Hello Foodies, This Diwali prepare, instant, delicious, aromatic and rich sweet, kalakand. The
traditional process of making Kalakand takes a long time so here is a quick recipe, and by this method, Kalakand can be prepared in 10-15 minutes. The flavor of the kalakand is often enhanced with nuts (such as cashew, pistachio, almonds or peanut) and spices (such as cardamom or rose water). Also, kalakand is usually coated with a thin layer of edible metallic leaf known as vark. They are typically cut into square, diamond, or round shapes. The sweet is easily adapted for casual occasions to the most formal event. You can add cardamom powder to get a traditional flavor, or you can also add a layer of vark (silver leaf, German paper), also called varak. The Kalakand can be made up of different types of flavors, like vanilla, rose, saffron, etc. So let's start with this easy and instant version of Kalakand.
Preparation and Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
YouTube Video:
Ingredients:
Condensed milk 1 cup
Paneer 1 cup grated
Milk powder 2 tbsp
Badam mix Powder 1 Tbsp (optional)
Cardamom powder 1 Tsp
Sliced dry fruits for garnish
Ghee/oil for greasing the pan
Instructions:
Heat kadhai or pan and add paneer, condensed milk, milk powder, and badam mix powder and mix all well.
Cook on low to medium flame, till the mixture, becomes thick and starts leaving the sides of the pan(keep stirring constantly).
Meanwhile, grease the plate or pan with ghee/oil and transfer the prepared mixture into the plate, top with few chopped almonds, pistachios and press slightly.
Now, allow to set for 10 minutes and after 10 minutes cut into square pieces.
Voila, sweet and delightful Instant kalakand is ready to serve. Enjoy!!!
Dietary Comments : It makes 12 servings. Based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Per serving contains 45 calories, along with Carbohydrates - 5.44 g, Fats - 4.82 g, Proteins - 2 g.
Hello Foodies, Indian festivals, puja, weddings or any celebration is incomplete without this motichoor /
boondi ladoos. Motichoor ladoos prepared from chickpeas or gram flour are tiny droplets of flour that are fried, later immersed in thick sugar syrup and finally shaped liked ladoos. Making of this ladoos needs a lot of patience and efforts, but it's totally worth the effort! This Indian delicacy often prepared as a prasadam during festivals and special occasions. So add sweetness to this Diwali festival by preparing fresh homemade delightful ladoos. We be your family and friends will drool over this Sweet delight.
In a bowl combine besan, orange food color, and baking powder and mix well.
Now, add water/milk and using a whisk mix it well and prepare a lump-free and dropping consistency batter(if needed add water).
Hold the strainer right above the kadhai and pour the batter into the strainer. Start tapping the strainer with a spoon, and you can see small drops of boondi falling in the hot oil.
Once done remove boondis from oil and place them on a paper napkin to absorb excess oil.
Pulse boondi in a food processor or grind it to make fine Motichur Ladoo.
To Prepare Sugar Syrup :
In a pan combine sugar, few saffron strands, orange food color, lemon juice, and water.
Boil till it is reduced in quantity and has reached one string consistency.
To check one string consistency, take some cooled off sugar syrup in between your fingers, press and now open your fingers if it forms a thick string between your fingers without breaking - sugar syrup is ready to use.
To Assemble Motichur Laddu :
To the sugar syrup add, pumpkin seeds, cashews, pistachios and fried and grinded boondi and mix till the mixture is well blended.
Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes, sugar syrup is entirely absorbed by boondi.
Now apply some ghee in your hands and shape them.
Tadaa, moist and delicious Motichoor Laddu are ready to serve. Enjoy!!!
My Take :
To get one string consistency of sugar syrup, it will take 5-7 minutes.
The batter should be of dropping consistency as shown in the video.
Addition of lemon juice helps to prevent sugar syrup from crystallizing.
While straining boondi, strainer should be a couple of inches above the oil.
Add milk to boondi mixture if the mixture is dry.
To check sugar syrup one string consistency, take some liquid on the back of a spoon and if it coats the spoon without dripping means sugar syrup is ready.
