Sesame Ladoo

Let me begin the new year with something sweet to share :) The below recipe is one of my very good friends recipe. Well, perhaps quite a lot of you know how to make this but never has this tasted better than when she used to make! She is long gone now but her perfect recipe remains for all of us to enjoy. I could never understand how a simple recipe like this can taste so good. 

Ingredients:

Sesame seeds: 2 cups

Jaggery: 1 cup

Cardamom powder: 1 tsp

Method:

• Roast the sesame seeds until they change color to brown. 

• In a mixer grinder, grind the sesame seeds and jaggery together and add cardamom powder. You dont have to grind it fine, it will taste good even when coarsely done. 
• Take the mixture in a bowl and add a little water to the side and make a ladoo. You can substitute water with ghee.
• Like wise, make all the ladoos.

Happy New Year!

To all my bogging buddies, have a great New Year ahead!

Spinach Pizza

I couldn't believe that my husband is such a great cook! He made the below pizza all by himself! here is the recipe, its really sweet of him that he made this for us.

The crust recipe is something I picked up here (Thanks Dominio's Pizza!)and the toppings can be anything you like! The below would make two "10-inch" pizza crust's.

Ingredients:
For Crust:
All Purpose Flour: 2 1/2 cups
Sugar: 1/2 tbsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Instant Yeast: 1/2 tsp
Warm Water: 3/4 cups
Extra virgin olive oil: 1 tbsp.

Method for Crust:
Mix all the above ingredients thoroughly and keep the dough aside for 5 mins and then kneed the dough again for about 3 to 5 mins.
At  this point, if the dough is too crusty, add another 1/8 cups of water and kneed again. Divide in to 2 equal halves and store 1 of the lumps in an oiled bag. You can also freeze this now.
Allow the dough to raise in room temperature for about an hour. You can also lightly cover this with a clean cloth.

After an hour, make a 10 inch pizza in a pizza pan. I used my hands here.

Toppings: we used the below but you can get creative here.
Spinach: 1 bunch, blanched
Mushrooms: 1/2 cup, chopped
Chopped olives: hand ful
Grated Cheese: Any cheese, as much as you want
Sauces: You can use any sauce, below is what we used
Tomato sauce: 3 tbsp
Hot sauce: 1/2 tbsp
Sweet and sour sauce: 1 tbsp

Layering the Pizza:
Pre-heat the oven to 450 D F. Mix all the sauces together and layer this first on the crust.

Second layer is going to be spinach.

Third layer is going to be Mushrooms.

The 4th layer is the cheese.

The final layer is going to be olives. Keep this in the oven until the crust is slightly browned. It took me about 20 minutes. Keep checking after that until the desired brownness.

Dessert with Dates

I really wanted to thank the lady who has invented this wonderful dessert dish. I have seen this recipe in one of the dessert-round-ups but I am unable to pin point which one it is. Its been a while. Thanks dear unknown blogger!
Its fairly simple to make this dessert and it practically takes only 10 minutes!

Ingredients:
Dates: Seedless 20 (de-seed if you cant find seedless dates)
Cashews: 5, broken
Raisins: 10
Pecans or Almonds: a few, broken
Clarified butter/Ghee: 2 tbsp
Coconut: Dry or fresh, grated, about 1/4 cup (I used dry coconut)

Method:
Mash the dates with a wooden spatula.
Heat ghee in a small pan and roast cashews, raisins, pecans for a few minutes or until the dry fruits turn golden brown.
Add the above to the mashed dates and mix. Make small balls out of the mixture and roll in to the grated coconut.

Award Time!
Dear Santosh, thanks a ton for passing on the award to me. I am extremely happy that you think my blog deserves this award. Thanks a lot.

Here are a few things about me:
1. I love reading books and I am either reading or cooking as a hobby.
2. I am very easy going.
3. I hate hypocritical people.
4. I love red wine.

5. I hate driving

I am passing on this award to:
1. Gaouri Guha
2. Kurinji
3. LR
4. Sanctified spaces
5. Aipi

And to all my blogging friends.

Chicken Biryani

Who doesn't like Chicken Biryani eh? The only down side being its too much work. Anyway, this is one of my favorite ways to make chicken Biryani. I will keep the introduction short because the recipe itself is big. Start it when you have enough time. Below would serve 6 people easily. So make sure to adjust the quantity. Another thing is that, the below picture is taken before I placed the dish in oven. i had some guests at home; so couldn't take the final version.

