DELICIOUS MANGO RECIPES

 DELICIOUS MANGO RECIPES

I hope many of you would have gone through my last blog post:  Delicious Raw Mango Recipes

There are so many varieties of mangoes available in India that there is always an argument as to which is the best/tastiest of the lot. Lovers of each variety swear their choice is the best. Some of the best rated and hence highly popular varieties are : Alphonso, Kesar, and Dashehari.

Apart from using raw mangoes in our cooking, we in India make extensive use of the ripe mango as well. In today's post, I will share the recipes for some of my favourite dishes using ripe mangoes.

1. Mango Mastani: a rich mango milkshake topped with vanilla ice cream  https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2017/05/mango-mastani.html

2. Mango and Sago Pudding: a delicious dessert made with ripe mangoes and sago (tapioca) pearls

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2016/05/mango-sago-pudding.html

3. Mango Phirni: a rich dessert from North India made with ripe mangoes.   

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2015/06/mango-phirni.html

4. Mango Sheera: a dessert made with ripe mangoes and semolina.

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2016/05/mango-sheera.html

5. Aamras : a dish made with the pulp of ripe mangoes, served with puris in Maharashtra. Also served as a dessert. 

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2013/05/aamras-mango-dessert.html

 The sweetness of each dish will depend on the inherent sweetness of the mango you use  as well as your individual taste. 

I hope you will enjoy these dishes as much as I do! 

GUR PAPDI

 GUR PAPDI

Here's wishing you and your families a Healthy, Safe, and Happy New Year. We know how things have been for the last two years ever since the Covid 19 pandemic struck the world. 

It is important that we stay safe. I would urge you to wear a mask, and be responsible in following  prescribed behavior during this medical crisis which seems to go on and on.

Even in difficult times, we have shown great spirit in cooking th best food for our families. In my blog, I share with you dishes that I have made myself which are healthy and tasty.

We start the New Year with a sweet. Here's an easy recipe for a sweet from Gujarat called Gur Papdi or Sukhdi. This is made with Gur (Jaggery), Atta and Ghee. 

Give it try and let me know how you liked it! 

May the New Year bring in better times for us. Once again, I wish you a Very Happy New Year. 

Ingredients:-

• Gur (Jaggery), 3/4 cup
• Atta, (Wheat Flour), 1 cup
• Ghee, (Clarified Butter),  1/2 cup
• Almonds, 8-10 
• Pistachios, 8-10
• Cardamom, 7-8

Method:-

Grate the jaggery 

Make slivers of the almonds and chop the pistachios

Crush the cardamom to a powder 

Grease a plate with ghee to spread the Gur Papdi and cut into desired shapes when it is ready 

In a thick-bottomed kadhai, heat the ghee and when it fully melts add the atta

Stir continuously on medium/low flame for about 7-8 minutes or till the atta gets well roasted, turns slightly golden in colour and gives off a good aroma

(Take care that you stir continuously on low flame otherwise the atta will get over roasted which will affect the taste of the Gur Papdi) 

Add the cardamom powder and mix well

Switch off the gas and continue to stir the mixture for a few minutes

Remove the kadhai and let the roasted atta cool a little

It should not cool too much

To this add the grated jaggery and mix thoroughly so that it gets well- blended with the atta and melts due to the heat retained

Spread the Gur Papdi evenly in the greased plate and garnish with almonds and pistachio

For better affect press the almonds and pistachios gently with the back of a spoon into the Gur Papdi

Make cuts of the desired shape in the Gur Papdi while it is still slightly warm

(It becomes difficult to cut once it cools too much) 

Wait for 15-20 minutes, then gently remove the Gur Papdi pieces from the greased plate 

Store the Gur Papdi in air tight glass containers 

DATE ROLLS

 DATE ROLLS

When we were children growing up in India, good quality dates were not commonly available. Occasionally we would get from friends or relatives coming on visits to the old homeland from the Middle East and feel quite thrilled about it. Now, of course, we are spoilt for choice and there are so many types of dates easily available, including in online sites such as Amazon. 

Dates, called Khajur in Hindi and Kharjura in Kannada, are amongst the most healthy of dry fruits. They have many health benefits as detailed in this article in Health.Com. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find other recipes for dishes made with dates such as:-

• Dates and Dry Fruit Ladoos
• Dates and Almonds Kheer
• Green Chutney and Sweet Chutney ( Khajur-Imli Chutney) 

I have adapted this from the YouTube video for Healthy Sugar Free Date Rolls in Healthy Kadi.

It is preferable that the dates are of good quality and are soft. Use the seedless variety rather than the one that need to be de-seeded. You can use any dry fruits like almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts etc in making this.

We loved this and would highly recommend this recipe to you.

The measurements given yielded me with about 20 date rolls. This is best consumed within two weeks.  

