Daliya Kheer

Another one of my daliya recipes!!  I just can't keep my hands off this whole-grain these days. Packed with fiber which is known to speed up sluggish metabolisms, it is a boon for people wanting to lose some weight. It is also known to help prevent Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular ailments. While I used to cook daliya exclusively for my kid, now I end up eating half of it myself.

It is great way to inculcate healthy eating habits among kids given the amount of junk that they eat. One just needs to cook it real soft while giving it to the younger kids else they might find hard to digest it.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins (including 20 mins standby)

Ingredients -

1/2 cup daliya or cracked wheat
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3 tbsp sugar or as per taste
2 tbsp condensed milk (optional)
few strands of saffron
raisins/cashews/almonds for garnishing (as desired)
1 tsp ghee

Cooking - Heat a frying pan. Add the ghee followed by the daliya and roast on low-medium flame till it turns reddish in colour. This takes about 5-6 mins.

Soak the roasted daliya in 1 cup hot milk for 10 mins. Transfer the soaked daliya to a pressure cooker along with 1/2 cup water and cook for 2 whistles. Remove from stove and keep aside till steam escapes. [ If you are in a hurry, forgo the soaking and cook it for 1-2 extra whistles. ]

While the daliya is being cooked, bring the remaining milk to a boil and let it reduce. Add the daliya along with sugar, condensed milk and saffron strands to the milk. Boil for 3 mins.

Remove from stove and serve hot or slightly chilled.

Note - I have kept the consistency a little liquid so that it is easier for the kids to drink/swallow it up. It does thicken on cooling but one can cook it for few more minutes if still more thickness is desired.

Fruit Halwa

Apples and Bananas. Most kids love them. So why not use the flavors (and the goodness) of these fruits to transform a regular halwa into something rather special. Quite easy to make, it adds the right amount of zing to your child's meal. Garnish it in a fun manner and even the most picky of children will come back asking for more.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup semolina/suji,
• 3-4 tbsp apple puree
• 1 ripe banana (mashed but with a few chunks left)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 3 tsp ghee

Cooking - Heat a frying pan. Add 1 tsp ghee. Roast the semolina on the pan till it darkens in color. Remove and keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp ghee in a wok. Add the mashed banana and apple puree and cook for a 3-4 minutes.

Boil the water and apple juice in a separate pan/wok. Add sugar and roasted semolina to it. After 1 minute add the apple-banana mixture and mix in.

Stir the contents for 3-4 minutes on a low to medium flame till a viscous mixture is formed (this will harden further on cooling). Stir in the remaining ghee.

Allow to cool down slightly and then fill into molds. Remove from mold when ready to serve.

Serve warm or chilled. (Garnish with sliced fruits if desired.)

Note - One can try this with other fruits like pineapple, strawberry, raspberry, mango, etc. But some fruits lose a bit of their flavor while coking so do add a little essence/juice to make up for it.

Pal Payasam

A yummy payasam 'rice pudding' recipe from Tamil Nadu. Made on auspicious occasions like Gokulasthami, it takes hours to get it right when done in the traditional method. And the added danger in this method it that one cannot leave it unattended as the rice and milk mixture tends to catch/burn easily.

I felt that this one is very close in preparation method to the 'Bhaja Chaula Kheeri'. However, people in Odisha usually add some sugar in the beginning which gets caramelized and adds a distinct flavor to the kheer. Also, it it more fluid as compared to the Kheer made in Odisha or in the North. And the rice grains in payasam remain conspicuous  in comparison to kheer wherein the grains almost melt and become indistinguishable. ( I tend to remember the last bit in a very clear manner as it had led to an embarrassing situation. One of my Tamil neighbors had offered me some still hot kheer and i promptly blurted out after tasting it ." G...,I think it needs to be cooked for some more time. Did you switch off the gas because the baby woke up ??", I said. It was a bit awkward as she stared at my face. It took some explanation from her side to make me realize what payasam would actually taste/appear like.


Read on  -

Preparation Time - 40-50 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 liter full cream milk
• 1/4 cup basmati rice or any fragrant rice ( I have used Seeraga Samba rice )
• 1/2 cup sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 cup condensed milk
• 2-3 green cardamoms (crushed)
• 2 tsp ghee
• few cashews
• few raisins

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour. Strain through a thin cloth to drain off excess water .

