GUD WALE POHE / FLATTENED RICE FLAKES WITH JAGGERY

 This is a Indian festive sweet made with flattened rice flakes. For sweetening you may use jaggery or sugar. My personal preference is jaggery. This is Kanhaji's favourite bhog and is usually made on Krishna Janmashtami festival. This dish is prepared in less than 10 minutes. It is usually served for breakfast.

Ingredients:

Poha / flattened rice flakes ..... 1 & 1/2 cups

Organic jaggery powder ......... 3/4 th cup

Ghee / clarified butter ............ 1 & 1/2 tbsp

Cardamom powder ................ 1/2 tsp

Fennel powder (saunf pd.)..... 1/2 tsp

Salt ...................................... 2 pinches

Cashew nuts ....................... handful (cut into halves)

Dry coconut slivers ............. handful

Method:

1. Rinse the poha under running water gently. Separate them with your fingers and set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Melt ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and coconut slivers to a golden brown colour on medium flame.

3. Remove them and set aside.

4. Reduce the flame to low and add the cardamom and fennel powders, salt and stir.

5. Add the jaggery powder and stir it a bit. Add 3-4 tbsps of water and bring to a boil on medium flame.

6. Stir continuously and when the water content is reduced and it becomes frothy, add the soaked poha, fried cashews and coconut slivers saving some for garnishing.

7. Stir gently until the poha absorb all the syrup.

8. Cover with a lid and keep it for dum on a low flame for jut 1 minute. We should not over cook the poha.

9. Switch off the gas flame and let them rest for few minutes. They will nicely puff up.

10. Dish them out, Garnish with the remaining fried cashews and coconut slivers.

Check out the video

This recipe is made for the event - A-Z Recipe Challenge. 

Season 1 - We have completed the first season making the recipes alphabetically with ingredients with English names. ( eg. A - Apple, Artichoke, Asparagus ..)

Season 2 - We decided to make the recipes alphabetically with Hindi names. ( A - Anar, Adrak Aloo ... )

This month the Alphabet is G and I selected Gud (jaggery) as my ingredient and made Gud Wale Pohe.

Recipe List of A-Z Challenge (Season 2)

A - Adraki Aloo  (Baby Potatoes with ginger and spice powders)

B - Begun Bhaja  ( Bengali style fried Brinjals)

C - Chukandar Ke Parathe  (Stuffed Beetroot Parathas)

D - Farali Dahi Chawal ( Barnyard Millet Curd Rice / Samak ke Dahi Chawal )

E - Elaichi Cup Cakes ( Cardamom flavoured cup cakes )

F - False ke Biscuits ( Lemon Currant Cookies )

G - Gud Wale Pohe (Sweet Flattened Rice Flakes with jaggery)

H - Hare Dhaniye Ki Sabzi ( Fresh Coriander stir fry)

I - Imli Gosht ( Tangy mutton Curry)

J - Jowar Ke Fulke ( Jowar Flat breads )

K - Karele ki Bhurji ( Diced bitter gourd stir fry )

L - Lehsun Ka Achar ( Garlic Pickle )

M - Moong Dal With Sarson - ( Moong lentils with mustard greens )

N - Neembu Gud ki Shikanji ( Indian summer drink with lemon )

O - Oal / Jimikand Ka Keema ( yam mince curry)

P - Kadai Paneer ( Paneer / Cottage cheese curry )

Q - Qeema Pav (Mutton Mince served with Pav Bread)

R - Rajma Dhoklas (fusion dhoklas with rajma)

S - Semolina Vadas ( Sooji ke vade )

T - Tendli Bhat ( Ivy Gourd Pilaf )

U - Urad Dal Palak (Black lentils cooked with spinach)

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Poha Dosa

Poha Kheer

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MAWA AND DRY FRUIT MODAKS ( with milk powder ) / GANESH CHATURTHI SPECIAL

We have a variety of modaks made during the Ganpati festival as an offering to God. Some are made with rice flour dough stuffed with coconut and jaggery mixture, or mawa and dry fruit mixture and steamed or deep fried.  We also have chocolate modaks, Boondi modaks and many more.

This is a very easy recipe of making modaks using milk powder along with powdered dry fruits and dessicated coconut. Use full cream milk powder like Nido, Nestle or Amulya. You can shape the modaks using a mould which is easily available everywhere these days. 

About Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10 day long festival celebrated throughout India. It comemmorates the birth of Lord Ganesha, the famouus Hindu elephant headed God known for his ability to remove obstacles and bring good fortune. The festival is held every year in the Hindu month of Bhadra, which falls between mid-August and mid-September. Offerings from the daily prayers are distributed among friends and relatives which include sweets such as modaks  as it is believed to be a favourite of Lord Ganesh.  On the final day of the festival, Anant Chaturdasi, the Ganesha statues are paraded through the streets. During the parade, people gather to sing and dance, and the Ganesha statue is usually immersed in a body of water such as the ocean or a river.

Ingredients:

Full cream milk powder...... 1 cup

Coarsely powdered cashew nuts ..... 1/4 cup

Coarsely powdered pistachios ......... 1/4 cup

Coarsely powdered almonds   ......... 1/4 cup 

Fine dessicated dry coconut    .......... 1/4 cup

Sugar ............................................... 3/4 cup

Cardamom powder .......................... 1/2 tsp

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

Milk ( for soaking saffron ) ............ 2 tbsps

Ghee or clarified butter ................  2 tbsps

Silver Varq for garnishing ............. optional 

Method:

1. Take a thick bottomed pan and transfer the sugar into it.

2. Add 1 and 1/4 cups of water, cover the lid and bring to a boil.

3. Add the cardamom powder followed by saffron soaked in little milk.

4. When the syrup reduces to one cup stir in the milk powder.

5. Start mixing immediately with a spatula or a baloon whisk to break the lumps.

6. Continue to stir it adding the ghee little by little in between. You will see that the mixture is getting thicker.

7. Tip in the powdered dry fruits and the dessicated coconut. 

8. Continue to stir until the mixture starts leaving the sides and has thickened like a dough.

9. Remove it into a larger bowl for cooling.

10. Grease the modak moulds and put some mixture into them. Close it and remove the excess from the sides. This way make all the modaks.

11. When they are ready you can garnish them with silver varq if you wish. 

 

Watch the video of Modaks

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ENDURI PITHA / SWEET STEAMED PANCAKES OR DUMPLINGS

Enduri pitha is a variety of pitha made in the Indian state of Odisha. A fermented batter made with rice and black gram is spread on turmeric leaves with a sweet filling and steamed. Traditionally these used to be steamed in an earthen pot with a cloth tied on the rim for placing the pithas. Now-a-days we use steaming pots for convenience. Apart from Odisha these are also popular in Bengal, Assam, UP and Bihar. Each region has its unique flavours.

When are the pithas made ?

Pithas are made on festive days as an offering to the Gods. Odisha celebrates 13 festivals in a year. Each time a different pitha is made as an offering depending on the seasonal availability of the raw ingredients. 

Variety of Pithas:

We have a large variety of pithas, sweet as well as savoury ones. Apart from the steamed version we also have deep fried and pan roasted pithas. 

Ingredients:

Rice ............... 1 cup

Urad dal ........ 1/3 cup

Salt ................ to taste

Turmeric leaves or banana leaves ...6. or  as needed.

For the filling:

Grated coconut ........... 1/2 cup

Organic jaggery powder .. 1/2 cup or (add as per your liking)

Paneer chena .................... 1 cup

Cardamom powder .......... 1/4 tsp

Ghee / clarifird butter....... 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak the rice and urad dal for 4-5 hours.

2. Rinse and grind them adding little salt and water as required.

3. Allow it to ferment for 7-8 hours or evernight.

4. Add little water if needed to the fermented batter and whisk it well to make it light and fluffy.

5. In a pan dry roast the grated coconut for a minute or so.

6. Add the paneer chena and saute it a bit.

7. Now add the ghee and the jaggery powder and keep stirring until the jaggery melts.

8. Finally flavourthe mixture with cardamom powder and allow it to cool.

To make the Pithas:

1. Wash the turmeric leaves (or banana leaves) well and wipe them.

2. If using banana leaves cut them into a longish shape.

3. Grease the surface and spread some batter on them leaving the edges.

4. Spoon some filling and spread it.

5. Fold the leaves vertically with utmost care .

6. Steam them in steaming pot for 10 minutes. You don't have to flip the side.

7. Removethem from the leaves and serve.

Recipe adapted from - HERE

Information source - Wikipedia.

