Badam Halwa
Ingredients:
Badams/Almonds - 1 Cup (8 oz)
Sugar - 1 1/2 Cup (adjust to your taste*)
Water - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 2 to 3 tbsp
Ghee - 4 to 5 tbsp
Food color (optional)
Method:
First soak the almonds in water (preferably in hot water) and remove the skin from the almonds.
Grind them using milk into a fine smooth paste. Add a little milk at a time as needed.
*Measure the paste and take sugar in the 1: 1.5 ratio (badam paste and Sugar), which would be approximately 1.5 cup of sugar, as this ground paste would yield to 1 cup roughly.
Take the sugar with cup of water in a thick-bottomed vessel and let it come to a rolling boil. (This is usually the 1st kambi patham (1 string consistency). Do the check as well to make sure and add the ground paste and mix well. Let this cook for 4-5 minutes with constantly stirring in between so that it doesn't stick/burn at the bottom. Now time to add ghee…As you keep stirring add the ghee in constant intervals. The halwa will absorb the ghee quickly as you add.. : )
Now you can add any food color (if you like) and add cardamom powder as well.
Keep stirring and when it forms into a dough consistency and rolls into a ball with out sticking or touching to the bottom of the vessel, you can transfer it to a bowl and decorate with sliced almonds. Your badam halwa is ready! Enjoy!!
Made this over the weekend as it was our Anniversary 😃 and I got to tell you about the color here... 😉 I usually make this in light pale/yellowish color but this time it was my kid's choice to turn the halwa into this beautiful orange color!! 😊
p.s. Picture Added finally!
A Sweet story! 😊
While my daughter joins me sometimes while I watch Food/Cooking shows on T.V., my younger one (4 yrs) doesn't care much. So I was surprised when he suddenly asked for something, which was shown on the T.V. (on the food channel) and it was so very cute the way how he described the food item as neither of us know what's it called!! 😃 😉
From his description, I got what he was referring to and I some what remembered the ingredients that were used in making it as well …😆 So I decided to give it a try and ….Voila, it came out good!! We all enjoyed these yummy treats and I enjoyed this experience as well! A name was quickly chosen to this Chocolate dessert! 😃 😳 Thought I would share it with you all....
Chocolate Bundles
Ingredients:
Pastry sheet (available at frozen section)
Egg – 1
Heavy Whipping Cream – 1 small carton
Chocolates – What ever you like (we used the Truffles)
Milk Chocolate chips/bar – 1/2 cup (to make chocolate sauce!)
Method:
First per the package instructions make the pastry sheet ready.
Cut each sheet (usually comes in 3 folds) into 3 square shaped sheets, roughly about 4 inches squares.
With the rolling pin, just roll them slightly to make them into bigger squares.
Mix 1 egg + the cream (keep half carton for making sauce), beat them nicely together.
Now brush the egg cream mixture using a pastry brush on the pastry squares.
In the middle place 2-3 pieces of your favorite chocolate pieces and by lifting all 4 corners and bringing them into the center and with a slight twist make it look like a small sack shaped ones. Repeat the same with remaining sheets.
Now brush the egg cream mixture on top of these small bundles.
Place them all on a cookies sheet and back it for 12-15 minutes in 350 degrees until they all turn into nice & golden.
In a small sauce pan pour the remaining cream and when it becomes hot add the chocolate chips and mix it well. When the chocolates completely melts in it, will make a thick sauce and this is what I used on the plate to serve the Chocolate bundles! They turned out really nice and I was so happy when I saw the Smile 😃 on my little one's face! Priceless!! 😃
p.s. In addition to these sweet treats, I also prepared the veggie puffs as well using the pastry sheets. 😊
ENJOY!!
Edited by supree - 16 years agoFirst recipe is a sweet. Carrot Halwa.
CARROT HALWA
Ingredients:
500 grms carrots peeled and grated very fine
1 cup milk
3 tbs milk powder
70 grms ghee
1 cup sugar more or less
1 tbs roasted in ghee cashew nuts
1 tbs roasted in ghee raisins
A pinch of cardamom powder.
Method:
Heat ghee in a non-stick pot. Add the grated carrots and milk.
Cook on medium heat stirring constantly
Turn down the heat and allow the carrot to cook until soft.
