MAHA SHIVARATHRI DAY

MAHA SHIVARATRI means the Great night of Lord Shiva. (Darkest day of the month). The 14th day of  every lunar month is Shivaratri, the one which falls in the month of Feb and March. It is believed that on this day,  Lord Shiva got married to the goddess Parvathi. The duo is the symbol of Love, Power and oneness. This festival is also the reminder of  overcoming darkness and ignorance in life. This celebration includes Poojas, Abhishekas, Jaagran (all night prayer) It is believed that in this night, lord shiva perform Heavenly dance (taandav) of creation, Preservation and Destruction. Some devotees perform all day Fasting where few people avoid the consumption of water as well with vedic workship of shiva. They even offer milk to Shivaling and pray for Moksha. 

Now, this is just the brief info :) Coming back with my today's post, My celebration was entirely unique. hehe :) I celebrated Shivarathri in my own way. My motto is "Do what you believe in and believe in what you do" :) and I think most of you guys agree with me or may not :) Depends :) Hmm now sharing few homely clicks below

My divine Mandir ⚘

My tiny cute Shivaling Idol decored with flowers.

My Neiyvedyam was Broken Wheat Sheera.

Thus I ended my divine day so peacefully :) I always pray that lord Shiva protects us all from evil and give us strength to face the challenge of life and bless you all with only good things and grant peace and good health :) JAY BHOLENATH.

I taught of sharing Broken wheat Sheera recipe to you all. So here the it goes..

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Broken Wheat or Daliya

3/4 Cup Sugar

3 Cups of Milk

1 Cup Water

3 Tbsp Ghee

Pinch of Cardamom powder

Ghee Fried Dry fruits

METHOD

First combine the milk and water and bring them to boil. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of ghee and add washed broken wheat and saute atleast for 8 to 10 min under medium flame until you get a mild aroma. Once the milk is heated up add them into the fryed daliya and mix well. Allow the daliya to cook under low flame for half an hour. Makesure give it a stir in between to avoid burning at the bottom. When its almost cooked, add sugar and mix well. Cover and cook for another 2 to 3 min or till the liquid is fully absorbed. Now this is the time you add rest of the ghee and fry for another few min. Lastly add the cardamom powder and dry fruits and mix well. Keep few for decore. Serve the hot prashaad :)

THANK YOU & ENJOY!!

GAJAR KA HALWA (SPECIAL POST)

Gajar ka halwa is one of the finest Indian sweets prepared from fresh crunchy Carrots, khoya, milk, sugar and dry fruits. This halwa has the divine taste and aroma that it just takes you to the another world. This can be served either cold or hot. Do try it out having the warm hot halwa with cold Vanilla icecream. Aww  that tastes heavenly. 

I prepared this halwa, in the remembrance of one of my sweetest couple I admire the most. Thats none other than my Grandparents☺. Its been 3 years I lost my granny and last year I lost my grandpa :( My Grandpa (abu) being a food lover, he would have surly loved this delight :( prepared by his fav granddaughter Pakki (Butterfly). He calls me by that name :)

Therez a quote - ''Those we love and lose are always connected by heartstrings into infinity" - Terri Guillemets. How true is that. Though they are not with me, I always connect with them following their footsteps. They are my top most Inspirations who shaped my life and taught me the importance and value of Family, Friends, Love, Health, Patience, Forgiveness, Passion, Education and Stand up for what I believe in. I will be forever grateful to my grandparents who have taught me all the precious points which helped me to move my life even more smoother. Missing them alot :( but I know your watching me all the time and your divine blessings will always be there with our family Abu and Ammumma. 

Sharing a click of the function which was held yesterday along with Prashaad. Om shanthi.🙏

 

Now coming back with todays recipe, I followed one of my fav chef Kunal kapur's version. The only ingredient I skipped was the khoya which was not available. But I recommend you not to skip because that khoya just doubles the flavour of this halwa. So dont avoid that. 

INGREDIENTS

4 Cups Grated carrot

3/4 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Milk

1 tbsp Ghee

1/2 Cardamom powder

1/2 Cup Grated khoya

Dry fruits.

