Beetroot Halwa Recipe | Chukandar ka Halwa | How to make Beetroot halwa [Video]

Beetroot Halwa recipe with video instructions and step by step photos. Beetroot halwa is a rich Indian dessert made by slowly cooking grated beetroots in milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and topped with a lot of dry fruits and nuts. Beetroot halwa is a gluten-free dessert.

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Hello guys! Hiya! How have you been?

I'm still trying to catch up with the seasons. So bear with me. I had this recipe all planned for the cold winters when beets are at their best. But I barely got the time to get working on it. But, yeah, I made this Beetroot Halwa many times over the winter for special occasions and no occasions at all. And each time it was devoured so quickly that I was left staring at a pink-colored bowl to wash.

I cannot recollect where I first ate beetroot halwa, but just that it was in the dessert section of a buffet lunch. And it was love at first taste. I loved the color, that magenta, what's not to love. The richness just flowed through the entire halwa. And it wasn't too sweet. I cringe at sugary-sweet desserts, but this was mildly sweet and perfect. I knew I had found a new favorite dessert.

So around new years, I declared that I would get the dessert for our small get together at my sister's place. When I disclosed I would get Beetroot Halwa, I got so much resistance, that I ended up taking two desserts, just to be safe. And guess what, the one that got over was this Beetroot Halwa.

So this is a guaranteed dish that can convert haters to lovers. Certified by my family! If you remember, I've already spoken of Raj's dislike of cooked beetroots, but this Halwa, has him converted, at least when it comes to eating beetroots as a sweet.

Beetroots are generally very earthy in taste and that carries itself into this Halwa but very delicately. The earthiness does not overpower but makes its presence felt gently. I simply loved that. The vegetable does not lose its best property just because it is cooked differently. It makes it stand apart from the halwas.

The best part of this halwa is that it requires very little sugar. Beetroots are generally pretty sweet by themselves, plus the milk cooking down releases its own sweetness. I was surprised that I needed only half a cup of sugar for 2 cups of beetroots.

The richness of the beetroot halwa comes from 3 ingredients - ghee, milk, and khova. Frying the beetroots in ghee make the halwa fragrant and also milds down that earthiness. The beetroots are slow-cooked in milk until they are soft. Khova is milk solids. Milk is slow-cooked until all the water evaporates and we are left with milk solids. Adding khova to any dessert makes gives it that rich taste and this halwa is no different.

Be generous and top the halwa with as many nuts as you want. I added almonds, cashews, and pistachios.

Like most halwas, Beetroot halwa can be served straight-from-the-kadhai hot, or at room temperature, or chilled. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Beetroot Halwa Recipe | How to make beet root halwa

Beetroot Halwa is a rich Indian dessert made by cooking grated beet roots in milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and topped with a lot of dry fruits and nuts.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 cups grated Beetroots, tightly packed
2 cups Milk
0.5 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Ghee
2 Tbsp Khova
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
3-4 Tbsp chopped Nuts (almonds, pista, cashew nuts)

Method:

1. Wash and peel the beetroots and grate them until you have 2 tightly packed cups of beetroot.
2. Heat ghee in a kadhai and add the grated beetroots. Saute on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the raw smell of the beetroots is replaced by the fragrance of ghee.
3. Add in the milk and mix well. The milk should cover the beetroots. Cook on low heat until all the milk is absorbed. Stir occasionally if using a nonstick kadhai and scrape the milk solids from the side. If using a regular kadhai, stir frequently.
4. Add the khova and mix well.
5. Add the sugar and mix well. Cook on low heat until the sugar is absorbed. Stir occasionally.
6. Add the cardamom powder and mix until combined.
7. Top with chopped nuts.
8. Serve immediately or allow to cool. Beetroot halwa can be served hot or cold.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Gajar ka Halwa

Semiyan Kheer

Kaju Katli

Read more ...

Eggless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache [Video]

Rich, moist, indulgent, sinful and delectable eggless Chocolate Cake covered with a smooth dark Chocolate Ganache. This cake is perfect for birthdays and special occasions. It is easy to make and super delicious.

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This is the BEST eggless chocolate cake EVER!!!

And the family agrees.

This year when I asked both Raj and Gee if I should bake them a cake, both of them just shooed away the thought and asked for different things. I made those other things, but it did not feel like a birthday if I did not bake a cake. So here's the best Birthday cake I ever made.

