kaju burfi/cashew nut burfi

Kaju burfi is famous Indian sweet which is a must in all the festivals. This is the costliest among other types of burfi’s available. This Kaju/cashew nut burfi can be made in two ways mainly.1 type using cashew powder with thick sugar syrup, 2nd type is by using freshly grounded cashew paste. And here is the easiest way to prepare Kaju burfi/cashew nut burfi at home.

Ingredients:-

Cashew nuts-500gms

Sugar-200gms

Ghee-50gms

Silver foil (edible)-1sheet (optional)

Method:-

Wash the cashew nuts and fill it with water and soak them overnight( or about 2-3 hours).

Drain water and grind them to a smooth paste by adding very little water.

In a pan add the cashew paste, sugar mix well and cook for 5-10mins on a low flame stirring continuously.

Add ghee and fry for 3more mins.

When the mixture thickens ,spread it evenly on to the greased plate decorate with silver foil.

Let it stand for 1hr or till it hardens , cut into desired shapes and serve.  

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sweet potato halwa

 

Ingredients:-

Sweet potato -3

Ghee -2tsps

Milk -1cup

Cardamom powder-1/2tsp                 

Saffron -2strands

Dry fruits-2tsps

Method:- 

Boil sweet potato, when cooled peel the skin and mash the boiled sweet potato and keep aside.

In a non-stick pan/kadai heat ghee, add mashed sweet potato and stir fry for 3 mins.

Add sugar, milk, saffron, cardamom powder and cook for 2mins by stirring continuously.

When the mixture become thick off the flame and garnish with fried nuts.

Serve hot.

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Bottle Gourd Halwa / Sorakaya Halwa / doodhi halwa

Ingredients:-

Milk-1/2litr

Bottle gourd (grated)-4cups

Sugar-1 cup

Khova/mava-100gms

Elachi powder-1tsp

Dry fruits-for garnish

Procedure:-

Roast the dry fruits in tsps of ghee and keep aside.

Add the grated bottle gourd to the same pan and fry until the raw smell goes off.

Add milk and let it cook on medium flame for 15mins or till the milk is observed.

Now add Khova /mava and sugar, Elachi powder, cook for 10mins stirring occasionally.

When the mixture thickens , add the fried cashews and raisins and halwa is ready to serve.

Note:-

Bottle guard should be peeled and deseeded before grating.

Bottle gourds that are bitter in taste should be avoided, for this u should taste  a small piece before starting the procedure.

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kajjikayalu,kajji kaya,gujiya,

Indian Tradition can be seen more during the festival times and very celebration is almost incomplete without sweets. As they are all time favorite for children and homemade sweets makes it more memorable. So here is one of the most popular traditional sweet of Andhra Kajjikayalu , can also be called as karanji, and Gujiya in north india. It can be made as snacks,or as prasadam for festivals like makara sankranti,vinayaka chavithi.





Ingredients:-

Maida (all-purpose flour) -500 gms
Ghee -4-5 tsps
Salt -to taste
Oil -for deep frying
Enough water to knead the Maida

For the filling:-
 

Dry coconut finely grated-1/4
Sooji/semolina -1 cup
Sugar-1 cup
Cardamom pwd-1tsp
Finely chopped cashew nuts

method

In a bowl, Mix Maida , salt, 2-3 tsps ghee and enough water to make a pliable dough, not too soft. Divide the dough and shape into small balls as shown in the picture. Keep aside covered for half an hour.

Meanwhile, heat a pan, add 1 tbsp ghee and add the grated coconut and roast over medium flame for a few minutes until golden brown, remove and keep aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tbsp ghee and add the sooji, and roast over medium flame till it turns light brown. Remove and keep aside.

In a bowl add powdered sugar, roasted sooji, khus-khus, grated coconut, cardamom powder and cashew nuts mix well and keep aside. The filling is ready.

Now, roll each prepared Maida ball into a thin purl with the rolling pin.

Stuff a tablespoon of the filling on one half of the rolled out puri and fold over to the opposite end, enclosing the stuffing to form a semi-circle shaped kajjikaya.

If you have the kajjikaya maker just use it. You can again twist the edges after folding them. Press the ends firmly so that the filling doesn’t come out during the deep frying.

