Javvarisi Kozhukattai | Sago Modak

Javvarisi Kozhukattai, a delicious kozhukattai made with tapioca pearls for outer dough and coconut jaggery stuffing for the inner fillings. It looks so cute because of the tapioca pearls which gives the translucent look for the outer covering and tastes chewy & absolutely delicious.

This Javvarisi Kozhukattai was really popular a couple of years ago and ever since i have been eyeing on this kozhukattai finally made this a couple of months ago and it became our favorite since especially the little one loves this kozhukattai a lot because of its chewy texture and he said it's like gummy bears :-) 

It makes a great snack for the evenings. Also if you're looking for something unique to make for this vinayagar chaturthi then definitely give a try on this javvarisi kozhukattai. 

Javvarisi| Sago|  Tapioca pearls | Sabudhana 

In the market there are two types of tapioca pearls available. First one is in white color and the other variety is like glass which is also known as nylon sago/javvarisi. For this Kozhukattai, you need white color tapioca pearls. 

Don't try it with a nylon variety which will not work for this recipe. So make sure to get the white variety of tapioca pearls.

Shaping the Kozhukattai

As my javvarisi/sago is a little big, i pulse the javvarisi/sago a couple of times so that i'm able to make the ball shape out of it. If you're using the small variety, then once the javvarisi/sago is soaked and drained, try to make a ball shape out of it. If you can, then no need to pulse the javvarisi/sago.

Honestly , compared to the traditional outer dough, i find these sago outer dough is very forgiving and keeps the filling intact without any spilling because of its glutinous  nature. But it takes patience to shape the modak for the initial one or two. Once you get the knack of it, it all will be done in minutes.

 Coconut Filling

For today's recipe, i have used jaggery to sweeten the coconut. For the easier no cook version, you can simply mix coconut, sugar and cardamom powder and use it as filling.

I have tried both ways and my personal favorite is the jaggery version. Because first, it tastes better than the sugar version. Second, no cooked version of coconut  filling is s little difficult to stuff the modak. It spills over all the place because nothing holds it together. So if you're trying for the first time, simply follow the recipe ditto. 

Also for the filling, you can use fresh, frozen or desiccated coconut. It all works well for the recipe.

Finally, the sweetness of the filling is a little bit on the higher side because you can't make a thin layer of outer dough with this sago mixture and also you can't overfill the modak, so the extra sweetness is much needed for this kozhukattai to avoid the blandness 

Now let's check out how to make these cute yet delicious javvarisi kozhukattai.

Javvarisi Kozhukattai

Preparation Time : 2 hrs | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 6 
Recipe Category: Snacks | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Javvarisi Kozhuttai, Sago Modak,Tapioca Pearls Modak,Sabudhana Mothagam Javvarisi Kozhukattai, a delicious kozhukattai made with tapioca pearls for outer dough and coconut jaggery stuffing for the inner fillings.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

For Outer dough

Javvarisi / Sago / Tapioca pearls - 1/2 cup

Salt - 1/8 tsp

Water - as needed.

For filling 

Coconut - 1/3 cup(heaped)

Jaggery - 1/3 cup

Water - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Procedure

Measure the javvari/sago and put it in a bowl and add water till it's immersed completely. Cover it with a lid and let it aside for 2 hrs. After 2 hrs, the javvarisi /sago would be big and soft.

Take a sago in between your fingers and press it, it should mash easily. That's the correct stage. Strain the javvarisi/sago to remove the excess water. 

Put it in a mixie/blender jar and pulse for a couple of times and then transfer into a bowl and then add the salt.

Mix it with your hand and make equal sized 6 balls and keep it covered until use.

Now let's make the filling, in a sauce add the jaggery and water, heat it in the medium flame until the jaggery is completely melted.

Next add the coconut and cook till it becomes a thick mass. Finally add the cardamom powder and switch off the flame.

