Kitchen Tantra

Karumbu Chaaru Pongal:

Kanne Ki Chaawal. Karumbu Saaru Pongal. Sugar Cane Pongal.

This is once again my friend Kranthi's Mother's recipe. She made this on a Pongal(Sankranthi)day. Sure...it got into my mind, as it tasted much like fresh cane. I liked the idea about fresh cane juice in cooking rather then using crude jaggery or anything. It brings up all the flavour and earthy-ness. Wow....its a harvest festival and let us use all the fresh produce(raw rice, fresh cane.....)what not!

Ingredients:

Raw-Half broken rice 1/2 cup
Split moong dal 1/4 cup (pasi paruppu/pesaru pappu)
Sugar Cane juice (freshly squeezed 2 cups)
Cardamon seeds powder 1-2 spoons
Pachai Karpooram/raw camphor 1-2 pinches(optional)
Ghee/clarified butter 1+1 cup
Cashewnuts 1/2 cup (halved)
Dry grapes/raisins/kismiss - 1/2 cup
.
Method:

Wash rice and dal seperately....for several times. Maybe till the water runs clear. Then soak them togather for 20 minutes.

In a pressure cooker, add few spoons of ghee. Add 2 cups of cane sugar juice and bring this to boil.

Now add soaked rice and dal to this boiling cane sugar water.(discard the soaked water) Pressure cook them over medium heat till they are soft or for 3 whistles.

Then using a wooden laddle mix the well-cooked rice and dal.It should come to 'Pongal' consistency. Add raw camphor to this now and remove from stove.

In a seperate pan, heat ghee. Fry halved cashewnuts till they are golden-reddish color. Set them aside.

In the same ghee, fry dry grapes...till they pop and bulge.

To the above pongal...add fried cashewnuts, fried grapes and 1 cup of ghee. Stir them well.

Serve warm as a main-sweet dish or dessert. Or serve chilled as dessert.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice, Sweets

Boondhi:

This recipe turns up as a fix only when the laadu/laddu preparation is wrecked. Yeah...one need to press this laddu, while it is warm with greesed hands. Where I am not efficient enough. So I just toss this boondi in the jeera! Tho' its a escape recipe, it makes a pretty good one!

Ingredients:

Bengal gram flour 2 cups
Baking soda 1/4 spoon
Baking salt 1/4 spoon
Vanaspati/dalda/vegetable oil 1 spoon
Salt 1 pinch
Oil for deep frying
Sugar 2 cups
Saffron few strands
Cadamon powder 1/4 spoon
Cashew nuts to garnish
Slotted Spoon for mking boondi.

Method:

In a small bowl, bring baking salt and baking soda. To this add vanaspathi/dalda. Mix them well, until the salts dissolves and comes frothy.

Mix bengal gram to it. Mix them evenly. Then add warm water to it. Make a thin batter....it should be really in runny consistency without any lumps.

Now heat up the oil. Maybe in medium to high heat.

Take a slotted spoon.(a slotted wooden/steal spoon) each pore in the spoon should be with 'wheat size' pore. (if you run the batter over it....it should produce 'small rain drop size Boondhis')

Now holding the slotted spoon, right above the oil. Slowly, in a small table spoon, take your batter and run over the slotted spoon. And slightly shake the slotted spoon.....while you are running the batter! So that the batter will be drizzled in oil as rain drops. At the same time, do not load the oil. Fry little boondhis at a time.

Reserve each batch in kitchen tissues.

In a separate vessel, heat sugar with limited water. Add saffron and cardamom. Make a strong syrup.

Now toss the above made boondhis in the syrup. Let them sit for a brief perid sucking all the moisture up.

Garnish with cashewnuts.

Labels: Sweets

Chana Dal Coconut Laddu:

Dal Laadu/laddu. Simple and easy fix laddus!

