TIL (SESAME SEEDS) BURFI

Hello everyone

Today I am sharing a very nostalgic and my all time favorite sweet recipe. Every Makarsankranti I used to miss this sweet since I leaved my native place. Til burfi, though it looks like any other khoya sweet but if you will taste it then only can understand the depth of flavour in it.
This sweet is not so popular as some other sweets , that's why not so easy to find it everywhere you want.
So i thought , why not to give it a try at home. last year too i made it with instant khoya, made of powder milk. It was delicious too but my heart was drooling for some thing authentic. So this time I chose the traditional way of making milk solids (khoya) then using it for my sweet.
As I was not so sure of the end product So missed clicking stepwise pics, but the final output was so so delicious that you will forget the storebought ones. But don't worry, it's so easy to make that you don't need any tutorial to follow, simple instructions are enough.
Recipe is given below, hope you will enjoy making and devouring at this heavenly treat.

TIL ( SESAME SEEDS) BURFI

Time: 2-2:30 hrs
Serves: 25-30 pcs( as per size)

Ingredients

2 Lt full fat milk
300 gms white til ( sesame seeds)
1/4 cup milk powder ( optional)
1/2- 3/4 cup Sugar ( as per taste)
1/2 tsp green cardamom powder ( optional)

Method:

First of all boil milk in a heavy bottom pan. Let it cook on medium to low flame till reduce to 1/3rd, stirring in between to avoid sticking to bottom.
* Be careful while stirring when it thickened, as splutters too much.

Now cook further stirring constantly till it get idli batter like consistency. If want , add milk powder to it at this stage to thicken fast and become a semi solid mass or cook further till you get mawa consistency.

Switch off the flame and let it cool. It will get solidify on cooling.
* So if it seems little liquid when hot, don't worry.

Now dry roast sesame seeds in a pan on low flame till light golden.
Be careful not to burn it. Sesame seeds become bitter if roasted more.
Let it cool.
Grind 3/4 of it to coarse powder.

Now take khoya, sugar, sesame seeds ( ground and whole , both) and green cardamom powder in a heavy bottom pan. Cook on low flame, stirring constantly to avoid sticking to bottom .

When it starts leaving the edges of pan, transfer to a greased tray and spread evenly with help of a spatulla.
You can also sprinkle some sesame seeds all over it.

Let it cool then cut into desired shape and enjoy these delicious unadulterated delicacies.

* If you don't want to make khoya at home then can use store bought khoya too. But then don't forget to saute it well before using.

You can prepare this sweet for any festival and surprise your guests and loved ones with your cullinary skill.

Hope you will definitely give it a try and don't forget to share your experience with me. Your comments and suggestions meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

.

EGGLESS ALMOND CHOCO COFFEE COOKIES

Hello everyone

Today I have a very delicious crisp chocolate cookies recipe with goodness of almonds and depthness of coffee flavour. If you are a chocolate as well as coffee lover then it is surely for you. you can have it any time without guilt as it is loaded with almond. Most intrestingly it's eggless too. Not only elders but kids too love this cookie.
You don't need any fancy equipment to prepare it. It is a wonderful gift for your loved ones.
Stepwise Recipe is given below. do try and share your experience with me.

EGGLESS ALMOND CHOCO COFFEE COOKIES

Time: 30 mins
Yield: 25-26 medium size cookies

Ingredients


1 1/2 cup all purpose flour / chapatti flour
1/2 cup butter ( at room temp.)
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar ( you can increase as per taste)
2 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp freshly ground flaxseeds + 3 tbsp warm water ( leave for 10-15 mins)
1/2 cup chocolate chips


Method:

First of all preheat oven at 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix almond powder, flour and baking powder well . keep aside till needed.

Take butter in a bowl and cream it. Now add coffee powder and both sugar. Again beat till mixture become creamy.
Now add flaxseed gel and again beat till well incorporated.

Add flour and just fold. Now add choco chips ( reserve some for decorating) and just mix to get nice dough. Don't over mix the dough.

Make small balls of dough and flatten like peda. Place on baking tray at 2 inch distance between each cookie.

Place some Choco chips on each flattened cookies and place the tray in refrigerator for half an hour or in freezer for 10 mins.

Now bake it in preheated oven @180°C for 12-20 mins as different oven take different time for baking. So keep an eye after 12 mins.

