KULFI

Kulfi is a popular frozen diary dessert, as understood has similarities to Ice cream in appearance and taste.

Kulfi has various flavours; the traditional ones are Malai kulfi, Mango kulfi, Elaichi (Cardamom) Kulfi, Saffron (Kesar or Zaffran) and Badam pista kulfi.

Ingredients:

1lt Full Cream Milk

200gms of Grated Khoya or 1/4^th cup Dry milk powder (Full fat)

1 cup Sweet condensed milk

3 tblspn Vanilla Custard powder or Corn flour

A pinch of Saffron (Kesar or Zaffran) threads

1tblspn Kewda water

½ tspn green caradamom powder (I didn’t add)

1/4^th cup Badam Pistachio flakes (Opitonal. I didn’t add since my family likes plain creamy texture of kulfi)

Method:

 1.   Soak the saffron threads in 2 tblpsn warm milk.

 2.   Boil the milk in heavy pan. Once the milk is boiled add grated khoya to it and keep stirring till the milk is reduced.

 3.   Now add sweet condensed milk, saffron milk, kewda water and cardamom powder and mix nicely and let it simmer nicely.

 4.   In a small bowl blend vanilla custard powder or corn flour with 4/5 tblspn of cold milk and make a smooth cream of it.

 5.   Add this smooth cream of custard powder to the boiling milk and keep stiring. Add little little cream of custard powder to the milk, as the milk will start thickening. The milk should be still in thick flowing consistency.

 6.   Put off the gas and add badam pistachio flakes and stir it nicely (this step can be avoided). And let it cool down till it comes to room temperature.

 7.   Once the mixture is at room temperatue pour it into kulfi molds or any other normal container.

 8.   Freeze them overnight until they get set and firm.

To serve the Kulfi:

•   Dip the kulfi molds into warm water for 3-4 secs to loosen up the frozen sides of kulfi from the mold. Run a knife along the edges of the mold to help it release from the mold.
•   Serve it immediately.

Here is the picture of my son enjoying Kulfi…..Yummm its kulificious….. Couldn't get any better model then him. Giving his natural pose having his favourite Kulfi.

NOTE:

•  Kulfi can be served with crushed pistachios or passion fruit or mango pulp over them. It gives extra taste.
•  Badam Pista is optional they can be avoided. OR Grind them into a fine paste and add it to the final milk mixture.

Patholi

Patholi

The festive month of Shravan is here with lot of food varieties, as we get those things only during the monsoon season. Likewise in this season we can find lot of fresh turmeric leaves growing easily or available in the market. In Goa Patholis are especially made on the Nag Panchami day by the Hindu community.

Patholi is a traditional Goan / Manglorean dish which is prepared with rice flour and stuffed with coconut jaggery mixture and steamed in turmeric leaves. The main ingredient here is the “ Turmeric leaves” which gives the special flavorful aroma.  They are also prepared and offered as Naivedya to Ganapati bappa.

Here we don’t find the turmeric leaves, so had asked my MIL to send the turmeric leaves. These pathlois can also be made in banana leaf but the special aroma of turmeric leaf will be missing.  The patholis prepared in turmeric leaf are awesome to taste and the heavenly aroma of it will just leave you totally indescribable.

 

Turmeric Leaves

Ingredients:

3 -4 Fresh Turmeric leaves

1cup rice flour

1 cup water or as needed

Salt

For Stuffing:

1 cup freshly scrapped coconut

½ cup grated jaggery (adjust the sweetness as per the ones sweet tooth)

5 Green cardamoms powdered

Few raisins and broken pieces of cashewnuts

1 tblspn Khuskhus (optional)

Method:

   1.    In a bowl add rice flour, salt as per the taste and mix it with water to make thin sticky dough and keep it aside.

   2.    In another bowl take freshly scrapped coconut, jaggery, cardamom powder, raisins and broken pieces of cashewnuts. Mix it well.

   3.    Wash and pat dry the turmeric leaves.  If the leaves are large enough like the ones which I have cut them in half so that they can be easily placed in the steamer too. Take the dough and the stuffing handy with little water in a small bowl.

   4.    Take a turmeric leaf with vein side facing down. Spread the rice dough on the leaf using little water to spread easily.

   5.    Add the stuffing mixture on one side of the leaf and fold the leaf. Patting it on all the sides of the leaf to seal the edges.  Repeat the procedure with the remaining leaves.

   6.    Place them in the steamer and cook them for 20 minutes. By now your kitchen would be full of heavenly aroma of turmeric leaves. “Be careful even neighbours might come to check in J”

   7.    Serve them warm as it is or with little ghee on it.

###A very special note: Turmeric leaf is used as aromatic wrapper, it is not meant to be eaten J

NOTE:

•      Banana leaf can be used as a substitute for turmeric leafs but that special aroma and taste of turmeric will be missing.
•   Sugar can also be used instead of Jaggery.
•      Khuskhus, raisins and broken pieces of cashewnuts are fully optional.
•      Depending upon the size of the leaf  you can cut them half or if small leaves can be used whole.

Unnakaya / Banana Rolls

Unnakaya / Banana Rolls

Unnakaya is a spindle shaped sweet dessert or a snack made up of plantains. It’s a delicacy from Malabar region of Kerala served during weddings, Iftar and other occasion.

The very first time I got to eat this from a friend on an Iftar day and I fall in love with it.  It’s a yummmmmy dessert.  I asked for the recipe from her and was surprised to know that we can do wonders with this plantain. My husband is from Kerala but even he never had it.

This particular recipe is rarely available in shops or in restaurants. For this recipe we need the plantains, which are just about to get ripe. If they are fully ripe then stuffing and making them in shape becomes impossible.

So lets proceed with the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 just about to ripe Plantains / Ethapazham

1 ½ cup Desiccated fresh Coconut

Few raisins and broken pieces of cashewnuts

½ tspn Cardamom powder

1/4^th cup grated jaggery (adjust as per your sweet tooth)

Oil for deep-frying

Method:

    1.    Wash the plantains and steam them for 20-25 minutes. Poke the fork in it to see if they are soft if not steam them further more for 10-15 minutes.

    2.    Let them cool, then peel the skin and mash the plantains or grind the plantains in the mixer without using water till we get the soft smooth dough. Keep it aside.

    3.    In a medium sized bowl mix desiccated coconut, raisin, broken pieces of cashewnuts, jaggery and cardamom powder. Mix them nicely till all are blended very well.

    4.    Grease your hands with oil, take lemon size plantain dough and flatten it in your palm.

    5.    Put a spoonful of coconut mixture in the centre of the flatten dough and fold your hands to seal the edges and to give it a spindle shape.

   6.    Though you can make them in any shape you like.

   7.    Repeat the same with rest of the plantain dough.

   8.    Heat the oil for deep-frying and put one by one banana rolls and fry them till they are golden brown in color. Keep them on the kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil.

   9.    Serve them at teatime, Iftar or any occasion.

NOTE:

• For Unnakaya choosing the plantain is very important as they should not be very much ripe nor raw. They should be just ripe.
•  If they are over ripen don’t try to make Unnakaya, as you will never get the shape of it.
• Sometimes the plantains might not become soft, in that case just steam them for another 10-15 minutes.
•  The plantain dough consistency should be like of a mashed potato.
• For mashing the plantains you can also grind them but don’t add water while grinding, else the binding will break and wont hold the shape.
• For coconut mixture there are many variations some like to add eggs to it, and fry the coconut mixture. While some like to fry the coconut, raisins and cashew nuts in ghee.