Desi Fiesta

Blogging Marathon

Rajasthani Halwa Platter

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Sweets are always an delectable part of any course meal and rajasthan is know for its rich and delightful sweets. There are so many delicious rajasthani sweets which includes Ghevar , mawa kachori , and many kinds of sheera 🙂 . So for my last challenge of  IFC ( International food Challenge ) I choose the halwa platter to end it with a sweet note many Thanks to shobana and saraswathi who are the brain child of this group.

  As you might have seen myRajasthani festive platter,  Rajasthani Kachori  am ending the platter season with with this delicious sheera / Halwa platter .  There are so many varieties of halwa’s  but these 3 halwa are most popular in a mawari home . Theses halwa’s are made for any festive occasion and they are very delicious when had warm.  So for this weeks BM I got this delicious halwa platter for dessert theme which can be served after meal giving some choices to choose to guest or family members I have here 3 different varieties of Rajasthani halwa. Click here Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 35 

Atte ka sheera


Ingredients


whole wheat flour – 1/2 cup
water ( boiled)  –  1- 1 1/2 cups
Jaggery pd – 1/4 cup
Ghee – 3 tbsp ( add more if you find wheat flour is dry while roasting )
almonds , cashews ( chopped) – 2 tsp


Method

  • Heat ghee in a pan and roast the whole wheat flour till an nice aroma is released and its color changes to nice brown .Keep on stirring else it will burn .
  • Add boiled water little by little it will start sizzling keep on stirring .
  • once you can add all the water mix well till it absorbs all the water .
  • Now add the powdered jaggery and mix till it melts well.
  • Now cook the halwa till it leaves out ghee until then keep on stirring.
  • Garnish with chopped nuts and serve them warm .

Singoda Ka sheera




Ingredients

Singoda flour / water chestnut flour – 1/2 cup
Ghee – 1/4 cup
jaggery pd – 1/2 cup
Nut for garnish
water – 1- 11/2 cup ( boiled)

Method 

  • Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan then add singoda flour and keep  stirring till the flour turn brown in color .
  • Add the boiled water and stir continuously with out forming any lumps.
  • Now after all the water is absorbed and jaggery pd .
  • After the jaggery melts keep on stirring and cook the halwa till it leaves out the sides of the pan.
  • Serve them warm garnished with some nuts.

Moong dal sheera


Ingredients 

Moong dal / Split yellow lentil – 1/4 cup
Ghee/ clarified Butter – 3 tbsp 
Mawa/ Khoa – 3 tbsp
Sugar – 1/2 cup ( adjust to your taste)
Cashew nuts , almonds , pistachios – few chopped ( For garnish )


Method

  • Wash the moong dal well and soak it in water for 2-3 hours. 
  • Drain the lentils  and Finely grind them without adding water to it .
  • Heat ghee in a kadai / wok . Now add the ground lentil paste and roast it nicely till light brown in a very low flame , this might take some time.
  • After they turn a light brown color and leaves out an heavenly aroma .
  • Add sugar and mix them well , cook them til the halwa leaves the sides of the pan.
  • At last add mawa and Mix them well till they are  combine well and leaves out ghee.
  • Serve warm with nuts garnished .
  • You can store this halwa for 5-6 days in refrigerator.
  • Wram it when when serving.

Gooey Vanilla Chocolate Chip Mug Cake ( In pressure cooker )

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I wanted to try a mug cake in pressure cooker for a long time and here I got a nice chance to try one to go with my  pressure cooker theme in BM . I tried a basic vanilla mug cake with chocolate chips and they turned out too delicious and If you Like the cake gooey then 15 – 20 min is ample time to cook them in a pressure cooker . As for a microwave it might take only 2 – 5 mins to bake them but if you don’t have MW then am sure all will have Pressure cooker at home for sure so you can bake in your pressure cooker too .This is a gooey cake which is super moist  and so yummy . Chocolate chips added a pudding like texture to it visually and tempted me a lot while making . I was so tempted that I just pricked fork to dig in the mug cake then I realized OH MY !! I forgot to take a snap 😛 So I cud n’t take a domed mug cake pic it domed well and after few mins it settled down. Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#35.

