Ricotta Ras Malai

Ingredients:

For the patties:

Ricotta Cheese - 15 oz
1/4 C sugar

For the milk mixture:

4-5 C Milk
2-3 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 C Sugar  or more to suit your taste
few strands of Saffron/Zafran
1/2 tsp Kewra Water/ rose water

Sliced Almonds / Pistachios for garnish


Method:

In a heavy bottom vessel , heat milk on medium low heat, stirring occasionally, till it thickens or reduces to half . Add sugar, cardamom powder,condensed milk and saffron.Cook for a few mins.  Turn off the heat, let it cool slightly , now add kewra water.  Let it cool completely and refrigerate till ready to use. 

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F.In a mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients for patties ,ricotta cheese and sugar.  Mix well. Grease a 8X8 glass baking dish, pour the ricotta cheese mixture and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until ricotta cheese looks pale yellow and has turned slightly golden at the edges. A way to test if ricotta is ready to take out of the oven , would be to insert a toothpick and see if it comes out clean. Let it cool completely.Now with a round cookie cutter, cut small round patties, you could also cut squares if you like.

Arrange the baked ricotta rounds in the serving dish, pour the cooled milk mixture and refrigerate for at least half an hour. Serve chilled.

Enjoy !

Notes:

• You could make the milk mixture and the ricotta rounds at least 3 days in advance. Remember to store them separately.
• Mix them the day you would like to serve them, so they don't be too soggy or break apart.
• You could also use half and half or evaporated milk or even add some heavy cream for added richness.
• I used a glass baking dish, but you could use any, the baking time may vary in that case
• Also if you want you patties thinner use a bigger baking dish, baking time may vary if you do.
• Adjust the quantity of sugar and flavoring to suit your taste, you dont have to add the exact amount mentioned in the recipe, you could  make it more sweeter, use less /more of cardamom or kewra

Sending it to Jagrutis, Grand Festive Feasts event.

Ciabatta Halwa

Though I am not a dessert person, Bread ka halwa is one dessert I can never pass. I have loved it since childhood and it still remains my favourite halwa.

There are many ways Bread is enjoyed in form of halwa. Like the Double ka meetha, where its sliced and fried and soaked in cream mixture keeping the slices intact, or as halwa where its sliced and fried but cooked with the cream/milk mixture (looks like the halwa I have made today ) and also where the stale bread is made into fine crumbs by grinding in food processor and then made just like Sooji ka Halwa, except you use powdered bread instead of sooji.

To make a good halwa with bread, its important that the bread is somewhat stale. Back at home if we did not have stale bread, I remember my mom would let the fresh bread dry out on old newspapers.

So I thought Ciabatta would be perfect for the halwa, as it really dries out when stale. I pounded the bread using a pestle, but you dont have too, you can grind it in food processor, it tastes even better that way I think.

Ingredients:

1/2 C ghee

2 1/2 C coarse bread crumbs

1" cinnamon

1 1/2 C milk

3/4 C sugar

pinch saffron

1/2 tbsp. elaichi pdr/ cardamom pdr

1/4 C sliced almonds

1 1/2 tsp Kewda extract

Method:

Pound or chop stale Ciabatta into coarse crumbs.Heat ghee , add the cinnamon and bread crumbs and roast till golden.

Add milk, saffron, and cardamom pdr and cook till the milk is absorbed. Then add sugar and cook for few more minutes

Remove from heat add the Kewda extract and mix well.I like it best while its warm

Enjoy !

Tips:

Use the measurements of the ingredients as a guide, the quantity of ghee, milk and sugar will depend on how dry/stale the bread is.

P.S. Check out my other blog "the halal foodie " , subscribe and follow to keep in touch. I look forward to see you there :)

Eggless Custard Powder Cupcakes

Few days back I came across this recipe on Easy Crafts and wanted to try it. So when my son asked for a cake I knew exactly what I was gonna bake.
After looking up for more similar recipes, I decided to go with this one made by Nithya of 4th sense cooking. I followed the recipe closely, the only difference is I baked my cupcakes at 375F for about 15 mins.