Ingredients:-

• Seedless Dates, (Khajur),  500 gms
• Almonds, (Badam) , 1/2 cup
• Cashew Nuts, (Kaju) 1/4 cup
• Pistachios, (Pista) 1/4 cup
• Pecans, a few 
• Walnuts, a few
• Poppy Seeds (khus khus) , 4 tbsp
• Ghee,  2 tbsp

Method:-

Grind the seedless dates or de-seeded dates in pulse mode in a mixer jar, without adding any water. Keep aside. ( If you are using seedless dates, chop it roughly and keep in the mixer jar. If using dates with seeds, make sure they are properly de-seeded) 

Shell where needed and chop the nuts/dry fruits such as almonds, cashew nuts, pistachio, walnut,  etc. Keep aside. 

Dry roast the poppy seeds in a thick-bottomed kadhai on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Keep aside

Add 1 tbsp of ghee to the kadhai and on medium heat roast the chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, and walnuts), for about 3-4 minutes till they get roasted and give off a good aroma. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in the same kadhai and add the ground dates and sauté them on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes till they become soft

To this add the roasted nuts and mix well till they form a mass

Remove from the kadhai and allow this to cool for about 5 minutes

Once it is cool enough to handle, shape it to form a cylindrical roll

Spread the roasted poppy seeds on to a flat plate and dust these rolls in the poppy seeds till they are well-coated 

Wrap these poppyseed coated date rolls in aluminum foil and refrigerate for about 2 hours

After about 2 hours, remove the aluminum foil from the rolls and cut them to even slices of about 1/2 inch each 

Transfer to a serving plate or they can be stored in an air tight container. 

PEANUT CHIKKI

PEANUT CHIKKI

The festival of Makar Sankranti which we celebrated a few days ago brings to the fore, one of my favourites: Chikki. Mention of chikki brings back many memories of our days in Pune when trips to Lonavla near by were not complete without buying all kinds of chikkis.

It is nice that I can make these at home myself these days. I made Peanut Chikki for the Makar Sankranti festival and we enjoyed it very much.

I must mention that there is some skill involved in making this. The judgement regarding the hardness or otherwise of the jaggery syrup is crucial for the making of the perfect chikki. Don't be disappointed if you can't get it right the first time. Try again and when you get it right, you will think the time and effort was well worth it! 

It is preferable that we use the special chikki jaggery to make this. This will give you the best texture and the desired glossy finish to the chikki.  However, if you cannot get this, you can certainly make do with soft jaggery. Please note that the colour of the jaggery used will determine the colour of the chikki.    

I used the greased marble "chakla" ( the circular base on which chapatis are rolled) to lay out and cut the chikki pieces. 

Ingredients:-

• Peanuts, 150 grams
• Jaggery, 150 grams
• Water, 2 tsp
• Ghee, 1 tsp + some for greasing

Preparatory steps:-

These steps are essential as this work cannot be done once the chikki mixture is ready. They must be done before doing anything else! 

• Grease the reverse a large sized thali or a small portion of the kitchen counter or a marble or wooden chakla with a little ghee 
• Grease a thick rolling pin
• Grease one side of a sheet of parchment paper or butter paper 
• Break the jaggery into small pieces so that it can melt easily. 
• Keep a small bowl of water to test the jaggery syrup 

Method:-

In a thick bottomed, wide non-stick pan dry roast the peanuts on medium heat till spots appear on them and they get roasted 

Ensure that they don't get burnt

Transfer to a large plate and allow the roasted peanuts to cool

Once they are cool, de-skin them and separate the roasted peanuts from the skin 

Using a steel bowl lightly crush the peanuts to break some of them into smaller pieces. Keep aside 

Heat the same pan, and add the jaggery pieces and 2 tsp of water and keep stirring on low heat till the jaggery melts 

Continue to cook on low flame for about 5 minutes 

Test whether the jaggery syrup is ready by dropping a few drops of the syrup in the water

If it is not yet done, it will remain soft and gooey

In this case, stir the melted jaggery on low heat a little longer  and repeat this test

When done, the drops of syrup should form a hard ball and should be brittle when dropped in water 

Once the jaggery syrup is ready, add the roasted peanuts and mix well immediately and switch off the gas

Pour the chikki mixture on to the greased surface 

Cover it with the parchment paper with the greased side on the chikki and spread it fast using the rolling pin ( belan) 

The extent you spread it will determine the thickness and uniformity of the chikki

Peel off the parchment paper

While it is still hot make the horizontal and vertical cuts on the chikki as this cannot be done once it cools 

Allow it cool completely, remove the pre-cut chikki pieces

Transfer the Peanut Chikki to an air tight container 

 

INSTANT MOONG DAL HALWA

INSTANT MOONG DAL HALWA

There are some dates that stay firmly planted in your memory. March 21 is one such for me! I am so pleased to share that this blog completes 6 years today. It was on March 21, 2013 that I posted my first dish.

