COCONUT BURFI | EASY BURFI | BEGINNER'S RECIPE

Coconut Burfi is one of the Simplest traditional sweet done on festive occasions. It is suitable for beginners, since there may not be any complications while doing this recipe. This recipe is done using fresh coconut, sugar and milk. Even dessicated coconut can be used. But, fresh coconut tastes better even though the burfis will not be that much white in colour since little bit of brown part of the coconut sticks while grating. 

For pure white burfis, dessicated coconut can be used. Otherwise, coconut should be placed in the freezer compartment for an hour or two, so that the white part alone can be grated.

Video recipe of Coconut Burfi

INGREDIENTS:

Fresh Coconut - 3 cups

Sugar - 1 cup

Milk -1 cup

Cardamom - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 1 and 1/4 tsp

* use the same cup of measuring

METHOD:

• In a tawa, add coconut, sugar and milk.
• Place on flame and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
• Always keep the flame to medium till it turns watery.
• At first, the sugar gets blended together.
• After stirring for few minutes it becomes watery.
• Keep on stirring in low flame so that it doesn't get burnt.
• Add  1 tsp of ghee and cardamom powder and keep on stirring.
• After some more time, the it thickens.
• When it starts coming together, add to a tray greased with ghee.
• Level it using a spoon.
• Rest for an hour.
• Draw lines of desired shape and size.
• Tasty Coconut Burfi is ready.

Step wise recipe with pictures:

1. In a tawa, add coconut, sugar and milk.

2. Place on flame and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Always keep the flame to medium till it turns watery.

4. At first, the sugar gets blended together.

5. After stirring for few minutes it becomes watery.

6. Keep on stirring in low flame so that it doesn't get burnt.

7. Add  1 tsp of ghee and cardamom powder and keep on stirring.

8. After some more time, the it thickens.

9. When it starts coming together, add to a tray greased with ghee.

10. Level it using a spoon.

11. Rest for an hour.

12. Draw lines of desired shape and size.

13. Tasty Coconut Burfi is ready.

ADHIRASAM | SOFT AND CRISPY ADHIRASAM

Adhirasam, a delicacy of South India has huge fans for its taste and softness.  It is done using wet rice flour and jaggery. My family relishes Adhirasams, than any other sweet. Making a perfect adhirasam is not at all an easy task. After preparing the dough, I kept my fingers crossed whether it will turn out perfectly. It was like a dream, when it came out perfectly. I was feared of trying this recipe for the past 2 years after starting this blog. 

After soaking the rice, it should be dried on a clean cloth for 20 minutes. When we do in small proportion, it can be ground to flour using a mixer. After grinding to flour, preparing the dough should be done immediately. Otherwise the flour will get dried and the consistency will not be right. Also, the jaggery syrup consistency should be perfect to get a good result, or else it will disintegrate will deep frying. See blog for 

• Makkan Peda
• Diwali Recipes

Video recipe of Adhirasam

INGREDIENTS:

Raw Rice - 1 cup

Jaggery ( Paagu vellam) - 3/4 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Gingelly oil - 3 to 4 tsp

Oil - for deep frying

METHOD:

• Soak raw rice for atleast 2 hours.
• Drain the water completely, and spread the rice on a clean cloth.
• Allow it to dry for 20 minutes.
• The rice should stick to the hands while touching it.
• Add to a mixer and grind to powder and sieve it.
• Add cardamom powder to it and keep closed so that the moisture will remain.
• In a pan add jaggery and 3/4 cups of wate. Allow to boil till jaggery dissolves in water.
• Filter it to a tawa and place the tawa on flame.
• The jaggery syrup starts to boil.
• Check for consistency by dropping little syrup in a cup of water.
• At first the syrup dissolves in water.
• After some time, it forms a soft ball.
• Switch off the flame and add rice flour immediately and mix well.
• The flour will get blended with the syrup and comes together and holds shape.
• Transfer to a container and allow it to rest for a day or atleast 12 hours.
• Grease with  a tsp of gingelly oil to prevent drying.
• Next day, knead the dough so that becomes soft.
• If it is too dry, sprinkle little milk and knead it.
• If it is very soft, sprinkle little rice flour and knead it.
• Make small balls of the dough. Heat oil.
• Take a plastic sheet/aluminium foil/ banana leaf. Grease with gingelly oil.
• Take a ball and flatten with fingers, slightly thick.
• Grease fingers and flatten it gently and remove it.
• Add to hot oil and deep fry in low flame so that the inner portion gets cooked well.
• Squeeze extra oil by pressing, using a ladle.
• Tasty and Yummy ADHIRASAMS are ready.

