.JPG "Prab's Blog") |
| Mango Kulfi |
I have to tell you all that it is my birthday today....but that is not the main reason I made this today....I have a long story for this...as usual... :-)....please do not say "not again"...just bear with me...I promise to cut it short...
I had been eyeing the kulfi molds in the shops time & again...but somehow did not get around to buying it for some reason or the other...was not too sure how much I would really use it...have loads of stuff that I purchase with the vague plan of using it "some day"...
Then once T & I had gone grocery shopping and they had the cutest kulfi molds on sale...so tempting - this time T himself picked it up...so I decided to get it... and since then it has been laying around my cupboards...(I know, I know...but see I have used it finally)
Nyways..so the plan was that I would make kulfi soon...but that has been quite a while ago....and now about say 3-4 mths or 6...who knows..it was still not inaugurated...
Decided to get down to business...and b'day being a good day for a new beginning...kulfi it was...and being mango season ...my first foray into this was with a mango kulfi....
But as I said in my first line...it was not made for my b'day cause I had already planned a chocolate cake ( by popular demand ...my Mom actually )...so this morning was very hectic with me making both the cake and the kulfi and attending to messages, calls, what's app...etc...and also getting ready to go out for lunch & some shopping with sister dearest...
Phew! somehow managed, took the cake to my parents place, all gathered there - cut it, ate it, left some crumbs for our respective spouses...sorry guys...was really melt in the mouth...( I think I make it for almost everyone's birthdays...this is what all seem to want )...and kept the kulfi in the freezer in my new molds...cannot wait to see hubby's face when I take it out... I am bound to hear an "At last"...
So anyways after having patience to hear(read) me out...the least I can do is give you the recipe...here goes...sorry guys no pictures this time...was too busy this morning to get it..this mould has 8 kulfis - before the last one is over if I get the pictures taken I will update this post...
This turned out so great ...makes a good dessert or can be had just when the mood strikes...so cool and delish.
Ingredients:
2 and half cups milk - half a litre - 500 ml
1/4 cup milk powder
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 sugar to be added if required (depending on the mangoes)
1 cup of mango pulp (about 3-4 alphonso mangoes depending on size)
1 Tblspn of crushed almonds & walnuts ( can use any nuts )
a few sprigs of kesar (saffron )
Method :
1) Bring the milk to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer till it reduces to about half.
2) Add the rest of the ingredients except the mango pulp & sugar. Mix thoroughly.
3) Let it cool down completely - then add the mango pulp to the mixture.
4) At this stage do the taste test...and add sugar if required as per your requirement.
Since the milk powder I used had been sweetened, and the condensed milk is sweetened and the mangoes were sweet enough I did not require any additional sugar.
5) Pour the kulfis into moulds and keep in the freezer for 8 hrs or overnight.
6) To demould, run some water over the outside of the moulds, and gently twist the stick to remove it.
Enjoy !!!
They were so amazing...that I am very happy with my purchase...feel it was totally worth it, even if I do not make it again ( which will not be the case...as hubby was already making plans as to which flavour should be next...maybe badam pista kulfi )...this is a total paisa-vasool purchase...
I do urge you all to try out this delicious recipe...and you do not need the kulfi moulds ...it can be set in any dish...I had some leftover which I poured into a couple of other containers too...had to cut and serve them up...tasted just as good...yum !!!
So let me know how it turns out for you...
P.S.....as you have guessed from the pictures above that I did manage to take some before we finished it all off...and hence the update...
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| Eggless Ragi Banana Cake |
Recently, I met up with one of my very close friends(D had a great time with you) who was visiting India ( she lives in Dallas US )...and we got to discussing the various grains and cereals and what is good and healthy...and can be used in a lot of our day to day cooking, baking etc...
One of those was amaranth...and while trying to get the Indian name for it we mistakenly referred to it as ragi...then later realised that it is not so...the actual name is rajagira...which is supposed to be very good, considered a superfood.
