Gudwali Lassi

Temperatures are soaring in our part of the world. So I thought of sharing some icy beverage recipes with you all. Let's start the week with this Punjabi beverage. Jaggery is unrefined sugar, but it adds a totally new dimension with its rustic, earthy flavor to our good old Lassi.

Gudwali Lassi
Buttermilk with jaggery smoothie
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup water
A pinch of salt
2  -  3 Tbsp. grated jaggery (Use more or less per taste)

Method
1. Churn all the ingredients using a blender.
2. Chill in the refrigerator.
3. Serve cold.

Note -
1. For best results, use homemade , fresh yogurt.
2. You can increase or decrease the amount of jaggery per your personal preference.




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Moong Daal Halwa

Let's start this month of May on a sweet note! This is a sinfully rich dish which is worthy of special occasion.

Moong Daal Halwa
Lentil Pudding
Ingredients
1 cup yellow moong daal(without peels), soaked for 4 hours

1/2 - 3/4  cup clarified butter/ghee/toop

1/2  cup mawa/khoya/khawa or Ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 cups milk

Garnish
Few strands of saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp. warm milk
1/8 tsp nutmeg powder, freshly pounded/grated
8-9 green cardamoms, peeled, pounded

Method
1. Soak yellow moong daal in adequate water for 4 hours. Drain completely.
2. Grind to a coarse paste adding just few drops of water as needed.
3. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
4. Add the ground daal paste and fry on a low flame without letting ground daal burn.
5. Sauté patiently for about 45 minutes till raw smell disappears.

6. Add khoya or cheese. And keep frying again on low flame for another 45 minutes. (Yes, it's tedious!;-)
7. Now, add sugar and milk.
8. Add nutmeg, cardamom and saffron.
9. Keep on whisking on low flame till pudding/halwa/shira like consistency is reached.
10. Enjoy warm moong daal halwa.

Note -
1. Use yellow moong daal - the one without green peels.
2. This is a rich dish that needs lot of ghee/clarified butter. But the daal paste needs to be roasted well in ghee to avoid the raw daal flavor to the dessert.
3. Adjust sugar per desired preference.

Lunchbox Brownies

 

 As I was pouring the sugar from the pack into the container, I noticed this recipe "Lunchbox brownies". I thought this may just lift Gudiya's mood as she was under the weather due to cough and cold for past few days and was dreading to go back to school next day, fearing the amount of missed work she would need to work on by missing the recess!

I made the brownie pieces smaller, hoping for some portion control. I didn't have low fat milk so I used evaporated milk. I also added a handful of walnut pieces as I feel walnuts and chocolate brownie make a terrific combo.

Please note that I used the following recipe.
https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/lunchbox-brownies

My modified - albeit just a little modification - version is as follows.

Lunchbox Brownies
Ingredients
6 tbsp. cocoa powder
2/3 cup natural cane sugar
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup walnut pieces

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Method
1. Preheat oven 350 F
2. Line 8 x 8 square pan with a parchment paper.
3. Grease it with some cooking spray.

4. Mix cocoa powder, cane sugar, flour, whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda , walnuts and sea salt.

5. Heat butter in a small container till it's melted. Let it be at room temperature. Add milk , egg and vanilla extract. Whisk.

6. Add in the flour mixture to mix.
7. Pour the thick batter on the greased paper.
8. Bake for half an hour.

9. Cut into small squares.

Note
I used evaporated milk instead of regular milk.

Recipe Credits
https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/lunchbox-brownies


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"Pumpkin" Masala Milk/Kheer

When we had gone to the local farm for picking pumpkin for Halloween, I asked the lady at the counter if these pumpkins could also be used for cooking. I thought she would know for sure. The lady became flummoxed and hesitantly answered that she generally uses only the canned pumpkins for cooking. Since I hadn't used canned pumpkin then, and wanted to try a recipe for one, I got Libby's canned pumpkin [Note that this is the can containing only pumpkin, does not have any other spices etc.]

I made a couple of recipes using canned pumpkin. Since I had some pumpkin left, I came up with this "masala milk" for the current chilly weather. I wasn't sure if I should call it Pumpkin Masala Milk, Pumpkin Kheer or Pumpkin Eggnog without egg.

A word of caution :- Whatever you do, don't announce that you are serving "Pumpkin" Milk. You may receive a grimace, frown or protest from your family. Instead just say "Masala Milk"... But that's just my two cents!;-)

P.S. This masala milk/kheer tastes delicious and makes a perfect Indian Themed Thanksgiving dessert/drink.

