Parippu Pradhaman / Moong Dal ki kheer

My mom prepares pradhaman during Onam, Vishu, and other special occasions.  She prepares variety of pradhaman like parippu pradhaman, palada pradhaman, aval pradhaman, and chakka pradhaman. I've never prepared aval and chakka pradhaman. You can find the recipe for Ada Pradhaman here.

Today I'm going to share Parippu Pradhaman. I've prepared it for this Vishu. Usually, parippu pradhaman is made using moong dal or combination of moong dal and rice. But, my mom prepares using a combination of moong dal and chana dal. So, I'm going to share my mom's recipe in this post.

Ingredients:

Split Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Chana Dal - 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 1 - 1 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk (store bought) - 1 can
Dry ginger powder - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts - 10-15
Raisins - 15-20
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Coconut bits - 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Fry cashew nuts and raisins for few seconds. Keep aside. Throw in coconut bits into the same pressure cooker and fry for few minutes. Keep aside. Add moong dal and roast till nice aroma rises.

Now add chana dal and 2 cups of water. Pressure cook it until the dal turns soft. Mash the dal with back of spoon. Meanwhile, melt jaggery with 1 cup of water in a pan. Remove from heat and strain the jaggery syrup to remove the impurities.

Add mashed dal into the jaggery syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add coconut milk. Mix well and cook at medium heat. Stir continuously. Do not let the mixture to boil after adding coconut milk.

Once a desired consistency is reached, reduce the flame to low. Add ginger powder and cardamom powder. Mix well. Turn off the heat.

Add cashewnuts, raisins, and coconut bits to the mixture. Mix well.

Serve it and enjoy!!

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Semolina Kheer ( Sooji ki kheer)

Today I was craving for something sweet.. I was missing my mom's sooji ki kheer.. When I was a teenager I was bit conscious about my weight, and I used to scold my mom for preparing kheer or anything sweet. But, when you get married, you miss all those special days.. Infact, now I feel everyday in those 22 years were very special..

Today's post is dedicated to my Mom. I miss you so much dear!! Here we go with the recipe..

This is another super quick dessert.. If you have any unexpected guest(s) for dinner, this will definitely steal the show..

Ingredients:

Semolina (Sooji) - 1tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Milk - 2 cups
Cashewnuts - 4-5
Raisins - 9-10
Ghee - 1tsp
Coconut Powder - 1 tsp

Method:

Dry roast sooji in a wide pan on low flame. Turn off heat when sooji turns light brown.
Add milk, and sugar. Cook till it becomes thick.
In another pan, heat ghee and fry cashews till it turns golden brown. Before turning off the heat, add raisins and fry for couple of seconds.
Pour the cashews and raisins over the cooked mixture. Mix well. Adjust the sweetness.
Sprinkle coconut powder. Serve it and enjoy!!

Sending this entry to Sara's event "Cooking with love - Mom" hosted by Nithu's Kitchen.

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Guest Post for "Celebrate Sweets: Ice Cream" : Chocolate Chip Ice Cream by Diksha

Hello everyone,

Couple of days back, I got an email by this cute girl Diksha.. It was so fun to read her thoughts.. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and an Accounting major student. She loves to cook and often, helps her mother in kitchen. She likes Thai and Continental food; and likes Indian spicy food too..

So, this was a brief introduction about Diksha and now I'll leave this post to her...

Diksha - In her own words..

I'm not a blogger but I love to blog.. Blogging is my main source of knowledge about cooking.. I'm not good with cookbooks but I enjoy reading blogs where bloggers include their personal thoughts along with those wonderful recipes... I remeber, my first recipe was Thai Fried Rice and the rice got overcooked.. But thanks to my family, they still enjoyed the dish.. love u mama!! I believe may be not now but by the time I reach my mid 20s I'll be a good cook.. Just like my mama...

