Putani- Oats- Kalu Teelu ghalnu Churmundo/ Roasted Gram- Oats- Black Sesame Laddoos.

"Naivedyam : Putani- Oats- Kalu Teelu ghalnu Churmundo/ Roasted Gram- Oats- Black Sesame Laddoos" ... Today marks the 7th day of Navratri 2020 and Kalaratri Devi the seventh avatar of Navdurga is worshiped on this auspicious day ... prepared churmundo as an offering to Goddess giving it slightly healthier twist with the said ingredients which consist of the highest nutritional value ... God Bless All ...  // Jai Mata Di …. 

** I try to prepare some sweet dish as an offering to Goddess on all nine days of Navratri festival, ie. the nine-day long Hindu festival during which devotees worship the different avatars of Goddess Durga. As I mentioned already many a times my Kuladevi ie family deity is Mahalasa Narayani, the main temple of which is in Mardol, Goa. I have been preparing churmundo our favorite laddoos in different combinations recently and they always turn out great. It really amazes me that this particular laddoo can be preparing giving twists in so many ways and there are already many variations ready in my mind to be tried. Today I prepared these laddoos ie churmundo as an offering to Goddess (Naivedyam) which I prepared with addition of roasted gram, oats and black til (sesame) along with little bit of rava and it turned out awesome. I always add in little bit of rava, this is my Mother’s guidance as she insists that the laddoos turns out better with the inclusion and I always follow whatever she advice's. 

** In all I would say a nutritious churmundo as roasted gram ie putani is very good for health, the powder of which is also referred to as Sattu and is consumed for various health issues. I have already posted a churmundo prepared using this flour and also a coolant both of which are excellent for health. Today I added on oats another ingredient which is considered to be excellent for the stomach. I have been wanting to prepare churmundo with addition of oats for very long time but somehow I never got round to preparing the same. The next is Black Til/ Sesame, Teelu which is also extremely beneficial for overall health of young and old alike. It is loaded with Calcium and has body warming properties and is good to be had during cold season. The coming of winter in a few months will show more of dishes using the same definitely in the blog, so keep following for more yummier recipes. Till then, try out these delicious laddoos and enjoy with your family and friends. Stay Safe, Stay Blessed. 

** Here is my very own recipe for “Putani- Oats- Kalu Teelu ghalnu Churmundo/ Roasted Gram- Oats- Black Sesame Laddoos" … which I tried today giving a twist to traditional Churmundo that my mother makes … 

** Ingredients: 

Ghee/ Toop : ¾ to 1 cup (melted) 

Roasted Gram/ Putani : 1 heaped cup 

Rava/ Rulav : 3 tblsp 

Oats : ¾- 1 cup 

Black Sesame Seeds/ Til/ Teelu/ Yellu/ Gingili Seeds : 3 tblsp 

Cardamom/ Ellaichi/ Yellu Powder : ¼ tsp. 

Sugar Powder/ Sakkre Pitti/ Pitti Shakkar : 1.5- 2 Cups. 

Raisins/ Sukkale Draksha/ Kishmish : 20-22 (Optional) 

** Roast putani/ roasted gram in a thick bottomed kadai on medium to low heat for a few minutes, till it is very slightly roasted. Do not let the color change or let it burn. Remove and keep it aside to get slightly cooled. Put it in a mixer grinder and grind to a very fine powder, remove and keep it aside ready. 

** In the same kadai, add in the Oats and fry it also for a few minutes till it is warm enough and then keep it aside to get slightly cooled. Put this also in the mixer grinder and grind to a fine powder and add this to the putani powder kept aside. 

** Again, in the same kadai add in the black til/ sesame and fry till it turns slightly crisp, cool it, grind it just one round ie using pulse mode just run for a second twice. Do not grind to a fine powder but just a coarse powder consistency. Remove and add this to the putani oats flour and mix all the three together well and keep it aside ready. 

** Heat ghee (should be thinned/ melted by heating before measuring), remove some and keep at aside to be added on later only if necessary. Add in dry grapes into the ghee and fry till the color changes slightly and they blow up. Remove and keep it aside to be added on later while binding the churmundos. 

** Now add rava to the same ghee and fry well say for about 5- 7 minutes till there is a nice aroma and there is a slight change in the rava colour. Keep stirring continuously so that the rava is evenly done. Now lower the heat to minimum and add the mixed and kept aside putani- oats- sesame mixture and fry well continuously mixing for about 5 minutes. 

** Add in cardamom powder, mix well and remove from heat. Now add in the sugar powder and keep mixing with spatula, till the sugar powder has been well and evenly mixed in with the mixture. Now with hand knead in the sugar powder well with mixture as this step helps in blending and binding of laddoo easily, also see it it that there are lumps in mixture. 

** Take a handful of mixture and press it hard in hand to get it closely bound, if it does bind then proceed, if it falls apart loosely then add in another few teaspoons of ghee kept aside, mix well and then continue the same procedure to check out. Once you are able to bind laddos by gently pressing and putting pressure on it from other hand start making laddoos. 

** Take a large handful say the amount of one large sized lemon and press well within your palm and then place one fried raisin on top of the laddoos, press it in slightly and then go about making them into laddoos by applying pressure evenly with the other hand gently to get it round. If you still find difficulty in binding add in little bit of more of ghee and continue. 

** “Putani- Oats- Kalu Teelu ghalnu Churmundo/ Roasted Gram- Oats- Black Sesame Laddoos" are done and ready to offered as Naivedyam to God and there by served to family and friends. I prepared this on the occasion of Navratri as an offering to Goddess Mahalasa Narayani and Mahalakshmi. 

** I have been trying my best to do something as Naivedyam almost of daily basis, though I have yet to post them as due to time constraint I am not able to do so. Do excuse, but try this one out, it is excellent for health and the best part is both young and old will love it and children will simply demand for more.

** Always make a habit of preparing traditional dishes on festive occasions so that the habit of preparing them remains and gets continued over generations. There is nothing much tastier than our own traditional Indian dishes that we should continue with preparing so that it is not lost forever also you will witness your children, grandchildren enjoying them more so too. 

** Note : It takes a little bit of practice to be able to bind these Churmundos/ ladoos on a bit dryerside ie with less quantity of ghee. So if you find the mixture too dry and are not able to bind the ladoos you can always add some hot thinned ghee and mix well. This will help in binding of the laddoos. As you continue preparing them often you will be able to cut down on ghee with practice in binding. 

** I have prepared a few varieties of Churmundo before and posted in the blog to which I am sharing a common link. It includes the traditional way my mom prepares too, do browse through the same, they are all delicious in taste and tried many times in my kitchen … https://gayathrifoodbytes.blogspot.com/search?q=churmundo