SANDESH / SHONDESH

 

Turned a kitchen accident into a cultural treat!  After my milk accidentally curdled, I learned that this fresh cheese is actually the base for Sandesh, an iconic Bengali delicacy. This soft, cardamom-infused sweet is officially my new favorite way to fix a mistake.In case you are running out of curdled milk,then follow the procedure for curdling cited below

 

 

 

 

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 Ingredients

• Milk: 1 litre (full fat)
• Lemon Juice/Vinegar: 2 tbsp (diluted with water)
• Powdered Sugar: 1/4 cup
• Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Garnish: Pistachios & Saffron strands/ Almonds

1. Make Fresh Chenna (Paneer)

• Boil the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan.
• Turn off heat. Add diluted lemon juice slowly.
• Stir until milk curdles completely.
• Strain using a muslin cloth.
• Rinse with cold water to remove sourness.
• Squeeze well. Hang for 30 minutes to drain.

2. Knead to Smoothness

• Place the fresh chenna on a flat plate.
• Rub with your palm for 5–7 minutes.
• Stop when it becomes smooth and non-sticky.
• Mix in powdered sugar and cardamom powder.

3. Cook the Mix (Crucial Step!)

• Transfer the mix to a non-stick pan.
• Cook on low heat for 4–5 minutes only.
• Stir continuously so it does not dry out.
• Remove when it gathers together into a soft dough.
• Add saffron strands soaked in milk mixture to the dough. 

4. Shape & Serve

• Let it cool slightly until warm.
• Divide into equal portions.
• Roll into balls and flatten slightly (or use molds).
• Press a pistachio/ almond or saffron strand into the center.
• Chill for 30 minutes before serving!

MINI JANGIRI

Diwali or Deepavali comprises three things by default: sweets, crackers, and new clothes. Though my interest in clothes and crackers has waned, as they no longer evoke the same childlike enthusiasm, my fondness for sweets remains unchanged.

In fact, after I developed an interest in cooking, I found it truly exciting to try making different varieties of sweets. Initially, I planned to prepare motichoor laddu, but I suddenly digressed from my original plan and decided to make mini jangiris instead. After watching several viral videos on the same, I simply couldn’t resist the temptation.

Since I was running out of orange food colour, I used yellow instead. You can even fry the jangiris on an ordinary pan, but using a paniyaram pan gives them a perfect circular shape.

So, here’s wishing you all A Very Happy Diwali with a plate of these sweet mini jangiris. May your life too be filled with those tiny sweet moments that make the journey of life truly joyful.

 INGREDIENTS :

 

URAD DAL- 1 CUP

SUGAR -1 CUP

WATER- 2 CUPS

ROSE ESSENCE-- A FEW DROPS

RICE FLOUR- 1 TBSP

OIL- 2 TBSP

GHEE- 2 TBSP

LEMON JUICE--1 TSP 

 

PROCEDURE:

 

1.Wash,rinse and soak urad dal in water for three hours. After three hours,drain water completely and blend it in mixer jar using very little water.

 

2. Take out the ground water in a vessel and keep it aside.It should be smooth and fluffy.

 

3.Take a small amount of water and drop it in a bowl of water,if it floats,then it is the right consistency.

 

4.Fill the batter into a zip-lock cover or any empty sachet after adding food colour and rice flour.

 

5.Cut the end of the cover,for the batter to flow smoothly.

 

6.Fill the cavities of the paniyaram with the mixture of oil and ghee and heat it.Now slowly squeeze the batter in clockwise direction into circles.Keep the stove in sim while fry.

 

7.When the jangiris are cooked,transfer the same to a plate and allow it to cool.

 

8.Mean while in a wide bottom thick pa,add water and sugar and allow the sugar to dissolve it completely prior to switching on the stove.

 

9.Now heat the pan and maintain medium heat.Switch off the stove,when the syrup reaches 1/2 string consistency.Add lemon juice to the sugar syrup to avoid crystallization.

 

10. Add rose essence,and transfer all the fried jangiris to the syrup and allow it to soak it in it.

 

 

 

COCONUT BURFI

HAPPY  DIWALI

 

 

Homemade sweets and snacks have a enduring allure. Ghee and oil aroma permeates the entire house during the festivities.I prepared coconut burfi,a simple yet delicious sweet prepared with minimal ingredients.After relishing all the sweets and snacks,I thoroughly enjoyed the stunning visuals of crackers from my terrace and captured it on my mobile.I decided to post the pics on my blog.

 INGREDIENTS :

 

GRATED COCONUT- 1 CUP 

SUGAR- 1 CUP

WATER- 1/2 CUP

GHEE 1 TBSP 

CARDAMOM POWDER- 1 TSP

 

PROCEDURE:

 

1. Grate coconut and keep it aside.Take care to grate only the white portion,else the colour of your burfi will change. 

2. Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a pan and saute gratings in mild heat for couple of seconds and keep it aside.

 

3.In the same pan add ghee and roast cashews till golden brown and keep it aside.

 

4.Add water to the pan and dissolve sugar.When the sugar is fully dissolved,switch on the stove. Keep stirring in mild heat till it reaches one string consistency.

5.Now transfer the gratings,cashew nuts and cardamom powder to the sugar syrup and keep stirring in mild heat till it reaches halwa consistency.

6.Add the remaining ghee and mix well Transfer the contents to a greased tray and allow it to cool.

