LAUKI HALWA / SURAIKKAI HALWA

A deliciously healthy halwa ...so easy to prepare ...loaded with the goodness of bottlegourd (Lauki /Suraikkai) and full cream milk...



INGREDIENTS

• BOTTLEGOURD /LAUKI/SURAIKKAI(Grated)-4 CUPS
• GHEE-3/4 CUP
• FULL CREAM MILK-4 CUPS
• KHOVA-1/2 CUP
• SUGAR-11/2 CUPS
• POWDERED CARDAMON-1/2 TEASPOON
• BROKEN CASHEWNUTS-FEW
• RAISINS-FEW
• GREEN FOOD COLORING- A PINCH

METHOD

• Skin the bottle gourd .Remove the seeds.
• Grate the gourd.Squeeze out the juice with your hands .Drain.
• Heat the ghee.
• Fry the raisins and broken nuts.Drain and keep them aside.
• Add the grated bottle gourd/lauki and fry well .The remaining water will ooze out .Boil well stirring continuously till it is almost evaporated.
• Now ,add the milk and sugar and cook stirring continuously in a heavy bottomed pan till it is reduced to  a thick mass.
• Add the  food color.Stir well.
• Add the crumbled khova ,cardamom powder and fried nuts and raisins.
• Serve hot or chilled.
• Instead of khova,you can also add condensed milk to add to its richness.

Linking to
http://zestysouthindiankitchen.com/2014/11/hearth-soul-blog-hop-november-1-st-week.html

PAAL PAYASAM

Here is the ultimate dessert-A fitting finale for a rich Southern spread...The thick,creamy,light pinkish paal payasam...a rich kheer made with full cream milk in which rice is cooked...

No South Indian feast is complete without the thick ,creamy sweet paal payasam.And it is the favoured neivadyam(offering) to God Almighty in many a pujas...



INGREDIENTS

• FULL CREAM MILK-2 LITERS
• SUGAR-2 1/2 CUPS
• RAW RICE/BASMATI RICE-2-3 TABLESPOONS
• POWDERED ELAICHI-1/2 TEASPOON
• CASHEW NUTS FRIED IN GHEE-10 -12
• CONDENSED MILK- 2 TABLESPOON(OPTIONAL)

METHOD

• Soak the rice for half an hour.
• Drain.
• Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy bottomed vessel.(You can use a pressure cooker too)
• Add the rice to the milk and cook continuously .
• Stir frequently.
• If you are using a cooker,then add the milk and rice to the cooker directly and pressure cook till one whistle in high heat  and for 15 -20 minutes over a low flame.
• Once the rice is well cooked,mash slightly and simmer further till the volume of the milk is reduced to almost half of it's original quantity and it acquires  a pinkish tint.
• You can add the condensed milk now, if you wish.
• Now ,add the sugar and elaichi powder.Remove from heat.Stir well till the sugar dissolves.
• Garnish with fried cashew nuts.
• Serve hot or chilled.

BADAM MILK PURI /PAAL BOLI

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Here is a wholesome dessert -which is a meal by itself too!

These delicious Badam milk puris or Paal Bolis are 

traditional desserts which are served along with the meal

or as a wholesome meal too!

INGREDIENTS

• MILK -1 LITER
• WHEAT FLOUR- 2 CUPS
• GHEE-1 TABLESPOON
• OIL FOR FRYING
• DUSTING FLOUR
• 
  
• SUGAR -2 CUPS
• ALMONDS-10
• YELLOW FOOD COLOR-LITTLE
• ALMOND ESSENCE -A FEW DROPS
• SAFFRON -A FEW STRANDS(OPTIONAL)

METHOD

For making the puris...

1. Add a teaspoon of sugar to the flour.
2. Add melted ghee to the flour.Mix well.
3. Add water (little by little) and knead the flour to a stiff dough.
4. Set aside for 15 minutes.
5. Make small balls and roll out small 3" round puris.
6. Deep fry in hot oil.Drain.

For preparing the Badam milk...

1. Soak the almonds in hot water.Remove the skin.
2. Now grind them to a paste with a little milk.
3. Add the almond paste to the milk.
4. Bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes.
5. Add the food color and essence.
6. Add the saffron dissolved in warm milk.

 Now,

Soak the puris,few at a time in the hot milk  and drain them out and arrange on a basin or a platter.

Do not soak for more than a 15 -20 seconds -or else the puris will lose shape.

Pour the hot milk on the puris and serve them hot or chilled.

BAASUNDHI

Ingredients:

Milk                - 2 litres (Full cream milk)
Sugar            – 1 ¼ cups
Blanched /

sliced Almonds/ 

Cashews / Pistas  - 2 tblsp

Kesar-1 pinch

Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:
1. In a broad and heavy bottomed pan, add milk and heat in a high flame till milk starts boiling.
2. Reduce flame and simmer on very low flame

3. When a sheet of cream forms on tp, gently keep pushing it to the sides of the vessel.
4. Cook till 3/4th of the milk is reduced, repeating the process.
5. When little milk is left, scrape corners and put all the cream in the milk.
6. Add sugar and switch off the stove.

7.Add kesar dissolved in milk.
8. Stir gently, till sugar is dissolved completely.
9. Fry sliced nuts in ghee and mix with baasundhi.
10. Chill and serve in cups.

RASMALAI

Ingredients

4  cups milk for paneer (2% milk)
3  cups milk for Ras(sweetened milk)
4 - 4 1/2 tbsp. sugar for Ras(sweetened milk)
1 cup sugar
3 cups of water
saffron, cardamom
lemon juice
A pinch of yellow food coloring


Method

1.Boil 3 cups of milk for ras  until it is reduced to  1 3/4 cup.
2.Bring 4 cups of milk to boil. Now to curdle the milk ,add lemon juice to it stirring continuously.
3.Then drain it through a clean,fine cloth.(I prefer a fine handkie)
4.Hold it covered with cloth under running water. Drain the excess water by pressing the cloth there must not be any water remaining.
5.In a pressure cooker add 3 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar.
6.Take the paneer out of the cloth in a dish, mash it knead it till smooth and make around 15 small sized balls out of it
7.Pressure cook the  paneer balls in the pressure cooker for 2 whistles in the sugar syrup.
8.Add the sugar  to the boiled milk  and add cardamom,  and saffron to it. Let it cool .
9.Let the  pressure cooker cool. Open it take out the balls of paneer with the spoon  and let the water drain by pressing it little and let it cool.Flatten the paneer balls.
10.When the milk is cool add paneer balls to it.
11.Refrigerate it.Serve chilled.

# You can decorate it with sliced almonds before you serve them.