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a thick bottomed vessel. Add cashews and raisins. As the raisins swell up, remove and keep aside. Next add the rice and fry till fragrant. Switch off the flame.

Add about 1 1/2 cup of milk to a pressure cooker and stir in the rice. Switch on the flame. Cook on low till the rice gets cooked (3-4 whistles).

While the rice is being cooked, boil and reduce the remaining milk to half in a separate vessel.

Add the reduced milk to the rice, stir in sugar, crushed cardamoms, cashews and raisins. Cook for another 6-7 minutes. (DO NOT LEAVE IT UNATTENDED AT THIS STAGE)

Finally stir in the condensed milk and switch off the flame. Allow it to cool down a bit before serving (It can also be served chilled).

Garnish with some cashews and serve.

Note - Use of condensed milk is optional but it gives a nice texture and richness to the payasam. (And if you have wondering why it takes 3-4 whistles to cook the rice, cooking with milk takes a little longer when compared to cooking with water.)

Chocolate Kheer

Time for some sweet indulgences!!! This time I decided to add some molten dark chocolate to my usual rice kheer. Added a new dimension to a classic recipe but changed the color to a dark brown which seemed odd for a kheer. I love the nutty brown color too much. Maybe I will try this next tie with some white chocolate.

Read on -

Preparation Time - 1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients:

• Fragrant rice ( 1/2 cup )
• milk ( 1 litre )
• ghee ( 3 tsp )
• sugar ( 2-3 tbs )
• cashews/almonds ( 1/2 cup )
• cardamon ( 2 nos )
• condensed milk ( 1/2 cup )
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate cubes ( or 4 tbsp of cocoa powder )

Cooking: Wash the rice and transfer to a pressure cooker. Add 1/4 of the milk, ghee ,sugar and salt. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 whistles. Remove from fire and allow to cool down slightly.

Boil the milk separately. Fry the cashews and keep aside.

Transfer the contents of the pressure cooker to a wok. Add boiling milk and cashews. Allow the milk to boil till it thickens ( Takes about 1 hour ).

Meanwhile melt the chocolate cubes in a double boiler.

Add cardamon powder and condensed milk to the kheer. Cook for 2-3 more mins. Remove from the flame and keep aside.

Stir in the liquid chocolate while the kheer is still hot. Pop it into the fridge once the temperature comes down sufficiently.

Drizzle with some white chocolate sauce and serve. (Tastes best when chilled)

Paan Kulfi

A must try for all those who love their 'Meetha Paan', this one is a sheer delight for the senses. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup khoya
• 5-6 tbsp condensed milk
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Gulkand
• 1/3 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 pinch cardamom
• 1 big betel leaf (sweet/mild variety)
• 1/2 tsp cornflour + 2 tbsp cold milk (optional)

Preparation - Grind the betel leaf and fennel seeds with a little milk. Do not make a very fine paste.

Dissolve the cornflour in cold milk and keep aside.

Cooking - Bring the milk to boil in a thick bottomed saucepan. Dissolve the sugar in it.

Add the khoya and condensed milk. Keep stirring till khoya completely dissolves.

Check if the milk has thickened sufficiently. If not add the cornflour slurry. Stir continuously on a medium flame till the mixture has thickened. Switch off the burner.

Add the gulkand and the betel leaf-fennel mixture into it. Mix well.

Strain the mixture to remove any coarse particles. (Though this is optional, I wanted this kulfi to have a melt-in-the-mouth texture)

Allow to cool down and them pour into kulfi molds.

Screw on the tops and then put in the fridge for 6-7 hours.

Remove from the fridge and dip in water. Now rub the mold between your palms and take off the lid. Turn it over a plate and tap gently to remove the kulfi fom the mold. (If it is not coming out, use a sharp object to ease it out)

Serve immediately.

Note: Immerse the molds in water before pouring in the kulfi. This will help to remove it easily.

Roasted Rice Kheer (Bhaja Chaula Khiri)

Whether be it the 'Khai anjula' during the marriage ceremony, the griha pravesh of the new bride or the first time she lights the hearth, rice is considered to be an indispensable part of the Hindu marriage rituals. That is because it symbolizes prosperity and the new bride as the 'Lakshmi' or Goddess of prosperity is supposed to bring in loads of good fortune and money to her husband's family. Little wonder that the rice kheer occupies a very important position in most religious ceremonies. As a new bride, I too prepared the rice kheer with much trepidation ( and quite a bit of help ) as a part of the first meal at my in-laws home. And since then, I have quite mastered the technique of getting it just right.

