Choco Brownie Cake

Ingredients:

• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus butter for pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 oz. good-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with a piece of aluminum foil, allowing the edge to hang over the pan rim. Using your fingers, lightly butter the foil.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the 8 Tbs. butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until well blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add the salt and one-third of the flour and beat well. Add the remaining flour in 2 additions, beating well after each addition.

Fill a saucepan or the bottom pan of a double boiler with about 2 inches of water and bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl or in the top of the double boiler and place over but not touching the simmering water. Heat the chocolate, stirring often with a silicone spatula, until melted. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the melted chocolate to the cake batter and beat on medium speed until well blended and creamy.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula. Bake until the cake is puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely in the pan.

Using the edges of the foil, lift the cooled cake out of the pan. Invert the cake onto a cake stand or a cake plate and peel off the foil. Turn the cake right side up. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the top with cocoa powder, cut into wedges and serve. Serves 8 to 10.

Beetroot Muffins

 Sweet root vegetables baked into comforting muffins give flavour, colour and texture to make a different after tea, coffee break or packed lunch treat. Muffins don’t have to always be packed with chocolate chips, as savoury muffins work just as well. You may have heard of carrot muffins but beetroot is another great addition to give these muffins a real twist.

Ingredients

• 300g Self-raising Flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 150g caster sugar
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• ½tspn ground ginger
• 200ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 100ml sunflower or vegetable oil
• 50g finely chopped beetroot
  

  Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
  2. Line a muffin tray with 12 cases.
  3. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, caster sugar, cinnamon and ginger.
  4. In a separate bowl mix the milk, eggs, oil and chopped beetroot and until well combined.
  5. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined.
  6. Divide the mixture between the 12 cases.
  7. Bake for 20 mins or until well risen and firm to the touch.
  8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.

Bread Jamun

 Gulab Jamun / Gulab Jamoon is  basically a cheese based dessert traditionally made with khoya. The term gulab jamun comes from Persian words gol (rose) and ab (water), referring to the rosewater-scented syrup, and jamun from an Indian fruit with a similar size and shape...(Reference : Wikipedia)


When I saw this easy jamun recipe made using bread I loved the idea as it was quick with easy available ingredient that is bread.Also I was not confident in trying the khoya jamun directly as this is the first time I making my own jamun at home....I remember only once trying jamun with instant jamun mix that too with the help of amma.Check out my Khoya Jamun Recipe.
Ingredients :

Milk Bread - 7 slices
Milk powder - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Rose Essence - 2 drops
Cooking Soda - 1/8 tsp (optional)
Oil - as needed to deep fry

For the sugar syrup:

Sugar - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Saffron strands - a tiny pinch
Cardamom powder - 1/8 tsp

Method:

Trim the edges of all the bread slices and set aside.Take sugar,saffron strands and elachi powder in a container, add water  and heat it up until sugar dissolves completely.It may take some time so meanwhile you can start making the balls(step2).When the sugar syrup starts turning sticky switch off.When its warm add rose essence and set aside.

Dip each bread slices in milk squeeze out excess milk and transfer it to the mixie, repeat this process for all the bread slices.In the mixer add milk powder along with crushed bread slices and pulse it for few seconds, grind it to a smooth paste.Add cooking soda and mix well.

Pinch a small ball and roll smoothly.Dont apply pressure while rolling and also dont roll them tight...the balls should be smooth.Make it ready then heat oil in a pan(I used my small tadka pan) - When oil is hot drop few balls at a time, fry in low flame till golden brown.

Keep rolling with the laddle so that its fried evenly on all sides.Fry till golden brown and drain in tissue and immediately add the jamuns into the warm sugar syrup.Cover and let it rest for 2 hrs for the jamuns to absorb the sugar syrup well.

Firni (Rice Pudding)

When it comes to talk about the Eid dishes, then desserts are conspicuous, because its a Islamic tradition to eat some sweet before going for eid prayer. Families adopt their own traditional recipes which fluctuate from region to region. But in Pakistan Sheer Khurma, Kheer, Vermicelli pudding and sweets are common. I am going to share recipe which is well made from my friend's mother. Whatever feast is, but when we come towards the traditional desserts, this work is always assigned to her mother who always does her best. This firni is something like rice pudding which is cooked on slow flame to make it thick and condensed.
 the Firni is scrumptious and fulfilling. People who love kheers and payasam will surely like dish. Easy and quick to make, this recipe is an excellent dessert option

 Firni (Rice Pudding)

Recipe
 3 cups Milk
 3 tbsp. Rice
 5 tbsp. Sugar
 1/4th Cup Blanched Almonds (sliced)
 1 tsp. Green Cardamom (crushed)
 1/2 tsp. Kewra Essence


Soak rice in water for a few hours, then drain the water and grind rice into a smooth paste.
In a non-stick saucepan, boil milk. After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer.
Over a moderately low heat, add rice, sugar and cardamom to the milk and stir constantly, till it turns thick.
Remove from heat and add almonds. Put in serving bowl and let it come down to room temperature. Now, put in the fridge and chill.
Garnish with nuts of your choice and serve. You can also use pistachio on top for decoration. designated coconut can also be used its all your choice. Make this dessert for eid and make your celebration special

 Firni (Rice Pudding)

Easy Carrot Kheer Recipe

 Easy Carrot Kheer Recipe | Easy Indian Dessert Recipes

 I have never been a big fan of reducing the milk. Its for this reason that i dont try my hand at some recipes which involve the reduction of milk. I m not a big fan of the sugar syrup fairy either. Lets just say the gospel of strings never works well for me. So i m always on the look out for easy to whip and healthy desserts that will please a crowd.

