MALPUA

Malpua is a popular dessert in North India, done during festive seasons. It is also popular in Nepal and Bangladesh. Different ingredients like banana, milk khoya, milk powder are used to prepare Malpua, and depends on the region where it is done. Here, it has been done using Maida, Sooji, Cardamom and fennel seeds mixed together with Milk. It resembles Adirasam, a popular dish in Tamilnadu, but the taste is totally different. 

INGREDIENTS:
Maida/ All purpose flour - 1 cup
Sooji/ Rava - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seed - 1 tsp (crushed/powdered)
Milk - as required
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Salt - a pinch
Oil - for deep frying

METHOD:
1. In a wide bowl, add maida, rava, fennel, cardamom, salt and mix well.
2. Add milk little by little and mix well with a spoon till it reaches the consistence of dosa batter. 
3. Keep aside for 20 minutes, so that the flavour of fennel and cardamom gets blended with the batter.

4. Whisk the batter well  for few minutes with a ladle/spoon so that the batter becomes soft. Add milk if needed to adjust consistency.
5.Heat sugar and little water to a bowl, and boil well for 5 minutes or up to 1 string consistency. 

6. Heat oil, pour a small ladle full of batter in hot oil. It will form a round shape.
7. Bring the flame to low, splash some oil on the upper side, so that both sides gets cooked well.
8. Flip to the other side and cook on low flame.

9. Cook till it turns golden brown, remove from oil.  
10. Drain oil and soak in sugar syrup for 30 seconds. 
11. Remove and place it on a plate.
12. Tasty & soft  Malpua is ready.

Note:

• The batter should not be very thick. 
• If the batter is watery, it will be oily

RICE KESARI

Kesari is a simple sweet done using rava / semiya  or combining both. Here,  it is done using basmathi rice. North Indians usually prepare this dessert using basmathi rice. Even ordinary rice rava can also be used.

INGREDIENTS:
Basmathi rice - 1cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashew nut - 10
Saffron - little
Turmeric powder - a pinch (optional)
Salt - a pinch
Ghee 3 to 4 tsp

METHOD:
1. In a tawa, add a teaspoon of ghee and roast the cashews and keep aside.
2. Wash basmathi rice 3 to 4 times until the water is clear. Drain thoroughly and add to the tawa.

3. In a pan, 2 cups of water and bring to boil.
4. Stir the basmathi rice well on medium flame until nice aroma comes out.

5. Add boiling water and mix well. Add saffron and salt.
6. Cook on low flame until the rice gets cooked well. Close with a lid and stir occasionally without breaking the rice.
7. When the water is completely absorbed, add sugar and mix well and cook on low flame.
8. Add cardamom powder, remaining ghee and cook well till the sugar is well absorbed and comes together.
9. Add roasted cashews, mix well and switch off the flame.
10. Tasty RICE KESARI is ready.

Note:

• Adding a pinch of turmeric is to get good colour to the recipe.
• It can be avoided and instead little more saffron can be added by soaking in warm milk and adding along with water to get the colour.
• Proportion of sugar can be increased according to individual wish.

MOONG DHAL HALWA | INSTANT HALWA

Moong dhal halwa is a special and classic delicacy of Rajasthan. This dessert is creamy with exotic aroma and done using split moong dhal (yellow dhal), nuts and lots of ghee. The authentic way of cooking is  time consuming and takes lots of mixing and stirring. But here, I have done using roasted and powdered moong dhal and can be done quickly with the same taste.

• Badam Halwa
• Carrot Halwa
• Kasi Halwa 
• Beet root Halwa
• Asoka Halwa 

INGREDIENTS:

Moong dhal - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 and 1/4 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Water - 1 and 1/2 cup

Cardamom - 1 tsp

Kesar/ Saffron - a little

Ghee - 1/4 cup

Cashew

Badam

Pistachios (optional)

METHOD:

1. Wash moong dhal well and pat dry for few minutes.

2. Add little ghee and dried moong dhal and saute on low flame until nice aroma comes out.

3. The colour of the moong dhal should change into orange red. Allow to cool and grind to a little coarse powder  and keep aside.

4. In a thick tawa, add little ghee and roast the nuts and almonds and keep aside.

5. In the same tawa, add powdered moong dhal and little ghee and stir on low flame for few minutes. See that the moong dhal is well coated with ghee.

