Pineapple Laddoo

Today's recipe is Pineapple laddoo.  I love this sweet and never miss a chance to make it whenever I buy a pineapple.

Let me warn you friends,  these laddoo are so very addictive 😀 Whenever I make them they gets finished up on the same day 😁

Its a straight forward recipe and even beginners can make it perfectly.  Let's make it.  Happy Cooking ☺

Makes - 15 laddoo

Preparation Time - 5

Cooking Time - 15 min

Ingredients -

Pineapple pulp                   -     3/4 Cup

Sugar                                 -     6 tbsp
Milk powder                      -     1/2 cup
Desiccated coconut           -     1/2 cup
Cardamom powder            -     1 pinch

Method -

• In a non stick pan, take pineapple paste and cook it until it gets a bit thick. 
• Add milk powder and desiccated coconut. Mix very well. Add sugar and cardamom powder and mix again. Let the mixture cook until it starts leaving the sides of the pan. 
• Remove the mixture to a big bowl and let it cool down completely. 
• Take small portion of the mixture and roll it in between your palms and shape it into ball/laddoo.  Likewise, make laddoos with the remaining mixture. 
• Roll the prepared laddoos in desiccated coconut. Serve.
• Keep refrigerated in an airtight container and consume within 3-4 days.

Notes:

• 1. Adjust the sugar level as per your liking.
•  2. Quantity of desiccated coconut can also be adjusted as per liking but add more milk powder to adjust the consistency. 
• 3. Instead of cardamom powder you can add a few drops of pineapple essence.

Rose Milk Pudding

A very Happy New Year to all my readers!!!!!

This is my first post for the year 2016 :)  And I am so excited to share it with you.  Its my favourite Rose Milk Pudding. 

This pudding simply melts in mouth and leaves behind that delicious rose flavour... yes!!! rose!!! as it has concentrated rose squash (most of you must be aware of the famous Rooh Afza).  It gave this pudding that rich rose flavour and required sweetness.

Apart from its taste, I love the way it looks .. so delicate, cool and kind of cute :D  The lovely pink color makes it look more beautiful.

Its an incredibly easy recipe and the end result will surprise you in terms of taste and looks.  You can serve it as a party dessert too.  My toddler loved it and as she doesn't like to take milk, I got so surprised to see the way she gobbled up this pudding :)  Happy ME :D

 

 

I am sure this pudding is good enough to make your day pinky pinky :) Do not forget to read the notes given in the end.  So try this recipe and let me know about the results.  Happy Cooking :)

 

Cooking time - 8-10 min.

Freezing time - 1-2 hours

Serves -  4

Ingredients:

Full fat milk	1 cup (250 ml)
Sugar	1 tbsp
Gelatin	1 tbsp+ 1/4 tbsp
Water	2 tbsp
Concentrated rose squash  (I used Rooh Afza)	2 tbsp
Pink food color	a few drops

Method:

• Take water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 40 seconds.  Take out and mix in gelatin.  Stir well till gelatin dissolves.

• Take milk in a pan with sugar and heat it.  Once boiled, remove from heat and add gelatin mix.  Stir very well and let it cool down for 2 minutes.  Add concentrated rose squash and food color.  Mix well.  Pour the prepared mixture in silicon moulds or any pan.  If using metal pan, grease it first.  Freeze for 1-2 hours.  
• Serve chilled.

Notes:

1. Use full fat milk for best results. 
2. Instead of Rooh Afza you can use rose essence and pink food color.
3. Do not boil the gelatin.