So, on my last trip to Odisha, I had prepared Kheer on popular demand and it turned out to be a hit ( no surprises here ). But when one of the guests who sampled it asked me whether I had roasted the rice before making the dish, I was stumped. So I called up my Mom and asked if she knew the recipe for 'Bhaja Chaula kheeri'. Turned out that she was aware of it even though she never made it that way. Not much different from my usual method, this just required roasting the rice for a few minutes before adding it to the milk. But it gives a different taste and the rice grains remain a bit more chewy/firm in this version. (Check out the other version : Here)

Have used khoya and condensed milk to reduce cooking time. But you can actually use reduced milk or best cook the rice grains with milk till it reduces to about 1/4 th of the original volume for that authentic flavour.

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 45-50 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 liter milk
• 1/3 cup soaked rice ( Jeera rice or Gobindobhog rice )
• 3/4 cup khoya
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tbsp sugar ( I prefer medium sweet, but you can add a little more )
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1-2 green cardamoms
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp ghee

OR 

• 2 liter full cream milk
• 1/3 cup soaked rice ( Basmati rice )
• 1/2 cup sugar ( medium sweetness )
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds ( peeled ones )
• 1-2 green cardamoms
• 1 tsp ghee

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Add a little crushed cardamoms and the soaked rice. Stir fry for 5-6 minutes.

Add 2 tsp sugar and stir at intervals. Allow it to just start caramelizing (check pic below) so that we get a lovely buff colored kheer.

Add 1/3 cup water, 1 cup milk and the cashews to the cooker. Close lid and cook for 3-4 whistles. Remove from flame.

Open the lid as soon as the steam escapes. Use a heavy spoon to whisk the contents and try to break down the rice grains( Else use a good quality hand blender for this step). We need to do this when the mixture is very hot so be careful not to splash any liquid onto ones hands. [1]

Add the remaining milk to the pressure cooker along with 1/4 cup water. Close lid and cook for another 2-3 whistles. Remove from flame.

Allow steam to escape. Open the lid and put it back on the flame.

Add the crumbled khoya ( i used store bought one), condensed milk, raisins and cardamom. Stir continuously till the khoya dissolves and mixture reaches desired thickness. (Took 7-8 mins for me)

Switch off the flame.

[1] ***  When using full cream milk, the cooking time will be very high (nearly 1 1/2 hours) on a low flame. But the taste is rather different and much more creamy.

Once you have broken down the grains with a heavy spoon/hand blender, you need to add the remaining milk and almonds. Cook on low flame while giving a stir occasionally. After reaching a certain thickness, one needs to stir it continuously so that it does not catch at the bottom.

Finally add the cardamom powder and remove from the flame.

Serve warm or chilled. (both taste great)

Note - This stays good for up to a week when kept refrigerated  .

Paan and Gulkand Kheer

Most festive(read 'Heavy') meals in India are considered incomplete with a serving of paan. Paan is said to aid in digestion, suppress gas formation in the stomach and freshen up the mouth. Many a varieties of 'paan' are available in the shops, ranging from sharp bitter ones to sweet sugary ones. One is supposed to chew up the paan, swallow its juice and spit out the solids. But these days one gets sweet paans (without the betel nuts) which can be consumed in its entirety. However the paan leaves do leave a slight tingling in the mouth which everyone may not like.

So, the last time when I made kheer for dessert, I decided to infuse it with the flavors of a 'meetha paan'. Had a jar of gulkand lying in my cupboard as I am using it liberally during summers to reduce body heat. I only had to purchase a few betel leaves from the corner paan-shop. One word of caution while selecting the leaves. Avoid the bitter ones and go for the mild ones else it will ruin the dish.

Since it was hot at the time, I decided to use condensed milk and khoya to cut down on the cooking time.Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 45-50 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 liter milk
• 1/3 cup soaked rice ( i used Jeera rice but you can also use Basmati)
• 3/4 cup khoya
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tbsp sugar ( I prefer medium sweet, but you can add a little more )
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 2 pinch cardamom
• 1 1/2 tbsp Gulkand
• 2-3 Betel leaves
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp ghee

Preparation - Wash and clean the betel leaves. Remove the veins and tear into small pieces. Grind with 1/4 cup milk and keep it aside. ( We do not want a fine paste so very small pieces of the betel leaf should remain. )

Wash and soak the rice for 1-2 hours. Strain to remove excess water.


