BROWN SUGAR KESARI BATH/ RAVA KESARI/ SHEERA

Yields: 16 nos.

Ingredients 

Rava: ½ cup
Brown sugar: ¼ cup +2 tbsp
Ghee: 5 tbsp
Milk: ½ cup
Water: 1 cup

Saffron: 3 to 4 strings 

Cardamom powder: ½ tsp

Cashewnut pieces: 2 tbsp

Preparation 

• Take a pan, add one tbsp of ghee and fry cashewnut pieces. Transfer to a bowl.
• Add 3 tbsp of ghee, add rava and fry till you get nice aroma.
• Now add milk, water and saffron strings to the rava and mix it continuously so that no lumps are formed. When rava is half cooked, add brown sugar and mix well.
• Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or till kesari bath consistency is reached. Add a tbsp of ghee, mix and switch off the flame.
• Now add cardamom powder and cashewnut pieces, mix.
• Relish hot kesari bath as it is in a bowl or spread on a greased plate and cut into pieces once cool. 

Notes 

• Cook in low to medium flame.

RICH SAVIGE PAYASA/SEMIYA PAYASAM/SHAHI VERMICELLI KHEER

Ingredients 

Savige/vermicelli: ¼ cup
Water: 1 cup
Ghee: 2 tbsp
Sugar: ½ cup
Milk: 2 cups
Almond powder: 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder: ½ tsp

For making paste(soaked for 30 minutes)
Basmati rice: 1 tbsp
Khas khas: 1 tsp
Fresh grated coconut: 2 tbsp

For garnishing 
Cashew pieces: 2 tbsp

Preparation 

• Take a pan add 1 tbsp ghee, roast cashews till golden color and transfer it to a bowl. 
• Now add remaining ghee, add savige and roast till it changes color.
• Transfer the savige to a heavy bottomed vessel add water and cook in low flame till soft. Keep stirring in between so that it doesn't stick the pan.
• Once soft add sugar and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Switch off the stove  and add milk, mix properly.
• Switch on the stove and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Grind the soaked ingredients and make a thick paste.
• Add the paste and almond powder to savige mixture, mix and cook for a minute.
• Switch off the stove and add cardamom powder, mix.
• Garnish with cashews pieces.
• Relish the payasa hot or cold. 

Notes 

• Almonds can be used instead of almond powder by soaking it along with soaked ingredients.
• Switching off the stove is important before adding milk as the milk may cuddle when added with sugar at high temperature.
• Cook in a low flame and keep stirring so that it doesn't stick the vessel.
• In simple version of Savige payasa, soaked portion and almond powder can be skipped and cooking part may need 2 to 3 minutes more to get the required consistency. Sugar can be adjusted as per taste.

COCONUT ALMOND PEANUT COOKIES

Yields: 10 to 12 cookies 

Ingredients

Dry ingredients 
Wheat flour: ½ cup
Peanuts: 2 tbsp (coarsely ground)
Desiccated coconut: 2 tbsp
Almond powder: 2 tbsp
Baking powder: ¼ tsp
Powdered sugar: ¼ cup

Wet ingredients 
Ghee: ¼ cup
Curd: 1 tbsp

Garnishing 
Almond pieces: 1 tsp

Preparation 

• Take a big bowl and beat both ghee and curd together till fluffy.
• Add powdered sugar and mix. 
• Now add rest of the dry ingredients, mix and make a dough(if needed add one or two tsp of milk).
• Rest the dough for 10 minutes.
• Take a small ball and give a shape of cookie.
• Arrange the cookies in a baking tray.
• Now bake the cookies for 15 minutes in a pre heated microwave at 170°C.
• If needed reduce the temperature to 150°C and bake for 5 more minutes.
• Switch off the microwave and leave the cookies in it for 10 minutes. Remove once the cookies are completely cool.

Notes 

• All ingredients should be at room temperature.

