Carrot Sago Kheer

Ingredients:

1 cup Finely grated Carrot

1/4 cup White Sago Pearl

3/4 cup Fine Sugar

11/2 cups Boiled Fresh milk

2 tbsp Condensed milk

2 tsp Cardamon powder

1/2 cup Water

4 tbsp Ghee

6-7 Cashew nuts (broken into small pcs)

2 tbsp Golden Raisins

Method:

• Clean and soak the sago pearls for 30 mins. Drain the water and keep aside.
• Now heat a thick bottom pan over medium low heat, add ghee and fry cashew nuts till golden. Drain and keep aside.
• Add the raisins and fry till they plump up well. Drain from ghee.
• To the same pan, add the grated carrot and fry on low flame for 5-7 mins.
• Then add the drained sago and water and bring to boil and cook till sago turns transparent.
• Now add the fresh milk and sugar and cook till it turns thick consistency.
• Then add the condensed milk and cardamon powder. Cook for another 2-3 mins and switch off the stove.
• Finally add the ghee roasted cashew nuts and raisins and stir to mix everything well.
• Serve the carrot sago kheer warm or chilled.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

2 cups self raising flour (sifted)

21/2 cups Carrots (Finely shredded)

11/2 cups Brown sugar

1 cup Cooking oil
3 eggs (@ room temp)

1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda

11/2 tsp Cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp Nutmeg powder

1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts

A pinch of salt

For the Frosting:

200 gms Cream Cheese (@ room temp)

50 gms Unsalted butter (@ room temp)

250 gms Icing sugar

A splash of vanilla Essence

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
• Grease and flour the baking tin.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, bicarbonate soda, cinnamon, nutmeg powder and salt. Mix well .
• Now add eggs one at a time and blend well.
• Then add the oil and mix well till all is blended.
• Now stir in the carrots and walnuts. Do not over work the flour.
• Pour the mixture into the well greased prepared baking tray/tin.
• Bake it in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Turn onto a wire rack and allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
• Now for the icing, cream the butter and cream cheese together till it turns smooth. Then add in the icing sugar and vanilla essence and beat for few more minutes till all is blended and turns thick.
• Frost the cake and decorate it with any roasted nuts or carrot strips.

Bread Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

5 Slices of Fresh white bread
4 tbs Fresh Milk 

3/4 cup Sugar

1 cup WaterFew strands of Saffron

1/2 tsp Cardamon powder
Oil to fry

Finely sliced Almonds and pistachio (for garnishing)  

Method:

• Trim off the brown edges from the bread and soak them in milk for a few mins.
• Now knead the bread to a soft smooth dough and shape into marble size balls.
• Take sugar, water and cardamon powder in a pan. Boil it and make a thick syrup. Keep on very low flame.
• Add the saffron strands to the syrup.
• Meanwhile heat oil in a deep bottom pan on medium high flame and fry the bread balls till golden brown.
• Drain the bread balls on the kitchen towel and immediately drop them into the syrup.
• Let them soak in the syrup for atleast an hour. The balls would have doubled in size by now.
• Serve it hot or cold garnished with finely sliced almonds and pistachio.

Rice Pudding with Apple and Plum Sauce...My 100th Post !!!

Rice Pudding:

Ingredients:

1 cup Long grain rice
21/2 cups Water
A pinch of Salt

1 cup Fresh Milk

1/2 cup Caster sugar

A pinch of Nutmeg

A pinch of Cinnamon

Method:

• Bring water to boil in a deep non stick pan. Add salt to the water.
• When the water has come to rolling boil, add the washed rice, cover the pan and let it simmer for 30 mins till the rice is well cooked. 
• Now add milk and continue to simmer till all the milk has been absorbed into the rice.
• Then add the sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir till all the contents are well mixed together.
• Cover and chill in the refrigerator till serving.

