Creamy Spinach Granita with Sticky Potato Chips

IMP - This i an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on Oriyarasoi. 

Ok...The main course is done and dusted ( Pan Seared Spinach and Potato Cigars in case you have forgotten about it ). Now it's time  to magically transform the same set of ingredients into something delectably sweet and asking for minimal effort. Should I try to bake some muffins ? Pie ? Mousse ? Naah. Has been done to death.

Since it is already summer in most parts of the country and the temperatures are soaring, I am going to go something chilled. So, why not make it a granita loaded with the goodness of Popeye's superfood ! Let's go one step further and make it a creamy one. Done. And I am gonna make it super easy and quick ( just in terms of the preparation time, not the freezing time. I don't fancy the liquid nitrogen stuff ).

Click here to READ more about the amazing benefits of this superfood aka 'Spinach' !!!

Back to the recipe. Read on -

Preparation Time - 3 hours 15 mins ( With 3 hours being the standby time)

Ingredients -

For the granita -

• 1/2 cup spinach puree ( just blanch, strain and puree with 2-3 tsp water )
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp sour cream ( add a little more if you like it creamier or reduce it if cal conscious )
• 4 tsp brown sugar ( adjust as per taste )
• pinch of salt
• 2 pinch chili flakes for seasoning

For the Sticky Potato fries -

• 1 medium sized potato
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2-3 tsp water 
• a pinch of salt
• 2-3 tsp brown sugar

Preparation - Blanch the spinach. Throw into the mixer jar. Whizz till smooth. Throw in some water, sour cream and brown sugar. Buzz it again till mixed thoroughly.

Pour it into a large cake tray (use a freezer safe one) such that it makes a layer about 4-5 cm thick. Nothing more. Mind you.

Pop it into the freezer. Take out after 30 mins and scrape the sides and along the length using a fork. Pop it back into the fridge and repeat the process every 30 mins for the next 3-4 hours. The creamy spinach granita is ready. Now sprinkle the chili flakes over it and mix in.

(Absolutely no cheating else you end up with a solid frozen mass or small chunks of ice instead of a slurry of ice particles. Once it is ready, it can be served anytime between immediately and the next 12 hours. After that, the ice just starts to stick together. )

For the sticky fries, let prepare some sticky sauce. Mix sour cream, water, brown sugar, salt and olive oil in a saucepan. Boil on low heat it it bubbles and foams up. Keep aside till cool.

Peel and slice the potato into a bowl containing salt water. Strain and throw the slices into boiling water. Let it cook for 2 mins. Remove and dry on kitchen towel. Brush lightly with oil and spread on a baking tray. Bake at 400 F for 15 mins max. Remove from oven and let it cool for half an hour.

Drizzle the sauce on the potato chips ( or just toss the chips along with the sauce) and serve alongside the Creamy Spinach Granita.

No-Bake Strawberry Delight ( V Day Collab with Adollopofthat and Potpourri )

Continuing the tradition of 'idiot proof' recipes for V-day, I have a very easy to do strawberry dessert that tastes much better than the measly effort that goes into it. And also, it sits rather well in a jar just in case you want to show the world what you are eating with that special one. Single ? No problem. That's even better as you can have the whole of it just for yourself.

Discovered this one while browsing through 'Taste of Home', yet another great website for home cooks. Made a few minor changes to the recipe suit myself and voila, I had a dessert in under 30 mins. Best part is that this taste great even when we substitute the sugar with any low calorie sweetener.

That's just not all. Partnering with my blogger friends Parinaaz and Saswati, I have got you more recipes to check out for V-day ! Hop on to Saswati's Blog for sampling some yummy Gajar Halwa Cheesecake Pie  and on to Parinaaz's blog for the ravishing Red Velvet Trifles .

Read on for a great 'do it yourself' dessert recipe for V-day -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

• 200 gm vanilla sponge cake
• 1 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
• 4 tbsp gelatin
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp rose syrup
• 1 liter milk
• 40 gm custard powder
• 3-4 tsp sugar

Preparation - Sprinkle the powdered gelatin into the cold water. Whisk it with a fork. Let it stand for 10 mins till the grains swell up and it starts thickening.

Place the bowl on a double boiler or in a bigger bowl half filled with hot water. Let the gelatin dissolve completely.

Remove the bowl and allow it to cool down slightly. Stir in the rose syrup and strawberries.

Cut the sponge cake into tiny cubes. Layer the cubes in a mason jar or a small glass. Pour the gelatin mixture over it and press lightly with a spoon.

Let it stand for 10 mins.

Cooking - Take 1 cup milk and dissolve the custard powder in it.

Bring the rest of the milk to a boil. Stir in sugar.  Add the custard powder dissolved in milk. Stir continuously to prevent lumps. Remove from flame after 2-3 mins.

Allow it to cool slightly before pouring over the contents of the jar or glass. Refrigerate for at least 30 mins before serving.

Serve chilled with freshly sliced strawberries.

