Ashoka Halwa || Thiruvaiyaru style Ashoka Halwa || Pasi paruppu halwa

 Ashoka Halwa || Thiruvaiyaru Ashoka Halwa is super delicious and melt in mouth halwa recipe. Basically this ashoka halwa is originated in Thiruvaiyaru, Tanjore district, Tamil Nadu. In 1960's Sri P.V.Rama Iyer invented this sweet, when I shared this in halwa in Brahmin's Bhojan fb group Mr. Kasi Viswanathan sir who is Rama Iyer sir's son commented on my recipe and gave this information. It is also popularly known as Tirunelveli irrutu kadai halwa.  I am very very happy that my Ashoka halwa recipe reached to the founder's 😍. This ashoka halwa is one of the main sweet served in Tanjore & in many Tamil Nadu marriages. At first I tasted this ashoka halwa in my friends marriage @Jolarpet, from that time it is one of my favorite sweet. Try it once it will become your favorite sweet too😍.This ashoka halwa is prepared using moong dal as main ingredient. Check out this tasty and melt in mouth in our youtube by just clicking below link...

Ashoka halwa(youtube video link)

This halwa is prepared using less ingredients in less steps. But it takes lots of time as you need to stir it continuously.  The taste & texture of this halwa depends on the quantity of ghee we add. If you compromise with ghee, you wont get perfect Thiruvaiyaru  ashoka halwa. The texture of this halwa smooth and non sticky and it just melts in mouth.  So follow proper steps, I shared all tips to get perfect ashoka halwa in my video do check out. There is lot of difference between North Indian - Rajasthani moong dal halwa  and Tamil Nadu Ashoka moong dal halwa both in taste & texture. Traditional Thiruvaiyaru ashoka halwa is in orange color, instead of adding food color I used saffron strands. Just imagine the taste of this Ashoka halwa when it is served hot on banana leaf. D't miss having this Ashoka Halwa when you visit Tanjore. Let's start our recipe...

Also check some sweet recipes from our youtube  

** Ashoka Halwa

** Temple style chekkara pongali

** Flax seeds laddu

** Bellam undrallu

** Maharashtrian narali bhatt

** Mango Phirni

** Pineapple rava kesari

**Oats & nuts laddu

              Do subscribe, like, comment and share our youtube  channel for many more traditional, yummy and tasty recipes.  

Foodie Monday Blog Hop

Taking this Thiruvaiyaru style Ashoka halwa to  FoodieMondayBloghop fb group's #300thCelebration them. By this time you are all aware that I am part of this lovely group where we bloggers share recipe for theme suggested by a person in alphabetical order every week. I joined when this group bloggers are sharing their recipes for #196 theme, Mango mastani is my first recipe in this group. I am very happy to be part of this group, learned many new recipes and improved my cooking, photography skills from my blogger friends. We bloggers planned to prepare some special recipes for 300th theme, so I planned this delicious Ashoka halwa recipe. 

                          

                           Thiruvaiyaru Ashoka Halwa

Preparation time - 10minutes

cook time : 40 min

Serves : approximately 250gms

Category : Sweets/desserts

Recipe Cuisine: Tamil Nadu

Main ingredients : Moong dal, ghee

Author : Aruna SarasChandra

Ingredients

moong dal / pasi parappu - 1/2 cup

wheat flour - 2tsp

ghee - 3/4 to 1 cup

sugar - 1 cup

cardamom powder - 1 tsp

saffron strands  - 1 pinch

cashew nuts - 15

Instructions 

1) Soak 1 pinch of saffron strands in hot water, mix it once and keep it aside. If you are planning to use orange food color skip this step.

2) Dry fry 1/2 cup moong dal in a pressure cooker till it changes color on low flames. When you get nice aroma and dal changes color take it into cup.

3) Let it cool for some time and wash it under water and take it into pressure cooker.

4) Now add 3 cups of water, use the same cup which you used to measure dal. Then pressure cook it to 4 whistles, later switch off flames and let the pressure comes down naturally.

5) Let the cooked moong dal cool to room temperature then take it into mixer jar and grind it to fine paste by adding some water.

6) Heat 1/4 cup of ghee in pan, fry cashew nuts when it changes color take it into cup.

7) Now add 2 tsp of wheat flour in remaining ghee fry it on low to medium flames till it changes color and you get nice aroma.