EGGLESS HEALTHY CHOCO RAGI CAKE

When we just think of cake, our mouth starts watering and a cake that too healthy, without compromising on the taste it's just amazing. Give a try you will surely love it.

Ingredients

Dry ingredients
Ragi flour: ½ cup
Wheat flour: 1 cup
Cocoa powder: 1 tbsp
Powdered sugar: ¼ cup
Baking soda: ½ tsp
Baking powder: ½ tsp
Salt: pinch

Wet ingredients
Curd: 1 cup
Milk: ½ cup
Oil: ½ cup
Honey: ½ cup
Vanilla essence: 3-4 drops

Other ingredients 
Choco chips: as required for decoration(optional)
Maida: 1 tsp

Preparation

1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and keep aside.
2. Take another bowl and mix all wet ingredients(except ¼ cup milk).
3. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix it. If needed add rest 1/4 cup of milk little by little. Mixture should be of pouring consistency.
4. Grease a baking tray and dust it with maida.
5. Now pour the mixture in the baking tray and tap it lightly so that the batter will spread evenly.  
6. Decorate the cake with choco chips.
7. Keep in a pre heated microwave at 180° for 45 to 50 minutes.
8. Once done remove and cool on a rack completely before cutting.

Note

• Baking time may vary from oven to oven.
• All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
• Butter paper can also be used for lining the baking tray.

SAKKARE PONGAL

Yields: 5 cups

Ingredients

Rice: ½ cup
Moong dal/Hesarubele: ¼ cup
Jaggery/Gud/Bella: 2 cups
Milk: 1 cup
Badam/Almond: 8 nos
Fresh grated coconut: 1 cup
Cardamom powder: ½ tsp
Saffron: 3-4 strings(soaked in 2 tbsp hot milk)
Khas khas/Poppy seeds: 1 tsp
Cashewnuts/Kaju: 1 tbsp
Raisins/Draksh: 1 tsp
Edible camphor: a pinch
Ghee: 4 tbsp

Preparation

1. Roast lightly both rice and dal (just warm it) and pressure cook it together by adding 2¼ cups of water.
2. Soak almond and remove skin.
3. Now make jaggery syrup by adding ¼ cup of water to jaggery dissolve and remove impurities. Boil it till you get one string paka.
4. Grind soaked almond, khas khas, grated coconut, saffron, camphor, cardamom powder in a mixer.
5. Take a big pan(with thick bottom) or pressure cooker and add 1 tbsp ghee, fry cashewnuts, raisins and transfer to a bowl.
6. Now add cooked rice-dal mixer, milk, grinded almond mix.
7. Mix and cook in a low flame for 15-20 minutes till it thickens.
8. Switch off the flame, add jaggery syrup and mix it properly. Switching off the flame and adding the jaggery syrup will help the milk not getting cuddled.
9. Switch on the flame, cook for 15-20 minutes by adding 1 tbsp ghee in between.
10. Keep stirring continuously so that it doesn't stick the pan.
11. Once the pongal thickens, switch off the flame and garnish with fried dry fruits.

EGGLESS MULTIGRAIN BEETROOT CAKE

Ingredients 

Beetroot (finely grated): ½ cup
Multigrain flour: ½ cup
Cooking oil: ¼ cup
Powdered sugar: ¼ cup
Vanilla essence: ¼ tsp
Baking powder: 1 tsp
Baking soda: ½ tsp
Curd: 2 tsp
Milk: 3 tsp

Preparation 

1. Sieve multigrain flour, baking powder, baking soda and keep aside.
2. Take a mixing bowl add cooking oil, powdered sugar and mix.
3. Add vanilla essence, beetroot and mix.
4. Now add dry ingredients and mix it.
5. Add curd, mix. Now add milk and mix again.
6. Grease a baking tray with butter or line it with a butter paper and pour the cake batter.
7. Tap it lightly so that batter will spread evenly.
8. Pre heat microwave at 180° and  bake for 50 minutes.
9. Once done, remove form microwave and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
10. Should be consumed within 2 or 3 days.