7. On cooling cut it into equal squares and serve.

 

MYSORE PAK

 

 

 

 

After Adhirasam,I consider Mysore pak,as the toughest sweet to prepare.Whenever,I attempt this sweet , I become apprehensive about the final outcome. But I'm really glad that I have mastered the technique of preparing perfect Mysore pak. You have to exercise great caution ,while preparing this sweet,as there is no scope for fine tuning or salvaging. If the consistency of sugar evades,the mysore pak will crumble and you

won't get the perfect texture and shape. I'm really elated that I have prepared perfect Mysorepak for this Diwali !

 

 

 

 INGREDIENTS :

GRAM FLOUR-  1 CUP

GHEE- 1 CUP

SUGAR- 1 CUP

WATER- 1/2 CUP

PROCEDURE  :

1. Sieve gram flour and keep it aside. In a pan add a teaspoon of ghee and fry the sieved flour  till nice aroma emanates and switch off.

2. Melt 1/2 cup ghee in a pan till warm. Don't melt ghee in high flame.Slowly add the roasted gram flour to warm ghee (1/2 cup) and whisk well to a smooth consistency. Reserve the other half cup of ghee and use it while stirring.

3. Heat water in another pan and dissolve sugar. Keep stirring till it reaches one string consistency.

4. Now turn the flame to sim and transfer the gram flour and ghee mixture and keep stirring till the mixture becomes frothy. Keep adding the 1/2 cup of ghee in between.

 

5.  At one stage,the mixture will thicken and leave the sides of the pan. At this stage,switch off the stove.

6. Transfer the same to a greased container and spread evenly.

7. Allow it to cool for 20 minutes and cut it to pieces.

 

 

 

MANGO KESARI

Summer heralds arrival of mangoes; I love to gorge on yummy delicacies prepared with both raw and succulent ripe mangoes. Kesari is a ubiquitous semolina pudding prepared across Tamilnadu. This pudding goes by different names in other Indian states as well. The authentic version of this pudding is enriched with ghee,cardamom and roasted nuts,raisins and hint of orange food colour. Of late, you can come across innovative versions of this pudding involving varied fruits : Mango,pineapple,strawberry,kiwi and banana. I haven't used food colour in this kesari as I love the natural subtle hue of  ripe mangoes.

 

 INGREDIENTS :

 

RAVA /  SEMOLINA-  1 CUP

SUGAR- 1 1/2  CUPS

MANGO PULP-  1 CUP

WATER- 2 1/2  CUPS

GHEE- 1/4   CUP

CARDAMOM POWDERED- 1 TSP

CASHEWS/ RAISINS 

PROCEDURE :

1. Scoop out the pulp from the ripe mango and keep it aside. 

2. Add 2 tsp of ghee in a pan and when it melts, roast the semolina till nice aroma emanates. Keep the roasted semolina aside. In the same pan add a tsp of ghee and roast cashew nuts and raisins.

3.Heat 2 1/2 cups of water. Pour the hot boiling water over the roasted semolina and stir in mild heat till the semolina is cooked.

4. Now transfer the sugar over the boiled semolina and cook in mild heat till the sugar dissolves completely. Don't panic,if the mixture becomes lumpy after adding sugar as it will eventually get dissolved while heating. Add half the quantity of ghee and mix well.

5. Pour the mango pulp and simmer in mild heat till the puree blends well with semolina.  Add the remaining ghee and cardamom powder and cook in sim and switch off.

6. Decorate with roasted nuts and raisins and serve.

Additional  Information :

• Adjust the quantity of sugar in accordance with the sweetness of fruit
• Always choose only coarse semolina,while preparing kesari,as the finer variant will result in gooey consistency. 
  

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PUMPKIN SEEDS HALWA

 

Whenever I buy pumpkin,I discard the seeds and only utilize the veggie in cooking. But yesterday, I prepared a scrumptious halwa with pumpkin seeds.Initially,I was bit skeptical about the taste but,the final outcome,proved me wrong. Henceforth,I decided to stock pumpkin seeds to try out many such amazing recipes.This halwa can be readily prepared with easily accessible ingredients. Next time,when you buy pumpkin,don't throw away the seeds,as you can whip up a  delicious sweet dish and impress everyone.

 

 

 

 INGREDIENTS :

PUMPKIN SEEDS- 1 CUP

SUGAR- 3/4 CUP

MILK- 1 1/2 CUPS

CARDAMOM POWDER- 1 TSP

GHEE- 1 TBSP

ALMONDS,CASHEWNUTS  FOR GARNISHING

PROCEDURE : 

1. Soak pumpkin seeds in water for 3-4 hours. 

2. Discard the water used for soaking and use fresh water for grinding the seeds. Keep the paste aside. Use only little water for grinding,else the mixture will turn watery.

3. In a non-stick  pan add 3 tsp of ghee and heat it. Transfer the ground paste over the hot ghee and keep stirring in mild heat.

4. Now pour the milk over the mixture and continue stirring in mild heat. At one point you will notice that the colour of halwa changes and it thickens after the mixture takes in the milk completely.

5. Now add in the sugar and continue with the stirring process. Now add the remaining ghee and cardamom powder. You can notice the ghee leaves the sides and it reaches halwa consistency. At this stage,switch off the heat and garnish with roasted nuts and relish.