Ingredients 

Maida/ All purpose flour –  1/2 cup 
Sugar – 1/4 cup
Baking pd – 1/2 tsp
Baking soda – 1/4 tsp 
Milk – 1/4 cup 
Curd – 1/4 cup
Oil – 2 tbsp
Vanilla extract – 1/2 tsp 
Chocolate chips – 1 1/2 Tbsp

Method 

  • Mix all   the ingredients without any lumps in a mug .
  • take a pressure cooker keep any tray or a bowl one which you can place the mug in to the pressure cooker .
  • Cover the lid and preheat the cooker for 5 mins .
  • Now open the lid and place the mug and cover the lid of the cooker.
  • Note : Do not put the whistle at any time it may lead to bursting of cooker as no water is added.
  • Now in a low flame cook the mug cake for 15 – 20 mins till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean .
  • If the cake batter sticks to the tooth pick cook for some more minutes .
  • This mug cake will be gooey and light, chocolate chips add an amazing taste to this mug cake .

sending to cooking 4 all seasons

Paal Payasam (In Pressure Cooker )

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When you are preparing a meal and are thinking for  the easy and simple dessert to go with meal it so very hard to think a dessert which  can be prepared in minutes and served right ? Here am today with one such dessert / sweet which goes very after a meal and are most fav in all homes . Paal payasam is an Kerala spl kheer which is prepared by reducing the milk in a pan then cooking the rice in the milk which takes a bit time to make but pressure cooker makes it all easy for us to just mix in all the ingredients and cook them in minutes . For 2nd day of BM a dessert with pressure cooker , I choose this all time fav paysam and they where very delicious and tasted the same as we make them in a pot . Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#35.

By making in pressure cooker there is no need of constant stiring required and  you can surprise your family by preparing this kheer / Payasam in minutes . I have made chawal ki kheer  my moms way and here is a Kerala spl payasam which goes well with a meal and it can be added in the ona sadya menu too. To see my ona sadhya platter click here . This payasam is also made in most of the southern parts in India . Lets quickly move to the quick to make payasam recipe.

 

Ingredients 

Milk – 4 cups 
Condensed milk – 1/2 cup ( adjust as needed)
Basmati Rice – 1/4 cup ( washed and soaked for 10-15 min)
Cardamom pd – 1/4 tsp ( Optional)
Saffron strands – few ( For garnish)
Chopped Cashew – 1-2 tbsp

Method 

  • In a pressure cooker boil the milk after it starts to boil simmer and add the rice, cardamom pd and condensed milk.
  • Stir well and cover the lid put the whistle on .
  • Cook it for 2 whistles in a medium  flame .
  • Let the pressure subside, then open the lid and stir well .
  • Add the cashews and serve warm garnished with saffron.
Tips 
  • You can substitute sugar with condensed milk. Condensed milk gives this payasam a rich taste though.
  • Add your favorite nuts I only added cashew.

Aloo Lauki Ki sabzi /Potato Bottle gourd Gravy ( In Pressure Cooker )

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Who will not want to finish their dinner or lunch with a easy yet delicious dish for their family. Here is an easy breezy curry which is so ideal for working women and even us home maker would love to make a simple dish and spent more time with our family instead of  sitting the kitchen the whole day and missing all the family fun . So here is an delicious curry which can be prepared in minutes and tastes so delicious with so very yummy flavor . Potato and Bottle gourd are two veggies which goes so well and makes an yummy combo when added in any dish mainly in curry .

 When I saw this month’s BM theme as cooking with pressure cooker I wanted to make this yummy curry . This is an simple to make and as you know pressure cooker makes are life so easy and saves gas even 🙂 pressure cooker is one such equipment I can’t imagine a  kitchen without it as it makes us finish our work so fast . So am up with my first dish a spicy curry totally made in pressure cooker a one pot you might say . Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#35.

