ALMOND/BADAM HALWA

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup almonds (soaked overnight)

1/3 cup milk

4 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)

3 tbsp Ghee

For  garnishing: 2 to 3 almonds, peeled and sliced

Method:

1. Pour a cup of boiling water over the over-night soaked 

almonds, and leave aside for a few minutes.

2. Drain out the water and skin the almonds.

3. Grind the almonds with about 5 tbsp. of milk into a smooth 

paste.

4. Heath the ghee in a non-stick pan, add the ground almonds. 

Cook over slow flame, stirring continuously until the mixture 

changes colour to a hue of golden brown.

5. Add the remaining milk, in addition to about 5 tbsp. of water 

and cook for a few minutes.

6. Add the sugar, and cardamom powder (if desired) and cook 

till all the sugar has dissolves, as you continue to stir.

Garnish with some thinly sliced almonds and serve hot...

COCONUT BARFI

Ingredients:

1 medium sized freshly grated coconut

250gm or little more than 1 pound sugar

1 litre milk

2 tsp fresh cream

1/4 tsp cardamom powder (Elaichi)

Method:

1. Mix the freshly grated coconut with milk in a heavy bottom 

pan for about 15-20 minutes on a slow flame.

2. Stir continuously with a spatula until all the milk is absorbed 

by the coconut.

3. Add the fresh cream to the mixture.

4. Add the sugar and mix well to make a ball like mass of the 

entire mixture which has good binding. 

5. At the right consistency, the mixture should not be sticky to 

touch.

6. Add 2 spoons of powdered sugar and cardamom powder at 

the end to the entire mixture after removing it from the flame.

7. Grease a plate with ghee and spread the mixture in an even 

and thick layer on it while it's still warm. You can use the flat 

side of a katori (bowl) greased with ghee to evenly spread the 

mixture.

8. Cut these into rectangular pieces while it's warm.

9. Your coconut Burfi is ready to serve once it cools down!

ps- this barfi tastes a lot better than plain coconut barfi, 

as with milk, it has the additional taste of rabri !

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BEST WISHES TO ALL FOR A VERY HAPPY HALLOWEEN , THANKSGIVING & DIWALI.

BESAN BARFI

Ingredients:

1kg  or 2 1/2 pounds besan

11/2kg   or 3 3/4 pounds sugar

250gm or 1/2 pound khoya/ mawa

10gm or 2 tsp cardamom powder

600gm  or 11/2 pounds ghee

Method:

1. Cook besan in ghee till it turns golden brown.

2. Add khoa and mix evenly. Cool the mixture.

3. Make sugar syrup one string consistency.

4. Add besan mix in the syrup with cardamom powder.

5. Set it on the tray and let it cool.

6. Cut into desired shape, store in air tight container.

PISTA-ALMOND CHIKKI

Ingredients:

1kg or 2 1/2 pounds almonds
800gm  or 2 pounds  sugar
200gm or 2 cups roughly  or 1/2 pound honey

200gm or 1/2 pound pista

Method:

1. Peel the almonds and grind to a paste.
2. Prepare the sugar syrup.
3. Cook the almonds with 800g sugar syrup.
4. Cook till the mixture becomes dry and attains a dough consistency.
5. Spread onto a sheet and cut into star shapes with a star cutter.
6. Apply honey on top of each and sprinkle chopped pista and bake in an oven at 180 deg celsius for 15 minutes.

BALUSHAHI

Balushahi

Ingredients:

1kg  Or 2 1/2 pounds refined flour
200g/ 2 cups curd
200g/ 2 cups ghee
1/2 tsp baking powder
1kg sugar/ 2 1/2 pounds (for syrup)
1kg ghee/ 2 1/2 pounds (for frying)

Method:

1. Sieve the flour with baking powder.
2. Mix curd, ghee and make a soft dough.
3. Make small dumplings of the dough and press in between your palms.
4. Make sugar syrup to one string consistency.
5. Heat ghee in a kadai.
6. Fry the dumplings in ghee until golden colour on slow fire.
7. Put in sugar syrup and soak for some time.

DATE AND COCONUT LADOOS

INGREDIENTS

seedless dates 500 gm or 1/2 kg
coconut grated  5 tbsp
cottage cheese/ paneer  2 cups
powdered sugar  10 tsp
malai/cream  2 tbsp
cardamom pdr  11/2 tsp

METHOD

heat cream in a heavy vessel.
cut dates into small pieces & add it to the cream stirring & mashing it until you get a thick pulp.
add coconut & mix well.
allow the pulp to thicken & cool.
mix the sugar with paneer until it is light & fluffy.
make small balls of the paneer mixture & keep it aside.
take a portion of the date mixture, flatten it in your palms, put a paneer balls in the centre, cover with date mixture, give it a round shape.
roll each ball in dry dessicated pdr.
keep these ladoos in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.

ps- as the paneer mixture isn't cooked, you'll have to store it in the fridge only.

or, you may omit paneer mixture, just cook dates, coconut, add little sugar, nuts, make ladoos, as then this will last for a longer time outside without refrigeration, as everything is cooked well. This is what I intend doing for Diwali, if all goes well, without paneer mixture.

MALAI LADOOS OR CREAM BALLS

INGREDIENTS

milk  1 litre
khoya/ thickened milk  50 gm, roughly 1/2 cup
powdered sugar  125 gm / or 1 big cup
pistachios 2-3 tsp
almonds chopped  1 tbsp
cardamom pdr   1 tbsp
saffron few strands
rose water  1 tbsp


METHOD

boil the milk in a heavy vessel until it thickens & reduces to half the quantity.
add grated khoya, powdered sugar, cardamom pdr, chopped nuts.
dissolve saffron the rose water & add it to the mixture.
cook until the mixture leaves the sides of the vessel.
once slightly cool shape into round balls/ ladoos.