Homemade Pure Ghee Motichoor Laddoos

Homemade Motichoor Laddoos!! Someone must be really crazy to attempt it at home. After all, who has the time and patience to go through this fuss. These were my thoughts initially when I saw some people post their pictures and recipes on CaL. However, I did save the recipe and every time there was a post, I would diligently go through each procedure and compare who did what differently. Basically, even though subconsciously I knew I will make it some day, the lazy me would always keep it for some other day! With all the ground research done and critical points understood, it was time I prepared myself for the challenge. On a recent trip to the Indian store I quickly grabbed a small slotted spoon/laddle before I could change my mind and thus my basic preparation was done. 

Motichoor Laddoos are actually quite easy to make and if you have already attempted Jallebis at home, these are a cake walk! Just three basic ingredients, Ghee, gram flour/besan, and sugar, and you can have the most amazing and fresh homemade motichoor laddoos made with lotsa love! With the festive season just round the corner,  you wouldn't mind trying these at home, do you?

                                      

Ingredients

1 cup besan (I used little less than that as my stock was over)

1/2 cup water (you might need a little more, about 3/4 cup, if using an exact 1 cup of besan)

1/4 tsp baking soda

Pinch of orange/red food coloring

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp cardamom powder (optional; I skipped as I did not wish the smell and flavor of ghee to be subdued by any other flavor)

Chopped nuts/melon seeds (optional)

Ghee as required for frying

Direction

Start with preparing the sugar syrup. Mix the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to minimum and let the syrup simmer for 5 minutes till it gets a little thicker. I did not let it reach the one-string or two-string consistency as the fried boondies need to soak the syrup and so a thicker sugar syrup will result in crusty laddoos. Add a pinch of food coloring and keep aside.

                                    

Now prepare the batter. Take the besan in a bowl and add water little at a time till you get a thick but pouring consistency batter. Add the soda and pinch of food color and mix well. 

                                        

Heat ghee in a pan. Take the slotted spoon and put a tablespoon of the batter and rub it with the back of the spoon while constantly moving the slotted spoon over the hot oil so that the boondis do not remain clumped up at one place. You can do a trial over the bowl of batter before doing it in the hot oil for some practice.

                                     

Now take one tablespoon at a time and while reducing the flame, drop boondies on the hot ghee and keep stirring on a medium flame till golden and crunchy. Drop the fried boondies immediately into the prepared syrup as you move on to fry the next batch.

                                    

                                     

Make sure you keep stirring the boondies in the syrup so that they absorb it uniformly. Repeat the process till all the batter is used up. Add the chopped nuts and cardamom powder and mix well. The syrup will all be absorbed by the boondies by now and you will have a mixture ready for shaping. At this point, I coarsely grinded the mixture with a hand mixture as some of my boondies were rather big. This helps in getting a more fine mixture as well. Pinch out small portions of the mixture and shape them into laddoos and place on mini cupcake liners. Store in airtight containers or consume immediately or gift to your friends and family!

                                    

Crispy Crunchy Yeast-Free Jalebis

One caution before I start this post. Hot Jalebis straight from the pan are highly addictive! Consumers are not to blame the recipe providers for any damage done to their waistline!! 😃

This is one recipe which will take you to seventh heaven after hearing the praises from your friends and family. Serve them hot at tea time or right after a meal and be ready to bask in glory. I like my Jalebis steaming hot and I am sure most of us like it that way too. The Jalebis however stay crunchy for long and so if you want a relaxed meal time you can keep them ready as well. 

Ingredients 

1 cup all purpose flour or maida

2 tbsp cornflour 

3/4 cup yogurt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp ghee

1 1/2 tbsp water at room temperature (this is the quantity of water I used for the batter)

Oil for frying

For the sugar syrup 

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup sugar 

Few pods of cardamom 

1 tbsp rose essence 

Few drops of orange food color (optional)

Direction 

It is advisable to prepare the jalebi batter one  night in advance so that it gets maximum time for fermentation. However, in case you forget or cannot go for overnight fermentation, make sure you make the batter first thing in the morning for making the Jalebis in the evening. 

Take a medium sized bowl and sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and mix well with a whisk. Next add the ghee and whisk further till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Now whisk in the yogurt and stir with all your strength to incorporate the air and make the batter lump free. The batter will now be quite thick and whisking will seem quite a task. Time to add little water at a time. Start with 1 tbsp and add another 1/2 to 1 tbsp water at room temperature using your own judgement. The batter should be thick and the consistency should be the same as buttercream that we use for decorating cakes. Loose batter will prevent the Jalebis from taking shape and will break as soon as you put them to fry. Mix the batter till smooth and creamy. Cover and keep aside in one corner of the kitchen counter. 

