I like to feed Nehal healthy desserts made from nutrition rich ingredients rather than a fat-rich cake or mithai. Sesame seeds Laddu falls under the category of a healthy dessert. Nuvvula Unda or Nuvvula Laddu is a classic Andhra style sweet prepared for festivals like Nagula Chavati. At home, we make this calcium rich sweet often. I usually make small laddus (compared to the size of the sesame seeds laddus you see in this post) and serve as an after lunch dessert to Nehal.

Very simple to prepare with only two ingredients going into the making of traditional Nuvvula Laddu recipe. I tend to add roasted almond meal or roasted and powdered oats to boost the nutritional profile. The taste of Nuvvula Unda will depend on the quality of jaggery and sesame seeds. Use fresh sesame seeds and good quality jaggery to enjoy the chewy nutty taste of sesame seeds and the sweet flavor of jaggery. A unique combination of flavors that is bound to get you addicted.

1 Dry roast sesame seeds in a heavy bottomed vessel till the rawness disappears and a nutty aroma emanates the kitchen. Roast on low flame and do not burn them. Remove onto a wide plate and allow to cool.
2 In the same vessel, add the oats and dry roast on low flame for 5 mts. Remove onto a plate and cool.
3 In the same vessel, add the almonds and dry roast on low flame for 5 mts. Remove onto a plate and cool.
4 First grind the almonds till coarse. Remove onto a bowl. Next grind the oats to a powder (5 seconds). Remove onto a bowl with almond powder.
5 Next blend the sesame seeds for 5-6 seconds. You have to make a coarse powder of the sesame seeds. Add the grated jaggery and blend till combined. Add 1-2 tbsps of milk and blend. You can see the oil (sesame seeds) oozing out of the mixture.
6 Remove onto a plate and add the oats powder and almonds powder. Mix and make small balls with this mixture.
7 Store in an air tight container and they stay good for a week to ten days. You can store in the fridge too for longer shelf life.

Carrot Kheer is a crowd-pleaser Indian dessert that makes for a special festival food this Navratri. Warm and comforting flavors, visually appealing, rich and sweet, carrot kheer lends a striking dash of orange to the table. A decadent dessert to finish off a festive thali (meal).

Red carrots work best but you can use the orange ones too. I used the orange ones as I could not find the red carrots at my local farmer’s market. Use of whole milk and sweetened condensed milk yields a rich kheer.

1 Heat a vessel, add ghee and toast the cashew nuts and raisins till golden brown. Remove from vessel, keep aside.
2 In the same vessel, add the grated carrot and saute for 5-6 mts. Add the boiled milk and simmer for 15-16 mts, stirring once in a while. Add sugar and simmer for another 10-12 mts, stirring once in a while.
3 Add the cardamom pwd, saffron and toasted cashews and almonds. Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled. It tastes good both warm and chilled.

Rava Kesari – moist, melt in the mouth Indian semolina dessert that is prepared as a festival special for occasions like Navratri. Not too complicated, just a few ingredients like semolina, clarified butter, sugar and cardamom mingle together to bring out something magical and exotic.

The key to a delicious Kesari is to slow roast semolina in ghee aka clarified butter till light pink without burning it. And when infused with a warming aromatic spice like cardamom the flavor of Rava Kesari is alleviated by leaps and bounds. Delightful when adorned with roasted cashews and raisins.

1 Heat a heavy-bottomed vessel, add 2 tbsps of melted ghee, add cashew nuts and raisins and toast them till golden brown. Remove them and keep aside.
2 In the same ghee, add sooji/semolina and fry till light pink approx for 6 mts. You have to constantly stir it or else it will burn. Turn off heat, add sugar and mix.
3 Add water and cook on slow flame stirring constantly. It will come together like a thick pudding. It will take approx 8-10 mts to cook on slow flame.
4 Add saffron and half of the roasted nuts and raisins and mix. Cook on low flame for another mt. Add 2 tbsps of warm ghee and mix. Turn off flame, remove onto a serving bowl.
5 Garnish with the remaining nuts and raisins and serve warm.

P.S With power cuts abound in Andhra Pradesh and erratic internet connection, I could not blog yesterday’s offering to Goddess Durga.

The festive season has begun in India. Navratri is here and its time for some special festival sweets. The first day of Navaratri has Sweet Pongal as an offering to Goddess Durga.

Sweet Pongal is the easiest to make of all the festival recipes. Creamy, infused with cardamom, garnished with roasted raisins and cashew nuts, this delicious jaggery based pudding comforts and warms the soul. You can use sugar instead of jaggery but the flavor of sweet pongal is best when sweetened with iron rich jaggery.

