Apple smoothie

Ingredients:
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• Apple                            -     2
• Dates                             -     2
• Cashews                        -     2
• Honey                           -     according to taste
• Milk                              -     2 cups

Method:
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• Soak dates and cashews in little warm milk for half an hour.
• Peel off the apple's skin and chop into small slices.
• Blend the apple pieces along with dates,cashews and milk.
• Add honey as per your taste.
• Serve chilled.

Bhoondhi Laddoo

Laddoo is always a favorite among kids and any adult who loves sweets.These yummy laddoos are made by my sister Priya. Here is the recipe for all of you to try it at home!

Ingredients:
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Batter:
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Besan                             -                      2 cups
Water                             -                      700 ml( to make the batter)
Rice flour                       -                      2 tsp
Baking soda                   -                      a pinch

• Mix besan,rice flour & baking soda in a wide bowl .
• Sieve the mixture.
• Add water and mix well into a smooth batter without any lumps.
• The consistency of the batter should be like that of dosa batter.

Bhoondhi and Sugar Syrup:
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The process of preparing the sugar syrup and bhoondhi should happen in parallel. So clear your counter space and start making these two side by side.

Sugar Syrup
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Sugar                                   -                     3 cups
Water                                   -                     3/4 cup ( to make the sugar syrup)
Saffaron                               -                     4 threads
Elachi/cardamom powder      -                     1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp

• Add the sugar and water in a kadai on a medium low flame.
• Allow it to boil, stirring occasionally.(In parallel, prepare the bhoondis as shown below)

• As soon as you get a single thread consistency, switch off the flame.
• Add saffaron and cardamom powder to the sugar syrup. Mix well.
• Add a pinch of edible food colour.(orange / yellow)

     

Bhoondi
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Besan Batter

Bhoondhi maker -  shown in the pic on the right
Oil                     - for frying

Method
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• Heat the oil in a kadai on a medium low flame.
• When its hot enough ,( drop a pinch of batter and see if it rises up) pour little batter into the boondhi maker .

• Hold the boondhi maker at 2-3 inches above the oil.
• Gently tap with only your fingers so that round bhoondhis drop into the oil.(If you apply more force when tapping, then tails may form in bhoondhis)

• The end point to take out the bhoondhis:  
• The bhoondhis should not be crisp.
• If you press a bhoondhi, it has to bounce back to its shape and be soggy.
• At this point, drain the oil, take out the boondhis and put in a tissue paper.
• Repeat the steps for  rest of the batter in batches (Do not forget to look at the sugar syrup every now and then:))

Binding the laddoos:

• Do not cool down the bhoondhi to room temperature.
• Once you are done with frying the bhoondis, empty them into the sugar syrup.
• Mix well and rest it for 10 to 15 min.
• The sugar syrup that was just above the bhoondis will be absorbed by the bhoondi and will puff up slightly.

Garnishing

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Cashews - 10

Sliced Almonds - 8 ( optional)

Edible camphor  - a pinch

Kalkandu / Diamond sugar - 10

Grambu/ Clove       - 4

Ghee                      -  2tbsp

• Meanwhile fry the nuts( almonds and cashews) and raisins in ghee.
• Crush the camphor coarsely.
• Add the above to the soaked bhoondis along with the cloves and kalkandu.
• When it is warm , apply little ghee on your palms and start binding the bhoondhis into small balls.
• Dip your hands in a bowl of water when you feel it is very hot.

Yummy & Fresh laddoos are ready to serve!!

Kuruvi payasam ( coconut rice kheer)

Geetha (my mother in law)

Kuruvi payasam is a sweet that is easy and quick to make. I learnt this recipe from my mother-in-law, who makes a lot of interesting and easy dishes.

