Badam Besan Ka Halwa - Almond and Chickpea flour Pudding

Let me warn you this Badam Besan Ka Halwa is sinful, but you don't want to commit a sin by not eating it too! My Badam Besan Ka Halwa is rich and divine but is surprisingly easy to make.  It is enriched with nutty ground almonds, Mawa, aromatic spices and a generous amount of desi ghee. In result, this halwa turned out so delicious, fluffy, velvety and melt in your mouth. This is a real treat for any festivals, celebrations or get together.  

Besan Ka halwa is a classic north Indian sweet which is prepared with only Chickpea or Gram flour (a.k.a. Besan) milk and sugar, but my mum always prepared this halwa with Mawa or Khoya as she was very much fond of using khoya in her cooking and also I learnt something else from her that if you want your besan halwa to not stick in your mouth, roast chick pea flour properly and don't rush. Maybe this recipe is easy to prepare but will take time and patience.

More Chick Pea Flour Recipes-> MohanThaal ( chickpea flour fudge) | Lachko MohanThaal ( Chickpea flour pudding) | Besan para (Spicy Chickpea flour crackers) | Ghotma Ladoo | Nimbu-Mari Sev (Chickpea flour noodles) | Palak, Beet, Masala Boondi (Spicy Spinach, Beetroot Gram flour Pearls) |Fulwadi Ni Kadhi ( Spicy Yogurt and Chickpea flour soup)

Last week daughter had an exam, so I wanted her to have fresh food during her exam. She just wanted to eat Badam(Almond) Ka halwa with Chickpea curry and Paratha. Once I put the phone down, I thought about making Badam Besan Ka Halwa as I thought that alongside feeding my daughter, my blog needed some feeding too with new recipes! So I prepared few dishes which are favourite of hers and took with us. She immensely enjoyed it and so did my whole family too.

My daughter's other favourite dishes-> Kala Jamun | Ras Malai | Paneer and Vegetable Makhni Dum Biryani | Herby Tofu Kebab and Orange Salad | Dakor Na Gota

Now that are so many Indian festivals are lined up for us in next couple of months, I am sure many of you are searching traditional and innovative recipes, how about trying this one? It's a real soul satisfying treat!

Notes:-
For vegan option omit khoya, milk and ghee, use dairy free products such as coconut oil and dairy free milk.

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Badam Besan Ka Halwa

by Jagruti July-31-2017

Badam Besan Ka Halwa is a rich and delicious Indian Sweet, which is perfect for any celebrations or occasions. It is prepared with ground almonds, chick pea flour, khoya, sugar and milk and garnished with rich nuts, saffron and edible gold leaf. It's a real soul satisfying treat!

Ingredients

• 250g Chick pea flour
• 150g Ground almond
• 150g Grated Khoya or mawa -Recipe here
• 150 ml milk
• 250g Sugar
• 200g Desi Ghee - Recipe here 
• 1/2 tsp. Cardamom and Nutmeg powder
• Big pinch Saffron threads
• 2-3 tbsp. Pistachio and Almond slivers
• Edible gold leaf ( optional)
• Edible flowers ( optional)

Instructions

In a heavy bottom pan heat ghee and add chick pea flour.Keep the heat very low and roast the flour, make sure flour doesn't burn.Keep stirring the flour, until you get the beautiful aroma of roasting flour and flour changes its colour to light brown.Now add almond flour and roast the mix for another couple of minutes.Then add grated khoya and keep stirring the mixture for few minutes.Add milk and keep stirring the mixture continuously to make sure that mixture stays smooth. Once the mixture gets slightly thicker, add sugar.Mix well and keep stirring the mixture until halwa reaches the right consistency. Add cardamom and nutmeg powder.Serve hot in a serving bowl, garnish it with saffron threads, slivers , flowers and gold leaf.Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 35 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 6-8 servings

Farali Cassava and Peanut Stir fry - Farali Mogo Peanut Bhaji

Moriyo Phool Makhana Kheer-Barnyard Millet and Fox Nuts Pudding

This deliciously creamy Moriyo Phool Makhana Kheer (sweet thickened milk with Barnyard Millet and Fox Nuts) recipe is a sweet dish. It is a quick and comfort dish which can be enjoyed on fasting days such as Shravan Month, Gokulasthmi, Navratri or Mahashivratri. This rich and creamy kheer is prepared with Moriyo also known as Sama, Samo or Vrat ke Chawal and Makhane aka Fox Nuts, flavoured with cardamom, nutmeg and added nuts halfway through then garnished with almond and pistachio slivers.These added flavoures and textures make an already creamy kheer even more delicious!

