Rice Pudding/Kheer

Ingredients :

1/2 Cup Basmati Rice
3 Cups Milk
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Tsp Cardamom Powder
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice in enough water for atleast 2 hours.
2. Heat butter in a heavy bottom pan. Drain the water from the rice and add to the pan. Saute for 1-2 mins.
3. Add milk to the rice and bring it to a boil.Keep stirring.
4. Once the milk starts boiling lower the flame and add sugar.
5. Cook till the rice is soft but not mushy. Flavor with Cardamom powder and Vanilla.
6. Serve Hot or Chilled!!

Notes:

1. Keep stirring.
2. Adjust the milk quantity according to thick or thin consistency you prefer.

Puran Poli

Ingredients :

For the Puran:

2 cups Channa Dal
1 1/2 cup Jaggery
A pinch of Haldi/Turmeric pwd
1 tsp Eliachi powder/Cardamom powder

For the Dough :
2 cups Wheat flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Haldi/Turmeric pwd
2 tbsp Warm Milk
Water to knead the dough
2 tbsp Ghee/Oil



Method:

1. Wash Channa Dal and pressure cook in enough water for 4-5 whistles or till soft.Strain all the excess water.

 2.Heat a non stick pan add dal, jaggery, haldi and mix well. Keep stirring till the mixture comes together & dries up. Lastly add eliachi powder.

3. Immediatley churn the mixture in a puran machine or a blender while hot. This helps to further smoothen the mixture.

4. For the Dough - mix well Wheat Flour, salt, haldi, Ghee/Oil and milk. Now gradually add water and knead. Dough should not be very soft. Keep covered for least half hour.

5. When the mixture is cool enough to handle make small balls of the dough and the puran. Roll out small discs like a chapati and stuff the puran.  Now roll it as thin as possible.

6. Roast on a heated non stick pan.

7. Very carefully turn the puran poli applying generous amount of ghee/oil.Cook till done on both sides

6.Serve hot with milk a spoonful of ghee!!

Khajur/Dates Bites

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Almonds Sliced
1/4 cup Cashews Chopped
1/4 cup Pistachios Chopped
1/4 cup Walnuts Chopped
1/4 cup Crasins
1/2 Kg Pitted Dates Chopped
1 tsp unsalted Butter or Ghee

Method :
Heat a non stick pan melt the butter and add dates. Keep mixing till the dates become soft and form in a ball. Finally add Almonds, Cashews, Pistachios, Walnuts, Crasins. Mix well. Let it cool. When the mixture is cool enough to handle put it on a greased foil. Form a cylinder shape.Cover it with foil and  refrigerate for 30 mins. Remove .Slice .Enjoy!!

Notes:

1. You can add one or more dry fruits or the ones you prefer.

Butter Cookies

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup plain flour
2 tbsp cornflour or custard powder
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp milk (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

 

Sieve the flour and the cornflour together into a bowl.
In another bowl mix in the butter and the sugar with a hand blender or a wire whisk or put in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and blend until smooth and creamy.
Put in the flour mixture and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and there are no lumps. Add a little milk only id the dough is stiff.
Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade/ 350F
Put the entire mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe into stars (rosettes) on a lightly greased baking tin or a tin lined with baking parchment. Alternatively make small balls, flatten lightly with your palms and bake.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cookies turn golden brown at the edges.

Notes :

1.You can use 1/2 tsp cardamom powder instead of Vanilla

Milk Pedha

Ingredients:

• Milk Powder : 2 cups
• Condensed milk : 14 oz ( 1 can)
• Butter : 1 stick (unsalted)
• Nuts : 1/4 cup (almonds, pistachios)
• cardamom :6 ( just grind the black seeds inside the cardamom )
• saffron : a pinch

Method of Preparation :

1. Microwave the butter stick in a wide bowl for a minute.
2. Now add the milk powder and condensed milk and mix them all gently. Just fold everything.
3. Now microwave the whole mixture for 4 minutes and every other minute take it out mix it gently and evenly.
4. Finally add the ground cardamom powder and saffron into it.
5. Let it cool until you can handle the mixture.
6. Take a wide plate and grease it.
7. Now make round balls out  of the mixture and flatten them to form pedhas and place it in the greased plate. Decorate them with your favorite nuts.

