Gaajar ka Halva ( Carrot pudding)

Gaajar ka halva is a very popular Indian dessert. It has a rich taste and is loaded with nuts. Carrots are rich in vitamin A and has lots of nutritional value.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients
1 kg carrot, washed & grated
1 liter milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 cup nuts (cashews , raisins & almonds)
2-3 tsp butter/ghee

Method

• Take carrots in a heavy bottom pan. Add a tsp of ghee/butter and saute for 2-3 minutes
• Add the milk & let it cook until all the milk is absorbed. This will take 45 minutes to an hour.
• Add the sugar and cardamom powder. This will become little syrupy after the sugar melts. Stir at regular intervals until the sugar is well mixed and all the liquid has evaporated.
• Roast the nuts in the ghee and add it to the carrot mixture.
• This dessert can be served warm OR it can be combined with vanilla icecream.

Methi paratha

Methi (Fenugreek) leaves are rich in iron, vitamins, and minerals. It has a slight bitter taste. It is usually cooked with potatoes and dals , so that the bitter taste can be reduced.

Methi paratha is a kind of roti which is flavored with methi leaves and some spices. The result is soft, spicy, flavorful, nutrition packed yummy meal. It is best accompanied with chundo (shredded sweet mango pickle) and a bowl of sweetened curds.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour (chapati atta)
1/2 cup gramflour (besan)
1 cup methi leaves, chopped fine
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
4 tbsp yogurt (curds)
1 tsp jeera
2 tsp oil
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
Quick preview of all the ingredients before mixing.

Method

• Clean methi leaves and chop them fine.
• Take all the ingredients on a big thali (plate). Mix well and make a soft chapati dough using some warm water. Let it sit for 30 minutes or so.
  
• Make small balls of the dough.
• Start rolling them like chapatis.
• Heat a tava (griddle) and cook them on both sides until you see small brown spots. Brush little oil on both sides.
• Serve hot with chundo and sweetened curds.

Small balls made out of the soft dough.
A single dough ball rolled thin into a round shape
This is how the paratha looks while cooking on the tava/griddleYummy parathas!! Ready to serve with chundo & sweetened curds

Milk payasam

A very easy & simple dessert, but truly a winning recipe for milk lovers. The procedure for this dessert is very simple, but it takes hours & hours if cooked in the traditional way. I have included my trick to speeden up the process and cook it the easy way.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients
1 litre vitamin D milk ( to give a more creamy texture)
2 tbsp basmati rice
1 small can (5 oz) evaporated milk
sugar to taste
cardamom powder to garnish

Method

• Heat milk with the washed rice in a heavy bottom vessel. Once it boils, simmer the heat to low. Let the milk reduce in quantity while simmering for about 45 minutes. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
  
• Add the evaporated milk now and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. This is the trick to speed up the process.
• Add sugar as per taste and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Milk payasam is ready to serve hot. Garnish with the cardamom powder on top.