Peni (Crispy Noodles Soaked in Badam Milk)

Satisfy your sweet cravings with this delicious Peni in 5 minutes! This is usually served in weddings.
Peni is available readymade in stores which makes this dish super easy to prepare.

Serves 1

Ingredients:
Haldirams Peni/Pheni/Feni - 1
1/2 cup Badam Milk
Saffron and pistachios to garnish

Method:
For badam milk, mix 1/2 cup milk, 2 tsp MTR Badam milk powder, 1-2 tsp sweetened condensed milk, saffron and heat for 5 minutes.
Take one piece of peni in a bowl, pour the warm badam milk and garnish with pistachios or sliced almonds.
Your dessert is ready in 5 minutes!

Mixed Fruit and Vegetable Halwa

This halwa turned out delicious! Try this for Diwali. I hope to post more sweet recipes in the next few days.

Ingredients:
Mixed vegetables and fruits (Pumpkin, Sweet potato, Carrot, Apple, Dates) - 2 cups
Sugar - as needed
Cardamom - 3 crushed
Roasted cashews - 10
Milk - 1 to 1.5 cups
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Saffron - a few strands

Method:
Peel the skin of pumpkin (pooshanikai), sweet potato, apple and carrot. Grate and set aside. Chop dates (about 4) into small pieces.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan. Roast Cashews and set aside.
In the same pan, add grated vegetables and fruits. Fry for 5 minutes. Add milk, saffron, crushed cardamom and cook till the milk is absorbed and the mixture turns soft. Add some more milk if the mixture turns out dry and needs to be cooked for some more time.
Add sugar and some more ghee and simmer for 10 min.  
Garnish with roasted cashews and serve warm.

Note: You can adjust the quantity of each veggie and fruit as per your taste and liking. 

Rice Kheer - 250th Post!

Indian Vegetarian Kitchen is all about simple, quick and easy recipes. So here's an easy dessert that can be prepared for any occasion. This is my 250th post! It's been 5 years since I started this blog. I still have the same enthusiasm and passion to post new recipes as I had when I started this blog. Keep visiting my blog and enjoy my recipes. Thank you all for your support and compliments!!

Rice Kheer

Ingredients:
4 cups Milk
1/3 cup Rice
Water 1.5 cups
1/4 tsp Saffron
3 fresh Cardamom crushed
Sugar as needed

Method:
Cook rice in 1.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker until very soft and mushy.
Boil milk in another pan.
Add cooked rice, saffron, cardamom and stir well.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add sugar and mix well.
Serve hot or cold.

Note: You may adjust the consistency of kheer by adding or reducing the quantity of milk.

Check out some of my older posts in case you missed them!

                     

                                 

Almond Kesari

Have you tried my Pineapple Kesari? This is another variation of plain kesari. It tastes really good.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Sooji/Semolina
1 1/4 cup Water
1/2 cup dry Almond powder
5 tsp mtr badam feast (optional)
1/2 cup Sugar
A pinch of Saffron and Cardamom
Handful of roasted Cashews and Raisins
1/4 cup Ghee

Method:
In little ghee, roast cashews and raisins and set aside.
Fry sooji in the same pan on low flame till it turns light golden brown.
Add almond powder, mtr badam feast and cardamom.
In another vessel, boil water and saffron.
Add it to Sooji/Almond mixture gradually and stir continuously to avoid forming of lumps.
When Sooji is cooked, add sugar and mix well. Add ghee and garnish with nuts and raisins.

If you are not using mtr badam feast, increase the amount of sugar to 3/4 cup.

Poha Halwa

I am finally back to blogging after a long break! I hope to post recipes more frequently. Poha halwa is my own creation. It is very yummy and tastes close to chakkarai pongal (sweet rice pudding). It takes only 10 minutes to prepare this dessert. Let's move on to the recipe.

Ingredients:

200 grams MTR Badam Halwa Mix
1.5 cups thin poha (aval/beaten rice flakes)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup ghee
Handful of cashews and raisins
A pinch of orange food color

Method:

Roast cashews and raisins in 2 tsp ghee till they turn golden brown.
Set aside.
Wash poha in water and squeeze excess water and set aside. It's ok if it turns mushy. Use only thin variety poha.
In the same pan, add MTR badam halwa mix, washed poha, milk and stir everything together till mixture turns thick. Keep adding remaining ghee while stirring. Add food color and mix well.
Garnish with roasted cashews and raisins.
Serve hot.

Tervis Tumblers!

