Almond halwa-badam halwa

Hello friends! It has been a year now since I last posted on this space and today I am resuming  my food blog with a great sweet badam halwa or almond halwa. Co incidentally my last post was also a sweet and beginning of new post again a sweet by  Sandhya  who happens to be the  host of last of the challenges of SNC event started by  Divya of You too can cook.

They were monthly challenges  since two years where north and south teams exchanged their recipes. A long journey but sadly due to personal reasons and time restraints could not continue my food blog and snc challenges. Since I am part of north team I have to cook this delicious almond halwa and  timing could not be better here.  The version Sandhya has used is slightly different than what I had made previously known as Almond Fudge. The way I made was using almonds dry but here lets follow Sandhya's recipe for badam halwa now. For step by step instructions check Sandhya's space.

Ingredients:
1 cup almonds ( soaked over night)
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp saffron
1/4 cup milk
a pinch of  cardamom powder ( optional)

Method:
Dry almond method given above my almond fudge has almost same ingredient but way is different. You can check out the previous dry version. I have used the same measurements given here by  Sandhya but with less quantity.
Soak the almonds over night and  peel of the skin next morning. Grind the peeled almonds using milk little by little to make a smooth  paste.
Make one string consistency of sugar syrup by boiling sugar in enough water to get the right consistency. This part has always stumped me and always I need help to get right consistency. In the same pan, mix the almond paste and cook over the medium heat while stirring continuously.  Keep stirring the halwa till it thickens and leaves side. Add ghee and saffron and cardamom powder  and stir it.  Once halwa starts to change color slightly, switch off the gas. Let it cool down and serve at room temperature. Make sure halwa is bit wet and do not let it thicken too much or it would not have the soft texture. The delicious badam halwa is ready.

I would be resuming  my food blog with more delicious recipes and much more, so stay tuned and  support my space as all of you have always done.

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Gulab Jamun

Hello everyone! My today's dish is the  one which everyone loves but for me it gets bit difficult because of sugar syrup. I love sweets but making them was a tough task for me and it still is but I am trying to perfect it. Gulab jamun is a simple sweet but we have to take care of correct measurements and the sugar syrup consistency. i have seen various versions of it but I could never get it right. This measurement I got from my sister-in-law and hence managed it but not too perfect.

These measurements would give approximately 10 gulab jamuns

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp milk powder
• 1tbsp plain flour or maida
• a pinch of baking soda
• 1/4cup or less milk or water
• 1tbsp ghee
• extra ghee for frying jamuns

For sugar syrup:

• 1cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cup water
• a pinch of cardamom powder
• few strands of saffron

Method:
To make sugar syrup, mix sugar with water in a vessel and boil it till you get one string consistency. This is where I always got confused and I made it  to see if its thin enough and still cooked proper. Add saffron and cardamom powder and mix well.

For jamuns, In a bowl, mix maida, milk powder, ghee and soda  well. Knead this mixture with milk or water and taking care not to add to much. Make a smooth dough. Divide the dough in equal small balls size and keep aside. 

Take a big pan and heat the ghee for frying on slow flame.  When hot fry the balls, few at a time. When they turn golden brown, remove and keep aside for few mins. Later put the fried balls slowly in sugar syrup. Repeat the process till all the gulab jamuns are done.

Gulab jamuns can be served hot or at room temperature. Enjoy this lovely yet simple dish.


 

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Eggless Marble cake..

Hello friends! I know I have not updated my blog for some time as I was not keeping good health. I am still  recovering so for now I share with you this wonderful cake which is inspired and attempted from 
Sharmi's passions.

She has absolutely wonderful and yummy recipes. I wanted to try out another cake and sad to say I am still a novice  when it comes to cakes. Sometimes they come out real good and some times it feels as if earthquake has happend in my cakes. But it doesn't compromise on the taste atleast. so that is one positive sign.

Anyways coming to the recipe I can only share with you the final pic of this yummy cake as the first pic did not come out good. Try it and am sure you would love it and however if you want to see step by step, then I suggest seeing sharmi space above to see the look. 

I have taken exact measurements which are in Sharmi's space even then I would write it out.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup Maida/APF
• 3tbsp mik powder or condensed milk (  I used milk powder here)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter ( unsalted)
• 3/4 cup powdered  sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp hot water.

Method:
Sieve maida with baking powder and soda and keep it aside.  In a bowl, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. ( I think I did not do this step correctly though) Add milk and mix well.
Add vanilla essence and milk powder and mix well again. Then add the dry maida mix to wet ingredients  to make nice creamy batter. 
Take 1/4 of the  prepared batter add cocoa powder and hot water and mix it nicely. One cocoa batter is ready and other is plain vanilla batter here. 
Preheat the oven to 170 c ( oven settings may vary). Grease and line the baking tin or pan. Pour half the vanilla batter and add few spoons of cocoa batter on top and gently use fork to make any random pattern as it would look like some swirls. Do not over do the mix. Repeat the steps again. First vanilla batter and again cocoa batter and swirls. Bake in oven for  40-45 mins or till the toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. 
For my oven I cover the tin with aluminium foil and keep it covered for  35 mins and last 10mins i remove the foil so it cooks well and even.
Cool down the cake for  10-15 mins then invert on the rack. Cut into desired size and enjoy the marble cake with swirls in between. I must say the sight of the cake with swirls looked lovely.

