Showing posts with label Sweet. Show all posts

Natural's style Tender Coconut Ice Cream (without ice cream maker)

Tender Coconut Ice Cream recipe with step by step video instructions. This Naturals style Tender Coconut Ice Cream is made with only 4 ingredients and WITHOUT an ice cream maker!!! Tender Coconut Ice Cream is glutenfree and fits a Jain diet.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

How to make coconut ice cream, coconut ice cream recipe, how to make ice cream without eggs, how to make ice cream without ice cream maker, naturals tender coconut ice cream recipe at www,oneteaspoonoflife.com

Heat Wave ALERT!! Bangalore is reeling under a heat wave right now and temperatures are soaring to mid thirty degrees C. Time to wallow in ice cream!

I have half the mind to move on to a chilled liquid diet until the heat wears off. But you know me, I wouldn't last a day without any food. So I'm doing the next best thing, well... not the next, but the BEST best thing, and that is loading up on ice cream. Chilled sweet perfection.

Everyone who's anyone in a town which has a Natural's Ice Cream Parlour has definitely tried their signature flavor - Tender Coconut. It's even in their logo. My family's favorite flavor. I personally die for their Custard Apple flavor but Gee and Raj love the Tender Coconut. You have to cook what the family will eat. Well, there is no cooking involved here, just like my last recipe of Bircher Muesli (Overnight Oats), which was also chilled, keeping in the spirit of Summer.

Cut to last Saturday, while we were walking back home from one of our ridiculously long weekend walks, we picked up 4 tender coconuts from a local seller. Tender Coconut water is supposed to cool the body, and this heat definitely necessitates cooling. So the plan was to keep the coconut water in the fridge and drink it over the next few days so that we do not reach for any sugary sodas or drinks.

I was then left with the meat or flesh of 4 coconuts. I don't mind eating it just like that or with a little jaggery, but 4 is a little too much for us to eat in a day. Light bulb moment!! Why don't I try making Tender Coconut Ice Cream! and the idea was born. I've made pop-sickles before, but never an ice cream. We usually just drive down to Natural's and buy a scoop of our favorite flavor. But Sunday was a first in my recipe book. I made Tender Coconut Ice Cream....

I don't own an ice cream maker and I don't know anyone who does, so this ice cream is something anyone can whip up. All you need is a whisk or a spatula. If you have a hand mixer, then you have all the power you need. This ice cream needs only 4 ingredients. Yup, that's it - FOUR!! Cream, Sugar, Coconut Meat and Coconut Water. Since there are only 4 ingredients, make sure you use fresh and the best quality you can find.

I used fresh medium fat cream. Low fat cream may not work well. The cream needs to be chilled before use, else you may end up with butter instead of whipped cream.Whip the chilled cream until you have soft peaks. Blend a part of the coconut meat with 1/2 cup of coconut water. Fold in with the cream along with powdered sugar and chopped coconut meat. Pour in a freezer safe container and cover loosely with aluminium foil. Every 45-60 minutes for the first 3 hours, remove the ice cream from the freezer and whisk once completely and refreeze. This will prevent it from getting icy in places.

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Video Recipe

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Tender Coconut Ice Cream

Naturals inspired Tender Coconut Ice Cream made with only 4 ingredients without an ice cream maker.

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 6 Hours 30 Minutes
Yield: Serves 7-8

Ingredients:

400ml medium-fat Cream (chilled)
4 Tender Coconuts Meat
0.5 cup Tender Coconut Water
400gms sweetened Condensed Milk or 6-7 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

Method:

1. Blend the meat of 3 tender coconuts along with the tender coconut water to a smooth paste.
2. Chop the remaining tender coconut meat finely.
3. Whisk the chilled cream until you have soft peaks. Be careful not to over whisk, the cream will curdle into butter. If you feel the cream is getting warm, chill it for 10 minutes in the fridge and restart whisking.
4. Fold in the coconut paste, condensed milk or powdered sugar and the coconut pieces until combined.
5. Pour into a freezer safe box or baking pan. Cover with aluminium foil and place in the freezer.
6. After every hour for the first 3 hours, remove the ice cream from the freezer and whisk it again with the handheld mixer or with a spatula to prevent formation of ice crystals.
7. Leave it in the freezer until completely frozen.
8. Scoop and serve.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Paan Kulfi

Coconut Laddoo

Blueberry Litchi Coconut Mocktail

Bircher Muesli | Overnight Oats

When temperature soars, a cold breakfast is welcome. This Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats made with rolled oats, apple juice and yogurt is exactly what a cold breakfast should taste like...

