Vegan Mango Mousse

Everytime I visit one of those lavish spreads at any of the popular restaurants, the one regular fixture on the desserts menu is a mousse. But the one thing that stops me from digging into them is the humongous amount of calories contained in a tiny portion. Also, it doesn't help when I think about all the chemicals that go into it. Yes, that pretty looking cup/glass might very well contain gelatin, agar agar, artificial flavoring and a slew of chemicals that might have made their way into the whipping cream/heavy cream.

That's why I choose to go vegan whenever I have the craving for some nice wholesome mousse. Taking avocado as the base ingredient, I can add any fruit plup or cocoa powder for the flavoring . For sweetening the final product, raw honey works just as great. Ta-daaa. My delicious vegan mousse is ready.

Check out the easy-peasy recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 ripe avocados
• pulp of two ripe mangoes
• 2-3 tsp honey ( use a bit more if you want )
• few drops of vanilla extract ( can be substituted with cardamom powder )

Preparation - Halve the avocados. Remove the stone and scoop out the flesh.

Throw into the blender jar. Add the mango pulp, few drops of vanilla extract and the honey. Buzz for a few seconds.

Pour into the serving cups. Pop into the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Garnish with small mango cubes. Serve chilled.

Note - This mousse stay fresh fresh for upto 24 hours when kept in a airtight container in the fridge .

Badam Phirni ( Diwali Collaboration with A Dollop Of That! )

The next recipe that I am sharing for the Diwali series is a rich creamy dessert from North India. Known as the phirni, it is basically rice paste cooked in saffron-cardamom flavoured milk and loaded with nuts. While I would have loved to do an Odia recipe (as some of you had requested), I am running short on time and energy as the vacations have started for my kid.


I picked this recipe as it reminds me of yet another Odia recipe known as the 'Gaintha' or 'Attakali'. It is a slightly rustic recipe that is made out of rice paste which is first cooked into a solid mass, broken down into small balls and then cooked in cardamom-peppercorn flavoured milk. To me, phirni always seems to a more glamorized version of the Attakali. My phirni recipe is a slightly more nuttier and richer version of the regular one as I have added almond paste to it while cooking.

Read on for the recipe - ( And do not forget to scroll down to the bottom of this post for another surprise by Parinazz of A Dollop of that !)

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 5 heaped tbsp of any fragrant rice ( Basmati /Jeera/GobindoBhog )
• 1/2 liter + 2/3 cup milk
• 15-16 almonds
• 4 heaped tsp sugar ( as per taste )
• 2 pinch saffron strands
• a pinch of cardamom powder
• pistachios for garnishing
• rose petals for garnishing

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice for 2-3 hours. Grind into a smooth paste with 3-4 tsp milk. Dissolve in another 1/2 cup of milk.

Soak the almonds in hot water for 1 hour. Remove and peel them. Grind into a smooth paste with 2-3 tsp milk.

Soak saffron strands in 3-4 tbsp hot milk.

Cooking - Heat a wide mouthed nonstick saucepan. Add 4-5 tbsp water to it. This prevents milk from sticking to bottom and getting burnt.

Pour in the milk and bring it to boil on medium flame. Let it reduce by 1/3 rd.

Pour in the rice paste and cook with continuous stirring (preferably using a whisk) to prevent the formation of lumps. Do this for 7-8 mins. The mixture will become thick and take a creamy texture.

Then pour in the saffron milk (just remember to rub the strands with your fingers to get a deeper colour), sugar, almond paste and cardamom powder. Cook for 3-4 mins while stirring continuously.

Remove from the flame. Pour it into the serving bowls and pop it into the fridge.

Garnish with saffron strands, pistachios and rose petals. Serve chilled.

Do not forget to check out these interesting recipes too !!

Parinaaz's - Kesar Pista Biscuits

Amrakhand ( Mango Flavored Shrikhand )

It is the mango season and hence it is little wonder that the luscious fruit is making inroads into very possible dish that comes out of the kitchen. Mango rasam, mango rice, mango chicken curry, mango lassi, mango milkshake and even mango ice cream are some popular choices. So, it is hardly surprising when this wonder fruit became a part of Shrikhand, a yummy but easy to prepare dessert.

