Panakam

We get very hot from March onwards. One can prepare daily fresh juices with fruits and veggies to cool body. Salads also we prefer.But mostly fresh juices are more preferable.Many chilled and good drinks prepared from veggies like beet root, carrot etc. and fruits almost all.

To day I am coming with age old recipe, healthy and summer cooler which has great flavor of cardamom, sharp hot of pepper and dry ginger and yum sweet flavor of jaggery ie PANAKAM.

I think every body knows  but I remind you to take this as summer coolent.


Let’s go and make some panakam

Ingredients

• Grated jaggery
• Water
• Cardamom powder
• Dry ginger powder
• Coarsely crushed pepper powder

How to do it 

1. Melt jaggery with water. Wait for melting.
2. Strain it to remove extra dirt/impurities of jaggery water.
3. Mix cardamom powder , ginger powder, and pepper powder and mix well.
4. Keep it in the fridge.

       Serve as summer cooler.


My Note


No need to follow specific quantities and ingredients to prepare any juice. According to your taste , more or less.

Dinner Etiquette

Are you planning a kitty party or a get-together or an elegant dinner for friends and relatives? How to make your get-together a grand success? You need to keep little but important things in mind while you are planning to host a get-together. Hostess plays an important role in arranging parties. It is not at all a difficult task to any woman as every woman is naturally artistic in her own way. Below tips could help you not only make your gathering a big success but also makes you enjoy as much as the guests.
         
A little bit of homework has to be done and you can use your own ingenuity different by introducing a variety of menu according to the taste of guests. Make sure to pick a date which is convenient to majority of the guests. Let guests know about the party and the tentative date in advance. So that they do not plan anything on that day of the party.

Once party date is fixed, count the number of Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarians, Children in your guest list. Get as accurate count as you can before the party so as to arrange seating, plan for food etc. Rearranging of furniture like centre tables, side tables etc gives you lots of free space. You could arrange these tables to a corner and they can be used to hold water glasses, tissues, forks and spoons.

As Indians are food lovers, stick to tried tasted recipes. When people invited to your home food should be cooked home made as far as possible. Before planning what you will, take into consideration  of particular food like onion and garlic. Prefer purely vegetarian in this type of get to gathers.

Having more then 10 members arrange buffet.

Arrange a dinner table near hall , front room or drawing room. So that guests can reach for buffet  without knocking others over. Is is easy for you to bring dishes from your kitchen.    

Finally what about the planning and management.

Soft smelling  flowers neatly placed in the vases. these smell will not interfere with the aroma of your dishes.

Spray each room with air freshener.

Keep 1 or 2 napkins and liquid hand wash  near wash basin.

All you need is only your effort.

List out all ingredients for dish you desire to prepare.

Sweets like Gulab jamoons or Rasagullas can can be made day before and kept it in the fridge.

Cut and keep the salad  in a covered container  in the fridge  5 to 6 hours before  the party stats. EASY

Grinding masala and chopped onions etc can be done day before.

Do not go for too many items for. Go for delicious and tasty ones. Don't go for new recipe on that day.

After completing all dishes . Before arrival you guests  ask your close relatives or friends helping hand  to arrange on the table. It is not easy  to arrange alone althrow you are hostess.

Take Jamoons as sweet item. Keep glass bowl full of jamoon in the middle of the dining table or in the corner of the table. Circle the entire rim of the glass bowl with small rose petals  It looks great.

As you prefer buffet style dinner, your guests will be aware of the  number of dishes , since you will have them all laid down on the table in the fine cutlery and crockery.

If desire to offer starter. A warm thin clear soup  be served.

After taking yummy Delicious food  a cup of tea or ice cream or seasonal fruits  can be served.

Host has to keep an eye  on every ones plate and offer dishes your self even it is buffet.

The real light of the party is you.

As the light of the party and good host take care about your appearance like simple dressing and jewellery, hair style , nail polish etc.

It is the responsibility of the host of entertaining  women guests  in addition to arrangements, like a smile here and a word there.

Talk to every one and ask how they are doing.So that every one feels welcomed.

Should appear cool and in complete control. Many women feel nervous  when they to entertain.


                              GET READY TO PARTY.

My  word

I love hospitality.
I love to be organized being a good host.

I think I am the best organiser.