Cooking - Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the soaked rice and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Next add 1/3 cup water, half of the milk, sugar and cashews to the cooker. Close lid and cook for 3-4 whistles. Remove from flame.

Open the lid as soon as the steam escapes. Use a heavy spoon to whisk the contents and try to break down the rice grains( Else use a good quality hand blender for this step). We need to do this when the mixture is veryhot so be careful not to splash any liquid onto ones hands.

Add the remaining milk to the pressure cooker along with 1/4 cup water. Close lid and cook for another 2-3 whistles. Remove from flame.

Allow steam to escape. Open the lid and put it back on the flame.

Add the crumbled khoya ( i used store bought one), condensed milk and cardamom. Stir continuously till the khoya dissolves and mixture reaches desired thickness. (Took 7-8 mins for me)

Switch off the flame.

Stir in the Gulkand. Next add the betel leaf mixture little by little building up the flavour till you get it right.

Keep it in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

Garnish with betel leaf, rose petals and serve chilled.

Kesar Kulfi

Summer holidays were synonymous with Kulfi's and kathi-icecream (as we referred to popsicles in those days). The 'ting-ting' of the Kulfi-wallah's bell as it entered our lane sent our salivary glands on an overdrive and we went scurrying to the gates. The earthiness of those matki's and the leaves on which he served to kulfi remains etched in my mind till date. But he did not stock any fancy flavors in those days. One could only taste cardamom scented thickened milk in those heavenly kulfis. These days one can easily find 10-15 flavors at most Kulfi stalls but I still lust after those plain ones. How much ever I try to replicate its magic, I am unable to do so. And that's why I keep trying out various other flavors. Maybe I will make it a point to try and find some on my next visit to home.

The sweltering heat has become just another excuse to indulge in this sweet delight. That's what I told myself while preparing this over last weekend. It really does not take much time if we use condensed milk and some ready-made khoya. The taste is better than when using cornflour and fresh cream. The khoya does add a lot of texture to it and makes it authentic. The nuts add to the bite and the sweet notes of cardamom, saffron and rose delight one's senses.

Read on for my recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins


Ingredients -

1/2 liter milk (I used pre-boiled milk. If you have to boil the milk, add another 9-10 minutes to the preparation time.)
5 tbsp condensed milk ( I used sweetened one )
75 gms khoya
4 tsp sugar
2 pinch cardamom
2-3 drops rose essence
a pinch of saffron strands
1 tsp cornflour (optional)
12-14 almonds (blanched and skinned)

Preparation - Buzz the almonds in a food processor for 2-3 seconds to get small pieces. Do not overdo as we don't want a paste.

Dissolve the cornflour in about 3 tbsp of cold milk and keep aside.

Cooking - Bring the milk to a boil. Stir in the sugar.

Once sugar has dissolved, add the condensed milk and khoya.

Cook with continuous stirring till khoya has completely dissolved into the milk. By this time milk would have thickened as needs to be stirred as it catches on the bottom quite easily.

If you find that it is not sufficiently thick, add the cornflour slurry (or paste). Stir for 3-4 minutes till it thickens.

Remove from flame and add the almonds, rose essence, cardamom powder and kesar. Mix and allow to cool down to room temperature.

Pour into Kulfi molds and put in the Freezer. Allow to solidify for 6-7 hours before serving.

For serving, dip the kulfi molds in water, remove and rub between the palms. Put upside down on a plate and tap gently to ease out the kulfi.

Cut into pieces and serve garnished with saffron strands/rose petals.

Note - Soak the kulfi molds in water before pouring in the mix. This allows the kulfis to come out easily.

Pahala Rasagola

After a lot of failed attempts, I finally recreated the 4 PM magic of Pahala at home. Ok , I was late by a whole hour but as those delectable rasgullas sat in my kitchen soaking up in the sugary syrup I was transported back to this nondescript village near Bhubaneshwar. While it is not the oldest variety of Rasgulla that originated in Orissa, it has certainly taken over the former by miles. The history of Pahala dates back to only about a few decades whereas the Puri Rasgulla has been there since the time Lord Jaganaath is said to have created it.

