Mysore pak - Indian Sweets

Here comes a very authentic and traditional sweet that is prepared in our houses almost in all festive occassions.. It is said to have originated in Mysore (Karnataka), it is a very popular sweet and is made in many functions.. We make mysore pak also for parupu thengai. Parupu thengai is a cone shaped presentation of sweets prepared during marriages and authentic occassions. From wiki – “Mysore pak was first prepared in the kitchens of the Mysore Palace by a palace cook named Kakaasura Madappa”. Make sure you have everything ready before you start the process as you will have very little luxury time. Also keep a close watch when the color changes as you skip the time, then your mysore pak will not come correctly.. Next time I make this sweet I will try to take step wise clicks..

Carrot Almond Laddu–Diwali Sweets

Laddu - this word makes a lot of people drool... For my daughter it relates to strength and power.. All thanks to the Chhota Bheem cartoon she loves where laddu is a symbol for strength.. And traditionally laddu is made by frying gram flour and dipping them in sugar syrup.. Today we are going to see a laddu, a recipe I got from Priya’s space which requires no frying..

Milk Powder Burfi–Double Color Burfi–Diwali Sweets

My daughter loves the double color sweets on the sweet shelf.. And the ones that we normally do is with maida.. Today I am making a similar looking sweet with no maida or flour but with milk powder as the main ingredient.. This sweet will also be a treat for people looking for gluten free recipes..I got this recipe from here and made the changes according to our taste.. Make sure to adjust the sugar as per your taste… Artificial sweetener also works great for this recipe.. So if you are making this for people who use artificial sweetener, feel free to substitute.

Palmiers - Little Hearts Biscuits

Today's recipe is another delicious biscuit which is quite popular among kids in India.. It is also a traditional French pastry which is flaky, rich and buttery.. I got this recipe from here and absolutely love it.. The addition of nuts is optional, but so tasty.

Caramel Sauce

I love the sauces that is served with the ice creams and the list is topped with caramel sauce. Did I know that it is so easy to make at home? No I did not as I did buy a readymade caramel sauce from the super market and licked it in the ice creams we ate at home.. Then I wanted to try this sauce at home and thought it would be so hard, but I was so wrong. This one is so simple and can be stored easily and used when needed. You need very few ingredients and I am not sure why I did not try this before. Enjoy your ice creams, shakes, cakes, pancakes and waffles with this delicious sauce.. Indulge!!

Thirattipaal / Theratipaal using Ricotta Cheese / Microwave Thirattipaal

One of my favorite sweets is enjoy is thirattipal, but it takes for ever to do them. But the taste and the end result is so worth the time, effort spent. Here I came across a simple recipe and got the thirattipal in 15 minutes... Now that is so delicious and also the time and effort is much less..

Akkaravadisal (அக்காரவடிசல்)

Akkaravadisal is a very simple sweet. This is also a festive food made during Pongal festival. It is very similar to sakkara pongal but this is made with sugar instead of jaggery and this is cooked on the stovetop. There are many versions of Akkaravadisal and this is how we make it at home..

 

Javvarisi Payasam / Sago Kheer

A delicious payasam made from javvarisi. It is quite easy to make.. There are so many varieties of Payasam and kheer we make.. Each is so unique in taste, texture and appearance. This payasam looks so beautiful with the transparent tiny balls floating in it.. I remember my child hood days where we used to play with the balls when this payasam was served. We press with the finger and the balls with move slipping under your fingers and it will be so much fun!!! We make this payasam for a lot of festivals. This can be served both warm and chilled!!

Chocolate Truffles

Truffles - the word makes me drool.. So delicious and so picture perfect.. When we look at them in the shops we are stunned by their beautiful appearance and also by their taste.. Mouth melting and sinfully delicious.. You cannot stop with one.. Making them at home seems intimidating, but it is so simple and effortless.. But definitely there are some points that needs to be kept in mind to ensure good quality ones!!. I got this recipe from here..

