MUHALLABIA ( A MIDDLE EASTERN DESSERT)

Hello everyone

On the occasion of sharad purnima generally we used to prepare kheer but this time I thought to give it a new twist and made muhallabia, which is much similar to kheer and taste is really amazing. This can be prepared on any occasion like Diwali, holi, Eid or even during Ramadan fasting too. You can prepare it very easily and please your guests in a different way. It's perfect for those kids who don't likes bits of dry fruits or rice in their kheer, like my younger one. And luckily he loved it too much and finished in no time. So you can also serve this yummy cum healthy dessert to your fussy eaters.

Recipe is given below, hope you all will definitely give it a try.

MUHALLABIA 

Serves: 7-8

Time: 45 mins 

Ingredients 

4 cup milk

1/3 cup rice powder

2 leveled tsp corn flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup almond powder

Few drops Rose or kewda essence 

Pista and rose petals to garnish

Method:

First of all Boil 3 cup milk in a pan. 

Now dilute rice powder and corn flour in 1 cup milk.

 Add slowly in boiling milk stirring constantly to avoid lump. 

Let it get thick then add almond powder in batches and mix well to avoid lumps. 

Then add sugar. Cook for 4-5 mins. 

Now off the flame , let it cool for 5 mins then add essence. 

Now pour in serving bowls and garnish. Chill before serving.

Your yummy dessert is ready to serve.

You can use any dry fruit or cherry to garnish the dish.

You can also make it with different flavours by adding strawberry syrup and crush,rose syrup , dates, cocoa powder etc. 

Add sugar as per your taste.

If you don't get almond powder then soak nearly 3/4 +cup of whole almonds in hot water for 2-3 mins then peel it and let it dry and grind to fine powder. 

 Use your creativity and give this dish the flavour of your choice.

Enjoy this middle eastern dessert in your way and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here ,they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

ATTE KA HALWA ( WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR HALWA)

Hello everyone 

Sometimes we suddenly start craving for something sweet but it's not possible to have sweets all the time in your fridge . But today I have a very easy and irresistibly delicious whole wheat flour halwa recipe, which can be prepared in minimum time and with easily available ingredients at your home. You don't need any pre preparation or fancy utensils to cook it. So just be prepare to dive in the yumminess and sweetness of this tempting delight. Recipe is given below, hope you all will love it.

ATTE KA HALWA ( WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR HALWA)

Serves: 3-4 

Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup ghee

1/2 cup sugar, I used less

2 1/2 cup water

Chopped dry fruits ( optional)

1/4 tsp green cardamom powder ( optional)

Method:

Heat half of the ghee in a wok, add whole wheat flour and cook at medium flame , stirring constantly to avoid burning it. When it become nice golden brown and aromatic then lower the flame and add sugar in it . Mix well then add water slowly and keep mixing simultaneously, to avoid lump formation. Now again increase the flame to medium and cook it stirring constantly. Add remaining ghee and cook. When it starts leaving ghee then add chopped dry fruits of your choice and cardamom powder. Mix well and done. You yummilicious sweet treat is ready to serve. Garnish it with chopped dry fruits and serve hot.

Be careful while roasting whole wheat flour so that not to burn otherwise it will ruin whole dish.

You can also use more ghee if like ghee laden halwa.

Sugar can also be increased or decreased as per your taste.

You can also use more or less water to make halwa of your choice of consistency.

This halwa is easiest of all and yummilicious too. You can make it either in breakfast or for sweet treat after lunch or dinner. Can also be prepared for Kanya bhoj during Navratri. It tastes best if served hot.

Hope to hear nice words of appreciation from you after trying it, so please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

FLAXSEEDS DRYFRUITS PEANUT BUTTER LADDOOS

Hello everyone

Flaxseeds are considered super healthy food, so why not we too include it in our daily menu. Many people want to add it but don't like its taste , so here I have this super food in super healthy as well as super tasty version. Laddoo... Favorite of every sweet tooth but these are not only yummy for sweet lovers but also a boon to health conscious weight watchers too. It will satisfy your taste buds while craving for sweets and at the same time keep you fill for long. I prefer these for post workout snacks as that time we need some thing energetic and this best suits our needs. As I skipped adding sugar and ghee to it and added lots of Dry fruits , jaggery and peanut butter to increase its nutritional values so that anyone can have these without guilt and stay healthy in a yummy way. There  are numerous health benefits of using flaxseeds and one of them is women health. It's really a complete remedy to women's general regular problems if consumed regularly but remember to not consume too much at a time, as this may be heavy on stomach if consumed in large quantity. 1-2 laddoos daily is enough for our daily requirement of these nutrients. Consumption of raw flaxseed can also lead to digestion problems so always consume it in roasted form. For more information you can refer to Below link.

