Maida Halwa

Halwa is the speciality of my Kerala, especially North Kerala. Calicut(Kozhikode), which is a district in North Kerala, known for halwa.. People from around the world come over here n buy kozhikodan halwa in bulk n take home or overseas. Though there are different types of halwa made by experts from around Kerala, I am bringing to you the most easiest one. Remember that for any halwa, funda is, stir continuously to avoid forming lumps, for that great yummy halwa!

 

Ingredients :

Maida / All purpose flour : 1 cup

Sugar : 2 cups

Ghee : 1 cup

Cardamom powder : 1 tspn

Ghee roasted cashews&raisins :1/2 a cup

Yellow/orange colour : a pinch if required

• Take a bowl of water and mix maida along with food colour to it thoroughly without forming lumps to a thick consistency similar to that of dosa batter.
• Pour 2 tbspn ghee to a heavy bottomed pan/kadai and when hot, pour the maida batter, stirring continuously under low flame, without forming lumps.
• When it gets tighter n smooth, add sugar and mix well.
• Keep on stirring and pour ghee through the sides of the pan gradually until it rolls off through the sides smoothly. 
• Check sweetness n add more sugar if required. When it starts to melt, you'll see that the consistency gets a bit looser, hence, stir again continuously.
• Its the right consistency when the ghee separates or starts showing over the halwa.
• Now, add cardamom powder, roasted cashews n raisins and mix well. 
• Remove from flame and transfer to an airtight container greased with ghee. Cut into pieces and have them once cool.

Notes

- You may even add ghee roasted maida to water n mix well instead of plain maida.

- You would know it is the right consistency when its not sticking to your hand and can be rolled between your fingers.

- Refrigerate to keep the halwa afresh for 2-3 days.

Rice balls in sugar syrup

This recipe actually came as an idea, thinking of what I would do with the leftover idiappam / rice noodles flour and guess what?! it turned out to be a super duper hit among all, especially kids. Very very very simple recipe, yet yummy! This is how it goes..

Rice flour : 1/2 cup

Grated coconut :1/2 cup

Oil : to deep fry

Cardamom powder : a pinch if required

Sugar : 1 cup

Salt : 1/4 tspn

• Add salt to rice flour and mix well. Boil 1 cup water and pour onto the rice flour and knead the dough until it gets completely wet n sticky. 
• Put grated coconut to the dough and mix well with hand. 
• Keep aside to cool and keep inside the fridge for the flour to get firm.
• Now make tiny balls to the size of a white chick pea(vellakkadala) and keep aside.
• Pour oil to a tawa and once its hot, put the rice balls in it and deep fry until they turn golden brown and remove n place them on a tissue paper. 
• Make sugar syrup with a little water added to sugar along with cardamom powder, boil it by stirring continuously.
• Pour the syrup to the bowl containing fried balls to the level that it cover all rice balls. 
• Garnish with tiny slices of badam or pista and serve crisp. Store in fridge and use later in case there is anything left!
  

Note : You may even boil the water adding grated coconut and then add the rice flour mixed with salt and knead to make a smooth soft dough.

Rice Pudding / Kheer

Actually, my rice pudding recipe is something which was an accident-turned-yummy recipe! Once, when I overcooked rice and didn't know what to do out of the leftover, I tried this out to avoid wasting... This is a perfect sweet dish after lunch and also can be given to anyone and everyone cuz this is a darling recipe.. 

Ingredients :

Cooked white rice : 1 cup

Milk : 2 cups

Sugar : 1 cup

Fried cashews : 1/2 cup

Pista / Badam : 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder : 1/2 tspn

Sweetened condensed milk : 1/2 cup

Ghee : 3 tbspn

Salt : a pinch

Fresh / sweetened whipped cream : to garnish

• Take a bowl and pour ghee onto it. Put the cooked rice into it and saute for 2-3 minutes under medium flame.
• Take another bowl and pour milk along with sugar and boil under low flame until the milk reduces to 3/4th of its original content. Keep stirring occasionally.
• Add cardamom powder and then, a pinch of salt and mix well.
• Add the above rice mix to the bowl containing milk and cook covered under low flame to the consistency of your choice. A not too loose to thick consistency is ideal.
• Add condensed milk and stir well. Switch off the flame.
• Add fried cashews (and raisins if you wish) and stir well.
• Garnish the pudding with fresh cream and then, badam and pista over it. Rich isn't it?

- You may also make rice pudding with plain, overcooked basmati rice.

- If the rice is not overcooked, mash it and then saute in ghee.

- If the pudding is too thick, add more milk & required sugar to the consistency of your choice.

Kozhukkatta / Sweet Rice Balls

I am sure the subject line of today's post would've taken many of u to those good ol' days... kozhukkatta is one such recipe which brings about nostalgic memories off u... u start remembering ur school days, vacations, tea-time,etc.. ain't I right? This is a traditional Kerala dish and I remember, at our home, whenever kozhukkatta was made, we used to snatch as many no. as possible and would eat'em as if we've got the whole world in our hands! Hey guys, the recipe is simple actually.. All those who are away from your moms, don't worry.. try this out.. 

Ingredients : 

Rice flour : 2 cups

Grated jaggery : 2 cups

Grated coconut : 1 cup

Sugar : 1 tspn

Salt : 1/4 tspn

Cashew : 1 tbspn

Raisins : 1 tspn

Ghee : 1 tspn

Cardamom powder : 1 tspn

Cumin seeds : 1/2 tspn

Dried ginger powder (chukku) : 1/2 tspn

You can make the sweet mix for kozhukkatta in 4 different ways;

1. Grated coconut + grated jaggery
2. Grated coconut + grated jaggery + cumin seeds
3. Grated coconut + grated jaggery + cardamom powder
4. Grated coconut + grated jaggery + cardamom powder + chukku

Note : Adding one tspn of sugar along with each of these would be even better..  

I've listed all the ingredients required and you can opt for any of these sweet mixes.. I would make the 4th mix for u..alright? OK, lets start!

• Add salt to the rice flour and mix well. Boil water in a bowl. Once the water is hot, add the rice  flour to it and mix well. Keep aside to cool, make a fine dough without lumps, make small balls out of it as you do for ari pathiri. The consistency shouldn't be too loose or too hard. 
• Prepare the sweet mix with grated coconut, grated jaggery, cardamom powder and chukku and sprinkle a little water and mix thoroughly with hand. If required, you may add fried cashew n raisins along with the sweet mix for richness ;)!
• Place each ball on ur hand and flatten it to rounds, keep the sweet mix in middle and close the dough to form a perfect ball. Remember, do not add more amount of sweet mix into the flattened ball or else, it would break.  Also, try to cover the ball evenly spreading the dough everywhere equally after closing it. 
• Steam the balls in a idiappam(rice noodles) or idli cooker for about 10-15 minutes and keep aside to cool.

This is a perfect tea-time snack or can even be had for breakfast. Eat well n enjoy!!!

Plantain Ghee Roast

Hello friends!!!  HAPPY EASTER!!!

Trust u would be busy preparing for Easter and the holidays accompanying... hence, I thought a simple and tasty tea time snack wud be perfect at this occasion.. This can even be had as a sweet dish after lunch..So, definitely try this out n let me know! This wudn't take much of ur time too! 

Ingredients:

Ripe Plantains : 3 nos.

Ghee : 3 tbspns

Grated coconut : 1 cup

Cashews : 3 tbspns

Raisins : 1 tbspn

Sugar : 1 cup

Groundnut : 1/2 cup

• Take a heavy bottomed pan and pour ghee. When hot, fry cashews and raisins and remove once done.
• Peel off the skin from the plantains and slice them into about 1/2 inch pieces, put into the pan and saute until they get slightly roasted.
• Add grated coconut, sugar and saute until the sugar gets completely melted and mixed with the other ingredients. 
• Add more ghee if required for the dish to get softened. See to it that the plantain doesn't get mashed while sauting. 
• Coarsely grind the groundnut and sprinkle over the dish and saute for a minute and you're done! Jus as simple as that!!!

PS: Add more sugar if required to suit ur taste buds! 
kerala

Palada Pradhaman/ Rice Flakes pudding

Hello friends! what abt palada pradhaman today? This is one of my yummy favourites..a regular during onam season, a 10 day grand festival of Kerala. It has its origin in the land of Malabar, known for yummy food! A real rich pudding or pradhaman made of flakes of cooked rice, its a really tasty n an easy dish to prepare. Try it out n make ur guests n family wonder at ur culinary skills! :)

Ingredients : 

Rice ada (small flakes) : 200g

Milk : 2 litres

Condensed milk : 3 tbspn

Sugar : 200g

Water : 300ml

Ghee : 3 tbspn

Cashewnut : a handful

Raisin : half the amount of cashews (if required)

