GULAB JAMUN!!

GULAB JAMUN!!

These round, dark, syrupy jamuns taste as good as they look. They can be had on any occasion, anytime of the year and they are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. Gulab Jamun is one of the favorite Indian desserts. They are golden brown balls in flavored sugar syrup. They are served warm or at room temperature. You can also buy instant mix and make them by following the instructions.
Ingredients:
½ cup milk powder, 250 gms mawa/ Khava, 2 cup sugar, 1 tbsp all purpose flour, ¼ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp cardamom powder, 2 cup water, 1/2 tsp rose essence, ¼ tsp kesar and oil to deep fry.
Method:
Gulab Jamun Preparation:
1. Grate Khava/mawa and keep aside.
2. Mix the milk powder, mawa, baking powder, cardamom powder and all-purpose flour. Mix it well. Add required quantity of water so that you are able to form soft dough.
3. Apply oil to your palm and make small round shape balls.
4. Deep-fry these balls on medium heat till golden in color.
5. Drain and soak in sugar syrup for at least 15-20mins before serving.
Sugar syrup Preparation:
1. Heat the water and dissolve the sugar in it.
2. Remove from heat and add the Rose essence and Kesar.
3. Add the jamuns while still warm and keep pot covered for 15-20 minutes.

Chakli

" Chakli "

Chakli is famous Indian snack which is made mainly in Diwali. A savory crunch made with black gram flour, green gram flour, rice flakes seasoned with ajwain and cumin enjoyed by all age groups. Availability of Chakli Bhajani ready mix has increased the convenience of making perfect chakalis at home with less of time and effort. Ingredients:
Chakli Bhajani ready mix, 2 tsp sesame seeds, 40ml Oil and 1 ¼ cup water
Chakli Bhajani Mix Ingredients:
Rice, Bengal gram dal, black gram dal, green gram dal, red gram dal, rice flakes ajwain, common salt, cumin, sesame, coriander, chili, asafetida, turmeric.
Method:
1.Heat 40ml oil in kadhai and pour on Chakli Bhajani ready mix.
2.Add sesame seeds to it.
3.Pour hot water and knead to make soft dough.
4.Heat oil in a kadhai and press bits of dough through a mould. 5.Fry the chakli in the oil till crispy and brown.
6.Drain with a perforated spoon and remove.
7.Chakli is ready to serve.

DIWALI FARAL

"DIWALI SPECIAL FARAL"

I cannot think of any other festival other than Diwali, where the spotlight is on the food. Agreed that it is supposed to be 'Festival of lights', after all the literal translation of Deepavali is 'A line of lights'. But still food has become the most important part of this festival too, as with so many others. The preparations start well in advance. The list of items made is endless if one has the time, energy & enthusiasm for it. In fact 'Faral' as these food items are collectively called, are sometimes the only dishes consumed during the odd 4-5 days. Faral for breakfast, Faral with lunch, Faral for evening snacks with Tea/Coffee, Faral again with whatever made for Dinner. At least this was what was followed at my place. The traditional Faral items are Chivda, Chakali, Sev, Ladoo, Shankar Pali, Karanji, Anarsa. Personally I like the savory snacks better than the sweet ones. Check out Anjali's Kitchen for the Diwali faral recipies :-)

HAPPY DIWALI!!! :-)

SHANKARPALI

SHANKARPALI

Ingredients
1 ¼ cup Sugar, 1-cup oil/ Ghee, 2 cups Maida and Salt to taste.

Method:
1. First boil the water in a vessel. Add the sugar and stir for it to dissolve. Then add the oil and salt and mix well.
2. Then remove from fire. Add maida to the mix.
3. Knead the dough and keep aside till it cools.
4. Roll it as making a Chapatti. With a cutter make diamond shaped shankar palis. Fry in oil/ ghee till brown.

