.....From My Palate

Ganesh Chaturthi

Shahi Phirni – Long time no see!

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No, I was not on sabbatical but it was indeed a long break. I do agree! The invisibility was not intentional, in fact the recipe I am posting was made and clicked long time back but enjoying the resting period in the draft. I don’t know its being busy or sheer laziness to blame or may be both! Either I was busy like a bee or a couch potato doing nothing productive. Ya, I know! 🙂

Now if i think back, in 2017 I balanced my life pretty well with work, family and myself. Wow! It was an achievement that I realized now while clicking my fingers on the keyboard. Yes! without feeling guilty I relaxed whenever get a chance by not worrying about home, chores and cooking. And i learnt you don’t have to be on toes and running around to have a spick and span home and life. Sometimes if cushions are not in place and sink is full of dishes and you have a project to finish… its alright to take a time off, relax your nerves and browse, talk on phone, read or as simple as watch TV.

Taking out time from daily life has become so difficult in this time. We are always running and trying hard to manage more than we can in 24 hours. Super man or woman are not just in stories now, each one of us are trying to be one in daily lives. Without thinking about the consequences, we are running on a fast pace to achieve all goals as soon as possible. We are so busy in working hard for what we wanted that we are not realizing what we a loosing in life.

We are becoming human robot, having same routine and lifestyle. We are so much in our comfort zone now, its getting difficult to think life out of it. The sad part is we are programming our coming generation in the same way. Our sensibilities are so busy we hardly get time to stop and appreciate what we have, what we do or simple our lives. Its not our fault, if we will stop to rest or any reason, we will be left behind. Yes! we are competing from the start until our last….! And if someone wanted to quit the race he will be tagged as quitter, no goals, wasting time or loser.

Who wanted to be a loser in life? Nobody!! So Run, Run fast as you can!
Sometimes I also feel like running along but I can’t cope up with pressure and stress. Its sad but i don’t have the super women syndrome. I wanted to stop and breathe, appreciate, look around and walk…Just walk!
My goals for life keeps on changing keeping in mind needs for my family and what makes me happy and at peace. I like talking to my son about my childhood, my parents and even about my grandmother. This is my way by telling him stories to make him aware of different aspects of life.
What he sees now is a life to compete and get success (financially) to get a good life. We taught are kids to be polite and use sorry and thank you in daily lives. But we are forgetting to tell them the need to feel sorry before saying sorry and saying thank you with a gratitude.
Saying thank you and sorry without looking in eyes, without feeling are just plain words. We are using them everywhere in elevators, cashing counters, stores, offices all around in day to day lives.

I think i will cut down this topic here and get back to the real life. In real life, things are busy, not perfect but life is good. I hope 2018 is good and happy for everyone so far! Its already March. I noticed little bulbs bulging out from the branches today. So, spring is near and i can’t wait for it. Weather was really confused and acting weird this season. But the good part is days are getting longer and brighter.

My recipe for today is not new but royally classic. Phirni is a classic dessert that is made on any festive or special occasion. It is a traditional milk based, creamy rice pudding that tastes best when served chilled in clay pots. After a rich food on any festive occasion, spoonful of chilled, creamy phirni makes the palate and the soul content and blissful.

Shahi Phirni
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 4 cups Milk (Full Cream)
  • 1/2 cup Rice
  • 1/3 cup Khoya
  • Few Saffron Strands soaked in warm milk
  • 1/2 cup Sugar ( increase according to taste)
  • 2 tsp. Ghee
  • Sliced Almonds and Pistachios
  • 1 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • 1 tsp. Rose Water
  • Rose petals and Silver Leaf for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Soak rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and grind in to coarse paste.
  2. Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan.
  3. Add coarse rice paste and cook it on low heat until the milk is thickened and reduced in quantity. (remember to stir it in between every now and then)
  4. Now add khoya, saffron milk and sugar and cook for another 5 minutes.
  5. Add cardamom powder and ghee. Mix it well.
  6. Always check the consistency for your likeness as it will thicken more once cooled.
  7. Mix nuts and rose water.
  8. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and serve chilled garnished with your choice.

