Desserts

Summer is coming near and watermelons are easily available at every store and farmer market here , So we pick one last week .We had some watermelon slice sprinkled with chaat masala and with the other 1/2 half of the watermelon i wanted to try something different other than juices so was searching for recipes in net then i remember once in a cooking show i saw the recipe of watermelon halwa . They used sooji/semolina and corn flour to make the halwa. I liked the recipe but wanted to try with some variations in that halwa . Wanted it to look like a Thirunavelli halwa or agar ka petha with glossy texture so tried this recipe  .

In traditional thirunalvelli halwa they take out the milk from the soaked whole wheat flour and then make them.. so hear am using watermelon instead of whole wheat flour milk and for thickening  i have used corn flour.

Ingredients

Watermelon – 1/2 medium sized
Sugar -1 cup (heaped)
Cashewnuts-5-6 nos
Pistachoes- 2-3 nos
Ghee – 4 tbsp
Cornflour- 3 tbsp
watermelon essence- few drops

Method

• Deseed the watermelon and remove from the green skin. chop them in to cubes.

• In a blender blend the chopped watermelon and sugar coarsely ,only up to 2 -3 pulse or you can even mash the watermelon with you hands and mix in sugar.

• Take a kadai add 1 tbsp of ghee ,to which add the nuts fry till light brown . Pour the watermelon mixture and mix them till they start boiling. Dilute the cornflour in 2 tbsp of water.
• After it starts boiling  add the cornflour mixture and mix them. Mix it constantly for 10-15 mins.

• Stir continuously till they  leave the sides of the kadai  you can see ghee separating from the halwa.
• Add chopped cashews and pistachios to the halwa.
• After it attains the required consistency  turn off the heat and add the desired watermelon essence which is optional. Now you can serve them warm .
• They taste gud when they are served warm as the ghee in this may solidify if they are chilled. If you want you can heat them again in a low flame till they are warm but do not over cook them .

Hi my dear SNC group !!!Am so happy to complete  the 4th challenge …As you all know there is an event going on +Divya Pramil   space You Too Can Cook  .. The event is all about two teams north and south team ..A member from north team and a member south team respectively  will challenge  the opposite team members with a recipe from their respective zone  and opposite teams have to post the same recipe on their Blog .. this takes place every month .. The idea of this event is that we learn so many different recipes from different zones .. Hats off to divya for this great idea .. click here to partcipate

                            

An update on whats going on till now in SNC challenge:

Challenge 1– October month’s challenge

North team Host shruti dhingra from ” shruti’s rasoi”- Bhel puri
South team Host divya from “Divya’s culinary journey “- Mysore pak

Challenge 2– November month’s challenge

North team host Pallavi from “cook -eat- burrp” – Gulab jamun
South team host Yashodha from “yashodha’s kitchen” – Adhirasam

Challenge 3– December month’s challenge

North team Host Meena from ” Random rambling ” – Misal pav
South team Host Sherin from ” Kuk’s kitchen” – Medu vada

Challenge 4– Janurary month’s challenge
North team Host ” me ” (Manjula bharath) from “Desi fiesta” – Rajasthani  mini ghevar topped with kesar rabdi
South team Host Ramya  from ” Lemon Kurry” – Vada curry

Challenge 5 – February month’s challenge

North team’s host Sanoli from Sanoli’s recipes- Green pea kachori with dum aloo
South teams’s host Tamil from Tamil’s kitchen- paal kozhukattai  click here

As i hosted last months challenge with my fav dessert i received this host Badge from divya pramil.. Thank for the lovely Badge divya.

With any futher ado lets move to the ingredients and methods of making paal kozhukattai ..

For the Paal Kozhukattai dough:

Rice Flour – 1/2 cup
Ghee – 1/2 tsp
Milk -1/2 cup
Water – 1/2 cup
Salt – a pinch

For the sauce :

Coconut Milk – 3/4 cup
Water – 1/4 cup
Jaggery syrup – Powdered Jaggery -1/2 cup
Grated Coconut  – 2 tbsp
Milk – 1/2 cup
Saffron strands – few
Cardamom Powder – A pinch

Method 

• In a pan dissolve jaggery in immersing level  water and heat it up till it bubbles. Then strain to remove impurities.Keep it aside. In a mixing bowl add water, milk,salt and add the rice flour and mix well to prevent lumps.