Marinade the below together:
Chicken: 2 lb or close to a kilo (I used bone-in and skinless)
Yogurt: 1 cup
Salt: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Marinade all the above for at least 4 hours. Leave this in fridge.

Get the below ready:
Basmati Rice: 4 cups (medium sized cups)
Oil: 6 tbsp or a little more
Clarified butter/Ghee: 6 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp (yes, again)
Milk: 1/2 cup
Safforn or food color

Spices you will require:
Cardamom (Elachi): 6
Nutmeg and mace: A little
Cinnamon (Chekka/Dalchini): 2 inch piece
Cloves: 8-10
Bay leaf (Biryani leaf): 4
Caraway seeds (Shah Jeera): 1 tsp

Fresh produce:
Mint leaves: a handful
Cilantro/Coriander leaves: a handful
Chili powder: 1 tbsp
Green Chilies: 4 split length wise
Tomatoes: 3 large, chopped
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp 
Salt

To garnish:
Onions: 6, chopped length wise
Cashew nuts: handful (optional, I didn't use)
Almonds and raisins: (optional, I didn't use)

Method:
Getting the garnish ready:
Heat 6 tbsp of oil in a large pan and fry onions until golden brown. Use high flame so that they turn brown. Keep them aside on paper towel to drain the oil.
If you are using cashew nuts, almonds and raisin's,fry them in a small pan in 1 tbsp of ghee. Keep this also aside. We will be using the above all to garnish.

Cooking the chicken:
Now, in the same pan in which you fried onions, add little more oil and add 3/4 of all the spices under "spices you will require" section. (The remaining 1/4 quantity we will use later). Add ginger-garlic paste and give it a quick stir. Now add the chicken marinade followed by everything under "Fresh Produce". Cook until chicken gets completely cooked and its not watery. Now add 1/3 of the fried onions to this and remove from heat.

Cooking the Rice:
Take a large pot and add rice and hot water (at least 12 cups of water for 4 cups of water) and a fist full of salt. Yes, you will need at least a fist full so that rice is slightly salty when it is cooked. Don't worry, you will not put too much. Along with the salt add all of the 1/4 of the saved spices from the above step.
You will need to cook the rice until it is 3/4 done. This would not usually take more than 10 mins.
Now drain the rice.

 

Layering the Biryani:
I am going to mention 2 ways here. We need to cook the rice completely with the steam. So we have 2 options here. Either we use oven (which is what I did) or dum-cook on flame, sealing the lid with dough. 


Pre-heat the oven to 350 D F. Take an oven-safe wide glass vessel.Mix milk and safforn/food color and keep aside.
Grease the pan with ghee. Lay a layer in the same order as below:
1. Rice, spread in the bottom.
2. Chicken, spread lightly
3. Fried onions, spread some
4. Chopped coriander leaves
5. 1 tsp of milk and saffron mix.

Repeat the process until you finish all the rice/chicken. For me the final layer came out as rice. I also sprinkled fried onions, coriander and the remaining milk and saffron.

Seal the dish with aluminum foil and make a few holes for the steam to escape. Leave the pan in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.
If you are using cooking stove for this: Seal the lid of the pot and leave it on simmer for 45 minutes.

Open the foil/lid very gently because once I hurt my fingers with the wild/escaping steam.

Finally my favorite part of making this starts...which is eating!

Pulihodarai (Tamarind Rice)

Thanks to Shanti Krishnakumar, finally I am able to make Pulihodarai, temple style from the recipe given in her blog! Shanti didi, thanks a ton, I made this last night and I was pleasantly surprised that pulihodarai tastes exactly like the one we get in temples in Chennai!

Every blog-buddy out there, do try this out; you will not be disappointed.

For powder:

Channa dal: 2 tsp

Methi seeds: ¼ tsp.

 Pepper corn:1 tsp

Dry red chillies: 4

Coriander seeds: 4 tbsp

Dry roast all the above and keep aside.



For Paste:

Tamarind: 1 1/2 tbsp soaked in 2 cups of water

Channa dal: 1 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Methi seeds: ½ tsp

Dry red chilies: 4

Peanuts: 2 tbsp

Curry leaves: 2 strings 

Hing: 1/8 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Salt

Oil: 2 tbsp

Method:

• Heat oil in a vessel enough to contain 2 cups of water.
• Add the mustard seeds followed by everything else under "for paste". 
• Simmer the flame and let the water boil down to 1/8 cup or to a paste consistancy. This will take at least 45 mins.
• Take cooked rice in a bowl and add a tsp of the dry powder and the wet paste. 

