Sweet Appam- 250th Post

Appam is a known dish in Tamilnadu. There are different versions of appam and this is very simple version which we make during festivals like Krishna Jayanthi and Kaarthikai.

Ingredients
Wheat flour                          1/2 cup

Maida -                               1/2 cup
Rice flour –                         2tbsp

Jaggery –                            ½ cup

Cardamom powder n-           1/2 tsp.

Baking soda                       – a pinch

Water -
Oil                                     for frying

 Method:

• Add a little water to jaggery and soak for 15 minutes.  Dissolve well and filter it to get rid off any dirt.
• In a bowl , add the flour and powdered cardamom and add the jaggery liquid to it and mix well till you get a consistency of a thick dosa batter or idly batter(Make sure it is not so free flowing. When you drop it from the ladle it should fall slowly). Keep for 30 minutes.
• Heat a oil in a deep frying pan, (Keep a slow fire.)
• When oil hot is enough, take the dough in a small ladle and drop it into the oil.
• Cook one side and then turn the other side.
• Let it fry till it becomes golden brown. Drain it on the paper towel.
• You can make 3 to 4 appam at a time depending on the size of your pan.
•  Repeat the procedure with the rest of the batter and serve hot or warm.

Strawberry and Honey Pudding

On a warm summer’s day what could be more refreshing than a luscious fruit dessert making the most of fresh seasonal produce, and yet still remaining deliciously low in fat?.

A quick and easy pudding made from fresh strawberries topped with Greek yogurt, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with almonds.

Ingredients:

 Fresh strawberries                        - 8 no

Low fat Greek yogurt                      - 1- cup

Honey                                              2 tbsp

Agave syrup                                   - 2 tbsp

Chopped, unsalted almonds            – 2 tsp.

 For strawberry cream:
Fat free cream cheese                   - 2 tbsp
Strawberry syrup                          - 2tbsp
Fat free Cream                              - 4 tbsp

Method:

• Wash and chop the strawberries and place in the bottom of glass   mug or individual dessert bowls.
•  For strawberry cream. Beat the cream cheese, cream, strawberry syrup with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.. 
• Stir well the Greek yogurt.
•   Put the chopped strawberries bottom of the glass, then layer the strawberry cream. Put the Greek yogurt in the Top each glass or bowl of strawberries.
• Drizzle the honey and agave syrup over each dessert and sprinkle with the almond nuts.
• Cover the glass with aluminum foil.  Chill until ready to serve.

Microwave Thirattipal

Normally thirattipal is made out of fresh milk and sugar or Jaggery. The milk is allowed to boil till it thickens and curdles. The milk has to be mixed continuously. This is quite a time consuming process.

Try out this simpler recipe which is made in a microwave in just 6 to 8  minutes, and which gives the same taste. 

Ingredients:

Condensed milk: 1 can (14oz)

Curd/Yoghurt: 2 tablespoon

Milk: 2 tablespoon

Ghee: 2 tsp
 Freshly crushed Elachi Powder - 1/2 tsp

Method: 

• Mix condensed milk, curd and milk, ghee and ealchi powder in a large Pyrex bowl .
• Microwave for 2 minutes. Take it out and stir it once and again heat it for 3 more minutes.
• The expected consistency is that the ghee starts to come out and the thirattipal obtains a pink color. Allow to cool. Thirattipal is ready to serve. 

I am  " Sending to Dish it out – Sugar and Butter and Vardhini’s page"

Rasgulla

Rasgulla (Oriya: ରସଗୋଲା rasagola ; Sanskrit:रसगोलकम्) rasagolakam  ; Bengali: রসগোল্লা rôshogolla; Hindi: रसगुल्ला Rasgulla) is a very popular cheese based, syrupy sweet dish originally from the Indian state of Orissa
 It is popular throughout India and other parts of South Asia The dish is made from balls of chhena (an Indian cottage cheese) and semolina dough, cooked in sugar syrup..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasgulla The given recipe is a basic guide to make Rasgulla from scratch.

 Ingredients

Whole Milk                        4 cups

Lemon juice                       3 tbsps.