Home made Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt is the new ice-cream ! Sounds cliched but is true. However what I cannot understand is the fact that people are ready to shell out big bucks for a tiny tub of what is essentially some Greek yogurt dunked in a whole lot of chemicals (???).

Simply going by the definition, frozen yogurt is super cooled yogurt with fruit in it ! And it is super easy to make some at home too. Without resorting to artificial flavors, gelatin and even a ice cream maker. You will just need a regular blender or super fit biceps. Yeah, you need the latter in case you have to beat the yogurt in a big bowl with a heavy metal/wooden spoon to get that creamy consistency.

But rest assured that you will be suitably rewarded for you efforts and patience. Read on for recipe -

Preparation Time - 4-5 hours ( dont worry a lot off it is just standby time)

Ingredients -

• 2 cups hung yogurt or Greek yogurt
• 3 tsp milk
• 4-5 tsp sugar (as per taste)
• 1 cup frozen fruit of your choice

Preparation - Beat the yogurt, milk and sugar till the sugar dissolves. Pop it into the freezer in a freezer-safe bowl.

After 30 mins take it out and churn it in a blender to break the formation of crystals. Put it back into the freezer. This process needs to be repeated 6-7 times to get that creamy texture.

Just before serving, take out the frozen yogurt from the freezer and give it a good buzz with the frozen fruit.

Serve immediately or atleast within an hour ( keep refrigerated till you serve it ).

Note - Vary the sugar as per taste. Sugar free can be used as a substitute if you are ok with using gelatin. The cooled gelatin liquid needs to be stirred into the beaten yogurt.

Green Papaya Laddoos (SugarFree recipe)

Mom is undoubtedly the dessert specialist at home. God forbid, if she takes to blogging, she could give a lot of folks a run for their money and have me running out of ideas which I generously borrow from her. At times it seems to me that she manages to concoct sweets out of thin air. And since she is hale and hearty (touch wood), she is least bothered with controlling her sugar intake and other such low priority things like counting calories and weight management that are always on top of my list. "For the current generation, everything is just about numbers ", she exclaims while dismissing my worries.

Anyways when she told me about these green papaya laddoos, I could not resist pulling her leg. "Mummy, why can't you go for cheaper options like besan and suji ? Veggies have become so costly these days !! If I start using them in desserts, what will I cook for the main course ?", I told her in jest. And pat comes the reply "But they taste so good. Why cook sabzi ? Have them with parathas or puris". Another oil/calorie guzzler is the last thing on earth that I would want to rendezvous with. So, I decided to keep my mouth shut and think of ways in which I could replicate the same but without copious amount of sugar. Will the laddoos bind correctly if I skip the sugar? I decided to increase the milk content and replace the sugar with Sugarfree Nature pellets which I always keep at hand as my MIL is a diabetic.

The recipe turned out to be just fine and the laddoos tasted delicious. Read on for this yummy recipe that will have you eating your laddoos without actually turning into one ( excuse the bad PJ ) -

Preparation Time - 45 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 kg green papaya
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 15-16 sugarfree pellets
• 2 pinch saffron
• 2 pinch powdered cardamom
• 10 cashews

Preparation - Peel and grate the green papaya.

Soak the saffron in 2-3 tsp warm milk.

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a thick bottomed wok. Add the cashews and fry till they turn golden. remove from the wok and keep aside.

Add the grated papaya and fry for 8-9 mins on medium flame or till the moisture is almost gone.

Add the milk along with the sugarfree pellets. Rub the soaked saffron strands with your fingers and add it to the same wok. Cook on medium to low flame till all the moisture evaporates and the mixture starts to leaves the sides of the wok.

Add the cardamom powder and mix in.

Allow it to cool down till it is bearable to touch.

Divide into 10-12 portions. Rub ghee on palms and shape each one portion into a laddoo. Press one cashew into each one.

Allow to cool down completely before serving.

Badam Phirni ( Diwali Collaboration with A Dollop Of That! )

The next recipe that I am sharing for the Diwali series is a rich creamy dessert from North India. Known as the phirni, it is basically rice paste cooked in saffron-cardamom flavoured milk and loaded with nuts. While I would have loved to do an Odia recipe (as some of you had requested), I am running short on time and energy as the vacations have started for my kid.


I picked this recipe as it reminds me of yet another Odia recipe known as the 'Gaintha' or 'Attakali'. It is a slightly rustic recipe that is made out of rice paste which is first cooked into a solid mass, broken down into small balls and then cooked in cardamom-peppercorn flavoured milk. To me, phirni always seems to a more glamorized version of the Attakali. My phirni recipe is a slightly more nuttier and richer version of the regular one as I have added almond paste to it while cooking.

Read on for the recipe - ( And do not forget to scroll down to the bottom of this post for another surprise by Parinazz of A Dollop of that !)

