Ellu urundai (sesame laddu)

Ingredients

• Black sesame seeds - 1/4kg 
• Peanuts - 1/4 kg
• Jaggery - 1/2 kg
• Cardamom - 5 nos

Methods

• Roast the sesame seeds till you get nice aroma.
• Roast the peanuts separately.
• Powder the jaggery.
• In the blender, powder the sesame seeds along with cardamon. 
• Powder the peanuts separately.
• Now mix every thing(sesame, jaggery & peanuts) & give a quick turn in the mixer.
• Make balls & store it in the air tight container.

Tips for the recipe

• Go for cleaned sesame or else you have to wash & use it to remove dirt.
• You can powder sesame & peanuts together. Mix often while powdering the sesame & peanuts because it may get stick in the bottom of the jar. 
• It is easy to make balls if its warm.

Sweet puttu

Ingredients

• Ragi - 1 cup
• lightly salted water
• Sugar to taste
• Coconut - 1/4 - 1/2 cup

Method

• Sprinkle the salted water to the ragi flour & mix well.
• Tips for the consistency - I should look crumbled.If u press it tightly, it must be able to hold it shape.When you mix it back it should fall loosely like a sand.
• Now fill the puttu maker with one layer of puttu flour & the next layer with coconut. Again third layer with puttu flour & fouth with coconut. 
• Steam the puttu till it is done.
• Serve it with sugar & banana.

Rava Laddu

Ingredients

• Rava - 1 cup
• Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Ghee -  1/2 cup
• Shredded coconut - handful
• Nuts (crushed) - handful
• Cardamon - 3

Method

• Add little ghee & roast the rava separately & blend it in the blender along with the sugar & cardamon. Keep this aside.
• Heat 1-2 tbsp of ghee on low flame. Roast raisins. Then add the nuts. Take care not to burnt the nuts. Immediately add the grated coconut and semolina in it, stir continously & switch off the stove. 
• Add a spoon of ghee only to the small portion of rava mixture & make balls. Adding few drops of milk or water will make the work easy but the ladoos will turn hard after few hours.

Quick & Tasty Oats Payasam

Ingredients

• Oats - 1/4 cup
• Jaggery - 1/2 cup
• Cardamon powder - few pinches
• Water - 1 full glass (1/2 liter)
• Coconut - 1 small piece

To roast

• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Cashew - 1 tsp
• Coconut -1 tsp (finely chopped)
• Raisin - 1 tsp

Method

• Bring 3/4 glass of water to boil & add oats on medium flame.
• Reduce the flame, when the oats is almost done. Add the jaggery & keep mixing.
• Now use the remaining 1/4 glass of water to grind the coconut & add it to the payasam.
• Cook it for few minutes or till it reaches the desire consistency. Sprinkle some cardamon powder.
• Roast the cashews, coconut & raisin in the ghee separately & add it to the payasam.

Tips for the recipe - If you wish you can add 1 or 2 spoons of boiled & mashed moong dal. This payasam taste good even without moong dal.

Sweet pongal

Ingredients

• Par boiled rice - 1 cup
• Split moong dal - 1/2 cup 
• Ghee - 1/4 cup
• Jaggery (crushed, shredded or powdered) - 1 1/2 cup
• Cardamon powder - few pinches
• Raisin - 1-2 tbsp
• Cashew - 2 tbsp

Method

• Wash & pressure cook (for 1 cup of rice, add 5 cups of water) the dal & rice together (app 5 whistles).
• When the pressure releases, open the cooker & switch on the flame to low medium.
• Add the jaggery & keep mixing it till you dont see any jaggery pieces .
• Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in the pan.
• Fry raisins & cashews till it becomes golden brown. Pour it into the pongal.
• Add the remaining ghee & sprinkle some cardamon powder.
• Mix well & serve hot.

Tips for the recipe - You can add 1/2 cup milk while cooking the rice, so that the pongal becomes more soft. 

