Boondi Ladoos

Boondi Ladoos

One of my favourite Indian dessert is Boondi Ladoos. So I decided to make it in my kitchen. Here is a simple recipe from Internet with some tips from my maid who makes it regularly on festivals.

Ingredients 

For Boondi

1.5 cups besan/gram flour

1 cup + 1 tbsp water or add as required (the amount of water to be added depends on the quality of besan/gram flour)

2 pinch of saffron powder

½ tsp cardamom powder

1 tbsp melon seeds

2 black cardamoms seeds 

a pinch of edible camphor (optional)

¾ tbsp ghee to be added or ghee for applying on your palms for shaping the ladoos

oil for deep frying the boondis

For Sugar Syrup

1.5 cups sugar

¾ cup water

Method

For Boondies

Take besan & saffron powder in a bowl & add water to make a smooth batter. The consistency of the batter is important, check it by frying a few boondis. The boondis should have a round shape. (Check Tips).

Take a dry perforated ladle and place it above the hot oil. Add some batter on the perforated spoon ladle & spread the batter lightly with a spoon. 

Fry the boondis till they are cooked. Don't make them crisp, when the oil stops sizzling, remove the boondis.

Strain them well with a slotted spoon and add them directly to the hot sugar syrup.

Fry all Boondies in same manner & add them to sugar syrup.

Finally add melon seeds, cardamom powder, black cardamon seeds,  I tbsp ghee & a pinch of edible camphor (optional).

Mix well & shape the boondi mixture into ladoos. Place in small muffin liners.

Let it dry in open for sometime & then store them in airtight box in refrigerator.

For Sugar Syrup

Mix sugar & water in a pan on a low heat.

cook it & switch off the flame just before getting a one thread consistency. Keep it aside.

The sugar syrup should be hot when you add the boondis. so you can keep the pan with sugar solution on a plate or tray filled with hot water. 

You can fry the boondis & prepare the sugar solution side by side.

Tips

* If boondi become flat, on frying, the batter is thin & if they get tail ends, the batter is thick. 

* If thin, then add a bit of gram flour & check by frying a few boondis. if thick, then add a bit of water & then do the same test. 

* When frying Boondies, don't keep ladle at much height, as the batter droplets, when falling from a height, do not give a round shape.

* Don't fry crisp Boondies, if boondis becomes crisp then the boondi ladoos won’t be soft and they won’t be able to absorb the sugar syrup.

* Remember that after each batch, wipe the perforated ladle with a clean piece of kitchen towel from both sides. It will help in making round Boondies.

* Adding ghee to Boondi & sugar syrup mixture, helps in binding the boondi ladoos.

* Don't wait for mixture to cool down as it will be difficult to bind Ladoos if it's not warm.

* Do let Ladoos dry before storing.

Blackberry Upside Down Cake

                                

Blackberry Upside Down Cake

Plump, deep-colored blackberries are a delightful treat. Saw some at Crawford market & thought I should make the most of them whilst they're in season. So here is the simple Upside Down cake. Saw this recipe on net (sorry for not noting down the link) but it was with egg, so turned it into eggless by using curds instead. Cake turned out to be super moist & very very yummy :)

Ingredients (8 servings)
1 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
2 tsp + 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup curds or yogurt 
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 cup buttermilk (see tips)

Method
Preheat oven to 200 C. 

Grease the baking pan with butter & Dust with flour.

Sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar in pan & shake to distribute evenly. 

Arrange blackberries in a single layer in cake pan. 

Sprinkle another 1 tsp sugar on berries.

Place pan with blackberries in oven for 5 minutes to thoroughly warm the berries.
Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt in a bowl. 

Beat together butter & remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl until light & fluffy. 

Add vanilla, lemon peel & curds. Mix until just incorporated. 

Add buttermilk & flour alternately, ending with flour & fold.

Spoon batter evenly over berries & all the way to the edge of the pan, smoothing the surface.

Bake in middle of oven for about 30 minutes, until top is golden or till a tester comes out clean. 

Run a thin knife around edge of pan, then invert a large plate over pan & using pot holders to hold plate & pan together tightly, flip cake onto plate. 

Serve cake warm or cool, either with whipped cream or with Vanilla ice-cream or enjoy just like that.

Tips 

* You can easily use more blackberries in same recipe.

* You can use fresh or frozen blackberries (subsitute equal amounts of either).

* Omit salt in recipe if your butter is salted.

* You can avoid lemon peel or can use orange peel instead.

* If you feel batter needs more liquid then add a tbsp of milk. (Make sure milk is added before ending with flour).

