Healthy Coconut carrot laddus

 

Healthy eating is so important with the health concerns rising. The fast food culture and not much cooking at home is leading to more sugar intake. I like making these bites of light sweetness. They are healthy and can still give you the satisfaction of enjoying a dessert or a small bite with coffee. These are a favourite of my friends and family  

Ingredients

2 cups desiccated coconut flakes

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup almond powder

¼ cup chopped almonds

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar- brown/white

1/4th cup raisins

2-3 cardamoms powdered

1/4th tsp Saffron soaked in milk 

2 tbsp Ghee

Method

1. Add coconut, carrots, almond powder and milk in a pan and keep cooking until almost dry and milk is absorbed. The mixture comes together well.
2. Add raisins, almond pieces, saffron and sugar. Cook till the mixture starts to come together again.
3. Put in ghee and cardamom. Start to cook till the mixture starts to leave the pan. 
4. Pour into a ghee greased plate and roll it 1 cm thick.
5. Cool it for a few hours and cut into squares or roll into small bite size laddus.

Rasgulle

Naram rasgulle

Who doesn't like the soft , spongy, balls of goodness that ooze out the sweet syrup! I just love them! I tried them many times and finally got a hang of it. Here are the soft delights in golden saffron syrup.

Ingredients 

2 lts 1.5 % fat milk

1-2 tbsp vinegar

1 cup sugar

4 cups water

1/5 tsp saffron

2 crushed green cardamom

Method 

Boil milk and add vinegar. Boil till it splits. 

Strain in a cheese cloth and wash in free water to remove flavor of vinegar.

Boil sugar with water in a pressure cooker.

Add saffron and cardamom.

Meanwhile squeeze out water such that excess water is out of the paneer.

Few say it should be kept under weight but I realized that it only makes rasgulla harder. 

Take out the paneer in a bowl or plate. It should be the consistency of soft cream cheese. 

Now mash it well for about 7-10 mins till the paneer comes together like a ball. It becomes creamy and leaves the sides of the bowl.

Make small balls. This should give about 30 small balls. You could make bigger if you like.

The balls should not have lines on them.

Drop them in boiling syrup one by one. Do this in two lots.

Close the pressure cooker and give it a whistle.

Boil for another 3-4 mins on medium flame.

Remove from flame and let it cool on its own.

Open the cooker and add sweeter sugar syrup if you like it sweeter. 

Remove and make the other lot.

Cool in fridge and serve chilled. 

Enjoy the spongy sweet delight!

Kalakand

India is known for its delicious variety in sweets and mithais. Milk is an integral part of most of them and kalakand is one such mithai which is made of milk. Its one of my favorites and I often wondered how I could make it at home as I am very happy cooking various things at home. Here is the recipe I tried which has been adapted from manjula's Kitchen and a facebook page....Ghar ka khana. I made fe changes and the result is absolutely amazing.

My crazy side packed it up with the filmy touch.

Ingredients
Milk                        1.5 kgs
Evaporated milk      300 ml
Vinegar                   1 tsp
Sugar                      100 gms or adjust to taste
Cardamom crushed 1/4 tsp
sliced pistachios and almonds   to sprinkle

Method
Boil the milk and keep about 100 ml aside.
Add vinegar to the rest of the milk and let it split. Drain in cheese cloth.
Wash well so that the sourness reduces.
Crush it.
Boil the evaporated milk and crushed cheese and milk and it shall come together and thicken.
Cook till its thick.
Add sugar and cook till it leaves the sides of the pan.
Pour in a greased tray and leave to set.
Sprinkle the nuts and cardamom on the top and keep for a couple of your hours.
Cut into squares.