Laddus are everyone’s favorite sweet. We all love them, from Besan to Motichoor to Coconut. Different kinds different occasions and just little edible balls of delicious taste that spread joy and happiness. I always loved Motichoor laddus, kind of my all the time go to and get happy sweets.
After I started on my venture of self discovery of being a home based chef, I started making different kinds of laddus. This is when Mr. Parveez asked me to make these Laddus with rava and coconut. These Laddus were something he ate during his childhood and still craved for. Now before I go ahead with the recipe and more details, let me also tell you that this was my third trial and the one that was closest to his childhood flavor.
Rava was roasted in ghee and then I added Besan to help the laddus bind better. I further roasted the grated coconut as well. I also roasted the cashews and Raisins in ghee. Mixed everything together and added sugar to it. Added the remaining ghee and shaped them. These Laddus can be kept in airtight container for up to 10 days.
Besan ke Laddu is just pure love. I mean you have hundreds of varieties of Indian sweets, there can be different Kheers, Halwas and other numerous kinds of burfis, also Laddus, but there is something about Besan Laddu which is just pure love at first sight.
I know I sound like those Moms from some Bollywood movies from the 80’s and 90’s who always made Laddus for their kids and handed them in a large steel container while they would be leaving for work/studies to another city and it always came in with instructions of how the son should just be eating one each day and not share much, which of course the son forgot with convenience as soon as he reached his destination and his room mates and friends could smell the fragrance of home made Laddus from a mile away… OMG! can’t believe I just had the time and energy to mention all this. Well, hope it reminded you of your childhood movies if you have watched the “Masala Bollywood” and if you have not, I am sure the story still brought a smile to your face.
So, one day like a Bollywood mother I also got in the groove of making some Besan Laddus and I think its not just one of the easiest but one of the best sweet dishes ever. Its easy to make, few ingredients and takes very little time. If you are new at making Indian sweets, this is your go to dish. The instructions are pretty easy which makes it easy to follow and wonderfully impressive. Enjoy!!!
Maleeda is a sweet dish made for weddings in Bangalore. During Muslim weddings, all over the world, its a ritual to distribute sweets and dry fruits to all the guests after the nikah. Different places have different kinds of sweets, as in if you were in the Middle east you’d be served with Cashews, Dates, Walnuts and probably Baklava. Where as, if you were in Europe, you will be served Chocolates with other things. The ritual is to distribute sweets and nuts, following the Islamic traditions set by the Prophet.
Now, when it comes to India, the country has Muslims as the second largest population and I happen to be a proud Indian Muslim as well. Its amazing how much culture, tradition and food variety we have from a Muslim community of one state to another. And, at the same time, we all pray the same way, have same celebrations and share the same belief. Coming back to the traditions, I am from the Northern west and my side they usually distribute dry dates with cashews and Almonds and sometimes sweet beetle nut. Around a year and half after I became a member of Mr. Parveez’s family, his younger sister got married, that’s when I discovered that they have a tradition of distributing a crunchy, crushed powder kind of thing in small packets, called Maleeda. Mr. Parveez was so madly in love with Maleeda that watching him eat was a delight in itself. He looked like a child who found his way to his favorite candy store with free candies.
Funny enough, it was only made for the purpose of distribution during weddings. Well, after 4 years every brother and sister and cousins in the family were married and my dear husband would miss having his favorite Maleeda. That’s when I tried to find out how exactly it was made and tried making my own at home for him. Now, its not just him but even my boys are huge fans.
Usually for the Maleeda, the Roti is made fresh and fried and, further crushed to almost a thick powder. I always use my leftover Rotis since I feel this is the best way to utilize it. After that they add coconut, sugar, cardamom powder and carom seeds with little ghee. If you want it fancier, add almond powder, saffron and chopped almonds and pistachios. I make this pretty often and keep it in airtight jars. I find this healthier as a sweet snack for my kids than to any of the sugary store bought cookies. This has a shelf life of around a month if kept in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Enjoy!!!
Chawal ki Kheer is a popular meetha/sweet dish in all Indian/ Pakistani/ Bangladeshi homes. For every special occasion when Kheer is supposed to be made, of all the different varieties of Kheer, Chawal Ki Kheer is made the most.
My love for Chawal ki Kheer is probably since birth. I have never come across any chef/cook or for that matter any person who can make Chawal ki kheer as good as my mother. Since I could understand things well, I would always look forward to days when she would make Kheer. A spoonful in your mouth was enough for anyone to experience a taste of heaven. The funny part is that I never liked the Kheer anyone else made, it was in my view a complete injustice to the dish. I expected people to work harder and make it just like my mom. Since I was a kid, I never realized the amount of effort and hard work she puts into it. When I grew up, and with time started getting ready to explore the world of spices and learn the art of cooking good food is when I saw how many hours it took her to actually make something so deliciously wonderful and that’s when I understood why I see so many faces of relatives and friends on Eid, that I do not see all year round and requesting for my mother’s special Kheer.