Step wise recipe with pictures:

1. Soak raw rice for atleast 2 hours.

2. Drain the water completely, and spread the rice on a clean cloth.

3. Allow it to dry for 20 minutes.

4. The rice should stick to the hands while touching it.

5. Add to a mixer and grind to powder and sieve it.

6. Add cardamom powder to it and keep closed so that the moisture will remain.

7. In a pan add jaggery and 3/4 cups of water.

8. Allow to boil till jaggery dissolves in water.

9. Filter it to a tawa and place the tawa on flame.

10. The jaggery syrup starts to boil.

11. Check for consistency by dropping little syrup in a cup of water.

12. At first the syrup dissolves in water.

13. After some time, it forms a soft ball.

14. Switch off the flame and add rice flour immediately and mix well.

15. The flour will get blended with the syrup and comes together and holds shape.

16. Transfer to a container and allow it to rest for a day or atleast 12 hours.

17. Grease with  a tsp of gingelly oil to prevent drying.

18. Next day, knead the dough so that becomes soft.

19. If it is too dry, sprinkle little milk and knead it.

20. If it is very soft, sprinkle little rice flour and knead it.

21. Make small balls of the dough. Heat oil.

22. Take a plastic sheet/aluminium foil/ banana leaf. Grease with gingelly oil.

21. Take a ball and flatten with fingers, slightly thick.

22. Grease fingers and flatten it gently and remove it.

23. Add to hot oil and deep fry in low flame so that the inner portion gets cooked well.

24. Squeeze extra oil by pressing, using another ladle.

24. Tasty and Yummy ADHIRASAMS are ready.

BOMBAY HALWA | CORN FLOUR HALWA | SOFT HALWA

Bombay Halwa/ Karachi Halwa is done using Corn flour/Corn Starch along with Sugar. Instead of adding artificial food colour, sugar has been caramelised to get a tinge of colour since corn flour is white in colour. Even Saffron can be added to get a tinge of yellow colour. There is no string consistency for sugar syrup, but this recipe needs stirring and mixing for atleast 20 to 25 minutes to get the required result. So, there should be no interruption while we are into this recipe. 

Corn flour has the tendency to get thicker in quick time, so it has to be continuously stirred. Lemon juice is added to prevent crystallization. The recipe is really soft and melts in mouth. Almonds and nuts of desired choice can be used for garnishing. Here, Cashews have been used. See blog for

• Papaya Halwa
• Wheat Halwa

Video recipe of Corn Halwa/ Bombay Halwa

INGREDIENTS:

Corn flour - 1/4 cup

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Water - 1 cup for dissolving sugar

Ghee - 3 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1/4 tsp

Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp

* Water - 3/4 cup for dissolving Corn flour

* Sugar - 1 tsp for Caramelisation

METHOD:

• In a bowl, add corn flour and water, mix well without lumps.
• In a tawa, add a tsp of sugar.
• Saute well for 2 to 3 minutes for it to caramelise.
• Light brown starts to appear.
• Add 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cup of water to the same tawa and allow to boil.
• The caramelised sugar will get blended together while boiling.
• When it starts boiling, mix the corn flour mixture and add to the syrup.
• Keep on stirring to avoid lumps.
• Add lemon juice and keep on stirring.
• The mixture will start to thicken.
• Add a tsp of ghee and keep on mixing.
• The mixture will become transparent, add ghee and mix again.
• Add ghee at regular intervals till it turns glossy.
• It will take 20 minutes approximately to reach the consistency.
• Add cardamom powder and mix again.
• Add chopped cashews and mix well.
• After some more minutes, the halwa starts to come together and ghee releases.
• Transfer to a grease tray/plate and level it.
• Garnish with chopped Cashews and level with a spoon.
• Cool for an hour and cut as desired.
• Soft and melting Bombay Halwa/ Corn flour Halwa is ready.

