Churma Ladoo / Chapathi Ladoo

I made these ladoos for karthigai deepam. This is a famous dish in Gujarat / Rajasthan where it is offered as Prasad during prayers. The original recipe is sinfully gheeful J. The wheat flour dough is made into slightly flat balls and deep fried in ghee and then powdered to make ladoos. I tried this healthier version which is equally delicious. This low fat version can be made using leftover chapatis too.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour – 1 cup

Salt – a pinch

Powdered jaggery – ¼ cup

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Raisins – 7-8 nos

Cardamom powder – a pinch

Water / Milk – as required (to knead the dough)

Cooking Method:

        Take the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add warm water/milk and knead to make a hard dough. Keep it covered for half an hour. Now divide the dough into small balls and roll them into thick chapathis. Place them on a griddle and roast both the sides in low flame till it becomes hard. Once all the chapathis are done, cool them and powder them finely.

         Heat the ghee in a pan and fry the raisins. Now add the jaggery and once it melts, add the powdered chapathis and cardamom powder, mix well and switch off. Once warm, make ladoos and store in an airtight container.

Cook’s Note:

1. If you find it difficult to form the ladoos, adding some melted ghee or warm milk will help to bind the ladoos well.

Sending entry to Only - Diwali Treats hosted by nivedhanam originally by Pari

 

Badam Katli / Almond Fudge

 

                 My friend Sara, who lives around 9000 miles away from me, sent these yummy treats for diwali via watsapp J. The very sight of the neatly cut katlis made me drool. Tried it out asap and it was yummm... Thank you dear sar !

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Almonds – 1 cup

Sugar – 1 cup

Milk – ¼ cup

Ghee – 4 tbsp

Cooking Method:

          Soak the almonds overnight and peel the skin. Grind the almonds alongwith sugar and milk. Grease a tray with ghee and keep aside. Heat a nonstick pan and add the ground paste. Keep stirring. Add the remaining ghee in between. At one stage, the almond mixture will thicken and start leaving the pan.

       Switch off the stove and pour the fudge into the greased tray and spread it out. Press the top surface with a greased spatula. Cut into desired shape once warm. Let it cool completely and store in an airtight container.

This entry is sent to Kid's delight-festive treats hosted @ nivedhanam originally created by Valli of spiceyourlife.

 

Mini Rasgullas - with natural colouring

              I was reading an article on natural food colors just before making these mini rasgullas for diwali. The following natural ingredients were mentioned in that.

Yellow – Saffron, Turmeric

Pink – Beetroots

Purple – Purple cabbage

Green – Spinach

As I had beets and turmeric powder at hand, tested yellow and pink colors with the rasgullas and it turned out good.

Ingredients:

Milk – 1 litre

Curd – ½ cup

Ice cubes – 12 nos
Water -3 cups
Sugar – 2 cups
Elachi powder – a pinch
Nuts – For garnish

Method:

Boil the milk well and cool it. Once cooled remove the cream layer formed on the top of the milk. Heat the milk again. Once it is hot, simmer the flame and add the curd gradually. Keep stirring till the whey separates completely. Now switch off the stove. Add the ice cubes and mix well.

Tie the cloth to the sink tap and hang it for an hour without disturbing. After that, take the channa(crumbly paneer) and kneed it for 10-15 mins gently till it forms a smooth dough.
Pour the water in a wide pressure cooker, add the sugar & cardamom powder to it and bring it to a rolling boil. In the meantime, roll the channa into small equal sized balls. I got some 20 balls.

Once the sugar syrup has come to a boil, add the channa balls to it and close the pressure cooker. Cook in a medium flame till one whistle. After that, simmer the flame and cook for another 5 mins and switch off the stove.

Wait till the pressure is released and open the lid. The rasgullas would have doubled in size. Let it cool, refrigerate, garnish with nuts and serve chilled J

Cook’s Note:

1.Kneading the channa is an important process. It helps to make nice, firm rasgullas.

2. Once the rasgullas are cooked, you can remove them and just cook the syrup for one more whistle and then add the rasgullas if you prefer the syrup to be of  a thicker consistency.

This entry goes to Only - Diwali treats hosted @ Nivedhanam and created by Pari.