moong dal halwa
Moong dal ka halwa is a Rajasthani sweet, Marwari in particular. Now it is popular everywhere. You can find moong dal halwa in winter in Indian wedding buffets and many parties. It is quite heavy so a small serving usually suffices. It is very delicious and best enjoyed hot in a cold winter night.
Recipe of moong dal halwa
1 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)
1 cup sugar
1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 cup water
Chopped and toasted nuts like cashew nuts, raisins and almonds
1. Wash and soak moong dal in hot water for 2 hours. Drain.
2. Grind moong dal to a coarse paste using very little water. Set aside.
3. Heat 1/2 cup water in a pan and add 1 cup sugar to it. Cook till sugar dissolves and you get syrup of 1 thread consistency (ek taar ki chashni). Keep aside.
4. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan/ kadhai. Add moong dal paste. Fry on a low heat till moong dal turn golden brown and aromatic.
5. Add sugar syrup (chashni) to the moong dal and mix well. Cook on a low heat till they blend well. Turn off the heat.
6. Serve hot moong dal ka halwa garnished with chopped and toasted nuts.
Gajar ka halwa
Gajar ka halwa or carrot halwa is one of the most loved and known desserts of India. It’s made best when red, juicy carrots are used but even orange carrots can be used if red ones are not available. The most laborious part of the recipe, that is, grating the carrots can be done using a food processor. It takes a little patience to get the perfect gajar ka halwa but the result is very sweet indeed!
Recipe of gajar ka halwa
1 kg carrots- peeled and grated
1 liter full fat milk
2 tbsp mixed and chopped nuts like almonds, raisins and cashew nuts
1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
3/4 cup sugar
peeled and washed carrots
1. In a deep and heavy bottomed pan (kadhai), bring the milk to boil.
2. Add the grated carrots and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook till all the milk evaporates, stirring occasionally.
3. When all the milk evaporates add sugar and cardamom powder. Cook till sugar melts.
4. Turning the heat to medium, add ghee. Roast the halwa till carrots turn deep red and ghee begins to separate. Turn off the heat and garnish with toasted chopped nuts. Serve gajar halwa hot, cold or warm. It tastes best when served warm.
Meethe chawal
I have come across many recipes of meethe chawal but this is by far the simplest one (my mom’s recipe). This recipe is so simple that even a beginner can try his or her hands at it. I simply love it and make it in a jiffy whenever craving sets in.
Recipe of meethe chawal/ sweet rice
1 cup basmati rice (chawal)
1/2 cup sugar (vary according to taste)
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
2 cups of water
1/4 tsp elaichi (green cardamom) powder
1 1/2 tbsp chopped nuts like cashew nuts, raisins
Few strands of saffron or 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1. Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and roast cashews and raisins. Drain and keep aside.
3. If you don’t have saffron to give yellow color to the chawal, roast turmeric powder in ghee for 2 seconds.
4. Add rice, sugar, 2 cups of water, cardamom powder and saffron (if you are using it) to the pressure cooker. Let 1 whistle come. Turn off the heat. Take out on a serving platter and garnish with toasted nuts. Serve meethe chawal warm.
atta ladoo
I have always been a big fan of ladoos especially besan ladoo but ever since I started making atta ladoo, my liking has shifted towards it. This is an easy recipe and result will have you drooling and asking for more.
Recipe of atta ladoo
1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
2 tbsp chopped nuts like almonds and raisins
1 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
1. Put a kadhai (heavy bottomed vessel) on heat and add ghee. When ghee melts, add atta. Turn the heat to medium.
2. Roast the atta stirring constantly till a nice aroma comes out of atta and it gives a roasted appearance. Turn off the heat and take atta out of kadhai.
3. Add chopped nuts, cardamom powder and sugar. Mix well using a big spoon.
4. Let it cool down and when it’s comfortably warm to touch, make ping pong sized balls out of the atta mixture, using your hands. When they cool down completely, store these atta laddus in an airtight container.
Meethi roti
Meethi roti or mithi roti is very easy to make and satisfies your craving for sweets as well as fills your stomach as it is made from whole wheat flour. It is liked by both adults and kids.
Recipe of meethi roti/ paratha
2 cups atta (whole wheat flour)
1 tbsp saunf (fennel seeds)
1/2 cup sugar (vary according to taste)
Melted ghee (clarified butter)
Ghee or oil to shallow fry
1. Knead flour adding water into smooth, pliable dough. Let it rest for 1/2 an hour.
2. Take a ball (peda) out of the dough and roll it into a 3 inch round dusting with flour.
3. Spread melted ghee on this roti. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp saunf and 1-2 tsp sugar on it.
4. Gather the edges and reshape into a ball. Roll out again into a 5-6 inch round.
5. Heat a tawa (griddle) and shallow fry this roti on both sides applying ghee. Fry till golden brown. Similarly make other meethi rotis from rest of the dough. Serve hot.
Churma
Churma is a very popular sweet from Rajasthan. Churma or churma ladoos are made in most households in Rajasthan on big and small occasions. As you start eating this sweet, it grows on you. Churma satisfies your sweet tooth completely and makes you feel connected to your rich heritage.