Moong Dal Burfi

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What a beautiful morning today!
Its been raining since morning, freshly cut (thanks hubby dear) lush green grass outside all around, young light green leaves on the tree, swaying slightly here and there with the direction of the wind. The wind chime on the tree making a music soothing for ears. Small, colorful, bright red, blue and white bird houses hanging with the branches of the tree, playing hide and seek with me. I am enjoying the whole outside view (without cribbing of course!) and appreciating the beauty of nature. The tranquility outside giving a sense of peace inside me. Its amazing to realize, how time and unknot mind changes the perception for things around you. Yes! its a relaxed, chores can wait and being at home day for me. Sitting with my morning tea and looking outside with a relaxed mind and realizing that drops of water while coming down, create musical chords when touched the ground. The same nature that was there yesterday, day before yesterday or everyday with its different colors, mood and beauty amazes me today!. Its true! “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder”. You need an eye to appreciate things, without that the same beauty turns in to the beast and create chaos in the life.

Sometimes, we need to stop overstressing our mind, body and soul, take a pause and be thankful and appreciate things around us that we ignore in our day to day life. Appreciate and thankful are two beautiful words that can make any relationship stronger and happy. I am really thankful to the God, my parents, my family and friends for giving me love, care and concern in abundance so that I can return and share the same feelings with the world. I try my best to make my son understand that how important it is to earn love and care of people around you more than money and success. But the level of competition we are dealing with to survive in this time are diluting these words and giving tinge of artificiality in life.

Its time to cut the bitterness and appreciate the sweetness God has given us that we can relish with a thankful heart. Its not a secret anymore that how much I love sweets!! I truly believe that a piece of good sweet/dessert can instantly erase the bitterness, sadness or any negative feeling for some time. It is very important to have a piece of “sweetness” everyday in a life.

Moong dal halwa is a very popular winter delicacy in India. Its an important menu item in any winter weddings in north India. But another moong dal delicacy very popular for its earthy granular sweet taste is Moong Dal Burfi. Its real flavor comes with the amount of ghee and little effort that is required to make it. One need lot of patience and energy to cook dal in ghee on medium/low flame and stirring continuously until the kitchen is filled with the sweet aroma of cooked dal. This is hardest part else its a simple recipe. If you are on diet, savor a bite and enjoy the taste for rest of your life but do not try to make it without ghee. This sweet is for people who appreciate food in its organic recipe. I will rather eat little and enjoy the taste for longer than eat everyday with the twisted artificial recipe.
Regards,
Have a nice weekend.

 

Moong Dal Burfi
Recipe Type: Dessert/Sweet
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow Moong Dal, soaked in water for minimum of 3 hours
  • 1 cup Ghee
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 cup Khoya, grated or crumbled
  • 1/4 tsp. Green Cardamom Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Rose Water
  • Silvered Pistachios and Vark for garnishing
  • Few strands of saffron or drops of yellow color
Instructions
  1. Grind dal coarsely using very little water.
  2. In a non stick pan, mix the ghee and dal, and cook until dal becomes dark in color and the fat separates.
  3. Remove pan from stove and add khoya, cardamom powder and mix it well,
  4. In another pan make a sugar syrup. Mix saffron or yellow color, rose water and dal mixture in the syrup.
  5. Mix it vigorously and cook until till it becomes sticky and ready to set for burfi.
  6. Transfer the mixture in the greased tray, spread it evenly and garnish with vrak and silvered pistachios. Keep it aside.
  7. When it cool and set, cut it in to squares and serve.

Chawal Ki Kheer – Synonym For Prosperity

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Om Shri Ganeshaya Namaha
Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous new year. May God bless you and your loved ones with all the happiness, good health and success in life.
New year brings hope, energy, motivation and much more… In a first few weeks the adrenaline rush is so intense that it feels like its new you! All resolutions are bound to fail but still there are few on list before every new year’s eve. My all time favorite is having a healthy, active life and organized home. The mission is to have a balanced lifestyle for my own sanity and less yelling and chaos at home. And I must admit first month is always like living in a heaven. My home is so clean and organized that you can eat in my bathrooms. Things are easier that way if it just home or work but we live in a society and should follow few rules. Going out with friends or going for shopping, partying late, vacations, guests, sitting and enjoying social media with a cup of tea, telephone conversations with friends or family, or just feeling lazy…these are my “few” sinful temptations that I cannot say no to them. Sometimes I do compromise on my beauty sleep to have more hours in my life so that I can balance home, family, friends, and my own time. But before spring things are always out of control, yelling and chaos at home, always cooking in the nick of time and cleaning of bathrooms are always required before any unexpected guests.