* 1/2 cup sugar is enough for batter if you like your cake less sweet otherwise just add 1 tbsp more. (You can sprinkle powdered sugar on the ready cake too later on).

* Buttermilk - 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar

                       Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

                       Stir before using.

Butter less Chocolate Cake

                                             

  

My younger son's b'day was in December & my in laws were visiting us. They don't take butter so I wanted to bake a cake which is eggless & butter less, along with super soft texture. Saw this recipe on veganbaking.net & tried it. Cake came out really well. I baked it in a Bundt pan & so my kids named it Doughnut Cake :)

Ingredients 

For Cake

1 1/4 cup plane flour (maida or APF) 

1 cup sugar 

⅓ cup cocoa powder 

3/4 tsp baking soda 

Pinch of salt 

1 cup warm water (milk/soy milk/coffee) 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

⅓ cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar 

For Glaze

2 tbsp dark chocolate 

1 tbsp heavy cream

For Cake

Preheat oven to 175 C. 

Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda & salt. Keep aside.

Mix together sugar, vanilla extract & vegetable oil.

Gradually add water & flour alternately & keep folding. 

Just before ending with flour, add vinegar & fold well.

Pour in the greased & dusted Bundt Pan & bake for 30 minutes. 

Cool on a cooling rack. 

For Glaze

Melt the cream on slow flame, taking care not to burn it.

Put the flame off & add chocolate to it & let it melt.

Pour the glaze onto cake & decorate with sprinklers.

Let it cool for an hour.

Tips

* I reduced the amount of baking soda from 1 tsp to 3/4 tsp.

* Instead of water I used milk in cake.

* Even without butter the glaze was shiny.

* You can use any shape of pan to bake this cake.

Gond ki Panjeeri

                                                  

Gond or Dink or Tragacanth gum, is an “edible gum”, a resin that is extracted from the bark of the axle-wood tree. It is available in crystal form as pearly yellowish translucent pieces of varying sizes especially meant for eating after being cooked. Gond is normally prepared for pregnant ladies as it strengthens back bone & also for nursing mother as it is supposed to help in lactation. Gond Panjeeri is made on Janmashtami in north India. This recipe is high in calories but very yummy too, so you can have it in moderation. 

Ingredients
3 tbsp Gond/edible gum/dink (small pieces)
1 cup grated dry coconut
1/2 cup chopped Almonds
1/3 cup Water melon seeds

1 cup chopped Makhane/lotus seeds
2 cups Sugar
1 1/4 cups Water
1 tsp Green cardamom powder

2 tbsp desi ghee (clarified butter) for frying

Method

Grease the tray & keep aside.

Fry gond in ghee, in small batches.

It will fluff & become almost transparent when it is done. (these would swell 4-5 times their original size).

Fry makhanas till crisp on slow heat, keep aside.

Dry roast the seeds.

Chop the almonds & dry roast them.

Roast the dry coconut carefully as it burns easily.

Take a pan and add water, sugar & cardamom powder & cook till it reaches one string consistency.

Turn off the heat & mix all the dry fruits in it & transfer quickly to the greased tray.

Let it cool & cut into square or diamond shape pieces.

Ideally it should be 2" thick, leave it to set for about 3-4 hrs.

Store it in a airtight box.

Tips

* You can roast Gond in microwave - 

Take microwave safe plate & sprinkle the gond in it.

Keep the plate in microwave for approx 2 minutes.

After every 30 sec stir the Gond.

Take care as it burn fast.

* If you feel that after frying Gond pieces are big, you can grind it in mixer.

* Gond should be well fried & in small batches as it needs space to increase in size, under fried Gond will stick to your teeth.

* Other nuts & seeds can also be roasted in microwave.

* You can add dates, raisins, prunes etc also.

Note – It has both cooling and heat producing effects . In summer, after soaking in water it it becomes fluffy and soft . Consuming it in this form in summer helps to cool our body. In winter we use it after frying & grinding . It can be added to many sweets.  It generates heat in the body.

Christmas Fruit Cake

     

Traditional Christmas cakes have rum or brandy but I can't use them so used orange juice instead. This cake has spice powder too which gives nice aroma. Original recipe, from premascook.com, has little more sugar but I used less as we like it that way (you can reduce without thinking much as dates, prunes etc make up for sweetness).

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted Butter 

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup Plain Flour 

1/4 tsp Baking soda

1 tbsp Vinegar

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp spice powder (1 clove , 1 small piece cinnamon & a small piece of nutmeg)

1/3 cup Fruit Juice ( I used fresh orange juice)

3/4 cup Mixed Nuts (cashew nuts,almonds, walnuts) 

3/4 cup dried Fruits (sultanas, raisins, cherries, prunes, dates, mixed peels), roughly chopped.