Recipe of churma
1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)
3 tbsp sooji (semolina/ rawa)
6-7 tbsp powdered sugar (vary according to taste)
4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 tsp elaichi (green cardamom) powder
Mixed chopped nuts like almonds, raisins
Ghee for frying
1. Mix atta, sooji and ghee. Adding warm water, knead it into stiff dough.
2. Take small balls (pedas, muthias) from the dough and deep fry in ghee. Heat should be medium for frying. Fry till brown. Shape of the balls is not important. When fried, drain by a slotted spoon.
3. When the fried balls have cooled down, grind them in a mixer to a coarse powder.
4. Mix powdered sugar, chopped almond, raisins (kishmish) and elaichi powder. Store this churma in an airtight container. It stays fresh for a few days.
Meetha pooda
Meetha pooda or sweet pancake is made in many parts of India including Punjab and Rajasthan. In Punjab, it is served as breakfast. You can also make it as an anytime sweet.
Recipe of meetha pooda (chilla)
1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp saunf (fennel) powder
2-3 green cardamom (hari elaichi) - crushed
Ghee (clarified butter) or oil to shallow fry
1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except oil or ghee. Add water slowly mixing with other hand. Add enough water to make lump free batter of consistency thicker than that of pakoda (fritters). Beat well.
2. Heat a non- stick tava (griddle). Grease it and turn the heat to low. Pour a ladlefull or 2 tablespoon batter in the center of the tava.
3. Spread it gently in the outward circular motion like you would do for a chilla or an omellete. Spread it with the back of a ladle (karchhi). Turn the heat to medium.
4. After 2 minutes, drizzle some oil or ghee on the pooda. Remove it with the help of a wide, thin spatula and turn over.
5. Cook the other side also for 2 minutes and remove from the tava. Your meetha pooda is ready. Similarly make other poodas from rest of the batter.
Always spread the pooda on low heat and cook it on medium heat.
If the first pooda sticks to the tava, don’t get disheartened. It usually happens with the first puda. As the tava get seasoned, rest of the meetha puda will turn out fine.
Microwave besan ladoo
Microwave besan ladoo is a very easy and quick substitute for traditional ladoos in kadhai. You don’t have to go for endless stirring lest the besan burns. You can get accolades without going through the grind. They taste absolutely great and you cannot tell the difference between microwave besan laddu and those made the traditional way.
Recipe of microwave besan ladoo
2 cups besan (gram flour)
1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1 cup powdered sugar
4-5 pods hari elaichi (green cardamom) - crushed
2 tbsp chopped nuts like almonds, cashew nuts and raisins
1. In a microwave safe bowl, mix besan and ghee.
2. Microwave on High for 6 minutes. First stir after 2 minutes, then after 2 minutes, then after 1 minute, then after 30 seconds till you get desired brownness. Let it cool.
3. Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder and chopped nuts.
4. Now using your hands make ping pong size balls. These are now called besan ka ladoo. Store besan ladoos in an airtight container.
Sweet dalia (lapsi)
Lapsi or sweet dalia is a nutritious and healthy dessert. It’s a favorite sweet dish of Rajasthan. Lapsi can also be called bulgar sweet or wheat porridge.
Recipe of lapsi
1 cup dalia (broken wheat)
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups hot water
2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
2 tbsp almonds (blanched and chopped)
3/4 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder
1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add dalia and stir-fry on a medium heat till it turns light brown.
2. Add 2 1/2 cups of hot water and cook partly covered on medium heat. Cook till most of the water gets evaporated.
3. Add sugar, cardamom powder and 1/2 cup water to the daliya and give it a stir. Place a griddle (tava) below the pan. Cook on a low heat for about 8-9 minutes.
4. When ghee starts oozing out from the sides of the pan, your lapsi is ready. Garnish with almonds and serve hot.
Jalebi
Jalebi is a traditional Indian sweet which is relished since ages. Jalebi is a pretzel shaped sweet. It’s like a funnel filled with syrup. Some people enjoy it with rabri or hot milk flavored with cardamom powder. We enjoy jalebis hot and crispy, on their own.
Recipe of jalebi
1 cup maida (all purpose flour)
1 tbsp besan (gram flour)
1 tbsp curds (yogurt)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp powdered sugar
A pinch of saffron
Oil or ghee (clarified butter) to deep fry
For syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1/2 tsp green cardamom (elaichi) powder
A pinch of saffron
1. Mix well all the ingredients of jalebi. Add warm water to get the batter of thick pouring consistency. Beat well so that no lumps are there. Let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
2. For syrup or chashni, add all the ingredients to the water and let it boil. After 1 boil, cook it on a lower heat for 5-7 minutes. Remember syrup should be of 1 thread consistency and hot when the jalebis are dipped in it.
3. Fill the batter in a zip lock bag with a small corner cut so that there is a hole in it or you can fill it in an empty ketchup bottle. Heat oil in a pan or a kadhai. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat to medium.
4. In the oil, make circles inside a circle with the batter by squeezing, starting from outside. Similarly make other rounds. Lower the heat further and fry jalebis on a low heat. Fry jalebi from both sides by turning over using chimta. Fry till golden. Drain.
5. Put these jalebis in the syrup 3-4 at a time. Let them soak for 1-2 minutes. Then take out and serve hot.