Ingredients:

Chana Dal 1 cup
Jaggery 1 cup
Grated coconut 1/2 cup
Cardamon seeds powder 1/2 spoon
Cashewnuts chopped 1/4 cup
Ghee/Clarified butter 1/2 cup.

Method:

Toast Chana dal for 2-5 minutes in a heated skillet. Maybe till they turn golden to slight reddish.

Then soak this dal in water for 20 minutes.

Slow cook dal with the same water on stove top. When it is done without water....mash them coarsely using a wooden spatula.

Now add grated coconut and grated/powdered jaggerry to this. Mix them thoroughly.

In a wide heavy bottomed non-stick skillet, heat ghee. Add broken cashewnuts and fry them till golden color.

Then stir in the chana-coconut-jaggery set-up. Fry them real good over medium heat. First it gets thickens and then slowly it looses moisture and gets seperated.

Then tranfer this in a large bowl. Using an electric whipper. Whip them for better results.

Now oil your palms and divide them into equal parts. Make laddus while they are still warm.

Serve warm as evenning tiffin.

Labels: Sweets

Kowa Jangiri:

When I was studying 3 or 4th standard, I don't remember exactly. Myself and my Dad went a Hotel at Vellore. It was located near GUC canteen. So the place was much like old building flipped to restaurant. It was damn good old place, with garden and park outside. Even inside the hotel, it had a central muttram and lots of pillars. That's all I remember now. So what so special about this place? Nothing special tho' I just remembered the sweet I had there, when I was little girl. I never came across that sweet later in my life!

Daddy asked the waiter...'whats special today'. The answer came as 'Kowa Jangiri'! I was like....'what is it'. Pappa said...okay lets try that today. Before it came to my table. Dad lectured...hmmm they are going to mix their 2 left over sweet into one!!! No wonder..the plate had 1 white large jangiri topped with melting warm kowa! It was awesome! We really enjoyed it.

So nearly 20 years later, I was telling about this sweet to my friend here! She was like...'You must prepare it' one should write down such nice recipe!

About 2 months ago when I went to Vellore(nearly after 10 years). I happen to see this 'Kowa Jangiri' at Jothi Sweet Stall! Oh...my goodness, someone like me has really retrieved this old recipe! Thanks a lot to the chef/whoever thought about it!

Well....today I didnt risk making whole 'jangiri' and 'kowa' all by myself. Just store-bought them, flipped, tossed together.

Ingredients:

Yellow/plain white color Jangiri 4-6 pieces
Kowa(with sugar) 1 cup
Ghee few spoons
Pista nut - sliced
Almonds - sliced
Saffron few strands

Method:

Yeah...while talking about 'jangiri' I need to highlight its not 'jelebi'. Jelebi is something thin, crispier, yellow and sour in taste. Better do not confuse with jelebi. Buy colorless jangiri/yellow tinted ones.

Sprinkle ghee on top, then place kowa. Again run few spoons of ghee.

Garnish with sliced nuts and saffron.

Labels: Sweets

Vellore Fruit Halwa:

Vellore Fruit Halwa. Fruit Halwa.Vellore Jothi Sweet Stall Style Fruit halwa.

Vellore Jothi Sweet Stall Style - 'Fruit Halwa' really tastes better! Maybe generous amount of ghee and freshly prepared kowa, makes it unique and outstanding! Well...its one of my favourite Sweet dish from the town!

Since it is called 'Fruit Hlawa' don't confuse yourself with any kind of fruit! They use just 'pumpkin'! Well...it took me years to figure this! Nothing tough about the recipe....but using fresh ghee and kowa makes it really wonderful!!!

Ingredients:

White Pumpkin/Winter melon - pulp grated 2 cups
Dry Coconut - grated 1 cup
Fresh Kowa(sugarless) 1 cup
Tooty-frooty 1/4 cup(multi colored)
Organic yellow food color/saffron
Pineapple essence few drops (optional)
Cashew nuts halved 1/4 cup
Golden raisin 1/4 cup
Sugar 3/4 cup
Ghee 1 whole cup.