How to make overnight oats, overnight oats recipe, bircher muesli with apple juice recipe, how to make bircher muesli with apple juice, rolled oats recipe, how to make rolled oats, cold breakfast recipe at www.oneateaspoonoflife.com

I'll be completely honest, I was never one for a cold breakfast. Hot hot breakfast is what I am used to, and sometimes, I'll satisfy myself with food that is at room temperature. But chilled, just out of the fridge was something that never tempted me. Those rare times I eat cereal, I eat it with warm milk. But a couple of years ago when I went for a training to Hyderabad and was served cold Muesli in the buffet breakfast, I may have just converted a little bit. I still cannot eat cold breakfast every single day but when temperatures soar the way they have begun soaring, a cold breakfast is a relief!!

The first weekend I was back from the training, all I wanted to try was this Bircher Muesli... I couldn't wait to go out and buy rolled oats. I did go out, only to realize that the market is flooded with quick cooking oatmeal but there was no rolled oats anywhere. Gourmet super markets carried imported brands but they were super expensive. Finally, I tried making the muesli with oatmeal. While the taste was spot on, the texture really wasn't. Soaking oatmeal overnight gives it this pasty soft texture that is a total turn off. So if you really do make it with oatmeal, I highly recommend a shorted soaking time, maybe 2-3 hours.

Then I found this super affordable brand of Rolled Oats here. And luckily for me, just last week I found it stocked in an Organic store in Bangalore. Bircher Muesli it had to be.

This Bircher Muesli is till date the ONLY cold breakfast I eat. This muesli is all apple-y and yogurt-y, a flavor combination that tastes fresh and warm while being cold, um huh, you understand? If you are not a yogurt person, just replace it with milk and if you are looking for a vegan option, Almond milk goes great, but for me, it has to be fresh slightly sour yogurt.

This is a simple, no-cook recipe. But then, simple food always tastes the best, doesn't it?

To make this Bircher Muesli, soak the oats overnight in apple juice. In the morning add yogurt, lots of chopped nuts and lots and lots of chopped fruits. Sugar or honey for sweetness. Now this is something you can add or skip and it won't change the taste one bit - Basil Seeds. Basil seeds are the same family as Chia but are much more economical to purchase. They swell up when soaked in water just like chia seeds. You may know them as Falooda Seeds or Sabze ka beej. I soaked a few tablespoons of it in a cup of water and allowed it to swell while I cut fruits and chopped nuts. Once they had swelled up, I added them to the muesli.

Use this recipe as a guide to make your perfect Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats. I added fruits that my family loves and what are in season here - Apples, Pears, Bananas and Pomegranate (of course, pomegranate). You can use whatever you have. I'm a total "nut" case too, so I always have a variety of nuts and dry fruit stocked up to snack on. Use what is locally available to you.

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

Bircher Muesli | Overnight Oats

Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats is a cold breakfast made by soaking rolled oats in apple juice overnight and adding yogurt, nuts and fruits in the morning.

Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: International
Total Time: 20 minutes (excludes soaking time)
Yield: Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

2 cups Rolled Oats
2 Tbsp Basil Seeds
400 ml Apple Juice
3-4 Tbsp chopped Nuts (Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts)
4 cups whisked Yogurt
3 Apples
2 Bananas
1 Pear
1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds
1 cup Water
Powdered sugar to taste

Method:

Soak the rolled oats in apple juice overnight.
In the morning, peel and grate 2 apples and add to the oats.
Add whisked yogurt and powdered sugar to taste.
Soak the basil seeds in 1 cup of water and allow them to swell up and then add to the muesli.
Top with chopped fruits and nuts and serve.

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (Egg and Gelatin free)

Vegetarian Cheesecake Time!!! This no-bake Strawberry Cheesecake is Egg and Gelatin free, it is made with easily available and fresh ingredients.

vegetarian cheesecake recipe, How to make no-bake cheesecake recipe, How to make strawberry cheesecake recipe, How to make cheesecake without gelatin recipe, Eggless strawberry cheesecake recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

We are a cheesecake loving family, well almost, except Gee, her poison is a dark gooey chocolate cake. But the rest of us are ready with our forks out at the mention of a cheesecake. Blueberry, Mango, Strawberry, bring them ON!