I tried an eggless cake recipe for the first time and I did not miss the eggs at all, infact I forgot to cream the sugar with the butter and added it to the flour mixture, the cakes still turned out to be super moist, but my muffin tops were dry, I guess I should have baked them at a lower temperature or for less time.

(Recipe by Nithya of 4th Sense Cooking)

Ingredients:

11/2 C All purpose flour(maida)
3/4 C Custard powder(vanilla flavor) 
3/4 C powdered sugar 
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder 
3/4 C butter, at room temperature
1 C Milk


Method:

Sift maida, custard powder and baking powder together.

In a bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add the sifted flours to the butter sugar mixture and mix well. Add the milk gradually and beat slowly until everything comes together.

Preheat oven to 375°F . Line the muffin tray with liners.

Fill muffin cups with batter up to 3/4th and bake it for 15-20 mins at 375°F or 190°C. 

Check if cooked by inserting a skewer in the center. Once done, allow it to cool on a wire rack for a while.

Sending this to Srivallis Kids Delight - Easy to make Snacks under 30 mins. event hosted by Rujuta

P.S. Check out my other blog "the halal foodie " ,  subscribe and follow to keep in touch. I look forward to see you there :)

Veggie Pesto Pizza n Homemade Strawberry Mint Pops

Pizza is my go to recipe for quick fix dinners. Its even quicker and less messier if you have the store bought pizza crust waiting to be baked in your refrigerator. What I like about a pizza is, just like biryani, you can never go wrong ! Atleast thats how kind it has been to me :) I have yet to come across a well made pizza that I did not like. 

If you know someone who just wont eat their veggies, this is the way to go, hide it all under a layer of cheese :) 

What I did to make this pizza is drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on a store bought pizza dough, spread some home made pesto (for recipe click here and scroll down) layered it with sliced tomatoes, red onions, baby spinach lots of mozarella and Monterey Jack, some salt n pepper and some dried oregano. Baked it using manufacturers instructions and Voila ! Dinner is served.

Its best if you make your own Pizza dough or buy some from your local pizzeria. A packet of this in your fridge will always come handy to rescue dinner.

Its been a mix of crazy hot and crazy pleasant days here, and to beat one such crazy hot day heat I made these...Strawberry and Mint pops. Super easy and super delicious. Just blend some strawberries (fresh or frozen) with a bunch of mint leaves , add sugar if and as much needed to suit your taste, a dash of lemon juice just to brighten things up and freeze them in ice pop moulds. Enjoy it on a hot summer day, you will never go back to store bought ice pops ever again !

Update:

These quick and easy recipes have been sent off to Ayeshas Anyone Can Cook Event

Dahi ke Jamun

Hey, did I just reveal the secret ingredient in the title itself ? I guess I did :)

I never knew the guessing games are soooo much fun, its almost addictive :) Thank you all who played along and made it this exciting for me. Most of you thought  the jamuns were made using bread or potato/sweet potato , some even suggested paneer , rice, etc ....but after all those guesses no one could come up with the right ingredient... so its finally on me to announce that the key ingredient is Yogurt ...yes... Dahi (as its know in India).

Hung yogurt kneaded with flour n semolina n soaked in rose syrup... This is a very versatile recipe ...you can also try flavouring your jamuns with Vanilla but I like the traditional taste.If the Jamuns dont cook through till the centre you can make flat patties , like the one you would make for ras malai or cutlets and fry n then soak in syrup. Choice is yours. But overall this is a delightful recipe. 

Ingredients:

For Jamuns:

1 C all-purpose flour,

1 C semolina,

1 C yogurt,

1 tbsp. ghee,

a pinch of baking powder,

1/2 tsp. cardamom pdr,

1/2 tsp. nutmeg powder,
oil/ ghee for frying.

For the syrup:

1 C sugar

1/4 C water

1 tbsp. rose water

Method:

Cover a colander with muslin or paper towel and let the yogurt drain overnight.

Sift together the flour, semolina, baking pdr, cardamom pdr and nutmeg pdr. Rub in the ghee. Add the hung yogurt and knead well. to a smooth dough. Cover and set aside for atleast 3-4 hrs.

Meanwhile make the syrup. Heat the sugar and water together till you get a single thread consistency. Let it cool slightly and add the rose water.