6. Heat the given quantity of milk and water in a pan and add to the moong dhal little by little, since it will splutter.

7. Keep on stirring while adding the hot milk and water.

8. The moong dhal will be well cooked and froth a bit and will absorb the water and milk in few minutes.
 9. Add sugar and kesar, remaining ghee and mix well and cook on low flame.

10. At first, it will turn watery and later the sugar will be absorbed.

11. Add Cardamom powder, mix well and cover with a lid and cook on low flame for few minutes.

12. The Halwa will start to leave the sides of the pan. Add roasted nuts and almonds and mix well.

13. Tasty and delicious MOONG DHAL HALWA is ready.

Note:

• See that the moong dhal is not very coarse. It will not be cooked well while adding water and milk.
• If adding only ghee is not preferred, oil can be replaced.
• Milk can be avoided and water can be used instead.

SABUDANA VERMICELLI KHEER/ JAVVARISI SEMIA PAYASAM

Sabudana Vermicelli Kheer is a popular dessert and favourite of many.  It can be done using Sugar or Jaggery. Now, being Navarathri time, I have done using Jaggery. This kheer can be done either using Sabudana or Vermicelli or a combination of both. 

INGREDIENTS:
Javvarisi/Sabudana - 1/4 cup
Semia/Vermicelli - 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Milk - 3 cups
Cashew nut - 10
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

METHOD:
1. Soak Javvarisi for an hour. 
2. In a bowl add 2 cups of water and allow to boil. 
3. Add soaked Javvarisi and cook for a few minutes, until it is half cooked. 
4. If over cooked it might turn into porridge.

5. After it is half cooked, add vermicelli and cook for a minute until it starts boiling, switch of the flame.
6. Close the bowl with a lid so that both sabudana and vermicelli gets fully cooked,
7. In a pan add milk, boil until it gets little thicker and let it cool.
8. In another pan, add jaggery and half cup of water and cook until the jaggery melts well and starts to boil.

9. Filter the jaggery syrup and add to the javvarisi semia mixture.

10. Add cooled milk, otherwise it might curdle.
11. Taste for sweetness, if needed add more powdered jaggery. If it is very sweet, boil needed milk, cool well and add to the Kheer.
12. Add cardamom powder, mix well.
13. Add ghee in a pan, roast cashews and add to the kheer.
14. Tasty and delecious Javvarisi Semia Kheer is ready.

Note:

• Instead of Jaggery, sugar can be added. 
• Before adding jaggery, the Javvarisi should be well cooked and turn into transparent pearls. Other wise it might not taste well.

CARROT KHEER/ CARROT PAYASAM

This is a Colourful and simple  dessert, very easy to prepare. A healthy kheer, done using carrot, badam and cashew, which everyone will like, especially Children. This can be served warm or chilled.

INGREDIENTS:

Carrot - 2 

Cashewnuts  - 10

Badam - 6

Saffron/Kesar - a pinch

Sugar - 5 to 6 tsp

Milk - 1 1/2 cup

Cardamom - a pinch

Ghee - 2 tsp

METHOD:

1. Peel and grate carrot using a grater or grind coarsely in a mixer. Soak the badam for an hour before starting to prepare the recipe.

2. Heat ghee, add half of the cashews broken into pieces and fry till golden brown and keep aside.

3. In the same pan, add carrot and stir well until raw smell goes off.

4. Add milk, saffron/kesar and bring to boil in medium flame and allow the carrot to get half cooked in the milk.

5. Meanwhile, peel badam, add to a mixer along with remaining cashews and make a paste adding little water and add to the carrot, milk mixture.

6. After some time, the kheer will thicken and the carrot will be fully cooked.

7. Add sugar and cardamom and mix well. Taste for sugar and add more if needed.

8. After the sugar gets dissolved, add roasted cashews and switch off the flame.

9. Tasty and delicious Carrot Kheer is ready to be served.

See for Carrot Halwa in this blog

Note:

• Add sugar according to the need as some carrots might be very sweet.
• If the kheer becomes very sweet, add boiled and cooled milk so that the taste of sugar can be balanced.

DATES CAKE

DATES  CAKE

I tried this receipe using dates as sweetner. It does not contain ghee/butter. sugar.

INGREDIENTS:-

Wheat flour - 1/4 cup

Milk - 1/4 cup

Deseeded Dates - 10 nos.

