Pista Cookies 🍪

Today is a very special day for me. Akshayakumbham is celebrating it’s 3rd Anniversary. I would like to thank all my readers for making it a big success. On this special  day I’m posting pista cookies to celebrate the occasion. 

Pista cookies 

Pista cookies are super quick snacks and can be prepared so easily. I’ve used maida, powdered sugar, little milk, vanilla essence, crushed pistachios and butter to prepare the cookies. Dough is prepared with the ingredients and baked in an oven@170 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cookies are allowed to completely cool down for one hour and served with cup of tea or coffee. Here I present mouthwatering pista cookies 🍪 to relish anytime. Njoy Cooking, Serving n Savoring!

Author: Akshayakumbham 

Course: Cookies/baking

Cuisine: World

Servings: 15

Ingredients: 

Maida/all purpose flour: One and half cups 

Powdered sugar: One cup

Vanilla essence: Few drops 

Pistachios: One tsp

Butter: 100 gms (Approximately)

Baking powder: 3/4 th tsp

Baking soda: A pinch

Milk: One and half tsp

Crystal sugar: 2 tsp

Method of preparation:

1. Take unsalted butter in a mixing bowl. Keep it outside for 15 minutes if refrigerated. Whisk thoroughly using a wired whisk and add powdered sugar, vanilla essence.

2. Mix thoroughly and add two tsp of crystal sugar. 

3. Sift maida flour, baking powder and baking soda. Combine all the ingredients to get a dough. Also add crushed pistachios. Meanwhile preheat oven @170 degrees centigrade for 10 minutes.

4. Grease the baking tray with butter or oil. Roll the dough into small balls and keep one pistachio onto each rounded ball. 

5. Keep the tray in a preheated oven and bake the cookies @170 degrees centigrade for 10-15 minutes. First keep the bottom heating element on and later on the top heating element. Now switch off the bottom heating element[Adjust the temperature and timing according to your oven/OTG settings].

6. Now take the baking tray out of the oven and allow the cookies to completely cool down. 

7. Transfer the cookies onto a Serving plate and garnish with pistachios. 

8. Now the delicious pista cookies are ready to serve with my favorite South Indian Filter Coffee. 

Thank you for visiting akshayakumbham and leaving comments. Your comments are really appreciated.

Lunch Menu # 20

Lunch Menu # 20

Today I’m posting my lunch menu, which is Ganesha Chaturthi festival thali(No onion no garlic)!! It comprises of kudumulu, undrallu, vadapappu, panakam, panchamritham, pesarapappu payasam, bendakaya kura, spinach dal, dal vada, steamed rice dolloped with ghee,  coconut chutney, papad, cut papaya pieces and curd. Here I present Ganesha chaturthi special lunch menu # 20 to relish! Njoy Cooking, Serving  n Savoring!

Eco friendly Ganesha🙏🏻(Today’s pooja)

Naivedhyam – Offered to Ganesha!

Click on the links for individual recipes

Steamed Rice

Bhendakaya Karam Petti Koora (Spicy lady’s finger curry)

Vadapappu and Panakam

Pesara Pappu Payasam/Moong Dal Payasam

Masala vada

I’ve prepared dal vada without adding onion, ginger n garlic flakes.

Pidacha Kudumulu

Undrallu/Steamed Rice Rava Balls

Coconut Chutney/Kobbari Pachadi

Palakura Dosakaya Pappu/Spinach Yellow Cucumber Dal

Do not add garlic flakes while preparing tempering during special pooja rituals.

Curd

Panchamritham:

Panchamritham is just adding five ingredients milk, sugar/honey, curd, ghee and banana/dates. Pomegranate seeds or grapes can also be added. Mix thoroughly and offer to God as naivedhyam. This is very easy and handy recipe like vadapappu n panakam. We prepare panchamritham almost for all recipes.

Thank you for visiting akshayakumbham and leaving comments. Your comments are really appreciated.

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Ragi Java/Finger Millet Porridge

Ragi Java 

Ragi Java/finger millet is a wonderful recipe. The health benefits are enormous with its iron and calcium content. This is popular baby food in South India since ages and we all grew up with it. This is introduced to babies of 7/8 months age with just 4/5 tsps and slowly increase the quantity depending on their consumption. The recipe is prepared with ragi flour. My mother used to prepare the ragi Java using home made ragi flour, but I’ve used store bought flour. Ragi flour is mixed with water and boiled throughly till it’s cooked. Organic jaggery powder is added and boiled furthermore for two minutes. One fourth cup of milk is added and mixed thoroughly. Here I present healthy recipe ragi java which suits for all ages to relish as an evening snack.  Njoy Cooking, Serving n Savoring!

Author: Akshayakumbham 

Course: Snacks 

Cuisine: South Indian 

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Ragi flour: finger millet flour: 4 tbsp

Water: 2 1/2 – 3 cups

Organic jaggery powder: 3 1/2 tbsp(Mildly sweetened, Adjust according to your preference)

Crushed cashews n almonds: 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

1. Take four tbsp of ragi flour in a vessel. 
2. Now add two and half cups of water and mix thoroughly without forming lumps.
3. Bring the ragi flour with water to boil. 

4. Stir at regular intervals to avoid sticking to the bottom of the vessel. Check for consistency and add half cup of water if required. Mix thoroughly and boil once again till it’s completely done. When it’s cooked the mixture turns into translucent. 
5. Now add three and half tbsp of organic jaggery powder and mix well till it completely dissolves. Boil for one more minute and switch off the flame. 
6. After switching off the flame slowly add one fourth cup of milk and mix thoroughly, otherwise milk may curdle.
7. Transfer the ragi Java into serving bowls. Do not add cashews and almonds while feeding infants. 
8. Now add crushed cashews and slivered almonds as a garnish and relish the ragi Java. 

