Bisi bele bhaat



Ingredients

For The Paste (makes Approx. 1/4 Cup)
1 tbsp coconut or any other refined oil
1 tbsp chana dal (split bengal gram)
1 tbsp urad dal (split black lentils)
12 mm ( 1/2”) piece cinnamon (dalchini) , optional
1/4 cup grated dry coconut (kopra)
5 whole dry kashmiri red chillies , broken into pieces
2 tbsp coriander (dhania) seeds

Other Ingredients
2 tsp coconut any other refined
1/2 cup finely chopped potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum
1/4 cup finely chopped french beans
1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped red pumpkin (bhopla / kaddu)
1/4 cup shallots (madras onions)
1 drumsticks(saijan ki phalli / saragavo) , cut into small pieces
5 to 7 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 cup raw rice (chawal) , soaked and drained
1/2 cup toovar (arhar) dal , soaked and drained
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
2 tbsp tamarind (imli)
salt to taste
3 tbsp ghee
Method
For the paste
Heat the oil in a pan, add all the ingredients and sauté on a slow flame for 4 to 5 minutes or till they turn golden brown in colour. Keep aside to cool.
Blend in a mixer to a fine paste and keep aside.

How to proceed
Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, add all the vegetables, curry leaves, rice, toovar dal and turmeric powder, mix gently and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
Add the tamarind, salt, prepared paste and 4 cups of hot water, mix gently and pressure cook on a high flame for 4 whistles.
Lower the flame and pressure cook for another 2 whistles.
Allow the steam to escape using natural release method,(refer handy tip) before opening the lid.
Add the ghee, mix well and serve immediately.

Handy tip:
Natural release method: to use this method, remove the pressure cooker from the hot burner and let the pressure drop by cooling down naturally. It works best for grains and for beans that you might use for salads, as quick-releasing the pressure can cause the beans to split apart.


Kesari bhaat



Preparation Time:10 minutes | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves:2
Recipe Category: Dessert |

Rava(Sooji) - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Melted Ghee- 3 to 4 tbsp
Water - 1 and 1/4 cups
Saffron - 2 to 3 strands
Milk - 1 tbsp
Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp chopped
Raisin - 1 tsp

Method:
Soak saffron strands in warm milk, set aside. Heat ghee and roast cashews, raisins till golden brown, set aside. In the same pan, roast the rava in low flame until nice aroma comes and when it starts to change color switch off and transfer it to a plate.
Step1
Add water to the pan and allow it to boil, when it starts bubbling, add the rava little by little stirring continuously - this is the stage where you have to be very careful take care not to form lumps. Add the kesari color, keep stirring continuosly in medium flame.Keep covered for a minute until the rava gets cooked.How to make Rava Kesari - Step2
Once the rava is cooked add the sugar, now it will start to loosen keep stirring continuously. It will start to bubble up when it becomes dry dont worry, keep stirring.
Step3
Add ghee and keep stirring till it forms a mass leaving the sides of the pan. Add saffron milk, nuts and raisins, give a quick stir and switch it off. If you want to make pieces then transfer to a ghee greased plate and make pieces.
Step4
While serving you can add a tsp of ghee for the extra flavour and shine too .


Dharwad Peda



All you need is (serves multiple)

Khoya – 1 cup
Sugar – 3/4 cup (vary as per your liking) + 1 tbsp for garnishing
Desi ghee – 1/2 cup
Milk – 1 tbsp
Green cardamom – 4 to 5

Making time: 1 hour 30 min.

Blend the sugar to make a powder and keep aside.
Heat desi ghee in a kadhai and add khoya to it to fry.
Keep frying with constant stirring till the khoya turns light brown in colour.
Powder the cardamom and add it to the mixture with 3/4 cup powdered sugar.
Add milk and keep frying for another 5 min.
Let it cool, then knead it lightly.
Make lemon sized balls and roll them in rest of powdered sugar for garnishing.
Serve.



