Badam Halwa / Almonds sweet

Halwa or Halva refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Malta and the Jewish world.

Badam Halwa

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Almonds 
• 2-1/2 Cups Sugar 
• 3 Cup Water 
• 2 Cups Ghee 
• 1 Pinch Saffron 

Method

• Soak almonds in a bowl with boiling water.
• Remove the skin of almonds and make fine paste by grinding them in a grinder.
• Boil sugar with one cup of water in a pan, till it turns into syrup.
• Add almond paste to the boiling syrup and mix it well.
• Dilute saffron in a little water and add to the syrup.
• Instantly mix one-cup ghee.
• As the above mixture turns paste-like, pour the remaining ghee gradually.
• A batter like mixture will be formed after sometime. Now remove it from the flame.
• Badam Halwa is ready to serve.

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Bengali Cham Cham

Cham cham or chum chum is a traditional Bengali sweet that is popular in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It comes in a variety of colors, mainly light pink, light yellow, and white. It is also coated with coconut flakes as a garnish.

Bengali Cham Cham

Ingredients

• Milk - 1 liter (5 cup)
• Lemon juice - 2-3 tbsp (2 lemons)
• Sugar - 2 cup (450 grams)
• Ararot - 1 tbsp

For stuffing:

• Mawa - 1/4 cup (60 gram)
• Cardamoms - 3-4 (peel and make powder)
• Powdered sugar - 2-3 tbsp (30 grams)
• Pistachios - 7-8 (thinly sliced)
• Kewada essence - 2-3 drops
• Orange color - less then 1 pinch

Method

Making Cham Cham

• Take milk in any utensil and place it on flame for boiling. When milk starts boiling turn off the gas and let it cool down.
• Add water in lemon juice. Add little amount of lemon juice at a time in warm milk. Milk will start to coagulate. Stop adding lemon juice when milk coagulates completely. Now strain the coagulated milk in any muslin cloth, (place the cloth on top of sieve and pour milk on the cloth). All water will get collected in the utensil kept beneath and chena will be collected on the top. Pour some cold water on the chena and wash it nicely. With this chena will become cool and lemon flavor will get washed.
• Mix 2 cup sugar and 4 cup water in a pressure cooker and place it on flame for heating.  Meanwhile make Chamcham from chena.
• Divide chena in 8 equal parts, take one part and bind it nicely like a ladoo. Now give Chamcham an oval shape and place it on a plate. Like wise prepare all Chamcham balls.
• Sugar-water has started boiling in pressure cooker (don’t make thread sugar syrup, just boil it so that sugar melts). Add all prepared Chamcham one by one in boiling water. Cover the pressure cooker with lid. When it whistles for once, reduce the flame and cook Chamcham for 7-8 minutes. Now turn off the gas and place the cooker in any utensil carrying cold water so that it becomes cooled quickly or place it under water tap
• Open the pressure cooker and take out Chamcham in any big bowl along with sugar syrup. Stuff Chamcham when it cools down completely.

Stuff for ChamCham

• Peel cardamom and make powder. Mash mawa very finely with help of a spoon. Add powdered sugar and cardamom and really well. Stuffing is ready.
• After soaking Chamcham for 3-4 hours and cooling it down, take it out from sugar syrup. Chamcham has become cold, sweet and hard. Take when Chamcham and slit it from center keeping it joint from one side. Keep Chamcham in one hand and stuffing it with other hand. Garnish with 5-6 pistachios pieces. Like wise stuff all Chamcham.
• Mouth drooling Chamcham is ready. You can serve them as it is or place them in freezer and then serve they taste yummier. 

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Rava Laddoo / Suji Laddoo

Laddu or Laddoo is a ball-shaped sweet popular in Indian Subcontinent as well as regions with immigrants from the Subcontinent such as Hijaz. Laddu is made of flour and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe. It is often served at festive or religious occasions.