Notes

• Grated carrot can be used instead of beetroot or mixture of both can also be used.
• Maida or wheat flour can be used instead of multigrain flour.
• All ingredients should be at room temperature.
• Baking time may vary from oven to oven.
• Use fresh ingredients for best results.

KALAKAND

Yields: 10 to 12 pieces 

Ingredients

Milk: 1 litre
Curd: 2 tsp
Milk powder: 2 tbsp
Condensed milk: 150 ml
Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp
Almonds pieces: 1 tbsp

Preparation

1. Boil milk and add curd(1 tsp at a time), keep stirring till it curdles. 
2. Separate the water and paneer by keeping in strainer for 30 minutes.
3. Take a pan add paneer, milk powder and condensed milk, mix and cook for 10 minutes in low flame. Add cardamom powder and mix.
4. Take a greased plate or plate lined with butter paper and pour the mixture.
5. Flatten it and allow it to cool.
6. Make pieces and garnish it with almonds pieces.

CARROT HALWA/GAJAR KA HALWA

Yields: 2 cups 

Ingredients

Red Carrot: 750 gm (grated)
Sugar: 1½ cups
Milk: ¾ cup
Khova/mava: ½ cup (sugarless, grated) (Approximately 50-75 gms)
Ghee: 5 tbsp
Cardamom powder:½ tsp
Almond/badam pieces: 1 tbsp

Preparation 

1. Take a pan add 2 tbsp of ghee and fry grated carrot for 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add milk, cook carrot till they're soft and the milk is fully absorbed.
3. Now add sugar, once the sugar dissolves the moisture from the sugar comes out. Cook till the moisture is absorbed.
4. Add khova, remaining 3 tbsp ghee, mix and cook for 5 minutes. Switch off the stove.
5. Add cardamom powder and mix.
6. Garnish with almond pieces. 

Notes

• Halwa can also be garnished with ghee-roasted cashews and raisins.
• Red color carrot also know as Delhi carrot tastes best for making halwa, however normal orange color carrots can also be used.

RAISINS COOKIES

Yields: 12 nos.

Ingredients

Butter: ½ cup
Icing sugar or powdered sugar: ½ cup
Maida/all purpose flour: 1 cup
Black raisins: 2 tbsp
Badam pieces: for decoration(1 tbsp)

Preparation

1. Take a mixing bowl, add butter, icing sugar and mix well.
2. Now add maida, black raisins, mix and bind it into a dough.
3. Take small portions and shape into cookies.
4. Decorate the cookies with almond pieces.
5. Preheat microwave at 180° and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the microwave and leave it on rack till cookies cool completely.

Notes

• Black raisins tastes best and is preferred, however even normal raisins can be used instead. 

CASHEW VANILLA COOKIES

Yields: 18-20 cookies

Ingredients:

Maida: 1 cup
Icing sugar: 1/4 cup
Vanilla custard powder: 1/2 cup
Salt: a pinch
Butter: 100 gms
Cashewnut pieces: 1 tbspn(for garnishing)

Preparation:

1. Take a bowl, add maida, icing sugar, vanilla custard powder, salt and butter.
2. Keep mixing, butter will melt with icing sugar and make a soft dough.
3. Make balls and roll into thick chappati. 
4. Shape it into cookies and garnish with cashewnut pieces
5. Place the cookies in a non-stick baking tray. 
6. Pre-heat microwave at 200° and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 180° and bake for 10 more minutes.
7. Once done leave it  in microwave for 10 minutes.