Ingredients 


Potato – 1 No ( Peeled and chopped into cubes)
Lauki/ Bottle gourd – 1 no ( Peeled and chopped into cubes)
Oil – 1 tbsp 
Onion – 1 No ( Medium ,chopped)
Tomato – 1 No ( chopped)
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Green chillies – 2 No ( Optional )
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp 
Red chiili pd – 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander pd – 2 tsp
Cumin pd – 1/4 tsp
Garam masala – 1/4 tsp (Optional)
Salt to taste 

Method 

  • In a pressure cooker heat oil add  mustard seeds , cumin seeds, let them splutter then add curry leaves .
  • Add Onion and saute them till they turn pink .
  • Now add chopped tomatoes saute them well till they are mushy.
  • Add red chilli pd , turmeric pd , coriander pd , cumin pd, Garam masala and mix them well 
  • Now add chopped potato and bottle gourd and mix them well till the veggies are well coated with the masala.
  • Add only 2- 3 tbsp of water if necessary , cover the cooker and pressure cook them for 1 whistle.
  • After the pressure subsides open the cooker and give it a mix .
  • Serve them hot with phulkas or Roti and enjoy.

Potato Orange Kheer

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I love orange kheer which I made months ago and blogged about it but adding a veggie to it was a challenge for me . This another experiment which i made an innovative kheer . For the last day of BM week under the theme ” Desserts with veggies” I was thinking of making kheer again with some difference . My H loved the orange kheer i made few months back and so i decided to use of the oranges which were lying in my pantry . To add a twist to this I also included an veggie which My H didn’t even guessed when I said it is potato he was amazed and I was happy to see his reaction. All kheers are not preferred to drink the hot some kheers only taste good when they are chilled mainly if we use a fruit or veggie to it , so this kheer should also be enjoyed chilled and they tasted heavenly . The juicy orange in between every spoon of the kheer was like mind blowing . They tasted so yummy and no one will find out that it contains potato in it . Lets move to the delicious recipe to make this yummy kheer.Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34.

Ingredients 

Ghee – 1 tbsp 
Potato ( grated ) – 1 cup 
Milk – 2 cups 
Orange ( remove the segments without pith ) – from 3 No
Condensed milk – 3/4 cup ( Adjust to your taste )
Nuts ( Almond / pistachios ) – For garnish

Method 

  • In a sauce pan heat ghee saute , Saute the grated potato till they change the color but don’t brown them .
  • Add 1/4 cup milk and boil till the potatoes cook well.
  • Now add remaining milk and boil the kheer , it will become thick in a while 
  • Add condensed milk and stir them well.
  • Stir them continuously and boil them in simmer for 5 more minutes.
  • Turn off the flame and let the kheer cool down .
  • Add the orange segments to the kheer only when the milk is completely cool.
  • Serve them chilled.
Tips 
  • Stir the kheer continuously while cooking to avoid sticking to the bottom and burning.
  • Add the orange segment only when the milk is totally cooled down in room temperature.
  • Do not heat this heat again after adding orange to it , it may lead to curdling of milk .This kheer is served chilled only .

Ube sago Kheer / Purple yam javarasi payasam ( Purple kheer)

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Today am sharing yet another experiment from my kitchen thinking of  desserts with veggies , I wanted to make a kheer with this Filipino veggie which was introduced to me by a friend who said you can try a payasam with this veggie . I have seen many cakes , cupcakes and halayang desserts using this veggie but still wanted to stick with the our traditional kheer . Have you ever tried making a purple color kheer 🙂 I just tried this kheer and impressed by H already. Ube / Purple yam is different from the yam we get in India, This is the most important veggies in Filipino cuisine and they are so fond of purple desserts . So I thought Y not give this veggie a twist and make a kheer with this and when  thinking of this I added sago too in this and little pearls  looked pretty and they taste yumm . Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34. Let over to this innovative and delicious purple kheer .