"Pumpkin" Masala Milk/Kheer
Ingredients
4 cups milk [ preferably whole milk or at least 2 %]
1 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk [Adjust per personal taste]

1/2 cup canned pumpkin paste such as Libby's
1/2 tsp Pumpkin  Pie Spice [Homemade or McCormicks"]

Garnish
Few strands of saffron

Method
1. Pour milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Bring to boil.
3. Switch gas to low. Add canned pumpkin paste and pumpkin spice.
4. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Serve hot, warm or chilled, garnished with saffron strands.

Note -
1. Instead of sweetened condensed milk, sugar can be used. Adjust based on personal sweet tooth!
2. This recipe serves 4 people.





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Kaju Chikki

 

 

 Lonavala and Chikki are synonyms in the world of Mumbaikars. I still remember the thrill of anticipating Maganlal chikki when we visited Pune or Lonavala. While cashew and shengdana were my most favorite chikkies, daliya(Pandharpuri Dale) chikki was my least favorite. The special thing about Cashew chikki was that it used to look sugary white unlike other caramel colored chikkies. I was told that it was due to the liquid glucose. I am neither familiar with liquid glucose as a cooking ingredient nor I have ever seen it in any Indian kitchen pantry within my family. So I decided to try my version of cashew chikki using plain sugar and cashews.

The result was delicious. But white sugar did turned into caramel color and the chikki eventually turned like all other chikkies. It was good nonetheless.

Kaju Chikki
काजूची चिक्की
Cashew Brittle
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup sugar

oil or ghee for greasing

Method
0. Grease a marble surface or flat plate. Grease a rolling pin or back of a small ramekin/wati/katori. Keep it ready before starting the chikki process.

1. Halve or quarter the cashew pieces and roast them lightly. Make sure that they do not change the color.

2. Pour sugar in a heavy bottomed container.
3. Let it be on a medium heat.
4. In about 6-7 minutes, sugar will go through various stages from white to caramel sauce color.

5. When all the sugar as completely melted, add cashews quickly.
6. Mix well.

7. Pour the mixture quickly on the marble surface or plate.

8. Roll flat using rolling pin or the back of wati/ramekin.

9. Let it cool down completely.
10. Now, cashew brittle is ready. It can be broken easily with hand.

Note -
1. You can use a greased knife to mark squares or diamonds while spread mixture is still hot.
2. This chikki does not taste like white Lonavala style cashew chikki that is made with liquid glucose but it has a rich caramel flavor.




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Makhne Ki Kheer - Exotic Puffed Lotus Seeds Pudding

Phool Makhne ki Kheer - Puffed Lotus Seeds Pudding!

 

Makhna or Phool Makhna is puffed lotus seeds. They are considered quite nutritious. I bought this packet simply out of curiosity. Traditionally, I am not familiar with this food. I have added these puffed lotus seeds to the Kormas and Curries. But I always wanted to make "Kheer" where they are used as the main ingredient. I looked up my two food Gurus for the inspiration - Tarla Dalal and Sanjeev Kapoor. I , then decided to make my changes and created my own recipe as below.

Makhne Ki Kheer
Puffed Lotus Seeds Pudding
Ingredients
1 cup Puffed Lotus Seeds/Makhna/Phool Makhna
1 tsp. clarified butter/ghee

3 cups milk - preferably whole or 2% milk
1 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup ricotta cheese or mava/khoya/khava
2 tbsp. MTR Badam Milk Masala

Crush to powder
3-4 green cardamoms, peeled
1 very small piece of nutmeg

Garnish
Few threads of saffron

Method
1. Heat a spoonful of ghee. Roast puffed lotus seeds/Makhna. Set aside.
2. Heat milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk. Keep stirring from time to time. When it comes to boil, lower the gas and let it simmer for few minutes. Add ricotta cheese. Mix well.
3. Add roasted makhna, MTR Badam Milk Masala and crushed cardamoms and nutmeg.

4. Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with saffron before serving.

Exotic Puffed Lotus Seeds Pudding

 

Note -
1. Sugar can be used instead of sweetened condensed milk.
2. I served this kheer in Kulhads - Indian earthen pots.

Credits
Tarla Dalal
&
Sanjeev Kapoor



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Lemon Poppy Seeds Bundt Cake

 

 

 

I  always shied away from making Lemon Poppy Seeds cake because I was skeptical about black poppy seeds. We always use white poppy seeds in Indian cooking. But I recently tasted this delicious cake, took a mental note, put this cake on my "to do/make" list and happily forgot about it. But I guess I was destined to make it after all!:-)

 

While cleaning the pantry, I noticed that my "Lemon Extract" bottle even had a super-simple recipe. It goes like this -

 

Lemon Poppy Seeds Bundt Cake

Ingredients

1 packet White or Yellow Cake Mix

1 instant Vanilla Pudding mix

3 eggs

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp. lemon extract

2 tbsp. - 1/4 cup black poppy seeds

1 tbsp. grated lemon zest

 

Oil for greasing the cake pan

 

 

Method

1. Preheat oven 350F

2. Mix all the ingredients except oil for greasing. Whisk using an electric cake beater or wire whisk so there are no lumps.

