Malar Unda/ Pori Ladoo

I still remember the first time I ate Pori Ladoo. One of the peon uncles from my father's office has asked to come to their home and it being a chance for us as kids to see the farms and the crops they cultivate etc., my father took us one day. They served us with these pori ladoos. Those were huge in size. I was glad that they were huge, because we were taught to be decent and just pick one when offered and don't just hog over the entire plate of it when served. So the huge one was equivalent to eating three actually :). Ever since we returned, I used to nag my mother to make it at home. And then one day my mother made it.

The other day, me and Jordan stepped into an Indian store to grab some rusk and tea biscuits for Big J, being down with fever. I was in a hurry to get back home and my lil guy kept on checking out everything kept in the isle and asking me what it is. When he landed on the pack of pori ladoo he was like "Mama, can I get it?" Immediately, I had the flash back of my childhood when I asked my mother to make it. We didn't get the pori ladoo though but I promised I shall make it for him and we made it the same day. Seeing him relish, I was assured he has my genes too :D. Anyways, coming back to Pori Ladoo, if you love these ladoos and crave for them, try making it at home. They can be made in no time.

Mango Pudding

Mango - one fruit that is always looked forward to be enjoyed during summer in different forms is my favorite among fruits. May be because of the rendezvous that we do have with the best tasting mango during summer. It always happens with us that we tend to research/try different mangoes available in the market  and by the time we have spotted the best source for the delicious mangoes the summer comes to an end and we have to wait for another summer to come to enjoy this fruit.

But no matter what, we do enjoy this fruit during summer as if there is no end to it. In the form of drinks, desserts etc. they are always in high demand at home. This time we tried the pudding that is very easy peasy to put together and highly appreciated by everyone. These are great to treat your friends for a summer party. So try and let me know if you liked it.

Cherry Galette

With summer comes cherries, one of our favorites to munch on. Not just raw, but it tastes great in the cooked form too. This cherry galette remains as just a fade memory, because it hardly survived 2 hours after it came out of the oven. As if it was a competition, each one of us just didn't stop untill the last crumb was wiped off. Ufff, they were delicious. 

If you happen to be in a region where you can get hold of fresh cherries, it is a must try. A warm piece of galette is just perfect for tea time snack. The crisp edges and the melt in the mouth cherries are a joy to have. You should try it to know what you are missing out on. It is just heaven !

Dates Payasam

Onam Sadya is incomplete without a payasam. Infact, its the highlight of an onam sadya, right? We always try to go with the Cherupayar Parippu Payasam for Onam Sadya. Ever since I was a kid, the onam sadya at home always had Cherupayar Parippu payasam for sadya. Other payasams are usually had for other occasions. If you are not so strict about having a particular payasam for onam then you could try a variety of payasams for your sadya. One such payasam is Dates payasam.

The highlight of this payasam is that no sugar goes into it. Its just the sweetness of the dates that makes this payasam yum. So if you are open to trying something new for this onam then go ahead and try it. You wouldn't be disappointed :). Also, this can be made quickly and that too it gets done with just one greasy pot :). Now that is one plus to try it for onam, when you have loads of dishes to do after the sadya.

Papaya Halwa

Its a task to make my lil one eat some fruits. There are very few fruits that he would eat it raw, else I have to transform them into more yummier things to let it go in. Papaya is one such fruit. The way he would call out papaya and throw tantrums if we don't get it, while in a grocery store, you would think he is gonna hog on it all by himself. But no, that's not the fact. He loves Papaya Halwa, but doesn't know that papaya is in it. Mama hasn't told him yet with the fear that he would give up on that too.

I used to love papaya halwa. I still do. So we make it quite often and serve it as a dessert post meals. If you too would like to try it, here is the recipe to it.