Badam Burfi

Badam Burfi

Ingredients 

1.    1 cup whole almonds

2.    1 cup sugar

3.    Pinch of Cardamom powder(Optional)

4.    Saffron – A Pinch (Optional)

5.    2 tablespoons butter or ghee (clear butter)

6.    1/3 cup milk  or Sufficient milk to grind the Almonds

7.    Yellow Food colour (Optional)

Method

1.    Soak the almonds for 1-2 hrs or for the last minute preparations , in hot water add almonds for  boil for 30mins

2.    Peel the skin off the almonds. Blend the almonds into a fine paste using just enough milk as needed to blend.

3.    Add the sugar and blend it for a 2-3 minutes

4.    Heat the ghee in the frying pan on low-medium heat

5.    As the ghee melts, add the almond paste and cook on medium heat, Keep stirring continuously.

6.    Continue stirring until the mixture thickens to the consistency of  batter, and starts leaving the sides of the pan.

7.    Add the cardamom powder.(Optional)

8.    Remove the frying pan from the heat.

9.    Whip the batter using a spoon continously for about two to three minutes.

10.  Pour it into the prepared greased plate or Pan.

11.  Spread the mixture and Smoothen the surface of the mixture and

12.  Let cool for about 20 minutes until burfi is just look warm.

13.  Cut into 1-inch squares or any shape you like.

14.  Cool to the room temperature and store burfi in an airtight container.

15.  Almond burfi can be kept outside for up to one week. When refrigerated, almond burfi will last a couple of months.

Rava Kesari

Rava Kesari 

Ingredients:

Rava (sooji) – 1/2 cup 

Sugar – 1/2 cup 

Water – 1 and 1/4 cups 

Ghee – 3-4 tbsps 

Saffron – few strands (optional) 

Milk – 1 Tbsp 

Cashew nuts – 1tbsp nuts 

Raisins – 1 -2 tsp 

Kesari Color (optional) 

Method : 

1.Soak saffron strands in warm milk, set aside. Heat 1-2 tbsp of ghee and roast cashews, raisins till golden brown, set aside. In the same pan, roast the rava in low flame until nice aroma comes and when it starts to change color switch off and transfer it to a plate. 

2.Add water to the pan and allow it to boil, when it starts bubbling, add the rava little by little stirring continuously - this is the stage where you have to be very careful take care not to form lumps. Add the kesari color, keep stirring continuosly in medium flame.Keep covered for a minute until the rava gets cooked. 

3.Once the rava is cooked add the sugar, now it will start to loosen keep stirring conitnuously. It will start to bubble up when it becomes dry dont worry, keep stirring. 

4.Add remaining (2tbsp) ghee and keep stirring till it starts leaving the sides of the pan. Add saffron milk, nuts and raisins, give a quick stir and switch it off. If you want to make pieces then transfer to a ghee greased plate and make pieces

Sakarai Pongal (Sweet Pongal)

Sakarai pongal (Sweet Pongal)

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1/2 cup

Moong dal/ pasi paruppu -3 tblsp

Jaggery/vellam -1/2 cup heaped

Water -2 & 1/2 cups

Ghee - 3 tblsp

Salt pinch

Cashews 5-6

Raisin 1-2 tblsp

Elachi 1

Nutmeg powder 1 pinch(optional)

Edible camphor * A tiny pinch(optional)

Method :

1.In a pressure cooker/ pan, add 1/4 tsp ghee and roast the moong dal.

2.Add water, washed rice and salt. Pressure cook for 4 whistles. Mash it once done.

Powder jaggery and heat it with water just to immerse it and bring to boil. Let the jaggery completely dissolve and  filter it and add to the  mashed rice in the cooker

3.In a separate pan, heat a tsp of ghee and roast cashews to golden brown and add raisins to it. Once it fluffs up, transfer it and keep aside. In the same pan, add cloves, elachi and switch off the stove. Add nutmeg powder, give a quick stir. Add the cloves and elaichi along with nutmeg powder to the pongal.

4.Mix well and cook in medium flame for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water or milk if it gets dry while cooking. Add ghee little by little while cooking. Lastly add the fried cashews and raisins.

Carrot Halwa (Kajar Halwa)

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients: 

· 2 cups shredded carrots

· 2 cups milk

· 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

· 1/4 cup sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

· 6 chopped roasted cashew nuts (To garnish)

Method: 

1. Roast the cashew nuts and set aside for the garnish. 

2. Boil the milk on medium-high heat in a non-stick pan until it is reduced to about to 1 cup. Stir often to ensure the milk does not burn in the bottom of the pan. Set aside. 

