Ingredients:

• Almond -- 3 cups
• Sugar -- 3 3/4 cups
• Cardamom powder -- a pinch
• Ghee -- 1 1/2 cups
• Saffron -- a pinch
• Orange colour powder -- a pinch
• Salt -- a pinch

 

 Method:

• Soak the badham over nite else heat sufficient water to a boil and add the badhams to it. Wait for few minutes.Peel the skin and place in a mixie jar. 
• Add enough water just enough to cover the almonds and grind finely (It's ur choice  may grind it slightly coarsely as well)
• Heat a pan with 3 cups of water and dissolve the sugar, salt. Add the ground badham paste and stir continuously so that no lumps formed.

•  Melt the 1 1/2 cups of ghee and add everything into the badham mixture. Combine well.
• Now cook over a medium low flame stirring at regular intervals until the mixture starts leaving the sides.
• Keep on stirring the mixture for the next 7 to 10 minutes,( for this measurement), once it forms a mass without sticking the pan, remove from the heat, though the mixture is still little bit runny and loose.
• Add the cardamom powder and mix well. Grease the storing container, transfer the hot badham halwa to it and let it cool down to room temperature.

Notes/Suggestions:

• I've used almost 1 cup of ghee only nevertheless it's yummy and delicious.
• Though I've already posted one version, this is completely dairy free.
• This recipe yields a great quantity for a big family. Please be informed about this and use as per ur requirement.
• I din't have saffron at home,so used artificial colouring and that's obvious from the pic.

Cheers,
Shanavi

Source: Kitchen Secrets

My husband started throwing me options when I went to him to get some ideas for this week's marathon. His suggestions however made me suspect whether he was really serious or gone delirious with his work load. He had flown from his work the previous night, worked way past midnight and was up in the morning again with his laptop on.  And so instead of arguing over trivial matters and getting preached on how I refuse to see beyond my mother's kitchen, I walked out of the room and began thinking about it.
Among the ones, a few seemed feasible like this poha one. My husband had claimed that he had eaten it somewhere but I wasn't  sure whether he was joking or serious. However I tried it since the idea of poha halwa seemed appealing. I loved it and it is a simple and quick option when you are looking for some yummy stuff to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp ghee
• 1 Tbsp each - raisins & cashews
• 1 cup thick poha / beaten rice flakes
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut (I used sweetened coconut flakes.)
• 2 Tbsp sugar (I used about 1 & 1/2 Tbsp as I used sweetened coconut.)
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• A pinch of food color (optional)

Method:
* Melt the ghee in a pan and add raisins - cashews to it. Toast until the raisins become plump and cashews turn golden brown. Remove them with  a slotted spoon and keep them aside.
* To the same ghee, add poha and toast on low flame until it starts to change color. Transfer the poha to a plate.
* Add milk to the same pan and heat. Then add the food color, toasted poha and coconut and cook on low flame until poha is done.
* Next add sugar and cardamom to the poha. Continue to cook until the sugar gets dissolved and incorporated into the mixture.
* Turn off the stove and add the cashews and raisins toasted earlier to the halwa and mix well.
* Serve warm.

Source:Veggie Platter

Guess what ? It's my 150 th post and I've changed my blog's entire look. I wanted to give this make over for a very long time and i just made it possible.. Hope u all like it..Send me ur suggestions and comments my dearies...

Today am gonna give u an authentive Thanjavur (my hometown ) recipe guys..Ofcourse it's sweet, no doubt abt it.. This is Ashoka Halwa and it's a special thanjavur delicacy. Am a big big fan of Ahoka halwa. Actually we had a Iyengar bakery rt outside my street and they make such awesome bakes n treats . Also this yummylicious halwa too.. That time it was around for 10 rupees. My mom would give us 10 rs twice a week and i would fly around there and waiting n the queue ,to grab these halwa hot hot..They just keep this halwa in the banana leaf and seal .. But those ghee will be running everywhere around the parcel and ofcourse my hands. Still can't forget those days !!!! . I like to have this delicacy esp when it's hot..omg..awesome. I hear there are lot more versions of making this now, but I'm told the version i'm gonna give u , is the original recipe. Some may add wheat flour, maida /all purpose , and that is purely to increase the quantity such as in marriage,receptions, any get togethers. Actually I called my mom few weeks ago to find out the original recipe. We've a 80 + year old paatima who lives near by assured that , it's prepared in the following way .... Thanks to the Big Lady..