Vanilla ice cream

Ingredients

• Heavy whipping cream - 1 cup
• Milk - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Corn flour - 1 tsp
• Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp

Method

• Mix the cornflour with little milk & keep it aside to avoid lumps.
• Heat the remaining milk on medium flame.
• When the milk is about to boil, add the sugar & then cornflour mixture.
• Stir continuously. When the milk starts thickening(do not allow it to thicken too much) remove it from the flame & add the vanilla essence.
• Allow the mixture to cool for few minutes.
• Now add the cream & mix well.
• Cool it completely. Pour it in the ice cream maker & follow the manufactures instruction.

Tips for the recipe - You can use whole milk or milk with any fat level works good for this recipe. In fact i used fat free milk & still enjoyed a tasty treat. Serve it plain or garnish it with fruits or chocolate sauce or anything of your choice.

Cake & caramel sauce

Ingredients

• Plain cake - 3 - 5 pieces
• Chocolate - caramel sauce - 4 tbsp or adjust
• Banana - 1 medium size

Method

• At the time of serving, place the cake pieces in the serving plate & add the sliced banana pieces.
• Pour few spoon of caramel sause on top of the cake & serve.

Tips for the recipe - For good taste refrigerate the cake, fruit & the sauce for sometime & serve chill.

Eggless chocolate cake with cherry

Ingredients

• Self rising flour- 1 cup
• Brown sugar - 2/3 cup
• Unsweetened cocoa powder - 1/4 or 1/2 cup
• Refined oil - 1/3 cup
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
• Water - 3/4 cup
• Spray oil to grease the pan
• Whipped cream - 1 1/2  cup 
• Cherry Mixture/Jam - 3/4 - 1 cup 

For the cake

• Mix first 3 ingredients together in the mixing bowl.

• Now add oil & water to the flour & mix till it gets incorporated.

• Add lemon juice & the extract & continue mixing. Take care that you do not mix too much.
• Preheat the oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
• Grease the pan well with spray or oil.
• Pour the batter & bake it for 20 -25 minutes or till it is done.

Simple Test - Gently press the cake using clean hand on the top of the cake. It should spring back. Then your cake is ready.
Put a sharp knife in the cake. When you take it out, it should come out clean. If it comes up with some wet batter, then it needs more baking time.

• After 10 minutes, remove it from the pan & allow it to cool completely.
• Then cover the cake & refrigerate it for few hours. It is not necessary to cut the top of the cake. 
• Now arrange it in the tray. Gently press it (do not press it too hard), you can also cut the cake & arrange it if needed. It should be evenly placed as shown in the picture.(You can also directly bake it in the square or rectangular baking dish).

• Apply the cream evenly on the top of the cake.

• Spread the cherry mixture on the cream. 

• Cover & chill the dessert. Scoop the dessert from the sides & serve chill.

Tips for the recipe - I like to have little bitter taste in my chocolate cake. so i have added half a cup of coco powder. If you don't like to have bitter taste then you can reduce the coco powder to 1/4 cup. Instead of whipped cream, you can also use sweeten butter or cheese, anything of your choice. Brown sugar is best for this recipe but still you can go ahead with white sugar also. I like to have more cake, medium  cream & less cherries. So I have arranged the cake in the 6 inch length square tray. If you like to have a thin layer of cake then you can go for lengthier tray. Also you can increase the amount of cream if you wish. Take care while adding cherries. Too much of cherries may make your dessert too sweet or sometimes sour. If you don't have self rising flour you can make you own self rising flour at home by mixing & sieving all the following ingredients together.

1 cup of plain flour/All purpose

1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

General tips for cakes - If you open the oven too soon, your cake may not rise well due to the change in the temperature.
Using a small sharp knife will loosen the cake from the sides of the pan & then turn the pan upside down to remove the cake gently from the pan.
After removing the cake from the oven allow it to cool for 10 minutes (approximately) & then remove the cake from the pan. Or else cake gets stuck to the pan.
It may also gets stuck even if the pan is not properly prepared.
Also do not allow the cake to stay in the pan for a long time. It makes the bottom part of the cake soggy.
After greasing the pan, dust little plain flour before pouring the batter.It helps the cake to come out clean.