Method:

Prepare a pearly consistency sugar syrup. Stir-in grated pumpkin and grated coconut.

Cook over medium heat...with constant stirring. Add food color, essence, tooty-frooty, cashew and raisins to it. Continue cooking. Maybe till halwa consistency is achieved.

Add kowa and ghee now. Let them blend to it. Remove from heat.

Serve chilled as a dessert.

Labels: Halwa, Sweets

Strawberry Crepes:

Ingredients for Basic Crepes:

Eggs (jumbo eggs) 3
Whole milk 1 and 1/2 cup
All purpose flour 1/2 cup
Salt pinch
Butter 4 cubes - melted.

Ingredients for Filling:

Sugar - granulated 1 cup
Strawberries - hulled n thinly sliced
Heavy whipping cream - a dallop
Confectioners sugar to drizzle.

Method:

Blend all the basic crepe ingredients in a mixie/electric beater. Let it come without any lumps.

Let this sit for 4 hours. The more it rests the crepe comes out real smooth and tender.

In a warm skillet, make a thin crepe and spread them on a sheet.

Now place strawberries in each crepe and fold it. Sprinkle with sugar and decorate with cream.

Refridgerate it.

Run some sugar syrup on top and enjoy as dessert.

Labels: Sweets

Kala Jamun:

Dry Jamun.

Ingredients:

Sugarless Kowa/ Skimmed milk - 1/4 kilo
Milk 1/4 cup(if you're using skimmed milk)
Sugar syrup 2 cups
Ghee for deep frying.

Method:

Knead skimmed milk with milk into soft fissure less dough. Make equal parts and small bite sized balls.

Heat ghee in a deep pan, Fry these jamuns till dark-jet black color. I prefer frying it in medium heat. As you know...slow cooking helps it to get-cooked till the core. Always make these jamuns too small in size, makes it lot easier for frying!

Well....now leave these fried jamuns in sugar syrup. When all the syrup is well incorporated...throw away the excess syrup!

Serve chilled with vanilla icecream.

Labels: Sweets

Bread Halwa:(version 2)

Weight watchers Bread Halwa. Easy to fix with left over bread.

Ingredients:

White bread slices 4-6
Sugar 4-6 spoons
Milk 1/2 cup
Cardamom crused 3
Saffron few strands
Kewra essence few drops
Pistachios sliced for decoration
Butter 1/2 cube.

Method:

Trim the brown parts from bread. Tear and soak them in milk. Let it loose its shape.

Melt butter in a wide pot. Add sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Bring this to syrup consistency.

Add saffron and cardamom now. Further add soaked bread along with milk. Continue cooking and stirring. Use a non-stick ware to avoid using more butter.

Well when it comes to halwa like consistency add kewra essence too. Garnish with sliced pista.

Serve chilled or at room temperature. Aromatic low calorie dessert is ready within 4-5 minutes! Isnt that amazing!

Labels: Halwa, Sweets

Mango Payasam:

Ingredients:

Mango ripe, juicy and large 1-2
Jaggery 1 cup
Cashew nuts 10-15(split ted)
Raisins 15-20
Green cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Milk 300 ml(optional)
Fresh coconut first milk 1 litre
Ghee 1 cup
Grated coconut few spoons.

Method:

0. Cook mago pulp for about 7 minutes and mash it. Do not blend to puree or too chunky as well.

1. In a pan heat ghee and fry cashew nuts till golden color and set aside.

2. In the same ghee fry raisins till they pop-up and set them aside too.

3. In a deep bottomed non-stick vessel add chunky mango fruit paste along with milk. Cover and cook over medium flame. Never attempt to add any water. Cook only by using milk.

4. In the separate pan, heat jaggery along with one cup of water. Let it come to syrup consistency.

5. Once the pulp turns glossy, add jaggery and cardamom powder to it.

6. When it is 3/4 done add fresh coconut milk, cashew nuts and raisins to it. cook without cover. Until coconut milk reduced into half.

