Shrikhand - My 50th Post

I am happy to publish my 50th post Shrikhand.It is served as dessert or side dish with pooris, usually in Gujarati and Maharashtrian cuisines. I have tasted this Shrikhand as a dessert for Gujarathi thali at Saravana Bhavan, Pondy Bazaar, Chennai. I become a great fan of this and really enjoyed it. After some time I started carving for this dessert and I goggled out for the recipe. And finally my taste buds was satisfied after referring to many sources to make it more authentic. This is done with basic ingredients and simple steps, but the only thing is, processing yogurt to the desired thickness takes more time.

Ingredients:

Plain yogurt - 2cups
Powdered sugar - 2tbsp
Warm milk - 1 tbsp
Rose water - 2drops(optional)
Saffron strands few
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Pistachio few

Method:

• Take the curd and tied in a muslin cloth and place it in a strainer and at the bottom, place the bowl to collect the excess water.





• Keep this in refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours, to get a thick curd.
• In warm milk, crush and add saffron strands and set aside.
• Chop the pistachio and keep aside.





• Take the thick curd in a bowl, to this add powdered sugar and mix gently to get a creamy texture.





• Now add cardamom powder, saffron milk, rose water, chopped pistachios (reserve few for garnishing)and mix to combine all,until smooth and nice colour.





• Transfer this shrikhand in a serving bowl and refrigerate for an hour before serving.





• Garnish with pista and nuts and serve chill.

Enjoy the creamy yummy dessert for a hot summer…

Note:

• Keep refrigerated and enjoy, which can last for a week
• Do not squeeze the muslin cloth to remove water.

KhasKhas / Poppy seeds Payasam

Hi friends I am back, after a month long break, actually I was in India for my In-Laws 60th wedding anniversary and family get-to-gether. The trip was very satisfied and did spend quality time with my families. The only thing was bit tired as there were many programs lined up during my stay there. Its nice to be back on track and blogging. And now will try to catch up with you guys. Keep watching this space for some new and exiting recipes which were introduced to me recently.

So, today letz get with poppy seeds payasam, a delicious and healthy payasam. I say its healthy because it cools off your body and removes heat effectively and this recipe is most recommended for summer season. More over it is also used as an effective antiseptic herb. I donno why this is prohibited in some countries like in Singapore. Anyways this payasam is from our favourites list. 

Ingredients:

Poppy seeds/KhasKhas – 1cup

Ghee – 2tsp

Sugar – 1cup
Milk – 2cups

Method:

• Soak the poppy seeds in water for an hour.
• Then strain the water and grind into smooth and fine paste using 1 cup of milk.





• Take a ground paste in a a heavy bottom vessel, along with the remaining milk and add sugar. Mix well before flaming up.
• And that's it, let give some action to ours hands ;) by conitnously stirring the mixture in a low flame to avoid sticking on bottom and till it gets cooked and raw smell leaves. (Approximately it would take 12 – 15 minutes for this step)



• Now add 2tsp of ghee and switch off the flame.

Serve warm or chill.

Note:

• After the paysam cool down it will become thick so while serving add some milk.
• You can garnish with roasted nuts and raisins. I like to have as it is.
• Do not add cardamom powder, poppy seeds has its own flavour and tastes good.
• For a fine and smooth paste, soak the poppy seeds for longer time, In case you have no time you could skip soaking part can directly grind the khas khas.
• To make it more tasty and give a enhanced richness add few cashews and/or almond while grinding the poppy seeds.

Chocolate Almond Fudge

Valentine’s Day wishes to all!! On this special occasion I like to prepare something new and special to my hubby and I start goggled and got this cool and easy recipe from here, it really looks delicious and treats for chocoholic. The method is very easy and it came out very well and we both loved the taste and enjoy having it!!
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing Condensed milk, butter, and chocolate chips and heating it to the soft stage and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, rich and creamy consistency. Let’s do the recipe…

Ingredients:

Semisweet / Dark chocolate chips – 400gms
Condensed milk – 1tin
Butter – 2 tbsp
Vanilla extract – 2 tsp
Almond – 100gm
Pistachios few

Method:

• Toast the almonds and pistachios place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 to 8 minutes minutes or until the nuts are fragrant and their skins start to blister. Take care do not burn.
• Let cool and then chop into small pieces.