Yield - 6-8 pithas (depending on the size)

Check out the video

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 Pithas. This was suggested by Sasmita Sahoo Samanta. My favouriterecipe from her blog is Nuchinunde - Steamed lentil dumplings from Karnataka. 

My partner of the month was Aruna Saraschandra. She gave me the two secret ingredients - Paneer Chena & Desi Ghee and I came up with this delicious and healthy Enduri Pitha.

I gave her Cumin seeds and Ginger since she chose to make savoury pitha. She made Biri Gaja or Biri Manda Pitha. An interesting pitha variety made in different shapes. Do check itout.

Pin for later:

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MAKKI KA SHEERA - HALWA / CORNMEAL SHEERA - HALWA

 Cornmeal sheera or halwa is a very popular one in North India. It is made specially in winters and is a lovely variation to usual ate ka halwa. The procedure is quite simple and you can easily make it in a jiffy. Serve it as an accompaniment with your meals or as a dessert. 
In this recipe I am using organic jaggery powder which is a healthy option. You may even add some dry fruits to it. I have only used them for garnishing. 

In our group, Shhhh Cooking Secretly the theme of this month was warm desserts and I thought this could be a nice and apt one for the theme and also relish in the lovely weather we have now.

Ingredients:

Cornmeal  ...... 1/2 cup

Organic jaggery ... 1/2 cup

Green cardamoms .... 3-4 (lightly crushed)

Saffron .............. few threads (optional)

Salt .................... 1 pinch

Almonds & Pistachios ...... few (sliced)

Ghee ............. 3-4 tbsps tbsp

Method:

1. In a pan melt the ghee and add crushed cardamoms.

2. When they give out a nice aroma add the corn meal.

3. Saute on medium flame until it changes the colour and leaves an aroma.

4. Add one and half cups water and stir quickly until it thickens.

5. Now add the salt, saffron and the organic jaggery powder. 

6. Continue to stir until it melts and you get the desired consistency.

7. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve hot.

Note:

If you are using the normal jaggery you have to melt in water and boil to remove the impurities. So add the water accordingly.

You can also  make it with sugar if you like.

You may use half oil and half ghee.

 Pin for later

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 Warm Desserts suggested by Rafeeda who blogs at Big Sweet Tooth. The name says it all. She has an amazing collection of sweets and my favourite one is Vermicelli with Custard

 I am so happy to be paired with Mayuri as I am a great fan of her recipes and have tried out many. she comes up with innovative dishes like Vegetarian Moussaka which is next on my list. I really love her way of explaining everything in detail about each recipe she makes.

 I was given Ghee and Cardamoms for my dish and I made the Cornmeal Halwa / Sheera.

I have given her Cinnamon Powder and Walnuts. She made a delicious dessert, Baked Apples  stuffed with nuts and raisins

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Sweet Potato Sheera

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TIL PATTI / TIL AUR GUD KI CHIKKI / SESAME SEED BRITTLE / SANKRANTI SPECIAL

 

During Makara Sankranti it is supposed to be auspicious to eat sesame seeds. Sesame seeds combined with jaggery taste very good. Many sweets are made with this combination for the festival. 
Here is an easy recipe of Til Patti or til ki chikki. It requires only 4 ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to make. 

Ingredients:

Sesame seeds - 1 cup

Organic Jaggery .. 1 cup 

Sliced pistachios  ..... 2 - 3 tbsps

Ghee / clarified butter .. 1 + 1 tsps 

Method:

1. Dry roast the sesame seeds. Do this on medium flame taking care that they do not become black.

Remove them and set aside.