For the uninitiated, a pit stop at Pahala is considered mandatory when travelling on the Bhubaneshwar Cuttack highway (NH-5). And it is considered criminal to eat just one of the rust colored beauties. Read on to know more about them:

Preparation Time - 1 hour 30 minutes (putting it roughly)

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Ingredients -

• 1/2 liter whole milk ( Cow milk specifically, I used the Nandini Brand available in Bengaluru )
• 1/2 tsp maida/suji/semolina/bombay rawa ( suji should be raw, DO NOT roast )
• a pinch of powdered caramelized sugar
• a pinch of cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp citric acid crystals / 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups water

Preparation - Bring the milk to boil on a medium flame in a thick bottomed vessel. Once it gets to a rolling boil, keep on the flame for another 2-3 minute.

Dissolve the citric acid crystals in 1 cup of HOT water. Or the vinegar in a cup of normal water.

Remove from flame and keep aside for 4-5 minutes. Add the citric acid in one corner of the vessel till the milk shows signs of curdling. Using a spatula, mix the contents of the vessel thoroughly till the greenish water (whey) and milk solids (chenna) get completely separated. ( You might not need to add the entire cup of citric acid but use sufficient amount needed to split the milk )

Place a thin cloth on a metal strainer ( Do not use  plastic as the mixture is still very hot at this point ). Pour the contents of the vessel over it. Wash the chenna under running water for 2 minutes to remove all traces of citric acid. Bundle/gather the corners of the cloth and squeeze out all the water but do not squeeze too hard.

Hang it for 1 hour. Not less nor more. Too much moisture or too less of it can cause rasagulla to disintegrate.

Remove the cloth and place the chenna on your sanitized kitchen counter / chopping board. Start kneading it with the heel of your palms. Then gather the chenna into a ball and start kneading again. Do this for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the suji and powdered caramelized sugar over the kitchen  sugary stuff can cause if consumed regularly ) and there will be quite a lot of oiliness/greasiness on your hands/counter. Work them into the dough. Knead till you can no longer feel the graininess of the suji. The dough will start looking like an orange peel by this time with a dimpled appearance ( reminded me of cellulite which such (and also on the kneading surface). Cover dough with moist cloth and keep aside.

Take the 2 1/2 cups of water in a pressure cooker and place it on a medium flame. Add sugar and cardamom powder, and dissolve it with a ladle. Allow it to come to a boil.

Back to the dough. Remove the cloth and knead it again for 3-4 minutes. Pinch small balls out of it and roll them into smooth looking balls between your palms. There should be no cracks as the water can seep in and disintegrate the balls. (The trick is to apply a little pressure at first when shaping into a ball, them roll it very gently. I got only 5 balls from the 1/2 liter milk that I used.)

Place the balls gently in the boiling water. Close the lid (but remove the weight/whistle first) and cook for 30 minutes ( first 5 minutes on a HIGH flame ). Resist the temptation to open the lid and keep checking on them every 5 mins.

Remove from flame and keep the pressure cooker aside for 5 minutes.

In the meantime boil about 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Remove the balls from the pressure cooker and put into the hot water for 5 minutes ( on medium flame ). Switch off flame.



Transfer the balls back into the sugar syrup and allow to stand for 15 minutes.

Serve immediately. (Pahala rasgullas are best enjoyed hot/warm)

Or keep it in the fridge for a few hours. The chilled ones are also delicious.

Quick Kesar Kalakand (Holi Special)

Kalakand is a classic Indian dessert that requires hours of slogging in the kitchen to prepare a single batch and undoubtedly years of practice to perfect it. But the crumbly melt-in-the-mouth goodness more than makes up for the effort. It was quite by chance that I came across this quick version of 'Kalakand' when leafing though Tarla Dalal's cookbook. First, I was not looking for a dessert. Secondly, while I had seen the recipe pics earlier, I had not even glanced at the time required to prepare it. But this time when I noticed that it would take less than 20 minutes to get a batch ready, I promptly added it to my 'Holi Special' menu.

The only thing that we need to take care of is the quality of the paneer.  It should be fresh (no frozen ones allowed) and soft ( Check out the Delhi Panner at Total Superstore or Hypercity) . Also do not overcook the mixture. I have a confession to make. I would never have dared to prepare this dessert had it not been for Tarla Dalal's recipe. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 3/4 cup finely grated paneer, 1/2 cup fresh cream, 1/4 cup sugar, 8 tbsp milk powder, 1/2 tsp cornflour, a generous pinch of saffron, 4 tbsp milk.

Preparation - Soak the saffron in 2 tbsp warm/hot milk.

