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!! :)

 

Spicy Guacamole and A Delicious Healthy Dinner

So all that I am occupied with these days is to eat healthy and loose a few inches before the Diwali party. While I can go on a GM diet, I still have to cook for my family and that is where comes in the cravings. So instead of going on a strict diet altogether, I decided to eat healthy and conscious food and avoid unnecessary calories as far as possible. Breakfast is now a bowl of cereals and a cup of honey lemon tea, mid morning I try not to eat anything or maybe some yogurt or juice to keep myself going. Lunch is 2 chapatis with some curry/daal and veg/non veg, evening tea with honey lemon and some Marie Biscuits (this is where I go wrong by grabbing 3-4 biscuits at one go), and dinner again something light as this recipe today. I have also included a second round of exercise in the evening for 1/2-1 hour apart from the morning 1.5 hour session. 

I am hoping this regime helps me get back to where I was at least, if not more. 

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados

1 tbsp garlic chopped

3 green/red chillies

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 medium onion

2 sprigs coriander leaves

A handful of peanuts (optional)

Salt to taste

Direction

Cut the avocados into half and scoop away the flesh and add it to the blender. Discard the seed. Choosing the right avocado is very important. Always pick the avocados which are purplish in color and are soft when gently pressed. 

Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and whip a smooth paste. Transfer to an air tight jar and refrigerate until used. 

I used this dip as a spread for my corn thins (you can use bread or anything of your choice) and topped it with some papaya and cabbage salad in a honey and lemon dressing and sprinkled with some chaat masala. It was a wonderfully refreshing meal and healthy too!!

Baked Quinoa Caprese

Firstly, a warm hug and hello to all my readers. I have had a fantastic "hogging" holiday and now I am all charged up to wash my sins! True! You should have seen me eating in the past two weeks. Anything and everything edible and yummy was on my plate at all times. I did not care to think twice before gulping down two huge Rosogullas in every meal for the simple reason that I am not getting to eat these for the next one year. Weight can be taken care of once I reach home and so I just enjoyed my trip thoroughly without wasting time on judging the calories!! 

Now back in Singapore and all I can think of is diet. In fact, I do not have a single craving for any of those delicacies that I have had in the recent times. May be that was all that I could handle. It is now time to get back to routine and get back to my fitness and weight loss regime. I have set a goal for myself and once my jet lag is gone, I will be starting to work towards it. 

Here is a simple meal to start with which is extremely easy to assemble and good to eat, not to forget the healthy quotient which makes it even more desirable. Caprese is basically an Italian salad and served as an antipasti or a starter. I found this recipe on the internet and then twisted it as per my liking and availability of ingredients. Fresh Basil is a prime ingredient for Caprese but I was out of stock. So I added a few other ingredients to make up for the flavor and the result was awesome. If you love Quinoa, you must try this recipe!!

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 big onion finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic chopped

1/2 cup mushroom sliced

3 tomatoes, 2 thinly sliced and 1 cut into quarters

1/4 cup corn kernels

1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

1 tsp dried basil (fresh basil recommended)

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3-4 slices of mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

Direction

Wash and rinse the quinoa and add 3/4 cup water and let it come to a boil. Now cover and simmer till all the water has been absorbed. Fork the quinoa to avoid stickiness. Keep aside. 

Place the quartered tomatoes on an aluminium foil and sprinkle salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and bake in a pre-heated oven at 225 degree celsius for 10 minutes or till the skin gets crumpled. 

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the onions till translucent and add the garlic. Fry till fragrant. Add the mushrooms and the corn and fry till cooked. If using fresh Basil, add it now. Add salt and pepper and the rest of the seasoning and stir. Remove from heat and keep aside. 

Time to assemble. Take an ovensafe dish and mix the quinoa, roasted tomatoes, onion muxture and shredded cheddar. Check for seasoning and add if required. Now arrange tomato rings and slices of mozzarella alternately and cover the top. Cover the top loosely with an aluminium foil and bake in the pre-heated oven at 180 degree celsius for 20 minutes and then for 5-10 minutes without the cover till the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned. Serve hot!