Badam halwa.

I came across this sweet @http://www.talimpu.com/2012/10/01/almond-kova/
I made it in my own way.It turned out awesome & my kid devoured it !

This is very simple recipe.

Ingredients : 1 cup malai removed from milk & stored in freezer,1/3 cup sugar,20 almonds,2-3 kesar strands.

Method : I remove malai & keep in freezer daily.When it amounts to 1 cup.I de freeze it.

Powder sugar & almonds in mixer .Keep aside.

Heat the malai in a kadhai till it starts thickening .Add 2-3 strands of kesar.Add almond sugar powder to the thickening malai.

Stir while all get mixed up & become more thick.Put off gas.Serve in bowl.

The sweetness is just right.If you are fond of more sweetness,please increase the amount of sugar to be added.

My daughter just gobbles it up, in one sitting !

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.

Eggless mango cake.

I have been wanting to bake a mango cake this mango season.I did try it & it did not come up that well.I tried it again today & it has turned out okay.So ,I am posting this now.The original recipe is from http://www.sharmispassions.com/2011/06/eggless-mango-cake-mango-loaf-bread.html

I have made some changes.

Ingredients : 1 cup whole wheat flour,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/2 tsp baking soda ,a pinch of salt,1/4 tsp cardamom powder.
3/4 cup mango puree ( I used Dussehari mango ),1/4 cup curd malai,1/4 cup oil,1/2 cup jaggery sugar ( this is dark brownish black sugar from jaggery -it is unrefined & available at Rajkamal Tea centre,Chembur).I use this sugar as it is healthy . Ordinary sugar can be used.My cake has got a dark colour due to this jaggery sugar.

Method : Mix all dry ingredients together - the flour,baking powder,soda & cardamom.

Mix mnago puree,curd malai ( or curd ),oil & sugar.Jaggery sugar is lumpy & if mixed in dry mix does not mix properly.Hence ,I mix jaggery sugar in liquid ingredients.

Make a well in the dry mix & pour the liquid mix.Mix nicely till no lumps remain.One can add water or curds or chaas to get drop down consistency batter.Curd,chaas should not be sour to avoid sour taste.

Line a baking dish with butter paper.Pour the batter onto the butter paper in the dish.Bake in microwave for 7-8 minutes.Leave for 5-10 minutes.Remove from microwave & insert a knife to check if it comes out clean.If knife is clean ,cake is done.Otherwise,bake for 1-2 minutes more.Leave it for 5-10 minutes.

Then cool it outside the microwave for 15-20 minutes.Then put it upside down on a plate.Cool it for 5-10 minutes.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

Gajar halwa

I made this recently.I used to take out the malai from cow's milk which I buy daily.It is very little.I collected the malai for a week & kept it in the freezer.

I got four carrots ( available in winter ).They are, what I would call bharatiya gajar.Not the Chinese type which is available all the year around.

Ingredients:4 gajar,1 tablespoon ghee,1 medium bowl collected malai,1 medium bowl sugar,10 almonds,10 cashews, kishmish & cardammom ( 2 pods ).

Method : Grate the gajar. Heat the ghee in kadhai.Now add the grated gajar,malai & sugar & mix with a ladle.Keep on slow flame.After every 5/10 minutes,keep mixing.It will start getting watery.Let it cook.Powder the cardamom.Add kishmish & cardamom  powder. After 20 minutes,it will become dry.Put off the gas.Garnish with fine pieces ( grate the almonds & cashews) of almonds & cashews.

This is almost fat free gajar halwa as the malai  used has hardly any  fat .Hence,very healthy !