Dietary Comment:
It makes 14 servings. Based on a 2000 calorie diet. Per serving contains 165 calories, along with carbohydrates - 20.54 g, dietary fibers - 1.2 g, fats - 8.7 g, proteins - 2.31 g.
Good Time To Eat: It is good to eat motichur ladoo as a dessert.
Hello Foodies, Diwali is around the corner and have you decided that what are you making to give a gift
for your loved ones on this coming Diwali? Here is one gifting idea that is eggless flower cookies. So this Diwali gift your loved ones these simple and easy-to-prepare eggless flower cookies. Homemade gifts are a perfect way to express your love to your near and dear ones. This is one of the yummiest snacks that you and your family can munch on this Diwali. Diwali faral and as we saw how to prepare homemade moong dal and wheat flour chakli, now it's time to start with some sweets, so this crispy, crunchy, and yet very soft and melt in mouth delicacy that is flower cookies or flower shankarpali. It is a tried and tested foolproof recipe. To make it smoother and delicious, I have added milk powder and it turned out very well. I always enjoy this sweet delicacy by dipping into hot tea, have you tried it before?. It tastes heavenly when dipped in a hot tea and it is my all-time favorite tea-time snack. So let's give it a try.
In a bowl add milk and powdered sugar mix well till sugar gets dissolved in milk and keep aside.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl add all-purpose flour/maida, milk powder, salt, and yeast (Baking Powder), mix all well.
Now, into mixed flour add butter and mix butter into
flour very well.
Add milk and sugar mixture to the flour slowly and keep mixing and knead to make a soft dough.
Cover and Keep aside for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes dust the working surface with flour, take some dough portions and roll the dough into a thick circle.
Use a flower-shaped cookie
cutter to give it a flower shape (I have used 2 types and 3 sizes of cookie-cutter).
Use milk to stick the flower layers over each other and deep pumpkin seed into milk and press into the center of the flower.
Heat oil in a pan and drop flower carefully into the hot oil and fry it on a low to medium flame(Fry in batches).
Deep fry till they attain a golden brown color.
Remove the fried cookies and place them on the kitchen towel.
Once cool, place them in an airtight container.
Here, sweet and crispy flower cookies are ready to serve. Enjoy!!!
My Take :
If you don't have a flower cookie cutter, then you may use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut into 1/2" width long horizontal strips. Cut these strips vertically so that you achieve diamond cuts.
The addition of milk powder makes cookies very crispy and layered.
If the dough is too soft, then add more flour and If the dough is too stiff, add milk or water and knead to make a soft dough.
If you want to avoid deep-fried, then you can bake flower cookies by preheating the oven at 180 C for 10 minutes and baking for 10-12 minutes.
Dietary Comments:
Based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Per serving contains 90 calories, along with carbohydrates - 9.89 g, fats - 5.18 g, proteins - 1.5 g.
Good Time To Eat : It's good to eat as a dessert or snacks.
How to Make Moong Dal +Whole Wheat Flour Chakali in Instant Pot
Hello Foodies, Chakli is one of my favorite snacks, either it's made up of rice(murukku), multigrain
(bhajnichi), butter, wheat flour, and many more versions. Moong Dal Chakli is a crispy and delicious snack that is prepared during Diwali in all households in India. Making Chaklis is a little time consuming, but I have found a new way, yes Instant Pot way and it's a really a very easy and perfect way to prepare it by using Instant Pot, with no mess. It is an ideal snack with evening tea.
From all the versions, today I have used moong dal and whole wheat combination(i know its healthier version, right?). It tastes so good and very similar to traditional bhajanichi chakli. It is crispy, tasty and perfectly done and so addictive that you just can’t stop at one. This chakli is the most favorite crunchy snack in India, specially prepared in every house during Diwali along with many other delicacies.
Chakli is also known as चकली(chakali) in Marathi, ಚಕ್ಕುಲಿ chakuli in Kannada, Gujarati - Chakri, Telugu - chakralu, and Konkani - Chakri. There are various methods to make chakli. Murukku, a similar recipe of chakli typically made with rice flour. Kadboli is a similar recipe as chakli, but the only difference is that the Kadboli is shaped by hand instead of an extruder. Bhajnichi Chakli is made as a part of the Diwali faral (Diwali snacks & sweets) in Maharashtra. This moong dal and wheat flour chakli turned out very crispy (कुरकुरीत), crunchy. So give it a try and make this snack more healthy and tasty.