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But as the months passes by, there are so many memories that we create between this chaos with my family and friends. The stranger becomes the part of the family at the end of the year, there are more happy pictures and funny interesting stories to share with the world. Celebrating good times and festivals together, and most importantly I have people around who care for me and I can count on them.
Life has ups and downs, bad times passes by but what we cherished and remains in our memories are the good times we spent with our loved ones. I am still looking for a balance in my life but will not compromise on adding these cherished memories in my life.
Moving on to the first recipe of 2017. This is the evergreen classic dessert.

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In our tradition ‘Rice” is a symbol of auspiciousness and prosperity. We use rice in all the pujas, havans, different ceremonies and rituals. During weddings the use of rice to bless the couple or the family with the prosperous life signifies its importance in our life. Rice is the first grain that we give our child as a first solid food. Rice is a staple diet in India. During month of Shravan and on Poornima cooking and sharing chawal ki kheer is very sacred and favorable. I know they sound more like the old delights and its hard to charm our new generation with these talks but I believe sharing and caring is never old.

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To celebrate the festivity on new year I am sharing the recipe of the classic dessert “Chawal Ki Kheer” as a symbol to start the new year with the auspiciousness and prosperity. This is the one of the holy dessert that is served and represent festivity.

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Chawal Ki Kheer –
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 2 L Milk (Whole milk preferably)
  • 1/2 cup Rice, washed and soaked
  • 3/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • 2 tbsp. warm Milk with crushed saffron
  • 1 tbsp. Ghee
  • 1/2 tsp. Rose water
  • 2 tbsp. shredded Coconut
  • 2 tbsp. Raisins
  • Sliced Almonds and Pistachios
  • Chandi ka varak and dried rose petals optional
Instructions
  1. Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan.
  2. Add rice and cook until the rice is soft and the milk is reduced and creamy on low flame.
  3. Keep on stirring regularly to ensure no burning and sticking rice at the bottom of the pan.
  4. When the rice are floating on top and soft add sugar, saffron infused milk, coconut, raisins and half of almonds and pistachios.
  5. Now add ghee and mix the kheer vigorously to emulsify the milk, ghee and rice.
  6. Cook it until your desired consistency. I prefer creamy and partially thicker.
  7. At the end add cardamom powder and rose water.
  8. Mix it and keep it aside to cool down.
  9. Serve hot or chilled with garnishing.

Nariyal Ki Barfi – Celebrating Krishan Chatti

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We celebrated Krishanashtami or Janamashtami with all love, devotion and fondness for God Krishna showing great enthusiasm on his birthday.
He is popular and most loved Indian God all over the world. He is the only God whose childhood we can relate to and become part of it. I knew people who take care of Krishna’s childhood idol as a child, giving Him bath and changing clothes every day. They even serve Him food thrice a day like we take care of our own child. In today’s busy generation, it needs lot of discipline and compassion in heart to take care of an idol, who demands nothing but still you cannot ignore His presence and take care of Him like a child. I really appreciate their devotion and love for the God. Coming back to Janamashtami celebration, this is the day for any gourmand to enjoy all kinds of delicacies cooked and offer to Lord Krishna on His birthday. I remember my Mom cooking at least 5 or 6 types of sweets, kheer and phalahar food with many curries to celebrate this occasion. I wish someday I can blog the sweets she makes on Janamashtami. Instead of barfi we used to call it panjiris and my favorite was and still is Nariyal barfi.

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I am a total believer of all the rituals and traditions in our culture. Not being superstitious of doing things in details that are not important, I believe in celebrating festivals and occasions for happiness and association with friends and family. I don’t do things in deep details but try to mark the occasion with things I can do conveniently with a sense of freedom and devotion. Whatever we do on the name of God on any occasion or festival, comes back to our family and friends as “Prasad” to us. Its just the name but in reality we are doing things for ourselves and it help us connecting to people around us. I believe all the rituals have their own significance but due to the changing society we are loosing their gravity in the present times. And it makes sense as we are developed and equipped than horse and buggy days but what is alarming to me is the connection of our younger generation with our tradition and roots.

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I can go and ramble much longer on this topic but now its time to talk about the 6th day after the birth of Lord Krishna’s celebration known as “Chatti” or “Shashti” utsav. This ceremony is performed on the sixth day (or within a week after sixth day) after the birth of the child. This is the first ceremony that is performed in the family to celebrate the arrival of child. Bua (father’s sister) performs puja for the mother and the child. Exchange of gifts and laughter completes the festivity of the day. Kadhi Chawal has some significance and it is a must dish to be cooked and served on the occasion.