This is a very simple recipe and one can easily substitute sugar with sugarfree powder without compromising on the taste. Read on -

Preparation Time - 10 mins ( plus 2-3 hours extra if not using greek/thick yogurt )

Ingredients -

• 1 cup thick yogurt ( or 2 cups thin yogurt )
• 1/2 cup grated ripe mango 
• 2 tsp powdered sugar
• a spinch of saffron
• 3 tbsp roasted chiroli nuts

Preparation - If using thin curd, take it in a cheesecloth or muslin cloth. Gather into a bundle and hang in a cool place for 2-3 hours.

Take the thick curd in a mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar and beat it to break any lumps. After 4-5 mins it will turn lighter and fluffier. At this point, add the mango pulp and mix in . 

Sprinkle the saffron and pop into the refrigerator for 1 hour atleast.

Whisk again before serving. Garnish with roasted chiroli nuts and serve chilled.

Shrikhand

Shrikhand is a simple yet easy to make and good to eat Indian dessert. By using a low calorie yogurt and substituting Sugarfree/Splenda for sugar, it can be transformed into a low calorie delight. One can also add fruit puree to it. Also it happens to be one of Bal gopal's favorites.

Read on for this recipe which is also offered as prasad/neivaidyam on the occasion of Janmasthami-

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup hung curd
• 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• a pinch of cardamom powder
• a few nuts
• 3-4 strands of saffron
• 1 tbsp warm milk
• 1-2 drops rose water/kewda water (optional)

Preparation - Soak the saffron in the milk for 10 mins.

Transfer all ingredients (except nuts) to a blender. Buzz to get a smooth paste.

Garnish with the chopped nuts and serve chilled.

Note - I personally prefer to make shrikhand with a day old yogurt so that it has just a hint of sourness. 

Tiranga Faluda

Its that time of the year yet again. The tricolor hues seem to be floating everywhere around me. Even my kid is wearing it to school today. And not to mention all the lovely blog posts that have been popping on my screen over the past week. This one however was conceptualized almost a fortnight back for the second round of the Borosil-Indiblogger contest that I did not win. It seems one needs past laurels as well as a good sales pitch to reach the podium finish in such contests. Anyways that's in the past now.

The recipe that I am going to share today is a simple one. I have used mango, vanilla and kiwi as the flavours in the this recipe. But one can go for any three flavours that one likes and use a bit of edible food color to get the right shade. I would have liked a thicker consistency for the faluda but unfortunately there was an 8 hour long power-cut on the day and my ice creams just melted off. While it does not look as good, it does taste great. Very apt if you are entertaining any friends over the long weekend. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 12 tbsp subza (basil) seeds
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 scoops vanilla ice-cream 
• 2 scoops mango ice-cream
• 2 scoops kiwi ice-cream
• 2 tbsp mango crush
• 2 tbsp kiwi crush
• few drops of orange food color ( or saffron instead )
• few drops of green food color
• chopped cherries for garnishing

Preparation - Divide the subza seeds into 3 portions. Add each portion to 2/3 cup warm milk. Add a little green color and 1 tbsp kiwi crush to one cup. To another cup, add some orange color and 1 tbsp mango crush. Soak for 1-2 hours.

Mix in the remaining mango and kiwi crush with 2 scoops of mango and 2 scoops of kiwi ice-cream respectively .

Assembly - Take some clean glasses . First add a little of the green colored subza mixture. Top it with the Kiwi ice-cream.

Then add another layer of white colored subza mixture topped with the vanilla ice-cream.

Finally add the layer of orange colored subza mix topped with mango icecream.

Sprinkle the cherries on top.

Serve immediately.

Note - I have not used sugar as the crush and ice-cream add a lot of sweetness to this dessert. But one can add some sugar as well as per preference.

Shahi Tukda

A few days back I had posted the recipe for 'Double ka Meetha'. And quite a few people came back asking for the difference between the former and 'Shahi Tukda'. I would say that both have quite a few similarities but have originated from different regions/cultures. 'Shahi Tukda' is the more royal one of the two, soaked up in delicately flavored 'rabdi' or condensed milk and showered with toasted nuts.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25-35 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 thick slices of white bread
• 2 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp condensed milk
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp butter
• a few strands of saffron
• nuts for garnishing
• 4-5 drops of rose essence/syrup (optional)

Cooking - Take the bread and cut off the sides. (This is optional and i usually do not do it) Cut each bread slice into two triangles. 

Heat a pan. Place the bread slices on it and toast for 2 mins. Flip over and apply a little butter on the browned side. Toast the other side for another 2 mins and flip over. Apply a little butter on this side as well.