• First line the pan, bottom and sides with aluminium foil.
• Combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water (using double boiling method).
• Melt the chocolate mixture, stirring frequently, making sure the mixture doesn't get too hot or the fudge may be grainy.
• Keep stirring until the chocolate dissolves smooth and glossy and remove from heat.
• Now add the vanilla extract and chopped nuts to this fudge and mix gently.
• Spread this fudge into a prepared pan, cover with plastic or aluminum foil sheet and smoothing the top with offset spatula and let stands at room temperature until cool (this can take several hours).
• Then carefully remove the fudge from the pan by lifting the edges of the foil.

Cut the fudge into desire pieces and enjoy!!

Delightful Chocolate Almond Fudge is ready…

Note:

• Keep refrigerated and use it for several days or freeze, well wrapped, for several months.
• Let thaw at room temperature, unwrapped, for a few hours before serving.
• You could substitude any nuts or dry fruits for almonds.

Carrot Kheer

Every week end for lunch I used to prepare some payasam to have it after meals. For this week I prepared carrot kheer, one of my hubby’s fav kheer.
I tried several methods to prepare this and finally this is my best method to make it very tasty and by adding condensed milk n badam we get very rich texture. The colour is so appealing, tempting and very tasty. I am sure u would love this!!

Ingredients:

Carrot -2no
Milk –3cup
Sugar – 2tbsp (adjust to taste)
Condensed milk – 1/2cup
Almonds – 10nos
Nuts to garnish (Almonds, Pista, Cashews)

Method:

• Wash, Peel and chop the carrots into chunks.
• Pressure cooks the carrots by adding little milk.
• Allow to cool and blend the carrot into smooth paste along with almonds.
• In a deep vessel boil the remaining milk in a low flame for 10 mins.
• Now add the sugar and condensed milk to the boiling milk and heat till the sugar dissolves.
• Remove from fire and mixed it with carrot paste and mix to blend well.
• Cool it in refrigerator and serve chill.

Garnish with fried nuts and enjoy hot or cold!!



Note:

• For more richness n sweetness, avoid adding sugar and substitute with condensed milk.
• For more flavour add cardamom powder or few drops of vanilla essence.
• You can add some grated carrot fried in ghee and mix with kheer while serving.

I am pleased to submit this recipe for a Christmas Delicacy!! event announcement initiated by Juile @ Erivum Puliyum

Obattu / Poli

In our family we do this poli during most of the special occasion, especially for Diwali, Ugadi and Varalakshmi viratam. Poli is very tasty and traditional recipe which are rarely made during festival season. In my way of doing poli there is a small difference when it comes to stuffing, usually all will prepare stuffing in channa dhal but we use toor dhal for purnam which is also traditionally done from my hubby’s native Krishnagiri. My MIL is an expert in doing polis she will finish making 30 tasty polis in just 30 min. I am slowly catching up the method and now practised for many times and finally I got the shape and taste as my MIL use to prepare and got certificate for the same from my hubby also.

Ingredients :

For outer layer:

Maida – 2 cup
Salt a pinch
Oil ½ cup


For puranam:

Toor dhal – 11//2 cup
Jaggery – 11/2 cup
Cardamom a pinch
Ghee – 2 tsp




Method:

• In a bowl add maida , a pinch of salt and mix well by adding adequate water to make a smooth dough (softer than chapathi dough). Add oil to this dough and keep it aside for minimum 2 hours (oil should float on dough).
• Grate the jaggery and keep it aside.
• Wash and soak the toor dhal for 1 hr. Then cook the toor dhal in an open pan till soft and well cooked (don’t cook for mashy).
• Now drain the water from the cooked dhal and spread in a plate and allow cooling for room temperature.
• Grind the cooked dhal with grated jaggery and cardamom powder in a mixer in to coarse and thick paste (don’t grind for long time just on and off for 2 times).
• Now transfer this puranam into a bowl and add some ghee on top and mix well.