Enjoy the Perumaal kovil puliyodharai.

Here is the link for the original recipe...Please note that you need to mix this mixture with cooked rice.

Banana Bread

The other day my husband bought 6 bananas. I didn't know and I bought another 6 the next day. Needless to say, a few of them started getting too-ripe-to-eat with in 3 days. So I decided to make Banana Bread. I cant believe that I started baking healthy things like this! Its fairly an easy bread to bake, considering you don't have to wait for it to raise. 

I am also sending this to Aipi's and Priya's Ripe Banana Event.

Banana's: 4, very ripe, mashed

Sugar: 1/2 cup (You can increase this to 3/4 cup)

Vanilla extract: 1 tsp

Egg: 1, beaten

Melted Butter: 1/3 cup

Salt: a small pinch

Baking Soda: 1 tsp

All Purpose Flour: 1 1/2 cup

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 350 D F. Mash the banana's well in a big bowl and keep aside. Beat the egg and keep aside. Now, add sugar, Vanilla extract, baking soda, butter, salt and egg into the mashed bananas. Now add the flour and mix well.

Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Cool completely and slice off!

Note: My current oven's starting temperature is only 350 D F. If yours is different, make sure to adjust the baking time or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in middle.

Chicken Pickle

Having been in Andhra for many years, it is but natural that I developed a taste for pickles. My mom's kitchen, till date, has at least 5 bottles of pickles at all times of the year. Its convenient for her because she gets to make seasonal pickles like Mango, Amla etc in the respective seasons. Now that I relocated, I mostly end up buying pickles from stores.
So, I made chicken pickle the other day and, boy oh boy, it sure did come out well.

Ingredients:

Cloves: 8

Cardamom: 3

Cinnamon: 1 inch

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Coriander seeds: 1 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp

Poppy seeds  (optional): 2 tbsp

Dry roast all the above ingredients separately and fine grind them. Keep aside.

You will also need 8 tsp of red chili powder (or 10, according to require spice level) and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. 

Chicken (boneless): 1 lb (A little under 1/2 kg)
Turmeric powder: 1/8 tsp
Oil: 1/4 cup

Cut the chicken in to the desired shape and boil the chicken pieces until tender with turmeric powder and drain. Now, heat 1/4 cup of oil in a pan and roast the pieces until they turn slightly brown.Shouldn't take long at all. To this chicken, add the ground spices, red chili powder. Add salt according to your taste.
At this point you can add more oil if you think its too dry. 
Mix in lemon juice and stir for another 2 minutes.

For tadka:
Oil: (again) 5 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 2 tsp
Red Chilies (optional): 4 
Curry leaves: 2 strings

Roast the above in a pan and to the chicken pickle.
Let this cool completely and store in a container with tight lid. You can also refrigerate this. This can store well for even 8 weeks!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

From my previous post Here, you would have noticed that I don't like to waste pumpkin seeds. Why would I when I can make some real good snack with seeds? Its fairly easy and is perfect for munching while watching TV. Here is the recipe..

Ingredients:
Pumpkin seeds: 2 cups
Salt: 2 tbsp
Water: 6 cups
Butter: 1 tbsp

Method:
Preheat the oven to 300 D F
Boil water in a large pan and add salt and pumpkin seeds. Boil for about 10 minutes and drain.
Stir in butter and spread the seeds in a baking tray, evenly.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes; make sure to stir every 10 minutes or so. Cool off completely before enjoying your snack.

Morning Glory Muffins

Morning Glory Muffins are one of my favorite breakfast items. There cannot be a better way of starting a day than with a freshly baked, warm muffin.
Before I started baking, I used to spend a ot of money on buying these outside. Now its a different story. Its fairly easy actually; go through the recipe, you will know what I mean.

Below measurements would yield 6 glorious muffins.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour: 1 cup
Baking Powder: 1/2 tsp
Sugar (brown or white): 1/2 cup (you can also reduce this amount to reduce sweetness)
Cinnamon: 1 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp

Mix all the above dry ingredients in a bowl and keep aside.

Carrots: 1 cup, grated
Apples: 1/2 cup, grated
Walnuts: 1/4 cup
Raisins: 1/4 cup
Flaked Coconut: 1/4 cup (optional)

Mix all these in a bowl.