Initially we would love to go a gourmet bakery just to eat it. But then someone mentioned that cheesecakes have gelatin in them. Gelatin is what holds it together and it does a wonderful job at it, but it is not vegetarian. So then onwards there was a non-cheesecake existence, we could see it staring at us at malls, cakeshops and bakeries but never had the heart to go buy it. Then I found this recipe for a Mango Cheesecake by Anushruti. There was hope again for us!!!

I will be honest - making a cheesecake at home is not a simple task. It really isn't. But the rewards are BIG and TASTY and VEGETARIAN!! I had to work with this recipe multiple times to get it right, the family definitely did not mind getting to eat Strawberry Cheesecake every weekend. I wondered how long their love would last, but I got the recipe right before they got bored, so hey, that's a win for me.

Strawberries are currently plenty in the market and pretty cheap too. So this is the right time for the cheesecake. I took Anushruti's recipe as a base and changed it to suit my ingredients along the way.

A cheesecake is made of 2 major components - Biscuit Base and the Cheese Filling.

Biscuit Base

I used different commonly available biscuits to make the biscuit base. I experimented with Goodday, Marie, Digestive Biscuits etc, sometimes it was a combination of different varieties. My pick at the end of the day - Marie. Marie biscuit is naturally very crispy and works beautifully here. It doesn't have too much of a flavor of its own, so it doesn't interfere with the taste of the filling and just ends up adding a very buttery crunch to the whole cheesecake. You may have a different favorite, just go with it.

I used a mix of salted and unsalted butters, I liked the mild saltiness. I wouldn't recommend using only salted butter, however, you can use only unsalted butter and may be add a pinch of salt to it if you like the saltiness or avoid the salt all together.

Cheese Filling

While the biscuit base is super simple to make, getting the cheese filling right was my mount Everest. The taste was spot on from day one, but it just would not set. The cheesecake would melt right before my eyes and break my heart. Hence, multiple retries and I'm happy to tell you the below recipe worked perfectly for us. I would have probably liked it a little firmer, but I'm a little worried if adding more china grass will leave an unpleasant aftertaste.

Making the filling takes over a day. The first step is hanging the yogurt or curd in a muslin cloth to drain all the water from it. Use a thick set curd or preferably, buy Greek Yogurt. At the end of the draining, you should have a really thick creamy yogurt. The next ingredient is Paneer, blend it in a mixer to get a creamy paneer paste. Refrain from adding water during the blending. Strain to remove lumps. Add it to the yogurt and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. P

uree the strawberries and gently heat the puree on the stove. Don't let it boil, but it needs to be hot when you add the china grass to it, else the china grass will seize and become a lump. China Grass is the trickiest ingredient of the lot. Soak it for at least 10 minutes in water before heating it up. Do not heat the china grass directly on the stove top. Use a double boiler - take a pan and add water to it. Allow the water to come to a boil, then place the bowl containing the soaked china grass and allow it to melt, stirring occasionally. Once the china grass has completely dissolved in the water, add it to the hot strawberry puree and mix well. Immediately add this to the yogurt-paneer mix. Fold in.

Your cheesecake filling is ready. Pour it over the chilled biscuit base and refrigerate it for 5-6 hours until it sets.

The glaze can be either poured over the cheesecake while serving, or while it is setting. Making the glaze requires you to heat the strawberry puree with sugar for a few minutes. Allow it to cool and then pour over the cheesecake. If you'd like it to set along with the cake, pour it over the cheesecake after it has been refrigerated for 1-2 hours, else, pour it while serving.

To make individual sized portions, set the cheesecake in bowls or in glasses. These are perfect if you are hosting a party.

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

If you liked this, you may also like these other desserts:

Almond Chocolate Brownies - Eggless almond and chocolate brownies.
Gajar ka Halwa / Carrot Pudding - Traditional North Indian pudding made by cooking carrots in milk.
Shavige Payasa / Vermicelli Pudding / Semiyan Kheer - Indian dessert made with vermicelli and milk. Flavored with cardamom and dry fruits /nuts.