• Now make out small balls for filling.
• Now collect the oil from maida dough in to a small bowl (can use for roasting poli).
• Take a plastic sheet/ banana leaf and grease some oil in it. Now take a small portion of Maida and spread with your fingers and place a small ball of puran and cover well.





• Now flatten well into a thin and round shape.
• Now carefully place the poli in to a hot tawa and flip on both sides until golden brown colour.

Delicious and soft Obattu/Poli is ready to serve with ghee.

Note:

• Instead of using toor dhal can substitute with channa dhal for doing purnam.
• Poli will be fresh in a room temperature, until 2 days no need to refrigerate it.
• Take care while cooking the dhal doesn’t cook for mashy.
• While grinding for puran don’t make it as a paste, if it goes watery then add some roasted gram powder, grated coconut(optional) and ghee 2 tsp and fry in a pan for 5 min it will become thick and flavourful.Then you can use for stuffing.
• Excess drain water from cooked dhal can use for preparing Rasam "Obattu Charu" it will be more tasty.

Diwali Wishes

Wishing all my blog readers and friends a very "Happy Diwali". May this lights bring Health, Happiness and Prosperity. Have lots of fun and joy.

Godhumai / Wheat / Tirunelveli Halwa

Just 3 days to go for diwali and the celebration started. I started the celebration by making lip smacking sweet "Godhumai halwa" with lots of fun.The name itself mouthwatering right!

Tirunelveli is one of the famous and known for Godumai halwa, especially from irutu kaadai where they sell only during the nights. The name Halwa City is the more contemporary nickname of Tirunelveli. Halwa is a popular dish, which is made primarily from wheat and sugar. It has a jelly-like texture and contains a ghee (clarified butter), which gives it its distinctively greasy appearance. Best served hot, this popular sweet is generally enjoyed as a dessert. Tirunelveli halwa is said to owe its uniquely rich taste to a special recipe of this region, blended with the renowned sweetness of the “Thamarabarani River”. [Courtesy: Wiki]

The taste is divine and it’s my favorite too. I am very happy to share this recipe to you all..

Ingredients :

Wheat berries / Whole wheat - 2cups
Sugar- 4cups
Water –1 cup
Cashews- few
Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp
Red food Color – a pinch
Ghee- 1cup




Method:

• Clean, rinse and soak wheat berries with enough water for whole night or minimum eight hours.
• Wash it again in clean water.
• Now grind the wheat in blender for 3 minutes with some water and extract the wheat milk (as we prepare to take coconut milk).
• Use a strainer and collect the extract milk in a bowl. Again grind the wheat with fresh water and extract the wheat milk. Repeat this process for 3 times.





• Then discard the husk after extracting the milk thoroughly. Leave this milk by closing with plate for few hours approximately 2 to 4 hours.
• Now you will find the scum floating over and the thick milk has settled at the bottom. Discard the clear liquid found on top.





• Fry some cashew in ghee till golden brown and keep it aside.
• In a heavy bottom pan add the sugar and water and mix well for making sugar syrup for one string consistency. At this stage add food color and mix well.
• Now add the thick wheat milk to the sugar syrup, it will start to thicken.
• Take care don’t stop stirring till it reaches solid stage by adding ghee little by little on equal intervals and keep on stirring, approximately it will take 45 minutes to 1hour.
• Once it reaches solid consistency, doesn’t stick to pan anymore then it’s done and the added ghee will start oozing out from halwa and it looks glossy. This is the perfect stage to complete.






• At this stage add cardamom powder and fried cashew nuts and stir well. Switch off the flame.
• Transfer into plate greased with ghee and leavel it and make into desired shapes.

Serve hot in a bowl or make it as pieces and enjoy it!! Glossy and hot Tirunelveli halwa is ready to taste…

Note:

• Wheat could be substituted with Samba Godumai.
• Instead of using ghee can substitute refined oil.
• Given ratios will gives approximately around 2 kgs of halwa. Even you can reduce the ingredients into half the quantity to prepare halwa.
• For tangy taste can add lemon juice few drops at the end. I like to have as it is.
• Will be fresh for weeks. No need to refrigerate until 1 week.