• The mixture should be smooth and creamy in consistency with out any lumps. Then transfer this mixture to a nonstick pan with ghee.Keep stirring until it forms a dough consistency. Now at this stage switch it off.

• When it cools down a bit but still warm , knead it to form a smooth dough. Note: Keep covered with a wet cloth until use to prevent it from drying.

• Form small balls or in cylindrical shapes. Some use the murukku press to make the cylindrical shape.

• Repeat this process to form all the balls. Keep it  aside. Heat milk and  water in a heavy bottomed pan , when is starts boiling add the balls and simmer it.

• Once the balls are added, first it will all sink to the bottom. Keep closed and cook until the balls turn soft …once cooked it will gradually raise. Stir it without breaking the balls. Once the kozhukattai’s  are cooked add the coconut milk. Then add jaggery syrup and give it a quick stir. Allow it to simmer 3-5 mins.

• Add grated coconut, cardamom powder bring it to a single boil and switch off.
• Let them stand for at least 30 mins so that the sauce blends well with the kozhukattais. As the kozhukattai eaten as such will taste bland and you have to have the kozhukattai with the milk which will taste delicious.garnish it with some saffron strands .. Serve warm / cold.

Notes:

• While making the sauce – You can even add coconut milk along with milk and water. But always add it this way to avoid curdling.
• Do not cook for long time after coconut milk and jaggery are added, as there are chance for curdling.
• While making the dough, you can even first heat water and  milk then add rice flour but here i added and dissolved it prior heating to avoid lumps.
• The kozhukattais will not get cooked fully in milk so add half and half water alteast .You can even  pre-cook the kozhukattais in water or steam them in idli steamer and then add it to the milk sauce. But cooking milk makes is very soft and flavourful.
• You can even replace jaggery with sugar but the authentic way is making it with jaggery and also it is healthy to use jaggery in desserts.

Next comes the ingredients and method of this scrumptious  indian style cake 🙂

Ingredients:

2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup Cocoa powder
2 cups sugar ( you can reduce the sugar to 1 1/2 cup if u like less sweet )
1 cup butter
1 cup yogurt
11/2 cup Reduced Fat Milk or whole milk
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Cantaloupe/Honey Dew
Chocolate bar ( Grated) or chocolate shaving’s
Rasgulla’s 8-10  ( for rasgulla recipe click here )
chocolate glaze (optional )

For icing

470 ml Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla essence

Rasgulla

Method

• Melt butter in a pan on a very low temperature.
• Remove the butter from the flame and let the butter cool.
• Sift Maida, cocoa powder, baking powder, cooking soda and salt together. Make sure your mixture should not be lumpy.

• Grease a baking tray with little butter. Dust it with Maida and keep it aside.
• In another bowl beat butter then slowly add the dry mixture while beating well in one direction. Keep beating until the entire dry mixture is fully incorporated.
• Now add the milk slowly and beat for a minute.
• Pour the mixture into the greased pan. You do not have to spread the mixture using a spoon, if the mixture is of the right consistency.

• Place in the centre of the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes . The temperature and baking time can vary from oven to oven. Hence, test the cake at around 25 minutes to see if it is done. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted, should come out clean. When it is done, let it cool for a while completely . NOTE:  Its very important for the cake cool completely which will avoid crumbling and also the frosting will not melt  ..
• Now slit the cake horizontally into two layers .. I baked two thin cakes …

Assembling the cake:

First moisture the cake with 2 tsp of sugar syrup from rasgulla by gently starting from the corner to the middle of the cake..

• Now take first layer of cake and spread the blue berry jam. on top of which spread whipping cream all over the layer..

• Now arrange pieces of fruits (orange) and rasgullas as shown in the pic . In this step i have removed the pith part of orange and used the whole rasgulla.. you also halve the rasgulla n arrange them… Spread some whipping cream again.

