Badam Halwa!

Badam Halwa!

Ingredients

Badam (Almonds) - 2 cups
Milk – 2 cups
Sugar – 2 cups (you can add more if you have a sweet tooth!)
Ghee – 2 cups
Saffron Strands – a pinch
Fresh cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Method

1. Boil Almonds for a few minutes until the skins are wrinkled. Immerse them in cold water. Remove the skins and discard.
2. Grind Almonds and milk together into a paste. You can stop just short of making a very fine paste – smooth as say idli batter.3. Take a heavy bottomed vessel and heat ½ cup ghee on a low flame.
4. When the ghee has melted, add the badam and milk mixture. Stir well and begin cooking. Keep the flame in low through-out the preparation. As the mixture cooks, it will thicken.

5. Now add the sugar and one cup of ghee and stir and continue cooking. Be very careful not to burn the bottom, as even a slight browning can spoil the taste of badam halwa.
6. You will soon see small eruptions on the surface. This is what I call ‘volcanos and dimples stage’ and its real fun to see it happen!! Be very careful as this is really hot, and can burn your skin. Keep stirring to prevent burning!
7. The ‘volcanoes and dimples’ will subside, and the ghee will start separating from the halwa as the mixture cooks.
8. Now add the saffron, cardamom powder and the remaining ghee and continue stirring.The saffron will provide a lovely colour to the badam halwa. I don’t like adding colour to my cooking – else a drop of yellow food colour can make this ‘hotel style’!

Paneer Jamun

Paneer Jamun!

 

Ingredients

 Paneer - 50 gms

 Maida - 100 gms

 Sugar - 200 gms

 Bit of baking soda

 Bit of cardamom powder

 Oil to fry

Mix the paneer, soda, flour and maida well to a smooth dough. Make balls of it and fry in medium heat till golden brown.

Make a sticky sugar syrup with 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water. Add the cardamom powder to it and when ready add the fried balls in it. Allow it to soak for atleast 1/2 hour.

Paneer gulab jamun ready to eat..

You can try it when milk gets curdled- just add 1 tsp lemon juice and boil for five minutes. Strain out the water using a muslin cloth and paneer is ready for use.

Badam Mysore Pak!

Badam Mysore Pak!

Ingredients:
Almonds – 4 tbsp
Sugar – 200 gms

Bengal Gram Flour – 100 gms

Ghee – 200 gms

Method:
1. Grind the soaked and peeled almonds to powder.
2. Place a pan over moderate flame.
3. Add 1/2 cup of water and sugar.
4. Stir till the sugar has dissolved  has reached a one string consistency.
5. Add the badam powder and mix well.
6. Gradually add the gram flour and mix well.
7. Now gently add the ghee and cook till it starts to leave the sides of the pan.
8. Transfer to a greased plate and allow it to cool.
9. Cut into slices and serve.

carrot paneer ladoo!

Carrot Paneer ladoo

Ingredients:
grated Carrot – 1 cup
grated Paneer – 1/2 cup
Sugar – 1 cup
Cardamom Powder – a pinch
Cashewnuts – few, fried in ghee
Raisins – few, fried in ghee
Ghee – 4 tsp

Method:
1. Heat ghee in a pan.
2. Add the grated carrot and saute for a minute or two.
3. Add sugar and stir well.
4. Squeeze out the excess water from the paneer and add to the pan.
5. Mix well.
6. Add cardamom powder, cashewnuts, raisins and stir.
7. Remove from flame and make small laddus of the mixture.
8. Place them on a plate to cool.
9. This laddu stays good for 2 to 3 days.

happy saraswathi puja!

           we celebrate sarawathi puja on the ninth day of navrathri festival. This pooja gives us sacred knowledge to overcome all the difficulties of life and bestow us peace of mind and success. i remember as a student i took it seriously and i made it a point to place books of subjects which was tough for me. I thought that was the way of ensuring success in these subjects. but it did not help, i had to study!
        Today , i placed books of chechu and aadhu on the altar and worshipped the goddess to get blessings on this day.
      My heartiest wishes to all of u on this auspicious day of saraswathi puja!

                             

Happy diwali!

                                         

A very happy and prosperous diwali to all my blog readers.
         
        This festival of lights will be incomplete without good spread of  sweets and snacks. The very thought of diwali, reminds me of my childhood days. This diwali will not be the same as the one I celebrated as a kid with my cousins at our native village. I miss it. But i never miss the goodies prepared by my pedatha every diwali. It is always a special gift for me than any other gift i recieve from my friends and relatives on diwali. though i dont prepare much sweets for diwali, i have tried few sweets this diwali. preparing sweets on diwali gives me a special satisfaction.
                                                 
                                                   goodies from my pedatta!

navratri golu!

       It is always a pleasure for me to visit a golu home. It is a great way to socialize as lot of people visit golu. we get to meet lot of friends. This year chechu's music teacher lakshmi aunty invited me for her golu at home. chechu and aadhu were very excited to see the displayed dolls in five steps. Though we didn't have the custom of navratri golu at our home. i like to visit golu of my friends and neighbours. The important ritual in navratri is exchanging of thamboolam(turmeric,kumkum,betel leaf and nuts, coconut and gifts too). we were offered prasadam from mam. peanut sundal was kept as neivedhyam which was offered to all of us.