Parippu Pradhaman Payasam

Ingredients:

Cherupayar parippu/Moong Dal - 1 cup

Water - 1.5 cups + 3/4 cup

Jaggery - 1and half cups

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cashew - 10 no

Small Coconut slices - 2tbsp

Thin Coconut milk - 1.5 cups

Thick Coconut milk - 1 cup

Method:

1. Dry roast moong dal in medium flame for 4-5 minutes or till the color turns golden .

2.  Allow it to cool down. Then wash it and add it to pressure cooker along with 1.5 cups of water and 1.5 think coconut milk. Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high flame and then 2 whistles on medium -low flame.

3.  Meanwhile make jaggery syrup. Add the jaggery and 3/4 cup water to a pan. Bring it to boil till all the jaggery pieces are dissolves. Strain it and keep it aside.

4. Once the moong dal is fully cooked, add the jaggery syrup to the it and mix well and bring to boil.

5. Boil it for 2 minutes. Then, turn off the stove and add thick coconut milk and cardamom powder and mix well. 

6. Take a small kadai and heat 2 tbsp of ghee. Fry the coconut slices till golden brown and keep it aside. Then fry cashews in the same ghee till golden brown.

7. Add the coconut slices, cashews and the remaining ghee to the payasam and mix well.

Serve hot.

Agra Petha

Ingredients:

Ash gourd/ Kumbalanga/ winter melon - 2 kgs

Sugar - 1kg or 4 cups

Chuna/Chunambu /Limestone - 2tsp

Method:

1. Clean the ash gourd by removing its thick green skin and the soft seed flesh. Then cut the ash gourd into small cubes.

2. Prick the cubes from all the sides with a fork.

3. Take enough water to cover the ash gourd and add chuna to it and mix well.

4. Add the ash gourd cubes to this water and keep it aside for about 12 hours.

5. After 12 hours, rinse and wash the ash gourd cubes 3 to 4 times in fresh water so that all the chuna is properly washed off.

6.  Then, boil enough water and add the washed and cleaned ash gourd cubes to it. Boil this for around 10 - 12 minutes.

7.  Drain it and keep aside.

8.  Now take a large vessel and add sugar and 1/2 cup water to it.

9. Heat it till the sugar dissolves. Then add the cooked ash gourd cubes to this and boil till the water is completed evaporated and sugar coats the ash gourd. 

10. Transfer the pieces to a plate or wire mesh and allow it to cool for 3-4 hours. The store it in an airtight container.

Enjoy!!

Sweet diamond cuts

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour - 2 cups
2. Butter - 1 tbsp, at room temperature
3. Egg - 1
4. Salt - 1/4 tsp
5. Sugar - 1 cup
6. Water as needed

Method:

1. Take all purpose flour, salt and butter in a mixing bowl. Gently mix it.
2. Beat the egg and add it to the above mixture and fold it.
3. Add water 1 tsp at a time to make a soft dough. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
4. Make small balls and roll them round like we make roti. Then with a pizza cutter cut the rounds diagonally first from left and then from right to make small diamonds.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry these diamond cuts until golden brown and drain it in a paper towel.
6. Meanwhile, add sugar to a wide pan along with 1/4 cup water . Boil this to make a sugar syrup with one with one string consistency.
7. Once the sugar syrup is ready ,  switch off the stove and allow it to cool down a little. Then add the fried diamond cuts to the sugar syrup and mix well.
8. The sugar will crystallize and coat the diamond cuts. Store it in airtight containers.

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.

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!!

Rasmalai

Source - RaksKitchen

Ingredients:

Rasgullas - 8
Milk - 2 cups
Condensed milk - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Saffron - a pinch
Pistachios - 7-8


Method:

1.  Warm 2 tbsp of milk and add saffron to it.
2.  Grease a heavy bottom vessel with few drops of ghee. Add milk to it and boil. Keep stirring every    2 minutes to avoid burning of milk at the bottom.
3. Keep stirring for another 25-30 minutes till the milk reduces to half.
4. Now add the saffron milk and condensed milk and boil for another 2 more minutes.
5. Now add sugar and pistachios and boil for another 2 minutes.
6. Gently squeeze the water out of the rasgullas. Be careful when you squeeze as too much pressure will break the rasgullas.
7. Add this to the boil milked. The rasgullas will absorb milk . Allow it to cool down and refrigerate.

Serve cool.

Rasgulla

Adapted from : Rakskitchen

Ingredients:

Milk - 4 cups
Lemon juice - 2 - 3 tbsp
Sugar - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Ice cubes - 7-8
Pistachios for decorating

Method:

1. Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan on medium flame. Keep stirring so that the the bottom of the pan doesn't turn brown. I boil the milk in a milk cooker and once boil transferred it to a heavy bottom pan.
2. Once the milk is boiled slowly add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and stir well.  Heat for another few minutes in low flame. Once the whey water separates, switch off the flame.
3. Add ice cubes immediately. It will help in stopping the curdling process.
4. Line a strainer with a cheese cloth and pour the contents into it. Reserve the whey water. You can use it while making chappathis .
5. Rinse the milk solids under running water so as to remove the sourness of the lemon juice.
6. Gather the cloth from all sides and squeeze it with the hands to remove excess water. Hang it for 30 minutes.
7. After half an hour, take out the paneer into a bowl. It will be crumbled now.
8. Knead it for 8-10 minutes with your hands to make it a soft dough.
9. Make small balls from this dough. I got around 15 balls. Cover it with a moist cloth.
10. Now take a pressure cooker and add sugar and water to it. Also add cardamom powder. Once the water starts boiling , slowly add the balls to it.
11. Pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium- high flame.
12. Allow the rasgullas to cool down and refrigerate it for 3-4 hrs.

