Ras Malai

A very easy homemade Indian Dessert with a fancy name. A special dish for all Sweet tooth people. If you make with zero calorie sugar and Skimmed Milk then it will be low calorie dessert:).Everyone is so fascinated with this name and they think it’s too difficult to make but with this recipe you can make and serve in just a very less time with very few ingredients.

Ingredients

· One liter Milk (low fat/Skim Milk)
· Cardamom/Eliachi seeds powder
· 1 ½ cup Sugar (Zero Calorie)
· A few saffron strands (10) soaked in 1 cup of water.
· ½ cup almonds grated
· 2 tsp. condensed milk (low fat)
· One big whole lemon or 4 tsp. of fresh lemon liquid

For Garnishing
· ¼ cup sliced Almonds/badaam
· few drops of Kewra liquid


Directions

1) Pour the milk in a pan and keep it in medium low.
2) Add sugar, cardamom powder, grated almonds mixture.
3) When milk is ready to boil add saffron water along with saffron strands.
4) Boil the milk and separate it in two portions.
5) Separate 1/4 cup milk from the pan and heat separately in low flame.
6) Add condensed milk till the milk thickens.
7) Cool down the milk and refrigerate it.
8) To the rest of the milk (3/4 portion), add lemon. After milk is all curdled up and is all separated from water, sieve the cheese and take out in an oven tray.
9) Place the cheese in the oven for 15 minutes 350 degrees or less depends on oven to oven (cheese should not change brown color).
10) Take out the cheese and rest it for 10 mins till it cools down, then cut the cheese in circles with help of cookie cutter or any round shape cutter.
11) Put 1-2 drops of Kewra liquid on each and every cheese balls and refrigerate them for an hour.

Serve in Individual Bowls with thickened milk and garnish with few saffron strands and chopped almonds.

- Chitra

Punjabi Kadi

One more Punjabi dish which is very common in every home, usually on thursday's.Kids love it, Elders love it, everybody loves it.

I learnt this one in India from my sister in law. But I have done lil bit variations in it :-), by using Buttermilk and no pakoras (for all calorie conscious people). Usually people make it with Curd.

Ingredients

1. 1 Pint Buttermilk
2. 2 cups of Besan/ Chickpea flour
3. 2 roughly chopped onions
4. Salt to taste
5. 2 tsp of red chili powder
6. 2 tsp. of amchoor
7. 1 tsp. of turmeric/haldi
8. 1 tsp. of azwain
9. 2 dry red chili
10. Veg oil
11. 3 cups of Boiled rice.

Directions

1. Blend / Mix Buttermilk, Besan, Salt , Chili Powder, Amchoor and Turmeric and keep aside.
2. Add oil in non stick pan.
3. Add azwain and onions.
4. When Onions turn golden brown add the Buttermilk mixture.
5. Simmer it to low heat and constantly stir after 5 mins each .Repeat the process till besan is fully cooked.It can take arround 40-50 minutes.
6. Take another pan and add 2 tsp of oil and add dry red chilli.
7. Take out the kadi in a bowl and add the red chili on top of the kadi and serve hot with Rice or Chapati’s

 

Njoy :) Chitra

Spicy Homemade Namkeen

Sometimes you crave for a spicy and tangy snack, specially on a rainy day.So this is the perfect dish to serve your loved ones.Serve with hot Tea/Coffee and njoy the amazing weather in your balcony or terrace.

A very easy, homemade namkeen made by Vermicelli / Seviyan made in few minutes.

Ingredients

· 3cups of toasted (brown) Vermicelli / Seviyan
· One small Onion chopped vertically
· Salt to taste
· ½ cup Green Peas
· ½ cup Peanuts
· ½ tsp. Red Chili Powder
· ¼ tsp. Turmeric
· 1 tsp. Vinegar
· 2 tsp. of Oil
For Garnishing
· Jalapenos or Green chilies dipped in vinegar (can get easily from Pasta section).

Directions

· Roast the Peanuts on low flame in a non stick pan without oil. Do not burn it, they should have brown color.
· Take another non stick pan and roast the Vermicelli till they are golden brown.
· Remove Vermicelli and add Onions in same pan add 1 tsp of oil.
· When onions are golden brown, add Peas to it.
· Now add Vermicelli back into pan and add Peanuts.
· Add Salt and Red chili powder and turmeric.
· Leave it on low flame by adding 2 tsp. of water

Serve hot or cold with Tea / Coffee.

-Chitra

Rabri Faluda

An Indian Dessert served in many ceremonies.A special dish for all Sweet tooth people.If you make with zero calorie sugar and Skimmed Milk then it will be low calorie..dessert:)

Ingredients

· One litre Milk (low fat/Skim Milk)
· Cardamon/Eliachi seeds powder
· 1 ½ cup Sugar (Zero Calorie)
· 2 bread slices (wheat)
· 1/2 cup condensed milk or use Half and Half(low fat)
· Faluda / Bean Thread Noodles(can easily get these white thread noodles from an Asian Store for 1-2 $)

For Garnishing

· 1 cup Almonds/badaam
· ¼ cup pista
· A few safforn strands
· Kewra liquid

Directions

· Heat 1 cup Thread Noodles in microwave with ¼ water with 2 tsp. sugar and
1 tsp. kewra liquid.
· When Noodles are softened,cool it down and refrigerate it till Rabri is ready.

· Discard crusts from bread slices.
· Grind these slices in a processor and prepare fresh bread crumbs.
· Boil milk in a pan by simmering in low flame.
· Add bread crumbs, condensed milk and sugar altogether.
· Simmer on a medium flame, stir continuously for about 10 minutes.
· Remove from the fire.
· Add safforn and cardamon powder and mix well.
· Keep it in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

· Rabri is ready to serve,take out the cold Faluda.

Serve in Individual Bowls with few saffron strands and kewra drops, chopped Almonds and Pista and Faluda.

Hope you will enjoy cooking as i did with my hubby :) as this one his favt ...

- Chitra