Carrot Kheer

carrot kheer

My family enjoy carrot kheer immensely. It's not just tasty but also healthy. I borrowed this recipe from the 'Hare Krishnas' and made few changes while making it.
Recipe of carrot kheer/ gajar ki kheer
3 medium carrots (gajar)
1 liter milk (full fat)
4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp each almonds and cashew nuts
How to make carrot kheer
1. Peel and chop carrots finely.
2. Place carrots, almond and cashews in a pressure cooker and add 2 tbsp water. Cook to 1 whistle. Open the lid when pressure drops down naturally.
3. Churn the contents of pressure cooker in a blender to a paste.
4. Boil the milk. Add carrot paste to milk and cook on a medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
5. Add sugar and cook till sugar dissolves. Take out carrot kheer in a bowl and serve warm or chilled.

Sooji Halwa Recipe

sooji halwa

Sooji halwa is liked by young and old alike. It is also made for bhog-prasad that is offering to the Lord and then distributing among devotees. Sooji ka halwa is also known as 'sheera' in some parts of India. If you add saffron to it, then it is known as 'rava kesari'.
Recipe of sooji ka halwa
1 cup sooji (rava/semolina/suji)
1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1 cup sugar
4 cups of water
Few cashewnuts and raisins (kishmish)
1. Heat a kadhai or a pan and add a little ghee. Add cashews and raisins. Toast them a little and take them out of kadhai. Keep aside.
2. Add rest of the ghee and add sooji. Roast sooji on a medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Roast till sooji turns a little brownish (not chocolate brown). Sooji should not burn.
3. Add water and sugar. Mix and cover the kadhai. Let it cook on a medium-low heat till all the water is absorbed. Mix in cashews and raisins. Turn off the heat and let it stand for a few minutes, covered.
4. Uncover, take out in a bowl and serve sooji halwa hot.

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. 

Kesar Chawal (Saffron Rice)

Kesar chawal or saffron rice is an elegant rice dish which you can prepare for some special occasions or to make dinner extra special. It's a fragrant rice dish with rich aroma and rich taste.
Recipe of kesar chawal/saffron rice
2 cups basmati chawal (rice)
3 3/4 cup boiling water
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 cup frozen green peas (matar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1 tsp kesar (saffron threads) soaked in 1/4 cup water
1. Heat ghee in a pan and add cashews. Saute till golden brown.
2. Add rice, saffron infused water, salt and boiling water. Also add green peas and mix.
3. Cover the pan and simmer on a low heat for about 12 minutes till the water is absorbed and rice grains are fluffy.
4. Gently fluff with the forks and serve saffron rice hot.

Mohanthal (Gram Flour Fudge) Recipe

Since it's festive time in India, I thought why not share a sweet recipe. Try this mohanthal and you will be delighted by it's rich taste.
Recipe of mohanthal
2 cups besan (gram flour/chickpea flour)
4 tbsp milk
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp + 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1/4 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder
8-9 almonds- sliced
How to make mohanthal
1. Pass the besan through a sieve and discard the residue.
2. Heat 2 tbsp ghee and 4 tbsp milk.
3. Pour this over the besan. Mix with your fingers so that it is lump free and resemble bread crumbs.
4. Pass this again through a sieve and keep aside.
5. Make a syrup with 1 cup sugar and 3/4th cup water. Cook the sugar syrup till it reaches slightly more than 1 string consistency. Turn off the heat and keep aside.
6. Grease a thali with few drops of ghee and keep it aside.
7. Heat 1/2 cup ghee in a kadhai and add the besan from step 4. Cook on a low heat, stirring constantly till it gives nice aroma and turns golden brown. Add cardamom powder. Turn off the heat.
8. While the besan is still hot, add the hot sugar syrup. Mix continuously and make sure no lumps are formed. Keep mixing till it reaches setting consistency.
9. Pour this besan mixture on the greased thali and rap it on a flat surface so as to flatten it. Garnish with almonds.
10. Let it cool. Cut it into squares or diamonds and your mohanthal is ready.

