I love sweets!

Sone Burfi:
This is an ideal sweet to make for Diwali!

Grated khoa(sugarless) 1 cup

Maida 1 cup

Sugar 2 cups

Ghee ¾ cup

Chopped nuts 50gms

(a mixture of almonds&cashews)

Saffron ¼ tsp(warm & powder)

Cardamom powder 1 tsp
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Heat half the ghee & fry the maida on a low fire to golden colour.
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Cool & mix with khoa without lumps.
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Boil sugar with 1 cup water-add 1 tbsp milk –remove the dirt that collects on top.

Heat the syrup to medium string consistency.

Add maida-khoa mixture & go on stirring-add ghee little by little.

When the mass froths around the edges & the whole mixture starts rising, remove. The candy thermometer should read 225 deg F

Add all the spices & go on stirring

When it becomes like a dough, empty on a greased plate pressed with nuts on top.
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Cool , mark & cut into pieces.
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HI priya,

Though u asked chitra, i am posting the recipe for microwave carrot halwa, as i had it with me. Hope it helps.

Ingredients

2 cups freshly grated carrots (pick the orangy ones)
1/4 to 1/2 a cup skimmed milk powder (or can go with full cream milk powder)
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 cup thickeneed cream (optional for weight watchers)
fried raisins, cashews and almonds for garnishing

Method

1. Lace the freshly grated carrot in a microwave casserole and cook it on high for 7-8 minutes.
2. Remove it from the microwave and now add milk powder, sugar, thickened crea and cardamom powder and again return it to the microwave and cook on high for another 7-8 minutes.
3. Remove it from the microwave and either serve it hot or cold after garsnishing it with raisins, cashews and almonds.
4. Can also be set in the fridge for the real HALWA consisitency.

Easy Pressure Cooker Wheat Halwa



Ingredients:

Samba wheat rava used for Upma

Called Lapsi 1 cup (150 gms)

Ghee ¼ cup

Sugar as per the recipe

Chopped nuts 50 gms

Cardamom powder 1 tsp

Saffron ( warm & powder ) ½ tsp



Soak wheat rawa in plenty of water for 5-6 hours. Strain add 1 cup of water.

Grind in the mixi and extract the milk.

Do this 3,4 times adding fresh water every time. (4-5 cups)

Allow the extracted water to settle for atleast 8 hours in a tall vessel, undisturbed.

Then remove the top water and scum.

Now for every cup of the settled thick milk add 11/2 cups of sugar.

Mix very well, add little kesar colour .

Pressurise it in a vessel inside a pressure cooker .

Keep atleast 500 ml of water in the cooker because you have to cook it for 45 mts.

It is preferable to keep the mixture inside a tall vessel, to prevent water from the cooker entering this vessel.

Put the weight & cook with weight.

After 1^st whistle comes, sim the stove & cook for 45 mts.

Open after pressure drops and beat thoroughly with a hand blender (If you don’t have one use a wooden spatula)
The mixture should become uniform without even a small lump. This is important.

In a nonstick pan add ghee, chopped nuts and then halwa and flavourings.

Stir till it becomes a mass.Remove, cool , spread and level.

This traditional sweet which is a great favourite can be made easily, with very little ghee.
This looks & tastes absolutely professional!
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Pineapple kesari

INGREDIENTS:

Chiroti rawa 1cup ( can use Bombay rawa also )

Finely chopped or minced pineapple 1 cup

Sugar 2 – 2 1/2cups (2 ½ cups if the pineapple is not sweet)

Water 2 cups

Ghee ½ cup

Cashewnuts chopped 50 gms

Kismiss 50 gms

Cardamom powder, saffron, pineapple emulsion (optional) , kesari colour



In 1 tbsp ghee fry the chiroti rawa on a low flame till a nice aroma comes and the

Colour changes.

Remove it to a plate and cool.

Add cashew and kismiss fried in 1 tsp ghee. Cook pineapple in its own juice either in a microwave in a closed container for 5 mts or on a medium flame in the gas for 5 mtes till tender.