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I never seen my mom doing this chatti utsav back home while growing up but have seen this ceremony commonly after the birth of the child. Chatti is a synonym to kadhi chawal and one can relate the day with this feast. After I got married I heard about Krishna chatti from my Maasi (Mom’s sister). I was intrigued and convinced due to the chance of eating something savory after all the sweets binging on Janmashtami.

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I celebrated 6th day after the birth of lord Krishna and offered kadhi chawal, one sweet and his favorite malai mishri. And the same comes back to us as a Prasad that we call “The Feast”.

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Nariyal Ki Barfi – Celebrating Krishna Chatti
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 3 cups Desiccated Coconut
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 2 cups Khoya, grated
  • Yellow Color
  • 1 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • Few Strands Saffron
  • Silvered Pistachios for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Grease a square pan with ghee and keep aside.
  2. Mix khoya and water in a pan and cook on low flame until it thickens and with no lumps.
  3. Add sugar, mix it and cook for another 7-8 minutes on low flame.
  4. Mix yellow color, cardamom powder and crushed saffron.
  5. Check if the mixture is sticky and thicker in consistency.
  6. Now add coconut, mix it well and switch off the flame.
  7. Pour the mixture on the greased pan and spread evenly.
  8. Garnish with pistachios slices.
  9. Cover it with parchment paper, press it lightly for smooth texture.
  10. Let it set for 3-4 hours.
  11. Cut it in to square pieces and serve

Motichoor Ladoo

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I wanted to share a classic sweet recipe in the blog before Raksha Bandhan. But sometimes things become so out of control that time flies in front of your eyes and you just sit and watch it sliding away in helpless horror. Well, in simpler words people call it ” just lazy”. Yes! I was in that state for a while watching time flying away and sitting in denial on the couch thinking and planning about recipes. No matter how much I like cooking but there are times when it doesn’t feel the same. Sometimes you struggle to cook everyday meal for the family. Thank God! for take outs for such days. I realized there are some negative effects of being a “i like cooking Mom”. The family is so used to home cooked food they eschew outside food and expects anything cooked at home. Well, that’s what companionship is all about. Hubby dear, comes in handy on such days with his expertise and cooking repertoire.
In fact i was thinking about sharing his skills too in this podium. May be soon….

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Few weeks back my mom asked my son if there is anything he wanted to have from India. Taking few minutes in thinking he had two things in the list. Motichoor Ladoo and Kaju katli.
That makes me realized I make all these fancy desserts and sweets but here my son craving for shudh desi Mithais. I keep a mum all this time but on the day of RakshaBandhan I decided to surprise my son with one of his favorites (for now, sure not for long). My little vacation helps me to take the task with all joy and excitement. With little research, it was a piece of cake. There are some techniques and patience that makes the recipe easy and delicious.

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Motichoor is one of the famous and popular sweet in India. Festivals, weddings any occasion, ladoos mere presence makes it celebratory and special. For me their color itself is so warm and cheerful that can perk up any occasion or a party. I prefer motichoor over bondi ladoo. But that doesn’t make boondi ladoos any less.

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I like to share some of my researched tips for better results.
I prefer frying boondis in desi ghee for extra taste and texture. It makes lot of difference in taste. The batter should be of pouring consistency and its always good to try it before frying on perforated spoon. If its not dropping well mix little more water and try again. Fry boondis on medium flame not more than minute and half. Add boondis in warm syrup always. If the boondis are not small for motichoor pulse it once in a blender.

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Motichoor Ladoo
Recipe Type: Sweet/Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Besan (Gram Flour)
  • 2 tbsp. Sooji (Semolina) fine
  • 1 tbsp. Desi Ghee
  • Orange Color – according to preference
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • 1 tsp. Rose Water
  • 3/4 Cup Melon Seeds, roasted
  • Silvered Pistachios for garnishing
  • Ghee/Oil to deep fey
Instructions
  1. Seive the besan and add sooji, ghee and color.
  2. Make a thin batter adding water in besan in pouring consistency.
  3. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.
  4. Heat sufficient ghee/oil in a skillet.
  5. Cook suger with 1 cup of water and lemon juice to make syrup of one thread consistency.
  6. Add cardamom powder, pinch of color, rose water in the syrup and keep aside.
  7. Make boondis with the help of holding fine perforated spoon over the ghee.
  8. Pour batter little by little at a time.
  9. Fry boondis around 50-60 seconds on medium heat.
  10. Warm the sugar syrup and add boondis and melon seeds.
  11. Mix it well and keep aside for few minutes.
  12. Make ladoos and garnish with pistachios.
  13. Celebrate and enjoy the festive time!

