Badam Pista Ice-cream with Gulab Jamun

This is a simple dessert with homemade ice-cream and store bought Gulab Jamun mix.

Ingredients

1 pkt Gulab Jamun mix (I used MTR)

For the ice-cream

2 cups milk

1/2 cup cream

1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (depending on taste)

3-4 tbsp roasted crushed badam pista mix ( I had this previously prepared and stored in an airtight container)

1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch

2-3 tbsp milk powder

2-3 strands of saffron

Method

Mix together milk, milk powder, cornflour and sugar together in a thick bottomed vessel. Use a whisk to mix well to make sure that there are no lumps.

Place this on the stove on low heat stirring constantly. Add the crushed nuts and saffron. Cook on low heat stirring continuously until the mixture has thickened to form a custard.

Cool to room temperature. Once it has cooled down completely, add the cream and blend well in a blender until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Pour this into a freezer safe container and freeze overnight.

Prepare Gulab Jamuns as per instructions on the package and soak in sugar syrup.

To serve:

Add 2 scoops of ice-cream to a serving bowl and top it with hot Gulab Jamun.

Serve immediately.

Shahi Tukda

5-6 slices of sweet bread

Ghee for frying

For sugar syrup

1 Cup sugar

1 Cup water

For Rabri

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup condensed milk

1 tsp cornflour

2 tsp roasted crushed badam - pista

A few strands of saffron

Tutti frutti for garnish

Method

Shahi Tukda is usually made by deep frying bread slices in ghee. But I have tawa fried them.

Prepare the sugar syrup by boiling 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water for 10-15 minutes.

For Rabri : Mix cornflour with 2 tbsp of milk and add it to the rest of the milk. Pour in condensed milk. Stir and cook on low heat. Once it starts to thicken, add the crushed nuts and strands of saffron. Mix well and remove from heat.

Cut the bread slices diagonally into triangle shapes.

Heat ghee on a tawa and fry the bread slices till golden brown.

Dip the fried bread in sugar syrup for a minute. Don't leave the bread slices in the syrup for long. It will become soggy. The bread slices must be crunchy.

Arrange on a plate. Drizzle with the Rabri/thickened milk and garnish with tutti frutti.

Serve hot.

Diwali Special ~ Jangiri

Ingredients

1 cup urad dal
2 tbsp rice
orange food color
Rose essence

sugar & water to prepare the sugar syrup

oil for deep frying

Method

Wash & soak urad dal & rice together for 30-45 mins.

Grind well in a mixie till smooth & fluffy. Try to grind using as little water as possible. If you add more water while grinding, the batter will absorb a lot of oil while being fried.

Transfer the fluffy batter into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt & a few drops of food color. Mix well.

Transfer this batter into a squeezable bottle with a small opening on the top. Squeeze the batter in a coil shape into a wide pan with hot oil.

Cook the batter in the oil on a medium flame making sure to flip & cook both sides.

Meanwhile prepare the sugar syrup by cooking 2 cups of sugar in 1 cup of water till it reaches a one string consistency. Add the rose essence.

Transfer the fried jangiris into the hot sugar syrup. Continue with the rest of the batter.

After the jangiri has absorbed the sugar syrup, remove & set aside on a plate.

Serve hot.

Thattai

Ingredients


1 cup besan (gram flour)

1/4 cup rice flour

1/4 cup all purpose flour (maida)

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp kayam podi (asafoetida)

salt to taste

a few curry leaves (chopped)

1-2 tsp channa dal

Oil for deep frying

Method

Soak the channa dal for 15-20 mins in warm water.

Sieve together besan, rice flour & maida. Add all the other ingredients including the channa dal & knead into a firm dough without using too much water.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Divide the dough into small lime sized balls.

Grease your palm with some oil. Place a ball of dough on the palm of your hand & press into a thin circle.

Carefully slide this into the hot oil & fry on medium heat till both sides are golden brown & crisp.

Remove & drain excess oil on a paper towel.

Store in an airtight container.