1 Heat a pan, add 1/2 tbsp of ghee and toast the cashewnuts and raisins till golden brown. Remove from pan, keep aside. In the same pan, add the moong dal and roast till its lightly red. Remove.
2 Heat a vessel, add grated jaggery. Let the jaggery melt over slow flame till its sticky on touch. Don’t over cook it, it should basically completely melt. Strain the jaggery and cool.
3 In a separate vessel, bring water to a boil. Lower heat, add the rice and washed moong dal to the water. Cook till the rice is soft and the mixture turns thick.
4 Reduce flame to low, add the jaggery syrup to the cooked rice and dal mixture and mix. Add the cardamom pwd, salt and toasted cashews and raisins. Let it cook for 2-3 mts and turn off flame.
5Serve warm or bring to room temperature and refrigerate until chilled. It tastes good both warm and chilled.

Kitchen Tips – Add the jaggery syrup only after the rice is completely cooked. Ensure the flame is very low when adding the jaggery syrup. You can substitute jaggery with granulated sugar. Optional – Toast finely chopped fresh coconut in little ghee and add along with cashew nuts and raisins.

Coconut Ladoo is one of my favorite coconut dessert recipe to date. Just a few ingredients, a few minutes in the kitchen and you are ready for a heavenly experience with soft-on-bite rich coconut sweet. Coconut Laddu make for perfect after meal nibbles or a party dessert.

Coconut works beautifully in sweetened condensed milk. You can also make excellent chocolate truffles with it substituting the cream.

Even the ones on a diet cannot resist this delicious temptation. Get into your kitchen to make this ridiculously easy to make coconut Ladoos and you won’t regret it.

1 Heat 1/2 tbsp butter or ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add grated fresh coconut and saute for 4 mts on low flame.
2 Add 1/2 cup dairy whitener and a tin of condensed milk and keep stirring constantly (on low flame) till it leaves the sides of the vessel, approx 8-10 mts.
3 Add 1/2 tsp cardamom powder and mix. Turn off heat and cool. Grease you hand, make small coconut ladoo balls and roll in dessicated coconut.
4 Store the coconut ladoo balls iin an air tight container and place in fridge for longer shelf life. At room temperature it stays fresh up to 2-3 days.

Gajar ka Halwa – the famed, rich, indulgent, Indian dessert. I wonder why it took me so long to blog it. Better late than never. Prepared this classic Indian mithai a couple of days ago for a friend visiting me after many years.

I used the regular orange carrots that are available in my local farmer’s market. I could not find the deep red Delhi carrots hence had to make do with the regular ones. Ghee and condensed milk give richness to the halwa while warm spices like cardamom and cloves infuse it with an unmistakable aroma and flavor.

1 Heat 3 tbsps ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel, add the grated carrot and saute for 8 mts on low to medium flame.
2 Add the milk and cloves and allow to cook till the milk is almost absorbed. Add sugar and cook further for another 15 mts. Add the condensed milk and go on stirring till it leaves the sides of the pan.
3 Remove the cloves, add the cardamom pwd and saffron and mix. Garnish with toasted almonds, raisins and cashew nuts.
4 Serve warm or refrigerate and serve. It tastes good both warm and cold.

I love festivals, planning the menu for a festive feast and especially look forward to try sweet treats that I’m yet to blog. Senagapappu Payasam is a traditional South Indian sweet dish that I prepared for our Ugadi festive meal. This lentil based sweet dish incorporates the same ingredients that you’d find in a regular Payasam – jaggery, milk or coconut milk and cardamom powder. The star ingredient in today’s recipe is chana dal (Bengal gram) along with sago.

1 Heat a pan, add ghee and toast the cashew nuts and raisins till golden brown. Remove from pan, keep aside.
2 In a heavy bottomed vessel, add the jaggery water and let it cook for 7-8 mts on low flame.
3 Add the cooked chana dal and sago along with left over liquid and let it slowly simmer for 6-7 mts, stirring it once in a while.
4 Turn off heat. Add the low fat milk and combine. On low flame, allow the payasam to simmer for 4-5 mts. Add the cardamom pwd, toasted cashews and raisins. Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled. It tastes good both warm and chilled.

Ugadi, Telugu New Year, is on 16th March, 2010. I have complied few festival recipes that can be prepared for Ugadi, to make it convenient for my dear readers. Hope you enjoy preparing the recipes and relish the festive treats with family and friends.

