Gajar Lauki Halwa

There is Gajar halwa, there is Lauki Halwa. This halwa I made has both Carrots and Bottle gourd in it and it is awesome. The process is exactly the same but the combination of both carrots and bottle gourd gives it a different texture and a different taste.
So here you go

Gajar Lauki Halwa (Bottle gourd and carrot dessert) 

Gaajar Lauki Halwa

Ingredients:

1. 3 medium sized carrots peeled and grated with the finest grater you have
2. 1 medium small bottle gourd, peeled, cored and grated or chopped very fine
3. 1/2 cup sugar
4. 1/2 cup heavy cream
5. 1 teaspoon rose water or 2 cardamom
6. 1 tablespoon butter or clarified butter (ghee)
7. 1 teaspoon each of raisins, chopped almonds and cashew and charoli (Chiranji) fried in 2 teaspoons ghee

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the ghee and add the grated carrot and bottle gourd and stir well. Reduce heat to medium and cover and cook for 30-40 minutes.  Add sugar and cook till it melts.  Add heavy cream and cardamom or rose water and stir to combine. Simmer till the water in the cream evaporates. Add the fried nuts and raisins and serve warm or cold

Sooji Seviyah kesari

This is one of the most easiest deserts you would ever come across when talking of desert recipes from India. Usually there is the sooji kesari or seviyah kesari, but I like this one which is a combination of both. The texture is better.

 Sooji Seviyah kesari 

Sooji Kesari

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup each of sooji, fine vermicelli
2. ¼ cup ghee
3. ½ cup sugar
4. A pinch of food coloring
5. A pinch of saffron
6. 1 tablespoon chopped cachew + almond
7. 1/ tablespoon raisins
8. 1 teaspoon rose essence or 2 cardamom pods
9. 3 cups water.

In a pan heat half of the ghee and fry the sooji and the dried nuts+ raisins till light brown. Set in another dish. Add the rest of the ghee and fry the vermicelli till they become light brown. Take it into a different dish

Bring to boil 3 cups of water and add the vermicelli. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the sooji and stir to combine. Add the sugar and mix well, until it melts. Add the rose water or cardamom pods and cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Butter a dish and add the kesari to it. Cut it into your fav shape and enjoy hot or cold

Ravva Laddu

When I was a kid, this used to be my favorite laddu...And there used to be a little store where I would walk with my brother hen I was too young to go by myself and later by myself and get one of these laddus. I had no idea that you could make them at home, until one day!!! My mom surprised me with these laddus....I was sooo happy...Those uncomplicated days of childhood.

Today, finally I introduced to to my kids and was very anxious, to see if they will like it ....I am a happy mom today....they love them too :)

Sooji Laddu (Semolina balls with dried nuts)

Ravva Laddu

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup Sooji
2.  1 tablespoon each of cashew pieces, sliced almonds, raisins,poppy seeds (optional)
3. 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut coarse powder
4. 2 teaspoons ghee
5. 2 cardamom pods crushed
6. 1/4 cup each of milk, sugar (of more 

In a pan heat the ghee and fry the dry fruits/nuts along with the cardamom for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the sooji and fry until it starts getting brown. Add the sugar and mix well. Add coconut and stir well. Cut the heat the add the milk and stir well. Put it on a plate and wait for 1-2 minutes. Take a handful in a palm and scrunch it up into a tight ball. Serve/ Enjoy

Bengali Rasgulla from Scratch

When we wanted to eat Rasgulla in India we just go to any sweet stall and we get great rasgulla but here in the USA sometimes they are fresh sometimes not. I have been wanting to eat Rasgulla and I couldn't find them anywhere in the Indian sweet stores here and finally I got a canned Cham Cham (I am not sure what the difference is between chamcham and Rasgulla) but they were a dissapointment. They were so hard in the middle
                    So I want to http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/ and got the recipe for Rasgullas form scratch and they turned out to be great. So here is the recipe and if you want to watch the video of how to make it, click on the link above

Fresh Homemade Paneer (Home made Cottage Cheese)
Ingredients:

1. 5 cups whole or 2 percent milk
2. 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
3. 1 tablespoon water

Mix the water and lemon juice and set aside. Bring the milk to a boil and add the the lemon juice and keep boiling and stirring for a minute. Strain using a cheese cloth. Water the fat in the cloth with with running water to remove the lemon taste. Remove as much water a possible. Use it in your favourite recipes.


Bengali Rasgulla (Fresh cheese balls in sugar syrup)

Homemade Rasgulla

Ingredients:

1. Fresh Cheese or paneer (made above)
2. 4 cups water
3. 11/4-11/2 cups cane sugar
4. a pinch saffron (optional)

Knead the paneer on a clean surface for 5-7 minutes until all of it comes together. Mix the saffron if using. Divide it into 12-14 pieces. (Mind the size because when cooked these balls of cheese will double in size). Apply a little pressure and roll each piece into a ball between your palms
Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a pressure cooker. Add the paneer balls and cover the cooker and cook for 1 whistles. After one minute slowly remove the steam (but lifting the weight of the cooker very slowly...BE VERY CAREFUL). Transfer the rasgullas into a sereving bowl and chill in the refridgerator for atleast 2 hours. Serve your delicious home made Indian desert