Dissolve the cornflour in 2 tbsp of milk at room temperature.

Cooking - Heat a wok. Add grated panner, fresh cream, sugar and milk powder to it. Mix everything and cook on a low flame.

Add the saffron milk after 2 minutes.

Cook till the mixture starts coming together and leaving the sides of the wok. (continuous stirring is required throughout the process)

Add the cornflour mix at this time. Cook for another 2 minutes and remove from flame.

Spread uniformly on a flat vessel or thali into a layer of about 1.5 cm thickness. Keep it in the fridge for half an hour to set the mixture. Remove and cut into cubes.

Garnish with a few strands of saffron and nuts and serve.

Note - I have used Kesar or saffron as the flavoring. One can also stick to cardamon flavor as mentioned in the original recipe or experiment with a range of flavors like chocolate, mango and even pineapple.

Thandaii Kulfi

Holi is still two weeks away but I am getting into the mood already. I guess the colors being sold in the shops nearby are influencing me along with the promise of gorging on variety of sweets/savory snacks. Though I havn't really played with water colors for a couple of years, I was crazy about it during my childhood days. Our Holi sessions would start early and extend much into the afternoon. The number of days it took to get all that color off one's skin was used as a yardstick to measure how much fun one had on the day. I remember sneaking small packets of color to school and playing with friends after the classes got over. But it was an unfortunate brush with some chemical laden colors that had me erupting all over. The pain was quite horrible and I swore never to play with water colors again.

So, now I just play a bit with Gulal or the dry color for the sake of tradition. But I more than make up for it by relishing some great food. Since everyone is so tired/thirsty playing in the sun, the snacks and refreshments served should ideally be something cool/chilled. Apart from traditional drinks like lemonade and Thandaii, dahi vada and namkeen para make for great Holi snacks. This is a modified version of the traditional 'Thandaii', albeit in the form of Kulfi. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients - 1/2 liter milk, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup fresh cream, 2 tbsp cornflour, 3-4 tsp chopped nuts, 4 tbsp thandai extract.

Preparation - Dissolve the cornflour in 1/3 cup milk ( at room temperature ). Keep aside.

Cooking - Bring the remaining milk to a boil in a heavy/thick bottomed vessel and allow to simmer till reduced to 3/4th.

Add and dissolve the sugar in it.

Now add the cornflour mix gradually with continuous stirring. Keep stirring till it thickens sufficiently (3-4 minutes would do but be careful as it has a tendency to stick of the bottom of the vessel and get burnt).

Add the nuts, switch off the flame and keep aside to cool down.

Add the thandai extract and beaten fresh cream. Beat again so that it takes on a uniform consistency and no lumps remain.

Pour into Kulfi moulds. Freeze for 6-7 hours or overnight.

For serving, immerse the kulfi moulds in water for 30 seconds, remove and rub lightly between your palms. Insert a sharp object (like a fork) and take out the kulfi. Cut into bite sized pieces and serve.

Note - Refer to my post on 'Thandaii' for making the thandaii extract.
 ( Use a slightly warm knife to be able to cut though the kulfi with ease. This gives nice sharp edges unlike the one you see in my pics. This one was taken in a hurry and I could not get around to warming my knife. Reminds one of the saying 'Practice before you speak', doesn't it ??? )

Tiramisu

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Tiramisu is an Italian dessert which literally means 'pick me up'. It is attributed to the combined effect of coffee(expresso), cocoa and sugar. One bite and you really get to know why they call it so.

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients - 12 ladyfinger biscuits, 1 tsp Nescafe, 1/2 tsp cocoa powder, 1/4 cup warm water, 1/4 cup milk, (5-6 tsp + 3 tsp) sugar, 1 cup cream cheese, 1 tsp butter, 2 tsp fresh cream, 1 egg yolk, 6-7 drops vanilla essence, cocoa powder for dusting.

Preparation - Dissolve the coffee and cocoa powder in warm water. Allow to cool. Then add the milk as well.

Beat the egg yolk with 5-6 tsp sugar till it is fluffy and very pale in color.

Beat the cream cheese with butter and fresh cream till light and fluffy. Fold in the egg yolk mixture gently. Add the vanilla essence.

Take a square dish. Line the ladyfinger biscuits. Add sufficient coffee-milk liquid onto the biscuits to wet them but not to make them very soggy.