 Ingredients

Milk – 2 1/4 cups 
Ube / Puple yam ( chopped) – 1 cup  ( I used the frozen Filipino ube) 
Sago/ javarisi – 1/4 cup
Condensed Milk – 1/2 tin 
Cardamom pd – a pinch ( optional)

Method 

  •  Boil ube in ample amount of water till they are mashable , then strain and blend it in the blender till smooth paste with 1/4 cup milk.
  • Soak the sago/ javarasi in a bowl with ample amount of water for 20 mins and then drain the water.
  • In a sauce pan boil the remaining milk after it foams and comes up simmer the flame and add the sago and cook them till the double in size and are well cooked .
  • After adding sago stir them continuously .
  • Add the ube paste to the milk once the sago is done, then cook them for a while add condensed milk and stir them well.
  • Simmer and stir continuously till the milk thicken a bit . 
  • Serve them chilled.
Tips 
  • Add extra milk if you want the kheer to be a little thin.
  • Stir continuously while making kheer to avoid sticking in the bottom of the pan.

Carrot Paneer Kheer

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Today am sharing a very delicious and a healthy kheer which will made you family amaze ,as it contains a veggie in it . This our very old kheer with a twist by adding carrot and paneer to it  makes it more interesting and they tastes delightful that your kiddo will definitely  taste and enjoy . I found this yet another way to sneak veggies in kids diet who love to have sweets . Addition of carrot puree gives a nice color and at the same time makes it very healthy for kids mainly. To add more taste and make it more delicious paneer does the rest of the work . 

This kheer is rich and healthy with all interesting elements mixed up in the same dish. This serves as a very innovative and interesting for your party and your guest will sure be amazed . The natural color of carrot gives this kheer a very very attractive look . The only thing is this kheer taste yummy only when it is nicely chilled 🙂 . Lets move to this interesting kheer . For this week BM theme ” Desserts with veggies ” I made this yummy carrot and paneer kheer .Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34.

Ingredients 

Carrot – 2 No long
Milk – 2 cups
Condensed Milk – 1/2 tin
Paneer ( Grated) – 1/2 cup
Nuts ( alomond and pistachios) – few for garnish

Method

  • Boil the carrots with ample amount water then strain and  blend them into smooth puree with 1/4 cup milk or as needed.
  • In a sauce pan boil the remaining milk then simmer the flame add the  grated paneer, carrot puree and cook them for while in low flame .
  • Add  condensed milk and boil them till the milk become a bit thick.
  • Stir constantly else the milk can burn in the bottom .
  • After the paneer is nice a soft and the milk is a bit thick switch off the flame.
  • Let the kheer cool completely before serving. This kheer tastes gud only when it is had chilled.  
  •  Garnish with chopped nuts and serve chilled 
Tips 
  • Adjust the condensed milk quantity as sweet or not so sweet you need .
  • This kheer tastes yummy only when served chilled.

Linking it To Virunthu unna vaanga

Peperonata – Italian Stew

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For my 3 day of BM theme ” Cooking with capsicum” I chose this delicious and yummy Italian Stew which served a great accompaniment for any bread .  It will serve as an delicious stew to top on Bruschetta.  I found about this recipe while was randomly searching in internet . The original recipe uses red wine  instead of vinegar but this tasted very very delicious .  This stew is made mostly in summer when we can find enormous amount of colored capsicum in the market. But peperonata tastes yummy in any season of the year. You can even sandwich this stew in between bread and enjoy them . How so ever you like to have them but this is a must try stew . The flavor’s of fresh rosemary , basil brings out an delicious taste and aromatic stew. We enjoyed this delicious stew on top of toasted white bread they tasted yummm..Lets move to this yummy and easy to make recipe of this flavorful  Italian Stew . Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34.

Adapted from here

Ingredients 

2 No  Capsicum  ( I used orange and green) – slice it into long strips
1  Onion, sliced into half-moons
1 Tomato ( seeded and cut into strips )
1 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp  fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
4-5 fresh basil leaves (  roughly chopped)
1 tsp vinegar

Method 

  •  Heat olive oil in a large saute pan ,add the onions.
  • Add little salt and saute  for while till the onion turns pink.
  •  Add the peppers and saute well to combine with the onions. 
  • The peppers must be half done that is it should be cooked but also have a little crunch in it.
  • Add the garlic, and saute for some more time. 
  • Add the tomatoes and saute for few seconds .
  • Add the sugar dried oregano, Rosemary, basil and cook them for a while. 
  • Add some pepper pd to taste and also add vinegar. Mix well and served with toasted bread or enjoy as is .
Tips 
  • You can use any mixed colored capsicum for this dish. 
  • This stew is done in many ways I have done my own way adjust the pepper and salt an per individuals taste. 

