MALPUA RECIPE

Malpua is traditional North Indian dish which is made on special occasions. This is like a sweet pancake made up of maida. Malpuas are mostly enjoyed with rabri or kheer and make a delicious dessert to enjoy after a meal.

Preparation Time: overnight

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: makes 8 to 10 malpuas (depending on size)

Ingredients:

For malpuas:

• 2 cups wheat flour (atta)
• 1 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
• Ghee or oil for shallow frying

For sugar syrup:

• 3.5 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 4-5 strands of saffron (kesar)

For garnishing:

• 15-20 pistachios (chopped)

Preparation Instructions:

• Mix wheat flour and milk in a big bowl. Add milk slowly and mix well to avoid lumps. Don’t make the batter too thin. Cover it with a sieve and keep in a cool place for overnight.
• In the morning, add fennel seeds and cardamom to the batter and mix well.
• Heat oil or ghee in a pan and while oil is heating, prepare sugar syrup.
• Keep water for boiling on stove, add sugar and cook on medium flame till the sugar dissolves. Add saffron strands. Make sugar syrup of one thread consistency.
• The oil must be ready by now for deep frying. Take batter with a ladle and pour it in the hot oil forming a pancake.
• Cook on medium heat and turn it around when the colour become brown.
• Bring the colour to a nice brown shade and when done, drain the malpuas and dip them in the sugar syrup.
• Garnish with pistachios and serve with rabri.

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YUMMY BROKEN RICE KHEER | PAAL PAYASAM RECIPE

Paal Payasam (kheer in south India) is an important part of marriages in South India as mootichur ladoo in North India. It is an easy recipe and even the beginners can try it without any mistakes.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup broken rice (poha rice / chidwa)
• 1 litre milk
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts (optional)
• 2 tbsp raisins (optional)

Preparation Instructions:

• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Fry cashews and raisins and take them out on a paper towel.
• Add broken rice to the ghee and fry for 3-4 minutes on medium flame.
• Add milk to the broken rice and mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
• Let the pressure come down. Then, open the lid, add sugar and mix well.
• turn on the stove again and put the pressure cooker on the stove without the lid. Cook for 5 minutes on low flame. Stir continuously.
• When the kheer reaches the consistency you desire, mix cardamom powder. Turn off flame.
• Put the payasam in serving bowls and garnish it with roasted cashews and raisins.

Tips:

• You can serve the paal payasam both hot or chilled as you like, both taste great.

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MOOTICHOOR LADOOS RECIPE

These ladoos are an important part of all Indian celebrations be it diwali, birth, party and specially marriages. Marriages are specially associated with ladoos in India (a general saying goes “shaadi ladoo mootichur ka”). So, let’s have a look at the recipe of this famous dish.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Servings: makes 10 to 12 ladoos (depending upon size)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups Bengal gram flour (besan)
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• A pinch of baking powder
• A pinch of saffron
• A pinch of cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp cashew nuts (finely cut)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup oil (for frying)
• Silver foil (for decoration) (optional)

Preparation Instructions:

• Mix gram flour, rice flour and baking powder with little water to make a thick batter.
• Heat oil for frying. Take a sieve with round holes, hold it above the hot oil (about 5 to 6 – inches above) and pour the batter over it.
• Tap the sieve gently with a spoon. By doing this, small balls of batter will fall into oil.
• Fry the balls till they turn golden. Take them out on paper towel. Make small balls (boondi) with all the batter.
• Now, heat water and sugar till it reach 1/2 consistency. Remove the dirt from the sugar syrup with the help of a spoon.
• Add cardamom powder, saffron and sugar syrup to the fried boondis. Set aside for few minutes till the boondis absorb syrup.
• Make small balls (ladoo) from the mixture. Don’t let the mixture cool, it will become difficult to make the ladoos.
• Grease a plate with ghee and keep the ladoos on it. Decorate with small pieces of silver foil.

Tips:

• There are special sieve available in the market for making ladoos.
• The procedure for making boondi ladoos and mootichoor ladoos is same. The boondis in boondi ladoo are big in size while in mootichoor, they are small and more fried.

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KAJU KATLI RECIPE

Kaju katli is a version of famous Indian dessert, barfi. It is also known as kaju barfi. It tastes very different and is in the favourite list of many Indians.

