BHAKSHANAM RECIPES

TENGUZAL

Ingredients:

1. Rice Powder : 3 cups
2. Urad dal powder : 1 cup
3. Whole black pepper powdered coarsely : 2 teaspoons ( depending on level of sharpness you can tolerate)
4. Jeera : powdered coarsely: 1 teaspoon.
5. Salt to taste
6. Hing( asafoetida) ½ teaspoon powdered fine and soak in ½ cup water
7. two tablespoon scoops of soft white butter. ( the butter will have to be left outside the fridge for a while till it is
8. Oil for frying

Method:
Rice powder is easily available in any south indian store, as also the urad dal powder.

However,
It’s  a little time consuming to make both at home, but well worth the effort in terms of the vast difference in taste!!

Rice powder: Take 3 ½  cups of raw rice,  ( basmati is not necessary) soak it for 2-3  hours in water, drain out in a strainer till all the water has passed through.

Spread out the rice on a clean towel which will absorb whatever moisture is left. When the rice is completely dry, grind  it to a   fine powder  in the dry jar of your mixer.

Note:  ½  a cup extra rice is taken is because it will become  3 cups after it is powdered.

For Urad dal powder:  Dry roast split white uraddal  very lightly. It will start giving out a fragrance. Do notlet it become golden brown. Let it cool a while, and grind into a fine powder.

Knead together all the ingredients, except the oil, using the water in which the hing has been soaked.  Knead well till it becomes a soft dough.

More water may be used if necessary , but take care that the dough is firm otherwise it becomes difficult to press out.

Make oblong balls and fit into the device using the plate meant for tenguzal. It can be directly pressed into the heated oil , or can be first pressed out on to a brown paper and then slipped into the oil.

Keep the oil on a medium flame and fry till it turns a light buttercup yellow.

Manoharam

This is the sweet version of Tenguzal.

Method:

Make the Tenguzal  with very little salt and without pepper and jeera.

Break up into small bits and measure out in a cup.

For one cup of Tenguzal  take 3 cups of  powdered Jaggery

Take a heavy pan , put in the jaggery, and add just enough water to dissolve it . Start boiling  on a very low flame. After 2-3 minutes, take a spoonful of the mixture and pour it into a pan of cold water. It should not dissolve into the water but should remain in its form, looking like a marble. This is called the marblestage.

You will have to check 2-3 times.

Once you  see that the jaggery does not dissolve into the water, its time to tip in the broken Tenguzal, and stir well till well coated with the jaggery. Take off the fire and transfer immediately to stop the cooking process.

If u can manage it, rub a little ghee on your palms, and try to make little balls. It is very difficult!! It feels very hot, but if this effort is not made, the whole thing solidifies  into a huge mass which then is difficult to break. ( which I learnt the very hard way!! )

As u can see in the picture, what I can manage is very uneven sized balls , but easier to handle.

Note: I found the original diary in which I had jotted down this recipe from my mother. The diary is falling apart and the pages yellow!!

CHEEDAI

The same dough as for Tenguzal can be used to make Cheedai. The dough is rolled into  tiny balls and deep fried also to the same buttercup yellow on a medium flame.

It is believed that Cheedai is Lord Krishna’s favourite so it is always made on Janmashtami, along with the sweet version called VellaCheedai.

VellaCheedai

Ingredients:

1. Rice powder : 4 cups
2. Urad dal powder :1tbsp
3. Powdered Jaggery : 2 cups
4. Coconut : 4tbsp chopped up very fine.
5. White sesame seeds  (til) : ½  cup
6. oil for frying

Method :
Roast the rice powder very lightly and keep aside

In a heavy pan, add just enough water to cover the jaggery and cook  till the marble stage is reached.

Remove from fire, add the coconut , the rice powder and the urad dal powder and mix well. It will form into a dough.

Cover with a thin towel and keep aside for 4-5  hours.

After the time has passed, knead the dough well, make small balls as for Cheedai, roll them in the sesame seeds and deep fry to a golden brown.

Some of the balls do tend to crack open a bit.

I feel it adds to the taste. Remember to keep the oil on a medium flame.

Ribbon Pakodaam

Ingredients:

1. Rice powder : 2 cups
2. Besan :½ cup
3. Hing : ½ tsp powdered and soaked in water
4. Red chillipowder to taste
5. Salt to taste
6. White sesame seeds : 1 tsp
7. Oil for frying
8. Soft white butter : 2 tbsp

Method:
Knead together all the ingredients except the oil, using the hing water.  Knead well to make a tight but Soft dough.

Proceed using the plate for Pakodaam. This also needs to be fried to a buttercup yellow. Remember to keep the oil on a medium flame.

Note: Here is my original jotting for this recipe from the same diary!!

 

MUTTHUSARAM

Ingredients:

1. Rice powder : 3 cups
2. Moong Dal powder : ½ cup ( use the yellow moong dal )
3. Chana Dal powder : ½ cup ( besan cannot be used)
4. Hing : ½ tsp soaked in water
5. White sesame seeds : 1 tsp
6. Oil for frying
7. Soft white butter : 2 tbsp
8. Salt to taste

Method :

The moongdal  andChana dal powders have to be made in the same way as urad dal powder.They have to be dry roasted separately and powdered separately.

Note: Take care to take a little over the desired quantity , because you lose some in the grinding process.

When the powders are ready , make a dough using  the hing water, and proceed using the Mutthusaramplate.This also needs to be fried to a buttercup yellow. Remember to keep the oil on a medium flame.

Note: My mother learnt the secret of using chana dal powder, years ago from someone.

It was a closely guarded secret revealed to very few !!!

OMAPODI

This is basically a south Indian version of Sev.

Ingredients:

1. Rice powder : ½ cup
2. Besan : 3 cups
3. Hing : ½ tsp soaked in water
4. Red chilli powder  to taste
5. Salt to taste
6. Oil for frying
7. Soft white butter : 2 tbsp

Method:

Knead all the ingredients together except the oil to make a soft but tight dough.

Proceed using the omapodi plate.

Fry to a buttercup yellow. Remember to keep the oil on a medium flame.