Apple Vegan Cake | Healthy Desseret

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida, plain flour)
• 1-1/2 Tbsp corn starch (corn flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/3 cup oil (canola or any vegetable oil)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 cups apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp powdered sugar (for garnishing)
• 
  

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 350°F
2. Square 8- inch cake pan, line with parchment paper and grease bottom and sides of the pan.
3. Mix the dry ingredients together except sugar, flour, corn starch, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
4. In a different bowl whisk oil and sugar together for about 2 minutes add apple sauce and vanilla extract mix it well.
5. Add the dry ingredients to apple mix and mix it together gently making sure all the ingredients mix together well.
6. Pour the mixture to cake pan and bake around 28 minutes, until cake begins to pull away from sides and/or toothpick inserted in the center pulls out clean.
7. Let it sit for about 20 minutes bring to room temperature and slice the cake into 16 square pieces.
8. Before serving lightly dust with powder sugar.

Kaju Katli/ Kaju Barfi – Quick Indian Festive Dessert Recipe | Easy Online Recipes

Makes – 15 pieces

Preparation time – 10 mins

Cooking time – 10 mins

Ingredients:

• Cashew Nuts – 1 Cup
• Sugar – 1/3 Cup
• Cashew (Halves) – for garnish
• Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Saffron – few Strands (for garnish)
• Ghee (for greasing the rolling pin and plate) – 1 Tbsp
• Process:
  • Blend the Cashews to a fine powder in a clean blender jar(It shouldn’t be pasty).
  • Add Sugar to a medium size non stick pan, and add water.
  • Bring the mixture to 1 String consistency.
  • Add Cardamom powder.
  • Add Cashew nut powder and mix well.
  • Cook till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
  • Transfer the mixture to a thali/ plate which is greased with some ghee
  • Grease the rolling pin with ghee and roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick circle.
  • Leave the mixture to cool for 5 mins.
  • Apply silver varakh and cashew halves for garnish.
  • Cut into 1.5 inch diamonds and serve.
  • Garnish with Saffron.
  • Kaju kati can stored for 1 week in a air tight container in refrigerator.
  Notes:
  • Do not over cook the sugar mixture. Just cook till one string consistency.
  • Silver Varakh is optional.
  • This can be made with  pistachios to get Pista Burfi.
  • Do not over cook the Kaju Paste.

Paneer Kheer | Paneer Payasam | How To Make Paneer Kheer

Paneer Kheer is something which you can prepare in a matter of minutes. Yes, it is very easy, and you hardly need 20 minutes to put it together!
Ingredients

Paneer - 200 gms
Milk - 1 liter
Sugar - 3 to 4 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Mixed nuts
Saffron 
Method:

1. First step is to boil 1 liter of milk.
2. As the milk is boiling, Break the paneer into pieces, add in to mixer jar and grind it.
3. Once the milk is reduced, add sugar and mix it.
4. Turn off the stove, add ground paneer and gently stir so that it completely blends into the milk.
5. Then add cardamom powder before mixing it.
6. Cool the kheer completely. Garnish it with saffron and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
7. Once the Paneer kheer sets in, garnish with mixed nuts and serve chill.

Anjeer And Mixed Nut Burfi | Healthy Recipe

A barfi is very fast recipe , and that too a super-healthy one ,The Anjeer and Mix Nut Barfi, as the name suggests combines iron-rich and flavourful ingredients like figs, nuts and sesame seeds

Ingredients

12 dried figs (anjeer)
2 tbsp chopped pistachios
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds (til)
1 tsp ghee
2 tbsp chopped walnuts (akhrot)
2 tbsp chopped almonds (badam
a few saffron (kesar) strands dissolved in 2 tsp of milk
1/4 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
Method
Soak the dried figs in enough hot water in a bowl for 5 minutes.
Drain well and blend in a mixer to a smooth mixture without using any water. Keep aside.
Heat the ghee in a broad non-stick pan, add the dried fig mixture, walnuts, almonds, pistachios and sesame seeds, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute.
Switch off the flame, add the saffron-milk mixture and cardamom powder and mix well.
Transfer the mixture onto a greased plate and spread it evenly using a flat spoon.
Cool slightly and cut into 9 equal square-shaped pieces.
Cool completely and serve or store refrigerated till serving.

