Kaali Gajar ka Halwa

A mouthful of usual red Gajar ka halwa tastes heavenly especially in winters and this dish adds a twist of kaali gajar to it (deep purple carrots). This is an exclusive dish from Banaras (Varanasi) in the northern India and stands out slightly different in taste than the traditional red halwa although equally mouth-watering. So get your hands on this unusual variety of carrots this season and try out this recipe!

Ingredients

• Black Carrot                            1/2 kg
• Milk                                         1 liter
• Khoa                                        150 gm
• Sugar                                       1 cup
• Pure Ghee                                2  tbs
• Cashew nuts                            8-9 pieces (broken into tiny pieces)
• Almonds                                  4-5 pieces (Soaked in 1/2cup of water)
• Raisin                                      9-10 pieces
• Pistachios                                4-5 piece (shredded)
• Green Cardamom Powder      1/4  tsp
• Grated coconut                        2 tbsp  

Method

1. Grate the carrots after peeling.
   
2. Add 2 serving spoons of milk to the grated carrot and put it for boiling in a pan (or use a pressure cooker till one whistle). Once boiled, keep aside for cooling. 
   
3. Take rest of the milk it in a deep frying pan or a cooking pot and bring it boil.
4. Simmer the milk to a thick consistency (quantity may reduce to almost 2/3rd).
5. While the milk simmers, check if the carrots have cooled down (shouldn't be too warm), then grind them lightly in the mixer.  
6. Add the carrots to the boiled (thick) milk and continue to cook till the mixture appears to be dry (carrots have soaked in the milk).
   
7. Add ghee and stir fry at a low flame for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add grated khoa and stir thoroughly for 4-5 minutes.
   
9. Add sugar and continue to stir lightly until it is dry again. 
10. Last but not the least, add dry fruits and mix well. Now, Halwa is ready!
    
11. Serve warm with some extra dry fruits on the top to make it more tempting.   

Christmas Pudding

                                          My sincere and hearty wishes on Merry Christmas to all the bloggers and non bloggers.The great Christmas is around.We are already up to celebrate it.Let us add some thing special and sweet as well as home made, up to occasion.So here is Christmas Pudding.  

Merry Christmas

        And why not try Fruit Cake too!

        

    Ingredients:

Peeled Orange

•  Maida [fine wheat flour]  1/2 cup
• White butter  6 tbsp
• Butter  6 tbsp
• Brown sugar  3/4 cup
• Eggs  2
• Orange and lemon-peeled [coarsely chopped]  1/4 cup
• Seedless dates  1/4 cup
• Walnut [chopped]  1/2 cup

  

  Brown Sugar

• Currants  1/4 cup
• Raisins  1/4 cup
• Brandy  2 tbsp
• Cinnamon powder  1/4 tsp
• Cloves powder  1/4 tsp
• Nutmeg powder  1/4 tsp



Dry Fruits

• Fresh white bread crumbs  1-1/2 cup
• Water  3 cups

For Hard Sauce

• White butter  1/2 cup
• Icing sugar  1/2 cup
• Brandy  2 tbsp
• Nutmeg powder  1 pinch

[ Note: in case ingredients are reduced,never reduce quantity of water.]

Serves: 6

Preparation:

• For Hard Sauce: Beat  butter in a bowl till it becomes light and fluffy. Add gradually sugar in small quantities at a time,keep on beating until whole sugar is added & mixture becomes creamy.Add brandy.Continue beating until  well blended.Add nutmeg powder.Chill until hard. 
• Beat the eggs.

Method:

•  Mix together orange and lemon peels,dates,walnut,currants,raisins,brandy and lemon juice and keep aside.
• Now,mix the maida,cinnamon,cloves and nutmeg powder,then sift.Add bread crumbs and stir well.
• Take remaining butter in a bowl,beat till light & fluffy.Add brown sugar in small quantities at a time and keep on beating till all sugar is used and mixture becomes light and fluffy.
• Add beaten eggs in small quantities at a time,keep on beating well.Fold in flour mixture and fruit & nut mixture.Add lemon juice,mix well.
• Spoon the mixture into a greased 1 liter mold.Cover mold lightly with aluminum foil, tie securely.
• Pour water into cooker,put grid [jaali] in cooker and place mold on grid.
• Close cooker  without pressure regulator.Cook on high heat.When steam passes through steam vent,reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes,ensuring a steady steam vent.
• Place pressure regulator in position.Bring to full pressure on high heat.Reduce heat and cook for 50 minutes.
• Close the flame.Let it cool.
• Open cooker.Take out mold and remove foil.Take out pudding with help of a knife and keep on a serving dish.
• Pudding is ready.Spread hard sugar around the pudding.Decorate with dry fruits,cherry etc.