It is with quiet satisfaction that I see that since then there have been 677 posts which have received over 2.5 million hits. The Facebook Page for Cooking With Shobana has over 16,000 likes and the blog continues to feature in the Top 100 Indian Food Blogs and Websites.

I am grateful to God, and to you, my family and friends for your encouragement and support over the years.

To celebrate the occasion, today I have made a sweet dish called Moong Dal Halwa, which is popular all over India. This is the Instant version which is easier to make. It has been adapted from Instant Moong Dal Halwa by one of my favourite cookery experts, Nisha Madhulikaji.

Ingredients:-

• Moong Dal, (Yellow Split Gram), 1 cup
• Sugar, 1 heaped cup 
• Ghee, 1/2 cup, 
• Full Cream Milk, 1/2 litre + additional 1 cup (optional-instead of water) 
• Cashews, chopped, 10-15
• Almonds, finely chopped, 10-15
• Raisins, 1 tbsp
• Pistachios, 10-15
• Powdered Green Cardamom, from 6-7 pods

Method:-

Heat a little ghee in a pan and add the cashewnuts, almonds, and raisins. Roast them for a few minutes and keep aside.
Peel and powder the Green Cardamom and keep aside

Clean the moong dal, removing the powder if any
In a thick-bottomed pan, dry roast the moong dal for about 5 minutes on medium flame stirring continuously till it gives off a good aroma and turns a golden brown
Ensure that the moong dal doesn't get burnt
Transfer to a plate and allow the roasted moong dal to cool
In a mixer jar, grind the roasted moong dal in pulse mode to a coarse powder. Keep aside
Heat 4 tbsp of ghee in the pan and on medium heat roast the coarsely ground moong dal for about 5 minutes till it gives off a good aroma and turns a golden brown
Lower the flame and add 500 ml milk and keep stirring so that no lumps are formed
Add another 1 cup of milk (or water) and cook on medium flame stirring continuously till it forms a thick mass
Next add the sugar and some of the roasted dry fruits (keeping aside some for garnish) and cook for some more time as the sugar added leaves water
Add the remaining ghee and keep stirring till it gets well blended and more thick
Add the powdered cardamom and cook the halwa for 1-2 minutes more
Transfer to a plate and garnish with the remaining roasted dry fruits and pistachios

APPLE KHEER

APPLE KHEER

Recently I got some excellent apples in the department store we usually shop in. You may recall the old saying, " an apple a day keeps the doctor away!" as apples have ever so many health benefits. I was surprised to know from this article in Organic Facts that there are 7500 varieties of apples!!

I made kheer out of the apples. In this recipe the apples are not peeled and we use them with the skin intact. The amount of sugar you use will depend on the sweetness of the apples and your taste.

This recipe is adapted from this YouTube video of Apple Kheer by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Kazhana which is so nicely presented by Anupa in Marathi.

Ingredients:

• Apples, 2
• Full Fat Milk, 5 cups or 1 litre
• Sugar, 1/2 cup or taste
• Cardamom (Elaichi) Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Almonds, 6
• Pistachios, 8

Method:

In a thick bottomed pan, bring the milk to a boil then lower the flame and simmer till the milk becomes thick and is reduced in volume
Blanch and slice the almonds and pistachios and keep aside. For blanching, keep the almonds and pistachios in warm water and then remove the skin.

Wash and grate the apples roughly without peeling the skin
In a separate pan, cook the grated apples on medium flame
Add sugar and cook stirring continuously till the sugar melts and the moisture evaporates
(This prevents the milk from curdling in the next step when we add the cooked apples)
To this add some of the reduced milk and cook on medium flame
As the mixture thickens, add the remaining milk and cook till the kheer becomes more thick

Add cardamom powder and the blanched and sliced almonds and pistachios
Mix well, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10- 15 minutes
Once it is cooled, refrigerate the kheer and serve chilled.

BEETROOT HALWA

BEETROOT HALWA

It is traditional to start the New Year on a sweet note. Today I share the recipe for Beetroot Halwa
which turned out to be rich, creamy and quite delicious. As you know, beetroot has numerous health benefits.

The addition of sweetened condensed milk enhances the taste of the halwa. However this is not essential and you can add more sugar instead if you don't want to use sweetened condensed milk.

Beetroot itself has an inherent sweetness. Do consider this when you add sugar or condensed milk.

