Sooji Halwa

Ingredients

• 1 cup of semolina (Sooji)
• 10 cardamoms
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 5½ oz/150 g butter
• pinch of salt
• cashew nuts, raisins, almonds (to decorate)

Method

• Melt the butter in the pan.
• Add the semolina and roast on a very low heat until it turns light brown and it
  gives a nice aroma.
• Add water and let it absorb.
• Add sugar, pinch of salt and stir gently for 5-7 minutes.
• Finally, add nuts and take off the heat.
• Pour in serving dishes.
• Decorate and serve immediately.

Rice Kheer

Preparation : 10 minutesCooking: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients

• Rice-½ cup
• Milk-5 cups
• Sugar-8 tbsp
• Cardamoms -4
• Raisins, nuts( to decorate)
  
  METHOD
• Rinse the rice under water and place into the pan.
• Add the half of the milk and stir.
• Cover and cook for 15-20 min until soft.
• Mash the the mixture for few minutes.
• Then add sugar and remaining milk.
• Simmer gently for about 10 minutes or until the rice is quite thick in consistency.
• Add a little extra milk or water if the kheer is to thick.
• Add cardamom and raisins.
• Remove from the heat and pour into serving dishes.
• Decorate with nuts.
• Kheer can be served hot or cold.

Peas Pulao

Ingredients:

• White basmati rice-6 cups(cooked)
• Green peas -1 1/2 cups
• Onion-1(sliced)
• jeera(cumin) seeds-1tsp
• Garlic flakes-3 (finely crushed)
• ginger-1 small piece (finely crushed)
• Cloves-2,small piece of cinnamon(crushed roughly)
• Cardamoms-3
• Ghee(clarified butter)-2tsp
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves ( chopped finely)-2tsp
• Cashewnuts-1tsp(chopped)
  

Method:

• Heat the ghee in a non stick pan and add the ginger-garlic paste.
• When it browns, add the cardamoms, cinammon, jeera, cloves and onions.
• Fry till the onions turn transparent.
• Now add the peas, cashewnuts and the coriander leaves and mix well.
• Cook on low heat till the peas are cooked.
• Mix in the cooked rice and heat through.
• Eat when hot with a vegetable or raita.
  

Mixed Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients

• 3 cups of rice, boiled
• A bunch of coriander leaves.
• 3-4 green chillies.
• 2 tsp of coconut, shredded
• 3 medium onions,sliced fine.
• 1/2 an onion, chopped.
• A few sticks of cinammon, a few cardommom seeds, a few cloves.1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder.
• salt to taste.
• 2 flakes garlic.
• 1 inch piece ginger.
• Ghee or melted butter for frying.
• 1 cup of cauliflower flowerets.
• Some mixed vegetables like beans, carrots and green peas.
• 3 tsbp ghee(clarified butter)

Method

• Grind together the 1/2 onion, coconut, garlic, ginger and coriander in the blender, to make a smooth paste.Keep aside
• .Fry the onions in a the ghee or melted butter.
• Also add the cloves, cinnamon and cardommom.
• When onions are browned properly, add the red chilli powder and fry for 30-45 seconds.
• Now add all the vegetables,including the cauliflower and sprinkle some water on it.
• Keep covered and cook on a low flame till the vegetables are cooked.
• Keep sprinkling water periodically to speeden up the process, but do not add excess water as it will ruin the pulao.When the vegetables are done, transfer the vegeables to a big mixing dish, add all the boiled rice, salt to taste and the blended masala.
• Serve with Raita.

ALTERNATE METHOD

this can also be done in a pressure cooker.

Gajar ka halwa(Carrot Halwa)

This has been my all time favourite dessert. i always thought it was very difficult to prepare carrot halwa.but after learning how to do it it was rather very easy than i thought!!!

so do tell me how u feel!!


Gajar Ka Halwa
Preparation : 20 minutes Cooking: 60-90 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 kg Carrots
• 1 litre Milk
• 1 teaspoon Cardamom seeds
• 3/4 cup Water
• 3 tablespoons Ghee
• 2 tablespoons Raisins
• 2 tablespoons Almonds
• 2 tablespoons Pistachios
• 450 grams Sugar

Method

• Wash and grate the carrots. Soak the raisins in water for 30 minutes.
• Blanch and shred the nuts.
• Put the water to boil, when it starts boiling add the grated carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
• Add the milk. Cook on a low flame for 1 hour stirring occasionally.
• Add sugar, mix well and cook till the sugar has dissolved and all the milk has been absorbed.
• Add ghee and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the slightly crushed cardamoms and the raisins. Mix well.
• Remove the gajjar halwa from heat and arrange in a serving dish.
• Garnish with almonds and pistachios
• Serve cold, hot or at room temperature.

Lauki Dosa(anapakaya dosa)

For the batter

• Rice - 2 Cups
• Lauki(bottle gourd)-medium size,1
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Method

• Soak rice overnight or atleast for six hrs in water.
• Peel out the lauki and cut into small pieces.
• Grind the soaked rice and the sliced lauki pieces to a smooth paste.
• Mix together, add salt and little water to make batter.
• Heat pan or griddle with little ghee or oil.
• Spread the mix on pan in circular motion to make thin Dosa.
• Cook on both the sides, if desired.
• Serve hot with coconut Chutney.

Coconut chutney

Ingredients

• 2 cups of fresh coconut, shredded
• 10 dry red chillies
• 1 spring curry leaves(karipatha)
• A large pinch of hing (asoefetida)
• 1/2 tsp methi(fenugreek) seeds(menthi)
• 2 tsp urad dal(minappappu)
• 2 tsp channa dal(senaga pappu)
  
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat some oil and add the dals, curry leaves, hing, methi and red chillies.
• Fry till done.
• Add this to the coconut and blend into a smooth paste.
• Add salt to taste.
• Goes well with dosas & idli too..