Heat the water and sugar together in a pan stirring continuously till sugar dissolves and the syrup becomes very slightly sticky

. First add the cooked pineapple, mix well and add the rawa completely in one stroke , stirring to prevent lump formation.

Add the colour and spices now and the ghee little by little stirring well.

If preferred ¼ tsp pineapple emulsion can be added for a very nice flavour. When the kesari leaves the sides of the pan, remove and

Serve hot.

Mysore Pak – The Eternal Favourite



Besan - 1 cup (freshly ground gives best results)

Ghee - 2 cups

Sugar - 2 cups

Water - 1 cup



Dry roast besan in a kadai on a low fire till a nice aroma comes & cool.

Make a sugar syrup- when the syrup gives 2,3 boils (no thread ) , remove from fire.

Add besan & mix well with a whisk(if you have one ), taking care that there is absolutely no lump.

Put the vessel back on fire & bring it to boil.

In the next stove , keep the ghee warm.

As the besan – sugar mixture boils , add the ghee in 3 instalments , at intervals , stirring continuously.

Keep a slightly high , greased & sugar-sprinkled tray ready.

The whole mixture wil become porous & bubbly.

At one particular stage , the bubbles will start turning oval-shaped (or tear shaped).

At once remove , empty the contents on the tray – lightly shake the tray quickly for even spreading.( DO NOT LEVEL WITH KNIFE AS WE DO FOR OTHER SWEETS).

Immediately sprinkle some sugar on top also.

When set , cut into pieces.


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Angel Burfi


Whole milk powder 1 cup

Maida 1 cup

Sugar 2 cups
F
Cardamom powder 1 tsp

Saffron ¼ tsp (warm & powder)


In ½ cup ghee fry maida till a nice aroma comes.

Remove, cool & add milk powder.

The mixture should be completely free from lumps.

Add sugar to 1 cup of water, keep on the stove & make a syrup of “soft ball consistency”.(candy thermometer 235-238 deg f)

Remove, add the dry mixture & stir continuously adding the spices.

Do not keep on the fire anymore.

When it comes to a dough like consistency transfer to a greased plate, mark & cut into squares. With cany thermometer, this is very quick & you must be agile. But the result is perfect.
Alsogo o
Angel Burfi (1)
Angel Burfi (2)

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The same can be made into tutti frutti burfi by adding 100 gms of the same along with the spices. It will look very colourful.
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Dahi Burfi

Ingredients:

Wheat flour 1 cup

Ghee ¾ cup

Sugar 3 cups

Fresh thick curd 1 cup

Cocoa powder 2 tsp

Chopped cashews ¼ cup



Sift all dry ingredients. Mix everything except nuts in a heavy pan, making sure there is no lump.

Cook over medium heat , stirring continuously, till the mass leaves the sides of the pan- a little mixture added to a little water should be able to be rolled into a soft ball.

Add nuts, remove from fire, stir for sometime till it reaches a dough like consistency.
Empty on a greased plate & cut into pieces.
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Rava Laadu:



Bombay rava – 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Ghee - !/2 cup ( roughly )

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Chopped cashews - 2 tbsp



It is customary to roast rava on a dry kadai , till pale pink.

Now , I find that roasting in 1 tbsp ghee is better , when making laadus later.

Cool & powder .

Powder sugar also .

Roast cashews in 1 tsp ghee.

Mix all the above ingredients together.
Keep in a plate & make a small depression in the centre.

Heat ghee almost to smoking point & pour in the centre.

Mix the whole thing with hands & immediately roll into small balls.

If necessary , very little more hot ghee can be added.

They will cool after 10 mts.

Points to note:

It takes a little practice to roll the mixture into round balls. Do not get disheartened. First make the balls roughly before the mixture cools.

Then slowly roll each balls between both palms VERY SOFTLY WITHOUT BREAKING them till they form perfect balls.

The photo is posted below.

Some add very little milk to the mixture to help it hold. If at all , add very little.

I now do a small variation.Keep a few well greased tiny metal cups(rounded at the bottom ) ready.