When its base starts getting brown , remove from oven and let it rest for 5 mins. Then transfer on a wire rack and let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

It will remain good at room temp for .a week ( If left) and for a month in refrigerator.

* You can add more sugar if want more sweeter cookies, as mine are mild.

* If you dont have brown sugar then replace it with white one.

* If baking for small kids then you can omit coffee powder, as some kids don't like it's flavour.

*If using strong coffee like expresso then add only 1 tsp. as it may turn cookies bitter.

So bake these divine cookies at home and surprise your loved ones. It's perfect snacks for your morning/evening tea or for kids tiffin. Enjoy whenever you want. Hope you all will love this simple yet delicious recipe and will definitely give it a try.

Do share your experience with me, as your feedback motivates me to serve more and more interesting delicacies to you. Your comments and suggestions meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

EGGLESS SPINACH PANEER QUICHE

Hello everyone

Here I am posting after a long time but came with a very interesting and delicious recipe. Quiche , it's basically a type of pie with a savory filling and topped with egg mixture. But mine recipe is eggless one and also without butter. Generally its crust calls for lots of butter but as a health conscious fellow I always try to cut down any extra calories in my diet, as much I can. So here is mine version of eggless quiche recipe. Nice creamy filling in a crispy crunchy crust is a real delight for quiche lovers. Hope you all will definitely love this healthier and delicious version.

Step wise recipe is given below.

EGGLESS SPINACH PANEER QUICHE

Time: 1 hr ( leaving the resting time)
Serves: 8

Ingredients

For crust:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour/ chapatti flour
1 1/2 tbsp semolina
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
3-4 tbsp yogurt , as required

For filling:

1 cup spinach, finely chopped
2 big onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup crumbled cottage cheese ( paneer)
1/4-1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 tsp Black pepper
Salt to taste

For egg substitute

1 cup milk
1/2 cup soft cottage cheese ( paneer)
1 heaped tbsp corn flour
1-2 pinch salt

Method:

First of all prepare dough for crust.
Mix all ingredients given under for crust section , except yogurt. After mixing hold the flour mixture in your palm and close tightly. If after opening , the flour hold it's shape then proceed with next step otherwise add some more oil and mix well to get required texture.

Now add required yogurt, 1 tbsp at a time and gather the dough together. No need to knead the dough. It should be firm and just gathered together to form a ball. 

** Never add too much yogurt otherwise your crust will not come out crisp.

Now give it a disc shape and wrap in a cling film/ aluminum foil. Keep it in freezer for 30 mins or in fridge for 2hrs.

Now take it out and roll into a thick big chapatti ( slightly bigger than the size of your baking pan) on a floured surface.

** The chapatti may break while rolling due to hard dough but don't worry , keep on collecting the broken edges and roll.

While rolling keep on lifting and moving your rolled chapatti to avoid sticking to base.
Now carefully transfer it to the pie pan. Press it lightly to give the shape of pan and pierce with fork to avoid puffing while baking.

Now blind bake the prepared crust in a preheated oven at 180℃ for 12-15 mins or till its edges start to browning.

Keep it out of the oven and brush with butter or ghee. Let it cool.

Meanwhile prepare our filling.

Heat some oil in a wok, add chopped garlic and saute for a min. Now add chopped onions and saute till transparent. Add spinach and saute till it shrinks. 

Now add crumbled cheese, followed by chilli flakes, black pepper powder and salt to taste. Saute for 2 more mins and is done. Let it cool.

Meanwhile prepare our egg replacement mixture.

Take all ingredients given under egg replacement , in a blender jar and blend to a nice smooth creamy mixture. Keep aside till needed.

When our crust and filling is cooled down. Put filling in crust and spread evenly. Finally pour the prepared egg replacement mixture all over it.

Now bake it in a preheated oven at 180℃ for 40- 45 mins or till you see nice golden colour on its top.

** Never put hot filling or on a hot crust, let both come to room temperature before assembling the final dish. Otherwise the crust may become soggy and ruin the texture of whole dish.

After baking let it come to room temperature then slice and serve with any sauce of your choice.

It is not only delicious but filling too. A single slice can replace your full meal. So bake it and enjoy in your lunch /  dinner or give it in your kids tiffin.

It's really yummilicious treat for quiche lovers in a healthy way.