Ugadi Pachadi

Paramannam, Bobbatu, Badam Halwa

Atukulu Payasam ~ Rice flakes Kheer

Bellam Garelu ~ Jaggery Vadas

Boorelu

Chandrakantalu

Semiya Payasam

Kajjikayalu

Kobbari Burfi

Halwa Boorelu, Gavalu, Besan Laddu

Sorakaya Payasam ~ Bottle Gourd Kheer

Pesarapappu Payasam ~ Moong dal Kheer

Jantikalu

Ribbon Murukku

Pappu Chekkalu

Pulihora

Nimmakaya Annam ~ Lemon Rice

Rava Pulihora

Mamidikaya Pulihora ~ Raw Mango Rice

Ugadi Bhojanam ~ Festival Thali

Talimpu Senagalu
~ Seasoned Black Chickpeas

Aratikaya Bajji ~
Raw Plantain Fritters

Ulli Garelu ~ Onion Vadas

Mamidikaya Pappu ~ Raw Mango Dal

Mudda Pappu ~ Cooked tur dal

Pappu Pulusu

Mukkala Pulusu

Vankaya Batani ~ Brinjal Peas

Potato Fry

Gutti Vankaya Kura ~ Stuffed Brinjal

Kobbari Mamidikaya Pachadi

Carrot Coriander leaves Pachadi

Traditional sweets are usually prepared during festive occasions in our home and its been a while since I made any Indian sweet at home. I have been craving Rasmalai since quite some time but did not get myself to make a visit to our neighborhood Indian sweet store. Today, when Nehal asked me for ‘Rasgullas’, I got down to preparing them at home. This is the first time I ventured out to prepare home style ‘Rasmalai’. One of the greatest culinary creations that has won the hearts of millions the world over. My humble Pranam (salutation) to the makers of these divine specialties!

Rasgulla and Rasmalai are milk based desserts prepared with freshly prepared chenna aka cottage cheese balls. For Rasagulla, the chenna balls are cooked in sugar syrup till they double in size and are ready to be served. For Rasmalai, chenna balls that have been cooked in sugar syrup are gently squeezed off the sugar syrup and further immersed in saffron flavored sweetened thick milk to cook till soft. One of the most elegant Indian dessert delicacy with sweet and fragrant flavors!

1 Take a heavy bottomed vessel and boil milk. Once its boiled, slowly add the lemon juice and you will find that the milk will curdle and the whey will separate. The whey will become clear which is an indication that the milk has curdled completely. Immediately add about 10-12 ice cubes and turn off flame. Leave aside for 3-4 mts.
2 Strain the whey and add the chenna to a damp cheese cloth or a light cotton cloth. Gather the four corners of the cloth and twist it gently and rinse under cold water to remove the sourness of the lemon juice. Tie the ends and hang it at a height and allow the whey from the chenna to drain completely. Leave aside for 30 mts.
3 Remove the chenna onto a wide plate. Now knead it gently for 7 mts till there is no trace of moisture and is absolutely soft on touch. This is a very crucial step in the process of rasgulla making.
4 While you are kneading the chenna, prepare the sugar syrup. Place a pressure cooker on the stove and add water and sugar and allow the sugar to dissolve. Bring it to a rolling boil. Add a pinch of cardamom pwd.
5 While the sugar syrup is cooking, make small smooth balls of the kneaded chenna. Ensure there are no cracks on the balls. Slowly add the chenna balls to the boiling sugar syrup. Place lid and pressure cook upto 1 whistle and continue to cook for another 4 mts.
6 Turn off heat. Once the pressure is off, remove the lid. The balls will double in size and become light and springy on touch. If you feel that the balls are not cooked yet, place lid and cook for another 5 mts without the whistle at medium heat.
7 Remove onto a serving dish, bring to room temp, refrigerate and serve chilled along with sugar syrup at room temp OR proceed to prepare rasmalai.

1 Take a heavy bottomed vessel and add milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium flame and go on stirring on a constant basis for a good 30 mts.
2 Add the sugar syrup and continue to cook for another 20 mts. Add the cardamom pwd, pistachios and saffron and combine. Boil for another 5 mts.
3 While the milk-sugar mixture is boiling, work on the rasagullas. Gently squeeze the rasgullas with a flat ladle such that it forms a patty shape and the syrup is drained out.
4 Add the flattened rasgullas into the thickened milk and cook on low flame for 5 mts. They will absorb the sweet syrup and Rasmalai is ready. Turn off heat and cool.
5 Refrigerate and serve chilled.

With Christmas round the corner, I am spending more time in the kitchen baking cookies and cakes and preparing traditional sweets. I made Gulabi Puvvulu, popularly known as Rose Cookies on Sunday and today it was Coconut Burfi. We usually make Kobbari Undalu using grated coconut and jaggery. Decided on trying my hand at coconut burfi/paakam that calls for the use of sugar instead of jaggery. This is my first attempt at making Coconut Burfi and am yet to perfect it. Its all in the sugar syrup consistency.

 

1 Take a heavy bottomed vessel, add water and sugar and on medium low flame allow the sugar to dissolve and come to a boil. Stir it and allow the syrup to thicken. Let the sugar syrup cook and thicken till it reaches 2 string consistency. Test the syrup by using your thumb and index finger and touch the sugar syrup and as your stretch the syrup, it should form at least 2-3 threads. This takes approx 15-18 mts.
2 Immediately at this stage add the grated coconut, ghee and cardamom pwd and stir. Stir at regular intervals till the mixture appears thick and leaves the sides of the vessel. This could take about 15-18 mts. Turn off heat.
3 Immediately pour the mixture on to a greased thali (use ghee to grease) and spread out evenly with a spatula. Allow to cool and slightly harden. Cut into desired shapes and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.