Peethi Poori (Stuffed Fried Flatbread)

Peethi poori or peethi wali poori is a delicious Sunday brunch option. You can also make this poori on festive occasions like upcoming 'Rakshabandhan'.  Peethi poori is nothing but fried flatbread stuffed with ground urad dal.
Recipe of peethi poori
Peethi
1/2 cup dhuli urad dal (split, skinless black gram)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)

Dough
2 1/2 cup atta (whole wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1 tbsp melted ghee or oil
How to make peethi poori
1. Wash and soak the dal for 2 hours. Drain.
2. Grind the dal to a thick coarse paste to get peethi.
3. Mix in red chilli powder and salt. Beat well.
4. Take atta in a bowl and add all the ingredients under heading dough. Add 1 1/4 cup water and knead into a slightly stiff dough. Stiffer than chapati dough. Knead well and set aside, covered for 1/2 an hour.
5. Take a lemon sized ball from dough. Roll out into a 3 inch poori.
6. Place 1 tsp peethi (filling) in the center. Gather the edges and again reshape into a ball. Flatten the ball between your palms.
7. Roll it in dry flour and gently roll out into a 4 inch puri. Make few pooris in the same way and set aside.
8. Heat oil in a kadhai and gently place the puri on it. Let it remain untouched till it rises to the surface. Press the sides of the poori with slotted spoon (pauni, chhaari) till it swells. Turn.
9. Fry the poori till golden from both sides. Drain and serve hot peethi poori.

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.

Sweet Pongal Recipe

sweet pongal

This is a South Indian pongal recipe which is rice and lentil dessert made on the festive occasion of Pongal. This is sweet pongal recipe with jaggery, also known as chakra pongal or chakkara pongal. Some recipes use sugar in place of jaggery, then it is known as 'Sakkarai Pongal' as sugar is known as sakkarai in Tamil. Sweet pongal is more popular in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh of South India.

Recipe of sweet pongal

1 1/2 cup rice

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

2 1/2 cup milk

2 cups gur (jaggery)

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

2 tbsp raisins (kishmish)

2 tbsp cashew nuts (kaju)

1/2 tsp elaichi (small cardamom) powder

1. Wash rice, drain and soak rice for 1/2 an hour. Roast moong dal in a kadhai or a pan till light brown.

2. Break jaggery into small pieces and set aside.

3. Boil milk with 1 cup water in a heavy bottomed vessel like kadhai/wok.

4. Wash rice and moong dal, drain. Add to the boiled milk. Let it again come to a boil. Reduce heat and cook till rice and dal cook completely, mixing continuously. It will take around 15 minutes or so.

5. Add jaggery pieces and cook mixing so that jaggery doesn't stick to the vessel. When gur melts completely, add half of the ghee and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring.

6. Heat remaining half of the ghee and roast raisins and cashews. Add this to the pongal.

7. Add elaichi powder and mix well. Serve sweet pongal warm.

Urad Dal Pinni Recipe

urad dal pinni

Urad dal pinni is a traditional Punjabi sweet. Pinni is also made of atta or whole wheat flour but here I am sharing the recipe of pinni made of urad dal or black gram.

Recipe of urad dal pinni

1 1/4 cups dhuli urad dal (split skinless black gram)

1 1/2 tbsp besan (chickpea flour/gram flour)

1/2 tbsp atta (whole wheat flour)

2 1/2 tbsp sooji (semolina/rava)

3/4 cup khoya (mawa) - grated

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1 cup sugar

Chopped almonds (badam) and pistachios (pista)

1. Soak urad dal for 1 hour. Drain.

2. Grind urad dal to a fine paste adding minimum or no water while grinding.

3. Heat ghee in a kadhai/wok. Add besan, sooji and atta. Sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Add dal paste and sauté on low heat for about 1/2 an hour.

5. In the meantime, make syrup of 1 thread consistency by boiling sugar with 1/2 a cup of water.

6. Roast the almond pieces and set aside.

7. Add khoya to the dal mixture and cook for 5 minutes.

8. Add sugar syrup and cook till mixture dries up a little.

9. Turn off the heat leave the mixture to cool.

10. Shape the cooled down dal mixture into round or oval pinni. Garnish pinnis with almonds and pistachios.

Ven Pongal (Khara Pongal)

ven pongal

Today being Sunday, we ate heavy breakfast. By afternoon, we wanted to eat something light and easy on stomach. I made ven pongal or khara pongal for lunch. Usually ven pongal is made for breakfast but it was our lunch today. Ven pongal is a type of moong dal khichdi except that the seasoning is different.

Recipe of ven pongal/ khara pongal

1 cup rice

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp ginger paste

6-7 black peppercorns (kali mirch) - crushed coarsely

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3 1/2 cups of water

Lightly fried or toasted cashew nuts for garnish

1. Wash and soak rice and moong dal together for 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add ginger paste and crushed peppercorns. Fry for 1 minute.