Ingredients:

• Beetroot, 500 gms
• Full Cream Milk, 1/2 litre
• Amul Mithai Mate Sweetened Condensed Milk, 2 heaped tbsp or nearly 1/4 cup
• Sugar, 1/2 cup
• Raisins, 1 tbsp
• Cashewnuts, 8-10, broken into pieces
• Elaichi (Cardamom) Powder, made from 5 cardamoms
• Pista or Almond, a few slivers for garnishing
• Ghee, 2 tbsp + 1-2 tsp for roasting cashewnuts & raisins

Method:

Wash the beetroots thoroughly and grate them using a grater. Use the larger grating slots and do not grate them too fine.
In a thick-bottomed wide kadhai, add 1-2 tsp of ghee and when it gets hot roast the cashewnut pieces and the raisins till the cashewnuts turn golden, and the raisins get bloated. Keep aside.
Add 2 tbsp of ghee and when it gets hot add the grated beetroot and saute on medium flame for about 7-8 minutes or till the raw smell goes, stirring continuously
To this add the full cream milk, and the condensed milk. Mix well and continue to cook on medium flame stirring from time to time till the milk reduces to about a quarter.
Now add the sugar and mix well. The sugar added will change the consistency of the halwa and make it more liquid.
Continue to cook uncovered till the milk evaporates and the halwa leaves the sides
Add and mix in the roasted cashewnuts and raisins. Add the cardamom powder and mix well. Garnish with pista or almond slivers
Remove from flame and transfer to serving bowl.
Serve hot, or refrigerate and serve cold as per choice

BADAM HALWA

BADAM HALWA

When I was a child one of my favourite Indian sweets was Badam Halwa, so rich and sweet, made with almonds which were not so commonly available then. We didn't have this frequently but relished it whenever we had this as a treat! There are many ways to make Badam Halwa. While almonds, ghee and sugar are constants, some use milk, others use condensed milk, and some use neither to make this sweet.

Remembering those days, I have made this today to celebrate the 4th anniversary of my blog, "Cooking With Shobana." Here's the link to the Facebook Page where you get links to all the blog posts.

By the grace of God, and the encouragement of my family, friends and well-wishers, this blog continues to grow year after year. It has today over 1,000,000 page views. My sincere thanks to all of you!

Ingredients:

•  Badam ( Almonds), 1/2 cup * I used California almonds
• Ghee, (Clarified Butter), 1/3 cup * I used home made ghee
• Sugar, 1/2 cup, or to taste
• Kesar (Saffron) , 8-10 strands
• Warm Milk, 1-2 tsp * to soak the saffron strands
• Cardamom Powder,  1/2 tsp (optional) 
• Pista, a few pieces, for garnish

Method:

The first step is to blanch the almonds which means to remove the outer skin. Soak the almonds in boiling hot water and keep them for half an hour or so. You can also microwave them to blanch them faster. Once they are blanched, drain away the excess water and remove the outer skin of the almonds. 

Take 1-2 tsp of warm milk in a bowl and drop the saffron strands in them and keep them soaked for about 15 minutes.

In a mixer jar, grind together the blanched almonds along with 1/3 cup of water to get a paste of rava/ sooji consistency. Make sure the paste does not become too fine. To get the right consistency, do not add all the water at one time. Grind the almonds, using the pulse mode in the mixer, adding water little by little.

Heat a thick-bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot, on medium/low flame add the almond paste. Keep stirring continuously on low flame and cook the almond paste.  After a few minutes when the almonds give off an aroma, add 1/2 cup of sugar and keep stirring on low flame till the sugar gets fully dissolved in the almond paste.

Keep stirring till the paste begins to thicken, cook uncovered on low flame for another 5-6 minutes. Now add the prepared saffron soaked in warm milk and mix it in completely to the almond paste.

We now begin to add the ghee in small quantities. Initially, add 2 tbsp of ghee, mix well and cook stirring continuously till the ghee is fully absorbed.

Then add another 2 tbsp of ghee and continue the same process till all the ghee has been used up.

By now the almond paste and ghee is well blended and thickens to form a halwa.
Continue to stir till the halwa leaves the sides of the kadhai.
Add the cardamom powder, if you are using this at this stage and mix it well.

Once you get the desired consistency, switch off the gas and transfer the halwa to a serving bowl or alternatively grease a plate and transfer the halwa. You can then spread the halwa and when it cools, cut the halwa into the desired shape.

Garnish the badam halwa with slivers of almonds or with pistas.

Your badam halwa is ready to be served.

INSTANT KHARVAS

INSTANT KHARVAS

Here's wishing all of you a very Happy, Bright, and Prosperous New Year. May 2017 bring for you the best of health and every happiness. To start the New Year on a sweet note, today I share how we make Instant Kharvas or Possu. This also happens to be the 500th post in my blog!

When we were children a sweet dish called Posu in my mother tongue, Konkani used to be made at home. The speciality of this dish was that it was made from the colostrum milk of the cow that had just calved. This dish is called Kharvas in Marathi and Ginnu in Kannada.

