Semolina kesari is a very common Indian sweet and can be served for breakfast as well as a dessert.
Ingredients
- Semolina – 1 cup
- Sugar – 1 ½ cup
- Cashews – 4 tablespoons
- Raisins – 2 tablespoons
- Margarine – ¼ cup
- Cardamom- 2 pods (crushed)
- Water – 2 cups
- Food color – ¼ teaspoon
Directions
1. The first main step in this sweet treat is to roast semolina in non stick pan by adding 2 tablespoon of margarine in medium flame .Roast well till it changes the color. Switch off the flame. Transfer semolina to another bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of margarine and roast cashews and raisins to golden brown. Set aside.
2. In a separate wide pan bring two cups of water to boil. Add cardamom and food color (I used strawberry color) and sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, bring the flame to simmer and add semolina gradually and stir vigorously as not to form any lumps.
3. Keep stirring until the semolina is cooked. Stir in roasted cashews and raisins. Switch off the flame. Serve warm.
Carrots are so versatile. We consume it raw or cooked, by itself or with other ingredients. Here I have made a dessert with carrots and almond. A dessert with a healthy twist of carrots and almonds would sound not only fascinating but turn out to be super delicious as well.
Ingredients
- Carrots – 4 or 5 (chopped)
- Almonds – 12
- Sugar – ½ cup
- Almond milk/ soy milk – 1 cup
- Silvered almonds – 2 tablespoons
- Cardamom -2 pods (crushed)
Directions
1. Cook carrots and almonds in 1 ½ cup of water. Cook carrots, till they become soft. (15 minutes.) Let cool.
2. Puree carrots and almonds in a blender adding water as required.
3. Add soymilk/ almond milk to the pureed carrots in a pan. Stir in sugar and crushed cardamom. Bring it to boil.
4. Switch off the stove. Garnish with silvered almonds.
5. Can be served warm or cold.
Notes
1. If you don’t have sweet tooth, you can reduce sugar to ¼ cup.
Flat rice/ beaten rice looks similar to oats and is made by dehusking and flattening rice. These flakes of rice absorb water/milk/any form of liquid and swell in size. They are easy to cook and are easily digestible. Also known as poha /aval, they can be used to make many varieties of snacks, breakfasts and desserts. It can be branded as a convenient food as preparation of any dish with rice flakes takes very little time.
Here I have shared a dessert recipe that uses rice flakes , jaggery and coconut milk.
Ingredients
- Flat rice/poha- 1 cup (thick variety)
- Grated coconut – 1 cup ( I used frozen)
- Jaggery/ raw sugar /unrefined sugar- 1 cup
- Cardamom – 2 pods (crushed)
- Cashews- 3 tablespoons
- Silvered almonds- 2 tablespoons
- Margarine – 4 tablespoons
Directions
1. Add one cup of lukewarm water to the grated coconut and run it in your blender. Run the blender for 4 to 5 minutes. When it gets thicker, you are done. Filter the coconut milk using a strainer. This is your thick /first pressed milk. Set the coconut milk aside.
2. Now bring together one more cup of lukewarm water and coconut (left in the strainer) in the blender and run the blender for 5 more minutes. Filter the coconut milk using a strainer and this is your thin/second pressed milk. Set the milk aside. Discard the coconut.
3. Set a pan and add a teaspoon of margarine. Once melted add flattened rice and fry for a minute. Stir in second pressed / thin milk. Bring it to a boil.
4. Add powdered jaggery and mix well. Once it reaches the boiling point add thick/first pressed milk and simmer the stove.
5. In another pan melt margarine and fry cashews and almonds. Do not brown them.
6. Stir in cashews and almonds along with melted margarine and crushed cardamom into the kheer and turn off the stove.
7. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Vermicelli belongs to the family of pastas and is thinner than spaghetti. Vermicelli kheer is easy to make and is made in many versions. I have veganized the original recipe by using soymilk instead of regular milk. Coconut milk also can be used in place of soymilk. You need to taste this simple dessert to experience the heavenly, creamy taste with the nuts that add crunchiness, Mmm….good!
Ingredients
- Vermicelli – 1 cup
- Sugar – 1 cup
- Soy milk – 2 to 3 cups
- Silvered almonds – 4 tablespoons
- Broken cashews – 4 tablespoons
- Margarine – 3 tablespoons
- Cardamom powder – 2 pods( crushed)
1. Set a pan and add 1 table spoon of margarine. Once it melts add vermicelli and roast it till it turns into brown color.
2. Add 1 cup of water and cook the vermicelli until soft. Keep stirring.
3. Once vermicelli turns soft stir in 2 cups of soymilk and brings the flame down. Stir in sugar.
4. While the milk boils with vermicelli, set another pan and melt 2 tablespoons of margarine. Add broken cashews and silvered almonds and fry them till golden brown.
5. Stir in roasted cashews and almonds along with margarine into the boiling kheer.
6. Add powdered cardamom and switch off the flame.
“Paruppu payasam” – lentil kheer is a special dessert of South India. It is made on festivals and on special occasions. When I was a little girl this dish used to be my not only favorite dessert but also I used to eat it like main dish. Bowl after bowl would be consumed by me. Lentils with jaggery(or sugar) and coconut milk would taste awesome. Mind you, this is a nutirtious dish too. Lentils (moong dal and channa dal) add the protein content and jaggery (unrefined sugar) adds its share of minerals to the dessert. So, you are in for a guiltless feast!
Ingredients
- Moong dal – 1 cup
- Channa dal – ¼ cup
- Jaggery – 1 ½ cup (Jaggery – is a traditional unrefined sugar consumed in Asia, Africa and South America; Jaggery is rich in iron and magnesium)
- Coconut milk – 1 cup
- Sliced almonds – 2 tablespoons
- Cashews ( broken)- 3 tablespoons
- Margarine – 2 tablespoons
- cardamom- ½ teaspoon
Jaggery
Directions
1. Cook moong dhal and channa dhal to a creamy consistency for about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker or in a sauce pan. The dals should reach a creamy consistency.
2. Powder jaggery if using the cubed form and add to the dhal.
3. The dal would become little watery on adding the jaggery. Bring it to a boil. Stir in coconut milk.
4. Heat margarine in a different pan and add sliced almonds and broken cashews. Fry them for few minutes; be careful enough not to burn them.
5. Add cardamom, cashews, almonds along with melted margarine and cook over medium heat for 3 more minutes.
Notes
1. You could use granulated sugar (cup for cup) in place of jaggery, but jaggery enhances the taste of payasam.
2. This kheer could be served hot or cold. To serve cold, refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
This is my entry for Courtney’s My Legume Love Affair 10th helping and Susan’s My legume love affair.