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (Egg and Gelatin Free)

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake is an eggless and gelatin free frozen dessert made with fresh strawberries,yogurt and paneer. It is set using china grass or agar agar instead of gelatin or egg.

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: International
Prep Time: 45 minutes (Does not include setting time)
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

200gms fresh Strawberries (20-25)
400gms Greek Yogurt or Thick Full Fat Curd
200gms Paneer
10gms China Grass (Agar Agar)
1.25 cups Sugar
10-12 Digestive Biscuits
3 Tbsp unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp salted butter

Method:

To make the Biscuit Base:

Crush the biscuits until they are a coarse powder.
Add the butter to the biscuit powder and mix well.
Put the biscuit crumbs into the cake pan. You will need to use a springform cake pan or a cake pan with a detachable bottom plate. Alternately, you can also make individual sized portions in glasses.
Gently press the biscuit crumb until the bottom of the entire pan is coated evenly with it with a slight rise along the edges. Make sure there are no holes in the layer.
Keep the cake pan in the fridge for 2-3 hours. This can be done simultaneously with hanging the yogurt

To make the Strawberry Cheesecake Filling:

Tie the yogurt or curd in a muslin cloth and leave it hanging for 3-4 hours until all the water is drained from it. I left it overnight in the fridge.
Blend the paneer in a mixer/blender until smooth. Strain if required to remove lumps.
Add the creamed paneer to the hung yogurt and mix well.
Powder the sugar.
Add 1.5 cups of the powdered sugar to the yogurt-paneer mix and whisk well until combined.
Soak china grass in 3/4 cup of water for 10-15 minutes.
Heat water in a pan, once the water boils, place the bowl containing the china grass into the pan.
Do not allow the china grass to come to a boil. Stir occasionally. Continue to heat the china grass until it dissolves completely in the water. This may take 15-20 minutes.
In the meanwhile, puree 12-15 strawberries until smooth.
Add the puree to a small pan and heat it on low heat. The puree should not come to a boil but should be hot when we add the china grass.
Once the china grass has completely dissolved, add it to the hot strawberry puree and mix well.
Taste to see if you need more sugar, you can stir in more powdered sugar at this point.
Immediately pour this into the yogurt-paneer mix and fold in until combined.
Refrigerate the cheesecake for 6-7 hours until set.

To make the Strawberry Glaze:

Puree the remaining strawberries until smooth.
Heat the puree in a small pan.
Add the remaining powdered sugar by the spoonful. You may need more if the strawberries are very tart.
Simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes.
Allow it to cool completely.
Then pour over the cheesecake evenly. Allow it to set for at least 1 hour before serving. Alternately, you can pour the glaze just before serving as well.

Karachi Bakery Inspired Fruit Biscuits

Have you ever tried Hyderabad's famous Karachi Bakery Fruit Biscuits?

No? I suggest you go get yourself one packet right now, girl.

Yes? Aren't they super delicious? I absolutely love them... So I made them at home... Really!! Read on!

How to make vegetarian eggless Karachi Bakery Fruit Biscuit rose cookies cranberry cookie recipe at One Teaspoon Of Life www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

I had no idea I liked Rose flavored cookies until I tried the Karachi Bakery Fruit Biscuits. A colleague once got them from Hyderabad and I missed the first batch. Just to make up to all those late comers like me, he got more the next day. And I was converted!! Until then I thought I was a lover of all things chocolate, but rose suddenly rose to the top (hee hee... see my little pun there? okay, ignore it).

I absolutely love roses, not generally as a flower, I find them "meh" and over rated. But I love rose flavor! I'm all for Rose Faluda, Rose Lassi, Rose Ice cream and of course anything with Gulkand in it (Indian Rose Jam). And now Rose Cookies are added to the list.

I'm sorry that although the title says Fruit Biscuit, all I'm talking about is roses. While the biscuits or cookies have little bits of fruit in them, rose is the predominant fragrance and flavor in them. The fruit component of the biscuit is Tutti Fruiti. Tutti Fruiti are colored sweetened bits of dried papaya. Very popular in Indian desserts. If you cannot find it anywhere, you can add any dried berry like cranberries. Actually, this recipe is very similar to the Cranberry Cookie recipe with the addition of few very Indian ingredients.

