Category: EXPERIMENTAL

Mango Almond Delight

Today I tried out a lovely combination of Mango and almond.

Since both have their lien natural sweetness I just had to blend the flavours to get a beautiful dessert and garnished them with small mango bits and a spoon of soaked chia seeds.

Ingredients:

Mango -1

Almonds -10-12 soaked

Milk powder – 3 tablespoons

Chia seeds – 2 tablespoons

Water -1 cup

Milk -1 cup

Corn flour – 1 spoon.

Method:

With a help of a peeler remove the peels of the mango.

Slice a part of the big chunk into little bits and refrigerate it.

Peel the soaked almonds and grind it to a smooth paste adding the water and the milk powder.

Blend the remaining pieces of mango to a fine paste.

Soak the chia seeds in half a cup of water .

In a pan preferably a nonstick one, add the almond paste and the milk and as it thickens add the cornflower mix d in an ounce water.

As it boils the mixture thickens.

Switch off the gas and allow the mixture to cool.

Take a glass bowl or tall glass and pour the mango purée and then the almond milk mixture spreading it evenly over the mango purée.

Add the mango bits of n the top and garnish with soaked chia seeds.

Refrigerate the bowl or glass for about one hour and enjoy it cold.

namithaskitchen

Green Mung Bean Idli’s

Green gram also known as Mung beans are a powerhouse of nutrients and rich in protein, vitamins and minerals.

The mung beans have been soaked and sprouted which makes it is even more nutritious and easy on the digestive system .

Also the process soaking and sprouting of the Mung beans reduces the anti-nutrients called phytic acid which blocks the absorption of nutrients in our body.

Moreover it’s diabetic friendly and super plant food…

Ingredients:

Idli Rice rava – 1.5 cups

Green Mung – 3/4 cup sprouted

Urad dal – 3/4 cup

Water to grind the batter

Salt as per taste.

Method:

Soak urad dal and green gram separately for 5-6 hours and grind together to a smooth batter.

Wash idli rava and strain the water.

Add the idli rava to the batter and mix well lightly with the ladle.

Add salt on the top and cover the utensil with a lid and allow the batter to ferment overnight.

The batter should be thick and of pouring consistency.

You may add a little water if it’s too thick.

Next day mix the batter well and grease the moulds with some oil and pour the batter into the moulds and steam them for about fifteen minutes in a steamer or in a cooker(without the weight or the whistle)

Enjoy steaming hot idli’s with coconut chutney.

namithaskitchen

Custard Biscuit Relish

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas 🎄 and a Happy and blessed 2023 .
Tried this new dessert today which has no added sugar.
I have used sugar free wheat digestives as a crunchy base for the silky smooth custard topped with fruits and toasted Nuts and raisins.

It’s a simple and easy Peasy recipe. Do try it in your kitchen and enjoy with family.

Ingredients:

Digestive Biscuits – 8-10

Butter – 2 table spoons

Custard powder – 2 table spoons.

Milk – 2 cups

Honey -3 table spoons

Black Grapes – 8-10

Sliced strawberries -4


Dry fruits – Almonds, Cashew and Pista bits (toasted) for garnishing

Method:

Crush the biscuits using a rolling pin and transfer it to a glass container.


Melt the butter and pour it over the biscuit mixture.
With the help of the spatula spread and flatten the mixture in the bowl. Keep it in the freezer for about twenty minutes to set.


In a saucepan heat milk .
Now add a few tea spoons of milk to the custard powder and mix well.
Add it slowly to the hot milk stirring continuously to avoid lumps.

once it thickens put off the flame.
Allow to cool.
Now add the honey and vanilla essence . With the help of a whisk mix well to get a smooth consistency..


Now pour the thickened custard mixture over the set biscuit mixture .



Now garnish the strawberry slices, grapes and tossed nuts and raisins and cover the container with a cling wrap or a foil and refrigerate for another two hours.
Enjoy with family.

namithaskitchen

Fig & Beaten Rice Halwa

Today I tried out a new halwa which has no added sugar. It came out very yummy.unique combination but relished by my family.

Ingredients :

Dry figs – 10 to 12 pieces.

Beaten rice – 1/2 cup.

Almond bits -1 table spoon

Ghee – 3 table spoons

Milk – 1 cup.

Cardamom powder – 1/4 spoon.

Method:

In a pan add a table spoon of ghee and roast the Poha until it turns golden brown. Transfer it to a mixer jar and dry grind it to coarse powder.

Now in the same pan add a table spoon of ghee and add in sliced fig bits.

Now add the roasted Poha and milk and mix well. Add the remaining ghee amd on closed lid and cook for another two minutes.

Put off the flame and garnish with almond bits.The halwa is ready.

namithaskitchen

Kalakand

Kalakand is a milk based sweet which is normally prepared on festive occasions.

It used to be a long process where milk is cooked until it thickens and then the rest of the ingredients get added into it.

The paneer (cottage cheese) too would be home made.

I still prefer to prepare the paneer the previous night. Although generally we put some weight on it to extract all the moisture, when preparing this dish, I avoid doing so to retain the moisture as the end result is a perfect grainy textured Kalakand.

I prefer using milk powder instead of khoya as it saves time and tastes the same while cutting the entire process much shorter as making khoya from scratch is a long process.

You may increase the amount of sugar as per your preference.

Ingredients:

Paneer/cottage cheese – 1 cup grated

Milk Powder – 1 cup

Ghee – 2 table spoons

Brown Sugar – 5 table spoons

Almond slivers – 1 table spoon

Pistachio flakes – 1 table spoon

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Milk – 1 cup

Method:

In a heavy bottomed pan, preferably a non stick or ceramic pan, add milk and boil it – stirring occasionally until it thickens and reduces in quantity. This may take about 10-15 minutes.

Add in the grated Paneer and milk powder, mix well so that any lumps that may form disintegrate. Keep sautéing until you get a grainy texture.

Now add ghee followed by the brown sugar and cardamom until the mixture begins to form a ball leaving the sides of the pan.

Grease a small baking dish with some butter and transfer the mixture into the dish.

This may take about 12 – 15 minutes.

Garnish with pistachios and almond slivers

Pat it with the back of a ladle or a turner to smoothen the top and allow it to cool.

Once warm (no longer hot), cut them into square bits and enjoy.

namithaskitchen

Mango Rasam

My family loves rasam and I try to incorporate a variety of tangy fruits in dal to prepare a sweet sour rasam which goes well with rice. Just adding a handful of dal enhances the taste.

The flavour of slightly ripened mango gives it the tangy flavour which is appetising leaving you wanting for another helping.

Mango Rasam

Ingredients:

Mango (slightly ripened & grated) – 1/2 bowl.

Hot water – 2 cups.

Green chillies slit – 1

Jaggery – 1/4 spoon

Coriander leaves – 2 stems.

Cumin powder – 1/2 spoon.

Fruit Chat Masala – 1/4 spoon.

Black salt – As per taste.

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon.

Amchur powder(raw Mango Powder)- 1/4 spoon.

Rasam powder – 1/4 spoon.

Method:

In a pot add the grated mango, slit green chilli, black salt and jaggery.

Add in the hot water and give a boil.

Now take a tempering pan and heat the coconut oil and add in the cumin seeds, curry leaves,rasam powder, amchur powder (Raw Mango Powder)and the fruit chat masala.

Mix well and pour over the hot boiled mixture.

Garnish with coriander leaves and the Mango rasam is ready to relish.

namithaskitchen