A quick Coconut Burfi or Laddu

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Old is gold! Books, food, wine are the best when they are old.

I have a good collection of cookery books since many years. Some were purchased, I borrowed few from my aunt, few were the Xerox copy of original ones, and the most favourite ones are the gifted books. This reminds of my marriage. When my relatives came to know that I am Getting married to a Sindhi guy, though they were little upset, but they gifted me a Sindhi cookery book when I went to meet them first time after the marriage. That too, two of them gifted the book by same author. So sweet of them, I am always grateful to them. I learnt most of the Sindhi dishes from those books as we never had internet to refer .

And another best gift was from my brother, which is a collection of five books by Sanjeev Kapoor.

But today's recipe is from a book which I borrowed from my aunt.  She took it after her marriage. It's first edition was published in the year 1971. It has a huge collection of all the recipes

When I remembered the event of cooking from the books, I played a game.  I closed my eyes and picked up a book. This one came in my hand. Then blindly I opened a page thinking that whatever recipe I get in that page I will make that one. And I got this Burfi recipe. Though I was little disappointed, I thought let me not cheat. And then when I checked my blog, some how this recipe was never posted.

This is my most favorite sweet since childhood with lot of sweet memories. I will share some other day as the post will be too long.

Coming to the recipe,

Ingredients:

Grated fresh coconut : 1 1/2 cup

Sugar : 3/4 cup

Milk : 1/4 cup

Cashew nuts and almonds : 1/4 cup, cut in to small pieces

Cardamom powder from 1 pod

Cashew nut powdered: 2 tbsp

Dash of salt(this is my addition)

Ghee : 1tsp+1tsp

Method :

Mix grated coconut, salt and sugar in a bowl and keep it aside for 15min .

Take a thick bottomed kadai(I have used wonder chef kadai)

Heat 1 tsl ghee and roast the cashew and almond pieces. Transfer it to a plate.

In the same kadai, add the coconut sugar mix and milk. Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5-8 minutes, stirring it in between.

Now lower the flame, add cashew powder, cardamom powder and ghee. Mix well and keep on stirring. When it starts leaving the edges,  add fried nuts, higher the flame for half a minute (if you want the Burfi to be brown). Now cook on a slow flame for half a minute. Transfer it to a greased plate, cut into squares. Take little from it and make small balls. I love to eat these round ones than squares.

A quick dish to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Hope you all enjoyed my post and the recipe. I would be happy if you ever try this recipe and share your experience with me.

Keep smiling, 

A Quick Red Masala Puffed Rice.

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Each person comes in your life with a purpose! Some come to get their work done, and very few people come and serve without much expectation. I am always blessed to have people from second category. And I am grateful about it. You all might be surprised about this! Today's post or recipe is from a person like that who served us for 14 years with so much love, affection and care. I am talking about an old lady who stayed with mom when mom became alone after my father's death. She wanted someone to be with her as I was living in UAE and my brother was in Maharashtra. Then this lady Neelamma entered our life. She was from a good family, and had lost her husband during the same period.  She never wanted to be a burden on her sons. She was looking for a house where she will be safe and can earn money by taking care of the house. God listened the prayer from both and the wish was fulfilled. We used to call her "Ajjiri". when she came to our house she was around 50 years old. And she served us till she was 64. But! her tobacco chewing habit turned her into a cancer patient and she passed away just two years back. 

WE all really miss you ajjiri. Especially my younger daughter. Ajjiri loved her more than her own kids. It was in her hand that Phalguni was brought up. As she was under treatment, we could not meet her regularly in her last days. Though mom and me visited her but we were scared to take Phalguni. When doctor told she does not have more days, we took phalguni to meet her and I will never forget the way she loved her, hugged her and blessed her. And very third day she left this life. My daughter always miss her and cry a lot now also.

Now, coming to the recipe, 

This was Ajjiri's favorite snack which tasted heaven. I tried many times to make the way she did, but always failed. Whenever we used to feel hungry in the evenings, we used to tell her, ajjiri please make kemp churmuri(red kurmura). Now also my family tells me to make ajjiri churmuri, the name is changed now.  

I know it's a very simple dish, but could not stop sharing this recipe with you all as I felt I should show my gratitude to her. 

I took this recipe(sounds silly, to write down in a diary to save so easy one) over the phone from Abu Dhabi, when I wanted to make it. Though after returning to India, I learnt directly from her, but could never make many dishes the way she prepared. She was whole in charge of the kitchen. Many years I entered kitchen only during lunch time and dinner time and enjoy all the food. 

Ingredients :

Crispy Puffed rice(kurmura) - 3 cups  per head

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped  

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp, cleaned and finely chopped

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp+1tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Granulated sugar - 1 tsp

Lime juice - 1 tsp(optional, but tastes good)

Salt to taste.

Method: 

Take all the ingredients excep puffed rice in a long vessel or even a wide big plate(Ajjiri always used Paraath, a very wide plate with sides.)

Mix well and add puffed rice. Puffed rice should be crispy. 

Mix well again with your hands or spatula. Ajjiri used her hands and I always felt her hand added more taste and love to the dish.

Serve it immediately topped with sev, some more onion and tomato(Again this is optional) 

This is part of July Week 1, Cooking from Cookbook Challenge Group.

Keep Smiling,