Paan Ladoo (Betel leaves ladoo)

 Paan ladoo is a very unique and sweet recipe. Flavor of paan masala inside  ladoos is something different from other sweets. 

Paan is known as betel leaves , which is very popular in India. It is very delicious sweet made from Nagarvel or Kapoori. Betel leaves ladoos is made with condensed milk, gulkand (rose petals preserve) and coated with coconut powder. These ladoos not only freshens mouth but also helps in digesting food easily. Also, the center filled gulkand stuffing gives a wonderful twist to the ladoo.

Betel leaves with combination of  fennel seeds, gulkand, dry fruits and many more refreshing items is chewed mostly after food. This instant paan ladoos are very easy to make. These ladoos are rolled in desiccated coconut and filled with gulkand.

Betel leaves are good for health. Betel  leaf can help to purify blood, prevents mouth ulcers, chronic cold and cough.

Lets checkout the Ingredients and method:

INGREDIENTS:

1. 6 Betel leaves (Paan)
2. 1/2 cup Condensed milk
3. 1 1/2 cup grated Coconut (Desiccated Coconut powder).
4. Green food colour (Optional)
5. 2 tbsp Ghee

FOR STUFFING:

     1. 3 tbsp Gulkand

     2. 1 tbsp chopped Cashews

     3. 1 tbsp chopped Almonds

     4. 1 tbsp Tooti Frooti

     5. 1 tsp Green Saunf (Fennel seeds)

     6. 1 tsp chopped Cherries

FOR GARNISHING:

     1. Some Cherries

     2. Desiccated coconut powder .

 

METHOD:

1. Wash the Paan leaves (Betel leaves) and chop them.
2. In a blender / mixer add chopped Paan leaves and Condensed milk. Blend it till it becomes a smooth paste. At this point you can add Green food colour (completely optional)
3. Now add  Ghee in a pan on a medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut. Roast it for 2-3 minutes on medium heat till it gets aromatic.
4. Further add blended mixture (Condensed milk + Paan leaves mixture) in a pan and mix it with roasted desiccated coconut powder.
5. Cook this mixture for 3-4 minutes on low flame until it thickens.
6. Cook it till the mixture starts combining together. Turn off the flame and allow it to cool down.
7. Meanwhile, combine  Gulkhand, chopped Cashews, chopped Almonds, Tooti frooti, Green saunf and chopped cherries. Mix it together to make stuffing for Paan ladoos.
8. Grease hands with little ghee and now take a small portion from coconut mixture, flatten it and add 1 teaspoon of stuffing mixture in the center.
9. Bring the edges together and roll to form a ladoo.
10. Further roll the prepared ladoo in desiccated coconut powder for garnishing. Repeat the same process with remaining ladoos.
11. Finally garnish these ladoos with cherries on top. Store these Paan coconut ladoos in the refrigerator and enjoy.

 

Rava Ladoo

 Diwali is the festival of lights. Diwali is one of the festivals that is celebrated in almost every corner of the world. With the onset of this festival, people start shopping, clean and decorate their homes and prepare flavorsome sweets, snacks and other delicacies. In fact, any Indian festival is incomplete without sweets. One of the most important sweets which is prepared in Diwali is Rava ladoo.

Rava ladoo is a traditional and delicious sweet dish which exists since several decades. It is one of the cuisines made on the festive day. It is also a typical food that is made as an item to pack for long distance travel.

For this Rava ladoo to be perfect, the consistency of sugar syrup has to be perfect. This dish is quick and easy to make. Rava ladoo can be served as a holy offering to God and is enjoyed by many on the occasion of Diwali. It is mainly prepared from semolina(Rava), ghee, coconut, sugar, dry fruits and cardamom.