• Take another layer and repeat the process of spreading whipping cream .

• Finally garnish it with whipping cream and grated chocolate and melons. I glazed my cake with chocolate glaze in the center , cut the melon into circles using a cookie cutter and added some detailing using grated chocolate and star sprinklers…

• Black Forest cake is ready!

Shrikhand is traditionally made of hung curd/yogurt . It is often the sweet dish found in Maharashtrian and Gujarati thali’s and not only is it a sweet component, but a very healthy one too. My mom use to hung the yogurt in a muslin cloth on a wall so that it becomes nice and thick .she used make plain shrikand by just adding sugar and cardamon pd to it. Shrinkand has been a traditional sweet dish at home and my mom used to make it often. Shrikhand is often served flavored with saffron, and at times fruit flavored variations of shrikhand are also enjoyed. The most popular flavor being mango when its season. It’s called amarkhand. I have flavored my shrikhand with  2 berries- strawberry and blueberry , which gave it a mild purple color.

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt
4 nos strawberries
10 nos Blueberries
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp confectioners sugar(as needed)
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp sliced pistachios for garnish

Method:

• Place the yogurt on a tea sieve or on a cheese cloth and drain it over a bowl, overnight. If using the tea sieve place a layer of plastic wrap over the yogurt to prevent it from drying out. Also if the weather is too hot keep them in refrigerator as yogurt may turn sour. The drained yogurt is also called ” chakka”
• When ready to make the shrikhand, wash and slice the strawberries. Sprinkle the strawberries and blue berries with 1 tbsp of granulated sugar. Set aside to macerate for about 15 minutes.
• At the end of 15 minutes, the strawberries and blueberries would have lent all their juice. Drain the juice and puree the berries.
•  Fold the pureed berries with the strained yogurt along with the cardamom powder. Sweeten with confectioners sugar as needed, it depends on how sweet your berries  are.
•  Pour into serving glasses/cups and let sit in the fridge to set. Again line the tops with plastic wrap. When ready to serve, sprinkle with pistachios and garnish with strawberries. Enjoy!

Tips

You can also make shrikand’s using other fruits like pineapple or orange.

Valentines day is nearing and am trying lots dishes to impress my beloved hubby 🙂 ..He enjoyed this delight a lot 🙂

I used to drink lots of coffee and was addicted to it but i have stopped drinking coffee and gave an end to my addictions as lots of caffeine is not good for are health but i still love the aroma of coffee cannot resist myself in using them in this recipe .. so wanted to use this aromatic ingredient in m cake..

The coffee adds to the dark color to the cake as well as also adds a aromatic flavor too. This cake can be made in  microwave mode as well. This cake is perfect for if you want to bake a good cake in a very short time. It’s a perfect snack to be given to kids.

 lets look for the ingredients and method for baking this spongy , soft cake 🙂

(Adapted from Foodilicious )

Ingredients

1/2 cup All purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa pwd
1/2 tbsp coffee pwd
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp yogurt/curds
Vanilla essence few drops
1/4cup oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 banana mashed
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp fine sugar

Method

• Preheat the oven at 180 c .
• Grease a  cake tin or  round dish.
• Sieve together all  purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.
• Beat curds and sugar together. Till the sugar dissolves.
• Add oil and beat gain.
• Add banana and vanilla essence and mix.
• Add the coffee powder and mix.
• Fold in the all purpose flour mix. If required add milk to adjust the consistency (dropping consistency).
• Pour the cake batter into the greased cake tin . Tap the cake tin so that there are no air bubbles in the batter. 
• Bake the cake in the preheated oven at 180 c for 30 to 40 mins ..until if you prick a toothpick it should come out clean.
• Cool the cake and serve.

You can even use a microwave to bake this cake

To bake in microwave 

Microwave on high for 8-10mins. Check whether its done using a tooth pick .  Else, microwave further. The time duration can vary from microwave to microwave based on how good the voltage is.

Top it with vanilla ice cream or chocolate syrup and enjoy !!!

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