Blogging Marathon#14

The health benefits of figs and dates are far too many. Figs are a good source of dietary fiber, potassium and manganese. The date fruit pulp is very sweet something similar to honey or sugar syrup. Dates gives instant energy and revitalizes the body instantly.
The adding of almonds, cashew. and pistachio makes it more healthy and increases its nutritional value. This is a healthy nutrition packed sweet without any added sugar. I usually make this sweet during winter season.

Ingredients

• 20 pieces of figs soaked for 3 to 4 hours
• 20 pieces of dates soaked for an hour.
• 1 cup chopped assorted dry fruits
• 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 edible silver foil (optional)

Method

1. Make the puree of soaked figs and dates. You can add little water if needed.
2. Add the ghee in a non stick pan.
3. Add the puree and cook it on the medium heat till the moisture evaporates from the puree and it started leaving the sides of the pan, approximately 10-15 minutes.

         4.  Add dry fruits. mix it well and set it in a pre-greased tray. apply sliver foil on top of it.

       5.Let it set. In winter it will set outside in 2 hours but in summer you would want to keep it in the refrigerator for an hour to set.

          6. Cut in the desired shape and serve.

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Blogging Marathon # 14

Shrikhand is traditional Indian dessert made with hanged or stained curd. It is very popular in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in India.
I always make this as an offering to Lord Krishna on the occasion of Janmashtami. It is one of the summer time favorite desserts among my family and friends.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg (2 Lbs. approx.) curd
• 1.25 cup powdered sugar
• 4 pinch saffron
• 1/2 tea spoon cardamom powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios
• 1 tablespoon chopped almonds

Method:

1. Hang the curd in a muslin cloth for 5-6 hours or overnight.
2. Dissolve saffron in a teaspoon of warm milk or you can put saffron in one table spoon of water and microwave it for 30 seconds, see the result strands will be double of there original size
3. In a big bowl mix all the ingredients. Refrigerate.
4. Serve chilled.

Quick Tip-

 

You can use Greek yogurt which is already very thick instead of the hung curd.

 

Variations

Add any flavor or fruit of your choice like rose, gulkand, thandai, mango, strawberry, peach, blueberry, raspberry etc. etc.

 

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Blogging Marathon # 14

It is spring time again !!  I thought of making something refreshing to match the season. As the temperature warms up, cool desserts soothe and quench your thirst. I am delighted to share a recipe of my own “Lychee Gulla” with you all. It has the looks of an Indian dessert rasagulla, hence the name lychee gulla. It is a quick and easy mithai or dessert. You can make it with either fresh lychees or canned ones. Nowadays lychees are in season so I would suggest to make it with fresh fruit.

Ingredients

• 20 lychees
• 1 cup rabdi
• 2 tablespoon of Chopped blanched Almonds
• 2 tablespoon of Chopped blanched Pistachio

Check out the rabdi recipe here-

If you have time you can make rabdi at home or you can use store brought or ready mix packet rabdi, the choice is yours.

Quick tip

-Instead of rabdi you can use kulfi or any ice-cream.

Method

• Peel and deseed the lychees.
• Add the almonds and pistachio to 1/2 cup of rabdi to make stuffing.
• Stuff the lychees with rabdi and dry fruit mix.
• Serve chilled with a dollop of rabdi on it

Use your imagination to present it in your style either in traditional way like a mithai or in modern chic style like party shots.

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Tutti frutti cookies are my all time favorite snack. we have 2 awesome bakery in my home town, Garib bakery and 15 AD whose cookies I have been eating from childhood. Whenever I go home my mom makes sure to fill the cookie jar with variety of cookies from my favorite bakery. Today I am so happy that I made the same tasting cookies or rather I can proudly say better because I ate hot from the oven.

Ingredients-

• 3/4th cup unsalted butter at room temperature.
  
