Jhatpat Tarattipaal

This is one of the most time consuming simple dishes that kids and adults love alike. It is traditionally made by simmering milk for a long time while continiously stirring it and then adding just the sugar to it. At the end of the simmering process ( you reduce a litre of milk to less than r equal to 1/4 litre of milk.) when you add the sugar the milk gets split and that gives the sweet the rquired texture. Traditionally a litre of milk requires a glass of sugar.

Here I have used condensed milk and used the microwave and thereby reduced the cooking time from about an hour to 6-7 minutes. Also reduce the effort of constantly stirring it.

Ingredients:

1 can condensed milk

1 tbsp Milk powder (Nido/dry milk powder)

2 tsp curd

1 big tsp ghee

Procedure:

In a big bowl mix all the ingredients for the dish and place the bowl in the microwave. Cook it on full power for 5 -7 minutes keeping a close watch on it so that it does not overflow stirring every now and then. It will soon curdle and get to the required consistency very soon.

Mango-Halwa

I bought this can of Alphonso mango pulp like I always do to make either Aamras or Mango Kulfi when I was grocery shopping last week. But this time I wanted to do something new with it and when I was casually browsing through a cookbook Samaithu Paar by the late Smt.Meenakshi Ammal gifted to me by my friend I came across this recipe and thought Well!!!! I think I should give it a try. And to my surprise it came out well. Another reason for me to make it was that I was supposed to meet one of my friends who is a sweet freak .

This is a very simple to make dish (I generally like to try only the simple to make sweet dishes)The more involved ones I reserve it for the spicy and savoury things as I personally love to eat that kind of food.

Ingredients:

4 cups mango pulp

2 cups sugar (if using fresh mango pulp)/1 1/4 cup sugar if using canned pulp

30-35 gm cashewnuts

About 200 gm ghee

8 green cardamoms

Borneal flakes(Pachaikarpooram) a pinch (optional)

Procedure:

If using fresh mango pulp see to it that there are no lumps in it.

In a wide mouth heavy vessel bring the mango pulp to a boil stirring now and then.

When the pulp starts boiling add the sugar and stir continuously.

Fry the broken cashewnuts in a little ghee and add it to the boiling pulp and stir.

When the pulp has become thick, add the ghee gradually while stirring continuosly.

When the halwa starts leaving the sides of the vessel, remove from fire.

Add to it the cardamom powder and borneal flakes and mix well.

Pour the halwa onto a greased plate and let it cool.

Once cooled cut it into pieces and serve.

Chocolate-Walnut Burfi

Updated 12/5/10 . This recipe goes to the Desserts,Pastries & Ice-creams event conducted by Radhika of"Food for 7 stages in life-In love with DDPI(15-24yrs) inspired by Sudeshna.
Wish everyone a very Happy & Prosperous New Year.
May God let everyone eat everything they desire to their hearts content.
Chocolate is an all time favourite for everyone from kids to old people. I myself love to eat spicy or savoury items more than sweets. There are very few sweets that i like to eat and this is one amongst them. Even my fussy son Adit loves this. And the time it takes to make this and the effort level makes it a dish that you would want to make over and over. I am not sure where I got this recipe from but I guess it is one of my favourite cook Tarla Dalal's recipe.



Ingredients:
2 cups Mava/Khoya
1/4 cup Walnuts chopped fine
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Milk
2 tsp Oil
3 tbsp Cocoa powder or Chocolate syrup



Procedure:
In a pan heat the crumbled mava and roast it for a while till it melts . Here in the USA ,I use Nanak Mava. You can also use Ricotta cheese in its place.Here the cheese needs to come together instead of melting.
Add the sugar and milk and cook till it thickens.
In the meawhile grease a small tray with ghee(clarified butter) and set aside.
When the mixture thickens and comes together por half of this mixture on to the tray . Spread it evenly and let it rest for few minutes till it cools slightly.
To the rest of the mixture in the pan add the cocoa powder and the chopped walnuts.
Spread this mixture on top of the earlier mixture in the tray.
Cut into pieces of desired shape and size once it is cooled.



All this takes minimum ingredients and less than half hour to make. And leftovers and wastage , well that never happens with me for this dish.