Recently, my baking has been a little bit of a failure - super healthy cakes that tasted not so delightful, a tray of freshly baked brownies that saw the floor before they saw the mouth and a cake that tasted like groundnut more than vanilla thanks to the groundnut oil I used. So this cake had to be a success. It was, after all, the birthday of the two people who make up my life.

This cake is everything you ever imagined a Chocolate Cake should be. It is eggless, yet moist. It is rich, dark and deeply chocolatey. Top it with the dark chocolate ganache and the cake becomes sinful and indulgent. Basically, this cake kicks the ass of any other birthday cake.

To make this Eggless Chocolate Cake

Firstly, we need to bake 2 layers of cake. I do not use box mixes, so this cake is made from scratch.
The cake is made from simple easily available ingredients. A few things that make this cake rich and moist:

Oil instead of butter. We want a moist and dense cake instead of a light and crumbly cake. And my pro tip, use a flavorless oil, unless you like the flavor of oil. Last time I used groundnut oil and it had an aftertaste that I could not get rid off.

Condensed milk. This is my favorite egg replacer in all eggless cakes. The condensed milk manages to hold the cake together like nothing else does. I always use sweetened condensed milk, so I tend to use less sugar instead.

Yogurt. Again, this makes it moist while adding a creaminess to the cake. You will never taste the sourness of the yogurt, but it does add another dimension to the flavor.

Coffee. Coffee has time and again been used in dark chocolate cakes, and with good reason. Coffee brings out the flavor of the chocolate and makes the cake taste more chocolatey. It enhances the darkness of the cake too, in flavor and color, if you know what I mean.

I baked the cake at night and frosted them the next day morning. The cakes need to completely cool before you frost them, else the ganache will melt. While all my cakes dome in the center, this one did not really. I mean it did, but ever so slightly. So while frosting the cakes, I sliced the top off to level them.

The cake tasted AH-MAZING with the chocolate ganache, so I really wish you make it too.

The ganache is made from only 3 ingredients, so be nice to me and yourself, and make it. Use the best quality dark chocolate bar, your favorite one. I used a regular sweetened dark chocolate bar that I eat and not cooking chocolate. I used Amul's Peru single origin dark chocolate bar and it tasted so good. Cut the chocolate into small pieces so it melts quickly. Heat the cream and pour it into the chocolate and mix it until the chocolate melts and has no lumps. If the cream isn't hot enough, the chocolate will not melt. In that case, gently melt the chocolate over a double boiler.

The chocolate I used already had sugar in it, so I added very little powdered sugar later. If you are using unsweetened or semi sweetened chocolate, add in more sugar (as desired). At this point the chocolate is molten, you can pour this over the cake if you plan to serve the cake as a single layer cake. If you want to make a two-layer cake like me, then cool the ganache slightly in the fridge so it hardens slightly and reaches a spreadable consistency. 15 mins were more than enough for me. This time may differ depending on the type of chocolate used. I suggest peeping into the refrigerator every 10 minutes. If it hardens up a lot, gently reheat it over the double boiler for a few seconds and add some milk and whisk it into submission.

I did not pipe the ganache into fancy shapes but just used the back of a spoon to create the pattern on the top of the cake. You can make any pattern you like.

The cake tastes best when slightly warmed up. Microwave any leftover slices for 10-20 seconds and enjoy an even more sinful dessert.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Eggless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Rich and delectable eggless chocolate cake topped with a dark chocolate ganache.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     40 minutes
Total time:     70 minutes
Yield:                One 6" cake

Ingredients:

For the chocolate cake:

1.5 cups All Purpose Flour
0.75 cups unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 cup Powdered Sugar
0.5 cup Oil
200ml sweetened Condensed Milk
0.5 cup Yogurt (Curd)
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 cup hot Water
1 Tbsp strong Coffee Powder

For the chocolate ganache:

250gms good quality Dark Chocolate
1 cup full fat Cream
2-3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

Method:

To make the chocolate cake:

1. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder 1-2 times to remove lumps. Keep aside.
2. Take the powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and add the oil. Whisk until the two are combined.
3. Add in the condensed milk, yogurt and vanilla essence and whisk until completely combined and smooth.
4. Boil the 1 cup of water and mix in the 1 Tbsp of strong coffee powder and add to the mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
5. Add in the sifted dry ingredients by the spoonfuls and whisk to combine.
6. Grease two 6" pans and either line them with baking paper or dust them with flour.
7. Divide the batter equally between the two pans.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 180 degree Celsius until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
9. Demould the cakes and allow them to cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.