Hope you all will love this healthy cum yummy treat and will give it a try soon.
Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

EGGLESS DATES AND DRY FRUITS CAKE WITH SALTED DATES AND CHOCOLATE GLAZE WITH CRUNCH OF ROASTED ALMONDS

Hello everyone

I am too fond of eggless as well as healthy baking. Whenever I have to bake, I try to make it as healthy as i can. Today's cake is not new to you all as I made it many times and posted in my blog too. This is one of my favorite eggless and alcohol free christmas cake with lots of dates and dry fruits.The only new thing this time is its shape , size and glaze.

Earlier I made naked bundt cake every time, with this recipe . 

http://sonicuisine.com/2016/03/eggless-dates-and-dry-fruits-bundt-cake.html

But this time I planned to bake a bigger cake and thought to try something new so gave completely different shape and baked in square cake pan instead of bundt one.

For glaze I used simple milk  chocolate bar and dates syrup. It was just an experiment but turned out really delicious, and is confirmed by my kids.

Recipe is given below. Though it was not planned to add in blog so not having all the step's pics but will try to explain as per my knowledge, best.

EGGLESS DATES AND DRY FRUITS CAKE WITH SALTED DATES AND CHOCOLATE GLAZE WITH CRUNCH OF ROASTED ALMONDS

For Cake: http://sonicuisine.com/2016/03/eggless-dates-and-dry-fruits-bundt-cake.html

For Glaze:

Ingredients

1 milk chocolate bar  ( I used cadbury milk chocolate, 90 gms)
1/2 cup dates syrup
2 pinches salt ( you can use more if like more salty)
2 tbsp chopped roasted almonds for sprinkling

Method:

Roughly chop the chocolate bar and melt in a double boiler or in microwave. Keep stirring in between to avoid burning it while microwaving.
Now add salt and dates syrup to it and whisk vigorously to get nice shiny and smooth glaze of pouring consistency. If it seems too thick then add some more dates syrup and mix well to get right consistency. 

It should form nice smooth ribbons when poured with spoon.
Now immediately pour all over the cake . Spread evenly with knife or cake spatula. 

Sprinkle roasted and chopped almonds all over it.

 Let it chill in refrigerator overnight or atleast 4-5 hrs to set the glaze. It will not become completely solid on chilling but will not drip and spread , while handling.

I used milk powder and milk as ran out of white chocolate stock , to make nice pattern on my cake . You can also use melted white chocolate and with help of piping bag make desired pattern on your glazed cake.

This step is completely optional, without this too your cake will look and taste heavenly.

After making pattern, Again let it set for sometime before slicing.

*  Completely cool the cake before pouring the glaze.

* Be quick with pouring the glaze as it gets thicken very soon . So try to pour when it's still  hot. Also spread quickly to get nice smooth finish.

* Do final decoration or cutting once glaze is completely set.

This is one of the simplest glaze you can try and don't forget to share your experience with me.

Hope you will love to try this healthy twist in regular glaze in a simplest way. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

SEMOLINA PUDDING ( SOOJI KA HALWA OR RAWA KESHARI)

Hello everyone

Semolina pudding or sooji ka halwa is a very simple yet super Delicious dessert you can prepare in minimum time and enjoy any time. It is also called rawa keshari with little orange ( keshari) colour in it.

The ideal proportion for this pudding is 1:1:2:4 :: semolina:ghee:sugar:water

But being a calorie conscious mom I used to balance ingredients according to necessity only . Even then the end product was nothing less than ghee and sugar laden authentic rawa keshari.

In addition I added lots of almonds and few walnuts too for making it much more nutritious to my fussy eater.

This is one of the important dish from Navratri bhog also. So this navratri prepare it and offer to Goddess Durga .

Sharing mine version of sooji ka halwa. Hope you all will enjoy this healthy cum yummy delight.

Recipe is given below. Couldn't  take stepwise pictures as prepared for kids tiffin in hurry but will explain to my knowledge best. Do try and share your experience with me.

SEMOLINA PUDDING ( SOOJI KA HALWA OR RAWA KESHARI)

Serves:3-4

Time: 20-25 mins

Ingredients

3/4 cup coarse semolina ( sooji / rawa)

Ghee as per need

3/4 +cup sugar ( as per taste)

3cup +Water ( as per need)

Handful almonds and few walnuts, ground to fine powder along with 2-4 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp green cardamom powder

Few drops edible orange colour ( optional)

METHOD:

Heat 2-3 tbsp of ghee in a wok and add semolina. Saute stirring constantly on medium flame till golden brown  and nice aroma starts to come . If going to add colour then saute till just golden .

