hand and make rava laddus.

This stays good for 15 days at room temperature but the stock has never lasted beyond a week at my place.

Uddin Vade

My daughter's absolute favorite. If only for her, i usually get it from a sagar hotel near my place and prepare at home only on special occasions. This time i prepared when i did hanuman pooja at home.

UDDIN VADE:

Ingredients:

2 cups urad dal
1 inch piece ginger (chopped fine)
3-4 green chillies (chopped fine)
1 tsp peppercorn (kept whole)
1 big onion (optional, i don't use onions when i keep the vadas as offering to god)
coriander leaves (chopped fine)
curry leaves (chopped fine)
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying.


Method of preparation:

1. Soak the urad dal for 2-3 hours.
2. Grind this to a fine paste without adding much water. The batter should be very thick, not of pouring consistency. (If you made the vadas immediately after grinding, it will be very crisp)
3. Take the batter in a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, except oil.
4. Now head the oil in a kadai, Now wet a plastic sheet/betel leaf/banana leaf on your left palm and take a lemon sized ball of this batter.
5. Flatten this slightly on the leaf and make a hole in the middle. Slide this gently into the oil.
6. Deep fry till golden brown on both sides.

Once you get the hang of this, you can make the vadas in your one hand itself without the use of the leaf, as mentioned in step 4.