Now, let's make the kozhukattai/modak, take a ball of javvarisi/ sago and place it in your palm and make a small bowl like shape. Place a small amount of coconut filling in it and gently close it. Do the same for the remaining dough.

Bring the water to boil in a steamer/idli pot . Steam the Javvarisi kozhukattai in it for 15 mins in a low medium flame.

Delicious Javvarisi Kozhukattai/Sago Modak is ready.

Related: How to make Jackfruit Kozhukattai

Notes:

• Make sure to use the white javvarisi, not the nylon variety.
• For the mild sweetness, you can reduce the jaggery upto 1/4 cup.

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Chocolate Croissants using Puff Pastry | Chocolate Croissants

Chocolate Croissants, a delicious pastry filled with chocolate. Croissants are a style of viennoiserie pastries which uses yeast as a leavening agent and these kinds of pastries are mostly served as breakfast or as snacks. 

Traditional Croissants take hours to make and it's really a labour of love kind of pastries. If you have followed my blog for a while, you would already knew how much i like to bake with puff pastry . So today, in this recipe, i'm using store bought puff pastry to make these delicious chocolate croissants.

I'm not gonna lie that it tastes just like traditional croissants, but it tastes awesome in its own way and it's really tasty, flaky, light  & would be ready in 30 mins ! What else you need for  sudden cravings, right?

Before moving on to the recipe, let's check out some FAQs.

Which brand of puff pasty am i using in this recipe?

I have used "Tender Flake" brand puff pastry for this recipe and also i tried this recipe with "Pepperridge farm" brand puff pastry in the past and both work really well. 

Also, you can use the homemade puff pastry too ! 

Can i make these croissants without using egg/egg wash?

Yes, you can make them. Instead of egg, you can add a tsp of sugar in the milk and apply it on the top of puff sheets.

Egg wash is only for the color on the outside, you can totally omit it if you don't want.

What type of chocolate tastes best with these Croissants?

Use your favorite chocolate anything like milk chocolate , semi sweet or dark chocolate. But make sure to not overfill the pastries. Otherwise it spews out of the pastries while baking.

How can i store the leftover croissants?

You can store the leftover croissants in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and for more days freeze it. 

Just before serving, just microwave it for 10 secs, it will be ready !

Now let's check out how to make these delicious Chocolate Croissants.

Chocolate Croissants using Puff Pastry

Preparation Time : 20 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 8 
Recipe Category: Breakfast | Recipe Cuisine: Austrian
Chocolate Croissants using Puff Pastry, Chocolate Croissants Chocolate Croissants, a delicious pastry filled with chocolate.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Puff Pastry - 1 sheet

Milk Chocolate /Dark Chocolate / Semi Dark Chocolate - 1 bar or as you needed

*Egg yolk -1 (optional)

Milk - 1 tbsp

* See FAQs at the top of the post for eggless version.

Procedure

Preheat the oven at 400F.

Take a puff pastry(make sure that it's in room temperature) , sprinkle some dry all purpose flour/maida  on the top and roll into rectangle as shown in the pic below.

Next cut the rolled sheets horizontally into four rectangles using pizza cutter or knife and then cut each rectangle diagonally into two. In the end, you will get 8 triangle pieces.

Then cut the chocolate into little chunks and place the needed chocolate(don't add more chocolate, it will come out of the croissants while baking) on the larger side of the triangle and start rolling tightly till the end.

Do the same for all the puff pastry pieces. 

Then arrange it on the foil lined/ parchment lined baking sheet and place the croissant on it. Make sure to have enough space in between them since it will expand while baking. Next crack open the egg and place the yolk alone in a bowl, add the milk and beat it smoothly with a fork.

Apply egg wash on the croissants and place the tray on the oven. Bake it for 20-25 mins. 

Tada, Yummy Chocolate Croissants is ready ! 

Related: How to make Apple Turnovers using Puff Pastry

Notes:

• Make sure to cool it completely before store it. 
• Taste best when it's out of oven.

