WHOLE DRY FRUIT LADDOOS / DIWALI SPECIAL

 

Here is an easy recipe of making whole dry fruit laddoos. You can make them on any festive occasion and enjoy with your family and friends. This is a perfect sweet to distribute to your friends and relatives during Diwali festival. You can pack them in a beautiful box. 

Ingredients:

Assorted dry fruits (unsalted)  ......... 1 cup  (Almonds, cashews & Pistachios)

Sugar .............................. 1 cup

Poppy seeds .................... 1 tbsp

Saffron ..................... 2-3 pinches

Crushed cardamom seeds .. 1/2 tbsp

Wheat flour ...................... 2 tbsps

Dried rose petals .............. 1 tbsp

Ghee / clarified butter ......  2 tbsps

Milk or water ................... 1/4 cup

Silver varq ................... for garnishing (optional)

Method:

1. Dry roast the poppy seeds lightly and set aside.

2. Fry the wheat flour with 1 tbsp of ghee until it gives out a nice aroma. Set aside.

3. Roast the dry fruits until they get a crispy texture. 

4. In a thick bottomed pan melt the sugar adjusting the flame.

5. Half way through add 1 tbsps of ghee, saffron and crushed cardamom seeds. 

6. Continue stirring until the sugar is melted and there are no lumps.

7. Now add the poppy seeds, rose petals and dry fruits.

8. Finally add the fried wheat flour and mix well. 

9. Now add the milk or water and continue stirring until the mixture gathers and leaves the sides.

10. Cool it a bit and when you are able to handle it make the laddoos or balls of the desired size.

11. Garnish them with dried rose petals and silver varq if you like.

About the group:

Shhhhh Cooking Secretly is a monthly challenge in a facebook group where we are paired with a different partner every month. Two secret ingredients are  chosen by each partner for the other one and we prepare any dish with those ingredients based on the selected theme of the month which was Diwali 

This month I am paired with Poonam Bachhav who selected "cardamom powder" and "ghee" as my secret ingredients and I made these dry fruit laddoos. I chose "ajwain" and "oil" as the secret ingredients for her as she opted out for a savoury dish. She made tasty and irresistible Instant Rice Chaklis. 

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MAWA GUJIYAS / G PULLA REDDY SWEETS STYLE GUJIYAS

Gujiya is a sweet usually made during Holi festival. Traditionally sweets are made in India on any auspicious occasion, be it a festival or a celebration or a family re-union.. sweet is a must. Gujiyas are made with a variety of fillings like dessicated coconut, dry fruits, mawa etc etc....
My favourite sweet is mawa gujiya from Pulla Reddy Sweets in Andhra Pradesh which is a speciality Nothing can beat the taste of this gujiya. I am so happy that my gujiyas were quite similar in taste.

Ingredients:
Mawa .... 1 cup or as required
APF / maida ...... 2-3 cups
Milk ................ 1/4 cup or as needed to knead the dough.
Cardamom powder .... 1/4 tsp
Desi ghee ........... 2 tbsps for moin (mixing in the dough)
Salt .................... 1 pinch
Icing sugar ........ 2 tsps
Sugar .............. 1 cup for making the syrup
Desi ghee or oil ... for frying the gujiyas.
Rose petals .. fresh or dry (optional)
Silver Varq ... for garnishing
I have used ready mawa. If you want to make it at home see the recipe - HERE

Method:

1.Take the flour in a large bowl and mix a pinch of salt, 2 tsps icing sugar, 2 tbsps desi ghee.

2. Knead it with milk to make a soft dough. Cover and set aside at least for an hour.

3. Take small portion of dough and roll it into a round shape.

4. Spoon a little mawa as required and fold it into a semi circle.

5. Press the sides well to seal. Using your finger tips start pinching and folding the edge to make a design.

6. Heat ghee or oil and fry the gujiyas on medium flame to a light golden colour and they should be nice and crunchy.

7. While you fry the gujiyas make a thick sugar syrup with one cup sugar and half cup water. Flavour the syrup with cardamom powder.You can also add rose petals if you have them.

8. When the sugar syrup is boiled to one string consistency, tip in the fried gujiyas. Let them soak for few minutes until well coated.

