VERMICELLI/SAMYA KHEER IN MICRO-WAVE

Ingredients:

• Vermicelli/Samya - 1 cup
• Milk - 5 cups
• Sugar - to taste
• Cardamom (Elachi) powder - 1/4 tsp (Optional)
• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Take a micro-wave safe bowl, add 1 tsp of ghee and just melt it in the microwave for 15 seconds.
• Add cashew nuts and heat for a minute stirring in between and keep aside once they turn golden color.
• Now add samya in the leftover ghee and stir wellso the samya get coated, add more ghee if needed. Heat for about 30 seconds. Keep aside.
• Now take the milk and heat for 2 mimutes. Stir and continue heating for 3 minutes again stirring in between. This helps the milk reduce and provide nice taste and consistency to the kheer
• Now add the samya to the milk and cook microwave high for about 3 minutes stirring atleast once every minute.
• Check if samya is cooked, and add sugar and cardamom powder and again heat for a minute.
• Add more milk if required. 
• Garnish with roasted cashew nuts.
• Now Vermicelli kheer is ready to serve. Serve hot or cold.

PALMIERS (LITTLE HEART BISCUITS)

Ingredients:

• Puff pastry sheet - 1 sheet
• Sugar - 1/2 cup (or to taste)

Method:

• Preheat oven at 200C or 400F. Adjust rack to middle position.
• Sprinkle 2 tbsp of sugar over the work surface. Roll out the puff pastry.
• Now sprinkle 3 tbsp of the sugar over the top. Then gently spread it with hands and roll the rolling pin over the surface to press the sugar completely.
• Roll it to an even thickness.
• Fold in two opposite sides of the pastry sheet square so that they sides meet in the center.
• Fold in the sides over again, meeting in the middle.
• Fold one half over the other, just like closing a book. Trim the ends with a knife.
• Now cut the folded pastry into 1/2 inch thick strips.
• Dip cut sides of each piece in sugar and arrange, cut-side up, on a baking tray with baking sheet.
• Bake Palmiers in middle of the oven, bake them both sides for 15-20 minutes or until golden and puffed.
• Let it cool completely, Serve hot or at room temperature and enjoy...

RAVVA APPALU (RAVVA CAKES)

RAVVA APPALU (RAVVA CAKES) CELEBRATING My 50^th Post

This is my 50th post after publishing my blog and I am very much cheerful for achieving this with in short time and I would like you to share my joy and happiness in this regard.

I would like to welcome any comments and thoughts on my blog and the dishes I posted till date and I am very much thankful for my followers and regular visitors and viewers for visiting my blog and each and every visit of you boosts my strength and will to publish more posts in future 

Todays recipe is a simple, quick and easy that is serve as dessert. I made this recipe on the occasion of Hanuman jayanthi. We call it Appalu in our region and This is also main neivedhyam recipe for Lord Hanuman. Appalu ia an traditional dish in India. 

Ingredients:

• Ravva (Suji, Godhuma nooka) - 2 cup
• Sugar - 3 cups (Adjust to your taste)
• Milk - 4 cups
• Cardamom (Elachi) powder - 1 tsp
• Ghee 1 tbsp
• Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
• Oil - for deep frying

Ingredients for the batter:

• All-purpose flour (Maida) - 1/2 cup
• Rice flour (Vari pindi) - 2 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Heat 1 tbsp of ghee and fry ravva on low flame for about 3-4 min. This would prevent lumps when added to milk. Take care not to burn/change the color of ravva. Keep aside.

• Now add the sugar and cardamom powder to ravva and mix well.

• Bring milk to boil in a heavy bottemed pan on medium flame and slowly add the ravva mixture to milk while mixing gently to avoid any lumps.Reduce heat to mediumlow now.

• Cover it and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Switch of the flame. Stir well and allow it to cool.

• Grease your hands with ghee, take a spoonful of mixture, shape them into round balls and flatten them into a circle shape (like tikkis/patty). Alternately you can use a banana leaf or zip lock cover to make the Appalu.

• Dress up some cashew nuts on top of the Appalu, It enhance the taste of it.

• Arrange all of them on a greased plate.

• Heat oil in a pan on medium flame.

• In a small bowl mix all-purpose flour, rice flour, sugar and little water and make a batter similar to dosa batter.

• Now take the flatten ball and dip into the batter and carefully drop into the hot oil. Do not over crowd the pan.

• Fry them till they turn golden brown on both sides. Remove from oil and drain them on a paper towel.

• Now ready to serve the Appalu. They should melt soft in your mouth as you bite them.

• You can store Appalu upto 1 week even not being refrigerated

Njoy this delicious dish with your family and wish you all the best:-)

JUNNU WITH JUNNU POWDER

Ingredients:

• Junnu powder - 100 gms
• Milk - 500 ml
• Sugar - 100gms / Jaggary (Bellam) - 150 gms
• Cardamom powder (Ealchi) - pinch

Method:

• Take a bowl and mix junnu powder, sugar and milk thoroughly without any lumps.
• If you like add a pinch of cardamom powder and mix well.
• In a pressure cooker pour 1 cup of water and keep this bowl in cooker. Don't cover it with lid.
• Cook on medium flame for 15-20 min or till it becomes little hard.
• After that turn off the heat.
• After cools down it becomes harder.
• Serve cold.

