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Swetha's Fusion
Where there is Fusion there is Creation!

Avalakki(Poha) PanchaKajjaya - Sri Krishna Janmashtami Special

Sunday, August 21, 2011

~ HAPPY KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI ~

Poha is Krishna's favorite. Various dishes made with Poha has main ingredient is offered as naivedhya (an offering to God). Pancha Kajjaya is a speciality of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka. This naivedhya is a must for Gana Homa i.e. Ganesha Pooja. This panchakajjaya is prepared as prasadha or an offering in Tulsi pooja also. Sugarcane pcs. are required to be added in this panchakajjaya for Tulsi Pooja. Pancha means five and Kajjaya means sweets, a naivedhya which is prepared with five main ingredients. Beaten Rice, Coconut, Jaggery, Black Sesame seed and ghee are most important one and rest are optional. Since some of the ingredients (like sugar cane pieces and black sesame seeds) are hard to find here, they are missing in the picture. A very easy to make recipe…
Other related recipe Avalakki Chewda

Ingredients:
Paper Beaten Rice / Poha/ Avallakki / – 2 cups.
Coconut – ½ cup
Jaggery / Bella – ½ cup.
Black Sesame seed / Yellu – 1 tsp.
Ghee / Thupa / Purified butter – ½ tsp.
Cardamom /Elaichi powder– ½ tsp.
Puffed paddy /Aralu/ Podhol / Rajgira – ½ cup. Or powder form of the puffed paddy(optional)
Sugar cane / Kabbu pieces. – handful. (optional)

Method: 1. Clean and sieve beaten rice well so that any powder or dust is removed.
2. Clean and roast black sesame seed till you get a nice aroma.
3. Powder cardamom, grate coconut and Jaggery.
4. Take a deep vessel; add coconut, Jaggery, cardamom, ghee and mix well until soft mixture is formed.
5. Add Puffed paddy and mix.
6. Add poha/beaten rice and mix well till all beaten rice are well mixed with Jaggery and coconut.
7. Add sugar cane pieces. and mix again.
The offering is ready.

Things to be taken care: Can increase the quantity of coconut, it gives further smooth texture to beaten rice.
Always use black sesame seeds for extra aroma and flavor.
Either or both sugarcane or puffed paddy powder can be excluded.
This can be kept for 3-4 days in fridge.


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~ Avalakki(Poha) PanchaKajjaya - Sri Krishna Janmashtami Special ~
Posted by Swetha @ 8/21/2011 01:00:00 AM :: 0 comments

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Paneer Fried Rice

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Ingredients :
Basmati rice- 2 cups
Onions-1 or 2 (cut into long strips)
Paneer Cubes – 2 cups
Bell pepper (capsicum) -1 cup (cut into long strips)
Green chilies-1 or 2 thinly chopped
Spring onions-1/4 cup
Salt, pepper-to taste
Tomato sauce – 1 tbsp
Chili sauce-1 tbsp
Soya sauce- 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves-1 or 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 or 2 tbsp

Method:
1. Cook Basmati rice ahead of time. Once cooked spread rice on a tray for rice to cool down.
2. Heat oil in a kadai (wide sauté pan). Roast paneer cubes stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, chop the onion, bell pepper, and spring onions.
4. Once paneer is ready, remove it from kadai and keep it aside.
5. To the same kadai add chopped green chilies and sauté for 30 seconds.
6. Now add the chopped onions. Fry until onions are translucent,
7. Once onions are ready add bell pepper and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until bell pepper is slightly tender
8. Add Tomato, Chili and Soya sauce to mixture and fry for 30 seconds
9. Add salt, pepper and roasted paneer cube to the mixture. Cover and let it cook for couple of minutes.
10. Add spring onion and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 5 minutes so that all the flavors blend in well.
11. Add cooked rice and mix well.
12. Serve hot with Orange-chicken or Lemon-chicken and spring rolls on the side.



This is my Fusion version of Fried rice. As I don’t like eggs in my rice, I came up with this recipe. … which is now popular among my friends.

For making Chinese Fried Rice (fast food style), omit paneer completely and stir in beaten egg after step-8
Other variation: Rather then using only bell pepper, other vegetables like green peas or corn may be also used.


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~ Paneer Fried Rice ~
Posted by Swetha @ 8/10/2011 09:03:00 PM :: 0 comments

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Fryums - Nostalgia



My summer break is coming to an end. Not that I’m complaining, but summers bring back memories. Recently, I had a chance to talk to on of my cousins; it brought back few memories. One among them is reading comic books and eating fried snacks (- like the one in the picture 'Fryums'). Especially in the month of May, Bangalore receives heavy rain in the middle of school break. If you can't go out to play on the streets or climb trees, best thing to do is reread all the comic books for the millionth time. It’s even more fun when your friends bring their books to share. This always brought smile on my mom's face, …few friends and cousins piled up in a room, so quite, only chomp chomp …munching sound (just have the supply of Fryums coming) and no need to go out looking for us.


I am sure everybody has a summer break story. What is yours?
~ Fryums - Nostalgia ~
Posted by Swetha @ 8/10/2011 04:17:00 PM :: 0 comments

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