Tri color Capsicum Thogayal

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My H is an fan of kothamali thogayal he likes green chutney and thogayal a lot so for a difference I tried the thogayal with colorful capsicum . They tasted extremely delicious and my H just loved  it. Making use of the colorful capsicum in this made the color of the dish more delightful and appealing . Reason why I used colorful peppers is thats they are not too strong to taste as green one. For 2nd day of BM I made this delicious and yummy tri color capsicum  thogayal  which can be served as a side for idli , dosa’s and any tiffin dishes. Lets move to the recipe of  this yummy capsicum  thogayal.Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34.

thogayal, chutney

tri color

Ingredients 

Capsicum ( red , orange , yellow ) – 3 No ( deseeded  and chopped)
Dry Red chilli   – 2- 3 ( whole)
Tamarind  – a small marble size ball / 1 tsp
Urad dal / black gram dal – 2 tbsp
Channa dal /bengal gram dal – 1 tbsp 
Oil- 1 tbsp  + 1 tsp for tempering
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp 
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig 
Salt to taste 

Method

  • In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil add urad dal , channa dal and saute till they turn light brown .
  • Add red chillies , tamarind,salt, chopped capsicum and saute till the skin shrinks and the capsicum gets cooked .
  •  Turn off the flame and cool the mixture  and blend them with out adding water to a semi coarse paste .
  • For tempering  heat 1 tsp add mustard seeds , cumin seeds and  after they splutter transfer this to the ground paste .
  • Serve this thogayal with idli , dosa or any tiffin varieties .
Tips 
As there is no water added this thogayal is a keeper for 2-3 days in refrigerator. 

Capsicum Puli kuzhambu | Kuzhambu Recipes

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Capsicum is an delicious veggies which we  can find in many colors . I love capsicum and  potato combo and also paneer tikka with capsicum . Capsicum is one of my fav veggies i love to add capsicum in pav bhaji , and mixed vegetable curry they leave out the a peppery aroma and the helps in spicing up the gravy . When it comes to south indian cuisine my first most loved dish is kara kuzhambu  I love them spicy . So for this weeks BM i had an  option of trying  different  recipes  with capsicum other than the veggie’s I usually try . I chose the theme cooking with capsicum for this week and am glad to try this delicious kuzhambu for a difference with capsicum in it. Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34.

Capsicum puli kuzhambu is like a normal kara kuzhambu But addition of capsicum bring out a lot of aroma to the kuzhambu and also helps to spice up the gravy well  .  The chunks of capsicum brings an very delightful taste to this kuzhambu. Serve this kuzhambu with steamed rice and applam / papad to accompany.  Lets move to the recipe for this yummy and flavorful kuzhambu .

Ingredients 

Capsicum – 1 No  ( deseeded and chopped)
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp 
Oil – 2 tsp
Onion  – 1 No (chopped)
Tomato – 1 small ( chopped)
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp
Coriander pd – 1 tsp 
Red chilli pd – 1/2 tsp
Cumin pd – 1/4 tsp
Sambhar pd – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
salt to taste 
Tamarind – 1 lemon small size ( soak in water for 15 mins and extract the juice )
Coriander leaves – To garnish 

Method 

  • In a saucepan heat oil , add mustard seeds . Once it splutters add curry leaves .
  • Then add chopped onion and saute till they turn translucent , then add capsicum and saute them well for a while .
  • Now add tomatoes and saute them till they turn mushy .
  • Add Red chilli pd, sambhar pd, turmeric pd , coriander pd , cumin pd and mix well.
  • Now add 2 cups of water and boil it well till the kuzhambu is a bit thick .Add enough water if to adjust the consistency of the kuzhambu .
  • Now add the tamarind juice , salt and mix well simmer and boil the kuzhambu well till the oil gets  separated  and floats on top and the gravy is a bit thick in consistency .
  • Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve Hot with rice.

 Tips 


I haven’t added fenugreek seeds if you want you can add it while tempering.