Chiroti Recipe



Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 20
Main Ingredients: flour sugar
Ingredients

Plain Flour - 2 cups (maida)
Ghee - 2 tbsps, melted
Salt - pinch
Sugar - 3/4 cup, powdered and mixed with 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
For paste:
Rice flour - 2 tbsps
Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsps, melted
For sugar syrup: (if using syrup to dip the chiroti)
Sugar - 1 cup, granulated
Water - 1 cup
Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp
Method

In a bowl, add the flour, salt and melted ghee and mix well. Slowly add enough water to make a smooth yet firm dough like puri dough. Cover the dough and keep aside for an hour.
While the dough is resting prepare the powdered sugar mixture. In a bowl, add the powdered sugar and cardamom powder and mix well. Keep aside.
If using sugar syrup to dip the fried chiroti, prepare the syrup. Heat water and granulated sugar in a vessel till sugar is melted and then continue to simmer till the mixture thickens to single thread consistency on low flame. Add cardamom powder and mix. Turn off flame. Keep aside.
In a small bowl, mix rice flour with melted ghee and keep aside. This paste is used to bind the layers of rotis.
Pinch off dough such that you have 6 large lemon sized balls. Roll each into thin rotis. Place a roti on your work surface, smear a tsp of the prepared rice flour paste all over the roti. Place another rolled out roti over it and again smear with a tsp of rice flour paste. Again repeat the process by placing another roti over the second roti and smear with rice flour paste. Now gently roll the pilled up rotis into a log and cut into 1/2" thick circles. Make another log following the same process using the remaining three rotis.
With the help of the rolling pin roll out each of the thick circles into thin rotis of 4" to 5" in diameter.
Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel. Once hot, reduce flame to low medium and place 3 or 4 rolled out chirotis into the hot oil. Deep fry the chirotis on a medium flame, flipping them gently to cook all over. Once they turn to a golden shade, remove onto an absorbant paper. Immediately sprinkle a heaped tbsp of the powdered sugar over each of the hot chirotis so that the sugar adheres to them while it is hot.
If using sugar syrup, place the hot chirotis that have been removed from the oil into the prepared sugar syrup. Allow them to absorb the syrup. (DO NOT add powdered sugar to the chirotis that you are dipping into the sugar syrup)
Deep fry the rest of the rolled out chirotis and sprinkle with powdered sugar OR dip them in the prepared sugar syrup.
Store in an airtight container and they stay fresh for at least one week to ten days.


Mysore Pak



Prep Time: 5 mins    |  Cook time: 30 mins    |  Makes: 25 pieces

Ingredients

Besan/ Chickpea flour/ Kadala mavu    1/2 cup
Ghee    1 cup
Oil    1/4 cup
Sugar    1 & 1/2 cup
Sugar for sprinkling    1 tblsp

      FAQs:
           *Sure this measure gives 25 small pieces of mysore pak for 1/2 cup besan because there is 3 times more sugar and ghee.
           *If you feel the ghee is more, you can skip the 1/4 cup oil.
           
Method
Sift the flour to get rid of the lumps. Keep a tray, greased ready. Place sugar in a heavy bottomed pan, with water enough to immerse it. Say 1 cup of water.

Boil until 1 string consistency. That is, if you check between your fingers, a string will form as shown in the picture. Keep the flame in medium when the syrup is nearing its stage. Swipe the back of the ladle u use in the syrup for checking.

Add the flour slowly stirring continuously. I used whisk for easy mixing. Mix until smooth. The flame should always be medium.

Mix and keep oil and ghee ready. Start adding ghee slowly and add continuously like 2-3 tblsp at a time. Keep stirring until the ghee mixes and then add the next batch of ghee and repeat until you finish the ghee.

At one stage, the the colour changes to pale and frothy here and there, so be alert at this time and lastly the whole mixture starts frothy as shown in the picture. Also there will be a pleasant cooked besan smell along with ghee smell. Add 2 tsp of sugar granules and mix quickly (optional).

Pour it to the greased tray and level it with a spatula. Sprinkle sugar if desired. Wait until warm and cut into desired shape. Let it cool down completely before transferring to the container.

Notes
Keep flame always in medium to not to miss the stage.
If you want you can cut off the oil and add ghee fully.
If you reduce the ghee  quantity, the texture wont be same soft and melt in mouth kind. So its up to you.
You can use a small plate/ tray as per your convenience.
Adding sugar at last stage gives a great texture but its optional.
Use good quality ghee as the ghee lends the main flavour for this sweet.