Recipes
Sesame, Gud ki Gajak or Chikki is eaten at the time of winter or more specifically at the time of Makar-Sankranti/Lohiri in North India.This dessert is very simple and rustic and you can eat it as snack at any time of the day.This is very healthy snack as sesame seeds keep the body warm at the time of winter and Jaggery is very good for digestion.Dry fruits can be added to enhance the crunchy texture of the dish.I have added Rose water to enhance the flavor and profile of the dish.
Dahi Halwa is a beloved sweet dish from Rajasthan that beautifully combines the creamy texture of hung yogurt with the rich flavors of semolina, ghee, and aromatic spices. This dessert is not only easy to prepare but also a delightful treat for any occasion, making it a favorite among those with a sweet tooth. The preparation begins with hung curd, which is made by straining fresh yogurt to remove excess water, resulting in a thick and creamy base. Semolina is then roasted in desi ghee until it turns golden brown.
The cooled semolina is combined with the hung curd and sugar, and cooked until the mixture thickens. To enhance the flavor ,Green cardamom essence and Rose water are added, creating a fragrant and indulgent dessert. Finally, Dahi Halwa is garnished with chopped nuts . Perfect for festive occasions or as a sweet ending to any meal, this dish celebrates the rich culinary heritage of Rajasthan.
Indian cuisine has so many varieties of desserts according to the seasons or the festivities around.This recipe is very special during the time of winters as it serves two purposes. One is as name suggests :it is sweet and the second one is, Til/Sesme seeds provide warmth to the body during bitter cold of Northern part. This time of the year specially on the occasion of Makar-Sankranti, it is prepared and welcomed by each and every household.Main ingredients of this dish are Sesame seeds and Mawa.
Sesame seeds are dry roasted with full of love and affection and more importantly with lots of patience. Then Mawa and sugar are added to the seeds with some flavorsome spices. All ingredients are incorporated so well and the end product is scrumptiously delicious Barfi.
Ghujia is an essential sweet delicay at the time of Holi festival in Rajasthan. This half moon sweet wonder is quite popular in all over India, while names are different region to region. Ghugra,Karanji are few more name as well. Stuffing can be made with some very easily available ingredients in the pantry. It is stuffed with sweet Mawa/Sooji filling with some dry fruits. Stuffing can be just Semolina or Mawa based or the combination of both. To make it aromatic you can add Green Cardamon and then you can cover it with Sugar syrup flavored with either Saffron or Rose water. Sugar syrup enhance the glaze of the dessert and it looks more festive. Since it is deep fried it gives two texture. Outer shell is crunchy, at the same time deliciously soft filling inside. Every household has different recipe. However, you can always tweak the recipe as per your palate. I add desiccated Coconut to enhance the flavor profile of this pillowee dish.So this delicacy is the fusion of many flavors. Nutty flavor and crunchy texture from chopped Pista, Almond and Raisin, soft and sweet from Mawa and Coconut, and aromatic with Saffron and Cardamon.
Balushahi is North Indian delicacy and is deep fried in Desi Ghee. It is quite popular in all the North-Indian celebrations. Balushahi is much like "Fried Baati". It is different in texture, and ingredients than Baati. Its flaky and crunchy outside and soft inside.It is fried on slow heat so that the balls can be cooked inside-out properly and should be flaky and crumbly when you eat them.Later on Balushahi is dipped in Sugar syrup whereas Baati is dipped in Desi Ghee. Bati is savory whereas Balushahi is sweet. Lot of dissimilarity at the same time few similarity.
Gulab ki Kheer is an Awadhi sweet dish which is prepared with Gulab(Rose).Every spoon full of this dish reminds you the rich culture of Awadhi cuisine. It is Very royal and aristocratic and loaded with Rose and Rose only. Fresh and dry Rose Petals are cooked in thick Whole milk and Heavy Cream and later on dry fruits and Rose water is added to the dish.
Shoji-Halwa is a popular sweet dish which is prepared and served on religious occasions or served as Prasad in all over India.This dish is super easy to make yet a healthy and satisfying dish for sweet-tooth.Semolina is roasted in ample amount of Ghee or clarified butter and then cooked in Sugar-Syrup and some flavor like Green Cardamom Rose water.
