Tag: indian

Dates & Vermicelli Halwa

This is one of my favourite desserts. My family loves it without extra sugar and so I prefer to skip the sugar part and I choose to increase the quantity of dates to get the natural sweetness.

Vermicelli – 1 cup(Roasted using a little ghee)

Hot water – 1 cup.

Dates chopped into long bits – 1/2 cup

Raisins – 1 table spoon

Almonds – 2 slivered

Walnuts – 3 to 4 chopped

Cashew nut bits – 1 spoon

Brown sugar – 1/4 cup

Ghee- – 1/4 cup.(warm)

Cardamom – 3 to 4 pods skinned and powdered.

Take a little ghee in a pan and roast the vermicelli on low heat and keep aside.

Roast the dry fruits in the same pan and keep aside.

Add a cup of hot water to the pan and then add the roasted vermicelli and cook on a closed lid for about 5 minutes.

When it’s done add ghee and the dry fruits. Mix well and lastly mix in the brown sugar and powdered cardamom. Mix well and the halwa is ready.

namithaskitchen

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

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

Wild Jackfruit gojju(Chutney)

The wild jackfruit also known as Paach panas (in Konkani)is a fruit available in the forests mostly in southern parts of India. It’s a sweet sour tasting fruit which has segments like the jackfruit but with smaller segments and seeds which are found in a cluster.inside the poky skin.

The fruit is delicious as is.

The raw fruits are plucked before they ripen and the thorny skin is scraped off and then they are brined in salt water for few months until they soften and are ready to be used to make a variety of chutneys, pickle and other dishes.

It’s nutritious as well as appetising.

Ingredients:

Wild Jackfruit – 1/2 piece of the fruit.

Red chilli – 4-5

Tamarind – pea sized

Garlic – 2 cloves.

Desiccated coconut – 2 table spoons.

Method:

Apply a little oil to the chillies and roast them over the gas flame.

Keep it aside.

Roast the garlic cloves along with the peels.

Now steam the piece of wild jackfruit for about 10 minutes until it is done.

Allow it to come to room temperature.

Now grind the wild jackfruit along with the coconut, tamarind, chillies and garlic cloves to a smooth paste.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and enjoy it with roti or rice.

I love this Chutney with curd and steamed rice and also with porridge.

You may add salt if required as the wild jackfruit is brined.

namithaskitchen

Crispy Bhindi, lady finger or Okra

Bhindi is one versatile veggie loved by all. When cooked in the right manner it tastes awesome.

Today I made some crispy Bhindi on a iron pan.

Ingredients:

Bhindi -10-12 Small ones

Turmeric powder-1/4 spoon

Cumin powder-1 t spoon

Coriander powder- 1 t spoon

Saunf or fennel powder – 1/2

t spoon.

Red chilli powder -3/4 spoon

Asafoetida – 3-4 pinches

Cornflour -1.5 table spoon.

Black salt – 2-3 pinches

Amchur or

dry Mango powder -1/4 spoon.

Oil or liquid ghee-2 table spoons.

Lemon juice -1/2 spoon

Coriander leaves -2 sprigs.

Salt as per taste

Method:

Clean and then wipe the Bhindi till they are dry.

Remove the top and the bottoms ends and then make a slit on one side of each Bhindi.

In a bowl add all the above except Bhindi, coriander leaves and lemon juice.

Mix well and keep aside.

Now fill a little of the above mixture into each Bhindi and keep them aside.

Heat a heavy pan preferably iron pan and add a tablespoon of the oil or ghee and spread it with a silicone brush all over the pan.

Place the stuffed Bhindi’s neatly over the pan and on low flame cook them for about 3 to 5 minsNo slowly turn them or flip them and add the remaining ghee and cook for another 4-5 minuts until they turn crisp.

namithaskitchen