Banana Lassi

Ingredients

• Curd - 1/2 cup
• Banana - 1 long variety or 2 small variety
• Sugar - 1 tbsp
• Nutmeg or cardamon powder - 2 - 3 pinches
• Pistachios & almonds (for garnishing) - 1 tsp (chopped coarsely)
• Few pieces of banana (for garnishing)
• Honey (for garnishing) - 1 tsp

Method

• Blend banana, nutmeg, sugar & curd together in the blender.
• Now pour it in the serving glass & place some banana on the top of the lassi.
• Pour a tsp of honey on top of the fruit & sprinkle the nuts.

Tip for the recipe - If you like more flavor of nutmeg or cardamon you can sprinkle some on the top for garnishing. 

Strawberry pinwheel Puffs

Ingredients

• Pastry sheets - 1
• Beaten egg white (optional) - 1
• Strawberries - 1/2 cup (chopped)
• Sugar - 4 tsp
• Corn flour - 1/2 tsp
• Water - 1/2 cup

Method

For the stuffing

• Bring water to boil & add the strawberries. Cook the berries till it becomes soft.
• Switch off the flame & remove the strawberries from the water & allow it to cool.
• Add little fresh water to the corn flour & keep it aside.
• Now puree the berries & add it to the water in which it was boiling.
• Now turn on the flame again & add the sugar & corn flour.
• Reduce the flame & cook it till becomes thicken (semisolid).
• (It becomes more thick once it is cool). Allow it to cool completely.

For the Puff

• Cut square shapes out of the pastry sheet (approximately 3 inches each side).

• Using a knife, make a diagonal cut of 3/4 - 1 inch in all the four corners of the squared sheet.

• Now place the stuffing in the center of the sheet.

• Fold & bring the left corners of all the four sides to the center & seal it.

• Lightly brush the top of the pastries with the beaten egg white.

• Place it in the oven & bake it for 20 - 25 minutes or pastries rise until double in size or till it becomes golden brown in color.

Tips for the recipe - You can use egg white to seal the corners in the center. You can use any fruit of your choice for stuffing. Brushing the egg white is purely optional. It is to make your puff more glossy.

Some common tips for puff pastry - Do not place the stuffing when it is hot or warm. This makes the butter in the pastries to melt & becomes loose. Work on the pastry sheets when it is slightly chill. So that, handing becomes easy. If you feel the sheet are not comfortable to handle then put it in the fridge for few minutes. So that it becomes cool & easy for shaping.

Mango Ice Cream

                                         This recipe directs you to make ice cream without an ice cream maker. If you have an ice cream maker at home, you can directly pour the mixture into it & no need to follow the rest of the process. Others still can make good & soft homemade ice creams without an ice cream maker.


Ingredients

• Sweeten Mango Pulp - 1 cup
• Fresh cream (heavy whipping cream) - 3/4 cup
• Condensed milk - 1/2 cup
• Pistachios for garnishing

Method

• Pour fresh cream into the deep mixing bowl.
• Beat the Cream until it begins to form soft peaks.
• Now add the condensed milk & mango pulp.
• Mix gently till it gets incorporated with the whipped cream.
• Transfer it to any deep container or any metal vessel with tight lid.
• Cover it tightly & put it in the freezer for 1 hour.
• After an hour remove it from the freezer & beat the mixture well. Again cover it & transfer it to the freezer.
• Repeat the same process for 6 times with 45 minutes of time interval.
• By doing this you are breaking the ice crystals & making your ice cream soft.
• After finishing the beating process transfer it to an another container & cover it tightly.
• Put it in the freezer till the ice cream is ready.
• While serving garnish it with pistachios.

Strawberry Milkshake

Ingredients

• Strawberries - 12 nos
• Vanilla ice-cream - 1/2 - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2 tbsp or adjust
• Cold milk - 1 cup

Method 

• Blend all the ingredients together in the blender for 1 minute & serve immediately.

Tips for the recipe- Adding more ice-cream will enhance the taste of the milkshake. Strawberry ice cream can be used instead of vanilla ice-cream for more strawberry flavor.