By next afternoon, you can see the batter having a few bubbles and risen in volume. Time to fry the beauties. 

Slowly mix the batter with a spatula in cut and fold method taking care not to over mix or deflate the batter. Fill the entire batter into a piping bag fitted with a medium sized round nozzle. Keep aside. 

Prepare the sugar syrup either before filling the piping bag or after. I used a previously stored sugar syrup and had to  simply boil it. To prepare the fresh syrup, boil the sugar and the water together till the sugar dissolves and is of one string consistency. Remove from heat and keep it handy while you fry the Jalebis. In another side, prepare a tray to keep the Jalebis. Time to fry!

Heat oil in a pan and bring it to medium hot. Reduce the heat to lowest and pipe in the Jalebis in circular motion not exceeding three to four circles. Be sure to pipe the circles as close as possible as they tend to open up later and you will get a wide mouthed Jalebi. As soon as you pipe in the Jalebi, it will float to the top if the oil is perfectly hot. Also, pipe the Jalebis by simmering the flame to the lowest so that you get a chance to pipe them better. Once piped, increase the flame to medium low and fry till the Jalebis are browned on both the sides and crisp. Do not be in a hurry to flip the Jalebis from one side to the other. You might break the shape if they aren't crispy enough. 

Once browned, dip them straight into the hot syrup for a minute and place on the wire rack to cool. 

Repeat for the rest of the batter. Serve them hot to your friends and family, possibly within a couple of hours of frying and be sure to gulp down a few yourself while frying. They are simply irresistible!! 😋

Christmas Rum and Raisin Cake

Christmas parties were not very common for us while in India as we had mostly Indian friends around. In Singapore though, we have a mix of friends from all countries and one such family recently invited us for dinner. As a custom, in India we always used to carry some sweets or similar when we visit anyone and knowing that it is a Christmas special dinner, I planned a special homemade Christmas hamper for the hosts. This Rum and Raisin Cake was a part of the hamper and was quite a yummy inclusion   Here is the recipe for you all to try!

Ingredients

2 cups raisins chopped

1/4 cup dark rum (I used a spiced Caribbean rum)

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tbsp orange rind

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanila extract

1/4 cup butter softened

1/2 cup extra light olive oil or any other refined oil

1 cup milk (I used 1/2 cup skim milk and 1/2 cup full cream) at room temperature

For the Glaze

1/3 cup fine sugar

2 tbsp water

3 tbsp corn syrup (honey can also br used)

2 tbsp rum

Powdered sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

Direction

Take the chopped raisins in a jar and pour the rum. Close the lid and shake it well. Soak it for a minimum of 24 hours-48 hours, shaking in between. The more you soak the better will be the flavor. If you are pressed for time, you may soak it on the same day for a minimum of 4-6 hours and then slightly warm the mixture in the microwave and let it cool before starting the rest of the process. 

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and keep aside. 

Cream the butter and sugar together till light and smooth. Now add the rind, oil, and vanilla extract and whip further. Now add the eggs one at a time, whipping after each addition. Add the flour mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold in one direction till all the flour has been well incorporated without any lumps. Now fold in the raisins along with the residual liquid, if any. You can also add some chopped citrus peel if you wish. 

Pre-heat the oven at 180 degree celsius. Grease a 10" bundt pan with oil or cooking spray and pour the batter into it, evenly spreading the top. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes till a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If you see the top browning too fast and the inside not yet done, cover the top loosely with an aluminium foil and reduce the temperature to 160 degree celsius and bake till done but observe closely so that you do not burn the cake. Once done, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan. 

Now gently transfer the cake to a wire rack and prepare the glaze. 

Take sugar, water and corn syrup/honey in a bowl and bring it to a boil on stove top while stirring continuously and till the sugar dissolves. Remove from flame and add the rum. 

Apply this glaze on the warm cake on all sides (top and bottom) with a brush in regular intervals till the cake cools down completely and has absorbed most of the glaze. You can reserve the glaze for use later on with your ice creams. You can garnish the cake with some powdered sugar or enjoy a slice as is!! Both ways, it is super yum!