Flaxseeds, ground, raw
2.00 TBS
14.00 grams

Calories: 75
GI: very low

NutrientAmountDRI/DV
(%)Nutrient
DensityWorld's Healthiest

http://www.webmd.com/diet/benefits-of-flaxseed?page=2

Recipe of this super healthy and yummy laddo is given below ,hope you all will definitely like it and add to your healthy meal list.

FLXSEEDS DRYFRUITS PEANUT BUTTER LADDOOS

Serves: 25-30 pieces( depend on size)

Time : 40 mins

Ingredients

1/2 kg flax seed
400 gms jaggery, grated
1 cup chopped dates
2 cups chopped dry fruits( cashew, almonds, walnut,pistachios and raisins)
2 tbsp ginger powder(optional)
1 tbsp cinnamon powder(optional)
12-15 green cardamom pods
1 tbsp ghee(optional only for flavor)
1/2-3/4 cups of peanut/almond butter

Method:

Dry roast flax seed at medium high flame till aromatic and crunchy. Don't burn it so be careful . let it cool then grind along with cardamom pods to a powder.
Slightly dry roast the dry fruits to make them crunchy . But don't over do as too much roasting or frying of dry fruits decrease its nutritional values.
Now add all ingredients together and mix properly. Your mixture is ready to make laddoos. Make laddoos of desired size and enjoy healthy snacking.

You can add jaggery and dry fruits as per your taste. For easy binding peanut/almond butter quantity can be increased. In India , flaxseeds have enough oil in it to bind itself ,so use peanut butter as required.

If you are allergic to any nut or peanut butter then can simply skip those nuts and go for ghee , for binding and add other nuts of your choice for flavour.

You can add more ghee also for more flavors and easy binding.

But I bet it still not going to disappoint  you at all .
Now enjoy this delightful sweet dish without guilt and stay healthy in a yummy way. Hope you all will like this healthy cum yummy treat and will definitely give it a try. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot ...

I am adding this information for those who are confused whether to consume flaxseeds in summer or not . So here you go... you can eat flaxseeds daily irrespective of seasons . 

Information source : Google 

Facts on Flax seeds: 

Flax seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for overall brain health as well as for preventing memory loss and depression.

Including flax seeds in your diet can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels as much as 25 to 65 percent, especially in women.

Eating flax seeds daily stabilizes blood sugar and can reduce the effects of diabetes.

A 3 tablespoon serving of flax seeds is as rich in omega-3, -6 and -9 fatty acids as one pound of fish.

Flax seeds are rich in fiber: 3 tablespoons contains one half the daily requirement.

Flax seeds are rich in soluble fiber that carries toxins out of the body.

Flax seeds are rich in lignans—800 times more than any food on earth—which may help fight prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Lignans also decrease the severity of hot flashes and decrease inflammation related to diseases like arthritis and lupus.

Flax seeds are high in protein, containing 10 grams in each 3 tablespoon serving

Flax seeds are rich and filling, with their high-fiber content and omega-3 fatty acids, and create a full, satisfied feeling.

These are 10 reasons why to consume flaxseeds daily.

Hope this helps😊😊

Happy cooking....

KIMAMI SEWAI

Hello everyone

Sewai... A must preparation for Eid. We make sewai in many ways but this one is the richest and yummiest of all. Kimami sewai, it's loaded with dry fruits, milk, essence, mava and many more. A must try delicacy for all sweet tooth fellows. Kimami sewai is mainly made on the occasion of Eid celebration. When we were kids, used to go to our Muslim friends on Eid and had these heavenly sewai many times. This  Eid I was having strong craving for this delicious treat but had no one to offer these to me so I tried it myself and viola , succeeded in replicating that same flavour in my mouth... Yummmmm. 