Mysore Pak

Ingredients

1 cup Besan (gram flour)
1 1/2 cups Ghee
2 cups sugar

Method

In a thick bottom pan, add 2 cups sugar & 1 cup water. Bring to a boil to make sugar syrup.

In another pan, heat the ghee till it melts completely. Strain the besan well to remove all lumps. Then slowly add the besan to the melted ghee stirring continuously.

Cook the besan (stirring constantly) in the ghee on low heat till the besan is a golden brown color.

Slowly add the sugar syrup to the besan-ghee mixture. Keep stirring all the time.

Cook this mixture till it thickens & leaves the sides of the pan.

Pour it into a greased pan & let it cool completely.

Cut the cooled mysore pak into squares & store in a airtight container.

Happy Diwali 2011

Diwali Special - Jalebi, Mysore Pak, Thattai & Spicy Daimond Cuts

Recipe for Jalebi (click here)

Recipe for Spicy Diamond Cuts (click here)

Recipe for Thattai  &  Mysore Pak will be posted soon.

Medhu Vada

Ingredients

1 cup urad dal
a handful of pearl onions (peeled & finely chopped)
3-4 green chillies
1" piece ginger
a handful of curry leaves
salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method

Soak the dal in water & set aside for 2 hrs.

Finely chop ginger, green chillies & curry leaves along with the onions. You can also use shallots or red onions in place of pearl onions.

After soaking the dal for 2 hrs, grind it to a thick paste using as little water as possible.

Add chopped onions, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves & salt to the paste & mix well.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Take one spoonful of the mixture onto ur greased palm. Shape it into a ball & flatten it a little. Make a small hole in the middle.Carefully slide it into the hot oil. Repeat with the rest of the mixture...frying 4-5 vadas at a time on medium heat till both sides are golden brown.

Enjoy with chutney or sambhar.

Diwali Special - 7 Star*******

Ingredients

1 cup gram flour (besan)
1 cup ghee
3 cups sugar
1 cup grated coconut
1 cup milk

Method

Melt 1 cup ghee in a kadai. Add the besan to ghee & cook for a few mins.

Add the rest of the ingredients, one at a time & mix well.

Cook on medium heat till the mixture thickens & pulls away from the sides of the kadai.

Pour this thickened mixture into a greased pan & cool till it sets completely.

Cut the cooled sweet into ur desired shape & Enjoy!!!

Happy Diwali

More widgets at Widgia.com

Maddhur Vade

Ingredients

1/2 cup all purpose flour (maida)
1/2 rice flour
1 cup fine sooji (rawa)
1 red onion finely chopped
2-3 green chillies chopped
a small bunch of curry leaves & cilantro (finely chopped)
salt to taste
1 tsp hot oil

Oil for deep frying

Method

Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying.

Meanwhile, knead the rest of the ingredients with 1 tsp hot oil to form a firm dough. Divide the dough into lime sized balls.

Place a ball of dough on a plastic sheet, flatten to a thin circle with the help of ur fingers.

Carefully remove the vade from the plastic sheet & gently slide into the hot oil.

Fry till golden brown on both sides. Repeat this with the rest of the dough & drain on a paper towel.

Enjoy with tea.

Navratri Special - Rosogolla

'Nav' means 'nine' and 'ratri' means 'night'. Thus, 'Navratri' means 'nine nights'. There are many legends attached to the conception of Navratri like all Indian festivals. All of them are related to Goddess Shakti (Hindu Mother Goddess) and her various forms. It is one of the most celebrated festivals of Hindu calendar.

The first three days of Navratri are dedicated to Goddess Durga (Warrior Goddess). Her various incarnations - Kumari, Parvati and Kali - are worshipped during these days. They represent the three different classes of womanhood that include the child, the young girl and the mature woman. Next three days are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity) and finally, last three are dedicated to Goddess Saraswati (Goddess Of Knowledge). Sweets are prepared for the celebrations. Children and adults dress up in new bright-colored dresses for the night performances.