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 5 heaped tbsp of any fragrant rice ( Basmati /Jeera/GobindoBhog )
• 1/2 liter + 2/3 cup milk
• 15-16 almonds
• 4 heaped tsp sugar ( as per taste )
• 2 pinch saffron strands
• a pinch of cardamom powder
• pistachios for garnishing
• rose petals for garnishing

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice for 2-3 hours. Grind into a smooth paste with 3-4 tsp milk. Dissolve in another 1/2 cup of milk.

Soak the almonds in hot water for 1 hour. Remove and peel them. Grind into a smooth paste with 2-3 tsp milk.

Soak saffron strands in 3-4 tbsp hot milk.

Cooking - Heat a wide mouthed nonstick saucepan. Add 4-5 tbsp water to it. This prevents milk from sticking to bottom and getting burnt.

Pour in the milk and bring it to boil on medium flame. Let it reduce by 1/3 rd.

Pour in the rice paste and cook with continuous stirring (preferably using a whisk) to prevent the formation of lumps. Do this for 7-8 mins. The mixture will become thick and take a creamy texture.

Then pour in the saffron milk (just remember to rub the strands with your fingers to get a deeper colour), sugar, almond paste and cardamom powder. Cook for 3-4 mins while stirring continuously.

Remove from the flame. Pour it into the serving bowls and pop it into the fridge.

Garnish with saffron strands, pistachios and rose petals. Serve chilled.

Do not forget to check out these interesting recipes too !!

Parinaaz's - Kesar Pista Biscuits

Chuda Ghasa Parfait ( Diwali Recipes Collaboration )

Its time to begin the festivities as the 'Festival of lights' is literately knocking on our doors. To make this Diwali extra special for all my readers and well wishers, I will be collaborating with a very talented blogger Parinaaz Marolia . Parinaaz is a mum to a toddler, passionate blogger and amateur photography dabbler. She blogs at A Dollop of that! It is mostly about Parsi recipes and baked stuff.
For today's post, she has made assorted chocolates in two variants brandy creme and honeyed pistachio. ( For more info, scroll down to the bottom of this post )

As an added bonus another blogger is joining us at the last minute. Ms Saswati Hota, also from Odisha, is a part of the Indian Air Force family . She is contributing with a sweet known as Labanga Latika in Odisha.

Coming back to my recipe, Chuda Ghasa is a traditional preparation from Odisha. A coarse mix of beaten rice with sugar, ghee and freshly grated coconut, it is prepared during festivals. Some people also add chopped fruits and boondi to it to enhance the taste. With this recipe, I have attempted to deconstruct it and serve it in the form of separate layers just like a parfait. But a much healthier and simpler one.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup beaten rice
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp ghee
• 2 tsp freshly grated coconut
• 3 tbsp chopped berries (I had only dried ones)
• 2 tbsp chopped orange
• 1/2 cup hung curd (Greek yogurt)
• 1 tsp chopped pistachios
• 1/4 cup sweetened boondi ( or 1 motichoor laddoo)
• 1-2 green cardamoms
• a pinch of cardamon
• a pinch of saffron

Preparation - Take the beaten rice, 2 tbsp sugar and cardamom in a mixer. Give a buzz to get a coarse mix. Add the ghee and freshly grated coconut to the mixer jar and give another buzz. This is the regular chuda ghasa which looks like breadcrumbs.

Mix the hung curd with 2 tbsp sugar, a pinch of saffron and pistachios.

Mix the boondi/crumbled motichoor laddoo with the 2 tsp chuda ghasa.

Take two small glasses . Spread a thick layer of the chuda ghasa on the bottom. Top it with the oranges and chopped berries.

Top it with the hung curd .

Finally add a layer on boondi mix and garnish it with toasted pistachios.

Chill it in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.

Do not forget to check this out !!

Parinaaz's recipe - Assorted Chocolates (feat.) Liquor & Honeyed-Pistachios

And

Saswati's recipe - Labanga Latika

Chocolate and Jaggery Sandesh

Sandesh. These moist yet flaky sweets ( excuse me but I have not been able to figure out the right adjective to describe a Sandesh ) of Bengali origin have a special place in my heart. While I never had much of a sweet tooth, but I cannot resist the lure of these beauties. Maybe it the beauty in their shapes or the amazing texture or even the low sugar content, I can never have enough of these. And I would promptly pester anyone coming from Calcutta to get a packet for me.

While the preparation itself is nothing much to talk about, the kneading time of the chenna and the cooking time play an important role in the final taste of the product. Most of us would be able to get it right with a few trials. Here is a very simple recipe that I refer to whenever I am in the mood for some low calorie cocoa indulgence. This is a sugar-free chocolate version of Sandesh.

Read on -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 liter milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 3 tsp grated/powdered palm jaggery
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• few drops ghee to rub on the palm and the molds

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.

Dilute the vinegar with 1/2 cup warm water.

Remove from flame and keep aside for 4-5 minutes. Add the diluted vinegar 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 or till the chenna is dry.

Remove the cloth and place the chenna on your sanitised 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.

Now add the powdered jaggery and cocoa powder and knead again till completely incorporated.

