Sanza

Sanza is a pudding made from wheat,and is particularly famous in Maharashtra. I learnt this recipe when I visited Shirdi. I made this as prasadam for Navrathri - just 15 minutes and it was ready.



Ingredients:-

1. Cashew - 20 gms
   
2. Raisins - 10 gms
3. Cardamom - 3 cloves
4. Milk - 3 cups
5. Cracked wheat rava - 1 cup
6. Grated jaggery - 3/4 cup ( 1/2 cup if less sugar desired)
   
7. Ghee - 5 tbsps

Method :-

1. Fry cashew and raisins in 2 tbsps of ghee until the cashew turns light brown.Keep the cashews and raisins aside, and fry the wheat rava in the remaining ghee until it browns.
   
2. Boil the milk in a separate saucepan, then add the rava and stir for two minutes. Cover the saucepan with a lid, and let it simmer for 3 more minutes.This should cook really quickly.
   
3. Boil the jaggery in 1/4 cup water, until the jaggery melts and bubbles form. This should take less than 5 minutes
4. Add the jaggery syrup to the rava-milk mixture, mix well with the remaining 3 tbsps of ghee.
   
5. Add the toasted cashews and raisins as garnish.
   

Mango Vathakuzhambu

Ingredients :-

1. 1-2 sour mangoes - either green or yellow
2. tamarind paste - 1tbsp
3. salt - 1 1/2 tbsp
   
4. chilli powder - 2tbsp
   
5. hing - 1/4tbsp
6. green chilli - 2
7. curry leaves - a handful
8. fenugreek seeds,urad dal,1 tsp oil and mustard for the tadka
   

Method:-

1. Cut a green mango into bite sized pieces.For this recipe, I used a yellow mango that turned out to be really sour,and worked well for this vathakuzhambu.
2. Boil mango and tamarind water until the mango cooks well. Then add a dash of chilli powder, salt , hing and one or two green chillies.
   
3. simmer until the mango cooks and the raw smell of tamarind dissipates.
   
4. Do the tadka with a tbsp of oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, red chillies.Add 1-2 fenugreek seeds at the end until the fenugreek seeds turn brown and aromatic. If the fenugreek seeds turn too dark, it will add a bitter taste.
   
5. Finally, garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with rice.
   

Mango vathakuzhambu tastes great on rainy days or when you are nursing a cold. If you eat this with a little sesame oil or as an accompaniment to curd rice, it is phenomenal.