Poosanikai Halwa / Kasi Halwa

INGREDIENTS:
   White pumpkin - 2 Cups (Grated)
   Sugar - 3/4 Cup
   Ghee - 2 to 3 Tbsp
   Cardamom powder - a pinch
   Food colour - a pinch
   Cashews - 5
   Raisins & Tutti frutti - 2 Tbsp (optional)

METHOD:

• Peel off the skin of white pumpkin, remove the seeds and grate the inner fleshy part.
• Heat a tsp of ghee in a pan and fry the cashews, raisins and tutti frutti and keep aside.

• In the same pan add the grated pumpkin and saute till raw smell leaves.Cook covered for 5 minutes.
• Then add Sugar and mix well.

• Now add food colour, Cardamom powder and mix well.
• Add remaining ghee and cook till the halwa leaves the sides of the pan.

• Finally add roasted cashews, raisins and tutti frutti and mix well.

• Switch off and serve warm/chilled.

NOTES:

• Adjust sugar according to your taste.
• You can also add finely chopped dates along with raisins & tutti frutti.
• Before adding sugar make sure the pumpkin is cooked well and has no raw smell.

Linking this to Gayathri's WTML EVENT hosted by sapana...

Boondi Ladoo

INGREDIENTS:
   Besan flour - 1 Cup
   Sugar- 1 and 1/4 Cup
   Ghee- 1 Tsp
   Cooking soda - A pinch
   Salt - A pinch
   Yellow food color - A pinch
   Cardamom powder- 1/4 Tsp
   Cashews & Raisins - 2 Tbsp
   Sugar Candy - 1 Tbsp (optional)
   Edible Camphor - A tiny pinch

   Water - 1 Cup

   Oil - As needed

METHOD:

• In a bowl add Besan flour, Cooking soda, Salt, Food color and mix well. Add Water little by little to form a batter like dosa batter consistency.

• Heat enough Oil in a pan and hold the ladle with small holes just above the oil.
• Now pour one ladle of batter over the ladle and spread it well.
• Fry the boondis with constant turning and take out when the bubbles ceases.Do not fry till it becomes crispy.

• Wipe the boondi ladle every time with a cloth or tissue to get perfect boondis.
• Repeat this process to finish the batter.
• Now add Sugar and Water in a pan and boil until it reaches one string consistency.
• Then switch off the flame and add Cardamom powder, a pinch of food color and keep aside.

• Now add prepared boondis to the sugar syrup and mix well.
• Add Ghee,Edible camphor, Cashews, Raisins, Sugar candy and mix well and start making ladoos.

• Make ladoos when it is still warm enough to handle.If needed, grease your hands with ghee and shape the ladoos.
• Store in an airtight container and enjoy..

NOTES:

• Make sure the batter consistency is right.If the batter is too thick you will have boondis with tails.
• If it is very thin, then the boondis will be flat so adjust according to it by adding flour or water to get the right consistency.
• Adding edible camphor and Sugar candy is optional.
• To check for one string consistency take the sugar syrup between your thumb and index finger, if it forms one string then switch off the flame.
• I mashed the boondis little with a ladle before making ladoos.

Linking this to Gayathri's WTML EVENT hosted by sapana...

Semiya / Vermicelli Kesari

INGREDIENTS:
   Fine Semiya / Vermicelli - 1 Cup
   Sugar - 1/2 Cup
   Water - 1 Cup
   Cardamom powder - 1/4 Tsp
   Cashews & Raisins - Few
   Ghee - 3 Tsp
   Food colour - A pinch

METHOD:

• In a pan add a tsp of ghee and fry cashews and raisins and keep aside.

• In the same pan add Vermicelli and roast it for few minutes in low flame.
• Add water to the roasted vermicelli and let it boil in medium flame.

• Cook till the water evaporates and the semiya gets cooked well.Then add Sugar and stir well.

• Add Cardamom powder, Food colour, remaining ghee and mix well.

• Allow it to cook in medium flame with continuous stirring till  the kesari starts leaving the sides of the pan.
• Finally add roasted cashews and raisins and mix well.

• Switch off and serve warm or chilled.

NOTES:

• If you have roasted vermicelli you can directly use that without roasting.
• Adjust sugar according to your taste.
• After adding sugar it will start to loosen a bit so keep stirring till it becomes thick.

Sweet Maida Biscuits

INGREDIENTS:
   Maida - 1 Cup
   Powdered Sugar - 3/4 Cup
   Baking Soda - 1/4 Tsp
   Ghee - 1 Tsp
   Cardamom Powder - a pinch
   Oil - As needed

METHOD:

• In a bowl add Maida, Powdered Sugar, Baking soda, Ghee, Cardamom powder and mix well.
• Add Water little by little and make a soft and pilable dough.Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

• Take some portion of the dough and roll it into a thin circle.
• Using the knife or pizza cutter first cut vertical lines and then cut diagonal lines to form diamond shape.

