Mango Payasa | Kheer |

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The simplest payasa is shavige or vermicelli payasa. Now that the the king of fruits Mango is here, I gave it a twist and made mango payasa. Since the beginning of mango season I have been trying different recipes. My all time favorite mango menaskayi, lassi, aamras and so on. The last one before the season ends is this delicious Mango Payasa/kheer. Did I say it's so easy to make and tastes divine! If you can still get hold of some ripe mangoes do try this recipe and enjoy!

Ingredients:

Sweet Mango puree: 1 cup

Milk: 1 ltr

Sugar: 1/4 cup

Vermicelli: 1 cup

Ghee: 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp

For garnish: 

Mango pieces: 3-4 tbsp 

Slivered almonds and pistachio: 2-3 tbsp

Saffron strands: 2 pinches

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a non stick pan and roast the vermicelli/shavige until golden brown.

2. Pour milk and boil it for 10 mins.

3. Add sugar and cardamom powder and  continue to boil for another 5 mins. Turn off and cool it completely.

4. Add mango puree and mix well. Chill it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

5. Garnish with some mango pieces, slivered almond, pistachio and saffron strands and serve chilled payasa/kheer. 

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Chocolate Cake - A sweet indulgence

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Chocolates!!! Who doesn't like them? I am learning baking and look for a reason to bake a cake. Well it doesn't need any reason to indulge in chocolates :P

Today is R's bday. She is my domestic helper and lives with us. Every working mother knows the importance of helpers in their lives. Juggling between work baby n home is quite difficult without them. She makes my life a lot easier. Thank you R and a very happy bday.

I am no expert in baking but Here is a cake that I tried to bake for her bday :-) It was delicious!

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour: 1.5 cup
Cocoa powder : 1/3 cup
Baking Powder: 1 tsp
Eggs: 4
Sugar: 1 Cup
Butter: 225 gms
vanilla essence: 1 tsp
Instant coffee: 1 tbsp 

Method:

1. Take a bowl and sift all purpose flour, cocoa powder and baking powder through a sieve.

2. Mix the sifted flour and keep aside.

3. Take coffee powder in a small bowl and add a little water. Microwave it for 30 seconds and let it cool.

4. Take a bigger bowl and add butter and sugar. Mix it with an wooden spatula and beat with an electric beater until its creamy. Please ensure that the butter is at room temperature.

5. Now add vanilla essence and eggs. Add eggs one by one beating after each egg so that the mixture doesn't curdle. Mix and beat at the same speed until the mixture is creamy and even. 

6. Now add the flour mixture and mix using cut and fold method. Do not overmix the batter. 

7. Mix in coffee gently and the batter is ready to bake.

8. Grease a cake tin with butter and dust it with flour and remove any excess flour.

9. Pour the cake batter in the tin and spread it evenly with the rubber spatula.

10. Give a good tap to the tin so that all the air escapes.

11. Put it in the preheated oven at 180°C for 30-35 mins. 

12. Use a tooth pick to check if the cake is done. If the toothpick comes out clean the cake should be ready. 

13. Let the cake cool down completely before you unmold it.

14. If the top is bulgy, cut the surface to make it even. You can put the cake upside down to get smoother surface for icing.

15. I made a simple ganache icing with heavy whipping cream and melted chocolate. Take equal portion of cream and melted chocolate and beat it. Refrigerate it for an hour and then it can be used as a frost.

16. Spread the ganache on the cake evenly and decorate with color balls.

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Apple Payasa or Apple Kheer Recipe

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Apples! Nobody likes to eat them at home..so anytime I buy apples I end up making some dish out of it. Apple Halwa, Chutney, Milkshake, Apple pie etc and this time I turned them into delicious payasa or kheer which everyone at home loved and devoured including my little one :-) 

It's important to cook the apples before adding any milk as it may curdle the milk if it's undercooked. Here is the recipe to make this simple, delicious dessert. 

Ingredients:

Red apple : 3

Milk: 1 liter

Sugar : 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder : 1/2 tsp

Pista : 1 tbsp

Badam : 8-10

Method:

1. Bring milk to boil in a thick bottomed pan and simmer it. Keep stirring in between and let it condense and reduce to half.

2. Grate apples with the peel on and sauté them in another pan until all the water is evaporated and the color of the apples is changed. 

3. Mix in sugar and keep sautéing. Sugar will melt and the mixture will turn a bit watery. Let it cook until Apple and sugar are well cooked.

4. Add 1/4th of the milk to Apple mixture and boil it for 2-3 minutes.Let the remaining milk to boil and condense further.