Heat oil, shape the jamuns and deep fry on medium heat until they turn golden brown. While the jamuns are still hot either soak them in the syrup or just drop in the syrup and take them out immediately.

This sweet treat is being sent to the following events:

Sweets and Savouries for Diwali hosted by Sri

Party treats event series of Monthly mingle  hosted by  Saraswathi and started by Meeta

Only Kids delight hosted by Pari  

and Iftaar Moments hosted by Ayeesha.

Guess the ingredient, anyone ?

I know , its not obvious from the picture, but can you take a wild guess of what could be the key ingredient used in this jamun recipe ?

Its very common in eastern India to make jamuns using different ingredients. Have you tried any unusual Jamun recipe, what ingredient did you use? I would love to know.

Recipe coming soon ...

Gajar Ka Halwa

This post, along with few others has been drafted quite some time ago hoping that I would be able to publish it while I was away for a vacation. Some how the vacation got so busy that I hardly had time to check my mails :)  

This is my recipe for the ultimate Gajar ka halwa. Its very rich , luxurious, delicious and gorgeous. Using a non stick kadai (or pan ) is a good idea so it cuts down the amount of ghee required.

Ingredients:

3 C grated Carrots ,
1/2 C evaporated milk
1/4 C heavy cream
1/2 C whole milk

2 T condensed milk / milkmaid

3T ghee (solidified)
1 C sugar

1/2 t elaichi pdr

3 whole elaichis / cardamom (lightly crushed)
1/2" dalchini /cinnamon

1 T ghee

1/4 C cashews halves.

Method :

In a kadai (or pan) heat 3 tbsp. of ghee, add whole elaichis , cinnamon and grated carrots. Fry till the carrots start to change color or appear translucent. Add milk,cream and evaporated milk. Cook till the carrots are done i.e they are soft and well cooked. Now add sugar and condensed milk, mix well and cook for few mins, add the elaichi powder and cook covered  for few more minutes. 

Meanwhile , heat a tbsp of ghee and fry 1/4 C cashews till they slightly change their color or are slightly browned. You don't want golden or browned cashews for this one. You can also use raisins and almonds along with the cashews.  Now pour the halwa in this hot ghee, mix well and cook for a min.

Treat yourself to the ultimate gajar ka halwa n enjoy !

Butter Pecan Cookies and Awards

I am glad to announce that over the past few days Lazzat has bagged few awards, courtesy of Fathima and Nithu . A big Thanks to both of you and I  do accept these with much appreciation.

Fathima  presented these awards

and Nithu presented these awards

Update : I would like to pass on these awards to Asha, Cham, Aruna, PJ, Priya,  Shaheen and Yasmeen 

Since it was such a joyful week I thought it would be apt to share a simple, quick and delicious, melt in your mouth sweet treat with you. So presenting the butter pecan cookies...

These are sooo easy and sooo delicious , you gotta try these. Not too sweet, melt in your mouth goodness. Its an eggless recipe, so you can actually taste the batter and make necessary changes or tweak the recipe, have fun with it ! The ingredients are as follows:

Ingredients:

1 C (or 2 sticks) butter, room temp,

1/2 C pdrd sugar, plus more for coating cookies

1 3/4 C all-purpose flour,

1 C finely chopped pecans,

1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Method :

Preheat oven to 270 F.

Using an electric mixer at low speed, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, add vanilla and gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula. Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper.With floured hands, take out about a tbsp. of dough and shape it into rounds or crescents or squares. Place the cookies at least an inch apart and bake for 40 minutes. Roll them in more powdered sugar while still warm. Cool completely on wire racks and store in airtight containers.

Gulab Jamun

Fried dumplings of milk soaked in cardamom scented sugar syrup, this is generally how restaurant menus explain it.

Gulab Jamun is a favourite with me and my siblings. Growing up, the only sweet we would look forward to eat is Kala Jamun. Making Gulab jamun needs a perfect proportion of Khoya, Sooji or Paneer or what ever may be your recipe, the key is the proportion. This is what my mom says. For me making Gulab Jamuns, is as easy as opening a packet of my favourite brand and mixing it up. But recently I learned to kick it up a notch. Now this is how I jazz up the mix, well actually I learnt this trick from my sis who herself is a very good cook .

