Typical South Indian Spreads for Shankranthi & Bhogi 2007

1) Salt 2) Uddina BeLa Kosambri 3) Kadle BeLe Kosambri 4) Beans Palya 5) KumbLekai Raitha 6) Aloo Gadde Palya 7) Uddin Hapla (pApad) 8) Sweet Pongal 9) Anna 10) Dodda Menasinakai Chitranna 11) Towe





1) Salt 2) Uddina BeLa Kosambri 3) Kadle BeLe Kosambri 4) Bonda 5) Beans Palya 6) Kumblekai Palya 7) Mosaru Amboda 8) Anna with Thuppa 9) Panchambrutha 10) Towe 11) Sweet Pongal

Jammy Besan Laddu

Ingredients (makes 4 laddus)

1) Ghee – 2 tablespoons
2) Dry fruits - Resins, Cashews and Badams – a few
3) Besan – 1 cup
4) Kisan Jam (MIXED fruit) – 2 tablespoons

Method of preparation

1) Take 1 tablespoon of ghee and heat it a pan
2) Fry the dry fruits and keep them aside.
3) Clean the pan and heat it along with the other tablespoon of ghee.
4) To this hot ghee add Besan and sauté.
5) Heat and mix well until a pleasant fragrance emanates.
6) To this mixture add fried dry fruits.
7) Mix well and add 2 tablespoons of Kisan Jam and mix well.
8) After cooling, make this mixture into 1inch Laddus.

NOTE: This is my recent creation and needs improvement, but nevertheless has a great taste - so go ahead and enjoy. Note that the brown color is from the jam.

Simple Batani (Peas) Chitranna

Ingredients
1) Cooked Rice
2) Fresh Peas - 1 cup
3) Lemon - 1
4) Chilly - 1-2
5) Chopped Coriander - 1 tablespoon
6) Peanuts - 1 handful
7) Asafoetida (Hing) - 1 pinch
8) Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
9) Channa Dal - 1 teaspoon
10) Salt to taste
11) Curry leaves - a few
12) Oil – 1 teaspoon

Method of preparation
1) Cook normal white rice and keep it aside.
2) Boil the peas with a little salt until they become tender. You could also boil the peas along with the rice in the cooker (separately).
3) Heat oil in a pan
4) Add Mustard Seeds and Hing
5) To this mixture add Peanuts and Channa Dal and fry until they become brownish.
6) Add Curry leaves and cut Chilies.
7) Drain the stock from the peas (note that this stock is very tasty and can be consumed with salt and pepper and makes a wonderful appetizer)
8) Add the peas and squeeze and entire lemon into the pan and mix well.
9) To this mixture add boiled rice and dress it up with coriander leaves.
10) Your chitranna is now ready!