7. Never use watery coconut milk. Use only first milk....i.e., wet grind coconut pieces using minimal water and squeeze for thick extract. And immediately discard the squeezed coconut. Never use any further water in to order to extract milk from it again.

8. Let it be in runny consistency. Remove from stove.

Serve chilled, garnish with grated coconut just before serving.

Labels: Payasam, Sweets

Cashew Candy:

Cashew Nuts Halwa.

Ingredients:
Cashewnuts 1 bowl full
Milk 1 cup
Sugar 1 bowl full
Saffron 1/2 spoon(optional)I didnt use any today
Ghee 1 cup.

Method:


1. Soak cashew nuts in warm milk for 20-30 minutes.

2. Blend this soaked cashew to thick puree. One should add only milk while grinding it to paste.

3. Optional step: Separately mix saffron to few spoons of milk and grind it. One can do this with simple mortar and pestle manually than a blender.

4. In a non-stick pan add ghee. Try to maintain the whole process on low flame only.

6. Now add sugar and 1/2 cup of water....bring the syrup to pearl consistency.

7. To this syrup add cashew paste and saffron. Constant stirring with well greased wooden spatula is advised. Better smear the spatula with ghee before hand.

8. Once the Halwa consistency is achieved transfer it to well greased container. Smear the container preferably with ghee.

The shelf life is more than a month. If refrigerated it stay long till 3-4 months.

Labels: Halwa, Sweets

Nutmeg Cookies:

Ingredients:

All purpose flour 1 cup
Baking soda 1/4 spoon
Salt 1 pinch
Sugar 1/4 cup
Eggs 2
Milk 1/2 cup
Nutmeg 1 - grated(to garnish)
Powdered sugar to garnish.

Method:

In a wide bowl, bring salt, soda, sugar and milk. Beat them well.

Add 2 eggsa nd bring it to foamy stage. Now slowly add flour. Knead them to smooth dough.

Now flatten them to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into derised shapes and bake.

One could also deep fry! But its good to bake.

Then garnish with nutneg and sugar powder. Nothing is better than fresh nutmeg aroma!

Labels: Sweets

Vermicelli Payasam:Version 2(Arcot Muslim Style)

Semiya Payasam.

Ingredients:

Vermicelli (extra fine texture) 1 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup
Whole Milk 2 cups
Half n Half 1 cup
Condensed milk few spoons
Saffron 1/4 + 1/4 spoon
Cordamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Kewra essence 1 spoon
Ghee/Clarified butter few spoons
Cashew nuts 25
Golden Raisins 25.

Method:

Soak 1/4 spoon of saffron in 2-4 spoons of milk for about 2 hours. Using mortar and pestle wet-grind it. Set aside.

Break the vermicelli into bite size bits and set aside.

In a large vessel, heat ghee. Toast vermicelli for few minutes and set aside.

In the smae vessel, add sugar + 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to syrup like consisteny.

Add whole milk, half n half and condensed milk to this. Continues boiling. Stir regularly.

When the milk is half the way reduced, add cardamom seeds powder, kewra essence and wet-ground saffron to it.

Add vermicelli as well. Cook over medium heat for a while. Maybe till the vermicelli is done and the milk really thickens to pudding.

Heat few more spoons of ghee, in a seperate pan. Fry cashewnuts till golden and set aside. In the smae ghee, fry raisins till they pop. Set them aside as well.

Transfer the payasam made to display vessel. Garnish with saffron, cashewnuts and raisins. Chill and serve.

Serve chilled, warm or at room temperature.

Labels: Payasam, Sweets

Aval Payasam:

Rice Flakes Pudding. Avallaki Prathaaman. Aval prathaman. Poha Pudding. Poha Payasam.