 

 

Preparation Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings: makes around 15 to 20 pieces (depending upon the thickness and size)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashew nuts
• 1.5 cup hot water
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1.25 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp butter (unsalted)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• Silver foil (optional)

Preparation Instructions:

• Soak cashew nuts in hot water for an hour.
• Drain the water and grind cashews into smooth paste by adding milk and sugar.
• Heat butter in a pan, add cashew paste and cook over medium heat till the paste becomes thick. Stir continuously.
• Add vanilla essence and mix well.
• Spread this mixture evenly in a greased tray and place the silver foil on it. Let it cool for an hour.
• When the mixture is set, cut it into diamond (or your prefered) shape. Kaju Katli is ready.

Tips:

• To check if the mixture is ready to cut, insert a spoon in the mixture, if it comes out clean, it is ready.

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MOONG DAL HALWA RECIPE

A tasty and delightful dessert from Rajasthani cuisine. Moong dal halwa is prepared with split green gram and tastes great. Just try it out.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow moong dal
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup ghee
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 4 almonds (sliced)

Preparation Instructions:

• Soak moong dal for 2-3 hours and grind it to smooth paste.
• Heat ghee in a wok and add moong dal paste. Cook on medium flame till the paste turns golden.
• Heat water in a separate pan and add sugar in it. Boil till sugar dissolve.
• Add this sugar syrup and cardamom powder to moong dal paste and mix well. Turn off the stove.
• Garnish the halwa with almond slices before serving.

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COCONUT SEMOLINA LADOOS RECIPE

Easy-to-make homemade ladoos for every auspicious occasion. You will find all the ingredients easily in your kitchen.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Servings: makes around 20 ladoos

Ingredients:

• 1 dry Coconut (medium-size)
• 1 cup Semolina (suji)
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 300 g mawa/khoya

Preparation Instructions:

• Grate the coconut. Heat ghee in a pan and roast semolina till a nice aroma arises. Turn off the stove. Let it cool.
• When the semolina cools down (not completely), add grated coconut and khoya to it. Mix well with hands.
• Start making lemon-sized ladoos with the mixture. The coconut ladoos are ready.
• You can garnish them with your favourite dry fruits and store them in an air-tight container for a week.

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BESAN K LADOO RECIPE

This is a sweet dish which is made in every Indian home. Dry fruits, ghee, sugar and besan mixed together to make delicious ladoos. You can pack these ladoos in an air-tight container and enjoy them for a month or two as a snacks or dessert. Get the step-by-step recipe here.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: makes 12-15 ladoos

Ingredients:

•  2 cups gram flour (besan)
• 1.5 cup sugar (grinded)
• 1 cup ghee
• 1 tsp almonds (chopped)
• 1 tsp pistachios (chopped)
• 1 tsp cashew nuts (chopped)

Preparation Instructions:

• Heat ghee in a wok (kadhai) and add gram flour to it. Stir constantly to avoid lumps.
• Fry the besan till a aroma begin to rise. Don’t burn the besan. Turn off the stove and let the mixture cool.
• When it cools, add powdered sugar and dry fruits to it and mix well.
• Now, make smooth ping-pong size balls with the mixture. Besan k ladoo are ready for eating.

Tips:

• Add sugar according to your taste.
• Garnish the ladoos with some dry fruits over them.

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SHRIKHAND RECIPE

Shrikhand is basically a dessert from Gujarati and Maharashtrian cuisine. However, its taste has made it world-popular. Although, it takes a lot of time to prepare the recipe, but the end result is just delicious. Try out the recipe, it is perfect and healthy for hot summers. You will forget the ice-cream.

Preparation Time: 2 hours

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups yogurt (dahi)
• 50 grams sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 7 to 8 strands of saffron
• 6 green cardamom (powdered)
• 10 pistachio (sliced into pieces)
• 10 almonds (blanched and sliced into pieces)

Preparation Instructions:

• Tie yogurt in a clean muslin or cotton cloth and hang it for two hours to drain the water from yogurt. You can press the yogurt from outside the cloth to drain the water.
• Dissolve saffron in a tbsp of lukewarm milk and set aside.
• After 2 hours, take out the strained yogurt in a bowl. Add sugar and mix well till the sugar dissolves.
• Add cardamom powder and dissolved saffron along with milk. Mix again.
• Add half of almonds and pistachios to the mixture. Mix well. Transfer in a glass bowl and refrigerate for two hours.
• Take it out of refrigerator after two hours, mix again, garnish with the leftover almonds and pistachios and serve chilled shrikhand.

