Mawa Malpua

It’s Holi the festival of colour and I wanted to make something new. Malpua was a holi desert I thought of making but my only concern was the taste of sauf / fennel seeds, which my kids may not accept. While hunting for recipes, I saw a mention of mawa malpua. It’s a Rajasthan sweet which is made of khoya/ mawa. Khoya is a form of dried whole milk.

I have adapted Nisha Madhulika’s recipe. The end result was wow feeling and a simple mouth water desert.

Do try it and put in your comments.

Ingredients

Milk – 2 cups

Mawa or Khoya - 1 cup grated

Maida – 1 cup

Sugar – 1 ½ cup

Kesar/ saffron strands – 10 pieces.

Ghee - to fry.

Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Almond – 20

Water – ¾ cup

Method

1.     Heat the milk to luke warm

2.     Take the grated khoya in a bowl and to this add little by little the milk and mix well till there is no lump.

3.     To this add the entire milk and maida to make a batter.  Mix it well. And keep it to settle.

4.     In the meantime prepare the syrup by boiling ¾ cup of water with sugar. After the sugar melts, let it boil for 5 more min. ( the syrup should to sticky and watery, so no need to do the string test).

5.     Now to this add the cardamom powder and kesar.

6.     Now heat ghee in a broad pan. The heat should be on low flame or the malpua will burn.

7.     Pour 1 tbsp of the malpua batter into the ghee to make small round shape pancakes.

8.     Let it cook till it turns light brown in colour from one side and them turn to cook the other side.

9.     Now take them out from the ghee onto a soaking paper that would soak the excess ghee.

10.                        Dip this malpua into the sugar syrup for 5 to 10 min, then remove and arrange it on the plate.

11.                        Garnish it with the almonds. 

Eggy Muggy (Toddler Special)

I got this recipe from a colleague of mine when my little one was 15 months old and my elder son was 9 yrs.  There was no name for this recipe, so my sons christened it as Eggy Muggy. Both my kids like it even today when they 6 and 13 years old.   Whenever my elder son feels like eating something sweet they team up and make it together, so it’s that simple.

Ingredients

Egg - 1

Milk powder  - 4 tsp ( you can use children milk powder (lactogen) also)

Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 to 2 tsp

Nutmeg power – 1 pinch ( optional while make for toddlers )

Or Vanilla essence – ½ tsp  ( don’t add it while make for  toddlers)

Method

1.     Beat milk powder and egg nicely till it becomes a thick paste and all the milk powder dissolves.

2.     Boil the milk with the sugar. 

3.     When the milk starts boiling, low the flame.

4.     Now start pouring the egg mixture slowing without steering ( spoon by spoon).

5.     If you adding nutmeg powder or vanillas essence, this is the time. 

6.     Let it cook for 2 mins (it takes a curdle form ).

7.     Stir it well and it is ready to eat. 

8.     It can be eaten warm or cold. 

Balushahi

Balushahi is a sweet dish which we got to relish very rarely during Diwali.  I liked the soft and flakey ones.  And always thought it was very difficult to make. But believe me it is one of the easiest sweet to make, if you know to how the dough should be knead.  Now days, I make it regularly and try to make variations with flavors.

So please try making it!

Ingredients

For Balushahi

Maida – 1½ cup

Baking soda / meeta soda – ¼ tsp

Ghee / clarified butter – 6tbsp

Curd – 4tbsp

Salt a pinch

Ghee /oil to deep fry

  

For sugar syrup

Sugar - 2 cups

Water - 1 cup

Cardamom powder

 Method

For Syrup

1.      In a sauce pan add water and sugar and bring it to boil over medium heat.

2.      Let it simmer until the syrup is almost one thread.

3.      Add cardamom and mix.

4.      Set aside and let it be warm.

For Balushahi

1.      In a bowl mix the flour and baking soda ( best is to swift it together).

2.      To this add the ghee and mix it with your finger till it has a crumby texture.

3.      Now add the yogurt and mix into a dough (do not knead it into soft dough).

4.      Cover the dough and let it sit for about an hour.

5.      Knead it twice or thrice. (Not more than that).

6.      Divide the dough in lemon size portions ( about 12 balls)

7.      Roll in your palm to make small ball (Balls should not be  very smooth and should have cracks all       around).

8.      Flatten in by pressing it between you palms and make a deep dent in the center.

9.      Heat the oil in a fry pan  (don’t over heat it, let it be on medium heat throughout the frying                   process).

