Sweet Pongal

Ingredients:

• Moong dhal - 1/2 cup 
• Rice - 1/2 cup. 
• Milk 
• Coconut 
• cashew 
• jaggery 
• raisins
• cardamom 
• ghee

Method:

• Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it will start smelling). 
• Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes.
• Thoroughly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water and cook it seperately (in two different containers). 
• Meanwhile cut coconut in very small pieces and fry in ghee.
• Fry cashew and raisins separately.
• Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. 
• After we make the syrup strain it through tea strainer. Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed. 
• Add jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed. Add three big table
• spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while. 
• Add fried coconut, cashews and raisins.
• Serve hot in with a spoon of ghee

Super Simple Ice Cream

This is a Super duper easy recipe! Ice cream can’t get any easier....no-machine-required ice cream recipe!!!!:) I have learn this recipe from my best friend. So from now in summer I guess every weekend there will be a ice cream party for sure :)

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. Cool Whip Lite any flavor
• 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 14 oz Evaporated Milk
• Optional: 1 tsp vanilla or1/3 cup mango pulp or any flavor whichever you like.

Method:

• Whisk together the Cool Whip, sweetened condensed milk & evaporated milk until combined. 
• Add any flavor extract or essence or pulp. Mix well.
• Pour in a freezer safe container, cover, and freeze for at least 4-6 hours or overnight! 
• Enjoy this so easy & so creamy Ice cream 

Rasgullas

Ingredients:

• Milk - 1 liter (5 cup)
• Sugar - 1.5 cup
• White vinegar - 2-3 tbsp
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Method:

• Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pan till it starts foaming;  cool down the milk a bit. Add 1 cup water in milk for making it cool quickly. This makes chena softer and rasgullas comes out spongier. 
• Add the vinegar little at a time and stir. It will curdle right away. You should see the milk solids (chenna) separate from the whey. Pour into a colander lined with cheesecloth; rinse the chenna with cold water to get rid of the vinegar. Allow the water to drain completely.
• Gather the muslin cloth edges together and express as much water as possible; this is a soft paneer. Turn the paneer onto a rolling mat or other smooth surface. Knead the paneer well to make a dough. Roll into a ball and divide into 15-20 equal portions.
• Add sugar and 4 cup water in pressure cooker and let it boil. When it starts boiling place the entire prepared balls in cooker one by one. Cover it with lid and let it simmer once and bring to pressure. After it simmers once reduce the flame and cook for 7-8 minutes more.
• Take cold water in any utensil and place pressure cooker in it. Cool the cooker or place it below water tap so that it becomes cool quickly. Open the lid carefully and take out rasgullas along with sugar syrup in a bowl. Add cardamom powder and make them cool down. After 5-6 hours rasgullas become more sweet and tasty. Serve chilled rasgullas.

Ukadiche Modak Using Mould

For the dough

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp ghee or oil
• a pinch of salt

For the filling

• 1 cup grated fresh coconut
• 1 cup jaggery powder
• 1 tbsp roasted poppy seeds
• 7-8 cardamoms, powdered
• 10-12 cashew nuts, chopped

For the dough

• Mix water and milk in a sauuce pan or in vessel & boil 3.  
• Add  little bit of salt to it. 
• Reduce the flame to low and add rice flour to it. 
• Keep stirring till the rice fllour cooks and become a lump. 
• Remove from the flame. Cover with a lid and keep it aside and allow to cool. 
• Knead the  rice flour  lump into a smooth dough by using ghee or oil.
•  Keep it covered. If you feel dough is hard or dry, just add 2-3 tsp of water and knead it.

For the filling 

• Mix the coconut, Jaggery, roasted poppy seeds and cashew nuts together. 
• Heat this mixture in a pan over a medium flame, stirring continuously till the jaggery melts. 
• When the jaggery release nice aroma and start to thickens, switch off the flame. 
• Allow it to cool and add the cardamom powder. Mix well.

Preparation of  Modak using mould

• Divide the dough into equal portions  and  also divide the  filling into equal portions.
• Grease the mould lightly with ghee. Use 1 portion of the dough to stuff  in the mould's cavity. 
• Keep aside a small portion of the dough to seal  the  modak to bottom. 
• Fill the cavity with  portion of  coconut filling. 
• Seal the surface with the rice dough. Now open the mould and place the modak on a plate. Make sure you keep prepared modak covered to avoid dryness.
• Repeat the same process to all modaks. Once all the modaks are done, place them to the steamer decks, which is lined with muslin cloth. Steam in a modak patra for 15 minutes. 
• You can use idly steamer for stemming modak. While steaming modak you can use banana leaf or turmeric leaf. It gives a good aroma to the modak.