Serve chilled!

Maladdu

Ingredients:

Pottukadalai / Split chickpea - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 1
Cashews - 8-10

Method:

1. Dry roast pottukadalai for 3-4 minutes om medium heat till its raw smell is gone. Powder it in a mixie. Keep aside.
2. Now powder sugar and cardamom and keep aside.
3. Melt the ghee in a small skillet and fry the cashews.
4. In a bowl, add the powder pottukadalai, sugar and cashews. Give it a mix. Now slowly add melted ghee to this and mix well. Make small balls when the mixture is still warm.

Eggless Nan Khatai

Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter - 1 stick ( 1/2 cup) at room temperature
Powdered Sugar or Confectioners sugar - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour -   1 cup
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/8 tsp
Chopped pistachios - 2-3 tbsp

Method:

1. Butter should be very soft. So keep it out of refrigerator for 3 -4 hr. Add small amounts of powdered sugar to butter and mix it until the mixture is soft and creamy.
2. Add the nutmeg powder and cardamom powder and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, little at a time. mix it well to form a soft dough.Keep it aside for 20-30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 300 F.
6. Knead dough again and make small balls of it. Place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper/wax paper.
7. Decorate it with pistachios and bake it on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes.Make sure the nan-khatais remain white.
8. Allow it to cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Nutella Mousse

Ingredients

Heavy whipping cream - 1 cup
Nutella - 3/4 cup
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Shaved dark chocolate for garnish

Method:

1.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
2. Add nutella and fold in with a spatula until fully incorporated.
3. Pour into 4 cups or bowls and refrigerate for about  2 hours.

Garnish it with shaved chocolate and enjoy!!

Ada Pradhaman

Ingredients:

Ada - 1/2 cup
Grated Jaggery - 1 cup
Thin coconut milk - 2 cups
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Dry ginger powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Thin coconut slices - 2 tbsp
Raisins and cashews - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak ada in hot water for 30 minutes. Then wash it in cold water and again boil water and cook ada in it till it becomes soft. It will take another 15-20 minutes.
2. Heat ghee in a pan and fry the coconut slices, cashews and raisins . Keep aside.
3. In a heavy bottom pan,melt jaggery in half a cup of water and strain it. Return the melted jaggery to the pan and boil it. Now add the cooked ada to it along with 2 tbsp of ghee.  Cook it in medium flame for about 15 minutes or till the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally.
4. Next add the thin coconut milk and cook till the mixture thicken, stirring occasionally.
5. Now add the ginger powder,cumin powder and cardamon powder. Mix well. Add the thick coconut milk , Mix well and switch off the stove.
6. Garnish with the fried coconut slices, cashews and raisins.

Milk Peda

Ingredients:

Milk powder - 1 cup
Condensed milk - 1 cup
Milk - 2 tbsp
Saffron - 2 -3 strands
Pistachios - 6-7 chopped
Ghee - 2 tsp

Method:

1.  Soak saffron strands in warm milk .
2.  In a heavy bottom pan, add milk powder, condensed milk , saffron milk and ghee. Mix well so that no lumps are formed. Now switch on the flame and boil the mixture.
3. Keep stirring it continuously until the mixture becomes thick and start to leave the sides of the pan. Now switch off the stove and allow the mixture to cool down for 10-15 minutes.
4. Apply some oil or ghee to your hands and make small balls or pedas out of the mixture. Flatten the balls slightly and make a dent at the center with you thumb. Decorate it with the chopped pistachios.

Koova Payasam - Thiruvathira special

                              Koova payasam is a traditional Kerala recipe.It is mainly prepared on the day of Thiruvathira, in the malayalam month of Dhanu along with Thiruvathira puzhukku and broken wheat upma..

Ingredients:

Koova Podi/Arrowroot powder - 1/4 cup
Water -  1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup grated (I used the dark
Coconut - 3-4 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Ripe Plantain / Ethapazham - 1/4 cup , cut into small pieces
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp (Optional)

Method:

1. Take a heavy bottom pan, Add all the ingredients except cardamom powder.Mix well.
2. Boil the mixture in medium heat, stirring continuously. After about 10 minutes, the mixture starts becoming thick. When the mixture has turned dark brown and the consistency is semi thick, remove it from fire .
3. Garnish it with cardamom powder. This is optional. 

