Nutella mug cake

Makes 1 very large serving

Self rising flour - 4tbsp
While granulated sugar - 4 tbsp
Egg -1
Cocoa powder - 3 tbsp
Milk - 3 tbsp

Olive or vegetable oil - 3 tbsp

1. Combine all ingredients in a large coffee mug. Whisk well with a fork until smooth.
2. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 - 3 min. [Time depends on microwave wattage.]
3. Top with whipped cream and a little chocolate sauce if desired. Enjoy!

Note: Depending on the wattage of your microwave, you may have to increase cooking time.

Besan Ladoo

Makes: 15-20

Ladoo Besan - 2 cups
Powdered sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Ghee - 1 cup
Green cardamoms
Cashews
Any other dry fruit of your choice

1. In a pan, dry roast the besan for about 15-20 mins on low flame or till it slightly changes color.
2. Then add the ghee, 1/2 cup at a time and keep mixing on low flame till the besan is well roasted and the ghee starts leaving the sides. [ approx 30-45 min]
3. Peel the cardamom seeds, and crush these along with the cashews into a coarse mixture.
4. Mix this into the besaem and allow to cool a bit.
5. When the mixture is warm, not hot, add the sugar and mix well.
6. Taking about 2 tbsp of the besan mixture in hand make round balls. Make the ladoos when the mixture is still warm as it helps to shape the ladoo better.
7. Top it with the dry fruit of your choice and place it on a clean dish. Continue making the ladoos with the rest of the mixture.
8. Allow the ladoos to cool and store in an airtight container.

Hesaru Bele Payasa

Moong Dal Kheer

Serves: 6-8

Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 to 1 cup, depending on the sweetness you prefer
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Poppy Seeds - 2 tbsp
Cardamom - 4-5 pods
Freshly Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Cashews, Raisins - 1/4 cup

1. Fry the moong dal with 1 tbsp ghee in a pan until the colour of the dal slightly deepens and it gives out a nice aroma

2. Then pressure cook the moong dal with water until completely cooked.
3. Fry the poppy seeds until the colour deepens. Grind the poppy seeds and cardamom seeds in the mixer to a fine powder. Then add the coconut and little water to make a smooth paste.
4. Once the moong dal is cooked, add the coconut-poppy seed paste into the moong dal and cook on medium high flame; let it boil for around 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the jaggery and boil until all the jaggery melts into the moong dal mixture. Then boil for another 5 minutes to make sure all the ingredients blend well and then remove from heat.
6. Fry the cashews and raisins in the remaining ghee until golden brown. Add to the payasa along with the ghee and mix well.

Serve hot, warm or chilled.

Wheat Halwa

Makes: 20 - 25 pieces

Butter or ghee - 5 tbsp
Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Milk -2 cups
Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp, roughly chopped

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, fry the wheat flour on low heat with the butter/ghee.
2. Keep stirring the mixture continuously to ensure no lumps. Continue frying till the mixture slightly browns the nuts crisp to golden brown.
3. In the meantime, bring the milk and sugar to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Mix in the hot mixture to the cooked flour, in small amounts, till the whole syrup gets absorbed. Swirl the mixture continuously and make sure there are no lumps in the halwa.
4. Take away from heat and let it sit covered for 10-15 minutes; the flour will absorb the mixture and cook in it in this time imbibing the creaminess of the milk and the melted sugar.
5. Remove the lid and swirl the halwa a little more. Serve the halwa with additional ghee if desired.

Tip:
1. Sprinkle a teaspoon of ground cinnamon over the halwa to give it a dash of spice
2. If you want to make the Turkish version, take out spoonfuls of halwa (after the resting time) and make into simple shapes. Let cool and serve at room temperature.

Winter Melon Halwa

Dumroot/Kashi Halwa/White Pumpkin Halwa

Serves: 6-8

Winter Melon - 4 cups, grated (without removing water)

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Whole milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 1/2 cup or according to taste

Saffron - 1/4 tsp

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Cashews, Raisins - for garnishing

1. In a non-stick thick bottomed pan cook the grated winter melon till the water reduces and the melon is almost dry.

2. Now add 1 tbsp of ghee and saute or a few minutes and continue to cook while stirring frequently until the melon is completely cooked. In the meanwhile soak the saffron strands in a 1 tbsp of warm milk.

3. Add sugar to the melon, mix well and then add the saffron milk, and milk. Cook until the milk gets condensed and ghee separates from the mixture.
4. In the remaining ghee, fry the cashews and raisins separately until golden brown.
5. Add the cashews, raisins along with the ghee to the halwa and serve hot or warm.

Sabudana Kheer

Serves: 2

Sabudana - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Cashew, Raisins - for garnishing
Ghee or butter - 1 tbsp

1. Wash, drain the sabudana and add to milk
2. Heat the milk on high flame till it begins to boil and then reduce to low-medium and cook until the milk thickens and the sabu grains bloom into bigger and softer grains
3. Dissolve the sugar in the water and add to the milk. The sugar should be added only after the sabudana grains are fully cooked. Stir well until the contents blend together.
4. Cook on medium heat for the consistency required.
5. Toast the raisins and cashews in the ghee and set aside. Make sure the raisins plump up and the cashews obtain light brown color.