 This post is a part of a Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Tervis. Tervis tumblers are virtually indestructible - they won't crack, melt, shatter, or chip, and they come with a lifetime guarantee. Even better, their double-wall insulation means hot drinks stay hot, cold drinks stay cold, and your furniture stays clear of those annoying condensation rings! 


Recently, I was selected to receive a tervis tumbler! I have been using it everyday and it keeps any beverage hot or cold for longer time. Do buy these beautiful tumblers and try them!
The beverage displayed in this picture is badam kheer. For recipe click here. 

Wheat and Nut Laddoo for Diwali

IndusLadies has compiled an eBook for this Diwali consisting of "100 Yummy Sweets & Desserts recipes", contributed by various Food Bloggers! One of my recipes, wheat and nut ladoo is featured in the ebook (Page 69). 





Go ahead and download it @ http://www.indusladies.com/100diwalisweet. 


Thank you Indusladies for including my recipe!!

Panakam

Celebrating Rama Navami with this delicious Panakam!

Ingredients:
Grated Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Dry ginger powder or fresh grated ginger - 1/2 tsp
Cardamom - 1/4 tsp
Honey - 1 tbsp

Method:
Mix all the ingredients. Stir well until jaggery dissolves in water completely.
Filter and serve chilled.

Nombu Kozhakattai (Steamed Rice/jaggery balls)

This kozhakattai is made on a special occasion called - "nombu". If you are interested in knowing more about this festival, click here.



Ingredients:

Rice flour - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 1/4 tsp
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Water - 1 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Dry roast rice flour on medium flame till it turns light golden color. Stir continuously so that it doesn't burn. Allow it to cool.



Step 2: Add fresh grated coconut and cardamom



Step 3: Add very little water (1 or 2 tbsp) to jaggery and heat till it melts (about 5 minutes). Filter the syrup and allow it to cool.



Step 4: Add this syrup to the rice flour/coconut mixture and make a soft dough.



Step 5: Grease your palm with ghee and make even sized balls and steam in pressure cooker for 10 to 12 minutes.



Enjoy it with some butter!

Mysore Pak

Here's a sweet dish for you all for Diwali. Hope you will like it.



Ingredients:
Gram Flour - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee - 3/4 cup

Method:
Sift gram flour to make sure there are no lumps.
Take sugar in a deep pan. Add very little water (about 1/4 cup) just enough to coat the sugar and heat.
When the sugar forms 1 string consistency (when you place a drop of sugar syrup between your forefinger and your thumb and pull apart gently, single thread is formed. it will take 7-8 minutes approximately on medium flame), add the flour and stir continuously. Add ghee gradually. After 2 minutes, the mixture will absorb all ghee and starts to leave the sides of the pan.
Transfer it immediately to a greased plate and spread it evenly with a flat spatula.
Don't let the mixture cook for too long. It will crumble.
Cut into desired shapes when still hot.

You can also try these for diwali - Badam Cake, Pista Cake, Wheat and Nut Laddoo, Savory Wheat Biscuits, Beetroot Halwa

Semiya Payasam (Vermicelli Pudding)

Dear readers,

Wish you all a Happy Navaratri! Here's a simple dessert recipe for day 1. I will try to post sundal recipe in the next couple of days.



Serves 3

Ingredients:
Vermicelli/Semiya - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1 tsp
Cashews/Raisins - 1 tsp each
Milk - 3 cups or more depending on the consistency (do not use fat free)
Sugar - 1/2 cup or more
Saffron - a few
Cardamom - generous pinch

Method:
Heat ghee in a pan. Roast the cashews. When they start to turn light golden brown, add raisins and fry for few seconds. Set aside.
In the same pan, roast vermicelli till it turns golden brown.
Add milk, saffron, cardamom and cook for 15 minutes.
Add sugar and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add roasted nuts and raisins.
Serve warm or chilled.

The payasam tends to get thicker as it cools. Add more milk if you want or reduce the amount of vermicelli to 1/2 cup.

Microwave Dhoodh Peda (Milk Fudge)

I have been wanting to try dhoodh pedas from Veginspirations.com for a long time and finally did today.
They are quick, easy and delicious! Here is the recipe.