While I was blogging, I came across this event and its main theme is "Ice Cream".. How can I resist from participating when the star is my favourite ice cream.. I saw lots of amazing recipes linked to this event and thought giving my contribution too.. This is my third attempt of preparing ice cream.. The first attempt was "plain vanilla ice cream". I prepared it last summer and it was big flop.. I cried a lot but my mama said "Even though it doesn't look like an ice cream but it tastes great".. I love that comment and this gave me the courage not lose the battle.. Few months back, mama bought a new ice cream maker and now my job got very easy.. Last month, I've prepared chocolate ice cream and it was good.. my BF liked it!! And now I've chocolate chip ice cream and I loved the texture.. My mama liked it.. :D

Recipe:

Heavy Cream - 2 cups
2 cups half and half cream
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
 3/4 cup good quality dark chocolate chips or shavings

Procedure:

Whisk the cream, half and half, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat until it reaches 170F to 175F. Stir in the vanilla. Pour into the bowl and refrigerate overnight. This procedure is to kill the bacteria.

Next day, pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and do according to manufacturer's direction, adding the chocolate chips or shaving about halfway through.

Transfer ice cream to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap such that it touches the surface of ice cream. Freeze for 4-5 hours.

Serve with chocolate sauce drizzled over it and few strawberries..

I hope you liked my recipe and as I'm not good at taking pictures so please!!!!!!!! :D

Sending this to Reshmi's "Celebrate Sweets: Ice Cream" event which was started by Nivedita.

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

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Day #5: Layered Crêpe Cake with Banana & Nutella Filling

Hello everybody!! I'm back with my Nutella 7-days marathon. I'm sorry for the break.. Sometimes I feel continuity is not my game.. :(

Whenever I think of something that is in between omlette and a pancake and of course better than both, then it is a crêpe... Preparing crêpe is not so common in my kitchen but I always love to have it with nutella and banana. Crêpe with nutella and banana is one of my favourite combos.

With this I got the idea of doing something with nutella and I got the recipe of the day & recipe for the marathon, "Layered Crêpe Cake with Banana & Nutella Filling". A cake that requires no baking.....

Initially, my plan was to prepare a pure Nutella Crêpe cake but then I modified my recipe by adding banana to it. Believe me guys, it was a Yum Yum!!

Here we go with the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp Butter, melted
2 tbsp Nutella
1 banana, thinly sliced

Method:

Sieve the flour into a deep bowl. Add egg and start whisking. Pour milk little-by-little and mix well. Add water, salt, sugar and 1 tbsp butter and mix well until smooth. The batter should be of heavy cream consistency.

Heat a non-stick pan at medium heat. Pour 2 tbsp batter and swirl into round shape. Cook for a minute or until golden brown and flip to other side for few seconds. Remove from heat. Let it cool for sometime.

Meanwhile, heat Nutella along with 1 tbsp butter for about 20 seconds in microwave. It depends on the microwave, so check in between. Nutella must be a smooth consistency so it will be easy to work with.

Now layer each crêpe with Nutella in between them. I included banana slices after 5 layers of crêpe with nutella filling and then another banana layer after next 5 layers of crêpe.

Cover the final layer of crêpe and edges with remaining Nutella. Garnish with banana slices.

Enjoy!!

Sending this to Rumana's "Treat to Eyes: Series 1" event.

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

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Affogato

Coffee lovers rejoice! Here's the wonderful treat which goes as an entry for my blog's first event "Celebrate Sweets - Ice creams"...  This Italian dessert is so simple yet absolutely divine.. A scoop of vanilla ice cream with a shot of hot expresso poured over makes it one of the perfect pleasures you can have with ice cream..

I found this recipe at foodnetwork.com.

So, lets move on to the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pint of vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup - hot expresso
1 tbsp finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Method:

• Divide ice creams among the dessert bowls.
• Pour expresso over the ice cream.
• Sprinkle chopped chocolate and serve immediately.



 Enjoy!!

Sending as entry to "Celebrate Sweets - Ice cream" hosted by me and started by Nivedita.

Also, sending to Bookmarked Recipes event by Aipi & Priya.

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

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Day #4: Nutella Souffle

I'm so happy when I see my Nutella turning out so good.. It's such a WOW to work with.. I never thought that you can do lot more with Nutella apart from just a spread on a slice of bread..

My 7-days marathon with Nutella is getting more n more addicting.. And "Nutella Souffle" is one of the outcomes of this passion...