To make the chocolate ganache:

10. 30 minutes before you are ready to serve the cake, cut the dark chocolate and put it in a large mixing bowl.
11. Add in the hot cream and whisk until all the chocolate has dissolved and the ganache is smooth. If the cream was not hot enough and the chocolate did not melt completely, you can melt it gently over a double boiler.
12. Add in the powdered sugar as required and mix well.
13. Refridgerate the ganache until it hardens slightly and reaches spreadable consistency.

To assemble the chocolate cake:

14. To assemble, slice off the dome of the cake to level both of them.
15. Place one on a plate and spoon some of the ganache on it. Spread it around. Place the other cake on the first.
16. Spread the remaining ganache on the top and sides of the cake.
17. Cake is ready to serve.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Almond Chocolate Brownie

Eggless Pineapple Cake

Vegan Date and Walnut Cake

Blueberry Muffin

Almond Semolina Cake

Vegan Coffee Walnut Brownies

Read more ...

Milk Rusk Recipe | Sweet Bread Rusk Recipe [Video]

Milk Rusk is a twice baked sweet bread. Milk Rusk is sweet and tastes best with a hot cup of tea. Rusk is a popular tea-time snack in India.

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How do you like your chai/tea? I like mine slightly strong with little milk and 1 tsp of organic jaggery powder, that brown chocolatey kind, with a rusk to dunk into it.

I LOVE dunking biscuits and rusks in my tea. I sometimes dunk cakes and bread too, but that's a story for another day. I've been dunking rusks for years and loved how the crispy hard rusk just melts once dunked. My snack box usually has a packet of rusk from the local bakery, coz those are the BEST!

So one Saturday, when I was relatively free, I decided to bake some myself. So there are sweet rusks and savory rusks. I am not sure if the savory one is native to only Bangalore and surrounding areas because I had never seen one before. But that's my least favorite one, so totally ignoring the existence of that one. There are 2 types of sweet rusks, the bread rusk and the cake rusk. The cake rusk is like a biscotti, where one bakes a cake first and then slices it and bakes again until it dries up and becomes a crisp sweet cake rusk. That's a recipe I still need to try. This time I tried the second recipe, which is of bread rusk. 

To make the bread rusk, one needs to bake a sweet bread first and then slice it and bake it again until it dries up to give the crispy hard rusk that we all enjoy.

About the Sweet Bread

• Bread rusk takes a considerably longer time to make because it includes the rise time of the bread. However, this is free time as you don't need to monitor it, just leave it in a warm place to rise.

• Sweet bread takes longer than regular bread to rise. The added sugar slows down the process, so you will have to wait longer. It took me around 4 hours to get a good rise out of the bread, it may take longer if you live in a cooler area. 

Once the bread is ready, it doesn't take very long to make the rusks if you have a large oven and a sheet pan. I had to make mine in batches, so it took me some time to bake them all.

But the wait was worth it! The satisfaction of dunking a home baked rusk exceeded the boredom of the waiting period. Happy Rusk Baking to you!!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Milk Rusk Recipe | Sweet Bread Rusk Recipe

Milk Rusk is a twice baked sweet bread. Milk Rusk is sweet and tastes best with a hot cup of tea. Rusk is a popular tea-time snack in India.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     6 Hours
Cook time:     1 Hour
Total time:     7 Hours
Yield:                Makes 20-25

Ingredients:

2 cups All purpose flour
0.5 cup Milk Powder
3-4 Tbsp powdered Sugar
0.5 cup lukewarm Water
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Active Dried Yeast
1 tsp Oil
1 tsp Milk
Water as required

Method:

1. Add the 1 tsp of sugar and the active dried yeast into the lukewarm water and mix well. Keep is aside for 5-10 minutes to bloom.
2. Take the flour, milk powder and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add the yeast and mix well.
4. Knead into a smooth dough using water.
5. Coat the dough with the oil and cover and keep aside to rise until doubled. This may take 2-4 hours.
6. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and knead it gently for 2-3 minutes.
7. Divide the dough into 2 and shape into rolls. Cover and keep aside to rise again.
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
9. Once the loaves have doubled, brush the loaves with milk and bake for 30-40 minutes until done.
10. Allow the bread to cool completely, then slice into rusk slices.
11. Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
12. Place the rusk in a single layer in a baking tray and bake for 20-30 minutes.
13. Flip the rusks after 10 minutes.
14. Cool on a wire rack.
15. Store in an airtight container. Serve with tea or coffee.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Fruit Biscuit

Almond Cookies

Baked Papdi

Read more ...