HAPPALA DA PAYASA/APPE PAYASA/POORI KHEER

Yields: Serves 4 persons 

Ingredients 

Chiroti rava: 2 tbsp
Milk: 2 cups
Sugar: ½ cup
Saffron: 3-4 strings(soaked in 2 tbsp of hot milk)
Cardamom powder: ½ tsp
Cashewnut pieces: 1 tbsp
Badam pieces: 1 tsp
Raisins: 1 tbsp
Ghee: 3 tbsp
Water: 1-1¼ cup or as required

Preparation 

1. Bind chiroti rava into a soft dough by adding water(like poori dough) and roll it into a chapati/poori.
2. Cut into small diamond shaped pieces, fry in the ghee and keep aside.
3. In the same ghee fry cashewnut pieces, raisins and transfer to a plate.
4. Take a pan, add water(around 1 cup), fried diamond shaped pieces and cook the pieces till it is soft.
5. Now add sugar to it and bring to a boil. Switch off stove and add milk, mix it.
6. Switch on the stove and boil for 5 minutes. If you need thicker consistency boil for a longer time.
7. Once done add soaked saffron, mix and switch off the stove. 
8. Add cardamom powder and garnish with dry fruits.
9. Serve hot or cold.

Notes

• It is always advisable to switch off the stove and then add milk. Adding milk to sugar may curdle the payasa, if the flame is on.
• Boiling the payasa for longer time will thicken the payasa.
• Poori is cut into small diamond shape so that we can use less ghee. If you are making any other recipe which requires more ghee/oil then full poori can be fried and then cut into pieces.

RAGI HITTU UNDE/MILLET FLOUR LADDU

Yields: 10 nos.

Ingredients

Ragi hittu: 1 cup
Powdered Sugar: ¾ cup
Ghee: 3 tbsp
Cardamom powder: ½ tsp
Cashewnuts/ kaju, raisins/draksh: 1 tbsp

Preparation 

1. Heat a pan add 1 tbsp of ghee, fry dry fruits and remove it in a bowl.
2. Add remaining ghee and add ragi hittu. Fry till you get a nice aroma.
3. Remove from flame and add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, fried dry fruits, mix it and leave it for cooling.
4. Once cool, make unde/laddu and serve.
5. Can be stored for 10 days.
6. A very healthy and filling recipe. 

BADAM/ALMOND BURFI

Yields: 16 nos (of 1.5 inch each)

Ingredients 

Badam/almond: 1 cup
Sugar: 1 cup
Milk: ¼-½ cup (as required for grinding)
Badam/almond pieces: ½ tsp

Preparation 

1. Soak almond for 15 minutes in hot water and remove the skin.
2. Grind the almond into paste by adding milk. Use as little milk as required to grind the almond into a paste. Lesser the milk used in grinding, quicker the cooking process.
3. Take a pan, add almond paste, sugar and cook till it comes together or leaves the pan.
4. Grease a square plate, transfer the mixture and garnish with almond pieces. The output will be thick enough for you to draw marks/lines on it for cutting later.
5. Once cool cut into pieces.

BESAN LADDU/KADLEHITTU UNDE

Yields: 10 nos 

Ingredients 

Besan/Kadlehittu: 1 cup
Powdered Sugar: ¾ cup
Ghee: 4 tbsp
Cardamom powder: ½ tsp
Cashewnuts/kaju: 1 tbsp

Preparation 

1. Take a pan add ½ tsp of ghee fry cashewnuts to golden color,transfer to a plate and keep aside.
2. Add remaining ghee to the same pan and add Kadlehittu, fry till it changes color and can smell the aroma.
3. Remove from flame and add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, cashewnuts, mix and keep for cooling.
4. Once cool make balls and serve.
5. A very quick and easy to make sweet.

KALSAKKARE AKKI PAYASA/KALKAND PAYASAM

Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients

Cooked rice: 1/2 cup
Kalsakkare/kalkand/rock candy/mishri: 1/2 cup
Dry fruits(kaju/draksh/badam): 1 tbsp
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp
Saffron: 2-3 strings(soaked in 1 tbsp of hot milk)

Preparation

1. Take kalsakkare in a pan, add 2 tsp of water and dissolve by heating.
2. Remove from flame, add rice and mix properly.
3. Bring it to boil. Switch off stove, add soaked saffron, cardamon powder and mix.  
4. Take another pan add ghee and fry dry fruits till golden color.
5. Garnish with dry fruits.
6. While boiling hot the consistency of the payasa will be semi solid. As the payasa cools it gets very thicker and drier. It can be enjoyed both ways based on your preference.

