Shavige kheer

Shavige/vermicelli kheer is simple, easy and can be made in a jiffy. It was the first ever sweet dish I learnt to make. And every time my college friends visited me, I would make this. This is for my friend V who'd always complain that Shavige kheer was the only decent thing that I could make back then.

Here's what you'll need:
Vermicelli - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup. I prefer less sugar, alter this according to your taste.
Milk - 3 cups
Ghee - 2 tsp
Raisin, Cashewnuts - few
Saffron - few strands (optional)
Cardamon - 2-3 few pods crushed

Heat ghee in a pan and fry raisin and cashew nut till light brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, fry vermicelli till it turns light brown. Add milk and let the vermicelli cook till its soft. You can add a little water to alter the consistency of the kheer.
Add sugar, give the kheer a good mix and throw in the fried raisin, cashew nuts and cardamom powder.
I'd like to add the saffron strands towards the end, before turning the stove off, it gives a nice look to the kheer. But this is optional.
Refrigerate it and enjoy cold shavige payasa.

Heser bele/Moong dal paysa

Ingredients
Moong dal - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1 cup
Water - 11/2 cups
Grated Coconut/coconut milk - 1 cup/can
Cardamom - 2-3
Ghee - 2tbsp
Raisins, Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup

Method
In a pan, heat ghee and fry raisin and cashew till it turns golden brown. Strain the dry fruits and keep aside.
In the same pan, roast moong dal till it becomes slightly brown in color.
Add water and pressure cook till done.
If you use grated coconut, blend coconut and cardamom in a mixer to a smooth paste. Do not add a lot of water while blending. And add this to the cooked dal and bring it to boil.
Otherwise, just empty the can of coconut milk into cooked dal and add cardamom.
Now add jaggery and boil it for 5-10 minutes. Keep stirring to make sure lumps are not formed at the bottom of the pan.
You can alter the consistency by adding milk.
Add the fried raisins and cashew nut.

Obattu/Holige

Ingredients
Toor Dal - 13/4 cups
Channa dal - 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 2 cups
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Maida - 11/2 cups
Rava - 2 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt - a pinch
Cardamom - 4-5
Oil - 1/2 cup

Method
Mix maida, rava, turmeric, salt and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl. Add water and knead the dough to chapathi consistency. Coat the dough with 1 table spoon of oil and set aside for 2 hours.
Cook toor dal and channa dal till done.
Separate water from dal using a strainer. This water can be used to make obattu saaru.
Heat a pan, add the boiled dal, jaggery and coconut and bring it to boil. Keep stirring till all the moisture evaporates and the mixture becomes thick. Now add cardamom.
Grind the mixture to a smooth paste. Do not add water while grinding. After it cools, make lemon sized balls and set aside 1 of these for obattu saaru.
Take a small sized ball of the maida dough and pat to the size of a small puri.
Place the dal filling in the center and seal the sides. Pat this on a plastic paper smeared with oil to make a small paratha.
Fry it on a hot tava. Smear a little oil while frying obattu.
Obattu tastes best when served with ghee.

Obattu Saaru
Bring the strained dal water to boil.
Add salt, the dal-jaggery mixute that you had saved and 1 teaspoon of red chilly powder and quater teaspoon of tamarind paste.
Season with mustard, red chilly, asofotedia and curry leaves.