Cashew burfi

This is a lovely cashew burfi recipe. The recipe is a slight departure from the standard, thin, katli that is sold in Mithai Dukaans.  This one feels fudgy, like the mysore pak, and tastes quite amazing. Thanks Mrs. Subramanyam!

 

 

Ingredients

All Measurements per American cooking.

1 1/4 cup cashews

1 cups sugar

1/2 pint whipping cream (approx. 235 ml, little less than 1 cup)

1 tea spoon ghee or butter

1/2 tea spoon cardamom powder

1/3 tea spoon saffron strands

I used 10 x 6 inch pan to get 24 medium size pieces.

Method

Coarsely grind cashews. I used Preeti grinder. Consistency should be that of semolina/sooji. Keep aside. Mix cream and sugar. Cook until 1 thread consistency. This will take about 12 minutes. Add cashew powder. On medium low heat, stir the mixture pretty much continuously until it all comes together.  This will take about 15  minutes.  You can also do this path test before pouring on the mixture on to the plate. Path test is when you run the spatula in the middle of the mixture, it should create a path and stay like that for a few seconds or so. Add ghee, cardamom powder. Stir for a minute and then pour on to the greased plate, sprinkle the saffron strands, level with a spatula, and cut after about 10 minutes.

Note: For Almond Burfi, follow the same recipe as above but soak almonds in water overnight and remove skin before grinding.

Makes 24 medium size pieces.

Kashi Halva

Kashi Halva is a Karnataka specialty, often served during weddings and other special occasions. It is one of the simplest, most delicious sweets from South India.

Winter melon – Source: Wikipedia

4 cups grated Ash gourd / White pumpkin / Winter melon

2 cups sugar

1/8 tea-spoon saffron soaked in 2-3 table-spoon hot water

1/4 tea-spoon ground cardamom

6  tea-spoon ghee

1/4 cup cashews and raisins

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix saffron and hot water. Keep aside.
2. In a small pan add a spoon of ghee and shallow fry cashews and raisins until cashews turn light brown and raisins plump up.
3. In a broad pan, add 1 tea spoon of ghee and add the grated pumpkin. Cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.
4. Add sugar and 2 tea-spoon of ghee.
5. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
6. Add saffron water and 3 tea spoons ghee. Mix well and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. When you see pumpkin come together and ghee oozing from the sides, the halva is done.
7. Take the pan off the stove. Add cardamom, cashews, and raisins. Mix well.

Makes about 6 servings.

Bajri Vada

 

A wonderful fried snack from the state of Gujarat.

This recipe makes about 20 vadas.

1 cup bajri flour (millet flour)

1 table spoon  wheat flour

1/3 tsp turmeric

1 tea spoon finely chopped hot green chili

1/2 tea spoon grated ginger

¼ tsp hing

3 tbsp yoghurt

3 tsp sesame seeds

1/4 tsp red chili powder (1/2 tea spoon if you prefer more spicy)

1 table spoon oil

1/2 tea spoon Salt

2 tea spoon fine sugar

In a wide bowl mix all the ingredients. Yoghurt should be  enough to make dough but if required, wet hands and then knead dough. knead the dough again with about 1 tbsp oil. On the side, heat about 3 cups of oil in a frying pan. Make a stiff dough and immediately shape into vadas by taking a small lemon size ball and pressing it in your palm .  Fry  vadas immediately on low heat until light brown.

You can eat the vada as is, with green chutney or any hot indian pickle.