XMAS SWEETS (KUSWAR)- Til Ladoo

Ingredients

400 gms Sesame Seeds or Til (hulled)

400 gms Natural Jaggery or Chikki Jaggery

1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder

3 tsp of Ghee

Bowl of water

Method:

On low heat roast the sesame seeds in a deep pan for about 4 minutes, stirring continuously. Do not allow it to burn. Transfer the sesame seeds to another vessel. In the same pan, add 2 tsp ghee and the jaggery. When the jaggery melts and starts to froth, check if the jaggery syrup is ready. To test drop a couple of drops of the syrup into the bowl of water. Remove the jaggery from the bowl and test with your fingers. It should form a flexible ball.

Remove the pan from flame and add the sesame seeds and mix well. Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix. Immediately start preparing the ladoos. Dip you hands in the bowl of water and then remove a small quantity and then make it into a ball with your palms and fingers. Again apply little ghee to your palms and then finish the ladoo by rolling the semi finished ball in your palms.

The ladoos have to be formed quickly or the mixture will dry up as it cools. If it dries up, place the pan again on the stove and heat up. It looses and then form the remaining ladoos.

After they have cooled down, store in air tight containers. Enjoy.

RICE PANCAKES OR NEER DOSA WITH COCONUT AND JAGGERY FILLING, PORTHA POLE

Ingredients

2 Cups of Idli Rice, Wash and soak it for 8 hours or overnight

Half Scraped Coconut

200 grams and to taste scraped jaggery

1/2 tsp cardamom powder.

Method:

Grind the rice adding water and little salt. It should be of watery consistency. Make the mixture of Coconut, Jaggery and Cardamom Powder. (add scraped jaggery, and cardamom powder to scraped coconut and mix well)

Heat a Dosa Pan. Take a small piece on onion and prick with fork. Dip the onion in oil and apply to pan all round. Take a ladle of batter and pour onto the pan and turn the pan all round. Close the lid for a minute and then remove the fried pancake (the edges will start leaving the pan) and place it on a plate with the bottom side facing up.

Take about two to three spoons of the coconut and jaggery mixture and place it in a straight line about 1/3 way of the pancake. Close two sides of the pancake . Now start rolling the pancake from the second side to the fourth side to form an roll with the filling in the middle.

Similarly form the other pancake rolls.

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients:

2 Kilos of Beetroot Pulp (after extracting for wine) or 2.5 Kgs of Beetroot (cut, peeled and grated).

650 gms of Sugar

2 Cups of Milk

8 spoons of Ghee or clarified Butter

Few almonds (cut into thin slices)

Few Cashewnuts

Cardamom Powder

Method:

In a deep pan, add 2 spoons ghee and fry the cashew nuts lightly and remove. Then repeat the process with Almonds. Add the Beetroot pulp or grated beetroot. Add 2 more spoons ghee and cook till the rawness of the beetroot goes. Already boiled beetroot for wine will progress to next stage faster. When the beetroot has lost its rawness add the milk and on slow fire allow to cook. Keep stirring so it does not stick to bottom. After the milk has evaporated and beetroot has become soft add sugar and mix. The sugar will dissolve and you will get some more liquid. Add 4 spoons of ghee and cardamom powder and mix and fry well till the mixture comes together. Add the fried cashew nuts and almonds. Mix and remove.

I

Turmeric Leaves Patholi or Steamed Sweet Rice Cakes

Ingredients:

15 Turmeric Leaves

2 cups of boiled rice or ponni rice. Washed and soaked in water overnight.

Scraped Coconut

Scraped Jaggery

½ tsp Cardamom Powder

1 pinch nutmeg powder

Salt

Method:

Grind the rice with little salt in little water to form thick batter. Make a mixture of scraped coconut and jaggery (to taste). Add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder to mixture and keep aside. Apply the paste to a leaf (face of the leaf) very thinly. Leave 1 cm at the sides dry. Place a little of the mixture along the spine of the leaf. Fold the leaf and keep aside. Repeat this to all the leaves

Heat up a steamer or tondoor (with water in the bottom section). Place the rolls in the top section and steam for 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Peel and enjoy the rice cakes.

Sheera or Kesar Bhath

Ingredients:

1 Cup Semolina or Rava or Soji (Medium to Coarse)

Few Cashewnuts (10)

Few Raisins or Sultanas (10)

2 Cardamom Pods

2 Cloves

1 Cup Milk

1 Cup Water

Ghee or Clarified Butter

1 Cup Sugar

½ tsp Orange Colour

Saffron (few strings) to add to milk

2 Tblsp Oil

Method:

In a deep bottom pan, heat and add 2 tablespoon oil. When hot lightly fry the cashew nuts and remove. Then fry the raisins till they puff up and remove.