• 3/4th cup sugar
• 1.5 cup all purpose flour (maida)
  
• 1.5 tea spoon baking powder
  
• 2 pinch salt
  
• 1/2 tea spoon vanilla essence
  
• 1/2 cup tutti frutti
  
• 1 tea spoon orange Zest

Method-

• Whip together butter and sugar until fluffy.
  
• Stir in vanilla essence.
  
• Add tutti frutti and orange zest.
  
• Sift together all purpose flour,baking powder and salt.
  
• Gradually add maida to butter and sugar mix.
  
• Make a dough with the help of hand.
  
• refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

• Preheat the oven at 300F.
  
• Make cookie from the dough of whatever shape you like.
  
• Place the parchment paper or foil on the cookie sheet.
  
• Arrange cookie on the baking sheet at lest 1 inch apart from each other from all sides.
  
• Bake for 20- 25 minutes. Depending upon the temperature of your oven.
  
• Cool them on the cooling rack.

• Have them with Tea, coffee or just like that.
  
• CRUNCH!!!! MUNCH !!!! YUM

Note-

• You can add 1-2 teaspoon milk if you think that dough is not binding enough.
  
• They will bake between 15-20 minutes depending upon the temperature of the oven. Although they might look like that they are not baked, soft but give them some standing time they will be just perfect.
  
• I got little creative with the cookie dough. I set it in the empty aluminum foil wrap box so that I can cut nice square shape.
• The cookies will get double of there original size after baking so cut small pieces.

I am sending this recipe to  'Only – Baked'  Event hosted by Harini of Tamalapaku and the event started by Pari of foodelicious.

BM# 6 DAY 7

I have sweet memories attached with the koki. One of my dearest friend "D" is Sindhi. During the exams time whenever we used to do group study at her home, her mother treated us with Kokis at the tea time. I have had lunch many times at her home and I am a big fan of the Sindhi cuisine.
Today is the last day of the blogging marathon started by srivalli. I had fun blogging with all the seasoned bloggers. Hats off to your enthusiasm to blog daily. I am passionate about cooking but for blogging more frequently, I was in  need of a catalyst like this marathon event.
As part of the last day of the blogging marathon we needed to prepare a recipe from our fellow marathon blogger. I am paired up with Vaishali and, I am glad that I have found another creative soul. Since many of my recipes for this blogging marathon have been wheat flour based I thought it would be a good idea to pick and prepare the Sindhi Roti - Koki and Alu on side from Vaishali’s blog.

KOKI

Ingredients

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 2tbsp oil / ghee
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 green chilly finely chopped
• ¼ tsp. crushed anardana /pomegranate seeds  (optional)
• 1/4th tea spoon turmeric powder  (optional)
• Coriander leaves
• Mint leaves
• Salt to taste

Method

• Take the flour in a bowl.
• Make a well in the center.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper.
• Pour oil / ghee. Add remaining ingredients.
• Mix well with hands till the flour resembles crumbs.
• Adding little water knead into a stiff dough.

• Make two balls.
• Roll into a thick chapatti.(do not use any flour for dusting)
• Put criss cross lines with a knife.(make sure you don’t go deep to cut it off.)

• Roast on slow flame ,smearing it with ghee on both sides till nice and crisp and a golden color.

• Serve hot with Sindhi alu and curd or with a hot cup of tea.

Note

• - The criss cross is to ensure cooking deep inside as these are rolled thick.

Sindhi Alu

Ingredients

• 4-5 potatoes
• 1/4  tsp.........turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp..........chilly powder
• 1/4 tsp..........amchoor powder/sundried mango powder
• 1/4 tsp..........dhaniya powder/corainder seeds powder
• oil for shallow frying
• salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil.
• Add potatoes .
• Sprinkle salt.
• Fry for a few minutes.
• Cover and cook on slow flame till soft.
• Remove the excess oil.
• Sprinkle spices.
• Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

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BM#6 Day 6

Papad is known as Papadum in english. Papad is  made from the various lentils. Papad recipes vary from region to region. I call it as a savior curry or 5 minutes curry. Whenever I come back home from a long trip and don't have any fresh vegetables in the home, and also bored of eating outside food and frozen food. This curry saves my day. I also like to make this curry when it is raining outside. Try it, its something different and easy to cook.