Cooking - Heat a nonstick pan on low flame. Add the chenna mixture and spread it all over the bottom. Let it cook for 5-6 mins with regular stirring till any residual mositure evaporates.

Once the mixture starts to come together, remove from the stove and allow the dough mixture to cool down till it is just warm to touch.

Knead it again for 2-3 mins.

Break of small bits of the chenna dough and shape it using us fingers or use a mold.

Allow it to cool down.

Serve or keep refrigerated till consumption.

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Summer vacations are synonymous with hungry kids who are always on the lookout for a tasty bite or two. But too much of packaged products are a strict no-no with the copious amount of preservatives and additives going into them. Making those traditional delicacies by following grandma's recipes and slogging it out in the kitchen in the sweltering heat does not seem practical either.

A basic Vanilla Panna Cotta, an Italian delicacy, is one such recipe that calls for minimal time and effort. Moreover it goes well with fruit and kids gets a healthy dose of vitamins along with the goodness of milk and cream. Other easy summer snacks options can be sandwiches that can be whipped up in less than 10 mins or fruit chaat or loads of fruity milkshakes ( you will find lots of recipes on my blog else drop me a comment and I will be happy to reply ).

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup cream (I use Amul fresh cream or Milky mist fresh cream)
• 1 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 1/2 tbsp sugar ( i prefer a little less but you can add more as per taste )
• 2 1/2 tsp ( level ) powdered gelatin 
• 1 vanilla pod

Cooking - Take the milk and cream in a saucepan. Using a knife, slice the vanilla pod and scrape the insides. Add the insides as well as the vanilla pod to the saucepan. Place it on a low flame and just bring to a boil. Add the sugar and stir till it dissolves. Simmer for another 2 mins.

Remove from the flame. Keep aside for 5 mins and them remove the Vanilla pod.

Take the gelatin powder in a steel bowl. Add 2 tbsp hot water to it and stir. Then place the bowl in hot water and stir till the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Stir the gelatin into the milk and cream mixture. Allow the mixture to cool down further before pouring into molds or small glasses ( lightly butter the molds or glasses so that de-molding will become easier ).

Refrigerate for 4-5 hours before serving.

Note - Serve the Panna cotta with a topping of chocolate sauce or fruit crush. Goes great with fresh figs, strawberries or any other berries too.

Fruity Khira ( Ricotta Cheese Pudding with assorted fruits )

Easter is around the corner and a lot of folks would be meticulously working on a mouth watering spread for that special lunch /dinner with friends and family. While there are a lot of traditional favorites for the occasion, an unusual dish is always a welcome addition to the menu. Leave aside the usual puddings and cakes for something wonderfully delightful. A pudding made with ricotta cheese and served with assorted seasonal fruits can add zing to even the most boring conversations that sometime follow a lunch or dinner!!

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time -

Ingredients -

• 1.5 litres whole milk ( or 1 liter milk and 2/3 cup Ricotta cheese )
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 7-8 cashews
• 2 tbsp pistachio flakes
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• a pinch of saffron 
• 1/2 tsp ghee/clarified butter
• 2 cups assorted fruits ( Fig, Kiwi, Apple, Pineapple, Watermelon, Grapes )

Preparation - Dilute the vinegar with 2 tbsp water.

Cooking - Boil 1/2 litre of milk in a pan. When it comes to full boil, add the diluted vinegar. Boil for another 4-5 minutes so that the chenna/ricotta cheese ( solid portion of the milk) clearly separates from the remaining liquid. Drain the liquid. Wash the chenna/ricotta cheese under running water to remove traces of vinegar. Squeeze out the remaining liquid from the chenna/ricotta cheese. Allow it to cool down.

Heat a little ghee on a pan. Fry the cashews to a golden shade. Remove from pan and keep aside.
Add the pistachio flakes to the same pan and lightly fry for 30 seconds. Remove from pan.

Cooking: Heat a thick bottomed wok. Add the remaining milk and bring to a boil. Allow it to reduce to half the original volume.

Then add condensed milk, saffron strands, sugar and fried cashews. Let it simmer for 10 mins before you add the chenna/ricotta cheese.

Keep stirring at regular intervals till the mixture becomes thick ( 'rabdi' like consistency ), Add the pistachio flakes, remove from the flame and keep aside.

Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours before serving.

Take the chopped fruits in a bowl and drizzle the khira/ricotta cheese pudding generously all over it. Dig in !!!

Note - Khira is traditionally prepared as a offering in the Puri Jaganaath Temple of Odisha. 

Angoori Rabdi (And a Happy Valentine's Day!!)

'Angoori Rabdi' or 'chenna'/ricotta cheese' balls soaked in flavored thickened milk can be called as a distant cousin of the Bengali dish 'Rasmalai'.  However it is made richer by the addition of almonds, kesar and pista. Though it takes time to prepare the chenna and reduce the milk,  this is one dish which can truly qualify as a labor of love !!