Ingredients :

• Moong dhal -- 1 cup
• Milk -- 2 cups (preferably whole milk )
• Sugar -- 2 cups
• Cashews -- 1 tbsp
• Almonds -- 1 tbsp
• Ghee -- 1/4 cup
• Cardamom powder -- a pinch
• Salt -- a pinch
• Saffron colour -- as reqd

Method :

Dry roast the moong dhal for a minute just to take off the raw smell and cool it. Wash the dhal and cook with 2 cups of milk for 3 whistles. In the mean time dissolve the sugar with 1/4 cup of water in a karahi and keep it ready. When the dal is cooked, immeditely open the cooker and mash it using a hand blender or using the back of the spatula. Otherwise,the dal might get solidify and it is difficult to add in the sugar. Now transfer the mashed dhal mixture into the dissolved sugar. Combine well until everything comes together as a mass in a medium low flame. Add a pinch of salt now and mix well. Keep on stirring this mixture in medium flame and add the ghee little by little and mix it.Add the saffron colour as well. Fry the cashews and almonds seperately in a tsp of ghee ,keep aside. Stir the ashoka halwa until it starts leaving the sides. It's the right time to add ur fried nutes and the cardamom powder. Mix well and take off from the stove.. (the whole stirring process might not take more than 4 minutes,so keep an eye on ur halwa, else ur halwa would be hard and crystalised..)

Ur yummylicious halwa is ready to gobble !!!!

Sending this entry to Umm Mymoonah of Taste of pearl City for the weekly series ..Anyone can cook



Happy eating guys !!!

Source: Kitchen Secrets

Badam Halwa.

Almonds are blanched and the skin is removed. The almonds are then ground into smooth paste with enough milk. The almond paste is then slowly reduced along with sugar into thick gooey halwa. Finally badam halwa is garnished with sliced almonds.
Makes: around 1 1/2 Cups of Badam Halwa.

Ingredients:

• Almonds 1 Cup
• Sugar 1 1/2 Cups
• Milk 1/2 – 3/4 Cup
• Cardamom Powder a big Pinch
• Ghee 1 Tbsp

Method of preparation:

Take a handful of almonds aside.
Slice some almonds for garnish.

Soak almonds in warm water for couple of hours.
Peel the skin off of the almonds and grind the peeled almonds along with reserved almonds into smooth paste with enough milk.

Heat a heavy pan on medium heat, add almond paste.
Stir briefly and add the sugar and cardamom powder.
Cook on low – medium flame for the almond paste to come together.
Keep stirring the almond paste to avoid scorching.
When the halwa comes together and stops sticking to the sides of the pan, remove from heat.
Stir in ghee and remove the almond halwa from heat.
Once halwa is cool enough to handle, form it into desired shape and garnish with sliced almonds.
Notes: Make sure to stir the almond paste well.

Suggestions: Make sure halwa doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan before removing from heat.
Variations: Check other recipes with almonds here.
Other Names: Badam Halwa.

via Talimpu

Before anyone starts wondering whether I am cooking with alphabets, let me assure you that those letters stand for the healthiest and yummiest fruits and the vegetable that star in this delicious and colorful halwa. A for apple, B for banana and c for carrot, you see. The sweet and juicy apple, the vibrant colored crunchy carrot and the humble banana together form a melt in mouth and visually appealing halwa.
I moved to this country a dozen years ago, with minimal culinary skills. I guess I managed to cook 'everyday meals' decently. The real problem was when I had the urge to prepare something special at odd hours when I couldn't call my mother. Then the dear Internet would come to my rescue. At that time, only a few sites were dedicated to Indian cooking that helped to some extent. Most of my trials would be sweets (my favorite of course) though M never had / has a sweet tooth and my son was an infant. It didn't even matter that I was the only person who had to consume all those sugar, butter - laden treats. I was thin as a stick then and so calories didn't come into picture at all. :) Everyday there would be a special.
When I reflect back, I think that I used to cook more borrowed recipes from internet then compared to now. Some of them have found a permanent place in my recipe repertoire. This delicious and easy to cook ABC halwa is one such recipe that has been cooked many times in my kitchen. Today's version is microwave based and doesn't use even a drop of ghee. It takes around 15 minutes to prepare and the only things you do are put the mixture in the MW and stir 3 -4 times.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 apple
• 1 carrot
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• For garnish - Chopped nuts or ghee toasted Cashews

Method:
* Peel the apple & carrot and grate them. Mash the banana.
* Add the prepared fruits and the milk in a microwave safe bowl. Cook till it is done and the whole mixture comes together. It may take around 10 - 12 minutes and keep stirring in between.
* Add sugar and cardamom powder to the cooked halwa and put it back in the MW for a couple of minutes more.
* Garnish with nuts or ghee toasted cashews.