Tips:

• You can crush the sugar into powder to dissolve quickly and easily.

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MANGO BANANA MILKSHAKE RECIPE

Mango is known as king of fruits. It is best consumed as milkshake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. However, the combination of mango with banana is also great when served as milkshake. Just add vanilla ice cream over it and enjoy the most yummy milkshake.

 

 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 mango (ripe)
• 1 banana (ripe)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cold water

Preparation Instructions:

• Peel and cut both banana and mango into pieces.
• Add the cut banana, mango, milk and water in a blender and blend them well.
• The mango banana milkshake is ready. You can add more water to get the required consistency.
• Enjoy it in breakfast or as a pre-lunch or post-lunch snack.

Tips:

• You can crush ice-cubes and add to the shake to make it chill.
• It is advised to consume it immediately and not refrigerate.
• You can garnish it with some dry fruits before serving.
• you can add sugar if the sweetness of fruits is not enough.

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AVOCADO MILKSHAKE RECIPE

The nutritious avocado can be converted into a creamy and rich milkshake providing various health benefits. Avocado is a great source of potassium, proteins and healthy fats. So, don’t hesitate to add it to your milkshake, it will surely come out into a delicious drink.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado (butter fruit) (ripe)
• 1-2 tsp powdered sugar (according to taste)
• 1 glass cold milk
• 1 glass cold water

Preparation Instructions:

• Cut avocado into half and remove the seed.
• Put avocado and all ingredients in the blender and blend them into a smooth paste.
• Add milk if the paste is thick and adjust sugar according to your taste. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy chilled avocado milkshake during hot summers.

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REFRESHING LEMONADE RECIPE

This is the most popular drink made in every home during summers. Some water, some sugar and few lemons and there you are with a refreshing and chilled lemonade to beat the heat. There are different ways of preparing the drink, here is one of the easiest method. Try it out.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup water (for syrup)
• 5 – 6 fresh lemons
• 4 to 5 cups chilled water

Preparation Instructions:

• Heat sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves completely. After that, turn off the stove.
• While the syrup is getting prepared, extract the juice from the lemons.
• Take a pitcher and add lemon juice and sugar to it. Add 4 to 5 cups chilled water and mix well.
• Take a taste test and adjust the ingredients accordingly.
• Serve fresh and refreshing lemonade with ice cubes.

Tips:

• Decorate the serving glass with a lemon slice and mint leaves.

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PLUM LEMONADE RECIPE

Plum gives a nice dark pink colour to the lemonade. It not only looks good but also adds a unique taste to the lemonade. Try this refreshing and full of flavours drink for a summer weekend party or to compliment your kids after-play snacks. Read more to get the recipe.

 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 10 small plums (ripe) (halved and de-seeded)
• 5 cups of water
• 6 lemons
• sugar to taste
• ice cube

Preparation Instructions:

• Put the de-seeded plums in a food processor or mixer-grinder and grind them into smooth paste.
• Strain the juice into a pitcher. Extract juice from lemon and add it to the plum juice. Add lemon juice according to your taste preference.
• Add sugar and water. Do not add much water as you will be adding ice cubes too while serving.
• Add ice cubes and serve chilled to beat biting summers.

Tips:

• Adjust the ingredients according to your taste preference. Add more lemon juice if you like it tangy and less sugar if the plums are already sweet.

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GRAPES LASSI | ANGOORI LASSI RECIPE

Black grapes mixed with curd and a creamy drink in your hands. Pour angoori lassi over ice cubes and enjoy.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cup yogurt (dahi)
• 1 cup black grapes
• 1/2 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
• 4 tbsp sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 cup ice cubes

Preparation Instructions:

• Roast cumin seeds and crush them into fine powder.
• Add all ingredients along with cumin powder in a blender and blend them well to make angoori lassi.
• Pour the lassi in a glass and garnish it with chopped grapes. Serve chilled.