When you get a packet of instant gulab jamun mix (available at indian grocery stores), it comes with the instructions, in which they ask you to knead the mix using water or milk. So here is the trick, instead of that try using some condensed milk or evaporated milk (see tip below), sprinkle some elaichi powder, few blanched and finely sliced pistachios to the mix and then just knead it , fry it n soak it in sugar syrup just as the package says. I also add some rose water to my sugar syrup. You will see how richer and creamier and homier they taste just by tweaking the mix a tiny bit. Garnish with silvered almonds or pistachios and enjoy.

How much condensed milk to add: Just keep adding 1 tbsp. of condensed milk or evaporated milk at a time until you get the desired consistency, or until the mix starts to form into a ball.

Kala Jamuns can also be made using the gulab jamun mix...but lets save that story for another day :)

Thanks for sharing this trick Didi ! This is my entry to the Semi Home Made Indian Recipes event hosted by myself.


I am also sending this to the Hearts for St. Valentines Day event hosted by Priya .

Pear and Apple Kheer

We all know its not only good but important to include some fruits in our daily diet. When Yasmeen announced the Healing Foods event, I thought its was a very neat idea. Of the various healing foods, I chose to cook with Apples and Pears. Before going to the recipe lets just glance on the benefits of eating them which I came across after a bit of googling.
First up, Pears, they contain a natural dietary fibers like pectin and lignin which are effective in preventing constipation and lowering cholesterol respectively. Pectin also helps to tone the intestine and reduce the risk of colon cancer. Pears are a very good source of an important mineral called boron, which helps keep the bones and your memory strong.

Apples contain sugars, amino acids, magnesium, iron, potassium, carbohydrates, vitamins C, B and B2, phosphates, tartaric acids, pectin, and mineral salts. They are prescribed for intestinal infections, constipation, mental and physical fatigue, hypertension, rheumatism, gout, anemia, bronchitis, urine retention, hepatic disorders, gastric and kidney malfunctions, hoarseness, coughing, and excess cholesterol in the blood.
Researchers have found that compounds in apples may protect against cancer, prevent asthma and sharpen memory. Apples strengthen the whole metabolism, balance the digestion, stimulate blood production as well as the metabolism of fats, and cleanse the system. They also have diuretic, febrifugal and relaxing properties, and stimulate the appetite.
After all they don't say "An apple a day keeps the doctor away ! " for nothing :)

Ingredients:

1 apple, red delicious,

1 pear,
3 cups milk,
1/2 C sugar,

1/2 tsp cardamom pdr,

1" cinnamon,
few strands of saffron,
3-4 dried dates, soaked in hot water for few mins.

Method:
Bring milk to a boil in a thick bottom pan and simmer till it thickens.

Peel and chop apples and pears. Heat a pan ( I use non stick), add the chopped fruit and cook on medium heat. Add sugar, cinnamon and stew till sugar melts, and most of the moisture evaporates. Add this mixture to the reduced milk and cook till the kheer thickens some more. At this stage if the apples or pears are a bit sour it may seem like the milk is curdling , but don worry that's OK .

Add green cardamom powder, chopped dates , saffron and cook for few more minutes .Let it cool slightly, remove the cinnamon stick and blend it in a blender. Serve chilled garnished with almonds and pistachios.

If you wanna skip the blending process , just grate the fruits , don't chop. You can also use either of the fruits.

Tastes great with puris or by itself.

Enjoy !

Apart from the fruit, the spices, milk , dates, saffron all have significant health benefits and hey, no butter (or ghee). So this to me is a perfect healthy dessert.

To know more about the healing nature of Pears and Apples click

here and here.

Easy Milk Burfi / Peda

If you live in cities like Chicago, New Jersey, New York , Dallas (to name a few) or places where there are a lot of Indians or Pakistanis residing like the Bay area etc. finding freshly made mithai is no big deal. Mithai, by the way, is a milk based sweet treat loaded with sugar and khoya and nuts /dry fruits. Back in India mithais are made on daily basis and are found everyday in every local mithai shops. My childhood memories bring back the aromas of freshly fried Jalebis and still warm, melt in your mouth besan laddoos, mysore paak ....yum... I remember when we had huge celebrations at home, my father would call a mithaiwala (person who makes/sells mithai ) home and get mothichoor laddoos etc. done as we kids watched over . It was fun !