Spoon over half of the cheese-yolk mixture. Sprinkle some cocoa powder. Add another layer of the biscuits. Drizzle with coffee liquid. Add the remaining cheese-yolk mixture.

Finally sprinkle as much cocoa powder as you like. (Add a few choco-chips if you want)

Refrigerate overnight. (Since I made this in a hurry, I had only about 7 hours for the dessert to set. The longer time you soak it, the better as the coffee flavors permeate into the cheese.)

Serve chilled.

Instant Gajar Halwa (Microwave Method)

Merry Christmas to All !!!!

Holidays are a time to catch up with friends and take a much needed break from work. However one does feel the need to savor/cook up a special meal on such days, especially when a friend decides to drop by. While I usually make a Chicken Biryani and raita for the main course, I used to be stumped when it came to desserts.

But since I discovered this very quick version of my favorite sweet, the Gajar ka Halwa, desserts have been a breeze. No more stirring the milk and carrots till one's arm went numb. And the best part is that it tastes as good as the one made by the traditional method. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10 mins ( + time taken to grate the carrots )

Ingredients - 2 cups grated red carrots, 4 tbsp ghee, 1/3 cup whole milk, 4 tbsp milk powder, 3 tbsp sugar, pinch of cardamon, nuts for garnish (optional).

Cooking - Take the ghee in a microwave safe container and heat on high for 10 seconds.

Add the grated carrots and mix well. Microwave on HIGH power for 2 mins. ( Stir once in between )

Add the remaining ingredients and mix thouroughly. Microwave on high for 7-8 minutes . (Stir at interval of 2 mins)

Remove from microwave, garnish with the nuts and serve hot/cold.

Sending this to Cook With Red Event at Shweta's blog Merry Tummy.

Gulgula

'Gulgula' or fried sweetened wheat balls are one of the dying varieties of Oriya street food/sweets. These were very popular and much in demand not too long back but have lost to the increasing popularity of other fast food items. However these remain a personal favorite and my Mom made a batch for me last week. While most of the vendors sell lemon sized balls of Gulgula ( which resemble the Mysore Bonda ), I dig these tiny bite sized ones . Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time : 20 mins

Ingredients : 1 cup wheat flour, 1 very ripe banana, 1/3 cup grated coconut, 3-4 tsp sugar, pinch of cardamon, pinch of edible camphor, pinch of baking powder, 2 tsp semolina ( this is optional and Mom had used it as the batter had turned a little watery ), 1/3 cup milk, oil for deep frying.

Preparation: Take the ripe banana in a mixing bowl. Mash it well, add coconut, sugar and milk. Add the wheat little by little and make into a smooth batter with a heavy spoon.

Add cardamon powder, edible camphor and baking powder.

Cooking : Heat  the oil a deep wok.  Drop 5-6 spoons of the batter at a time and fry on all sides till deep brown. Remove and place on paper towels.

Repeat for the remaining batter.

Serve hot or cold.

Note - For better presentation( and if you are not feeling lazy ), serve with slices of banana, a drizzle of honey and a scoop of  vanilla icecream/whipped cream.

15 minute Choco Muffins (Children's Day Special)

Children are a nation's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. These sentiments of  former US President J.F. Kennedy found an echo in our very own Chacha, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.  He understood the importance of children in building the country's future and proposed free primary education for all children. He was also the first proponent of the 'midday meal' scheme as we call it today. As a tribute, we celebrate his birthday (14th November) as Children's Day.

In case you have not planned anything special for your little one, this recipe comes just in the nick of time. These muffins are also a life saver when you have unexpected visitors. Since they need very little time and effort, one can easily prepare a batch while doing other household chores. Very useful when the kids suddenly ask for something sweet.

With a little chocolate frosting and decor sprinkled on top, these are good enough to serve as party snacks.

[As these disappeared as soon as they got out of the muffin tray, will upload a photo when i make the next batch]

Preparation Time - 15 mins (Makes 6 nos)

Ingredients - 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup Fortune refined rice bran oil, 1/2 cup sugar, 2/3 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 tsp ENO, 2 1/2 tsp cocoa powder.

Preparation - Take the sugar in the dry grinding jar of a mixer-grinder. Grind for 1 minute.

Transfer to the whipping jar. Add the oil, egg and milk. Buzz for 3 minutes.

Take the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and ENO in a sieve. Sift gently into the whipping jar. Buzz for 30 seconds to 1 minute till the batter just comes together.