Laddu comes from the Sanskrit word transliterated as ladduka or lattika meaning a small ball. Though contested, it is widely believed to originate from the Mithilanchal region of Bihar during the times of Chandragupt Maurya.

Rava Laddoo / Suji Laddo

Ingredients

• 1 cup very fine Semolina/Sajjige/Suji/Sooji
• 1/4 packed cup grated coconut, fresh or frozen (Optional)
• 3/4 cup granulated/powdered Sugar (adjust acc to taste)
• 1/2 cup +1 tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
• 2 tbsp Cashew Nuts, halved
• 2 tbsp Raisins/Sultanas
• 6 Green Cardamoms, peeled and crushed to smooth powder
• A large pinch of Saffron dissolved in 1 tbsp warm water or milk
• Few tsp of Milk (Optional)

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp of Ghee in a deep pan or kadai and add cashew nuts to it. Roast cashew nuts on low flame till they start to turn light golden in colour. Immediately add raisins or sultanas and fry them till they are plumped up, about 1 minute. Remove them with a slotted spoon and keep them aside.
• Next add grated coconut to a pan and roast them till they turn light golden in colour on low flame, about 2-3 mins. Transfer them to clean bowl and keep it aside.
• Now add semolina and dry roast them on low flame till they change colour to light golden and the aroma of roasted semolina fills the kitchen, about 3-5 mins. There should be noticeable change in colour and aroma compared to raw semolina. Make sure that the semolina is dry roasted on low flame. Transfer this roasted semolina to a bowl containing roasted coconut.
• Add granulated or powdered sugar, cardamom powder, roasted cashews and raisins, saffron dissolved in warm milk and remaining ghee to the roasted semolina and coconut.
• When the mixture is warm enough to handle take a small handful of them and squeeze between your fingers and palm to form small lemon sized balls. If the mixture is too dry and starts to crumble, add few teaspoons of milk, one at a time, and form the balls. Don’t worry if the Rava Laddu/Laddoo is too soft as they will harden after a while.
• Once cooled, store them in an air tight container and keep them in a cool, dry place or store them in refrigerator.

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Besan Laddoo / Besan Laddu

Laddu or Laddoo is a ball-shaped sweet popular in Indian Subcontinent as well as regions with immigrants from the Subcontinent such as Hijaz. Laddu is made of flour and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe. It is often served at festive or religious occasions.

Laddu comes from the Sanskrit word transliterated as ladduka or lattika meaning a small ball. Though contested, it is widely believed to originate from the Mithilanchal region of Bihar during the times of Chandragupt Maurya.

Besan Laddoo 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter or ghee 
• 1 and 1/2 cup besan (gram flour)
• 2 tbsp suji/semolina
• 1/4 tsp  cardamom powder
• 4 tbsp sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp white sesame seeds(optional) 

Method

• Put the basen (gram flour) and sooji, in a large frying pan and mix well.Turn on the stove,in low flame dry roast the flour and stir in between to prevent burning.
• Roast it well till the raw smell goes.
• Once the colour has started changing immediately add ghee and mix well.
• Stir well without lumps and roast the mix well until it gives nice flavor.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let the besan mix cool to a warm temperature.Don’t let it to come to room temperature.While the mixture is warm add sugar and  mix well.
• Then add cardamom seeds, almonds,white sesame seeds(optional).
• Mix well and start making ladoo.
• Take 2 tbsp of warm besan mixture and gently press and roll between your palms to form a lemon sized balls.Repeat this step for rest of the flour.let it cool for sometime and then serve it as  a snack.

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Rava Paniyaram

Rava, is a wheat product and a form of semolina or Rava. Rava is made by grinding husked wheat and is used extensively in south Indian cuisine, such in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamilnadu.  Rava Paniyaram is a sweet dish made with Rava. This sweet is made in our house on festivals like Tamil New year and Deepawali.