To Cook Moong Dal in Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot:
Wash moong dal and add 1 Cup of water.
Turn on Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water to
the pot and place Moong dal pan with trivet.
Close the lid, place vent on sealing position, and select manual mode(high) for 8 minutes.
NPR for 10 minutes and release the remaining pressure manually.
Let the moong dal cool completely, then transfer cooked moong
dal to the grinder or food processor and grind to make a fine paste.
To Cook Wheat Flour:
Put the wheat flour in a muslin/cotton cloth, tie it and steam it for 15 minutes by using the steam function of the instant pot.
NPR for 10 Minutes then release remaining
pressure manually.
Untie the cloth and transfer the cooked Wheat flour into the mixing bowl or plate.
Big cake pieces of flour will be formed, so you can break it all with your hand and sieve the cooked flour.
To Prepare Dough for Chakli:
In a mixing bowl add flour, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin, and coriander powder, asafoetida, salt, carom seeds, and sesame seeds and mix well.
Now add cooked moong dal paste into the flour and knead to make a dough by adding water(add water as needed).
To Make Chakli:
Now, grease chakli press (shevga/ mold/utensil) with oil and stuff enough dough into chakli extruder(utensil).
Place an aluminum foil or parchment paper and roll the utensil with the handle and move into a circular motion to make chakli(as shown in the video).
Once done, fry chakli on medium flame, until it turns into golden color(Keep it on kitchen napkin to remove excess oil).
Here, crispy and tasty chakli is ready to serve. Enjoy!!!
My Take:
If you don't have Instant Pot in your hand, you may use an Indian pressure cooker to Cook Moong dal(make 4 whistles) and to steam wheat flour(steam for 15 Minutes).
If you don’t have chakli press/ mold, then you can just use piping bags using a star nozzle.
For more healthy recipes, you can refer to my Recipe Index / Archive here, and you can follow me at INSTAGRAM or PINTEREST or like the blog’s FACEBOOK PAGE to keep abreast of my future posts.
Dietary Comments :
Based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Per serving contains 50 calories, along with carbohydrates - 6.8 g, dietary fibers - 1.2 g, fats - 2 g, proteins - 1.57 g.
Health Benefits of Mugachi Chakli(Moong Dal Chakli):
They are packed with potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber, and vitamins.
Protein - mung beans have high protein content it can be easily consumed by vegans and vegetarians to fulfill their protein needs.
Beans have a cold properties, which can further help to protect our body from a hot temperature in summer.
Anemia - Being rich in iron, the consumption of mung beans on a daily basis can help your body recover from iron deficiencies like anemia.
Good Time To Eat :
It's good to eat Chakli as snacks.
Hello Foodies, The addition of pulses like the moth, moong, masoor, in your everyday diet is a wonderful
idea most especially if your daily activities are strenuous. Moth Beans are low in calories, have fiber and B vitamins, and deliver a boost of vitamins C and K.They’re filled with fiber and are fat-free, especially the mung bean version, which is why they’re a filling, healthy option. Enjoy them with any salad or sandwich, or try them with your favorite flatbread. Being rich in protein, moth beans are good at building muscles and providing energy. Moth beans yield a good amount of magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, copper, sodium, and zinc.
Video Recipe:
Ingredients:
Matki, sprouted moth beans, 1 Cup
Onion 1 medium, chopped
Tomato 1 small, chopped
Garlic 3 cloves, crushed
Red Chilli Powder 1 Tbsp
Goda Masala 1 Tsp
Turmeric powder 1 Tsp
Salt 1 Tsp
Cumin seeds 1 Tsp
Mustard seeds 1 Tsp
Curry leaves 10-12
Coriander leaves 2 Tbsp
Veg.Oil 2 Tsp
Water as needed
Instructions:
Heat oil in a kadhai and splutter cumin and mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Now add garlic and chopped onion and cook until it becomes translucent.