Thank you for visiting akshayakumbham and leaving comments. Your comments are really appreciated.

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Atukula Payasam/Riceflakes Kheer

Atukula payasam

Atukula payasam is super easy traditional recipe which can be prepared in a jiffy.  Hot milk is poured onto the rice flakes.  Crushed cardamom powder and organic jaggery powder are added to the rice flakes and milk mixture. Mix thoroughly till the jaggery dissolves completely. Cashews, almonds and raisins are roasted in little ghee and added to the payasam. Here I present delicious atukula payasam which can be offered as naivedhyam to God during pooja rituals. Njoy Cooking, Serving n Savoring!

Author: Akshayakumbham 

Course: Sweets 

Cuisine: South Indian 

Servings: 2

Ingredients: 

Thick Rice flakes/atukulu/poha: One small cup

Milk: Two and half small cups

Organic jaggery: 4-5 tsp

Cardamom pods: 3/4 nos. 

Ghee: One tsp

Crushed cashews, almonds n raisins: One tbsp 

Method of preparation:

1. Take small cup of rice flakes and transfer into a bowl.

2. Pour hot boiled milk(one and half cups) onto the rice flakes. Also add jaggery powder and mix thoroughly. 

3. Heat kadai and pour ghee into it. Crush cashews n almonds in a mortar pestle. Roast broken cashews, almonds and raisins in ghee. 

4. Transfer the roasted dry fruits onto the atukula payasam. Mix thoroughly and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Add crushed cardamom pods too.

5. Now the tasty atukula payasam is ready to offer to God as naivedhyam. 

Tip: 

1. I’ve used thick rice flakes/poha to prepare the recipe. I’ve not cooked the rice flakes to retain their texture, instead if you want soft texture rice flakes can be cooked for three minutes in milk before adding jaggery. Thin rice flakes can also be added. After adding hot milk they turn soft and mushy.
2. Sugar also can be added instead of jaggery. 

Thank you for visiting akshayakumbham and leaving comments. Your comments are really appreciated.

Vankaya roti Pachadi/Brinjal Chutney

Vankaya Roti pachadi

Any day any time roti (mortar pestle) pachadi (chutney) with hot steamed rice and melted ghee is just awesome. Never get bored. Almost everyday I prepare Roti pachadi as my hubby n kids just love the pachadis. I’ve inherited Roti pachallu from my mom. She makes amazing chutneys. This pachadi/chutney is famous in Nellore Dist. and incredibly Nellore is popular for unique chutneys. I’ve prepared Vankaya pachadi using marble mortar pestle. The flavour is distinctive. The texture we can’t replicate in a mixer grinder. With minimal ingredients I’ve made this recipe. The brinjals I’ve used for making this pachadi got from my home town. They are soft and very tender. This is no onion no garlic recipe. So we can prepare this pachadi during Vrat or poojas. Here I present Vankaya pachadi which can be served with hot steamed rice topped with melted ghee. Njoy Cooking, Serving n Savoring!

Ingredients:

Brinjals: 5/6 nos.(Preferably green brinjals)

Turmeric: A pinch

Salt: As required

Tamarind: small lemon sized

Tempering ingredients:

Oil: 1 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp

Urad dal: 1 tsp

Chana dal: 1 tsp

Coriander seeds: 1 tsp

Asafoetida/Hing : A pinch

Method of preparation:

1. Take farm fresh green brinjals and rinse them thoroughly with water.

2. Cut them along lengthwise into four slits without cutting the base.

3. Put the brinjals in turmeric and salt water. Turmeric helps to retain the colour of brinjals.

4. Heat a Kadai, pour oil and put tempering ingredients except red chillies and hing.

5. Fry them till they change into light brown colour and add red chillies, a pinch of hing too. Fry them for a minute and transfer them onto a plate. Allow them to cool down.

6. Now in the same kadai, pour little oil and put cut brinjals. Add pinch of salt and turmeric. If we don’t add salt brinjals will get bitter taste.

7. Fry the brinjals on low flame stirring occasionally.

8. After two minutes flip the brinjals and close the kadai with lid.

9. Meanwhile soak small lemon sized tamarind in water. Rinse it once with water before soaking in water.

10. Fry the brinjals till they are cooked and become soft.

11. Switch off the flame and allow the brinjals to cool down.

12. Take a mortar pestle, put the half of the fried tempering ingredients. Add required amount of salt also.

13. Crush the tempering using pestle till you get coarser texture.

14. Now add soaked tamarind to the crushed tempering.

15. Crush tamarind along with coarsely crushed tempering.

13. While using mortar pestle on kitchen platform, keep folded hand napkin beneath the mortar so that we can control the noise and it’s safe too when giving blows.

14. Now add fried brinjals to the coarse mixture.

15. Crush the brinjals using pestle to get right texture and consistency.

16. Now add the remaining tempering to the pachadi.

17. The brinjal/vankaya pachadi is ready and transfer the pachadi onto a serving bowl. Serve the vankaya pachadi with hot steamed rice.

 

Tips:

1. The shelf life of this pachadi is very short. You have to consume on the same day. If refrigerated can be used for 1/2 days. But for best results consume it on the same day.

2. Here in this recipe I’ve used only red chillies. Instead of that you can use green chillies or both.