Besan Ladoo

Recipe makes approximately 16 to 20 ladoos

Ingredients:

• Gram flour(Besan) - 1 1/2 cups
• Fine sooji - 2 tbsp
• Ghee or melted butter - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 3/4 cup or according to ur taste
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Add ghee, besan and sooji in a large pan and mix well.
2. Heat the pan and roast the besan until light brown color on a medium flame. Stir continuously to avoid burning.(Do not cook in high flame).
3. When the color changes, you can able to smell the nice aroma. It takes approximately 12 to 15 mins.
4. Remove the pan and let the mixture cools to a warm temperature.
5. While the mixture is warm, add the sugar, cardamom powder and mix well.
6. Take a portion of a mixture on your hand and press between your palms to make a shape of ladoo.
7. Store in a air tight container for about 2 to 3 weeks.

Rava Kesari

Cook time - 30 mins

Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients:

• Coarse rava - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup or as per taste
• Ghee - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Cashewnut - 7 to 8
• Raisins - 7 to 8
• Water - 2 1/2 cups
• Orange food color - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Heat the non-stick pan. Add 1 tsp ghee and fry the cashewnut till golden brown. Add raisins and once it puffs up remove and keep aside.
2. In the same pan, add rava and fry till light brown. Remove from the pan.
3. Add water to the same pan and give it a boil.
4. Once it comes to a rolling boil, add the food color and the rava little by little and continue mixing to avoid lumps.
5. Once the rava absorb all the water and gets cooked, add the cardamom powder and sugar.
6. Add the remaining ghee and mix well.
7. Finally add the roasted cashewnut and raisins.

Aval Payasam/Beaten rice Payasam

Cook time - 1 hr

Serves - 3 to 4
Ingredients:

• Aval/Beaten rice - 3/4 cup
• Whole milk - 2 cups
• Water - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup or according to ur taste
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cashewnuts - 8
• Raisins - 1tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat the vessel and add the ghee. Once it becomes hot, add the cashewnuts and raisins and fry till golden brown. Remove from the pan.
2. In the same pan, add the aval and fry till it becomes reddish brown. Remove it to a plate.
3. Bring the water to boil and add the fried aval. Stir occasionally.
4. Once the aval is cooked completely, add the sugar and the boiled milk and simmer to lower heat till it becomes semi-thick.
5. Add the cardamom powder, roasted cashewnut and raisins.
6. Keep aside for 15 mins and serve.

Tip:

You can also add saffron soaked in warm milk for extra flavor.

Puran Poli(Flat bread stuffed with sweetened lentils)

Ingredients:

Stuffing:

• Chana dhal - 1 cup(soak in water for 2 hrs)
• Jaggery - 1 cup (adjust for sweetness)
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

For the dough:

• Maida - 3/4th cup
• Wheat flour - 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp(optional)
• Salt - a pinch
• Ghee - as required
• or
• Oil

Method:

1. Cook chana dhal in a pressure cooker for 3 whistle by adding 2 cups of water and drain the water completely.
2. Once the dhal is cool down, add jaggery and grind it to a smooth paste.
3. Transfer it to a microwave safe bowl, add cardamom powder and cook it for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring it in between.
4. Set aside the mixture to cool down.
5. Mix flours, salt, turmeric powder water. Make very soft dough. Knead very well. Use oil to knead. Keep it aside for minimum 1 hr.
6. Divide the dough into 10 equal parts.
7. Also, make a ball of dhal mixture and divide into equal parts. Chana dhal balls should be little bigger than the flour balls.
8. With greased palms, take one portion of dough and flatten it into a disc of the size of the palm. Place a ball of "chana jaggery" mixture in the centre and fold the disc from all sides to cover the paste completely.
9. On a plastic wrap, place the ball and press it to make a circular disc of 6 inches diameter. Be very careful while pressing otherwise the mixture may come out.
10. Place the poli on a heated tawa and apply little ghee on both the sides and cook until golden brown on both the sides.
11. Can store in a airtight container for a week.

Note:

You can replace jaggery with sugar but for an authentic taste, use Jaggery.

Sakkarai Pongal/Sweet Pongal

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup (If raw rice is not available, use sona masoori)

Split moong dhal - 1/4 cup

Ghee - 1/4 cup

Jaggery - 1 1/2 cups

Cashewnut - 10 nos

Raisins - 10 nos

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Milk - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Method:

Soak rice and moong dhal for 15 to 20 mins and drain the water.

Roast the cashewnut and raisins in ghee till golden brown

Pressure cook the rice and moong dhal by adding water and milk for 3 whistles.

Melt the jaggery in 1/2 cup and drain to remove the impurities.

Add the melted jaggery to the cooked rice and mix everything well.

Add ghee, cardamom powder, roasted cashewnuts, rasins and mix.

Semiya payasam/Semolina Kheer

Ingredients:

• Semolina/Semiya - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 3 1/2 cups(Preferably whole milk)
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1/4 cup or according to taste
• Cardamon powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cashewnuts - 5 to 6
• Raisins - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Vanilla Extract - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the pan and add ghee. Fry cahewnuts and raisins till golden brown.
2. In the same ghee, fry semolina till golden brown.
3. Add the milk, water and allow it to boil. Stir often to ensure that it doesn't burn at the bottom.
4. Add the semolina and allow it to cook. Add the sugar and stir well.
5. Add cardamon powder, vanilla extract and mix.
6. Garnish with cashewnuts and raisins.
7. Serve hot or cold.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

• Shredded carrots - 2 cups
• Milk - 2 cups
• Ghee or unsalted butter - 4 tbsp
• Sugar - 1/4 cup or to taste
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cashewnuts and raisins - for garnishing

Method:

1. Roast the cashewnuts and raisins in ghee and set aside.
2. Boil the milk in a pan until it is reduced to half of its quantity. Stir often to ensure that its not burn at the bottom.
3. Add ghee to the heated nonstick pan. Add shredded carrot and fry for about 10 mins tills the carrots are tender.
4. Add the boiled milk and cook until the milk dries.
5. Now add the sugar and fry for about 5 mins until the halwa starts to leave the side of the pan.
6. Add cardamom powder and garnish it with roasted cashewnuts and raisins.
7. Can be served hot or cold.