Step wise recipe of this heavenly treat is given, must give it a try if you are true sweet tooth😊

KIMAMI SEWAI

Serves :12-15

Time: 1 hr

Ingredients 

300 gms fine sewai ( preferably super fine suterfeni, I missed)

500 gms sugar ( you can use more, as it calls at least 3 times sugar to sewai ratio)

1 1/2 lt milk

2 cups chopped dry fruits( pistachio, cashews, almonds, walnuts, raisins etc)

1/2 cup descicated coconut

10-12 dates, chopped or dry dates, soaked and pureed

1/2 cup dates syrup( completely optional)

1/2 cup mava( khoya) or 1 cup milk powder + 1/4 cup milk 

8-10 cloves

2 inch piece cinnamon stick

8-10 green cardamom

1/2 tsp green cardamom powder

1 -2 tbsp ghee

Method:

Heat some ghee in a heavy bottomed wok, fry sewai in it till nice golden in colour. Keep it aside. 

Be careful while frying so not to burn it, keep flame at medium to low and keep stirring occasionally to get even golden brown colored sewai.

Now in little ghee fry all dry fruits except dates, till nice aromatic and golden. Again be careful, not to burn.

Now heat remaining ghee, add cloves, green cardamom and cinnamon stick. Sauté till aromatic then fry mawa in it till light golden, or add powder milk and 1/4 cup milk in it , sprinkle some more if needed and fry till it become of mawa consistency. 

Now add chopped or pureed dates and fry till it get incorporated with mawa. Keep it aside. 

Now boil 1 kg milk in same wok and add sugar in it. Let it boil till it become 3/4th. It may cuddle a little but not to worry as it will work as flavour enhancer. 

Now add fried sewai, dry fruits , mawa , dates syrup and remaining milk.  If you find it dry for you then can add some milk or water at this stage and simmer for 8-10 mins or till sewai is cooked. As different thickness of sewai may take different time to cook.

Now switch off the flame and add green cardamom powder or any essence of your choice to it , mix well and cover . So that sewai will absorb all the flavour and aroma.

 Garnish with chopped dry fruits, Serve warm or chilled, in both ways it's just heavenly.   

*You can use dryfruits of your choice and also can increase or decrease its quantity as per your taste.

Sugar can also be increased as per your taste but believe me this much is also too much for us so just try it first.

**If you are using super fine variety of sewai then may be it need less liquid to cook so add accordingly, but i made dry sewai and if you want it with syrup then can add more milk or water to it.

*Dry rose petals or saffron can also be added to it.

*You can serve it with milk too, to cut its extra sweetness for non sweet tooth guests.

Now enjoy these Eid special delicacy whenever you want. Hope you all will definitely give it a try and pour your queries, comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

EASY KALAKAND

Hello everyone

Sweets are the heart of each and every festival. No festival can be completed without having some sweets in menu. So here I am having a very easy , quick but tempting Indian sweet, kalakand. It needs minimum ingredients and time but turn out to be a droolsome awesome dessert. Any sweeth tooth can never say no to this scrumptious dessert. Whenever you want to please your guests without any fuss then go for it, you will never regret.

Recipe is given below, must give it a try. Hope you will like it.

EASY KALAKAND

Yield: 15-20 pieces

Time :15 mins

Ingredients

2 cup mashed soft paneer or chhena ( cottage cheese)

1 tin condensed milk ( 400 gms)

1/2 cup milk powder

1/2 tsp kewda or rose essense or green cardamom powder

1 tbsp finely chopped pistachios or almonds

Method:

 Heat a nonstick wok on medium flame then add mashed paneer, condensed milk and milk powder. Cook , stirring continuously to avoid burning, till it starts leaving edges of the wok. Then add essence or cardamom powder and mix well. 

Spread it in a greased tray evenly and sprinkle chopped pistachios or almonds all over it and press a little to stick them firmly. 

Now let it cool completely then cut desired slices and serve. Your easiest yummy sweet is ready to hog on😊.

Once it starts leaving edges of the wok means it's ready to spread, so don't over cook the mixture otherwise it may become little chewy.

Always use soft paneer to get nice texture of sweet, also put every thing together in the wok . If you cook paneer first then it may become chewy. 

You can use any essence or dry fruit of your choice or simply skip it.

This is kids friendly as well as sweet tooth favorite sweet treat . So definitely give it a try ,you will never regret. Hope you all will like this easy ,simple , quick and yummiest dessert, please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

NO BUTTER NO SUGAR EGGLESS SPICED OATS BANANA WALNUT LOAF

Hello everyone 

My sweet tooth daughter always used to ask why healthy stuffs are not yummy and what we like to eat are always comes under unhealthy category 😕😕. Actually my whole family is sweet tooth and also having great tendency to get fat too easily😭 , so to avoid extra calories in our diet we have to make a reasonable distance with sugary and fatty stuffs😰. 

