Carrot Damroot

CARROT DAMROOT

Lavish and traditional Indian weddings are celebrated with various ceremonies spread out through five days or at least for three days. Every meal is an elaborate spread with many dishes accompanied by a special sweet. Damroot has a prominant place in the breakfast spread of a wedding feast. It is usually prepared with ashgourd and is also known as Kashi Halwa.
A famous sweet stall - Bhaghat Ram's - at Bangalore has created a novelty by using carrot instead of ashgourd, and the thought of the Carrot Damroot makes one drool and crave for the exotica!
INGREDIENTS
Carrots - 500 gms
Sugar - 250 gms
Milk - 1/2 lit
Ghee - 4 tbsps
Almond flakes - for garnishing
Saffron strands - a few ( soaked in little warm milk)
Cardamom powder - 1 pinch

METHOD
1. Wash and scrape the carrots.
2. Pressure cook whole carrots along with milk.
3. Mash the cooked carrots using the back of the ladle, or a potato masher and blend well.
4. Transfer the carrot-milk mash to a heavy bottomed kadai (or you can continue cooking in the pressure cooker without the lid, and save washing up one more vessel!!) and cook till the milk evaporates.
5. Add the saffron strands, sugar, ghee and cardamom powder and blend well.
6. Pour this mixture into a greased foil tray or a flat baking tin.
9. Preheat the oven for about 15 minutes.
11. Bake the carrot mixture at 180 degrees in a fan forced oven for about 40 minutes, or until the top starts browning.
12. Remove the tray and decorate with almond flakes or cashewnuts, and bake for another 10 minutes.


Nothing so delicious as serving it straight out of the oven , with the lovely caramelised reddish brown colour on top the dish, along with a scoop of vanilla icecream!

Moong Dal Handvo

Handvo is a popular savoury cake among the natives of Gujarat.  Tried this recipe from Tarla Dalal's Non-Fried Snacks Recipe Book. Came out wonderful. Fool-Proof Recipe, no way u will go wrong!!!!

You have 2 ways to cook it, one using the non-stick pan and other way is to bake it. I tried both, worked well.

Ingredients

1 cup yello moong dal

2 tbsp semolina or rawa

1/4 cup grated carrots

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

1 tbsp fresh curd

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste

salt to taste

2 tsp fruit salt

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida

Method

Wash and soak moong dal in enough water for 3 to 4 hous. Drain and blend in a mixer into a smooth paste.

Combine the moong dal paste, semolina, carrots, coriander, curds, sugar, ginger-chilli paste and salt together in a bowl and mix well to make a batter.

Just before serving, sprinkle the fruit salt and add 2 tsp of water over it. When the bubbles form, mix gently, Keep aside.

Heat oil in a non-stick kadhai and add the mustard seeds, when the seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds and asafoeitda and saute in a medium flame for a few seconds, while stirring continuously. Pour the batter and spread it evenly to make a thick layer, cover and cook on a slow flame for 7 to 8 minutes or till the base turns golden brown in color and crisp.  Lift the handvo gently using 2 large flat spoons and turn it over tot the other side. Cover and cook on a slow flame for another 5-7 minutes or till it turns golden brown in colour.  

Cool slightly and cut into equal rectangular pieces and servber immediately.

For Baked Handvo
Simply pour the batter in a greased baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven @ 200 C (400 F) for 30 -35 minutes.

Mine was done @ 35. To check the doneness of the handvo, insert a toothpick in the center of the handvo, if it comesclean, its done.

Colorful BellPepper/Capsicum Rice - Reposted for FF7SL- Tiffen Box Event

Atlast i squeezed some time out of my very busssy schedule(needed a reason for not blogging!!!!!! :) )for my blog!!!!

Shopping, Shopping and Shopping Daily with my in-laws. My Father-in-law Loves Cooking, he just goes crazy cing all types of Fresh Veggies and Fruits here. He is even more stunned when we say some of these veggies and fruits are cultivated here. He literally fell in love with Bell Peppers, we got two small bags containing 4 peppers of diff color. Colorful Bellpepper/Capsicum Rice is a Quick Recipe.

Here comes the Recipe

Ingredients

Cooked Rice - 3 cups

Bell Peppers - 4 nos (preferably in different colors), thinly sliced

Medium sized Onion - 1 no, Finely Chopped

Green Chillies - 2 nos, Slit open

or REd Chilli Powder - 1 or 2 tsp

Dhaniya powder or Raw Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Grated Fresh Ginger - 1 tsp

Garlic - 1 clove (Optional)

Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Salt to taste

Method

Heat Oil in a Pan splutter Mustard seeds/Cumin seeds, add curry leaves, Add Green Chillies, Add Onions and saute unitl they become transculent, add the Sliced Bell Peppers and saute in a low flame, If you are using Red Chillie powder, add it now, add salt, Cover and cook in a slow flame for 2-3 minutes. Add Dhaniya powder and cook for a minute or two. Remove from flame. Mix with Cooked Rice, Adjust the salt and Garnish it with Coriander leaves and Serve with any Raita.

Sending this to FFS7L-Tiffen Box Event Hosted by Radhika and Sudheshna.