Eggless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

For the chocolate cake:

1 1/2 cups All purpose flour/Maida
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
2 Tsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Baking soda
1 tin/400gm Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Butter melted
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 cup Water

For the chocolate icing:

1 Cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter

Method:

1. Grease 9” round cake tin with parchment paper/butter paper. 
2. Preheat the oven at about 350 F.
3. In a mixing bowl, assemble the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda sieve once to ensure even mixing.
3. Add in the condensed milk, melted butter, vanilla essence and water. Beat with an electric hand mixer, whisk or spoon until the mixture is uniform and smooth and there are no lumps. Be careful not to over beat as this tends to stiffen the batter which might result into a harder textured cake. 
4. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for an hour or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. 
5.  Run the sides of the pan with a knife and place the cake on a cooling rack.
6. For the icing, melt the chocolate chips in a bowl over a pan of hot water (a double boiler). Mix in the butter and stir until the icing has the consistency of thick pouring cream. Pour over the cake allow to set and decorate!

 

Gajar Halwa

Ingredients:

1 kg grated Carrots
1 cup ghee
1 tbsp each raisins, almond, cashews
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 cup milk (evaporated milk or condensed milk would be great)
2 cups Sugar (adjust according to sweet taste)

Method:

1. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottom pan toast all dry fruit for a few sec in the ghee, drain and keep them aside.

2. Now add the grated carrots in the ghee. Saute the carrots for 7-10 mins.

3.  Now add milk and sugar and keep mixing it the milk dries up. Now add dry fruit,cardamom powder.Simmer it on low flame for 5- 10 mins.

Caramel Pudding

This is a "Melts in your Mouth" desert everyone will love. It has a layer of caramel coating which is obtained by caramelizing sugar and underneath is the creamy, delicate goodness of milk and eggs. It can be steamed or baked it in the oven. This creamy desert can be flavored with lemon or orange zest, cinnamon and even chocolate. And guess what..it just needs a few ingredients!

Ingredients :

3 eggs
3 cups Whole Milk
3 Tbsp granulated Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Sugar for caramel

Method :

1. In a mixer blend the eggs till they froth. Now add sugar, vanilla and milk and blend the mixture well atleast for 5 mins.

Pressure Cooker Method :

1. In a bowl/vessel(make sure it fits in a pressure cooker) put sugar(for caramel) and a few drops of water to form caramel stir continuously on high heat.
2. Once the sugar changes its color to dark brown, turn off the flame. Spread the caramel on the inside of the bowl by twisting and circulating making sure it covers the whole vessel. Let it cool completely.
3. Now pour the mixture in the bowl. In a pressure cooker add water(atleast 1 cup) and place the bowl/vessel in the pressure cooker. Put the lid on and cook for 4-5 whistles.
3. After the steam is released carefully remove the vessel. Let it cool down at room temperature.
4. Refrigerate for few hours then turn upside down in a serving plate and serve cold.

Baking Method:

1. Preheat it the oven at 350 deg.
2. In a bowl/vessel put sugar(for caramel) and a few drops of water to form caramel stir continuously on high heat.
3. Once the sugar changes its color to dark brown, turn off the flame. Spread the caramel on the inside of the ramekins(oven safe bowls) by twisting and circulating making sure it covers the base of ramekin. Let it cool completely.
4. Now pour the mixture(milk,eggs) in the ramekins.
5. Place the ramekins in a oven-safe dish with about 1-inch of water (water bath). Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of pudding comes out clean. Remove from oven, allow to cool and refrigerate to set.
6. To serve, turn the ramekin upside down on a serving plate.

Shankarpali

Ingredients :

2 cups Maida (all purpose flour)
1 tsp Salt
1 cup sugar (according to taste)
1 cup pure ghee/oil
1 cup milk
Oil/Ghee to deep fry

Method :

1) Take a vessel boil milk, ghee and sugar till the sugar melts.
2) Let this mixture cool.
3) Knead the maida with the above mixture and keep it covered with a wet kitchen cloth.
4) Roll the dough in a big chapati/circle of medium size(not too thin not too fat).
5) Cut with a knife in diamond shape.
6) You can deep fry lump sumps on low flame stirring continuously.