This goes to all these lovely events
1. My CFK - Festive Foods, an event originally started by Sharmi.
2. Smitha's MEC - Festive dishes, an event originally started by Srivalli.
3. Priya's Veggie / Fruit a month - Apple
4. Ayesha's Anyone can cook event.
5. Akheela's Food Palette Series - Orange

Via Veggie Platter

If u have loads of dates, just give a trial to this delicious halwa u wont regret at all also its a quick way to finish those dates sitting sadly since a long coz this halwa hardly goes for simple ingredients like pitted seedless dates, milk, sugar, ghee and cashewnuts..Its a beautiful halwa which suits prefect for a sweet tooth also at the same time loaded with many health values eventhough we use ghee in this halwa,coz i cant imagine halwa without ghee,if u dont like to use ghee u go for butter or else dalda, but the aroma of the ghee suits absolutely prefect for making dates halwa..One more easy breezy diwali sweets am gonna prepare for the sure, yep this halwa goes for easy cooking process and even my little one loved it..

Ingredients:

• 1cup Pitted seedless dates
• 1cup Milk
• 1/2cup Sugar
• 2tbsp Ghee
• 20nos Cashew nuts

Method:
Fry the cashew nuts until they turns golden brown, keep aside..In an another pan, cook the dates and milk until they turns soft..let it cool and grind as fine paste..Cook the dates paste and sugar until its turns as thick paste, add the ghee and the roasted cashew nuts, stir continously..this paste will get off from the bottom of the pan after few minutes, immediately pour this halwa in a greased pan and cut as u desire once they get cooled..

Enjoy..Can stay prefect in room temperature for 2-3days..

Personally i felt that making halwas or pedas through microwave oven was quite easy and quick also it doesnt take ur precious time and no need of stirring or sauting continously when compared while cooking them on stove top..I prepared this easy breezy apple halwa last week to celebrate our wedding anniversary and enjoyed having this delicious halwa with briyani and shahi paneer..We had a simple at the same time pretty much elegant lunch to celebrate our wedding anniversary..I prepared this halwa using red apples along with a golden apple, both together works out prefectly as halwa,i used orange food colour to give a beautiful colour to this halwa as i didnt like the original colour, its not an obligation to use food colour, u can completely skip that part if u dont like food colour in ur halwa..

Ingredients:

• 2nos Red apples
• 1no Golden apple
• 1/2cup Sugar
• 1/4cup Milk powder
• 1tsp Cardamom powder
• 1tbsp Ghee
• A pinch of Orange food colour
• Few Almond flakes

Method:
Peel and core the apples and grate them..Squeeze out the juice and mix the sugar and milk powder to the grated apples in a microwave safe bowl..cook in microwave oven for 20minutes in high (stir twice in between)..Now add the cardamom powder, food colour,ghee to the almost cooked apple halwa and cook again for 10minutes until the ghee get separates (stir in between)..

Springle the almond flakes, give a stir and enjoy warm..

I love to make out new dishes by combining sometimes unusual ingredients to make out some of my new dishes...Most of my blogger friends would have already know better much about my way of cooking, i never like to trash any dishes and i always try to find out an alternative way to finish the dish either by baking or by frying, so that my family members will enjoy without asking me any questions about my new culinary inventions..One among those new and unusual combination is this carrot and cabbage halwa, i was planning to prepare some carrot halwa for our weekend snacks in which i have added a quarter cup of finely shredded cabbages along with MTR badam feast, the addition of badam feast to this halwa changes completely the texture, taste, delicious and completely masked the odour of the cabbages i have added in this halwa...I served them this halwa when they were slightly warm and everyone at home relished each and every spoon of this halwa...none found the secret ingredient which i used in this halwa and finally i told that i have combined both carrots and cabbages to make out this halwa,needless to say how they looked at me when i told about the addition of cabbage...Sending this carrot and cabbage halwa to Yasmeen's Crucial Cruciferious..

Ingredients:

• 2cups Carrot (grated finely)
• 1/4cup Cabbage (shredded finely)
• 1/2cup Condesned milk (sweetened)
• 1cup Milk
• 3tbsp Badam feast (MTR's)
• 1/2tsp Cardamom powder
• Fried Cashewnuts
• 2tsp Ghee
• Almond flakes

Method:
Bring boil together the milk and condensed milk, meanwhile heat few drops of ghee and saute the carrot and cabbage pieces until they get half cooked, add this veggies to the milk and cook in medium high flame until the veggies get well cooked,stir in between... add the badam feast, cardamom powder and cook until the milk get evaporates finally add the remaining ghee and almond flakes, put off the stove..