But this is also like a boon too me, so that I can experiment with healthy stuffs and turn them to interesting healthy cum yummy dishes.

This cake is the best example of taste with health. I used all healthy alternatives to usual ingredients of a cake, which lead to this super yummy healthy sweet treat. Now no need to take just one bite of your sweet crush to satisfy your craving. And the second best thing is , it's best and yummy way to use your over ripe bananas. Spices added in this cake,  boosted its flavor to another level. You can say it a perfect combo for your cup of tea. A happy dessert to health conscious fellows.

Step wise recipe is given below, hope you will enjoy this tasty, yummy and healthy treat. sure give it a try , you will never regret.

NO BUTTER NO SUGAR SPICED OATS WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR BANANA WALNUT LOAF

Serves: 5-6

Time: 1: 15 hrs

Ingredients 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats, powdered

3 big bananas, ripe

1/2 cup jaggery, grated

1/3 cup oil

2 tbsp thick yogurt( curd)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder 

1/8 tsp salt

1 inch ginger, grated

1 tsp vanilla essence 

10-12 walnuts, roughly chopped 

Method:

First of all grease a loaf pan and dust it with some flour, keep it aside.

Mix well whole wheat flour, oats powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon powder, walnuts and salt together, keep it aside for later use.

Now mash bananas with a fork till they become a lump less puree. Add grated jaggery , vanilla essence and curd in it and mix well till jaggery gets dissolve. Now add grated ginger and oil , again mix well. 

Add flour mixture and fold it to make a lump less smooth batter. Pour in greased loaf pan.

 Bake in a preheated oven at 180degree C for 40 - 50 mins, or till tooth pick inserted in it comes out clean. Mine took 55 mins, so keep an eye on it after 45 mins as different oven take different time. Time also depends on baking pans, size and shape.

Let it cool for 5 mins then invert on a wire rack.

 Let it cool completely before slicing, to get neat slices.

Your super yummy and healthy cake slices are ready to go with your cup of tea.

Enjoy these guilt free scrumptious sweet treat any time. It's good for kids tiffin and mid meal hunger sprang.

You can use any spices and any dry fruits of your choice. But surely try this combo too as ginger and cinnamon let this cake to another level.

You can increase or decrease the quantity of jaggery as per your taste and sweetness of bananas, but this one is for perfect sweetness😊.

You can also use any shape of baking pan, but then baking time may change, so be cautious while baking and keep checking in between.

Hope you all will definitely try this guilt free yummy loaf and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

LOW FAT KUNFAH

Hello everyone 

Once again I am here with a low fat but delicious, mouthwatering dessert very popular in Middle East. Though I can't say it is a completely healthy recipe but of course I tried to cut nearly half the calories than traditional one. As this recipe calls for too much butter and sugar, so clearly it's a rich dessert. But I used minimal butter and less sugar to avoid extra calories, without compromising its taste. This is one of the best dessert I had ever. I made it my way with some twists in ingredients, but the end product is total worth to my effort. It's not only tempting but also a treat to eyes too.

Recipe is given below, hope you will definitely love it.

LOW FAT KUNFAH

Serves:5-6

Time: 1 hr 

Ingredients 

300 gms  very thin vermicelli (it requires kataifi dough but I took vermicelli)

2 tsp butter or ghee

1/2 cup milk 

1 cup sugar

1cup water

2tsp lemon juice

1cup grated cottage cheese

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 cup unsweetened rabdi 

1 tbsp Roasted dry fruits as per ur choice

1/4 tsp orange red food color

1/4 tsp rose or orange essence

Method:

First of all take a baking dish and grease it with some butter and food color. 

Mix 2/3 part of vermicelli with 2 tbsp of milk and 1 tsp butter or ghee, just to make it little moist. Don't add more milk otherwise it will become soggy so adjust milk quantity accordingly.

Now spread this in the baking dish and press with spatula to get a firm base.

Add all the cheese , rabdi and dry fruits together and spread it on the vermicelli base.

Now take the rest 1/3 part of vermicelli and moisten it with milk and cover the cheese layer completely. And again press it firmly.