Dahi Vada Recipe | How to make Dahi Vada [Video]

It's still Summer, the perfect time to have these chilled Dahi Vadas. Dahi Vada is a popular Indian snack that consists of soaking a savory lentil donut in yogurt and topping with a combination of sweet and spicy chutneys and some spice powders. 

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Cool and refreshing! Just 2 words to describe this Dahi Vada.

Dahi Vada has been a favorite of mine since childhood, the soft vadas dunked in a sweet dahi (yogurt), what's not to love. And in a place like Goa which is always hot, the chilled vadas are always welcome.

Apart from eating cool stuff, how do you keep your cool?

A few months ago, I had posted the recipe for Medu Vada or Uddina Vada, that forms the base of this Dahi Vada. I never claim to be an expert or a chef, I am just a home cook who loves cooking and taking photos of food. But when I posted the recipe of Medu Vada on one of the Facebook Groups, a nasty man commented that it is okay for me to make misshapen vadas for home, but if I had to post it on Facebook, I should make them perfectly round. I was so upset when I read the comment, but Raj calmed me down and asked me to ignore it. And then I realized the power of women. By the time I woke up the next morning, a bunch of women had replied aptly to the man as well as asked me to continue posting. I haven't thanked each of those women personally, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them once again. The way all the women got together and defended me, made me feel so special and loved. 

It reaffirmed my belief that Food Connects People!

Also, it got me thinking, why we assign so much importance to perfection and detail. Why do vadas or laddoos have to be perfectly round? Why do we want perfectly concentric circles in our Chaklis?Why to vegetables have to be blemish free and shaped perfectly? While I got thinking about all this, it reminded me of watching Jamie Oliver talk about "wonky vegetables" and how that desire for perfection led to so much food waste around the world. As a food blogger, it is my job to make my food look as good as possible, but I would never resort to using food coloring or wax or any of the other tactics advertising companies use to sell food. So while my food may be imperfect in shape and appearance, I can assure, it is food that I eat as well as I serve to my family. 

Deep thoughts, I know for a very light and refreshing recipe post, but I had to say it.

So don't worry if your food or your clothes or your hair doesn't look perfect. Own it! Ignore the bad and absorb the good.

Wishing you a Sunny day ahead!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Dahi Vada Recipe

Dahi Vada is a popular snack in which a savory lentil donut is soaked in sweet and salty yogurt and then topped with sweet tamarind chutney, spicy green chutney and spice powders. Served chilled, this make a perfect summer snack.

Recipe Type:  Snacks, Breakfast
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     4 Hours
Cook time:     60 minutes
Total time:     5 Hours
Yield:                Makes 12 small dahi vadas

Ingredients:

1 cup Urad Dal
1 Tbsp Rice Flour
6-8 Curry leaves, finely chopped
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
0.5 tsp Pepper, freshly crushed
A pinch of baking soda
500gms Yogurt
4-5 Tbsp Tamarind Chutney
4-5 Tbsp Green Chutney
1-2 Tsp Cumin Powder
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
Water as required
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Wash the urad dal and soak the dal in water for around 3-4 hours.
2. Drain the dal and grind into a fine batter. Use as less water as possible. The batter should be thick.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai to deep fry the vadas.
4. While the oil heats, add in the rice flour, green chilli, pepper, baking soda and salt. Mix well until combined. IF the dough feels watery, add a little more rice flour.
5. Once the oil is hot enough, wet your hands and take a spoonful of batter onto your fingers. Using the wet finger of the other hand, make a hole in the center. Watch the video for help on how to do this.
6. Gently drop the vada in the oil.
7. Fry on high heat for 1 minute, then lower the heat slightly and continue to cook until the vada becomes golden brown.
8. Now gently slide this batter into the oil. Stir the vada occassionally and flip it, so that it cooks evenly. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
9. Remove the vada from the oil and immediately drop in a bowl filled with water.
10. Gently immerse the vada in the water and let it soak for 30 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt (dahi) until smooth. Add in salt to taste. You can also add in a little sugar and a tempering of mustard seeds to the yogurt.
12. To serve, take 1-2 vadas and gently squeeze out the water and place in a serving bowl. Spoon over some of the yogurt (dahi) along with a little of the yogurt, top with a spoonful of tamarind chutney, green chutney and sprinkle cumin powder and red chilli powder. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.
13. If planning to serve later, then squeeze out all the vadas and place in a large bowl, pour the yogurt on it and chill in the fridge. Top with the chutneys and spice powders before serving.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Boondi Raita

Dahi Sandwich

Medu Vada

Read more ...

