Pottukadalai Urundai /Roasted Gramdal Balls

I was rattling around my kitchen not finding any snack item. I quickly remembered this and its ready in a jiff..My mom makes this everytime when she prepares ghee out of butter. So the fresh taste of ghee, makes this awesome. This is ready in less than 10 mins but absolutely no compromise in taste. It tastes superb..



Ingredients:
Pottukadalai / Roasted gram dal - 1 small cup
Sugar - 1 small cup
Ghee - 1 Tbsp
Milk - 1 Tbsp

Grind together Pottukadalai and sugar to fine powder.
(You can leave few coarsely grounded pottukadalai to give a nutty taste,or can add cashews. )
Heat the ghee till its slightly hot and add it to the powder, so that it helps in binding well.
Using your palm and fingers, press slightly, start rolling it to balls.
Press it gently. If you apply pressure at this stage it will fall apart and wont come in shape.
If the ghee is not enough to make the balls, then add milk, very little by little till it can hold to shape.

-- Though bigger urundais looks great, sometimes it chokes u, when u try to gulp them fully, else spills all over when u bite it to pieces.
I prefer making the urundai's little smaller, comfortably enough to get into your mouth. I hate to eat things that doesnt fit my mouth.

Hotel Sambar :-)

I, as many others, am a big fan of hotel sambar. Can drink it without any tiffins to go with it too.

Tried the below recipe and it came out very well.

Ingredients:

Tur Dal - 1/4 cup

Moong Dal - 2 sp

Tamarind - Lemon sized

Tomato,Onion and other Vegetables for sambar

Sambar powder - 1 sp

Sugar - 1 sp

Turmeric

Methi

Mustard

Dry fry and grind to paste:

Grated Cocunut -4 sp

Dhaniya - 2 sp

Channa Dal - 1 sp

Khus Khus / Poppy seeds - 1 sp

Cumin - 1/2 sp

Red Chilli - 4-5

Wash and Boil Moong Dal,Tur dal along with the vegetables.

Temper mustard,Hing, little bit of methi.

Add the cooked dal,Turmeric, tamarind pulp,sambar powder,sugar and let it boil.

Dry fry and grind the ingredients (Given in grind to paste) with little water.

When sambar is almost done, add this paste and cook for 5 - 10 mins and not more.

Avocado Chutney / Pachadi

Wanted to try out some American veggies too and my first attempt was with Avocado. Made pachadi / chutney out of it. Goes good as side dish for tiffins, though not so exciting in rice.

Ingredients:

Ripe Avocado -1

Green chillis - 3 (Med sized)

Salt

Cumin - 1 sp

Curd - 1/4 cup (Opt)

For Tempering:

Mustard

Red chilli -1 (Opt)

Hing

Scoop the avocado pulp, grind along with green chillis,salt,cumin and curd.

Add water to make the paste, if required.

Temper.

Groundnut chutney

Ingredients:
Groundnuts - 1 cup
Tamarind - Small lemon sized.
Red Chilli - 3
Salt
To Temper:
Mustard
Cumin
Urad Dal
Channa Dal
Red chilli -1

Dry fry the groundnuts well till brown.
Once its cooled, grind it along with Tamarind,Red Chilli and Salt to fine paste, pouring required amount of water.
Temper.