Gajjar Ka Halwa

This is an all time favorite in my house during the winter months


Ingredients :

Gajjar : 1.5 Kg

Milk : 250 ml or (100 gms khoya and 75 ml milk)          
Ghee: 200 grms
Sugar : 250 grms
Cardamom : 5-6
Cashew Nuts : 100 grms
Almond :   100 grms


Preparation :

Grate the gajjar and keep aside take a thick bottomed pan and heat the ghee in it, and saute the gajjar once it is sauteed well add the milk (milk & khoya) and let it cook till done once the milk evaporates add the sugar
and powdered cardamom to it mix well till the sugar dissolves completely and then garnish it with fried cashew and almonds. Serve this hot or cold and can be eaten along with roti as well.

Naam Kadi / Shakar paara

This is one of the easiest of sweets and can hardly go wrong and can be stored for at least a week or two.

Ingredients :

Maida (All purpose flour) : 1 kg                  
Salt : 1 tsp

Ghee : For frying                                    
Sugar : 300 gms
Cardamom : powdered 1/2 tsp
Rice flour : 3-4 tbs



Preparation :

Knead the flour with salt and water and let it rest for 45 mins then roll them into sets of three make a paste of the rice flour and ghee and spread it on the rolled dough and layer them one on top of the other roll this and cut them and roll these and cut into diamond or square shapes and fry in ghee till they are crispy. Make a mixture of powdered sugar and cardamom powder and sprinkle on the crispy biscuits while hot. Cool it and store them in a dry place.

Besan & Coconut Ladoo

Diwali or any other festival is incomplete without sweets of different varieties and in huge quantities. This is one of the easiest receipies


Ingredients :

Gram flour (Besan) : 500 gms
Desiccated Coconut : 150 gms
Ghee : 150 to 200 gms
Sugar : 200 gms
Salt : 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder : 1/2 tsp
Dry Fruits : Cashew nuts, Raisins, Almonds diced and roasted in ghee

Preparation:

Heat ghee and then add the gram flour to it and roast it till it losses the raw smell, to this add the desiccated coconut and mix well keep stirring the mixture so that it does not burn and then add the sugar, salt & cardamom powder and mix well till it comes to a thick consistency now add the dry fruits and mix well. Let it cool for some time and then make them into golf sized balls another option is to spread the mixture evenly onto baking trays and cut them into diamond or square shapes and let it cool.

Adarsam

This is a recipe for Adarsam which is a must for Diwali and is specially made for the Diwali nombu
                             

 Ingredients:

1 Kg rice
3/4 Kg Jaggery
10 gms Dry Ginger powder (Sonti)
10 gms Aniseed powder (Somp)
Oil/Ghee for frying

 Preparation:

Soak rice for 3 hrs in water drain water completely and and dry it for 10 mins on a cotton cloth so that the excess water is absorbed. Grind the rice to a fine powder and keep it a aside. Heat jaggery with about 4 tbs of water and boil it till it comes to a two string consistence add the Ginger & Aniseed powder and mix well start adding the rice flour in small measures and keep stirring the mixture so that there are no lumps, the flame should be less when adding the flour and keep repeating this process till the rice flour is added completely to the jaggery mix once done take off the heat and keep stirring so that the lumps do not form. Pour some oil on the top once the mixture is done.


Make small flat rounds of the dough and fry in oil or ghee once golden brown remove and drain the oil off.