Press little mixture into each .

Afterwards , invert it & lightly tap it.

Some find this easier than rolling.
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Coconut Burfi – Return to Tradition
Please go to
Coconut Burfi
for step by step photos.

Coconut grated fine - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 ½ cups

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Grate coconut – only the white, portion very fine – only this ensures the white colour of the burfi.

If you use coconut pieces , remove the brown “skin “ completely & use only the white portion & mince this. It is not necessary to grind the coconut unless it is your option.

Heat sugar with 1 cup of water as given in tips.

More water is added because the impurities in sugar have to be completely removed.

When the syrup starts boiling , add 1 tbsp milk & allow to boil.

The impurities will start floating on the top.

Strain to remove them , wash the vessel thoroughly & transfer the clear syrup to the same.

Now, either

Boil the syrup to two-sting consistency.

Immediately lower the flame ,add coconut & continue cooking.

The whole mixture will form into a porous mass & you can see the edges “crystallising “.

Add cardamom powder & remove.

Stir for just few mtes ( not long to get a dough consistency ) & pour into a greased tray , cool & cut.

OR;
Add coconut to sugar syrup & cook, using the candy thermometer.

Remove from 225-230 deg F.

Empty on a greased plate & cut.
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Some Points:

Chopped cashews can be sprinkled on top before cutting . 2 tsp khus khus lightly roasted in a drop of ghee can be sprinkled before cutting .

Split whole cashew into 2 & keep ready . As soon as the squares are cut , while still warm , a piece can be kept at the centre of each square to give an attractive look.

This can also be made with less sugar in which case the setting point is difficult to identify & may have to be refrigerated for a firm consistency.

Boondhi Laddu-Old Fashioned, but we still ask for it!

For boondhi

Besan - 1 cup ( freshly made gives best results)

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Cooking soda - a pinch

Oil - to deep fry

For Syrup:

Sugar - 1 ½ cups

Water - ¾ cup

Cashew broken & Raisins - 1 tbsp each

Diamond sugar candy - 1 tbsp (optional)

Cloves - few

Nutmeg - a small piece

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Saffron - ¼ tsp (warm & powder )

Saffron colour - a pinch

Edible camphor(pachai karpooram) - very little

Ghee - 1 tbsp

For sugar syrup:

Mix sugar & water & boil till it just reaches one-string syrup-not more.
A drop taken & kept on a plate will stand just like a 'pearl' ( should not run!)

Immediately remove from fire. Sugar thermometer should read 218 deg F.

This is important because a little more heating of the syrup will make the laddu-syrup mixture becoming hard to form laddus.

Add saffron colour, saffron &cardamom powder, edible camphor, cloves & numeg roasted in ¼ tsp ghee & powdered, cashews, raisins & sugar candy.
To make boondhis:
Mix besan, rice flour &soda, with just enough water to a bajji like batter – whisk very well.

Heat oil ina flat (not deeply curved ) kadai.

Keep a little large amount of oil to get good shape for boondhis.

If you leep very little oil, the shape of boondhis will not be round.

Keep boondhi ladle (flat & round with holes ) above the oil at a distance.

Pour one big spoonful of batter on it , so that tiny drops start falling in the oil .

Tap the ladle very gently, with a spoon.

Round boondhis will fall into the oil & get fried..

Do not allow them to become crisp, but remove when cooked, but still soft.

Transfer to the syrup(not very hot, but still very warm)

Go on frying the boondhi in batches & adding to syrup.

Keep stirring thoroughly & regularly so that boondhis mix well with sugar syrup & all the spices in that.

Allow the mixture of syrup & boondhi to become luke warm.Nicely pound with a potato masher for good blending.

When still warm, make laddus. You can do this with hand OR take some in a piece of cloth & 'Wring' it as shown in the photo to make a ball.

As you form laddus, keep stirring thoroughly all the contents.

If the mixture cools, crystallisation will start & you cannot form laddus.
For step by step photos, please go to
Boondhi Laddu (1)
Boondhi Laddu (2)
Boondhi Laddu (3)


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