Custard Fruit Salad

Chilled Milk based Indian Custard Fruit Salad is made with variations such as some people make it with Condensed Milk and some add Vanilla Ice cream to sweetened the milk quickly but for authentic flavor, I prefer to use Custard Powder these days. Vanilla Custard powder can be found at Indian grocery and it is 100% vegetarian/vegan friendly.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Vanilla custard powder 1/4 Cup (4 tbs) - can be found at Indian grocery
• Sugar 1/4 Cup (4 tbs) (or as per taste)
• Half and half 3 Cup (48 tbs)
• Banana 1/2 , diced
• Mango 1/4 , diced
• Frozen or Fresh Sapota fruit, Chiku 1 , diced
• Strawberries 1 , diced
• Apple 1/4 , diced
• Grapes 10
• Cardamom powder 1/4 Teaspoon (Optional)
• You can add/omit fruits as per your preference

Instructions

MAKING
1. In a heavy bottomed pan, add in the custard and sugar and whisk well.
2. Pour in some half and half and beat to remove any lumps and after that add in the remaining half and half.
3. Place the pan on medium – high heat and bring to a boil while stirring continuously.
4. Turn of the stove and let it cool completely. After that refrigerate for sometime.
5. Add in all the fruits to the custard and season with cardamom powder.
SERVING
6. Serve for dessert.

Kaju katri | Eay Sweet Recipe

Kaju Katli is is an attractive dessert of Indian Origin. Contrary to what people think about this sweet, it is super easy to make. You can make either kaju Katli or Kaju rolls. It is also known as Kaju burfi.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cashews(kaju)
• 3/4 cup (or slightly less if you prefer) of powdered sugar
• 1/8 cup of water
• 1 tsp ghee(Clarified butter)
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom powder(Optional)
• A pinch of Saffron(Optional)
• Chandi warak(Silver leaves)(optional)

Instructions

Grind kaju to make powder

Mix kaju powder and powdered sugar

Heat heavy bottom pan

Add ghee and let it melt

When ghee is melted, add mix of cashew and sugar

Cook cashew and sugar for about 11-2-2 min only on medium heat. Do not let it brown

Now, after cooking couple of minutes, make well in center and add less than 1/8 cup of water and immediatly add saffron into water to dissolve(if adding saffron)

Cook another minute or so or till water is evaporated.

Make sure mixture doesn't get hard.

Before it gets hard, spread mixture on an ungreased tray.

May decorate with chandi warak (silver foil)

Cut diagonal or square shape

Same method is applied to make pistachio and Badam katli (Almond)

Modak – Sweet Rice Dumpling

Modak is a delicious sweet steamed rice dumpling filled with coconut and nuts. It is also vegan and gluten free. This is a very popular sweet for Ganesh Chaturthi festival which is a celebration in western and south India.

Recipe will make 10.

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For Dough

• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 cup water
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon oil

For Filling

• 1/3 cup freshly shredded coconut; I am using frozen shredded coconut this works well, available in Indian grocery stores
• 3 tablespoons almonds coarsely ground
• 3 tablespoons jaggery finely chopped, gur (unrefined cane sugar) available in Indian grocery stores
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 tablespoon oil

Method

1. Use a small frying pan, over low heat, and dry roast almonds for about one minute. Add oil, coconut and jaggery cook stirring continually until jaggery has melted and mixture becomes like soft dough, this should take about three to four minutes. Set aside.
2. Boil the water in a pan with salt and oil, after water comes to boil lower the heat to low and add the rice flour, mix it well. Remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes or until it is warm.
3. Take the rice flour mixture in a bowl, lightly oil your palm and knead the dough to make soft pliable dough. Dived the dough into 10 equal parts, and make them into smooth balls.
4. Take one part of the dough and with your fingers flatten the edges to about three-inch in diameter, leaving the center a little thicker than the edges.
5. Place one teaspoon of the filling in the center. Sealed the filling shaping it into dome shape. Proceed to make all modaks same way.
6. Steam the modaks in covered pan over medium heat about 10 minutes; finished modak will have a little shiney glazed.

Kobbari Boorelu – Fried Sweet Coconut Dumplings

Kobbari Boorelu is a traditional Andhra sweet recipe. The sweet coconut balls are batter fried to make them crispy and fluffy. There are many types of boorelu that one can make using different stuffing and the outer cover. The one that I shared here is a very tasty version with sweet and nutty coconut stuffing and crispy outer layer. I want to listen from you what you would like to stuff these babies with.

