VERMICELLI KHEER / SHAVIGE PAYASA / PAYASAM

VERMICELLI KHEER / SHAVIGE PAYASA / PAYASAM

Vermicelli is known as seviyan in Hindi, shavige in kannada, Sevalu or Semiyalu in Telugu, Semiya in Tamil and shemai in Bengali.

Today I will be sharing Vermicelli kheer / Shavige payasa what we call in kannada, which I make quite often at home. My son, who truned 18months this day-Enjoys Vermicelli Kheer!

Ingredients:
1 cup vermicelli/shavige
500ml milk
100gms condensed milk (preferbly plain/unsweetened)
sugar as per taste
1tbspn ghee
1-cardamom
7-8 raisins
5-6 cashewnut
1 almond-thinly sliced
dash of saffron
2 drops of vanilla/rose essence (optional)

Method:
1. Heat ghee in a pan on low flame, add cashewnuts and fry till it turns light brown, then add raisins and sliced almond and put of the flame. Remove and keep it aside, except the ghee.
2. In the remaining ghee, add vermicelli and fry till it turns light brown, once it is done-transfer it to other bowl/plate.

3. On a medium flame boil milk.

4. Add cardamom, condensed milk and boil for 3min, stir ocasionally.

5. Add vermicelli and allow to cook till it is done.

6. Add sugar, stir and put off the flame. (Add vanilla/rose essence and mix)

7.Garnish with raisins, cashewnut, almonds and dash of saffron

Serve it hot or chilled.

BASMATI RICE KHEER

BASMATI RICE KHEER

INGREDIENTS:

50gramsBasmati rice
1tbspn.Ghee (Clarified butter)
3-4 tbspn Sugar or according to the sweetness you would prefer
1 litre Milk
Cardamom Almond and Raisins
A dash of Saffron

METHOD:
1.Wash and soak rice for 1/2 hour.
2. Drain it and keep the rice aside for sometime till it is completely dried.
3.Heat ghee in a pan. Add the rice and fry till light brown.
4. Add milk to the rice and keep stirring till the mixture thickens or reduces to 1/3rd of the orginal quantity.
5.Add sugar and mix well by partially crushing the rice.
Basmathi kheer is very creamy and has a delightful aroma, especially when seasoned with grounded cardamom, thinly sliced almond and raisins.
A dash of saffron gives the creamy dish a luminous, pale golden color.
Keep in the fridge and serve chilled. It can also be served hot.
Hope you enjoy!

SPONGE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup all purpose Flour/Maida

1/2 cup Sugar (powdered)

2 Eggs

75 gms Butter

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

2 drops any essence (Vanilla)

1 pinch food color (optional)

Method:

1. In a bowl, beat the eggs with a beater by adding essence, baking soda and food color.

2. In another bowl, mix butter and sugar.

3. Add all purpose flour/maida.

4. Add the beaten eggs.

5. Now mix well till you don't find any lumps left over.

6. Grease the microwave bowl with butter and pour the above mixture.

7. Pre-heat oven to 300 c.

8. Place bowl inside. Bake at 200 c for 5-7 minutes and 150 c till done. (35 to 40 minutes).

9. Poke with a toothpick and check. Cool completely before doing icing if any.

Note:Follow the baking instructions for cake from your appliance catalog.

Gajar Ka Halwa in Microwave

Gajar Ka Halwa in Microwave

I felt Gajar Ka Halwa in Microwave is much easier as it avoids stirring. It has always been a great hit! My guests always enjoyed them.

We had our Japanese friends and a friend from Turkey who was here for the lunch last weekend. Our Turkey friend was surprised to know that halwa could be made out of carrot. According to him they have this dessert halwa in their country like badam halwa, wheat halwa.. but not carrot halwa.

Ingredients:
500gms.-Carrot-grated

1/2-cup milk

200ml.-Sweetened Condensed Milk

Sugar as per taste (as the condensed milk is sweetened)

2-3 tbspn.-Ghee/Clarified butter

25 gms- Almond coarsely powdered (Roasted almonds in microwave for 2min and powdered)

1/4 tsp.-Saffron strings

1/2 tsp.Freshly crushed cardamom powder

Raisins and cashew nut for garnishing

Method:

1. Take a deep bottomed microwaveable vessel-mix carrot and milk and microwave on high for 15 minutes. Stand for few minutes.

2. Remove and stir, mix condensed milk and microwave for 15 minutes. Stand for few minutes.

3. Remove and stir, add sugar,add ghee, cardamom powder and almond powder and microwave for 6-8 minutes.

4. Garnish with saffron, raisins and cashew nuts fried in ghee

Serve hot or chilled.

Besan Ka Ladoo

This is one of my favourite dessert! Usually prepared during Krishna Janamashtami.
Ingredients
2 cups Gram flour
6-8 Cashewnuts
6-8 Almonds
1/2 cup Ghee
1tspn Green cardamom powder
1 cups Powdered sugar

Method-1. Sieve the besan through a fine sieve and set aside.
2. Coarsely grind cashewnuts and almonds and keep aside.
3. Melt ghee in a kadai. Add besan, cook over low heat till besan is well done and gives an aroma. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes
4. Add Cardamom powder, ground cashewnuts and almonds. Stir and take it off the heat.
5. Let it cool for a while.
6.Add the powdered sugar and mix well by using your hands
7.Shape it into a round or desired shape and store in an airtight container.  ( I have used shape moulds to get kids attention).