LIFE IS FULL OF COLORS, LIFE IS ABUNDANT, LIFE IS LIKE HOLI

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Thank you guys for being with me here though I did not post anything in the whole year. Love you all. 

MARCH is Special month for me for many reasons. First is, its the month I am born ;-) . I love March because it is the season for Mangoes. In my husband's family ,10 of us celebrate our birthday :-). March 1st starts with my Sis-in-law's son"s birthday and March 30th ends with my daughter's birthday.

And I started blogging on March 12, 2009.

Another most favorite reason is its the month where we celebrate the  festival of colors HOLI. Yes!!! this post is all about HOLI. I want to thank Jagruti for inviting me to share about this festival and how do I celebrate my Holi.

Here is the link for Jagruti's space to read about other friends who has shared about their celebration and their view about Holi

http://www.jcookingodyssey.com/2016/03/channar-puli-paneer-gulab-jamun.html

only few photos of my Holi celebrations. 

Holi is the only festival I celebrate with all my tann, mann and dhan :-) ;-)
Though there are so many stories behind this festival and many religious beliefs and customs to follow,  I believe life is like this festival. Its full of all types of colors. All emotions we feel represent each color. And I love all the colors of  life which allows me to enjoy this life every moment.
Coming to the HOLI day. My day starts early with making breakfast and lunch ready and keep it aside so that once we come back after playing, the food should be ready. I can play without any tension. Till two years back, mom was there with us on this day and two maids were there to help mom to make special Holi food. I was not worried, but now as I am alone here, I had to prepare and keep. And  its not only  me, my friends bring their food and keep it in my house. We all play and come back to our house and enjoy the food together. We all go in our bikes in a group and visit almost all the nearby areas. Stopping wherever people are playing,  playing with them, screaming with joy. I am out of the world on that day. Sometimes I keep on shouting "happy new year" , "happy birthday" some irrelevant wishes and dance on the road with friends and kids. People think I have taken Bhaang!!!
After playing, taking bath, we all gather in our house, have the food and drinks and it goes till 6 pm.
Puran poli is must on that day in North Karnataka.
Just to give a twist, I am linking my old recipe of

Biscuit Poli for Holi. 

Its different from traditional Puran poli.

(http://niveditaskitchen.blogspot.in/2010/03/biscuit-poli-for-holi.html)

  

HOLI HAI BHAI HOLI HAI, BURA NA MAANO HOLI HAI :-)

Waiting for this year HOLI. Its only a week ahead, already planned for the day.

My next posts will be on "My journey of thirteen days on raw food diet"

Keep Smiling,

EGGLESS SATHUMAAVU/HEALTH MIX VANILLA CAKE (Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

 Hi All,

How are you?

If you observe the previous months, I have posted the recipes only for this PPCS event. (Trying to adjust the timing for everything), And today I am here with Manjula's healthy cake, and this is really healthy, We all loved the taste, the flavour, the texture and everything. I enjoyed it with my cuppa coffee. Its really yummy. Its little bit dry but you don't feel when you eat. 

Here is the link for original recipe. 

http://desifiesta.blogspot.in/2013/10/eggless-sathumavu-health-mix-vanilla.html

I used lemon juice instead of Vinegar as I was not having it. 

Shall I repeat the ingredients and the method of making it? Just copy and pasting it. (with your permission Manjula)

Ingredients
Maida - 1 cup
Sathumaavu/ Health mix - 1/2 cup(I used MANNA HEALTH MIX)

Cocoa Powder - 2 tbsp
Condensed milk - 3/4 cup, I used the Nestle brand
Baking pd - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1/2 cup ( extra if needed )
Vanilla  essence - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp

Method

• Sieve maida, sathu maavu ,baking pd, baking soda in a bowl.
• In another bowl add  all the wet ingredients  except lime juice and mix well.
• Grease and flour the cake tin and preheat the oven at 350F or 180 degree C.(I used 6" pan, may be the larger one gives the best result)
• Slowly fold the dry flour  with the wet  mix to get  a semi liquid batter.
• Add extra milk if you feel the batter is very thick only to make it semi liquid .

• At the last minute add the lemon juice  and mix the batter nicely.
• Immediately transfer the prepared batter in the greased cake pan.
• Bake this in preheated oven at 350 F for 15 - 20 min till a toothpick inserted in the cake come out clean.
• Once the cake is done cool it in the wire rack and turn it upside down in a plate.

