Palkova / Milk Sweet

Palkova is a mouthwatering Indian sweet made up of milk and sugar.There are specific places in Indian famous for certain dishes. One among them is Srivilliputhur, Virudhunagar district, TamilNadu. Though Palkova is prepared in many places the taste of Srivilliputhur palkova is unique and unmatched.



To make one cup of palkova, we require atleast 2-3 litres of milk.Though the process is simple, it consumes a lot of time. However the outcome is so delicious that you'll simply forget the time you spent in kitchen.

Ingredients:



Whole Milk -2 litres

Sugar - 1 cup

Cashew nuts, Pistachio, Saffron - 3 nos each(optional)



Method:



1) Take big heavy bottomed Pan.

2) Pour milk into it and boil it in high flame.

3) Keep stirring continuously or at an interval of 5 minutes when you see the level of milk slowly rising up .

4) Follow this stirring for one and half hour.

5) After one and half hour, the milk is reduced in quantity and would have become thick.

6) Turn the flame to medium level now.

7) Now add sugar to the thickened milk and stir it continuously.

8) Stir continuously without any pause. To ensure that you get an optimum colour, make sure the bottom of the pan doesn't get burnt due to overheating .

9) After 20-30 minutes, milk looks like a thick white paste.

10) Further cooking thickens the milk paste.

11) Turn off the flame, when the milk paste is a bit watery (like a thick paste having some water content in it). The paste slightly hardens when it starts to cool down.

12) Transfer this paste to a bowl and allow it to cool down.

13) If you want your palkova to be of a square shape, pour the paste to a plate and spread it evenly. Cut them into equal squares as it cools down.

14) Decorate with cashew nuts.

15) Delicious Palkova is ready.

Note:

1) If you do not have time to do this lengthy process, add a tablespoon of lemon juice after step 4 which means when the milk starts to thick, add lemon juice and remove the whey if you find it more.

Coffee flavored Wheat & Almond Biscotti

It was one fine afternoon last week, I was munching some almonds and reading when it stuck that I had never really baked anything with almonds. Oh how wonderful it would be to get some baked goodies with almonds fresh from the oven. I tried googling for some butterless recipes since I ran out of butter and came across these wonderful and flavorful Coffee and roasted almond biscotti at Deeba's

Vegetable Cous Cous / Cous Cous Kichadi

Cous Cous is a type of semolina obtained from hard wheat. This colourful vegetable cous cous is prepared based on the recipe of rava kichadi. The preparation method is same for both rava and cous cous but you can find the taste distinct between the two varieties. Try this fusion recipe at home and no one says 'NO' to it after tasting it.

Ingredients:



Cous Cous - 2 cups

Onion - 1 small size , finely sliced

Finely chopped carrot, beans and peas - 1 cup, microwave or steam cooked

Green chillies - 3 nos, sliced long wise

Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 1 string

Coriander leaves - 1 string, for garnishing

Salt - To taste

Oil - 2 teaspoons

Water - 4 cups

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Method:



1) Heat oil in a wide pan in a medium flame.

2) Add mustard seeds and allow it to pop out.

3) Add curry leaves and green chillies.

4) Add onions and saute them till they turn translucent.

5) Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell of it goes off.

6) Add vegetable mixture and salt to taste. (Pressure cook or microwave the vegetable)

7) Add 4 cups of water. If you are using raw vegetable mixture, increase the water quantity to 1/4 cup and cook vegetables before adding cous cous.

8) Allow it to boil.

9) When water is boiling, add cous cous and keep stirring the mixture simultaneously.

10) Cook for few minutes till the water is absorbed by cous cous.

11) Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

12) Tomato sauce or any pickle goes well with this vegetable cous cous.