Rava Paniyaram 

Ingredients

• Rava - 1 cup
• Maida - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Fresh ground coconut - 1 cup or 1/2 coconut
• Cardamom - 5
• Cashews - 5
• Oil - to fry

Method

• Make thick coconut milk from shredded coconut by adding water.
• Make thick batter by adding rava, maida, coconut milk and let it sit for 1 hour.
• Now add the sugar, crushed cardamom and cashews to the batter and mix well.
• In a deep pan heat oil to 350 F.
• Take a scoop of the batter and drop them in the oil. 
• When these are cooked it will float in oil. 
• Wait until they turn golden brown. 
• Scoop them out of oil and server.

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Motichoor Laddu / Motichur Laddu

Laddus are considered a very auspicious mithai as they are Lord Ganesh's favourite. In Rajasthan, the most popular kinds are the malai laddu, boondi laddu and motichur laddu. The difference between motichur and boondi laddus is that the boondis in the boondi laddus are larger and are fried till they are slightly brown in colour. Motichur laddus however are made with very small sized boondi, almost like little rice pearls and they are not fried till they darken. Making these laddus is a time consuming process and a little practice is required to perfect them. If you are patient and enjoy the pursuit, you will enjoy making these "pearly laddus".

Motichoor Laddu / Motichur Ladoos

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup milk (doodh)
• 1tblsp pistachios (pista)
• few drops orange (santra) colour
• pure ghee for frying
• 1tblsp raisins (kishmish)
• a pinch baking powder
• 1/2 kg sugar (cheeni)
• 1/2 kg bengal gram flour (besan)

Method

• Sieve gram flour with baking powder so that it mixes well.
• Mix in 2 tblsp of melted ghee and enough water to make a batter of thick consistency.
• Heat up ghee in a kadhai and with a perforated (holes) spoon drop boondis in ghee.
• Rub the batter on the spoon with holes so that small drops of batter drop in oil, simultaneously tap the spoon on the rim of kadhai also.
• Fry boondis till golden brown, remove and keep aside.
• Meanwhile make three string (3 tar ki chashni) consistency sugar syrup mix in colour.
• Put the fried boondis in this syrup, mix in the raisins and cut pistachios.
• When mixture cools down slightly use buttered hands to make laddus.

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Kaddu Ki Kheer

Kaddu which is also called a Winter Melon, White Gourd, Winter Gourd, Ash Gourd, is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature.  It is the only member of the genus Benincasa.  The fruit is fuzzy when young.  the immature melon has thick white flesh that is sweet when eaten.  By maturity, the fruit loses its hairs and develops a waxy coating giving rise to the name wax gourd and providing a long shelf life.  The melon may grow as large a 80 cm in length.  Although the fruit is referred to as a melon, the fully grown crop is not sweet. Originally cultivated in Southeast Asia, the Winter Melon is now widely grown in East Asia and South Asia as well.

Kaddu Ki Kheer is one of old and very traditional Indian sweet which serve mostly on popular festivals like Diwali, Spring festivals etc.

Kaddu Ki Kheer

 
Ingredients

• 4 Cups grated kaddu
• 1 Tin condensed milk
• 2 Liter milk
• 2 Cups sugar
• 1/2 Cup soaked sabudana
• 2 tsp Vanilla essence

Method

• Boil the milk.
• Add grated kaddu and cook till it turns soft.
• Mix condensed milk and sugar well.
• Once the sugar is dissolved, add soaked sabudana.
• Cook it for more 15 minutes.
• Add vanilla essence.
• Serve chilled.

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Kakinada Khaja

Kakinada Khaja is a sweet delicacy of Andhra Pradesh, India. Since Kakinada, a coastal city in Andhra Pradesh, is popular for Khajas, hence the name.
Kaja originated in Samarkand area of Uzbekistan and the meaning of Kaja is originated from Arabic language meaning probably to "pure" or "sacred". Like Gulab Jamuns Khajas and Jhangris were introduced to Andhras by Muslim Vikings. In northern Part of India, Kajas comes in hundreds of varieties. Kakinada Kaja is just a replica of Ranchi kaja. Khajas were brought in to Andhra by Muslim probably at the time of Nizams. Indian variety of kaja Khajas are sold in the city of Patna, Gaya and several other places across the state of Bihar, yet Khajas of Silao Nalanda and Rajgir areas are distinct over khajas of all other places. Silao and Rajgir are the places where one can get puffy khaja, which melts in the mouth.
 
