Basundi ( Flavoured Milk )

Basundi

Basundi is a sweet dish from Gujarat and usually served with Poori. It is a flavoured creamy milk. It is like Rabri from northern India. Sharing the recipe.

Ingredients

1. Full Cream Milk 2 litre
2. Sugar 1/2 Cup or Sugar Free Powder 2 sachet
3. GreenCardamom 2 or Cardamom Powder
4. Saffron strands or kesar
5. Pistachios
6. Cashews
7. Almonds
8. Jaifal or nutmeg powder 1/4 Tbps ( Optional)

Ingredients

Preparation

Cut pistachios, Almonds, Cashews in small pieces and keep it aside.Take milk in a heavy steel or aluminum bowl. Heat the vessel at very low flame. Add Cardamom Powder and Nutmeg Powder. Keep on storing the milk and scratching from sides till milk is reduced to half. Now at this time add sugar. You will see the milk thickness will reduced and consistency becomes thin. Here it becomes different from Rabri where milk consistency is quite thick. Stir for 10 min till whole sugar is dissolved( Those who want to make it sugar free, add 2 sachet of sugar free powder.). Close the knob. Now put a saffron strands in warm water. Now garnish the sweet and flavoured milk with pistachios, Almonds, Cashews and strands of saffron.
  It can be eaten alone or serve hot with poories. It can be refrigerated and served cold.
Also we can use condensed milk and milk powder to make it.

Bhapa Pitha( Rice cake ) My style

Bhapa Pitha ( Rice Cake)

My house in Delhi is in Chittranjan Park which is also called mini Kolkata as it is home to large Bengali community. Today I am sharing Bhapa Pitha( Rice Cake), a Bong sweet dish.The authentic form is made from Rice and Date(khajur )molasses. Since I making it completely sugar free, I am using honey instead of khajur gur. Also I have given a different twist. Sharing this completely caesin free, gluten free, sugar free and fully Vegan dish.

Ingredients

1. Rice 1 1/2 bowl or bowl of Rice Powder
2. Honey
3. Dessicated coconut (Nariyal/Gola ka bura)100 gm
4. Butter 2 Tbps
5. Salt 1/2 Tbps
6. Pistachios
7. Cashews
8. Almonds
9. Baking soda 1/2 Tbps or Eno small sachet
10. Vanilla essence  or extract

Ingredients

Preparation

Soak Rice in water for 1 hour.( If using Rice Powder no need to soak just add warm water till the paste is thick and smooth.)Pound the rice in a grinder till very little coarse and smooth. Add Salt, Vanilla Essence (2-3 drops), Add dessicated coconut and mix. Keep it aside. Cut pistachios , Almonds, Cashews in to little pieces.Now take a pan and heat at low temp. Add butter. Now add pistachios, Almonds, Cashews and saute. Add a Teaspoon full of honey and caramelized all the nuts. Now add a spoon full of dessicated coconut so that the filling will bind together.
  Now take some water in a deep pan and heat till it starts boiling. Meanwhile take idli maker and glace it with oil. Keep the idli maker aside. Now Take the Rice mixture.Add 2-3 Tbps of honey and a sachet of Eno.Mix nicely. Take the mixture in ladel and put it in idli maker.On the top of every scoop add caramelized nuts.Steamed the Rice cake for nearly 40 - 45 min till rice cooks well. When using Rice powder steam for lesser min. Remove and let it cool. Remove the rice cake with a blunt knife.
Top it up with honey while serving.

Bhuna Chana Barfee

Bhuna Chana Barfee

This is a quick and effort free sweet dish as it made from roasted chickpeas( black Chana).
Sharing the preparation.

Ingredients

1. Roasted chickpeas without skin 250 GM
2. Cow Ghee 3-4 small ladel
4. Almonds
5. Condensed milk
6. Sugar Powdered 1 cup
7. Green Cardamom 2-3

Preparation

Grind Roasted Chick Peas finely and cardamom in a grinder.Take a deep pan.Add Cow Ghee and heat at low medium heat. Roast almonds in Ghee and take them out in a tissue to soak extra Ghee. Now add Roasted Chickpeas in the Ghee.Heat it for 5 to 10 min and mix it nicely. Now add Powdered sugar and again mix at low heat.Now add condensed milk till the whole mixture becomes thick. Now take the mixture in hand and give shape of your choice.To garnish add Roasted Almonds on top of it. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour and serve.

Home Made Fried Cookies Twinkies

Sugar coated Orange Twinkies

Twinkie is a real treat for those who have a sweet tooth.Fried Twinkies is popular snack in Tennessee.
  I am preparing this quick recipe Oreo Orange Twinkies Indian style.

Ingredients

1. Oreo Orange Cream Cookies
2. Maida (Bleached wheat flour )1 1/2 cup
3. Curd 1/2 Cup
4. Salt 1/2 Tbps
5. Butter
6. Oil for frying
7. Caster sugar or superfine sugar(Powdered sugar)
8. Milk

Preparation

Add Maida in a bowl. Add salt. Add curd. Add milk till the paste is  thick and smooth.Now take a oil in pan and preheat at medium temperature. Now take Cookies and dip them in the smooth batter till fully covered and fry in preheated oil. Fry till golden brown. Take out Cookies in a tissue to remove oil. Add butter on hot Twinkies and dust them with Caster sugar/Powdered sugar. Serve.

You can try these with other flavoured Oreos and Cookies.Also you can garnish with orange sauce,strawberry sauce,chocolate sauce.

Singals (Indian Pancakes)

Singals (Indian Pancakes)

If you are a kumaoni ,poojas(Prayers) at home can never be completed without this sweet dish.It is Indian Pancake having a spiral shape like of a Jalebi(again a popular Indian sweet dish). When I got married it was like, am Big Zero in cooking!! and to make a Singal is a craft!! ha..ha..For few early years of my marriage I was totally dependent on my Mom in Law!! -- A Great Cook for all kumaoni dishes.When my husband has to move to this new place for work....I with kids also move, so you see
....Phew!!Children love Singal and husband too!!
So I decided to be on my own!!First few attempts were total failure.. some times the sugar content was less sometimes moyan(Cow Ghee) was more and when cooked in oil it spread and sometimes shape was shapeless(never a spiral).but my constant attempt to make Singals finally paid.Now I can cook them nicely though my endeavor to cook them like my Mom in Law is a distant dream!!

Ingredients

1.Samolina 500 gms
2. Rice Flour 100 gms
3.1 Cup Curd
4. Cold Milk 1 Cup
5. Cow Ghee 3 teaspoon
6. Cardamom Powder
7. Chirongi or charoli(Optional)
8. Oil
9. Sugar 1 cup

Prepation

Mix Samolina,Rice Flour with Milk and keep it for 30-45 mins.Add Curd, Sugar, cardamom powder,chirongi,Ghee. Stir it well till it swell.Take and fold the mixture in palm and give it a spiral shape on a preheated oil pan. cook it in low heat till they are golden brown. 

Hope this will be help to new bahus(brides) in kumaoni house!! :)