For all the beliefs about this french dessert, souffles are not that hard to make. All you need to do is beat the egg whites to soft peak and then nothing stands in between you and your souffle. And I believe bakers are always ready for challenges!!

Also, you will find that the souffles will rise up while baking but will deflate and sink down as they cool off (as seen in the image below). This was so amazing to observe.. I'm in love with this dessert..

So lets move on to the recipe...

Ingredients: (2 servings)

2 tbsps Nutella
4 tbsps granulated sugar, divided

1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large egg white
1 tbsps milk (I've used 2%)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp powdered sugar

Cooking spray

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F.


Coat ramekin (6-ounce) with cooking spray; sprinkle each with granulated sugar.

Combine 2 tbsp granulated sugar, flour, nutella, and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes, stirring until smooth.

Pour this mixture into a medium bowl; let it cool for sometime. Stir in vanilla.

Place egg white in a medium bowl; beat until soft peaks form. Add remaining granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently stir 1/4 of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times to level. Add 1 tsp of Nutella in middle of the mixture. This will give souffle a goey center. Place dishes on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until puffy and set. Sprinkle each souffle with 1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Sending it to Rumana's "Treat to Eyes: Series 1" event.

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

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Day #2: Deep Fried Nutella

Last summer when Yummy team's fried ice cream won ST's Sizzling Summer Contest I was so amazed to find a recipe where you can fry ice cream.. That was unbelievable for me and even I gave it a try when I was in India.. After that this has become one of the hits in my mom's kitchen and also my 11 year old brother's favourite dessert..  ;)

Yesterday when I started 7 days marathon "Nutella Week", I had no idea what are those 7 recipes that I'm going to try with Nutella except "Nutella Cold Coffee"... So I started going through my bookmarked recipes in search of one that can be possibly tried with Nutella and I came across YT's fried ice cream... And there I got the idea of "Deep Fried Nutella".

At first sight, I felt it will be very easy to repeat the process with Nutella but then later on I realized "You gotta break your head for this"..

Firstly, Nutella has much smoother texture when compared to ice cream. So if you try to roll them into balls, there is a possibility that nutella may ooze out of the coating. Secondly, if I freeze it for sometime and then try to work with it. Then it is another big NO NO!! It is somewhat difficult to work with freezed nutella.. So now what next??

There is an option in between the two impossible options and with utmost care you can get the desired outcome.. What's that? Hold on guys.. There is always climax for every movie no matter how damm boring it is.. So just wait and keep reading..

Well well.. I will reveal this later on.. Let us move to the recipe.. :) Hope you will like it!!

Ingredients:

Bread (preferably white bread as it binds together easily. But I worked with wheat bread, my another challenge) - 2 slice per ball
Nutella - 1 tbsp per ball
Oil - for deep frying

Method:

Trim the bread crusts and place a tbsp of nutella over one trimmed slice.. There are lots of way of coating.. Here we are using bread slices. But we can use cornflakes, bread crumbs and powdered nuts.. And that requires even more patience to work on this dessert.. But it is always easy to use bread slices esp. white bread.

Place another slice over it and press firmly the sides of the slices. Do not start rolling it into a ball as nutella is very smooth in texture and may pop out. So just seal the sides of the bread slices and refrigerate it for minimum 1 hr.

Now take it out and immediately start rolling it into balls.. At this point, nutella has harden so it will become easy to work on..

After rolling into balls refrigerate it for another 1 hr or you can refrigerate it overnight.. You can preserve it for 2-3 days.

Deep fry them for 20-30 seconds as we do not want nutella to start melting.. Also bread gets fried soon. So remove it from heat as soon as you find bread turning golden brown in color. You will get yummy nutella covered with hot crispy bread.

Drizzle some honey or chocolate syrup and you are all set to impress your guests.. I'm sure your kids will love them...!!

Enjoy!!

Sending this to Priya Mitharwal's "Celebrate Sweets - Warm Desserts" event started by Nivedita.

Also, sending it to Nivedita's "Only Original Recipes" event started by Pari.

