Til ki Barfi

Diwali is approaching fast and you can make this til ki barfi for your near and dear ones. This barfi is easy to prepare and doesn't take too much prep time. You can also garnish this barfi with chopped, unsalted pistachios. The choice is totally your's.

Recipe of til ki barfi

1 cup til

1 cup khoya (mawa) - grated

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp elaichi (cardamom powder)

Few cashew nuts- chopped

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

How to make til ki barfi

1. Heat 1 tsp ghee in a kadhai (heavy bottomed vessel) and roast cashew pieces in it till reddish brown. Drain and take out from kadhai.

2. In the same kadhai, add til and roast on medium-low heat stirring continuously. Roast till til begin to splutter and attain slightly brownish colour. Take til out of kadhai.

3. In the same kadhai, add grated khoya and roast on medium-low heat till khoya turns a little brownish. Take out from kadhai.

4. In a big bowl or any big utensil, mix khoya, til, powdered sugar and cashews.

5. Grease a big plate with few drops of ghee (clarified butter) and spread the til-khoya mixture evenly. Level with a big spoon.

6. Allow it to cool down for 15-20 minutes. Then cut it into squares or diamonds.

7. Let it harden for 2 hours.

8. Remove til ki barfi from plate with the help of a knife. You can eat it right away or store in the fridge for later use.

Coconut (Nariyal) Ladoo

coconut ladoo

This festive season, make everyone's favorite coconut ladoo at home and win over your family's hearts. These coconut ladoos are very not just tasty but very easy to put together.
Recipe of coconut ladoo
200 gm grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
200 gm khoya (mawa) -grated
200 gm powdered sugar
1/2 tsp elaichi (green cardamom) powder
How to make coconut ladoo
1. Put a kadhai (heavy bottomed vessel) on heat and put grated khoya in it. Turn the heat to low.
2. Cook, stirring, till khoya turns a little brownish.
3. Add grated coconut and cook stirring for few minutes.
4. Add powdered sugar and elaichi powder and mix well. Turn off the heat and take out the coconut mixture on a big plate.
5. Allow this mixture to cool down till it is comfortable to touch but still warm.
6. Using your hands, make ping pong size balls from it. These are now called coconut ladoo. Keep them in fridge for 1 hour so that they get tightened. You can eat these ladoo right away or store them in fridge for later use. 

Hare Matar ki Poori (Green Peas Puri)

hare matar ki poori

This recipe of hare matar ki poori comes from Uttar Pradesh (U.P.). To boil the matar, you can pressure cook them to 1 whistle or you can microwave them. Some people confuse matar ki poori with matar ki kachori. This is a recipe of  matar ki puri and not kachori.

Recipe of matar ki poori

2 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

1 cup hare matar (green peas) - boiled

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

2 tsp oil +2 tsp oil +  for deep frying

1. In a bowl, add atta, 2 tsp oil and salt. Adding water, knead atta into stiff dough. Keep aside, covered, for 1/2 an hour.

How to prepare the stuffing for matar ki puri

2. Mash boiled matar to a coarse paste using a potato masher.
3. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add hing. After this, add mashed matar. Add all the spices and salt and mix well.
4. Saute matar till all moisture evaporates and you get a dry stuffing.

How to make/prepare hare matar ki poori

4. Take a lemon size ball from the dough and flatten it between your palms. Place a little stuffing in it and gather the edges again making a ball.

5. Roll out on lightly oiled surface, into 3 inch round puri.

6. Deep fry this poori in medium hot oil. Fry from both sides, turning as needed, till golden. Drain on an absorbent paper. Serve hot hare matar ki poori with some yogurt and pickle.

Pineapple Sheera (Halwa) Recipe

pineapple halwa

This recipe is among the few recipes with pineapple that I know as I am not used to cooking with pineapple. Pineapple sheera is nothing but sooji halwa with pineapple. It's a quick and easy dessert which now makes its appearance in wedding buffets so you can also call it dessert for crowds.