All this bought to fore my desire to move on to new methods and ingredients in my baking in my quest for a more healthy sweet or dessert...since we have tried unsuccessfully many a time to resist the sweet temptations.
So while browsing for recipes got a few using ragi ( nachani ) flour and was very impressed with a couple of them - one was a chocolate cupcake and the other a banana cake...
The latter won the toss mainly cause I had 3 bananas on verge of going to the bin if not used immediately...but I also wanted to try an eggless version and use sweetened condensed milk which was part of the first recipe....confusing right ....nyways the end result was a combination of parts of both.
Ragi is a cereal which is very nutritious, it is rich in calcium, has a lot of dietary fibre, has a lot of iron, is a natural relaxant, and a host of other properties...
So after reading the above recipes I was quite keen to try it out - though I was unsure how it would be received by all at home, generally I do not have much takers for my "healthy attempts" ...but this one turned out so amazing - it was soft, delish (even with the reduced sweetness) and one could not make out that it was made without the regular flours...
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| Rice Kheer |
This plan happened in a very roundabout way...in the morning I started thinking about breakfast, lunch, dinner etc...as in what to prepare...what to organise..what I need...what I have...and such...
I had made some dosa batter...with rice, udad dal, ( the whole process...of soaking, grinding, fermenting etc..) ...had then proceeded to make dosa, sambhar, chutney for lunch a couple of days back...and had some leftover batter...so as I said in my thoughts was to use that up...and decided I would steam it & voila we have dhokla....that decided on, was wondering what else with that...when hubby suggested kheer( hmmmm )....good idea - rice kheer goes really well with it....and that is how this post came about...made it ...took some pictures ...and decided to put it down...
With re. to kheer or payasam ( as we call it down south...er Southern part of India ) ...there are a lot of options, we make it with sabudana, rice, dal(s), vermicilli ( think I have covered most of it ) but with dhokla normally at my in-laws place it is made with rice...so that was what it would be today...
This is another very simple recipe ( my favourite kind )...and the end result ...awesome....and can be had just by itself, or with dhokla as we plan to later...or it could be served as dessert after a meal...any which way it is delicious...
The easiest sweets that I have ever made are these coconut ladoos...which are so light, yet so full of flavour & taste that it is difficult to stop at just one...
It has been a hit whenever I have made them and wherever I have taken it....it is so simple to make ...that when anyone asks for the recipe (while thinking that I spent a lot of time & effort on it ) I am almost embarrased to let them know that that is not the case.
This recipe involves only 2 ingredients...when Nestle introduced Milkmaid in India (that is sweetened condensed milk ) - they also came out with a small recipe booklet ....this had a lot of dessert recipes in which their product could be used...had tried out quite a few at the time...and I feel that this is one of their best ...in terms of the simplicity of the process and time involved, and hence has been my all time favourite.
This is very good for festivals, post dinner if you require more than one dessert items, or just to take across to anyone's place when visiting...I have used them for all of the above...and here I go once again making it today to take for an office party.
So anyways to get back ...here's how you go about making it...
Ingredients :
1 can of 400 gms - Sweetened Condensed Milk
250 gms - Dessicated Coconut Powder
Method :
Take a non-stick pan.
Keep aside 50 gms of the coconut powder.
Mix the entire can of condensed milk and 200 gms of coconut powder into the pan and keep it on a low to medium flame.
Keep stirring continously - do not allow it to brown ( the coconut burns very quickly if not stirred )
Once the mixture starts to come together - this will be in about 5 - 10 minutes - take the pan off the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes or so.
Put the remaining 50 gms of coconut powder in a large plate.
Make ladoos ( once the mixture has cooled sufficiently enough to hold ) taking small portions and roll between your palms - and then put it immediately in the plate and cover with the coconut powder.
Cool and the store...stays good outside for a couple of days - and in the refrigerator for a week to 10 days.
Enjoy !!!
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| Coconut Ladoos |
This makes 25 - 35 ladoos depending on the size.