Bengal Special--Patishapta

Last weekend was celebrated in India as Bhai Phota (in Bengali) or Bhai Dooj. This comes right after Diwali and is quite similar to the festival of Rakhi or Rakshabandhan. However, with no brother in my family as well as no sister in my husband's family (apart from our cousins), I am not much aware of the festivities or rituals. All I know is that something sweet is prepared on this day and fed to the brother while praying for his well being. My Patishaptas were once relished very dearly by a friend and, as we were meeting him the next day, I thought of preparing these on this occasion. You can serve them with a drizzle of condensed milk to enhance the look and taste. I skipped it as I did not have it in my pantry. 

Ingredients

For the filling

1 ltr full cream milk plus 2-3 tbsp

1-2 tbsp vinegar

3 tbsp jaggery grated

2 tbsp powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp grated/desiccated coconut

1 tsp ghee

For the batter

1 cup maida/all purpose flour

1/4 cup rice flour

1/2 cup semolina

1 1/2-2 cups milk

1-2 tbsp powdered sugar (optional)

Direction

Start with making the chenna first. Boil 1 ltr milk and add 1-2 tbsp vinegar and let it curdle. Cover and let it stand for a few minutes for the whey to separate. You can also add a few ice cubes to expedite the process. Strain the chenna in a muslin cloth or a paneer maker. Wash it with some drinking water to rinse away the vinegar. Be careful at this step as the chenna might get washed away too. Now tightly tie the muslin cloth and hang it in one corner for about 30 minutes till the water is completely drained out. 

Now, take the chenna in a plate and crumble it with your hands. Use your fingers and the heel of your palm to smoothen the chenna. It should no longer be  grainy at the end of around 10 minutes. Now add the sugar and knead for 5 more minutes till the mixture is mixed well. 

Heat the ghee in a pan and roast the grated/desiccated coconut till slightly golden. Now add the jaggery and keep stirring till melted. Next add the chenna mixture and continue stirring till everything is well combined. Keep stirring till the mixture no longer releases water. Now add 2 tbsp milk and mix everything well and remove from heat. If the mixture dries up further after cooling down, add 1-1/2 tbsp more of milk. The mixture should be of thick but smooth rabdi consistency. 

Time to prepare the batter now. Mix all ingredients listed under batter and make a smooth creamy paste. Do not make the batter too runny nor too thick. It should be same as dosa batter. Keep aside for 10 minutes. 

Now heat your dosa pan/flat non-stick frying pan and drizzle 1 tsp oil. Gently rub the pan with a paper napkin so that the entire pan is well greased. Take a spoonful of the batter and spread it out in one direction in a circular manner just like you prepare a dosa. The size of the circle should be slightly bigger than a pancake and thickness like that of dosa. Cook this on a medium low flame till the bottom is slightly golden and the top is cooked (you can see that no raw spots remain). When you see the top cooked through, add 1-2 tbsp of the filling and spread it out in a log/horizontal line. Close in the edges from both the sides and press gently to seal. Transfer to a plate and continue with the rest of the batter. Serve hot/warm or cold. Tastes awesome anyway!! :)

 

Jaggery and Mawa Stuffed Gujiyas and My New Air Fryer

When you are back from a holiday, apart from the happy memories, all you are left with is an empty wallet! It especially holds true for people like us (me and my hubby) who spend crazily while on holiday like there is no tomorrow!

Back home, we are now leading a routine life with a severe cut down on calories and an extensive exercise regime. However, the shopper in me remains alert 24/7 and while on my way to the Gym, I caught a glimpse of this super irresistible offer at my nearby mall for Mayer Air Fryers at just S$ 98!! Unbelievable, isn't it? I thought so too. Frankly, I never gave any serious thought about Air Fryers simply because of the exorbitant price as well as for the reason that we are not much into eating fried/deep fried food. But when you come across such an offer, however bankrupt you may be, you just cannot let it go. So I queued up, all the while googling to see the reviews of the product, and finally took home this wonder gadget. 

Sometimes, I think you should just let go of your planning and your calculations and do what your heart says. The heart is always right!!