Remove and keep aside.

Heat 1/2 tsp butter in a pan and add the nuts. Toast for 1 minute or so.

In another saucepan, add the milk. Boil on low to medium flame with regular stirring in between till it reduces to 1/3rd. Add sugar and condensed milk. Simmer for 1 min. Add the saffron strands and the toasted nuts, and keep aside till it cools down a bit.

Lay the toasted bread slices side by side on a plate. Pour the thickened milk all over the slices and some extra too.

Garnish with more nuts and serve warm. (Or you can pop it in the fridge for 20 mins or so as I prefer it.)

Daliya Kheer

Another one of my daliya recipes!!  I just can't keep my hands off this whole-grain these days. Packed with fiber which is known to speed up sluggish metabolisms, it is a boon for people wanting to lose some weight. It is also known to help prevent Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular ailments. While I used to cook daliya exclusively for my kid, now I end up eating half of it myself.

It is great way to inculcate healthy eating habits among kids given the amount of junk that they eat. One just needs to cook it real soft while giving it to the younger kids else they might find hard to digest it.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins (including 20 mins standby)

Ingredients -

1/2 cup daliya or cracked wheat
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3 tbsp sugar or as per taste
2 tbsp condensed milk (optional)
few strands of saffron
raisins/cashews/almonds for garnishing (as desired)
1 tsp ghee

Cooking - Heat a frying pan. Add the ghee followed by the daliya and roast on low-medium flame till it turns reddish in colour. This takes about 5-6 mins.

Soak the roasted daliya in 1 cup hot milk for 10 mins. Transfer the soaked daliya to a pressure cooker along with 1/2 cup water and cook for 2 whistles. Remove from stove and keep aside till steam escapes. [ If you are in a hurry, forgo the soaking and cook it for 1-2 extra whistles. ]

While the daliya is being cooked, bring the remaining milk to a boil and let it reduce. Add the daliya along with sugar, condensed milk and saffron strands to the milk. Boil for 3 mins.

Remove from stove and serve hot or slightly chilled.

Note - I have kept the consistency a little liquid so that it is easier for the kids to drink/swallow it up. It does thicken on cooling but one can cook it for few more minutes if still more thickness is desired.

Chocolate Kheer

Time for some sweet indulgences!!! This time I decided to add some molten dark chocolate to my usual rice kheer. Added a new dimension to a classic recipe but changed the color to a dark brown which seemed odd for a kheer. I love the nutty brown color too much. Maybe I will try this next tie with some white chocolate.

Read on -

Preparation Time - 1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients:

• Fragrant rice ( 1/2 cup )
• milk ( 1 litre )
• ghee ( 3 tsp )
• sugar ( 2-3 tbs )
• cashews/almonds ( 1/2 cup )
• cardamon ( 2 nos )
• condensed milk ( 1/2 cup )
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate cubes ( or 4 tbsp of cocoa powder )

Cooking: Wash the rice and transfer to a pressure cooker. Add 1/4 of the milk, ghee ,sugar and salt. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 whistles. Remove from fire and allow to cool down slightly.

Boil the milk separately. Fry the cashews and keep aside.

Transfer the contents of the pressure cooker to a wok. Add boiling milk and cashews. Allow the milk to boil till it thickens ( Takes about 1 hour ).

Meanwhile melt the chocolate cubes in a double boiler.

Add cardamon powder and condensed milk to the kheer. Cook for 2-3 more mins. Remove from the flame and keep aside.

Stir in the liquid chocolate while the kheer is still hot. Pop it into the fridge once the temperature comes down sufficiently.

Drizzle with some white chocolate sauce and serve. (Tastes best when chilled)

Kesar Kulfi

Summer holidays were synonymous with Kulfi's and kathi-icecream (as we referred to popsicles in those days). The 'ting-ting' of the Kulfi-wallah's bell as it entered our lane sent our salivary glands on an overdrive and we went scurrying to the gates. The earthiness of those matki's and the leaves on which he served to kulfi remains etched in my mind till date. But he did not stock any fancy flavors in those days. One could only taste cardamom scented thickened milk in those heavenly kulfis. These days one can easily find 10-15 flavors at most Kulfi stalls but I still lust after those plain ones. How much ever I try to replicate its magic, I am unable to do so. And that's why I keep trying out various other flavors. Maybe I will make it a point to try and find some on my next visit to home.

