Mom's Recipies

Carrot  Bottle Gourd  Halwa is an authentic dish which is perfect to serve on all occasions and festivals.
Pressure cooker carrot bottle gourd halwa  is the quickest and easiest method  as it doesn’t involve much of standing and stirring as in the traditional method.This recipe can be made just in 30 mins.So if you have sudden guests or the sudden sweet cravings you can try this method of making carrot bottle gourd halwa in pressure cooker.

Type - Dessert
Cuisine - Indian
Serves - 3

Ingredients

    carrot :- 1 cup  (grated or crushed in grinder)
    bottle gourd:- 1 cup ( half piece ) grated or crushed in grinder
    ghee:- 2 tbsp
    sugar:- 1/2 cup
    Milk :- 1 1/2 Cups
    cardamom Podwer:- 1/2 tsp
    For Garnishing:- 1 tbsp of roasted sunflower seeds , raisins ,chopped almonds
    Pinch of saffron soaked in  1 tablespoon lukewarm milk

Method:-

1) Wash the carrots thoroughly under water. Then peel the carrots and bottle gourd with peeler.


2)  Grate the  carrots and bottle gourd with a grater.
3)  Heat the ghee in pressure cooker on medium heat.


4) Add the grated or crushed carrot and bottle gourd in the pressure cooker and saute for 2 minutes.


5) Now add the milk and mix well. Close the  lid of the pressure cooker and cook till 3 whistles on medium heat.Or you can simmer and leave it for 10 mins.
6) Then let the pressure go down itself then open the lid.


7) When you open this is how it looks.Slightly goey with little milk.Now add the sugar.
8) Stir the mixture and keep the cooker on medium flame.


9) Cook in medium flame until it shrinks. Keep on stirring in between.The moment halwa thickens,add cardamom powder ,saffron with milk and add Ghee and give a continuous stir until halwa slightly changes color and it looks little glossy. Switch off the flame.


10)Garnish with fried raisins ,chopped almonds and sunflower seeds.
    Serve hot ,warm or cold.



Serving Suggestions :-

Serve carrot bottle gourd halwa as dessert after dinner or lunch.
To impress guests ,serve warm halwa with scoop of vanilla ice cream on top .

 Tips:

Ghee can be added to this recipe as per your choice.
Sugar can be added as per your choice.

Less or more dry fruits can be added as per your choice.

Here goes yet another famous Indian dessert Fruit Kesari . It is prepared with rava ( sooji or semolina), ghee, sugar ,fruits and dry fruits. It is the easiest sweet recipe that can be prepared in few minutes. Also this sweet makes a quick fix dessert when you have surprise guests at home. Try this fail proof recipe and enjoy its lip smacking taste.

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Sweets and Deserts
Prep Time: 30 mins    |  Cook time: 25 mins    |  Serves: 6


Ingredients :-

    Rava / sooji / semolina - 1 cup
    Sugar - 1 1/2 cups (adjust according to your taste)
    Ghee - 6 tbsps or 2 tbsps of ghee + 2 tbsps oil
    Apple, chopped finely - 1/2 cup
    Banana chopped - 1/2 cup
    Cashewnuts / Kaju - 8 to 10
    Raisins / Kishmish - 8 (Optional)
    Cardamom powder / Elaichi powder - a pinch
    Orange food color - a pinch
    Saffron strands  (Kesar)  to garnish (optional)
    Water - 3 cups

Method :-
  1)  First rinse ,peel and chop apple , banana etc. You can use your choice of fruits. (Mango ,chikoo,pears ,grapes ,pineapple).
2) Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in pan or kadai.


3) Add Rava or sooji and roast it.
4) Roast the rava well stirring oftenly on a low flame so that rava dosen't burn.
5)  Roast rava for 5-7 minutes till it becomes crisp on low flame. Switch off the flame.
6) Remove rava in a plate and keep it aside.
7) Heat 4 tbsps of ghee in same pan .
8) Add cashews and fry till golden then remove with slotted spoon drain and Keep it aside.