Serve hot or cool.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Navratra Special ---- Lauki Ki Kheer [Bottle Gourd Dessert]

The Holy Navratra has begun and will spread over a period of 9 days.People observe fasting partly or for the whole period.Such people depend on fruits as well as foods,desserts or vegetables, permissible for fasting.In previous posts i have given recipes like sweet dish  Makhane Ki Kheer and salty Sabudana Khichdi,which are ideal for fasting and nutritious too.Lauki ki Kheer [Bottle Gourd Dessert] is another such item.The loki is well known for its health benefits.

 Ingredients 

• Lauki [bottle gourd]  1/2 kg
• Milk  01 lit.
• Sugar  200 gm
• Cardamom powder  1/2 tsp 
• Almond  10 pieces 
• Pista [pistachios] 10 pieces
• Cashew nut  10 pieces
• Grated dry coconut  1/4 cup 
• Raisin  01 tbsp
• Pure ghee 01 tbsp

Serves 06 people.

Preparation

1.Wash the loki,peel off the lauki,cut into 3"-4" size,take out the seeds and grate it.

2.Squeeze it so that water is drained out totally.

2.Cut the almonds,cashewnut,& pista length wise into fine pieces.

Method

• Take half of milk in a heavy bottomed pan.Boil it till it becomes thick to almost further half.
  

• Take another pan.Heat ghee and add squeezed loki.Saute till it become completely dry & turns light pink.Add other half of milk.Cook on low flame till milk & lauki are mixed well.Add sugar,mix and saute again till mixture turns thick again.
• Add the thick milk of first pan to second pan.Mix well,then close the flame.
• Add part of dry fruits and cardamom powder.Mix.
• The lauki ki kheer is ready.Fridge it.

Garnish it with remaining dry fruits before serving cool.

 

Fruit Cake

       Let us have a change of taste.Let us have a break from meals,breakfast or even purchased bakery edibles...So prepare a home made fruit cake and surprise the family members & friends!

Ingredients:

• Refined flour [maida]  150 gm
• Egg 2
• Caster sugar  125 gm
• White butter or ghee  75 ml/gm
• Baking powder  1/4 tsp
• Vanilla essence  1 tsp  

    Preparation 

1.For caramel colour [brown sugar]:

Cashew nut

• Sugar  30 gm
• Lemonjuice  1 tsp

   Preparation:

 Sprinkle a few drops of water over sugar.Heat till it becomes brown,then add lemon juice and  water [ 1/2 cup] to form liquid consistency.Close the flame.
2. Cut the cashew nut & almonds into fine pieces and keep aside.

   Dry fruits:

Cherry

• Cashew nut  10 pieces
• Almond  10 pieces
• Cherry  10-15 pieces
• Currant  50 gm

Raisins

• Tutti fruity 2 tbsp
  Other items:
• Milk  1cup
• Honey 1tbs
• Curants

Almond

   Method:

• At first mix maida [refined flour] & baking powder and filter 2-3 times.

 

• Take white butter & sugar in a clean bowl.Cream them till the mixture gets light and fluffy.

 

• Wash all the dry fruits except cashew nut and cut them in equal 
• sizes.Spread them on a napkin to dry.Then mix them into maida mixture.
• Separately,prepare enamel colour with help of water,lemon juice and sugar.

• Beat both the eggs in a clean bowl.Then mix vanilla essence and caramel colour.
• Now add gradually the beaten egg mixture to mixture of white butter & sugar.

 

• Now,mix dry fruit to mixture of maida & baking powder.Now add this mixture gradually one spoon at a time to mixture of beaten egg and keep on beating regularly [make sure] till all the mixture is used.If this batter is getting thick enough to obstruct beating,then add 1 tbsp of milk. 

• Now the cake batter is ready.

• Either apply butter or ghee on the bottom of mould or spread a butter paper over the bottom of mould.Mould may be of any shape or size.

 

 

• Next  folding process is done with the batter.Add honey and pour the batter into cake mould.Over it spread pieces of almond,cashew nut and cherry.

Cake batter

Preheat the oven,put the mould in it and bake at 120 degree centigrade for about 20 minutes.

•  After baking is over,take the mould out,put it on the wire rack and cool it.

Fruit Cake is ready.
Slice and Serve!  

Makhane Ki Kheer

इस ब्लॉग के पाठको को नवरात्र की शुभकामनाये 

The days of Fasting are going on during this Navratra. Many of the religious people opt for fasting during 8 or 9 days of this occasion. During scotching summer some sweet edibles,acceptable in fasting,eases the ritual.The makhane ki kheer is just up to occasion....sweet,yummy & quick to cooking without sweating !!!

     And the properties of makhana have it...rich in protein & calcium !! Wow...yummy....  

Ingredients:

• Makhana (lotus seeds)- 200 gm

• Milk [full cream]- 1ltr
• Sugar- 1 cup
• Poppy seeds [soaked in water]-  2 tbsp
• Ghee- 1 tbsp
• Green crushed cardamom  1/2 tsp
• Dry coconut grated  1/2 cup
• Raisin 10-15 pieces
• Charoli [ chironji]  2 tsp

For Garnishing:

• Pistachio [crushed]- 2 tsp

Method:

• Heat a deep pan,saute makhana in it for 2-3 minutes,then add 1/2 tbsp ghee.Again saute the same for 3 minutes till they are crisp.