Ingredients

• 5 papad (papadum)
• 1/4 cup curd
• 2 cups water
• 1 tea spoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tea spoon minced ginger
• 1 green chilly
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• pinch of hing (Asafoetida)
• salt to taste(keep in mind,papad has already salt in it)
• coriander(cilantro) for garnishing
• 2 tablespoon oil.

Method

• Break the papad into small pieces.
• Add all the spices except cumin seeds and asafetida in the curd. Beat them and make a paste.
• Boil 2 cups of water.
• Heat the oil in the pan. Add cumin seeds. Add asafetida , ginger, garlic and chilly. Fry it for a minute.
• Add papad pieces. fry for 30 seconds.
• Add curd paste. Fry for 1 minute.
• Add warm water.Boil for 3-4 minute.

• Garnish with cilantro.
• Serve hot with roti (wheat tortilla).

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BM#6 Day 5

One of the distinctive features of the Rajasthani cuisine is the use of the dried beans, berries, vegetables and the sun-dried eatables made from lentils and whole grain.This curry is made from sun-dried badi (dried lentil dumplings), kachri (vegetable from the cucumber family grown especially in desert region) and  dried gawarfali(cluster beans). In Rajasthani language Akshya tritya is known as Aakha Teej, Akkha means whole in marwadi so on Akshay atritya, marwadi  people like to cook every thing whole like this sabji . Read more about rajasthani cusine here.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole badi / dried lentil dumplings
  
• 2 cup dried gawar fali / cluster bean
  
• 8-10 dried kachri (a vegetable from cucumber family)
  
• 1/2 cup thick fresh beaten curd
  
• 1 tea spoon cumin seeds
  
• 1/4 + 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder
  
• 1 tea spoon chilli powder
  
• 2 tea spoon dhania / coriander powder
  
• 1 pinch of asafetida
  
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
  
• 1 handful chopped cilantro / coriander
  
• 1 tablespoon oil
  
• salt to taste

Method

• Soak the dried gavar fali/cluster beans for 2 hrs.
  
• In a pot take 4 cups water and let it boil.
  
• Add gawar fali,1/4th tea spoon turmeric powder and let it boil for 10 minutes.
  
• Add badia and kachri to the same boiling pot along with the kachri.
  
• Boil till the badia, falia and kachri gets cooked, approx.10-15 minutes.
  
• In a curd add salt, turmeric powder,red chilli powder,dhania powder and beat it.Keep aside.
  
• Heat oil in a separate pan.Add cumin seeds,asafetida and crushed garlic.

• Add spices mixed beaten curd.
  
• Cook till the curd leaves the oil.Approx.3-4 minutes.
  
• Add boiled badi, kacheri and gawar falia.

• Let it cook with curd gravy for 5 minutes.
  
• Serve hot with kheech (wheat/millet porridge) or bajra (millet) roti.

Note

You can use fresh cluster beans and kachri also in this recipes. If you are using fresh vegetables,boil badia only for 10 minutes rest the process is same.

Have another look at  kachri  photo here and here .

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Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1/4th cup gram flour(optional)
• 2 tablespoon melted ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/2 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
• salt to taste
• water as required.

Method

• Add ghee in the wheat flour. Mix it with fork.
• Add salt and ajwain.
• Now knead the flour with the water and make a stiff dough.
• Knead till smooth and make a round 1 or 2 ball out of it.*
• Roll it to make 1- 1.5 cm thick roti.
• Place it on the hot griddle on low heat.

• When the color changes on the top and tiny bubbles appear, turn it over (approx. time 1 min).

• Now pinch the roti on upper side in a circular motion.

• Let the lower side get crisp. Once it get crisp use the mesh stand* to roast the pinched side over very low flame/coil/induction gas.

• Smear the roti with lots of ghee and serve with the dal of your choice.

Note: