Seven-cups burfi

Happy Diwali to all. Diwali -the festival of light, the day to get indulged in sweet and what better to enjoy the rich taste of Seven cup burfi. Why seven cup burfi? Because its easy to make and rich in taste, a combination any mother would prefer. The name Seven cups derive from the 7 cups of ingredients that are used to make this burfi. Try it, you will love it !!!

Ingredients:

One cup besan powder

One cup whole milk

One cup ghee

One cup coconut powder

Three cups sugar

Few cardamom powder

Method:

Mix above ingredients in a non stick pan and bring them to a boiling point. Meanwhile greese (with ghee) a flat steel plate. Keep stirring the ingredients to make sure it doesn't get burnt. Keep stiring unitl you see the mixture form one sticky lump. Remove from fire and pour the mixture on the steel plate. Allow it to cool down before cutting it into your desired shape. Burfi is ready to eat after it cools down.

Helpful hints: The tricky part of this recipe is to know when to stop and pour it onto the steel plate. If you remove it from fire too soon, the burfi will become like halwa. If you remove it from fire too late, the burfi will be hard like a stone. My helpful hint here is to tilt the pan and notice if the hot mixture doesn't stick to the pan when you tilt. If it doesn't then its done.

Home made Paneer

Paneer is the most common South Asian cheese which is made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice. Unlike most cheeses in the world, the making of paneer does not involve rennet(which may be derived from animal, plant, fungal, and microbial sources) as the coagulation agent. Paneer is completely lacto-vegetarian and a great source of protein for vegetarians and brings out a great rich taste in North Indian curries. Infact most of the North Indian curries are conpletely paneer based like Paneer mutter, Butter paneer masala, Palak paneer and many more.


Ingredients:
One gallon regular milk
Half a cup of lemon juice (fill the other half with regular water and make it a one cup juice)

Preparation:

To prepare paneer, food acid (usually lemon juice, vinegar, citric acid or yogurt) is added to hot milk to separate the curds from the whey. The curds are then drained in a muslin cloth or cheesecloth and excess water is pressed out. Place the curds in the muslin cloth on a flat plate and place a heavy container on top of it. The purpose is to squeeze whey out of the curd. Leave the container on top of the curd for two hours.

After two hours, remove the cheese from the muslin cloth. Cut the paneer to the desired shape ( usually cut in cube for Indian dishes). I roast the paneer before freezing them. For roasting: place the panner cubes on hot greased (I use ghee) tava and roast it the golden brown on all sides. Add paneer to your curries right from your refregerator -home made paneer :)you can be sure of its freshness.

Helpful hints: DO NOT squeeze water out of the curd by force. The purpose is to get water slowly and steadily not instantly. I use lemon juice ONLY and not any other food acid. I was told that paneer doesn't taste well if vinegar / curd is used. If you want masala paneer then add masuri methi, jeera powder and little bit of garam masala to the boiling milk before adding lemon juice.

Benne Biscuit

Benne (means butter in Kannada language) biscuit is one of the infamous cookies hail from the bakeries of India. These cookies just melt in your mouth like a butter would, and thus the name butter biscuit. As you observe the ingredients below, this recipe does not use butter at all. There are many recipes out there using Margarine / Dalda instead of ghee. I am trying the recipe given by a friend and loved the way she has done it. Those cookies melted in my mouth and wish I could say the same with mine. This was my first try and definately lot to learn.

Ingredients:

1 cup maida / unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 ghee

1/2 cup powdered sugar

pinch of cardamom powder

1 spoon baking soda

Method: Freeze ghee for one hour. Once forzen, scoop out and and place it on a mixing bowl. Start the long process of rubbing the frozen ghee with your palm. Freezon ghee starts to melt in to a white foam like liquid. Once every inch of the frozen ghee is melted add powdered sugar. Mix it well again with your palm. Once sugar dissolves, add cardamom powder, maida and baking soda and mix them to form a dough.

Pre heat oven to 350 F. Scoop a spoonful of dough on to your palm and roll them to form a perfect ball. Pat the balls before placing it on the cookie sheet. Bake them for 10 -13 minutes. Cool them before indulging on a ride of butterly meltdown.

Antinunde (Karadantu / Ghum ke ladoo)

Antinunde( Antu means gum; unde means ladoo in Kannada language) ranks top in the ladoo category with my family. The edible gum used in this dish has many health benefits; it is said that these gum promotes strong back bones. My mother made these when I delivered my daughter and my son after two years. She kept saying it will help my bones strong and I beleive her. What I like about these laboos are they are packed with protein (nuts), iron (dates) and jaggery (the lesser evil of sugar). I call it a protein bar that is heavenly in taste.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped cashew

1 cup chopped Almonds

1 cup chopped dried dates

1 cup dried grapes

1/4 cup antu (edible gum)

1/2 cup dried shredded coconut

2 tbsp kuskus

Ghee

Jaggery

Method: In a pan roast seperately all the ingredients about except Jaggery putting little ghee. Start with cashew. Once it turns reddish, transfer it to a mixing bowl. Next roast almond adding little ghee. Transfer it to the mixing bowl and mix well with cashew. Follow the same procedure for edible gum, dates, dired grapes, coconut and kuskus. Once all the ingredients are roasted, mix them well in the mixing bowl. The next and the most important step is to make Jaggery paka (Syrup). Paka is the method breaking jaggery into fine powder and boiling it to a thick form by adding little bit of water.

Once paka is ready, pour it hot on the roasted ingredients. Mix it well with a spatula. Allow it to cool a little bit before making ladoo. You can prepare Ladoo in the size you like. You can keep these Ladoos in an airtight container. These Ladoos are ok to eat till one month from prepare.

Helpful hints: Keep stiring the nuts while roasting. Don't burn them. Edible gum blow big when fried in ghee. You can break them into smaller pieces if you don't want when stuck in your teeth while eating. Always use dried coconut and not fresh coconut. Don't make thick jaggery syrup or else these ladoo will turn into hard to eat balls.

Cereal Mix (Indian style)

I first got to taste Cereal Mix at a friend's place. I loved the idea and the taste. This Cereal Mix makes a perfect snack with afternoon coffee / Tea, perfect for anytime snack munch between lunch and dinner, perfect for those who doesn't want to indulge in deep-fry snacks, perfect for kids who doesn't want to eat wholesomeness of cereal and perfect for people like me who wants a quick and easy treat. Try it and I hope you will like it ...

Ingredients:

One cup corn flakes ceral

One cup toasted corn cereal ( chex style)

One cup toasted wheat cereal ( chex style)

One cup toasted whole grain oat (Cherrios)

Half cup peanuts

1/4 cup dried grapes

one tsp Turmeric powder

red dried chilly powder (upon your taste)

1/2 spoon garam masala powder

Oil

sugar

salt

1/2 tsp Urad dal, Chhana dal, Mustard and curry leaves for seasoning

Method:

In a big non stick pan add 3 tbsp oil (as much or as little depending upon your diet). When the oil is hot, add urad dal, chhana dal, mustard seeds, peanuts, curry leaves and fry them until urad dal truns orange. Add dried grapes, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and garam masala powder. Give it a good stir before adding all the cereal mix. On a medium falme, keep stiring the mix. Add salt and 1/2 tsp of sugar and mix well. Make sure every piece of cereal is covered with seasoning. Turn off the gas once cereal is hot and well mixed. Allow the mix to cool down before transferring them to a sealed container. Enjoy !!!

I want to add puffed rice, and some prezels in my next try.

Helpful hints : Very less salt is requires since those cereal already have some amount of salt in it to begin with. I buy walmart brand cereal (great value brand). Make sure those cereal are not coated with sugar or any other flavor. Adding more oil makes it more tasty and crunchy if you want to sacrifies on calories intake.

Vandelaga tambali

Vandelaga leaves (botanical name: Centella Asiatica) which are also called Brahmi in Sanskrit are known to have some medical benefits. This is used as a leafy green in south Indian cuisine. Tambali is yogurt based gravy and, I whip it up quite often as it is a convenient option for a light and healthy meal. Tambli can be prepared with palak, methi seeds , onion, and many more leafy veggies. Tambli is usually had with white rice or can be consumed alone just like masala buttermilk.


Ingredients:

1 cup Vandelaga(brahmi) leaves
4 cups butter milk or one cup curd
4-5 green chillies or 7 black pepper
1 tspn cumin seeds
pinch of hing
curry leaves, mustard seeds, urad and channa dal for seasoning
Salt

Method:

In a non stick pan, add little oil and add cumin seeds and green chillies or black pepper. When cumin starts to slit, add the chopped vandelaga leaves. Saute them until those leaves soften. Turn the the gas and allow it to cool. Now grind it along with buttermilk or curd as needed. The consistency is liquidy (like rasam). DO NOT HEAT.

Seaon it with mustard, curry leaves, cumin, hing, urad and channa dal. I have added Majjige menasu in the season. It is optional.


Helpful Hints: Do not heat once grinded. You can add fresh coconut while grinding to bring out rich taste to tambli. Make tambli as thick or light as you want.

Kaju Burfi

Kaju (Cashew) Burfi is one the most easiest , quickest dessert ever without compromising on taste for sure :). Usually these burfis' are decorated with edible silver foil. I have substituted silver foil with cake sprinkes here. Just follow the recipe and you will not go wrong on this.

Ingredients:

One 1/2 cup of powdered cashews
One cup powdered sugar
half cup instant non fat milk powder
1/8 tps of cardamom powder
2 tbsp water

In a double boiler (when top vessel is hot) add powdered sugar, non fat milk powder and continuously stir it. The purpose here is to heat the sugar and milk powder evenly with out burning it. When its warm and little hot transfer it to a mixing bowl, add powdered cashews, cardamom powder and 2 tbsp water. Knead it with your hand (like how you would do it for chapati). Have lot of patience while kneading. Its going to take some time before it forms a dough.

Take a rolling pin (apply little ghee to it so that the dough doesn't stick to the pin). Roll it to your desired thickness. Cut it into your desired shape. Apply silver foil or any other decoration (in my case cake sprinklers). Kaju Burfi is ready!!!

Helpful Hints: I have tried this recipe with powdering the sugar that I have at home in a mixer. It came out too sweet and there was a little crunchy texture. DO NOT powder the sugar at home. Always buy powdered sugar (also known as confectioner's sugar or icing sugar) available at grocery stores. DO NOT add lot of water ... it will spoil the whole recipe. Don't soak and grind cashews. Don't roast the cashews. I have powdered the cashews in a mixer to a smooth powder.