Kharjura Payasa / Dates Payasa

Ingredients:

1 cup Dates / Kharjura

3/4 - 1 cup Jaggary / Bella

1.5 - 2 cups Coconut Milk

1-2 Cardamoms / Elakki / Elachi

1.5 tsp broken Cashew nuts / Godambi

1 tsp Raisins / Ona Draakshi

Pinch of Salt

Recipe:

Remove the seeds from dates and chop them into medium sized pieces as shown in the picture below.

Put the chopped dates, 1/2 cup water in a pressure cooker container and cook.(3-4 whistles) Once the pressure goes off, grind them coarsely as shown in the picture below.

Put 1 tsp ghee in a pan and heat. Add broken cashew nuts, raisins and fry the in medium flame until they turn light golden in color.

Cook this ground dates in a vessel by adding around 1 cup of thin coconut milk and jaggary for about 5-10 mins in medium flame. Add thick coconut milk, pinch of salt and bring them to boil. Keep the payasa in low flame for about 3-4 mins. Keep stirring the payasa once in a min.

(For Coconut milk: Grind 1.5 - 2 cups of fresh grated coconut into smooth paste by adding little amount of water. Squeeze the ground coconut, by placing it in a clean cotton cloth. Note: After this process, add little amount of water to the squeezed coconut, mix well and squeeze it again. This thin coconut milk can be used while cooking the payasa along with jaggary)

Add mashed cardamom seeds, fried cashew nuts, raisins and keep the payasa in low flame for about 1-2 mins.

Serve it hot or chilled. The above mentioned ingredients will serve 3-4 cups of Payasa.

Vegetable Pulav - Using Home Made Masala

Ingredients:
1.5 cups White Rice(Preferred: Basmathi or Sona Masuri)
20 - 25 Beans
2 medium sized Carrots
1 - 2 floret of Cauliflower (Optional)
1/2 - 3/4 cup soaked / frozen Green Peas
1 inch sized Cinnamon / Chekke / Dalchini
2 Cardamoms / Elakki / Elachi
3 Colves / Lavanga
1/2 tsp Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds / Sompu / Saunf
4 - 5 Black Peppers / Kaalu Menasu / Kari Menasu
2 Garlic pods / Bellulli
Small piece of Ginger
6-8 Coriander leaves
4 - 5 Mint leaves
2 Green Chillies
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated Coconut
1/2 medium sized Tomato
1 medium sized Onion (1/3 for Masala + 2/3 for Frying)
1 Bay leaf / Dalchini Ele
5 - 6 tsp Ghee/Oil (Preferred: Ghee)
Salt to taste

Recipe:
Chop beans, carrot, cauliflower and 2/3 onion into medium sized thin pieces as shown in the picture below.

Chop tomato, remaining 1/3 of onion, coriander leaves as shown in the picture below. Remove the outer cover of garlic and mash. Mash the ginger and cut the green chillies into two halves as shown in the picture below.

Wash rice in water for about 2-3 times, drain the water and keep it aside.

Put all the dry ingredients(cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, coriander seeds, black peppers and fennel seeds), 1 tsp oil/ghee in a pan and fry them in medium/low flame until they give nice aroma. Add mashed ginger, garlic and green chillies and fry them for about 1-2 mins in medium flame. Add 1/3 of chopped onion and fry them for about 2 mins in medium flame. Add coriander leaves, mint leaves and fry them for about 1-2 mins in medium flame. Add chopped tomato and fry them for few seconds. Add grated coconut, mix well and switch off the flame.

Grind this fried masala into smooth paste by adding very little amount of water.

Put 4-5 tsp ghee/oil, bay leaf in a pressure cooker and fry for few seconds. Add 2/3 of chopped onion and fry them in medium flame until they turn light golden in color. Add rice and fry them for about 2 mins in medium flame. Add ground masala and fry them for about 2 mins in medium flame. Add chopped vegetables, green peas and fry them for about 2 mins in medium flame. Add 3 cups of water(It may vary depending upon the quality of rice), salt, mix them well and cook.(3 whistles in pressure cooker.)

It goes well with any kind of Raithas/ Mosaru gojju. Above mentioned ingredients will serve 4- 5 plates of vegetable pulav.