Water                               3 cups

Sugar -                             1 1/2cup

Cardamom powder              a pinch

Rose Water                        1tsp

Method:

• Heat the milk in heavy bottom vessel.  When it comes to boil, turn off the heat.
• Add lemon juice into it. Stir until milk separates completely and separates into curds.
• On straining this milk, the curd that is obtained is called "Chenna". Wash Chenna well under cold running water and twist the cloth that was used for straining to extract water.
• Knead Chenna to make smooth dough. Make small balls of equal size (6-7) of the dough and keep aside.
• While you are kneading the Chenna, prepare the sugar syrup.

• Place a pressure cooker on the stove and add water and sugar and allow the sugar to dissolve.
• Add Chenna balls to the syrup and cook for 15 minutes with lid partially covered. Turn off heat.
• Once the pressure is off, remove the lid. The balls will double in size and become light and springy on touch.
•  If you feel that the balls are not cooked yet, place lid and cook for another 5 mts.
• Remove from the heat. Cool it. On cooling, add rose essence.
• Serve it in room temperature or colder.

Badam Burfi/ Almond Burfi

Sweets are very important  part of any Indian festival and function.  .Baadam or Almond Burfi is a sweet dish and you can munch it any time of the day.

Ingredients:

Whole almonds                      3 cups

Sugar                                    4 cups

Water                                    1 cup

cardamom Powder                 1 tbsp

 Ghee                                    3 tbsp

Method:

• Soak Badam in hot water for five hours. Peel the skin. Clean the Badam in a paper towel.   Grind it to fine meal.

Almond Meal

•  Take sugar in a pan, add water and place over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves completely.
• Let it cook till one string consistency.(Take a water in a small  bowl, add a drop of sugar syrup in it . When the syrup holds it shape and does not dissolve in the water).
• Now add the Badam meal and cardamom powder.  Lower the stove heat.
• Keep stirring until it leaves the sides of the pan add the ghee and switch off the stove.
• Immediately pour the mixture on a flat, ghee applied tray. Level it evenly with a spatula, and cut into squares. Let cool.

 Separate the squares and store them in an airtight container.

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Gulab Jamun with Khoya - 150th Post

Gulab jamun originates from an Arabic dessert, Luqmat Al-Qadi (Arabic for "the judge's bite"), that became popular in the Indian Subcontinent during the Mughal era. Gulab jamun is a dessert often eaten at festivals or major celebrations such as marriages, Diwali, parties, etc..  Ready made mixes and finished products are readily available in supermarkets. But I prefer to make it from scratch. Additional effort is worth. 

Ingredients:

Khoya                         1 cup (grated)

Maida                         1/4 cup

Milk powder                 ¼ cup

Cooking soda             •¼ tsp.

 Milk                        – 1 tbsp.

Ghee (clarified butter) for deep frying the Jamuns

Saffron                        a few

Sugar                         2 cups

Water                        2 cups

Cardamom powder       -¼ tsp.

Rose water – ½ tsp. (OR) Rose essence – 2 drops

Instructions:

 Jamun Preparation:

• Crumble the Khoya. Sieve in the flour, milk powder and soda together.
• Mix well to form soft dough. Use as much milk as required for kneading. Keep aside for half an hour. Knead it again.
• Make even size small cylinder shapes. Make about 25-30 pieces.
• Heat ghee on a medium flame. Slip the Jamun one by one into the ghee. The flame has to be sufficiently low so that the Gulab Jamun get cooked well inside
•  Lower the stove heat, and deep fry those balls till golden brown .And keep aside the fried Jamun.

To make  sugar Syrup;

• In a heavy saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil, then let it thicken by cooking over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add the rose water,cardamon powder, crushed saffron and keep the syrup warm at a low simmer
• The syrup should be warm not hot.
• Transfer this hot syrup into a serving dish.

 Gulab jamun:

Drop all the fried Jamuns in the warm syrup and let it soak for at least 1 -2 hours .

Tips:

• If you have refrigerated them, warm them up in a microwave for few seconds before serving. Or serve it directly from the refrigerator for those who like it that way.

Mishti Doi

The Bengalis are famous for their sweet preparations. Mishti Doi is one of the most popular Bengali recipes. Mishti Doi is their most well-known desserts. Mishti Doi tastes great but is amazingly simple to make. Made of full  cream milk and sugar, it is a delight for those who are born with a sweet tooth.