Serve warm..

If I could wish for something absurdly impossible and food-related, I'd wish for the Vegan Midas Touch. Y'know, where all the foods I love would just magically turn animal-free, after which I could eat them until I could eat no more.

That touch could be particularly useful for veganizing some Indian sweets. Like the pedha, a classic Indian treat that looks like a plump disc and is made entirely of reduced milk and sugar.

Pedhas are unusually delicious and they are special because they are almost always accompanied by good news. Engagements, weddings, births, exams passed...there is no happy occasion that a pedha can't sweeten just a little bit more.

A while back a reader asked me for a vegan pedha recipe. The attempts I've made have ended up deliciously edible but without any resemblance to a real, actual pedha as I remember it. So I'll keep trying, and when I do hit upon a recipe...I'll share the good news with a pedha.

Until then, I've got a delicious Doodhi Halwa to keep you going. This is an Indian sweet that is not at all difficult to veganize and which, in its animal-free avatar, ends up being both healthier and more delicious.

A doodhi or lauki or bottle gourd is a pretty, pale-green squash that is a known cholesterol fighter and makes delicious subzis. Because the doodhi is very neutral-tasting it lends itself beautifully to a halwa.

The process of making a doodhi halwa is very similar to that for making a gajar or carrot halwa, which I've blogged about earlier. You grate the veggie, you reduce the milk, you add the sugar, and you have an incredibly fabulous sweet made of something that's actually good for you.

Besides, there really is no way to mess this one up. All it takes is a bit of patience.

I use almond milk instead of regular milk in my doodhi halwa. Cup for cup, almond milk contains about 1/3rd the calories in a cup of regular milk. Also, I like substituting nut milks rather than soy milk in Indian sweets because I find they add tons of flavor and no aftertaste, which can ruin a sweet. And because most Indian sweets including this one usually incorporate nuts, the flavor of almond milk lends itself naturally to these dishes.

That said, if you can't find almond milk or refuse to make your own (yes, you're allowed to be a rebel), you can go with vanilla soymilk. The halwa would still be delicious.

It's time for me to fly. Enjoy your weekend, all!

Doodhi Halwa

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium bottle gourd, peeled (the thin skin peels easily with a regular vegetable peeler), seeded, and then finely grated. It should yield around 4-5 cups.
2. 1/3- 1/2 cup sugar
3. 3 cups almond milk
4. 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
5. A handful of cashewnuts, chopped
6. 1 tbsp + 1 tsp canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wide-mouthed skillet.

Add the bottle gourd and stir-fry for about 5-7 minutes.

Add the almond milk, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the mixture simmers and allow the halwa to reduce until all the liquid has evaporated, which may take about 60-90 minutes. Stir frequently while the mixture is reducing.

Add the sugar and stir well.

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp of oil and add the cashewnuts to it along with the cardamom powder. Turn off the heat as the cashews turn lightly golden-brown and pour everything into the halwa.

Mix well and turn off the heat before the halwa gets too dry. You can also add some raisins along with the cashews and let them plump in the oil before adding to the halwa. .

I think the halwa tastes best slightly chilled, but if you can't wait, dig in.

Beautiful, catchy and delicious halwa prepared with finely shredded carrots, beetroots and potato in microwave oven which i choosed from Priya's Mixed Veggie Halwa , this halwa tempted me a lot and i have completely fallen in love...Priya used sweet potato, but i used potato instead of sweet potatoes but adding a small potato didnt changed that much the taste of this delicious halwa also the cooking time changes according to the microwave oven, this halwa was ready less than half an hour...Easy breezy halwa to enjoy without any guilt and my DH almost finished the whole bowl of halwa..We just loved it..Thanks Priya for sharing this fantastic mixed veggie halwa and we relished each and every spoon..This microwave halwa goes directly to MEC-Celebrating Bloggers guest hosted by Jayashree, event by Srivalli...

Ingredients:

• 2cups Mixed veggies (carrot, beetroot, potato finely shredded)
• 1cup Milk
• 1cup Sugar
• 1/4cup Ghee
• 1cup Milk
• 1/2tsp Cardamom powder
• Almond flakes

Method:
Mix the veggies in a microwave safe bowl with ghee and cook in high for 10minutes (stir twice in between), add the milk and sugar and cook again for 10minutes..finally add the cardamom powder and cook everything again for 8minutes in high..Garnish with almond flakes and enjoy..