Method

Put the mixed fruits (not nuts) in a bowl & add the fruit juice, mix well. Leave soaked overnight in refrigerator.

Pre heat the oven. 

In a small bowl,mix baking soda & vinegar. Keep aside.

In  a mixing bowl, beat butter & sugar till it becomes light & fluffy.

Shift the baking powder, salt & plain flour.

Add nuts to flour to coat them so they don't sink while baking.

Add flour to butter & fold well.

Add the soaked fruits along with the juice, baking soda+ vinegar mix & spice powder. Fold well.

Pour the batter in baking pan & decorate with glazed cherries or nuts, whatever you prefer & bake for 35-40 minutes, at 180 degree Celsius .

When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven & leave to cool.

Tips

* If using salted butter, then avoid using salt.

* You can use any other juice instead of orange, I like orange flavour more so used it.

* Refrigerate soaked dried fruits or they will get spoiled.

* If batter looks dry then you can use a tablespoon of milk.

Chocolate Kalakand

                                              

We ate loads of sweets in festive season, but that doesn't mean I can't make & eat more after Diwali !! And everyone in my family knows that when it comes to sweet I just can't stop myself. So here it is, Kalakand in chocolate flavour. Just few ingredients & a yummy, super easy & very popular sweet is ready.

Ingredients (makes 12 to 15 pieces)

4 + 4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp elaichi powder

1/2 cup curds (for making paneer)

1 tbsp sliced almonds or pistachio for garnishing

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

Method

For Paneer

Boil the 4 cups of milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, making sure not to burn milk.

As the milk comes to a boil, add the curds gradually and stir the milk gently. 

The curd will start separating from the whey, turn off the heat.

Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer line with muslin cloth.

Wrap the curds in a muslin cloth and squeeze well. 

To take out the excess water, squeeze the wrapped paneer. Do not knead the paneer.

For Kalakand

Boil remaining 4 cup of the milk in a heavy bottom frying pan on medium high heat until the milk reduces to about two cups.

Make sure to frequently stir the milk as the milk burns easily in bottom of the pan.

Add the paneer in the milk and keep stirring till the mixture thickness and form a soft dough consistency.

Add the sugar & take out half of this mixture in a bowl & keep aside.

In the remaining mixture add ealichi powder & continue to cook and stirring until the mixture become soft lump and start leaving the pan from sides.

Pour it over greased plate keeping about half inch thick.

Now take the remaining mixture in same pan & add cocoa powder.

Continue to cook and stirring until the mixture become soft lump and start leaving the pan from sides.

Pour it over the first mixture & level it.

Sprinkle cut almonds or pistachio

Let it cool for about one hour & refrigerate it.

Cut the kalakand in squares.

Tips

*Putting few spoons of water in pot before putting milk reduces burning the milk at the bottom of the pan.

*You can make paneer with lemon juice or citric acid instead of curds, but then you have to wash the paneer in running water to remove the sourness. Personally I would suggest curds only as it makes soft paneer always.

*Make sure kalakand don’t become too dry.

Imarti

                                              

Imarti or Amriti or Emarti or Omriti also known as Jaangiri or Jhangri in south India, is a dessert invented in Mughal kitchen & is now popular across the Indian Subcontinent including Rajasthan, West Bengal & South India.
In North India it is often consumed with rabri (condensed milk). In South India, this sweet is served after a meal and also popular at weddings and festivals.
So what are you waiting for? Make this for Bhaidooj & enjoy it with your brother 

Ingredients
For Batter
1 cup Split black gram skinless (dhuli urad dal)
2 tbsp Rice flour or 1/4 cup Rice
6 to 8 drops Edible orange colour
Oil to deep fry

Sugar Syrup
5 cups Sugar
2 1/2 cups water
6 drops Rose essence
1 tsp Green cardamom powder
2 tbsp milk

Method
For Batter
Soak overnight dal & rice together.
Drain & grind in morning with the colour to a soft, spongy mixture with a coarse texture.
If using rice powder then add it to dal mixture & mix well.
You would need water to grind but make sure to add little by little as the batter should not become too thin.

For Sugar Syrup
Boil sugar with water till a syrup of single-thread consistency is reached. Add milk & remove scum to make a clear sugar syrup. Remove from heat & strain the syrup.
Add rose essence & green cardamom powder. Keep the syrup hot.