 

 

 

Godumai Halwa–Tirunelvelli Halwa–Diwali Sweets

This very traditional halwa has been on my list for such a long time.. We make this halwa for Diwali and what a better time to try this one than now.... I fell in love with this halwa and it is so addictive!!! I would not classify this one as easy, but not too hard as I had imagined!! You can eat this as halwa or make it into pieces and enjoy!! Also food color here is optional... If no food color, then it will in rich honey color!!! Cooking time for this quantity was 30 – 40 minutes from the time sugar syrup is started..

Pineapple Thinai Kesari / Pineapple Foxtail Millet Kesari

Today is first day of Aadi month and is celebrated with a sweet, special food items. Here is a delicious and a almost guilt free sweet which has no processed ingredients. We would have heard about rava kesari and also flavored ones like mango kesari, pineapple kesari etc. Today I added a little more extra twist by including healthy items and excluding the unhealthy ones. So here are my changes – ravai to thinai ravai, sugar to panam kalkandu and have reduced the ghee a big extent. It was very tasty and delicious. I have also not added pineapple essence or food color. That is optional. This kesari with thinai is so perfect to start this week’s marathon with the theme as millets!!

Vella Dosai / Jaggery Pancake

Vella Dosai is a sweet dosai made with wheat and jaggery. This dosai requires no side dish and tastes best when served hot or warm. Serve this for breakfast or a quick tiffin. It is delicious and so kid friendly. It becomes dull and rubbery once it gets cold. This is also done during Karthigai. It is a quick dosa and can be done in less than 30 minutes. This recipe will make 12 dosas.

Gur Ki Roti / Jaggery Roti–Punjabi Sweet Roti

Gur Ki Roti is a very famous Punjabi Sweet Bread which is so delicious. I got this recipe from here.. It is quite simple to make and is so delicious.. We all enjoyed this bread.. So here is the recipe..

Sandesh / Shondesh–West Bengal

Today we are completing the 30 days Indian States Marathon. Last in the alphabetical order is West Bengal. A state which is very close to my heart. Although I have never spent a lot of time here, I was born in Calcutta (now known as Kolkatta) and I have also done my 11th Standard in there. I have also frequently visited during my holidays. A state cuisine which is very popular for its milk sweets and kachoris and street foods. Sandesh is a specialty from the state of Bengal. Sandesh is a delicacy, served as a dessert. It is made with milk and sugar as it main ingredient but it is not too sweet to give tooth ache. This recipe is not an easy one to make and needs lot of patience and stirring. Garnish with Pistachios as they look very beautiful and contrasting to the color of the sandesh. This recipe will make 20 to 24 sandesh.

Kala Jamun / Kaala Jamun - Uttar Pradesh

Come and visit the state of Uttar Pradesh. Uttar means North and Pradesh means place.. So come to the state which is in the Northern part of India. Uttar Pradesh was home to the very powerful empires – Magadha, Mauryan, Gupta etc. If you read Indian history, you will surely read about Uttar Pradesh. If you read Indian Ethics, then also you will come to Uttar Pradesh which has Mathura city. If you are tourist, one of the important places – Taj Mahal is here. Also two main Indian rivers – Ganga and Yamuna join at Allahabad and then flow as Ganga further east. Coming to today’s recipe it is a delicious sweet which is so tasty and authentic. I got this recipe from a few places on Internet. Some websites tell to add sugar to the dough, some do not. I chose the option of adding the sugar to the dough as it will give a caramelized sugar taste and also helps in browning better. Make sure you have the oil on low medium or the inside will remain uncooked.

