GAJAR KA HALWA

One of the most popular Indian desserts, here's for you the 'Gajar ka Halwa' recipe.

Preparation time 30 mins

Serves -3- 4

INGREDIENTS

Carrots 2 (finely grated)

Ghee 2 tbl sp

Milk 1 ½ cup

Sugar ½ cup

Condensed milk 2 tbl sp

Cardamoms 2-3

Cashew nuts 1tbl sp

a pinch of saffron strands/kesar

Almond flakes 1 tbl sp

METHOD

STEP 1: Peal and grate carrot, keep aside.

STEP 2: Take pan pour milk, bring it to boil and add all the grated carrot. Stir the grated carrots and milk. Cook this mixture on a low to medium flame until the milk completely observed by the carrots. Set aside.

STEP 3: Take another pan, add ghee, cardamoms and cashew nuts, sauté for few seconds. Add 1 cup of water and saffron strings, bring it to boil then add sugar. Keep on stirring until the sugar is well caramelized and syrup should reduce by 50%. 

STEP 4: Then u add the cooked grated carrots to this syrup, mix well and finally add condensed milk.

STEP 5: continue to stir and simmer till the whole mixture becomes dry. The condensed milk should evaporate completely. Don’t make it too dry, some moisture is also fine in the halwa. 

STEP 6: Garnish it with some almond flakes, serve warm.  

 

MANGO CAKE WITH MANGO ICING

Mangoes are in season again! What better way to celebrate this season..so thought of posting very special recipe …yes I am talking about a moist vanilla cake drenched with delicious mango icing.

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

1 ¼ self raising flour

1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

½ cup butter

1 cup Sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3-4 drops of mango extract

2 tbl sp milk

For icing:

250 ml full fat cream

¾ cup mangos puree (Dice and then puree 1 mango in food processor or blender until smooth)

2 tbl spn powdered sugar

¾ tsp of mango essence

1 tbl sp butter

For garnishing:

Mango slices

Sugar syrup

METHOD

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and your baking pan with butter and sprinkle some flour.

STEP 2: Sift the self-rising flour and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the unsalted butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract.

STEP 3: Gently beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Now add milk to it. Beat until well combined.

STEP 4: Transfer to prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

STEP 5: Allow cooling down, for about 15 mins.

STEP 6: STEP 5: To make the icing;

Beat the cream in a chilled bowl with an electric mixer set on Low speed, until the cream begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar, butter and mango essence. Finally add the mango pulp. Increase the mixer speed to High, and beat until the icing forms soft peaks, about 5-7 minutes. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

STEP 7: Place one cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread about 1/2 cup of mango cream. Put second cake on top then frost the whole cake with the remaining mango cream. Arrange mango slices/balls as desired. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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KADDU KI KHEER(BOTTLE GOURD DESSERT)

Kaddu Ki Kheer is a traditional Indian sweet .Kaddu ki kheer is a simple recipe made with grated bottle gourd, ghee, cardamoms and few other ingredients. Lets move on with our traditional kaddu ki kheer recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Milk 500 ml

Roughly grinded rice 2 tsp

Ghee 2 tbl sp

Cardamoms 2-3

Sugar 3tbl sp (add more if needed)

Bottle gourd grated 1cup

Saffron 1 pinch

METHOD

STEP 1: Grind the basmati rice roughly then wash it and soak for ½ an hour

STEP 2: Heat ghee in a pan, add crushed cardamoms. Saute for few seconds.

STEP 3: Add milk to the ghee and let it boil.

STEP 4: Now add the rice to it and let it cook well.

STEP 5: Add the grated bottle gourd (do not use the center portion of the bottle gourd)let it cook for few minutes.

STEP 6: After the kaddu and rice if well cooked, add sugar and some saffron strings to it .Stir it well and turn of the flame. Set aside in a room temperature, after sometime refrigerate it and before serving garnish it with roasted almonds and saffron strings.

HARIRAH

HARIRAH (almond flavored drink)

Harirah is an exotic almond and cardamom flavored drink. It is a highly nutritious and very tasty appetizer. It is an ideal drink for growing kids. It is very simple to make with very easily available ingredients. So lets proceed with our recipe. 

Cooking time 20 mins

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS

Milk 2 glass (full fat)

Ghee 1 tsp

Cardamom 2

Sugar Sweeten to taste

Almonds ½ cup (soaked for 5 hours)

Sweet melon seeds 1 tblsp soaked for 2-3 hours (kharbuje ke beenj)

Saffron 1 pinch

METHOD

STEP 1: Soak the almonds for 5- 6 hour. The longer the almonds soak, the creamier the almond milk.  Drain the almonds from their soaking water .Remove its skin. Place the almonds in the blender then blend continuously for two minute until becomes a fine paste.

STEP 2: Place the melon seeds in a blender add ½ cup of water. Blend them for 2 minutes. Pour the seeds mixture into the strainer. 

Press all the seed milk from the melon seed meal.  Squeeze and press with clean hands to extract as much seed milk as possible.

STEP 3: Heat ghee a sauce pan add crushed cardamom saute for a min. Then add milk, set it on a low flame for boiling.

STEP 4: When the milk starts boiling add almond paste, melon seed paste and sugar. Taste the almond milk, and if a sweeter drink is desired, add sugar to taste. Cook until the raw smell is gone (it take about 3-4 mins). Now your harirah is ready to serve. Pour it to a glass garnish it with sugar and saffron strings.