Mash it nicely with a potato masher.
Add in the sugar and milk powder
Stir constantly until the mixture is thick enough to come
Away from the sides in one lump.
Now add the nuts, raisins and the cardamom powder.
Stir once and turn onto a greased dish.
Serve warm or cold.
Payathamparuppu Payasam
Payathamparuppu/Pasi payiru (Moong dal) - 1 Cup
Vellam/ Jaggery - 1 Cup
Milk - 1+ Cup
Evaporated Milk - 3/4 Cup
Yellakkai (Cardomom) - 2 pods
Ghee - 2 tsp
Cashews - 7 to 8
Raisins - 12 to 15
Coconut pieces - 3 tsp
Procedure:
First in a pan, put a tsp of ghee and fry the raisins and the cashews till they turn into brown in color. Fry the thinly sliced coconut in ghee and keep it aside.
Then after removing the nuts+ fruits, in the same pan put the moong dal and fry till it turns to slightly golden color. Add water to the dal and cook it. (here you can either pressure cook or can do the stove top cooking).
In a separate vessel, take about 1/2 cup of water and prepare the jaggery syrup and filter it to remove any dirts. Add this syrup to the cooked dal and let it cook further together. When it starts to boil add milk to this and let it cook again for some time.
Now add the cardamom powder, Evaporated milk and when it comes to boil again add the ghee fried cashews and raisins & the coconut pieces and switch off the stove.
Your payatham paruppu payasam is ready. Server it hot or cold, your choice and it's tasty either way! 😃
Dear Caryn here is another payasam for you.
RAVA PAYASAM
Ingredients:
1 litre milk
400 ml water
100 grms rava roasted with a tsp of ghee
200 grms sugar
1 tbs cashew nuts roasted with ghee
1 tbs raisins roasted with ghee
tsp cardamom powder
2 tbs ghee
Method:
In a pot add the milk and water and boil it.
When it boils, slow the fire and add the rava
Little by little, keep stirring to see that no lumps form.
When the rava is cooked add the sugar and stir.
Now if your payasam is thick you can add more milk.
Now add the cashew nuts and raisins and the cardamom powder.
Stir well and remove from the stove and serve.
Your payasam should look watery when you remove from stove.
It will become thick when it cools .
Note: those who like can cook the payasam in milk
alone without adding any water
Dear Ambi, here is the rava ponggal recipe.
RAVA PONGGAL
1 cup rava roasted with little ghee.
cup moong dal roasted
1 green chilli chopped
2 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp black pepper coarsely pounded
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 cashew nuts roasted in ghee
1 sprig curry leaves
4 tbs ghee
Salt
Water
Method:
Boil the roasted moong dal with 1 1/2 cups of water.
The dal must be cooked, but still holds its shape.
In a wok add 2 tbs of ghee, add the cumin seeds
Curry leaves, green chillies, ginger and pepper .
Saut nicely and add 3 cups of water and enough salt.
Let it boil, now slow the fire and add the cooked dal.
Now slowly add the rava little by little and see that no
Lumps are formed. Stir continuously till rava is completely
Cooked. Add the rest of the ghee, cashew nuts and stir nicely.
It should have the ponggal consistency.
Serve it hot with sambar or coconut chutney.
Note: Those who like can add 1 dry red chillie broken into pieces
While tempering.
Vani and Sue akka wanted the sweet rava ponggal.
Here it is.
Vani thanks also for the feedback on butter prawns.
SWEET RAVA PONGGAL
Ingredients:
1 cup rava roasted with 2 tsp of ghee
cup channa dal lightly roasted and boiled till soft.
5 cashew nuts roasted in ghee
10 raisins roasted in ghee
tsp cardamom powder
1 cup sugar
cup coconut scrapings optional
3 tbs of ghee
3 cups water
A pinch of salt.
Method:
In a wok add the ghee, when it is a little hot add in the water
And the channa dal and allow the mixture to boil.
Slow the fire and add in the roasted rava little by little
Stirring all the time. Once the rava is cooked, add the sugar
The cashew nuts, the raisins and stir continuously till
The sugar melts and one boil comes.
Add the grated coconut, and cardamom powder, mix nicely.
Remove from stove when it comes to thick consistency.
Serve hot or cold.