Oil: 1/2 cup (You can substitute oil with apple sauce for a healthier option)
Egg: 1, beaten
 Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
Mix these in another small bowl.

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 D F
2. Line in the muffin pan.
3. Mix all the ingredients (wet should go into dry ingredients).
4. Fill in the muffin liners until full.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Palli (Ground nut) Chutney

My husband absolutely loves this chutney. Apart from coconut chutney, this is another chutney I make often. I keep changing the recipe as and when my mood changes but the below recipe is one of the basic ways.

Ingredients:
Ground nuts: 1 cup
Onion: 1/2, cut small pieces
Garlic: 1 small clove
Green Chili: 3 small
Salt
Tamarind pulp: 1/2 tsp

Grind everything together with 1/2 cup of water or more and keep aside.

Tempering:
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Channa dal: 1 tsp
Urad Dal: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 string

Heat oil in a small pan and add everything in the same order and fry for a minute. Now, pour over the palli chutney paste and serve with breakfast of your choice! Today I served this with Rava Dosa.

Freezing Pumpkins

After the Halloween (see Here for the pictures), I had 2 huge Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins sitting at home. Like I usually do, this time also I wanted to freeze the pumpkins and use it in winter to bake pies, soup, muffins, sambar and what ever I can possibly make with pumpkin. Why waste such a nice fruit when you can very well utilize every thing from it, including seeds? Start this when you have plenty of time on your hands.

The first step is to clean the pumpkin. As you can see the fruit completely fills one side of my sink. Gently wash it with warm water making sure to remember every dust particle is removed.

 

With a very big knife cut the pumpkin into half. You can either throw away the seeds or keep them aside to make yummy roasted seeds. This pumpkin yielded me 2 cups of seeds which I roasted. See the upcoming recipe for that. So, don't throw away the seeds.

Cut the pumpkin into further small pieces and scrape the gooey layer. Now, we have 4 methods to cook the pumpkin before we can freeze.
1. Take a microwavable bowl and put about 2 inches of water. Place the pumpkin pieces in into and cook in high heat for 20 minutes. Check after this if it is soft enough. If yes, take out the pieces, gently peel the skin off and dice/make a puree.
2. Steam the pumpkin until tender. You might want to peel the skin before you steam it.

3. The third method is cooking the pumpkin pieces in boiling water. This is what I did. Peel the pumpkin and dice in to bite sized cubes. Immerse in boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or until the pieces are tender.
Drain the water and let it dry in a big tray.
4. Baking the pieces in a pre-heated 450 D F oven for 40 minutes or until tender.

I personally prefer method 3.  Above plate is one set of pumpkin. Like this, I yielded 3 batches. After 4 hours and aching hands later, pumpkins are ready to be frozen. FYI, I just prepared 1 pumpkin.

Tips:
1. You can mash/grind/or cube the cooked pumpkin. Measure the pulp, label it before you transfer to the container for freezing. You can also use zip lock bags for freezing.
2. I stored in several small boxes so that it is easier to de-frost.
3. The day before you plan to cook pumpkin, just removed the bag/box from the freezer and leave it in fridge. It would be ready to be cooked by next morning. Or, simply defrost in the microwave.

Coconut Chutney (Thenga/kobbarikaya chutney)

I make Thenga chutney as often as I make sambar at home. This goes well with pongal, idli, dosa etc. Of course there are many ways to make this chutney and today I am going to post the basic way. Below ingredients serves 2.

Ingredients:

Fresh coconut: 1/2, cut in to small pieces
Green chili: 2 or 3, depending on required spice level
Tamarind pulp: 1/2 tsp
Salt

In a blender, grind all of the above together with a little water and transfer into a container.

For tempering:
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Channa dal: 1 tsp
Urad Dal: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 string

Heat oil in a small pan and add everything in the same order and fry for a minute. Now, pour over the coconut paste and serve with breakfast of your choice!

Boiled Egg Masala

Egg is my ALL time favorite! I can literally have this anytime of the day, everyday. No kidding. I am constantly looking for ways to recreate innovative ways to make egg. But, somehow I end up making my and my husbands favorite, egg masala. Here is a fool proof recipe for a spicy egg masala. Pardon the ill-taken picture. I was in a hurry.