From Bihar, Khajas are believed to have travelled to some other parts of India, including Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

Kakinada Khaja

Ingredients

• Sugar - 2 1/2 kg
• Water - 2 cups
• Flour - 500 gms
• Besan Flour - 1 tblsp
• Soda Bicarb - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 1 kg
• Powdered Cardamoms - 4

Method

• Make a thin 1 string syrup with the sugar and 2 cups of water.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Sift flour and then sift again with besan flour and soda bicarb.
• Mix 1 to 2 tblsp of ghee thoroughly into the mixture.
• Add cardamom powder and enough water to make a dough.
• Keep aside for 2 hours.
• Divide the dough into 10 balls or more.
• Roll out into thin chapatis.
• Dab with ghee and form into thin long rolls.
• Cut the rolls into 2 inch pieces.
• Press each roll flat.
• Heat the rest of the ghee in a pan.
• Fry the rolls in batches till golden brown on both sides.
• Remove from pan and put them into the cooled sugar syrup.
• Keep immersed till they absorb the syrup.
• Remove from the syrup taking care not to break the outer cover.
• Cool well serve.

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Jangiri / Imarti

Imarti (Emarti or Jaangiri) is a dessert from Rajasthan made by deep-frying urad flour batter in a kind of pretzel or circular shape, then soaked in sugar syrup. It was one of the food items presented by Rajputs to Mughals during cultural exchanges. Imarti was considered one of the items of Raj Bhog (Royal Food Menu). Popularity of this sweet dish increased in other parts of India as Mughals expanded there.

Jangiri / Imarti

Ingredients

• White urad dhal - 1 cup
• Rice - 1 tbl sp
• Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Kesar colour - little
• Saffron - little
• Rose water - 2 tsps

Method

• Soak dhal and rice together in water for 15 minutes.
• Grind into smooth thick frothy paste with very little water using wet grinder.
• Grind for 40 to 45 minutes, add little kesar colour and take out from grinder.
• Mix sugar and water in a heavy pan and heat in medium flame stirring constantly till half string consistency is reached. Mix rose water, kesar colour, little crushed saffron to this.
• Heat oil in a medium sized kadai or flat pan with about 1 1/2 inch depth.
• Take little dough in jangiri cloth (cone shape cloth with small hole in centre). Close it properly and with gentle pressure put two continuous circles (clock-wise direction) of two inch diameter in oil and continue with chain like rings (anti clock-wise direction) on top of it so that jangiri shape is formed.
• Turn over gently when it is cooked.
• Take it out from oil, drain excess oil and put in hot sugar syrup.
• Allow it to soak for one minute turning once in between.
• Remove from syrup and arrange on a flat plate.

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Ghevar

Ghevar is a famous Rajasthani sweet traditionally associated with the Teej Festival. It is disc-shaped, and made from oil, flour and sugar syrup. There are many varieties of Ghevar, such as plain, mawa and malai ghevar.

Ghevar

Ingredients

• 4 Cups flour
• 2 Cups ghee
• 4 Cups water
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 tbsp Almonds (chopped)
• 1 tbsp Pistachios (chopped)
• 1 tsp Cardamom powder
• 1 tsp Saffron (soaked in milk)
• 1 1/2 Cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp Orange colour

Method

• Mix flour, ghee, milk and 3 cups of water to make a batter.
• Dissolve colour in the remaining water.
• Mix the coloured water to batter.
• Take an aluminium or steel cylindrical container.
• Cylinder should have a height of at least 12", and a diameter of 5-6".
• Fill half of the cylinder with ghee and heat.
• Once the ghee is hot, pour a glass of batter in the centre of ghee.
• Allow foam to settle.
• Pour a glassful of batter in ghee again.
• Once the foam gets settled again, place ghewar on mesh.
• Prepare sugar syrup of one tar consistency.
• Dip ghevar in syrup so as to remove the extra oil.
• Keep it for cooling.
• Pour few drops of saffron water.
• Sprinkle chopped almonds, pistachios and cardamom powder.
• Ghevar is ready.

