Whole wheat flour halwa in Microwave.

I was craving for atte ka sheera. I thought why not make it in microwave. I googled & came caross this Tarla Dalal recipe.

I tried it by mixing whole wheat flour with ghee & microwaving on high for 3 minutes at one go. Obviously , some part got burnt. So I discarded it & made gain. It turned out yumm !

Ingredients : 1/ 2 cup atta, 1/ 4 cup ghee, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, dry fruits of choice for garnish.

Method : Take ghee in a microwaveable vessel & microwave on high for 10 seconds. The ghee should be in  clear liquid form. Then only it will mix properly with the flour. If ghee has not melted properly, microwave more for 5-10 seconds. Add the atta or flour to the ghee & mix  both nicely.

Microwave on high for 1 minute. Put off microwave. Remove the vessel & stir the atta ghee mixture .Keep vessel with mix in microwave. Microwave on high for 1 more minute. Again remove, stir & microwave on high for 1 more minute. Repeat one more time .

Take out vessel.Add  1 cup water. Mix nicely so that no lump remain. While adding water, be careful as the atta ghee. mix is extremely hot .Water will give bubbles when it is added to atta ghee mix.Add sugar. Mix all ingredients nicely.

Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove vessel.Stir the ingredient mix in vessel.Again microwave for 1 more minute. Repeat one more time. Add cardamom powder. Mix properly with the halwa.

Serve attae ka halwa garnished with dry fruits of choice.

Since I had walnuts, I toasted walnut bits  in microwave for 30 seconds.I used these walnut bits as the garnish .

Atte ka halwa

I have always loved wheat flour halwa.I had tasted it many times over in temples & in homes of friends .Recently ,a close friend staying in the same building as me made it .I was tempted to try it.And so I googled about the most easy way to make it.I came across Rak's kitchen liked the recipe stated there.I am cautious as I want to try a very small amount before I get it right.

Ingredients : 1/ 3 cup whole wheat flour, 2 tbsp ghee, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water, optional :a pinch cardamom powder.

Method : Roast the wheat flour in ghee in a kadhai till it slightly changes colour. Add water & sugar & mix.Actually ,both sugar & water  will get  absorbed very quickly & the halwa might start sticking to the bottom of kadhai.Hence, keep gas flame on slow from the beginning.

Put off gas.Sprinkle the cardamom powder on top of halwa.Before serving halwa, mix so that cardamom powder mixes nicely with all the halwa.

Dry  fruits like almonds & cashews roasted in ghee can be used a s a garnish on the halwa.Since ,this was my first attempt,I did the most simple version.Next time around,I hope to make this dish more rich .And trust that my snap of the dish will be much better !

Laapsi porridge

This is a healthy dish as it has no milk .It can be called a water payasam.My mom makes this once in awhile for breakfast.It is quick & easy.Ingredients are few.

Ingredients : 1 cup laapsi rawa( use finer variety as it will cook faster ) ,1 tbsp ghee( optional ) ,1 cup jaggery, 1 /2 tsp cardamom powder,a few dry fruits  chopped  to garnish.

Method : Take a thick bottomed kadhai.Put the laapsi  & 3 cups  water in it.Mix nicely.Warm the kadhai by putting the gas on.Keep stirring with a spoon so that it does not stick to bottom.Always keep gas burner on slow mode.Slowly laapsi will get cooked.After 15 minutes or so add jaggery & mix nicely.Slowly jaggery will melt due to the heat.After Keep stirring with spoon so that no lumps of jaggery remain.After 10 minutes,all will have got alight brown colour.If you feel that it is very thick,add some water & mix nicely.Let it simmer for some more time.Put off gas.Add cardamom powder & mix nicely.Serve in bowls.Garnish with grated dry fruits like almonds ,cashews etc.

Add a tsp of spoon on the top if desired. If no ghee is added,this is a vegan dish.