One of those ingredients is the Vanilla Custard Powder. Traditionally custard is made with egg yolks, but ask any Indian how to make custard (well, almost any) and he/she will show you a little carton of Custard Powder that is completely eggless and allows any vegetarian to enjoy the flavors of a custard. There are several brands and flavors available, and while you can use any brand, I strongly recommend sticking to the vanilla flavor. If you cannot find custard powder, replace it with either milk powder or corn starch /flour. If using sweetened milk powder, remember to reduce the amount of powdered sugar used, else you may end up with a super sweet biscuit.

My recipe of fruit biscuit is a very simple recipe that any baking newbie can make. You start by creaming together butter and powdered sugar. I cannot emphasize the importance of room temperature butter enough. To get the right consistency of the dough and eventually the biscuit, you have to have butter at room temperature. Salted vs unsalted is a whole other argument. I've always used unsalted butter in baking so I cannot comment on how salted will work in this case. I assume they have the same texture, but using salted will just add a little saltiness to your biscuits. Whisk the butter and sugar until the butter is white, soft and fluffy. Then just add all the flours, tutti fruiti, cashew nuts, milk and rose essence and knead until combined. Shape into logs or into a large rectangular block like I did. Wrap it in cling wrap and store in fridge to harden a little. This just makes it easier to cut and get even shaped biscuits.

Bake at 180 degree C until the sides are slightly brown. Cool completely before storing in an air tight box. They will last you easily for 1-2 weeks. I really did not get any time to test the shelf life as these were over by day 4.

I can assure you the flavor of these biscuits is spot on with the Karachi Bakery Fruit Biscuits. The texture is slightly different. Mine were not as flaky and crumbly as the bakery ones, mine were more dense and crunchy. This could be because I have not used any leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda. My family loves crunchy biscuits that stay intact when dipped in tea over the crumbly ones, so we loved the texture. If you want softer ones, I suggest adding a little baking powder to a small batch of dough and seeing how it goes.

If you like this, you may also like:

Almond Cookies - Easy to make eggless almond cookies / biscuits.
Butter Cookies - Beautiful swirly eggless butter cookies.

Karachi Bakery Inspired Fruit Biscuit

Karachi Bakery inspired Fruit Biscuits are rose flavored biscuits or cookies made with dried papaya pieces called tutti fruiti.

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 2.5 Hours
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 30 biscuits

Ingredients:

100gms unsalted Butter
1 cup All Purpose Flour / Maida
1 cup + 1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Vanilla Custard Powder
3 Tbsp Tutti Fruiti
8-10 Cashew nuts
2 Tbsp Milk
1 tsp Rose Essence

Method:

Cream together butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl until soft and fluffy. Around 5-10 minutes with a electric hand mixer.
Sift in the all purpose flour and custard powder.
Add tutti fruiti, chopped cashew nuts, rose essence and milk.
Knead until combined.
Gently roll into logs using your hands and wrap in plastic cling wrap. Refridgerate for 2-3 hours until stiff.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
Slice the dough into biscuits, about 5-6mm thickness.
Line the baking sheet with butter paper or parchment paper.
Place the biscuits on the sheet leaving enough space between the biscuits.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the sides are slightly browned.
Cool on a wire rack.
Store in an air tight box.

Shavige Payasa | Semiyan Kheer | Vermicelli Pudding

Happy New Year!!!

I hope you had a great New Year's Eve!!

I ended 2016 with a sweet note. Read about it here.

In our culture, we start everything new with something sweet. I'm starting the new year with this sweet treat - Vermicelli Pudding or Semiyan Kheer or Shavige Payasa. Not that I need excuses to eat desserts, but then it is January, and I have resolutions made that I don't want to break in the very first week.

So, I just had one little bowl. But what a bowl it was, rich, sweet, fragrant, everything a kheer is meant to be.

Shavige Payasa is very commonly made for all festivals and is what we begin the meal with. It is one of the easiest desserts I know to make.

