Gajar Halwa in the Oven

 

smritis.special

Gajar Halwa in the Oven

Post credit:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVSpdqOjUKt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==  

1. Carrots - 1 kg
2. Milk- 250g (full cream)
3. Sugar - 100g
4. Khoya / Mawa - 150g
5. Ghee - 120g
6. Cardamom - 2-3 pods / 1 tsp pdr.
7. Nuts (Cashew, Almonds) - 50g

1. Peel Carrots, cut into chunks and put in an oven safe dish. Add Milk, cover with lid and Bake in the oven at 160°C for 40-45 minutes.
2. Mash it, and add Sugar, Khoya and mix. Bake again for 10-20 minutes till it thickens to desired consistency
3. Mix in cardamom and Fried slices nuts before enjoying.

Coconut Burfi

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh grated Coconut.
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/4 Tsp Cardamom powder
• Fresh mango pulp (completely optional)
• Saffron (optional)

Coconut Burfi

Preparation:

1. Grease a plate with ghee and keep it aside.
2. Take a think bottom pan and pour 2 Tsp of ghee. Once ghee is hot add coconut and saute it for 2 mins. 
3. Then add Sugar. Again saute the mixture on medium flame till the mixture starts to leave the bottom of pan and forms a single dumpling. (at this point you can add fresh mango pulp and stir for a minute to make it thick. The coconut and mango combination tastes divine together. You can also add few saffron strands.)
4. Now pour the mixture onto the greased plate(no 1) and spread the mixture to thick layer with spatula.(apply some ghee to spatula as well to avoid sticking)
5. After 5 minutes when the mixture is still hot/warm, cut the spread into pieces like in above picture.
6. Sprinkle finely chopped almonds/cashews for decoration if desired.
7. Let it cool down completely then store in airtight container.

A Basic Cake Loaf

Ingredients: 

• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 Cup Yogurt
• A pinch of Salt
• 1/2 cup Oil
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1+1/2 Cup All Purpose Four
• 1+1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• Dried fruits (Tutti Frutti, Raisins etc)

Basic Loaf Cake

Preparation:

1. Preheat the over to 375F
2. Break eggs in a large bowl and mix it well with hand mixi.
3. Then add oil, yogurt, vanilla extract, salt, sugar and again mix it well to become a smooth paste.
4. Now add raisins or dried fruits while folding the mixture.
5. Now cover the cake pan with wax paper or with baking spray and add the mixture to it.
6. Bake in for around 30-45 minutes while checking in between. As a check, insert a toothpick or knife and it should come out clean.

Kadakani - Dasara Special

Kadakani is made on the occasion of Dasara/ Vijayadashami in Maharashtra.

Ingredients : 

• 1/2 cup semolina.
• Powdered sugar - 1 cup
• All purpose flour - 2 cup
• Oil to fry kadakani
• Salt to taste.

Kadakani

Procedure : 
1. Soak semolina in some water for 20 minutes and then grind it in mixer.
2. Add powdered sugar to it and mix well till sugar melts.
3. Mix in all purpose flour to it. Add salt. Add some hot oil so that they will become crunchy.
4. Now make a dough out of this mixture. Make sure it is not too soft, or Kadakani will dissolve in oil while frying. Keep this dough covered and set aside for at least 3 hours.
5. Heat oil in wok/Kadhai. 
6. Make small balls of dough. Roll the balls with rolling pin to the size of poori making it as thin as possible. (use plastic sheet to avoid dough sticking to the board) and fry them one by one in oil.
7. Keep them aside for 15 minutes and then you are good to eat the festive special sweets.

Wheat flour steamed Modak / मोदक

Ingredients

For Cover -  

• Wheat Flour: 1 Cup
• Oil: 2 tsp
• Salt to Taste
• Water

For Stuffing -

• Fresh Grated Coconut: 1 Cup
• Poppy seeds (Khas-Khas) 
• Grated Jaggery: half Cup OR little more than half cup depending on the sweetness of jaggery (Adjust as per your taste)
• Cardamom / Elaichi Powder: ½ tsp
• Ghee: 2 tsp

Procedure

• Mix salt and small amount of oil in a wheat flour very well. Then add some water and knead the dough. The dough should not be too soft. It should be just like Puri dough. Then add remaining oil and knead the dough. Cover this dough with clean pot or wet cotton cloth and keep aside for at least half hour.

• For stuffing, heat ghee in kadhai.  Then add coconut, poppy seeds and jaggery. Cook this mixture on a low flame till the jaggery melts and the mixture comes together. DO NOT heat for extra time as the coconut starts burning and will become hard. (If this happens, pour some milk to bring the softness). Then add cardamom powder and mix well.
• Make small balls of dough. Apply some oil on a rolling board and roll these balls in small puries . These puries should not be too thick and too thin. or to get it faster, roll the dough into big chapati and cut it into small rounds with the sharp edge bowl pressing on chapati.
• Place small amount of stuffing in the middle of puri. Merge all the sides of puri to make in the shape of a fresh fig. Prepare all modaks. 
• Meanwhile boil water in a steamer or big pot.
• Take a colander; apply some ghee or oil to it. Place all modaks on plate or colander and keep this colander on steamer. Cover with lead. Cook these modaks for 15 – 20 minutes.