Apple Halwa

Apples are rich in antioxidant phyto-nutrients flavonoids and polyphenolics. Thus making the fruit a very healthy and nutritious one.

Below is my version of delicious Apple Halwa. I'm sure you wouldn't know its made out of apple if you happen to taste it without knowing the ingredients.So here you go...

Mouth watering Apple Halwa

Ingredients :

• Apples - 2 nos.
• Sugar - 12 spoons
• Ghee - 2 spoons
• Milk - 3/4 litre
• Badam Powder - 1 spoon
• Cashews and raisins - some
• Cardamom powder - 3 to 4 cardamoms crushed and powdered

Method :

• Peel the skin off the apples and grate them.
• In a thick bottomed pan, put a spoon of ghee and add the grated apples. Fry until they are cooked.
• To this add sugar and milk (make sure to add milk little by little at every stage).
• You need to keep stirring this at frequent intervals and keep adding the remaining milk little by little. 
• Once you see the mixture thickening (the halwa consistency), add fried cashews and raisins, cardamom powder and little badam powder (for the enhanced taste).
• Refrigerate and serve !

Paneer masala (North Indian Subji for chapathi/roti)

Paneer masala is a north indian gravy for chapathi or roti. Below is my version of paneer masala which is  very easy to prepare.

Paneer masala

Ingredients :

• Paneer - 200 gms
• Red bell pepper - 1 (you can substitute with green bell pepper)
• Onion (cut length-wise) - 1
• Ginger & Garlic paste
• Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp
• Jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Tomato Ketchup - 1 tablespoon (you can substitute with tomato puree)
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Salt 
• Milk - 1 cup
• 1tsp oil and 1 tsp jeera for seasoning
• Coriander - few strands
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method:

• In a vessel mix the following ingredients to form base for the gravy : Dhaniya powder, jeera powder, turmeric, red chilli powder, tomato ketchup, garam masala by adding milk to form a paste (add milk slowly. ensure no lumps are formed) and keep aside.
• In a kadai heat little oil and add jeera. Once it starts giving a nice aroma, add ginger and garlic paste. Then add onion and fry till it turns translucent. Add Red bell peppers and fry till they are nicely cooked.
• To this, add the base gravy prepared in step 1 and paneer (sliced into cubes)  and bring it to a boil (by covering the vessel with a lid). You add more milk if you feel the gravy is thick.
• Add salt and lemon juice (once cooled).
• Garnish  coriander and serve hot.

Majjige Palidya (Majjige Huli)

Majjige Palidya is one of the most famous South Indian dish mainly in Madhwa Brahmin household. It can be enjoyed with rice or chapathi. You can use Cucumber, ladies finger (do no boil, just fry it in oil), pumpkin. However here i am using knolkol.

Knolkol Majjige Palidya 

Preparation time : 20 mins

Serves - 4

Ingredients :

• Knolkol (Navilukosu in Kannada) - 1 medium sized
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Dhaniya - 1 tsp
• Turmeric - 1 pinch
• Coconut grated - 4 to 5 tablespoon
• Ginger - 1/2 inch
• Green chillies - 4 to 5
• Hing - 1 small pinch 
• Curry leaves - 1 string
• Soaked toor dal (or Channa dal) - 1 tablespoon
• Curds - 1/2 cup
• Salt to taste
• For seasoning - Mustards seeds and coconut oil

Method :

• Dice Knolkol into cubes after peeling off its skin and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• In a mixie jar grind the following ingredients - jeera, dhaniya, turmeric, grated coconut, ginger, green chillies, hing, curry leaves & soaked toor dal to a fine paste.
• In a vessel, put the boiled knolkol, salt and the ground paste and bring it to a boil. (Add little water if the consistency seems very thick as Majjige palidya will thicken further once it cools down. You can use the water used for boiling knolkol which is nutritious)  
• Once the above gravy starts boiling, add curds and lower the heat and switch off after a couple of minutes (do not boil much after adding curds).
• In a kadai,  heat some coconut oil. Then add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Finally add some curry leaves and season on the palidya and serve hot with rice or chapathi

Togari bele chutney (Toor dal chutney)

Togari bele chutney (Toor dal chutney)

 

 
 
Togari bele chutney is a delicious side dish which goes very well with rice,dosa and idly.
 
Preparation time : 10 minutes (serves 4) 
 
Ingredients:

• Togari bele/Toor dal - 2 tablespoons
• Dry red chillies - 8 to 10 (a liitle less if you want it less spicy)
• Asafoetida/Hing - 1 pinch
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Coconut (grated) - 1 cup
• Tamarind paste - 1 tablespoon
• curry leaves - 1 string
• salt to taste
• sugar - 1 pinch
• For seasoning - 2 teaspoons of oil, 1/4 spoon mustard, 1/4 spoon urad dal and a few curry leaves.

 
Method :
 

1.  In a kadai fry togari bele (toor dal), red chillies and hing with a few drops of oil. When the dal turns golden brown, take off from heat and transfer to the mixie jar.
2. Then add fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and just saute till the fenugreek seeds change colour and add this to the mixie jar.
3. Once the mixture has cooled, add salt, sugar,tamarind paste and grind (Add coconut later as the dal needs to be ground to a coarse powder before adding coconut). When this is sufficiently ground well, add coconut and grind.
4. Finally for the seasoning, heat a spoon of oil in the kadai, to this add mustard seeds. once it starts spluttering add urad dal. Wait till it becomes golden brown and add curry leaves and garnish the chutney !!

 

BESAN LADDOO

BESAN LADOO

 

 

Besan laddoo prepared using butter

 

 



Besan laddoo is a popular Indian sweet dish made of Besan (chickpea flour or gram flour), sugar and ghee. It is a simple and easy sweet to prepare and can be stored for 2 to 3 days if kept in an airtight container.This recipe makes around 15 laddoos.

 

 

Ingredients:



• Besan/gram flour - 1.5 cups
• Sugar (fine powdered) - 3/4 cup
• Cardamom - 4 to 5
• Cashews (broken) -  few pieces
• Unsalted butter (melted) - 3/4 cup
• Ghee - 2 spoons (if needed)
• Salt - 1 pinch

 

Method:

 

1. Grind sugar and cardamom to make a fine powder and keep aside.
2. In a thick bottomed kadai, take a spoon of ghee and fry the cashews till they turn golden brown and keep aside.
3. Then add some unsalted melted butter to the kadai and immediately add besan and start frying it until the besan turns a little brown in colour and gets a nice fragrance. This takes around 10 to 12 minutes and then bring it off from the heat.
4. To this add powered sugar and cardamom and the fried cashews and a pinch of salt (to enchance the sweet flavour) and mix well.
5. Once the mixture is cooled down a little (it must be just warm enough to make laddoos), start making laddoos. you can add a teaspoon of ghee if the mixture seems dry. But try making the first laddoo before adding that extra spoon of ghee as you'll know the texture only when  youbstart  making the laddoo as excess ghee/butter sticks onto your hand while rolling the laddoo.
6. Annnnnnd its ready to serve !!! Delicious and yummy !