How to Proceed
Heat sufficient oil in a shallow flat kadai.
Beat the batter till it's light & fluffy. Now check it by dropping a drop in a bowl of water, if it floats then batter is ready otherwise you have to beat it more.
Take one ladle full of batter in the imarti cloth or zip lock bag (refer Tips), hold tightly & press the batter through the hole into the hot oil.
For the traditional design, make a small circle around which make another circle & over these two make scallops in anti-clockwise direction ending at the starting point.
Make small batches & deep fry on both the sides till crisp & light golden brown. Drain the hot imarti & dip into the sugar syrup.
Let them remain immersed just for 2 minutes & drain them. Repeat this process till all the batter is used up. Serve hot.

Tips
* Imarti is best made immediately after grinding but you can always grind & refrigerate it. Just make sure to beat it well before using.
* Imarti cloth as suggested in this recipe is a special thick canvas cloth with a round buttonhole in the center.
* For Zip Lock Bag-
Take a zip lock bag & a nail. Heat nail & insert hot nail lightly in the centre of zip lock bag. You will get a hole that would be sealed on sides & when you make imartis, it will not tear.
* Do not over soak imartis in sugar syrup or they will not remain crisp & will become soggy.

Chocolaty Peach Cheesecake

                            

I mostly avoid using canned fruits but someone gifted me two cans of peaches & I don't like to waste anything so used one of them up in my "mix n match" recipe (took help from my other recipes & few blogs to come up with this version). Result was good, it looked great & tasted yummy. Best is it's an easy recipe.

Ingredients 

For Biscuit Crust

5 Digestive Biscuits

5 Oreo cookies

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp sugar syrup (from can)

2 tsp melted butter

For Peach Sauce

4 canned peach halves 

1 tsp Sugar syrup (from can)

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

For Cheesecake

1 1/2 cup fresh cottage cheese (Without whey)

3/4 cup sugar (according to taste)

Centre cream of Oreo biscuits 

4 peach halves

1/4 tsp vanilla essence 

Method

For Biscuit Crust

Grind the biscuits till coarse. Add cocoa powder, sugar syrup & melted butter &

mix gently.The mixture will resemble dough like.

Grease individual bowls with little butter.

Spread the biscuit mix evenly & gently level the surface using back of spoon.

Refrigerate the bowls for about 15 minutes.

For Peach Sauce

Blend canned peaches & pour in the saucepan.

Stir in sugar syrup & cook over medium heat until thickened.

Remove from heat & mix in cinnamon & keep aside.

For Cheesecake

Put the cottage cheese in a big bowl and using a mixer, churn until it turns slightly fluffy. Or use electric beater.

Add the sugar and churn some more. You will see that the filling has increased in volume.,

Now add in the cream & churn.

Mix 2 peach halves & churn again.

Take out in a bowl & mix the remaining peach halves (after chopping them) in 1/2 of the cream cheese.

Pour the mixture into the cooled crust & using a spatula level the mixture.

Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

Pour the cooled peach sauce on top of the cream cheese mixture & level it once again.

Place the bowls in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

Ice the remaining cream cheese on top & Serve chilled.

Tips

* I used canned peaches here that were already in sugar syrup, you can easily replace them with fresh peaches - Peal peaches & cook them in sugar. Use as desired. 

* I used sugar syrup from can but you can use powder sugar instead.

* I always make cottage cheese or paneer at home from low fat milk, using curds.

* I used less butter in biscuit crust as syrup helped in binding.

* Do taste cheese cake mixture to adjust sugar.

* This recipe is without gelatine, so it's always better to set in individual cups or bowls. They are easy to serve and looks nice too.

* You can garnish with peach pieces.

* The leftover cream cheese can be used as topping for fruits or as spread on toasts.

Peppermint Cheese Brownie

                                      

Chocolate & Brownie. Those words alone could make anyone happy. But what happens when you add peppermint? Very happy times ahead :) .... so here is the beautiful & yummy recipe.

Ingredients

For Brownie

1 cup plain flour (maida)

2 tsp cocoa powder (preferably unsweetened)

1 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp soda bi-carb

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 tbsp curds (dahi)

5 tbsp milk

5 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup chopped mint chocolate (optional)

1/2 tsp peppermint essence

For Cream Cheese

3/4 cup fresh cottage cheese

1 cup sugar (according to taste)

1/2 tsp peppermint essence

For Ganache 

1/2 tsp butter

1 tbsp heavy cream

4 tbsp chopped dark chocolate

1/4 tsp peppermint essence

Method

For Brownie

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚ C

Sieve together flour, Cocoa, soda & baking powder.

Melt dark chocolate & butter over double boiler

Add sugar & peppermint essence & mix well. Add curds & mix really well.

Mix chopped mint chocolate with flour so it wont settle down after baking.

Fold milk & flour alternately but end with flour. Make sure there are no lumps.

