Sweet Sesame Seed Balls, Vegan Cracked Wheat Pudding and Urad Gram Filled Rice Dumplings

Ellu Urundai (Sweet Sesame Seed Balls)

Know what you Eat - Sesame seeds are a very good source of copper and a good source of magnesium and calcium. Magnesium Supports Vascular and Respiratory Health. Calcium Helps Prevent Colon Cancer, Osteoporosis, Migraine and PMS. Panela(Jaggery) is a pure, wholesome, traditional, unrefined, whole sugar. It contains the natural goodness of minerals and vitamins inherently present in sugarcane juice & this crowns it as one of the most wholesome and healthy sugars in the world. It is rich in iron.

It is summer here and is vacation time for kids, so it is even more hectic that regular school days. There are some many recipes to post, but you know with kids around you all the time, there is absolutely no time for one's own things. I made this for Ganesh Chathurthi and i am posting these in precedence to my Janmashtami recipes.

Preparation Time - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 15 mins
Serves - Makes around 18 balls

Ingredients

Sesame Seeds - 3/4 Cup
Chopped Coconut Pieces - 1 Tbsp
Panela(Powdered Jaggery) - 1/4 Cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Water

Method

1) Wash, rinse and soak sesame seeds for an hour.

2) Drain the water and once the water is completely drained leave them in a paper towel for it to dry.

3) Heat a pan and once it is hot, (now let the heat be on medium to low heat) transfer 1/3 rd of the dry seeds and keep stirring them till they pop nicely (Depending on the size of the pan you can add more or less seeds for popping.

4) Once the seeds are nicely popped remove them from heat and spread them in a plate.

5) Now in a pan add the jaggery and add little bit of water just to cover the jaggery and heat it.

6) Once the jaggery is completely dissolved, start stirring and heat it till the jaggery becomes thick and if you pour the dissolved jaggery with your spoon you will see threads coming out of it.

7) At this point switch of the stove and add the cardamom powder, popped sesame seeds and Coconut pieces and stir fast so that sesame seeds are evenly coated with the jaggery.

8) Set it aside for 5 minutes, now take small amounts of this mixture and make them into a ball and enjoy.





Godhumai Pradaman (Vegan Cracked Wheat Pudding)

Know what you Eat - Wheat is good source of dietary fiber, Protein, Iron, B vitamins, Thiamin, Niacin, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc. Panela(Jaggery) is a pure, wholesome, traditional, unrefined, whole sugar. It contains the natural goodness of minerals and vitamins inherently present in sugarcane juice & this crowns it as one of the most wholesome and healthy sugars in the world. It is rich in iron.

Preparation Time - None
Cooking Time - 30 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Cracked Wheat - 1/2 Cup
Powdered Jaggery(Panela) - 3/4 Cup or you want it sweeter increase this
Coconut Milk - 15 oz
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Toasted Cashews - 2 tsp
Ghee(Clarified butter) - 1/2 tsp(optional)
Water

Method

1) Heat a pan and add 1/2 tsp of ghee and once melted add the cracked wheat. If you are looking for a vegan version, avoid this ghee and go for dry roasting the cracked wheat.

2) Once wheat is well roasted and not overly browned add water and simmer it till it is cooked.

3) Now add the Coconut milk and let it simmer for 10 minutes(I used Canned coconut milk but if you are using fresh coconut milk you have to reserve the first thick milk and add the third and second milk in stages and finally add the reserved milk and cook) .

4) Add the powdered jaggery and simmer for 5 minutes till the jaggery is completely dissolved.
(Sometime jaggery may contain dirt, in that case dissolve the jaggery using little bit of water and once completely dissolved filter it and use the dissolved liquid).

5) Switch of add cardamom powder and toasted cashews.

6) You can also add toasted dry coconut pieces and chopped jack fruit pieces.




Ulundu Kozhukkatai(Urad Gram Filled Rice Dumplings)

Know what you Eat - Urad Dal(a type of lentil) is a very good source of dietary fiber and protein.

Ingredients

Raw rice flour-1 cup
Water-1 1/4 cups
Salt-1 tsp or more according to your taste
Oil - 2 tsp

For filling

Whole White Urad -3/4 cup
Coconut - 1/4 Cup
Red chilli - 2 or more according to your taste
Salt-1 tsp as required

Method

1) Soak the urad dal for 30 mins.

2) In a pan boil 1 1/4 cup water and then add salt and oil.

3) When water starts boiling, lower the heat and slowely add rice flour little by little and mix vigorously with a heavy ladle without any lumps. Once mixed thorougly switch off the heat and close the pan with a tight lid and let it get cooked and in that heat and let it cool down also, meanwhile let us prepare the filling.

4) Drain the water completely from the urad dal and grind it with salt, asafoetida powder and red chillies coarsely.

5) Steam this mixture for 15 minutes until it is well cooked and becomes crumbly.

5) Now add the grated coconut and combine thorougly and make elogated balls or cylinders using this filling.

6) Our outer covering would have cooked and cooled now, smear your hand with little bit of oil.

7) Take the rice flour dough, make a ball and then flatten it using your fingers. Keep the stuffing balls inside and join the edges and steam modaks for 15 min or till done.