Lauki Halwa

Ingredients
Lauki grated – 4 Cups ( Peel outer skin and seeds inside and grate it )
Sugar – 2 cups
Ghee – 3 tbsp.
Cardamom powder – a pinch
cashew / almonds – handful ( both together )
Saffron ( kesari ) – a pinch.
Milk - 1/4 cup

Preparation
Peel lauki and remove the seeds inside. Grate it, Take the pressure cooker, Add 2 tbsp ghee and saute grated lauki for 5 - 10 secs.  Add 1/4 cup of milk ,  then pressure cook for 1 whistle.

Wait for sometime until the pressure is released from cooker , then add Sugar and cook for 10-15 mins. Stir frequently.

Add cardamom powder and saffron. Cook until all the moisture evaporates and it turns into pudding  consistency. When done turn off and allow the halwa to cool.

Add 1 tbsp of ghee in a kadai and toss the cashew/almonds.

Remove the nuts and add it to halwa before serving.



Lauki Halwa

Slow Cooker Paal Payasam

I made this payasam for my husband's birthday and my FIL's star birthday this year.
Paal payasam was indeed easier to make in a slow cooker. I want to put my slow cooker to use and try many recipes. Hopefully you will see them soon in my blog space.

Below is the recipe for paal payasam - slow cooker method

Ingredients
Basmati rice - 2 tbsp.
Whole milk - 4 cups
Sugar - 1/4 cup ( you can adjust and add little more/less depending on your taste )
cardamom - 1/4 tsp
cashews - chopped
ghee - 1 tsp.
raisins - few
saffron - few strands ( this is optional )

Method

1) Soak basmati rice in water for about 20 mins.
2) Then place the rice, milk , sugar and cardamom in slow cooker and keep it in high for about 1 hour.
3) Switch to low for another 2 hrs ( Keep stirring the paaysam  for every 1 hr or so..
Note :
You can adjust from high to  low when milk starts bubbling so much.
4) In a separate pan , Add ghee and roast cashew and raisins . Garnish it on the top.
5) If you are using saffron , soak it in the warm milk for 5 to 10 mins and add it to payasam.

You can serve the payasam in small bowl ( either warm or keep it in refrigerator and serve cold ) . I served it warm.

Slow Cooker Paal Payasam

Chenna Poda ( Indian Cheese Cake)

This month Srivalli announced Chenna Poda ( Indian Cheese cake ) for Indian Cooking Challenge. I could not participate in ICC for quite few months.. As soon as I saw this recipe for this month’s challenge, I wanted to try it immediately and I made this last week..
We have 2 process here to make this delicious sweet.
Cheese making and baking of chenna poda

I followed the recipe from Titilating tastebuds

For Cheese
Milk ( I used  reduced fat milk ) – 1 to 1.5 gallon
Lemon juice -  1 cup
Ice cubes – 2 cups
Cheese cloth or any soft cloth ( like pillow cover )
Preparation
Bring the milk to boil. In the meantime , Squeeze lemons to get juice for about 1 cup. Pour the lemon juice slowly into the boiling milk. You will see that milk cuddles and water gets separated. Now add the ice cubes and turn off the stove.
Adding ice cubes will stop the cuddling process.
Filter the cheese / water through cheese cloth and hang the cheese cloth for 15 – 20 mins so that all water drains out.
The cheese is now ready to be used for baking chenna poda. ( Note , you can use this cheese not only for this recipe but also for other yummy sweets
     
For Chenna Poda
Ingredients
1) Cheese – 1 to 1.5  lb
2) Sugar – 1.5 cup ( 1 cup for cheese cake and 1/2 cup for Caramel )
3) Sooji or Rava – 2 tbsp. ( Soak this in water )
4)Cashews – 2 tbsp
5) Raisins – 2 tbsp..
6) cardamom powder – 1 tsp
7) water – for caramel preparation – 1/2 cup
8) Ghee / oil – little for frying cashews/raisins
Preparation
Caramel preparation – Pour 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar and boil it until the sugar syrup thickens and becomes light brown ( amber color ) .. Immediately pour it to the baking dish ( do not delay to pour or the syrup will be crystallized )
Preheat the oven to 350° F . Now mix the Cheese , soaked sooji and sugar in the bowl along with cardamom , fried cashews / raisins . Knead it well for 5 – 10 mins. Spread the mixture on top of caramel in the baking dish and ;level it.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and make some cuts on the top of foil. Bake it for 35 – 45 mins. After 45 mins , insert the toothpick or knife to see it comes out clean. Remove the baking dish and cool it.
If you prefer to have it cold , keep it in refrigerator or microwave for few secs and serve warm..