9. Remove them on a serving platter and garnish with silver varq and rose petals.

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BADAM KATLI / ALMOND BURFI / ALMOND FUDGE

This is a traditional Indian sweet made with powdered almonds and sugar, flavoured with cardamom powder and saffron or rose water. Katli can also be made with almond paste after blanching and removing the skins. I have chosen the simpler option of almond powder as it is easily available in Brazil. This is the most preferred sweet during festivals as it has just few ingredients and not too difficult to make. Similarly you can make with cashewnuts too, which is kaju katli.

Ingredients:
Almond powder ..... 2 cups
Sugar .................... 1 cup
Water ................... 1 cup
Cardamom powder .. 1/4 tsp
Rose water ............ 1 tbsp
Ghee . clarified butter ... 1+1 tsps.
Milk ....................... 1 tbsp
Silver warq ... to garnish

Method:

1. In a pan take the sugar and add one cup water.

2. Bring to a boil. When it starts boiling well add one tbsp of milk to remove the impurities of sugar. You will see the dirt / froth collecting on top. Just remove it with a spoon.

3. When it comes to 2 string consistency and reduced to half, add the cardamom powder, almond powder and the rose water.

4. Keep stirring to avoid lumps.

5. Continue to stir until the mixture becomes thick and starts to leave the sides. You can spoon in a little ghee at this level.

6. When the mixture thickens into a lump switch off the gas and allow it to cool.

7.Remove it in flat vessel or a plate. Now you will find the consistency is thicker and you can knead it to give a smooth texture.

8. Take a sheet of butter paper and grease it with ghee.

9. Place the lump on the paper and roll with a greased rolling pin to the desired thickness.

10. Garnish with silver warq sheets.  Cut it into diamond shaped pieces using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.

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TRICOLOURED MAWA BARFI FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY MENU

This is a barfi made with milk powder. You can make variations to the basic recipe by adding crushed dry fruits, fruit pulps, chocolate powder or any flavours of your choice..Today I have used the flag colours as it is for the Independence day menu.

Ingredients:
Milk powder - 6 cups (Nido / Amulya)
Sugar ........ 2 cups
Water ....... 4 cups
Cardamom powder .. 1 tsp
Saffron ...... 2-3 pinches
Orange and green food colours.
Desi ghee ... 3-4 tbsps

Method:
1. Boil the sugar and water to make a syrup until it becomes a little thicker consistency. ( about 5 minutes) Let it cool.
2. Stir in the milk powder and whisk it to mix properly without lumps.
3. Place the pan on the gas and start cooking on medium flame stirring continuously. During the process add the cardamom powder.
4. While stirring add a spoonful of ghee after a gap of few minutes. Reduce the flame to low. Continue to stir until the mixture starts leaving sides.
5. Divide this into 3 equal portions. Leave one plain.
6. Now for the orange coloured layer take one portion . Put it back in the pan and add few drops of orange colour and saffron ( oaked in a tbsp of milk ) Continue to stir until it is mixed well.
7. Spread it into a greased thali / plate and spread with the back of the spoon. Let it set a bit.
8. Now spread the white layer in the same way and allow it to set.
9. For the green layer take the third portion and add a few drops of green food colour. Stir well until well mixed. Spread it on the white layer evenly. Let it set.
10.  When it is set and cooled down you can cut it in the desired shape. You can garnish with silver warq also.

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PISTA BARFI

Try out this simple and easy barfi with milk powder and ground pistachios.

Ingredients:
Milk powder ....... 400 gms.
 Sugar ................... 1 & 1/2 cup
Butter or Ghee ... 30 gms.
Cream or milk .................. 200ml
Ground Pistachios...........4 tbsp.
Cardamom powder ......... 1/2 tsp
Green colour ................... 1-2 drops
Saffron ............................ a pinch

Method:

1. Mix the milk powder, cream, ghee, milk, pistachio powderand pass it through a sieve.

2. Boil the sugar adding one and half cups water, cardamom powder, saffron, green colour to make a syrup of 2 string consistency.

3. Now put the sieved mixture into it and keep stirring till the mixture starts leaving the sides.(approximately 10-15 minutes)

4. Apply ghee in a flat dish and spread the mix.Garnish with chopped almonds and pistachios.
5. Let it cool before cutting into pieces.

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