In some communities, people undergo rigorous fasts during this season that lasts for the nine days of Navratri. The festival culminates on Mahanavami. On this day, Kanya Puja is performed. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. Their feet are washed as a mark of respect for the Goddess and then they are offered new clothes as gifts by the worshiper. This ritual is performed in most parts of the country. With commercialization, the festival has moved on to be a social festival rather than merely a religious one. However, nothing dampens the spirit of the devout followers of Goddess Durga, as they sing devotional songs and indulge in the celebrations of Navratri, year by year.

As a celebration of Navratri, I decided to celebrate the first day with the preparation of a sweet dish.

Ingredients

1 litre milk
1/2 tsp citric acid
1 tbsp maida (all Purpose flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder

For the sugar syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Method

Boil milk. Add the citric acid & continue to cook till the milk curdles completely.
Strain with a cheesecloth & squeeze out the liquid completely.

Knead this with the maida & baking powder & shape into small balls.

For the sugar syrup: Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water. Boil for 5-10 mins.

Add the cheese balls in the hot syrup. Cover & cook for 15-20 mins. The color of the cheese balls will change & will puff up when cooked.

Turn off heat & cool completely.

Serve warm or chilled.

This recipe is a part of PJ's Seduce ur TasteBuds & Nivedita's Kitchen

Ribbon Pakoda

Ingredients

2 cups gram flour (besan)
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida (kayam/hing)
a small bunch of curry leaves (roughly chopped)
salt to taste
water for the dough

Oil for deep frying

Method

Knead all ingredients (except oil) into a soft firm dough.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Using a murukku press with a disc that has a small straight cut, squeeze the dough directly into the hot oil.
Fry till both sides are golden brown & crisp.Drain on a paper towel.

Serve with tea.

Store remaining ribbon pakoda in an airtight container afer it has cooled to room temperature.
  . 

Butter Murukku

Ingredients

2 cups rice flour
1 cup urad flour
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida or kayam)
salt to taste
1/2 cup warm water
Oil for deep frying

Method

Mix together rice & urad flour. Mix in chilli powder,salt, jeera & hing.

Add the melted butter & knead. When you get a crumbled mixture, add warm water little by little & knead into a firm,soft dough.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Using a murukku maker with a star disc squeeze the murukku onto a greased sheet of aluminium foil or parchment paper.

After 3-4 murukku's prepared, invert one by one onto your hand & carefully slide into the hot oil.

Fry for 2-3mins on each side till golden brown.

Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

This recipe is a part of the Let's Munch Event on Sharmilee's blog 

South Indian Mixture - Crunchy Savory Snack

Ingredients

(For Sev)
2 cups gram flour (kadalamavu / besan)
2 tbsp rice flour
salt & red chilli powder to taste

(For Boondi)
2 cups besan
salt & red chilli powder to taste

(Other ingredients)
1/2 cup pottu kadalai (split gram dal)
1/2 cup peanuts/groundnuts
1 cup aval / poha / flattened rice
2-3 sprigs of curry leaves

Oil for deep frying

Method

Heat oil (for deep frying) in a big pan.

For Sev

Mix together gram flour, rice flour, salt & chilli powder to for a dough. Place the dough into a murukku press with a disc with tiny holes. Squeeze into hot oil in a circular motion. Fry this till it is light golden & drain on a paper towel. Repeat this process with the rest of the dough

 For  Boondi

Mix together gram flour, salt & red chilli powder to make a thick batter. Ladle this batter onto a slotted spoon with tiny holes. Spread it slowly with another spoon so that small balls of batter fall into the hot oil. Fry this till crisp & golden. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Now, fry the peanuts, gram dal , aval & curry leaves separately.

In a wide mouthed bowl, mix the sev, boondi, fried peanuts, gram dal, aval & curry leaves together adding some more salt & chilli powder.

After this mixture cools to room temperature, transfer & store in an airtight container.

Enjoy with tea.

 

This recipe is a part of the Let's Munch Event on Sharmilee's blog