Notes 

A very handy recipe, when we have lot of kalsakkare accumulated by the way of prasada from temples.

SWEET APPAM/ELIAPPAM

Yields: 12-15 nos

Ingredients

Broken wheat: 1/2 cup
Beaten rice/avalakki/poha: 1/4 cup
Jaggery/bella: 1/2 cup
Cashewnuts pieces: 1 tbsp
Fresh grated coconut: 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp
Ghee: 2 tbsp

Preparation

1. Soak broken wheat for 2 hours. Soak avalakki separately for half an hour.
2. Add soaked broken wheat and avalakki to a mixer jar and grind.
3. Add jaggery to the broken wheat-avalakki mixture and grind it into a fine paste(do not add water).
4. Add cashewnut pieces, fresh grated coconut and cardamom powder and mix it.
5. Take an appam vessel and add few drops of ghee. When ghee heats up, add batter till the rim of the appam holes. After one side is cooked, turn and cook the other side, so that its crispy outside and soft from inside. 

KAI HOLIGE/COCONUT HOLIGE/

Yields: 10 nos.

Ingredients

For making dough(kanaka)
Maida: 1/2 cup
Chiroti rava/fine rava: 1/2 cup
Salt: pinch
Ghee: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

For stuffing(hoorana)
Grated fresh coconut: 2 cups
Powdered jaggery: 1 cup
Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp
Jaiphal/jajikai powder: 1/4 tsp

Others:
Oil: 4 tbsp
Butter paper: 1 no(for making holige)

Preparation

1. Take a bowl and add all ingredients for making dough. Mix and add water to make a soft dough. Add 2 tbsp of oil on it, cover and give it a rest for 2 hours. Consistency should be little softer than chapati dough.
2. For making hoorana, grind fresh coconut and jaggery together. (Do not add water for grinding)
3. Once done put in a pan and cook for 5 to 7 minutes till the mixture becomes little dry. Consistency should be such that balls can be made easily.
4. Add cardamom powder, jaiphal powder and mix it.
5. Make hoorana balls and keep aside.
6. Take small portion of kanaka(half the size of hoorana balls) and stuff the hoorana balls  into the kanaka by pulling the kanaka from all sides so as to cover the hoorana completely. 
7. Take a butter paper and grease it with oil.
8. Now take stuffed balls and press/tap the stuffed balls with your greased fingers and palms and flatten it into the shape of holige.
9. Transfer the holige to a hot tawa and roast both the sides (flame should be low to medium). 
10. Ghee can be added while roasting the holige (optional).

Notes

1. The size of the stuffing balls should be double the size of the kanaka balls.
2. After making each holige, apply oil both to your hands and the butter paper.
3. Holige can also be made by applying oil to the chapati roller and rolling the stuffed balls on the greased butter paper.
4. Thick plastic can also be used for tapping holige. My grandmother used to make holige on banana leaf.

ATTAE KI KHEER/GODIHITTU PAYASA/WHEAT FLOUR PORRIDGE

Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

Wheat flour/godihittu: 2 tbsp
Sugar : ½ cup
Milk: ½ cup
Water: ½ cup
Ghee: 3 tbsp
Cashewnuts: 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder: ½ tsp

Preparation 

1. Take 1 tbsp of ghee in a pan, fry cashewnuts and keep aside.
2. Add 2 tbsp of ghee in the same pan and add wheat flour, roast it. 
3. Once its roasted add water and cook for 5 minutes by stirring continously so that lumps are not formed.
4. Add milk, cook for 2 minutes and switch off the stove.
5. Add sugar, mix and bring it to boil. Simmer and cook for 5 minutes and bring it to the consistency of idli batter.
6. Once done add cardamom powder and garnish with cashewnuts. 

