Badam Kheer: Almond Pudding

Badam Kheer is a rich and creamy dessert for all occasions. It is very easy to prepare and serve. It can be cooked in slow cooker. So make it ahead of time and serve it warm or chilled.

Approx. 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 mins (except soaking time)
Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients: 

• Almonds – 2 cups
• Milk – 1 quart
• Sugar – 3/4 cup
• Cardamom powder (elaichi) – 1 tsp
• Saffron (kesar) – 1/4 tsp

Method:

• Soak almonds in water over night.
• Next morning, peel the almonds and keep aside.
• Coarsely grind half of the peeled almonds using very little milk. Keep the coarse paste aside.
  Slice rest of the almonds.
• In a heavy bottom pan, boil milk. Once it is boiled, add saffron strands and cardamom powder and let it simmer on low heat till it reduces to half of volume.
• Now add coarse almond paste and half of the sliced almonds to the milk. Let it simmer for 5 more minutes. Add sugar/sugar substitute and mix well.
• Badam Kheer is ready to serve.

Garnish and Serving suggestion:
Badam kheer can be served hot or chilled. I prefer chilled. Garnish badam kheer with remaining sliced almonds and few saffron strands.

Sweet Saffron Rice

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

Sweet Saffron Rice
Sweet saffron rice can be prepared as an offering for Lord Ganesh Puja. It needs few ingredients, usually available in your pantry. Enjoy this simple yet flavorful recipe to start the festivities.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice – 1 cup
• Ghee (clarified butter) – 2 tbsp
• Sugar – 1/2 cup
• Saffron – 12 strands
• Cloves – 4
• Cinnamon stick – 1
• Black pepper corn – 4
• Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp
• Raisins –1/4 cup
• Almonds – ¼ cup (or any nuts of your choice)

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice in water for an hour.
2. Soak saffron strands in 2 tbsp milk in a bowl. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
3. In a pan, heat ghee on medium low flame. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom powder, black pepper corns. Sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Add raisins and almonds to it. Sauté for 2 more minutes. Keep aside.
5. In a large vessel, boil rice in 3 cups of water till almost done. Add 1 tbsp ghee to prevent rice from sticking together. Drain off the excess water and spread the rice to cool down.
6. Add the above spice mix to the cooked rice. Also add sugar and dissolved saffron. Mix gently.
7. Cover it and cook on low flame for 10 minutes. Saffron rice is ready to be served.

Garnish:
Garnish sweet saffron rice with sliced almonds and saffron strands. Enjoy as dessert after a meal.

Aate ka halwa or Kada prashad (Wheat pudding)

Aate ka halwa is the main offering for ashtami or navmi feast during Navratri. It is also called as kada prashad and is mainly served in all Gurdwaras.

Ingredients:
Approx. 4 servings

• Wheat flour (aata) – 1 cup
• Sugar – 1 cup
• Desi ghee (clarified butter) – 1 cup
• Water – 2 cups
• Almonds – 1/4 cup sliced
• Almonds – 1 tbsp sliced for garnish

Method:

1. In a pan, at medium-high heat add ghee. Now add wheat flour to it. Mix well. Keep the heat medium low.
2. Now in another pan, dissolve 1 cup sugar in 2 cups of water on low heat. Stir it till all the sugar is dissolved. Turn the heat off.
3. Keep stirring the wheat flour with ghee on medium low heat, till it turns golden brown and produces good aroma. Keep an eye on it otherwise it burns quickly.
4. Now add already made sugar syrup carefully to the pan and keep stirring. It all becomes thick and starts leaving the sides. All happens very quickly.
5. Add sliced almonds to the halwa and it is ready.

Garnish it with 1 tbsp sliced almonds and serve warm.

Gobi Musallam in Green Gravy [Whole Cauliflower]

Gobi Musallam in green gravy [Whole Cauliflower] 
Last weekend we had a get-together at our place. I served this dish for the first time and everyone loved it. So I wanna share the recipe with everyone. Usually Gobi Musallam calls for red gravy but I tried it with green gravy which gives it a unique flavor. This recipe has a long list of ingredients and more than few steps to cook but the end result is worth the effort.

Ingredients:
Gobi Musallam in green gravy [6 servings]

For Green gravy:
Cilantro – 3 bunches
Mint leaves -1 /2 bunches
Cashews -1/2 cup
Garlic – 4 cloves
Ginger – 1 inch piece (peeled and cut)
Green chili – 1 

 Grind all the above in food processor with very little water. Keep aside. 

Other Ingredients for green gravy:
Butter – 1 tbsp
Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
Yoghurt/ Thick dahi – 1 cup
Sugar – 1.5 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Kitchen king masala – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste 

Method:
Heat butter and oil in a pan and add the above grinded green paste. Add salt, sugar, garam masala and kitchen king masala. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add spoon by spoon yoghurt to the gravy and keep stirring. Simmer for 5 more minutes.  Green gravy is ready. 

For Gobi Musallam:
Gobi (Cauliflower) whole – 1 cut into half (easy to manage and stable at the bottom)
Cooking oil -1tbsp
Slivered Almonds/Cashews – 2 tbsp (for garnish)

Dry Spices:
Amchur powder (Dried mango powder) -2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Red chili powder – 2 tsp
Coriander powder – 4 tbsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Kitchen king masala – 1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) powder -1/4 tsp
Sugar – ½ tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

•  Take a big vessel, fill it more than half with water and boil. Add some salt to it.
•  Cut the Gobi in half, put both the halves in the boiling water and let it stand for 5-7 minutes. It is now half cooked.
•  Take the Gobi halves out of the boiling water and set it in a lined baking tray to cool down.
•  Preheat the oven on 350 degrees on bake.
•  Combine all the dry spices and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
•  Now very carefully rub the spice mix on the Gobi. Also fill the spice mix inside the florets to have the even flavor all around.
•  Drizzle some oil on the Gobi halves and place the baking tray with Gobi in the oven. Let is cook for 45 minutes.
•  Gobi is almost ready. Place the halves on the serving dish and gently pour the prepared green gravy on it.

Garnish:
Garnish the Gobi Musallam with slivered almonds and cashews. Enjoy with fresh roti, paratha or naan. 

Shahi Kheer (Rice pudding, Indian style)

 

Shahi Kheer (Rice pudding, Indian Style)

Kheer is a very traditional Indian dessert. Shahi means royal. As this recipe calls for Kesar and Badam (Saffron and Almonds), is considered royal.

Ingredients:
For Kheer:[serves 6]Whole Milk – ½ gallon
White Rice – 2/3 cup
Condensed Milk – 1 can
Kesar (saffron) – ¼ tspn
Almonds – 12
Sugar – ½ cup( if you like it really sweet) 

Method:
1. Wash rice under cold water couple of times. Soak rice in a bowl adding some warm water.

2. Soak almonds in warm water for few hours.

2. In the heavy bottom pan or in the slow cooker add whole milk and let it simmer. Add Saffron to it.

3. Take soaked rice, remove excess water and mix the rice so that it will break in halves.

4. Add the rice, without water, to the simmering milk. Let it simmer on medium low heat for an hour and stir occasionally. Do not let it stick to the bottom.

5. After hour and half add condensed milk and mix well.

6. Add sugar if desired and bring it to a boil.

7. Peel the soaked almonds and cut them into slices.

Garnish:
Garnish the Shahi Kheer with sliced almonds.
 Serve it chilled or warm.