3. Grease Bundt cake pan.

4. Pour cake mixture and make sure that it's uniformly distributed.

5. Bake for 40 minutes.

6. Take the pan out. Let it rest in the pan for 20 minutes.

7. Invert on the serving platter.

8. Cake plops out.

9. Cut into slices & Enjoy.

 

 

Note -
1.The recipe calls for 1/4 cup black poppy seeds. If you find this amount rather too excessive, reduce it to about 2 tbsp. Please note that you should feel the presence of the poppy seeds for the authentic taste.
2. I used Betty Crocker brand cake mix and Jell-O brand pudding mix.
3. Use yellow or white cake mix.
4. Use Vegetable oil only as it doesn't contain strong flavor.


Credits
Watkins Lemon Extract Recipe

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Coconut Modak

One of the simplest ways to make Modak or Laddoos is using Milkmaid. So for all those home cooks like me, who are pressed for time, and still want to make Naivedya for Ganapati Bappa, I am sharing today's recipe of Coconut Modak.

This recipe is derived from the coconut ladoo recipe in the Milkmaid recipe Booklet.

 

 

Coconut Modaks - Makes 21 big or 30 small Modaks
Indian Coconut Truffles
Ingredients
1 tin Milkmaid or Any sweetened condensed milk (14 oz. can)
2 cups unsweetened, desiccated/dry coconut
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Garnish
9 green cardamoms, peeled, powdered
Few threads of  saffron
1 very small piece of nutmeg, grated

Method
1. Pour sweetened condensed milk in a nonstick kadhai.

2. Switch gas to low.
3. Pour a cup of coconut. Stir well.

4. Add another cup of coconut and ricotta cheese.

5. The mixture still has a lot of moisture at this stage.

5. Keep stirring on a medium heat till mixture thickens.

6. Add crushed cardamom, nutmeg and saffron. Keep stirring till all the moisture is evaporated.

7. Let it cool completely.
8. Grease modak moulds. Make modaks. Or using greased palms, roll into uniformly shaped ladoos.

Note -
1. Use charoli, almond slivers or pistachios slivers for garnish - if you like.
2. Above proportion gave me 21 small modaks and 9 small laddoos.

गणपती  बाप्पा मोरया 

Ganapati Bappa, Kensigton Market Area, Toronto, Canada

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Narangi ni Basundi

This is a simple Gujarati dessert. I have tasted four different types of fruity basundis - Orange Basundi, Pineapple Basundi, Strawberry Basundi and Dry Fruit Basundi. Each basundi adds a unique flavor of the fruit du jour. It's delicious. Just make sure to serve it chilled.
This is how I make it -

Narangi ni Basundi (Serves 6- 8)
Ingredients
1 litre whole milk (Preferably organic)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp freshly ground cardamom powder
few threads of saffron + 1 tbsp milk
1 ripe orange
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp orange essence (Optional)
few almond / pistachio slivers

Method
1. Boil milk. Lower the flame, let it simmer for about half an hour.
2. Add condensed milk, evaporated milk. Simmer.
3. Keep saffron threads in a spoon and roast them quickly on a low flame . Put roasted saffron in 1 tbsp milk to get a vibrant yellow color. Add the saffron milk in the basundi.
4. Add cardamom. Switch off the gas. Let the basundi cool down completely.
5. Meanwhile, peel the orange. Remove the pith, seeds. We will use only inside orange segments. Chop them. Add the sugar. Keep it in the fridge covered.
6. Add Basundi to a serving bowl. Keep in the fridge. Make sure it's completely chilled.
7. Just before serving, add chopped oranges, orange essence - if using, almonds and pistachios.

Note -
Do not add orange in hot basundi, else the milk will curdle. This basundi has to be completely chilled. After putting orange basundi in a serving bowl, remember to serve immediately.

Happy Independence Day, India!

 

जय जय जय , जय हे

 

Gulacha Kharwas

Kharwas is considered a delicacy. After discovering "Junnu Powder" at our local Indian stores, I decided to make "GuLacha Kharwas". Here, jaggery is used instead of sugar, which gives a rustic flavor and a beautiful, amber hue.

The recipe is pretty much similar to the Kharwas with sugar, but saffron is not needed and more jaggery may be required compared to sugar. But adjust that proportion based on your own preference.

Some people even add a pinch of black pepper powder - probably to balance the sweetness. Since my mom or grandmothers don't add it, I decided not to use it.