Lets checkout the Ingredients:

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 cup Rava / Semolina / Suji (make sure take fine rava)
2. 1/4th cup of Ghee (Clarified Butter)
3. 1/4th cup of Desiccated Coconut (Na riyal Ka Buranda)
4. 1 cup of Sugar
5. 1/4th cup of Water
6. 1/4 tsp of Cardamom Powder (Elaichi Powder)
7. 3 tbsp of Dry fruits (Kismis (Rasins), Almonds, Cashews (kaju) chopped.
8. 2 tbsp of milk if required

METHOD:

1. In a large pan add 1/4th cup of Ghee. In that add 1 cup Rava and roast on a low flame.
2. Make sure that colour of Rava(Semolina) should not burn. Roast until it turns aromatic.
3. Next in that add 1/4th cup of desiccated coconut and roast it for 2-3 minutes.
4. Turn off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature.
5. Meanwhile, take a Kadai/Vessel and prepare sugar syrup by adding 1 cup of sugar and 1/4th cup of water.
6. Next boil this syrup for 5 to 7 minutes till you get one string consistency. Don't boil further.
7. Turn off the flame and add roasted rava and desiccated coconut mixture into sugar syrup.
8. Also add 3 tbsp of dry fruits and 1/4 tsp of Cardamom powder.
9. Stir continuously to avoid any lumps .
10. Cover the ladoo mixture for about 1 to 1/2 hour.
11. After a hour and half open the lid and roll the ladoo.
12. Rava ladoo is ready to serve.

TIP:

1. To check the consistency, take syrup in a bowl let it cool down and then taking syrup in 2 fingers.
2. The syrup should have a single thread consistency and it should be nice and thick
3. Use homemade ghee if possible, so that it taste great.
4. After adding sugar syrup to the rava mixture, allow the mixture to cool down. First it will be soft but then it will firm up after few hours.
5. If the mixture looks too dry and you can't roll the ladoo, then sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsp of milk. Mix well and roll it to round balls (Ladoo).

 
 

Whole Wheat Chocolate Steam Cake

Whole wheat chocolate cake recipe is an easy,simple tasty and healthy dessert prepared with whole wheat flour, curd, sugar and milk. This recipe is made without microwave oven and eggs.

Generally cakes are prepared with all purpose flour but here instead whole wheat flour is used as a healthy alternative. Not only does this cake tastes good, it is also a healthier version than classic chocolate cake.

It is the unique way of preparing traditional eggless whole wheat chocolate cake recipe using steamer (without an oven). Yes you have heard it right!!! In this steam cake the texture is bit different from baked one. It will be more moist bit heavier and less spongy. But it is delicious!!!!

Now for preparing Whole Wheat Chocolate Steam Cake.. The ingredients are

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 cup of Whole wheat flour (Gehu ka atta)
2. 3/4th cup of Curd (Dahi, Yoghurt)
3. 3/4th cup Sugar.(Chinni)
4. 1 tsp of Vanilla extract/ essence
5. 1/2 cup of melted ghee (You can use unflavored  oil)
6. 1/4th cup Cocoa powder
7. 1 tsp Baking Powder
8. 1/4th tsp of Baking soda
9. Pinch of salt.
10. 2 tbsp of Coffee Powder
11. 1/4th cup of milk.
12. 1/8th cup (16 gm) of hot water (for atta cake only)

CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

1. 4 tbsp of Morde Dark Chocolate Bar
2. 1/4th cup of chilled fresh Amul Cream
3. 1/4th cup of Icing Sugar
4. 1 tsp of Vanilla extract/ essence

METHOD:

1. In a large mixing bowl take 3/4th cup of Curd (Dahi, Yoghurt), 3/4th cup of Sugar(Chinni), 1 tsp of Vanilla essence/ extract.
2. Whisk it well till the sugar dissolves completely.
3. Add 1/2 cup of Melted Ghee or Unflavored Oil and whisk it well till it combines well.
4. Now sieve 1 cup of Whole Wheat Flour(Gehu ka atta), 1/4th cup of Cocoa Powder, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/4th tsp of baking soda, 2 tbsp of Coffee Powder and pinch of salt.
5. Mix well with cut and fold method. Do not over mix as the cake turns rubbery.
6. Further add 1/4th cup of milk to the batter mix it, and add 1/8th cup(16gm) of hot water, again mix well forming a thick flowing consistency.
7. Now add cake batter into a round cake mould, make sure grease the mould with ghee/oil to avoid sticking.
8. Level up the batter and pat the pan twice to remove the air incorporated into the batter.
9. Now cover this cake mould with aluminium foil nicely, so that it will prevent water from entering while steaming.
10. Place this cake pan into a steamer with enough water.
11. Steam for 70 minutes, make sure add enough water to the steamer if the water finishes of in between.
12. After 70 minutes, remove the aluminium foil and check it with knife, if the knife comes out clean then the cake is done.
13. Cool it completely. Keep it aside.

FOR CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

 

1. Take 4 tbsp of Morde Dark Chocolate . Melt it with double boiler method. Double boiler method means : Boil water in a saucepan, take another bowl which fits perfectly on the sauce pan and add the chocolate shavings , turn on the heat. Make sure that flame should be on low flame. Don't cover the chocolate. Be patient chocolate will melt.
2. Cool down the melt chocolate. Add 1/4th cup of chilled Amul milk cream ,1/4th cup if icing sugar along with 1 tsp of Vanilla essence/ extract  and mix it gently.
3. Frosting is ready. Now spread generous amount of chocolate frosting on cake and spread it all over the cake.
4. Take morde milk compound chocolate or any Dairy milk chocolate which is easily available in the market. 
5. Save some chocolate using a vegetable peeler and sprinkle on cake. Decorate with cherries and tutti fruity.
6. Finally egg less steamed Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake is ready. Cut the cake into desired shape and enjoy. Store in the refrigerator and serve it later.

Wheat Flour Balushahi

 

INGREDIENTS         

       BALUSHAHI RECIPE:

1. 1 1/2 cup of Whole Wheat flour (Gehu ka Atta)
2. 1/2 tsp of Sugar(Chinni)
3. 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder
4. Pinch of Salt
5. 1/4 cup of Ghee (Clarified butter)
6. 1/4 cup of Curd(Yogurt, Dahi)
7. 1/4 cup of Water (You can use more water as required)
8. Oil for frying

        SUGAR SYRUP:

1. 1 cup of Sugar
2. 1/2 cup of water
3. 1/4 tsp of Cardamom powder(Elaichi powder)
4. Half Lemon Juice

METHOD

    

Balushahi dough:

1.  In a bowl take 1 1/2 cup of Wheat flour(Gehu ka atta). Add 1/2 tsp of Sugar(Chinni), 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder and pinch of Salt, Mix well.
2.  Add 1/4 cup Ghee (Clarified butter) and mix it, crumble the mixture.
3.  Further add 1/4 cup of Yogurt(Curd, Dahi) and combine well.
4.  Now add 1/4 cup of Water as per required and start making dough, without kneading.
5.  Cover the dough with a moist cloth for 20 minutes.

Sugar Syrup:

1. In a heavy bottom pan prepare sugar syrup by dissolving 1 cup of Sugar and 1/2 cup of Water.
2.  Now boil for 5 minutes or till the sugar syrup turns slightly sticky.(If you want you can boil sugar syrup for 1 string consistency).
3.  Add 1/4 tsp of Cardamom powder (Elaichi powder) and mix well , also squeeze half lemon juice. Sugar syrup is ready, cover and keep aside.

Balushahi Frying Procedure:

1.  After dough has rested for 20 minutes, slightly knead the dough.
2. Take a small part from the dough and make a round shaped ball.
3. Make a dent in a center of a ball with the help of thumb.
4. Heat Oil in a kadai. Deep fry in a medium hot oil on a low flame .
5. Do not crowd the round shaped balls(Balushahi dough) as it will puff up slightly while frying.
6.  After two minutes, the Balushahi will start to float.
7.  Stir occasionally and fry on both sides, keeping the flame into low.
8.  Fry it (Balushahi) till it turn golden brown and crisp. It will take 10 to 15 minutes.
9.  When Balushahi turn golden brown and crisp, drain off the excess oil over kitchen towel.
10. Drop Balushahi into warm sugar syrup immediately. Coat it with sugar syrup on both sides foe 10 to 15 minutes.
11. Finally serve the Balushahi recipe , garnish with few chopped Almonds(Badam) 

