Coconut Pudding

Ingredients

Milk - 1 cup
Condensed milk - 1/2 tin
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Agar agar/China grass - 5 gm
Water - 1 cup

Topping

1. Cashews - 2 tbsp
2. Sugar - 2 tsp


Method:

1. Boil milk and condensed milk. Allow it to cool down.
2. Once the milk and condensed milk has cooled down completely, add coconut milk to it and mix well.
3. Meanwhile break china grass into small pieces. Boil water and china grass till all the china grass has dissolved completely.
4. Add this china grass to the milk mixture immediately and mix well.
5. Now pour this mixture into a pudding tray and allow it to cool down.
6. Dry roast cashews. Crush it along with sugar in a mixie or mortar.
7. Now decorate the pudding with the cashews.
8. Cover the pudding with a plastic wrap.
9. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours .

Serve  chilled.

Notes:

1. Coconut milk should be added only after the milk has cooled completely , otherwise the milk curdles.
2. Pour water immediately into the china grass vessel, once it has been emptied.

Apple jam

Ingredients:

1. Apple - 4 chopped,peeled and chopped
2. Sugar - 2 cups
3. Fresh lemon juice - 1.5 tsp
4. Water - 1 cup

Method:

1.  Place the chopped apples along with water in a heavy bottom pan. Boil for 5 min.
2.  Now add the lemon juice and boil for another 10 minutes on medium flame till the apples are soft and mushy.
3. Switch off the stove and mash these apples well with a potato masher or a thick ladle.
4. Return the pan to heat and add sugar. Stir and bring it to boil on medium flame. Taste check for sugar and add more if required.
5. Cook on medium-low heat for about 25 - 30 minutes till the mixture turns thick.
6 Test for jelly -  Place the jam on a cold spoon or plate and check if it is holding shape. If the mixture is watery/thin cook for a few more minutes.
7. Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.
8 Transfer it to clean, dry bottles when it is still warm.
9. Store in refrigerator for more than a month.

Carrot halwa / Gajar ka halwa

Ingredients:

1. Carrot - 4 cups , grated or finely chopped
2. Whole milk - 3 cups
3. Sugar - 1 cup
4. Condensed milk - 2 tbsp
5. Cardomom powder - 1 tsp
6. Ghee - 2 tbsp
7. Chopped nuts - 3-4 tbsp (I used pistachios)

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and add the grated carrots to it. Saute for 4-5 minutes till the raw smell of the carrots disappears.
2. Add milk to this and cook on medium-low flame till the carrots are soft and the milk have almost fully evaporated. Keep stirring in between.
3. Then add  sugar and condensed milk to it . The mixture becomes watery when you add sugar , so  keep stirring.
4. When the moisture is fully evaporated , add a tsp of ghee to it and mix well till you get a thick mass.
5.Add cardamom powder and nuts and mix well.

Serve hot or cold!!