Mango Lassi

Ingredients

• Sweeten mango pulp - 1 cup
• Cold milk - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1 tbsp or to taste
• Yogurt (thick) - 1 cup
• Cardamon powder (optional) - a pinch

Method

• Blend all the ingredients together in the blender for 1 minute & serve chilled.

Tips for the recipe - Fresh mango pulp can be used instead of sweeten mango pulp. If you are using fresh mango pulp then adjust the sugar accordingly.

Sweet kolukattai

Ingredients

For the dough

• Raw rice - 1 cup
• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Salt to taste

For the stuffing

• Chana dal - 1/2 cup
• Powdered jaggery - 1/4 cup or adjust
• Grated coconut - 2 tbsp 
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method

• Cook the dal till soft & half broken.
• Drain the excess water & mash the dal by adding jaggery.
• Heat the pan with ghee.
• Add the dal mixture & saute well till it turns dry.
• It should become thick enough to make balls.
• Finally mix grated coconut with the dal & remove from heat.
• Allow it to cool & use it for stuffing
• Soak the rice for 1 hour.
• Grind the rice along with coconut to the rava consistency & keep the rice batter ready.
• Heat oil in the pan & add the prepared rice batter & little salt.
• Keep stirring till it becomes tight enough to make balls.
• Remove from heat & transfer it to another vessel. 
• Cover & keep it for few minutes.
• When it is warm enough to handle, take small quantity of the dough to make medium sized ball & keep the stuffing inside.
• Cover it & form it to any desire shape.
• Repeat it with all the balls.
• Now steam boil this balls for 15 to 20 minutes or till it is done.
• Serve hot.

Tips for the recipe - Make balls as soon as possible. Later it becomes hard & it is difficult to make balls.

Fruit kheer

Ingredients

Group I

• Apple - 1/4 cup
• Grapes - 1/4 cup
• Pomegranate - 1/4 cup
• Banana - 1/4 cup
• Mango - 1/4 cup

To Soak & Grind

Group II

• Water - 1/2 cup
• Almonds - 6
• Cashews -  1 1/2 tbsp

Group III

• Condensed milk - 1/3 cup
• Whole milk - 1 cup
• Nutmeg powder - 2 pinches
• Butter - 1tbsp or as required

Method

• Soak almonds & cashews in half a cup of hot water for two hours.
• Grind almonds & cashews to a smooth paste using the soaked water.
• After grinding, mix the left over soaked water with the paste & keep aside.
• Roast each variety of fruit (group I ingredients) separately, with little butter & keep aside.
• Mix condensed milk & whole milk in the heavy bottom pan & bring it to boil.
• Reduce the flame to low medium.
• Let it boil for few minutes. Keep stirring.
• Now add the nutmeg powder, almond paste & mix well.
• When the kheer starts boiling, stir & continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Now switch off the flame.
• After 10- 15 minutes mix the roasted fruits.
• Serve warm or chilled.

Tips for the recipe - Do not mash the fruit while frying or mixing. Fry each fruit less than a minute. 

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients

• Carrots - 3 big size
• Milk - 3 cups
• Cardamom - 1/4 tsp 
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Khoya or milk powder(without sweet) - 3 tbsp
• Fried cashews - 1/2 tbsp
• Almonds - 1/2 tbsp
• Pistachios -1/2 tbsp

Method

• Wash and grate the carrots. 
• Add the grated carrots to the milk & allow it to cook in medium flame. 
• Cook till the milk gets almost absorbed(not completely) & the carrot should become tender.
• Now add sugar & milk powder
• Mix well till all the milk gets absorbed.
• Add ghee & cardamom powder.
• Mix all the nuts & remove halwa from heat.

Tips for the recipe  Cook the halwa only on medium low flame. Choose good red carrots for good taste & color. If you are adding sweeten khoya or sweeten milk powder then  slightly reduce the sugar quantity mentioned in the recipe.