The sweltering heat has become just another excuse to indulge in this sweet delight. That's what I told myself while preparing this over last weekend. It really does not take much time if we use condensed milk and some ready-made khoya. The taste is better than when using cornflour and fresh cream. The khoya does add a lot of texture to it and makes it authentic. The nuts add to the bite and the sweet notes of cardamom, saffron and rose delight one's senses.

Read on for my recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins


Ingredients -

1/2 liter milk (I used pre-boiled milk. If you have to boil the milk, add another 9-10 minutes to the preparation time.)
5 tbsp condensed milk ( I used sweetened one )
75 gms khoya
4 tsp sugar
2 pinch cardamom
2-3 drops rose essence
a pinch of saffron strands
1 tsp cornflour (optional)
12-14 almonds (blanched and skinned)

Preparation - Buzz the almonds in a food processor for 2-3 seconds to get small pieces. Do not overdo as we don't want a paste.

Dissolve the cornflour in about 3 tbsp of cold milk and keep aside.

Cooking - Bring the milk to a boil. Stir in the sugar.

Once sugar has dissolved, add the condensed milk and khoya.

Cook with continuous stirring till khoya has completely dissolved into the milk. By this time milk would have thickened as needs to be stirred as it catches on the bottom quite easily.

If you find that it is not sufficiently thick, add the cornflour slurry (or paste). Stir for 3-4 minutes till it thickens.

Remove from flame and add the almonds, rose essence, cardamom powder and kesar. Mix and allow to cool down to room temperature.

Pour into Kulfi molds and put in the Freezer. Allow to solidify for 6-7 hours before serving.

For serving, dip the kulfi molds in water, remove and rub between the palms. Put upside down on a plate and tap gently to ease out the kulfi.

Cut into pieces and serve garnished with saffron strands/rose petals.

Note - Soak the kulfi molds in water before pouring in the mix. This allows the kulfis to come out easily.

Quick Kesar Kalakand (Holi Special)

Kalakand is a classic Indian dessert that requires hours of slogging in the kitchen to prepare a single batch and undoubtedly years of practice to perfect it. But the crumbly melt-in-the-mouth goodness more than makes up for the effort. It was quite by chance that I came across this quick version of 'Kalakand' when leafing though Tarla Dalal's cookbook. First, I was not looking for a dessert. Secondly, while I had seen the recipe pics earlier, I had not even glanced at the time required to prepare it. But this time when I noticed that it would take less than 20 minutes to get a batch ready, I promptly added it to my 'Holi Special' menu.

The only thing that we need to take care of is the quality of the paneer.  It should be fresh (no frozen ones allowed) and soft ( Check out the Delhi Panner at Total Superstore or Hypercity) . Also do not overcook the mixture. I have a confession to make. I would never have dared to prepare this dessert had it not been for Tarla Dalal's recipe. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 3/4 cup finely grated paneer, 1/2 cup fresh cream, 1/4 cup sugar, 8 tbsp milk powder, 1/2 tsp cornflour, a generous pinch of saffron, 4 tbsp milk.

Preparation - Soak the saffron in 2 tbsp warm/hot milk.

Dissolve the cornflour in 2 tbsp of milk at room temperature.

Cooking - Heat a wok. Add grated panner, fresh cream, sugar and milk powder to it. Mix everything and cook on a low flame.

Add the saffron milk after 2 minutes.

Cook till the mixture starts coming together and leaving the sides of the wok. (continuous stirring is required throughout the process)

Add the cornflour mix at this time. Cook for another 2 minutes and remove from flame.

Spread uniformly on a flat vessel or thali into a layer of about 1.5 cm thickness. Keep it in the fridge for half an hour to set the mixture. Remove and cut into cubes.

Garnish with a few strands of saffron and nuts and serve.

Note - I have used Kesar or saffron as the flavoring. One can also stick to cardamon flavor as mentioned in the original recipe or experiment with a range of flavors like chocolate, mango and even pineapple.

Thandaii Kulfi

Holi is still two weeks away but I am getting into the mood already. I guess the colors being sold in the shops nearby are influencing me along with the promise of gorging on variety of sweets/savory snacks. Though I havn't really played with water colors for a couple of years, I was crazy about it during my childhood days. Our Holi sessions would start early and extend much into the afternoon. The number of days it took to get all that color off one's skin was used as a yardstick to measure how much fun one had on the day. I remember sneaking small packets of color to school and playing with friends after the classes got over. But it was an unfortunate brush with some chemical laden colors that had me erupting all over. The pain was quite horrible and I swore never to play with water colors again.