Fruit salt - 1/2 tsp

Water - as required

METHOD:-

Soak the dates in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water for 10 minutes. Strain the dates and set aside. Don't throw the water, we can use this water for grinding the paste/batter.

Heat a aluminum kadai or cooker with separator and lid,  on high flame for 10 minutes.

(If using pressure cooker, do not use gasket and whistle-weight)

Grease a plate with little ghee and set aside.

In a mixer jar, add dates, wheat flour. Grind to paste by adding the milk and water used for soaking dates.

Pour the batter in a bowl. Now add the fruit salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of batter. Mix gently.

Pour this batter into the greased plate and tap twice to set it evenly.

Uncover the Kadai/ Pressure cooker, place this plate and cover with lid. Bake for 30 minutes in low/sim flame. 

After the specified time,  by inserting a tooth pick or knife, check whether the cake is baked or not.

Allow the cake to cool completely....

Cut into desired shapes and serve...

Click here for step-by-step baking process in Protein-wheat cake.

AVAL PAYASAM / POHA PAYASAM

Aval/ Poha/ Rice flakes payasam is a very healthy dessert which anybody  can easily prepare. It is mainly done during Gokulashtami as it is the favourite dish of Lord Krishna. It is done using milk and jaggery.

INGREDIENTS:
Aval/ Poha - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 litre
Cardamom - a pinch
Salt  - a pinch
Ghee - 2 tsp
Cashews - 10

METHOD:
1. In a pan add aval and dry roast it for a while and wash thoroughly as it might contain sand particles.
2. Drain the water completely and keep aside.
3. In a thick bottomed tawa/pan, add little ghee and roast the cashews and add the washed poha and stir gently for a while.

4. Simultaneously boil milk in a separate pan and add to the aval and cook for a few minutes till the aval becomes soft.
5. Prepare jaggery syrup, strain the impurities and allow it to boil for a while and cool completely.
6. Add to the aval, along with a pinch of salt, cardamom powder and mix well.
7. Tasty Aval/Poha payasam is ready.

Note:

• White aval/poha can be used instead of red aval.
• See that the jaggery syrup cools down completely to avoid curdling of milk.

For Youtube Video Click here....Aval Payasam

PHIRNI

This is a famous Punjabi dessert similar to Semiya Payasam, Sooji payasam in South India. Since Punjab is famous for Basmathi rice, this kheer/dessert is done using basmathi rice. 

INGREDIENTS:
Milk - 500 ml
Basmathi rice - 1/4 cup
Saffron/Kesar - 5 strands
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Badam - 6
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

METHOD: 
1. Soak Badam for few minutes in hot water, peel the skin and chop finely.
2. Wash Basmathi rice thoroughly, soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Drain the water completely, grind to Rava/Sooji consistency, using a mixer and keep aside.
4. In a thick bottomed tawa, add milk and allow to boil.

5. Add saffron strands and basmathi rice, chopped badam and mix well in regular intervals in low flame.
6. Keep on stirring at intervals so that no lumps are formed and the rice gets cooked well.
7. After the rice is almost cooked, add sugar and cardamom powder and cook for a while till the milk thickens.
8. Taste for sugar, if needed add a little more.
9. Tasty and delicious Punjabi Phirni is ready to be served.
10. Serve it after it cools well.
11. It tastes well if refrigerated and served.

 



   

PANEER KHEER/ PAYASAM

A Bengali Dessert that is done on Special Occassions. It tastes somewhat like Rasmalai, but here we use crumbled Paneer/Cottage cheese directly once the milk thickens a bit.

INGREDIENTS:
Paneer - 200g
Milk - 500 ml
Sugar - 7 to 8 tsp
Saffron - 6 strands
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashew - 5
Badam - 5

METHOD:
1. Soak Badam and cashew for 10 to 15 minutes and keep aside.
2. In a thick bottomed tawa, heat milk and keep on stirring in continuous intervals, till it starts to boil.
3. Add chopped badam, cashew and saffron to the boiling milk and lower the flame.
4. In about 10 minutes the milk would have thickened a bit, add sugar and continue to cook for another 5 minutes in low flame.
5. Add crumbled paneer to the boiling milk, cook for a minute or two till the paneer gets cooked  and switch off the flame.
6. Taste for Sugar. If needed add accordingly.
7. Add cardamom powder and close the lid of the tawa for few minutes.
8. It can be served hot/warm/ chilled in refrigerator.
9. Tasty Paneer Kheer/ Payasam is ready.

