Bread Halwa

Prep Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients

1. Bread crumbs - 2 cups (approx 6 loaves)
2. Milk - 1. 25 cups
3. Ghee - 1/3 cup
4. Sugar - 1/2 cup (or) as per taste
5. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

For garnishing

1. Ghee - 2 tsp
2. Blanched & silvered almonds - 2 tsp
   
3. Cashew nuts - 2 tsp
   
4. Raisins - 2 tsp
   

Method

1. Heat two teaspoons of ghee in a pan, add cashew nuts; saute until golden brown; set aside.
2. Add raisins; saute until they puff and set aside; do not char the raisins as they tend to taste bitter.
3. Heat one third cup of ghee in another pan & saute bread crumbs on low flame for about 7 to 10 min.
4. Transfer sauteed bread crumbs on to a plate; set aside to cool for about 10 min.
5. Meanwhile boil milk along with sugar in the same pan and stir continuously until all the sugar has completely dissolved.
6. Stir in the sauteed bread crumb; cover with lid & let the bread crumbs cook in the milk-sugar mixture on low flame for about 3 to 5 min.
7. Once the bread crumbs has completely absorbed the milk-sugar mixture, cook contents on medium flame, stirring continuously until it starts leaving the sides of the pan.
8. Switch off gas and transfer contents on to a serving bowl.
9. Garnish with blanched & silvered almonds, sauteed cashew nuts and raisins.
10. Serve either warm or chilled.

Hyderabadi Double Ka Meeta

Prep Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: approx 1 hr
Serves: 2

Ingredients

1. Bread loaves - 5
2. Vegetable oil / Ghee - to deep fry

For sugar syrup

1. Sugar - 1.25 cups
2. Water - 1.25 cups
3. Saffron food color - a pinch
4. Lemon juice - juice of quarter lemon
5. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

For rabdi

1. Milk - 1 cup
2. Sugar - 2 tsp
3. Rose water (not essence) - few drops

For garnishing

1. Blanched & silvered almonds - 1 tsp
2. Broken cashew nuts - 1 tsp
3. Raisins - 1 tsp
4. Black dates (pitted & chopped) - 5 to 6
5. Ghee - 1 tsp

Method
Step I

1. Soak eight to ten almonds in hot water; set aside to cool; peel & slit them vertically in to small pieces; set aside.
2. Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a pan, add broken cashews, raisins & chopped dates.
3. Saute them for a min or two; transfer contents on to a plate; set aside.

Step II

1. Slice each bread loaf diagonally in to two & then in to four.
2. Spread the sliced bread pieces on a wide plate & set aside to dry for about half an hour.
3. Heat oil/ghee in a pan on medium heat for 2 min.
4. Drop two to three bread pieces one by one gently in to the hot oil; deep fry until dark golden brown constantly turning them back & forth.
5. Deep fry in batches and do not overcrowd.
6. Do not deep fry the bread pieces for more than 45 sec to 50 sec as they tend to char/blacken.
7. Follow same procedure to deep fry all of the bread pieces; once done set them aside.

Step III

1. Heat sugar & water in another pan, stir until all the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Bring to boil & continue to cook for about 10 to 13 min until the syrup becomes fairly thick.
3. Need not boil until single/double string consistency.
4. Add food color, cardamom powder, lemon juice and stir well; allow to boil for 2 min; switch off gas.

Step IV

1. Dip two to three deep fried bread pieces in the hot sugar syrup.
2. Let them soak in the hot syrup for a min or two.
3. Drain & arrange each syrup coated bread piece separately on a serving plate.

Step V

1. Heat a cup of milk long with two teaspoon sugar in a saucepan.
2. Bring to boil & continue to cook until reduced to half cup; this process may take about 20 min.
3. Add rose water & stir well.

Step VI

1. Pour the rabdi slowly over each sugar coated deep fried bread piece.
2. Set aside for few min until the bread pieces absorb all of the rabdi.
3. Garnish with sauteed dry fruits & nuts.
4. Serve either warm or chilled.

An exotic super delicious dish!

A must try out recipe!! Try it out today & do post your valuable comments!!!

NOTE

• I have used whole wheat bread for the recipe; can use any bread variety of your choice.