• Remove the pan from fire and take makhana in the grinder.
• Crush the makhana very slightly.
• Saute grated coconut in pan on low heat for 1/2 minute and keep separately.
• Heat remaining ghee in the pan and add soaked poppy seeds.Saute for 1 minute.
• Now,add milk into pan and heat it, bring to boil on low flame until milk is reduced to 3/4th .Then add the crushed makhana. Simmer it for a few minutes till it becomes slightly thick.

• Add grated coconut,raisin and charoli and mix well.Cook for few minutes.
• Add sugar & cardamom and mix well.Cook again for 2 minutes till it becomes thick.

• Take it off flame, let it cool and keep in refrigerator.
• Garnish it with crushed pistachio before serving.
• Serve it cold....it tastes better and soothing...

Yummmmmmyyyyyyyy............

APPLE JALEBI

   Apple is a popular fruit among young and elder alike while it has its own multiple benefits. Jalebi ,too,is a mouth watering and delicious breakfast item of northern India.
   Now what to say of taste when these Two join as apple turns into round round jalebi !!!

Ingredients:

• Apple  5 
• Maida  100 gm
• Gram powder [Besan]  50 gm
• Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
• Refined oil/Pure ghee  3-4 tbsp
• Water  1 cup
• For sugar syrup [Chasni]:

               sugar  3 cup
              water  1 cup

For garnishing & flavour:

• Almonds [fine cut pieces]  5-6 pieces
• Kesar  1 gm
• Kewda or rose water  5 ml 

        Method

• Step 1

To prepare sugar syrup {chasni]:

Mix the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pan & boil on a medium flame.Keep stirring. Scum will be formed on the surface.Keep on removing with a spoon.Keep boiling until bubbles are formed.Close the flame.Let it be cool.

To test the syrup for its consistency,take 1 or 2 drops on a spatula,let it cool then take on clean forefinger and touch with your thumb and pull apart slowly & gently/If a single thread is formed & does not break, the syrup is ready to use.Another way of testing is to put a drop of the syrup in cold water.it becomes a soft ball.

  Now mix cardamom powder and kesar into the sugar syrup.

• Step 2

Mix Maida and Besan in the water. To check consistency of solution,put 1 drop of it in water.If it comes back to surface & does not dissolve,the solution is ready.

Cut the apples into rings nearly 1/2 inch thick.Separate the seeds from inner part.

Dip well the apple rings in the solution,take it out.Heat the oil/ghee in a pan, fry the ring till it turns golden.Repeat the process for each ring.

Step 3:

• Dip all the fried apple rings into sugar syrup.Keep for about 2 minutes,then take it out and put on a plate.

Step 4

Garnish with  almond pieces and spray kewda.

• Lastly,

Serve the jalebis hot or cold with fresh cream/Malai or Rubri....either way you will find it tasty!!

Madeleine Cake

Why to depend upon bakeries when we can prepare our own!!!!

Here is a recipe for a delicious & tasty cake which is easy to bake & liked by all...

Ingredient:

• Flour[ maida ]- 120 gm
• Sugar- 115 gm
• White butter- 55 gm
• Baking powder- 1/4 tsp
• Vanilla Essence- 3 to 4 drops
• Lemon Yellow Colour- 2 to 5 drops(food grade)
• Egg- 3pcs

    For Decoration:

• Apple Jam- 100 gm
• Red Colour- 2 to 3 drops(food grade)
• Dry Coconut Powder- 10 gm
• Cherry- 30 gm

    Apparatus:

1. palate knife
2. baking tray
3. Madeleine mold

Madeleine mold

Method:

• Filter/sift the flour along with baking powder 2 or 3 times.
• Grind the sugar.
• Separate white and yellow [yolk] of each egg in different bowls.Then take all the white in a bowl and beat it till it becomes fluffy. Add sugar gradually to it in small quantities and keep whisking till all the sugar is mixed well & the paste becomes soft,white,very light and fluffy.

• Now add the flour mix gradually in small quantities to white egg & sugar paste and blend lightly.
• Separately, add essence and color in the yolks and beat mixture well together.
• The above flour mixture is added to the yolk mixture and fold with the help of palate knife moving in the design of digit 8.Then cool melted butter is added to it and mixed well.Now the cake batter is ready.
• Grease the Madeleine mold with a little butter,then 2/3rd of cake batter is poured in  mold.Now Madeleine  mold is arranged in the baking tray.

• Put the baking tray in the preheated oven, heat at 198 degree centigrade for 12 to 15 minutes till it is baked.To check,insert a tooth pick in the center of the cake and draw back.If it comes clean the cake is baked.
• After baking, the prepared cake is cooled on the wire rack.
• Then brush the tops and sides of each cake with  thin jam layer and roll each one in coconut powder.
• Stick one piece of cherry in the center of each cake with the help of jam.

The cake is ready to eat !!