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Malai Kulfi

Kulfi or Qulfi  is a popular frozen dairy dessert from the Indian Subcontinent. It is often described as "traditional Indian Subcontinent ice-cream". It is popular throughout countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar), and even the Middle East. Kulfi is also widely available in Indian restaurants in Europe, East Asia and North America.

History

Just like any other culture exposed to snow and ice, some people living in the Indian Subcontinent, especially those living high in the Himalayas, would have stumbled upon the technique of freezing various sweetened liquids, thus turning them into frozen desserts. These privileges were limited to the aristocracy until modern day refrigeration technology reached the Subcontinent.

Malai Kulfi

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 1/4 cup milk powder
• 1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

Method

• Combine all the ingredients together and bring to a boil. Add the cardamom powder.
• Simmer for 10 minutes till the mixture thickens. Cool completely.
• Pour into 4 kulfi moulds and freeze overnight till firm.
• To unmould, allow the moulds to remain outside the refrigerator for 5 minutes and then unmould by inserting a wooden skewer, stick or a fork, in the centre of the kulfi and pulling it out.

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Sheer Korma / Sheer Khurma

Sheer korma or Sheer Khurma is a festival vermicelli pudding prepared by Muslims on Eid ul-Fitr in South Asian countries especially Pakistan. It is a traditional Muslim festive breakfast, and a dessert for celebrations. Sheer, which itself has been derived from the Sanskrit word ksheer or kheer, means sweetened milk and khurma is made from dried dates.

Sheer Korma

Ingredients

• 1 package Ahmed brand vermicelli
• 1 gallon fresh whole milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 20 cloves whole cardamom pods
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 cup slivered almond , cashews and pistachioes
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron strand
• 3 tablespoons charoli nuts
• 1/2 cup light brown raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon rose water
• 1 tablespoon butter

Method

• Fry the vermicelli in the butter until well browned but not burnt.
• Fry on low heat until all the butter is dried.
• Add in 1/4 cup sugar and fry again.
• Add in the whole milk cup by cup, stirring constantly, and bring to boil.
• Add in the raisins, whole cardamon, and 1/2 cup slivered almonds, cashews and pistachioes, and the remaining sugar.
• Reduce the heat and thicken the Sheer Korma to three-strand consistency, letting the milk boil until it is halved.
• The vermicilli must be very soft by now.
• Quikly add in the rose water, charoli and fresh cream and let simmer covered for 10 mins.
• Garnish with the saffron strands and powdered cardamom, and serve immediately.
• This special dish is served on the morning of Eid day to all the household, after the Eid prayer, as breakfast, and throughout the day to every guest that visits you.
• It keeps fresh for up to one week in the fridge.

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Sohan Halwa

Sohan Halwa or Sohan Halva is a traditional Indian/Pakistani sweet.

It is made by boiling a mixture of water, sugar, milk and cornflour until it becomes solid. Saffron is used for flavoring. Ghee is used to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Almonds, pistachios and cardamom seeds are added. Unlike most other halwa dishes in the subcontinent, it is solid.
The Hafiz Halwa shop in Multan Pakistan claims it is was invented by Dewan Sawan Mal, the ruler of Multan in 1750.