Cooking - Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

Grease the muffin tray with butter/oil. Sprinkle a little flour.

Pour the batter into the cups till 2/3rd full.

Insert the tray into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Prick the center of the muffins with a tooth-pick to check if done. If not, bake for another 2 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Enjoy.

Mahalabia

Happy Diwali to All.

The blogosphere has been bombarded with traditional Diwali recipes. While I do not hold anything against following our customs, I simply did not want to ruin my vacation slaving over those laddoos/kalakand or even kheer. That is when I zeroed in on Mahalabia. Also known as Muhellabia, this is one light milk and easy pudding recipe from the Middle East . The first time I read about it in a travel magazine, I was bowled over by the ease and simplicity of this dish. While it does remind me of another Indian dessert (Phirni), this one makes use of cornflour rather than rice flour. It has a light custard or thick yogurt like texture.

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15-10 mins

Ingredients - 2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup milk powder, 3 tbs corn flour, 1/2 cup sugar ( or less as per preference ), 3 tbs rose water, 2 whole cardamoms, nuts for garnishing.

Cooking - Bring the milk & milk powder to a boil. Allow to boil for 7-8 minutes. Dissolve in the sugar.

Dissolve the corn flour in a little milk. Add slowly to the boiling milk and stir continuously till it thickens to a custard consistency. Add the rose water and cardamon at this point and mix in.

Pour in glasses & put into the refrigerator.

Garnish with chopped pistachios & almonds. Serve chilled.

Makhane ki Kheer

Phool Makhana or Lotus seed is more commonly available in North India where it is used during vrats. As it not regarded as a cereal its atta is also used for making rotis and it finds use even in curries. It can even be consumed as a snack in the roasted form.

It is free from fat and cholesterol, rich in iron and phosphorus and is also a good source of antioxidants. Its nutritional profile makes it ideal for weight-watchers or people suffering from high blood pressure/cholesterol. It also helps digestion, reduces frequent urination, strengthens body and improves energy levels.

I used 'Phool Makhana' to make this delicious and nutritious kheer during the Navratri days. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup phool makhana, 2 cups whole milk (boiled), 3 tsp sugar, 6-7 tbs milk powder/3-4 tbs condensed milk, 1 tbs ghee, handful of almonds, 3-4 glazed cherries, 2 pinch ground nutmeg, 1 pinch cardamon powder.

Preparation - Chop the almonds and cherries.

Cooking - Heat a pan. Add ghee and then the phool makhana. Roast for 3 minutes on a low to medium flame till crisp. Remove and keep aside to cool down.

Crush all the makhana lightly ( do not powder) except for 5-6 nos.

Add the almonds to the pan and roast for 2 minutes.

Bring the milk to a boil. Dissolve the sugar in it.

Add the crushed phool makhana and almonds. Boil for 10-12 minutes on a low flame.

Add the whole/intact phool makhanas and the milk powder along with the nutmeg and cardamon. Remove from flame after 1 minute.

Allow to cool down. (one can also refrigerate it)

Garnish with the cherries and serve.

Chocolate Halwa

Everyone loves chocolate, age/gender being no bar. And it is being  incorporated in Indian desserts in a big way. Chocolate burfi, chocolate sandesh, chocolate lassi are some of the common examples. My kid is no exception to this rule and i try to use this flavor to camouflage items that he normally avoids.

This is one of my kid's favorite. And it is super easy to prepare. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10-12 mins

Ingredients - 3 tbs semolina/suji, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tbs almond meal, 2 tsp chopped cherries/tutti-frutti, 3 tsp sugar, 1 cup milk,  10-12 drops vanilla essence, 1-2 tsp butter .

Cooking - Dry roast the semolina and almond meal on a pan. Remove and keep aside.

Heat the milk in a wok. Take a few teaspoons of the warm milk in a cup, add the cocoa powder and dissolve it. Pour the chocolate mix back into the wok.

Add sugar, vanilla essence, almond meal and roasted semolina. Stir the contents for 3-4 minutes on a low to medium flame till a viscous mixture is formed (this will harden further on cooling). Stir in the butter and cherries/tutti-frutti.

Allow to cool down slightly and then fill into molds. Remove from mold when ready to serve.

Serve warm or chilled. (Garnish with nuts if desired.)



Sending this recipe to Chandrani's event Festive Treats for the month of Sep-Oct. Read more about her events.