SWEET CUSTARD

Ingredients:

• Milk - 500 ml
• Custard powder - 2 tsp
• Sugar - 3-4 tbsp

Method:

• In a mixing bowl mix 2 tsp of custard powder and 1/4 cup of milk into a smooth paste.
• Heat the rest of the milk in a pan and add sugar to taste.
• Take care that it does not boil over.
• Remove from heat, add the paste and cook again for 2-3 minute, Strring continuously to avoid burning.
• Oncce the custard has thickened, pour into a serving bowl.
• Let it cool and your delicious custard is ready.
• You can serve with fruit salad and apple pie

CARROT HALWA (GAJAR KA HALWA)

Ingredients:

• Carrots  - 5
• Milk (boiled)- 2 cups
• Sugar - 1cup (or) to taste
• Ghee/Butter - 3 tbsp
• Cashew nuts - for garnishing
• Almonds - for garnishing
• Cardamom powder (Elachi) - 1/4tsp

Method:

• Peel, wash and grate the carrots.
• Heat a pan with 3tbsp of Ghee/Butter add grated carrot and saute on medium heat till the raw smell disappears.
• Add milk and boil on low flame till thick.
• Once it's start thickening add sugar and stir continuously.
• Cook on low flame for further thickness.
• Add cardamom powder and stir continuously till the ghee separates from the mixture.
• Finally garnish with roasted cashew nuts and almonds.
• Carrot halwa (Gajar ka halwa) is ready to serve.
• Serve hot or cold.

MINAPA SUNNUNDALU/ROASTED URAD LADDO

Ingredients (for 15 pieces):

• Minapa pappu (urad dal) - 250 gms
• Sugar - 250 gms
• Ghee - as needed to make laddo

Method:

• Take a pan dry roast minapa pappu/urad dal until it turns golden brown colour.
• Then transfer in to a plate and let it cool for some time.
• Later blend the roasted minapa pappu/urad dal in a blender make a course powder.
• Now blend the sugar till it turns into a smooth powder.
• Mix roasted minapa pappu/urad dal powder and sugar powder & Mix well.
• Melt ghee and pour this hot ghee on top of the minapa/urad powder. Mix well with hand until ghee mixes well with the powdered dal.
• Take small portions of the mixture and shape into round balls.
• These minapa sunnundalu/urad dal laddos are very healthy. They can be preserved upto 15-20 days.

NOTE:

• Don't let the mixture stand for a long time as it tends to dry soon.
• Make urad powder & sugar powder and store in air tight container for instant sunnundalu/laddo making.

EGG PUDDING (JUNNU/GINNU/POSU)

Ingredients:

• Milk - 1 cup (Whole milk)
• Sugar - To taste
• Eggs - 2
• Elachi powder - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1 pinch

Method:

• Beat the eggs thoroughly with sugar.
• Take a bowl & add egg mixture, milk & mix well.
• Now transfer this mixture into a bowl which fits in pressure cooker.
• Sprinkle pepper powder & elachi powder.
• Place this bowl in the cooker with little water & cook on low flame for 15-20 minutes without whistle.
• Let the Junnu/Ginnu/Posu sit for about 4-5 hours before serving.

NOTE: 

• Do not use any low fat milk.
• Use small bowls for steaming the Junnu/Ginnu/Posu. Because this method is little bit watery than the treditional method.

SANDESH

Ingredients:

• Whole milk - 1 liter
• Lime juice - 2 tsp
• Sugar - Equal amount as chenna
• Elachi powder - 1/2 tsp
• Almonds & pistachios - For garnishing

Method:

• Boil the milk & add the lime juice. Put it in a cheesecloth and drain the water.
• Once the chenna is drained , grind lightly in a mixer till it becomes smooth.
• Add equal amount of sugar (as the chenna) , elachi powder & mix it well.
• Then heat a deep bottemed pan & transfer the chenna mixture in to the pan.
• Stir it continuously over low heat for 3-5 minutes.
• The mixture will first turn liquidy & then start thickening.
• When the mixture becomes a creamy thick paste & leave the sides of the pan then transfer in to a plate.
• Then roll in to a small balls and garnish it with Almonds & pistachios.
• Serve sandesh chilled and finish them in a day or two

NOTE: Don't overheat  sweetened chenna mixture.

KALAKAND

Ingredients:

• Milk - 8 cups (4 cups milk for make paneer)
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Lemon juice - 2-3 tsp for make paneer
• Sliced almonds & pista - 2 tsp for garnishing

Method:

Making  paneer:

• Mix lemon juice in 1/4th cup of hot water &put aside.
• Boil the 4cups of milk. As the milk comes to a boil, add lemon juice & stir it.
• Then take out the excess water & squeeze it. Do not knead the paneer.        

Making kalakand:

• Boil the remaining 4 cups of milk on medium high heat until the milk reduces to about 2 cups.
• Make sure to frequently stir the milk.
• Add the paneer in the milk & keep stirring till the mixture thickens & form a soft dough consistency.
• Add the sugar & continue to cook & stirring until the mixture become soft dough  & start leaving the pan from sides.
• Pour it over greased plate keeping about half inch thick.
• Let it cool for 1 hour. Then cut the kalakand in squares.

ALMOND KHEER

Ingredients:

• Almonds - 1 cup
• Milk - 1 liter
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Elachi powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Saffron - few strands

Preparation:

• Soak almonds in hot water for about 2 hours.
• Drain the soaked almonds and peel  the skin off and grind them in to a smooth paste using enough  milk.
• Heat the remaining milk in a heavy bottom pan, when milk boils pour the ground almond paste and stir well.
• Now add the sugar and saffron and let it boil for a minute and reduce the flame.
• Now add the elachi powder it will enhance flavour.
• Allow the mixture to cook until the kheer turns thick.
• Then remove from heat and serve kheer cool or warm.