So, now I just play a bit with Gulal or the dry color for the sake of tradition. But I more than make up for it by relishing some great food. Since everyone is so tired/thirsty playing in the sun, the snacks and refreshments served should ideally be something cool/chilled. Apart from traditional drinks like lemonade and Thandaii, dahi vada and namkeen para make for great Holi snacks. This is a modified version of the traditional 'Thandaii', albeit in the form of Kulfi. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients - 1/2 liter milk, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup fresh cream, 2 tbsp cornflour, 3-4 tsp chopped nuts, 4 tbsp thandai extract.

Preparation - Dissolve the cornflour in 1/3 cup milk ( at room temperature ). Keep aside.

Cooking - Bring the remaining milk to a boil in a heavy/thick bottomed vessel and allow to simmer till reduced to 3/4th.

Add and dissolve the sugar in it.

Now add the cornflour mix gradually with continuous stirring. Keep stirring till it thickens sufficiently (3-4 minutes would do but be careful as it has a tendency to stick of the bottom of the vessel and get burnt).

Add the nuts, switch off the flame and keep aside to cool down.

Add the thandai extract and beaten fresh cream. Beat again so that it takes on a uniform consistency and no lumps remain.

Pour into Kulfi moulds. Freeze for 6-7 hours or overnight.

For serving, immerse the kulfi moulds in water for 30 seconds, remove and rub lightly between your palms. Insert a sharp object (like a fork) and take out the kulfi. Cut into bite sized pieces and serve.

Note - Refer to my post on 'Thandaii' for making the thandaii extract.
 ( Use a slightly warm knife to be able to cut though the kulfi with ease. This gives nice sharp edges unlike the one you see in my pics. This one was taken in a hurry and I could not get around to warming my knife. Reminds one of the saying 'Practice before you speak', doesn't it ??? )

Tiramisu

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Tiramisu is an Italian dessert which literally means 'pick me up'. It is attributed to the combined effect of coffee(expresso), cocoa and sugar. One bite and you really get to know why they call it so.

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients - 12 ladyfinger biscuits, 1 tsp Nescafe, 1/2 tsp cocoa powder, 1/4 cup warm water, 1/4 cup milk, (5-6 tsp + 3 tsp) sugar, 1 cup cream cheese, 1 tsp butter, 2 tsp fresh cream, 1 egg yolk, 6-7 drops vanilla essence, cocoa powder for dusting.

Preparation - Dissolve the coffee and cocoa powder in warm water. Allow to cool. Then add the milk as well.

Beat the egg yolk with 5-6 tsp sugar till it is fluffy and very pale in color.

Beat the cream cheese with butter and fresh cream till light and fluffy. Fold in the egg yolk mixture gently. Add the vanilla essence.

Take a square dish. Line the ladyfinger biscuits. Add sufficient coffee-milk liquid onto the biscuits to wet them but not to make them very soggy.

Spoon over half of the cheese-yolk mixture. Sprinkle some cocoa powder. Add another layer of the biscuits. Drizzle with coffee liquid. Add the remaining cheese-yolk mixture.

Finally sprinkle as much cocoa powder as you like. (Add a few choco-chips if you want)

Refrigerate overnight. (Since I made this in a hurry, I had only about 7 hours for the dessert to set. The longer time you soak it, the better as the coffee flavors permeate into the cheese.)

Serve chilled.

Mahalabia

Happy Diwali to All.

The blogosphere has been bombarded with traditional Diwali recipes. While I do not hold anything against following our customs, I simply did not want to ruin my vacation slaving over those laddoos/kalakand or even kheer. That is when I zeroed in on Mahalabia. Also known as Muhellabia, this is one light milk and easy pudding recipe from the Middle East . The first time I read about it in a travel magazine, I was bowled over by the ease and simplicity of this dish. While it does remind me of another Indian dessert (Phirni), this one makes use of cornflour rather than rice flour. It has a light custard or thick yogurt like texture.

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15-10 mins

Ingredients - 2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup milk powder, 3 tbs corn flour, 1/2 cup sugar ( or less as per preference ), 3 tbs rose water, 2 whole cardamoms, nuts for garnishing.

Cooking - Bring the milk & milk powder to a boil. Allow to boil for 7-8 minutes. Dissolve in the sugar.