8) Now add moong dal paste mix everything and cook till it changes color and leaves pan.

9) When moong dal paste starts leaving pan add sugar and mix well. 

10) Fry it well it sugar dissolves in moong dal paste, you will get good glossy texture when sugar dissolves well.

11) Now add soaked saffron strands(or orange food color), elachi powder, 1/4 cup of ghee and mix well.

12) stir this continuously when moong dal paste absorbs ghee add 1/4 cup of ghee again and stir it well. Repeat adding ghee and stirring till ghee oozes out.

13) When ghee starts oozing out of moong dal paste, add fried cashew nuts stir everything well. It will take nearly 20 to 30 min to get perfect texture. 

14) When you get continuous string fall switch off the flames and add remaining ghee.

That's it our Thiruvaiyaru Ashoka Halwa is ready to serve, serve hot and enjoy with friends and family :) 

Tips

** In order to get perfect taste and texture add required amount of ghee.

** Wheat flour added gives good texture, it acts like binding to halwa.

** Instead of saffron you can also use orange food color.

** Grind cooked moong dal to fine paste to get smooth texture to halwa.

** Before adding sugar make sure that moong dal paste cooked perfectly and leaving it pan. 

** Frying moong dal gives good taste and aroma to halwa, so d't skip this step.

Wish you liked this Thiruvaiyaru Ashoka halwa recipe, do share your views in comments. Also check other sweet recipes by just clicking the links below pic..

                       Ashoka halwa(youtube video link)

                           Temple style chekkara pongali

                              Flax seeds laddu

                                         Maharashtrian narali bhatt

                                 Pineapple rava kesari

                                  Oats & nuts laddu

                                               Rajasthani moong dal halwa 

                                         Mango mastani

Hope you like this Thiruvaiyaru Ashoka halwa recipe. Give it a try and drop your comments in inbox.

Do subscribe our youtube  channel for more interesting recipes..
Also follow me on

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In Instagram @Instagram

Also drop your feedback 🤗😍

You can also search recipe 
in BetterButter

in Indiblogger

in MyTaste

Thanks for visiting my blog,

Aruna Saraschandra 😊                 

Biri Manda Pitha || Biri Gaja || Odisha - Biri Manda Pitha

 Biri Manda Pitha || Biri Gaja is Odisha's popular savory version pitha recipe. This is steamed rice flour dumpling stuffed with savory urad dal paste.  Pithas are varieties of food similar to pancakes, fritters, dumpling which can be sweet and savory. As I mentioned in my early posts, my hubby posted in Khurda road, Odisha at starting and he worked for 10 years there. I too stayed many years in Odisha, at first I stayed in Talcher, were I had many Odisha friends. Where I got chance to taste & learn many Odisha recipes. Jaganth temple food is our all time favorite, I just like the aroma of food that is served in temples. We have different pitha recipes like arisa pitha, manda pitha, enduri pitha, poda pitha, chakuli pitha and many more. kakra pitha, aloo palanga sabaji, chenna poda is our favorite recipes, kakara pitha is the first Odisha recipe I tasted and I still prepare this for breakfast or as evening snack. Coming to our biri manda pitha it is very tasty recipe prepared for breakfast or as evening snack. This is savory version pitha in which urad dal masala paste is steamed in rice flour dumplings. At first I tasted this Biri manda pitha in my neighbors house @Talcher, Odisha. I learned many recipes from my neighbor friends and they learned many South Indian recipes from me. Though I am not in contact with them I remember them whenever prepare Odisha recipes, wish my recipes are reaching them 😍.

Event : Shhhhh Secretly cooking challenge

Taking this cool cool mango matka kulfi to "Shhhhh Secretly cooking challenge" fb group started by Priya, and taken further till date by Mayuri di, I bookmarked her baked apple to try soon. Do check her space for wonderful recipes. We completed recipes from all states from A to Z, so now admin team and members decided a new interesting way for monthly theme that is - one group member in alphabetical order will suggest theme. Later admin team will pair interested members, then we share 2 secret ingredients among us and prepare recipe using it and all other members will guess it.

                              

This month theme "ODIA Pitha Series" was suggested by Sasmitha who blogs at "firsttimercook", I bookmarked her choco swirl patishapta to try.  This month I  am paired with Shobha di, she is very talented chef who blogs at "shobhasfoodmazaa". I gave her paneer and ghee as two secret ingredients, she prepared this delicious enduri pitha ,do check out. In turn she shared cumin seeds and ginger as secret ingredients, using these ingredients I prepared this biri manda pitha recipe. 

