MOHANDAL

Diwali begins with a sweet from my daughters blog
A very simple one where we need not worry about the end point.
http://archguru.blogspot.in/2015/09/mohanthal-gram-flour-fudge.html?m=1ttp://

INGREDIENTS
Besan  21/2 cups
Sugar.  11/4 cups 
Mawa.   1cup (unsweetened)
Ghee.     3/4 cup
Milk1/4 cup
Saffron little dissolved in 2 tsp of milk
Cardamom powder 1 tsp
Almonds powdered  for garnishinggarnishing  or pistachios.as I had only salted ones I substituted by almonds.pista gives a rich look.
http://archguru.blogspot.com

METHOD
If we don't have mawa
Ghee 3tsp
Milk 1/4 cup
Milk powder 2 cups
Taka a kadai add the ghee nd milk till it melts now add the milk powder,mawa is ready.
Now take the remaining ghee add the milk heat till it melts,then add the besan and mawa fry in a slow fire till nice aroma comes.
This step is very important as it takes 10 to 15 minutes
Cool it
Take a another heavy bottomed vessel add the sugar and pour 1/4 cup water. Add the saffron which is mixed with two tsp of milk and cardamom powder.Make a two string consistency quite a thick syrup.add the warm mixture and mix itwell.Pour it on a greased thali.Now sprinkle the nutsnuts.Let it cool.Cut into desired shape when it is warm.Store it in a tight container once it is cooled.Soft and tasty Mohandal is ready!!!!

RAGI PAKKOVADAM

Since Diwali is close by tried some murukku out of Ragi Flour

INGREDIENTS
Ragi flour.    2 cups
Rice flour.     1 cup
Besan.            1 cup
Ghee.               3 tbsp
Chilly powder 2 tbsp
Salt.                  as reqd
Asafoetida.      Little
Oil.                      For frying
Water to knead

METHOD
Mix all the ingredients and make a soft dough.Keep a kadai and pour some oil.Squeeze it through the press and fry it till the sound stops.Since the colour is dark brown we should not wait for the colour..Crispy snack is ready!!!!!

ALMOND CASHEW MILK BURFI

Navratri and my for my grand daughters  1st birthday..

Ingredients
Cashew powder- 1 cup
Almond powder-1 cup

Milk powder.      -1 cup
Cardamom         - 1 tsp
Ghee.                   -2 tbsp
Sugar.                  -2 cups

Method:
Mix all the three powder together( just powder the almonds a

nd cashew in a blender and powder it)
In a kadai add  the sugar and add little water.make a thick syrup.
Add the cashew mixture,and ghee and cook it till it is thick and comes leaving the pan.
Transfer it to a greased plate and cut it into pieces..
Very quick and tasty sweet is ready!!!

pumpkin kheer for shhhhh cooking secretly challenge

KALAKAND

This is my last post in Shhhh cooking challenge hosted by PRIYA SURESH  for time being....My partner isSHOBA SRINIVASAN who had given two easy ingredients Paneer and Breadcrumbs...As 14 was our wedding anniversary i tried this sweet and i was not able to use the second one...I browsed many recipes for this but my measurement turned out tobe different...

INGREDIENTS

Paneer-1packet(1cup)

Condensed milk-1/2 tin

Milk powder-5tbsp

Sugar-3tbsp

Almonds for garnishing

METHOD

Crumble the paneer nicely add all the ingredients except almonds..Keep it on a gas and in a slow flame cook till it leaves the sides.of the vessel...

Transfer it into a greased plate and slice it after cooling it..

Garnish it with almonds...

Very tasty and easy to prepare...

SPINACH AND CHEESE SQUARES

.This Shhhh secret ingredients challenge hosted by PRIYA SURESH is very interesting....This month my partner is AMRITA IYER and the two secret ingredints were Spinach and cheese.I just tried like our dhokla ....it turned out very well.Thanks to Amrita for the lovely ingredients....

INGREDIENTS

Spinach-boiled -1cup

Besan-3/4 cup

Rawa-1/4 cup

Cheese shredded-1/4 cup

Redchilly powder-1tsp

Cumin powder-1/2tsp

Oil-1tsp

salt to taste

Eno salt one sachet

Sugar-1tsp

Lemon juice-1/2tsp

METHOD:

First take one tsp of oil and saute the spinach and add the cheese ,chilly powder,cumin powder,salt and sugar.

Mix the besan and rawa well  add this mixture and make it like idly batter with water

Take a flat micro safe vessel and just dust it with oil Now add the eno salt to the mixture and immediatly transfer this to the micro safe vessel.

Cook in high microwave for four to five minutes and once it is done take it out and  sprinkle lemon juice mixed with 2tsp of water so that is fluufy even when cooled.

