Poha ladoo

 Festive season is almost here. I'm already in festive mood and spirits.

Prepared these easy and quick poha ladoos with a healthy twist, for Krishna Janamashtami!

 Just few ingredients and 20 minutes: these melting-in-mouth delicious ladoos are ready!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup poha/flattened rice
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup powdered sugar (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts
• 2 tbsp. ghee plus 4 tbsp. for binding

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time : 20 mins
Kitchen equipments required: heavy based skillet, food processer/grinder, mixing spoons, mixing bowl
Yields: 10-12 ladoos

Directions:

• In a heavy bottomed wok add 1 tbsp. of ghee and roast poha on medium flame till it becomes crispy and golden in colour, keep stirring in between. keep this aside and allow it to cool.
• In the same wok lightly roast oats in a tbsp. of ghee till it is aromatic, let it cool.
• Next, grind roasted poha and oats to fine powder, add powdered sugar, nutmeg powder and chopped nuts, mix everything well.
• Add hot ghee to the mixture  and shape them into round balls/ladoos.
  

  

 

Kiwi Phirni

Rakshabandhan is around the corner.....celebrate this sacred bond of love between brother and sister with this easy to prepare, adorable Kiwi Phirni!!

Ingredients:

• 1 litre milk
• 5 tbsp. coarse rice flour
• 1/4th tsp cardamom powder
• Sugar to taste
• 2 kiwis (pureed)
• Few strands of saffron to garnish
• Silvered pistachio

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Kitchen equipments required: heavy bottom sauce pan, blender, mixing spoons

Yields : 4 servings

Directions:

• In a heavy bottom saucepan boil milk, add rice flour and cardamom powder, stirring occasionally, cook till rice is done.
• Next add sugar and cook for another 2-3 minutes or till the sugar is dissolved.
• Switch off the flame, let the phirni come to room temperature.
• Now add kiwi puree and mix well.
• Garnish with saffron strands, silvered pistachio and chopped kiwi slices.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Serve chilled.

Bajra Khichdi

Warm, comforting, one pot meal made with black millets and split yellow gram.

Bajra is also referred to as high energy food, it helps in lowering cholesterol levels and hepls healthy digestion.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup black/pearl millet (bajra)
• 1/4 cup split yellow gram (moong chilka)
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups Water 
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• A pinch of asafoetida

Directions:

• Clean bajra and soak overnight or at least for 6-7 hours and drain.
• Clean and soak moong dal for 30 minutes and drain.
• Combine bajra and moong dal in a pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water, salt mix well and pressure cook for 4 whistles.
• Open the lid, once the steam is released.
• In a frying pan, heat ghee, add cumin seeds, when the seeds start to splutter add asafoetida and turmeric powder.
• Add this ghee/tadka to the cooked khichdi mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.
• Serve hot with a dollop of ghee and powdered jaggery:)
  

Blushing popsicles

Let your children play with colours the healthy way.....bursting with flavours...."BLUSHING POPSICLES" :) 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp basil seeds
• Rose syrup
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• A handful of pomegranate arils/seeds
• Khus syrup
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Water

Directions:

• Clean basil seeds and soak in 1/2 cup of water for 15-20 minutes. keep aside.
• In a jar/bowl add rose syrup as required, stir in 1/2 cup of water, same way make khus syrup in different jar,keep both the jars aside.
• In a mixing bowl/jar add lemon juice, sugar and stir till the sugar is dissolved.
• Add half cup of water and stir again. keep this aside.

Assembling:

• For the first layer spoon some soaked basil seeds at the bottom of your popsicle mold, then pour 2 tbsp of prepared rose syrup and freeze it for 30 minutes, take the moulds out of the freezer and insert wooden sticks in the center and put the moulds back into the freezer for at least 2 hours or till the first layer is completely set.
• Next drop some pomegranate arils over the first layer and pour 3-4 tbsp of lemonade and put the moulds back into the freezer for 2 hours.
• For the 3rd layer spoon some soaked basil seeds and pomegranate arils and pour some prepared khus syrup.
• Cover the molds with aluminium foil.
• Freeze the popsicles for 2-3 hours.
• For de moulding, run hot water over the mould and carefully take out the popsicles.
• Serve chilled.