• Now heat enough oil in a pan to deep fry. 
• Carefully take the diamonds and drop in a sprinkled way and deep fry in oil.Drain the excess oil using tissue paper.

• Repeat the process and complete the remaining dough.
• Cool down and store in an airtight container.

NOTES:

• Always fry the diamonds in medium flame to avoid burning.
• If the dough sticks while rolling dust with some maida and roll it as thin as possible.
• I used my special cutter to cut into diamond shape, if you dont have one you can use knife or pizza cutter.

Grape Sorbet

INGREDIENTS:
   Grapes - 1 Cup
   Sugar - 2 Tbsp
   Water - 1/2 Cup
   Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp (optional)

METHOD:

• Add Grapes,Sugar and Lemon Juice in a mixer and grind it with Water and filter it through a strainer.

• Transfer this mixture to a freezer safe box and freeze it for 2 to 3 hours.
• Then take out and transfer to a blender and blend it well.

• Repeat this process every one hour for 4 to 5 times.

• Finally freeze it for 6 hours or overnight. Scoop and serve the next day.
• Serve immediately.

NOTES:

• Adjust Sugar according to your taste.
• Grinding every one hour is very important because it gives a smooth texture to the sorbet.

Motichoor Ladoo

INGREDIENTS:
   Gram Flour - 1 Cup
   Fine Sooji / Rava - 1 Tbsp
   Orange Food Colour - a pinch
   Baking Soda - 1/4 Tsp
   Finely Chopped Nuts - 2 Tbsp (Almonds, Cashew, Pistachios)
   Ghee - 1 Tbsp

 FOR SUGAR SYRUP:

   Sugar - 1 and 1/4 Cup

   Water - 1 Cup
   Cardomom Powder - 1/4 Tsp
   Rose Essence - 2 Drops

METHOD:

• In a bowl add Gram Flour, Rava, Baking Soda, Food Colour and make a batter by adding enough Water.Keep aside.
• The Batter should be like dosa batter consistency and without any lumps.

• Now add Sugar and Water in a pan and bring it to boil until it reaches one string consistency.
• Switch off the flame and add Cardomom Powder, Essence and a pinch of orange food colour and keep aside.

• Meanwhile heat Oil in a pan for making Boondis.
• Take a laddle with small holes and hold it on top of the Oil and pour some batter over the laddle and spread it using a spoon .
• Cook the boondis until the bubbles ceases by constant turning and take it out and keep aside.Repeat this process and fry all the boondis.

• Now add this boondis to the Sugar syrup and mix well.Add Ghee, little Cardomom powder if needed and mix well.

• Then transfer this boondis to a mixer and just pulse it for few seconds and transfer it to a bowl.
• Now add chopped nuts and mix well.

• Then start making Ladoos.If it sticks to your hand apply little ghee and shape ladoos. 
• Garnish with chopped nuts.

NOTES:

• The batter should not be too watery or too thick just make it like dosa batter consistency.
• Wipe the laddle everytime with clean cloth or paper towel to get perfect boondis.
• To check for one string consistency take the sugar syrup between your thumb and index finger, if it forms one string then switch off the flame.

KULFI

INGREDIENTS:
   Milk - 2 Cups
   Sugar - 3 Tbsp
   Nuts - 2 Tbsp (Coarsely Powdered)
   Rose Mix - 4 To 5 Drops
   Cardomam Powder- 1/2 Tsp

METHOD:

• Boil Milk in a heavy bottom pan with Sugar until it reaches half the amount added.

• Then add Crushed Nuts and mix well.
• Now switch off the flame and let it cool down. Now divide the Milk into two equal portions. 
• Then add Rose mix to one portion and add Cardamom Powder to other one and mix well.

• Pour this into kulfi moulds and freeze it for 5 hours or overnight. After 1 or 2 hours take out the kulfi and Insert kulfi sticks in center and again put it in freezer.

• Then take the kulfi from freezer and keep it under running water for few seconds and demould it carefully.
• Serve immediately.

NOTES:

• Adjust sugar according to your taste.
• I added few Pistachios, Almonds and Walnuts and coarsely crushed it.
• I used my Tupperware containers looked similar to kulfi moulds.
• You can use small papercups or tumblers if you dont have kulfi moulds.

Linking this to Swathi's Favourite Recipes Event hosted by Full Scoops.