Apple Halwa

Vidhas of Appetizing Recipes has passed me this Award. Its really sweet of her to do so and I am highly oblidged, Vidhas thanks a lot!!!!!



On that happy note I am posting a sweet today!!!
This was that particular sweet dish which I have been waiting to try since a year now. We all like to munch on apples, so I hardly get them in fridge begging to be used. I tried this halwa with green apples. They are not that sweet but slightly sour to taste which my hubby loves and me and my daughter a complete no-no. There were just 3 remaining and I had try this before my hubby would finish it off. By the way this recipe is from Shilpa who needs no introduction to this blogging world. For the step by step neat pictures refer here.

Ingredients:
grated green apples - 3, approx 2 cups
sugar/sugar free - ¾ cup
ghee - 1 tsp
Almonds - 8
cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Method:
Wash and peel apples. Grate them fine.
Crush almonds with rolling pin.
Heat ghee in a non stick pan, add grated apples and fry till rawness disappears and the mixture is dry.
Now add sugar to the cooked mixture and keep stirring till it leaves the sides of the pan.
Meanwhile add crushed almonds and stir.
Grease a dash of ghee onto the plate and keep ready. Once the mixture comes out dry leaving the sides of the pan put off the flame, add cardamom powder and mix gently. Transfer it to the greased plate and spread evenly with a spatula till the top is smooth and shiny.


Let cool for around 10 minutes and cut into desired shapes and let cool completely.

As I used green apples this halwa was sweet and tangy. I am planning to cook it next time until just done ( not too dry) and use as an accompaniment with chapathis like jam for my daughter.

This Halwa is for the following Events:
Recipes for the rest of us - Dessert hosted by Varsha and started by Ramki of One Page Cookbooks &
Diabetic Friendly Sweets hosted by Mythreyee

Rava Laddoo

We all have a sweet tooth hence come sweets or chocolates its finished within seconds( hence I don't buy as there is no control over it). But when somebody gifts you with sweets both my hubby and daughter are thrilled and happy to recieve it. Last weekend a friend of mine 'A' had come over with her parents (parents are on visit) for dinner at our place. Her mother had made this laddoo and brought it for us. We ate it all enjoying it till the last bite. Somehow when I saw only 5 laddoos remaining I had to quickly click a shot to send this for the Event " Who's Gona Cook for me". I got the recipe from A's Mom the very next day as the event was meeting its deadline.



Ingredients:
semolina/rava - 1 cup
fresh/frozen grated coconut - ¾ cup
sugar - ¾ cup
ghee - 1 tbsp
water - for syrup ( slightly more than the sugar level)
spice powder- recipe follows
raisins - as per the number of laddoos

Spice Powder
Cinnamon - 2"
clove - 6
cardamom seeds - 2 tsp

Dry roast these spices and blend to a fine powder. This spice powder can be stored in an air tight container.

Method:
In a wide bowl take rava and grated coconut. Mix well and leave aside for an hour or so.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and fry rava-coconut mixture on a low flame till nice aroma infuses your kitchen.
Now in another pan take sugar and water. Get it to a boil and cook to one-thread consistency. This will take approximately 10 minutes or so. Put off the flame.
Add rava-coconut mixture and spice powder. Let aside to cool completely.
Roll out into laddoos piercing with one raisin per laddoo.

Note: If the sugar-rava-coconut mixture hardens sprinkle milk and roll out laddoos.

Rava Laddoo is on its way to the Event " Who's Gona Cook for me" hosted by PJ at Seduce your Tastebuds

Vermicilli and Sabodana kheer

Lost in the process of posting recipes...I didn't even realise that I had crossed 50 posts..Only today when I saw my 55th post...I did!!! Hence on this Happy Occasion I thought nothing better than kheer to sweeten your tastebuds. This kheer is my hubby's and kiddos all time favourite. My daugher just adores these white pearls with vermicilli.

Ingredients:
vermicilli- 1 cup
sabudana - ¼ cup
sugar - 1 cup
milk - 2½ cup
water - 1 cup

cashew and raisins for garnish
cardamom powder- 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:
Soak sabudana in 1 cup of water for half an hour. Cook till the sabudana turns into transparent
pearl- like.
Get the milk to a boil in a milk pot.
Heat ghee in a kadai, fry cashews and raisins and keep aside.
In the same ghee add vermicilli. Fry on low flame till light brown. Now pour hot milk into the kadai and cook vermicilli. When they turn soft add cooked sabudana and get to a boil.
Now add sugar and cook further till the sugar melts down. Sprinkle cardamom powder and turn off the flame. Let rest for a while and have it warm or cold as you like.

Note: The consistency of the kheer should be thinner since the kheer thickens as it cools.
Adjust the sweetness according to your taste.

This Kheer is for the Event Recipes for the rest of us -DESSERT and One Page Cookbooks

Oats Halwa

During pregnancy, each one goes through several kinds of cravings like sweet, salty, spicy or fatty preferences. End up result will be the bulge which we gain in 9 months. Eating sensibly a healthy balances diet will not only help during delivery but also during post delivery to loose the sensibly gained weight.