Note

1. If you need thinner consistency, after adding sugar just bring it to boil and switch of the flame. Cooking on simmer for extra time will only thicken it.
2. If the amount of ghee is more than the wheat flour and roasted till it releases a fragrance then lumps won't be formed.
3. 3-4 strings of saffron can be added for flavor and color.

EGGLESS VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE TOPPING

Ingredients

For cake:
Maida: 2 cups
Powdered sugar: 1 cup
Curd: 1/2 cup
Milk: 1/4 cup
Butter: 100 gm
Baking powder: 1 tsp
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence: 1/2 tsp

For topping:
Chocolate: 100 gm
Hershey's syrup: 2 tsp

Preparation

1. Sieve maida, baking powder, baking soda together twice and keep aside.
2. Take mixing bowl  add butter, powdered sugar and blend it properly with a blender or beater.
3. When butter sugar mixture turns fluffy then add curd and beat again till mixed properly (for 4-5 minutes).
4. Add maida mixture, vanilla essence and mix properly.
5. Add milk little by little and keep mixing. Bring the batter to a consistency similar to that of idli batter.
6. Pour the mixture in a greased baking tray and tap it so that batter spreads evenly.
7. Preheat oven at 180° and bake for 50 minutes.
8. Leave the cake in the oven for couple of minutes, then remove and place on the rack.
9. Let the cake rest for 3 to 4 hours or till it has cooled completely.
10. Now unmould the cake  from the baking tray.
11. For topping, melt the chocolate by double boiling (boil water in a big vessel when boiling keep a smaller vessel with chocolate and keep stirring till it melts).
12. Now pour the melted chocolate on the cake and spread it evenly.
13. Decorate it with hershey's syrup.

Note

1. Always use fresh baking powder and baking soda.
2. All the ingredients should be at room temperature. 
3. Timer for baking may vary from oven to oven(35 to 55 minutes). 

BELE HOLIGE/POLI

Yields: 5-7 nos.

Ingredients

For making dough(kanaka)
Maida: 1 cup
Chiroti rava: 1/2 cup
Salt: pinch
Ghee: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

For stuffing:
Kadalebele/Chana dal: 1 cup
Jaggery/Bella: 1.5 cup(grated)
Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp
Jajekai/jaiphal powder: 1/4 tsp

Others:
Oil: 4 tbsp
Butter paper: 1 no(for making holige)

Preparation

1. Take a bowl and add all ingredients for making dough. Mix and add water to make a soft dough. Add 2 tbsp of oil on it, cover and give it a rest for 2 hours. Consistency should be little softer than chapati dough.
2. Dry roast chana dal (just make it warm, do not over roast) and pressure cook by adding water.
3. Remove excess water, cool and grind  it for a while. Once coarsely ground add Jaggery to it grind into paste (do not add water at any stage while grinding) 
4. Transfer the mixture into a pan and cook till the cooked mixture doesn't  stick to the pan(thick enough to make balls). This cooking process will help take out the moisture from the stuffing mixture. 
5. Add cardamom powder, jaiphal powder and mix.
6. Make balls of the mixture and keep aside.
7. Take small portion of the kanaka and stuff it with the Chanadal stuffing balls. Pull the dough from all sides so as to cover the stuffing completely. 
8. Take a butter paper and grease it with oil.
9. Now take stuffed balls and press/tap the stuffed balls with your greased fingers and palms and flatten it into the shape of holige.
10. Transfer the holige to a hot tawa and roast both the sides (flame should be low to medium). 
11. Ghee can be added while roasting the holige (optional).

Notes

1. The size of the stuffing balls should be double the size of the kanaka balls.
2. While pressure cooking chana dal, water should be 1" above the dal.
3. After making each holige, apply oil both to your hands and the butter paper.
4. Holige can also be made by applying oil to the chapati roller and rolling the stuffed balls on the greased butter paper.
5. Thick plastic can also be used for tapping holige. My grandmother used to make holige on banana leaf.