Rice Kheer

Ingredients

• Basmathi Rice - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 5-6 cups
• Sugar - 1/2 cup or as desired
• Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Almonds - 1 tbsp (crushed)
• Pistachio - 1 tbsp (crushed)
• Saffron threads - a pinch (soaked in a little hot milk)

Method

• Soak the rice for 1/2 an hour.
• In a heavy bottom pan add milk & rice together.
• Bring milk to boil and simmer & cook till the rice is soft.
• The kheer should have been thicken by this time.
• Add sugar & mix well.
• Add almonds, pistachio, cardamom, saffron & remove the kheer from heat.
• Serve either hot or cold.

Tips for the recipe - You can adjust the quantity of nuts as per the taste. Cook the kheer only on low medium flame.

Sago & Semolina Kheer

Ingredients

• Sago - 1/4 cup
• Semolina - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 1/2 Litre
• Sugar - 3/4 cup or adjust
• Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Almonds - 1 tbsp (crushed)
• Pistachio - 1 tbsp (crushed)
• Fried cashew - 1tbsp
• Fried raisin - 1tbsp
• Saffron threads - 2 pinches (soaked in a little hot milk)

Method

• Roast the semolina with little ghee & keep it aside.
• Wash the sago & bring it to boil until it becomes soft & transparent.
• Now add milk, saffron & roasted semolina.
• Allow the semolina to cook.
• Simmer the stove & continue boiling till the milk gets thicken slightly.
• Now add sugar.
• Finally add nuts, raisin, cardamom powder.
• Remove from heat & serve hot or cold.

Tips for the recipe - You can add 50 grams of condenses milk in the end to increase the richness. In that case adjust the quantity of the sugar that needs to be added in the kheer.

Uppittu (Boli)

Ingredients


To make dough(group I)

• Maida flour/All purpose - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 1/4 tsp
• Salt - 1/8 tsp
• Ghee/ Oil - 1/4 cup
• Water - 1/2 cup

For the stuffing (group II)

• Sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Sugar- 1/4 cup

Method

• Mix all the group I ingredients to make a smooth dough. 
• Let the dough  sit for atleast 1 hour. 
• Dry roast all the group II ingredients one by one in the same order for the stuffing.
• Roast the coconut well till it .
• Allow it to cool & use it for stuffing.
• Use polythene sheets or banana leaves to make bolis. 
• Spread little oil or ghee on the sheets. 
• Moist your fingers with little ghee. 
• Make balls out of the dough & keep aside.
• Now take a ball & flatten it into a small circle and place the filling on the centre.
• Work with one boli at a time. 
• Fold the edges to cover it.
• Press it gently to flatten it.  
• Make sure the filling should not come out.
• Make it thick or thin as per your taste.
• Heat the pan with little oil on medium flame.
• Place the boli & drizzle some oil on the top.
• Turn the boil & cook both the sizes till it becomes golden brown in color.

Filling Variation

• Chana dal - 1/2 cup
• Powdered jaggery - 1/4 cup or adjust
• Grated coconut - 2 tbsp 
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method

• Cook the dal till soft & half broken.
• Drain the excess water & mash the dal by adding jaggery.
• Heat the pan with ghee.
• Add the dal mixture & saute well till it turns dry.
• It should become thick enough to make balls.
• Finally mix grated coconut with the dal & remove from heat.
• Allow it to cool & use it for stuffing.

Tips for the recipe - The longer the dough rests, softer the bolis.You can allow the dough to rest even for 5 to 6 hours. You can always adjust the quantity of oil or ghee mentioned in the recipe. But if you add more oil or ghee, then the boli tastes good.

Sticky Mango Rice (Thai style)

Ingredients

Group I 

• Sticky Rice - 1/2 cup
• Mango - 2 nos (cubed)

Group II

• Coconut milk - 1 cup (thick)
• Sugar - 4 tsp
• Salt - 2 pinches

Method

• Soak the sticky rice for 1 hour before steaming.
• Rinse the rice till the water runs clear.
• Add equal amount of water & steam the rice in the rice steamer till it is soft. 
• MIx all the group II ingredient & stir over low heat for 3 minutes  & set aside.
• Place the rice in the bowl or in the plate and pour over the coconut milk.
• Arrange the cubed mangoes on top of the coconut milk & serve warm.