More Kheer Recipe -> Shahi Mango paneer Kheer (can be consumed on fasting day) | Date and Pear Moriyo Kheer | Carrots and Fox Nuts Kheer | Doodhpaak | Garvanu-Gujarati Semolina Kheer | Beetroot Kheer | Meethi Boondi Kheer

The holy month of Shravan is here, it is the holiest and auspicious month of the Hindu year. This month is dedicated to Lord Shiva, not only devotees of Lord Shiva but followers from Sanatan Dharma around the world observes austerities, fast and prayers to purify the mind, the senses, the body and the soul. Also in this month, various big festivals such as Naag Panchami, Shitla Saatam, Raksha Bandhan, Janamasthmi and Hindola are celebrated with zeal.

While I was growing up in India, I used to wait eagerly for the month of Shravana. Obviously, there are plenty of festivals lined up in this month, means so many delicious and gorgeous yummy treats were on the table.

As far as I know, my mum never observed any fast in the month of Shravan, and I followed same, however, sometimes I love to indulge in delicious fasting dishes. So here I am with Moriyo Phool Makhana Kheer! Some make a kheer with just Moriyo and you can also make it with just Phool Makhana. But I have combined Moriyo+Phool Makhana and made one kheer out of both. This experiment paid off and the results were very pleasing!!!

More fasting Recipe -> Must Try Vrat Ka Khana 

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Moriyo Phool Makhana Kheer

by Jagruti July-22-2017

Moriyo and Makhana Kheer, so easy to prepare and it is luscious, ideal to consume during fasting but you may enjoy it anytime!

Ingredients

• 50g Moriyo-Barnyard Millet
• 50g Phool Makhana-Fox Nuts
• 1ltr Milk
• 1 Tbsp. Ghee
• 150g Sugar
• pinch Cardamom and nutmeg powder
• 2 Tbsp. Almond and Pistachio slivers
• 2 Tbsp. Cashew Nuts
• Pinch Saffron threads

Instructions

Clean, wash and soak barnyard millet in cold water and leave it aside for 5 minutes.In a heavy bottom pan heat ghee and lightly roast fox Nuts until crispy.Remove fox nuts and add milk in the same pan.Bring the milk to boil and add soaked millet ( discard the water) and let it cook. keep stirring continuously.In a mixer grind the roasted fox nuts, don't make powder keep it coarse.Once you see milk getting thicker, add coarsely fox nuts.Now add sugar and continue cooking the kheer for another 5 minutes.Add saffron, cashews, cardamom and nutmeg powder.After a couple of minutes turn off the heat.Serve kheer in a serving bowl and garnish it with almond and pistachio slivers.Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes total time: 20 mins Yield: 6 servings

Barbecued Halloumi and Mushroom Skewers

Hello, Weekend! I am so excited to introduce to you my new recipe Barbecued Halloumi and Mushroom Skewers which I conjured up recently. These Halloumi and Mushroom Skewers are simply delicious. It's spicy and tangy sauciness infuses every bite with lip smacking deliciousness. These char-grilled skewers make the perfect treat for any BBQ. I bet this drool-worthy dish may also be enjoyed as much by non-vegetarians as much as the vegetarians.

It's summer in my neck of the woods, the sun is constantly shining although temperatures are not high as used to be and we hardly have seen much rain this year, actually just a couple of days ago we received a flyer from the water board company asking us to start saving the water. We try in every way.

Summer screams BBQ parties, and we keep up with it, every few weeks my other half loves to fire a BBQ. Tell you the truth I battle scorching sun and can't stand BBQ in very very hot weather, so we look out those days when the sun is still shining but temperatures are little lower. Past week has been perfect for us and couple of times we enjoyed BBQ meal with friends and family.

More BBQ Recipes-> Barbecued Sweetcorn Roasted Pepper, Honey and Sumac Salsa dressing | Grilled Corn, Nectarine and Mixed Beans salad

This year in every BBQ that we do, I have been trying to prepare a new dish. In the last BBQ a few days ago I made Halloumi and Mushroom Skewers.This time I chose to use Halloumi Cheese for our BBQ recipe, as sturdy enough to handle and cooked over the coals and doesn't loose its texture.

