Happy Deepavali

Deepavali 2018 is almost here.. it is a bummer that it falls on a weekday but it will be celebrated, rain or shine!

San made some besan laddoo's and has a commitment to make some Gulab Jamun's.

Today I made some Omapodi.. 

San made a lot of laddoos.. but I already finished most of it in the last 24 hours.. by Deepavali night she might not have any left. 

This is not something I make every year. Was in a rush and did not grind the Chilli and Omam (Ajwain seeds) too fine. So some of them got caught in the nazhi (extruder) and I had to keep cleaning the holes to continue. Won't make that mistake again.

The end result is good. We still have two days to make more Deepavali bakshanams.

The little one comes out and tells me "we don't like oily stuff. it is mostly you and amma who are going to eat this!"

Sometimes you realize you have failed as a parent if your kids take this health stuff overboard! Deepavali comes once a year.. it is not every day that your dad labors in the kitchen to make this stuff..was going to launch myself into a lecture and decided to take the "fine.. just taste a little bit".. in hopes that the Savory Gene that has been passed on will do the trick..

Kids these days! bah! 

want to wish one and all a wonderful Deepavali! Deepavali is literally a celebration where the light of learning dispells the darkness of ignorance. 

Here's to light! 

Texture is everything..

That is not some worm stuff.. it is really delicious "Omapudi" that just "melts in your mouth".. magnified to see detail that you don't normally care about.. but there is something to that texture that makes Omapudi what is really is..

anyways, digressing as usual..

Wishing everyone a Happy and prosperous Deepavali, Diwali, Deeparaya.

May knowledge light up your life!

While the rest of you go back to your firecrackers, new clothes, sweets and savories, I have a few close encounters of the third kind to do with the boondhis, ribbon pakodas and mysorepak..

Happy Deepavali everyone...

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Laddu and Mixture (பூந்தி லட்டு , மிச்சர்)- Do it yourself Videos

Here are the videos for making Boondhi Laddu and Mixture (see previous post).

Instructions:

Laddu : Make almost caramelized sugar syrup by starting with 2 cups sugar in 2 cups water and stirring in low medium heat. Put roasted cashews and cardamom in the syrup.
Make Boondhi and add it directly into the syrup after you are done frying.

To Make boondhi: Take 1 1/2 cups Besan, 1/2 cup rice flour, pinch of salt, scoop of unsalted butter, 1 cup water.. see video (part 2).

For the Mixture : Basic ingredients are Kaara Boondhi, ribbon pakoda, thenkuzhal, fine thenkuzhal, fried pottu kadalai (dalia), roasted cashews, roasted poha (aval pori), curry leaves, salt, some corn flakes if you desire, some groundnuts if you desire, grainy salt.

the first 4 are all made with 3 parts to 1 Besan to rice flour, 1/2 spoon of salt, 1/2 spoon chili powder, some hing (asafoedita), 3/4 to a cup of water depending on which one you are making. See video part 4.

The whole thing takes a good 2 hours (if you have at least one helper and are not trying to videotape the whole thing). Approximately 3 1/2 hours if you are doing it on your own.

You will need an extruder to make the various mixture ingredients. When I say you get it for 100 or 200 bucks, I meant Indian bucks.. ~ 4-5 USD. The local Indian stores sell it for $14.99 with the appropriate markup of course.

Hope you enjoy making Laddu (Ladoo) and Mixture.

ps. apologies for the typo in the title's ..typed it so fast that I did not notice the dot.. it should be லட்டு in the title and not ல்ட்டு...

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Sweets and Savouries to celebrate love..

Spent a good 4 hours in the kitchen today to make some Laddu and Mixture..

The video footage has too many improper comments deliberately uttered by Jr. and the little one to irritate me while making the video..

Don't know why they have this new found fascination with the "weenie" word. They say it just to see if I will get irritated or will scold them.. It is either that or Kusu (Fart). First I ignored them for a few minutes, then realized it was going to be very difficult to make a videoblog with the kids saying these two words three times/ sentence. So started using a remote control to turn the recording on and off.

They did not know I was still recording and finally they figured out that one as well and it all went downhill from there.

Tomorrow will be spent at home quietly savoring what was made today... and of course, editing the video with the kids watching..

Yes, the boondhi is going to soak in the sugar syrup overnight and will be made into laddu's in the morning!

Happy Valentines day everyone!

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