Mango Sheera

Ingredients:

• Sooji/Rava - 1/2 cup
• Sugar- 1/2 cup
• 1 medium ripen Mango
• Whole Milk - 3/4 cup
• Water - 3/4 cup
• Few Saffron strands
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
• 6 - 8 Almond sliced
•  8 -10 Raisins 
• Ghee 3 - 4 tbsp

Method:

• Cut mango into pieces, keep aside few cubes for garnishing the sheera later. Grind the remaining to a smooth puree and keep it aside.It should yield 1/2 cup approximately.
• Warm 1 tbsp of milk and add saffron(crush the saffron slightly before adding) to it and keep it aside for 10 mins.
• Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a kadai/pan and add sliced almonds and fry until they turn light brown in color, remove and keep aside. 
• In the same pan add raisins and fry them until they bulge up, remove and keep them aside.
• Now in the same pan add rava and fry until the rava becomes aromatic and very light brown in color. 
• Meanwhile boil water with sugar in another pan until the sugar dissolve.
• Add the boiling water to the roasted rava mixture by mixing it simultaneously and cover it and cook for 2-3 mins until the rava absorbs the water.
• Add the milk and mix again and cook for a minute. Rava would absorb all the liquid and becomes slightly dry now.
• Now add the ground mango puree to it and mix well and cook for a minute.
• Lastly add cardamom powder, saffron milk mixture, roasted sliced almonds and raisins, 2-3 tbsp ghee and mix well. 
• Cover it and let it cook for 2 mins Switch off the flame and cover it for 5 mins.
• Garnish with sliced almonds & with mango cubes. 

Kalakand / Milk Barfi

This is very very yummy and tempting sweet.... I was very much impressed by the outcome of this sweet.

Ingredients

• 2 liters Whole Milk

• 1 cup Sugar

• Chopped Nuts, to decorate (pistachios, almonds, etc)

• 1 tsp vinegar, dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Method

• Boil half the milk and add the dissolved vinegar as it comes to boil.

• Switch off gas. Once the chenna / cottage cheese settles sieve through muslin cloth, rinse under the cold water,  press out excess water, take in a plate and press down. Do not knead.

• Put the remaining milk in a heavy pan and boil to half. Stir continuously.

• Add the chenna and boil till the mixture thickens, stirring continuously.
• Add sugar and continoue to cook, stirring all the while till softly thinckens in a lump.
• Set in a tray or plate and sprinkle chopped nuts.
• Let it cool for about one hour. Cut the kalakand in squares.

Amrakhand / Mango Shrikhand

This is an heavenly delicious dessert…simple recipe. You can use Canned Mango Pulp to make easier but while the mangoes are in season,  use the fresh mangoes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 2-3 fresh and ripe mangoes, to make about 1 cup mango pulp (you can use canned mango pulp too)
• sugar to taste
• 1-2 tbsp charoli nuts for garnish (optional) The charoli nut is lentil-sized, is slightly flattened and has an almond-like flavour.
• Few saffron strings for garnish (optional)
• few fresh slices of mangoes for garnish

Method:

• If using fresh mango, slice the flesh of the ripe mangoes. Put them in a blender and Process  until smooth. You can strain the pulp to remove  the strings if any.
• Tie the yogurt in a clean cotton cloth (or cheesecloth) and hang it up for an 4-5 hours or so to drain off all the water. Make sure the yogurt is thick.
• Whisk the yogurt and beat it well. Add sugar little by little and continue to whisk.
• When the yogurt gets light in texture, stir in the mango pulp. Stir it until properly mix and then chill it.
• Serve cold garnished it with saffron, charoli nuts and some sliced mangoes. This is served as a sidedish with chappati, paratha or poori.

Tilgul Poli / Sankranti Special Gul Poli

This traditional recipe for 'Makar Sankranti' contains Til (sesame seeds) & Gul(jaggery). It is very crispy and you can eat it for 7-8 days…..

Ingredients:

For dough

• Wheat Flour (Atta)- 2 cups
• All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 cup
• Semolina/Rava - 1/2 cup
• Gram flour/Besan - 1/4 cup
• Rice flour - 1-2 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

For filling (Saran)

• Jaggery - 1, 1/2 cup
• Gram Flour (Besan) - 1/4 cup
• Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
• Poppy seeds - 2 tsp
• Peanut powder - 1/4 cup
• Dry shredded coconut - 1/4 cup
• Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 4-5 Table spoon

Method:

• Mix the flours, rava and make a well in the middle, heat oil and add it to the flour. Add salt and mix it nicely. Make a soft dough with warm water. Knead the dough well.
• Now for filing, grate the jaggery. Roast sesame seeds, poppy seeds, peanut powder, shredded coconut and gram flour one by one. Grind it to a paste. Add jaggery and cardamom powder to this paste. Make 8-10 balls for filling.
• Make equal portions of dough. Sprinkle some rice powder on rolling board. Roll the dough to the size of roti.
• Place a boll of tilgul filling in the center close it by covering the edges at top so that the fiiling will not come out.
• Use more rice flour and roll it till it become normal roti size. Heat the griddle (tawa) put some ghee roast it from both the side using ghee on medium flame. Serve with ghee.