So in this recipe Halloumi cheese and Button Mushrooms are smothered in lime and chilli sauce, Vita Coco Coconut oil with various spices, I added a tiny bit of Apricot, sweet pepper and Thyme Chutney to bring that glossy glaze, then grilled on hot BBQ grills. I think lime, chilli and coconut combination was splendid. This sticky and tangy glaze brings the cheese and vegetables to life and adds that extra texture, tang and richness to the dish. Serve these delicious skewers on a lightly toasted Flatbread, Pitta Bread or Naan Bread with plenty of Chilli Hummus, fresh salads and yogurt or it is so good on its own just don't forget to squeeze some extra lime juice.

Notes:-
Instead of Halloumi, you can use Paneer or vegan can choose Tofu.
Any flavoured Hummus can be used.

My recipe is prepared for entry to the Foodies100/Vita Coco #ReachfortheBeach Competition.

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Barbecued Halloumi and Mushroom Skewers

by Jagruti July-15-2017

These Halloumi and Mushroom skewers served on flatbread alongside with healthy hummus and fresh salad, creates a delicious and fresh meal.

Ingredients

• 400g Halloumi Cheese Cubed
• 250g Button Mushroom
• 150g Baby Tomato
• 150g Courgette Cubed
• 1 Green capsicum Cubed
• Bamboo Skewers soaked in water for half an hour
• Marinate
• 1/4 cup Vita Coco Coconut Oil
• 2 tbsp. Apricot, Sweet pepper and Thyme Chutney or Honey
• 1/2 tsp. Lime zest
• 2 tbsp. Lime Juice
• 2 Red Chili finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp. Ground Cumin
• Pinch Red Chilli flakes
• Pinch Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp. Finely chopped fresh corinder
• To Serve 
• 4-6 Flatbread or naan
• 150g Hummus ( I used chilli  Hummus )
• 5-6 tbsp. Thick yogurt
• Fresh salad ( I used tomato, cucumber,raddish, spring onion and romain lettuce
• Lime wedges
• Left over marinate 

Instructions

In a large glass bowl add all the marinate ingredients and mix well.Add Halloumi cheese, tomato, mushroom, courgette and capsicum. Leave at least one hour or up to 5-6 hours.Thread cheese and vegetables on bamboo skewers.Grill cheese and vegetable skewers until lightly charred on the barbecue turning skewers occasionally. Transfers the skewers on the plate and remove it from the bamboo skewers.Now lightly charred the flatbread on the barbecue, and spread it with Hummus.Top with cheese and vegetable skewers and salads.Garnish with coriander and lime wedges and drizzle of the left over marinade and yogurt.Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 2 hour Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 2 hour 20 mins Yield: for 4 people

Avocado, Basil and Orange Pesto

Raise your hand if you would love a recipe which is super duper easy to prepare and very healthy and can be made with simple ingredients, here it is, Avocado, Basil and Orange Pesto and I can vouch for it. This recipe is delicious and combines flavours in a way that knocks your socks off.

This vegan, healthy and delicious pesto recipe of mine has a twist,  my best-kept secret, have you noticed? you are right yes, this creamy avocado and basil pesto is blended with pure orange juice. Everything paired so well, It is so refreshing and a light recipe for summer days.

More Pesto Recipes-> Vegan kale Pesto | Hemp Seeds, Basil and Corainder Pesto | Parsley Walnut Pesto | Avocado pesto

Not only orange juice provides a refreshing citrusy flavour to this pesto but keeps avocados from turning brown because the citric acid from the orange juice slows down the oxidation. I wanted to prepare this pesto recipe for my daughter to take with her but was worried that it won't  stay fresh, but she suggested me to look at my recipe Avocado Dill Cream which I prepared with Orange Juice.

We love to binge on Avocados, whatever the weather or any meal time. Avocado is an all rounder ingredient that you can.almost whip up anything with it.  During cooler days Warm Stuffed Avocado or Avocado and Fenugreek Paratha makes an excellent lunch when we crave for something hot and tasty. Healthy and refreshing Avocado salads are always a hit in my house such as Avocado, Black Beans and Tortilla Salad , Avocado and Strawberry salad with Honey Vinaigrette  and Sprouted Mung Beans, Sorghum, Avocado and spinach salad with Green Chutney dressing.