These days getting colostrum milk is itself a problem in our cities. Today's recipe is for making Instant Kharvas where we use store bought condensed milk and milk powder instead of the traditional colostrum milk.

In making this dish, please ensure that you do not place the weight on the pressure cooker when the posu/kharvas is being steamed. In this recipe, 1 cup = 200 ml.

Ingredients:

• Amul Mithai Mate Condensed Milk, 200 gms
  
• Milk, 1 cup
• Fresh Curds, 1 cup
• Nandini Milk Powder, 1/2 cup
• Sugar, 2 tbsp or to taste
• Cardamom, 3-4
• Saffron, a few strands

Method:

Crush the cardamoms adding a pinch of sugar to a fine powder. Keep aside

Mix together the condensed milk and the milk in a large bowl

Add curds and milk powder

Stir well and make sure that there are no lumps

Add sugar and mix well till the sugar fully dissolves

Add a little of the cardamom powder 

Now pour this mixture into a flat container

Sprinkle of the rest of the cardamom powder and the saffron strands

Add adequate water in the pressure cooker, and place the container in it uncovered

Steam for about 25-30 minutes without placing the weight of the pressure cooker

Switch off the gas, remove the container and check to see if the posu/kharvas is cooked by poking a toothpick in it

It should come out clean when properly cooked

Allow it to cool and refrigerate it for a few hours

Cut the posu/kharvas into pieces of the desired shape 

Serve chilled

BEETROOT PEDE: GUEST POST BY KANWALJEET CHHABRA

BEETROOT PEDE: GUEST POST BY KANWALJEET CHHABRA


From time to time, I invite friends to contribute recipes to my blog by way of guest posts. Today's Guest Post is from my friend Kanwaljeet Chhabra, a talented young lady who has kindly agreed to contribute her recipe for Beetroot Pede. You can see some of her recipes in her page in Better Butter.

Pedas or Pede  (as they are called in Hindi) are very popular sweets in India for any festival. They are generally made out of milk (which is condensed to make khoya) and sugar. Sometimes, milk powder or ready made condensed milk is used instead to save time.

Kanwaljeet says she has added beetroot to this conventional sweet to make it, "more healthy and colourful."

With Diwali, the festival of lights, coming up soon this is an appropriate and timely contribution. Thank you very much, Kanwaljeet.

Ingredients:

• Small -sized Beetroot,1
• Milk Powder, 2 cups
• Clarified Butter/Ghee, 2 tbsp.
• Milk, 1/2 cup
• Dry Coconut Powder, 1 cup
• Cardamom Powder, 1 tsp
• Chopped Dry Fruits, for garnishing

For Sugar Syrup

• Sugar, 1/4 cup
• Water, 1/4 cup

Method:

First mix milk powder, milk and clarified butter

Mix all ingredients well and make a dough

Keep this dough in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes

Meanwhile grate the beetroot and squeeze all juice from it

Keep this juice and grated beetroot aside

Now for sugar syrup, take water, sugar and cardamom powder and cook until one string consistency is reached. Turn off the gas

Take out milk powder dough from fridge and crush it with hands

In a pan put the grated beetroot and roast it for 2 minutes 

Now add crushed milk powder to this and stir well

Add squeezed beetroot juice and dry coconut powder and mix well

Then add sugar syrup to this

Cook until the mix leaves the sides of the pan

Turn off the gas. Let it cool

Make small size pede with this mix

Garnish it with chopped dry fruit

Beetroot pede are ready.

DATES AND ALMONDS KHEER

DATES AND ALMONDS KHEER

As this is the first post for 2016, let me wish you a bright, happy, and prosperous New Year. It is customary to start the year with a sweet, so today I present to you one of my favourites: a kheer made of dates and almonds.

Apart from the taste,  dates are good for more reasons than one and are available in many varieties.
Elsewhere in this blog, you will find another interesting recipe for Dates, Figs, & Dry Fruit Ladoos, a guest post by Tanushree Aich.

The amount of sugar you add to this kheer will therefore depend on the sweetness of the dates, as also on how sweet you want the dish to be.

While this kheer can be served either hot or chilled, I always prefer to serve it chilled. I hope you will enjoy the Dates and Almond Kheer as much as I did.

