Kaju Katli

                                          Kaju Katli

    One of the easiest sweets to make and requires less ingredients. An expensive sweet, as it is usually called, can be made at home with in a cost effective way.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Cashews - 1 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

water - 1/4 cup

Cardamon - 2 pods finely pounded

Milk Powder - 2 tablespoons (optional)

Ghee - 2 teaspoons (for greasing)

 

 Method:

1.  Dry roast the cashews without browning it and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Pulse grind the cashews in a mixie jar to a fine powder and keep it aside.
3. Place a pan over the stove on a high flame. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of water, cardamon and mix it well.
4. Boil the sugar till it attains 1 string consistency.
5. Now add the cashew powder and mix it thoroughly without any lumps, in this stage you can add milk powder and give it a thorough mix.
6. Keep on stirring till rainwater-like bubbles appear on it (when rainwater touches the ground)
7. When the mixture leaves the side of the sides of the pan, pour it into a greased plate and let it cool.
8. Cut it into diamond shape before it cools down.
9. Store it in an air-tight container.

 

 

 Note:

1. Kaju Katli stays well for 10 days.
   

Rasgulla

                                      Rasgulla

     When I was 8 years old, my uncle Jayprakash, bought me rasgullas. Its unique texture, sponginess and  juicy taste made me instantly like it. It remains my favorite even today. So, here I am posting its recipe.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Full Cream Milk - 1 litre

Lemon Juice - 2 & 1/2 teaspoons

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 5 cups

Cardamon - 3 pods

Rose Essence - 2 drops

Ice Cubes - 8 nos

 

Method:

 

1.  Boil the milk in a wide pan, when the milk is about to boil, add lemon juice and mix well, it will start to curdle. Let it rest for a while.
2. Place a muslin cloth over a strainer, pour in the curdled milk and rinse it well with clean water to ward off the sourness caused by the lemon. Tie the cloth and hang it at a tap so that the water drips off.
3. It takes about 10 minutes to drain off the water, this curdled mixture is called chena or paneer.
4. Put the paneer in a wide plate and knead it with well, with no lumps in it.
5. Now make it into gooseberry-sized balls with no cracks in it.
6. Place a wide pan on the stove over a high flame, add 1 cup of sugar and 5 cups of water and allow it to boil for 5 minutes.
7. Change the flame to medium high and add in the paneer balls and close it with a lid. Let it boil for 10 minutes.
8. After 10 minutes, the rasgullas would have doubled in size.
9. Take a wide bowl, add the ice cubes and cold water.
10. Transfer the rasgullas to the ice cube bowl. Keep it in chilled water, retains its shape.
11. Once the sugar syrup comes to room temperature, transfer the rasgullas to it and refrigerate it.

 

 

 Note:

1. Never boil the rasgullas for more than 10 minutes or less than 10 minutes. It becomes rubbery if boiled more and breaks if boiled less than 10 minutes.
2. Always place it in bowl of ice cubes to retain its shape.
   

Bombay Mixture

                                                  Bombay Mixture

 For a long time, I had wanted to post on my blog. I usually make Madras mixture and murukku for Deepavali, this year I wanted to try this Dal Moth or Bombay mixture. It turned out really well and so, I am posting it.

 

 

Ingredients:

Masoor dhal with husk: 200 gms

Besan flour: 2 & 1/2 cups

Rice flour: 3/4 cup

Ajwain: 1/3 teaspoon

Chilli powder: 1 teaspoon

Dried Peanuts or Groundnut: 1/2 cup

Cashews: 2 table spoons

Asafotedia or Hing: 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves:  A handful

Chat masala: 1teaspoon

Dry Mango powder: 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Cooing Oil: For frying

Hot Oil: 2 table spoons

Method:

1) Wash the Masoor Dal well and soak it for 2 hours, drain the water and dry it on cloth under the fan, so that it is completely dry and keep it ready.

2) Soak the ajwain in hot water for 10 minutes and filter it, discard the seeds and we will be using the water alone for making the dough.

3) Take a wide bowl, add in the flours and mix it well. Add chilli powder, hing and salt. Sprinkle the ajwain water and add hot oil and mix well, knead it into soft dough.

4) Heat oil in a kadai, take a murukku presser with ompodi mould and fill it with the dough.

5) Squeeze or press this dough gently into the hot oil and fry till the bubbles settle down. Now drain the oil from the friend ompodi and take out.

6) Now fry rest of the dough as mentioned above.

7) Let the ompodi cool to room temperature and keep it aside.

8) In the same oil, fry the masoor dhal, drain the excess oil and keep it aside.

9) Fry the cashew and groundnuts in the same manner and keep it aside.

10) Fry the curry leaves and allow it to splutter.

11) Take a wide bowl, add in ompodi, massor dhal, fried groundnuts, cashews and curry leaves.

12) Add chat masala, salt and dry mango powder and mix thoroughly. Now the mixture is ready. Store it in an air-tight container.

 

Note:

1) Adding chat masala and dry mango powder gives a nice aroma and flavor.

2) The mixture stays well for a fortnight, if handled with dry hands or dry spoon.