Lauki Halwa / Bottle gourd fudge

Halwa is a famous Indian delicacy.  It looks royal and making it is so easy.  No fuss yet mind blowing dessert to end a nice meal.  There is a endless list of halwas in Indian menu.  You can make it with almost anything be it pulses, fruits or even vegetables.  
I love to try making different kind of halwas.  In this list, my latest addition is Lauki Halwa.  It sounds a bit not-so-interesting but trust me it tastes divine. I had heard about this halwa a lot of time but never thought to try. Last week I found one big lauki lying in my fridge. I didn’t want to make any curry, kofta or dal with it so decided to make lauki halwa. 
Instead of making it all with milk I used condensed milk. Addition of condensed milk gave it a rich texture without adding Mawa/Khoya and at the same time made it a quick cooking dessert. Although I added milk too but only 2 tbsp just to cook the lauki.  In case you don’t want to use condensed milk, you can make it with milk too. I have given the procedure in the notes at the end. Do check.  Hey, did I mention that I used only 1.5 tbsp ghee in it unlike other halwas and you wont find it any less tasty from those ghee loaded halwas :D

This halwa came out so well that I am gonna make it more often :) Its a good option for parties too. Clever idea to add veggies in kids meal.  They would love it surely. So try it and you will be glad that you did. Happy Cooking :)

Serves – 2

Ingredients:

Lauki /  Bottle gourd (finely grated)	1 cup
Ghee	1 ½ tbsp
Condensed milk	¼ cup
Milk	2 tbsp
Cardamom (crushed)	2
Raisins	15
Green food color (optional)	2-3 drops

Method:

• In a non stick pan, heat ghee. Add raisins and fry for few seconds. Remove and set aside.
• In the remaining ghee, add grated lauki and fry for 8-10 minutes or till water evaporates and raw smell goes. 
• Add condensed milk and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add milk and mix again. Cook for 2 more minutes. Add crushed cardamom, food color and fried raisins. Mix again and cook till the halwa gets thick.
• Serve warm or cold.

                                              

 Notes:

1. Grate the bottle gourd very finely.
2. I recommend to use a non stick pan for making this halwa to avoid sticking while frying the bottle gourd/lauki.
3. You can add any dried fruit of your choice.
4. In place of cardamom you can use saffron.
5. If you do not want to use condensed milk then boil 1 cup of milk till a bit thick.  Fry lauki as given in the recipe.  Add the fried lauki to the thick milk and mix well.  Add 6 tbsp sugar (or adjust to taste) mix again.  Add crushed cardamom and dried fruits and cook till thick.

Chhenar Payesh / Paneer Kheer

Chhena/Paneer is a versatile ingredient. You can make endless things with it.  Be it different kind of starters, snacks, main course or desserts/sweets, you can never go wrong with Chhena/Paneer.  

Today's recipe is a Bengali dessert called Chhenar Payesh or Paneer Kheer.  I like quick desserts so tried to make an instant version of this dessert too and it came out to be so delicious.  I loved the creamy and melt in mouth texture of it.  
Its a no fail recipe that is so quick to make.  It was my first attempt to make this dish and I was so happy with the results.  Would love to make it again and again.

Here is the recipe for you.  Happy Cooking :)

Ingredients:

Fresh Chhena/Paneer	¾ cup (crumbled)
Milk	¼ cup
Condensed milk	2 tbsp
Sugar	3 tsp
Thandai powder	2 tsp
Milk powder	3 tbsp
Desiccated coconut	2 tbsp
To decorate
Honey	¼ tsp
Brown sugar	1 tbsp
Almonds	1 chopped lengthwise
Choco drop	1

Method:

• In a non-stick pan take condensed milk, milk, milk powder, desiccated coconut and sugar.  Mix them well and put the pan on stove.  Keep the heat medium.  Cook for 2 minutes and add crumbled chhena.  Mix well and cook till it gets a bit thick.  Add thandai powder and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  You can adjust the consistency by adding some more milk.
• Remove from flame and let it cool down.
• Meanwhile take the bowl/glass you want to serve the dessert in.  Brush the rim of the glass with honey.  Spread the brown sugar in a plate and dip the glass rim in it.  Coat it well with brown sugar and set aside.
• Take the prepared Chhenar Payesh and carefully fill the decorated glass with it.  Garnish the top with chopped almonds and choco drop.  
• Chill for 1-2 hours and serve.