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
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Raw rice / pacha arisi          -           2 tbsp ( Wash and soak the rice in water for 15 min)
Shredded coconut              -           1/2 cup
Jaggery                               -          150 grams(  you can add more or less according to your taste)
Ghee                                   -          1 tbsp
Cashewnuts                         -          6

Method:
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• Drain excess water from the soaked rice.
• Grind the soaked rice and coconut in a mixer. (Kuruvi in tamil means 'sparrow'.  Since the rice is ground even a sparrow can enjoy this payasam.  Hence the name...)  Initially pulse once or twice in the mixer and add water little by little, grinding into a fine coarse paste.
• Put the jaggery in a kadai. Add water just to cover it and cook on a medium flame.
• Keep stirring. Once the jaggery is melted, strain it to remove the dirt.
• Dilute the ground rice-coconut paste with 2 cups of water.
• Cook on a medium flame stirring continuously.
• Add water if it thickens too much.The consistency should be as shown in the picture below.

• Once the mixture is cooked(this will take about 5 to 10 min) , add the jaggery solution and keep mixing for another 10 min.

• The consistency should be thick and flowing freely at the same time as shown.

Roast cashews in ghee and garnish the payasam. Enjoy the yummy payasam.

Homemade cookies

This recipe makes 60 medium sized cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1000 g flour (All Purpose flour)
• 600 g butter (at room temperature)
• 1 egg
• 300 g icing sugar(cookies can not be done with regular sugar as it will not melt)
• 1 tsp of vanilla sugar or a few drops of vanilla extract.
• 1 tsp crushed Anise seeds
Cookie sheet/ butter paper - for rolling

Method:

1. Sieve the flour and put in a wide bowl.
2. Whisk the egg,vanilla essence and crushed anise seeds in a seperate bowl and set aside.
3. Gradually add the butter and sugar to the flour.
4. Just mix the flour,butter and sugar.(Do not make a dough.Just blend together)
5. Keep blending the flour while adding the whisked egg and essence mixture.
6. The consistency of the dough should be like a chapati/roti dough.
7. Wrap it tightly with a cling wrap and keep it in the fridge for an hour.
8. Take out the dough and set side for 15 min at room temperature.
9. Take small portions of the dough and make round balls of diameter 4 cm.
10.Place a Cookie sheet on any flat surface and roll the dough keeping a cookie sheet on top of the dough as well.(This ensures that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin).

9. The dough should not be rolled very thin. The thickness should be 2 to 3mm.
10. Cut the dough using the cookie moulders.
11. Bake it at 380 F for 7 mins..(End point : Golden brown colour and little dry on top).
12. Cool it to room temperature and store in air tight containers.

Tips:
1. Place the cookie sheet from the edge of the counter space so that you can hold it tight with your body as you roll.This ensures that the dough does not move while rolling.

Variations:

1. Use different shapes to make it attractive for kids.
2. Jamz cookie:

Make pairs of round cookies(one with a small hole -1 cm dia) in the center and another without hole.
Spread any jam on the cookie without hole and cover it with a cookie with hole.

Yummy Jamz cookie is ready.

Enjoy the Homemade cookie.

kashi Halwa

Kashi Halwa is this wonderful dessert that is also a standard feature in Kannada wedding feasts.It is mostly served with Idli and Pongal for breakfast and its very easy to prepare in 20 min.But otherwise it is a mostly made as offerings for gods during festivals and special occasions.

To prepare this halwa,we need ash gourd which is mature.It has to be very firm and not spongy.

This recipes serves 2 for one time

========================

Ingredients

=========

• Ash gourd (grated and squeezed completely) - 2 cups(Do not throw away the water .You can use it as a stock. )
• Milk - 3/4 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Cashews & raisins - 7 each
• Edible colour - a pinch

Method:

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• Wash the ash gourd,remove the seeds and skin.Grate it and squeeze out the water.
• 
  
• Add milk to the grated ash gourd and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
• 
  
• Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a non stick pan and add the cooked ash gourd.Mix a pinch of colour in 3 tsp of milk and add into the pan.
• Saute till the excess milk evaporates and then add sugar.
• 
  
• Keep mixing till the sugar is totally absorbed by the melon and it starts to leave the sides of the pan.
• Add 3 tsp of ghee and saute till its absorbed by the halwa.(Do not allow to thicken so much...as the halwa thickens with time).
• Garnish with roasted cashews and raisins.