Very tasty spiuncah squares are ready!!!!

MILK BREAD BURFI

I am taking part for the first time in this 5 Ingredients Fix challenge hosted by LakshmiVimala
This time for onam festival we can choose any five ingredient and make a sweet dish.As onam is celebrated not only for one day but for four to five days,For  some innovative idea i made this sweet

INGREDIENTS
Milk bread shreaded-3cups
Milk powder-11/2cups
Sugar-2cups
Ghee-4tbsp
Besan-1/2cup

METHOD:
Take two tbsp of ghee and fry the bread into brown colour by keeping in slow fire.
Remove this add besan and fry it in ghee
Add the milk powder and mix it well
Take the sugar and make thick string consistency  and add the mixture and cook till it comes out like a burfi ie with out sticking to the pan and this can be tested by dropping little and when it cools it becomes solid then spread it on a greased plate and cut squares when cooled.
You can add any flavour if you prefer like cardamom or chocolate as it already has five ingrdients i did not add anything....
Very tasty Burfi is ready...

PANEER CAPSICUM

This is a challenge named Shhhh

secretly cooking challenge organised by PRIYA SURESH and I am very happy to be a part of it.This monbth my partner is MAURI PATEL who has a wonderful blog and the secret ingredients given to me were Paneer and Cashew.

INGREDIENTS:

Capsicum-1

Paneer-1cupsliced

Cashews 2tbsp

Tomatoes-5

Cumin seeds-1tsp

Cumin powder-1tsp

Kitchen king masala-2tsps

Garam masala-1tsp

Oil 1tbsp

Water-1cup

Salt to taste

Green chilly-1

Coriander leaves few

http://nimmuguru.blogspot.in/2014/09/paneer-capsicum.html

METHOD:

First marinate the paneer for 10 minutes by adding little salt.

Keep this in a convection mode for 10 minutes

Take a kadai and add oil and cumin seeds.Once it splutters add the cut capsicum and saute for 5 minutes and add all the masalas.Fry for a minute.

Grind the tomatoes,cashews,and coriander,greenchilly.

Add this mixture to the capsicum mixture and saute for five minutes.Now add the water and cook nicely for five minutes....

Very healthy as it consumed very l;ittle oil

Enjoy with Naan or Kulchas

MILK MAID OATS KESARI

Thank you Priya for hosting this Shhhhcooking secret challenge...This month  my partner is Priya who has  an Awesome blog Priya's menu....My secret ingredients were oats and Milk maid...

INGREDIENTS
Beaten rice/poha/avil-1cup
Oats-1cup
Milkmaid-1cup
Water-3cups
Kesari colour a pinch
Cardamom powder-1tsp
Cashewnuts2tbsp
Ghee-3/4cup
Sugar if needed

METHOD
Fry the avil and oats till it turns to light brown colour and powder it coarsely
Add 3cups of water and boil it well
Now add the milkmaid and some sugar if needed and the ghee little by little till it leaves the side of the pan
fry the cashew nuts and add the cardamom powder and cashews to the mixture
Very healthy and tasty kesari is ready!!!...

THINAI HALWA

Thank you PRIYA SURESH for hosthing this monthly Shhhh secretly cooking challenge.This month my partner is VEENA SHANKAR.My two secret ingredients were THINAI and SUGAR.I used both and made a HALWA

INGREDIENTS:

Thinai flour-1cup

Sugar-11/2 cups

Ghee-5Tbsp

Rose essence-1tsp

Cardamom powder-1tsp

Almonds sliced-2tbsp

Water-2cups

METHOD:

Take the flour in a microsafe vessel and fry for a minute in microwave oven.

Pour 2cups of water and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the rose essence and cardamom powder.

Now add the sugar and cook for three to five minutes.

Please Stir it after one one miute so that no lumps are formed.

Now add four tbsp of ghee and cook for two minutes .

Fry the almond slices in the remaining ghee and add it to the mixture.

Now transfer it to a ghee spread plate and cool it .

We get a good slices....

Tasty and healthy HALWA is ready...

UPSIDE DOWN EGGLESS APPLE CAKE

Thank you PRIYA SURESH for hosting this Shhhhh secretly cooking challenge.This time my partner is LAKSHMI VIMALA....She has a wonderful blog.....My secret ingredients wereAPPLE AND CREAM......I used only one that is apple as no small ones at home to eat with cream....