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Kuchi Chips, a delicious and crunchy snack made from the tapioca roots which is also known as "Kappa" or "cassava". It's one of the easiest chips that you can make at home and also they are super delicious & addictive. 

If you have been following me for a while, you might be already know how much i like tapioca. Simple steamed tapioca with a lot of coconut with basic coconut oil tempering is my all time favorite and usually make it for breakfast or as snack in the evening. 

If you haven't cooked tapioca before, i would recommend to try this steamed tapioca first ! 

Next to the steamed tapioca, this kuchi chips is my next favorite to make with tapioca. It tastes so great with a cup of hot chai so i usually make it as tea snacks. 

But you can make this in large batch , it stores well for days at room temperature and comes handy when you need some snack to munch on !

How to make Kuchi Chips | Tapioca Chips

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Snacks | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Kuchi Chips, Tapioca Chips,Indian Snacks,Tea Time Snacks Kuchi Chips, a delicious and crunchy snack made from the tapioca roots which is also known as Kappa or Cassava .

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Tapioca - 1 

Oil - for frying

Salt - to taste

Red Chili Powder -1/4 tsp

Procedure

First peel the tapioca and cut into small logs. Check out this post for step by step instructions on how to clean tapioca.

Next cut the tapioca as thin sheets and then cut into thin stripes.

Do the same for all the whole tapioca. Heat the oil for frying and add a small batch of tapioca.

Don't over crowd the oil and let it fry in the medium flame.

It slowly starts to change the color and fry till it's dark brown in color and all the "shh" sound stops.

Drain the chips from the oil and place it on the tissue paper for a few secs and then transfer into the wide bowl.

Once all the chips are fried, add the chili powder and salt. Give a quick toss to coat well with the chips.

That's it, Tasty and crunchy Kuchi Chips are ready ! 

Related: How to make plantain chips / vazhakkai chips.

Notes:

• Cook in medium flame for even colouring.
• Adjust the spice level according to your taste.
• Cut the tapioca into even stripes for even cooking. 
• Cut the tapioca into thin stripes for crunchy chips, otherwise it would be soft.

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Coconut Milk Murukku | Thengai Pal Murukku

Coconut Milk Murukku, a delicious, crunchy and flavorful snack made from the rice flour as main ingredient and flavored with coconut milk. It's one of our favorite snacks to munch on any time. 

Back in days when we were in hosur, we used to buy this coconut milk murukku from the local bakery whenever we pass by that store. The flavor and the taste of the murukku is simply amazing. Later i had tried a few proportions to recreate that murukku taste and finally the recipe that i'm sharing today is my keeper for making this delicious murukku!

Before check out the recipe, let's see some of the FAQs 

Can i use store brought coconut milk for this recipe ?

Yes, of course ! But here, i have used homemade coconut milk only. Make sure to use the brand that doesn't have any artificial flavor for best taste and aroma. 

Why did my murukku break into oil ?

If the dough doesn't have enough moisture in it, the murukku breaks easily in the oil and also it breaks while squeezing the dough. So add a little more coconut milk in the dough, mix it well and use.

Why is my murukku not crispy ?

If the oil is too hot, then the outer turns darker easily and it won't be crispy. Cook it in the medium flame for the whole process helps to get crispy murukku.

Why is my murukku hard?

It doesn't have enough fat in it. Butter used in the murukku helps to keep the murukku crispy and as light.

Does the murukku burst in the oil?

Chances are there!!

1.  If the dry ingredients like rice flour and any other flour used in the recipe has any big granules. So make sure to sieve all the flour once before making dough
2. Once all the dough is squeezed, don't tempt to roll the left over dough into seedai and fry. It has the chance to burst.