Ingredients:

• Pitted Dates, 15
• Milk, 500 ml ( 400 + 100) 
• Almonds, 15-20
• Sugar, 1/4 cup, or to taste
• Cashewnuts, chopped, 6-8, 
• Ghee, 2-3 tsp
• Powdered Cardamom, from 2-3 pods

Method:

Boil 400 ml of milk ( 2 cups) in a thick-bottomed vessel and keep aside

Soak the almonds in warm water for about half an hour. Keep aside

In a pan, heat 1 tsp of ghee and add the chopped cashewnuts and roast them till they turn slightly golden brown and keep aside

In the same pan, roast the raisins and keep aside

Add the remaining ghee and on low flame lightly roast the dates for a few minutes till you get a good aroma

Let them cool then grind the roasted dates along with the soaked almonds to a paste, adding 100 ml (1/2 cup) of milk, a little by little, while grinding. 

Add the ground paste and the sugar to the boiled milk, mix well and bring it again to a boil stirring continuously so that it doesn't get burnt at the bottom 

Switch off the gas, add the powdered cardamom and mix well

Garnish with roasted cashewnuts and raisins
Serve hot or chilled, as per taste

. 

COFFEE FLAVOURED HALWA

COFFEE FLAVOURED HALWA

Especially if you like coffee, you will find this Coffee Flavoured Halwa a tasty addition to your collection of desserts/Indian sweets. It is easy to make so I prepared this when I had some unexpected guests recently.

Unlike the traditional Indian sweet which has a high ghee content, this halwa can be made with relatively less ghee. To make this halwa, I used Coffee Flavoured Custard Powder available in packets from Weikfield.

Once the halwa is made, you can cut it into the desired shape. I usually stick to my old favourite diamond shape.

This halwa lasts for 5-6 days if kept refrigerated. I prefer this version as I think the Coffee Flavoured Halwa tastes much better when it is chilled.

Ingredients:

Coffee Flavoured Custard Powder, 1 cup
Sugar, 2 and 1/2 cups, or to taste
Water, 4 cups
Ghee, 3 tbsp
Cashewnuts, 10-12,
 + Ghee, a little for greasing the plate & roasting the cashewnuts

Method:

Grease a plate with a little ghee and set aside.
Break the cashewnuts into pieces and roast them in a pan in a little ghee. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix together the custard powder, sugar and water
Ensure that no lumps are formed while making this custard powder mixture
Heat a non-stick pan, and on medium heat, add the custard powder mixture, stir it continuously till it becomes thick, taking care that it does not get burnt at the bottom
Now add the ghee and mix it thoroughly and stir till the custard powder mixture becomes transparent and jelly like
Add the roasted cashewnut pieces, keeping a few pieces aside for garnishing
Mix well for the cashewnuts to get evenly distributed
Switch off the flame
Transfer the mixture onto the greased plate and allow it to cool completely
Cut the halwa into desired shapes, garnish with nuts and serve
You can also store it in the refrigerator and serve chilled

KESAR PEDA

KESAR PEDA

This guest post for a popular Indian sweet called Kesar Peda is from my friend, Sarita Bhat. Kesar is the Hindi word for saffron. While you can add artificial colouring to make the colour of the pedas more saffron, here she has added pure saffron milk which is far more healthy.

Thanks, Sarita, for your recipe and attractive picture.

Ingredients:

• Ghee, 2 tbsp
• Sweetened Condensed Milk, 200 gms
• Milk Powder, 200 gms
• Cardamom Powder, 1/2 tsp, ( Cardamom crushed with sugar)
• Kesar Milk, a few strands of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp of milk
• Kesar or any dried fruit of your choice, for garnish

Method:

In a thick-bottomed kadhai, heat the ghee on medium flame.
Once it melts, add the condensed milk 

Keep stirring it for one minute or so

When the ghee and the condensed milk are fully mixed, add the milk powder

Keep stirring continuously on low-medium flame, taking care to see that no lumps are formed and that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the kadhai

Next add the cardamom powder and mix well

Keep stirring till you get a smooth dough-like mixture

Add the kesar milk and mix well

Keep stirring till the mixture gets a saffron colour evenly 

The consistency of the mixture should be such that it does not stick to the bottom of the kadhai

Switch off the gas and transfer the peda mixture to a plate

Once it is cool enough to handle, grease your fingers and palms with a little ghee and take small parts of the mixture and form the pedas with a smooth finish 

The pedas can be of the desired size
Alternatively, you can form the pedas using an appropriate mould

Slightly flatten the top of the pedas with your finger and garnish them with kesar or any dried fruit of your choice

CHURMUNDO: GUEST POST BY SHAMALA BHAT

CHURMUNDO: GUEST POST BY SHAMALA BHAT

Amongst Indian sweets, ladoos are very popular in every household. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for Besan Ladoos and Rava Ladoos.  In any Konkani GSB household, I guess "Churmundo" ( Ladoos made of wheat flour/atta) will rank as one of the favourite sweets made on festive occasions, and indeed any time else as everyone in the family invariably loves them.

The recipe for Churmundo today comes by way of a Guest Post by my friend, Shamala Bhat from Bengaluru. Thanks, Shamala.

