I love sweets!

Dear induslog,
Thanks.
Unbelievable that you could try it so fast !!
Please give me some time - I will post ennai mangai.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Mrs.Chitra, now that bhogi is fast approaching, i want to try your mangalore poli recipe. one small question i have is in which oil do you soak the dough... gingelly or sunflower? kindly clarify if it makes any difference in the taste and flavour. thank you! latha

Dear Latha,
Now, I use any refined odourless oil for polis. If at all, I smear a drop of ghee, when serving only.
In my younger days, my Amma used to soak in gingelly oil & use ghee later. But those were the days when there was no refined oil available.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Chitvish,

I opened sweets section to prepare oats kesari. But I saw Oats Halwa!!!

I prepared immediately, and its fantastic. I dont like to take oats kanji , but this way I can take more. One doubt, should we make the oats get cooked fine in the milk, and then add the sugar?

Thank you so much.
Love,
Durgees

Dear Durgees,
Thanks for a quick FB !
For any sweet like a halwa where initial cooking is necessary for the cereal, it is advisable to add sugar after the cereal is cooked.
Love,
Chithra.

Select fresh, deep coloured beetroots. Peel & grate very fine or mince fine.

For the covering:

Maida - 11/4 cups

Wheat flour - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Powdered sugar - 2 tsp

Lemon yellow colour

Knead the above ingredients with water to a very soft elastic dough.

Soak this completely in oil for minimum 1 hr.

Filling:

Grted beetroot - 1 cup

Khoa - ½-3/4 cup

Sugar - ½-3/4 cup

Ghee - 2 tsp

Custard powder (or cornflour) - 2 tsp

Nutmeg or cardamom powder - 1 tsp

In a kadai heat ghee & sauté beetroot till tender, on a low fire.

Add crumbled khoa & sugar.

Continue cooking till the mixture is well blended.

Sprinkle custard powder and cook on a low fire till the mass thickens.

Add spice poder & remove.

Cool.

To assemble:

Now take the dough from oil & knead.

Make small round balls.

Take one ball & lightly roll it to a disc.

Keep filling in the centre.

Bring all edges from around to the centre & cover to make a tight ball.

Flatten, using hands to a chappathi about 4” in diameter.

Heat a flat non-stick tava.

Roast this on medium heat.

Flip it & roast the other side.

It will become golden coloured on both sides.

Do not roast for long - it gets cooked very fast.

Smear ghee while serving, if preferred.

Hello Chit mami,

I prepared poli today. I was not having dal, coconut or beetroot. So tried the beetroot poli with sweet potato. I grated sweet potato and did the same way as you have told. Instead of khoa, i added condensed milk, and milk to cook the sweet potato. Then reduced sugar to half. Added custard powder also.

It came out very nicely. First time in my cooking, I am preparing poli, and I succeeded. Thanks a lot...

Cant resist myself till tomorrow morning, from sharing the news to you. I am attaching the poli's picture.

Thanks a lot for the motivation...

Love,
Durgees

PICT0821.JPG

Dear Durgees,
Hats off to you !
Very imaginative & highly original.
The photo looks absolutely "delicious".
This only shows that with a "naam ke vasthe" recipe from me, you an do wonders !
Thanks, Durgees.
Love,
Chithra.

Kasi halwa is traditionally served as the sweet with breakfast in weddings. But fresh white pumpkin. Peel, remove seeds & grate. Pressurise in its own juice, without adding water, in a pressure pan for one whistle.
Remove , tie in a thin cloth & squeeze it, carefully, as much as possible to make it dry. This water can be used for sambar or rasam.

Vegetable pulp - 2 cups ( prepared as given above)

Khoa - ½ cup

Sugar - ¾ - 1 cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Green colour

Saffron - a pinch, warmed & powdered

Pachai karpuram (edible camphor) - a very small grain

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Cashews & kismiss - 1 tbsp each

Ghee - 2 tsp, to fry the above

Make a syrup with sugar, adding water till sugar is just immersed.

Heat, stirring, to boiling point.

Add 1 tbs milk & boil.

Scum will float which can be removed by straining.

Make a very thick syrup – 2 string consistency.

Add pulp mixed well with khoa & a drop of green colour.

First, add 1 tbsp ghee & cook.

Then add one more tbsp & remove, when it starts leaving the vessel.

Remove, add spices & cashewnuts & kismiss fried in ghee.

Serve hot.

Milk powder - 4 tbsp

Paneer - 1/3 cup

Cream - ½ cup

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Mix everything in a non-stick kadai .

Cook on a very low flame for about 20 minutes stirring continuously until the mixture thickness.

Dissolve the saffron in a little milk and add it to the above mixture.

Sprinkle the cardamom powder and mix well.

Spread this mixture in a pie dish.

Garnish with chopped almonds and pistachoes.

Allow to cool for 2-3 hours.

Cut into square pieces and serve chilled.

Best kept refrigerated to prserve the texture.