Apple and Plum sauce:

Ingredients:

5 Ripe Plums
1 Red Apple
1 tbsp Butter
1/4 cup Water

1/4 cup Brown sugar

A dash of Vanilla essence

A pinch of Nutmeg

1 Cinnamon stick

Method:

• Peel, core and dice the apple into 1 inch cubes. Likewise, stone the plums and cut it into wedges. Keep aside.
• Melt butter in a non stick pan. Add the brown sugar, water, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and vanilla essence.
• when the sugar has melted, add the fruits to the pan and let it get coated with the butter sugary mixture.
• Now add the water, cover the pan and let it simmer on medium low heat for about 20-30 mins till it reaches a saucy syrupy consistency. Switch off the stove.
• Serve the chilled rice pudding in a bowl topped with the rich warm apple and plum sauce.
• Serve immediately and enjoy.

Caramelised Banana Split Ice cream

Ingredients:

3 Ripe Bananas 

1/4 cup Caster sugar

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp Butter

A dash of Vanilla essence

A pinch of Nutmeg

5-6 scoops of Butterscotch ice cream (or any of your favourite flavour)

2 tbsp Chopped nuts (Optional)

Method:

• Peel the bananas and dice it into 1 inch thick rounds.
• Melt butter in a non stick pan. Add sugar, water, nutmeg and vanilla essence. Let sugar melt and form into caramel.
• Now add the banana slices to the pan and let it get coated with the caramel mixture.
• Serve the caramelised bananas in a glass bowl with few scoops of ice cream topped with chopped nuts.
• Serve immediately and enjoy.

Badam Halwa

Ingredients:

1 cup Badam (Almond) 

11/2 cup Sugar

1 cup pure Ghee
2 cups Fresh Milk
A pinch of yellow food colouring
Few strands of Saffron

1/8 tsp Cardamon powder

Finely sliced Almonds and pistachio (for garnishing)  

Method:

• Blanch almonds in hot water for 3 hours.
• Peel the outer skin of the almond and grind it into a coarse paste using  a little splash of milk.
• Heat 1/2 cup ghee in an nonstick pan, add the grounded almond paste, the remaining milk and sugar and cook till it becomes thick. Keep on medium low flame.
• Now add the cardamon powder, the food colouring, the remaining ghee and saffron strands. Stir for few more mins till ghee comes to the surface.
• Halwa is ready, when the mixture does not stick to the pan.
• Now grease the serving bowl with ghee and pour the halwa mixture and even it out to form a smooth surface.
• Serve it garnished with finely sliced almonds and pistachio.

Moist Orange Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups self raising flour (sifted)

1 cup caster sugar (sifted)

150gms butter (softened @ room temp)
2 eggs (@ room temp)
1/4 cup Fresh milk
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp finely grated orange rind

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F or 175 degree C.
• Cream butter and sugar together in an electric mixer until fluffy.
• Now add eggs one at a time and blend well.
• Then add the fresh milk, orange juice and orange rind. Now fold in the self raising flour in batches until just combined. Do not over work the flour.
• Pour the mixture into the well greased prepared baking tray/tin.
• Bake it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Turn onto a wire rack and allow the cake to cool completely before cutting.

Tapioca Balls with Coconut...My 50th post !!!

Ingredients:

1 Tapioca

1/4 cup sugar

few drops of orange food colouring (Optional)

5 tbsp freshly grated coconut

A good pinch of salt

Method:

• Wash and clean the outer thin brown skin of tapioca and dice into 5-6 long pieces.
• In a deep pan, add the cleaned tapioca and fill it with water so that all the pieces are immersed completely. Bring it to boil.
• Cook it uncovered till tapioca is tender. Drain and keep aside.
• When it is cool enough to handle, peel the skin and remove the hard bits in the center of the tapioca.
• Smash the tapioca with hands till has no big bits. Now add the sugar and food colouring. Mix well and form small balls using both hands.
• Cover and refrigerate the balls for 15 mins to allow it to set.
• Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, combine the grated coconut and salt. Mix well.
• Now roll the tapioca balls in the coconut content, make sure only a single layer of coconut flakes sticks to the balls else it will be too salty. Dust off the extra and lay it onto the serving plate.
• Tapioca balls can be served as a dessert or an evening teatime treat with a hot cuppa.