Besan Ladoo | Gram Flour Ladoos

0

Besan Ladoo is probably one of the most popular sweet dishes in India. Everyone in my family loves it so I end up making it for most of the festivals. It's very easy to make perfect besan ladoos if we take care of two things -roasting the flour well and adding the right quantity of ghee. 

Adding more ghee makes the ladoos very soft and it doesn't hold well and if its less the mixture will be dry and you wont be able to make ladoos. 


This box of sweet was for a dear friend who asked me to make it for her party. I love it when friends trust my recipes and ask me to make something for them.

  
Here is the easy recipe that I follow. Do make it for your family this festive season.


 Ingredients:
2 Cups Besan (Gram Flour)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter) 
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

For garnishing: 
2 tbsp pista powder.

Method:
1. Heat ghee in a thick wok and add besan and roast it on low flame until you get a nutty flavor - takes about 12 minutes. Keep mixing the besan continuously as it gets burnt very easily. Turn off the flame and continue to mix for about a minute. 

2. Now mix in powdered sugar, cardamom powder and mix well. Let it cool down for 15 minutes. 

3. Rub this mixture between your palm to get a crumble texture. 

4. Take a small portion and make round ladoos. Roll onto powdered pista and store in an airtight container.

Notes:
1. Make sure to roast the flour on low flame while mixing continuously. Its an important step as under roasting can give the ladoos a bitter taste. 

2. If the mixture feels dry, add a little ghee before making ladoos.

3. For garnishing you can use almond slivers, raisins, pista powder or any dry fruit of your choice.

Read More »

Shenga Unde | Peanut-Jaggery Laddu

0

Peanut Laddus are one of my childhood favorites, the ingredients that goes in are almost the same as peanut chikki that we all must have relished as kids. There is another reason why I love it, Jaggery and Peanut have very high nutritive value, it helps in treating iron deficiency anemia, jaggery is known to increase the hemoglobin count in the blood. Since I keep fighting anemia, all these home made goodies with natural health boosters help me recuperate the iron level in my body. Now it's my 3 year old's fav too so it makes more sense to make these batches of laddus regularly, I feel very happy when she asks for the home made sweets than those highly sugar coated chocolates. 


 

I casually posted an old pic of this laddu on my instagram account last week and the amount of love that I received is so overwhelming and I am really humbled by the generosity and support. So I made these laddus again and managed to click some decent pics to upload the recipe here. This is for all those followers who messaged and commented to ask for the recipe. Thank you all :-)




I have always spoken about how good a cook my mother is, she always has these perfect measurements, I follow her recipe to the T and the result never fails me. Here is the recipe to make shenga/peanut laddu. This makes about 25 medium sized laddus.  You can store it for upto 2 weeks in an air tight jar but who am I kidding, we finish it within 2-3 days :-) It's relatively an easy recipe, once you get the jaggery syrup right the laddus come out perfect. (check notes for tips on jaggery syrup)

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Peanut

1/2 kg powdered Jaggery

1 cup desiccated Coconut

1 tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Cardamom powder

1/2 cup water


Method:

1. Dry roast the peanut on low flame, peel the skin and pulse it to a coarse mixture.


2. Heat ghee in a pan and roast the desiccated coconut until they turn brown.


3. Add water and powdered jaggery in a thick bottomed pan, Cook on medium flame until the jaggery dissolves completely and starts to boil. Lower the flame and check for 1 thread consistency jaggery syrup. (See notes for tips).


4. Once the jaggery syrup reaches the right consistency, turn off the flame and add in peanut mixture, cardamom powder and the roasted coconut. Mix everything well and let it sit for 5 minutes.


5. Apply water on your palm and make equal sized balls. Be careful while handling the mixture as it can be very hot and scald your palm.


6. Store in an airtight jar up to two weeks at room temperature.



 Notes:

1. Do not leave the syrup to boil without checking as it can get done fairly quickly. Keep checking for the consistency once it starts boiling. 

2. Take a little water in a plate and put a drop of syrup, it should let you make a soft ball of it, if it dissolves in the water, continue to boil it check frequently. At this stage the syrup becomes thicker faster so keep an eye on it. 

3. The other way to check is to dip a wooden spatula in the syrup and blow it cool a bit and touch it with forefinger and pull it apart slowly between thumb and forefinger, a single thread is formed that doesn't break. 