More Avocado Recipes-> Pistachio, Avocado Butter Toast with Roasted Mushroom and Tomato | Cinnamon Buckwheat Porridge with Avocado and Berries | Guacamole 

This pesto recipe is our latest addiction, we used it as a sandwich filling, it adds a tons of flavours. You can also spread on toasts and mix it in pasta too, it's just finger licking good.

Don't forget to sign up for email updates to get new recipes delivered right to your inbox. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+. So follow us if you can...We would love to keep in touch with you all:)

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Avocado, Basil and Orange Pesto

by Jagruti July-11-2017

This easy and simple recipe for healthy pesto is totally vegan and features avocado, basil and orange, so easy to whip up!

Ingredients

• 1 Ripe Avocado
• 5-6 tbsp. Fresh basil leaves
• 60 ml Orange juice
• 3 tbsp. Pine Nuts
• 2 Garlic Clove
• 2 tbsp. Vegan Parmesan cheese or Nutritional Yeast
• per taste Salt and black pepper

Instructions

Add everything in a food processor and process until everything is smooth.If pesto is too thick add little more orange juice.Transfer into a jar and store in a refrigerator or freeze it for later use.

Details

Prep time: 2 mins Cook time: 2 mins Total time: 4 mins Yield: 1 small jar

Coconut, Pineapple Thai Fried Rice

This great tropical flavoured Coconut, Pineapple Thai Fried Rice is incredibly delicious and this fantastic recipe is a keeper!  It's a treat for your taste buds. This dish is perfect for small get together or on a lazy weekend where you don't have to work too hard to cook something delicious.

I love everything about this recipe. it's a perfect combination, flavourful and easy to prepare. There is a little surprise sweetness from the pineapple, a bit of creaminess from the coconut and mild spiciness derived from the Thai Curry paste,  and by adding little lime juice and coriander enhances the flavours and lightly roasted cashew adds a bit of crunch. So many amazing flavours, textures and ingredients in one dish which makes this rice extra special. Moreover, this rice is completely vegan and gluten free itself, which adds an extra point to this dish.

We Love Rice, although we try to cut down on it, occasionally good flavoured rice dishes have always been appreciated by the family, I just need to prepare some fresh salad and raita to make a complete meal. This Beetroot, Tofu and English Mustard rice, a wholesome one pot meal is a great choice for a lunch or dinner or this easy peasy Green Peas and Potato Rice is a great comfort food and always makes me so cosy. This Coconut, Pineapple Thai Fried Rice is no exception!

More Rice Recipes-> Coconut and Almond Rice | Green Peas and Mint Rice |Khada Masala Bhat(Rice Cooked with Whole Spices) | Raw Mango Rice | Tawa Rice-Pulao | Dry Fruits and Nut Pulao

When I prepared Mango Kadhi, I also prepared this rice dish first time and sent it to our daughter who studies away from home. Because I was preparing quite a few dishes same time early in the morning, I decided to prepare fried rice, so most of the preparation for this rice was done on the previous night. Rice turned out incredibly tasty, each mouthful tasted better than the last one and the amazing taste surprised us all. After few days, I received these texts from daughter!


How can I refuse my daughter's requests, all the necessary stock is piled up in my kitchen to prepare this delicious rice once again, all the good reasons since she is coming to see A.R.Rahman in concert this weekend in London too.

So all you readers why don't you prepare the Coconut, Pineapple Thai Fried Rice, maybe it is something different for you to try. I think you'll all like this one!!!

Don't forget to sign up for email updates to get new recipes delivered right to your inbox. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+. So follow us if you can...We would love to keep in touch with you all:)

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Coconut, Pineapple Thai Fried Rice

by Jagruti July-6-2017

This Coconut, Pineapple Thai Fried Rice is incredibly tasty and super easy to make. This Fantastic Recipe is a keeper!