Ingredients:
Egg (of course): 4
Onion: 1 large
Tomatoes: 2 finely chopped 
Green Chili: 1, chopped
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbps
Red Chili Powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt: according to taste

Method:
1. Boil the eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes. Peel the shell and keep aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat oil and fry chilies and onion for a few minutes.
3. Now add, salt, turmeric powder, chili powder and ginger garlic paste.
4. Now add tomatoes and cook them until they are soft.
5. Add the boiled eggs and switch off the stove.
6. Garnish with cilantro ( optional)

Serve this with rice/roti.

Thenga Pal Saadam (Coconut Milk Rice)

I absolutely love Thenga Pal Saadam but my sisters Mother In Law prepares it so well that I can never match it to her taste. I usually serve this with some spicy curry and this time I served this with boiled egg masala (look out for my next post for this recipe).
Now, there are many ways to make thenga paal saadam. Many usually cook rice separately and then mix with grated coconut. In the below method, I cooked rice with coconut milk. really, its so simple!

Ingredients:
Rice (un-cooked, long grain): 3 cups
Onion: 1 large, finely chopped, length wise
Green Chili: 3 large
Coconut Milk: 1 can or milk from 1 fresh coconut
Biryani leaf: 1
Cardamom: 3
Cinnamon: 1 inch piece
Flower (star ani): 1
Ghee/Oil: 2 tbsp

Method:

• Soak rice in water and set aside for about 10 mins.
• Heat a large dish (big enough to fit rice) and add Ghee/oil. 
• When Ghee heats up, add biryani leaf, star ani, cardamom and Cinnamon. Now add green chilies followed by onion.
• Fry Onion until translucent. Now add rice and fry for 2 mins. 
• Now, I usually add 3 cups water and 3 cups coconut milk for 3 cups of rice. Which means, I am using 1:2 rice to liquid ratio. You can also add 6 cups of coconut milk but somehow i find that this would make the rice look like Risotto. I usually add 3 cups water and 3 cups coconut milk.
• Now add salt and cook the rice until well done. 

That's all!

Chicken Fry

The laziness in me hit new low today. So I made Pepper Rasam and Chicken Fry. My husband absolutely loves the chicken fry which is made this way! This is simple and it tastes great. If you are on time crunch like me, try this method. You will not be disappointed.

Chicken: 1 lb (just over 1/2 kg)
Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt: According to taste
Ginger Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Yogurt/curd: 2 tbsp
Pepper Powder: 1/4 tsp
Oil for shallow frying, about 3 tbsp

Method:
Wash the bite sized chicken pieces and marinate everything together (with the exception of oil) for 1-2 hours. IF in summer, leave the marinade in fridge.
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry until chicken gets cooked. Do not add any water. After chicken is cooked, the color would start to turn. This is when chicken fry is ready to be served!

Pappu Chekkalu/ Thattai

This is one of my favorite snacks! This is one of those snacks you will not be able to eat just one! Its fairly similar to how we make Murukku. In the beginning, it might be a bit difficult to slide off the dough from your palm to oil but once you start it, you will figure out a way to master the art. I made this for Diwali along with Maa Ladoo.

Ingredients:
Rice Flour: 1 cup
Water: 1 cup
Channa Dal: 2 tbsp (soaked in water for 1 hour)
Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp
Asafetida: 1/8 tsp
Cumin: 1 tsp
Salt: according to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients first. Then slowly start adding water and mix thoroughly (I used my hand here).

Heat oil in a wide bottom pan. While you are waiting for oil to heat up, make small pieces of plastic bag. Grease the plastic sheet with oil. Now, take a small ball of dough and gently press down like shown in the below picture. Don't make it too thin, else you will not be able to drop down into oil. If you are making this for the first time, it would be easier if you make very small rounds.

 Grease your right palm with oil. Now, when the oil in the pan is hot, take the plastic sheet in your left hand, and gently peel off the dough to your right hand. After that, slowly drop the chekkalu from your right hand into oil and fry till golden brown. I usually fry 3 chekkalu at a time. When they are being fried, press down more dough for the next batch. That's it!

Maa Ladoo

Maa Ladoo is a traditional ladoo we prepare on Diwali, every single year. I am making this over a week before the festival because I know i am not going to find time during the weekdays to make it.

Apart from Diwali, we also prepare this on "nalungu" (haldi) ceremony before getting married. My mom invited all her lady friends and all my relatives on my "nalungu" day. So many items are arranged for this ceremony and all the ladies gently apply chandan (sandal wood paste) on face and arms. This is supposed to be auspicious.