Veg sweet French toast

My kid said that she wants to eat sweet French toast.As we are vegetarians,I set about searching for an eggless  French toast recipe.I got one @http://www.sharmispassions.com/2010/09/eggless-french-toast-sweet-version.html

I made it & it turned out real good.My daughter simply loved it !

Ingredients : 2 brown bread slices ( white can be used....brown bread is healthier ),1 tsp ghee, 1 tsp sugar,1/2 tsp custard  powder ( vanilla flavour ),a pinch of cainnamon powder,1/4 cup milk.

Method : Boil milk.Take it off from gas stove.Keep aside.

Add custard powder to the boiled milk.Mix nicely so that no lumps remain.Add sugar.Mix nicely.Add a pinch of cinnamon powder.Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Warm a tawa on the gas stove.Spread little ghee on the tawa.

Cut a bread slice into two triangles or even four.This makes it asy to dip them in the milk mixture.

Now ,dip a bread slice in the milk mixture so that all sides of the slice are coated with the milk mixture.Place the bread slice on the tawa. Let it get toasted.Once it has browned a little,turn it over & cook on the other side.It will turn little brown.Take it off the tawa .Serve with maple syrup or just like that.

Repeat with  aforesaid process another bread slice.

Doodhi halwa

I had brought doodhi last week & still had not used it.I also had cream in the freezer- home cream - I remove malai from milk & keep it in a box in the freezer for 9-10 days at a stretch.I thought of making doodhi halwa like gajar halwa.

I googled for the recipe &  was inspired by this recipe at vah re vah !

Ingredients : 1 cup peeled & grated doodhi( bottle gourd ),1/2 cup frozen malai, 1tsp ghee ( optional ),1/2 cup sugar,5-6 almonds -grated or finely chopped.

Method : Clean the doodhi & peel it.Grate the doodhi.Remove the malai from the freezer.Let it attain room temperature.

Take a kadhai & put  on gas.Gas must be on slow burner.Let it warm.Pour the malai on to the kadhai & now put the grated doodhi on to it.Mix both the malai & doodhi nicely.Cook the mix in the kadhai -covering the kadhai with a lid.After 5-6 minutes,uncover the kadhai & mix the contents with spoon.Cover with lid & let it cook again.Repeat this 3-4 times.By this time,doodhi & malai would have mixed nicely & got cooked.Now add sugar.Mix nicely.Cover with lid & let it cook.After 5-6 minutes,uncover the lid  & mix nicely.Repeat once more.By this time ,all water would have evaporated.Add a tsp ghee & mix nicely.It will give a nice aroma to the halwa. Put off the gas.

Serve the halwa garnished with grated almonds or finely chopped almonds.I garnish with almonds as my kid does not like any dry fruits in halwa.Alternately,one can fry dry fruits like chopped almonds,cashews in ghee & add them to the halwa.

Chappati laddoos

I have tried making chappti laddoos earlier & had failed miserably.This time I googled for the recipe.I learnt from creative saga 

I made some changes & my recipe is as below....

Ingredients : 2.5 chappatis,approx 1/4 cup jaggery or even little less than 1/4 cup,1 tsp ghee.

Method : I crumbled the chappatis to powder in the mixer.Mix the crumbled chappati powder with grated or powdered jaggery.Take a kadhai & heat the ghee.Add the chappati -gur mix to the kadhai & with a ladle roast the chappati gur mixture on the ghee.After five minutes,put off the gas.

After another 5 minutes,take a small amount of the mixture on to your palms & shape it into a ball.Repeat with the remaining of the chappati-gur-ghee mixture.I got nearly 6 laddoos.

Veg Frankie

My kid loves rotis.I am constantly tensed up thinking about her tiffin box- she must eat nutritious food & she abstains from eating upma, lemon rice,dahi rice etal.She suggested frankie one day & I said that I must try this.

