Ingredients:
Almond flour – 1 cup
Sugar – 1 + 1/2 cup
Water – 3/4 cup
Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
Saffron – 1/8 tsp
Method:
- Place parchment paper on tray/ plate and grease it with ghee
- In a wide heavy bottomed pan add sugar, cardamom powder and water. Cook on medium flame
- Once the sugar syrup starts bubbling (boiling) add the almond flour. Stir it well initially to remove the lumps
- Continue cooking and stir once in a while
- Once the almond mixture starts bubbling add butter and continue cooking
- Switch off when the mixture becomes like a mass and leaves the pan. Transfer immediately to the greased plate
- After the burfi is cooled down a bit cut into desired shape. Transfer into container after it is cooled completely
Almond Halwa
Ingredients:
Almond flour – 1/3 cup
Sugar – 1/4 cup
Milk – 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
Butter – 1 tbsp
Saffron – few strands
Method:
- In a mixie jar add almond flour, sugar and milk and grind it without adding water
- In a wide pan add butter, saffron and grinder almond mixture
- Cook it in low flame, stirring once in a while to avoid the mixture from sticking to the pan
- Once it starts bubbling stir continuously and switch off just before it reaches the halwa consistency. Garnish with nuts and serve
Microwave Palgova
Ingredients:
Condensed Milk – 1 tin (400 g| 14 oz)
Ghee – 1 tsp
Curd/ Plain Yogurt – 2 tbsp
Method:
- In a large microwave safe glass bowl, combine all the ingredients and Mix well
- Microwave for 2 minutes, Stir well and microwave for another 1 minutes; Stir again and microwave for 1 more minute
- Continue the step till the sides dried up and there are bubbles in the middle. At this stage mixing the Palgova results in grainy texture (sand-like). Microwave at home took 8 minutes totally. Watch out after after 5 minutes. Let it cool for 6-7 minutes, instant Palgova is ready:-)
Paal Payasam
Ingredients:
Raw Rice – 3 tbsp
Whole Milk – 3 cups + 1/2 cup
Sugar – 3/4 cup (adjust according to your sweetness)
Cardamom – 2 pods
Condensed Milk – 2 tbsp
Evaporated milk – 1 can
Ghee – 2 tsp
Saffron – pinch (optional)
Salt – pinch
Cashew/almonds/ Pista – as needed, to garnish
Method:
- Add ghee/butter to the pan, sauté rice and cardamom in medium flame for a min. No need to cook till it changes colors. Let it cool down
- In a mixer grind the rice to a coarse mixture (just break the rice)
- Add the coarse grain rice and 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp of milk into the pressure cook and cook till you hear 3 whistles
- Once the pressure is naturally realized, transfer the milk and rice mixture
- Add the remaining boiled milk to it and cook for 15 minutes in low – medium heat; stirring in between
- Add evaporated milk and condensed milk and continue cooking for another 10 minutes
- Add sugar, salt and saffron and cook for 2 minutes; switch off. Garnish with roasted Cashew/roasted almonds/ pistachio and serve warm or cold
Mango Shrikand
Ingredients:
Mango – 3/4 cup, peeled and roughly chopped
Sour cream – 1 cup + 1/4 cup
Sugar – 3 tbsp
Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
Saffron – 1/8 tsp
Milk – 1 tbsp
Method:
- Add saffron to warm milk and set aside, till the milk comes to room temperature
- In a mixie jar add mangoes, cardamom powder, saffron milk
- Blend till the mango becomes a smooth paste
- Add sour cream to the jar, mix well with a spoon with a spoon and pulse it once. Shrikand is ready
Vidya Srinivasan is the author of the blog “traditionallymodernfood.com”. She’s from Chennai, currently resides in the USA. “I have always loved to cook and enjoyed cooking even as a child.I am a traditionalist when it comes to cooking but I love adding modern twists – which eventually became the theme for my blog. I take my inspiration for cooking primarily from my mom – still have the notebook in which she wrote her recipes when I moved to USA.” she says on her cooking journey so far. In addition to that, my blog includes my improvisations on traditional recipes, and also recipes from my friends.Happy to present five of my sweet recipes in the festive month.