Fry the cardamom and cloves for 30 sec and then add Semolina and fry on very low flame. Fry for about 5 mins continuously stirring so that it does not burn. Fry till slightly brown. Add sugar and continue stirring for a minute or two. Add saffron to milk and stir.  Add water and mix well. Stir and then add milk and continue stirring. Add the cashew nuts and raisins. When it starts boiling reduce the flame. It will start thickening up. Add one spoon of ghee and keep stirring. Mix well and keep stirring. Add Orange Colour. Add one more spoon of ghee and keep stirring till the mixture leaves the side and come together. That’s it Sheera or Kesar Bhath. Allow it to cool a bit and then serve.

How to Prepare Burnt Sugar Syrup

 

Ingredients:

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Boiling Water

Method:

In a thick bottomed vessel heat the sugar or low to medium heat. When the sugar has melted and starts bubbling remove from stove and add half of the water. The mixture will start smoking. Stir to dissolve the sugar clumps that form. Place back on the stove and on low heat keep stirring to dissolve any balance sugar clumps.  Add rest of the water and heat for 5 minutes.

Remove from stove and allow to cool. Use for cakes, pudding, custard etc.

Xmas Sweets (Kuswar) – Rava (Semolina) Ladoo

 

Ingredients:

500 Gms Fine Rava or Semolina

500 gms Castor sugar (powdered )

1 cup Ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp cardamom powder

¼ tsp Nutmeg Powder

2 spoons raisins

1 Cup Warm Milk

Method:

In a deep pan fry the Rava (Semolina), add sugar and keep frying till brown. Add the cardamom and nutmeg powder. Remove into a vessel or large tray.

Heat ¾ of the ghee and fry the raisins slightly. Add to mixture. Mix well.

Add Warm milk and form ladoos. Grease your palm with ghee to form the ladoos.

Store in air tight containers.

Xmas Sweets (Kuswar) – Kokis

 

Ingredients:

250 Gms Maida or Standard Flour (do not use self-raising flour)

4 tblsp Rice Flour

2 Eggs

¼ tsp Nutmeg Powder

4 cups Thick Coconut Milk ( Canned Coconut Milk can be used)- as required

Salt to taste (1 Tsp), water & sugar (3 tbsp)

Kokis Mold

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients and coconut milk to form a thickish batter ( not as thick as dosa and not as thin as Pancake(panpole)).

Heat the oil and place the head of the mold in the hot oil. When the oil is hot, remove the mold and dip in the batter. Do not cover the top – only upto the sides. Keep for 15 secs and then remove and dip back in hot oil. Do a couple of dip down and up movements so that the kokis seperates from the mold.

Fry on both sides until golden brown and remove onto perforated vessel or paper towels. When cool store in water tight containers.

You get around 50 kokis with this quantity of flour.

Xmas Sweets (Kuswar) – Kulkuls or Kidiyo

 

Ingredients:

375 Gms Maida or Standard Flour (do not use self-raising flour)

125 gms Butter or Margarine

Salt to taste (use less if using salted butter), water & sugar (1 tbsp)

Kulkuls mold or fork or clean hair comb.

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Mix the maida and butter till the flour looks like bread crumbs. Add salt, water & Sugar and form a dough. Make small balls and then form kulkuls using the mold or fork or clean comb. While making the kulkuls apply a little oil to the mold so the dough does not stick. Ensure that the edges of the Kulkuls are not loose otherwise they will come apart while frying.

Deep fry the Kulkuls till they become light brown. When you drop them in a perforated vessel you should hear a thickish sound (thud).

Sugar Coating (optional)

75 gms sugar

¾ cup water

Heat both in a vessel till it becomes a sticky mixture. When the mixture starts becoming thick add the kulkuls and mix thoroughly. Remove from fire and spread into a tray and allow to cool. Store into airtight containers.

Vorn or Moong Dal Payasam

Vorn or Payasam (Sweet dish made from Moong Dal, Rice, Coconut Milk & Jaggery)

Ingredients:

1/4 Kg Moong Dal (Green Gram Dal) without skin

1 Coconut (Milk) – taken the traditional way- by grinding the scraped coconut with water and squeezed out the coconut milk. You can also use Maggi or Nestle Coconut Milk Powder. Also canned coconut milk can be used. I used 2 cans of 425 ml. One as thick milk, the other diluted by adding another two cans of water to make 3 cans of thin milk.

50 gms Rice flour (smooth paste by adding water) or 50 gms of raw rice soaked for 1 to 2 hours and ground in blender to a smooth paste.

Some pieces of Cashewnuts (25 gms)

Some raisins (25 gms)

Some sliced almonds (optional)

200 grams Jaggery (scraped)

Salt (a pinch)

1/4 tsp Cardamon Powder

Method:

Wash the Moong dal a couple of times and then boil this in a pan with two cups of water. When dal is cooked add thin coconut milk and bring to boil. Add the jaggery and a pinch of salt. When jaggery has dissolved add the other ingredients – raisins, cashewnuts, almonds. Boil for a couple of minutes. Then on very low flame add the rice flour paste little by little, stirring all the time. This will prevent from lumps forming.  Again when it starts boiling, again on low flame add the thick coconut milk, this will prevent from the coconut milk getting curdled due to high heat. Mix well and allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the cardamon powder and mix well. Remove from flame.

Enjoy this traditional Mangalorean Sweet!!