This is my first entry for the Indian Cooking Challenge. I have been thinking to make this since Srivalli posted it but thanks to her last reminder! i just ran to my kitchen, grabbed all the ingredients and started making this after reading her mail.

I have tasted rava laddoo before but i can proudly say the ones i made today was the best LOL!  May be i was reluctant to make it because i thought it might not taste good or whatever.

Here is the recipe from Srivalli. I made minor changes to it and it really really came out yummy!

• Rava / Semolina – 1 cup
• Sugar – 1 cup (i added around 3/4th cup even that was too sweet for me!)
• Ghee – 25 gms
• Milk – 25 ml (i used around 30-40 ml)
• Cardamom powder – a pinch
• Cashew nuts – 10 whole nuts
• Raisins – 10 nos
• Grated fresh coconut – 25 gm
• I added a pinch of salt too.

Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai. Once the ghee is hot enough, simmer the flame and roast cashew nuts and raisins. Once the raisins balloon up, remove. Then roast the grated coconut. Remove once done. Keep all these aside.

Add the remaining ghee and roast the Rava till its well roasted and aroma starts coming out.

In a bowl, take all the roasted Rava, Nuts, Coconut and add the Cardamom powder. Then add the sugar and salt . Mix well.

Then slowly add the warm milk into the bowl. Check if you are able to gather as balls. When you find that milk added is enough to get you laddos, transfer it back to the kadai and cook in sim for 2mins. Mix well and then cover it and let it rest for 2 mins. Then immediately make balls or laddoos.

It came out perfectly but sadly my kiddos were not impressed! They wanted the ‘orange’ laddoo! But my Dh was very happy with the surprise sweet!

I have been thinking to make soething sweet for a long time. And when i had a really large Lauki i thought ok then i’ll make Laki halwa today. This is the first time i’m trying it and this is a combination of 3 recipes i got from google!

i made it like this…

3 cups of grated lauki
1 and half cups of milk
1/2 cup milk maid
3 cardomons
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp ghee
a pinch of salt

Heat ghee in a non stick and add lauki to it. Once its soft and translucent add milk. And cook on slow fire till the milk reduces. As it reduces all a pinch of salt and milkmaid. Mix well. when it reduces again add sugar and mix till its thick. Garnish with almonds and cashew nuts.

I always cool any desserts and home made halwas coz my kiddos like it that way. I hope u guys will like it!!

im sending this entry for the Sweet Series!! Look out for more halwas and burfies in my blog!

Pal in malayalam means milk and vayakka means banana. Its not the normal banana you get all over the world LOL! Kerala has a special type of banana that u can cook and eat. And u can also make many dishes of it even when its raw, half ripe and ripe.

Im glad we get the same type of bananas in Singapore!!! with out it ramazan would not be the same

So this is recipe is the ripe bananas with sago and coconut!

2 ripe kerala bananas
1 cup sago or sabu daana
sugar to taste
salt 1/4 tsp
1 and half cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp fennel seeds or saunf
2-3 shallots

• Cut the bananas in to thin long pieces and boil in a vessel with sufficent water
• Boil the sabu daana with sufficent water seperatly.
• Mean while grind the coconut, fennel seeds and shallots into a thick fine paste.
• When the banana and the sago are cooked and soft combine it into one vessal and add the grinded paste to it and cook again.
• Mix well and serve hot!

This is one of easiest puddings i have ever made! Even if i have an unexpected guest i can make it with in half n hour!!! And its so yummy!!! and my kiddos love it! And most of the ingredients you need for it will be at home all the time!

The recipe..

5 white bread with the sides trimmed off
1 ltr of milk
11/2 tbsps of china grass pwdr
sugar to sprinkle
3/4th tin condensed milk (if u want to make it sweeter u can add the whole tin)
butter to apply on the bread
2-3 drops of vanilla essence (optional)

Boil milk and china grass pwdr together.
Mean while butter both the sides of the bread and sprinkle sugar on both sides.
Arrange it in one layer on a flat dish.
Pour the boiled milk on top of it.
Let it cool and then refridgerate it.
Serve cool…

This entry goes for the Sweet Series hosted at Paajaka

Tomorrow im going to one of my friends house for lunch and i decided to make this for her. First i thought about making kheer but then i though everyone makes kheer… i wanted to make something different!!! Then i thought about puddings… bread or mangoes or what???? Then my darling daughter reminded me i havnt made coconut pudding for a long time.. So i deciede ok thats it! This would be a treat for both… my friend and my kiddos!!!

This is one of the easiest pudding one can make and all u need is very few ingredients!

• 1 litre whole milk or full cream milk
• 3-4 grms of china grass (im still doubtful about the quantity because it was very tough to measure it because its so light!)
• 1 tin milkmaid
• 2 tender coconuts
• dry fruits (cashew and almonds to garnish)

These are the steps

1. Soak the china grass for 1 day in water.
2. Grind the coconut pulp with some coconut water.
3. In a large vessel boil the milk and china grass till it dissolves.
4. Add milkmaid after that.
5. Turn off the flame and add the grinded coconut pulp and rest of the water
6. Shift it to a serving dish and let it cool.
7. When its half cook garnish it with the dry fruits.
8. Cool it before serving..

I hope u all enjoy it.. my kiddos love it!! This entry goes to the cool dessert event!