METHOD

Heat a non stick pan, add grated carrots and saute for atleast 5 min. Now add sugar and mix well. This is the stage where carrots also release its own juice and along with sugar it gets cooked. Reduce the moisture all of it. Next add desi ghee and stir. Then add milk ,cardamom powder and mix well till the moisture disappears. Last is the stage where you add Khoya and dry fruits. Give it a nice smooth stir and serve hot.

Enjoy!!!
 

MANGO PUTTU

Apart from normal white puttu,I tried something different adding Mangoes (king of fruit) to make Mango Puttu.😁💛 Its very nutritious. Best way to make puttu colourful and interesting cum attractive especially for kids. These can be eaten as it is though it has gotten a sweet flavour. I have used mangoes as whole pieces as well as the pureed one to mix with the puttu powder. So lets dig into the recipe..

NOTE: Sweetness can be adjusted accordingly. I am just giving the rough measurement😊😊as some of puttu powder requires more liquid. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Puttu podi

2 Ripe Mangoes 

1 cup Fresh grated coconut

1/2 cup Grated Jaggery

Pinch of salt

Pinch of Cardamom powder (optional)

METHOD

First blend one mango adding little water until smooth paste. Make a small pieces with another mango. Now take a big bowl. Add puttu powder with salt and mango puree little by little to make it wet. To check the mixture if its ready, just take a small portion between your palms,and gently press, it should form a big lump. And when you press, it should break easily and crumble. But makesure the whole mixture should not have even tiny lumps. So mix it well using your fingertips. Let it rest for 15 min. In another bowl, mix coconut and jaggery together and keep it aside. Now take a puttu maker and layer it with 1 tbsp coconut  jaggery mixture first then 2 tsp of mango pieces and spread evenly. Then fill with mango puttu mixture and then again with coconut jaggery mix. Continue with the same process as shown in the picture till maker is completely filled. Place the maker on Puttu kudam or pressure cooker and steam for 7 to 8 min. Thats it 😊Tasty mango puttu is ready to serve😋😋

ENJOY!!!

RAAGI LADOO

Raagi ladoo are one of the healthy variety ladoo made from raagi flour and jaggery. These are the great snack for kiddoes. There are different methods of preparing this recipe. The one I do is quiet simple and good but only thing is it stays fresh only for 3 days. So make sure while following my method, prepare them in less quantity. 

NOTE: Peanut powder can also be added. It tastes extra good.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Raagi Flour

1/2 cup Grated Coconut

1/2 cup Jaggery grated

Pinch of Cardamom powder

3 tbsp Ghee

METHOD

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan. Put the raagi flour and fry till the raw smell goes off. Make sure to fry them under low flame. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix the coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder. Add flour into the coconut mixture and mix well. Break the lumps if any. Make small balls when the mixture becomes warm. If you are unable to form a shape, add few drops of ghee and shape them again. Garnish with ur fav dryfruits.

Enjoy!!!

BOYSENBERRY JAM

I was lucky enough to taste Boysenberry for the first time. It was tangy cum mild sweet. Was tough to have as it is so tryed out making its jam. The result was delicious😋and the best part is,the cooking time hardly took less than 10 min :) The addition of lime juice gives the jam vibrant colour and flavour. It balance the taste of tanginess and sweetness. 

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups of Boysenberry

1/2 cup Sugar

2 tsp Lime juice

METHOD

Take a saucepan and combine the boysenberry with sugar and lime juice. Stir frequently and cook under low flame until the jam thickens. Remove from flame and store them in a glass container.

ENJOY!!!

UNDAMPORI (BANANA BONDA)

Undampori are one of the quick fix Kerala's traditional snack. These are light, fluffy and crunchy as you take your first bite. Every tea stall in Kerala has this sweet snack bondas which is a tea time delight  made with the following ingredients. Here I have used wheat flour instead of maida. You can add any of them.

INGREDIENTS

3 Ripe Bananas

1 Cup Wheat flour

1/2 Cup Grated Jaggery

Pinch of Cardamom power Or Ginger powder.