2. Now transfer the jaggery powder into the pan.

3. Keep stirring until it starts to melt.

4. Add 1 tsp of ghee and continue stirring on medium flame until it melts and starts bubbling.

5. Tip in the sesame seeds and half of the pistachios.

6. When it starts to form a lump remove the contents on a greased surface.

7. Flatten with the spatula first as it will be very hot. 

8. Sprinkle the remaining pistachios

9. Smoothen it with back of a flat katori / bowl.

10. Now roll it out with a greased rolling pin as thin as you prefer.

11. Mark the divisions with a pizza cutter or a knife.

12. Allow it to cool and become firm.

13. Remove the brittle pieces in a container.

14. Close the lid only after it has cooled well.

Watch the Video

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Tilgul / Sesame Seed Laddoos

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INSTANT WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR SWEET APPE / SWEET PANIYARAM WITH WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR

Sweet appe are cute little dumplings made in a special mould called appe pan. They're called sweet appe in Maharashtra, godu appo in Konkani, famously known as sweet kuzhi paniyaram in South India, paddu or guliappa in Kannada. 
These can be made with many variations like wheat flour, rice flour, semolina and with the addition of fruits like banana or mango or dessicated coconut.etc etc  Traditionally they are flavoured with cardamom powder, crushed aniseed (saunf)
Today I am making them with wheat flour and semolina combo and flavouring with organic jaggery, cardamom powder and fennel seeds.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour... 1 cup
Semolina ............... 2 tbsps
Organic jaggery powder 
Cardamom powder .. 1/4 tsp
Crushed fennel seeds... 1 tsp 

Salt .......................... 1 pinch 

Baking powder ........ 1 pinch

Water or milk .......... for mixing

Ghee ...................... for brushing.

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients except ghee to make a smooth and thick batter.

2. Brush ghee liberally on the appe pan.

3. Pour the prepared batter into the mould. Keep the pan on the gas on medium flame and cover it with a lid.

4. After few minutes flip them with the pointed spatula provided with the pan or a small spoon. 

5. Brush little ghee and cook on the other side and cook until done 

Pin it for reference :

Try out the savoury version  :

Ponganalu / Paniyaram 

AAMPUAS / MANGO MALPUAS / FRIED MANGO PANCAKES

Make and enjoy these delicious Mango Malpuas during the mango season. They are not time consuming and kids will love them.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour .... 1 cup

Sugar ........................ 2 tbsps

Milk powder ............... 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder ..... 1/4 tsp

Baking powder ............ 2-3 pinches

Mango pulp ................ as required (about 3/4 th cup)

Oil .............................. for frying

Method:

1. In a large bowl take the mixing flour.

2. Add the baking powder, salt, milk powder and cardamom powder. Mix them.

3. Now stir in about 3/4 th cup of mango pulp.

4. Mix together with a spoon or spatula.

5. Now to get a pouring consistency we need to add some water.

6. Take a balloon whisk and stir well. Whisk it until all the lumps are dissolved.

7. Heat oil in a flat bottomed pan.

8. Reduce the flame and pour the batter with a ladle.

9. Flip the malpuas with tongs few times so that they get fried evenly. Keep adjusting the flame in between to get a perfect texture.

10. Remove them on a kitchen tissue.

11. You can garnish them with chopped pistachios if you like.

You can also see the recipe video

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Banana Malpuas

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GUR JI CHURI / CHURMO / WHOLE WHEAT CRUMBLE WITH JAGGERY

Gur ji churi or churmo is a crumble made with whole wheat flour. Flour dumplings are deep fried to a crispy texture and crumbled in a pestle and mortar or ground in a chopper. Sugar or jaggery is added along with hot ghee and mixed together. This is made as a prashad on Shivratri day.
Since I am using organic jaggery powder in this recipe I have added and mixed it. If you are using the usual jaggery it needs to be melted with water to remove the impurities. Then we have to thicken the syrup until it starts bubbling and then mixed it to the crumble along with hot ghee.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour .... 2 cups
Organic jaggery .. 3/4 cup to 1 cup (to your liking)
Ghee ...........  4-5  tbsps
Oil ........... for frying the dumplings.
Cardamom powder ... 1/4 tsp (optional)

Method:

Take the flour in a plate or bowl. Make a well in the middle and add 2 tbsps of ghee.

Mix it well and check the moin. If the flour forms a lump then it is perfect.

Add water little by little and make a stiff dough.

Divide the dough into 7-8 small dumplings.

Heat oil and drop the dumplings.

Turn them to fry evenly to a golden brown colour.

Remove them on a paper tissue.

Grind them coarsely in a chopper or pound in a pestle and mortar to make the crumble.

 Add the jaggery powder and cardamom powder.

Heat the remaining ghee and pour it over the mixture.

Mix it well.

Check out the video

Pin for later

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