 See for Rasmalai, Rasgulla in this blog

BEETROOT HALWA

A Simple and easy Halwa/Dessert done using beetroot. Those who doesn't like beetroot in other forms, might like this dessert as it tastes delicious. This recipe doesn't require much ghee. It might be time consuming, about 40 minutes to prepare, but the end results is good.

INGREDIENTS:
Beetroot (grated) - 3 cups (heaped)
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
Cashew - 3
Badam - 3
Ghee - 3 tsp
Salt - a pinch

METHOD:
1. In a thick bottomed tawa, add a little ghee and roast the cut cashews and Badam and keep aside.
2. In the same pan, add a teaspoon of ghee, beetroot and stir for 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Boil milk in a pan and add to the beetroot and cook well till all the milk is absorbed. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burnt smell.
4. After the milk is fully absorbed, add sugar and cook well until the sugar gets blended with beetroot.

5. Add remaining ghee, roasted nuts and almonds, cardamom powder, a pinch of salt (to enhance sweetness)  and cook for another few minutes in low flame.
6. Tasty and delicious Beet root Halwa is ready.

Also, see for CARROT HALWA in this blog
 

SEMIA RAVA KESARI

A Simple & Easy Dessert, which can be done in minutes and apt for beginners who wish to  learn cooking

INGREDIENTS:
Semia/ Vermicelli - 1/2 cup
Rava/ Sooji - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 and 1/4 cup
Saffron - 5 strands (optional)
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
Cashew - 5
Almond/Badam - 3
Salt - a pinch
Ghee - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp

METHOD:
1. Soak Saffron in a teaspoon of hot water and keep aside. 
2.Heat ghee in a thick bottomed tawa, add chopped badam and cashews and fry till golden brown and remove it.
3. In the same tawa add oil, rava, vermicelli and roast it for few minutes. No need for the browning.
4. In a pan, add 2 cups of water, allow to boil and add to the tawa little by little and mix well to avoid lumps, also add the soaked saffron and close with a lid and lower the flame.
5. In a minute, the water will be absorbed fully, add sugar, a pinch of salt and mix well.
6. It will become watery and then start to thicken. Mix with a ladle in regular intervals for 2 minutes.
7. Add cardamom and fried cashews and almonds and stir for a while and switch off the flame.
8. Tasty and Easy Semia Rava Kesari is ready.

9. Serve with little Ghee as topping.

Note:

• Adding Saffron is optional.
• Adding food colour doesn't make a change in taste. So, better to avoid it.
• Add sugar only after the water is absorbed fully, otherwise the recipe will become sticky.

 

GULAB JAMUN

Easy and Simple, favourite of Children, and one of the popular festive dessert

INGREDIENTS:

Instant Gulab jamun mix - 200g
Sugar - 800g
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Saffron - 10 strands (optional)
Oil - to deep fry
Milk - 1 teaspoon

METHOD:
1. In a vessel, add sugar and 800ml of water and allow to boil.
2. Add a teaspoon of milk, so that the impurities come upwards along with lather and can be removed by discarding the lather. Boil until the sugar syrup is sticky. Do not over boil. Add cardamom powder and Saffron. Keep aside.
3.In a bowl, add the Instant Gulab jamun powder, smooth the mix crushing the lumps with hand, add water little by little and prepare a soft dough and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Make small smooth balls (small gooseberry size) without any cracks. If cracks appear then the dough is hard, sprinkle little water and knead again.

5. Heat oil in a tawa, add a bit of the dough, if it raises to the top immediately, then the oil is ready to cook. 

6. Bring the flame to low, drop the dough balls one by one, the balls can be cooked in batches, so add oil accordingly.
7. Do not cook on high flame, since the inner part of the dough ball has to be cooked well, otherwise it will be under cooked and the sugar syrup will not be absorbed.  
8. The ball will increase in size and starts browning. Keep stirring gently, so that all sides are cooked evenly.
9. Remove the dough balls when it becomes dark brown in colour and allow to cool for a while before dropping in the sugar syrup. 
10. The sugar syrup has to be absorbed, so keep aside for an hour.
11. Tasty and delicious Gulab Jamuns are ready.

Note:

• Do not drop the cooked dough balls when the sugar syrup is hot.
• Do not fry the dough balls in high flame.
• If the sugar syrup is cold, heat for a while before dropping the balls.