Apart from all the successful trials of Aalu Tikkis and fries, the first official dish are these Gujiyas. Made on the ocassion of Karwachauth, these were the perfect dessert to satiate my soul after that difficult fast and I can enjoy it even more as these were oil-free. What better way to inaugurate that wonder gadget!!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour/maida

3 tbsp ghee

100 ml milk (room temperature or warm; use more or less as required while kneading)

For the filling

1/3 cup dessicated coconut (you can use fresh coconut as well)

1/3 cup mix of dry fruits finely chopped (I used almonds, cashews, and raisins)

1/3 cup mawa crushed

1 tbsp ghee

Jaggery as per your taste (I used about 1/4 cup)

For the sugar syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

3-4 cardamom pods

1/2 tsp kewra essence

Few strands of saffron

Oil for frying (if not using Air Fryer)

Direction

Take the flour in a bowl and add the ghee. Start mixing it with your hands till it resembles bread crumbs. Now slowly add the milk and start kneading the dough to a smooth but stiff texture like a poori dough. It should not be too soft nor too tight else it will be difficult to roll and we do not want to use any additional flour while kneading. 

Cover and keep aside the dough for 1/2 an hour. 

Time to prepare the filling. Heat ghee in a pan. Add the coconut and fry till slightly browned and fragrant. If using fresh coconut, this may take a little longer. Now add the chopped dry fruits and fry till well roasted. Next add the jaggery and mix well till no lumps remain and jaggery is well melted. Finally, add the mawa/khoya and mix well till everything is well combined. Remove from heat and let it cool. 

Now take the dough and roll it with your hands into the shape of a rope. Using a sharp knife or dough cutter, make equal cuts of 12-13 parts. Take each part and roll it into a small and even ball. 

Using a rolling pin, roll it into a circle not very thick nor thin. Place about 3 tsp of the filling or as much as you think is sufficient to comfortably seal the edges. Bring in the edges from all sides and give it a half-moon shape. Now roll in the edges securely sealing them with your hands. You can also do it either with a gujiya shaper or with the help of a fork. 

Place it on one side and continue with the rest. If you want to complete all the rolling first and then move on to fry, you may need to cover the shaped gujiyas with a damp cloth to avoid drying. 

Once done with rolling, start heating the oil/ghee for frying as well as prepare the syrup on the other side. The syrup should be ready to use by the time your first gujiya is out of the pan. Take all the ingredients listed under syrup in a deep bottom wide pan and bring it to a boil. Once the sugar dissolves completely, let it simmer for a few minutes and then take it off the flame. 

Drench the hot fried gujiyas into the hot sugar syrup for 3-5 minutes on all sides and take it out on a plate. Continue with the rest of the gujiyas. 

When using an Air Fryer, pre heat the fryer at 200 degrees for 5 minutes. Then fry the gujiyas, 10 minutes each side or until golden. Drench them inmediately in the syrup and proceed with the rest of the process as stated above. Your lovely Jaggery and Mewa Gujiyas are ready to be served!! :)

 

Nolen Gurer Kalakand-- Celebrating 200th Post!!

Yayy!! 200 it is! I can't believe I have come this far. The girl who, at one point in time, never even entered the kitchen to make herself some tea is now an avid food blogger and is today celebrating her 200th post. Unbelievable, but true! You never know what future holds for you so simply enjoy your present and take life as it comes. I have always lived in my present without ever bothering about what is going to happen in the future or how better I could have done in my past. I was never too keen on cooking or to know about what goes on in the kitchen until my marriage. I believe Life is your best teacher and circumstances make you learn your toughest lessons. Life is too short to think of all these complexities and so today's post is dedicated to my this simple philosophy of life. It is an unbelievably simple two-ingredient recipe for one of the most loved Indian sweet, the Kalakand. As with all my recent recipes, here is a healthy twist as well. The kalakand is made from jaggery instead of sugar which makes it even more desirable and appealing to all the weight watchers like me as well as for people who have sugar restrictions. So indulge in this festive season starting today with Raksha Bandhan and show your love to your dear ones in a healthy way! Happy Raksha Bandhan!

Ingredients

1 cup (approx 170 gms) homemade paneer/chenna (procedure included for 1 ltr full cream milk)

5 tbsp grated Nolen Gur (you can use any other soft jaggery available with you, though nolen gur is recommended)

1 tsp cardamom powder

1/2 tbsp ghee for greasing

Procedure for homemade paneer

Boil 1 ltr full cream milk and curdle it with 1 tbsp vinegar or 1/2 tbsp lemon juice or 3 tbsp curd. Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes without disturbing. Strain the liquid and hold the chenna in a muslin cloth. Lightly wash the chenna with drinking water to do away with the smell of vinegar or lemon. Now tightly tie the muslin cloth and let the water drain out completely for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.  Take the chenna out of the cloth once the liquid drains out completely. Use as required. 