Ingredients:

Thick Rice Flakes(aval/poha) 1 cup
Whole milk 2 cups
Jaggery 3/4 cup
Grated coconut 1/4 cup
Coconut milk 1 cup
Caradmom pods 3-6 crushed
Ginger powder/sukku podi 1/2 spoon(optional)
Cashewnuts 10 halved
Raisins/dry grapes - 15
Ghee 1 cup.

Method:

In a heavy bottomed vessel, heat few spoons of ghee. Toast cracked poha till fragrant. Then transfer it to a bowl. Set aside.

In the same pan, heat 1/2 cup of ghee. Fry cashew nuts till golden color. Set this aside too.

Add raisins and fry them...till they pop well. Then set this aside too.

Throw away the fried ghee. Rinse the vessel.....then reheat it.

Add jaggery and 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to boil. Now add cardamom seeds powder and ginger to it. Let this solution turn to nice syrup like condition.

Now stir-in toasted cracked poha. Cover and cook. When it absorbs almost all moisture...add 2 cups of milk and cook. Maintain the stove over medum heat.

When it is almost done...stir-in grated coconut, coconut milk, fried nuts and raisins. Mix them well.

Transfer the pudding t display vessel.

Serve chilled as a dessert!

Labels: Payasam, Sweets

Sheer Khurma:(Arcot Muslim Style)

Vermicelli Payasam. Semiya Payasam. Saffron Infused Vermicelli Pudding.

Ingredients:

Vermicelli (extra fine texture) 1 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup
Whole Milk 2 cups
Half n Half 1 cup
Condensed milk few spoons
Saffron 1/4 + 1/4 spoon
Cordamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Kewra essence 1 spoon
Ghee/Clarified butter few spoons
Silvered/sliced almonds to garnish.

Method:

Soak 1/4 spoon of saffron in 2-4 spoons of milk for about 2 hours. Using mortar and pestle wet-grind it. Set aside.

break the vermicelli into bite size bits and set aside.

In a large vessel, heat ghee. Toast vermicelli for few minutes and set aside.

In the smae vessel, add sugar + 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to syrup like consisteny.

Add whole milk, half n half and condensed milk to this. Continues boiling. Stir regularly.

When the milk is half the way reduced, add cardamom seeds powder, kewra essence and wet-ground saffron to it.

Add vermicelli as well. Cook over medium heat for a while. Maybe till the vermicelli is done and the milk really thickens to pudding.

Transfer them to display dish. Garnish with saffron and silvered almonds. Chill and serve.

Serve chilled, warm or at room temperature.

Labels: Payasam, Sweets

Gajjar Ka Halwa:(Marwadi Style)

Carrot Halwa(version 2). 'Shree Mittai' Style Gajjar Ka Halwa.

Myself and my family friend Manoj Malani....used to goof around during college days. He loves sweets. He is really crazy about eating sweets all the time. When ever I visit their house during pooja/any occasion, Aunty serves almost 10-12 sweets in a big thali(plate) as a snack food!:)My gudness.....and he hogs them all! Crazy!

Well...my Dad, Malani uncle and Manoj used to visit me at my hostel quite often. We go out for dinner at one place and then Manoj gets to decide where to go for dessert! As always....he picks ' Sree Mittai' at Egmore, Chennai.

As anyone I thought its a simple sweet and any idiot could make it at home in minutes! When I saw carrot halwa in Sree Mittai, it was too strange for me...I didnt even know that they sell carrot halwa in sweet stall! Moreover my friend was insisting me to try it! Well.....I got to change my opinion...it tasted better than home made! Certainly something is so different from usual gajjar ka halwa. Later somehow figured this recipe and tried to fix it, the result was grand success! Here you go.....

Ingredients:

Caarots 1/2 kilo
Kowa(Milk gova) non-sweetened 2 cups(substitute - Milk powder)
Half n half(tetra pack milk) 2 cups
Whole milk 2 cups
Condensed milk 1/4 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Saffron 2-4 pinch
Ghee / Clarified butter 1 cup.

