ThengaPal(Coconut Milk) Thengozhal

We tried this snack after seeing the recipe in a cooking show. Thengozhal, similar to murukku is a savoury snack. To make it you need a thengozhal press. You can get that in India. Normally the dough for thengozhal is prepared by mixing the flour with water. In this recipe we use coconut milk. The addition of coconut milk makes it crispy and also the thengozhal has a rich taste.

Ingredients

- 1 cup Rice flour
- 1 tablespoon Uradh dhal  flour
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1.5 cup Coconut milk (Adjust quantity based on the dough consistency)
- 1/4 tsp Jeera
- Oil for frying


Method

1. Mix flour, butter, salt and jeera. Add coconut milk and make the flour into a stiff chapathi like dough.
2. Heat oil in a deep bottom frying pan. Check if the oil is hot by adding a small piece of dough to the oil. If the dough raises up immediately then the oil is ready for frying.
3. Add the dough in the thengozhal press. Squeeze the press and make into zigsaw circle shapes.
4. Try it over a plastic sheet and once you get the idea directly squeeze the mould in the oil.
5. Deep fry the thengozhal until its done. You can take it when its light brown or wait until it turns golden brown.
6. Drain them over paper towels.

Store it in air tight containers and enjoy the snack with your evening cup of tea or coffee.

Okkarai

Another sweet we prepared for this diwali. This is commonly prepared in many south indian houses during diwali. A simple sweet but a tasty one. Forget your diet and eat this with a dollop of ghee. It is definitely worth it. 

Ingredients

- 1 cup Chana Dhal
- 1 tbsp Rice
- 2 cup Jaggery
- 2 Tbsp ghee
- few cashew
- 1 tbsp oil
- pinch of cardamom

Method

1. Dry roast chana dhal and rice until the lentils turns light brown and you get the aroma.
2. Soak the dhal in water for 1 hour.
3. Grind the dhal in blender into a  coarse paste.
4. Steam the paste in idli plates for 10 minutes (similar to idli).
5. Pour oil in a frying pan and add the steamed dhal.Fry this until the dhal crumbles into small pieces
6. In another pan add jaggery and add water until the jaggery is immersed
7. Boil this until the jaggery melts thoroughly. Filter it to remove any impurities.
8. Boil the liquid again until you get the proper consistency. To check the consistency pour a drop in a plate. Try rolling this drop between your thumb and index finger. If it turns into a ball then the consistency is correct.
10. Add the jaggery mixture to the channa dhal and reduce the flame. Stir it until it is mixed properly and the channa dhal is fluffy and dry. Add the ghee and stir it again.
11. To this, add roasted cashews and cardamom.

Serve this with a dollop of ghee.

3 - Minute Microwave Mysore Pak

Everyone must be busy making Diwali sweets. This time I thought of making something simple. With two kids I didn't want to spend a long time in the kitchen. I saw this recipe in The Hindu paper online. The mysore pak was very tasty and it was ready in 3 minutes. Try it out and you will love the taste.

Ingredients

- 1/2 cup Besan powder
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup Ghee: half cup
- 2 tsp Milk

Method

1.Melt ghee in a microwave for one minute on high. Now mix all the ingredients in the melted ghee. Mix well.
2.Microwave the mixture for three minutes. Remove the mixture in between and mix well. You can see bubbles forming on the mixture.
3.This is the right consistency. Now remove and mix nicely and pour over a greased plate.
4.After 10 minutes cut into pieces. Remove after it cools completely.

Note: The mysore pak was a little crisp. We all loved the taste but if you want a softer texture check the mixture after 1.5 minutes. Then keep it for another 30 seconds and check it again. If you see the bubbles then you can pour it in a greased plate.