RAVA LADOO

RAVA LADOOS

My Mom makes these beautiful Rava Ladoos with one kishmish (raisin) in each. I absolutely adored these. Her version is not too oily or too dry (which I observed in the ladoos made by others). Ingredients:


2 cup fine rava, 1 ¼ cup sugar, 1cup-grated coconut, 1 tsp raisins, 1 tsp cardamom powder, 1 ¼ cup water and 2 tbsp Ghee .
Method:

1. Heat ghee and add rava/sooji and fry on medium heat mixing continuously till a nice aroma comes out of it. Take out the sooji in a plate. 2. Add grated coconut to the rava. And allow it to cook for 2 mins.
3. Heat water in one pan and dissolve sugar in it and boil it for 5-7 mins to make sugar syrup. Flavor the syrup with cardamom powder.
4. Remove it from the flame. Pour the sugar cardamom syrup in the rava coconut mixture. 5. When it is dried and can be handled, apply some ghee to hands and make ladoos. Add 1 raisin to each ladoo to garnish it :-) When they are cooled to room temperature, store in airtight containers.

Thin Poha Chivda

Patal Poha (Thin Beaten Rice) Chivda

Ingredients:
250 gm Patal Pohe (Thin beaten rice), 3 tblsp oil, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp Cumin seeds, 12-15 curry leaves, 1 tsp Hing (Asafoetida), 2 tsp Turmeric powder, 2-3 tsp chivda masala, 1 cup roasted fried peanuts, 2tsp chopped green chili, 1cup fried Dalia (roasted split chickpea), 1cup pieces of fried coconut, 2 tsp sugar, 10-12 dry mint leaves, salt to taste and 2 tsp lemon juice.
Method:

Keep the Thin Pohe in sunlight for 3-4 hours so that it becomes crunchy. Apply Salt, Oil and Turmeric to the thin pohe and heat them on low flame till it becomes crunchy.
1.Heat the oil in a large Kadai. It s very important to use a large kadai/ deep pan since you will need space to turn over the pohe from time to time.
2.Fry one by one the coconut pieces, roasted peanuts and dal in it.
3. Add it on the patal pohe.
4. Add grounded sugar to the above mixture.
5. Fry curry leaves and add on the patal pohe.
6. Fry Mint leaves add and over the patal pohe
7. Fry green chilies and add over the patal pohe.
8. Once the oil is hot, splutter the mustard, hing, chivda masala, poppy seeds and lemon juice.
9. Turn off the flame. Add the above mixture on the patal pohe & mix till the patal pohe are properly coated. Check for salt & add some more if needed.
10. Once the pohe are coated well with oil & masala from the phodni, the work is done, since they are already crunchy!

POHE CHIVDA

POHE CHIVDA

Ingredients:
250 gm pohe, 3 tblsp oil, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp Cumin seeds, 12-15 curry leaves, 1 tsp Hing (Asafoetida), 2 tsp Turmeric powder, 2-3 tsp chivda masala, 1 cup roasted fried peanuts, 2tsp chopped green chili, 1cup fried Dalia (roasted split chickpea), 1cup pieces of fried coconut, 2 tsp sugar, 10-12 dry mint leaves, salt to taste and 2 tsp lemon juice.

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a large Kadai.
2. Fry one by one the coconut pieces, roasted peanuts and dal in it.
3. Add it on the pohe.
4. Add grounded sugar to the above mixture.
5. Fry curry leaves and add on the pohe.
6. Fry Mint leaves add and over the pohe
7. Fry green chilies and add over the pohe.
8. Once the oil is hot, splutter the mustard, hing, turmeric, chivda masala, salt, cumin seeds and lemon juice.
9. Turn off the flame. Add the above mixture on the pohe & mix till the Pohe are properly coated. Check for salt & add some more if needed. Once the pohe are coated well with oil & masala from the phodni, the work is done, since they are already crunchy!
P.S. Chivda can be stored for as long as 3-4 weeks if stored properly in dry airtight containers.