9) Then add Chopped mixed fruits. Stir Well.
10) Saute the fruits on a low flame  for 4-5 minutes.
11) Add cardamom powder and stir well.


12) Now add sugar .You can add sugar as per your taste. Mix well.


13) Add 2.5 cups of water. Stir well. Add few drops or a pinch of orange colour .

14) Bring this mixture to boil on medium flame stirring in between.
15)  Add fried cashews and raisins. Keep some for garnish.

 16) Lower the flame and now add ghee roasted rava stirring continuously.
17) Quickly stir and mix well so that the lumps should not be formed in the kesari.
18) Mix well until it gets thick in consistency.
19) Cook covered  till all the moisture is absorbed.


20) Do stir at intervals. The rava will soften up.Keep mixing until the kesari starts leaving its sides and transfer to the serving bowl.
21) Once the kesari thickens , turn off the flame, cover and set aside for a while. ( Take care the kesari thickens on cooling).


21) Garnish with saffron strands ,cashews, raisins .

Fruit Kesari is ready to be served.Tastes really great with the fruits and nuts giving it a great lip smacking taste! Enjoy warm or hot.

Note :-

1) You can use various fruits like pear,grapes ,papaya ,chikoo ,mango ,orange etc any desired/available fruits of your choice.
2) For one cup rava, one to one and half cups of fruit pieces can be used.

 
 Krishna Janmashtami , the birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated all over India. Major celebrations of Janmashtami takes place at midnight as Lord Krishna is said to born at midnight.
We worship bal gopal  at home and temples and  prepare his favorite dishes which include sweets and savory dishes. Then on the midnight of Janmashtami, we offer these dishes to Lord Krishna in order to welcome him on the earth. It’s believed that Gopalkala is one of his favorite treats.Gopalkala is an extremely nutritious and scrumptious dish, generally prepared on the occasion of Janmashtami .Gopalkala is prepared with Poha, ghee,curd and cucumber it’s very easy to prepare and just take few minutes to be ready and tastes heavenly.

 

Ingredients:

250 gms Pressed Rice  /Beaten Rice (Poha)
1/2 cup Fresh Coconut (grated or scraped )
1/2 inch Ginger (finely chopped)
50 gms or1/2 cup Curd
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
100 gms or 1 mediumCucumber   (finely chopped)
1 tbsp Ghee
1 tsp  Cumin seeds (Jeera)
Salt to taste
 Few Coriander leaves ( finely chopped ) for garnishing (optional)


 Method:-
 
1) Wash the poha under running water. Keep in a colander so that the excess water drains away.
2) Separately beat the curd, salt, sugar and finely chopped  cucumber.
3) Mix Poha with scraped coconut  and beaten curd mixture.
4) Now heat ghee in a frying pan.
5) Saute jeera, ginger and green chillies in the ghee.
6) Pour the tempering over the poha and mix well. 
7) Garnish with chopped coriander
8) Gopalkala is ready to be served.

Tip:-

If the poha is soaking up too much of moisture then you can add butter milk.

Holi is the time of celebration and relishing tasty food. Its best time for Get together,party and  family time .Celebrate this colorful Holi with  tasty and simple Holi special recipes such as gujiya, dahi Vade,  pakore, thandai, sweets etc. Here I composed some of the recipes. Enjoy !!!

Gujiya	Thandai	Kalakand

Dahi Bhalla	Dahi Vada with Zero Oil	Dahi Tikki

Doodh Peda	Puran Poli	Besan Ladoos

Shakkar Pare	Thika Gathiya	Namak Pare

Rava Besan Ladoos	Laukhi(Bottle gourd) Halwa	Carrot Halwa

Papaya Halwa	ABC Halwa	Phirni

Gulab Jamun	Vermicelli / Semiya Kheer	Moong Dal Ladoos

Rava Ladoos	Rasmalai	Chakali /Muruku

	Sev	Hara Bhara Kababs	Vegetable Kababs

Mix Vegetable Pakoras	Gobi Pakora	Palak Pakora