Here after this I tried to attempt icing but failed then I recalled something so I used normal dairy milk cadbury chocolate and melted it using double boiler method and spread it on top as icing. It did not look so good and still messy but the cake itself was yummy.  Do read Sharmi instructions at the bottom of her post to get good results. 

 This pic shows you the chocolate icing which I attempted.  

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Rose flavoured sooji halwa

Hello friends!  How is everyone today? I have two queries and I would appreciate your feedback on that. 1)  Is my way of writing appealing,engaging,boring,dull or exciting or anyother?
2) Are my fonts here correct or do I need to change them?
Would love to know what my readers really think and I tend to write as I am speaking to the readers face to face. Humor is much needed that's why I add a dose of humor in my posts.  Do let me know what you think either in comments below or mail me using contact form above.


Now coming to the recipe. It is said necessity is the mother of invention and we mothers make new invention in our kitchen all the time. This recipe was the result of some brainstorming and to make something new. Well, for me it was a new dish though.

Ingredients:

1 cup sooji/semolina
2 tbsp ghee
water as needed
1-2 tbsp rose syrup
sugar as needed
dry fruits for garnish

Method:

Its the same as we make rava kesari or normal sooji halwa except change the flavour. Heat ghee and roast sooji for few mins. Boil water on side.  Once sooji is roasted add water and rose syrup and mix well. Heat till sooji and water is mixed and sooji is cooked.  Halwa would look pink at this stage. Add sugar as needed as rose syrup itself is sweet so be careful with sugar. Mix and remove on plate.Garnish with dry fruits of your choice. Serve hot.
I got lovely pink color to the halwa. What do you think of this?  Over to you for your lovely comments.

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Kesar rasmalai--- a guest post

Hello everyone! As you all know I had my first event Be my guest  chef on my space from 1st October till 15th November. I received fabulous and yummy recipes and there have been late entrants also. So for now with this last post I officially close my event and would do the round up soon.
This post is by new friend in blogging world. Her name is Manjula Bharath.She is new to blogging but already has wonderful yummy dishes on her space called Desi fiesta. Do visit her and encourage her and love her recipes. Today she shares with us a  sweet dish and how appropriate that I end my first event on sweet note. Let us hear what Manju has to say about her dish and herself.

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Hello everyone!!! This is Manjula from desi fiesta ... am a new comer in blogging world and in a short period of time won so many lovely friends via SNC,  meenu aunty is one from that bunch of friends i have . I feel really happy that meenu aunty gave us this opportunity to show case our cooking skills in her space. She is having a lovely space am glad that am a part of this wonderful guest series she is conducting..   Am really happy to share one of my favorite dessert...


Kesar Rasmalai's are nothing but Rasagulla discs soaked in sweetened saffron flavoured milk. Next to rasgullas, this is the most popular Bengali sweet outside Bengal. A well made rasmalai will melt in your mouth..

To make rasmalai its necessary to make a perfect rasgulla ...Rasgulla is also my favourite bengali sweet .... I have tried rasgulla many times n have been successful every time i made it .. lucky meee... Rasgulla also know as roshogulla in bengali is smooth , soft, spongy balls dipped in sugar syrup.. They are very light and spongy in texture.. Rasgulla tastes gud when they are served chilled . You can make variation in rasgulla too for instance i made kesar rasgulla

Thanks to my Rasgulla to cooperate with me and every time giving me good results.

To see step by step pics of how to make rasgulla  check on rasgulla  recipe on Manju's blog HERE

Now lets come to the method of preparing rasmalai..



Ingredients For Rasmalai

• Rasgulla's - 7 nos
• whole milk - 3 cups
• sweetened condensed milk - 1 can
• cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp, (crushed, if powder not available)
• pistachios - 2 tsp, crushed
• saffron strands - 1/2 tsp

  Rasmalai - method :

  You can prepare Rasgulla ahead.. Squeeze the rasgulla's a little and press them to flatten .keep them a side.
   Apply some ghee or butter on a pan and grease it well with this ghee/butter.This avoid burning of the milk.     Now heat the milk on low heat while stirring frequently.
    Get the milk reduced to half of its original quantity.
    Now add the cardamom powder, saffron and 1 tsp of crushed pistachios, mix them well.
    Add the condensed milk to this mixture and bring it to a boil. Don’t forget to stir constantly and scraping the sides.
    After the milk is of thick consistency then off the stove.
    Your delicious rabri or malai is ready, let it cool naturally then add the rabri or malai to the placed rasgulla.

    Enjoy this sinful rasmalai chilled and garnish them with pistachio or saffron strands.

    When serving, garnish with the remaining pistachios and serve chilled.

    Note : Rasmalai's should be consumed at the same day it is made or the next day .. Don't store it more than 2 days as it may lead to food poisoning.

Here is step by step pics to make  rasmalai.

Thank u meena aunty for giving me such a wonderful opportunity :) 


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 Wow! I am tempted to taste this. This looks so so yummy here. Don't you all think so? Well friends, lets hear what you all have to say and Manju thank you very much for sharing this amazing and most loved recipe here. 

Note: My first event Be my guest chef series ends here. Wait for  announcment of  the round up. Thank you all for sending me yummy and amazing innovative recipes.

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