To make Shavige Payasa, we first need to roast the shavige or semiyan or vermicelli in ghee until golden brown. This is an important step as it prevents the vermicelli from clumping up when added to the milk. Also it imparts that rich taste of ghee to the entire kheer. You need to do this step carefully, stirring frequently and ensuring that the vermicelli does not burn. I always use wheat vermicelli that is not pre-roasted and is already broken into small pieces. I buy brands like MTR or Bambino

The second step is the dry fruits. I am a total "nut-case", I love nuts and dry fruits. I am extra generous with nuts and dry fruits when it comes to desserts and I also like to add a variety of them. This time I've used almonds, cashews, raisins and pistachios. The nuts and dry fruits need to be chopped and fried in ghee as well. Again, you need to be careful while frying in ghee. Ghee heats up quickly and you can end up with burnt nuts. So keep a watch on them. Stir frequently and keep the heat low. Fry the raisins separately as they burn quickly.

After this you are pretty much done with the "work". Just boil milk, add sugar and the roasted vermicelli. Give it a good stir to separate the strands of vermicelli and then allow it to simmer on low heat until the vermicelli is cooked completely but still retains it's shape. The vermicelli will give way when squeezed. About the sugar, I'd say start with less and add more if required later. Add around 3/4th the quantity in the beginning and you can add more after the vermicelli is cooked. Somehow, a lot of people think Indian Desserts are way too sweet and avoid them. But when you make it at home, you can adjust how much sugar you add depending on your taste. So Indian desserts don't have to be sickly sweet. Once the vermicelli is cooked and the sugar adjusted, add the cardamom powder and the fried nuts and dry fruits and mix well. If you have over reduced the milk and the kheer begins to look thick, add more milk and adjust the sugar.

Shavige Payasa is usually served hot to warm, but I like it at room temperature. I enjoy it even when it is cold.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Chana Dal Payasa - Kheer made from chana dal and coconut milk.
Gajar ka Halwa - North Indian carrot pudding made with grated carrots, milk, sugar, ghee and dry fruits.

Shavige Payasa | Semiyan Kheer | Vermicelli Pudding

Shavige Payasa | Semiyan Kheer | Vermicelli Pudding is a simple Indian dessert made by cooking ghee roasted vermicelli in milk.

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

0.5 cup Vermicelli or Semiyan or Shavige
4-5 cups Milk
3-4 Tbsp Sugar
1.5 Tbsp Ghee
3 Cardamoms
5-6 Cashew Nuts
5-6 Almonds
8-10 Raisins
4-5 Pistachios

Method:

Chop the almonds, cashew nuts and pistachios.
Heat ghee in a kadhai and add the chopped nuts. Fry them until they are a gentle brown. Do not allow them to burn. Keep stirring.
Remove the nuts and keep aside.
Add the raisins and stir fry them until they puff up. Remove and keep along with the nuts.
Add the vermicelli to the kadhai and on low heat roast the vermicelli until it is golden brown. Keep stirring frequently. Remove from heat and keep aside.
In the same kadhai, add 4 cups milk and bring it to a rolling boil.
Lower the heat and add sugar and simmer for 1 minute until the sugar dissolves.
Add the vermicelli to the milk and on low heat allow it to simmer until the vermicelli is cooked. Stir occasionally so that the vermicelli does not form lumps.
The kheer is done when the vermicelli is cooked. At this point if the kheer looks very thick, add the remaining milk and you can add more sugar and cook it until the sugar dissolves.
Crush the cardamom into a powder and add to the kheer. Simmer for 1 minute after mixing well.
Add the nuts and raisins and mix well. Remove from heat.
Kheer is usually served hot, but you can serve it at room temperature or even cold. As the kheer cools it ends up thickening. You can add a little milk to loosen the kheer while serving. You can add powdered sugar to adjust the sweetness as well.

Wedding Anniversary Gajar ka Halwa

5 years of love, 5 years of disagreements.

5 years of understanding, 5 years of why-can’t-you-understand-me moments.

5 years in happiness and sadness. 5 years of ups and downs.

5 years of sharing work, 5 years of fighting over the TV remote.

5 years of buying new stuff, 5 years of we-really-need-to-get-rid-of-stuff.

How to make gajar ka halwa or carrot halwa recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

5 years since we tied the knot. Sunday, the 16th was our 5th Wedding Anniversary. Somehow, being as different as chalk and cheese we’ve made it work.

10 years ago, I saw him across the room and wanted to get to know him. I did get to know him a few months later. We became friends, very good friends. Friends who fell in love eventually.