Along those lines, there s nothing that can beat this kheer. My mom has been making this for years now. 
Knowing amma, she never makes much of anything that calls for sugar. Unlike so many Indian 
daughters who have grown up seeing their mothers conjure fudge after fudge and whip up 
pots of ghee laden puddings, i grew up seeing amma rushing to office.
Of course, my grandma,saw to it that i too had a glimpse of such a growing up phase. 
But that phase never lasted long. This kheer or should i call it pudding was somehow religiously made 
by amma every month on the weekends. And i never tired of it. Ever. 
And that s why, i decided that it will only be justice to share the recipe with you all.

Recipe For Carrot Kheer
( Indian style pudding with cooked carrots, clarified butter and milk)

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Source: Amma
Serves 2 to 3
Level: Easy

Ingredients

Carrots 2 to 3 peeled
Milk 2 cups ( I used full fat milk)
Condensed milk 1/2 cup
Sugar 1/4 cup or more according to taste
Cardamom powder a pinch
Saffron 4 strands
Cashews 3 tbsp broken
Raisins 3 tbsp broken

 Easy Carrot Kheer Recipe | Easy Indian Dessert Recipes

Clarified butter or ghee 3 tbsp

Directions

Pressure cook the carrots for 3 whistles.
Once done, remove, let cool and grind them to a paste.
In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of ghee.
Add the cardamom powder and the carrot paste and cook well stirring every now and then. The carrots must be cooked this way to get rid of the raw smell. Takes about 5 mins.
Once the paste is done, add the condensed milk and mix well.
Simmer for 2 to 3 mins.
Now, add the sugar and mix well.
Wait for the sugar to completely dissolve. Takes 2 mins.
Add saffron next. You will see that the mixture becomes a little darker in color after a min or two.
Once the mixture darkens,add the milk and mix well.
Simmer again for 2 to 3 mins on medium low flame.
Once done, remove from fire and set aside.
In a pan, heat the remaining ghee.
Add the raisins and saute till fluffy.
Once fluffy, remove the raisins alone with a spoon and drop them in the pudding.
Roast the cashews in the ghee next and add them along with the ghee to the pudding.
Stir well.

Pineapple Kesari

Pineapple Kesari

I realized that I hadn’t posted any sweet/dessert for days on my blog, and I was making something special for amavasaya. I looked in my fridge and I had a lot of fruits in there.  So, I decided to make a fruit based sweet. Somehow, Indian desserts are more milk based than fruit based. Other cultures go-to desserts seem to be fruit based, like pies and cobblers. I wonder why..The only fruit based dessert that I could think of, with what I had on hand was Pineapple Kesari.
The word ‘Kesari’ is not a tamil word. Surprised?? (So, was I :)) It is a Sanskrit word that means ‘saffron flower’. I assume the tamil word is derived from the usage of the saffron strands in the preparation of the sweet ‘kesari’, that imparts the saffrony color to the sweet. So much so that, we refer to the food color as ‘kesari color’. I almost feel guilty writing this recipe, coss I didn’t use any saffron in my preparation of kesari. The next time I make this sweet, it will stay true to its namesake. Thats a promise.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple
1 1/2 cups of roasted white sooji(rava)
3 cups sugar
4 1/2 cups water
3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tbsp chopped cashews
1 tbsp raisins
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
yellow food color – 4 drops
Method:
Add the chopped pineapple to a blender, and pulse so that you have a slightly grainy pulp. Remove. Measure 4 1/2 cups of water and use it to rinse the blender, making sure you get every bit of pineapply flavor out of it.
In a nonstick pan, over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp ghee, add the cashews and fry until golden brown. Add the raisins and fry until they plump up. In the same pan, add the rava, and fry till golden brown and a nice aroma hits you, remove and cool. I had double roasted rava on hand, and so I skipped this step. Add the water, to the same pan and bring to a boil. Add the pinch of salt to the water. When the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and add the rava. Switch to a whisk now, if you have one and slowly incorporate the rava into the water. It is not traditional to remove the pan from the heat, but I find that if you leave it on, there is a lot of spluttering, and nobody wants to make something sweet while crying from pain.
Keep whisking, off the heat, until the rava absorbs a little bit of water and is becoming this homogenous mass. Make sure there are no lumps. Now return the pan to the stovetop, still whisking. This is not a dish, where you can leave it on the stove and walk away, it needs a lot of babying, just to make sure there are no lumps. When the rava is completely cooked, add the sugar, and mix well. The sugar will make the mixture liquidy, don’t be alarmed. Let it cook and incorporate into the rava. As it thickens, add the pinapple pulp to the kesari. Add the cardamom powder, the fried cashews and raisins and the yellow food color. After mixing in all the ingredients, slowly add the 2 tbsp ghee, and mix until the kesari forms together and starts leaving the sides of the pan. Switch off stove, enjoy!
This recipe uses way less ghee than it is supposed to. Naturally, it won’t taste as rich as the fall of the spoon, kovil prasadham types. Feel free to add more sugar/ghee to add richness.