3. Melt the butter in a frying pan on medium heat. 

4. Add the shredded carrots and stir-fry for about seven to eight minutes. 

5. Carrots should be tender and slightly changed in color. 

6. Add the milk and cook until the milk dries. This will take about eight to ten minutes. 

7. Next add the sugar, and cardamom powder and stir-fry for another three to four minutes until the halwa starts to leave the side of frying pan. 

8. Garnish with cashew nuts or any nuts , Also carrot halwa is a good combination with Vanilla icecream when halwa served hot .

Vellai Kozhukattai (Sweet Modak)

Vellai Kozhukattai (Sweet Modak) : Ganesh Chaturthi special
Makes about 12-14

Ingredients for outer layer:
3/4 cup raw rice powder 
1 and 1/4 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients for coconut-jaggery filling (or poornam):
1/4 cup grated coconut 
1/4 cup grated jaggery 
1 tsp + 1 tsp ghee
4-5 cardamom pods, crushed 

Method : 

1. First we have to make the filling or the pooranam. Heat a pan with 1 tsp ghee. Add the grated coconut and the grated jaggery and mix well until it begins to roast a bit and starts to turn a bit drier 

2. It will take about 8-10 mins for it to reach the stage we require. Keep mixing now and then and add cardamom powder before removing from fire. Set aside and allow to cool. 

3. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to boil with the 1/4 salt also added in. Once it boils, remove from flame and add the 3/4 cup rice flour in, mixing as you do so. Make sure no lumps are formed and mix well until you get a soft dough that's similar in consistency to chapati dough (it won't be stretchy though). Start with 1 cup water and keep adding a few drops as you mix until you get the desired consistency. Depending on the type of rice flour and humidity, etc, you will need different amounts of water. Let this mixture cool down a bit until you can handle it. Don't let it cool completely, or else the rice dough will become dry. 

This is the toughest part of making vella kozhukkattai or modak. Depending on how this comes out, your modaks can turn hard or soft or crack while they are steamed. 

4. Roll the pooranam into small balls and set aside. The coconut I used had long strands in it that's why my filling is all rough. Use normal grated coconut and you should be fine. 

5. With wet hands, take a lime-sized portion of the rice dough, form a ball by greasing your hands with the ghee, and flatten on your palm like so. Make sure its not too thin. I like there to be more filling than outer covering so I use lesser dough. Adjust according to your preference. 

6. Place the filling in the centre and cover the filling with it as uniformly as you can. It's the same technique used for aloo paratha. Once covered, make a smooth ball . 

7. Place on your steamer plate and steam for about 10-15 mins until the covering glistens. It will still be sticky to touch but don't steam for more than 15 minutes or they will harden. 

Kaju Barfi

Kaju Barfi

Ingredients:

· 2 cups of cashew nuts (kaju)

· 1 1/2 cup sugar

· 3/4 cup water

· About 20 strings of saffron (optional)

Method:

1. Grind the cashew nuts to powder. Dry grinder or a coffee grinder works the best.

2. On very low heat in a heavy bottom pan roast the cashew nut powder for about 4 minutes or until powder just get warm. Do not heat for any longer otherwise powder will start getting oily.

3. In a saucepan, boil the sugar and water together on medium heat until syrup is 1 thread Next add the saffron to the syrup mix it well. Saffron is optional. Turn off the heat.

4. Add the cashew powder to the syrup and mix it well, making sure there are no lumps.

5. To check the right consistency take a little mix in a spoon, you should be able to roll this into softball.

6. Next spread the mix quick to the greased plate. Spread before the mix cools off.

7. Allow burfi to cool and then cut them in the shapes you will like and Enjoi J

Almond Chikki

Almond Chikki

Ingredients:

· 2 tablespoons butter

· 1 cup sugar

· 1/8 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 cup sliced almonds

· 1 tablespoons sesame seeds roasted(optional)

Method

1. Grease the Baking sheet or Big plate and keep aside.

2. In a heavy bottom pan, over medium high heat melt the butter, then add sugar, and salt.

3. Keep stirring the sugar continuously till sugar start melting and changing the colour to light brown. Turn off the heat as soon it comes to golden brown in colour. This should take 4-5 minutes.

4. Note: when sugar starts melting it changes the colour very quickly and it can easily burn.so please make sure you don’t burn it .

5. Add almonds and sesame seeds, stir quickly. Pour over the greased sheet and spread evenly.

6. After brittle comes to room temperature brake them in pieces.

7. Store them in air tight container.