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

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Ada Pradhaman

Now here we have a hot/warm dessert of Kerala, "Ada Pradhaman".. An awesome and yummilicious combination of jaggery and coconut milk, which can drool you in no time... Well, that was what happened with me when this dessert was all ready to be served!!

Ada Pradhaman is a must served dessert for "Ona Sadhya" (Onam Feast)... During Ona Sadhya, I was unable to capture the pics of pradhaman as this was all over as soon as it was served... So, last weekend, I got a chance to take the pics, as Pradhaman was there in menu of our Weekend gathering..

There is a traditional way of preparing Ada (made up of rice), but that requires lot n lot of patience and ofcourse time... You can skip this by using readymade ada packets from market.. This is easily available in Indian stores..

So, now lets move on to the recipe....

Ingredients:

Rice Ada (readymade) - 200 gms
Jaggery - 750 gms
Grated coconut - 8 cups
Clarified Butter (Ghee) - 2 tbsp
Green Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Thin Coconut Slices, Cashewnuts and Raisins - To garnish

Method:

Wash Ada and boil in water for 20 mins until the ada turns soft. In another pan, keep jaggery and melt with some water. Heat it until the jaggery gets a thick consistency.

Meanwhile prepare the coconut milk. Try using less water during the whole process. The first milk will be around 2-3 cups and then the second milk (from the same molasses adding little water) will be another 2 cups. At the end, if needed we can extract the third milk (thin milk).

By this time the jaggery and ada will be ready. Strain the jaggery syrup to a deep pan and add the cooked ada to it. Also, add 1 tbsp ghee to it. Mix well and simmer it. Keep stirring occassionally until the ada absorbs the sweetness of jaggery. If you have extracted the thin milk, then you can add it during this step.

Meanwhile, in a small pan, fry cashew, coconut strips and raisins with remaining ghee until you get a nice aroma.

The mixture will be of semi-thick consistency. Now add second milk and simmer for another 10 mins. Then, add the first milk and cardamom powder. Simmer for 2 mins and remove from fire. Do not let it reach a thick consistency. Always maintain a semi-thick consistency. Pradhaman will get thicker when it gets cooled down.



Add cashew, coconut strips and raisins to it and mix well.

Let it cool for sometime and serve warm with or without bananas.

Enjoy!

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

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Semolina - Almond Halva

Now when it comes to Halva esp., Semolina Halva, then I've lots of sweet childhood memories linked with it. The most memorable one is during Ganesh Chaturthi.. Every morning, after puja, mom will offer "Halva" to Lord Ganesh.. Believe me guys, the house will be full of aroma and you can't simply resist this.. But the worst part is that we need to study for 2 hrs to get the halva as "Prashad".. And the best part is when Mom distribute Halva among three of us, my brother will start complaining.. "Mom, U gave more halva to Di!" Hehahaa... I love it... Before he completes complaining, Halva will be all inside my mouth... ;) I still cherish those moments when I used to tease my brother for Halva.. Well, mom divide halva in equal parts but my brother was never convinced with this... Whatever! I felt this teasing used to add more flavor to Halva...

Also, lemme tell u guys.. I'm writing this post while having my bowl full of halva.. And it tastes awesome! This one is having almonds in it along with semolina... I got this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor's Sweet Encounters.

So here we go!

Ingredients:

Semolina - 1 cup
Almonds - 1 cup, coarsely powdered
Clarified Butter - 1 1/2 tbsp
Milk - 2 cup
Green Cardamom Pwd - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 2 cup
Almonds to garnish

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp of clarified butter in pan and add powdered almond and semolina into it. Fry on low-medium heat till semolina turns golden brown and releases a  nice aroma... Keep mixing it periodically so that it browns evenly. This may take around 15 mins, so have patience!

Add sugar and mix well. Now add milk and stir well so that no lumps are formed. Keep on stirring periodically so that milk doesnot stick to bottom of pan.

When it starts simmering, pour remaining butter and mix again. Sprinkle cardamom powder and stir again.

Keep stirring until the halva thickens and will dry. Remove from heat.

Serve in small bowls garnished with almonds. Serve hot or cold. But I prefer hot...!

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

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