                                     Biri Manda Pitha 

Preparation time : 20 minutes

Cook Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 12 biri manda pitha's 

Category : Breakfast / Snacks

Recipe Cuisine: Odisha 

Main ingredients : Rice flour, urad dal 

Author : Aruna SarasChandra

Ingredients

To prepare rice dough

Rice flour -1 cup

water - 1 & 1/2 cup

salt - as per taste

oil - 1 tsp

Urad dal masala paste

urad dal - 1/2 cup

green chillies - 2

finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp

cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tsp

salt - as per taste

Instructions 

1) Wash urad dal for twice & soak it in enough water for 2 hours.

2) Heat 1 & 1/2 cup of water in pan to this add 1/2 tsp of salt or as per your taste, 1 tsp of oil and boil it. Then add rice flour mix it well without forming any lumps.

3) Switch off the flames and let it cool for some time.

4) Meanwhile grind soaked urad dal to fine paste by adding very less water and take it into bowl.

5) Add cumin seeds, finely chopped ginger, finely chopped green chillies, required amount of salt in urad dal paste and mix everything well and keep it aside.

6) When rice dough is bit hot mix it well and prepare smooth dough. Now pinch some dough and prepare lemon size equal balls.

7) Now flatten rice ball, press in middle with your thumb and prepare bowl shape by press its with your fingers as shown below. You can press two edges or 4 sides as per your wish.

                            

8) For steaming I electric rice cooker, add some water in rice bowl. Place steamer close the lid & switch it on, let it heat till we do stuffing. If you using idli steamer, add some water and boil it on low flames.

9) Now fill urad dal paste in rice dumpling using spoon and keep it in steamer. Steam these dumpling till for 10 minutes or till urad dal cooks well. Insert tooth pick in urad dal mixture if it comes out clearly then our biri gaja is ready. 

10) Switch off power/stove and let it set for few minutes. 

That's it our biri manda pitha is ready, serve hot with any chutney's  or as it is and enjoy with our friends and family :)

Tips

** Make sure that rice dough is lumps free, if you feel it hard sprinkle some hot water and press well to prepare smooth dough.

** In order to get perfect shape, rice dough should be smooth.

** Urad dal paste should be thick like wada batter.

** You can also add onion in urad dal paste.

Do check out some related recipes and latest video recipes from our 

                       

                                             kakra pitha             

                                      

                                                     aloo palanga sabaji

                                        Ashoka Halwa (youTube link)

                        Hyderbadi Kaddu ka dalcha(Youtube link)

Hope you like this Odisha's popular biri manda pitha recipe, will update video soon in my channel. Give it a try and drop your comments in inbox.

Do subscribe our youtube  channel for more interesting recipes..
Also follow me on

In facebook @Facebook

In pintrest @pintrest

In Instagram @Instagram

Also drop your feedback 🤗😍

You can also search recipe 
in BetterButter

in Indiblogger

in MyTaste

Thanks for visiting my blog,

Aruna Saraschandra 😊                 

Nimmakaya velluli karam || Instant lemon and garlic chutney || Andhra nimmakaya velluli karam

Andhra Nimmakaya velluli karam is spicy, sour and super tasty instant chutney recipe.  I love to have this chutney with hot steamed rice and dollop of ghee, we can also have this as condiments for any breakfast items like idli, dosa, upma & even with roti. This is perfect lockdown recipe, as it is healthy, easy to prepare and that too we can prepare this lemon garlic chutney with less ingredients that is available in our pantry. We can prepare this chutney in 2 ways.... 

1)This is instant method just by mixing dry ingredients

2) By frying and grinding ingredients. 

 Today I am sharing quick & instant 1st method, I will share both the method in my youtube channel ASAP. By the way did you checked our latest Thiruvaiyur Ashoka halwa recipe in our channel?? If not do check it once surely you will love it. Coming to our recipe, garlic and lemon are the main ingredients in our nimmakaya velluli karam, I got this recipe from my MIL, so this is special recipe for me :)

Do check out different varieties of chutney, pickles, sauces from our blog and channel.

