Doodh Paak/Rice Pudding

This is a very simple and tasty dessert that can be prepared in minutes.It can be used as offering during festivites.It tastes good if served warm or cold.Here i have not used any food colour.If desired can be added too.I have used basmathi rice here as it is aroamtic by itself.Even jeera rice is a good option and in case of unavailability in pantry any other variety of rice(white) may be used.
Ingredients:
Basmati rice                                  2-3 fistful
Milk                                                   3-4 cups
Water                                               1/2cup
Sugar                                               1/4-1/2cup
Elaichi
(cardamom) powder                  1/2tsp
Cashew nuts                                   1tbsp
Raisins                                             8-10
Ghee                                                  2tsp
Saffron strands a few(soaked in warm milk)

Method:

• Soak raisins with little water in a bowl.
• In a heavy bottom pan add a cup of milk and bring to boil
• Wash rice and add when the milk begins to boil.
• Cook till soft stirring at intervals adding additional water/milk if it becomes too dry.
• When rice becomes soft add sugar and saffron
• Cook for a further few minutes.
• Add elaichi and give a nice stir.
• In a small seasoning pan heat ghee and roast cashewnuts to golden and add the raisins(drain and dab with a paper towel or a washcloth)saute gently and switch off.
• Add this to the kheer,mix well and switch off.

Alternate method:

• The rice can be pressure cooked adding the said quantity of water and 2 cups of milk.
• Once the first whistle is about to start simmer the flame and cook for 5-8minutes and switch off.
• once the pressure releases add the remaining milk then add sugar and continue cooking using above method.
• Add more milk if the texture becomes solid.

Note:

A fistful of sago pearls can also be added along with rice.It tastes great.

Vermicelli Kheer

This is one of the easiest and yummiest kheer that can be prepared in minutes and has been my favourite since ages.There are many brands and varieties available in stores.I have used the thinnest variety in this preparation as we love this kind.A perfect dessert for festive season or any occasion it may be.

Ingredients:
Vermicelli(roasted)                                  1cup
Sugar                                                             1/2 cup(or little more)
Milk                                                                2-3cups
cardamom/elaichi                                   2-3
cloves/lavang                                            1
saffron strands                                         2pinches(optional)
Custard powder
(vanilla flavour)                                     1tsp
water                                                            1/2 cup
Ghee                                                             1.5tsp
Cashew nuts(pieces)                             1tbsp
Raisins/kishmish                                  8-10
(soaked in little water for 30 mts)

 

Method:

• Deseed and crush cardamom seeds and cloves in a mortar adding a few grains of sugar to form a coarse powder.
• Dissolve and stir the custard powder with little milk and saffron to make it lump free
• In a soup pot bring to boil the roasted vermicelli with water and a little milk
• Once cooked and are soft add the remaining milk and boil for couple of minutes
• Add sugar and boil some more.
• Add the dissolved custard powder and keep stirring in between so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of thr pot.
• Cook for 2-3 more minutes and switch off the heat.
• Drain and squeeze the soaked raisins and pat dry on a towel/tissue.
• In a small seasoning pan heat up the ghee,let it be on low heat.
• Add cashew nuts first,when they change to light brown add the rasins and stir with a spoon,when they bloat switch off the flame.
• Add this to kheer,also the cardamom clove powder.
• Serve warm or chilled.

Sweet Pongal-Rice and Split Green Gram Pudding

This is an easy to prepare and tasty dessert of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is known by the name Chakkara pongal/Sakkarai pongal too.Here rice and lentils are cooked along with milk which gives a rich flavour to the dish and  which is cooked with jaggery/light brown sugar and enhanced with flavours of cardamom,saffron and nutmeg,even a pinch of edible camphor may be used,which I have not used here.This is specially prepared on harvest festival in the state of Tamil Nadu which falls in the month of January.A healthy dessert as jaggery is used for sweetness .I learnt to make this wonderful pongal from my dear friend Jaysree Venkat,whose many more recipes are in the queue .

Ingredients:
Rice                                                            1/2 cup
Moong daal(split green gram)       1/4 cup
Jaggery/light brown sugar             1.5 cups
Milk/ water                                            2.5 cups
Green cardamom                                3-4
Nutmeg                                                   2 pinches
Saffron(kesar)                                     2 pinches
Cashew nuts                                         1tbsp
Raisins                                                   1tbsp
Ghee(clarified butter)                     3-4tsp

Method:

• Wash rice and daal and put in pressure cooker with the mentioned portion of milk(can add water and reduce the quantity of milk )
• Pressure cook for a whistle and cook on sim flame for 5-8 minutes.
• Make sure for the soft texture of rice and daal,lightly mash it with the back of a laddle.
• Take a deep saucepan and add jaggery with little water and boil for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the pressure cooked rice and daal,with 2 tsp ghee and mix well,if very solid add some water.
• Cook for another 10 mts stirring in between.
• Add cardamom,nutmeg powder and saffron,stir and switch off.
• In a small saucepan heat the remaining ghee and roast the cashews and raisins and pour over the sweet pongal.

Sakre Kichidi-Split yellow peas and cracked wheat sweet porridge

 





"Kichidi" is generally a one pot dish involving combination of rice and lentils.This is a typical Manglorean Konkani dessert prepared with cracked wheat and chana daal. In fact a healthy dish as involves minimal useage of ghee with a tempting taste.This is more or less like the sweet pongal .Usually serves as a dessert at the end of a meal and even served as an accompaniment with thick soft dosas.

Ingredients:

Chana daal 1/3 cup 

Cracked wheat 2/3cup

Sugar 1 cup

Fresh grated coconut1/3 cup 

Ghee 1.5tsp

Cashews 2 tsp

Elaichi(cardamom) 4-5,deseeded and powdered

Nutmeg a pinch(optional)

 

Method:

• In a wok heat 1/2 tsp ghee and roast chana daal/cashews on low flame till the aroma is felt.add this into a pressure cooker.
• In the same pan add the remaining ghee and raost the cracked wheat,fry it for couple of minutes on low flame
• To the pressure cooker having chana daal in it add about 1-1.25 cups of water.keep the base plate.
• Add the roasted cracked wheat in a container with 4 parts of water and cover it with a plate.
• Pressure cook for a whistle and switch the flame to low and cook for 5-8 minutes.
• Let the pressure come down.
• Make sure chana daal is cooked so also the wheat.
• Drain chana daal and reserve water.
• In a deep wok take the sugar add little water from the cooked chana daal and boil for a couple of minutes.add fresh grated coconut cook for couple of minutes.add the cooked chana daal,cracked wheat ,if it is too dry add some water and cook for 8-10 minutes giving stirs in between.
• Finally add elaichi,nutmeg powder and cover ,cook for 2-3 minutes
• Serve hot topped with ghee and thinly sliced banana circles.

Variation:

Substitute with jaggery instead of sugar.

Fry cashew/raisins in ghee and pour into the kichidi