Serves –  4 to 8 people
Makes – 12 Boorelu
Preparation time – 20 mins
Resting time – 4hrs to soak dal and rice & 6 hrs for fermentation or use dosa batter
Ingredients:

For Batter:

• Rice (Wash, drain and soak in plenty of water for 4 hrs)- 1/2 Cup
• Urid Dal/ Skinless Split Blackgram (Wash, drain the water and soak the dal in fresh water for 4 hrs) – 1/4 Cup
• Salt – 1/4 tsp or to taste

For Stuffing:

Fresh Coconut ( grated) – 2 Cups
Clarified Butter /Ghee – 2 Tbsp
Almonds (Slivered) – 2 Tbsp
Cardamom (crush the seeds inside) – 1 no
Pistachios (Sliced) – 1/2 Tbsp
Cashews (Sliced) – 2 Tbsp
Sweetened Condensed Milk – 1/2 Cup

For Frying:

Oil – for frying Boorelu

Process:

For Batter:

1. Once the Rice and Dal are well soaked, grind them together in a blender to a smooth paste using limited water to get a pouring consistency batter.
2. The batter should neither be too thick nor too thin.
3. Add Salt and mix well.
4. Rest the batter covered for 6 hrs.

For the stuffing:

1. In a medium size nonstick pan, add clarified butter.
2. To the medium hot clarified butter add in almonds, cashews, pistachios and fry till slightly golden.
3. Keep them mixing in the pan so that they color evenly.
4. Add in the coconut, fry for 2 mins on low flame.
5. Add in the condensed milk and mix well until mixture comes together. (approx 2 mins)
6. Add in the cardamom powder and mix into the stuffing.
7. Turn off the heat and let the mixture slightly cool down.
8. Make 12 balls out of the stuffing we just prepared.

For Frying:

1. Heat the Oil in a deep pan.
2. When the oil is medium hot, dip the coconut balls into the prepared batter, so that the coconut ball is covered with the batter from all the sides.
3. Slowly slide the ball into medium hot oil.
4. Make few more in the same way and drop into the oil. But do not crowd the pan.
5. Fry them for 5 mins or until they are golden.
6. Repeat the same process of dipping and frying until you run out of the batter and the stuffing.
7. Boorelu are ready to serve.
8. Serve them hot, warm or at room temperature with or without ghee

Tips:

1. The batter should neither be too thick nor too thin.
2. Stuffing should be moist so do not over cook the stuffing just two mins should do.
3. Be creative and experiment with the stuffing.
4. One can make different types of boorelu like dal boorelu, sooji boorelu, chocolate borelu, paneer boorelu,  etc.

KajjiKaya | Andhra Traditional recipe

Kajjikayalu is another famous traditional dish in Andhra households during Telugu festivals.

Ingredients: 
pinch cardamom
10 number cashew nuts
1 tbsp ghee
1 cup grated coconut fresh or dry
1/2 cup koya
1 cup maida
to fry oil
10 number raisins
1 cup sooji
1 cup sugar
as needed water


Directions
In a bowl add maida,ghee mix well then add little water and make a dough.


Take a pan add ghee,cashew nuts,raisins saute them and then add Sooji roast for some then add coconut grated roast till it changes colour to slight golden brown,then add khoya,sugar,cardamom powder mix well and keep it aside.


Now take the dough make a small thin puris stuff the mixture and spread water at the edges and press the edges and make as shape at the edges make all and keep it aside.



Now take a pan add oil to fry deep fry these stuffed kajjikaya and remove when it is slight golden brown colour.

Rava Ladoo | Traditional Sweet

                      

Rava ladoo is a traditional maharashtrian sweet. This is a festive recipe prepared especially for diwali.

Ingredients:
Sago 1 Tablespoons
Cashew nuts 1 Tablespoons
Semolina 1 Cup
Sugar powder 3/4 Cup
Cardamom powder 1/2 Teaspoons
Ghee 1/2 Cup

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tbs ghee in a pan and add sago and saute it and add cashew nuts saute it again and remove it into a bowl.

2. In the same pan roast the semolina and saute it on slow flame until it comes to brown colour and keep it aside until it cools down.

3. Transfer into a blender and blend into a coarse powder.

4. In the sago cashew nuts bowl add semolina powder, cardamom powder, sugar powder, salt and mix thoroughly .

5. Add ghee and make ladoos. 

Crispy Jalebi

Jalebi is a warm crispy, delicious treat. It can best be described as funnel cake. In my home town jalebi was a breakfast treat like pancakes, especially when they were served with kachori (puffed fried bread filled with spicy dal).  I know jalebi is mostly served as a dessert, but for me jalebi still makes the best breakfast treat.

This recipe will serve 8.

