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coconut burfi

Coconut burfi or nariyal ki barfi is a popular Indian sweet which is made on festive occasions. So many of us have fond childhood memories of our mothers or grandmothers preparing coconut burfi on festivals like Janamashtmi. Here is an easy recipe of coconut barfi.

Recipe of coconut burfi/ nariyal ki barfi

2 cups desiccated coconut

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

1. Grease a thali (platter) with few drops of ghee or butter and keep aside.

2. In a kadhai/wok, take water and sugar and cook on medium-low heat till sugar dissolves and syrup (chashni) comes to boil.

3. Cook, stirring occasionally, till syrup reaches 2 thread consistency. To test this, take few drops of the syrup on a plate and touch with your thumb and forefinger. As you stretch the syrup, it should form some threads.

4. Add coconut and cardamom powder and mix well. Cook, stirring, till coconut begins to clump together and leave the sides of the kadhai.

5. Immediately pour this mixture on the greased thali and spread evenly with a big spoon.

6. Let it cool and harden slightly. Cut into diamonds or squares. Let the burfi cool completely. Store coconut burfi in an airtight jar.

Lauki ka halwa

Doodhi halwa or lauki ka halwa is a rather unusual dessert. It’s nutritious since it contains lauki and milk. We are using very little ghee unlike other halwas. Lauki ka halwa is a very simple recipe yet very tasty.

Recipe of doodhi/ lauki ka halwa

1 medium lauki (doodhi/ dudhi/ ghiya/ bottle gourd/ milk gourd)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp green cardamom powder

7-8 almonds- blanched and slivered

1. Peel lauki and grate it.

2. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat ghee and add grated lauki. Sauté for 6-7 minutes.

3. Add milk and cook till liquid gets dried up, stirring occasionally.

4. Add sugar and cardamom powder and cook stirring constantly.

5. Serve lauki ka halwa cold or hot garnished with almonds.

Besan ka halwa

Besan ka halwa is something I always relish whether I am satiated or hungry. I always enjoy besan in whatever form it is whether besan ladoo, besan burfi or halwa. It’s a sort of comfort food.

Recipe of besan ka halwa

1 cup besan (gram flour/chickpea flour)

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups of water

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

Chopped and fried nuts like almonds, cashews and pistachios

1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel (kadhai). Add besan and roast on medium-low heat. Keep stirring while roasting and roast till besan turns brownish.

2. Add water, sugar and cardamom powder. Keep cooking till water dries up.

3. Remove from heat and serve hot besan ka halva or sheera garnished with nuts.

Sandesh

Sandesh, shondesh, sandes are some of the names by which this mithai is called. Recipe of sandesh is very easy and it can be made within no time. Although sandesh is a Bengali mithai, it is loved in other parts of India as well. This soft mithai never failed to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Recipe of sandesh

Makes about 20 sandesh

2 cups chenna (cottage cheese)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

1. Add sugar to the chenna and knead.

2. Place the mixture in a kadhai/wok and cook stirring constantly, on a low heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Consistency of the mixture should be that of the very soft dough, neither too dry nor too moist.

3. Remove from heat and mix gently till it cools down a bit.

4. Divide into equal portions and make balls out of it. Garnish with cardamom powder and place in fridge. Serve sandesh chilled.

Note- sandesh has a short life so it is best consumed within the same day.

sooji halwa in microwave

Sooji ka halwa is a popular Indian dessert which is usually made in a kadhai (wok) or a pan. Here I would like to share a recipe in which sooji halwa is being cooked in a microwave in easy steps. Try it and let me know if you found it any different from traditional sooji ka halwa in pan.

Recipe of sooji ka halwa in microwave

1 cup sooji (semolina/ rawa/ suji) - roasted

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1/4 tsp green cardamom (elaichi) powder

Nuts like cashew nuts and raisins- to garnish

1 and 1/2 cup milk

1. Take a microwave safe bowl and place sooji and ghee in it. Cook on High for 2 minutes.

2. Add milk, sugar and cardamom powder and mix. Cook covered on micro High for 3 minutes. Let it stand for a minute.

3. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve sooji halwa hot.

sooji kheer

Sooji kheer or suji ki kheer is an almost instant dessert. Today after lunch, I was craving something sweet so within no time, I prepared sooji ki kheer and polished it off as quickly. This kheer can also be called as ‘Rava Payasam’. Sooji ki kheer is also good for infants as it is very light to digest.