Add tomatoes, red chili powder, goda masala, turmeric powder, and salt and mix well.
Now add ¼ cup of water and sprouted moth beans and stir well.
Cover and cook for 6-7 minutes or until moth beans cook well.
Garnish with coriander leaves and matkichi usal is ready to serve. Enjoy!!!
Dietary Comment:
Based on a 2000 calorie diet. It makes 4 servings. Per serving contains 140 calories, along with carbohydrates - 22 g, fats - 4 g, proteins - 7 g
Health Benefits of sprouted moth beans stir fry :
Bone Health: Calcium and Phosphorus present in moth beans helps in making the bones stronger and preventing osteoporosis from striking.
Weight loss: Being high in protein, moth beans are perfect for weight loss diets, because they help in increasing muscle mass, which causes the burning of a lot of calories all the time.
Moth beans are loaded with fiber, which helps to promote regular bowel movement.
Moth beans also lower the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
Boosts up the immune system and helps in the growth and development of the body.
Good Time To Eat : It's good to eat moth beans stir fry or matkichi Usal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Hello Friends, Kojagiri Purnima is around the corner and to celebrate this kojagiri Purnima prepare
this delicious rice kheer(Pudding). Kojagiri Purnima is the harvest festival celebrated in the Hindu month of Ashvin(Sept or Oct). There is a tradition of preparing masala milk, varieties of kheer(pudding) on Kojagiri Purnima. There is a ritual that, the night of Kojagiri Purnima masala milk, kheer is kept under the moonlight throughout the night, and the next day the milk and kheer are distributed as prasad. Rice puddings are found in nearly every area of the world. Recipes can greatly vary even within a single country. There are two basic ways to make this creamy dessert that is, baking and boiling. I found making rice pudding in instant pot(boiling method) is very easy. Over the weekend my husbands some friends came to meet us. So for them, I wanted to make a dessert, and one of his friends follows a vegan diet, so I came up with this delicious, creamy vegan rice pudding. Its loaded with coconut milk, rose flavor and has a sweetness of jaggery. This dessert is so nutritious, and it's best to eat as breakfast, as a dessert. It is also a good option if you're following a gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian diet. This recipe covers approx. 10% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. The addition of coconut milk and jaggery to sabudana kheer adds the protein and iron content, making it a more nutritious dish.
Dry fruits 2 Tbsp, chopped(almonds, cashews, pistachios, and raisins)
Instructions:
Press saute function of instant pot and add coconut oil.
Now, add washed rice, coconut milk, water, salt, chopped dry fruits, and rose essence and mix all well.
Close the lid and place the vent on sealing position and turn off saute function.
Turn on porridge function and cook for 20 minutes and then NPR.
Now, turn on saute mode and add jaggery and mix well.
Add ½ cup of coconut milk and cook for a couple of minutes.
Here, creamy, vegan Rice pudding or kheer is ready to serve.
Garnish with chopped pistachios and serve hot or chilled. Enjoy!!!
My Take:
You may replace coconut milk and oil by adding cow's milk and ghee respectively.
You may add cardamom powder/ nutmeg/cinnamon to flavor the pudding or kheer instead of rose essence.
You may cook the rice using manual mode for 20 minutes.
Instead of jaggery, you can add sugar or condensed milk too.
Dietary Comments:
Based on a 2000 calorie diet. It makes 9 servings. Per serving contains 140 calories, along with carbohydrates - 19 g, fats - 5.44 g, proteins - 2.5 g.
Health Benefits of Rice Kheer / Rice Pudding:
It provides instant energy, as it is high in carbohydrates.
It helps to prevent constipation, by activating digestive enzymes, which helps in digestion of food.
It helps to flush out toxins from the body, it acts as a detox.
Purifies blood - jaggery has the ability to purify the blood. When consumed on a regular basis and in limited quantities, it cleanses the blood, leaving your body healthy.
Anemia - Jaggery is rich in iron and folate which help prevent anemia by ensuring that a normal level of red blood cells is maintained. This is especially beneficial for pregnant women.
Boost Immunity - It is loaded with antioxidants and minerals which helps to protect against infection.