Pinch of Soda Powder

Pinch of Salt

Water as per needed

Oil for frying

METHOD

Mash the bananas and add all the ingredients one by one. Add limited amount of water to make a sticky dough. It should be thick enough to hold the shape. Now heat oil in a kadai. Apply little oil to the palm to makesure it does not stick. Make a ball shape and gently drop them into the hot oil under medium flame. Turn them occasionally until golden brown. Drain and Serve hot 

Enjoy!!!

FLAVOURED YOGURT

This is a Supa Quick Fatak Dessert to have soon after your yummy lunch. I make this whenever I feel lazy😁when I can't go into the kitchen again to make something sweet😐. So I feel this is the best delight to satisfy your tastebuds. Even the kids can make this in jiffy. Only thing you should have your fav Fruit crush and some yogurt in your fridge. 

NOTE: U can also add fresh chopped Fruits matching with ur crush as well to get a nice bite :) Even roasted dry fruits goes well.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp Fruit Crush ( I used Black Currant and Pineapple crush) add more or less

1 Cup Thick Yogurt.

METHOD

Mix these 2 ingredients together and serve them cold in a serving bowl.

ENJOY!!

PATHOLI

Patholi is one of amchies sweet dish that is prepared on first Shravan month festival NagarPanchami along with Patrovode which is my top most fav dish 😁Patholi are the steamed rice cakes stuffed with coconut jaggery filling and then wrapped in fresh Turmeric leaves. At the time of steaming, you can just enjoy the divine smell. This aromatic herb gives a unique taste to the sweet dish.

Well, its not possible to get Turmeric leaves everywhere, so you can substitute using Banana leaf. But I am sure they will not be as flavourful as the one made with Turmeric leaves😃 So if you want to enjoy the flavour, do grow some turmeric leaves in your garden😀Now coming back with the recipe, there are many types,method of preparing the main batter as some use using Rice flour, or Soaked dosa rice or  addition of grated coconut with the batter etc etc. But here I have used soaked Red rice which resulted in yummy & extra soft patholies. I would say it just melts in our mouth.😋So lets dig into the ingredients. Before that look at my NAGARPANCHAMI special platter :) 

Turmeric leaves 10

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BATTER

1 Cup Red rice soaked for about 6 hours

Pinch of Salt

Water as needed.

METHOD

In a blender, add rice along with salt and grind to a super smooth paste adding very little water. Keep it aside.

INGREDIENTS FOR COCONUT FILLING

1 Cup Grated Coconut

1/2 Cup Jaggery powdered

1 tsp Ghee

Half handful of Kishmish

Pinch of Cardamom powder.

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients together and keep it aside.

Now the batter and filling are ready. So lets start making PATHOLI 😁...

Clean the leaves and patch it dry. Grease them with ghee. Now take little amount of batter and spread a thin layer on leaf. Place the filling in the middle and gently fold the ends and press the edges firmly. Place them on a steamer and steam for about 20 to 25 min under low flame. 

Hot hot Patholi are ready to serve :)

ENJOY!!!

NOTE: If the batter is dry and sticky, then wet your hands and start spreading.

JACKFRUIT HALWA IN MOMOES

Have anyone try ed Halwa in momoes?? 😁 Well if your a crazy fan of halwa and momoes, then you would def love this dish for sure :) Jackfruit dishes are more in Kerala and one of the most popular sweet dish is this J Halwa or Chakka varatti in malayalam. Hard to resist to this yummy halwa.This halwa takes long hours to cook to give us the lip smacking delicious delight which can be preserved for months.