4. You can make fine powder of peanut if you do not like the peanut chunks in it.

Read More »

Hesarubele panchakajjaya / Split green gram panchakajjaya

0

Panchakajjaya is a sweet dish popular from coastal Karnataka made mostly during Ganesha Festival as offering (Naivedya). There are five main ingredients in this, green gram, jaggery, coconut, Ghee and Cashews.  It's believed that panchakajjaya is Lord Ganesha's favorite food. Here is my mother's recipe that I follow.

Ingredients:

Hesaru bele / Split green gram: 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut: 1/2 cup
Jaggery: 1/4 cup
Cashew: 10
Clarified Butter/Ghee: 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder: 1 pinch

Method:

1. Dry Roast green gram in a pan until they are golden in color and keep aside.

2. Heat ghee in the same pan and fry cashews and transfer into a plate and keep aside.

3. In the same pan mix freshly grated coconut, jaggery and cardamom and cook for 2-3 mins. Jaggery will melt and combine with coconut.

4. To this mixture add roasted green gram and cashews and mix.

5. Alternatively you can grind the roasted green gram into a coarse powder and mix with coconut and jaggery.

5. Serve as an offering to lord Ganesha.

Read More »

Mango Payasa | Kheer |

0

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. 

Read More »

Gargi | Red pumpkin sweet

0

Gargi is a sweet dish from North Karnataka. It looks very similar to Athras/kajjaya but it's softer in texture and made of pumpkin. I have gulped down many of these in my friends' place during school days. It was never made at our house for whatever reason and I had almost forgotten about it.

The other day I brought a red pumpkin and I was thinking of recipes. While on the phone with my doc sis she reminded me of Gargi and also told me a recipe from her patient. I finished the call with a promise to make this for her when we meet next time :)) Surprisingly My little one who doesn't like the taste of pumpkin polished off 3 of them at one go. So I made it couple of times again and it was a quick hit. Here you go with the recipe.

Ingredients:
Grated Pumpkin : 1 cup
Jaggery: 1/2 cup
Wheat Flour: 2-3 tbsp
Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp
A pinch of salt
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Oil: To deep fry

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan and add grated pumpkin and salt, saute for 5 minutes or until the pumpkin becomes soft.

2. Add in jaggery and cardamom powder and saute on low flame for about 2-3 minutes. Now the pumpkin mixture will become a bit gooey.

3. Turn off the flame and add wheat flour, adjust the quantity of flour depending on the moisture in the pumpkin. Make a soft dough.

4. Take a small lemon sized dough and roll and press it on your palm and make a hole in the center like a donut. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown on medium flame.

5. Remove on absorbent paper and relish :)

Read More »

Chocolate Cake - A sweet indulgence

0

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.

Read More »

Fried Modak for Ganesha festival.

0

Fried modak is a sweet fried dumpling usually filled with coconut jaggery stuffing. It can be made with many different fillings like mawa, chocolate etc. it has crunchy outer cover and a chewy coconut filling inside. It's also believed to be Lord Ganesha's favorite snack and 21 modaks are offered on Ganesha festival.

Ingredients:

For filling:

Fresh coconut: 1.5 cup

Jaggery:1/2 cup

Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp

Powdered pistachio: 2 tbsp (optional)

For cover:

All purpose flour: 1 cup

Semolina/Rava: 1/2 cup

Oil :  2 tbsp

Milk: 1/4 cup

Makes about 21-23 modaks.

Method: 

1. In a mixing bowl combine all purpose flour, semolina and salt to taste. 

2. Add 2 tbsp of hot oil and mix well with a spoon. Knead it into a soft dough by adding little milk at a time. Cover with cling wrap and keep it aside for 30 mins.

3. To prepare the filling, add powdered jaggery and grated coconut in a pan and cook on low flame for 2-3 mins.

4. The mixture will become a bit dry then turn off the flame and add cardamom powder and powdered pistachio and mix well.

5. Take a marble sized dough and roll it into a thin sheet (poori size).

6. Put a spoonful of coconut filling in the center of the rolled sheet.

7. Apply little water to the edges and start pinching the edges as shown in the picture and join all the pinched edges in the center and seal it.

8. Follow the same steps and make other modaks.

9. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry modak on medium flame until they turn golden brown in color

10. Drain them on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

11. Cool the modaks before serving. 

Note:

1. Roll the dough into very thin sheets so the outer layer will be crispy.

2. You can replace fresh coconut with dry/ desiccated coconut, add 1-2 tsp milk while making the filling.

Read More »

Pineapple Kesaribath /pineapple sooji halwa

0

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.

Read More »