Coconut milk nourishes the digestive lining due to its electrolytes and healthy fats, improving gut health and preventing conditions like IBS.
Good Time To Eat: It's good to eat rice pudding as a dessert or for breakfast and lunch.
Hello Foodies, Happy Dasara to all of you. Dasara is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navratri every year. It is
observed on the tenth day in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin. Dasara is also known as Vijayadashami, Dashahra, Dussehra or Dashain. It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Indian subcontinent. Today on the occasion of Dasara festival, I am sharing Maharashtrian Kadakani recipe. This is specially prepared at the time of Dasara. Along with kadkani, there are other shapes or ornaments are also offered to Goddess as a part of a tradition. You can enjoy these crispy pooris as a snack or other times too. Kadakani should not puff up like poori, they should be crispy, thin. So let's start.
In a bowl mix all purpose flour, semolina, cardamom powder.
Now, add hot oil and powdered sugar and mix well.
By adding water knead to make a soft dough.
Apply oil and keep it aside for 15 minutes.
Divide dough in equal portion and roll poori from each dough ball.
Roll poori as thin as possible and using fork make holes on the rolled puri(Kadakani should not puff up like poori).
Heat oil on medium heat and fry poori until it gets light golden color from both sides(Fry kadakani on low to medium heat).
Dietary Comment :
Based on a 2000 calorie diet.Per serving contains 80 calories, along with carbohydrates - 11.12 g, fats - 3.69 g, proteins - 2 g. Good Time To Eat: It is good to eat Kadakani as a dessert. Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy!!!
Hello Foodies, Festival season is going on, and today I am sharing one more fasting or festival recipe that
is coconut kheer / naralachi kheer. Kheer is prepared in festivals, temples, weddings, and all special occasions. Kheer is a milk pudding, made by boiling rice, coconut, broken wheat, tapioca, or vermicelli with milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios or almonds. I have prepared this kheer and have added jaggery instead of white sugar as a sweetener, it is an interesting and delicious version. It is typically served during a meal or as a dessert. It is also known as payasam and phirni. It is offered to Hindu deities as a prasadam. Coconut kheer is a delicious recipe prepared with fresh coconut simmered in milk and flavored with cardamom. Do try coconut kheer this festive season.
Now add grated fresh coconut into milk and cook till the milk comes to boil again(stir regularly with a spoon).
Add dry fruits, cardamom powder, and nutmeg powder into the kheer and cook till it turns thick.
Stir frequently to prevent kheer from sticking at the base.
Now, coconut and milk have blended well together, turn off the flame, let the Kheer cool down.
Meanwhile in a bowl mix water and jaggery well.
Once Kheer cools completely, sieve jaggery mixture into the Kheer and stir well.
Tadaa, Coconut Kheer is ready, garnish with almonds and saffron strands. Enjoy!!!
Dietary Comment:
Based on a 2000 calorie diet. It makes 6 servings. Per serving contains 190 calories, along with carbohydrates - 19.67 g, dietary fibers - 2.3 g, fats - 11.06 g, proteins - 5.52 g.
Health Benefits of Coconut Kheer:
Digestion: Improves digestion and absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
Coconut has antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antiparasitic properties.
Provides a natural source of quick energy.
Skin: Helps keep hair and skin healthy, prevents wrinkles, sagging skin and provides sun protection.
Heart: Reduces risk of heart health and improves HDL(good cholesterol).
Good Time To Eat: It is good to eat coconut kheer as a dessert.
Hello Foodies, Sabudana ladoos are perfect for those who have a sweet tooth. Prepare these ladoos in
just 15 minutes and enjoy them during this Navratri fast. You can offer it as prasad as well as eat it as faral. This ladoos has the goodness of sabudana and flavored with cardamom. It gives you instant energy that you need when you are fasting.
Preparation and Cooking Time: 15 Minutes.
YouTube:
Ingredients :
Sabudana flour 1 Cup
Powdered Sugar ½ Cup
Ghee 2 Tbsp
Cardamom powder 1 Tsp
Milk 3-4 Tbsp
Almonds for Garnishing
Instructions :
Heat ghee in a pan and add sabudana flour and roast for
8-10 minutes on medium to low flame.