Vada Pav

Vada Pav aur cutting chai- does that ring a bell? 

Vada pav is a popular street food of Maharastra or let me put it this way- vada pav is everybody's quick grab in Aamchi Mumbai! 

A spicy, crispy fried potato dumpling is  sandwiched between Pav (bread) with a hint of fried chilli which is commonly available on the THELAS almost everywhere. Choice of millions this humble vada pav is a meal for some and exciting snack for many, my husband being one of them. I was obviously thrilled to prepare this snack at home, as finding the authentic vada pav in streets of Gurgaon was a tedious job.

Ingredients:
For Vada:

• 4 boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes
• 3-4 tbsp ginger, garlic green chilly and  coriander leaves paste
• 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 10-12 curry leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• A pinch of sugar(optional)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp oil

For outer coating:

• 1 cup chickpea flour/gram flour/besan
• Salt to taste
• Red chilly powder to taste
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• Oil for frying

Directions:

• In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, when they start to splutter add chopped onions, curry leaves and saute  till the onions become translucent, next add ginger garlic and coriander paste and saute for few minutes. 
• Now add mashed potatoes, turmeric powder, salt and sugar and mix well. 
• Cook this mixture for 4-5 minutes on medium flame. 
• Switch off the flame, sprinkle lemon juice and mix well.
•  Keep aside and allow the mixture to cool.
  

For the coating:

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and make a  batter using water.(batter should not be very thick or very thin)
• Now take the potato mixture, divide into 8-9 equal parts and make round balls.
• Flatten the balls slightly with your palms and dip each ball in gram flour batter and coat well.
• Dip the coated vadas in medium hot oil, deep fry  till golden brown and drain on a kitchen towel.

Garlic Chutney Powder:

• 8-10 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp Red chilli powder(or to taste)
• 1 sooji rusk
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of sugar
  

Directions:

• Grind all the ingredients in a grinder to make a coarse powder
• Chutney is ready.
• This can be stored in an air tight box foe about a week.

Assembling:

• Slice each pav into half( I used store bought pav here)
• Spread some garlic chutney and place a vada and a green chilly in each pav.
• Serve immediately  with a cutting chai :)
  

Poached pears with kesari rabri

Pears poached in honey infused with saffron makes an elegant dessert. I barely took anytime to make this fancy dessert. Also, the best part is that this is one such dessert that can be prepared a day in advance. I served the Pears on a bed of creamy delicious instant 10 minutes rabri, which eventually turned out to be a wonderful pairing :) :)

Ingredients:
For poached pears:

• 3 firm ripe pears (peeled and cored from center)
• 2 cups of water
• 3 tbsp sugar (or more)
• 2-3 tbsp honey
• 1/2 stick of cinnamon
• 1 star anise
• Few dried rose petals
• Few strands of saffron

For instant kesri rabri:

• 1 cup full cream milk
• 1 slice of bread
• 100 ml sweetened condensed milk
• Sugar to taste
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• few strands of saffron
• Some chopped pistachio to garnish

Directions:
For poached pears:

• In a heavy bottomed sauce pan add water, sugar and honey, stir well and put the pan on medium flame. 
• Cook till honey and sugar is dissolved, next add the condiments and bring the syrup to boil. 
• Now put the peeled pears in the syrup and bring it to boil for 15-20 minutes or until the pears are tender.
• Allow it to cool before serving.

For  Instant kesri rabri:

• Remove the sides of the bread slice and grind it to fine crumbs in  a grinder/food processor.
• In a heavy bottomed saucepan add milk and bring it to a boil, now add bread crumbs, condensed milk, sugar and cardamom powder.cook for 10-12 minutes stirring continuously.
• Next add saffron strands and chopped pistachio and switch off the flame.
• Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

Plating:
Spoon some rabri at the base of the  and place the poached pears on it, garnish with some dried rose petals, saffron strands and chopped pistachio.
Serve with love :)