3. Add rice and dal and stir fry for 1 minute.

4. Add water and salt. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

5. Garnish ven pongal with fried cashew nuts and serve hot.

Pude (Gulgule)

gulgule

One day my mom made pude or gulgule. As she was frying them, I was ready with my camera for the photo shoot. I asked for the recipe and she gave it to me in detail which I am sharing with you.

Recipe of pude/gulgule

250 grams atta (whole wheat flour)

250 ml water

250 grams gur (jaggery)

4-5 pods of green cardamom- opened and seeds separated

1 tsp saunf (fennel)

Oil to deep fry

1. Soak gur in water for 1 hour.

2. Add all the ingredients except oil to the gur water. Mix well. Adjust the water to get pakora (fritters) batter like consistency. Beat well.

3. Heat oil in a karahi (heavy bottomed vessel). When the oil is sufficiently hot, turn the heat to medium. Drop the batter by hand or by teaspoonfuls. When 1 side is cooked, turn over and fry from other side also. Fry till they get reddish brown. Drain pude or gulgule on an absorbent paper.

Methi Mathri (Fenugreek Crackers)

methi mathri

Methi mathri is one of my favorite tea time snack. I generally sun dry kasoori methi during winter season and store it. That way I have kasoori methi or dry methi leaves all year round for making methi mathri, using in aloo ki sabzi or paneer ki sabzi. Kasoori methi is also available in packets at Indian grocery stores.

Recipe of methi mathri/ mathi

2 cups maida (all purpose flour)

2 tbsp oil + for deep frying

1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - crushed between palms

rolled out mathris

1. Take maida, salt, baking soda, ajwain and kasoori methi in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp oil and mix with your hands. Rub the mixture with your fingers so that oil evenly coats maida.

2. Little by little, add warm water so as to knead the all purpose flour into a stiff dough. Let the dough rest for 1/2 an hour.

3. Take walnut (akhrot) sized balls from the dough and roll out on an oiled surface into thin rounds. With the help of a fork, pierce these rounds or mathis here and there so that they don't puff up upon frying.

4. Heat sufficient oil in a kadhai/ wok or a frying pan. When the oil is hot enough, turn the heat to medium. Wait for 2 minutes, and then start putting these rolled rounds or mathris in oil.

5. Fry them on medium heat turning as needed till they begin to give a cooked look. For the final touch, increase heat so that they become golden brown. Fry the mathri in batches.

6. Drain on an absorbent paper using a slotted spoon (pauni/ chaari). Let them cool down completely before storing them in an airtight container. They stay fresh for long.

Note- Do not fry the mathri in very hot oil because then they will remain soft and not crisp. Mathri will be fried on medium heat.

Methi Wali Poori

methi poori

These methi wali poori were something I made for Diwali feast but somehow forgot to post. They were easy to make and liked by everyone. Since we are methi loving people, these poori are always welcome.

Recipe of methi wali poori

2 cups of atta (whole wheat flour)

1 cup methi (fresh fenugreek leaves) - stems removed and leaves washed and chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)

2 tbsp oil + for frying

1. In a bowl, mix atta, salt, red chilli powder, ajwain and 2 tbsp oil. Rub flour between your fingers so that oil is evenly spread.

2. Add methi leaves and knead it into stiff dough by adding water. Poori dough should be stiffer than chappati dough. Let the dough rest for 1/2 an hour.

3. Take a small ball (peda) out of the dough and roll it into a 3-4 inch round on a lightly oiled surface.

4. Heat oil in a kadhai/ wok or a deep frying pan. You know the oil is hot enough when a small portion of the dough dropped in kadhai sizzles and rises to the surface. Turn the heat to medium. Poori will be fried on medium heat.

5. Gently slide the rolled puri in the hot oil. Gently press by a pauni (slotted spoon/ chaari). The poori will puff up. Turn over and fry from other side also till golden brown from both sides. Drain by the same slotted spoon on an absorbent paper. Similarly fry other methi poori from rest of the dough.

Coconut Rava Laddu (Sweet Semolina Balls)

rava laddu

Rava laddu or sooji laddu are made by themselves as well as by adding coconut. Here I am sharing the recipe of coconut rava laddu. They are more popular in Southern part of India but now also available at North Indian sweet shops. Rava laddu are especially made on festive occasions.

