Category: DESSERTS

Pointed Gourd Rolls

Pointed Gourd also known a Parwal is mostly grown in india and some of the Asian countries.

It aids digestion, detoxifies the body and also purifies the blood.

It has many health benefits and is easy to cook. It’s rich in vitamin C sand B. Helps aid digestion.

Today I tried making some pointed gourd rolls which I was glad I tried. It turned out perfect and yummy. My family enjoyed them.

Ingredients:

Milk Powder – 1 cup

Powdere sugar – 2 table spoons.

Ghee – 2 table spoons

Cardamom powder – 1/2 spoon

Pista flakes – 2 table spoons

Pointed gourd – 4

Soda bi carbonate -1/4 spoon

Water – 1 cup

Cashew nut powdered – 2 spoons

Milk – 1/2 cup( cold )

Method:

Peel the pointed gourd and slice them into tiny bits.

Add them to boiling water to which soda bicarbonate is added.

Blanch them for 2-3 minutes and drain the water.

This step is essential to retain the green colour of the pointed gourd.

Now put them in cold water for a minute and strain them. Pat them dry on a dry cloth or tissue.

In a bowl add the cup of milk powder and ghee.

With the help of your fingers lightly rub the mixture to get a grainy texture.

Once it turns grainy in texture add in the powdered sugar, cardamom powder, cashew powder and the blanched pointed gourd bits.

Now add in the milk spoon by spoon to get a soft dough.

Heat a pan and sauté the mixture for 5-6 mins on low heat until the mixture turns into a ball and leaves the pan

You may grease your hand with some ghee so that it does not get sticky.

Wrap the dough in a foil or cling film and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes.

Roll each piece over the slivered pista or pista flakes.

Refrigerate for another half and hour or so.

Please note the amount of milk to knead may be less than what is mentioned.

Also you may increase the sugar as per your preference.

namithaskitchen

Coconut and rose flavoured milk rolls.

This year during Deepavali , a Festival of Lights, I tried this new recipe which turned out delicious. The roasted desiccated coconut gave a lovely flavour to the roll.The rose syrup and the glazed cherry bits gave the love polish hue to the roll.

Ingredients:

Desiccated Coconut roasted – 1 cup

Milk powder – 1.5 cups

Glazed cherries -5-6 pieces.

Cashew powder – 2 table spoons.

Milk – 1/2 cup

Ghee – 3 table spoons

Rose syrup – 1 spoon.

Method:

I’m a bowl add the milk powder and a spoon of melted ghee and rub the mixture lightly with your finger tips. Add about 2 to 3 table spoons of milk and rub them all together with light finger movements.

Now add the rest of the milk, roasted desiccated coconut and cashew powder and prepare the dough kneading lightly.

Heat a non stick pan and add a spoon of ghee and the dough. Keep moving your hands quickly for 5-6 minutes until the dough begins to form a ball.

Now add in the cherry bits and the rose syrup and mix well.

Take an aluminium foil and apply some ghee to it.

Put the mixture on rhe aluminium foil and try to make a thin roll along with the foil. Tuck the edges and refrigerate it for 40 minutes.

Open the foil and slice the roll into thin slices. The knife may get sticky so wife it every time you slice it in order to get perfect slices. Now lightly press the pistachio slivers over each slice lightly and enjoy them.

Since both the dessicated coconut, milk powder and rose flavour are sweet in nature., I have not used any sugar or sweetener .

If you wish it to be sweeter then you may add in a table spoon of icing sugar.

namithaskitchen

Rajgira(Amaranth)Laddoo

Rajgira also known as Amaranth can be consumed in our daily diet in different forms.

The flour can be used to make roti, puri, porridge or talipeet.

It’s normally used during fasting.

Puffed rajgira is used to make laddoos or chikki which is a delicacy made using jaggery or sugar.

It’s a super food having enormous benefits and also gluten free which makes it suitable to all.

It’s rich in protein,iron, vitamin C ,

calcium,magnesium, phosphate and phosphorous.

It’s fibre content aids weight loss as it keeps one satiated for a long time.

The Festival of Lights, Deepavali has just begun and I prepared some delectable and wholesome laddoos for the occasion.

Ingredients:

Rajgira flour – 1.5 cups

Jaggery powder -3/4 cup

Ghee(liquid) – 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/2 spoon

Milk – 3-4 table spoons

Slivered Almonds. – 1 spoon

Slivered Pistachio – 1 spoon

Cashew nut bits – 1 spoon

Raisins – 10-12

Take a deep pan and heat the ghee.