Method:

Trim the ends of carrot and grate them. Set aside.

Heat a wide, deep vessel. Add sugar + 1/2 cup of water. Bring them to syrupy consistency. (when you drop a syrup in a water filled cup...the syrup should form like a pearl and settle at the bottom of the cup.)

Stir-in grated carrot. Cover and cook. Maybe till it absorbs all the sugar syrup.

Meanwhile wet-grind saffron using mortar and pestle. Add few spoons of milk to grind it. Set aside.

Add whole milk, half and half and condensed milk. Cook wihtout cover. Stir-constantly. Add ghee when ever you feel like. This may really take long time...

Labels: Carrot, Halwa, Sweets

Paruppu Payasam:

Siru-Paruppu Payasam. Moong Dahl Payasam. Pasarru Pappu Payasam. Dahl Kheer.

Ingredients:

Moong dahl - 3/4 cup
Moong dahl 1 fistful
Grated coconut 1 cup
Jaggery/indian brown sugar - 3/4 cup
Cardamom pods - 6 crushed
Pacha karpooram - 1 pinch
Dry ginger powder 1/2 spoon(optional)
Coconut milk / whole milk 2-4 cups
Ghee 1/2 cup
Cashew nuts 15-25
Raisins 15-25.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, cook 3/4 cup of moong dahl till tender. Maybe using limited water.

In a shallow pan, heat few spoons of ghee. Fry cashewnuts till golden color and set them aside. In the same oil. Fry raisins tillt hey pop up well. Set them aside too.

Now in a deep vessel, heat ghee. Stir-in handful of moong dahl. Fryt ill it turns to golden color. Then add crushed cardamom pods to it.

Stir-in grated jaggery....add 1/2 cup of water. Let this melt really well.


When it is bubbly enough...add grated coconut and pressure cooked dahl to it. Cover and cook over medium heat. When it is almost done...garnish with fried nuts and raisins.

Serve warm or cold as a dessert.

Labels: Payasam, Sweets

Gothumai Kesari:

Cracked Wheat Kesari. Gothumai Rawai Kesari. Gothumai ravai pongal. Cream of wheat Halwa.

Ingredients:

Cracked wheat 1 cup
Whole milk 2-3 cups
Sugar 3/4 cup
Cardamom pods 3-5 crushed
Cashewnuts 10 halved
Raisins/dry grapes - 15
Ghee 1 cup.

Method:

In a heavy bottomed vessel, heat few spoons of ghee. Toast cracked wheat till fragrant. Then transfer it to a bowl. Set aside.

In the same pan, heat 1/2 cup of ghee. Fry cashew nuts till golden color. Set this aside too.

Add raisins and fry them...till they pop well. Then set this aside too.

Throw away the fried ghee. Rinse the vessel.....then reheat it.

Add sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to boil. Now add cardamom seeds powder to it. Let this sugar solution turn to nice syrup like condition.

Now stir-in toasted cracked wheat. Cover and cook. When it absorbs almost all moisture...add 2-3 cups of milk and cook. Maintain the stove over medum heat.

When it is almost done...stir-in remaining ghee, fried nuts and raisins. Mix them well.

When oil shows up on sides and wheat is done...transfer it to display vessel.

Serve chilled as a dessert!

Labels: Halwa, Sweets

Poppy Seeds Halwa:

Kasa Kasa Halwa. Cas Cas Halwa. Casa Casa Halwa. Poppy Seeds Sweet Recipe.

This is quite famous recipe in Southern Tamil Nadu. The is no much variation from the usual ‘Halwa’ recipe though!

Ingredients:

White Poppy Seeds 1 cup
Sugar ¾ cup
Milk 2 cups
Saffron few strands
Ghee or Clarified Butter 1 small cup
Cashew nuts 15 – halved
Golden raisins 1 fistful(dry grapes)

Method:

Soak poppy seeds in 1 cup of warm water for about 10-12 hours.