Heat enough oil in a wide vessel to deep fry the stuffed kajjikayalu.

Drop 3-4 kajjikayalu into the oil slowly and deep fry them till golden brown, turning them carefully to the other side so that it cooks equally on all sides.

Cool and store in air tight containers. Kajjikayalu remain fresh for atleast a week and can be stored for 3-4 weeks.

Note:-
-you can use putnala pappu/roasted chick peas or khus-khus/poppy seeds instead of sooji.
-khoya also can be used as the filling

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diwali sweets special

Rasmalai Cheesecake

Recipe size: 1 Kg

Ingredients:

Cream cheese 600 gm »cream (elle-viere) 250gm »castor sugar 180gm »corn flour 40 gm »eggs 6 nos »BASE: cookies 120 gm »Butter 25gm RASMALAI »milk 2 Lt »sugar 1000 gm »baking powder 10 gm »maida 100gms

Method: Mix cheese with sugar. Add in the eggs one at a time while mixing. Mix the dairy cream and corn flour together. Fold this mixture into the cheese. Line a mould with cookie crumb. Pour the mix into the mould and bake at 180ºC for 45 min. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. 

 

Rasmalai: Boil 1 lt of milk with vinegar until it’s separated. Tie the mixture in a muslin cloth to drain off the excess water overnight. After the excess water is drained out, knead the separated milk with baking powder and maida. Roll up small balls and cook in hot sugar syrup solution. After the balls cool down at room temperature, dip them in cold water. Cook the remaining 1 lt of milk with sugar, cardamom powder and saffron. Cook until it gets thick and cool down in the refrigerator.

Assembly: Cut the cheesecake into half and stuff the center with rasmalai dumplings. Sandwich it with the other cheesecake and a layer of sliced pistachio. Plate it on a plate and serve with sliced pista as garnish.

 Gulab Jamun Creme Brule

Serves: 10-13 Portions

Ingredients:

»cream 375gm »milk 125gm »sugar 90gm »egg yolk 120gm

Gulab Jamun:

»Mawa 100gm »paneer 60gm » maida 20gm »baking powder 5gm »oil for frying »sugar for syrup

For the creme brule: Warm the cream and milk together. Add sugar and egg yolk. Mix well and strain.

For sugar syrup: Melt sugar with water at a low flame. Add one lime to clarify. Thin it down using water

For the gulab jamun: Mix and knead mawa and paneer well, making sure there are no lumps.  Add Maida to bind and add in baking powder. Knead and mix well. Portion kneaded dough in to required sizes. Make balls of even sizes. Fry them at medium temperature and keep turning them to give an even colour. Strain out the oil, dip in sugar syrup and cool. Serve by placing them in the cream custard.

 Makai Ka Walwa

Serves: 3 to 4 Portions

Ingredients:

»American sweet corn 100 gm »desi ghee 40 gm »sugar 50 gm »elaichi powder 2 gm

Method: Grind corn coarsely. In a kadhai, cook the corn in ghee till it’s reduced. Add sugar ( fold it nicely). Cook till it melts and before it gets caramelised. Add elaichi powder.  Serve in a bowl, garnished with American corn and rose petals.

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rava ladoo

Ingredients :-

Rava  - 1 cup

Sugar  -1 cup

Grated coconut -1/2 cup

Ghee - 4 tsp

Milk - 2 tsp

Powdered cardamom  – ½ tsp

Cashews and raisins – few

Procedure :-

-          -  Heat 1 Tbsp of ghee in a pot/Kadai/Pan, add cashew and raisins and fry till raisins are puffed   up and cashew changes color slightly.

-            - Now add Grated Coconut and roast for 1-2 mins.

-            - Then add the remaining ghee and add the rava.

-            - Roast on low heat until it gives out a nice aroma. Take care it doesn’t burn.

-           - Keep stirring continually for 5 - 7 minutes coating the rava with ghee and mixing it with coconut  Add the cardamom powder and mix well.

-           - In a bowl, take all the roasted ingredients along with sugar and mix well. Add warm milk little by  little to the rava mixture. Make balls immediately while warm. When it cools down, it is difficult to make balls.

-           -Store in an airtight container. Since it contains milk and coconut it is best to consume it within 4 to 5 days.

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