Serve hot.

Carrot / gajar ka halwa

Ingredients:

=========

• Carrot - 1 kg
• Sugar - 1: 3/4( Grated carrot 1 cup : Sugar 3/4 cup)
• Ghee - 2 laddles.(5 tbsp)
• Cardamom(Elaichi Pwd)- 1 1/2 tsp
• Milk - 500 ml
• Cashew nuts or sliced almonds
• Raisins- few

Method:

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• Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai,preferably a non-stick.
• Add the grated carrots and saute for 10 to 12 min till the raw smell goes off.
• 
  
• Add milk so that it just immerses the carrots.Mix well and cook for another 10 min .
• 
• The carrots would have cooked well.Now add the sugar.
• 
• Mix well as the sugar melts and keep stirring till it thickens slightly.
• 
  
• At this point,add elachi,saffaron and 3 to 4 tsp ghee.
• Keep mixing till it thickens without liquid and slips away from the sides.
• Switch off .Add ghee in a tadka pan and roast the cashews and raisins.
• Garnish the halwa with roasted dry fruits and serve hot / chilled.

Seethaphal /custard apple milkshake

This recipe serves 7 to 8 .

Ingredients:

=========

• Custard apple - 6
• Milk - 1 to 1.5 cups
• Honey - as per taste
• Dry fruits - fig, roasted cashews , raisins

Method:

=======

• Wash the custard apple and cut into half.
• Scoop the inner part with a spoon and remove the black seeds.
• 
  
• Add honey to the scooped contents and mix well.
• 
  
• Transfer the contents into a mixie jar .
• Ad milk and blend well.
• Garnish with dry fruits and serve chilled.

Badam Burfi

This recipe can make about 50 pieces.

Ingredients:

==========

• Badam /Almonds - 3 cups
• Refined Sugar - 4 and half cups
• 
  
• ----> For every cup of badam, add one and half cups of sugar.
• 
  
• Ghee - 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup
• Milk - 1/4 cup(just to grind badam)
• Saffaron - a pinch(optional)
• Edible Colour - a pinch dissolved in 2 tsp of water
• elachi powder - 1 tsp

Use colour only if you are not getting saffaron. Because adding saffaron will give a natural colour to the burfi.

Method:

==========

• Grease a plate with ghee
• Boil water and soak badam in hot water for an hour.
• Drain the water and peel off the skin of badam.
• 
  
• Add the badams into a blender.Add little milk and grind into a very coarse paste.
• Adjust the quality of milk if needed.
• 
  
• Heat a non stick saucepan and add 2 tbsp of ghee.
• 
  
• 
• On a low flame,add the ground paste and saute for 5 min without break.
• Now add the sugar and keep stirring.
• The sugar will melt and blend with the badam paste.Add the colour solution/saffaron at this point.
• Do not stop stirring even for a min as the badam will get burnt quickly.
• 
  
• At a point when the paste starts to thicken,add elachi powder and little ghee and continue stirring.
• 
  
• When the ghee is absorbed fully,add little more ghee.
• Do not add ghee in one shot .Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of ghee in 2 to 4 steps and continue to stir.
• At a point when the paste does not stick to the pan and the bottom of pan could be seen,switch off the flame.
• 
  
• Immediately pour it over the greased plate and spread with a laddle.
• 
  
• Allow it to cool under the fan.
• After 5 min,when its still medium hot ,cut into diamond shapes using a knife(first draw horizontal lines and then diagonal lines)
• After an hour,tilt the plate on a flat surface so that the burfi slides off the plate.
• Separate the pieces and store in an air tight container.

Enjoy the rich yummy homemade badam burfi!!!

Note:

====

1)Do not stop stirring even for a min.