GuLacha Kharwas
गुळाचा  खरवस 
Milk & Jaggery Pudding
Ingredients
1 packet Kamdhenu brand Junnu powder
3/4 - 1 cup jaggery or per taste
2 cups milk (preferably whole milk or 2% milk)

Garnish
3-4 green cardamoms, peeled and crushed

Method
1. Mix milk, jaggery and junnu powder so there are no lumps.
2. Stir in cardamom powder. Mix well.
3. Pour enough water in the pressure cooker. Let the pudding steam for about 15-20 minutes. Do not use weight.
4. Chill in the refrigerator.
5. Cut into diamonds or squares or wedges.

Note -
1. I used Kamdhenu brand Junnu powder.
2. Do not use saffron. Let jaggery give that beautiful amber color to the pudding.


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Kesariyo Doodhpaak

 

Not sure if Doodh paak is to be labeled as a South Canara food or Gujarati food? Of course, my Konkani relatives call it just "Doodh Paak" and Gujarati relatives add a prefix of "Kesariyo" (Saffron added).

Kesariyo Doodhpaak
Saffron flavored Basmati Milk
Ingredients
1 lit milk - preferably whole milk
A fistful Basmati Rice

3/4 cup sugar (or to taste)

Garnish
few threads of saffron + 1 tbsp. hot milk
4-5 green cardamoms, peeled & powdered
4-5 almonds, soaked, peeled & slivered

Suggested Accompaniment
Puri

Method
1. Rinse & drain basmati rice. Spread on a kitchen towel or muslin cloth and let it air dry.
2. Put milk to boil. Keep a ladle and keep stirring every once in a while.
3. When milk comes to boil, switch the gas to low.
4. Take a spoonful of hot milk and add saffron threads in a small ramekin. Set aside.
5. Add a spoonful of ghee/clarified butter and apply to now dried basmati grains.
6. Pour ghee applied basmati to the milk.
7. Keep stirring and let the rice cook.
8. Add sugar. Stir well.
9. Add saffron milk mixture, cardamom powder and almond slivers.
10. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Note -
1. Serve warm with puris as a part of traditional meal.

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Eggless Chocolate French Toast Pudding

 

 

I had "French Toast" bread from Super Target. I generally don't use readymade breakfast breads so I decided to make my Aaji's pudding with a chocolaty twist.

 

Chocolate French Toast Pudding

Ingredients

4 slices, French Toast- breakfast bread from Super Target

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. sugar

2 cups milk

1 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Garnish

2 tbsp. grated dark chocolate bar

 

Method

1. Warm milk and 1/2 cup sugar.

2. Set aside from gas.

3. Crumble bread slices and add to the milk mixture along with butter.

4. Let it stand for 15 minutes. Add vanilla extract. Let it stand for another 5 minutes.

5. Add 1 tbsp. sugar in the pudding pot or pressure cooker container.

6. Heat on a medium heat till it caramelizes.

7. Pour break-milk mixture.

8. Drizzle grated chocolate all over the top.

9. Steam without using pressure/weight.

10. Serve warm pudding.

 

Note -

1. Since this bread already has sugar, adjust sugar per your liking.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Gool PoLi - Jaggery Flatbread

 

 

 My maushi - maternal aunt - makes excellent gooL poLi - jaggery flatbread. She gave me her precise measurements for making exactly 5 gooL-poLies. This is one of the delicacies that is made on the Makar Sankranti day. This is a vegan Indian sweet.

 

GooL PoLi - (5 count)

गूळ पोळी 

Jaggery Flatbread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup wheat flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp. hot oil

water as needed to knead  stiff dough

 

Stuffing

1 cup grated jaggery

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

2 tbsp. besan/chickpea flour

3-4 green cardamoms, peeled & powdered

1 tbsp. oil

 

Rice flour as needed

 

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients for the dough. Add water carefully to knead a stiff dough ball. Cover and set aside.

2. Grate jaggery. Set aside.

3. Roast chickpea flour on a medium low flame, till it is a shade darker. Make sure it's not burnt.

4. Roast sesame seeds for a minute or so. Take off before it starts spluttering out of the pan!

5. Mix jaggery, chickpea flour/besan, sesame seeds, cardamom powder and oil to make the stuffing. Mix well till there are no lumps of jaggery.

6. Make 10 uniform balls of the wheat flour dough. and 5 uniform parts of the jaggery mixture.

7. Roll two small discs using 2 balls of the dough. Place jaggery mixture on one disc. Place another disc on top and press a little, making sure that jaggery mixture is completely covered.

8. Dredge in the rice flour as needed, and roll into a thin flatbread.

9. Heat tawa/pan. Place the rolled flatbread carefully.

10. Roast on both the sides.

11. Serve warm GooL PoLi.

 

Note -

1. If you desire, you can use a shankarpali cutter to give a zigzag edge around the poli after it is rolled into big disc.