Gulab Jamuns

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 30 min
Yields: 18 to 20

Ingredients

1. Milk - 2 cups
2. Lemon juice - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
3. Water - 2 cups
4. Sugar - 1.25 cups
5. All purpose flour / Refined flour / Maida - 1 tbsp
6. Baking powder - a pinch
7. Unsweetened khoya / khova - 200 gms
8. Rose water - 2 tbsp
9. Vegetable oil/Ghee - to deep fry

Method
To prepare paneer/cottage cheese

1. Bring milk to boil in a pan.
2. Add two tablespoon lemon juice stirring constantly.
3. Once the milk curdles, remove pan from heat.
4. Pour curdled milk in to muslin cloth and strain.
5. Gather all corners; wash well under running water and tie knots about 5 cm above the curds.
6. Hang this bag from a particular height for about 15 min.
7. Gently squeeze bag, take it down & place it on a cutting board.
8. Place a stainless steel plate above the bag.
9. Place a heavy weight (pressure cooker) above the bag & leve it undisturbed for half an hour.
10. Remove weight; untie bag & transfer contents on to a big plate.
11. Knead well for about 15 min; cover with lid & set aside.

To prepare sugar syrup

1. Add water, sugar & a tablespoon lemon juice in a pan.
2. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring continuously until all the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. Reduce heat to medium flame & boil for about 15 min.
4. Stir in rose water & strain through a cloth strainer/muslin cloth.

To prepare the dough

1. Sift flour & baking powder for 2 to 3 times.
2. Knead khoya for about 10 min.
3. Combine paneer, khoya & flour; knead again for 15 min.
4. Divide dough in to 18 to 20 portions.
5. Roll in between palms to make a smooth crack-free ball.
6. Make similar balls with the rest of the dough following the same method.

To prepare gulab jamuns

1. Heat oil in a deep fry pan on high heat using the small burner for about 2 min.
2. Reduce heat to low; add 8 balls one after the other.
3. Turn balls occasionally by gently shaking the pan instead of using a skimmer/ladle.
4. Deep fry balls until dark golden brown.
5. Remove deep fried jamuns & soak them directly in warm sugar syrup.
6. Deep fry remaining balls similarly without increasing or decreasing heat.
7. Reheat the sugar syrup along with all the jamuns in low flame for 3 min.
8. Switch off gas & set jamuns aside for atleast an hour.
9. Serve either warm or chilled.

NOTE

• I have used Nandini milk & Nandini Khoa for the recipe.
• Can use regular milk or whole milk to prepare paneer/cottage cheese.
  

Custard Fruit Salad

Prep Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 3 min
Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients
For the custard

1. Milk - 3 cup + 1 cup
2. Custard powder (any flavor) - 1/2 cup
3. Sugar - 1 cup

Fruits

1. Apple (cored & cubed) - 1
2. Pear (cored & cubed) - 1
3. Kiwi fruit (peeled & diced) - 1
4. Yelakki banana (peeled & sliced) - 2
5. Strawberries (stemmed & sliced) - 6
6. Black seedless grapes - 10 to 12
7. Sapodilla (peeled & diced) - 1
8. Pineapple (diced) - 1/2 cup
9. Papaya (peeled & cubed) - 1/4 cup
10. Pomegranate seeds - 1/4 cup
11. Orange (peeled & diced) - 1

Method to prepare custard

1. Dilute 1/2 cup custard in 1 cup milk; set aside.
2. Boil 3 cups milk along with 1 cup sugar.
3. Once done, add the diluted custard milk in to the boiling milk, stir & cook for 3 min.
4. Switch off gas, allow to cool.

Method to prepare custard fruit salad

1. Combine fruits & custard; fold gently.
2. Transfer to serving bowl.
3. Serve either chilled or at room temperature.

NOTE

• Soak cubed apple and pear in water to prevent discoloration; add at the time of serving.
• Can add bananas of any variety; add sliced bananas only at the time of serving to prevent discoloration.
• Combine required quantity of fruits with custard only at the time of serving.
• Fruits mentioned above are subjected to seasonal availability.

Skillet Apples

Other name - Fried Apples

Prep Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients

1. Granny smith apple / Green apple - 1
2. Delicious red apple - 1
3. Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Butter / Ghee - 1 tbsp
5. Brown sugar - 2 tbsp
6. Salt - 1/4 tsp
7. Water - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method

1. Wash, core & slice apples in to thick wedges.
2. Heat butter/ghee in a skillet, shallow pan or a wok, add the apple slices, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt & cook for 2 min.
3. Combine gently; cover & cook for 2 min.
4. Add few tablespoons of water, cook again for 2 min until apples are tender.
5. Serve warm as an appetizer.

NOTE

• Can also add as a topping in ice creams, vegetable and fruit salads.

