Chandrakala & Suryakala

INGREDIENTS

For the filling
Sugarless Kova  - 250 gms
Powdered sugar      1/2 cup
Cardamom powder   ¼ tsp

Cashew pieces – 4 tbsp (finely chopped)

Almonds – 4 tbsp (finely chopped)

Saffron – a few strings

Dates – 2 tsp (chopped)

Raisins – 2 tsp

FOR THE DOUGH

Maida                1 1/2 cup

Baking powder – a pinch
Ghee                   1tbsp
Salt                    a pinch
Oil                   for deep frying

To make Syrup

Sugar          1  cup
Water          1/4 cup

Method
 for The Filling.

• Heat a pan and add kova and fry for some time till it changes to light golden color.
•  Let it cool completely

• Add chopped nuts and dry fruits and cardamom to it. Now the filling is ready

For the dough

• Sieve the flour with baking powder and salt
• Mix ghee to this to form bread crumb like texture
• Add water and knead like a chapathi dough.
• Let it rest for 1 hour
  
  
  
  For the sugar syrup
• Heat sugar and water in a pan. Once it reaches 2 string consistency, switch off the fire and keep aside.
  
  
  Method:
• Take a two lemon sized dough and make like small size puri.
• Keep 1 tbsp of stuffing in the center of 1 circle and close it with another one.
  Seal edges with little water
• Twist corners gently to make like the one in the picture
• Deep fry in hot oil till it becomes golden brown in color.
• Dip it in hot sugar syrup and arrange on a tray with some some nuts on top
  
  

• For suryakala ,  roll the dough into small puri and place the filling in the center. Now seal the edges of the circle by making like a half circle and decorate the edges as you wish.

Ashoka Halwa

Moong dal 1/2 cup
Wheat flour 1/4 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Ghee 1/2 cup
Cardomom 5 or 6 pods
Cashew nuts 1 tablespoon
Saffron a pinch

Procedure:
1. Dry roast the moong dal until a nice aroma comes out.
2. Add water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
3. In a pan add little ghee and fry wheat flour until the raw smell goes.
9. Add the mashed dal and mix well without lumps.
10. Now add sugar and saffron. Stir the mixture continously until it thickens by adding ghee.
12. Once it comes to Halwa consistency and does not stick to the sides, add cardomom powder and swtich off the flame.
13. Garnish with fried cashews
14 Serve hot

Mysorepak

Ingredients:
1 cup bengal gram flour
11/2 cup sugar
11/2 cups ghee
1 cup water
1/2 tsp cardomom powder

Procedure:

• Sieve the bengal gram flour (besan).
• Roast it on a hot griddle/ tava for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Set aside.
• Heat the ghee (clarified butter) in a pan.
• Put the sugar in another pan and add 1 cup of water to it.  Cook till it becomes sticky syrup.
• Add the roasted flour to the sugar syrup stirring constantly.
• Add  ghee little by little into the flour and sugar mixture while stirring with a laddle.
• Cook till the mixture turns light brown and becomes porous.
• Sprinkle the cardamom powder over the mixture and set it in a plate.
• sprinkle crystal sugar on top while it is hot.
• With a sharp knife cut into 1 1/2 inch squares  immediately.

Rasgulla

This is a recipe that can be done with simple ingredients around your house in no time.

Ingredients:

For Paneer:

- 4 cups milk (I used 2% milk)
- Lemon juice 1/4 cup diluted with 1/2 cup water

For Sugar Syrup:

- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/4 sugar

Procedure:

1. First boil the milk. As soon as the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. As soon as the paneer seperates from the whey drain it in a piece of cheese cloth or any kind of thin cloth. Add cold water on top to prevent getting a sour smell in your panner.
2. Let the cloth sit with either a heavy item on top of it or just hang the cloth on your sink. Let it sit for about 20 mins or so. Occasionally press it down with a napkin to get the excess water.
3. Form it into a soft dough by need or put it in the food processor.
4. Then make it into tiny balls with no cracks in them.

5. In a pressure cooker, add the sugar and the water. Let it simmer and carefully drop the balls in.

6. Wait for one whistle on high and turn it off. Let it sit for 5 mins and run cold water over the pressure cooker to let the pressure out. Then open.

7. Refrigerate until firm then serve!

Fast n' Easy Theratti Pal (Milk Sweet)

This is a recipe that only takes 10 minutes to make in a microwave. This usually takes 2-3 hours in the stove.

Ingredients

1. 1 can of Condensed Milk
2. 3 Teaspoons of Yogurt
3. 2 Teaspoons of Ghee

First, mix the condensed milk and yogurt in a microwavable bowl. Then, put the bowl in the microwave for 5 minutes. Take it out and cool it for 3 minutes. Add ghee and put it in the microwave for another 5 minutes. Every minute take it out and stir it. Theratti pal is now ready to eat.