Garnish with cashews and raisins and serve warm or at room temperature.

Shredded Carrot Halwa with Pistachios

Not an everyday dessert, this North Indian dish is served hot or warm, with or without cream, and is regally garnished with silver or gold foil, fried almonds, cashews and puffed lotus. Use whatever suits the occasion.
For best results, hold the carrots at a 45-degree angle to the shredding surface of a box shredder, you want long shred neither too thin nor too thick.

Carrot - 9 medium sized(1 1/2 lbs), washed, peeled, shredded and pressed dry
Half-and-half - 1 1/2 cups
Whole milk - 2 1/2 cups
Whole black peppercorns - 8
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Light brown sugar, lightly packed - 1/2 cup
Cardamom seeds - 1 tsp, coarsely powdered
Ghee or unsalted butter - 1/3 cup
Raw almonds - 2 tbsp, sliced or slivered
Raisins or currants - 2 tbsp
Pistachios - 1/4 cup
Ground cloves - 1/4 tsp
Freshly ground nutmeg - 1/4 tsp
Ground cinnamon - 1/4 tsp
Golden syrup or light honey - 2 tbsp
Edible silver or gold foil - two 4-inch squares for garnishing

1. Combine the carrots, half-and-half, milk and peppercorns in a heavy non-stick saucepan and stirring constantly, bring to a full boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderately high , and stirring frequently, cook for about 25-35 minutes, reducing the heat to moderately low toward the end of cooking, until the milk is reduced to a pasty fudge and the mixture is nearly dry.
2. Add the sugars and half of the cardamom and, stirring steadily to prevent scorching, cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the mixture is again nearly dry. Remove the pan from heat and set aside.
3. Heat the ghee or butter in a small pan over moderately low heat, add the almonds and raisins, separately and fry until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the hot butter to the carrot mixture along with almonds, raisins, pistachios and ground spices, and again place the pan over moderately low heat.
4. Cook until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from heat, extract the peppercorns, if desired, and stir in the golden syrup or honey.
5. Transfer the halwa to a decorative serving bowl or tray and garnish with the optional silver or gold foil, remaining cardamom and any of the above suggested garnishes.

Sweet Pongal

Serves: 2

Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Rice - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 1/2 cups
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Jaggery - 1 cup
Cashews, Raisins
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp, powdered

1. Fry the moong dal in a pan until the colour of the dal slightly deepens and it gives out a nice aroma
2. Cook the moong dal and rice along with water in the cooker for one whistle.
3. Meanwhile melt the jaggery with 1/2 cup water in a pan until a syrup if formed. Add cardamom to the jaggery as it melts
4. Then add the cooked rice+dal to this syrup.Stir well and cook on low heat until the mixture blends well.
5. Heat 4 tablespoons of the ghee in a separate pan and fry cashews to golden brown. Add the cashews to the pongal
6. Add raisins and fry for a few more seconds or until they swell up. Add the raisins to the pongal

Serve hot with more ghee if required ...

Kesari Bath

Sajjige/Sooji Halwa/Sheera/Sanja

Serves: 4-6

Rava/Semolina/Sooji (fine) - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee (clarified butter) - 2/3 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 2 cups
Saffron - a pinch
Raisins, cashews - for garnishing
Pineapple or Banana fruit - 1/2 cup diced (optional)

1. Roast the Rava/Sooji/Semolina on low flame in 1 Tbsp of Ghee until the toasted aroma of Semolina waffles through. Transfer it to a plate.
2. Soak the saffron threads in about 1 Tbsp of warm milk.Toast the raisins and cashews in about 1 Tbsp of Ghee and set aside. Make sure the raisins plump up and the cashews obtain light brown color.
3. Take a heavy bottom pan and boil milk along with 2 cups of water and let it come to a boil.
4. Add the roasted Rava/Semolina in small batches and stir in between. Make sure no lumps are formed. (Do not put all the rava at once in the boiling liquid). Close the lid of the vessel and cook on low-medium heat for about 2 min or until the rava is done.
5. Add in the sugar and stir once and cover this with lid and turn the flame to medium.
6. Also put in the saffron milk, which now acquires a beautiful yellow color. After a while the liquid gets completely absorbed.
7. Now add the ghee in small batches and stir well on low flame. After a while the ghee starts leaving the sides of the pan. Now add the cardamom powder and mix well.
8. Finally garnish with roasted cashews and raisins. Serve Hot!

Notes:
Pineapple or banana pieces can be added to enhance the taste of Kesari Bath. The fruit pieces can be added to the boiling water. Boil 1/2 cup of additional water if you plan to use these fruits to help accommodate for water being absorbed by the fruit pieces.