Foodie Monday Blog Hop

Taking this Andhra style nimmakaya velluli karam chutney to  FoodieMondayBloghop fb group's #299LockdownRecipes theme. By this time you are all aware that I am part of this lovely group where we bloggers share recipe for theme suggested by a person in alphabetical order every week. This week theme was suggested by "Narmada" one of my blogger friends who blogs at "Namscorner".  She told to share any easy recipe with easily available ingredients. As it is lockdown we are not getting different varieties of vegetables and groceries. As Chennai is in full lockdown from 24/May I d't have only onions, tomatoes, potatoes, lemon at home. So i thought to prepare this spicy and tasty chutney for theme.  I bookmarked her cakesicles, whole wheat hide & seek biscuits to try soon.

                          

                           Nimmakaya Velluli Karam

Preparation time - 10 minutes

cook time : 10 min

Serves : 200gms

Category : pickles / Chutney 

Recipe Cuisine: Andhra

Main ingredients : lemon, garlic

Author : Aruna SarasChandra

Ingredients

garlic pods - 20

lemon - 5 or lemon juice - 1/4 cup

red chilli powder - 2 tsp(adjust)

salt - as per taste

coriander powder - 1 tsp

cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

for tempering

oil - 2 tsp

mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

red chilli - 1

curry leaves - 1 sprig

Instructions 

1) Cut lemon into 2 pieces and squeeze out its juice and take into cup. 

2) Remove garlic skin and keep it aside.

3) Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan, fry garlic on low flames. When garlic starts changing color take it into cup.

4) Now add mustard seeds when it starts crackling add cumin seeds when you get nice aroma add red chilli, curry leaves and  fry it well.

5) Now switch off the flames and let it cool to room temperature.

6) Later add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, fenugreek powder, salt and mix everything well.

7) Now add above spice mix in lemon juice and mix everything well. If need adjust spices according to your taste also if need add lemon juice accordingly.

8) Let the chutney set for 30 minutes so that all the spices and lemon combine well and gives good taste.

That's it our lemon and garlic chutney / nimmakaya velluli karam is ready. 

Tips

** If you d't like garlic taste, just skip adding it and you can serve it as instant lemon chutney.

** D't burn garlic, just fry till it changes color.

** Adjust spices and lemon according to your taste.

Also check some chutney recipes from our blog and channel by just clicking the link below pic..

                             

                                                         Onion tomato chutney

                                 Schezwan chutney

                          

                Velakkaya Pachadi / Wood Apple Chutney(video link)

                          Karivepakku pachadi / curry leaf chutney

   

                          
                   mosdeng serma-tripura tomato-chutney

      Andhra kandi pachadi / toor dal chutney

                      Momos chutney

                   Mango bisi uppinakayi

              Nagaland - Pumpkin Oambal

                        Ugadi Pachadi

                Green chutney

                   Green tomato chutney

ChuukkaKura/ Khatti palak chutney

                      Guntur Dosakaya Pachadi

                 Brinjal chutney

           Kobbari perugu pachadi

Ridge gourd chutney

               Coriander Tomato chutney

                        Coconut Chutney

   Raw Mango Moong dal chutney

             Pudina coconut chutney

Hope you like this hot hot spicy and tasty nimmakaya velluli karam . Give it a try and drop your comments in inbox.

Do subscribe our youtube  channel for more interesting recipes..
Also follow me on

In facebook @Facebook

In pintrest @pintrest

In Instagram @Instagram

Also drop your feedback 🤗😍

You can also search recipe 
in BetterButter

in Indiblogger

in MyTaste

Thanks for visiting my blog,

Aruna Saraschandra 😊                 

Homemade chocolates - Diya and cracker shape homemade chocolates with yummy stuffing

 Homemade chocolate recipe - Diya, cracker and other shape stuffed homemade chocolate recipes. Who d't like chocolate, I think chocolates are only one food item that everyone loves to have it. If you are in good mood or sad mood or in angry chocolates are the best companion to lift our mood. Homemade chocolates are very special, that too when these chocolates stuffed with your kids favorite chocolate balls, gems and moms favorite dry fruits, they just taste heavenly. Today I am sharing diya, cracker and shape chocolates, we will get different shape chocolate molds in markets that too in less price. We can prepare chocolates using cocoa, chocolate powders or by using chocolate compounds. Today I am using dark, milk & white compound chocolates. I prepared these chocolates for last year Diwali festival, so I used diya and cracker shape molds you can use molds of your choice. You can use silicon molds or plastic molds as per availability, I used both mold.  Do check out this recipe video in our youtube channel, by just clicking below link