In Boston, where I live (in the suburbs), we usually have to settle for the mithais we get in the frozen section of the desi store. Milk burfi also known as kalakand is one of my favourites. This recipe would be more of a burfi than a kalakand due to its texture as kalakand generally is very granular.

Its a wonderful recipe, fit for parties/crowds. It can be made ahead of time with very little effort, few ingredients, no added sugar as we use sweetened condensed milk and gives very delicious results.

Ingredients :

1 can (14 0z.) condensed milk,
15 oz. ricotta cheese,
1 C pistachios coarsely chopped,
1.5 tsp. elaichi powder, or to taste ,
ghee for greasing .

Method :

In a heavy botttom pan combine condensed milk and ricotta cheese. Cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from stove top and stir in the elaichi /cardamom powder. Grease a dish with ghee. (I used a 8" square baking dish, but you could also use a pie plate or any other size plate depending on how thick you want the slices to be.) Let the mixture cool slightly, then pour it on the greased plate sprinkle pistachios on the top and press lightly with your hands , just so the nuts stick to the mixture. Let it cool. Refrigerate for 2- 3 hours/ overnight. Cut into squares and serve.

If you want to make pedas then follow the same instructions until you pour the mixture to set. Let it set in fridge for a few hours. Using a tablespoon measure scoop out the mix and roll between palms to make pedas , roll the pedas in ground pistachios and refrigerate again for some time.

To share with this sweet treat are a lot of awards kindly passed on by a very sweet friend Sri Lekha . Thanks Sri for remembering me :)

I would further pass on these awards to 5 Star Foodie, A2Z Vegetarian, Anjum, Asha, Humaira, Jeena, Lubna, Lubna, Mansi, Mona, Pravs, Shaista and Yasmeen for inspiring many like me and being good friends, Thank you !

Chocolate Fudge

Ramadan Kareem to all !

The most anticipated month for Muslims all around the world has begun, and we have already seen the first third part of it. I usually take a break from blogging during Ramadan , but this year I thought of participating in Lubna and Yasmeen's Joy from fasting to feasting event . I love the idea of this event.

This recipe is a no brainer, chocolate+condensed milk+pistachios = yummy goodness, and that's really all it takes to make this rich and creamy chocolate fudge. Plus this recipe is so quick, you can make it ahead of time, its great for entertaining on days like Eid or otherwise.

Ingredients:

12 oz. 70 percent dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk
Pinch salt
1 cup shelled pistachios

Method:

Melt the chopped chocolate, condensed milk and salt in a heavy based pan on a low heat. Put the nuts into a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin, until broken up into both big and little pieces. Add the nuts to the melted chocolate and condensed milk and stir well to mix. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch square foil tray, smoothing the top. Let the fudge cool and then refrigerate until set. Cut them into small squares, once cut you can keep it in the freezer, this fudge does not need to be thawed before serving .

Click here for more quick and easy Iftaar inspirations.

Quick Strawberry Cheesecake

This is one of those quick , no - fuss, simple recipes that never lets you down. Each spoonful of this is sheer pleasure. I think its ideal for entertaining as it can be made ahead of time and does look cute. It does not contain eggs which practically makes it a "no bake cheesecake" and who doesn't love that !

Since strawberries are in season now , do try this recipe, or substitute it with your favourite berry .



Ingredients :

6 strawberries
12 oz. softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 (8-ounce) bricks
2/3 C sour cream
1 C confectioners'/powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 individual mini gram cracker crusts.




Directions:

Hull and coarsely chop 6 medium sized berries and place in food processor. Add cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract and process until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for an hour or overnight. Spoon the cheese mixture in the pie tins. Garnish cheesecakes with slices of remaining berries. Serve chilled.

I am sending this to the following events :
Lets Celeberate hosted by Ria and "Strawberry Feast " at My Kitchen Treasures.