5. Add some more milk, blanched badam slices, pista, cardamom powder and boil for 2 more minutes.

6. Finally finish it by adding all the remaining milk and bring to boil and turn off the flame.

7. Let it come to room temperature and then chill it in refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving.

Notes:

1. Ensure to cook the apples thoroughly before adding milk into it to avoid curdling of milk.

2. Use whole milk or full cream milk to get a better taste.

3. Adjust the amount of sugar as per your taste and sweetness of apples

4. If you do not like the Apple peel, you can remove the skin and grate it.

5. To slice the almonds soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, remove the skin and slice them.

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Pineapple Kesaribath /pineapple sooji halwa

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Kesaribath is a sweet dish made with semolina and saffron. It's also known as sheera or sooji halwa in different parts of India. 

Pineapple Kesaribath is made using pineapple chunks or puréed pineapple. I have used pineapple chunks, you can use purée if you don't like the fruit chunks in Kesaribath.

Ingredients:

Semolina/Rava/sooji : 1 cup

Sugar : 1 cup

Clarified butter: 3/4 cup

Pineapple : 1 cup

Cashews: 10-15

Raisins :15-20

Saffron:1 tsp

Water: 2 cups

Method:

1. Cut pineapple into small pieces and keep aside.

2. Heat ghee in a pan and add semolina and mix well.

3. Add saffron and fry semolina in ghee for 2 mins.

4. Add pineapple pieces and mix well and sauté for a min.

5. Next add in 2 cups of hot water on very low flame, cover with lid and let it cook for 3-4 mins. All the water will be absorbed and the mixture will look dry at this point.

6. Mix in sugar and fold properly. After adding sugar the mixture will become a bit liquidy again. Keep mixing it until you get halwa consistency and turn off.

7. Fry cashew and raisins in ghee and mix in the halwa and serve hot.

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Almond - banana dessert : Badami-Balehannina payasa

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A high fat food that's good for your health? That's not an oxymoron, it's almonds. Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fat, linked to lower risks of heart disease and controlling cholesterol levels.

Here is a quick sweet recipe with goodness of almonds and richness of banana. That's almond banana dessert/ payasa/kheer.

Ingredients:

Ripe banana: chopped 1/2 cup

Milk: 500 ml

Almonds: 15-20

Sugar: 1/4 cup

Cashew: 10-12

Raisins: 2 tsp

Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp

Saffron: few strands

Clarified butter/ Ghee: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak almonds in water for 30 mins, remove the skin and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside until needed.

2. Bring milk to boil in a thick bottomed pan and boil until it reduces to 3/4 and becomes thick.

3. Add chopped banana, sugar, cardamom powder and cook until sugar has melted and milk has started to thicken.

4. Reduce the flame and add almond paste and stir well.

5. Boil for 5 more minutes and turn off the stove.

6. Heat ghee in a small pan and fry cashews and raisins and add to payasa.

7. Keep it in the fridge for atleast one hour, garnish with few saffron strands and serve chilled.

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Caramel Custard

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Caramel custard also known as Creme caramel or flan or caramel pudding is a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top. It's easy to make it and loved by all. 

                     

Ingredients:

1. Milk: 300 ml
2. Cream : 200 ml 
3. Sugar: 80 gms plus 4 spoons for caramel
4. Eggs: 4
5. Vanilla essence: 1 spoon

Method:

Caramelizing the sugar 

Take 4 spoon sugar in a pan and add a little water and heat it on low flame until sugar melts and turns golden brown. Pour the caramelized sugar in the mold and keep it aside.

 Custard base

• Beat eggs in a bowl with sugar and vanilla essence then add milk and whisk so that the mixture is even.
• Pour the mixture into the mold that's kept aside and bake it in the preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 20-25 minutes.
• Check for doneness by shaking the mold lightly, if you see a puddle under the top layer bake it for a little longer.
• Bring to room temperature and unmold (put a plate on top of the tray and flip it carefully to unmold)
• Refrigerate for 4-5 hours and serve chilled.

 Caramelized Sugar

 Ready to bake: caramel mold in waterbed in the oven

 Out of the oven, bringing to room temperature

                                      Ready to Devour :-)) 

  Notes:

1. You can skip the cream and make it with 500 ml milk, adding cream makes it thicker and creamier. 
2. Adjust sugar according to your taste.
3. It can also be cooked in a double boiler on the stove top ( take a bigger pot and heat water and keep the caramel tray inside the bigger pot, do not boil the water, cook on low flame)

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