Bake it in microwave convection mode at 200degree for 25 mins. U can also bake it in regular oven for the same temp and time.

Time also depend on the vermicelli you took. Mine was roasted one , but if you are taking unroasted white vermicelli then bake for long and keep watching till it become nice golden color.

I used this vermicelli 👇🏻👇🏻

In the meanwhile make sugar syrup adding sugar and water and boil for 10 mins and add lemon juice . let it cool and then add rose essence or orange essence.

When the kunfah is baked let it rest for 15 mins then pour the sugar syrup all over it and again let it rest for 1/2 hr. Then invert it and decorate .

If you like more crunch then can pour syrup on individual servings also.

To make instant rabdi, boil 1/2 lt milk in a thick bottom pan till it become 3/4 then add 2 bread slices churned with little milk to it. Continue cooking till it become nice thick like rabdi.

If you don't want to use rabdi then can use condensed milk too.

Now enjoy this palatable delicious dessert . This can be served in any dinner party too. Just bake it and get appreciated by all. 

Hope you will definitely give it a try and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

LOW FAT VEG MANGO CHEESE CAKE

Hello everyone

In summer, there are mangoes and mangoes everywhere . Everyone is just mad on mangoes these days , making mango cakes, mango ice creams, mango pudding, mango jelly and many more in the row. I am also one of them😊 So after trying my hands on mango jelly and ice cream , now I thought of trying mango cheese cake for first time. But its richness of calories made me always hesitate to try , though I am too fond of trying healthy and guilt free cooking, so came up with a healthy substitute of fatty cheese and cream used in this cake. Accidentally or you can say luckily my 1 1/2 lt of milk got cuddled and hence I got a golden chance for my experiment. As I was not so sure for the perfect end result so missed to click all steps pics but to my surprise, the final outcome is just wow and of course a guilt free dessert.

Recipe is given below, hope you all will definitely like it.

LOW FAT VEG MANGO CHEESE CAKE

Ingredients 

1 1/2 lt milk 

1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar 

1 1/3 cup mango puree 

2 tbsp sugar, you can add more

5 gm agar agar( China grass)

3/4 cup water

12-15 any sweet biscuit, I used 4 belvita biscuits 

1 tsp ghee or butter

Method:

First of all boil milk, then add lemon juice or vinegar , little by little till it get cuddle. Then strain it in a muslin or any fine cotton cloth. Wash it under tap water to remove sourness of vinegar or lemon from cheese. Then squeeze it well and hang some where for at least 1 hr to drain excess water in it. Now your cheese is ready to use.

Soak agar agar strips in water for at least 20 mins. Then take 3/4 cup of water in a pan, add soaked agar agar and boil. After boiling, lower the flame and let it simmer till agar agar get completely dissolved in water. In meanwhile take cheese in mixer and churn till smooth, both not too much. Now add 1 cup mango pulp and sugar in it and churn again for 2-3 pulses only. Now pour it in a bowl.

Now make powder of biscuits in a mixer and add ghee or butter in it. Take a greased pan of your choice, spread this biscuit ghee mixture in it evenly and press with a spatula to get a firm base.

Now in cheese mango mixture add agar agar liquid, little more than half the quantity. Mix well and pour it on biscuit base evenly. Tap the pan to remove any air bubble formed .  Keep the pan in freezer for 10 mins. Now take 1/3 cup of mango puree and add rest of agar agar liquid and mix well. Now take out the pan from freezer and pour this mango puree all over it evenly and tap the pan to get smooth surface. Now keep the pan in refrigerator overnight. For demolding , run a clean knife along its sides so that it leave the edges of pan then carefully invert it on a chilled plate and then invert it once again on serving plate, and done. But will suggest to either use spring form mold or use butter paper in base to make it easier to demold as mine got little deformed in inverting twice.

 Your mildly sweet guilt free veg mango cheese cake is ready to serve.

Be careful with agar agar, as it can set at room temp too. So when we have to wait for next step then keep agar agar mixture bowl in boiling hot water to avoid its jelly formation. If you want good sweet dessert then you can add more sugar to cheese mixture and also some sugar can be added in upper mango mixture too.

This is so creamy and scrumptious desserts that can make you star of any party you are hosting. Just try once you will never regret. Hope you all will definitely give it a try and pour your queries, comments and suggestions ,they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....