Step wise recipe with pictures:

1. In a bowl, add corn flour and water, mix well without lumps.

2. In a tawa, add a tsp of sugar.

3. Saute well for 2 to 3 minutes for it to caramelise.

4. Light brown starts to appear.

5. Add 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cup of water to the same tawa and allow to boil.

6. The caramelised sugar will get blended together while boiling.

7. When it starts boiling, mix the corn flour mixture and add to the syrup.

8. Keep on stirring to avoid lumps.

9. Add lemon juice and keep on stirring.

10. The mixture will start to thicken.

11. Add a tsp of ghee and keep on mixing.

12. The mixture will become transparent, add ghee and mix again.

13. Add ghee at regular intervals till it turns glossy.

14. It will take 20 minutes approximately to reach the consistency.

15. Add cardamom powder and mix again.

16. Add chopped cashews and mix well.

17. After some more minutes, the halwa starts to come together and ghee releases.

18. Transfer to a grease tray/plate and level it.

19. Garnish with chopped Cashews and level with a spoon.

20. Cool for an hour and cut as desired.

21. Soft and melting Bombay Halwa/ Corn flour Halwa is ready.

MAKKAN PEDA

Makkan Peda , a famous sweet done in Arcot near Vellore and also called Arcot Makkan Peda. It is usually done using Khoya, Maida for outer covering stuffed with almonds, nuts and raisins. It resembles Gulab jamoon, which is done in almost all houses during Diwali. Here, I have done using Gulab Jamoon mix. It tasted awesome along with nuts and almonds.

INGREDIENTS:

Gulab Jamoon mix - 200g

Sugar - 800 g

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Saffron - 10 strands

Oil - for deep frying

For Stuffing

Badam - 5

Cashew - 5

Pistachios -5

Raisin -5

METHOD:

1. In a bowl add the gulab Jamoon mix, ghee and mix well.

2. Sprinkle little water and knead to a soft dough. Keep aside.

3. Add sugar in a large vessel, add water and allow to boil.

4. Once it starts boiling add saffron. Let it boil in lower flame for 5 minutes. Add Cardamom powder and keep side.

5. Crumble the nuts, almonds and raisins  into small pieces.

6. Knead the dough, divide into small balls.

7. Flatten a dough and stuff the mixed nuts and seal the ends, cover the nuts and roll gently.

8. Flatten it slightly, as we make pedas.

9. Similarly, stuff the remaining balls.

10. Heat oil in a tawa, add pedas one by one, do not over crowd .

11. Lower the flame, so that the pedas cook evenly and the inner portion gets cooked well and so the nuts and almonds.

12. Once it turns to deep golden colour, remove from the oil.

13. Likewise, cook the remaining pedas in batches.

14. Soak the cooked pedas in warm sugar syrup for minimum 1 or 2 hours.

15. Once it absorbs the sugar syrup it becomes bigger in size.

16. Tasty and delicious Makkan Peda is ready.

Note:

• Cook the pedas in low flame to ensure even cooking and to avoid the inner portion under cooked.
• If under cooked, the pedas will not absorb sugar syrup.

CASHEW BADAM BURFI

This is also an easy recipe as Kaju Katli & Badam Katli. Here, I have done with slight variation giving importance to the sugar syrup one string consistency, which ended in reducing the cooking time and the burfi came out very well. It took around just 20 minutes. Soaking,peeling the almond and drying it has to be done little earlier. Easy way of peeling almond is to soak in hot water for 10 minutes and rub in between fingers, so that the skin gets peeled off easily. It has to be dried on a clean towel  before grinding into powder.

INGREDIENTS:

Cashew nut - 1/2 cup

Almond/ Badam - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

METHOD:

1. Soak Badam in hot water for few minutes and peel off the skin and pat dry it for an hour.

2. In a mixer, grind cashews to slightly coarse powder and transfer it to a plate.

3. Add badam and powder it the same way and transfer it to the same plate and add cardamom powder to it.

4. Grease a burfi tray with little ghee and keep aside.

5. In a thick bottomed tawa, add sugar and 1/2 cup of water and allow it to boil.

6. At first the sugar dissolves completely and starts boiling. 

7. Use a spoon/ladle and check for consistency by using the forefinger and thumb finger.

8. First, we will get the half string consistency and then one string consistency.

9. Immediately add the powdered cashew and badam and mix well so that no lumps are formed. The sugar syrup combines well with the powder in a minute.

10 When the mixture starts thickening, switch off the flame and keep on mixing for few minutes.

11. The mixture will thicken and start coming together. Add ghee and mix well.

12. Transfer to the burfi tray and level it using a spoon/ ladle.

13. When it little warm, draw lines of desired shape and size using a knife greased with little ghee.

14. After it cools down completely, the burfis can be easily removed.

15. Tasty and delicious CASHEW BADAM BURFI is ready.

Note:

• Do not run the mixer for a long time, the powder might turn sticky.
• Switch off the stove immediately when the mixture starts to thicken to avoid over cooking.
• It has to be mixed well till it comes together like a dough. 
• If over cooked, the burfis will turn hard.