Chukku (dried ginger) : 1 inch piece

Cardamom powder : 1/4 tspn

• Cook ada; (not the big ones; they are better for the ada pradhaman made with jaggery) along with water in a pressure cooker until u get 3-4 whistles and keep aside to cool.
• Boil milk in a bowl or cooker along with 3/4th the amount of sugar under low flame for about less than an hour and ur done when the milk reduces in content to about 1 1/2 litres and changes to a creamy pink colour.
• Take a heavy bottomed pan and pour ghee to it; once hot, fry the cashews n raisins and drain it n keep aside. 
• Add cooked ada to the ghee and mix them very well for about 5 minutes. Add milk and stir thoroughly.
• Add condensed milk and cook for about 5 minutes more. Check taste and add sugar if less. Stir occasionally until you get a slightly thick consistency. It is better that you donot wait until the content gets reduced to a much thicker consistency since it will gradually get even thicker after cooking as time passes on (which is called pathrabhagham referred in Vermicelli Pudding / Semia payasam).
• Add cardamom powder and crushed dried ginger and stir well. Add the fried cashews and raisins. Switch off the flame; keep as such for about half an hour and then serve for the ultimate taste!

Note: Ada pradhaman is often mistaken for palada pradhaman, ada pradhaman is made of jaggery and coconut milk however, palada pradhaman is made as described above. 

 
Dont worry; moi will soon come up with ada pradhaman to get rid of ur tiny confusions!

Plantain Coconut Sweet / Unnakkai / Kaayada

This is a famous snack of the malabaris and keralites now, one of the most important snacks during the holy month of Ramadan. This is rich in coconut n plantain or ethakka which is high in Vitamin A n fibre. Plaintain is rich in solids and low in water content hence a must for kidsto give them energy.. contains egg too! If given in the form of Unnakkai, am sure they wud grab it.. :) Very easy n tasty rich snack indeed.

Ingredients :

Ripe Plantain: 3 large nos.

Grated coconut : 2 cups

Egg : 2

Ghee : 1 tbspn

Sugar : 1 tbspn or as required

Cardamom powder : 1 tspn

Cashew nuts : 1 tbspn

Raisins : a few if u like it..

Oil : 3 tbspn

• Steam plantains with a little water and allow it to cool. 
• Peel off, remove the black seeds in the middle, mash it very well with ur hands, without lumps, make small balls of it  and keep aside.
• Fry the cashews n raisins in ghee and remove them once done. 
• Add grated coconut n sugar into the ghee n keep on stirring under low flame to avoid getting stuck to bottom, until it turns golden brown. Check taste n add sugar if required.
• Scramble egg over it and mix very well. Add cardamom powder n stir it. 
• Add the fried cashews n raisins n switch off the flame. Keep aside to cool.
• Apply a little oil on ur palms, take a ball of plantain n press between ur palms to resemble a puri, stuff them with the coconut mix we prepared earlier. 
• Close ur hand by joining ends to give unnakkais the shape of ur closed hand. Join all edges so that while frying, it doesn't open up. Do the same with all the tiny plantain balls. 
• Heat oil in a pan n deep fry each of these until golden brown, under medium flame. Serve afresh! 

Tip: At times, it so happens that the steamed plantains doesn't have a stiffness and hence, it doesn't remain in its shape. But I add a little rice flour or all purpose flour along with it while mashing to get a thickness. And it comes out well!

Easy Peasy Semolina Sweet / Rava Kesari

Lets make something sweet today...this one is liked by all alike.. This one is actually a favourite of South Indians.. and my mom makes this much much better than me.. Yeah guys.. and hence, this recipe comes straight from her..Usually, I have seen that many of my frnds n relatives make this with water however, I am using milk instead. You may opt for any of these.

Ingredients:

Semolina / Rava /Sooji : 1 cup

Milk : 2 cups

Ghee : 1 cup

Sugar : 2 cups

Cashew : a handful

Golden raisins : a handful

Crushed cardamom : 1/2 tspn

Yellow powder & Orange powder

• Heat 1/2 a cup of ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and fry cashews n raisins n keep aside. 
• Fry rava in the same pan under low flame, stirring constantly until it turns slightly pinkish. Keep aside.
• Boil milk along with a small pinch of lemon n orange colour each mixed into it and add sugar and keep stirring occasionally. 
• Now, add the roasted rava slowly into the boiled milk and keep on stirring under low flame to avoid lumps. Allow it to cook. We require more amount of liquid content for the rava to get cooked. So, if you feel the milk is less, you may add more until it gets cooked or may add water instead. Check sweetness and add appropriately.
• Keep on stirring to avoid sticking to the bottom. Add ghee occasionally in small quantities until the rava starts coming off the sides of the pan.
• Sprinkle crushed cardamom and garnish with fried cashews n raisins.Serve hot or cold.