Recipe of coconut rava laddu

1& 1/2 cups Semolina (Rava)

3/4 cup fresh coconut- scraped

4 tbsps ghee (clarified butter)

1 cup Sugar

2 tbsps Raisins (kishmish)

1 & 1/2 tbsps Green cardamom powder

1. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed kadai, stir-fry rava on very low heat, till it just starts changing color to light golden.

2. Add scraped coconut and continue to stir-fry for one more minute.

3. Cook sugar with half a cup of water on medium heat, stirring continuously till it dissolves. Increase heat and bring the syrup to a boil. Cook without stirring for about five minutes or till it reaches single thread consistency.

4. Add the warm roasted rava mixture and green cardamom powder to the sugar syrup and mix well. Cover the mixture with lid and keep aside for thirty minutes, stirring the mixture at regular intervals.

5. Divide the mixture into twelve to fifteen equal portions, shape into laddus by rolling them with your hands. Decorate rava laddu with raisin.

Churma (Rajasthani Sweet)

churma

Churma is a very popular sweet from Rajasthan. Churma or churma ladoos are made in most households in Rajasthan on big and small occasions. As you start eating this sweet, it grows on you. Churma satisfies your sweet tooth completely and makes you feel connected to your vast inheritance.

Recipe of churma

1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

3 tbsp sooji (semolina/ rawa)

6-7 tbsp powdered sugar (vary according to taste)

4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 tsp elaichi (green cardamom) powder

Mixed chopped nuts like almonds, raisins

Ghee for frying

1. Mix atta, sooji and ghee. Adding warm water, knead it into stiff dough.

2. Take small balls (pedas, muthias) from the dough and deep fry in ghee. Heat should be medium for frying. Fry till brown. Shape of the balls is not important. When fried, drain by a slotted spoon.

3. When the fried balls have cooled down, grind them in a mixer to a coarse powder.

4. Mix powdered sugar, chopped almond, raisins (kishmish) and elaichi powder. Store this churma in an airtight container. It stays fresh for some days.

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. 

Sukhe Kale Chane (Dry Black Chickpeas)

sukhe kale chane

Sukhe kale chane ki recipe comes straight from my mom's kitchen. It brings back memories of childhood days when she used to prepare them on ashtami along with puri and sooji ka halwa for kanjak. It was to be distributed to the little girls who used to visit us on this day.

Recipe sukhe kale chane

2 cups kale chane (black chickpeas)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp oil

1. Soak kale chane overnight, drain. Place kala chana along with enough water and salt in a pressure cooker. Let 1 whistle come, then turn the heat to medium. Pressure cook for 20 minutes in total. When the pressure drops down, open and strain. You can have the remaining chana water as soup as it is very nutritious.

2. Heat oil in a kadhai or a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add kale chane and all the spices. Roast for 4-5 minutes on a medium heat, uncovered. Turn off the heat and garnish sukhe kale chane with coriander leaves.

Jalebi (Indian Sweet)

jalebi

Jalebi is a traditional Indian sweet which is relished since ages. Some people enjoy it with rabri or hot milk flavored with cardamom powder. We enjoy jalebis hot and crispy, on their own.

Recipe of jalebi

1 cup maida (all purpose flour)

1 tbsp besan (gram flour)

1 tbsp curds (yogurt)

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp powdered sugar

A pinch of saffron

Oil or ghee (clarified butter) to deep fry

For syrup

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

1/2 tsp green cardamom (elaichi) powder

A pinch of saffron

frying jalebi

1. Mix well all the ingredients of jalebi. Add warm water to get the batter of thick pouring consistency. Beat well so that no lumps are there. Let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.

2. For syrup or chashni, add all the ingredients to the water and let it boil. After 1 boil, cook it on a lower heat for 5-7 minutes. Remember syrup should be of 1 thread consistency and hot when the jalebi is dipped in it.

3. Fill the batter in a zip lock bag with a small corner cut so that there is a hole in it or you can fill it in an empty ketchup bottle. Heat oil in a pan or a kadhai. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat to medium.

4. In the oil, make circles inside a circle with the batter by squeezing, starting from outside. Similarly make other rounds. Fry jalebi from both sides by turning over using chimta. Fry till golden. Drain.

5. Put these jalebis in the syrup 3-4 at a time. Let them soak for 1-2 minutes. Then take out and serve jalebi hot.