Besan Laddu

Ingredients:

Besan flour - 1 cup
Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup
Melted Ghee - 1/4 cup


Method:

1. Sieve the besan flour and roast it in medium - low flame till the colour starts changing to golden brown. Keep stirring continuously to avoid burning the flour. It will take around 10 mins.
2. Switch of the stove and add powdered sugar to this and mix well. Allow it to cool for about 5 -8 minutes . Don't allow the mixture to cool completely.
3. Now add the melted ghee and mix well.  Make small balls when the mixture is still warm and able to handle with hand.

Garnish it with any of the nuts of your choice!!

Vanilla Cake

It was my daughter's 3rd birthday and I wanted to make her a jungle themed cake. So I made a 4 layered vanilla cake and covered it with green buttercream frosting . Also made small animals with fondants for my daughters friends :). It was a huge success. The cake has a very sweet buttery flavor. Its very moist and light. And all the kids liked the small animals on top of the cake.

Source:Joy of baking

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 3 cups
Sugar - 1 3/4 cups
Eggs - 4 large
Unsalted Butter -  1 cup
Milk - 1 cup

Baking powder - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp
Pure Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Bring the butter, milk and eggs at room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Butter the bottom of a 9 x13" cake pans (or you can use two 9" pans).Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease it with butter.
3. In a large mixing bowl , combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
4.In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until soft . It will take around 1- 2 minutes.
5. Gradually add sugar and beat for another 5- 6 minutes till it is very light and fluffy.
6. Add eggs one at a time , beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another 1-2 minutes.
7. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined for about 2-3 minutes.
8. Alternatively add the flour and milk and beat on low speed, like add 1/3rd flour, then half the milk, then 1/3rd flour, half the milk and the remaining 1/3rd flour. Beat till the mixture is well combined.
9. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Kaju Katli

source: Vegrecipesofindia

Ingredients:

Cashews - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Water - 5 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Powder cashews in a mixer. Do not grind it for too long, otherwise you will get start getting cashew butter.
2. Boil sugar and water over low heat till sugar dissolves completely.
3. Then add powdered cashew and mix well. Cover over low heat , stirring continuously.
4. Stir and cook till the mixture starts coming together. It will take around 10 minutes. Switch off the heat and transfer the mixture on to a plate.
5. When the mixture is warm enough to handle with hands, knead it to a soft dough. If the dough is dry , you can add 1- 2 tsp of milk.
6. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin to thickness of about 3-5 mm. You can use a parchment paper over the dough while rolling it.
7. Using a knife , cut it into diamonds.  Store it in air tight containers.

Enjoy!!

Sharkara Payasam / Nei payasam

Ingredients:

Payasam rice /Raw rice - 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 1/3 cup
Water - 1 and 1/2  cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp
Raisins - 1 tbsp
Coconut  - 2 tsp (grated / sliced)
Cardamom powder - a pinch

Method:

1. Wash and cook rice in enough water till the rice is cooked , but separated. I used around 1 and 1/2 cups of water.
2. Once the rice is cooked, add 2 tbsp of ghee and cooked for 1-2 minutes.
3. Then add grated jaggery to the rice and mix till the jaggery is dissolved completely. Cook for another 1-2 minutes till the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan. Remove from fire.
4 In another pan, heat the remaining 1 tsp of ghee and fry raisins and coconuts separately till they are golden brown. Add it to the mixture.
5. Add cardamom powder also to the payasam.

Serve hot!!

Pineapple Kesari

Source : Sharmis Passion

Ingredients:

Pineappple - 1/3 cup (chopped)
Rava - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/2 -3/4 cup
Water - 1 and 1/2 cups
Cashews - 1/2 tbsp chopped
Raisins - 2 tsp
Yellow food colour - a pinch
Ghee - 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Boil water and add pineapple pieces and let it boil for 5 minutes till the pineapple pieces turns soft. Add food colour and allow it to boil for another 1 or 2 minutes.
2. Add 2 tsp of ghee in a pan and fry cashews till golden brown and then fry raisins.Keep aside.
3. In the same pan, add another 2 tsp of ghee and add rava and fry till rava starts turning colour . Then add the pineapple pieces and water to the rava and mix well so that no lumps are formed.
4. Once the rava is cooked and the water is fully absorbed, add sugar and stir . Keep stirring continuously.
5. Then add fried cashew and raisins and ghee and mix well till the whole mixture becomes thick and starts coming together. Turn off the stove.
6. Garnish with pineapple pieces, cashews and raisins. Serve warm.

Note:
- Add sugar only after the rava is fully cooked.

Semiya payasam

Ingredients:

Semiya/Vermicille  - 1 cup
Milk - 4 cups
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cashew - 2 tbsp
Raisins - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Condensed Milk - 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom vessel.  Add cashew and raisins and fry till golden brown. Remove from fire and keep aside.
2. Add semiya to the same ghee and fry until it slightly changes the colour.
3. Now add 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of water to the semiya and cook till semiya is tender and soft.
4. When semiya is done, add the remaining 2 cups of milk , sugar and condensed milk. Mix well and remove from heat.
5. Garnish it with cashew and raisins.Serve hot.