INGREDIENTS

Apples-2

Whole wheat flour -1cup

Maida-1/2cup

Jaggery-1cup

Lemon juice-2tsp

Cinnamon powder-1/2tsp

Nutmeg powder-1/2tsp

Vanilla essence-1tsp

Oil-1/4cup

Water-1cup

Baking powder-1/2tsp

Baking soda-1/2tsp

METHOD:

Take a baking dish.Cut the apples in to thin slices.Arrange them on the tray and sprinkle some jaggery powder ,lemon juice1/2tsp,cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder and leave it till we prepare the dough

Take all the dry ingredients and mix well.In another bowl mix the jaggery after taking out all the impurities

oil and water now mix with dry flour....Pour it on the apple pieces and bake it for 50 to 55 minutes.Allow it to cool and then turn it slowly and serve it by making pieces.....Very healthy and tasty cake..

MANGO RICE

This is the second month of Shhhhh cooking secretly challenge hosted by Priya Suresh and my partner for this month is Prathima Shivraj....She has a lovely Blog and the secret ingredient given by her was Raw papaya and Raw Mango...I used Raw mango and prepared rice....

 INGREDIENTS

Raw mango-Big one

Urad dhall-2tsp

Red chillies-4

Asafotida-little

Rice-1cup

Ground nuts-2tbsp

Coriander to garnish

Oil-2tbsp

METHOD

Cook the rice and allow it to cool for sometime.

Mean while remove  the skin of the mango and scrape it in a carrot scraper....

Take a kadai and with little oil fry the urad dhall and redchillies till it is roasted,add the asafotida and powder it

I n the same kadai add some oil fry the groundnuts, remove it and add the mango scrapings and let it cook fro sometime,add the spice powder,and the cooled rice to this....

Garnish it with groundnuts and coriander

CONDENSED MILK AND MILK POWDER PEDA

I am very happy to be a part of Shhhh cooking secretly  challenge #1

And my humble  thanks to PRIYA SURESH My partner is SANOLI GHOSH....Who has awesome blog...She posts almost everyday some dish which are very interesting.....The secret ingredients were condensed milk as well as milk powder....So i chose to make some pedas....

INGREDIENTS

Condensed milk one tin

Milk powder -2cups

Butter -3 Tbsp

Cardamom powder-1tsp

Saffron-few(dissolve it in warm milk-1tsp)

Sugar if neceesary 2tsp(But i did not add)

Raisisns or pista

                                       

METHOD:

In a microsafe and a large one take the condensed milk and microwave it for two minutes

Add the milk powder,Saffron mixed in a tsp of milk and microwave it for two to three minutes till it is slightly stiff If you are adding sugar add now

Add the cardamom powder and knead it in to soft dough.

Make small balls and press it with raisin or pista in the middle

Tasty and yummy pedas are ready!!!!

                                                   

http://nimmuguru.blogspot.in/2014/04/condensed-milk-and-milk-powder-peda.html

CASHEW MILK CAKE-SUNDAY BRUNCH

Sundays are usually special as i try to make something innovative

INGREDIENTS:

Cashew broken in to small pieces-11/4cup

Milk powder-2cups

Rawa-3/4 cup

Besan-1cup

Sugar-3cups

Cardamom powder-1tsp

Water-1cup

Ghee-1cup

METHOD

Take some ghee in a kadai and fry the rawa,then fry the besan till the raw smell disappears.

Add the cashews and fry for one minute,mix the milk powder to this mixture and transfer in to a vessel.

Add sugar in the kadai with little water so as to immerse the sugar completly and make a thick syrup.

We can just try it on a plate by touching the sugar syrup.Now add the mixture,cardamom powder and the remaining ghee till it leaves the sides of the pan.To test keep it the gas on a sim and test a small portion on a plate.If it hardens then transfer in to a ghee sread plate.Mark thye squares and store it in a tight jar once it is cooled.Very easy and simple and tastes very good!!!!!!

EGGLESS DATES WALNUT CAKE-SUNDAY BRUNCH

Please excuse me for posting the recipe for sunday brunch this late as i was out of station to Mumbai for a wedding.Today being our wedding day baked an eggless cake.This recipe is mu aunty Mohana

INGREDIENTS

Maida-1cup

Dates-12

Figs-5(optional)

Jaggery-1cup(POWDERED)

Oil-1cup

Milk-11/4cups

Baking soda-1tsp

Cinnamon powder-1/2tsp

Cocoa powder-1/2tsp

Instant coffee-1/4tsp

Walnuts,cashews,raisins mixed little powdered-1cup

METHOD:

Soak the dates and figs in warm milk for one hour.Grind it in a mixie,add the jaggery, coffee,cocoa, cinnamonpowder and  oil to it. pulse it for two minutes.In a wide bowl take the maida ,soda mix well.Add the ground mixture to it.Add the nuts and mix well Take a microsafe vessel add a spoon ogf ghee and dust it with flour.Transfer the mixture and bake in micro mode for eight to ten minutes.In between test it with a knife.If it does not stick please stop the baking....Moist,tasty cake is ready