Take roasted sabudana flour in a bowl and let it cool.
Add cardamom powder and powdered sugar and milk and mix all.
Now, roll to make ladoos and garnish with almonds. Enjoy!!!
Dietary Comment:
Based on a 2000 calorie diet. It makes 9 servings. Per serving contains 80 calories, along with carbohydrates - 15.28 g, dietary fibers - 0.22 g, fats - 2.67 g, proteins - 0.36 g.
Hello Foodies, Sweet potatoes are a nutritious and delicious root vegetable, which can be Eat during
traditional Indian fasts like Navratri, Shivratri, Janmashtami, and many more. Sweet Potatoes adds a natural sweetness and an amazingly creamy texture along with that they also add some fiber, protein, and nutrients. They are creamy and soft to be an ingredient in several pie recipes. Now it's festival season is, it is the perfect time to use sweet potatoes to make some festival fasting treats! It's naturally gluten-free and vegan.
I have used jaggery for sweetness, and it is super easy to make, requiring just 3 main ingredients and dry fruits for garnishing. Also, it's naturally, gluten-free and dairy-free too. Let's get Started!
Hello Foodies, Happy Navratri festival to all of you. Enjoy this Navratri festival by trying something new, something yummy, tangy and
chatpata snack or breakfast that is fasting Dahi Vadas or Dahi Bhalla. These dahi vadas are healthy, tasty and top of all its non-fried version. Prepare these vadas in just 1 tbsp oil. Dahi vada is one of the most popular snacks in India.
This Navratri I have tried different fasting food, and this dahi vada is one of them, prepared this dahi vada using potatoes. I used arrowroot as a binding agent. Instead of frying, I have prepared them in an appe pan and used just 1 tbsp oil. Then I served vadas with prepared creamy yogurt, fasting chutneys and garnished it with coriander leaves.
In a bowl combine boiled and mashed potatoes, arrowroot powder, green chilies, ginger, cumin seeds, red chili powder, salt, and coriander leaves.
Mix well and make a dough.
Divide the dough into equal portions and make small size balls and roll them in the arrowroot.
To Fry Vada in Appe Pan:
Now, heat the appe pan over medium flame and add a few drops of oil in each of the grooves.
Place the prepared small balls of the potato mixture in each of the molds.
Cover it and cook for 2 to 3 minutes and when the underside begins to brown turn the vada to the other side.
Flip the vadas over and allow it to cook on all sides evenly.
As it cooks, continue to turn it until all sides are entirely brown.
Meanwhile, In a bowl add yogurt, sugar, and salt and beat the yogurt until it turns creamy.
To Serve Dahi Vade :
In a plate place cooked vadas and pour yogurt, dates-jaggery chutney, and green chutney.
Now, sprinkle red chili powder and salt to the pulp.
Add fasting green chutney and coriander leaves.
Yummy and tasty upvasache dahi vade are already. Enjoy!!!
My Take :
You can use sabudana flour or varai or shingada or rajgira flour instead of arrowroot.
You can deep fry the vadas or roll them into cutlets and shallow fry.
If you think the curd is thick, you can add water or milk to make it thinner.
Drizzle some more oil at intervals, only if needed or if the vadas are sticking to the sides of the pan.
Dietary Comment :
Based on a 2000 calorie diet.
It makes 12 servings.
Per serving contains 40 calories, along with carbohydrates - 6.8 g, dietary fibers - 1 g, fats - 1.2 g, proteins - 0.57 g.
Health Benefits of dahi vada :
Excellent source of Fiber: The high fiber content helps in preventing constipation, excess gas, bloating and cramping.
It is a good source of protein, and at the same time, it contains fewer calories.
Gluten-free: It is an appropriate food for patients who are intolerant to gluten.
Arrowroot is gluten-free and can be used as a direct substitute for cornstarch for folks with corn allergies.
A 1 serving of upvasache dahi vade has 40 calories and 1 g of dietary fibers.
Minerals like calcium, iron and some others are contained by potatoes and yogurt which helps in the improvement of joints and bones.
Good Time To Eat :
It is good to eat dahi vada for breakfast, lunch and evening snacks.