Homemade chocolate, Diya Cracker shape chocolates

Do check out some chocolate based recipes from our youtube  channel & blog by just clicking the below links

Video links 

 Homemade chocolate, Diya Cracker shape chocolates

Homemade chocolate syrup

Bourbon biscuit cake

Basbousa (Semolina coconut cake)

blog links

Chocolate and custard jelly cake

Strawberry choco chip cake

multigrain banana bread

Rava chocolate cake 

Basbousa - semolina coconut cake

Wheat flour carrot cake

Chocolate stuffed appe

Foodie Monday Blog Hop

Taking this Homemade chocolates to  FoodieMondayBloghop fb group's #296FamilyFavorite theme. By this time you are all aware that I am part of this lovely group where we bloggers share recipe for theme suggested by a person in alphabetical order every week. This week I got chance to suggest theme, I suggested to prepare any recipe that is our blogger friends family favorite. Waiting for their yummy yummy favorite recipes. Chocolates are my hubbies favorite, so I thought to share this recipe with you all, hope you all like it.

                          

                                      Homemade Chocolates

Preparation time - 10 minutes

cook time : 20 min

Serves : 30 + chocolates

Category : chocolates

Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Main ingredients : Compound chocolate

Author : Aruna SarasChandra

Ingredients

dark compound chocolate - 200gms

milk compound chocolate - 200gms

white compound chocolate - 150gms

chocolate shots - 10

gems - 15

color balls - 1/4 cup

chopped nuts - 1/4 cup (used cashews, almonds, black raisins)

Oil - 1 tsp(optional)

others

silicon molds

plastic molds -- use any shapes as per availability

cone bags -2 (for white & dark chocolates) or you can use spoon

Instructions

1) If you are using plastic molds grease it with oil or ghee, so that chocolates comes out easily.

2) Finely chop dark and milk chocolates in a bowl.

3) Now we have to start double boiling our compound chocolate, for this take container add water in it, make sure that water level does not touch chocolate bowl. 

4) Later place finely chopped compound chocolate bowl on it, boil water on medium flames, mix it continuously till chocolate melts.

5)When chocolate melts perfectly without any lumps, pour it in cone bag. For this take a tall glass, place cone bag in it and then pour melted compound chocolate in it, later tie it with rubber band. You can also use spoon to spread chocolate, but cone bags makes our work neat and easy. 

6) Now spread 1/2 portion of mold with melted  chocolate and then place any stuffing's like chopped dry fruits or gems or shots of your choice, later cover it with chocolate. If you want you can spread some color balls on it, to make chocolates more attractive.

7) Repeat the same process for white chocolate too. 

8) Keep these molds carefully in refrigerator for 1 hour or till they set. 

9) Later demold chocolates by tapping backside of mold, they will come out easily.

                                

10) That's it our homemade chocolates are ready, you can gift these chocolates by just wrapping it using silver foil or using any chocolate gift wrappers.

Tips

** You can use any shape molds to prepare chocolates.

** It is very easy to demold chocolates in silicon molds.

** You can melt chocolate in oven easily.

** If you d't have cone bag just use small covers or even spoon. Cone bags make our work easy and neat so I always prefer using cone bags.

** You can also prepare these chocolates without stuffing too.

** Add any stuffing of your choice and availability.

** Add heart shape sprinkles or color balls on it to attract kids.

Hope you liked this recipe, also check other related recipes from our youtube channel & blog by just clicking the link below pic..

                                             chocolate syrup(video link)

                                        Basbousa (Semolina coconut cake)

                    

Kesar Badam milk (youtube link)

                                          Chocolate and custard jelly cake

                        

                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jfVWRpx1i8

                           

                                   Strawberry choco chip cake

                    

multigrain banana bread

                     Rava chocolate cake 

                 Wheat flour carrot cake

                                               Chocolate stuffed appe

Hope you liked this diya and cracker shape homemade chocolates.  Give it a try and drop your comments in inbox.

Do subscribe my youtube channel Vasus vegkitchen

Also follow me on 
In facebook @Facebook
In Pinterest @pintrest
In Instagram @Instagram Also drop your feedback 🤗😍.
In Indiblogger

Thanks for visiting my blog,

Aruna Saraschandra :)