10.  Now fry the prepared balushahi in batches of 5.  Don’t over crowd it.  Fry it slowly till both the           sides are golden brown.  It would take about 10 min to get this done. If you do it in high flame,         the inside of the balushahi will not get cooked properly.

11.  Take it out and place in on paper towel to let the extra oil get absorbed.

12.  Now dip the fried balushai in the sugar syrup, let it coat all through and remove it. (Don’t leave           them in the syrup)

13.  Garnish them with pistachios.

Strawberry with Whipped Cream

Ingredients

Whipping cream – ½ cup

Fresh Strawberry – 1 cup

Strawberry crush – 4 tbsp

 Method

1.      Use cold liquid whipping cream. ( note : don’t use whipping cream immediately from the freezer, it should be cold and liquid. 

2.      Whip it, till it is 3 times the quantity with an electric beater (about 10-15 min), don’t make it very stiff.

3.      Cut the strawberry into small pieces. ( I like it very small, it’s you choice).

4.      Mix the whipped cream and the cut strawberry.

5.      Take a big glass; pour half a tbsp. of strawberry crush from the side by tilting the glass.

6.      To this add the whipped cream mixture.

7.       Now pour the remaining ½ tbsp. of strawberry crush on top of the cream mixture.

8.      Decorate it with a whole strawberry.

9.      You can repeat it for 3 more glass.  

Serve it cold. Kids love this. 

Palada Payasam

An easy payasam made during onam or any other special occasion.  It is easy but different.  The adai is made of rice flour.  It is readily available in any of the Kerala stores.

 Adai

 

Ingredients

Small ready made Adda – 1 cup

Milk – 1 liter
Sugar – ¾ cup
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Raisins – 1 tbsp
Cashew nut - 1 tbsp
Clarified butter / Ghee – to fry (about 2 tbsp)

Method

1.      Heat the ghee in a pan, toss in the raisins and fry for few seconds till the raisins swells, remove them into a plate, next fry the cashew nut till it is about to become brown, remove this into the plate and keep it aside.

2.      Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan, lower the flame and add the adai.  Keep steering this continuously so that the adai does not stick at the bottom.

3.      Cook till the adai are soft, about 20 min.  This milk will thicken and a little.

4.      Now and the sugar and stir till it melts.

5.      Switch of the heat. Then add the cardamom powder and the fried cashew nut and raisins.  Mix well.

6.      You can serve it when it is hot.  But prefer all payasams when it becomes cold or a day older is better.
 

Caramel Popcorn

I love caramel popcorn, and wait for movie trips to the malls, so that I can buy a big packet of hot caramel popcorn. So finally after lots of internet surfing, I try this at home and it turned out lip-smacking. So no more waiting for movie trips.  

Ingredients

Unpoped dried corns – ½ cup

Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp

Butter – 50 gm ( ½ cup)

Packed brown sugar – 1 tsp

Corn syrup – ¼ cup

Baking soda – ¼ tsp

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Method

To make the pop corn

1.      Heat a big pan which has a lid.  Add oil and the corn to it.  Cover the lid.

2.      In 5 min the corn kernels will start popping. Keep shaking the pan with the lid on it.

3.      When the popping stop, immediately transfer the popcorn to the heat proof bowl and let it cool.

4.      Spread the popcorn in to baking sheet and keep it ready

Note: From this point you have to be quick and alert

To make the caramel popcorn

5.      Heat a heavy bottom pan and add the butter, sugar and corn syrup.

6.      Bring it to boil and bring the heat to medium.

7.      Let it boil for 3 min with continuous steering, don’t let the syrup burn.

8.      Immediately add the baking soda and vanilla essence.  Mix it thoroughly.  ( the mixture will fuzz up due to the reaction of the baking soda).

9.      Add the syrup to the ready popcorn and mix nicely so that the caramel gets coated on the corn.

10.  Now bake the caramel corn for 15 min at 120⁰C ( don’t let it burn).

11.  Cool it and serve it. 

Shahi Tukda

Today on the special occasion of “Id” my kids wanted something special and different.  I had never tried shahi tukda before thinking that it was very difficult. But it was really simple and fast. Though it’s very rich and heavy on the stomach.  It’s also called Double ka meeta.  