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -

• 2 litres whole milk
• 3-4 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp maida /all purpose flour
• 4-5 tbsp chopped almonds
• 3-4 tbsp pista
• 1/2 tsp gulkand
• 1-2 pandan leaves / kewda
• 2 cups sugar + 3 tbsp
• 3 tbsp condensed milk
• 2 pinch saffon strands
• 2 pinch cardamom powder

Preparation - Bring half of the milk to boil in a saucepan. Do not let it boil for more than 4-5 mins.

Dilute the vinegar with equal amount of water and add to the milk. This should be sufficient to separate the cheena from the green colored water. However if the water still looks milky, add some some water-vinegar mix. Once all the chenna is separated, add a few ice cubes and 2-3 cup water to the saucepan. This prevents the chenna from cooking further.

Strain all the chenna and wash it under running water to remove any traces of vinegar. Gather it in a piece of cheesecloth/muslin and hang for 20-30 mins to remove excess water.

Transfer to a plate. Knead it with the heel of your palms for 10 mins to get a uniform mixture. Add the maida at this stage and knead for another 5-6 mins.

Divide into 25-30 lumps and shape each into a smooth ball with no visible cracks on the surface.

Add the 2 cups sugar along with 5 cups water to a pressure cooker. Let it boil for 5 mins before adding the chenna balls. Close the lid and cook for 25-30 mins. Remove from the flame and allow to cool down to room temperature.

Boil the remaining milk along with the pandan leaves in a wok till it reduces to half. Add the sugar, saffron, cardamom powder, condensed milk and half of the dry fruits. Simmer for 2-3 mins before adding the chenna balls (squeeze them with light fingers to remove excess sugar solution before adding to the rabdi) and the Gulkand. Switch off the flame.

Allow to cool down before putting into the refrigerator. Garnish with a few strands of saffron, rose petals and more chopped cashews/almonds.

Serve chilled.

Click here for rasmalai recipe !!

Puddina ( Maltese Bread Pudding )

Gooey, moist and loaded with cocoa and dry fruits, this Maltese bread pudding had got a very festive  feel to it. And that is what makes it a perfect dessert for a Valentine's day dinner.

When I made this recipe, I was in a hurry. I did not have time to soak the bread and hence it could not pick enough moisture. Also I had set the timer for 45 mins and did not check in between. So, it cracked up due to loss of moisture which made for a sorry sight. Else, it turned out perfectly delicious.

Without much ado, read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -

• 1/2 of a bread loaf (thick and crusty is better)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp custard powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup cherries
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 3-4 tbsp whisky/rum/sherry (optional)

Preparation - Tear up the bread into small pieces and soak them in water for 30 mins. Drain and squeeze out all the water and mash it up in a big bowl.

Add sugar, cornflour, custard powder, cocoa, cherries, sultanas, cashews, almonds, whisky/sherry and vanilla essence to the bowl (keep aside some of the cherries and dry fruits for decorating). Break the egg into the bowl. Mix up everything.

Cooking - Pre-heat an oven to 180 degrees celcius for 10 mins.

Pour the pudding mixture into a baking tray. Decorate with cherries and dry fruits.

Place in the center of the oven and bake for 34-45 mins or till a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool down.

Cut into generous pieces and serve.

Dilli-wala Gajar ka Halwa (North Indian treat)

My earliest memory of making 'Gajar ka Halwa' dates back to the 6th or the 7th standard when i used to help my Mom with grating the carrots and stirring the mixture at regular intervals. However it was only after I got married that I started to manage the entire process all by myself. And I took to experimenting with different methods and playing around the ingredients, sometimes with great results and at other times, not so good.

But sometime during my pregnancy, my husband asked one of his colleagues to get some special 'Dilli-wala' stuff on one of the latter's Gurgaon trips. And I was hooked. It was the best 'gajar-ka-halwa' I have ever had. True it was loaded with calories but still it awesome and I could not just stop at one. So, my husband had to request other folks flying to Delhi to get some for me everytime. It was one of the very few thing that I craved for during my pregnancy.

I badly wanted to replicate the taste in my kitchen and consulted various folks. But somehow the results disappointed me. And then I decided to go by what I had seen on one of the TV shows. It was a very long time back so I do not remember anything about the channel, anchor or show. Just that it was somewhere in Delhi and a 'halwai' was sharing some pearls of wisdom with the anchor who looked more eager to dig into the stuff rather than in picking up the finer nuances of making the dish.
The results were astonishing and I could not believe that I had just perfected this North India delicacy.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 150 mins


Ingredients -

• 750 gms Delhi carrot (the red variety)
• 1.5 liters milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened khoya
• 3 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 2/3 cup cashews

Preparation -

Wash & peel the carrots. Grate them using a medium/thick grater . (I used the inner side of the Tupperware Handy grater). If you make it too fine, it will almost turn into a paste and the texture of halwa will be spoiled.

Fry the cashews in ghee and keep aside.