Direction

Take the chenna or paneer and jaggery and mix well with your hands till the mixture is well blended and the chenna is completely crumbled and grainy. Transfer this to a non stick pan on medium flame and keep stirring continuously till the moisture evaporates completely and the mixture starts coming out from the sides. Now add the cardamom powder and stir for 5 more minutes. 

Grease a serving plate with ghee and transfer the mixture onto the plate. With the help of a knife or spatula, smoothen out the mixture to form a square shape of 1/2" thickness. Cut the square into equal sized smaller squares without pulling them apart. This is just to make the marks for easier serving later on. Garnish each small square with chopped pistachios and let it cool. 

Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to let it set completely. Serve cold or at room temperature. I love to eat it cold! 

Ghilla Pitha (Deep Fried Rice Flour Cakes)

I belong to the beautiful state of Assam in the northeast India. In Assam, apart from the other festivals like Diwali and Durga Puja, we have three major festivals- Magh Bihu (or Harvest festival) celebrated in the month of January, Bohag Bihu (or Spring festival) celebrated in the month of April, and Kati Bihu (or Autumn festival) celebrated in the month of September. Each Bihu has its own significance and bring with it loads of fun and celebration. While Bohag bihu is the one which is celebrated in the most pompous manner, Magh Bihu has its own charm. The new rice would be harvested at this time and the farmers would be thanking God for a good harvest and celebrate with a grand feast. The speciality of this wintery feast is that the food is cooked on a bonfire and all the family members and friends would sit together and chat and cook up a delicious meal for all. In the morning, they would make delicacies called "pitha" and offer it to fire god and pray for a good year ahead. They would bathe their cows and buffaloes with raw turmeric and "maah" (black gram) and take blessings of their elders for a happy and fulfilling new year. I have so many childhood memories of this bihu and its celebrations that it feels like just yesterday when I was a kid and would happily enjoy all the food prepared by Maa. Now that I am miles away from my family, I have a few friends here with whom I hope to recreate some Bihu memories for the future.

Ingredients

2 cups Rice flour

1/4 cup plain flour

1/2 cup jaggery, grated or mashed with hands

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp orange rind

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 cup water

Mustard oil for frying

Direction

Take a deep bottomed dish and add all the ingredients except water and jaggery. Now add the jaggery and add very little water at a time until a smooth batter is formed similar to the consistency of cake batter. If the batter is a little too thick, do not add more water as the jaggery would also be releasing some water of its own. Make sure there are no lumps. Cover and keep aside for at least 5-6 hours or preferably overnight. When keeping overnight, you can keep it in the refrigerator and take it out about 1-2 hours prior to frying. 

Heat a small wok and add sufficient mustard oil. Take spoonfuls of the batter and fry till golden brown on both sides on a low flame. Drain the excess oil on paper towels and store in air tight containers and enjoy this northeastern delicacy with a hot cuppa.

                                          

                                    

                                          

Coconut Raisin Laddoo

This Diwali I am getting a little adventurous with cooking Indian sweets and I am totally loving the results. More so since my husband is all praises as well. In the previous years, I used to go all out in decorating the house with rangolis, diyas, and aroma candles in the entire house. However, this time with no decorations in the house (as my husband won't be around to see them), I thought of rather celebrating it by making some Indian sweets and gift packing them for friends as Diwali gifts. The kaju badam laddoos and these coconut laddoos are not only easy to make but really yummy to taste as well. 

Ingredients

350 gms grated fresh coconut

1/2 tin milkmaid (the entire contents may not be required)

2-3 tbsp brown sugar (can be replaced with white sugar)

Few strands of saffron soaked in little milk

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

1/4 cup raisins (just enough to ensure 1 raisin per laddoo)

1 tbsp ghee

3 tbsp almond powder (optional)

Mini cupcake wrappers

Directions

In a heavy bottomed non-stick kadhai or wok, heat the ghee and add the grated coconut. Stir for 5-10 minutes till the coconut gets slightly browned. Add the cardamom powder, milkmaid (little ar a time), and saffron. Mix well and stir for another 5-10 minutes till the water from the milkmaid dries up a little. At this moment, you can add some almond powder. Check for sweetness and adjust with some sugar as per taste. Add the raisins. Keep stirring till the mixture is dry enough to make into small balls. Remove from heat and let it cool. Take small quantity in your hands and make small balls by gently rubbing it between your palms. Arrange in mini cupcake wrappers and serve.