Tag Archives: Indian Food

Diwali Special Besan Laddu

Besan Laddoo for the Diwali festival for my near and dear ones

Besan Laddu(Laadu) is a typical Maharashtrian sweet delicacy which brings water in the mouth the moment we hear its name. But along the year’s originality of the dish is lost in commercial viability. Earlier days Deepawali means preparing sweet dishes, buying new clothes and gifts. Decorating the house, drawing rangolis and it was truly a major festival in Hindu calendar. But nowadays everything is ready made and readily available. In such readymade world, local delicacies get lost. To revive the dish I am sharing the recipe of Besan Laddu I learned over the years from my mother and added little twist but retained its originality.

Here I am sharing my secret of making laddoo; crispy and soft

Ingredients :

2cups of Besan (Gram flour)
1 1/2 cup of Powdered sugar
1 cup of Ghee (Clarified butter)
1 tsp Elaichi (Cardamom) powder
1/2 tsp Jaayphal (Nutmeg) powder
Sliced Pista (Pistachio) for garnishing
1 tbsp milk

Method :

In a large bowl mix the besan and the milk and knead the mixture with your bare hands so well till you get dry crumbs of the mixture. Keep it aside for 15 min. till that time heat the ghee in a pan and add the mixture we prepared and roast the mixture on a very low flame for about 20 to 25 min until it changes the colour and the texture by spreading a nice aroma. Gram Flour should be roasted on a low flame until the ghee releases from the flour. If gram flour not roasted well then it will stick to the teeth.

Now cool the mixture and add Elaichi powder, Jaayphal powder, and powdered sugar and mix well.
Putting few ghee drops to your palm start making small or medium-sized laddoo.Store it in an air-tight container.

Important note from the chef:
• Any roasting process should be done on low flame.
• Ghee and sugar according to diet and taste.
• Nutmeg powder should be used in sweet recipes as it helps in digestion and gives nice aroma to the food.

Happy Deepawali once again

Choco Almond Burfi

During the festival, we prepare sweet dishes as an offering to the God and Goddess. This time especially on the occasion of Dussehra I am preparing a sweet dish as an offering (Naivedhya) which is quick and simple,i.e. Choco Almond burfi

Ingredients :
1 cup soaked Almond (Badam) ( 18 to 20 approx )
1 tbsp fresh cream
2 tbsp Cocoa powder
1 tsp Cardamom (Elaichi) powder
Few drops of chocolate essence
Powdered sugar 3/4 cup
2 tbsp clarified butter(Ghee)
Method:
Soak the Almond (Badam) for 1/2 an hour. After completely soaking peel the skin and grind it into a smooth paste by adding the fresh cream.
Now heat a pan and add ghee. Once ghee melts, roast the paste till it stops sticking to the pan. Now add Cocoa powder and powdered sugar, stir for another 5 to 7 min. Add Cardamom powder and chocolate essence and stir well. Finally, pour the mixture into a greased plate and give it the desired shape and garnish it with syrups, dry fruits or dusting powdered sugar over it.

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Shankarpali with a twist

Shankarpali With a Twist
Ingredients
1 cup Sooji
1/2 cup Rice Flour
1/4 cup Melted Ghee
Salt to taste
1 tsp Cummin seeds
1 tbsp Green chilli paste,
1 tbsp Peanuts fried or roasted
1tbsp Roasted Dalia
1 cup Cornflakes
1/2 cup Badam sliced or roasted
1/2 cup Cashew nuts (7 to 8 cashew nuts) roasted
 
For Seasoning
1tsp Fennel Seeds powder,
1tbsp Sugar Powder (optional)
Rock Salt as per taste,
 
Method
Make a dough by mixing Sooji, Rice Flour, Cummin Seeds, Chilli Paste, Melted Ghee and knead well. Set aside for half an hour.
Roll the dough like a thin thepla (thick roti) and cut into desired shape with a pizza cutter. Golden Fry.
Now in a large bowl, add the fried Shankarpali, Roasted Dalia, Fried or Roasted Peanuts, Cornflakes, Roasted Badam, Cashew nuts. Add Fennel seeds powder, Rock Salt and sugar powder (optional) and mix well.
*You can spice up the recipe by adding fried curry leaves, whole Moong dal, walnuts or chilli powder.

Sprout Veggie Salad

Sprout Veggie Salad

Ingredients
1 cup cooked mixed sprouts (Red Gram, Moong, White Chana or any sprouts of your choice)
1 cup chopped cucumber
2 tbsp chopped tomatoes
¼ tsp ground pepper
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Salt to taste

Method
Combine all the ingredients together in a serving bowl and toss well. Keep aside for 15 minutes, so that the salad gets a nice flavour. Garnish with coriander.

Radish Paratha

Radish Paratha

Ingredients

Wheat Flour Dough
½ cup Red Radish grated
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 pinch Asafoetida
½ tsp Cumin Seeds
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method
For stuffing
Mix all the ingredients. Radish has natural water content, so you will require less water while kneading the dough. Add some wheat flour, make a proper stuffing so you can roll out a paratha.  Take a medium sized ball of dough on the rolling board dusted with wheat flour, roll the dough to make medium size paratha and put the stuffing on the paratha. Place another paratha and roll it again. Take care that they stick together. The parathas have to be rolled gently. Roast till both the sides of the paratha are golden brown. Apply ghee or oil on the paratha and serve hot.

Note

We need not boil or cook the radish. Using it directly retains its taste.