Paan Kulfi Recipe | How to make Meetha Paan Kulfi [Video]

Paan Kulfi is a frozen milk based dessert that is flavored with gulkand (rose jam) and paan (betel leaves). This kulfi is of Meetha Paan flavor. Kulfi is a traditional Indian ice-cream made from sweetened reduced milk. 

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I could not be more excited to share this kulfi with you, it is everything I wanted it to be, and it was actually better. This Paan Kulfi is the perfect marriage of two of my favorite things, meetha paan and kulfi and I just couldn't have enough of it.

Kulfi is India's contribution to the world of Ice Cream. Kulfi is denser and creamier than the commonly available ice cream. A Kulfi is made by slowly reducing the milk until it is thick, creamy and caramelized. The reduced milk, is also called Rabdi or Basundi. As the milk caramelizes, it also brings out the natural sweetness of the milk, hence, you don't need much sugar to flavor the milk.   The dessert is also amazingly delicious at this stage and I could have bowls of it if there was enough. Flavoring is then, added and then this creamy deliciousness is frozen until it is completely set.

The flavoring for my kulfi was Meetha Paan (sweet betel leaf). This is the favorite flavor in the city right now. If your restaurant is a hip and happening place, you are definitely serving something Paan flavored. I've seen Paan Kulfi, instant Paan Ice Cream made using liquid nitrogen and Paan shots.

A traditional Paan is a betel leaf smeared with limestone and then stuffed with tobacco and betel nuts. This is consumed as a digestive after a heavy meal in several parts of India and South East Asia. As this is detrimental to one's health, the meetha Paan or Sweet Paan was born. The sweet paan is made by stuffing the betel leaf with pieces of dates, fennel seeds, dry coconut (sometimes) and a sweet rose jam called gulkand. This is super delicious. While I say this, I've realized this can be an acquired taste for few.

To make this Paan Kulfi, I used fresh betel leaves that I pureed and added. The betel leaf has a strong pungent taste if consumed by itself but when mixed in the dessert the flavor becomes really mild. I started off with puree of 5 leaves and then went on to add the puree of 7 more leaves, 12 in total to get a prominent taste of paan. Also, instead of gulkand, I added a Kolkata Meetha Paan Mukhwas. This is easily available online as well as in fairs and Malls in bigger cities.  If you don't have access to either of these, but have access to a ready made meetha paan from the corner shop, just grind them fine and use them.

Paan Kulfi available in restaurants has a distinct green color. This is achieved by adding a few drops of food coloring. I'm not in favour of food coloring, so I left the kulfi to its natural color.

To make the Kulfi, always use milk with a high fat content. Some folks add cornflour, milk powder or khova to hasten the thickening of the milk. I have used the traditional method of slow cooking instead. While this takes a little more time, the kulfi ends up tasting very good. You can literally keep the milk on the lowest heat possible and continue to do your work, just peeking in every once in a while to ensure it is overflowing or burning and to scrape the sides. To cook the kulfi sooner, you can also divide the milk into 2 or more pots and reduce them individually before mixing them all together and adding sugar.

I hope you love this Paan Kulfi as much as my family and I. Wishing you a very happy Summer!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Paan Kulfi Recipe | How to make Meetha Paan Kulfi

Paan Kulfi is a frozen milk based dessert that is flavored with gulkand (rose jam) and paan (betel leaves). This kulfi is of Meetha Paan flavor. Kulfi is a traditional Indian ice-cream made from sweetened reduced milk.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     9 Hours
Cook time:     2 Hours
Total time:     11 Hours
Yield:                Makes 8 Kulfis

Ingredients:

2 litres Full Fat Milk
0.5 cup Sugar
10-12 Betel Leaves
2-3 Tbsp Meetha Paan Mukhwas or Gulkand
1 Tbsp Almonds, chopped
1 Tbsp Cashewnuts, chopped
1 Tbsp Pistachios, chopped

Method:

1. Boil the 2 litres of milk until it comes to a rolling boil.
2. Reduce the heat to low and continue to boil.
3. Keep stirring to prevent the milk from burning.
4. Keep scraping the solidified milk from the sides of the pot and add it to the boiling milk.
5. Once the milk has reduced to half, add the sugar. Half a cup of sugar makes the kulfis pretty sweet. Add by the spoonfuls to get the right amount of sweetness.
6. Once the milk has reduced to 1/3rd the quantity and has become thick and creamy, remove from heat and allow to cool down to room temperature.
7. Puree the betel leaves (paan) with a little milk until smooth. Use 4-6 paans for a milder taste and 10-12 paans for a stronger taste.
8. After the milk has cooled, add in the chopped nuts, meetha paan mukhwas or gulkand and the paan puree. Mix well.
9. Fill into the kulfi moulds and freeze for around 2-3 hours.
10. The kulfis should be 50% set in 2-3 hours. Remove from the freezer and gently place the ice-cream stick. This step can be skipped if you are not planning to add the ice-cream stick.
11. Place the moulds back in the freezer and freeze for 8-10 hours or until completely set.
12. To demould the kulfi while serving, dip the kulfi mould in warm water, the kulfi should loosen. If using an ice-cream stick, twist the kulfi and pull it out gently. If not then place the mould on a plate and tap the mould until the kulfi comes out.
13. Serve immediately.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Tender Coconut Ice Cream

Jamun Ice Candy

Fresh Fruit Tart

Read more ...

Doddapatre Tambuli Recipe [Video]

Doddapatre Tambuli is a traditional summer curry made with coconut and curd from Karnataka. This curry is made with Mexican mint leaves or Ajwain Patta.

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There has never been a better time to make Tambuli or Thambli as now. This summer heat calls for eating something that cools your insides.

Every region in India has a yogurt (curd) based curry that is popularly made in summer. Tambuli is one of those curries in Karnataka. It is very similar to Majjige Huli, but is much simpler and cooler. The main difference is Majjige Huli is boiled, while the Tambuli is not cooked, hence, usually needs to be consumed fresh.

Doddapatre

Doddapatre is known as Big Thyme or Mexican Mint in English, Ajwain Patta in Hindi and Karpooravalli in Tamil. It is a leaf that has a pungent and distinct aroma that is closest to the aroma of bishop's weed or ajwain, although unrelated. Some people equate the aroma to that of oregano or mint. This distinct aroma and taste becomes mild when the leaves are combined with yogurt and coconut to make the Doddapatre Tambuli.

My first interaction with this dish was at a Temple. On the coastal belt of Karnataka, there is a Lord Ganapati temple at Idagunji. When my grandfather frequented the place, one had to walk for miles together to reach it and it was hidden away tucked into a forest. I've seen the temple change from a small village temple to a quite popular one. When I used to visit the temple with my parents, it was still pretty small and the highway gave no indication to the tucked away temple. With no Google maps, one had to know the road before hand or had to ask the village folks for directions. It was here that they served a simple meal for lunch - Rice and Tambuli. It was and has been the only meal at a temple that I have relished.

Tambuli can be made with a variety of greens, but the recipe differs slightly with each green. Some are cooked longer while some are used raw. Doddapatre is mildly sauteed until it turn slightly yellow and wilts, this makes them milder in taste. The browned leaves are ground to a fine paste along with green chilli and fresh coconut. Whisked curd or buttermilk is added along with some salt. Then a tempering of cumin seeds and curry leaves, and Tambuli is ready to be served. Tamuli is not heated again, unlike most other curries. Tambuli is served with steamed rice.

P.S - This recipe has been reposted. The recipe was originally published in 2014. Images have been updated and a video has been added. The recipe remains the same.

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Video Recipe

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Doddapatre Tambuli

Doddapatre Tambuli is a traditional summer curry from Karnataka that is made with coconut, buttermilk or curd and doddapatre leaves, also known as Mexican mint or Ajwain Patta. This cooling curry is served with rice.

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          Karnataka
Prep Time:     5 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:              2 Servings

Ingredients:

20-25 Doddapatre Leave, chopped
0.5 cup Fresh Coconut, grated
1.5 cups Curd
1 Green Chilli
1 tsp Cumin seeds
A few Curry leaves
3 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add the chopped doddapatre leaves.
2. Saute until the leaves wilt and turn slightly yellow.
3. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
4. Fry until the doddapatre turns slightly yellow.
5. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
6. Grind it along with coconut, green chilli and a little water to a fine paste
7. Heat oil in the pan and add the cumin seeds. Once they brown, add the curry leaves.
8. Remove the pan from heat and add the blended paste. Mix well.
9. Add in whisked curd or buttermilk. Add salt to taste.
10. Add in more water if it is very thick.
11. Serve it with hot rice

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