So now coming back with my current dish, I wanted to try something unique and thus came up with this current idea of trying out in the form of Momoes which was a superhit 👍. You can go on with ur favourite sweet stuffing as well. So Guys, its a must thing to try out :) So herez the recipe👇

INGREDIENTS FOR JACKFRUIT HALWA

1 Cup Ripe Jackfruit Pieces

1/2 Cup Jaggery or more according to the sweetness

3 tbsp Ghee

2 tsp Cardamom powder

Fried dryfruits (optional)

METHOD

Pressure cook jackfruit pieces until tender and grind them into a fine paste. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a non stick pan. Add the paste and bring them to boil. Add in the jaggery and stir continously till the mixture becomes thick. Drop in the remaining ghee and stir to combine well. You can see the halwa turns into a glossy look😛 Lastly add in the cardamom power and dry fruits and take it off. Pour them into a greased plate. Once its cool down, make small balls and keep it aside.

For the Momoes dough, Mix in 1 cup maida with salt and prepare a dough adding limited amount of water. Grease with oil and let it sit for 10 min.

Now for the next step, you can click HERE to check the method of making the rest. Place the Halwa filling and steam for about 15 min under low flame. Your delicious sweet Halwa momoes are ready to serve :)

ENJOY!!!

MYSORE PAK

Mysore pak originally called as Mysuru paaka which is a very popular sweet dish in the Indian state of Karnataka. This is the sweet dish I have tried many times😫 and finally this method for me was a huge success.💪So lets check how to make kurkure yummy Mysore pak :)

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Besan

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Ghee

3/4 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Sunflower oil

Pinch of Yellow colour. (optional)

1/2 Tsp Baking powder

METHOD

Firstly Sieve the besan and add baking powder. Mix well. In a kadai, add sugar plus water to make a sugar syrup. Cook till it becomes to one string consistency. Sidely heat ghee and oil in a pan. Then add besan little by little and mix well constantly under low flame. Make sure there should not be any lumps. This is the stage where you add food colour. Once you see small bubbles, add ghee & oil mixture little by little and mix well very carefully. Sidly make sure the ghee is hot. When the besan mixture stops absorbing the ghee, stop adding more. Besan will start appearing puffy and colour will change too, Immediately switch off the flame and drop it into the greased vessel. Spread it without pressing it. Cut it after 2 to 3 min. Allow to cool down and then you can unmould.

Enjoy!!

CARAMELISED BREAD PUDDING (EGGLESSS)

This is the tried recipe from hebbarskitchen.com 👍 Thanks for sharing this osm recipe :) This pudding tasted super simple, light and soo delicious that this has became one of our family favourite delight. I followed the same instruction as per given except the cooking process. Instead of steaming, I used Baking process. In a preheated oven, I kept it on a pan, filled with hot water and baked for half an hour under 180 degree 😍

For the recipe please click HERE

Enjoy!!

NEI APPAM

Nei appam is one of the popular sweet originally from Kerala and is usually prepared during festival occasion. These are the rice pancakes fried in ghee or oil. Its crispy outside whereas when you have a bite its soft with a crunchy munchy bite inbetween and that;s due to the addition of  fried coconut pieces. 

NOTE : If the batter turns watery, then add riceflour to get the right consistency. It should be thicker than dosa batter. Dont skip adding ghee fried coconut pieces.

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Raw rice.

3/4 Cup Grated Jaggery

2 Ripe Banana (small)

1/2 Cup Ghee Fried Coconut pieces.

1/2 tsp Cooking soda

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

1 tbsp Sesame seeds ( black will be best but I added white as i did not had a stock of black one)

Pinch of Salt

Oil or ghee for deep

METHOD

Soak rice for atleast 3 hours.

First will make Jaggery syrup. For that, In a kadai, mix jaggery with water. Boil the mixture till jaggery melts. Now allow it to cool and then strain the syrup to remove the impurities. 

Now grind the rice along with jaggery syrup to a fine paste. Add in the banana's and mix well. If needed can add water as well. The batter should be thicker than the dosa batter. Pour them into a bowl. Add cardamom powder, soda powder, sesame seeds & ghee fried coconut pieces and mix well. Let the batter rest atleast for half an hour. Heat oil for deep frying. Add 2 tsp of ghee. Pour a ladleful of the batter into the pan and allow to fry. Once u get to see the sides gets crispy flip to other side and cook till golden brown.

Serve hot :)

Enjoy!!

