Wheat Flour Laddu for Neivedyam's 4th Birthday!

Four long years of blogging, blog hopping, comments, friends, facebook and many more. I never get bored of doing all this apart from regular nagging by hubby and others in the family, my 2 year old saying stop publising even if she does not know what she is saying:), weight gain and all my jeans going tight:( ......
Neivedyam has given me an identity apart from what I am!! I love doing what I am doing and thanks to all my friends and visitors for making this possible. I know I say it every year but I mean it from my heart!

Now lets get back to the job.....:)

Ingredients

2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 cup sugar (finely powdered)
1 cup ghee (melted)
1/4 cup almonds(chopped into small pieces)
1/4 cup cashewnuts(chopped into small pieces)
1 tbsp pistachios (finely chopped)
2 tbsp raisins
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Preparation

Heat a pan, add 2 tsp ghee, add all the chopped dryfruits and fry till they slightly change colour. Set aside.
In the same pan add 2-3 tbsp ghee and roast the wheat flour on medium heat.
Once the flour changes colour slightly and aroma raises, turn off the flame, add the dryfruits, cardamom powder, remaining melted ghee, sugar and mix well. Transfer the flour from the pan to a plate and make laddus while the mixture is hot and bearable enough to hold in your hands.
Wheat flour laddus are ready. Some people even add edible gum to this laddu to give extra richness.

Capsicum Sesame Curry (Dry) / Capsicum nuvvulu kura

Ingredients

2 cups finely chopped capsicum
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp split urad dal(husked)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
salt to taste

for tempering
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/3 tsp Asafoetida powder
2 tbsp curry leaves
1 green chilli slit length wise

Preparation
Heat a heavy bottomed pan and dry roast sesame seeds for 2 minutes on medium heat till slightly brown. Set aside. Similarly roast urad dal till golden and set aside to cool. Once the urad dal and sesame seeds have cooled down completely, grind it into a coarse powder and keep aside.
Heat a pan, add oil and temper with all the ingredients in the given order.
Once tempered, add onion and saute for a minute. To this add capsicum and saute on medium flame till capsicum is slightly soft and cooked. Do not overcook. To the capsicum add the prepared sesame powder, salt and coriander powder and mix well. On low heat let the curry cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with rotis or rice!

Shallots Sambar (Vengaya Sambar)

This is a typical south Indian sambar served with Idly/dosa or rice. It is also called as Arachu vitta sambar(sambar made by grinding the ingredients). I have added a new touch by adding vegetables and masalas to this sambar.

Ingredients

1 cup split red gram (thoor dal)
8-10 pearl onions (shallots)
1 drumstick
1/2 cup yellow pumpkin (cut in to cubes along with skin)
1 medium brinjal (cut into large chunks)
3 tbsp Tamarind pulp
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp sambar powder
2 tsp grated Jaggery
2 tsp freshly chopped coriander
2 tsp oil
salt to taste

For paste

5-6 pearl onions
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
3 tbsp grated coconut or 1 tsp raw rice
2 medium tomatoes
3-4 dry red chillies
1-2 tsp oil

for tempering

2 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp split urad dal
2 tbsp curry leaves
1/3 tsp asafoetida powder

Preparation

Pressure cook split red gram dal(thoor dal) with 3 cups of water for 3 whistles till soft and well cooked.
In a pan add 1/2 tsp oil and saute fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, dry red chillies and coconut for a minute, till slightly golden, remove and set aside. Instead of coconut, raw rice can be sauted a little and used for the thickness of the sambar. Add the remaining oil and saute the shallots for 2 minutes. When all the ingredients cool down, grind these ingredients along with tomato into paste.
In a heavy bottom pan add 2 tsp oil and saute shallots, drumsticks, brinjal and pumpkin for 2 minutes. This way the drumsticks do not break apart when cooked. Now add turmeric powder, salt and 2 cups of water to cook the vegetables for 10-12 minutes till soft but retain shape. To the vegetables add tamarind pulp, Sambar powder, ground paste and bring the mixture to boil. To this add jaggery, cooked dal and simmer the heat. Once the sambar comes to boil add coriander leaves and turn off the heat. Temper with all the given ingredients and cover with lid as soon as you temper. This way the aroma and flavor of will stay in the sambar.

Since this is my innovative Sambar, sending this to Pari's event hosted by Nivedita- "Only Original Recipes"