Raj is probably the nicest guy around. A man who hurts not even a mosquito (literally!!), much to my annoyance. A man with immense patience - he can entertain toddlers for hours and teach technology to senior citizens. But totally loses it when someone cuts in front of his car breaking traffic rules. A man who sings well but has two left feet when it comes to dancing (he may as well be fighting Kung Fu with me). Totally low maintenance guy, whom I love very much, no matter how much he annoys me at times.

Today morning as I was waiting for the bus, I was trying to think of the things we have in common and while we are more different than similar, we do have quite a lot of stuff in common…

Travel – We both love to travel, we’ve always loved to see new places and take long drives. We loved the snowcapped peaks of Manali just as much as the pristine waters of Phuket. We were equally mesmerized by the Taj Mahal as we were by the Sigiriya Rock in Sri Lanka.
Desserts – Both of us have a massive sweet tooth and are always trying to curb it. But yes, desserts are our weakness, no matter how much we try.
Movies – We may have different tastes in movies, I love rom coms and he love his action movies (typical Man.. Duh!), but give us an Animated Movie and we are willing to tolerate the headache we both get from the 3D glasses.
Jamie Oliver and Top Gear – He’s all about cars and I’m all food, but for a change we both love watching Jamie Oliver cook things we would probably never eat and watch them test drive cars on Top Gear that we will never buy.
Tea – Tea is what led to this marriage according to me. We bonded over cups and cups of tea and still cannot get enough of.

This Gajar ka Halway is a dedication to our 5 years of Marriage. 5 years ago, just before we got married, Raj told me he makes the most amazing Gajar ka Halwa and will one day make it for me. I’m still waiting for him to make it… I probably will be waiting for the next 5. So instead of denying myself of the sinful pleasure, I made it myself.

Gajar ka Halwa or Carrot Halwa is a traditional North Indian carrot pudding that is made by slow cooking grated carrots along with milk, sugar, ghee and dry fruits. It is a sweet rich dessert, fit for special occasions, like our Wedding Anniversary.

You can either grate the carrots or use a food processor to shred them. Use juicy carrots, avoid fibrous ones. The grated carrots are first lightly roasted in ghee. Then they are slow cooked in milk on low heat. Traditional recipe uses full fat milk. I used regular toned milk. Once the milk has almost evaporated, add the sugar. The sugar will melt and you will again find liquid in your halwa. I love some desserts very sweet. Adding the 1 cup of sugar will make the halwa very sweet. I suggest adding half a cup and letting it evaporate, before adding more if you prefer your desserts to be less sweet. Once all the sugar has evaporated, add the cardamom powder. I also love adding a lot of dry fruits to my desserts. I added almonds, cashew nuts and raisins after lightly frying them in ghee.

Although I love cold Gajar ka Halwa, it tastes best when served warm. It also is great when paired with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Chana Dal Payasam | Kadle Bele Payasa - Kheer made with lentils, coconut milk and jaggery.
Kaju Katli | Cashew Barfi- Fudge made from cashew nuts. Very popular Indian sweet.
Kashi Halwa - Halwa made from ash gourd or petha.

P.S - You know my biggest accomplishment? After 5 years, I finally got him to smile when the camera is pointed at him.

Gajar ka Halwa | Carrot Halwa

Gajar ka Halwa or Carrot Halwa is a slow cooked North Indian carrot pudding made with grated carrots, milk, sugar, ghee and dry fruits.

Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
Yield: Serves 5 to 6

Ingredients:

3 cups grated Carrots (300 gms)
2 cups Milk
0.75 to 1 cup Sugar
0.5 tsp Cardamom Powder
3 Tbsp Ghee
8 to 10 Almonds
8 to 10 Cashew nuts
8 to 10 Raisins

Method:

Heat 2 Tbsp ghee in a kadhai and add the grated carrot.
On low heat, fry the carrots for 4-5 mins, stirring continuously.
Add the milk and continue to simmer on low heat until all the milk has evaporated. Stir occasionally.
This will take around 30-45 minutes. By the time the milk has evaporated, the carrots would have almost cooked.
Now add the sugar and continue to cook on low heat. The sugar will melt and the halwa will again have liquid in it. Continue to stir occasionally.
Once all the liquid has evaporated, add the cardamom powder and mix well.
Remove from heat.
Heat the remaining ghee in a small pan.
Add sliced almonds, split cashew nuts and raisins and saute until the nuts brown slightly.
Add the nuts to the Gajar ka Halwa and mix well.
Serve warm.