 May be I used the smaller tin because my cake came out but it was puffy.

 

 Sending this to 

 Keep Smiling,

Carrot and Dates Halwa.

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

WISHING EVERY ONE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.... MAY GOD BRING ONLY THE BEST THINGS IN THIS YEAR.

This is my first post in this year 2011.Two nights party and hectic schedule kept me away from blogging. Today I am here with a sweet to start my year so that, the whole year I will keep blogging on sweet things. I am following my fellow bloggers who started the year with halwa.  I am here with carrot and dates halwa which I prepared for dinner tonight. It was delicious. 

My DH got 2 boxes of mini(90g) condensed milk tins and kept for me as I love to use it in my desserts instead of sugar. 

I will be waiting for the chance to use these mini tins which I love to eat just like that if I do not have time to make sweet but desire to have a bite.

Here are the ingredients:
Carrot - 2 big, cleaned, grated
Condensed milk - 1 tin(90g)
Dates - 6(Soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk for 15 to 20 min)
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Sliced or grated almonds - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Method:

• Take 2 tbsp of grated carrot and add it to the dates. 
• Grind this into paste.
• Transfer this into a M/W safe bowl.
• Add the remaining carrot. Mix well and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes to remove the raw smell of the carrot.
• Take the bowl out, add the condensed milk and cardamom powder. Cook on HIGH for 3 more minutes.
• Remove, add the sliced or grated almonds and ghee. Mix well and cook on HIGH till the mixture becomes thick(as it looks in the photo). It may take 3 to 5 minutes as per the M/W settings.
• Serve it hot with cold ice cream ball or refrigerate it before serving to enjoy the chilled halwa.

Sara's ongoing event 

Celebrate Sweets - Sugarless Event Announcement !!... 

which is started by me.

AND 

Srivalli's 

365 Days of Microwave Cooking!

Keep Smiling,

Bafa Dhoi

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more sweet from Bengal. Many times I came across this sweet but never thought of trying it only because I was lazy. And yesterday I decided to make it and today its ready. Its so simple and easy to make and the taste is too good.

I followed the recipe from Tarla Dalal's website.

I used very little quantity as I was not sure about the taste. But I am going to make it again very soon as my mom liked it a lot. I too enjoyed it chilled.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 cup

Condensed Milk - 1 cup

(I used  the small tin of 90gm and the same amount of Milk and Curds)

Fresh Curds - 1 cup

(Take equal quantity)

Method:

1. Take all the ingredients in a vessel.  Mix it thoroughly. 
2. I used hand mixer.
3. Prepare a double boiler.
4. Boil the mixture in double boiler for 10 to15 min.
5. Pierce knife and if the knife comes out clean, Bafa Dhoi is ready.
6. Make it cool outside and keep in the fridge overnight or 4-6 hours.
7. Enjoy the chilled bowl of Bafa Dhoi.

PJ's ongoing event  

Celebrate Sweets-Bengali Sweets which is started by Me.

 

Will be back with one more Bengali sweet :-)

 

Keep Smiling

Milk Rabdi in MicroWave

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My very last minute entry to three events. When I was searching for Karah Prashad, I got this recipe and was trying to adjust the time to make it. And today I was so much tempted to make it as its the last date for 2 events, as soon as I came from work, I prepared this one. This is again the famous desert in Punjab.

A very quick desert(but need time to chill the rabdi) and very tasty too.

Coming to the recipe, I got the recipe here.

I added one extra ingredient i.e., Chopped almonds.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 cup

Grated paneer - 1 cup

Condensed milk - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Saffron strands - 2

Chopped almonds - 1 tbsp

Original recipe says to add ghee but I skipped it.

Method:

Add all the ingredients in a M/W Safe bowl.

Keep HIGH and cook for 5 minutes.

Allow to cool, 

Serve chilled.

Two things I want to change in this are:

1. Do not use frozen paneer, Use fresh and soft paneer as the taste differs a lot.

2. You can add nuts to the rabdi which gives nice crunchy taste.

Sending this to three events :

Pari's event Flavours Of Punjab an Event Announcement  

which is started by Nayna  of simply.food

 

Priya of Priya's Feast's Microwave Cooking-Sweets event

 which is started by  Srivalli.