There is no way that I will be able to describe the number of hours she gave into it, but I can definitely give you an idea. So, we are a family that comprises almost 150+ members, almost. Please do not get shocked reading this. This includes my grandfather’s children and their families and considering that my grandfather had 9 children, all kids have large families and most of my aunts had grandchildren while I was still in my teens. So it was this plus distant family and friends. Making Kheer for these many people made my mom look like a “Khansama”. I am sure she felt that at times too. She would get around 40-50 liters of milk, maybe more and slow cook that milk till it reduces to almost 2/3 of the original quantity. Now, reducing the milk isn’t as easy as it sounds. That’s actually the first and the most important step. The Milk has to be stirred continuously so it’s evenly cooked and it shouldn’t get burnt at the bottom either. The flame or heat should be kept low. The process is tiring but worth it. The way my mom taught me was to stir once in a circular way and the second time makes the number eight. Honestly, I never realized till I was a grown-up that this is the best way to cover the whole base of the pot.
So, once the milk is reduced, you add cashew powder to it. The cashew powder does not just add some thickness and texture to it but also gives out a little sweetness and nutty flavor that is super amazing. Besides that adding, chopped almonds are a delicious add-on as well. After that, add khoya/maawa or Khoya powder, but that’s completely optional. I prefer using small grained Rice for the kheer because they are easier to mash and the texture is perfect for the Kheer after being mashed. You can use Kani ke chawal or Kaima Rice or any other small grained Rice. My mother always added condensed milk to her Kheer and some people thought that was the secret ingredient, but honestly, it’s just the magic of her hands and all the hard work. Only ingredients never make a dish great, it’s mainly the effort put in by the person cooking.
This is a wonderful way of making Kheer. I am still not as good as my mom when it comes to making it but it still comes out delicious and each spoonful makes you crave more.
This is a sweet dish made from Semolina, a dish from Egypt. Honestly, its made all around middle east and known by different names. In Egypt, its Basbousa and in Palestine, its known as Harissa or Hareeseh. In Egypt, its called Al-Basbousa. The dish even goes by the name of Nammoura. They all are the same with probably a little variation of picking the kind of essence they use while cooking. This is basically a traditional Middle Eastern sweet cake that is made using Semolina which is blended in with margarine/butter and further with yogurt. In the end the semolina batter is sweetened with orange flower water or rose water simple syrup. It was originally made by Ottomans in the middle east.
Now the funny thing is that in USA, we usually find this sweet in stores that sell a variety of Middle eastern grocery and sweets, but for some it comes under the section where we buy the Greek food. I remember from the time I came to USA that Mr. Parveez loved buying this cake and we always believed it was Greek. Until, a few days back I discovered that the actual name of this sweet dish is Basbousa and its middle eastern.
I have made cakes with all-purpose flour all the time, so this time I decided to try something new. While looking for something new, I came across Basbousa. The dish has Semolina as the main ingredient and unlike the traditional ways of making cake, this takes in its sweetness from sugar syrup after its baked. The addition of sugar syrup with Rose essence induces softness and sweetness to the cake. This recipe also includes almonds which add a little nutty crunch to the cake besides making it look nice. I was excited with the idea of making a cake with semolina, or sooji as it is known in India, as it sounded healthy and different. I have to say this was one of my favorite and satisfying baking escapades.
The concept of using sugar syrup is just like its used in Kanafeh, another middle eastern sweet or Baklava, so I was aware of how to go about it, except I wasn’t too certain if the cake will be able to soak it in or be watery. Well, not only the sugar syrup was soaked in, the addition of rose essence in the syrup gives out a beautiful aroma and definitely enhances the flavor of the cake. The result, a perfectly moist cake with a distinct taste, flavor and texture.
Basbousa or Harissa or Nammoura or Semolina Cake as I’d call it, is a perfect traditional dessert and we really enjoyed its light and spongy texture. I’ll surely be making this again. Enjoy!!!
One of the first laddu experiments that I did. Experiment sounds extremely funny, but the fact is that it was a complete experiment. I was newly married and wanted to impress my husband with my “Indian sweet” making skills. This was the time when my cooking were still doubtful and my food was mostly an experiment, when I tried something new.
Its really amazing to see yourself grow confident for something you are always so passionate about. Its not that I never make any cooking mistakes anymore, we all do at some point. Sometimes a dish made in rush turns out amazing and something that you give a lot of time to gets messed up, and leaves you wondering that what could have you possibly done wrong. But, you are a master when you learn how to fix up your mistakes and still be able to serve a lovely dish. The art of being able to fix a dish is called cooking.
Coming back to the Laddus, so these sweet balls of flavor were a hit from the first time Mr. Parveez tasted them. But, the original thought of making Laddus wasn’t what I had in mind. I was actually trying to make Rajasthani sattu. I believe the amount of ghee that needs to be added in making the sattu was the reason I didn’t get the dish right. Mr. Parveez doesn’t enjoy Ghee much, to my disappointment, and as much as I would like to add ghee to my sweets [the Marwari in me], I am not able to. So, the sattus didn’t turn out right due to me watching and deducting the quantity of ghee and once I messed that up, I needed to fix that and this is when the Laddus were made. I figured out that adding sooji gave them a little crunch and made them taste better too.