Recipe of pineapple sheera/suji halwa with pineapple

1 cup sooji (suji/semolina)

1 cup pineapple pieces

1/2 cup ghee

1 cup sugar

Nuts like cashews, almonds and raisins - chopped

A pinch of saffron (kesar)

How to cook/prepare pineapple sheera

1. Heat ghee in a kadhai or a pan and add sooji. Roast sooji, stirring, till it turns golden brown. Add saffron and mix.

2. Add pineapple pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add 4 cups of water and sugar. Cook covered over medium heat till all moisture evaporates and sooji is completely cooked.

4. Garnish pineapple sheera with nuts and serve hot.

Palak Poori

palak poori

This is a simple yet healthy and tasty recipe. You can enjoy palak poori with potato curry or even with pickle. I usually prepare palak ki poori on festive occasions like diwali.

Recipe of palak poori/palak ki puri

1 1/2 cups atta (whole wheat flour)

20 palak (spinach) leaves

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil + for deep frying

How to prepare palak poori

1. Blanch the palak leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes. Puree the palak leaves.

2. In a bowl, take atta. Add palak puree, salt and 1 tbsp oil. Knead into stiff dough. Cover the dough and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

3. To prepare palak ki poori, pinch a small ball or peda out of the dough and roll on an oiled surface, into 4 inch round puri.

4. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok. Deep fry palak poori on medium heat. Drain on an absorbent paper. Similarly make rest of the palak poori with remaining dough.

Quick Microwave Besan Ladoo

besan ladoo

Microwave besan ladoo is a very easy and quick substitute for traditional ladoos in kadhai. You don't have to go for endless stirring lest the besan burns. You can get accolades without going through the grind. They taste absolutely great and you cannot tell the difference between microwave besan ladoo and those made the traditional way.

Recipe of microwave besan ladoo

2 cups besan (gram flour)

1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

4-5 pods hari elaichi (green cardamom) - crushed

2 tbsp chopped nuts like almonds, cashew nuts and raisins

1. In a microwave safe bowl, mix besan and ghee.

2. Microwave on High for 6 minutes. First stir after 2 minutes, then after 2 minutes, then after 1 minute, then after 30 seconds till you get desired brownness. Let it cool.

3. Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder and chopped nuts.

4. While the besan mixture is still warm and comfortable to touch, make ping pong size balls using your hands. These are now called besan ka ladoo. Store besan ladoos in an airtight container. 

Besan ki Barfi (Chickpea Flour Fudge)

besan ki barfi

Besan ki barfi or besan burfi is chickpea flour sweet which originated from Punjab. It is a popular dessert which is not only sold on sweet shops but also made in many Indian households. This is my maternal aunt's (mausi) recipe who makes heavenly besan ki barfi. Enjoy!

Recipe of besan ki barfi

1 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

Chopped nuts like almonds, cashew nuts

1. Sieve besan so that there are no lumps. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ heavy bottomed pan. Add besan and roast on a low heat stirring constantly. Roast till besan turns deep golden brown. Keep breaking any lumps if they get formed. Turn off the heat.

2. Add cardamom powder and nuts to besan and mix.

3. Heat water in a pan and add sugar. Cook till sugar dissolves and syrup (chashni) thickens.

4. Add this syrup to roasted besan and mix well.

5. Pour this mixture on a greased tray. Let it cool down. Allow it to set and harden.

6. Cut squares or diamonds. This is now called besan burfi.  

Chivda Recipe

chivda

This is a fried version of poha chivda unlike my earlier blog post of non-fried chivda. This chivda is very yummy and liked a lot by kids.

Recipe of fried chivda/ chidwa

6 cups poha (beaten rice/ flattened rice)

4 tbsp peanuts

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tbsp cashew nut halves

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp Oil + for deep frying

1. Heat sufficient oil in a kadhai/ wok for deep frying.

2. Put the poha in a metal sieve (strainer) and dip it in the hot oil to deep fry the poha. Take small amounts of poha each time so that all grains of poha get fried and do not spill in kadhai. Repeat the process till all poha gets fried. Keep aside.

3. In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and add mustard seeds. Let them pop.

4. Add peanuts and cashew nuts and fry till golden. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to it. Cook for few seconds. Turn off the heat.