Notes:

1. You can use packaged paneer too but for best results use fresh chhena/paneer.  
2. Instead of thandai powder you can use 2-3 crushed cardamoms or saffron.
3. Sugar level you can adjust as per your taste.
4. Desiccated coconut is optional but it gives a nice texture to this dessert.
5. You can also add your choice of nuts in it.

Phirni

Phirni is an extremely famous North-Indian dessert.  So simple ingredients yet so delicious.  Like so many of you I like it too and love to make it at home.  

There are so many versions of Phirni in Indian Cuisine like Mango Phirni, Orange Phirni, Strawberry Phirni and so on but this one is the most authentic and traditional version. It just needs three main ingredients and you are good to go.  Milk, Rice and Sugar.. a perfect combo that makes so many desserts and sweets and today we are going to use this combo to make this super yummy and creamy Phirni.  

If Phirni is new for you then you would be amazed to see how simple it is to make.  A perfect dessert to end a hearty meal.  So lets start making Phirni.. Happy Cooking :)

Ingredients:

Full Cream Milk  -  1/2 kg
Basmati Rice       -   3 tbsp
Sugar                   -   6 tbsp
Cardamom          -   2 (crushed)
Tutty Fruitty 
or Almonds         -  To garnish

Method:

• Wash rice very well and soak them in water for minimum 1 hour.  Strain and grind them coarsely with 1/4 cup of milk.  Set aside.
• In a deep pan, boil the remaining milk and add the rice milk mixture.  Keep stirring on medium flame to avoid sticking. Keep mixing and scraping the sides till the mixture thickens.  It would take approx 15 minutes.  Add in sugar and crushed cardamom and mix well.  Keep stirring till sugar melts.  Cook for another 4-5 minutes and remove from the flame.
• Garnish with tutty fruity or almonds.
• Serve chilled.

Notes:

1. Do not grind the rice to a fine paste.  Keep it coarse.
2. You can use low fat milk too but for best results use full fat milk.
3. Adjust the sugar level as per your taste.
4. Instead of cardamom, you can add a few strands of saffron too.
5. You can add some dried fruits too.

Eggless Choco Coffee Caramel Mug Cake

Mug cakes are so convenient and no mess desserts.  A very good option for sudden hunger pangs.  They take extremely little time to bake too in case of microwaves.  But as I do not have a microwave I make mug cakes in my oven. So presenting my very own mug cake but sorry not for microwaves :)
 Yesterday I was craving for something sweet and chocolaty so decided to make a mug cake as I was not in a mood to mess up so many utensils just for myself.  So whatever came to my mind I simply mixed that up together. Then I saw my homemade salted caramel lying in the fridge and an open pack of marshmallows so added them in too.  Baked and when I took the first bite trust me it was heaven.  Those humble ingredients made an insanely delicious cake.  

While making this cake, posting here was not in my mind at all but after seeing the finished product I made my mind to post it. 

Nothing more to say guys.  Just try it and enjoy it.  Happy Cooking :)

Preparation time - 5 minutes

Baking time - 30 minutes

Makes - 1 Serving

Ingredients:

All purpose flour              -  4 tbsp
Coco powder                    -  2 tbsp
Coffee powder                  -  1/4 tsp
Castor sugar                      -  3 1/2 tbsp
Baking powder                  -  1/4 tsp
Baking soda                      -  1 pinch
Oil                                     -  2 tbsp
Milk                                  -  3 tbsp
Salt                                    - 1 pinch
Salted caramel                  -  1 tbsp (optional)
Marshmallow                   -  1 (chopped) (optional)

Method:

• Preheat oven at 180 degree.
• Take a small bowl and add in all purpose flour, coco powder, coffee powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well.  Set aside.
• Take the mug you want to make the cake in.  Pour oil in it and  add sugar.  Mix well.  Add in milk and mix well again.
• Add the oil sugar mixture little by little to the dry ingredients and mix well to avoid formation of lumps.  At the end throw in chopped marshmallow and give a quick stir.
• Pour 2 tbsp mixture in the mug and top it up with salted caramel.  Cover it with some more batter and pour the remaining caramel over it.  Finally pour the remaining cake batter and tap the mug on the counter gently to remove air.
• Bake it for 30 minutes.
• Enjoy.