 

And

Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal's

 Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday - Volume 19

Keep Smiling,

Complan Pedha and Horlicks (or Boost) Pedha in Microwave

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

As I told earlier, I never thought I can make pedha at home!! But, its become fun for me to try making Pedhas. And I am loving these Pedhas again.(it my childhood love!!! )

Here are another two recipes for Pedhas which will make you drool and I am sure you will try these as soon as possible.(am I over confident? )

When I made the pedhas first time, I was nervous as I was not sure about the outcome! but the result was amazing! I thought of trying again with some other flavor.

Last week, when I was cleaning the kitchen shelf, I saw a complan box, which I bought it last month, as my younger kid loved it. But now a days, she stopped drinking milk at all. So that Complan was just lying in the box. 

Then, when I was planning to make Pedha, suddenly I remembered it. Thought of giving it a try.

Here is the recipe:

Milk Powder - 1/4 cup

Complan (Kesar & Badam flavor) - 1/2 cup

Sweetened condensed milk - 1/8 cup

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp 

Milk - 2 tbsp

Milk  - 2 tbsp (if you feel the mixture is more dry)

Take 2 tbsp milk in M/W safe big bowl. Keep on HIGH for 30 seconds. 

Take the bowl, add the milk powder, complan powder, sweetened condensed milk and 1 tbsp ghee. 

Mix well to remove lumps.

Keep HIGH for 3 minutes in M/W. Keep stirring after 1 minute.

Now add Cardamom powder, ghee and 2 tbsp milk. 

Mix well and Keep on HIGH for 5 minutes.

TAKE CARE TO STIR IN BETWEEN AFTER 2 MINUTES. 

Check the consistency. 

The mixture will start leaving its sides. Then remove it from the M/W.  It may happen within 5 minutes or may take 2 minutes more according to your M/W power.

My M/W gives 800 as HIGH.

Allow it to stand for 5 minutes.

Take a tbsp or more ready dough. Give shape of balls and repeat with other dough.

Store in a airtight jar.

Makes around 10 Pedhas.

Now, 

As you know, my elder daughter loves Chocolate pedha, I planned to make normal Chocolate pedha. But then thought that how about trying it with Chocolate Horlicks or Boost. The method is the same, but I skipped the condensed milk.

Here is the recipe:

Milk Powder - 1 cup

Cocoa  powder - 1/4 cup

Boost or Chocolate Horlicks - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Milk - 1/4 cup

Almond flakes - 1 tbsp

Take milk in M/W safe bowl. Keep on HIGH for 30 seconds.

Remove,

Add milk powder, Cocoa powder, boost or horlicks and 1 tbsp ghee. Mix well to remove lumps.(just few seconds)

KEEP on HIGH FOR 2 minutes. Keep stirring after a minute.

Now add cardamom powder and 1 tbsp ghee. Mix well.

KEEP on HIGH for 3 more minutes or more till you see it starts leaving its sides. 

You can add more milk if you feel its dry. 

Its trial and error as the procedure take its time according to your M/W power.

Open and add almond flakes, M/W for 15 seconds.

Allow it to cool.

Take the desired quantity of dough to make the balls. Press slowly to make pedhas. 

Sending these Pedhas to two events:

Jagruti (of Joy of Cooking) 

Announcing an Event ~ Celebrate Sweets-Pedha  

(started by me)

AND 

Srivalli's 

Microwave Easy Cooking event and POTLUCK party

Keep Smiling,

Milk Pedha and Choco Pedha

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Dharwad (my home town) which is in Karnataka, is famous for Pedhas. Dharwad Thakhur pedhas are world famous and no pedha can beat the taste. I have been brought up with pedhas. And I always loved Thakhur pedhas. I will try to give the link about that pedha, as the recipe for that pedha is a secret and is not revealed any where.(if any of you know the recipe, please let me know!)

When I was a kid, I loved pedhas a lot. My grandfather always used to bring a piece of pedha for me. I used to keep it for a long time in my hand and I used to eat it the way one eats ice cream. I was scared that it will finish soon!