S.Abdul Khaliq claim that this halwa was introduced by their ancestors in the sub-continent in the early 1500s when Mughal emperor Humayun came back to power in India after being exiled in Persia. He called for the makers of this halwa from Persia and the ancestors of modern day S.Abdul Khaliq were the official halwa makers for the Mughal rulers for 300 years. S.Abdul Khaliq also have the term, "Shahi Halwa Sohan Merchants" as part of their branding.

Sohan Halwa

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk
• 1 kg Sugar
• 1 tsp Kesar
• 2 litre Water
• 500 gm Ghee
• 100 gm Pistachio
• 250 gm Almonds
• 50 gm Cardamom
• 500 gm Cornflour or Maida

Method

• Heat half of the water, add sugar and boil for 5 minutes.
• Add 1 cup milk and boil for 5 minutes. Strain it through a muslin bag or thin cloth.
• Dissolve the cornflour/maida in a little water. Add the remaining water and sugar syrup.
• Dissolve 1 tsp kesar in warm water. Add to the cornflour mixture and cook over low flame.
• When cornflour becomes thick , add 1 tbsp ghee. Continue adding Ghee slowly during cooking to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Stir it well.
• As Ghee separates from the mixture. Add almonds, pistachio & cardamoms.
• Grease a pan or tray with oil. Spread Halwa in it.
• Garnish with almonds, pistachio and cardamoms. As it cools down, cut it into pieces and serve.

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Gajar ka Halwa / Carrot Halwa

Halwa (or halava, xalwo, haleweh, helwa, halvah, halava, helava, helva, halwa, halua, aluva, chalva, chalwa) refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Malta and the Jewish world.

History of Carrot

The wild ancestors of the carrot are likely to have come from Iran and Afghanistan, which remains the center of diversity of D. Carota, the wild carrot. Selective breeding over the centuries of a naturally occurring subspecies of the wild carrot, Daucus carota subsp. sativus, to reduce bitterness, increase sweetness and minimize the woody core, has produced the familiar garden vegetable.

Gajar ka Halwa

Nutrient values

The carrot gets its characteristic and bright orange colour from ß-carotene, which is metabolised into vitamin A in humans when bile salts are present in the intestines. Massive overconsumption of carrots can cause carotenosis, a benign condition in which the skin turns orange. Carrots are also rich in dietary fibre, antioxidants, and minerals.
Lack of vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, and vision can be restored by adding it back into the diet. An urban legend says eating large amounts of carrots will allow one to see in the dark. The legend developed from stories of British gunners in World War II, who were able to shoot down German planes in the darkness of night. The legend arose during the Battle of Britain when the RAF circulated a story about their pilots' carrot consumption as an attempt to cover up the discovery and effective use of radar technologies in engaging enemy planes, as well as the use of red light (which does not destroy night vision) in aircraft instruments. It reinforced existing German folklore and helped to encourage Britons—looking to improve their night vision during the blackouts—to grow and eat the vegetable.
Ethnomedically, the roots are used to treat digestive problems, intestinal parasites, and tonsillitis or constipation.

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated carrot
• 2 cups low fat milk
• 6 tbsp skimmed milk powder
• 3 gms sugarite or 4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

Method

• Combine the carrots with the milk and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• Add the milk powder, SugaRite/sugar and cardamom powder and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, while stirring continuously.
• Serve hot.

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Sakarai Pongal / Sweet Pongal

Pongal (Tamil: பொங்கல்,Telugu: పొంగలి) is a popular rice dish based in South India. Pongal is unique to Tamil cuisine, but related toKhichdi.

There are two varieties of pongal, namely, sakarai pongal (sweet pongal) and ven pongal (spicy pongal). The unqualified word pongalusually refers to spicy pongal, and is a common breakfast food in several parts of India. The rice boiled with milk and jaggery during thePongal festival is also called pongal - this is sweet pongal made specially in earthenware pots with a wood fire.