Method:

Add in the rajgira flour and keep roasting the flour for about twelve to fifteen minutes on low flame till you get an aroma.

Now take a tablespoon of milk and sprinkle it over the mixture.

This procedure is helpful to make the flour grainy in texture and makes it more tasty.

Mix well and repeat this process thrice.

Now add in the cardamom powder, nuts and raisins to the mixture.

Allow the mixture to cool.

Now mix the powdered sugar into the mixture and mix well.

Allow to rest for a few minutes.

Bind them into laddoos and garnish them with few nuts and lightly press them.

Makes eighteen to twenty medium sized laddoos. Enjoy these delicious laddoos.

namithaskitchen

Gram Flour Laddoos.

Today tried Besan ladoos with ghee and coarsely milled Besan flour.

Replaced sugar with Jaggery.

The colour was a bit darker as I had replaced sugar with jaggery.

The taste was awesome and the home made ghee made it even more delicious and special.

Ingredients:

Coarse Besan flour – 1 cup

melted liquid Ghee- 1/2 cup

Milk – 2 table spoons

Jaggery powder- 3/4 cup.

Cardamom powder – 1/4 spoon

Pistachio sliced – 1 spoon

Almonds – 4 crushed

Raisins – 1 spoon.

Method:

In a deep pan melt the butter and then add in the Besan and sauté it on low flame for about ten to twelve minutes until you get an aroma.

As you are sautéing just sprinkle a spoonful of milk and keep mixing it.

This process is very important as this gives the laddoos a grainy texture and they do not stick to the palette when you are having them.

Repeat this process twice.

Put off the flame and allow the mixture to come to normal temperature.

Now mix the powdered jaggery along with the cardamom, pistachios,almonds and raisins.

Smear a little ghee on your hands and make laddoos.

Garnish them with pistachios and enjoy the ladoos.

namithaskitchen

Sweet Appos(Sweet Paniyarams)

Ghee – 1/2 cup

Wheat flour -1 cup

Laayi -1/2 cup

Jaggery – 3/4 cup

Grated coconut – 3/4 cup

Ellakki bananas – 3 finely sliced.

Water- 1 cup.

2 to 3 Pinches of salt.

Method:

In a saucepan heat half a cup of water and add in the jaggery and make a syrup (neither too thick nor watery)

Mix a cup of grated coconut to it and allow it to cool.

Once it is warm add the puffed rice and sliced bananas and mix well.

Then add the wheat flour and salt and mix well.

If the mixture is too thick add a little water.

The consistency of the batter should be thicker than idli batter.Allow it to rest for about five minutes and then the batter is ready to make Appos or paniyarams.

Heat the tava and once hot add ghee liberally into the appo slots and then with the help of a spoon put the mixture in it and lower the flame.

Allow two to three minutes to cook and then with help of a knife flip it over to cook till golden.

Adding ghee allows it to come out crisp and golden brown.

Enjoy it hot.

namithaskitchen

Pear & Oatmeal Crumble

Tried this old fashioned Pear and oats crumble today..it’s a very simple dish tasty and an easy recipe to try out in ones kitchen. Left the kitchen smelling with aroma of the spices and the lemony flavoured pear.

Ingredients for the base

Ripe and firm Pear – 1 big one chopped or sliced.

Brown sugar – 1 Table spoon

Cornstarch – 1 table spoon

Lemon – 1 juiced

Nutmeg powder 2-3 pinches

Ginger powder – 2 pinches è

Method:

Preheat oven for 10 minutes on 180 degrees.

In the meantime take a bowl and put the pear bits followed by the cornstarch,brown sugar,nutmeg powder and ginger powder.

Finally add the juiced lime or lemon juice and mix well.

Pour it over a greased baking tray and keep it aside.

For the top layer

Ingredients:

Rolled Oats – 1/2 cup

Flour – 1/4 cup

Butter – 2 table spoons (thawed)

Brown sugar – 2.5 table spoons

Almonds – 1 table spoon cut into bite sized bits.

Walnut – 1 table spoon.

Method:

In a bowl add the thawed butter followed by sugar, flour and rolled oats. Mix lightly with your fingers.

Then add the chopped almonds and walnut

Add a few pinches of nutmeg powder and also ginger powder

And mix well till the butter mixes well into the mixture.

Now transfer this slowly over the pear mixture and press lightly with the spatula.

Bake on 180 degrees Celsius for about 25 minute.

Best enjoyed with chocolate sauce or caramelise pear on the sides.

Vanilla ice cream too goes well with pear crumble.

namithaskitchen