Ingredients

For Rabdi

Milk – 1 ltrs (preferred whole milk or full fat milk)

Sugar – 1tbsp

Cardamom powder – ½ tsp 

For Sugar Syrup

Sugar – 1 cup

Water – ½ cup

Few strands for saffron

For Tukdas

White bread – 10 slices

Ghee – to fry (approx. a cup)

For Garnishing

Dry fruits like almonds, kismis, charongi

 Method

To prepare the Rabdi

1.      In a heavy bottom pan, boil the milk.

2.      Heat the milk till the quantity half or thicken ( approx. half an hour).

3.      It is very important to keep stirring in between, especially when the thick layer of cream is formed on top.

4.      Now add the sugar and cardamom powder, cook for 1 more min.

5.      Let it cool.

To prepare the Sugar Syrup

6.      In a pan heat sugar a water till the sugar melts and thickens ( about 15 min).

7.      Now add the saffron strand and heat for a min.

To prepare the Tukda

8.      Remove the crust of the bread slices and cut to triangle half’s.

9.      Heat the ghee in a deep pan and deep fry the bread triangle till golden brown.

10.  Remove and keep it aside.

To prepare the Rabdi

11.  In a heavy bottom pan, boil the milk.

12.  Heat the milk till the quantity half or thicken ( approx. half an hour).

13.  It is very important to keep stirring in between, especially when the thick layer of cream is formed on top.

14.  Now add the sugar and cardamom powder, cook for 1 more min.

15.  Let it cool.

To assemble

16.  Dip the fried bread in the sugar syrup one by one, remove the excess syrup and place it on the serving plate.

17.  Now pour the cold rabdi on top of it.

1    18. Garnish it with dry fruits

Coconut Khoya Laddoo

This is a simple laddoo which can be made fast. As it has khoya in it, this laddoo can’t be stored for a long period.

Try make it, and enjoy.

Ingredient

Coconut powder – 1 ½ cups

Sugar powder – ¾ cup

Grated Khoya – 1 cup

Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Raisins to decorate

Method

1.      Heat the ghee in a heavy bottom pan.

2.      Lower the heat and add the coconut powder and mix for few second ( don’t let it burn ).

3.      The add the grated khoya (it has to be grated or it will not melt evenly) mix it nicely and let it cook for a minute.

4.      Switch of the heat and add the sugar and cardamom powder. Mix it thoroughly.

5.      Let this mixture cool completely, for about half an hour to one.

6.      Now with you palms make small lemon size laddoos.

7.      Decorate it with on raisin.

8.      Store it in a container and keep it in a refrigerator. 

Karanji

This is one sweet which is very handy for me.  Any festival or occasion at home, karanji’s are sure to be there. May be this is one of the first sweets I learnt from my mother. Or maybe I always liked making karanji’s and helped roll lots of karanji when I was young.

Anyway,  the fact is it is not that complicated as it looks.  And it is acceptable to all taste buds. So, try and enjoy it. 

Ingredient

For the outer cover

Maida/ all purpose flour – ½ kg

Salt – 1 pinch

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Water – as required to knead

Oil for deep frying

For the inner filling

Rava/ semolina – 1cup

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Coconut – 1½ cup

Cashunut  - 2 tbsp. (broken)

Raisins – 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder- ½ tsp

Sugar powder – ¾ cup

Method

For the Filling

1.     In a pan heat the ghee. Reduce the heat

2.     To this add the rava and fry till it gives a strong aroma ( don’t let it brown)

3.     Now add the grated coconut and the dry fruits. Fry in in very low heat for 5 min.

4.     Switch off the heat.

5.     Now add the sugar powder and cardamom powder and mix well.

6.     Cool it and store it in a container.  Use it whenever required.

              (Note : this mixture can be kept in the refrigerator for a 2 weeks)

For the outer cover

7.     In a mixing bowl, mix together maida, ghee and salt.

8.    Knead this mixture with required water to a soft dough.

To make the Karanji’s

9.     Take a lemon size portion of the dough.

10.    Role it to thin small chapatti.

11.    Place this chappati on the open karanji mould.

12.    Put 1 tsp of filling on one side.

13.    Cover with the other side

14.    Now cover the karanji mould and press.

15.    Remove the excess dough.

16.    Open the mould and remove the karnaji. 

17.    Repeat the same procedure for remaining dough and make all the karanji’s.

Note : a) keep it covered with a cloth or a paper.

b) Don’t keep it on top of each other, as it will stick to each other.

18.    Deep fry all the prepared karanji’s in hot oil, turning continuously till it turn golden brown.

19.    Remove it from the oil and place over a kitchen tissue, so that the excess oil is removing.