Coconut Milk Murukku

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 25 
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Coconut Milk Murukku, Murukku, Thengai Pal Murukku Coconut Milk Murukku, a delicious, crunchy and flavorful snack made from the rice flour as main ingredient and flavored with coconut milk.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Rice flour - 2 cups
Roasted chana dal/Pottukadalai/Dalia  flour- 1/3 cup
Butter - 2 tbsp
Cumin seed - 1 tsp

Coconut Milk - 1 cup(approx)
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Oil - for frying

Procedure

Take rice flour, pottukadalai flour, cumin seed and salt in a large bowl, mix it all well together, then add the butter.

Incorporate butter with the flour until it all mixed well. Next add the coconut milk little by little and make a soft dough.

Take the murukku press and add the three hole disc in it. Then fill 3/4 of the murukku press with the dough. 

Close the murukku press with the lid. Take a few slotted laddle or small plates and squeeze the dough in circles and keep it ready. Heat the oil for deep frying. Add a piece of dough in the oil, if it rise up immediately, then the oil is ready to fry murukku.

Add a few pressed murukku dough and cook it on medium flame.

When the "shh" sound stops and the murukku floats on the top, remove it from the oil and place it on tissue paper. Let them cool completely and store it in air tight container.

Tasty, crunchy and flavorful coconut milk murukku/Thengai pal murukku is ready.

Related:How to make Omapodi/Plain sev

Notes:

• Make sure to store the murukku when it's completely cooled down.
• Tastes and flavor intensify after a  few days.
• Instead of cumin seed, you can also use the sesame seeds for flavoring.
• 

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Ribbon Pakoda, a delicious and crunchy snack made from the mixture of rice flour and besan. It's one of the easiest snacks to prepare at home with basic pantry basic ingredients and I used to make these types of snacks at least once in a month at home to fill our snack box. 

We prefer these kinds of home made snacks more than any pre-packed store snacks.Though I have been preparing this snack for years now, somehow I didn't share this easy recipe so far, as deepavali is nearby, I thought sharing this recipe now would be helpful to all those who are looking for easy diwali snacks to prepare on this occasion. 

Before checking out the recipe, let's see some FAQs

What's the correct temperature to fry these Ribbon pakoda?

Add a pinch of dough into the hot oil, it should come up immediately . That's the perfect temperature to fry ribbon pakoda.

Why is my ribbon pakoda chewy instead of crunchy even though it has a golden brown color?

Oil temperature is too high, so the outside turns into a golden brown color before the inside get cooked. So it's chewy. Reduce the oil temperature and make sure to cook it in low-medium flame for a crunchy texture.

Ok, now let's see how to make this delicious Ribbon Pakoda. If you have any other questions, leave a comment, I will try to answer to the best of my knowledge !  

Ribbon Pakoda | Ola Pakoda

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 6 
Recipe Category: Snacks | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Ribbon Pakoda, Ola Pakoda,Seeva, Pepper Ribbon Pakoda Ribbon Pakoda, a delicious and crunchy snack made from the mixture of rice flour and besan.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Rice Flour - 1 cup

Besan/ Gram Flour - 1/2 cup

Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp(heaped)

Butter - 1 tbsp

Water - as needed

Oil - for frying

Procedure

First take the rice flour, besan, pepper powder and salt in a bowl. Mix it all well together. Melt the butter and add into the flour mixture.

Mix it with your hand until the butter is well mixed with the flour. Next, add water little by little and make a soft pliable dough.

Take the murukku press and add the ribbon pakoda disk into it and fill 3/4 of the press with the dough and close the lid. Heat the oil for frying and squeeze the dough directly into the oil as concentric circles.

Cook it on low-medium flame until it gets a nice golden brown color and the sound "shh" stops. Remove from the oil and drain it on a paper towel.

Once it's cooled down completely, break it into small pieces and store it in an airtight container. Yummy Ribbon Pakoda is ready to munch on any time.

Related : How to make Sattur Sev

Notes:

• Store it in a clean dry container to retain its crunchiness for a longer time.
• Instead of pepper powder, you can use chili powder too.
• For vegan version, instead of butter, you can add some hot oil in the flour and mix it well.

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