Now coming to my recipe over here, I love these white pedhas or doodh pedhas. I would have never dared to make these pedhas at home till I really wanted to try something new(for me) for Jagruti's event. I browsed many blogs and sites to get the recipe. And I was surprised to know that the recipe is so simple. So I thought of trying two pedhas at a time(no patience to wait for next day)

When I browsed for pedha, I got many links. I was searching for quick recipe, and came through THIS one. I was happy with the procedure and when I scrolled down to check the recipe, even this was inspired by Usha of Veg Inspirations and even she followed some other blog with little variation!! 

Now I am  here with my recipe  with not much modification :

First is for Milk Pedha :( I used cup for measurement)

Sweetened condensed Milk - 1 cup

Milk powder - 3/4 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Add the sweetened condensed milk and the milk powder in a deep and big M/W safe dish. Mix well. Add cardamom powder and mix well.

Keep the dish in microwave on HIGH for a minute. 

Remove, mix well and repeat the step till done. 

The mix will be a soft dough.

Add ghee and mix well.

Remove in a plate. Allow it to cool for some time.

Moist your hand with milk to make pedhas.

You can store it in a fridge for a week. 

I could prepare around 15 pedhas out of this.

THANKS EVERYONE, WHO HAS SHARED THIS RECIPE IN THEIR BLOGS. I followed Usha's recipe.

Recipe for Chocolate Pedhas :

I got the recipe from HERE. This is also a quick but tasty pedhas.

My daughter loved this chocolate pedhas so much that she kept all for her self.

I followed the exact recipe.

Sweetened condensed milk - 1 1/2 cup

Curd/ thick yogurt - half cup

Milk - half cup

Coco powder - half cup

Ghee - 2 to 3 tablespoons

Warm the milk in microwave in Microwave safe dish.

Mix the yogurt and coco powder and whisk it till no lumps.

Add this coco milk to the condensed milk and mix well.

Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes. Open and mix well. Repeat the step till you get the thick paste like above in the photo. Add the ghee and mix well. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds.

Keep it for 15 to 20 minutes.

Make pedhas of desired shapes. 
Sending these pedhas to two events :

Jagruti (of Joy of Cooking) 

Announcing an Event ~ Celebrate Sweets-Pedha  

 AND

Umm's (of Taste of Pearl City)'s 

Iftar Moments Hijri 1431Event Announcement

Keep Smiling,

Biscuit Poli for Holi

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi all,

In North Karnataka, there is a tradition that during the Holi festival, people prepare poli or stuffed sweet paratha or (ಹೋಳಿಗೆ in Kannada). My mom wanted to make puran poli. But last week, I saw 2 packets of Complan Biscuits in the box, (which I bought 2 months back for my kids). I was thinking what can I make with that. Then, few days back I prepared Chocolate Halwa which I got from Srivalli ( here is the recipe ). There was little condensed milk left with me. So I thought of making poli using biscuit and condensed milk.

It was fun preparing as my mother also joined me and helped me to do this.

I had one Chocolate cream biscuit and one orange cream biscuit packet. First I thought I will mix both the biscuits. But my mother told me to make separate as both taste different. It was good that I listened to her.(I seldom do that!!! :-( ). 

Ingredients :

Chocolate cream biscuit - 1 packet (10 pieces were there in one packet)

Orange cream biscuit - 1 packet

Condensed milk - 3 tbsp for each biscuit

I crushed the biscuits(one by one)  and put it in a blender to make it a powder. Transfered in a plate and added condensed milk to the powder to make a dough.(you can see in the photo). Make small balls to stuff and keep it ready.

 For dough

Wheat flour - cup 

(for healthier reason, I used wheat flour, you can use all purpose flour or maida also)

Pinch of salt

Oil - 1 tsp

Mix together in a bowl and prepare soft dough and keep it aside for half an hour.

Take small ball of wheat flour dough and roll little. Keep one biscuit ball in the middle and cover the dough properly.

Roll it to make a circle. And fry it both the sides. Repeat with other balls.

I could make 4 polis from each flavor. (total 8 polis!)

My elder daughter enjoyed the Chocolate poli and my neighbor loved the orange poli. It tasted really great! I really recommend everyone to try this, especially for the kids.

I hope all of you enjoyed the colorful festival Holi. My both daughters had a blast. Here are the photos : 
  

                     

Keep Smiling,