The addition of raisins and cashewnuts roasted in ghee is optional as they enhance the taste of the churmundos. These are added when the mixture is cooled before shaping them into ladoos.

If stored in air tight containers, churmundos can last for a few weeks to a month provided they are all not polished off by then.

Ingredients:

Chickpea Flour, (Besan), 1/3 cup
Wheat Flour, (Atta), 1 cup
Ghee, 1/4 cup
Powdered Sugar, 1 cup
Cardamom Powder, made from 2-3 cardamoms

Method 

Sieve besan and atta separatly and keep aside
In a thick bottomed pan, heat the ghee, add the besan and fry on medium heat for about a minute
Add the atta and roast it till it gives off a nice aroma and changes colour to become a light brown
During this process you would need to stir continuously so that the wheat flour does not get burnt
Remove from flame and allow it to cool completely
Add the powdered sugar and cardamom powder and mix them well.
Make individual ladoos by greasing your palms lightly with ghee and squeezing the cooled mixture, shaping them to make firm ladoos

CUSTARD POWDER HALWA

CUSTARD POWDER HALWA

I first came across this simple to make yet delicious halwa ( a type of Indian sweet)  in a cooking group in which I am a member in September 2014. It was shared by my friend, Deepika Shenoy and it went viral!

Unlike the traditional Indian sweet which has a high ghee content, this halwa can be made with relatively less ghee.

It is primarily made of custard powder which is store bought. I used the Vanilla Flavoured Custard Powder from Weikfield. .As regards shapes in which the halwa is to be cut, you can try different forms but I have stuck to my old favourite diamond shape.

I found this lasts for 5-6 days if kept refrigerated. I must say that the cold halwa acquires a taste of its own which I personally liked very much.

I find that this halwa, which has undergone some changes over time, was put up as early as in 2012 by Hari Chandana in her blog, " Indian Cuisine.".

Ingredients:

Custard Powder, 1 cup
Sugar, 2 and 1/2 cups, or to taste
Water, 4 cups
Ghee, 3 tbsp
Roasted Cashewnuts, chopped, 10-15,
Cardamom Powder, from 3-4 cardamoms
 + Ghee, for greasing the plate & roasting the cashewnuts

Method:

Using a little ghee, grease a plate and set aside
Powder 3-4 cardamoms, and keep aside
In a bowl, mix together the custard powder, sugar and water
Ensure that no lumps are formed while making this custard powder mixture
Heat a non-stick pan, and on medium heat, add the custard powder mixture, stir it continuously till it becomes thick
Now add the ghee and mix it thoroughly till the custard powder mixture becomes transparent and jelly like
Add the chopped roasted cashewnuts and the powdered cardamom
Mix well so that they are evenly distributed
Switch off the flame
Transfer the mixture onto the greased plate and allow it to cool completely
Cut the halwa into desired shapes

RASGULLAS: GUEST POST BY GAYATRI PRAVEEN KAMATH

RASGULLAS: GUEST POST BY GAYATRI PRAVEEN KAMATH

If you were to take a poll and ask people in India about their favourite sweets for dessert, I am sure the Bengali delight, Rasgullas will feature in many people's list as the most popular ones.

In my mind, I associate Rasgullas with the firm of K C Das as I remember buying this dessert sold in tins by them. All of us in our family loved them.

Today, I am grateful to my friend, Gayatri Praveen Kamath for sharing her recipe for making rasgullas. The ones she made indeed look delicious!

Ingredients:

• Full Fat Milk, 1 litre, to boil and then curdle
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Water, about 1 and 1/2 cups
• Sugar, about 2 cups

Method:

Heat the milk in a thick-bottomed kadhai, stirring continuously

When it starts to boil, squeeze the juice of one lemon ( after discarding the seeds)

Stir again till the milk gets curdled

Now sieve the chenna* for preparing the rasgulla balls

Tie the chenna in a muslin cloth and squeeze till the last drop of water is squeezed out from the chenna

Now knead the chenna properly, at least for 10 minutes to get a very, very soft dough and prepare balls

This kneading is very important

Next, in a pressure cooker measure 1 and 1/2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar and slowly add these paneer balls to it

Put the cooker lid and cook on high flame till the first whistle

Let it cook for about 2 minutes more and then switch off the flame

The rasgullas are now ready

Allow them to cool and serve as per your choice.

* chenna is a variety of Indian cottage cheese always made out of cow's milk.

MISHTI DOI

MISHTI DOI

As they say, time flies and I find a whole year has flashed passed since I started this blog on March 21, 2013. To celebrate I made a Bengali sweet as some of the best desserts in India come from Bengal.

We have always been fond of Mishti Doi (Sweet Curds) and have always bought it from stores like K C Das. For the first time, I thought I would make it myself. A search for the recipe for this delightful Bengali sweet dish led me to adapt this from Sudeshna Banerjee's Cook Like A Bong.