Sakarai Pongal

Sakarai pongal (sweet) is generally prepared in temples as a prasad, i.e., offering to God. This type of pongal is also prepared during the Pongal festival (similar to Thai Pongal) in Tamil Nadu,South India.
Sakarai means sugar in the Tamil language. It tastes sweet and contains ingredients like rice, sugar/jaggery, coconut pieces or moong daal. The sweetening agent in sakarai is traditionally jaggery, but sometimes candy sugar can be added. This makes a white looking pongal, but adding jaggery makes a darker brown coloured pongal.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Raw Rice
• 1/2 cup Green Gram Dal
• 1 cup Milk
• 3 cups Jaggery (powdered)
• 4 tbsp Ghee
• 2 tbsp Cashewnuts
• 2 tbsp Raisins
• 5 no Cardamoms (powdered)
• 2 no Cloves (powdered)
• 1 small piece Nutmeg (grated or powdered)
• A pinch of Saffron
• 2 1/2 cups Water

Method

• Roast dry the green gram dal for a couple of minutes.
• Cook the rice and green gram dhal with 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 cup milk in the microwave and set aside.
• Dissolve the jaggery in 3/4 cup water and cook on a low heat till the jaggery melts.
• Strain the jaggery to remove the dirt.
• Put the syrup once more on the heat and stir till it becomes slightly sticky.
• Add the cooked rice and dhal.
• Heat the 4 tbsp ghee.
• Fry the cashewnuts and raisins and add to the pongal.
• Add the powdered cardamoms, cloves nutmeg and saffron.
• Mix well and serve hot.

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Puran Poli

Puran Poli (Marathi: पुरणपोळी or पुरणाची पोळी, Konkani: पुरणपोळी or ಉಬ್ಬಟ್ಟಿ, ಹೋಳಿಗೆ, Gujarati: પોળી, Kannada: ಹೋಳಿಗೆ or ಒಬ್ಬಟ್ಟು,Tamil: போளி) is a traditional type of sweet flatbread made in India in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa.

Puran Poli

 Ingredients
 

• 1/2 kg Maida (All purpose flour)
• 1/2 kg Lentil (Gram dal)
• 1 tsp Cardamom powder
• 1 tsp Ghee
• 1/2 kg Jaggery
• 100 ml Oil
• Salt to taste

Method

• Wash and boil the lentil with water and 1/2 tsp salt till it becomes soft.
• Cool slightly and strain the dal using a strainer.
• Add cardamom powder and jaggery and grind to make fine paste.
• If the paste is sticky, keep it on fire to dry up completely. This is puran.
• Knead 1/2 kg maida with water and 1/2 tsp salt. Do not make it hard.
• Add oil and knead the maida again till oil gets absorbed.
• Prepare equal number of balls from maida and puran.
• Roll out maida balls to make small pooris.
• Stuff these pooris with puran ball.
• Roll them again into balls.
• Roll out to make chapatis. It is called poli.
• Heat a griddle and roast each poli.
• Apply ghee on both sides when done.
• Serve with hot cup of tea.

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Basundi

History

Basundi is an Indian dessert mostly in Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka.  It is a sweetened dense milk made by boiling milk on low heat until the milk is reduce by half.

It is often made on many festivals like Diwali, Kali Chaudas and Bhibeej.  We can prepare Basundi is different ways like Sitaphal Basundi and Angoor Basundi and Mango Basundi etc.

Basundi

Ingredients

• 2 litres Milk

• 2 tblsp Lemon Juice

• 1 cup Sugar

• 8 crushed Cardamoms

• 5 chopped Almond (Badam)

• 10 roughly chopped Charioli nuts

Method

• Boil the milk in a kadai.
• Keep stirring constantly and reduce it till it becomes thick and the quantity of the milk is approximately half a litre. remove from the flame and keep aside.
• D the lemon juice to the milk and stir the mixture so that it becomes granular in consistency.
• Return to a medium flame.
• Add the sugar and cook for another 10 minutes. stir the mixture occasionally.remove from the fire.
• Transfer to a bowl and add the cardamoms and the nuts.mix thoroughly.
• Serve hot or cold.

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