Crispy Jalebi Recipe by ManjulaIngredients:

for Batter

1 cup all-purpose flour, minus 2 Tablespoons
2 tablespoons corn starch
Pinch of citric acid
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon Yeast
1-1/2 cup lukewarm water
for Syrup

1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
4 cardamom crushed
A few strands of saffron
Few drops lemon juice
Oil to fry
Method

for Batter

Sift the all-purpose flour and corn starch together, add the citric acid, and yeast mix it well.
Add the water slowly to make a smooth batter, add oil and mix it well. Batter should be pourable consistency of dosa.
Set the batter aside in a warm place for about half an hour. Make sure the batter is not over-ferment. After fermenting the batter will be a little lacy.
for Syrup

Boil the sugar and water together. Add the lemon juice, cardamom and saffron. (The lemon juice keeps the mixture from crystallizing). Boil for 2-3 minutes until syrup is about sticky to fingers but has not formed a thread. Turn off the heat.

for Jalebi

Heat the oil in a flat frying pan about one inch deep. To test, put one drop of batter in the oil. The batter should sizzle and rise into a ball without changing color right away.
Fill the Jalebi batter into a piping bag with a #3 nozzle. You can also use an empty ketchup or mustard bottle. That’s what I am using.
Squeeze the Jalebi batter out into the hot oil in pretzel shapes about three inches in diameter.
Fry the jalebis until light golden brown on both sides. Take them out, wait for a minute then transfer them into the warm syrup. Let the jalebis soak in the syrup for about half a minute, take them out. Repeat the process.
Jalebies are ready to serve.
Jalebis taste best when they are served hot.

Variations

Sprinkle sliced pistachios and almonds, cinnamon powder, coco powder, or sugar powder over the jalebis for a creative touch.
Serve jalebis with malai (a milk reduced by boiling to about one-third of its original quantity.
Also check out my other Jalebi recipes:

Kesar Peda (Indian Milk Dessert)

kesar peda is a classic sweet made for festive occasions. They are delicious and made with very few ingredients, milk and sugar, flavored with cardamom and saffron. This is a easy recipe to make.

This recipe will make 20 pedas and will serve 10.


Kesar Peda Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups dry milk powder
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed cardamom
Few strands of saffron
1 tablespoon milk to soak the saffron
1 tablespoon sliced pistachios for garnishing
Method

Soak the saffron strand in warm milk. Set aside.
Heat the frying pan on low heat, I like to use heavy bottom nonstick pan. Add cream and milk powder. Mix it well. Mix will start getting soft consistency of thick batter as it gets warm.
Cook mixture on low medium heat stirring continuously until mixture becomes lumpy like soft dough. This should take about 12-15 minutes. Add saffron and cardamom mix it well and cook for 2-3 more minutes until it is consistency of soft dough. Turn off the heat. Now this is known as khoya.
Transfer the khoya into a bowl and let it cool off until khoya becomes lukewarm.
Add the sugar into the khoya and knead it for about a minute until everything blends together and become soft dough. Note: if you mix the sugar while khoya is hot that will make khoya soft and will not able to make peda.
Divide the mix into 20 equal parts or more, less depends the size you prefer. Make them into ball rolling between your palms. Make a dent into the peda.
Garnish them with pistachios.
Finish peda consistency should be little grainy.
Notes

If peda mix is too dry add lukewarm cream as needed.
If peda mix is too soft add little almond powder, now you can call this peda kesar almond peda. Do not try to cook again thinking it will become thick, peda will become chewy.

Kaju Katli Recipe-Kaju Burfi-Cashew Nut Fudge

Preparation Time-30 minutes
Serving-4

Ingredients:

• Cashew nuts/kaju(whole)-1 cup
• Sugar-1/2 cup
• Saffron-1 pinch
• Ghee-2 tsp
• Water-5 tbsp

Method:

• Put the cashew nuts into the blending jar and grind it into powder.
• Do not blend it in one go, blend it for 5 seconds then mix it with spoon (repeat blending and mixing 2 times).
• Turn on the flame, put a pan over it, add sugar and water together into the pan.
• Let the sugar come to boil, add saffron into the sugar syrup and stir it.
• Once sugar is dissolved, add cashew powder and stir continuously.
• Cook it for 3-4 minutes on low flame, keep stirring.
• Once the cashew paste starts separating from the pan, cook it for another minute (keep stirring).
• Turn off the flame, keep stirring for another 30 more seconds.
• Grease a plate with ghee, pour the prepared cashew paste in the plate.
• Allow it to cool down little bit, keep mixing it with spoon to avoid lumps while its cooling down.
• Start kneading the dough when it is little cold (ensure that its not too hot, it may cause burns if too hot).
• Apply some ghee to make the dough smooth, knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.
• Place butter paper on the the board, put the dough on butter paper and apply little ghee on it.
• Place the another butter paper over it and roll it with rolling pin evenly.
• Cut the edges of the flattened cashew dough then cut it into diamond shape.
• Kaju katli is ready, serve it fresh.

Note-You may preserve in air tight container or in fridge and consume it for up to 3-5 days)