Chivda

'Chivda' is a light tea time snack which is crunchy and delicious made from beaten rice flakes (poha) and puffed rice (murmure). This chivda  is a not deep fried and very popular in Maharashtra and Gujarat region.

Ingredients
1 kg beaten rice flakes (poha or paper avalakki)
1/2 kg puffed rice (murmura)
1 cup peanuts
Mustard seeds 1 tbs
1/2 cup cashewnuts (chopped)
2 tbs sesame seeds
2 tbs phutane
3 green chillies (chopped)
1 tbs turmeric powder
2 tbs kadipatta leaves
2 tbs red chilli powder
salt as per taste
sugar 2 tbs
1 tsb hing
Oil for frying the spices

Method

1. Dry roast the poha till it is crispy. Keep stirring it from time to time. After poha is crisp remove it on a flat plate and keep it for cooling. Dry roast the murmure and roast till it is crispy. Keep it aside for cooling and mix it with the poha.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add peanuts and fry it till it is light brown. Add cashewnuts and fry for a minute. Add futane, mustard seeds, sesame seeds, green chillies, kadipatta leaves and fry all this till it is light brown in colour. Put off the gas and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder. Add the poha and murmure. Later on add salt and sugar. Mix well. Allow it to cool down completely. Store in a air tight container.

Shankarpali

'Shankarpali'  is a sweet snack which is made in most of the houses in Maharashtra during Diwali. 'Shankarpali' is a good tea time snack and kids love to eat this as it serves as a perfect finger food!

Ingredients
Milk 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Ghee (clarified butter) 3/4 cup
Salt 1/2 tsp
Maida (all purpose flour) 3 cups
Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Boil milk, add sugar and stir till the sugar dissolves completely. Add salt to this mixture.
2. Take maida in a flat bottom plate. Make a well in center and add ghee. Mix well with maida and slowly start adding the milk (with sugar dissolved) to make a dough. The dough should be thicker than that of roti dough.
3. Rest the dough for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes of resting take small portion of the dough and make a thin roti like shape. Cut into desired shape and deep fry till golden brown.
5. Store in an airtight container after it cools down completely after frying.

Besan-Rava Laddu

Diwali is festival of lights, sweets and meeting all family and friends! Diwali is not complete in my household if there are no 'laddus' done. I'm using 'rava' (semolina) also in this recipe as besan 'laddus' taste nice when little 'rava' is added to them. 
I'm not a big fan of cardamom so I'm not adding it to the 'laddus'. But if you wish you can add a bit of cardamom to the 'laddus' to enhance the taste of the 'laddus'

Ingrediants
2 cups besan (chickpea flour)
1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
3-4 tbs milk
4 tbs rava (semolina)
1 cup sugar (powdered)

Method

1.  Dry roast besan in a non stick pan for 5-6 minutes, add ghee to it. Ghee is added to 'besan' at this stage to act as a binding agent. Roast till 'besan' turns to light brown color. Add milk at this stage.  After sometime you will start getting the aroma of roasted 'besan' and ghee. This is the time you have to stop roasting and keep this mixture to cool down. Sometimes depending on the quality of the ghee this mixture will look too wet. Don't panic at this stage as we will be adding 'rava' to this mixture to make it into a thick 'laddu' consistency.
2. Dry roast separately 'rava' for about 5-8 minutes till you get the aroma of the roasted 'rava'. Keep stirring continuously to avoid the 'rava' turning dark brown in color. Add the besan mixture to this mixture after it cools down completely. Use your hands to mix it well.
3. After the mixture is cooled down completely add sugar. Take a little mixture in your hands and start making 'laddus'  To give it a perfect ball like shape rotate your hands in clock-wise direction for few times!
   
   
   **Makes about 12 laddus (medium size)