Lauki Ka Halwa

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Wow, we are already in the last week of winter. Winter has been really blessed and mild this year. Cannot complain!… but still looking forward to welcome spring this weekend. Crisp mornings, fresh green grass, tulips and daffodils peeking out of the soil, birds chirping around.. can’t wait to see mother nature back to life. There are three festivals lined up to celebrate other than spring. St Patrick’s day is on 17th this week. It is the time of the year when all green recipes are out and everywhere around blog-sphere.

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My recipe dedicated to this green day is thick confection of bottle gourd sweetened with sugar and make it more richer in taste with khoya and nuts. The light green color of gourd is enhanced with the food color that is purely optional. Lauki ka halwa is popular as a fasting sweet, when grain are not allowed to eat while fasting like Shivratri, Krishnaastami and Navratris.

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Besides its beautiful green color this dish tastes delicious, hydrates and gives instant energy to the body while fasting. The texture of the halwa is little crunchy and tastes delightful with coconut and other nuts.

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Lauki Ka Halwa
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Lauki (bottle gourd), grated and boiled
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 3 tbsp. Ghee
  • 1/2 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • 1 cup Khoya, grated
  • Silvered Pistachios and Almond
  • 1/2 cup Coconut, grated
  • Few drops Kewra Water
  • Green color (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy-bottom pan.
  2. Add lauki and saute for 7-8 minutes.
  3. Add Sugar and green color.
  4. Saute the mixture while stirring continuously until all the moisture evaporates.
  5. Now add khoya, cardamom powder, coconut and dry fruits.
  6. Add 1 tbsp. of ghee and cook it few more minutes.
  7. Add kewra water, mix it well.
  8. Serve hot or cold garnished with almond and pistachios.

Aate Aur Til Ki Burfi

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A very Happy New Year to all!
Wishing you all, the happiness and blessings in 2016.
New year is there and we are almost in the last week of January. I know, time really flies! I still remember going to my Nani’s home with my mother during my vacations. I used to love all the fun and attention I get there but I was more excited to get a box of my favorite sweet freshly made by my Nani. Simple, really delicious, with a hue of sexy brown color and garnished with dried coconut flakes, my favorite Aate Ki Burfi. It has become so much part of me that my visit to my nani’s home is incomplete without it. I don”t want to publish my age around here but still after so many years its taste and aroma is still fresh in my palate and soul.
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While browsing around I saw a recipe on a YouTube channel of my favorite blogger Nishamadhulika, Aata til Burfi. It refreshed the memory of my childhood and I tried the recipe with little tweaks here and there suited to our taste and voila! Perfect Sweet for my palate!
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Aate Aur Til Ki Burfi
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup safed Til (Sesame Seeds)
  • 1 cup Aata (Whole Wheat Flour)
  • 1/2 cup Khoya, grated and roasted
  • 3 tbsp. Ghee
  • 1 1/2 cups Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Water
  • 1/2 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • Pinch of Saffron
  • Sliced Pistachios for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Roast sesame seeds until little puffy and slight golden in color.
  2. Grind it coarsely and keep it aside,
  3. Roast aata with ghee on low flame until it becomes light brown in color.
  4. It releases good aroma when its done.
  5. Mix sugar and water and make sugar syrup with one thread consistency.
  6. Now add roasted flour, til, khoya, cardamom powder and saffron.
  7. Mix it well and cook until it thick enough to set.
  8. Spread the mixture in a greased plate and garnished with sliced pistachios.
  9. Cut it in small pieces and serve.

 

Kesar Layered Burfi

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Festival season is in full swing and so is the mood to enjoy and celebrate our culture and traditions. Karwachauth is tomorrow and Diwali in just two weeks. In our culture no matter how health conscious we are, but no festivity is complete with out sweets. Sweet is the integral part of our hospitality and festivals. But in the times when the outside sweets are laden with synthetic khoya and unhealthy additives its hard to maintain this tradition. Thanks to the technology, with the little work and google:-), easy to make, simple and elegant sweets are possible freshly made at home.
Today i am sharing recipe for elegant 2 layered burfi. With little patience its easy to make and has all the deliciousness to make the day special.