5. Add this to the fried poha and mix everything well. Let chivda cool down, and then store it in an airtight container.

Gujia Recipe

gujia

Gujia is synonymous with Holi in Northern parts of India. Holi is said to be incomplete without gujia. Here I am sharing the recipe of gujiya with khoya or mawa. Enjoy!

Recipe of Gujia/ gujiya (makes about 50 gujia)

4 cup maida (all purpose flour)

2 cup khoya (mawa)

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

Ghee or oil for deep frying

2 cup powdered sugar or boora

Mixed nuts like cashews, raisins (kishmish), chironji - 20 gms each

1. Roast khoya in a kadhai on a low heat till pinkish brown. Stir constantly while roasting. Take out in a plate and allow to cool.

2. Add chopped cashew nuts, raisins and chironji in the khoya. Also add powdered sugar. Mix well. This is your filling for gujia.

3. In a bowl, take maida and add melted 1/2 cup ghee. Rub with your fingers so that ghee coats the maida well. Add water little by little and knead maida into stiff dough. Set aside for 1/2 an hour covered with a damp cloth.

4. Divide the dough into 50 portions. While you are rolling out, let rest be covered with a damp cloth.

5. Roll out each portion into 4 inch round or puri. Place 2 tsp filling in half of the portion of the puri and apply a little water on the edges. Fold it and seal the edges by your fingers and give the edges a beautiful shape. Similarly make rest of the gujhia.

OR you can also use a gujia cast to make gujia. Place the puri in the cast, place the filling in the center, apply water on the edges and close the cast. Remove excess dough. Take out from the cast. This way you get uniformly shaped, beautiful gujiya which is also an easier way.

7. Heat ghee or oil in a kadhai and fry gujia on a low heat till golden brown. Fry in batches, about 6-7 gujia at a time, also depending on the size of your kadai. Allow to cool and after eating, store rest of the gujia in refrigerator.

Healthy (Corn Flakes) Cereal Chivda

cornflakes chivda

Cereal chivda or corn flakes chivda is a healthy alternative to deep fried namkeen available in the market. At times we all want to munch on crispy, crunchy, salty snacks but are afraid of putting on weight or their adverse effects on health. So, this is my kind of guilt free snacking. Try it!

Recipe of cornflakes chivda

150 gms murmura (kurmura/ mamra/ puffed rice/ moodhi)

50 gms bhuna chana (roasted chickpeas)

50 gms peanuts (moongphali)

Few curry leaves

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp salt or to taste

75 gms corn flakes (unflavored)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tbsp oil
How to make cornflakes chivda

1. Heat oil in a big kadhai/wok. Add mustard seeds and when they pop, add curry leaves and cook till they crisp out.

2. Add peanuts and bhuna chana. Roast till they change color but don't burn them.

3. Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powders. Cook for few seconds.

4. Add murmura and corn flakes. Mix them really well and on medium heat, keep mixing them for 2-3 minutes till murmura turns crisp. Turn off the heat.

5. Let the cornflakes chivda cool down completely before storing it in an airtight container.

Besan ke Ladoo (Sweet Gram Flour Balls)

besan ke ladoo

Besan ke ladoo is an all time favorite in many Indian households. They stay fresh for many days if stored properly. This recipe is an age old recipe which passes on from one generation to the next. Besan ladoo can also be described as Indian cookie ball.

Recipe of besan ke ladoo

3 cups besan (gram flour)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

4-5 pods green cardamom (hari elaichi) - grounded

2 tbsp chopped nuts like cashew nuts, almonds

1. Heat ghee in a kadhai (heavy bottomed pan). Add besan and roast on a low heat, stirring continuously.

2. Roast till nice aroma comes out of the pan and besan turns brownish. Take besan out of kadhai and let it cool to temperature where besan is still warm but comfortable to touch.

3. Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder and nuts. Form small balls from the mixture by your hands. These are now called besan ke ladoo or besan laddu. Store ladoos in an airtight container.

Note- Form ladoo by your hands while besan mixture is still warm.

Break any lumps that might get formed while roasting.