Ghee Mysore Pak (Soft Mysore Pak)

  

INGREDIENTS         

1. 1 Cup Besan(Gram flour)
2. 1.25 Cup Ghee(Clarified butter)
3. 1.25 Cup Sugar
4. 1/2 Cup Water

METHOD

1. Firstly grease the tray with ghee.
2. Dry roast 1 cup of Besan (Gram flour) on low flame for 8-10 minutes. Roast it until Besan(Gram flour) turns aromatic.
3. Sieve the roasted Besan (Gram flour) nicely, so that no lumps should be left behind.
4. Now add 1/2 cup of ghee into the roasted Besan(Gram flour) mixture. Whisk it, make sure that there should be no lumps in it.Keep it aside.
5. In a heavy bottom non stick pan, add Sugar, Water and bring to a boil. Ensure that Sugar dissolves completely in Water on low medium flame.
6. Boil the Sugar syrup, till it reaches one string consistency.
7. Add the above Besan(Gram flour) mixture to Sugar syrup, keeping the flame on low.
8. Stir well, until the mixture is combined well in Sugar syrup.
9. Now add 2 tbsp of Ghee(Clarified butter) to the mixture and mix it well. Make sure that Ghee should be hot.
10. Mix it well, so that it is completely absorbed.
11. Further add 2 tbsp of Ghee in batches and keep mixing.
12. Repeat the procedure by adding Ghee and mix it until the mixture starts to separate from the pan.( it takes approximately 10-15 minutes).
13. Transfer the cooked Besan (Gram flour) mixture to a greased tray.
14. Level up the mixture and allow it to cool down for  30 minutes.
15. Invert it on a board and cut into a desired sized pieces.
16. Cool Mysore Pak completely and store it in a air tight container.

TIPS:

1. It tastes great for 2 weeks by refrigerating in an air tight container.
2. Use fresh home made ghee for rich flavor.

Whole Wheat Nankatai

INGREDIENTS 

1. 1/2 Cup Ghee/Clarified Butter
2. 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
3. 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
4. 2 Tbsp Semolina/Rava Suji Fine
5. 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
6. 1/4 Tsp Vanilla Essence
7. Pinch Of Salt
8. 2 Tbsp Milk (If Required)

METHOD

1. Firstly in a large bowl take 1/2 cup of ghee.
2. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and beat on low speed you may also use whisk to beat ghee and sugar.
3. Beat until it turns creamy and whitish. Also add 1/4 tsp vanilla extract.
4. Now place a sieve and add 1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 tbsp semolina, 1/2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt.
5. Sieve the flour making sure that everything is well combined.
6. Mix it with sugar and ghee batter. Make sure that after mixing, the flour is moist.
7. It's consistency should not be like dough neither it should be too dry.
8. If the flour is too dry, you can add 2 tbsp milk and mix.
9. If you added milk then mix the mixture well, forming a moist mixture.
10. Now to prepare cookie in a pressure cooker add 1/2 cup of salt, place a cooker rack and place a plate above it.
11. Close the lid of the cooker, without keeping the gasket and the whistle.
12. Heat it for 5-10 mins, as a result, it gives the atmosphere as it is like in an oven.
13. Now take a ball of the mixture and press it gently in the centre.
14. Give it a shape of Nankatai and keep all of them on a plate and the put that plate in the cooker .
15. Now cover the cooker and let it cook for 15-20 mins on medium flame.
16. The cookie will be soft initially, but let it cool down completely.
17. After cooling, it turns crispy and crunchy exactly as the texture of a Nankatai.
18. Finally store it in an airtight container.

TIPS

Make sure you have to take thick ghee.