Bombay Halwa / Karachi Halwa / Sogan Halwa / Corn Flour Halwa–Maharashtra

Welcome to state of Bollywood, Cricket, Fashion and all that shines!!! State of Maharashtra is one of the very popular and advanced state in the Country. From Wiki – “Maharashtra (/mɑːhəˈrɑːʃtrə/; [məharaːʂʈrə] ( listen))(Marathi: महाराष्ट्र), is a state in the western region of India. It is the second most populous state after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India. Maharashtra is the wealthiest state in India, contributing 15% of the country's industrial output and 13.3% of its GDP (2006–2007 figures).  Mumbai, the capital city of the state, is India's largest city and the financial capital of the nation. Maharashtra is the world's second most populous first-level administrative country sub-division”. Coming to today’s recipe, it is very famous halwa that is a quick and tasty sweet which tastes best when served warm. This can be done in less than 15 minutes from start to finish. Most of the cooking is done in microwave here. This halwa is also called as Sogan Halwa, Corn Flour Halwa, Karachi Halwa.. This halwa does not have a very long shelf, so please use it up in a few days. I got this recipe from here

 

Ada Pradhaman–Kerala

Come and travel with me to Kerala - Called as the "God's Own Country"... Kerala is a coastal state which has the highest literacy rate and lowest positive population growth rate in India. The state also has the highest human development index in the country. Kerala is very popular for the Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, cloves, cumin, Tea and seafood. It is very picturesque and beautiful place with a beautiful coast, many coconut trees and fertile greenery. The Cuisine of Kerala is linked to its richness to its history and culture. Rice and Tapioca are also popular. Coming to today’s recipe, it is a sweet dish made with ada, coconut milk and jaggery.. This delicacy is made during the Onam festival. Onam is a festival of harvest celebrated in Kerala and is celebrated during September. The flavor of coconut milk, jaggery and the aromatic spices are so heavenly. I got this recipe from a few places online… This is like the payasam we make for festivals and marriages. Loved the taste and was so excited to have made this authentic dish..

Gajar Ka Halwa – Delhi

Today we travel to the Capital of India – Delhi. Delhi is an Union Territory more closely resembling a state having its own High court to Chief Minister. The Delhi city is the second most populous city in the World. From wiki – “The NCT and its urban region have been given the special status of National Capital Region (NCR) under the Constitution of India's 69th amendment act of 1991. The NCR includes the neighbouring cities of Alwar, Baghpat, Gurgaon, Sonepat, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida and other nearby towns, and has nearly 22.2 million residents”. Delhi was the site of the ancient Indraprastha, the capital of Pandavas during the Mahabharata. There are many historical sites in Delhi. Some to name are – Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s TOmb, India Gate etc. Delhi cuisine is largely influenced by the Mughals and this is where the Mughlai cuisine in India originated. There is street in Delhi called the “Gali Paranthe Wali”. Gali means street and Paranthe is Indian bread. There is an entire street that is full of varieties of Paranthe.. Delhi is a great place for foodies.. From Wiki – “The Gali Paranthe Wali (the street of fried bread) is a street in Chandni Chowk particularly for food eateries since the 1870s. Almost the entire street is occupied by fast food stalls or street vendors. It has nearly become a tradition that almost every prime minister of India has visited the street to eat paratha at least once”. I have made carrot halwa before but that was a much easier one, but this one tastes more yummy and more authentic!!

Gulgula / Gulgule –Chhattisgarh Cuisine

Today we travel to Central India to the State of Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh is a newly formed Indian state and was born on November 1st, 2000. Chhattisgarh is known as the rice bowl of India and has a rich varieties of rice and rice based dishes. A lot of the traditional foods are prepared with rice, rice flour, curd and green leafy vegetables. When coming to sweets, Gulgula is one of the popular sweets from this state. I got this recipe from here. A delicious sweet from the state of Chhattisgarh. This is so quick to make and also very delicious…

Mohura Pitha – Assamese Cuisine

Taking you to the North Eastern state of India - Assam. Assam is rich in culture and is quite popular for the Assam tea, Assam Silk and Assam Oil. Assamese cuisine has a lot of drying and fermentation in their process. Usage of spices are not much here but use of Fish and vegetables are used a lot with the center dish – rice. Coming in today’s recipe, it is a delicious sweet called Pitha. Pitha is a rice cake made on the special occasion like Bihu. For this state, my search ended quickly when I saw this recipe in Gayathri’s blog and did it. I got this from here and loved it..