Cooking - Boil the milk in a big non-stick vessel. Add the grated carrots and boil on a low flame. Keep stirring at times. Once the carrots seem to be softened (takes about 60-75 mins), turn up the flame to a medium to quicken the process. Or you can continue doing this on a low flame but it will take longer.

Once the milk has almost evaporated, add the sugar. This will again make the mixture more liquid. Continue to cook till the liquid evaporates (20-25 mins) and the mixture reddens in color.

Then add the ghee, crumbled khoya, fried cashews and cardamom powder. Cook for 5-6 minutes before removing from the flame. (Remember to take it off the flame while it is a little liquid as compared to the desired consistency as it will solidify on cooling.)

Serve warm/cold.

Safed Zarda

Zarda is a traditional Pakistani dessert that has rice cooked with spices, sugar syrup and milk solids (mawa). Usually it has yellow food coloring added to it but I have skipped it. Enriched with nuts, milk and milk solids, it is one healthy dessert. An interesting variant to the Indian 'Meethay Chawal' or 'Kanika' (Odia recipe).

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup Basmati rice 
• 4 tbsp Sugar
• a few saffron starnds
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 star anise
• 1-2 strands of mace
• 1-2 cloves
• 1-2 green cardamoms
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 cup khoya
• 4 tbsp warm milk
• 2-3 pinch salt (optional...not a part of the original recipe)

Preparation - Soak the saffron in the warm milk. 

Boil the sugar with 1/2 cup water till it reaches a thick (one string) consistency. Keep aside.

Cooking - Boil sufficient water for the rice. Add the spices, salt and the washed rice. Cook for 8-9 mins till it is almost done ( 90 % cooked ). Drain and keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a flat bottomed vessel. Add the cashews and raisins. Fry for 30 seconds. Add the rice, crumbled mawa, sugar syrup and milk along with the saffron strands. Cover tightly and cook on low flame for 5 mins. ( one can also place the covered vessel on a tawa to avoid the direct flame ). 

Remove from flame and keep aside for 10 mins before serving.

Lauki ka Halwa ( Doodhi ka Halwa )

As a kid I used to wonder aloud about the the perceptible change in the atmosphere during the Puja (Dusshera) season. The slight nip in the air was accompanied with a divine fragrance as if someone had made it a daily ritual of emptying a lot may bottles of perfume all around us during the evenings. Even the nights grew more and more silent. My grandmother who was adept at spinning tales would explain that it was the harbinger of the arrival of Maa and other gods. And she would further support her theory with the argument that the gods and goddesses who were adorned with the heavenly blossoms were the ones responsible for the aura. For years I believed her before reasoning got the better of me and I could attribute the aura to a combination of factors like the cooling of the atmosphere, the steadily dropping humidity levels and the blossoming of a variety of winter blooms. Even the cacophony of the insects which peaked during the monsoons, was slowing fading away as the approaching winter forced most of them into hibernation.

Ever since I moved out of my native, I really miss the Dusshera festivities and also the run-up to the actual event. The shopping for new clothes, watching the idols shaping up, the Pandals being put into place and drawing up the itinerary to cover the maximum number of pandals during those five days would sometimes be even more fun than the actual Pandal hopping. And ofcourse, there was the mandatory 'mela' (fair) and the au rigueur joy-rides which was on every kid's bucket list. At times, growing up is no fun.

Unlike some other parts of India, people in Odisha do not keep as nine day partial fast during Durga Puja. There is the mandatory Ashtami Vrat and some also keep the Navami Vrat but no more. Onion and garlic are prohibited on these two days and people usually prefer to consume Khichdi/ rice and dalma/ puri-alu dum etc apart from fruits. But for people who follow the 'navratri fasting' quite rigorously, it is nine days of subsisting on 'phalahar' or a plant based diet. There are a number of dishes which are religiously prepared during this period. One of them happens to be the 'lauki ka halwa' or bottlegourd halwa. Read on for the recipe -

(For more Navaratri recipes, click HERE)

Preparation Time - 30-35 mins (less if you use a food processor to grate the lauki)

Ingredients -

500 gm lauki/bottle gourd
2 cup milk
2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup milk powder
3-4 tsp sugar
2 green cardamoms (powdered)
a few strands of saffron
1 1/2 tsp ghee
7-8 cashews
12-15 raisins

Preparation - Peel the gourd and chop into big pieces. Grate coarsely leaving aside the center portion containing the seeds.

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a wok. Add the raisins and cashews. Fry for 30-40 seconds before removing from wok.

Add the grated bottle gourd to the wok. Fry on medium high till much of the water evaporates and it starts to turn light brown.

Add the milk and bring it to a boil. Cover with a lid. Allow it to cook on low flame for 6-7 minutes. The bottle gourd would be cooked by this time. If not, cover it again for 3-4 mins.

Finally add sugar, milk powder, condensed milk, cardamom powder and saffron strands. Cook till most of the water evaporates. Add the fried cashews and raisins.

Serve at room temperature or even chilled.

