Mini Apple Milk Fudge/Milk Peda

During any festivities in childhood, pedas were the common delicacies. visitors used to come with pedas. More than the taste we used to be crazy for the various shapes of pedas such as dolls, fruits, vegetables etc. Tasting yummy, pedas were definitely the best gift that i received and shared.

INGREDIENTS

• Ricotta cheese - 7 oz  
• Condensed milk -1/2  tin
• Ghee – 1 tbsp
• Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
• Yellow food color
• Red food color
• Cloves- 15 ( for stalk)

PREPARATION

• Heat ghee into a non stick pan and add ricotta cheese and condensed milk into the pan.
• Stir the mixture continuously till the whole thing reduces and becomes really thick.
• You can add little more ghee if you find the mixture  is till sticky.
• Then add cardamom powder and yellow food colour. Mix well till the mixture gets a nice yellow colour. Cook for 2 minutes and turn off the flame.
• Take out the dough into one plate and allow it to cool down till the dough is bearable to roll kit into small pedas.
• Grease your palms with little ghee and divide the mixture into 15 equal sized portion and smooth out each portion into round ball, avoid any cracks.
• Make a small dent with your little finger and put a clove upright into the center of the dent.
• Repeat the same with remaining dough mixture. Be fast because once the dough cools down it may become dry to smooth out the pedas.
• After you finish shaping the pedas finish off with a touch of red colour  at the top with small brush or damp paper towel. Allow them to dry for a while.
• Beautiful mini apples are ready to serve.

Ricotta Cake - Yummy Milky Cake

Ricotta Cake is one unique and amazing cake with few ingredients .Whenever I get ricotta cheese from shop, I make it every time  But never clicked any of its pics. So this time thought to share with you all, so that you can also try this delicious cake at home and enjoy with your family. It has super milky flavor with crunch of nuts in its each bite. You can add any dry nuts of your choice. Dry cranberry makes the best combination to go with ricotta cheese. Every time I add but this time I missed out since it was not available in my pantry. So friends try this one and let me know how was it for you. 

INGREDIENTS

• Ricotta Cheese - 15 oz
• Semolina - 1/4 cup (coarse variety works best)
• Sugar - 1/2 cup 
• Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
• Raisins - 2 tbsp
• Cashew nut pieces - 2 tbsp

PREPARATION

• Combine ricotta cheese, semolina, sugar, nutmeg powder and cardamom powder into one bowl.
• Mix all the ingredients until sugar completely melts and all the ingredients gets incorporates with each other.
• Also add dry fruits and mix well.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Pour the cake mixture into baking tin. I used two 4 inch round tins.
• Place the tins in the oven and bake the cake for 40 minutes or until you see light golden crust layer at top.
• Once done, take out the tins and allow the cake to rest for atleast 15 minutes.
• Ricotta cake is ready to cake.

Punjabi Lassi - All Time Favourite Drink

 Lassi are the refreshing  drink not only in summer but in all seasons. Whenever I visit any lassi stall I love to have Punjabi Lassi which is thick and has mild rose essence. So I thought to share the lassi which is my all time favourite. This is so satisfying you can also serve it after meal with full mug of lassi. After meals we prefer to drink lighter lassi that is cardamom flavoured lassi.  If you have not try making lassi at home. Do try and keep me a lovely comments.

INGREDIENTS

• Thick Yogurt(Curd) – 2 cups
• Sugar - 4 tbsp
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Rose essence – 1/2 tsp
• Cardamom powder -  a pinch
• Soaked almonds – few, chopped (optional)
• Saffron strands – ½ tsp
• Fresh cream – ¼ cup

PREPARATION

• Soak saffron in ¼ cup of milk. Keep it aside.
• Combine yogurt, sugar, saffron soaked milk, cream and rose essence into blender.
• Blend everything to the smooth consistency.
• Chop the soaked almonds and add it into lassi.
• Serve chilled with extra fresh if needed.

Idli Sambar- South Indian Tiffin

As you all Idli Sambar are the well know traditional breakfast of south India. Idli are nothing but rice savoury cake made with rice and splitted black gram. The batter needs fermentation for atleast for 6 hour and then they are steam into cakes. These are usually served with sambar and coconut chutney. Idlis have many variations like standard idli, mini idlis soaked in sambar, rava idli, Kancheepuram idli, stuffed idli with a filling of potato mixture, ragi idli, pudi idli with the sprinkling of idly podi that covers the bite-sized pieces of idlis. It is also said that Idlis are easily digestible food when served with  sambar that provides a mix of proteins and carbohydrates to our  body.

TO MAKE IDLI

INGREDIENTS

•  Raw rice  – 2 &1/2  cups
• Parboiled rice – ½ cup
• Split Urad Dal/Black Gram – 1 cup
• Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
• Salt – 1 tbsp

 PREPARATION

•  Wash and soak raw rice and parboiled rice together for atleast 6 hours. And also wash and soak the urad dal  and fenugreek seeds for atleast for 4 hours.
•  Grind soaked urad dal into the mixer until it is light and fluffy by adding little amount of water and transfer it to a big container.
•  Now add soaked rice to the mixer  and grind it coarsely by adding water .
• Then add ground rice along with ground urad dal . Mix both the batter well.
• Add salt and with your hand mix the batter well for atleast 5 minutes. This helps in better fermentation.
• Remember the consistency of idli batter should not be too thick or too thin.
•  Ferment the batter for overnight or at least  6 to 7 hours.
•  Next morning or after 7 hours, Mix the fermented batter well and now the batter is ready to make idlis If you are not going to use it immediately, then refrigerate the batter.
• Prepare the idli stand. I use my pressure cooker to steam Grease the idli moulds with some oil. Pour a small ladle full of batter in each idli moulds . Do not pour too much batter as the idlis will expand in size as they cook.
•  Now steam the idlis for about 10-12 mins on high.Add 1 cup of water in the pressure cooker and keep the idli stand in it. The water level should be lower than that of the last idli plate. Cover with the lid of the pressure cooker with the whistle removed
•  After 10-12 mins remove the idli stand from the pressure cooker and let rest for 3-4 mins. Now remove each idli carefully using a flat spoon.Serve with chutney and sambar.

TO MAKE SAMBAR

INGREDIENTS

Ingredient  Col 1

• Split Moong Dal/Green gram – 1 &1/4 cup
• Eggplant, small size – 2-3 nos
• Green Pepper – 1 small
• Onion – 1 medium
• Tomato – 2 small
• Green Chili – 3 no. (or more, according to your taste)
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

 Ingredient Col 2

• Tamarind paste – 2 tsp (or 1 small lemon size tamarind)
• Sambar Powder – 1 tbsp
• Cilantro leaves – a handful
• Salt – to taste

Ingredients to temper

• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Dry Red Chillies – 2 no.
• Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
• Hing/Asafoetida – 1 pinch
• Oil/Ghee – 1 tbsp

 PREPARATION

• Wash dal and add in the pressure cooker.. Chop all the vegetables into small cubes and add it in the pressure cooker. Also add “ingredients of column 1” in the pressure cooker and add sufficient water. Cook for 3-4 whistles.\
• Once the pressure is released, add the “ingredients of column2” and bring the sambar to boil on a medium flame. Add some water if you want to adjust the consistency. Cook for about 10 mins, until the raw smell of tamarind and sambar powder goes away.
• Finally temper the sambar by heating 1 tbsp of oil, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves, dry red chillies and hing. Saute for 15-20 secs and pour over the sambar. Lastly garnish  the sambar with freshly chopped cilantro.