Instant Gulab Jamun

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk Powder
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons butter -melted 
• Whole milk just enough to make the dough 
• Oil for deep frying

For the Sugar Syrup 

• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 Tsp Cardamon powder 

Method

• Make the dough by combining the milk powder, butter. Add just enough whole milk to make a medium-hard dough. Divide the dough into 18-20 portions. Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate. Cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.
• Heat the oil on medium flame in a frying pan. Slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. After about 5 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. The Gulab Jamuns should rise slowly to the top if the temperature is just right. Now they must be gently and constantly agitated to ensure even browning on all sides.
• If the temperature of the oil is too high then the gulab jamuns will tend to break. So adjust the temperature to ensure that the gulab jamuns do not break or cook too quickly.
• The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperatures. This will ensure complete cooking from inside and even browning.

Sugar Syrup

• The syrup should be made earlier and kept warm. To make the hot sugar syrup add mix the 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Add 4-5 cardamom pods or powder. Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water. 
• Transfer this hot syrup into a serving dish. Keep warm on stove. Add the fried gulab jamuns directly into the warm syrup. Leave gulab jamun balls in sugar syrup overnight for best results. They can be served warm or at room temperature.

Apple Crumble

This receipt was quick & so easy that it was almost unbelievable. It was perfect for a cozy night :)

 Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cups golden brown sugar
• 1 cup all wheat flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 4 pounds large Green or Gala apples, peeled, halved, cored, each half cut into 6 slices
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg powder
• Vanilla ice cream

Method

• Mix oats, 1 cup sugar, and flour in bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until topping comes together in moist clumps.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray  glass baking dish with nonstick spray.
•  Mix apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg powder and 1/2 cup brown sugar in bowl.
• Transfer to dish. Sprinkle topping over.
• Bake crumble until apples are tender and topping is brown and crisp, about 50-55 minutes.
• Cool slightly. Spoon warm crumble into bowls.
•  Serve with ice cream.

Enjoy this delicious dessert...

  

Egg less Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour or 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup regular
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 3 Tbs. melted butter
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Method

• Heat oven to 350. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a medium-size bowl.
• Stir in milk by hand and melted butter.
•  Fold in blueberries.
• Fill each cup 2/3 full.
• Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Shahi Tukda (Rich Bread Pudding)

 “Shahi Tukda” is a wonderful dessert made from just milk, Sugar & bread,  it could be simply prepared at home anytime.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 slices - White Bread
• 2 Tbsp - Ghee
• 1 cup - Whole milk
• 12 oz Evaporated milk
• 2 Tbsp - Pista, blanched and chopped
• 1/4 cup - Sugar
• 1/4 cup - Water
• 1 Tsp Cardamom, powdered
• 4-5 Nos- Almonds, toasted and sliced
• Few strands of saffron

Method:

• Cut off the edges of the bread and cut it in a square. Keep aside for minimum 2 hours to make it a little hard
• Make sugar syrup by mixing the sugar and water and let it boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the gas and add the powdered elachi into it and set aside.
• Mix Evaporated milk & plain milk & boil. Then simmer it done and let it reduce to 1/4th the actual quantity. Keep stirring occasionally. The fat in the milk will solidify thus whisk with a fork once its off the stove. Add pista and few strands of saffron when the milk is thickened. Keep aside .
• Apply ghee on the bread and lightly fry on a non stick pan until they turn golden brown on both sides.
• Arrange the slices on a flat pan/tray
• When the bread is still hot, generously pour sugar syrup over it. Wait until it seeps down.
• Now spread the milk mixture on top of it and sprinkle some almonds, pista and saffron strands on top. Cover it and refrigerate
• Serve chilled.

Milk Peda

Ingredients:

•1/2cup milk powder or khoya powder
•1/2 cup milk
•3/4 cup sugar
•3 tablespoon unsalted butter
•1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
•1 tablespoon sliced pistachios for garnishing


Method:

• Heat the frying pan on medium. Add butter and let it melt.
• Add milk & boil for 3-4 min.
• Add khoya or milk powder & mix it well.
• Cook mixture on medium heat stirring continuously until mixture starts leaving the sides of the frying pan and becomes like dough. This should take about 10-12 minutes.
• Transfer this mixture into a bowl and let it cool off until just lukewarm.
• Mix the sugar and cardamom powder into the mixture and knead it for about a minute until become soft dough.
• Divide the mix into about equal parts and roll them into round balls. Lightly press it down.
• Put few pieces of sliced pistachios on every peda.

