Monday, November 9, 2020

Paan-Coconut Laddu - For this Deepavali

Paan Flavoured Coconut Laddu with Gulkhand Stuffing



This deepavali i am making these flavourful laddus along with my other traditional sweets to brighten up our taste buds.
I have never tasted paan in my entire life whereas my husband never misses the sweet paan or beeda in the weddings. i always used to wonder how poeple eat those beetle leaves. during festivals, my mother used to eat the beetle leaves with some areca nut and edible calcium paste. her mouth and tongue turns brilliant red colour and i loved the smell of beetle leaves from her mouth as she talks.
once i tried paan gulfi. i liked it with subtle flavour of paan and tiny bits of paan leaves in it. 


since then i wanted to try something with beetle leaves. we always had gulkhand at home as my daughter likes to have gulkhand milkshake. so it struck me to try this paan flavoured dry coconut laddu. initially i had plan to make gulkhand coconut laddu only. then wanted to try some paan flavoured laddus. once i tasted dry fruits nuts katli with paan stuffing inside. so, i wanted to bring that twist in this laddu too like.. paan flavoured outer coconut sweet mixture with sweet gulkhand and nuts stuffing inside. that's how this recipe came to my blog. 


Ingredients:

  • dry or desiccated coconut powder - 4 + 1 cup
  • gulkhand - 1/4 cup
  • ghee - 2 tablespoons
  • almonds, watermelon seeds or cantaloupe seeds,cashews - 1/4 cup
  • tutti frutti - 1/4 cup
  • cardamom powder - 2 pinches
  • condensed milk - 400 grams tin
  • paan/beetle leaves - 4 to 5 or more 
  • green food colour - optional

Procedure:

  • finely chop the nuts, mix it with gulkhand, half cup coconut powder, and tutti frutti and keep aside.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a pan and roast 4 cups of dry coconut powder in low heat till the oil in it warms up and emanates flavour.
  • in the mean while take the paan leaves and the condensed milk in the mixer blender and run it to make a smooth paste of the paan leaves and condensed milk. you can add light green colour if you need at this stage, as we are going to use this condensed milk to make the outer paan flavoured sweet coconut mixture.
  • now add this condensed milk to the coconut powder in the pan and give a good mix till it is evenly mixed to soft lump. add cardamom powder and mix.
  • when everything is evenly mixed, remove from heat. 
  • apply some ghee to your hands, pinch off some coconut mixture and make a small cup.
  • take the gulkhand stuffing and fill the cup and make laddus.
  • roll this in dry coconut to give that final snow-flaky look to those laddus.

Decorating the laddus with edible silver leaf or varak or tutti frutti is your wish. 
During this deepavali, enjoy these awesome and colourful laddus with gentle paan flavoured outer layer of sweet coconut and intense gulkhand with nuts mixture surprising inside. enjoy these laddus for this festival season.
Since this is paan flavoured, these laddus are a good choice as dessert after meals also.

Happy cooking !!

Monday, September 28, 2020

Aviyal - Delicacy from God's Own Country

அவியல்  - Aviyal - Goodness of vegetables - Can't get Easier and Tastier than this !


I have always wondered.. even today when i made it.. that how can a big bowl of mixed vegetables.. steam cooked half way with salt and turmeric powder, then continue cooking with coconut and green chilli paste in the mid way and finish it up with curd and tempering with coconut oil - can yield such a heavenly dish! 

Saturday, September 5, 2020

Apple - Cucumber Salad

Apple - Cucumber Salad. The Salad You Can't Stop Eating!


Sometimes we come across a recipe which is like you have never had anything of that kind before. Then suddenly you fall in love with that dish at the very first try.. this is one of that kind. 
cucumber is a refreshing cool vegetable with its unique

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Ragi Vadai - Deep Fried "Ragi Adai" - Another Quick Snack!

கேழ்வரகு வடை  - Deep Fried "Ragi Adai" 


Memories about ragi adai, takes me to my childhood days in my grandparents house. i remember very vaguely.. like a dream.. it was a bright evening.. just few minutes after a heavy rain.. yet sunny.. around 4 pm.. the leaves were dripping water..

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Ash Gourd Gravy with Coconut Paste and Curd

வெண்/சாம்பல் பூசணிக்காய் அவியல் 


This aviyal one easy dish made with ash gourd. the ash gourd has load of nutrients. the ash gourd has very cooling effect on our body. hence can be consumed quite frequently during summers. it also has lots of healing properties therefore

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Finger Millet Porridge - Ragi Koozhu

கேழ்வரகு கூழ் - மண் மணம் மாறாத உணவு 


Finger millet, is commonly known as ragi in South India.
i remember the botanical name of ragi - Eleusine coracana from my college days. but then i never tasted any food made with ragi. may be if i had tasted ragi koozhu then, i would have remembered "Eleusine coracana" along with its awesome fermented flavour of this porridge. 

Friday, June 5, 2020

Besan / Gramflour Bonda - Quick Evening Snack

கடலை மாவு போண்டா  - Quick Evening Snack


Besan bonda is an spicy and flavourful snack with just 15 minutes preparation time and 15 minutes cooking time. This is an alternate for medhu bonda or bajji. 

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Nei Appam - Traditional Sweet Delicacy

'நெய்' அப்பம் - நெய்யிலேயே  சுட்டா  இன்னும் நல்லாத்தான் இருக்கும்... 😊

Nei appam is a simple sweet deep-fried food made with rice flour and jaggery which i always consider as the healthy combination. the typical south Indian desserts are made with rice or its flour and jaggery as main ingredients. some dishes even call for coconut milk than regular milk.

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