Teej is North -Indian(Specifically Rajasthani) festival which is celebrated in the Savan or Shravan month. This day married woman perform puja. Goddess Parvati is worshipped on Teej and lots of tasty dishes are prepared and offered to the goddess.GHEVAR is one of the special delicacy which is prepared at this time. If you think of Teej then automatically Ghevar comes in mind or vice-versa
Ghevar is very famous traditional Rajasthani sweet dish which is eaten at the time of "Teej festival" and "Raksha-Bandhan".It is round in shape and has a hole in the center, Pretty much like Donut but hard and has honey-comb/net like texture. It is prepared with Maida(all purpose flour) and later on poured in sugar syrup. Malai Ghevar ,Mawa Ghevar are some varieties of Ghevar. Making Ghevar isn't an easy task. It really requires a lot of practice and patience at the same time. My first attempt was half successful in which I used Pure Ghee for frying. This time I used refined oil instead of Ghee, which I guess a good alternative of fat. After eating the Ghevar you don't feel the guilt of having heavy dessert of Pure Ghee.Later on you can add more richness by adding Rabdi and Mawa on the top of Ghevar.
It is crunchy when eaten just like that but when you add Rabdi on top, its soft as well as crunchy at the same time.
These Khajoor Mukhwas balls can be a very healthy addition to your food to satiate your sweet tooth hunger pangs as it is natural sweetener and can be prepared in no time. So the idea behind these balls is to give a digestive freshness to your mouth after having meals(Lunch or Dinner)with some nutritive twist.These balls are the brain-child of" Paan-Bite" recipe in which lot of additional sugar(in form of Gulkand) is added and even though its also an aid to digestion but not as guilt free as these balls.
Khajoor or Dates are the substantial part of the ball that's where you get the sweetness in the balls from. I added Fennel seeds and dried Paan-Leaves(Sweetened),some Rose water and dry Coconut.
So when you chew them with sheer happiness and with guilt free mind set then its like happiness is bursting in your mouth. Toothsome texture of Candied Fennel adds some cr...unnnnch to it.
Paan Bites recipe link is here: PAAN BITES
Its creamy, Its sweet, Its succulent, its quintessential, its divine and last but not the least its Satya-Narayan Pooja Prasad. That's right I am talking about Halwa or Sheera.
Halwa is one of the ritualistic food in Indian houses. It is flour based dessert which is served in different ceremonies like NavDurga-Pooja, Satya-Narayan Pooja or any small or big event. In this recipe I used two flours;Whole Wheat flour and Semolina mixed in equally or ratio can be adjust to your own convenience. Flour is roasted in equal amount of Desi-Ghee and the end product is pure bliss of auspicious Prasad. This Halwa is so rich that Pure Ghee oozes out from everywhere in every corner of serving dish. I used Rose -Water for more regal taste and then served with ample of Dry-Fruits of choice and dry Rose-Petals.
Beasn Laddu always reminds me of a long queue of children outside of temple waiting for laddu as an offering.It is very famous dessert in India and prepared for festivals,wedding or given as Prasad.It is made of gram flour roasted in pure ghee and flavoured with green cardamom.After it gets cold it is moulded in ball shape and can be eaten any time of the day as snack or as dessert.
India is a Country of festivals. Holi is one of them and one of the biggest festival of India. It is full of vivid colors and is celebrated with lots of colors, scrumptious food and sweets. Holi's significance is the victory of good over evil. It is celebrated for two days and falls on Full Moon Night. First day is known as "Holika Dahan". On this day lots of dry sticks of wood are collected(kind of bonfire) at the Round-About or any of the central point the of society, and on special "MUHURAT" people gathered around it and then light fire in the dry sticks. This fire signifies that all the evil are burnt in this fire. The next day is known as "Rangwali" or "Dhulendi"Holi. On this day people applies colors to each other, go to each other's home and exchange best wishes. Of course, food is the most important part of the celebration. Thandai,Kanji,Ghunjia,Gulab-Jamun,Barfi ,Dahi-Bhalle are name of some delicacies which are served on the occasion of Hoil. Sharing few of them.