RIDGE GOURD PEEL KHEER

Yeah you heard in right guys :) If we can make Ridge gourd peel chutney then why can't a dessert? This is a simple cum yummy kheer which can be prepared in jiffy. Peel of ridge gourd is a rich source of dietary fiber and low in calories and other health benefits. So whenever you bring this veggie, make sure to utilise the same to the fullest :)

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Chopped Peel

1 Liter Milk

1/2 Cup Sugar ( more or less)

Cardamom powder

1 tbsp Ghee

Dry fruits

METHOD

Heat ghee in a pan. Fry the peel till you get a nice aroma or until raw smell goes off. Grind them to a smooth paste adding little water and keep aside. Heat milk in another pan and bring it to boil. Lower the heat to the medium flame and keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan for every 10 min. Cook the milk till it reduce to quarter. Once you get that stage, add sugar, peel paste and cook for another few min.The consistency of the kheer depends according to your choice. Sprinkle with cardamom powder. Garnish with dry fruits and serve hot or cold according to your taste.

ENJOY!!

BELGAVI KUNDA

In north Karnataka, Belgaum kunda is one of the most popular detectable dessert. Myself being a Milk lover,  I fell in love with this sweet when I tasted for the first time when one of my best friend from belgaum visited our place. Within few days, I was just tempting to have kunda so decided to give it a try 😋

This is a milk sweet where milk is reduced, curdled and is cooked with caramelized sugar to get that bright golden colour :) Now let me tell you in advance ie huh ...All you need is to have lots of patience just to stir the mixture for the longer time 😅😅😅

INGREDIENTS

1 Liter Milk

1 Cup Curd

1 Cup Sugar (This includes 1/2 cup sugar for caramelizing )

Cardamon powder

Fried Dry fruits for garnish

Ghee (optional)

METHOD
In a deep bottomed pan. Pour the milk and bring it to boil. Reduce the flame and stir occasionally so that it does not stick to the bottom. Once the milk reduces to the 1/3rd of the original  quantity, add  1/2 cup of sugar and curd. The milk will start curdling and the whey will separate out. Keep stirring it under medium flame.
In another pan, under medium flame, add rest of the sugar. The sugar will start caramelizing. Make sure it does not get burnt. Immediately pour them into the curdling milk mixture and stir well till the consistency comes like solid mass. Add fried dry fruits and cardamom powder and serve :) Drizzle ghee on top if you prefer :)

Enjoy!!

MANGO CAVIAR

I came cross one interesting site which made me try this awesome recipe. The pic was so attractive and tempting that I could not stop myself trying out. The result was superhit. These tiny bubbly delight tastes sooo good and yummy that you would never stop putting them in your mouth again an again :) They just burst up and then melts automatically. This is so simple to make only with 3 ingredients. No doubt kids will surly fall in love with it.

These can be eaten as it is or with Pannacotta.

To know the recipe please click HERE. So guys do try out and let me know the results :)

ENJOY!!

FRUIT PAYASAM

Fruit payasam is unique and very delicious and also a quick way to end up leftover fruits. The ingredients are of the same as you prepare for normal basic payasam. Adding coconut milk gives the payasam a special richness so, that's must. This was a great idea from my hubby R and he himself prepared it which was too tasty and too yummy as its filled with different types of fruits :) As always I repeat and proud to say my hubby R is one of my inspiration and always will be :) mu aah !

NOTE: Dissolve the jaggery pieces in required amount of water and boil them and filter it to remove the impurities. You can refrigerate for about 1 month or more and can be used whenever required :)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 Cup cutted Fruits (Yellow banana, Ripe Plaintain, Apple, Mangoes, Black grapes )

1/2 Cup Thick Coconut milk

1 Cup Second extract coconut milk

1/2 Cup Jaggery extract ( more or less )

Pinch of elachi powder

Fried dry fruits (optional)

METHOD
In a kadai, add all types of cutted fruits, with a cup of second extracted coconut milk. Allow the fruits to cook till it becomes tender and release its own flavour. Then add jaggery extract and mix well. Now finally add the thick coconut milk and cardamom powder and switch off the flame. Make sure you don't boil after adding coconut milk. Garnish with fried dry fruits if needed and serve hot.