VERMICELLI KESARI

Semiya Kesari is a very simple recipe and is prepared in a similar way like how we do Rava Kesari with few changes in the measurements.It is a nice variation to the regular Rava kesari and is very quick to make.

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

1 cup Semiya/Vermicelli

1 1/2 cups Water

1/2 cup Sugar

few strands of Saffron

1 tsp warm Milk,to soak saffron

6-8 Cashew nuts,broken

2-3 tbsp Raisins

2 tbsp Ghee

Method:

• Soak saffron in warm milk.
• Heat ghee in a kadai/pan and add broken cashew nuts and fry them until they turn slightly brown,remove them and keep aside.
• In the same pan add raisins and fry until they bulge,remove and keep them aside.
• In the remaining ghee add semiya and roast until you get slight golden in color.
• Meanwhile boil water in a separate pan and keep it ready.
• Add the boiling water to the roasted semiya and cook until done.
• Add sugar to it and mix well,at this point it leaves the syrupy solution,boil until all the syrupy solution gets mixed with the semiya and cooked well.
• Add the soaked saffron and fried dry fruits and mix well.

Serve it hot/warm or at room

Parupu Payasam by Divya Vasanthkumar

Parupu Payasam/Moongdal/Green Gram Payasam

INGREDIENTS:

Moong Dal (Pasi Paruppu) - 1 cup 

Javvarisi(Sago) - 1/4 cup 

Jaggery - 1/2 cup 

Ghee - 1 tbsp 

Thick Coconut milk - 1/4 

Thin Coconut milk - as required(to cook moong dal & javvarisi) 

Cashews - few 

Raisins - few 

Cardamom - 1/4 tsp

DIRECTION:

1. Dry roast the moong dal till nice aroma come. Don't burn the moong dal. Pressure cook the moong dal and javvarisi with thin coconut milk for 3 to 4 whistles. (You can cook in half coconut milk and half water or completely in coconut milk)

2. In a pan add the ghee and roast the raisins, cashews till it turns golden brown. Remove it and keep it aside.

3. In the remaining ghee, add the cooked moong dal, javvarisi and grated jaggery. Once the jaggery melts completely, add the cardamom powder and stir it.

4. Now add the thick coconut milk and bring it to single boil. Switch off the flame after adding the ghee roasted cashews and raisins. 

Serve it hot or cold.

BOONDI KE LADDU/MOTHICHOOR LADOO

Boondi ke Laddu/Mothichoor Ladoo

I can't think of one special occasion in India at which this laddoo is not on the menu! It gets its very cute name from the Hindi word for drops or droplets - Boond. Another name for it is Motichoor Laddoo (Moti means bead or pearl in Hindi). Read the recipe and you'll see why! Once you're through reading, make some Boondi Ke Laddoo, you WILL NOT regret it!

Badam Halwa

Badam Halwa/Almond Halwa

This badam halwa is basically rich in texture with a mild sweetness. Ground almonds are simmered in some creamy milk with a touch of cardamom flavor. Its got a divine taste and I am sure you will enjoy it.

Preparation Time: 10min

Cooking Time: 13 min

Serves: 4

Shelf life: 2days

Serving Suggestion : Anytime Sweet,Anytime ready to eat

Rasmalai

Rasamalai

Rasmalai is a delicious dessert consisting of sugary balls of cottage cheese (chhana in Bengali) soaked in sweetened and thickened milk, flavored with cardamom, saffron and garnished with dry fruits. It tastes best, when served chilled.

Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Makes: For 2
Shelf Life: 3 Day
Serving Suggestion: Fabulous Dessert eaten anytime :)

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun

An Indian confection of deep fried spongy milk balls soaked in rose scented and cardamom flavoured sugar syrup

Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins 

Makes: Around 20-24
Shelf Life: 7-10 Days in refrigerator
Serving Suggestion: Serve warm, cold or chilled as a dessert on its own or with any vanilla ice cream

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Carrot Halwa

Carrot Halwa/Gajar ka Halwa

An Indian confection with Carrots

Gajar ka halwa, also known as carrot halwa or gajarela is a very popular Indian dessert recipe, made from grated carrots. It is very easy to make and it tastes amazing.
Traditionally the carrots used in the making of gajar halwa are sweet carrots (pinkish red color). They are abundantly available in the northern region of India especially during winter months. Hence, carrot halwa is often made in almost every house during that time.

Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Recipe Level: Intermediate
Makes: For 2
Shelf Life: 7-10 Days in refrigerator
Serving Suggestion: Serve warm, cold or chilled as a dessert on its own or with any vanilla ice cream