Easy Rice Pudding

 

Ingredients

•  4 cups whole milk 
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cooked rice (Jasmine rice is perfect for this pudding)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 5-6 saffron threads
• 2 tbsp custard powder
• Chopped nuts.

Method

• Bring milk and sugar to boil in medium-large saucepan.
• Add rice and custard powder and turn heat to low.
• Add nutmeg powder & saffron
• Keep boiling on low for 30 minutes
• After 20minutes, I normally turn it up to high again and rapidly boil the mixture for an added 5 minutes or so.
• Add vanilla extract.
• Let it cool for 5-10 minutes and add some chopped nuts.

serve warm or cold.

Coconut Barfi

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry grated coconut or coconut powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 4 tbsp khoya powder
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• pinch of  orange food color

Method

• Soak coconut powder in milk for 1-2 hours
• In a heavy pan heat 2 tbsp ghee.
• Add soaked coconut and fry equally till it becomes dry.
• Then add sugar and, stir continuously.
• Add khoya powder, orange food color and cardamom powder for flavour.
• Stir content till it becomes thick and starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Then add 1 tsp ghee & stir for 1 min. The mixture should become soft.
• Pour this mixture into a greased pan or plate so that it will spreads equally.
• Let it cool for 10 mins. then cut into square or diamond shapes.

Decorate it with chopped almonds.

Banana Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:
• 3to4 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
• 11/4 cups plain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract/vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup sugar + 1 tsp for dusting strawberries & banana
• 2 1/2tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh strawberries chopped
1 cup banana chopped
• a few drops of lemon juice

Method:
• Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar and lemon juice on chopped strawberries and banana and keep aside. This will make them a little moist and juicy.
• Sift together the baking powder, salt and flour.
• Next, whisk the butter and sugar to creamy texture.
• Then add a little flour to the butter and sugar mixture.
• Mix it and then add a little milk and mix. This way, add all the flour and milk little by little stirring to avoid lumps formation throughout.
• Finally, fold in the strawberries and banana to the batter using a spatula.
• Grease and dust baking pan with butter & a little flour to prevent cake from sticking.
• Bake in a 375 degrees F preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool before cutting pieces

Mango Ice Cream

This is a simple and easy dessert recipe that you will love to make, especially now because it is a summertime :)

Ingredients:

• Cool whip -- 8 oz
• Evaporated milk: 12 oz
• SweetendCondensed milk: 7 oz
• Mango pulp : 11/2 Cup
  
  Method:
• Before making Ice cream, first take out cool whip out of the freeze for 30 mins.
• Then mix cool whip, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk together.
• And bit it with a hand mixer. for 20 mins.
• Then add mango pulp as per your taste and the colors u want.
• Again bit it for 10 mins. And then keep the mixture in freezer in a container with lid.
  

Enjoy :)

Strawberry banana cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup brown sugar or regular sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup fresh strawberries cut into small pieces
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or maida
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• pinch of salt

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line a cookie sheet with paper liners or grease with butter.
• In a small saucepan melt the butter. Set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl whisk together the brown sugar, vanilla extract and mashed banana. Add the melted butter to the brown sugar mixture and stir to combine.
• In another large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
• Gently fold in the berries, making sure they are coated with flour.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined.
• Divide the batter evenly on the cookie sheet, using one small spoon or an ice cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 min.
  Makes 25-30 cookies.
  
  
  
  

Carrot/Gajar Ka Halwa

Ingredients

• Grated carrots -3 cup
• Milk -2 cup
• Milk powder or mawa - 3-4 tbsp
• Sugar - 2 cup
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Dry fruits (almond, cashew nuts, pista & raisins) - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Method

• Add milk & grated carrots in heavy base pan & bring it to boil.
• Cook over on medium heat until all milk gets dried up. Stir the mixture occasionally.
• Add sugar, cardamom powder & dry fruits & stir continuously for 5 min.
• Add ghee & mawa. Again stir well & cook on low heat until ghee start separating.
• Decorate with dry fruits & serve hot or cold.

Curd/Dahi Pudding

Curd or dahi pudding is very easiest recipe. When I ate this pudding first time at my friends house I was amazed because the taste of this pudding is like same as 'Kharwas'. Kharwas is the marathi name of a sweet steamed pudding made out of milk given by a cow or buffalo within a day after she has calved. Cheek (in Hindi). I just wanted to share this recipe. If any one like Kharwas or cheek then just try it !!!!!!

Ingredients:

• Condensed Milk - 1 Cup
• Milk - 1 Cup
• Plain Curd - 1 Cup
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/2 cup dry fruits (Almonds, Pistachio) Crushed.

Method:

• Mix all the above ingredints well and keep it in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes for normal heat. Do not place the whistle on the cooker.
• After taking it out let it be cool and keep it in the refrigerator for some time and it is ready to serve.