Milkmaid Coconut Laddoo

After the Ganapati festivities were over, I realized that I had quite a bit of leftover coconut in the fridge. But I was feeling a little bored of eating dosa/idli chutney every other day. And not being too fond of desiccated coconut, preserving it for later use was hardly an option. Then I remembered my 'bua' or father's sister making these Milkmaid laddoos during my childhood days. Those were the days of DD and there were hardly any cookery shows on the telly. She used to patiently note down the recipes from magazines or any other books if she found them interesting. And boy.....she had an amazing repertoire of recipes. I wondered what she would have done if she had the power of the internet at her disposal.

Coming back to the recipe, these laddoos are as simple as it can get. Made with just two ingredients, they are just plain addictive. Read on for the easy recipe -

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients -

• 3 cups grated coconut
• 1 cup milkmaid (or any other condensed milk) (approx)
• 1/2 cup grated coconut for rolling the laddoos (optional)

Cooking -  Heat a wok. Add the grated coconut and milkmaid. Keep stirring continuously till the mass begins to leave the sides of the wok. Remove and keep aside till it is bearable to touch.

Take small portions and shape into balls. Sprinkle the grated coconut on a plate or a working surface. Roll the balls lightly over the coconut. Keep in the fridge for half an hour to set.

Serve cold or at room temperature.


Note - These stay fresh up to one week when refrigerated.

Tiranga Faluda

Its that time of the year yet again. The tricolor hues seem to be floating everywhere around me. Even my kid is wearing it to school today. And not to mention all the lovely blog posts that have been popping on my screen over the past week. This one however was conceptualized almost a fortnight back for the second round of the Borosil-Indiblogger contest that I did not win. It seems one needs past laurels as well as a good sales pitch to reach the podium finish in such contests. Anyways that's in the past now.

The recipe that I am going to share today is a simple one. I have used mango, vanilla and kiwi as the flavours in the this recipe. But one can go for any three flavours that one likes and use a bit of edible food color to get the right shade. I would have liked a thicker consistency for the faluda but unfortunately there was an 8 hour long power-cut on the day and my ice creams just melted off. While it does not look as good, it does taste great. Very apt if you are entertaining any friends over the long weekend. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 12 tbsp subza (basil) seeds
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 scoops vanilla ice-cream 
• 2 scoops mango ice-cream
• 2 scoops kiwi ice-cream
• 2 tbsp mango crush
• 2 tbsp kiwi crush
• few drops of orange food color ( or saffron instead )
• few drops of green food color
• chopped cherries for garnishing

Preparation - Divide the subza seeds into 3 portions. Add each portion to 2/3 cup warm milk. Add a little green color and 1 tbsp kiwi crush to one cup. To another cup, add some orange color and 1 tbsp mango crush. Soak for 1-2 hours.

Mix in the remaining mango and kiwi crush with 2 scoops of mango and 2 scoops of kiwi ice-cream respectively .

Assembly - Take some clean glasses . First add a little of the green colored subza mixture. Top it with the Kiwi ice-cream.

Then add another layer of white colored subza mixture topped with the vanilla ice-cream.

Finally add the layer of orange colored subza mix topped with mango icecream.

Sprinkle the cherries on top.

Serve immediately.

Note - I have not used sugar as the crush and ice-cream add a lot of sweetness to this dessert. But one can add some sugar as well as per preference.

Shahi Tukda

A few days back I had posted the recipe for 'Double ka Meetha'. And quite a few people came back asking for the difference between the former and 'Shahi Tukda'. I would say that both have quite a few similarities but have originated from different regions/cultures. 'Shahi Tukda' is the more royal one of the two, soaked up in delicately flavored 'rabdi' or condensed milk and showered with toasted nuts.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25-35 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 thick slices of white bread
• 2 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp condensed milk
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp butter
• a few strands of saffron
• nuts for garnishing
• 4-5 drops of rose essence/syrup (optional)

Cooking - Take the bread and cut off the sides. (This is optional and i usually do not do it) Cut each bread slice into two triangles. 

Heat a pan. Place the bread slices on it and toast for 2 mins. Flip over and apply a little butter on the browned side. Toast the other side for another 2 mins and flip over. Apply a little butter on this side as well.

Remove and keep aside.

Heat 1/2 tsp butter in a pan and add the nuts. Toast for 1 minute or so.

In another saucepan, add the milk. Boil on low to medium flame with regular stirring in between till it reduces to 1/3rd. Add sugar and condensed milk. Simmer for 1 min. Add the saffron strands and the toasted nuts, and keep aside till it cools down a bit.

Lay the toasted bread slices side by side on a plate. Pour the thickened milk all over the slices and some extra too.

Garnish with more nuts and serve warm. (Or you can pop it in the fridge for 20 mins or so as I prefer it.)