Makes 22 pedas

Ingredients:
Milk Powder- 1 3/4 cups
Condensed Milk - 1 tin (14 oz)
Room Temperature Butter - 4 tbsp (1/2 stick)
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Pistachios - to garnish
Saffron (optional) - a few strands

Method:
Mix milk powder, condensed milk, butter, cardamom powder, saffron in a deep microwave safe dish.
Microwave for 3 - 4 minutes depending on the power setting. Mine took 4 minutes.
Remove and stir the mixture every 1 minute.
Take a very small portion and cool it. If you are able to roll between your fingers, it means it is done.
Transfer the mixture to a greased plate and spread evenly. When it cools down,  cut into round shape using a cookie cutter or roll using your hands (grease your palms with ghee before shaping the pedas).
Garnish with pistachios.
Store in an air tight container and it should stay good for 2 days.

Bournvita Semolina Cake and New Domain

Many of you must have known by now that I have a new domain. Since I haven't officially announced this change, I thought I should, in this post.

So here it is - http://www.indianvegetariankitchen.com/

Even if you type my old blog address, you will still be redirected to my new site. I am assuming you are getting updates in your reader and email after the change of address. If you are not getting my recipes, please leave a comment.

I really liked the Chocolate Halwa recipe posted by Jagruti. I tried it right away and it turned out absolutely yummy. I did make some changes to the original recipe. Instead of cocoa, I used bournvita. It gave a nice dark, rich color to the cake.

Ingredients:
Sooji/Semolina/Rava - 1/2 cup
Bournvita/Sweetened Cocoa/Drinking Chocolate - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Ghee/Clarified Butter - 1/4 cup
Broken Nuts - 2 tsp (optional)

Method:
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan. Roast cashews and/or almonds till golden brown. Set aside.
In the same pan, roast semolina on low flame to light golden brown color (8-10 minutes).
Boil milk in another vessel.
When semolina is roasted well, add hot milk and stir continuously for a couple of minutes.
Add sugar, bournvita or cocoa and stir till they dissolve completely.
Add rest of the ghee and nuts and mix well.
Transfer the mixture to a greased plate and let it cool.
Cut into desired shapes or have it as halwa.

Beetroot Halwa - Sugarfree

Indulge in this guilt free beetroot halwa made with healthy and natural ingredients without compromising on taste!

Ingredients:
Grated Beetroot - 2 cups
Seedless Dates - 1 cup
Ghee/Clarified Butter - 2 tbsp
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
Broken Cashews and Almonds - about 20
Milk - 11/4 cup

Method:
Peel the skin and grate the beets.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a wide pan. Roast the nuts till golden brown and set aside.
In the same pan, add grated beets and chopped dates. Fry for 5 minutes.
Add milk and continue to boil for at least 20 minutes on medium flame.
When beets and dates are fully cooked and milk is absorbed fully, add 1 or 2 tbsp ghee.
Add the roasted nuts.
Serve warm or cold.

Wheat & Nut Laddoo

These delicious laddoos(fudge) just melt in your mouth. They are low fat, guilt free, super easy to make and wholesome. If you have a sweet tooth, you will love it.

Makes 5-6 laddoos

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Flour-1/4 cup
Assorted dry fruits & nuts-1/4 cup(to be ground) + 1 tsp(to be added while rolling into balls)
Butter-1 tbsp
Sugar-1 tbsp(powdered or granulated)
Cardamom-1/4 tsp


Method:
Melt butter and prepare ghee. Add the flour and roast on low flame till golden brown(about 3 minutes).
Grind 1/4 cup of assorted dry fruits & nuts without adding water.
You can use any nuts of your choice. I used a mixture of almonds, walnuts, roasted cashews, raisins, dried apricot, sweetened coconut flakes, dried pineapple.
When the flour is still warm, add the ground nuts, cardamom, sugar and a tsp of broken nuts. Mix well and shape them into small balls.

Note: Use dry roasted unsalted cashews. Other nuts can be added raw.

Chakkarai Pongal

Dear Friends,
Wish you and your family a very Happy Pongal!

Chakkarai Pongal(Rice and mung dal cooked together and sweetened with jaggery) is every South Indian's favorite! I am sharing my family recipe with you all.

Serves 3
Ingredients:
Raw Rice-1/2 cup
Mung Dal-2 tbsp
Milk-1/2 cup
Jaggery-1 cup(crushed or grated)
Cardamom powder-1/4 tsp
Edible Camphor(optional)-a pinch
Ghee-2-3 tbsp
Cashews-10
Raisins-1 tbsp

Method:
Pressure cook rice and mung dal together with milk and 1.5 cups of water for 5-6 whistles. Set aside.
Add 1 cup of water to jaggery. Heat till it dissolves completely. Strain the syrup.
Add this syrup to the cooked rice. Turn on the heat and keep stirring till the mixture thickens(about 5 minutes on low flame).
Add cardamom and edible camphor. Mix well.
Roast cashews and raisins in ghee and pour on top.