Ingredients;

Whole Milk                             1 Lt

Sugar                                   200 gms

Yogurt                                1 tbsp

Method:

• Pour the milk into a slow cooker.
• As it starts boiling add a half of sugar and let it boil till the volume is reduced to little less than half.
• See that the milk is reduced to almost 40% and becomes thick and light brown in color.
• Gradually add this sugar mixture to the boiled milk and boil again for 15 minutes.
• Take it off the flame and beat constantly and let it becomes lukewarm.
• Transfer the mixture into the earthen pot.
• Mix the Yogurt into the mixture after 5 min.
• Keep the pot in a cool dry place, and let the yogurt set over night.
• Uncover and store in a refrigerator.
• Serve Chilled doi as a dessert.

Rava Kesari

India is a land of sweets.  Every good news is celebrated with sweets. One of the famous and most commonly made Indian sweet is Sheera or ravakesari.  Rava Kesari is a tasty low calorie Indian recipe. This can be made with simple ingredients available in most homes. This recipe seems to be easy, but it requires lot of practice and patience to bring in the right texture.

Ingredients:

Rava (semolina)                           1 cup

Water                                           2- 3 cups

Sugar                                          1 3/4 cups

Almonds, Cashew nuts and raisins -3 tbsp (fried in ghee)

Orange edible food color             - a pinch

Kasseri color                                ¼ tsp

Ghee                                            1/2 cup

Cardamom                                   4 to 5(well crushed)

Method:

• Roast the Rava for two minutes with a tablespoon of ghee.
• Boil the water and add orange & Kesari color powder.
• Add  the boil water to Rava slowly. Stir continuously while adding Rava to avoid lumps.
• Cook Rava for 2 minutes then add the sugar slowly, just the way you added the rava, so it blends in well. Cook for a minute and then add ghee. Cook for 5 minutes till the ghee comes out of the rava.
• Again add the remaining ghee, heat a little, add cardamom, cashews, raisins fry till nice golden brown and add to the rava. Keep stirring once again till the Kesari thickens
• Pour the ghee generously, and stir well. Don’t let it stick to the bottom.
• The ghee starts oozing out on the sides. That’s the perfect time to turn off the flame.
• Tasty rava Kesari is ready. 

For Fat (and hence tasty) version:

• Add lot of dry fruits.
•  you can add whole milk with water (50% water, 50% milk)
• Use  ghee generously.
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Kerala Banana Fritters ( Pazham Pori )

 Pazham pori /Plantain fritters is made out of a special variety of plantain called "Nendrapazham" which is highly nutritious and  good source of  potassium and vitamins A & C. Ethakappam has been the popular and the favorite snack of keralites. The plantain slices dipped in sweetened flour and then deep fried in oil.This snack is common street item in Kerala and one of the fastest and hot selling snacks in trains.This snack is often fried in most of the homes and relished by all along with a cup of steaming tea or coffee. It's also a very tasty, fast and easy to make. 

Ingredients

Ripe Nendran bananas                          -2 (peeled)

Water                                                – ½ cup

Maida (all-purpose flour)                      – 3/4cup

Rice Flour                                            – ¼ cup

Sugar                                                  – 2tbsp

Cardamom powder                                – ½ tsp

Yellow color                                         – 1 drop

bicarbonate of soda                               A pinch of   

 Refined vegetable oil                           – for Deep fry

Method

•  Cut each banana into 3 pieces, lengthwise.
• Make a thick batter with both the flours and ½ cup water. Add sugar, yellow color and bicarbonate of soda.
•  Dip the banana slices in the batter and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.
•  Drain off the excess oil and serve hot. 

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

Big Carrots                          4 – 6 nos

Half and Half milk–               ½ liter (Very thick milk)

Sugar -                               2 cups

Ghee –                                5 tbsp

Nuts –                                  ½ cup

Green cardamom powder      – ½ tsp

Saffron -                             2 pinches

Orange color -                       2 drops

Method:

• Wash,. peel and grate the carrots.
• Sauté grated carrots in ghee for 5 minutes.
• Add half and half milk, saffron, cardamom powder and cook it in the pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
• Take out the carrot from pressure cooker and smash it well.If required add milk to control consistency.
• Cook it in the medium flame.
• Cook until the milk evaporates and carrots are cooked. Add sugar, color and cook for two to three minutes or till sugar melts and mixes well. Stir continuously. Garnish with nuts.
• If you want to serve hot, sprinkle 1 tsp of ghee over it. And if you want to serve cold serve with one scoop of vanilla ice-cream.