Rasgullas

Other name - Bengali Rasgullas

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 10 min
Yields: 12 to 15

Ingredients

1. Milk - 1 liter
2. Lemon juice - 3tbsp
3. Water - 3.5 cups
4. Sugar - 1 cup
5. Cardamom pods (just the peels) - 10 to 12
   

Method

1. Heat milk in a heavy bottomed vessel; as it starts to boil slowly add the lemon juice so that the milk curdles and the whey separates.
2. The whey appears clear at the end of the process.
3. Immediately add about 10-15 ice cubes and turn off flame; set aside for about 3 min.
4. Strain the whey and add the chhena to a damp cheese cloth or muslin cloth.
5. Gather all the four corners of the cloth, twist gently and rinse under cold water to remove the sourness of the lemon juice.
6. Tie the ends and hang it at a comfortable height so that the whey drains completely; leave aside for half an hour.
7. Remove the chhena onto a wide plate; knead it gently for around 10 min until soft showing no traces of moisture.
8. Kneading is a very important step in the process as it imparts soft & spongy texture to the rasgullas.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup by heating sugar & water in a large sized pressure cooker.
10. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved completely; add the cardamom peels & bring to boil.
11. In between, make small pebble sized balls out of the kneaded chhena & keep aside.
12. Once the syrup starts to boil, gently drop in the chhena balls & close the pressure cooker with lid.
13. Make sure that there are no cracks on the chhena balls.
14. Steam cook for about 7 to 10 min; do not pressure cook using cooker weight.
15. Switch off gas; give a standing time to the pressure cooker before opening the lid.
16. Place cooker under running water or pour cold water over the cooker; open lid & transfer contents to a serving bowl.
17. Rasgullas should be fairly spongy in texture; once you refrigerate, the sponginess reduces & the rasgullas become quite soft in texture.
18. Serve rasgullas either chilled or at room temperature.

NOTE

• I was in shortage of Rose water while preparing the recipe hence I added cardamom peels; adding rose water enhances the flavor of rasgullas comparatively.
  

Besan Porridge ~ An Instant Dessert

Prep time: 5 min (except setting time)
Cooking time: 5 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients

1. Ghee - 2 tbsp
2. Whole milk - 400 ml
3. Chickpea flour / Besan (heaped) - 2 tbsp
4. Sugar (heaped) - 3 tbsp
5. Cashew nuts (broken) - 1 tbsp
6. Blanched & silvered almonds - 1 tbsp
7. Raisins - 1 tbsp
8. Saffron strands - 10
9. Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

For garnishing

1. Black seedless grapes - few

Method

1. Add saffron strands to milk and set aside.
2. Roast besan in a tablespoon of ghee until slightly darker & set aside.
3. Roast cashew nuts & raisins separately in another tablespoon of ghee; set aside.
4. Combine milk and roasted besan in a bowl; mix well ensuring no lumps are formed.
   
5. Add the above mixture to a pan; stir well & boil in high flame for 3 min.
6. Add sugar and cardamom powder; boil again for 2 min in high flame until it thickens to a custard like consistency.
7. Switch off gas; add the silvered almonds, roasted cashews and raisins; stir well.
8. Transfer contents to a serving glass and garnish.
   
9. Refrigerate the contents to set & serve chilled.

NOTE

• Can use either strawberries, cherries or any other berries for garnishing.

Carrot Halwa

Prep time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 40 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1. Fresh grated carrots - 2 cups
2. Milk - 2 cups
3. Ghee - 2 tbsp
4. Sugar - 1/4 cup
5. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

For garnishing

1. Cashew nuts - 6 to 8 no's
   
2. Raisins - 1 tbsp
3. Almonds - 8 to 10 no's
   

Method

1. Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a pan, saute cashew nuts & raisins separately; set aside.
2. Slice the almonds & set aside.
3. Boil milk on medium to high heat in a heavy bottomed pan until reduced to a cup; set aside.
4. Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a wok, add the grated carrots & stir fry for about 6 to 8 min.
5. Stir fried carrots ought to be tender with a slight change in color.
6. Add milk and cook for about 10 to 12 min until dry.
7. Add sugar and stir fry for another 3 to 5 min until halwa starts leaving the sides of the wok.
8. Garnish with cashew nuts, raisins & sliced almonds.
9. Serve either warm or chilled.

NOTE

• Carrot halwa can be refrigerated up to a week.
• I have used Delhi carrots (red ones) for the recipe; hence the colour; can also use the ordinary ones.