Regu Vada/ Ber Vada

Jujube or Ber or Regu pandlu is a seasonal fruit available in South India. In my childhood these fruits are sold by vendors near the schools. We use to eat these along with chilli powder and salt.The ripe fruits are used for making tangy and spicy vadas. Its a very simple snack that can be made at home. Here comes the recipe for these seasonal goodies...........................

1cup jujube fruits should be washed and dried in the shade. Add these fruits into rolu(stone motor ) pound them to a mushy mixture with a berry sized tamarind, 4-5 green chillies, salt to taste and 2tsp. jaggery, make small vadas out of this ground mixture and dry them in the sun for a day or two (turn in between), once dried well, these can be stored for about 3- 6months.

Double ka Meeta

Double Ka Meetha aka Bread halwa, is one of the classic Nizami Dessert, that hails form the city of Hyderabad,India. This dessert is referred as "king of Bread Puddings".



Ingredients:
12 Milk Bread Slices
Oil+Ghee – to deep fry (I used 3/4 of oil and 1/4ghee, if not only oil also can be used)
Cashew nuts-halved(1fist full)
2cups Milk
1/4 cup Khova/khoa
6no. Cardamom(Powdered)
2cups Sugar

Sugar Syrup:

In a pan add sugar and water(just add 1/2 cup of water). Stir to dissolve and let the water boil on high for 10-12 minutes or until you get a sticky consistency.

Method:

Remove the bread form the pack and spread the slices on plate, let them air dry for 10-15mins.

Cut off the corner of the bread slices and slice them into triangles and dry roast them on tava till they are little stiff, remove from the heat and keep them aside.

Now heat the oil and ghee ( the ghee and oil should not be over heated).Roast the cashews till they get golden color and keep them aside. Deep fry the roasted bread slices on both sides till they are dark brown but should not burnt( take care while deep frying as bread gets burnt easily). Remove the fried crisp bread slices and keep them aside.

In a pan boil milk, once it starts to boil add khova/khoa and let it cook till it has reduced to half its original quantity, add cardamom powder and keep aside.

In a wide pan add the fried bread slices, fried cashews. Pour the prepared warm sugar syrup and the warm reduced milk into all over the fried bread slices in the pan. Cook on medium heat until the liquid has been evaporated, stir gently in between. Most of the people like to have this dessert warm, and some like it chilled. This warm dessert tastes heavenly when served with ice cream.

Gavvalu

Gavvalu, if translated in english it literally mean sea shells, a traditional Andhra pindi vantakam(festive sweet). Usually these gavvalu/shells are prepared using a gavvala chekka (mould), if could not manage to get one can be tried on a big fork or a brand new flat comb.



Ingredients:

2cups maida
1cup sooji(upma ravva)
pinch of salt
water as required to make a tight dough
oil for deep frying + 5tbs.oil(heated)


Sugar Syrup for coating gavvalu:
1cup sugar
enough water to immerse sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder



Recipe:

Make a soft dough of maida, sooji, salt and heated oil by adding enough water. Keep aside for 15 mts. Make small marble sized balls. Use gavvala chekka or the back of fork to shape each ball like a shell. Take the ball, place it on the fork/mold, using thumb press each ball gently onto the fork, then roll into a shell shape. Prepare shells with all prepared balls and keep aside.



Take a heavy bottomed vessel, add sugar and water and let it melt. Cook till the syrup becomes thick. To check the correct syrup consistency, drop some syrup into a bowl of water and if turns into a soft ball, its the right time to turn off heat. Add cardamom pwd and turn off heat.


Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai/deep frying pan, once the oil is hot enough, add the gavvalu and deep fry to a golden brown shade, fry the remaining gavvalu, take them onto paper towel to remove excess oil. Then add fried gavvalu to the syrup. Combine well to coat the gavvalu, let them cool and store them in an air tight container.