               

Bellam Kudumulu - Vinayaka Chaviti

Hi Friends

This is another prasadam that is made for Lord Vinayaka as prasadam on the Vinayaka Chaviti day along with Undrallu. This is a sweet made out of rice flour and bellam (jaggery). These are called Bellam Kudumulu or Teepi Kudumulu. I made it with a little variation this time with the same set of ingredients that we make purnam kudumulu. This is a wonderful recipe and will not go wrong for novice cooks.

Ingredients

Rice Flour                      1 cup

Jaggery                           1 cup

Water                              1 cup

Cardamom powder         1/2 tbsp

Ghee                                1 tbsp

Chopped coconut pieces  few for taste

How I made it

1. Take a wide pan and add water and let it boil. 
2. Add Jaggery to it and let it melt (if you think the jaggery needs to be strained, strain it at this point)
3. Let the jaggery boil for couple of minutes. 
4. Add rice flour, cardamom powder, coconut pieces to it and mix well.
5. Once it is properly mixed, transfer it into a wide plate and knead for a minute adding little ghee.
6. Make them into balls or flatten them a bit to make them like disks.
7. Steam them for 7-8 minutes in a steamer/cooker.

Bellam kudumulu are ready for the offering.

Undrallu - Vinayaka Chaviti

Hi Friends 

As you all know kudumulu, undrallu are the favarorite to Lord Vinayaka. These are the compulsory dishes everybody makes on Vinayaka Chaviti and offer to the Lord as Prasadam. Undrallu can be made out of Rice flour or Rice Rava. Today we will be seeing how to make undrallu with Rice rava. They are very healthy and very delicious.

Ingredients:

Rice Rava                                      1 cup

Water                                             2 cups

Chanadal                                        2 tbsp

Cumin                                            1/2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Ghee                                              1 tbsp

How to make it:

1. Wash and Soak Chanadal for 20 mintutes
2. Take a wide vessel and and 2 cups of water.
3. Add chana dal in the water and let the water boil.
4. Add salt and ghee and add Rava to it and keep mixing it so that no lumps are formed.
5. Keep stirring it and leave it on a medium flame until the water evaporates. Leave it for couple of minutes to set.
6. Transfer into a wide plate and knead the mixture for a minute.
7. Make balls out of the mixture greasing your hands with little ghee.
8. Place them in a tray that fits into your cooker/steamer and steam them for around 7-8 minutes.

Your Undralla prasadam is ready.

Notes:

1. You can optionally add grated coconut to it while kneading.

2. You can make the rice rava at home or buy them from store.

Neredu Pandlu

Hi

Do you guys recognise this fruit? You are right.. These are Neredu Pandlu. In English these are called as BLACK PLUM.It is a very popular seasonal fruit being sold any where in India. This tree is planted in road side, temples and also in big parks. These are available in summer.  In Hyderabad we commonly call this fruit as KALA JAMOON. The taste of this fruit is little tangy and sweet mix.
Going back to our childhood, when we were in Railway quarters, there was much place around our house. Nearby there was neredu tree. We children throw stones, collect riped fruits and simply eat without washing them and show our purple tongue to each other. Funny and the way we enjoying our childhood.

As said, these can be eaten as is. But, my grandmother did lovely simple recipe out of these neredu pandlu. Very tasty and I want to share with you all. This is from my grandmothers recipe.

Ingredients

• Riped fresh neredu pandlu                    1/4 kg
• Thick butter milk
• Red chiili powder                                   1 tbsp
• Sugar                                                      1 tbsp
• Hing                                                         pinch
• Salt

How I did it

1. Select healthy neredu pandlu.
2. Wash with running water gently.
3. Put small scratches on them with fork.
4. Take a bowl of thick buttermilk which is little sour in taste.
5. Add red chilli powder, salt, sugar and hing. Mix well.
6. Soak neredu pandlu in this buttermilk mix for 5 to 6 hours. Mix well with spoon.
7. After 6 hours, take a spoon see the taste of neredu pandu along with little butter milk juice.

Yummy yum mouth watering neredu pandlu are ready to eat.

My Note

With regard to measurement of butter milk neredu pandlu should immerse in buttermilk and the remaining ingredients depends  on spice level you like.

Nutritional Info

Ripe neredu pandlu are well recognized for digestion and coolent.
Juice is used to cure diarrhea.
The seed is used in Ayurveda to control diabetes.