To caramelize the sugar, it is advisable to use a vessel with a handle which makes it easier to pour the molten sugar. Though it is mentioned that the earthen pot is optional, I would consider this essential as the curd sets better in an earthen pot. I also added saffron to garnish the Mishti Doi.

Ingredients:

• Full Cream Milk, 1 litre
• Sugar, 8 tbsp.
• Yogurt, 1 tbsp.
• Saffron, a few strands, for garnish

Method:

Heat the full cream milk in a thick bottomed vessel
When it  boils, lower the flame and add 4 tbsp. of sugar
Mix well and simmer, stirring continuously, till the volume of the milk is reduced to a little less than half. Keep aside.
In a pan, heat the remaining 4 tbsp of sugar with 2 tbsp. of water till the sugar melts and becomes a golden brown syrup
Gradually add this sugar syrup to the milk (which is now condensed to half its volume) and boil for another 15 minutes over low flame
Now switch off the gas and allow it cool till it becomes luke warm
Pour the luke warm milk into the earthen pot and add the yogurt
Keep the pot in a dry, cool place and let the yogurt set overnight
Garnish with saffron
Refrigerate the set mishti doi and serve as dessert

CHANADAAL PANCHAKADAYEE : GUEST POST BY VIDYA NAYAK SHENOY

 CHANADAAL PANCHAKADAYEE: GUEST POST BY VIDYA NAYAK SHENOY

Today's guest post is from my friend, Vidya Nayak Shenoy. Her dish is a sweet made of Bengal gram and jaggery which we usually make for pujas and festive occasions. I am sure you will love this as much as I did.

Ingredients:

• Chana Daal (Bengal Gram), 1 cup
• Jaggery, 250 gms
• Fresh coconut , 1
• Cardamom powder, from out of 4-5 pods
• White til, 50 gms
• Cashewnuts 8-10

Method:
Dry roast the chana daal on low flame till you get a nice aroma. It should take about 15-20 minutes.
Cool it and powder to a rawa consistency in a mixer. Keep aside this coarse powder.
Dry roast the cashewnuts  and keep aside. In the same kadhai, dry roast the white til and keep aside.
Heat the jaggery and make a syrup
To this, add the coconut gratings and let it simmer for some time
Do not make it too dry
Add the channa daal powder to the jaggery mixture and stir 
The channa daal powder absorbs the jaggery syrup
Add cardamom powder to the jaggery mixture and let it cool
Finally, add the roasted cashewnuts and roasted white til and stir well.

Thanks, Vidya for your recipe and the lovely picture.

SWEET PONGAL

SWEET PONGAL

Yesterday was the day of the Makarasankranti festival also celebrated as Pongal in Tamil Nadu. usually we Konkanis make Sweet Moong Dal Khichdi . I decided to try out Chakara Pongal, Chakkarai Pongal or Sakkarai Pongal: they all mean the same thing. This is the sweet version of Pongal, a dish cooked during this festival which is made of jaggery, rice and moong dal. The colour of the dish is determined by the type of jaggery that you use. I have used the dark type of jaggery which has given the pongal its distinctive colour.

This is adapted from the recipe for Sakkarai Pongal given in the popular blog, Rak's Kitchen.
I have however not used nutmeg powder and edible camphor.

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice, 1/2 cup
• Moong Dal, 2-3 tbsp
• Dark Jaggery, powdered, 1 cup
• Water, 2 and 1/2 cups
• Ghee, 3 tbsp
• Salt, a pinch
• Cashewnuts, 5- 6
• Raisins, 1 tbsp
• Cardamom ( Elaichi), powdered, 1 
• Clove, 1

Method:

Wash the raw rice and keep aside
Add 1/4 tsp of ghee and roast the moong dal in a pan,
Transfer the roasted moong dal to a pressure cooker, add 2 and 1/2 cups of water, washed raw rice and salt
Pressure cook this for 4 whistles
Once the cooker cools, mash the cooked rice and dal using the back of a ladle.
In a pan, add the powdered jaggery, add enough water to immerse it and bring it to a boil
Make sure the jaggery is totally dissolved
Filter the jaggery syrup and add it to the mashed dal and rice mixture (pongal)
In another pan, heat 1 tsp of ghee and roast the cashewnuts till they are golden
Add the raisins and roast till they puff up. Keep the roasted cashewnuts and raisins aside
Add clove and when it swells, switch off the gas
Now add the powdered elaichi, and clove to the pongal
Mix well, add the roasted cashewnuts and raisins
Cook the pongal on medium flame for 5 minutes adding ghee little by little
If it gets too dry add 1/4 cup of water while it is being cooked