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DATES BANANA MILKSHAKE RECIPE

A healthy and great way to start your day; dates banana milkshake. It will provide you with energy to start your day and make you feel full.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 400 ml milk (chilled)
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 dates

Preparation Instructions:

• De-seed dates and blend all ingredients well. The dates banana milkshake is ready.
• Pour it into glasses and serve immediately. You can garnish it with some date pieces.

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CRANBERRY LEMONADE RECIPE

As the name reflects; some cranberry juice, some lemon juice and you have got a pink sour drink for summers.

 

 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1.25 cup sugar
• 4 cups water

Preparation Instructions:

• Heat sugar with 1 cup water. Turn off the stove when sugar dissolves.
• Add sugar syrup, cranberry juice, lemon juice and remaining water in a pitcher. Mix well.
• Chill for two hours or use crushed ice while serving.

Tips:

• Reduce the amount of sugar to 1 cup if you are using sweetened cranberry juice.

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BLACK PLUM MOCKTAIL RECIPE

A refreshing purple drink for all your parties. Mix some ingredients with black plum and get a tasty drink for your celebration.

Preparation Time: 5 hours

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 250 g Black Plum (jamun) (approx 2 cups)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1.5 tbsp Grenadine Syrup
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup tbsp black salt
• 2 cups water
• 2 mint leaves (for garnishing)

Preparation Instructions:

• Boil jamun and sugar in water till jamuns become soft.
• Let them cool at room temperature. After that, refrigerate them for 2 hours.
• De-seed the jamuns. Put the jamuns in a broad strainer, push them with a spoon leaving the seeds in the strainer.
• Blend the pulp. Strain the juice with a fine strainer.
• Add grenadine syrup, lemon juice and black salt to the juice and mix well. Chill for 2 hours.
• Add some ice cubes in a glass and pour the black plum mocktail over it. Garnish with mint leaves.

Tips:

• You can decorate the glass this way; spread white salt in a plate and invert the cocktail glass over it.
• The brim will have a fine lining of salt, pour the mocktail in glass without breaking the salt line.

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WATERMELON MOCKTAIL RECIPE

What can be the better option than a watermelon to welcome the summer season. this mocktail will surely get you compliments from your family, friends and guests.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup watermelon (blended)
• 1/2 cup grape (green) juice
• 1/2 cup water
• Ice cubes (according to your preference)
• A wedge of orange
• Watermelon wedge (optional)

Preparation Instructions:

• Place ice cubes in a glass and pour watermelon and grape juice over it.
• Add water and squeeze the orange juice in it. Stir well. It’s ready.

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BLACK PLUM YOGURT SMOOTHIE RECIPE

Black Plum (jamuns) are associated with the childhood memories of picking up jamuns from sideways. Prepare a black plum yogurt smoothie and recall your childhood memories while enjoying the smoothie.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 30 black plum (jamun) (ripe)
• 1.5 cup Yogurt
• A pinch Salt
• Sugar to taste

Preparation Instructions:

• De-seed the jamuns. Blend the pulp into smooth paste.
• Add curd into the paste and mix well.
• Add salt and sugar and mix again.
• Pour the smoothie into glasses and serve chilled.

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PAPAYA JUICE RECIPE

If you don’t prefer a heavy papaya shake, go for the lighter version. Papaya juice tastes great along with enhancing digestion.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 papaya (medium-sized)
• 1/2  cup orange juice
• 1 lemon
• 2 tsp sugar or honey
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 cup chilled water

Preparation Instructions:

• Peel the papaya, de-seed it and cut it into small cubes.
• Blend papaya cubes, orange juice, lemon juice, sugar and water together into a fine paste.
• Check the consistency of the juice and add more water if needed.
• Pour the juice into glasses. sprinkle salt and black pepper powder over it and mix well.
• Serve immediately.

Tips:

• You can blend crushed ice with the juice to make it chilled.

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PAPAYA MILKSHAKE RECIPE

One of the healthiest milkshake, “Papaya milkshake” is a cool delight for biting summers. Gather all ingredients and get your papaya milkshake ready.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup papaya cubes (peeled and de-seeded)
• 1 cup cold milk
• 2 ice cubes (crushed)
• 1 tbsp honey or sugar

Preparation Instructions:

• Blend all ingredients together to make a smooth puree.
• Pour papaya shake into serving glass and serve chilled.

Tips:

• You can add vanilla cream to the shake for a different flavour.
• You can decorate the shake with dry fruits before serving.

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