Dissolve the corn flour in a little milk. Add slowly to the boiling milk and stir continuously till it thickens to a custard consistency. Add the rose water and cardamon at this point and mix in.

Pour in glasses & put into the refrigerator.

Garnish with chopped pistachios & almonds. Serve chilled.

Makhane ki Kheer

Phool Makhana or Lotus seed is more commonly available in North India where it is used during vrats. As it not regarded as a cereal its atta is also used for making rotis and it finds use even in curries. It can even be consumed as a snack in the roasted form.

It is free from fat and cholesterol, rich in iron and phosphorus and is also a good source of antioxidants. Its nutritional profile makes it ideal for weight-watchers or people suffering from high blood pressure/cholesterol. It also helps digestion, reduces frequent urination, strengthens body and improves energy levels.

I used 'Phool Makhana' to make this delicious and nutritious kheer during the Navratri days. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup phool makhana, 2 cups whole milk (boiled), 3 tsp sugar, 6-7 tbs milk powder/3-4 tbs condensed milk, 1 tbs ghee, handful of almonds, 3-4 glazed cherries, 2 pinch ground nutmeg, 1 pinch cardamon powder.

Preparation - Chop the almonds and cherries.

Cooking - Heat a pan. Add ghee and then the phool makhana. Roast for 3 minutes on a low to medium flame till crisp. Remove and keep aside to cool down.

Crush all the makhana lightly ( do not powder) except for 5-6 nos.

Add the almonds to the pan and roast for 2 minutes.

Bring the milk to a boil. Dissolve the sugar in it.

Add the crushed phool makhana and almonds. Boil for 10-12 minutes on a low flame.

Add the whole/intact phool makhanas and the milk powder along with the nutmeg and cardamon. Remove from flame after 1 minute.

Allow to cool down. (one can also refrigerate it)

Garnish with the cherries and serve.

Chocolate Halwa

Everyone loves chocolate, age/gender being no bar. And it is being  incorporated in Indian desserts in a big way. Chocolate burfi, chocolate sandesh, chocolate lassi are some of the common examples. My kid is no exception to this rule and i try to use this flavor to camouflage items that he normally avoids.

This is one of my kid's favorite. And it is super easy to prepare. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10-12 mins

Ingredients - 3 tbs semolina/suji, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tbs almond meal, 2 tsp chopped cherries/tutti-frutti, 3 tsp sugar, 1 cup milk,  10-12 drops vanilla essence, 1-2 tsp butter .

Cooking - Dry roast the semolina and almond meal on a pan. Remove and keep aside.

Heat the milk in a wok. Take a few teaspoons of the warm milk in a cup, add the cocoa powder and dissolve it. Pour the chocolate mix back into the wok.

Add sugar, vanilla essence, almond meal and roasted semolina. Stir the contents for 3-4 minutes on a low to medium flame till a viscous mixture is formed (this will harden further on cooling). Stir in the butter and cherries/tutti-frutti.

Allow to cool down slightly and then fill into molds. Remove from mold when ready to serve.

Serve warm or chilled. (Garnish with nuts if desired.)



Sending this recipe to Chandrani's event Festive Treats for the month of Sep-Oct. Read more about her events.

Quickie pudding

Cooking Time Required : 15 mins
Cost of preparation: 20-25 rupees

Ingredients: Eggs ( 2 nos ), fruit bread ( 4 slices ), milk ( 3/4 th cup ), sugar ( 3tsp ), vanilla essence ( 4-5 drops ), raisins ( 1/4 th cup ), cashews ( 1/4 th cup ), salt ( a pinch ), ghee ( 1/3 tsp ), sweetened cornflakes/wheatflakes ( 1/2 cup ).

Preparation: Cut and remove the sides of the fruit bread. Break into small pieces and soak in a mixing bowl with warm milk for about 15 minutes.

Whisk the two eggs and add to the mixing bowl along with the sugar, raisins, cashews and vanilla essence. Beat well.

Cooking: Grease the sides of steel bowl ( one with a lid that fits tightly ). Pour in the mixture. Close with the lid.

Add 2 cups of water to a pressure cooker. Transfer the bowl into the pressure cooker and close the pressure cooker lid. Put on the stove and allow for 3-4 whistles ( 12-15 mins).

Remove from the stove and allow steam to escape. Open the pressure cooker and remove the bowl. Cut the pudding into small pieces and sprinkle the crushed cornflakes over it.
Relish it hot.