Modak, Boorelu, Panchakhadya & Nugul-Untallu ~~ IC Challenge & Celebrating First Blog Anniversary

Voila!! already its one year of blogging..i cant even believe that today am celebrating my first year blog anniversary..I should really say a big thanks to each and everyone who stopped by and left so many encouraging words which really increased my energy level to post my non stop recipes..During this one year in blogsphere, i learned so many things especially visiting so many blogs, learning many cuisines, got introduced to many friends, improved many techinical stuffs..I had a wonderful year in this vast blogsphere..

In this one year, am almost nearing to my 700th post also hosted many events, won some cookbooks, been tagged and awarded by many blog friends..Big thanks to my family members,without them nothing is possible and definitely nothing is possible without my regular followers & friends...Am celebrating this first blog anniversary with you all with some delicious Ganesh Chathurthi sweets which i prepared for Indian Cooking Challenge as challenge for this month of August..

Modak from Maharashtra:
Stuffing:
2 cups freshly grated coconut
1 cup jaggery (grated)
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp cardamom powder
one pinch nutmeg (optional)
2 tbsp water


Cover:
1 cup rice flour
1.25 cup water
pinch of salt
1 tbsp oil

Preparation for Stuffing:
Roast poppy seeds in a small skillet and let it cool down. Grind it coarsely and keep it aside.
In a heavy bottom kadhai mix all the ingredients for stuffing except poppy seed powder and let it sit for 15 min. Now start heating the mixture over medium heat. In about 10-12 minutes, the mixture starts boiling and stuffing will turn yellowish brown and will be sticky. Take the kadhai off the heat, add poppy seeds powder and mix well. Set it aside to cool down.


Preparation for cover:
Take vessel that has tight fitting cover. Start boiling water in that vessel, add salt and oil. When water starts boiling, lower the heat and slowely add rice flour. Please do now dump everything at once. Start mixing vigourously with a heavy spoon. Now close the lid and take the pot off the heat. Let the covered pot cool down for 15 minutes or so. Then with wet hands, mix the dough properly. It will warm so be careful and use cold water to keep your hands from burning but do not use too much water.


Making Modak :
Start boiling water in a large vessel that can fit a steamer. Oil the steamer and set it aside.Make about 20 balls of the dough and 20 parts of the stuffing. Start making small puri with the dough ball on a oiled paper/aluminum foil. Keep one part of stuffing in the middle of the puri and gather the puri gently to make shape like modak with modak mould.Now dip each modak in cold water and put it in the steamer. Put the steamer on boiling water and cover it. Let themodaks steam for 20 minutes on medium to high heat. Take the steamer off the vessel and let it sit for 5 minutes before removing moodak from steamer.

Boorelu from Andhra:
For the outer layer:
Black gram dal/ Urad dal - 50 gms

For the Filling:
Bengal gram/Channa dal - 1 cup
Grated Jaggery - 1 cup
Fresh grated Coconut - 1/4 cup (opt)
Cardamom powder - 3/4 tsp
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Method to prepare:
Wash and soak Urad dal for 4-5 hrs. Place in a big vessel as it will expand after soaking.

Then drain water from the Urad dal and grind to fine paste adding very little water. The batter is almost like the thick dosa batter before you make dosas. Add salt and leave it aside covered.

Pressure cook the channa dal with just enough water to cover it. Even if excess water is there, you can always use the water for chaaru. But less water is better.Cook the jaggary to remove any scum. Then once the dal is well cooked, drain and cook it along with the jaggary. It should become very soft enough for you to mash well. Add Cardamom powder and grated coconut, when the dal starts to leave the sides its done.

Remove and cool. Divide them into equal balls.Heat a thick bottom kadai for frying. Once the oil is hot, turn to sim. Then dip each ball in the Urad dal batter. Then gently drop them into the hot oil. Turn and cook on all sides. Once couple of batches are done, strain the oil to remove the scum.It hardly takes more than 2-3 mins to get cooked. Drain them on to a kitchen towel.

Panchakhadya from Maharashtra
1 cup grated dry coconut (i used dry roast grated coconut)
4-5 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tbsp poppy seeds
4-5 dried dates
1/2 tbsp cardamom powder
4-5 tbsp coarsely powdered mixed nuts (almonds,cashews, pistachios)
pinch of nutmeg powder


Dry roast grated coconut on a very light heat and set aside..dry roast poppy seeds and grind them coarsely after cooling them for 5 minutes...take the seeds off the dried dates and grind them coarsely as well. Mix all these ingredients and nuts powder, cardamom, nutmeg, powdered sugar together..Panchakhadya is ready...

Nugul-Untallu from Andhra:

100gms Sesame Seeds

3tbsp Grated Jaggery

Wash the black sesame seeds and dry it over a towel or else under sun..dry roast the sesame seeds and keep aside, grind together the sesame seeds and jaggery...make 12-15balls from this mixture..