Happy Diwali with Badam Halwa

Happy Diwali





Badam Halwa



Badam halwa is a rich & Delicious dessert. My memories of halwa go a long way back . Halwa is one regular sweet which is Favorite to every one at Home. Every year my mother used to prepare Wheat halwa or White Pumpkin Halwa(Poosani). She used to prepare Minimum three variety of Sweet & snacks a week before Diwali . Me and My brother used to eat snacks & sweets instead of regular food. This is one of my own experiments which turned out to big success.Here my recipe


Ingredients:

Badam - 100g
Sugar - 100g
Milk - 1cup
Ghee - 2 table spoon
Cardamom - 2

Preparation method:

1. Soak the almonds in hot water for 7-8 hrs.
2. Peel the skin off the almonds. Blend the almonds into a fine paste using just enough milk as needed to blend.
3. Add the sugar and whip it for a couple of minutes.
4. Heat the ghee in the frying pan on low-medium heat.
5. As the ghee melts, add the almond paste and cook on medium heat, stirring continuously.
6. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens to the consistency of bread batter, and starts leaving the sides of the pan.

7. Add the cardamom powder. Remove the frying pan from the heat.
8. Pour it into the prepared greased pan.
9. Smoothen the surface of the mixture to about a quarter inch thick.



10. Let cool for about 30 minutes until it is just look warm.
11. Cut them into slices,keep it in refrigerator.





I am sending this recipe to Priya's Diwali 2009 contest & sireesha's Sweet series and

Purva's Diwali dhamaka & Sanghi's FIL-Ghee Event




Wish u a Happy & Prosperous Diwali to Every one

Deepawali Sweets - Mundiri Paruppu Nokkal - Sugar Coated Cashew

Deepawali Sweets - Mundiri Paruppu Nokkal - Sugar Coated Cashew

This can not be termed as a wholesome sweet in itself, however Nokkal has its place among the delicacies prepared this season. Put a bowl of Nokkal on the table, and watch it disappear in no time – albeit one by one! Passers by will be tempted and polish it up in no time! Nokkal is nothing but sugar coated or candied cashew nuts which prompt any one to binge. Usually it is stuffed in a cone to make “Paruppu Tengai” which is a must in South Indian weddings.
INGREDIENTS:
Whole cashew nuts – 1 cup
Sugar – 1 cup or the same volume as the nuts.
2 tbsps of ghee or oil to roast the nuts

METHOD:
1. Heat ghee / oil in a pan and roast the cashew nuts to an even golden colour and drain.
2. Dissolve sugar in one cup of water and boil.
4. Add a tsp of milk. This will separate out any scum or impurities along the sides of the pan. This should be scooped with a spoon and discarded.
5. Let the sugar syrup reach one thread consistency.
6. Lower the heat and add the roasted cashew nuts to the syrup.
7. Coat the nuts well with the syrup and spread them on a plate.
8. The nuts will start disappearing from the moment they are roasted! If you are still left with some candied nuts store them in air tight containers when cooled.

Deepawali Sweets - Rawa (Semolina) Halwa

Deepawali Sweets - Rawa (Semolina) Halwa

We may buy or prepare multitudes of sweets for the Deepavali festival. But the festivity is incomplete without a halwa. There are various basic ingredients used in the preparation of halwa, and this time I have used Rawa (semolina) for the same.

INGREDIENTS:
Fine Rawa (Semolina) – 1 cup
Sugar – 2 cups
Ghee – ¼ cup
Edible Saffron colour – ¼ tsp
Cardamom – 2 OR Any essence of your choice – 3 drops
Cashew nuts & Raisins – a few

METHOD:
1. Soak rawa in 1 ½ cups of water for at least 15 minutes.

2. Now knead the with your hand or beat with a whisk till it becomes milky.
2. Boil the sugar with 2 cups of water till it reaches one thread consistency (also called soft ball stage) .
3. Mix in the food colour and blend well.
4. Add the milky rawa and keep stirring.
5. When holes start appearing on the surface and the halwa starts leaving the sides of the pan, blend in the ghee.
6. Mix in the cardamom powder or essence and pour it on a greased tray.
7. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts and raisins.

Scoop out the halwa in cups and relish while warm. Or store the plate in the refrigerator and cut the halwa into pieces when required.