Double ka Meetha

I tasted it for the first time when I had moved to Hyderabad sometime during 2006. 'It is just fried bread dipped in sugar syrup', I had exclaimed. But with passing time it slowly grew on me as did the city. While the sugar syrup version is quite common, most good restaurants soak the bread in a flavorsome 'rabdi' and garnish it generously with nuts. Very popular during iftar , it is a breeze to make unlike most of the Ramzan special dishes which require lots of time and effort

Read on for my version of this timeless Nizami dessert. Made it specially for Ramzan -

Preparation Time - 10 mins ( plus extra time for soaking )

Ingredients -

• 2 slices of white bread
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp condensed milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp butter
• 1 green cardamom
• a few strands of saffron
• nuts for garnishing

Cooking - Take the bread and cut off the sides. (This is optional and i usually do not do it) Cut each bread slice into two triangles. 

Heat a pan. Place the bread slices on it and toast for 2 mins. Flip over and apply a little butter on the browned side. Toast the other side for another 2 mins and flip over. Apply a little butter on this side as well.

Remove and keep aside.

Meanwhile take and water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for 3-4 mins. Add the crushed cardamom. Keep aside.

In another saucepan, add the milk and the condensed milk. Dissolve and bring to boil. Simmer for 3 mins. Add the saffron strands and keep aside.

Fry the nuts in a little ghee and keep aside.

Lay the bread slices side by side on a plate. Pour a little of the milk all over the slices and wait for 2-3 mins till completely absorbed. Next pour a little sugar syrup over the slices. Wait for 3-4 mins till it gets absorbed.

Repeat the process 2-3 times till you can see that the bread is no longer absorbing any liquid.

Keep it for 1-2 hours in the fridge before serving. 

Remove from the fridge and garnish with roasted nuts just before serving.

Note - Keep aside some of the saffron flavored milk and drizzle a few teaspoons over the bread just before serving.

Chocolate-Gajar Halwa-Gulkand Truffles

I find working with chocolate a bit intimidating. Hence one will rarely find experimenting with chocolate recipes on my blog. But I do look at the posts put up by my fellow bloggers and dream of doing something like them someday. Finally, it was a contest that propelled me to try something new with chocolate.

While I been eyeing Chocolate truffles recipes in all kind of forms, from the simple ganache ones to the ones containing liquor, I wanted to try an Indian version. That is when i got the idea to use 'Gajar Halwa' inside the truffles. But it seemed a bit too simple. Wanted to add another dimension so went for a white chocolate core with 'gulkand' infused in it. The outer layering is made with dark chocolate. It was time consuming but loved the results (especially the white chocolate-gulkand core which was quite a revelation). Even my husband (who is not much of a chocolate person) quite liked it.

This is my entry for the 'Chocolate Girl' contest launched by Shoppal, one of India's leading coupon shop. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 1 hour 15 mins ( the gajar halwa itself takes up around 45-55 mins )

Ingredients -

For the Gajar Halwa -

4 small carrots (grated)
1 1/2 cup whole milk
4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp khoya
a pinch of cardamom powder
2 tbsp unsalted butter

For the inner white chocolate core -

5-6 tbsp white choco chips
1 tsp gulkand

For the outer layer -

40 gm dark chocolate chips
2-3 tsp grated white chocolate
2-3 tsp grated chocolate ( i used Cadbury's Dairy milk)

Butter/shortening for greasing the hands

Preparation -

For Gajar Halwa -
Heat the butter in a frying pan/wok. Add the grated carrot and fry on medium flame for 7-8 mins.

Around the same time, boil the milk separately. Allow it to reduce to 3/4 th. Then add the fried carrot and cook till the water has almost evaporated and it starts to looks lumpy.

Add condensed milk, khoya and cardamom powder to it and mix well. Cook till it almost turns into a solid mass. This will further solidify on cooling.

Remove from flame and allow to come down to room temperature before you pop it into the fridge.


Assembling the truffles -

For the inner core -

Put a bowl on double boiler. Add the white choco chips and allow them to just melt. Switch off flame.

Add the gulkand and stir it to incorporate it uniformly. Keep it aside till it starts to solidify again.

Rub shortening on hands. Pinch small portions of white chocolate and shape them into smooth balls about the size of a hazelnut.

For the middle layer -

Take a lemon sized ball of gajar halwa. Spread it into a thin layer on your palm. Place the white chocolate ball in the middle and close it from all sides. Using gentle pressure, mould it into a smooth round shape.

Keep these in the fridge for 2-3 hours to allow the gajar halwa layer to firm up.

For the outer layer -

Put a bowl on double boiler. Add the dark choco chips and allow them to melt. Stir a bit till they turn into a dark liquid. Switch off flame.

Remove the balls from the fridge and dip into the melted chocolate one by one, coating each one uniformly. Keep aside on a greased and chilled plate.

Spread the grated chocolate ( both white and regular ) on a plate.

Roll each ball over the grated chocolate to form a uniform coating. The truffles are now ready.

Serve immediately or store upto 3-4 days in a airtight container in the fridge.

( Note - If the gajar halwa has more water content/moisture, then the truffles gets spoiled too soon )