Now, the sugar that we have in USA is granulated sugar, so if you tend to use a thick grain sugar [white or brown], I would suggest you powder it before using. A lot of Laddus require chashni or sugar syrup and since this recipe requires adding sugar in solid state, you need something that mixes in properly.
These are easy to make for beginners as well. So, if you happen to be new at cooking and would like to impress loved ones with something easy and special, this recipe is for you. Enjoy!!!
There was a popular supermarket near our apartment. Mr. Parveez and I would buy our regular grocery from that supermarket. During the winter season, a baker in their bakery made carrot cake, with walnuts/ without walnuts, sometimes with raisins. Every winter, also known as “holiday season” in USA, we would look forward to the carrot cake. We even served it to our guests, took it for friends.
And one day the baker left the store. We only found during winter when the carrot cake was being sold but something changed. On trying to figure out, we questioned the Manager and found that the baker was from another country and has left for good. Even the manager agreed that the though he left the cake recipe, it just didn’t come out the same. Eventually, the store stopped keeping carrot cake.
But, we looked everywhere with our taste buds craving the same flavor. 10 years of search and over 100 stores and supermarkets, different towns, different bakeries but it was just not the same. One day I came across a recipe for Thanksgiving carrot pudding and reading that I felt, it wouldn’t be that tough trying it out. I also realized with times that there was some spice that was missing in the normal carrot cake. That spice was nutmeg. Isn’t it funny, that a pinch of a spice can change the complete taste.
I first tried the basic cake without frosting and once I perfected the basic cake, I tried the frosting and both together make a super excellent Carrot Walnut Cake. Its exactly like the cake we liked, probably a little better. This will bring you loads of praises on your parties and get together.
If you like Gulab Jamuns, you will definitely like these. These are almost the same recipe as Khoya Gulab Jamun with a filling of dry fruits inside. Change the shape to make it look different from regular Gulab Jamuns. I made them oblong, you can always make them bigger and round if that appeals you more.
Have you ever had problems feeding your kids enough fruits? Well, I do. I love the fruit and vegetable servings designed by the food pyramid. If you pay attention to the food pyramid, you might realize that your kids aren’t consuming enough.
We do make loads of shakes at home, but most of the shakes would have sugar, milk and fruit and there wouldn’t be anything too fancy. Most of the shakes were just Mango . Then one day, we ventured out the world of smoothies that became a huge trend in early 2000. I felt it was an excellent way to serve your kids everything they wouldn’t consume if they saw…LOLzzz.
With all this came in my reasons to start making my own smoothies. The boys love it since its the best thing they can have on the go. Smoothie makes an easy, fast, filling and super healthy breakfast.
My boys love Mango and every Mango season, we get tons of mangoes and a lot of times with busy schedules and summer outings, we go without eating. The problem also is that Mangoes go bad really quickly. So, making smoothies is a great way of incorporating them to your meals.
Mix in your choice of flax seeds and hemp seeds and it would not just make it more delicious but also a super healthy breakfast. For a great smoothie, you have to make sure the milk is chilled. You can always put the milk in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, and it would make your smoothie much better than normal.
Jodhpur, my beautiful hometown and land of sweetness and colorful people. One of the most popular sweet is Maave ki Kachori. The crunchy outer crust and slightly sweet inside dipped in the sugar syrup.
For Mr. Parveez it was love at first sight or love at first bite. He enjoyed it so much that every Jodhpur visit, Maave Ki Kachori was a must and if we had any one coming over, we would ask them to get it for us, which I would fry again and pour some warm sugar syrup on it ans serve. As much as we would appreciate the pain people would go through to bring/send these awesome sweets to us, but the only problem was that staying without refrigeration for so long would spoil the taste a little and we wouldn’t be able to enjoy more that 25%. So, with time, we had to give up on that.
The best Maava Kachori according the polls is made by Raawat sweet store and I once happened to have a few guests over , out of which one has been to Jodhpur and has tried maava Kachori from that sweet store. I was truly honored when the guest told me that mine would win if there was a competition. Its always great to receive compliments from my boys and as much as I know that they are honest when it comes to food, I still believe they appreciate my efforts at times and never complain if the dish hasn’t come out great.
And then finally one day I decided to try my own. Before I write the whole recipe, let me tell you this…I have never eaten or tried Maave Ki Kachori. I am just few of those “weirdos” who do not enjoy sweets made with sugar syrup and therefore when the thought came to my mind, it was actually an arrow in the dark. What I knew was that the filling has Khoya and nuts and slight taste of some spices. The biggest blessing is to have a husband who has amazing taste buds and therefore, it was easy to have him try the filling before I finalize it.
The first attempt had too much spice and it was hard to taste the khoya and sweetness. The second try had too little spice. The third one was perfect since I understood how and what to do. The khoya needs to have a little bit of clove but suggest that they shouldn’t be powdered and they should be mixed as is in the pan while cooking khoya and should be taken out leaving the flavor. Besides, cloves, its cardamom powder, cinnamon powder and Nutmeg powder.
When you start cooking the Khoya would melt in the pan and that’s good since it makes it easier to blend it with flavor of spices, and when it cools down, it automatically solidifies again. Sugar should be mixed only once its taken off the pan.