I googled & realised that rotis can be made of atta ,maida or a mixture of both.I took the easy way out.I made use of left over rotis.Her school is very early for me to prepare rotis as also the frankie filling in the morning.Of course ,those of you who are very enthusiasitic may do this & more .I am lazy & often opt for such solutuons !

Ingredients for the frankie roll: 3 or 4 Leftover chappatis,or rotis or plain parathas,3-4 tsps butter ( I used Amul butter - you can use any butter or even ghee )

Ingredients for frankie filling : 2-3 medium sized boiled potatoes,1 medium sized onion -finely chopped,1 small capsicum -finely chopped,1/4 inch ginger - grated,1/4 tsp haldi,a pinch of hing,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/4 tsp dhana jeera powder,a dash of lemon juice, 1tbsp oil & salt to taste.

Method : In a kadhai, saute chopped onion in oil.Add grated ginger & saute again.Add chopped capsicum & mix nicely.Cook for 2-3 minutes by covering with a lid.Add haldi & hing.Mix nicely.Break the boiled potataoes into chunks & add to the kadhai.Mix all nicely.Add dhana jeera powder & red chilli powder.Mix nicely.Cook for 1-2 minutes by covering with a lid.Now put off the gas.After a minute or two add a dash of lemon juice & mix to give the filling a tangy taste.

Take a roti & warm it on the tawa.Take a tsp of butter & spread the butter on the whole of the roti.After the warming for 1 minute ,take a generous amount of the tangy filling & put it in the middle of the roti .Now roll both the ends of roti one over the other so that the filling is covered.The roll must look like masala dosa roll.Remove this from the tawa .The roll can be turned upside down on the tawa to make it crisp on both the sides.

Repeat similarly for the remaining rotis.I cut the frankie in the middle, so that my kid can just shove each frankie piece into her mouth.

One can use amchur powder or tomatoes instead of lemon juice.Chat powder can be sprinkled on the filling to give more tangy taste.

Sabudana khichdi

This is a very popular Maharashtrian dish.It is eaten during fasts.I love this snack with &  without potatoes.

 Sabudana  is washed & soaked overnight .The standing water level above the sabudana must be half an inch.By morning, the sabudana would have soaked in all the water.  Peanuts are roasted dry & powdered to get a granular powder .I used to remove the skin of peanuts after roasting.My neighbour told me that I was wasting the healthy part of the peanuts & from that day onwards ,I have powdered the peanuts with the skin on .Earlier, I used to dread making this dish as I found deskinning the roasted peanuts too tasking .After my padoasan enlightened me on the healthy side effect of the peanut skin,I find making this dish a breeze !

Ingredients : 2 cups sabudana soaked ,1 cup roasted &  powdered peanuts, 2 tbsp oil,1green chilli finely chopped,1 boiled  & diced potato (optional),2 tsp jeera( cumin),1/4 tsp hing,1 sprig of curry leaves washed ,a bunch of coriander leaves -washed & finely chopped for the garnish,1/4 lemon to add tanginess,salt to taste.

Method :Take a kadhai & add oil.Heat the oil.Add jeera.When they splutter add hing ,green chillies,kadipatta, potatoes & mix .The oil will coat the potatoes.Take the peanut powder & add to the soaked sabudana.Any water which Mix the two nicely with your hands in a bowl.Now add salt to this bowl & mix nicely.The potatoes would have turned colour.Now add the mixture from the bowl to the kadhai.Mix all the ingredients nicely.Cover with a lid & allow it to cook.After 5-10  minutes,uncover the lid & mix again so that there are no lumps.Again cover with a lid & cook.After another 5-10 minutes,uncover the lid & there will be a change of colour- the sabudana would have turned translucent & browned a little.Mix again.Sprinkle water if it has started touching the bottom of the kadhai.Mix again & cover with a lid.Cook for 5 more minutes.Turn of the gas.After five minutes, uncover the lid.Now sprinkle chopped coriander & squeeze juice of quarter of a lemon.Mix again & serve hot.

For fasting, this snack will be prepared in  ghee instead of oil.