Ingredients

• 500g Basmati Rice ( I used sella basmati)
• 400ml Coconut Milk
• 250g Pineapple chunks
• 2-3 tbsp. Thai Red Curry paste
• 150g Lightly roasted cashew nuts
• 1 Onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. Ginger-garlic Puree
• small bunch Spring onion chopped
• 200g Steamed Mixed vegetables ( carrots, green peas, green beans, corn)
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper Powder
• 1 tsp. Red chilli flakes
• 1 tsp. Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. Lime Juice
• 2-3 tbsp. Fresh coriander leaves
• 2-3 tbsp. Coconut or any other oil

Instructions

Wash rice under water till water runs clean and set aside to soak for half an hour or more.Bring it to boil 200 ml water and coconut milk on a gentle heat.Once coconut mixture starts boiling add rice. Keep the heat on medium.Cover the lid and cook the rice on a low heat and cook as you would do regular rice.Once rice is done, leave to cool and leave it whole night in a refrigerator.Once you are ready to fry the rice, heat oil in a wok or pan.Add onion and ginger-garlic paste.Add steamed vegetables and stir for a couple of minutes.Add roasted cashew nuts and white parts of spring onions.Now add red curry paste, soy sauce, salt, black pepper powder and red chilli flakes.Stir everything and add pineapple chunks.Then add cooked rice, mix everything well.Add lime juice, mix once again.Cook the rice couple of minute but make sure rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.Turn off the heat, garnish the rice with the fresh coriander and green parts of spring onion.Serve hot with extra wedges of lime.Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 10 hour 30 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 11 hour Yield: 4 people

Strawberry, Goats' Cheese and Pistachio Crostini

These Strawberry. Goat's Cheese and Pistachio Crostini, are one of the easiest items you can prepare for any summer occasion. A scrumptious, sweet and savoury, light and refreshing summer appetizer or a snack. These crostinis are loaded with juicy strawberries, creamy and salty goats' cheese and then garnished with lightly toasted pistachio slivers, balsamic, maple syrup and mint leaves. It's a gorgeous summer treat!

Like I said, Crostini is one of the easiest dishes you can prepare in less than 10 minutes. Simply toast or bake some bread with olive oil and pile up with a mixture of ingredients you fancy. This weekend was quite relaxing for us, plenty of cricket matches were scheduled, so while we were watching women's cricket between India and Pakistan, the match between India Vs West Indies was recording on the box. When you are on a binge-watch, you're going to need some snacks and that too quick snacks which you can make in a commercial break. We got little peckish, so I prepared this super tasty crostini and we really enjoyed it, and I quickly clicked a few pics of it.

When I served crostini to my husband, he looked at it and asked me 'You forgot to cut the tops (green leaves) of the strawberries? 'No, I haven't and we are going to eat it too' I replied. 'Are you sure?' he asked. Yes, there is no harm in eating it, recently I've read in one of the articles that instead of tossing out those tops, eat your strawberries whole as these green leaves of strawberries are very healthy and flavourful'  I reassured him. Then we all finished the whole plate of crostini without realising that we also ate strawberry leaves :)

Notes:-
Instead of Maple syrup, you can use honey or agave nectar.
If you decide to use strawberry tops ( green leaves) please wash it carefully with plenty of water.
Don't like the taste of Balsamic Vinegar, omit it.
I had half a punnet of Blueberries, so I decide to use it, maybe you can use this recipe for 4th of July celebrations.

Don't forget to sign up for email updates to get new recipes delivered right to your inbox. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+. So follow us if you can...We would love to keep in touch with you all:)

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Strawberry, Goats Cheese & Pistachio Crostini

by Jagruti July-3-2017

A scrumptious, sweet and savoury, light and refreshing summer appetizer or snack with juicy strawberries, creamy and salty goats' cheese, then garnished with lightly toasted pistachio slivers, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and mint leaves.

Ingredients

• 2 cup Strawberries quartered
• 150g Goats Cheese
• 2 tbsp. Pistachio slivers
• 3-4 tbsp. Blueberries
• 8 slice bread or baguette
• 2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tbsp. Maple syrup
• Pinch salt
• Pinch Black pepper
• 2-3 tbsp. Olive oil

Instructions

Pre heat oven to gas mark 6.Place bread slices on a baking tray, drizzle olive oil on it and bake it for 3-4 minutes on both sides.meanwhile combine cheese, salt and black pepper.Once bread slices are toasted, remove it on a serving dish.Spread the goats' cheese, arrange the berries and sprinkle pistachio slivers. Drizzle some vinegar and maple syrup and garnish it with mint or basil leaves.Serve straight away.Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 7 mins Total time: 12 mins Yield: 4 servings