After lunch, we gave small bags containing everything above; tamboolam, small steel box, flowers, chocolates, fruits and nuts, Maa Ladoo to all the ladies who came to bless me, the Bride. This marks that I am officially a bride-to-be!
Of course, this news is now over 3 years old :)

Ingredients:
Puffed Channa dal (Pottukadalai/ Putnaalu): 1 cup
Sugar: 3/4 cup (The actual recipe calls for 1 cup)
Ghee (clarified butter): 1 cup (you might not use all of it)
Cashews: handful
Cardamom: 3

Method:
Roast the puffed channa dal for a few minutes. Make sure you do not brown them. Then, in a blender, grind everything with the exception of ghee. You don't have to fine grind this.
Melt the Ghee and add little by little to the mixture and make small balls. That's all!

Bread in Milk...on a Saturday Morning

When I was a little girl, my mom used to struggle to get me to drink milk, have an egg or even have a slice of bread! So, she came up with some not-too-uncommon way of mixing all together and make an early evening snack or a quick breakfast which is nutritious and tasty. If you have any kids at home, they will love this! Of course, I still like it, so maybe you will too.Below ingredients serves just 1 person. Double the ingredients for 2.

Ingredients:
Milk: 1/2 cup
Bread slices: 2
Egg: 1
Sugar: 1 tbsp
Butter: 1/2 inch piece

Method:
Beat the egg and add milk and sugar to it. Beat again. Heat a pan and when it is hot, p;lace 1/4 inch of the butter piece.
Now, dip 1 bread slice into the milk mixture, remove carefully and place it on the pan. You can also pour some milk mixture on top of the bread slice. Gently turn the slice around after half a minute or until the slice, slightly browns. Repeat the process for the second slice too.
That's all!

A healthy and tasty breakfast ready!

Blueberry Muffins

Can there be any better way to start a day other than with a warm muffin and freshly brewed coffee? Please say no :). The other day I made 3 carrot muffins and 3 blueberry muffins. For now, I will write down the recipe for blueberry muffins.

Below ingredients would yield 6 muffins.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour (maida): 1 cup
Baking Powder: 1 tsp
Salt: 1/8 tsp

Mix these dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Egg: 1
Sugar: 1/2 cup
Butter: 1/4 cup
Milk: 1/3 cup
Blueberries: 1/2-3/4 cup

Preheat the oven to 370 D F.

Gently mix sugar and butter. Then add egg and milk and beat for a minute. Now, to the flour, add the wet ingredients. Remember, always, wet ingredients go into dry ingredients. Mix only until everything is well moistened (this will ensure fluffy muffins). Now gently fold the blue berries.
Line the muffin liners and fill the mixture. bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

Murukku...

When we (my only sister and I) were little, my mom used to make Murukku (in Tamil or murukulu in Telugu) during Dasera and Diwali. 3 or 4 ladies from our neighborhood used to come to our home and mom, along with the ladies used to make large batches of murukku and share. That way, my mom used to catch up with much-missed-gossip-of-the-town (she was working full time) and us young ones used to play outside. What can be a better Sunday afternoon than the anticipation of warm murukku by the end of playtime?

As you all know by now, I am a bit lazy by nature. So, these murukku recipe I am going to post is also the lazy-way but in no way compromises with the taste.Below ingredients serve 2 adults just fine. I am also sending this entry to Pari and Kaugiri's Festival only event.

Ingredients:
Rice Flour: 2 cups
Black gram flour (urad dal flour): 2 tbps
Salt: according to taste
Butter (melted): 2-3 tsp
Asafetida: 1/4 tsp
Oil for deep fying
Murkku Achhu (to make murukku)

Method:

• Mix all the items together. Now start adding water little by little until you make a soft dough. Make sure the dough is not too hard or not too watery. 
•  

• Now, I had various shapes of murukku acchu with me. I used 1 batch each and made all the shapes. Just grease the murukku acchu with oil and put some dough into it. Shut the top par and squeese to form the required shape. 

• If you are experienced like my mom, you can squeeze out any shape directly in oil. Else, you can grease a small square covers and make the shape on cover.

• Heat enough oil in a pan and when hot, gently remove the murukku from the cover to your hand to the oil. 
• Fry till golden brown and dry them on a kitchen towel before transferring in to another container (with a tight lid)