Now add water with few drops of colour ( if using)and let it cook till semolina is nicely swollen. Now add dryfruits powder and sugar. Mix well and add some ghee , little at a time, till halwa starts leaving edges of the wok. Finally add cardamom powder and mix well. Switch off the flame and serve with some dryfruits garnishing.

* Amount of water added is on your choice of halwa consistency. If want nice fluffy halwa then add less water but for porridge consistency use more water.

* As My Lil one don't like any dryfruits that's why I added powdered one. You can add any dryfruits of your choice and chopped too.

* You can also use some milk to make it rich.

This is one of the simplest dessert you can prepare in jiffy and satisfy your sweet craving. Either prepare for kids tiffin or as an offering to god. Either in breakfast or as a dessert for guests . In every way you will be satisfied to the core.

Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

EGGLESS CHOCO VANILLA ZEBRA CAKE WITH COLORFUL PATTERN

Hello everyone

Yesterday I got a note I my kids diary that next day they have to bring some food item for sharing with their classmates. As their 9 days long vacations are going to start from this weekends. Suddenly baking a cake idea stuck to my mind but thought why not to bake some different than usual but attractive cake for kids so that they will like it even more. My kid like chocolate and vanilla flavour most. So to use it , tried my old tried and tasted recipe of zebra cake but with some more colours to make it even more presentable and eye catching and it turned out so soft, moist and yummy that no one can resist eating another serving. My kids loved it a lot and finished nearly 1/3rd of cake at home only😀.Best part of it is , that it's eggless too. Easiest recipe with handful of ingredients and result is awesome delicious beautiful stripped cake.

Stepwise recipe is given below. Do try and don't forget to share your experience with me.

EGGLESS  CHOCO VANILLA ZEBRA CAKE WITH COLORFUL PATTERN

Serves: 10-15 ( depend on serving size)

Time: 50-55 mins

Ingredients 

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour/ chapatti flour ( I made big cake , you can make it half or 1/3 easily)

2 1/2 cup yogurt ( curd), beaten 

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla Essence 

1 1/2 cup sugar ( you can add more as per taste, I kept mild)

3/4 cup oil

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Few drops of orange and blue edible colours

Method:

First preheat the oven at 180°c.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together, keep aside for later use.

Add baking soda to beaten yogurt and give a quick stir and keep it aside for 8-10 mins or till it become nice frothy.

Now mix  vanilla essence, sugar and oil together till sugar dissolves and mixture become smooth and fluffy. Don't over mix otherwise all the bubbles will sink.

Mix dry and wet mixtures together and fold to get lumpless smooth batter . 

*** Batter should neither too thin nor too thick. If needed add some milk/water , little at a time to get proper consistency.

Now divide the batter in four equal parts ,add cocoa powder to one , orange and blue colour to other two and leave fourth one as it is. Mix well but don't over do.

*Add some milk/water in Cocoa batter to get same consistency of all the batters. 

In a greased baking pan , lined with butter paper , pour one big spoon of one batter and tap the pan to spread .then pour  one big spoon of other batter over it and again tap the pan and do it alternatively till batter finished. 

**Now using a knife or skewer make 6-8 lines on cake starting from center of cake towards edge, at equal distance and cleaning knife/skewer every time. 

Now again makes lines, in between these lines but in reverse direction, from edge of cake towards center. This will give a nice pattern on the cake. This step is completely optional, you can skip it without getting any change in final product.

Then bake it for 50-55 mins. But keep an eye after 40 mins on it as baking time may vary oven to oven.
I baked on convection mode for 55 mins.

Check it with knife or skewer by inserting in middle of cake ,for doneness. If knife/skewer comes out clean then cake Is done otherwise bake for some more minutes.

Let it sit for 5-10 mins then invert on wire rack and let it cool completely.

Its so soft and moist cake that you cannot have just one piece.

*You can also use half or 1/3 the quantity as I made bigger cake for kids sharing day.

Enjoy this scrumptious Cake and do share your experience with me. Your valuable comments and suggestions are always welcomed, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....