ENJOY!!

PHIRNI

Phirni is one of the popular and traditional Indian dessert. It is a creamy rice pudding, flavoured with a touch of cardamom and kesar. It is suitable as baby food too :) There are many variations as some add grinding strawberries as a twist to look even more attractive or use of rose petals etc etc. Here I have kept it simple as it was my first try. The result ended up in positive comments :) so do try this osm and tasty delight friends :)

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp Basmati rice

1 liter Milk

3/4 Cup Sugar

Pinch of Saffron

Pinch of Cardamom

Badam or Pista sliced for Garnish.

METHOD

First clean the rice and soak it atleast for half an hour. Drain and grind it into coarse paste. Mix 3 tbsp of cold milk into the paste and keep it aside.

Bring the milk to boil. Add the dissolved paste and mix them well without forming lumps. Stir constantly till the rice gets cooked. Once the consistency gets thicker, add sugar and saffron. Cook till the sugar dissolves and consistency of the phirni gets creamy and thick. Sprinkle with cardamom powder and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool and transfer them into the china bowl or any serving bowl. Garnish with sliced dry fruits and serve hot or cold :)

Enjoy!!

KIWI ARROWROOT HALWA

Koova podi in malayalam is what we say for arrowroot powder. It is the thickening agent and is best for making halwa very easily in no time. This powder is very nutritious and easily digestable soft food for infants and also for adults. Its is also the light food which can be consumed on fasting or illness. In this recipe I wanted to give a twist ie the mix of grinded fruit. I have choosen kiwi fruit as it has the its own sweetness cum tangy and thus its a perfect combi. Even strawberries acts very well :) No doubt kids will adore like anything as therez a bite of coconut and kishmish as well. Do try this healthy halwa.

 INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Arrowroot Powder

2 cup Water

3 4 tbsp Sugar (can add more or less)

1 Kiwi freshly grind ed into paste

1 tsp Cardamom powder

2 tbsp Kishmish.

Pinch of Green food colour (optional)

2 tbsp Grated Coconut

1 to 2 tbsp Ghee

METHOD

First take a kadai in which you need to cook the halwa. Add arrowroot powder and dilute it with water. Mix well so that no lumps is formed. Add all the ingredients one by one except ghee and give it a nice mix. Now keep the kadai on flame and cook it well stirring continuously. Cook the halwa till it becomes transparent and semi solid. Add ghee and stir till the ghee leaves its sides of the pan. Now pour this halwa mixture in the greased plate and cut into into desired shape.

ENJOY!!

CHOCOLATE BOWL

This is a must try guys. My hubby tried this creative chocolate bowls made from ballons. I filled each with cake slice and fresh pineapple slices. You could also serve with  icecream scoops too. Not only kids but also adults would adore these chocolaty dessert. These goodies are always better anytime when you could eat the bowl ;)

NOTE: You can make these bowls look attractive by dipped the top of the ready chocolate bowls into the melted chocolate and then pressing them into sprinkles. I wanted to try that but i did not had enough sprinkles for that. So do try these and let me know the results ;)

For the instruction and for the video we referred  Here. 

ENJOY!!

BHAPA DOI

Bhapa doi is one of the popular Bengali steamed pudding using thick yogurt blended with milk and condensed milk. This is ideal for summer. This can be also baked but as per I tried, we preferred the steam med one both taste wise and look wise. Its best when served chill and is a great choice when you need to make a dessert in jiffy :)

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Milk

400 grams Condensed milk

1 Cup Thick Yogurt

Handful of Dry fruits (i used almonds)

Saffron (OPTIONAL)

METHOD

In a big bowl, mix milk, condensed milk and yogurt and whisk together till well blended. Put it in a small steel bowls. Add some dry fruits on top and steam them in a steamer for half an hour or till its cooked.When its done, set aside to cool to room temperature. Chill them in refrigerator.
Take a serving plate, loose out the ends with the help of knife and flip them.
Serve chill.

Enjoy!!