Crunchy,nutty, highly nutritous with high fibre content makes oats a breakfast favourite. But during pregnancy that might not be your favourite. But eating them is also important because:
-Oats are high in carbohydrates for sustained energy which will make you feel full for a longer time.
-Oats contains high water soluble and dietary fibre, which aids in controlling weight gain.
-Oats provide zinc, which is needed for growth, reproduction and good vision.
-Oats also provide magnesium, iron, the antioxidant Vitamin E and the vitamins niacin and thiamine.

Now don't you feel that oats plays a major role in pregnancy. Those craving for sweet nothings can make this in minutes and fullfill your cravings. My mom used to make badam-kaju burfi using powdered badam and kaju with milk and sugar...so i tried the same with oats. It is a real treat to the sweet tooth.

Ingredients:
Quick cooking white Oats - 1 cup
ghee - 1 tbsp+ greasing
milk - 1 cup
sugar - ¼ cup

Coarsely powder oats in a blender. Heat a tbsp of ghee in a wide pan, add coarsely powdered oats and roast till llight brown and aromatic. Now add milk and then sugar and keep mixing till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Grease a thali lightly with ghee and then spread this mixture evenly. let cool.
Cut into desired shape once cooled and enjoy them!!!

This dish, Palak Pulao and Palak Chutney is my entry to the Event
Eat healthy - During Pregnancy hosted by Sangeeth at Art of cooking Indian food.

Sweet Kichidi

This is a traditional dessert of konkani cuisine. Combination of chana daal and broken wheat gives a chewy texture to the dessert. This is a healthy dessert which is less oily, garnished with chopped bananas and dry fruits.

Ingredients:
broken wheat - 1 cup
chana daal - 1 cup
sugar - 1 - 11/2 cup
coconut - 1 cup grated
cardamom - 2 pods
ghee - 1 tbsp
cashews - 1 handfull
raisins - 1 handfull
dates - 1 handfull (optional)
Water - 7 cups

Method:
Dry roast broken wheat and chana daal separately in a pan for around 5 minutes stirring around in between( do not over roast chana daal since it doesn't get cooked ). Set aside to cool.
Wash chana daal and broken wheat 2 times. Add 5 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles and simmer for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare for sugar syrup by mixing sugar and remaining 2 cups of water and get to a boil. Simmer for around 5 minutes. Now add grated coconut and mix well. Add cooked chana daal and broken wheat mix well and get to a boil. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Put off the flame.
Break cashews into small pieces. Wash raisins and wipe them dry. chop dates as well ( I did not add dates!!! )
In a small pan heat ghee add cashews and fry till light brown now add raisins and fry till they plump up. Pour this seasoning over the Kichidi. Serve it warm or cold garnished with chopped bananas.

Banana Halwa

This is a treat for sure for a sweet tooth. The moment I buy these big bananas called nendre bale kalen in konkani both my hubby and daughter expect halwa, at times I simply steam them and serve as an evening snack. They like it either way but halwa as anyone can imagine is a oily stuff!!!

I always avoided them but my Mother-in-law made it at home using home-made ghee, it filled the house with a good aroma. The inspiration to make this halwa came from my mil. I was hesitant while using the ghee and ended up adding 4 tsp of ghee for 4 bananas...yea believe me...thats more than enough. I am sure u will relish this sweet here after.

Ingredients:
Big bananas(nendrabale) - 4
sugar - 1 cup
ghee - 4 tsp
cardamom - 1 pod

Method:
Peel the bananas and chop to bite size pieces. Blend these chopped bananas in a blender to a smooth paste. transfer this paste into a wide bottomed non stick kadai ( the secret behind the 4 tsp ghee). Add sugar and keep the flame on medium and keep stirring the banana mixture till it leaves the sides of the pan. This will take around 20 - 30 minutes. Meanwhile peel the cardamom and crush the seeds to a fine powder and add to the banana mixture. Grease a plate with ghee and keep ready.
To test the doneness of this halwa take a bite size mix onto to the plate and check if the halwa sticks to your hand if it doesn't then the halwa is done. You can always experiment with this halwa either it will be soft if its undercooked or hard like candy if overcooked. You will enjoy it anyways!!!!

Now spread the halwa onto the plate and tap it down with the help of a spatula till its smooth and shiny. let them cool. Cut into the desired shape and store in an air tight container.

sheera ( sooji ka halwa)

This dessert is simply delicious and can be done in no time. You just need a reason to make this dish call it festival or vrath or sweet yearnings or simply time pass. This dish goes well with pooris and good as an evening snack.

Ingredients:
semolina - 1 cup
sugar - 3/4 cup
water - 2 - 2 1/2 cups
yellow colour - 1/2 tsp
ghee - 2 tbsp
cardamom powder - 1tsp
cashews and raisins toasted in ghee for garnishing

Heat ghee in a wide bottom pan add semolina and roast on low flame till nice aroma fills the kitchen. keep stirring to avoid burning.
Meanwhile heat water to a boil. If you are opting for a burfi type sheera then 2 cups of water is enough. If u prefer halwa type then add 2 1/2 cups of water.
Mix yellow colour to the water and add the boiling water to the roasted semolina and mix well till the semolina is cooked well. now add sugar and mix further. sugar melts and makes the halwa watery. keep stirring well at this point. Add cardamom powder, cover and cook for another minute and put off the flame.
Spread over a greased thali and cut into burfis or just serve as it is like halwa garnish with toasted cashews and raisins.
If u see the picture i have not used the garnishing since both my hubby and sakshi hate cashews and raisins in desserts nor biriyanis;(