Then filter the seeds alone(discard the soaked water)

Boil milk really well and set aside.

Wet grind the poppy seeds using limited warm milk.

Heat sugar along with ½ cup of water. Add saffron strands to this sugar syrup and continue heating.

Add wet-ground poppy paste tot his syrup and stir well. Allow it to cook over medium heat….with constant stirring.

Meanwhile in a separate pan, heat ghee. Fry cashew nuts in it till golden to reddish color, set this aside.

In the same ghee, add raisins and fry till they pop. Set this aside too.

When poppy puree is almost done without any raw small add few ghee, fried raisins and cashew nuts. Turn them really well.

When ‘Halwa’ consistency is achieved and oil shows up on sides, remove it from the stove.

Serve warm or cold as a dessert. Enjoy!

Labels: Halwa, Sweets

Vermicelli Kesari:

Semiya Kesari. Sweet Semiya Recipe. Semya Kesari. Sweet Vermicelli. Vermicelli Halwa. Vermicelli Halva.

I tasted this particular recipe when I was a kid(studying 3rd or 4th standard). I have been to daddy's friends place. They are Tamil speaking Muslims! I call that aunty as 'Parrot Aunty' (as she had parrots in their house....I still call her the same & never asked her real name)! She fixed this dessert on that day! I forgot the event anyway. Well....it was'nt like usual kesari for me. As she had used vermicelli to make this kesari. It was very soft, orange in color and extra fine quality vermicelli!

Later when I grew up and started cooking.....I really had hard time to make the exact version of this kesari. As I could never find such fine vermicelli anywhere! And most of the groceror's had no clue what I am looking far. Finally tried in International market place at Gandhi Road, Vellore....they had this pakitani vermicelli' well it was extra fine!:) The same I was looking for!

Ingredients:

Vermicelli - fine quality 1 cup
Sugar ¾ cup
Milk 1-2 cups(optional...i didnt use any)
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Saffron few strands
Pista nuts - halved
Kewra essence few drops
Ghee ½ + ½ cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast ‘vermicelli’ for few minutes…..till fragrant. Transfer it to a bowl. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat ½ cup of ghee. Add pista nuts and fry them till they turn to golden color. Set aside.

Now add sugar, cardamom seeds and saffron. Add ½ cup of water and continue to boil
When it comes to boiling point. Add vermicelli to it. Use wooden spatula (greased with oil or ghee) for stirring.

Continue cooking. (add either milk or water...its up to you)

When semolina is done…sucking up all the milk and moisture andoil shows up on side. Remove it from the stove and transfer it to display bowl.

Serve warm or cold as a dessert.

Labels: Halwa, Sweets

Kesari:

Semolina Halwa. Semolina Halva. Semolina Haluva. Rawa Kesari. Rava Kesari. Rawa Halwa. Sooji Ki Halwa. Sooji Halva. Sooji Halwa.

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Sugar ¾ cup
Milk 3-4 cups
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Orange food color less than ¼ spoon
Cashew nuts 20 - halved
Golden raisins 1 fistful (dry grapes)
Ghee ½ + ½ cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast ‘semolina’ for few minutes…..till fragrant. Transfer it to a bowl. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat ½ cup of ghee. Add cashew nuts and fry them till they turn to golden color. Set aside.

In the same oil, fry raisins till they pop. Set this aside too.

Now add sugar, cardamom seeds and kesar color. Add ½ cup of water and continue to boil

When it comes to boiling point. Add ‘semolina’ without forming any lumps. Use wooden spatula (greased with oil or ghee).

Further add 3-4 cups of milk + cashew nuts + raisins + ghee. Continue cooking.

When semolina is done…sucking up all the milk and moisture & oil shows up on side. Remove it from the stove and transfer it to display bowl.

Serve warm or cold as a dessert.

Simple and easy to fix dessert. I like it warm than cold. As it gets hard…when served cold.

Labels: Halwa, Sweets