Recipe of sooji ki kheer

1 liter milk

3/4 cup sooji (rava/ semolina/ suji)

1/2 cup sugar

A big pinch cardamom (elaichi) powder

Few threads of saffron

Chopped and toasted nuts like cashew nuts, raisins etc.

1. Dry roast sooji in a heavy bottomed pan (kadhai) over medium heat till light brown. Soak the saffron threads in 1 tablespoon milk.

2. Bring the milk to boil. Add sooji little by little, constantly stirring with other hand so that no lumps are formed.

3. Cook over high heat till the mixture begins to thicken. Add sugar and cardamom powder and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add saffron and mix well.

4. Garnish with nuts and serve hot or cold.

gajar ki kheer

Gajar ki kheer or carrot kheer is a delicious and healthy dessert. Kheer or payasam is my weakness and this one is a treat for me. It does not take too much time to cook gajar ki kheer.

Recipe of carrot kheer

1 cup grated carrot (gajar)

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 liter milk

4 tsp sugar

Chopped nuts

1. Heat ghee in a pan and fry carrot for 5 minutes.

aloo ka halwa

Aloo ka halwa or potato halwa is an unusual dessert. If you are making it for the first time, you will be surprised that how good it tastes. Potato halwa is also eaten in some fasts. If you roast it really well, it will not give a potato taste but some unique taste. Try it and be ready for surprise!

Recipe of potato halwa

1 cup boiled, peeled and mashed potato

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder

1/4 cup milk

4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Toasted nuts like cashew nuts and raisins

1. Mash the boiled potatoes while still warm. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ wok. Add mashed potato and roast on a low heat.

2. Keep stirring the halwa as it tends to stick to the bottom. Roast for 10-15 minutes.

3. Add milk and sugar. Again keep roasting till sugar dissolves and halwa thickens to desired consistency. Turn off the heat.

4. Add elaichi powder and garnish potato halwa with toasted nuts.

Note- The more you roast the aloo ka halwa, the better it will taste. Take medium sized potatoes for this halwa.

Gond Panjiri

Gond ki panjiri is a popular Indian sweet which people eat during winters. It is given to lactating women. Gond panjiri is believed to improve lactation. Gond which is tree sap is available in Indian stores in packets.

Recipe of gond panjiri

2 cups atta (whole wheat flour)

¼ cup gond (tree sap)

1 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp magaz seeds (melon seeds)

1/4 tsp saunth (dried ginger powder)

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

2 tbsp raisins

2 tbsp almonds- chopped

1/2 cup grated dry coconut

1. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ wok. Fry gond. Grind it in a grinder. Fry one by one, magaz and almonds.  Drain and set aside.

2. Add atta to the ghee and turn the heat to medium. Roast flour till golden brown stirring constantly. Take atta out of the kadhai.

3. Mix all the ingredients together. Your panjiri is ready to be eaten. Store rest in an airtight container.

besan ki barfi

Besan ki barfi or besan burfi is chickpea flour sweet which originated from Punjab. It is a popular dessert which is not only sold on sweet shops but also made in many Indian households. This is my maternal aunt’s (mausi) recipe who makes heavenly besan ki barfi. Enjoy!

Recipe of besan ki barfi

1 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

Chopped nuts like almonds, cashew nuts

1. Sieve besan so that there are no lumps. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ heavy bottomed pan. Add besan and roast on a low heat stirring constantly. Roast till besan turns deep golden brown. Keep breaking any lumps if they get formed. Turn off the heat.

2. Add cardamom powder and nuts to besan and mix.

3. Heat water in a pan and add sugar. Cook till sugar dissolves and syrup (chashni) thickens.

4. Add this syrup to roasted besan and mix well.

5. Pour this mixture on a greased tray. Let it cool down. Allow it to set and harden.

6. Cut squares or diamonds. This is now called besan burfi.