Vermicelli Pudding / Semia Payasam

Im sure almost all of us wud have had this at any point in our lives; be it birthday, festival or jus any day when u 'felt' like having Vermicelli pudding aka semia payasam. Actually, for Keralites, payasam means semia payasam. Its like THE brand name for payasams. That shows the popularity! 

Today is my mom-in-law's b'day and I made semia payasam.. Its usually her who makes payasam when its any of the family members' birthday. So, this one goes to her on behalf of all of us:)! 

Ingredients:

Vermicelli : 100g

Milk : 1 1/2 litre

Milk powder : 1 tbspn

Sweetened condensed milk : 1 tspn (to garnish)

Ghee : 50g

Sugar : 5 tbspn or as per preference

Cashew : a handful

Seedless golden raisins : 20-25 nos.

Crushed cardamom : 3 nos. 

Salt : a few drops / a pinch

We get plain n roasted vermicelli at supermarkets. If u have bought the roasted one, u just need to stir it with ghee to get them completely coated. I bought the plain one. Hence, those with plain vermicelli, follow me!

• Break the vermicelli into 1 inch pieces (better break it inside the cover itself cuz otherwise, it would be all over ur kitchen!). 
• Heat 3/4th of the ghee in a pan and fry cashews and raisins until slightly decoloured and remove them. 
• Put the vermicelli into it n roast them until golden in low flame stirring continuously n keep aside. 
• Pour the milk along with sugar into a bowl n bring to boil; under low flame. Also, add milk powder mixed in a little water, onto it. Actually, its advisable to boil it in a pressure cooker under low flame until 3 whistles.You will see that the milk has reduced in volume and has developed a slight pinkish colour and has become thicker. 
• Put the roasted vermicelli in milk and keep on stirring to avoid lumps. Now, cover n cook the vermicelli for about 15-20 minutes under low flame. Check sugar n add more if required.
• Add about 5-7 drops of salt or sprinkle a pinch so that u do not feel dizzy cuz of sweetness!
• Add the fried cashews n raisins. Add crushed cardamom n mix well. Pour the condensed milk over to garnish. Switch off the stove. 

However, I advise u to wait for about 20 minutes more before u serve payasam cuz there is something called 'paathrabhaagam' in malayalam which simply means keeping the payasam in the bowl for some more time since that would give it a much greater taste.

I would definitely like all my frnds to know one of my personal favourites; which is adding Tapioca Pearls/Chowwari/Sabodana (soaked in water and cooked) to milk (3rd step). This would make the payasam thicker n gives a different flavour. Try that too n let me know which one stole ur hearts! :)

Anyways, the semia payasam turned out well.. and I wud luv to knw how was urs! Take care!

Carrot Halwa / Gajar ka Halwa

Here comes one of the easiest and sweetest dishes rich in Vitamin A, thus good for eyes and a kiddo favourite too! Try this out!

Carrot : 1 kg

Sugar : 1/2 kg or as per ur preferences

Full Fat Milk : 1 litre

Ghee : 3 tbspn

Crushed cardamom : 5 nos.

Dry fruits (cashewnuts, raisins, badam, pista / almond) : 1 cup

Orange or red colour : if required

Condensed milk : 1 tbspn ( if required)

Are u ready? This is how we go; Clean the carrots, scratch off the skin and grate them. Take a heavy bottomed pan and pour 2 tbspn ghee into it. Add the carrots and saute it for about 2-3 minutes. Now add milk (mixed with a few drops of colour if required) and sugar and cook covered in low flame until the carrot gets cooked and the milk gets completely absorbed, making the mixture thick. Stir occasionally in order to avoid sticking to the bottom. Keep on adding ghee until the mix is not sticky or till the ghee separates. Add crushed cardamom and mix them well. Take another pan n pour the remaining ghee and fry the cashews n raisins and add to the halwa along with the ghee. U may also garnish it with grated badam, pistachios or almond.

Note : U may add condensed milk along with 1 litre milk if u donot have full fat milk or if ur towards the sweeter side. 
Indian