Notes:

1. Adding caramel and marshmallow is optional. If you are skipping them then add 1-2 tbsp more sugar to adjust the sweetness.
2. If not using caramel then you can mix up all the ingredients in the mug itself. Add the dry ingredients in the wet ingredients and mix very well.
3. Instead of castor sugar you can use powdered sugar too.
4. Do not use very large /deep mug, it may cause the cake soggy n uncooked from the bottom.
5. Preheat the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Temperature settings varies from oven to oven so keep an eye on the cake.  Keep checking it after 25 minutes by inserting a knife in the center of the cake till the end.  If it comes out clean then your cake is ready.  If not, increase baking time for 5 more minutes.
7. You can double or triple the ingredients and make this cake in a cake or loaf pan too.

Chana Dal Burfi

Making sweets at home is fun. Relishing homemade sweets on festivals, parties or just like that is really awesome. I love to make sweets at home and if you have noticed, my blog is mostly having sweet dishes :D
Last week I tried Chana Dal Burfi and fell in love with it. It was  so delicious. We were so tempted to finish it up on the same day but had to control as having too much chana dal in one go is not good for stomach :)  So watch your consumption as its strictly addictive.
Here I used my favourite ingredient Condensed Milk. Its a wonderful thing. Gives any sweet a rich taste in no time. As usual I tried to use less ghee still the burfi came out so nice. Its a perfect festive sweet.   I didn’t use any mawa in it as it was not available here. But you won’t feel to add it once you would try this version of chana dal burfi. Its a very easy peasy recipe and you can make it a day before for parties or guests.
So here is the sure shot recipe for you to try. Happy Cooking :)

Makes - 10-12 pieces
Ingredients:

Chana Dal	½ cup
Milk	1 ¼ cup
Ghee	3 tbsp
Condensed milk	½ cup or  8 tbsp
Desiccated coconut	3 tbsp
Sugar (if required)	2 tbsp
Cardamom (crushed)	4
Melon seeds	1 tsp (optional)
Yellow food color	Few drops (optional)
Almonds(to garnish)	5-6 (chopped)

Method:

• Wash chana dal and soak it in water for 3-4 hours.
• Once soaked, put it in pressure cooker alongwith milk and cook for 2 whistles. Remove and let the pressure go by itself.
• Grind the dal with remaining milk left in the pressure cooker. (Do not add more milk, the consistency should be very thick). Remove it in a bowl and set aside.
• Grease a tray or pan with ghee.  Set aside.
• Heat ghee in a non stick kadhai, add dal paste and fry on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes or till raw smell goes. Keep stirring. Add condensed milk and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.  Add desiccated coconut with 1 tsp melon seeds and food color (add the remaining milk (if any) left from the boiling of dal at this stage) and mix again.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.  
• Take half tsp burfi mixture from the pan and put it on a clean dry plate.  Let it sit for 1 minute and check if it is getting a firm texture like a burfi after cooling down.  If not, then cook the mixture for another 2-3 minutes and check again likewise.
• Once you get the desired consistency, remove the mixture from the stove and immediately shift it to the greased tray/pan.  Spread the mixture evenly in the tray.  Even the top with a greased spatula to avoid sticking.  Sprinkle chopped almonds on the top and press them slightly.  Let the burfi mixture warm.
• Once warm, cut it in desired shape and put the tray in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.  
• Remove the burfi slices in the serving plates and serve.
• Store the remaining burfis in an airtight container.

Notes:

1. Do not over cook the dal.
2. Condensed milk would give sufficient sweetness so taste the sugar level before adding the sugar.
3. Do not tempt to use more ghee, 3 tbsps would give you perfect burfis as you can see in the pics :)
4. Instead of almonds you can use cashews and pistachios for garnishing.
5. Do not consume a big amount at a time.  Consuming more chana dal at a time is not good as it takes long time to digest.  You may get tummy ache.