Pour brownie mixture into a greased & dusted baking pan.

Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

For Cream Cheese

Churn all ingredients in a mixer.

For Ganache

Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan.

Heat the cream over medium-high heat, & bring it just to a boil. 

Pour the hot cream over the chopped dark chocolate. Add butter & peppermint.

Gently whisk the mixture together until it is smooth & shiny.

Cool & use for your icing.

How to Proceed

Cool brownie & spread cream cheese mixture over brownie.

Refrigerate for an hour.

Cut into 2" x 2" pieces. 

Spread the chocolate ganache on the pieces & return the brownie to refrigerator for setting.

Serve like that or with vanilla ice-cream.  

Tips

* Cool the brownie completely before spreading cheese layer.

* If ganache starts hardening then use double boiler method to melt it.

* You can omit cream in ganache & just melt butter & half dark chocolate on double boiler. When it's melted, remove from boiler & add remaining dark chocolate & mix well.

* If you have any mint candy, chop that & sprinkle on ganache before it sets.

Cherry Almond Brownie

                          

Cherries are in season & I wanted to use them in baking. So here is another brownie flavour with loads of cherries :)

Ingredients

For Brownie

1 cup plain flour (maida)

2 tsp cocoa powder (preferably unsweetened)

1 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp soda bi-carb

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 tbsp curds (dahi)

5 tbsp milk

5 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup (1/4 + 1/4) chopped almonds

1/2 tsp almond essence

For Cherries

1/2 cups pitted & halved fresh sweet cherries 

1/2 tbsp white/brown granulated sugar

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (optional)

1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method 

For Cherries

Mix together everything & keep aside for an hr.

For Brownie

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚ C

Sieve together flour, Cocoa, soda & baking powder.

Melt dark chocolate & butter over double boiler

Add sugar & almond essence & mix well. Add curds & mix really well.

Add cherry mixture & mix well.

Mix half of the chopped almonds with flour so it wont settle down after baking.

Fold milk & flour alternately but end with flour. Make sure there are no lumps.

Pour brownie mixture into a greased & dusted baking pan.

Sprinkle remaining almonds.

Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Drizzle chocolate sauce & serve.

Tips

* Cool the brownie completely cutting.

* As usual don't beat the batter, just fold it.

* Dried cherries can be used instead of fresh ones when not available.

* You can eat them as they are or with ice-cream or drizzle chocolate sauce (as I did) or you can also make Cherry Sauce & drizzle over warm brownies before serving.

Cherry Sauce

1/2 cups pitted & halved fresh sweet cherries 

1/2 tbsp white/brown granulated sugar

1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp cornflour 

1/4 + 1/4 cup water

Bring cherries, sugar & 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often. 

Stir 1/4 cup water & cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth & stir into the boiling cherry mixture. 

Return to a boil, stirring constantly; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. 

Remove from heat & stir in lemon juice.

Blueberry Custard With Blueberry Sauce

Everyone in my home loves dessert after each meal & I love simple & quick to make desserts. This one took me just half an hour & loved by all. Going to make it with mango next :)

Ingredients (serves 4)

For Custard

1 tbsp custard powder

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup white chocolate chopped (or use chips)

1 1/2 tbsp blueberry sauce 

For Blueberry Sauce

1/2 cup blueberry 

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method

For Custard

In a small saucepan combine the custard powder with a little of the milk to form a smooth paste. Add remaining milk.

Stir over a medium heat until the custard begins to thicken, reduce the heat & simmer for 1 minute stirring continually.

Remove from the heat & stir in the white chocolate until all the pieces have melted.

Keep aside to cool.

For Blueberry Sauce

Combine sugar & berries & cook on slow flame while stirring continuously.

Mash berries while cooking.

Add lemon juice.

Remove from flame & keep aside to cool completely.

How To Proceed

Add blueberry sauce to cool custard & mix well.

Take shot glasses or small bowls & fill them with custard, leaving space for sauce.

Keep in refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes.

Take out & layer blueberry sauce.

Garnish with grated white chocolate.

Refrigerate for an hour.

Serve chilled.

Tips

* If there are lumps in your custard then just sieve it.

* No sugar has been added to custard, as it's already there in chocolate & sauce, but if you feel the need then add 2 tsp sugar while cooking.

* Can use strawberry in place of blueberry.

* You can replace the white chocolate for milk chocolate or dark chocolate but the colour will blend with blueberry.

* You can just make custard without fruits & serve with Danish pastries, puddings or pies or add cut fruits to get a yummy fruit custard.

* You can make strawberry sauce too in same way. Keep extra sauce in freezer for later use.