Payatham Paruppu Payasam(Moong Dal Kheer)

Easy, healthy and delicious!

Serves-2

Ingredients:
Moong Dal(Payatham Paruppu)-1/3 cup
Jaggery-1/4 cup or more(if you want more sweetness)
Milk-1 cup
Cardamom-1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut(Optional)-1 tsp
Roasted broken cashews-1 tsp(optional)

Method:
Pressure cook moong dal with enough water for 3 whistles.
Add jaggery, coconut and cardamom to the mashed dal and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
After 2-3 minutes, add milk and roasted cashews and serve warm.
If the consistency of kheer is thick, you can add some more milk.

Chocolate Peda

I miss Indian sweets and snacks. I wish there was Grands or Krishna sweets in LA. This is a foolproof recipe for chocolate pedas which does not involve any cooking or microwaving. I have not added any sugar or butter. You can make these guilt free pedas in no time. So what are you chocolate lovers waiting for? Try this and let me know!


Yields 4 pedas.

Ingredients:
Ovaltine/sweetened cocoa/any chocolate drink powder(I used ovaltine)-4 tbsp
Milk Powder-4 tbsp
Almond powder-4 tbsp
Marie Biscuits-2 small(powdered)
Evaporated milk-2 tbsp

Method:Mix all the ingredients together and make a soft dough.

If the dough is sticky, add 2 drops of oil.
Divide the dough into 4 portions and shape them any way you like.

This is my 2nd entry to my own event: 15 minute Cooking - May 20th

Also sending it to For the Love of Chocolate - April 30th

Note: If you don't have evaporated milk, you can use milk(boiled and cooled). But pedas will perish soon. You may have to refrigerate them.
Since these are uncooked, I would not overeat. 2 or 3 max :)

Pal Payasam(Milk pudding)

Happy Tamil New Year to all my visitors and friends! Hope you had a feast on this occasion!



The addition of coconut in this payasam makes it delicious.

Serves:2-3

Ingredients:
Rice-2 tbsp
Coconut-1/4 cup
milk-1/2 cup
Sugar-5 tbsp
Roasted nuts and raisins-to garnish
Saffron-a few strands
Cardamom-1/4 tsp
Food color(optional)-a pinch

Method:
Soak rice in water for 15 minutes.
Grind coconut and rice together with little water to a coarse paste.
Heat 1 cup of water in a vessel. When it starts boiling, add the ground paste.
Stir now and then and cook for 10 minutes(the mixture will become thick and rice should have cooked well by now).
Add milk, cardamom, saffron, sugar, food color and simmer for 10 minutes.
Roast chopped nuts in 1/2 tsp ghee and add it in the end.
Serve cold or hot.

Isn't it easy enough to try?

This is my entry to CFK: Rice - May 2nd hosted by Trupti, started by Sharmi.

Pineapple Kesari

Picture clicked by my hubby :)

Kesari comes out perfect every time I follow my mom's recipe. The ratio of rava to water should be right to get the right consistency. I usually don't compromise on ghee because it is the only ingredient which makes this dish tasty.

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
Sooji/Rava/Semolina-1/2 cup
Sugar-1/2 cup
Water-1 cup
Ghee(clarified butter)-2 tbsp
Cardamom-1/4 tsp
Saffron-a few strands
Pineapple pieces chopped finely-1/4 cup
Milk-2 tbsp
Chopped nuts(almonds, cashews)-1 tbsp
Raisins-2 tsp
Food color(any color)-a pinch(I used pink)

Method:
Soak saffron in warm milk.
In a vessel, bring water and pineapple pieces to a boil.
In a pan, melt butter and make ghee. Roast nuts and raisins in ghee and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Return the pan to stove. Roast rava on low flame for 5-6 minutes. Add cardamom, saffron-milk, boiling water(with pineapple pieces) and food color. Keep stirring while pouring hot water to avoid lumps. Cook for a minute. Add sugar. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Add half of the ghee+nuts mixture and mix well.

Before serving kesari, top it off with remaining ghee and nuts.

Note: You may also add a few drops of pineapple essence to make it even tastier.
Instead of adding pineapple, you can make plain kesari and add a few drops of almond essence.



I am sending this to FIC: Pink/Rose - March 31st event started by Sunshinemom and hosted by priya.

BTW today is my parents' anniversary :) Last year they were here in the US with us and we went to Flower fields(in San Diego). The flowers are spread across 50 acres of land! It is a breathtaking view. They are open from March through May every year.