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Kesar Layered Burfi
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • Plain Burfi
  • 2 cups Khoya, grated at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup Boora or Powdered Sugar (adjust accordingly)
  • 1/2 tsp. Cardamom powder
  • Few drops Gulab or Kewra essence (optional)
  • Kesar Burfi
  • 1 1/2 cup Khoya, grated at room temperature
  • 5 tbsp. Boora or Powdered Sugar (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp of Saffron crushed and soak in tbsp of warm milk
  • Silvered Pistachios and Almond for garnishing
  • Few drops Gulab or Kewra essence (optional)
Instructions
  1. Grease the tray to set the burfi.
  2. Heat non-stick pan and roast khoya, boora or sugar, cardamom powder and essence.
  3. Roast until the mixture is light pink in color, thickens and start to leave the sides of the pan.
  4. The mixture should be consistency of soft lump.
  5. Spread it evenly on greased tray and let it cool.
  6. For the kesar burfi again heat non-stick pan and roast khoya, boora or sugar, saffron and essence.
  7. Cook it until the desired consistency as above.
  8. Spread the kesar mixture on top of the plain burfi.
  9. Spread it evenly with the help of greased parchment paper.
  10. Garnished with nuts and set aside to cool.
  11. Cut in to desired shape and serve.

Khajoor Mewa Roll

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Gifts, new clothes, mithais and lot of happiness and exuberance around….yes! that’s what festivals gives us while breaking the monotony of work and busy life. If festivals are not there our lives will be like robots with no emotions and feelings to share with family and friends. Festivals are regular days, just an excuse to rejoice and spend special time with loved ones. These are the days to break rules, diets and enmity whereas strengthens the bonds of love and responsibilities for each other. One such day to celebrate the emotional bonding between brothers and sisters is around the corner. A very very Happy Raksha Bandhan to all of you in advance.
I wanted to dedicate this post to my brother. Happy Raksha Bandhan Bhai!

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Any festival is incomplete without sweet. And in the time of healthy, sugar-less sweets, this sweet will be a perfect treat for a health conscious, exercise freak, brother. This roll is like an energy bar with dates and nuts. Khajoor rolls are not new to me, my friend in UK introduced this recipe to me almost 8 years back. This is a quick recipe with hardly any work and looks delicious.
What will be a more healthier way to celebrate “bond of love” ? Be ready with an extra box to pack this yummy treat for your brother.

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Khajoor Mewa Roll
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Khajoor (Dates), pitted & chopped
  • 1 cup mixed Dry Fruits, toasted & chopped
  • 1 tsp. Desi Ghee
  • 1/2 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • Few drops Rose Essence (optional)
  • Shredded coconut for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Heat ghee in a nonstick pan. Add khajoor.
  2. Cook khajoor while mixing it well.
  3. Cook until they are soft.
  4. Mix dry fruits, cardamom powder and rose essence.
  5. Mix it well and let it cool for sometime.
  6. Roll the mixture into a thick log.
  7. Roll it on shredded coconut and wrap it tightly in cling film.
  8. Refrigerate it until firm.
  9. Cut it in to slices and serve.

Mishti Doi

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There are few things that seems to be so easy to do but the results are not always that good. Today we are talking about the dessert, that not only tastes delicious but the name also sounds really sweet. Mishti Doi means Meetha Dahi. It is the most popular dessert in Bengali cuisine other than Rasgulla. Mishti doi is a sweet yogurt that tastes so heavenly good and its probiotic nature is good for digestion too. The recipe sounds really simple like, setting a yogurt but my mind is always anxious for the result. I already experienced the disaster one time and that gives me nightmares even now ….. Yep! Sometimes simple things makes you realize the art of cooking. But this time I came out of this nightmare with flying colors. It not only looks authentically delicious but also tastes divinely blissful.

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Traditional way of serving Mishti Doi are in earthen pots, that soak up all the water and gives the thick rich taste to yogurt. After eating rich festival food, a small pot of Mishti doi is refreshing for the palate and the tummy too.

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There are many recipes to make Mishti Doi. This is the most basic recipe. Now,  in the time of fusion food, one can add different flavors and served with fruits and different toppings.

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Mishti Doi
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 1 liter Milk
  • 1 can Condensed Milk
  • 1 tbsp. Unsweetened Yogurt
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Essence
  • Saffron threads
  • Silvered Pistachios for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and reduce it to half.
  2. Let the milk cool down for some time.
  3. When its cool enough that one can put finger in the milk add condensed milk and vanilla essence.
  4. Mix it well.
  5. Now mix in the yogurt and pour it into an earthen pot.
  6. Garnish it with saffron and pistachios and leave it overnight.
  7. Once set, refrigerate it for a couple of hours and serve chilled.